Chương 434: [Vol.4] Quest 326- The Final Push

November 1st, the first day of the Goddess Festival.

"There! Everything is perfect!" said Syr as she took a step back to see Ryuu dressed in a green dress with a red flower clip in her hair.

"I-I don’t look weird, right?" she asked nervously.

"Of course not! You look adorable enough that I want to eat you!"

Ryuu stands up and looks at herself in the mirror.

"Still, I’m not comfortable with this attire. Do you think he’ll like it?"

"I’m sure he will love it! If he doesn’t, well, I doubt it. I mean, he has three wives, so he must have a near-godly sex drive to keep up with them."

"S-Syr!?" Ryuu said, blushing.

"Fufu, don’t worry, I bought you these." Syr then takes out a bottle of pills. "Take one just in case!" She gave Ryuu a wink with a pill in hand. "You wouldn’t want a shotgun wedding, do you?"

"Hmmm… No." Ryuu reaches for it and takes it.

Gulp!

"Now hurry down for your date! I’m sure he’ll be—"

"Oy! Syr! Ryuu!" shouted Lunoire. "He’s here!"

Coming down and heading out the back since the pub was full, Ryuu walks out to see Cirrus in sharp attire.

His hair was slicked back with a silver headband holding it back, and his suit was a spotless and sharp black suit with a green tie to match his eye. His clam earring wasn’t on him as well as his rings, but in his hands was a bouquet.

"You look beautiful, Ryuu," Cirrus said, handing her the flowers.

"T-thank you." She bowed slightly with a slight blush while taking the flowers. "Um, do you really like it?"

She could smell a light scent on him. She didn’t know what he smelled like, but it was pleasant.

"Of course, why wouldn’t I like something that matches you so well? Green suits you as pleasant as those sky-blue eyes and golden hair."

"!!" She used the flowers to cover her face from embarrassment. "I-I can see how you charmed your wives."

"Just a simple observation. Well, consider this charm of mine for you alone this night." He made a slight smile toward her, extending his hand.

Ryuu takes his hand, and they lock arms as they walk together.

 

Watching from the corner were Callisto and Auberon.

"Dad looks really nice," said Auberon.

"Hmm. I guess that’s why Dad has been going into the dungeon a lot more these past months." Said Callisto.

"Calli, is she going to be our new mom?" Auberon looks at his big sister.

"Probably. Why? Do you not want her to be our new mom?"

"Hmm… I’m worried he won’t spend time with my mom."

"Aww, don’t worry! He won’t forget about her! It was the same for Haku when your mom got with Dad."

"Oh, say they're gone."

Calli turned to find that they were gone.

"Dammit! Let’s hurry and—"

"Now, now you two."

They turn to see Syr behind them.

"The pretty waitress!" said Auberon.

"How about you give them some privacy, okay?" She made a gentle smile that held great intent, and they both nodded. "Great! If you want, you can help around the pub!"

"Why? Aren’t you going on a date with Uncle Bell?" said Callisto.

"Fufu, I have that tomorrow."

"Sorry, but Mom said she was going to take us around, right, Ron?" Calli looked at Auberon.

"Y-yeah!"

"Is that so? Well, better run off now."

"Come, let's hurry before they start looking!"

"Hm!"

Syr watched as the two ran off in the direction of their home.

"Let’s see if you can have your kid before I get mine." A flicker of silver shines in her eyes before she walks back into the pub.

 

Southwest of Orario.

They arrive at a restaurant called the Spoon’s Aqua, which over the years has gained a positive reputation for being popular with wealthy people and famous adventures. More famously, it was where Bell proposed to Ais. Since then, it has been a hot location.

"It’s odd that no one has come, seeing how popular it is around this time." Asked Ryuu as they were being led to their table on top of the ship.

"Oh, I bought the whole ship out for 3 hours, so it’s just the two of us."

"E-eh!?"

