CHAPTER 1
LOVE SONG TO A GOD OF MARTIAL ARTS
“So, here’s where you were, Mikoto.”
She saw it in a dream.
The air was cool on her skin as she sat on the roots of the withering tree.
Her younger self hugged her knees to her chest beneath its shade. That’s when she knew it was not a dream but a memory.
“What’s wrong? Are you hungry?”
The young Mikoto buried her face in her knees. She didn’t look up even though Takemikazuchi—looking exactly as he did nowadays, with the exact same loops of hair hanging on either side of his face like bobbed ponytails—was calling out to her.
They were in her hometown in the Far East, behind the shrine in which they used to live. Their voices hung in the air.
“…Lord Takemikazuchi.”
The little girl’s voice came out from between her knees; she still refused to look up.
Takemikazuchi leaned down in front of her, patiently waiting until she opened her mouth once again.
“Why don’t I have a mommy or daddy…?”
Because I’m an orphan.
The current Mikoto could answer that question right away.
Disasters, plagues, and monsters.
It wasn’t all that uncommon for children in the Far East to lose their parents and be left all alone. Actually, Mikoto was one of the lucky ones, since she had been taken in by a shrine where gods like Takemikazuchi resided.
—They had taken her to see a lively town festival.
—Or perhaps it had been a port with ships in dry dock; maybe the big city.
She had been among friends like Ouka and Chigusa along with the gods and goddesses, but all Mikoto saw at that time were parents playing with happy children. It left her with a feeling of desolation, and she couldn’t take it anymore.
“…The mother and father who gave birth to you, Mikoto, left you in our care and went on a journey to the great beyond.”
“Will I…ever see them again…?”
“Well…They might not return to this world while you are still alive.”
It might be tens, hundreds of years before her parents’ souls were reborn.
Mikoto had been too young to understand the full meaning of Takemikazuchi’s words at the time. The only thing she clearly understood was she would never see them again. She squeezed her legs even closer to her body.
“Are you lonely?”
The young Mikoto couldn’t move her head up and down or left and right.
She only tightened her grip on her arms, fingers digging deep into her skin as if she was desperately trying to keep something contained within that threatened to overflow.
Takemikazuchi kneeled next to the girl as her body began to shake.
Suddenly, he lifted her high into the air as if she were light as a feather.
Mikoto raised her face, surprised by the sudden burst of light coming in from under her arms. She looked at the deity beneath her.
“Mikoto, become my daughter.”
Takemikazuchi’s smiling face was reflected in the girl’s wide, tearful eyes.
“Huh…?”
“Someday I shall bestow you with my Falna. Once that is done, we will share a bond of blood like a true family?a familia.”
“Family…familia.”
His words didn’t just sound sweet, they provided warmth to a girl whose soul was filled with nothing but pain.
It was because she could see a tenderness in Takemikazuchi’s eyes that was reserved for a parent beholding their child. He continued to hold her high above his head like a proud father would for his daughter.
“Pain dwells in spirit, and spirit dwells in the body—that’s my theory. So I will teach you so many martial arts that your body and spirit won’t have time to feel loneliness. Be at ease, Mikoto, and be ready,” said Takemikazuchi to the stunned young Mikoto. Then, he smiled at her with childlike innocence. “Mikoto, what did you want to do with your mother and father?”
He then told her to speak from her heart with the same tenderness in his eyes.
“I…I wanted a piggyback ride from Daddy.”
“I’ll do that right now. Anything else?”
“S-sleeping next to one another in the futon at night so that we don’t get lonely.”
“Okay, tonight we shall. Is there anything else?”
“I wanted to eat konpeitou, that candy we saw in the city the other day!”
“A-all right. Leave it to me.”
An earnest request for high-quality, colorful sweets brought a smile to Takemikazuchi’s face.
Despite their shrine being incredibly poor, Takemikazuchi would bring her, Ouka, Chigusa, and the other children into the city and fulfill his promise only days later.
Child and deity, dressed in little more than rags, exchanged looks of affection and endearment.
“But it’s okay if you’d rather be in Tsukuyomi’s familia if you don’t want to be in mine—”
“I want yours, Lord Takemikazuchi!!”
Young Mikoto’s loud voice interrupted the deity.
Her little cheeks blushing pink, she kept her dark-violet gaze fixed directly on him.
“…Okay then.”
Takemikazuchi blinked a few times before he finally smiled at her.
He set the young girl back on the ground and ruffled her hair.
Mikoto squeezed her eyes tight as his fingers tickled. One last tear ran down her cheek.
She then climbed up on his back and the two of them went to rejoin Ouka, Chigusa, and the others who had been searching for her. Both the god and the girl smiled as their friends came to meet them.
From that day on, Takemikazuchi became her father, and Mikoto was surrounded with love.
And at some point, her love for him became something a little bit more special.
“…”
Mikoto slowly opened her eyes.
Beams of soft light coming through the window and chirping birds outside let her know that night had come to an end.
She stared at the ceiling above, feeling light with nostalgia because of the dream. It didn’t take long for her to realize that she was smiling, too.
As even more memories flowed forward to fill her mind, she started to climb out of her futon. Zzz. Zzz. Zzz.
The sound of someone else still sleeping reached her ears.
Looking to the side, she saw a renart girl—Haruhime—sleeping on her back in a futon next to hers.
Mikoto’s lips once again softly curled up into another smile. The events surrounding Ishtar Familia had caused many trials and tribulations, but it was thanks to them that she had been reunited with her childhood friend from the Far East. Careful not to wake her up, Mikoto brushed a few stray golden hairs out of the sleeping girl’s eyes and softly stroked her fox ears.
They were in a room of Hestia Familia’s home, the Hearthstone Manor.
Mikoto and Haruhime, both entering the familia by Conversion, had been given two rooms to themselves on the third floor.
There was no bed in this room, and the abundance of items from the Far East clashed with the continent style and design of the architecture. An open-frame closet stood in the corner with many colorful kimonos and Far East–style battle cloths draped across it.
Leaving her dream behind, Mikoto’s attention shifted from the familiar shrine she once called home to the place she lived in now.
