Chapter 396: [Vol.4] Quest 300- A Secret Between Me & You

August 1st.

Outside of Orario.

"This sure is a long way from Orario." Said Hestia. "Hey, elf, did he really say Bell’s village? Or are you trying to get close to my Bell?"

"Why would I do that when Syr is already close to him?" Ryuu said, walking forward.

"I gotta say, seeing how far out your village is, it explains why you were always doe-eyed for Orario’s holidays and festivals." Said Welf.

"Yeah. How far till we are at the village?" asked Lili.

"It shouldn’t be too far." He said. "Just past these plains and over that hill and we will be there," Bell said excitedly returning to his village.

"Lady Hestia, do you think leaving our new Familia members back home was a good idea?" asked Lili, worried.

"I’m sure they will be fine!" said Haruhime. "They have been with us for months now. It is disheartening that Mikoto's time with us has come and gone."

"Hm, they are good people. Mikoto was a strong warrior, and she will be missed within the Familia, but she has chosen her path." Said Malion. "And the new members are not so stupid as to do anything rash under my tutelage."

"Let us hurry." Said Eupheme a bit excited to see the kids.

"Yes, let's!" said Hermes with a joyful smile.

"Honestly, why are you here?" Hestia said it with an unpleased look.

"What!? Ai is best friends with Asfi and Aisha! And I wanted to see what a child of their renown would be like!"

"He just heard we were going and decided to tag along." Said Asfi.

"He’s really persistent." Said Aisha. "But let’s hurry. I want to see her already."

They hurried their pace a bit.

 

Arriving at the village, Bell found it a bit more developed. The village looks relatively the same, but it has improved with better roads, the buildings were also renovated. Bell even saw a few merchants in the now newly renovated town square.

"Whoa! So this is your village, Bell!!" said Hestia, amazed. "I expected more rural!"

"Yes, but it’s a bit different from how I remember it, but there is enough stuff to recognize it as my village." He said this, looking around.

"That’s Cirrus for you." Said Hermes. "Even out here in the countryside, he still has a knack for business and renovations."

"Hm, it is the same in Yamato." Said Asfi, noticing some streamlined stuff.

"Oh? Is that you, little Bell?" said an older woman.

"Granny!" he said, coming up to her. "How have you been! The village changed since I left."

"I’ve been doing well! A bright and kind young man helped this farming village better." She smiled while rocking on her rocking chair. "Are you a big hero in the city?"

"Ha-ha… Something like that. Um, do you know where a man with green and silver eyes lives? He has a scar over his silver one?"

"Oh, you mean Cirrus! He's the young man who helped this village, very beautiful wives, you know he improved this village for their sake you know."

"Oh really?"

"Yes, yes. With his great strength he improved everyone's farm and this village."

"Do you know where is lives?"

"He lives just that way." She said pointing northwest. "Since that lovely man came to our quaint little village with his lovely wives, the village has gotten better. I can't stop singing hi praises, these old bones never felt better. Are you friends with him?"

"I am! We came to see his child."

"Ah well, you are lucky! His wives had just given birth a couple of weeks ago! His sister even came to help with the babies. She's pretty as well, such pretty hair."

"Um... That isn't right." Bell corrected. "You mean his wife Ai, gave birth right?"

"Oh yes, she and Art. At least I'm confusing the two? My eyes aren't quite how they use to be but my ears can still tell the cry of a baby."

 

They traveled where the elderly women said, and they came across a fairly big cottage surrounded by nature.

"Yup, this is his home," Hermes said, walking up to the home.

He goes up on their porch and knocks on the door.

They could hear someone coming to the door, their footsteps approach closer. The door knob turns and it opened to reveal Cirrus. He looked rather tired, with disheveled hair and stubble. He even had a faint scent of sweat and other less pleasant smells.

"Oh, you’re here." He said this, running his fingers through his hair. He no longer can tell how bad he smells. "Come in."

They enter the home to find it rather lovely and warm home.

"Nice place." said Eupheme.

"Very!" said Lili.

"You know you smell like shit and urine right?" said Aisha. "I take it you have been helping change the dippers?"

"Haha. Yes." His eyes go a bit hollow.

'I never thought I would accidently know the taste of shit and piss... god.' He was exhausted, mentally and physically. He barely had any sleep to have a clear mind.

There are pictures on the wall of them doing various activities in their village.

"Seems you had some fun time here, Cirrus." Hermes said looking at the pictures.

"Yeah, it's all fun... until I became a father. I crave sleep, I want it so fucking bad."

The sound of desperation rung in everyone's ears.

"Um... Sora are you okay?" Lili asked concerned.

"Do you have enough rest?" Asked Haruhime.

"If your this bad how are the others?" asked Ryuu.

"First, Lili... I think so? Second, Haruhime, no. Third, Ryuu, they are doing better than me."

They all went to the living room.

"To be honest, I didn’t expect so many people. Oh, you can talk as you wish. I put some stuff up to not wake up the little ones." Cirrus pointed in directions.

They could see he was well deprived of sleep as he slowly took a seat.