After they sat down, a waiter came and handed them the menu. They looked at the menu and picked out what they wanted.

"I will be right back with your orders." The waiter bowed and left.

"So… uh… I forgot what talking points I had."

"Well, tell me a little about yourself. Like, how was your home forest?"

"Ah well, my home forest, Ryumilua. It was nice and peaceful. My family, Lion, was a family that cared for and protected our forest's sacred tree. From a young age, I was trained along with my brothers and sisters."

"You have siblings?"

"Yes, 8 brothers and 7 sisters, me included."

"Wow, that’s surprising. I thought elves had low birthrates?"

"My father had a special role within the forest. I would rather not speak on it if that is fine with you."

"Of course, say what you’re comfortable with."

"Well, by the time I was 11, I left my home forest and made my way to Orario. Walking around, I met Lady Astraea while I was looking for a place to stay."

"That’s how you met, huh?"

"How did you meet her?"

"Didn’t Kaguya and Lyra tell you? I am sure Alise would have."

"Hmm…" Ryuu thinks about it. "Ah, I remember the day of the Wargames. We were walking back, and Kaguya mentioned it. Was it that bad of a first meeting?"

"Well, Lady Astraea was still not as seasoned with justice as she is today. But over time, she learned more about people and the factors that contribute to their choices. She even did small things to get closer to me."

"Was that why she would always read a different book? She would be reading a book about philosophy, and the next a book on laws."

"Yeah, she would ask me these questions now and again and then ponder on them before asking other questions. It was her way of understanding various things she, as a goddess, couldn’t quite get a grasp on. I found it very respectable that she is reading up and asking questions to better her understanding, even going out and helping herself."

"Did she really need to read up on laws? She is the goddess of justice?"

"Well, then that brings us back to the fundamental question of ‘what is justice?’ your favorite question." Cirrus lightly smirked.

"Ugh." Ryuu made a displeased face. "Thinking of myself from then on, I was really stubborn."

"Still are."

"…" She glared at him for a second.

"Sorry, go on."

"As I was saying before, the Ryuu from back then wanted and needed the world to be simple. She had barely any experience or understanding of how gray the world is. Thinking back on it now, it was annoying to hear me constantly yap about justice, like I was the epitome of it. Look how that turned out. I fell so hard the moment I lost everything. Lashing out at the world over a mistake, I know with all of my heart that we, the Astraea Familia, would repeat it if it meant we could save an innocent person."

"Even if you knew it would lead to everyone’s deaths?"

"Considering the people we went to save were all Evilus members, probably not, but I feel Alise would have still led us there. If not us, some other Familia would have been the victims."

"Before this topic, I just wanted to say that your thoughts on your younger self are a bit sad." Cirrus puts his elbow on the table and rests his head. "There was a certain charm to you back then. Your optimistic views and goals were uplifting."

"Really? When I remember those days, I remember coming off as childish."

"Yes, but in those days, people like you who were altruistic were a gem. To this day, I still wish Ardi was still around."

"Ardi…"

The two sit in silence, remembering that kind girl whose kindness and smile rivaled or even outmatched Ai’s.

"Cirrus, can I ask what happened to Valletta? I noticed she was gone after the raid into the Knossos?" Ryuu asked.

"Oh, that, I handed her off to Shakti and Thanatos, off to Ganesha."

"Then… Shakti avenged Ardi?"

"She did." Cirrus leaned back. "After that day, Shakti looked as if a weight came off her shoulders."

"She does look lighter. Did I ever tell you about the time me and Syr went into a casino to save a girl at the request of her parents?"

"Oh, did you?"

"Yes, I have to thank Cranel for his help, or, well, luck."

"Ah yeah, his luck is pretty impressive."

"So with his help, we got enough to go into the VIP lounge and challenge the owner, who was running an illegal business."

"So you kicked his ass, right? I can’t see you exactly losing to some casino owner."

"Well, I, um, lost in poker."