She took another look at the sleeping face of the girl she’d been fortunate enough to reunite with after all these years, before returning her gaze to the window that grew brighter by the moment.
“…On with the day!”
She stretched in the early morning light.
“Lady Haruhime, may I ask you to set the table?”
“Y-yes, of course!”
Delicious smells wafted their way through the manor’s dining room.
Mikoto, with her long black hair tied back and an apron tight around her waist, was hard at work in the kitchen right next door. Several fishes were cooking over an open flame as she stirred a pot with a wooden spoon.
The clangs and crackles of her breakfast preparation mixed with the tap, tap, tap of Haruhime’s feet as she busily traipsed back and forth between the kitchen and the dining room with food and utensils in her arms.
“Lady Haruhime, you need not push yourself so hard…”
“Oh, no, no. I have been accepted as a member of this familia. Please allow me to do this much, Miss Mikoto.”
Haruhime was currently wearing a maid’s outfit rather than her usual kimono.
Lilly had been wanting a housekeeper of some kind, and Haruhime was quick to volunteer—“Please give me a job to do!”—the moment she arrived.
Born into nobility and having spent five years living in a brothel, she had very little experience with cleaning or serving others. However, she was quite eager to learn, and she now wore a black blouse with a white apron, her fluffy golden tail swishing her skirt back and forth. Mikoto was glad to have her help.
Orario’s Alliance and the forces of the Kingdom of Rakia were clashing at this very moment.
Hestia Familia had not been summoned to the front because they didn’t have enough members to qualify. Therefore, today was a peaceful day like any other.
“Whoa, that smells good…”
“So today was Mikoto’s turn? That’s why it’s good.”
“Ah, Sir Bell, Lady Hestia. Good morning.”
Mikoto sampled her soup as she greeted the human boy and the goddess poking their heads in the doorway.
All members of Hestia Familia took turns preparing food each day. As long as nothing drastic had happened, typically two or three people, including their goddess, would prepare the dining room for a meal.
Some type of grilled meat or other flame-roasted “manly food” was typically on the menu on days Welf was in charge. Lilly, however, would find ways to put food on the table while saving as much money as possible. Everyone’s specialties and personalities came through in their cooking, but it was only on days that Mikoto prepared the food that the entire familia unanimously agreed it was delicious.
She had developed her skills from a young age alongside Chigusa and the other girls at the shrine, turning whatever ingredients she could find into something palatable. Her combination of seriousness and skill came together to create dishes that even Hestia, obsessed as she was with Jyaga Maru Kun potato puffs, couldn’t help but enjoy.
“Um, Miss Mikoto, the brown soup in this pot…What is it?”
“It’s called miso soup.”
Bell peeked over the rim of the pot as Mikoto happily answered.
It was a traditional soup from her homeland that combined fish stock with a spice called miso. Normally, Mikoto prepared meals using bread and ingredients easily found in Orario to match her allies’ tastes. However, she thought it might be fun to make miso soup for the first time in a while after finding the spice at a marketplace a few days before.
She explained it was a specialty of her homeland, a taste she grew up with. Then she gave them both a spoonful of the mysterious “brown soup.” Bell and Hestia looked back up, appearing pleasantly surprised.
“The flavor is…I don’t know, relaxing.”
“Yeah, this isn’t half bad. So, this is what children from your hometown would call soul food?”
Mikoto couldn’t be happier that her friends could enjoy flavors from her homeland.
Bell and Hestia smiled, continuing to shower her with compliments.
“Miss Mikoto, you’re a really good cook.”
“Yep, some guy’s going to be really lucky to have you as his bride.”
Then, all the color vanished from Mikoto’s face the moment Hestia uttered those words.
“B-bride?!”
The ghostly white was quickly replaced by burning red as the girl shook her hands and fiercely denied everything.
“Wh-what could you possibly mean, Lady Hestia?! I’m still too immature to even be considered worthy of becoming a bride?Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!”
“Miss Mikoto, the knife! The knife!”
“That’s dangerous!”
Beet-red and laughing, Mikoto completely forgot about the sharp utensil still in her clutches as she vigorously waved off Hestia’s words.
Hestia and Bell panicked and desperately tried to ward off her inadvertent attack.
The morning excitement and breakfast came to a close.
Hestia left to go to her part-time job while the others finished cleaning up. Mikoto put away the last dishes and went to join her allies already gathered in the living room.
“H-here you are…” Haruhime’s hands visibly shook as she cautiously placed a cup of tea in front of Bell. He forced a smile as she sat down at the table and their morning meeting began.
“Today, Lilly would like to discuss whether or not to bring Miss Haruhime with us into the Dungeon…”
Lilly took charge of the proceedings as all eyes around the table turned to the renart sitting next to Mikoto.
Still wearing her maid outfit, Haruhime curled her golden tail nervously behind her.
“To be frank, Lilly would like her to join us under any conditions. The incredible strength her Magic provides us doesn’t need to be explained.”
“But Lady Lilly, we can ill afford to have the effects of Lady Haruhime’s Magic be revealed to others…”
“Of course. But even so, Miss Haruhime’s presence will be a valuable asset to our party. Each one of us will be safer for it. As long as steps are taken to limit and conceal the casting of her Magic, Lilly is in favor of bringing Miss Haruhime into the Dungeon.”
Haruhime’s Magic, Uchide no Kozuchi, instantly boosted the target’s Level.
While she couldn’t cast it on herself, the ability to make another adventurer level up for a period of time was very rare. This renart sorcery had nearly cost her her life at the hands of Ishtar Familia as a central piece of their plot. Should word of her Magic spread, it was almost a certainty that many would try to recruit her to assist in their own dark ambitions.
But at the same time, a jewel that never sees the light of day is doomed to collect dust. Lilly’s argument was sound. As long as they were careful, the advantages of having her in the party were too great to be ignored. Lilly’s opinion carried considerable weight because she had become the “brain” of the familia.
The men in the room listened to Lilly and Mikoto’s argument—Bell wasn’t sure whose side to take; Welf decided on a more forward approach and asked Haruhime directly.
“What did you do when you were with Ishtar? Did they ever take you into the Dungeon?”