"You said little ones; did you... have twins?" said Asfi, taking a seat.

Everyone else also took their seats.

"Something like that, but before anything, I need you all to promise me something." His eyes, which once had little energy, were now as sharp and full of gleam as everyone in the room.

"Sure thing! What is it?" Hermes said it without a beat.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Good, should this get out well... It won’t be very nice."

"Just tell us already." Said Aisha. "Does it have to do with Ai?"

"No," he said. "It has to do with—"

Entering the living room was Circe, and after her were Ai and Artemis. Carrying their children.

"Artemis."

They were all shocked, but Hermes and Hestia, they truly didn’t know what to say, as the baby Artemis was carrying was giving off an almost near identical divinity-like energy to her own.

"H-h-how—!?"

Before Hestia could shout, a finger pressed against her lips.

"Now, now Lady Hestia." Said Fels. "We will explain it."

Everyone looked at the shadowy figure. All but Aisha knew who they were.

"Who is that!?" Aisha shouted.

"That is my mom, slash dad," Cirrus said.

"I apologize for my suddenness, but seeing as Ai trusts you, I have some faith in you as well," Fels said, nodding.

"Well…" Aisha looked at Fels up and down. "If you rose, Cirrus, I guess you must be something."

 

Cirrus, Fels, Hermes, and Hestia left the room while Circe, Ai, and Artemis remained.

"S-so, what are their names?" asked Bell quietly.

"His name is Kyūjouno Hakushika." Said Ai. "A combination of my color and Cirrus’s former title."

He had light brown hair and fox ears. He had a good mix of Ai and Cirrus features.

"And her name is Callisto Zephyr." Said Artemis. "For she is the most beautiful child in the world." She said it with the warmest, most earnest smile on her face.

She had dark blue hair, the same as Artemis.

"It’s harder than what I had thought being a mother is." Said Ai. "I feel tired and yet full of energy when holding him... Do you want to try holding him?"

Aisha slowly and gently holds Hakushika. He weighs fairly well, and his fox ears twitched. He opened his indigo eyes. His eyes began to water.

"W-wah!!!!!!!!"

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"A-Ai!" she said, handing him back to her.

"Now, now, shush, shush. It’s alright, sweetie, Mommy is here." She rocked him, and he slowly stopped crying as Ai held him close.

"Your daughter seems to be a heavy sleeper?" said Lili.

"Fufu, yes, but when she cries, it's far worse. Did you see Cirrus? He spent yesterday trying to get her to sleep so I could get some rest."

"It must have taken him a long time, from how tired he looked." Said Eupheme. "I guess age has caught up to him; back then he would have no problem going all night hammering away at the forge."

"Or it must be these little ones," Ryuu said, poking Hakushika. "It must take a lot to be so careful holding them."

Thud!!

They heard a loud thud outside.

Cirrus came into the living room.

"There was another person I invited; she is outside. Ryuu comes, and I’m sure she would like to meet you."

They went outside to see Fafnir and two women, a child, and a goddess.

"It has been a while, hasn’t it, Lion?" Astraea said with a wonderful smile.

"L-Lady Astraea!!" Ryuu shouted with open eyes.

"So you are my captain, huh?" said Cecil in a beautiful red robe. "I am Cecil!" she said with an extended hand. "Oh sorry! It’s a habit of mine!" she said, retracting her hand.

"It is fine." Ryuu kneels at her eye level. "It is nice to meet you." She reached out her hand and patted her light green hair with a soft smile.

"Now where are my grandkids!" Astraea said walking up to Cirrus.

"Inside, but we have things to discuss later."

"That’s fine! Let me see my cute grandchildren!!" Astraea rushed inside.

 

Nighttime.

Cirrus’s backyard.

Everyone was sitting around the campfire.

"So…" Astraea’s divinity was spiking wildly in anger. "They are using MY children’s bodies." Her words are drowned in fury. "Even desecrating their graves and taking their weapons, not to mention tampering with their bodies."

This was the first time they had seen Astraea so full of fury.

"Circe, did you go on the Loki Familia’s expedition?" Cirrus asked.

"Yes, and even the Freya Familia as well to check on the device, and there was nothing but me."

"Then they are deep within the dungeon." Said Hermes. "Further than what you achieved."

"I should clarify that the deeper the floor, the less efficient the radar becomes, so... yeah. It seems the Dungeon has some frequency that messes with the radar." Circe added.

"Even so, we must assume they are building up their forces." Said Asfi. "They quickly fled when you arrived on the scene, Cirrus. They’re not stupid enough to think they could face you without a chance."

"They must be waiting for the strongest of their kind to be born." Said Ai. "The Spirit who took Neze’s body said she was the Spirit King of the Earth? Does that mean they have their own classifications like what we have for adventures?"

"They do." Said Hermes. "I made my fair share of spirits and they come in 4 grades Normal: rather strong by both the age of Hero’s and even now, Revis could be considered as one. Next are Great Spirits: these are the ones that truly live up to their names they could destroy a town with a single spell. Cirrus I heard you killed one?"

"I did. She was an Ice Spirit."