"Well, that wasn’t too bad. Did Syr come in and win it all?"

"She did. How did you know?"

"Me and a few others have a poker game every now and again. One time Bell couldn’t make it, so Syr took his place."

"And did she clean you all out?"

"Well, not me. I cut my losses before she took the clothes off my back."

‘Luck means shit to Freya, the goddess of gold.’

"How much did she take?"

'Freya took everything that was bid or nailed to the ground.'

"… So what happened next?" Cirrus kept the conversation on track. "Did the guy lose his shit?"

"Oh, yes, he did. After I gave chase, I rescued the girl he took and escaped with Syr. But the only obstacle left was Shakti. She did let us leave without an issue."

"Well, that certainly is something. I guess even then you still wish to help the people."

"Yes… I still do yearn for those days. Not the violence or chaotic nature, but..." Ryuu closed her eyes, and her mind lingered back to the days when the Astraea Familia were still active. "Those days we spent shouting and yelling at one another over stupid things." She opened her eyes again. "Do you yearn for those days?"

"Not particularly. The only reason I would yearn for those days is to punch Kaguya in the face."

"Fufu," Ryuu giggled. "I am sure she would return one just as quickly."

"Sir, my lady, your order." The waiter puts down the dishes. "I will be back shortly with the drinks." They quickly left.

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"Well, shall we eat?" Cirrus got his fork and knife.

"I never had such expensive food." She looked at her plate, and from a glance, she could tell it was an expensive meal from how the food was arranged and presented. "Are you sure you don’t want me to chip in? I feel guilty about how much you spend on me. Thinking about it, how much have you spent on me?"

Ryuu had pushed the thought away for so long, but this dinner it came back with a deep curiosity. How many zeros did Cirrus spend to let Ryuu go on expeditions from Mia?

"Don’t worry about it. They were business expenditures." Cirrus cut a piece of his steak. "Nom!" He says, taking a bit and enjoying the food.

"B-but we are not even a couple or anything!"

Swallow~

"Well, think of it this way: if the night ends how you want it, they would be, uhh... how do I say it? Uhh... time bought to get close to you?"

"Cirrus…" Ryuu blushes a bit, both from embarrassment and guilt at how many zeroes he dropped on her. "You don’t have something up your sleeves, do you? I feel like you are the type to buy a girl a gift while on a date."

"I guess the Gale thinks just as fast as she runs." Cirrus smiles. He then popped out a Valis. "My sleeves always have something in them, like money."

He holds it out to Ryuu.

"Oh, I thought you were going to buy me something," Ryuu said, a bit relieved. She didn’t want Cirrus to keep spending so much on her.

"Well, you say that." He rolled the coin into his sleeve, and in his other hand, he had a small box. "But I did get you a gift that I made with my own hands."

Ryuu’s heart skipped a beat at seeing that small box. Her mind raced to the obvious, but she kept herself calm enough to open it to find a necklace, one with a lion wrapped around emerald winds.

"This is a bit tacky." She said, making a chuckling smile.

"Well, I had an idea, and I went with it, but when it was finished, I thought, ‘Damn. What the fuck am I going to do with this?’."

"And so you decided to pawn it off to me?" Ryuu leaned forward and rested her head on her right hand. "Why is it a lion surrounded by the wind?"

"It was inspired by you—a lion for your name and the wind for your alias. It’s not my finest work, but..., no, now I feel secondhand embarrassment with it. Now hand it back."

"No, I think I’ll hold on to it. It’s rude to hand a gift back." She made a smirk that enchanted Cirrus. "Besides, you made it. Why wouldn’t I keep it?"

‘Well, that’s a smirk worth the world.’

 

After eating and drinking some wine, they walked around the city and enjoyed the games the stalls had. They laughed, danced, and cheered in joy, but Ryuu noticed from all of this fun that Cirrus had never once tried to sing.

"Say, I just realized, but you haven’t sung in a long time. Is there a reason why?"