“I was among them, participating in routine activities as well as the occasional venture deep into the Dungeon…However, I was either forced to ride with the cargo or completely protected during battle…”
“…”
“I have never faced a monster in combat…”
With the exception of Magic, all the Basic Abilities in her Status were below that of the group’s supporter, Lilly. Since she never had to fend for herself, Haruhime couldn’t be counted on to hold her ground when push came to shove. No one questioned that she could be a liability in battle.
Haruhime couldn’t say anything in her defense and stared down at the table. Welf and Lilly looked upon the renart girl with pity.
“…So what’s the call? Have her hold down the fort while we’re gone?”
Welf suggested to have Haruhime stay inside the manor, like a real maid would.
Mikoto looked to Bell almost out of reflex.
Though imperfect, he was the leader, and Mikoto wanted to know the feelings of the boy who had once risked everything to save her friend.
“…I made a promise to Aisha. I don’t know what the best decision is right now, but whether we take Miss Haruhime into the Dungeon or not…I will…protect her.”
He started to blush as his words trailed off toward the end, but his position was clear.
Haruhime also turned a shade of pink as Bell fell silent. Lilly, however, was not amused. As for Mikoto, her expression grew brighter by the moment.
The white-haired human boy couldn’t look at anyone, his eyes shifting between the floor and ceiling. Welf grinned at him and gave him a brotherly slap on the back. It wasn’t long before all eyes returned to Haruhime.
It was up to her to make the final decision.
“…I shall accompany you. I, Haruhime, would like to become an asset to the battle party.”
A few heavy moments passed before the girl spoke up and made her wishes known.
She looked at Mikoto and Bell, determination radiating from her green eyes.
“B-because I am…a member of this familia.”
Her gaze fell back to the table as all confidence left her voice.
Bell, Welf, and Lilly exchanged glances and smiles before looking back at their newest ally, who was anxiously fidgeting next to the living room table. Her golden fox tail never came to a rest as her cheeks turned a slightly darker shade of pink. Even Mikoto was smiling from ear to ear and said nothing against the consensus.
A five-person battle party.
Haruhime Sanjouno had joined the team as a supporter and sorcerer.
The howls of monsters pierced the darkness that dominated the caves far belowground.
Ash-colored rocks and boulders lined the cave walls. Several bats flew high overhead, vicious wormlike creatures bored their way through the rocky walls, and the strong roars of liger fangs filled the air—adventurers called out to one another as they made their way through the monster-filled hallway.
“Weapons and armor all good to go?”
“No problems here!”
“Ready for combat!”
Bell’s and Mikoto’s blades whistled through the air as they prepared to engage the oncoming beasts and answered Welf’s call.
The High Smith had repaired and renovated Bell’s armor, now in its fifth incarnation. The blend of gold and white metals maintained its luster even in the dim light. Light armor was designed to protect the wearer without hindering their speed or agility, and it did just that as Bell unleashed a flurry of knife attacks on the closest beast. Mikoto was quick to finish it off with a thrust from her secondary weapon, a long spear. It broke through the liger fang’s thick fur like tissue paper. The beast’s dying howl echoed through the cave.
The fifteenth floor of the Dungeon.
The party, with Haruhime among its ranks, had gone straight into the labyrinth after the meeting that morning at their home.
Leaning heavily on Bell’s second-tier adventurer Status and Welf’s freshly forged weapons and armor, they quickly and efficiently plowed through the upper levels and arrived at one they had yet to completely conquer: the fifteenth floor.
Haruhime, obviously overwhelmed, stayed close to Lilly as she provided support to the front lines with her handheld bow gun. Meanwhile, the other three members fought tirelessly to keep the never-ending slew of monsters at bay.
“—Minotaurs will appear soon!”
“Incoming howl! Li’l E, cover your ears!”
Mikoto detected the arrival of more monsters on the battlefield thanks to her detection skill, Yatano Black Crow. Welf finished off the dungeon worm with his greatsword as he shouted a warning to the back of the formation.
The front line, consisting of Bell and Welf, and the middle support, Mikoto, charged forward to push back the line of monsters as the looming, two-meder-tall silhouettes of Minotaurs appeared deeper down the cave. Just as Welf had warned, the new arrivals reared back and unleashed a torrent of sound through their throats.
“UooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!”
The Minotaur’s howl, a menacing sound that awakened the instinct of fear in weaker creatures and froze them in their tracks, blasted through the hallway.
Lilly was quick to shield her ears as well as Haruhime’s to protect them from the howl. As Level 1 adventurers, the girls would have difficulty withstanding its effects. Welf, on the other hand, shrugged it off with a grin.
He used the strength of his powerful spiritual “container” to overcome the auditory attack and joined Bell and Mikoto in the counteroffensive.
“—Using the Magic Sword!”
Lilly had recovered from the howl’s effects and saw Bell engage the Minotaurs. She realized that even more monsters were moments away from joining the battle, so she shouted a warning to her allies. The others glanced back over their shoulders in time to see Lilly pull a dagger-length scarlet blade from her oversize backpack. Bell, Welf, and Mikoto immediately darted out of its path.
A quick slash of the sparkling dagger sent a massive fireball hurtling through the battlefield.
“?!”
The blast of fiery destruction wiped out every monster in its path.
Even the Minotaurs, whose skin was known to be naturally resistant to fire, were laid to waste along with their monster kin as every one of them was erased from the charred rocky hallway.
“Li’l E, don’t be so quick to use that thing! It’s only for emergencies—relying on it’s not going to help us in the long run!”
“The situation was emergency enough! The Dungeon is unpredictable; only reacting to changes is too late!”
“T-take it easy, okay? Welf, Lilly?”
“P-please, both of you—using such loud voices now will only lure more monsters…Ohh.”
“It is exactly as Lady Haruhime says. Calm yourselves.”
The battle over, an argument started among the still-sizzling remains of their opponents. The source of Welf’s anger was Lilly’s haste to use the dagger-length Crozzo Magic Sword.
Welf had forged it and placed it in her care so that the back part of the formation could protect itself, or for an ace in the hole should disaster strike. This particular one might be weaker than the one he had used in the battle against the Black Goliath or the ones he had forged for the War Game, but it was still on par with the destructive power of many high-level magic users.