"Then you can say my words are correct yes?"

"Yeah, but the only problem is they can get stronger like the Xeno; they simply need to eat magic stones to get stronger."

"That is a problem... Next is the Spirit King: they are in harmony with their element and able to use it as if it were an extension of their body."

Ai, Ryuu, and Asfi nod in agreement.

"Then the strongest of the pack is the Grand Spirits: basically, their spirits like Nox. They are embodiments of their respected magic, true threats to the world from how near godly their power is."

"What about Wu?" asked Bell. "She said she was a Unique Spirit?"

"Unique Spirits are highly unpredictable; one could be vastly stronger just because of their magic, and seeing as they can grow from eating magic stones, you need to be careful should one appear."

"Speaking of it, has there been any word from Wu?" asked Ai.

"Just rumors, but based on what Aisha told me, it seems she is going around trying to strengthen her poison to kill you, Cirrus."

"Well, she’s going to have a hard time with that considering my Immunity rank is B," Cirrus said.

"We should try to find any other sources of strong poison." Said Fels. "To try and use it as bait to finally get rid of her."

"Hermes, do you know of anything that has a strong poison?" asked Hestia. "You’re a well-traveled god."

"Afraid not, aside from the Desert of Death Ash, there isn’t anywhere, and the Spring of Life was an unexpected development."

"Fafnir, can you still track her?" asked Malion. "When we first met, you were on your way to her, no?"

Fafnir emerged from behind Cirrus.

"Her scent has changed; Circe, could you build another radar to track her?"

"I can, but it will take some time, but I can fine-tune it if we meet them again."

"Then it seems we are done with the discussion." Said Artemis. "We will be returning soon to Orario."

"And when will that be?" asked Hestia.

"A month," said Cirrus. "I should be able to finish the magic tool for her to wear to hide her identity."

"You could forcibly hide that divinity or whatever that energy is called?" said Asfi.

"I called it Sacred Energy. I also have it, so, eh? And I can, or at least somewhat of it; Artemis has been testing it, so I just need to fine-tune it with some stuff, and it will be complete."

"With that, I think we should hit the hay for tomorrow!" Ai said as she and Artemis got up. "Sleep is extraordinarily precious now."

"Yup, I’ll see you all tomorrow," Cirrus said.

The night ended with information settled and shared so everyone could be on the same page.

 

Next day.

Cirrus brought Hermes out into the woods.

"So why’d you call me out here, Cirrus!" Hermes said.

"Hermes I wanted to ask you about Ananke’s strings," Cirrus said, looking into his eyes.

"Did Vesta tell you? Maybe Artemis?"

"I did," Vesta said, appearing from a wisp of flame. "Artemis does not know that Cirrus knows. It seemed her intimidating knowledge of Cirrus prevented her from spilling it out, unlike me."

"That is the difference between getting one's memories and truly knowing someone," Hermes said, straightening his hat. "But since you told him already, what did you want to ask? You told him how they work, right?"

"I wanted to ask you." Cirrus stepped a foot closer. "If I can cut her strings and untethered myself from fate?"

"Why would you do that?" Hermes said puzzled. "If she put her strings on you, then you must have a pretty amazing fate!"

"Cirrus does not see it that way." Vesta chimed in.

"Really? I guess that is a fundamental difference between gods and mortals."

"But me given a fate, doesn’t that ruin everything? Kind of a spoiler to how my story ends, no? I thought you gods came to Gekai to have fun?" Cirrus said.

 "That is true. Kinda makes the story rather predictable. But I would argue that sometimes it doesn’t."

"Go on, make your case."

"Well, in Heaven a lot of gods would read a series called One Piece."

Cirrus, of course, knew that series; it was extremely popular in Japan and around the world, and he was an avid fan of it until work made him fall far behind the series.

"One Piece?"

"Yes, named after the famed treasure of the story. The one who finds it and claims it may call themselves the Pirate King. Now the story starts with the protagonist of the story, Monkey D. Luffy."

"I like the premise."

"So his dream is to become the Pirate King, he constantly says it as he makes his journey to the fabled One Piece. You know as the protagonist of the story, his fate is very well known; the story ends with him becoming the Pirate King. It doesn’t detract from the enjoyment of the story, as the buildup to it, the journey makes that ending all the more bittersweet. Happy that he achieved his dreams and bitter that his story has ended."

"That’s nice, but we are not fiction. I can touch you as much as you can touch me, Hermes. Besides, wouldn’t Luffy’s story be far more exciting if you didn’t know where it was gonna end?"

"Possibly. In your case, Cirrus I do not know the answer to the question you asked. Fate is unmovable, it is defined. Especially if it’s for the greater good of the universe."

Nyx’s words of Primordials rang in his ears.

"Fuck that. Even if I cannot break free, my daughter will. I will ensure she is given the freedom to choose who she wants to be."

Hermes liked the look in his eyes.

"I fear not the man with nothing to lose, but the man who has something. Careful not to burn the world, Cirrus. When struggling against fate, it always gets you; hell, it may have already put events into motion as we speak."

"I’ll keep that in mind."

 

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