"Well… I sort of lost interest in it since Nox... Since then, singing just reminds me of her."

He had a look of pain and acceptance; he knew the only time he would sing again would be for her return.

"That is a shame. I really loved your singing."

"Did you?"

"Yes. Whenever you sing, I feel the emotions within your words. When you sing a melancholic song, I would feel blue. When you sing a lively song for a party, I feel like I could dance the night away."

"Thank you… But without my muse, my Eurydice, I do not wish to sing."

"Eurydice? Who is that?"

"Ah, it’s a long-forgotten story. Do you want to hear it? You would be the only one in the world to have heard it besides me."

"I would love to."

Ryuu linked her arm with Cirrus, and they walked close together.

"So the story starts at a wedding."

"A wedding?"

"Yes, the groom was named Orpheus, the greatest of all poets and musicians. The bride, Eurydice, was an elf. From a look, onlookers could tell the couple were in love."

Cirrus, of course, had modified the story a bit.

"Alright, then what?"

"Then suddenly Eurydice stumbles and falls. By the time Orpheus reached her side, she was dead."

"Oh, that took a sudden turn. What killed her?"

"It was a snake. By the time they found out, the snake was already gone, slithering away. At Eurydice’s funeral, Orpheus drowned in a feeling of sorrow that the world has never seen, so he journeyed to the land of the dead, Heaven, where no mortal has ever returned."

Ryuu was paying close attention to the story.

"So he went on a journey, traveling to lands far and wide, until eventually, he found his way to Heaven’s gate. Guarding it was a three-headed dog named Cerebus. There he played his lyre so beautifully that the dog laid down and went to sleep. With the gatekeeper asleep, Orpheus walked into heaven."

"What did he do next? Did he look for his bride?"

"No, heaven is boundless. It would take infinity to find her on his own. Thus he went to find a god."

"Which god was it?"

"He just so happened to find a god of the dead. Orpheus stood before the god along with his wife and kneeled. He sang of his love for Eurydice and said she was taken away too soon. Since all things return to heaven, giving her a few more years on Gekai wasn't a big problem. The moment he finished, all of heaven stood still as all the gods of heaven wept."

"Ooh… then what?"

"The god and his wife granted him his plea, but on one condition. As he walked back down from heaven, he could not turn around to see if Eurydice was following behind him. If he did, she would return to heaven forever."

"A simple thing. You just keep looking forward."

"Well, not everything is so simple. As Orpheus walked down the stairs from heaven, he worried more and more if she was behind him. He heard nothing. Where were her footsteps? He thought. That curiosity grew with every step he took and didn't hear. Finally, he was one step off the stairway and back onto Gekai. He gave in to his worry and looked back. He saw Eurydice just as she was ripped away from his sight and back into Heaven."

"Oh…" Ryuu made a solemn expression. "Did he try to go back?"

"He did, but they refused him entry. Separated from her, Orpheus swore to never love another woman again. Instead, he remained in a grove, singing the songs of lovers. He sang so well that it peered into the insight of the gods. Yet despite how much he sang of love to a group of women, it was not enough. They could not bear the thought that one who sang so beautifully of love would not love them. In a fit of jealousy, they killed him."

"That… I was not expecting that."

"The birds and nature singers mourned his death along with the rivers. While the world wept, Orpheus was reunited with his other half in Heaven. They say to this day they walk side by side, enjoying looking at one another as much as they want."

"That is a bittersweet story, Cirrus."

"Yes, there are plenty of more stories like it, albeit there are more tragic ones than good ones."

"Maybe one day you can say them."

"One day."

The two get closer as they walk to a special place.

 

A while later, they arrived.

"This place is..."

"Yeah, the old Familia home, the Stardust Garden."

They stood before the old Astraea Familia home before it was dilapidated, but now its greenery was brought back beyond its past splendors, and the home was fixed up back to its prime.