“Don’t depend on the Magic Sword—you’ll become weaker for it. We would have been fine on our own just now!” he angrily shouted at the prum.
Lilly responded by insisting that casual guesswork could be fatal in the Dungeon.
“It’s better to ensure safety before being overrun.” She wasn’t changing her stance. The Dungeon was not known for its leniency, so she stated with the utmost confidence that it was better not to take chances.
Both views were correct. There was nothing wrong with what they said.
Both Welf and Lilly were thinking in terms of what was best for the party.
Bell and Mikoto could only smile weakly in response, and Haruhime timidly tried to play the mediator between them.
After getting the situation under control, everyone turned their attention to the task at hand.
“So this is a drop item, that’s a magic stone…”
“That’s correct. Drop items will go into Lilly’s backpack, so please collect the magic stones, Miss Haruhime—be sure not to drop any.”
“Y-yes!”
Haruhime listened to Lilly’s instructions as she made her way through the ashes of the Magic Sword’s charred victims and collected the loot left behind.
She was dressed in a Far Eastern–style battle cloth that resembled a priestess’s garb, the same one she’d worn while with Ishtar Familia—forced on her by Aisha—and was equipped with a tubular backpack. She also wore a cloak of salamander wool, the same as her allies.
Lilly had declared that she would train the genuine noncombatant “into a full-blown supporter” for their battle party. Haruhime had bowed over and over, saying, “I devote myself to your teachings,” and accepted her new role without question. A sort of master-and-apprentice bond had formed between them.
Mikoto and the others acknowledged this new development with a soft grin and continued pressing forward through the Dungeon, cutting down all monsters in their path.
“We’ve made good progress through the fifteenth floor and at a very good pace.”
“That should be expected, with Mr. Bell’s Level and the balance of our battle party.”
“Miss Eina—er, my adviser gave us permission to go down to the eighteenth floor as long as nothing major happens.”
Lilly and Bell responded to Mikoto’s remark, nodding as they walked.
Lilly continued with a comment that the front of their formation was nearly perfect. “This party’s weakness is the lack of power at the back where Lilly is. To be blunt, the two don’t match. To fix that, Lilly would like to add a strong healer.”
“And a magic user wouldn’t hurt,” added Welf nonchalantly, almost as if warning Lilly against using the Magic Sword again.
“Lilly’s aware,” she responded with a twitch in the corner of her mouth.
“What about Miss Lyu from that bar? She has great command of healing magic as well, yes? And the magic she used during the battle on the eighteenth floor was most impressive…Would she be willing to join our party?”
“No, I doubt it…A-and Mia is really scary.”
Bell smiled but turned down Lilly’s suggestion. Asking Lyu—an ex-adventurer who worked as a waitress at The Benevolent Mistress—to join them would probably anger the owner, Mia. The thought of her enraged face sent a cold chill down Bell’s spine, so he responded with a flat no.
Their current formation consisted of Bell and Welf on the front line, Haruhime and Lilly at the back, and Mikoto filling an all-around supporting role at the center. The five of them made their way deeper into the Dungeon, all senses on high alert as they passed through the dim, rocky hallways.
While it was true for Lilly as well, a direct hit from a monster on the inexperienced Level 1 Haruhime would spell disaster. Thanks to Mikoto’s Yatano Black Crow, they were able to detect approaching monsters and respond appropriately to defend her.
“After a little more exploration, Lilly recommends we return to the fourteenth floor. As discussed, it would be a good time to find the deserted corner of the Dungeon and test out Miss Haruhime’s Magic one by one.”
“Agreed. We wouldn’t want to be confused experiencing it for the first time during a tense battle…Lady Haruhime, is that okay?”
“Yes. That would be fine.”
“Hey, Bell, you’ve used it before, right? What’s it like?”
“Well, um…There was a big flash, and I felt stronger, and I could move faster…”
Mikoto was quick to assist all her allies as the group fell into formation and continued traveling through the Dungeon.
It was almost dusk by the time Mikoto and the others returned to the surface.
After stopping to trade their loot for money at Babel Tower’s Exchange, they made their way into Central Park, which was already filled with other adventurers heading out of the Dungeon. While they were excitedly talking and making their way to the bars or back to Guild headquarters, Hestia Familia chose to instead go straight home.
“Oh, you have returned.”
“Lord Takemikazuchi!”
A deity with a bobbed hairstyle was waiting to greet them as soon as they passed through the iron gate and main entryway.
Takemikazuchi smiled at them. Mikoto was so happy to see him that she walked right up to the deity with a smile on her face large enough to rival his own.
“Sorry, Lord Takemikazuchi…Asking you to stay here while we were out.”
“Think nothing of it, Bell Cranell. My own children took the day off from Dungeon prowling and kept me company.”
Through Hestia, Bell had asked Takemikazuchi Familia to stay at their home while they were out today.
Unlike the hidden room under the old church that Bell and Hestia once shared, or the shack of a building where Takemikazuchi Familia resided, Hestia Familia now possessed a prime piece of real estate and the status of a middle-class familia. If all members and their goddess were to leave their home completely empty, there was a very real danger of burglars breaking in to steal items or information. The situation had changed from when they were far less known and recognizable.
That was why they’d asked a friendly familia to step in and keep watch while they were out. They had also asked the same from Miach Familia, and this situation would continue for the foreseeable future. Every member of Hestia Familia was extremely grateful to their house sitters, especially since they were doing it for free.
“Like I said, pay it no mind. We are helping each other. Each of us took full advantage of the bathing facilities as collateral,” said the deity. “Rest assured, they were thoroughly cleaned afterward.” The whole group shared a laugh.
“Thank you very much,” said the group of adventurers one last time.
The two familias planned on sharing a large meal later that evening, so Bell and his allies returned to their rooms to remove their armor.
“Excuse me, Lord Takemikazuchi…Please take this.”
Telling Haruhime, who shared a room with her, that she’d catch up in a moment, Mikoto went to speak with Takemikazuchi by herself. She held out a small bag full of something heavy.
Each of them had received their share of the money earned in the Dungeon that day; this was Mikoto’s portion.
“Please send this to support the shrine.”
The reason that Takemikazuchi and his familia had traveled to Orario in the first place was to raise money for the shrine in their homeland.
Mikoto pleaded with him to send the money to the shrine that had raised her, but the deity shook his head.
“Surely this is the money you earned fighting alongside Bell Cranell and his company. Don’t use it for us; use it for your allies.”
Going into the Dungeon required a lot of preparation, including weapon repairs and a small mountain of items.
Takemikazuchi urged Mikoto to use this money to benefit her battle party.
“B-but I’m the only one doing nothing to assist the shrine…”
Mikoto tried to insist again that Takemikazuchi take the money, but…
“Mikoto, you stand here now as a member of Hestia Familia.”
“…!”
Those words put an abrupt end to her argument.
There was no way for her to refute such an obvious truth. Putting her current allies at risk for the benefit of former compatriots went against logic.
After all, she had joined Hestia Familia to repay a debt to Bell.
Even still, I…
Memories of that morning’s dream floated to the front of her mind.
The moment that Takemikazuchi asked her to become his daughter. The connection by blood of a shared family; the word familia.
She had no regrets becoming a member of Hestia’s family. She was proud to be one of Bell’s allies and happily fought at his side. It was thanks to her new family that Haruhime was still alive.
But deep down—she didn’t want to forget that she had once been a part of Takemikazuchi’s family. She looked at the floor as all these thoughts ran through her head.
“…Mikoto, do you remember the day I asked you to become my daughter?”
“!”
Mikoto looked up in surprise. He had used the exact phrase from her memory.
Takemikazuchi stood before her, eyebrows sinking as he broke into an endearing smile—a tender, fatherly smile.
“The first ichor a child receives never completely disappears, even if they go through Conversion. Just as Hestia can sense you through the Blessing she bestowed, I, too, can feel every breath you take.”
“…”
“You will always be my daughter, my family. I will never forget that. So please, don’t make that face.”
He read her feelings like a book. Stepping forward, the deity gently stroked her hair. The girl turned bright red in the blink of an eye.
His hand felt smaller than she remembered; she’d grown a lot since then. However, it still possessed the same warmth as it did all those years ago.
Takemikazuchi didn’t notice the degree to which the girl was blushing as he ran his fingers through her silky black hair and lightly chuckled to himself.
“I am happy you still care about the well-being of the shrine. But you should know that Chigusa and Ouka reached Level Two during the skirmishes with Ishtar Familia. We’re doing fine; there’s no need to worry.”
Takemikazuchi then reminded her that both familias would work together in the Dungeon when their schedules would allow it, and that was enough.
“Have faith.”
Mikoto turned her face up to make eye contact with the deity. She gave him a firm nod.
“Good,” said the god as he removed his hand from her head, then turned to walk away. Takemikazuchi casually said he would go call the others for dinner and went down the main hallway. Mikoto watched him leave until he completely disappeared from sight.
…Now that I’m separated from his familia, I…
The time apart had renewed her feelings of affection for him, she thought to herself, cheeks still bright pink.
Her heart thumped wildly in her chest. She squeezed the collar of her battle cloth in an attempt to get her pulse under control, but each beat thundered through her entire body.
“…Um, Mikoto?”
“?Uwah!”
A soft voice from behind nearly made Mikoto jump out of her skin.
Regaining her balance and spinning around, she spotted Chigusa standing behind her.
“Lady Chigusa! How long have you been there?”
“Umm, sorry…Quite a while.”
Chigusa’s bangs normally hid her eyes from sight, but right now they parted in such a way that Mikoto could see the girl’s right eye and the pink on her cheeks. She knew immediately her friend had seen everything.
She’d seen how Takemikazuchi had refused her donation, how red she’d turned at the deity’s touch, how she’d looked at him when he walked away—everything.
Even though Chigusa knew of her feelings for their god, Mikoto wanted nothing more than to dig a hole and bury herself right then and there.
“I really am sorry. Didn’t want to interrupt something…”
“I beg you, Lady Chigusa, not another word!”
Mikoto was normally very serious and straightforward, but the dormant feelings of a young maiden came storming to the forefront, causing her to yell at the top of her lungs.
She squeezed her head between her hands, ears burning red in shame. The two girls had been close from a young age; there was very little they didn’t know about each other. However, embarrassing situations were still embarrassing even in front of one of your best friends.
Chigusa looked remorseful and gave Mikoto a few minutes to regain her bearings before revealing why she was looking for her in the first place.
“So, it’s a little late, but Ouka and the rest of us are planning to do our usual celebration for Lord Takemikazuchi…”
The normally shy Chigusa could talk about anything with Mikoto. Her words were smooth and clear as she informed her friend about the plan in the works.
“We’d like to invite Haruhime and prepare a present for him…What will you do?”
The change in topic finally pulled Mikoto away from her feelings of shame.
There was a glint of determination in her eyes.
Two days had passed since dinner with Takemikazuchi Familia.
Mikoto, who wanted some time off after a day in the Dungeon, made her way onto Orario’s streets under the clear morning skies.
Bell and Welf were with her.
“So why are we here…?”
“My apologies to the both of you…but please lend me your assistance for today’s shopping!!”
Welf mumbled as the group made their way through a street lined with many different vibrant shops that branched off North Main Street.
Mikoto put her hands together and bowed many times, asking the two who had to give up time in the Dungeon and the forge to join her. Bell forced a smile and asked a question.
“Well, um, you said we were going shopping, so what do you want to buy?”
“The truth is…Ouka and the others have been planning a celebration for Lord Takemikazuchi these past few days…”
Mikoto told Bell and Welf more about the celebration that Chigusa had brought to her attention.
Before they came to Orario, the children of the shrine did something special for the gods and goddesses on the anniversary of their arrival on Earth—similar to a birthday party for the deities. However, due to the War Game and the events involving Haruhime, they’d forgotten to do something for Takemikazuchi this year on the actual date just a few days prior.
Mikoto wanted to do the same thing that her childhood friends were planning to do: give their god presents to commemorate the special day.