Ryuu enters first through the wooden gate to find the ground filled with Star Flowers. They got their name from their five-petal formation and the five colors they could come in red, orange, yellow, white, and blue.

"This is beautiful."

"I’m glad you like it. This took a while to pull off. I asked Persephone of the Demeter Familia if she could grow these here while I took some time off work to fix the Familia home back up."

They enter the Familia home.

Ryuu walked around in amazement, taking in the soft scent of the flowers, and opened the door to the place she had long ago called home.

Memories of her time there flooded her: the sofa, the fireplace, and the bundles of dried flowers on the walls that filled the air with pleasant smells. It all felt just like yesterday when they were with her.

She walks up to her room to find it the same as when she left. The dust had piled up.

Walking in, she finds her mirror; she could see herself in the dress Syr picked for her, and tears swelled up.

"Sob... Sob... Sob."

She sat down on her bed and wept over how many things had changed within the blink of an eye. How the place she once called home changed, how the city changed, how even she changed.

"I was surprised by how intact the furnishing was." Cirrus slowly walked in. "I asked Asfi and Shakti about it, and they said their Familia made sure no one would touch it; even the guild wouldn’t let anyone buy it, both in honor of the Familia and for you cleaning out Evilus from the streets of Orario."

Ryuu covered her face as more tears began to fall from her face. Cirrus slowly walks over and places his hand on her shoulder. She grabs his hand tightly and grips his fingers between her own.

He sat down next to her and rubbed her back. She got closer to him, wrapped her right arm around him, and buried her face in his chest. He could hear a muffled voice.

"Thank you."

Cirrus lets go of her hand and hugs her, and she hugs him with their free arms.

"It's alright, take as much time as you need." Cirrus comfort her as she gets out all that was weighing on her.

They stay there in each other's embrace for a while.

She could hear his steady heart. It had the same beat as Ai’s, but it had a strength to it. His chest wasn’t as soft as Ai's, but as hard as an adventurer would have. She finally understood what he smelled like. He smelled like lilies. The scent slowly clung to her clothing in their embrace.

She removed her face from his chest and looked into his mismatched eyes. She gently placed her hand on his left cheek and went in for a kiss.

Kiss~

Their lips met, and the soft, pillowy lips of Ryuu ran through Cirrus, and the soft, tender lips of Cirrus shot through her body like a bullet through the air.

The new sensation filled Ryuu with more and more emotion, and she kissed him more passionately. The moment their lips parted, a hot breath of their saliva hit the other.

"Huff!! Huff!! Huff!!"

"Huff!! Huff!! Huff!!"

Ryuu didn’t think this kind of lewd scent was possible, but she didn’t have time to think about it before her mind could register the smell as she kissed him again.

She removed Cirrus’s jacket, and he began to remove her dress.

"Ah~♥!"

A passionate fire lit in the inexperienced elf, a fire that consumed him wholeheartedly under the roof and on the bed. She slept on it as a teen and once again as an adult.

 

Heaven.

 "And so the last child will be born soon," Nyx said. "Metis, have you gotten what I said down?"

Nyx turned to see a beautiful goddess with bright red hair and eyes as red as Hera's.

"Yeah, I do, but there is so much traveling I have to do." Metis rubs her head at how much Nyx is making her remember.

"This is important. I trust you to do the job."

"You can count on me, but it's still like four years away on Gekai? Can't we take breaks? You have a lot on your plate."

"You can be lazy in four years, so come on, you're having the honor of greeting them first."

"Yeah, when they're in Gekai. Still, what if Ouranos finds out?"

"With my veil, he won't know shit. Besides, this will help him as well."

Metis looked at Nyx for a second.

"Your daughter influenced you, huh?"

"What about it? You still understand what I am saying, right?"

"Yeah, but it's weird you're saying it with regal, traditional clothes, you know?"

"You're not getting my cake."

"Come on!! You're the only one with those recipes! It's not fair Cirrus and Nox came to your domain!

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