“I have always put a lot of thought and sincerity into my gifts, but there was never enough money for something truly great. This being my second year in Orario, and having a decent income, I would like to give him a proper gift.”
“I get that…but why are we here?”
“Oh yes! I would like your opinions as men, just like him, to find something that would make Lord Takemikazuchi happy…!”
Mikoto leaned in close to Welf as she answered his question.
The celebration was planned for tomorrow.
“Please lend me your assistance…!”
“That’s…easier said than done.”
“I, um, well…I’d really like to help.”
Mikoto bowed even lower in front of the two young men. Welf scratched the back of his head at the same time Bell was scratching his chin. Neither of them looked up to the task.
Both of them were thinking the same thing. Basically, they didn’t think their advice would be of any use.
When it came to the Dungeon or a forge, Bell and Welf were very knowledgeable. However, neither had much interest in anything else. If asked what most men enjoyed doing or wanted as a gift, both would struggle to come up with an answer.
“But, you know, you’ve known Lord Takemikazuchi a lot longer than we have. Wouldn’t your ideas be better than whatever we come up with?”
“Y-yes, but…!”
“Hee-hee-hee…As long as we’re here, we might as well have a look around.”
Mikoto couldn’t deny the truth in Welf’s words and momentarily lost confidence. Bell smiled awkwardly at the look of shock on the girl’s face and suggested the three of them see what the shopping area had to offer.
North Main Street ran along the side of Orario’s first district. Shops that tailored to every race of demi-human stood out the most in the shopping area, but there were plenty of smaller stores and street stalls that sold handmade goods and other interesting items. Mikoto, being as serious and thorough as she usually was, took her time at each place and examined every item for sale one by one before moving on to the next shop. Just like Bell, she had lived in modest poverty until very recently and wasn’t used to having so many options. She drifted left and right like an overwhelmed country girl in the big city for the first time.
Bell and Welf exchanged concerned glances as they followed close behind.
The sun was in the middle of the sky before they knew it. The three humans decided to take a break in the shade of a tall building after making one complete circuit of the shopping area.
“Miss Mikoto, did you see anything promising?”
“I-I don’t know…”
“Oi.”
Mikoto answered Bell’s question honestly, only to receive a verbal jab from Welf.
An apologetic expression played over her face as she twiddled her thumbs, unsure how to proceed.
“In that case, what kind of presents did you used to give him?”
“While in the Far East, I collected pretty shells, acorns, and seeds to make necklaces and other little things…”
That information didn’t do much to solve Mikoto’s quandary.
Chigusa had told her that all of them were going to prepare individual gifts for Takemikazuchi this year, but she had no idea choosing one would be so difficult…She sat there, racking her brain, when Bell’s eyes suddenly lit up. He turned to her and said:
“What about food? Is that an option?”
“Eh?”
“Miss Mikoto, you’re a really good cook. So why not make something delicious for the party…? Just an idea.”
He must’ve remembered the miso soup he had the other morning and made the suggestion. Mikoto gave it some thought.
“…Thinking back, there was never much food at the celebrations back at the shrine…”
At the very least, they had never made anything all that fancy.
Welf could see the gears turning in Mikoto’s head while standing off to her side. “Why don’t we try something along that line?” he proposed. “It’s a party, after all. How about a cake?”
“Cake…”
Her lips involuntarily traced his words.
It wasn’t Far Eastern, but Mikoto had a general idea—a soft and fluffy dough was baked in an oven and then decorated with cream and fruit…She had a feeling she had seen many examples of it when she attended the banquet that was hosted by Apollo.
It made more and more sense the more she thought about it. That was it.
“I will try…I will make a cake.”
Welf and Bell thought it was a good idea and agreed.
Mikoto apologized for the hours of walking gone to waste and tried to figure out where to go from here.
“I’m sure you want to make it yourself, but can you?” Welf asked.
“I’ve never done it before, so I can’t say with any certainty…But probably, if I have a recipe and taste one myself first,” Mikoto replied.
“The Benevolent Mistress sells cake…Think they’d give us a recipe if we asked?” Bell said.
Although The Benevolent Mistress served as a watering hole for adventurers in the evening, it operated as a café during the day for the average townspeople. Bell had eaten cake there before and did his best to explain. Mikoto listened to every word and decided to visit The Benevolent Mistress where Syr, Lyu, and many other waitresses worked.
It was a little past noon.
Mikoto led the group to West Main Street and into The Benevolent Mistress.
Lyu was there to meet them at the door, and they explained the situation. Bell was in the middle of negotiating when the cat people Ahnya and Chloe, as well as the rest of the girls on staff, detected the presence of a juicy love story in the air and gathered around with grins on their faces. They agreed to help after teasing Mikoto into another blushing fit. Mia came in and added, “As long as you’re eatin’ lunch, I can look the other way, sure,” and granted her permission. The cat-people cooks working in the kitchen wrote down the recipe and gave it to Mikoto.
After listening to Ahnya and the other waitresses complain about Syr being absent from work yet again, the three adventurers left The Benevolent Mistress.
“Well, we definitely got what we came for and then some…but do you think you can take it from here?”
“Yes, thank you so much, Sir Welf, Sir Bell.”
“I’m glad we could help.”
Recipe in hand and itching to get started, Mikoto said a quick thank-you to the two young men as they made their way back home.
She was carrying a box that contained a whole cake. Mia had been rather insistent that they buy the entire thing. They had eaten a few pieces while at the café, but now that they had the finished product and the recipe, Mikoto couldn’t help but feel confident.
Lips curled up, she felt as though she was one step closer to her goal.
“Oh…”
“Something up, Bell?”
“Isn’t that…Lord Takemikazuchi?”
They were in the middle of a side street when Bell suddenly stopped walking. Welf asked him what was wrong and he pointed farther down the road.
Mikoto turned to have a look, and sure enough, Takemikazuchi was standing not too far away.
He stopped a goddess with honey-colored hair who happened to be passing by.
“Oi, Demeter. You look pale. Are you feeling all right?”
“…Oh my, I must be a little under the weather and didn’t realize it.”
“Why are you acting so unconcerned? Come now, show me your face.”
—With that, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pressed his cheek against hers without warning.
“You don’t seem…to have a fever.”
“Oh my my my…Y-you can’t, Takemikazuchi. This kind of thing is for someone important, not just someone on the street.”
“Don’t be stupid, I’m concerned because it’s you.”
“…”
“I remember well who it was that brought fresh fruit and vegetables when my children were starving. We are forever in your debt.”
“…Haaa! This is why you and Miach shouldn’t be allowed to talk to women.”
A small exchange of words with Takemikazuchi was enough to make Demeter blush.
The goddess certainly didn’t look angry when she stepped away from him and walked off.
“…”
“M-Miss Mikoto?”
“H-hey.”
Concerned, Bell and Welf glanced at Mikoto and tried to get her attention, but the girl pretended she couldn’t hear them.
“L-Lord Takemikazuchi! Thank you so much for saving us from those perverted gods the other day!”
“Please, please accept this.”
“Hold on, don’t you think this is a bit much for such a small favor?”
Two human girls ran up to Takemikazuchi not a moment later.
They appeared to be average citizens who didn’t belong to any familia. Both of them held out small bags of cookies, their cheeks bright pink. The deity tried to play off his good deed as common sense, laughing as he stepped closer to them and accepted their gift.
Then came the final blow. He gently stroked their hair, and both girls’ faces turned beet red.
“……”
Squish! The box containing the cake twisted in Mikoto’s grip after she watched the events from beginning to end.
“Geh!”
“Oi! Hel-looo?”
Shivers of fright jolted up Bell’s and Welf’s spines as the girl’s fingers crumpled the container even further. But once again, she didn’t acknowledge them.
From there, the physical contact between Takemikazuchi and other women on the street only continued to increase.
Sometimes the girls initiated, sometimes he did. Young or old, race or divinity made no difference, every interaction involved a certain degree of skinship. All the women reacted very innocently, turning various shades of red and smiling back at him. The worst part about all this was that it appeared Takemikazuchi had no idea what he was doing, nor did he notice their reactions.
Mikoto watched everything from the shadows. New women arrived when the previous ones finally stepped away from him, almost as if he was showing off how popular he was with the opposite gender.
“……”
“Miss Mikoto? Miss Mikoto!”
“Hey, say something—anything!”
Mikoto stood there like a statue, bangs covering her eyes as she looked at the stone pavement beneath her feet.
The shiver of fright from before became a torrent of terror as Bell and Welf witnessed a miasma of dark energy rise from the girl’s shoulders. Their unusually high-pitched voices echoed through the side street.
She didn’t say a word. However, the aura forming around her body became stronger with each passing moment.
“Lord Takemikazuchi!”
“Well, if it isn’t Haruhime.”
—Then.
“At last, I made them right! Please have one!”
“Andango…Let’s see, let’s see…Hmm?”
Takemikazuchi reached out to take one of the sweet dumplings from the tray in Haruhime’s arms when he noticed something else. His hand went to her chin instead.
“Haruhime, you already ate a few, didn’t you?”
“Whaaa?!”
“There are some big crumbs on your lips…My word, child. Now hold still.”
He pinched the large crumb on her lip between his thumb and forefinger—and ate it.
“Yes, very sweet.”
“Lord Takemikazuchi…Doing such a thing to me…”
“They’re delicious, Haruhime. I’m sure they’ll be most pleased…But yes, I have a feeling you will make a wonderful bride.”
“Eh?!…Do you…do you really believe so?”
“Indeed. You have a good nature and an industrious spirit. That’s exactly what I would want in a bride if I weren’t a god. Ha-ha-ha!”
Snap!
Mikoto definitely heard something break deep inside her.
Step, step, step. She didn’t look up, but her feet carried her forward. She couldn’t even hear Bell and Welf yelling behind her. She was on her way to where the blushing Haruhime, both hands pressed to her cheeks in embarrassment, stood beside the airheaded deity laughing next to her.
“Mikoto?”
“Miss Mikoto?”
The two of them noticed her approach as she came to a stop.
Still silent and engulfed in an aura, Mikoto ripped the lid off the warped container in her arms with a loud SHHK.
“Oh? What’s that…?”
Takemikazuchi tilted his head to the side in an attempt to see what was in the container. Mikoto finally turned to face him, her lips trembling.
“?Lord Takemikazuchi…”
Her head snapped up as she raised the container high into the air and screamed with all her rage:
“Lord Takemikazuchi, you brainless man-whore!”
“Bu-UOHH?!”
The whole cake hit him square in the face, splattering everywhere.
“Lord Takemikazuchi?!”
Mikoto jumped away from him as Haruhime’s scream echoed through the street.
That was closely followed by the dull thuds of cake hitting the pavement at his feet.
“Little Mikoto, nice one!!” “Good work!” “Consider me officially a fan of the Eternal Shadow!!” A shower of applause and cheers came from other deities who happened to be hiding in the shadows, but she didn’t hear any of it.
Mikoto turned her back on the stone-faced Takemikazuchi and ran away.
“The hell was that?!”
“Why did you do that?!”
Welf and Bell had caught up with Mikoto after her mad dash through the streets of Orario, and they yelled at her in unison.
All the running had given her a moment to get the fire burning in her heart under control. However, her eyes were filled with regret as she swayed back and forth on the spot.
“I-I’m sorry…My body took over and I just did it…”
“What you ‘just did’ was hit a god in the face with a whole cake!”
“It’s blasphemous! Downright profane!”
Mikoto appeared to shrink under the strength of Welf’s and Bell’s loud voices.
She knew she should do as they said and reflect on the seriousness of her actions, but even still, the heat emanating from her heart was making her arms and legs shake.
“It was a grave error—my devotion is insufficient…But my body wouldn’t listen to me…!”
““…””
“The only option left for me was to splatter something on Lord Takemikazuchi’s face…! It is my fault for being unable to control the urge. I am completely, utterly worthless!”
““…””
“Oh, I could kick myself!”
She dropped to her hands and knees and repeatedly slammed her clenched fist into the surface of the stone road.
Bell and Welf looked on, unsure what to say. “What’s that, what’s that?” came the voices of passing demi-humans on the street, trying to figure out what was going on in the middle of the road. Many sets of eyes were glued onto the girl on the verge of losing her mind.
Mikoto had caught glimpses of Takemikazuchi’s social interactions with other women while they were living at the shrine in the Far East. However, there weren’t many people around, since the shrine was rather isolated, so she never saw enough to make her completely lose herself in the moment.
Things were different in Orario. More people meant more chances to make new connections. Now the only thought in Mikoto’s mind was that while she was working hard in the Dungeon, Takemikazuchi was walking around the city doing that…and it was tearing her apart from the inside.
She was angry with herself, realizing that her anger was stemming from the lack of virtue in Takemikazuchi’s words and actions, as well as her own jealousy. That only added fuel to the fire because she had thought she was more accepting.
Embarrassment was setting in; tears welled in her eyes.
“Umm, eh…Miss Mikoto?”
“What are you going to do?”
Bell tried to gently get her attention, but Welf took a more direct approach with the girl who’d slammed a cake into the face of a god.
Mikoto’s watery eyes lifted from the pavement as she climbed to her feet on wobbly legs.
“Make a cake, as planned…and apologize.”
Her voice was weak and dejected, as if it might cut out at any moment. But she was able to answer the question.
There was no choice but to apologize to Takemikazuchi. However, she didn’t know how she’d react, almost scared of what she might say when she saw him again. A storm of complicated emotions raged within her as she took her first crestfallen step toward home.
Thump, thump. Bell and Welf looked on with worried eyes as she made her way through the backstreets by herself.
The sun sank behind the mountains in the western sky.
As adventurers started emerging from a long day’s work in the Dungeon, dusk fell over a house in a run-down area in one of Orario’s western blocks.
A good distance away from the main street, the house was prevented from getting direct sunlight by the surrounding buildings. This house also sold healing items, but very few people passed by. One familia’s emblem, a basic outline of the human body, hung outside, serving as a billboard, with the words BLUE PHARMACY spelled out in the common language known as Koine. This was the home of Miach Familia.
A party of adventurers made its way through the small maze of shelves inside the store, looking for this familia’s signature product, the double potion. Finding it, they made their way to a young female chienthrope standing behind a long counter. “Thank you…” she said with a wave as they left the store. A moment later, two young ladies made their way through the double wooden doors at the entrance.
Carrying weapons and dressed for combat, the two adventurers called out to Nahza, the chienthrope.
“We’re back, home from the Dungeon.”
“W-we’re home…”
One with short hair, the other with long. One set of eyes sharp and focused, the other lazy and wandering. Side by side, they made an interesting pair. The one with short hair clearly announced her presence while the one with long hair made only a half-hearted greeting.
Nahza, who always looked drowsy with her eyes half open, smiled and greeted the two young women as they came inside.
“Welcome back, Daphne, Cassandra…”
The two women, Daphne and Cassandra—both third-tier adventurers and former members of Apollo Familia—walked through the store all the way up to the counter and put a sack of coins onto it.
“Here. Today’s Dungeon earnings. We already took what we need for preparations.”
“Sorry for the trouble—thanks…”
“N-no, no. We’re in the same familia, after all…”
Nahza took the money from Daphne and expressed her gratitude. Cassandra’s long hair swayed back and forth as she spoke.
Nahza, who until recently was Miach Familia’s only member, happily swished her tail.
“Bell becoming famous in the War Game was great advertising…More and more customers come in every day thanks to him, so I’m so glad to have you here to help.”
Nahza smiled, took two flasks filled with juice out from under the counter, and handed them to the two women.
“Are you sure our familia was the best choice…? We have quite a bit of debt.”
“After hearing that ridiculous figure of two hundred million valis, all other debts seem cute by comparison.”
Click, click. Nahza’s artificial right arm, an airgetlám, made mechanical sounds as she moved. Daphne took a swig of the juice and shrugged with a distant look in her eyes.
Both Daphne and Cassandra had gone to Hestia Familia’s first recruiting event in hopes of joining but had reconsidered after the bombshell of the familia’s 200-million-valis debt was revealed. So the two young adventurers thought better of it and traveled a long, winding road that eventually led to Miach Familia’s doorstep. Having already gone through Conversion, they now officially had Miach as their god, and Nahza a friend and ally.
Cassandra had had her heart set on joining Hestia Familia, so she was still a bit disappointed by the outcome.
“Plus, Lord Miach is a great god. With a deity like that at the helm, we had nothing to lose by joining.”
“While I’m glad to hear that…don’t fall for him.”
“As if I would.”
“Heh-heh-heh…”
After a quick exchange of playful banter, “By the way…” said Daphne as she looked beyond Nahza and farther behind the counter. “What’s going on in there?”
Through an open door, she could see two deities sitting on either side of a table in the guest room. One was a handsome man with long marine-blue hair tied behind his neck—Miach, the god of Nahza, Daphne, and Cassandra’s familia. He wore an ash-gray robe that had seen better days, a sign of their financial straits, but his face could easily be confused for that of someone of noble birth.
The other one wore his black hair in two bobbed ponytails on either side of his head—the dignified deity Takemikazuchi.
“The most pointless meeting in history…”
On that slightly irritated note, Nahza left Daphne and Cassandra in charge of the shop and walked toward the kitchen.
The two gods continued their conversation in the guest room, ignoring the sounds of Nahza making her way through the building that served as both their home and their store.
“—That is what happened today.”
Takemikazuchi finished recounting that afternoon’s events involving Mikoto.
After taking a cake to the face, the befuddled deity had sought the advice of a mutual friend of Hestia’s and fellow god living in poverty.
His problem: He couldn’t figure out why Mikoto was angry.
“…”
Miach listened intently to the story from beginning to end without interrupting. Then he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and sighed.
Opening his eyes, he looked directly at the deity who couldn’t figure out the cause of his follower’s outburst and said:
“—I haven’t the slightest idea.”
“I know, right?”
THUD! A dull echo came from the other side of the open door. Daphne and Cassandra, who’d overheard the conversation, each slammed their heads into the closest wooden pillar at the same time.
The two deities looked around for a moment, slightly confused. Cassandra massaged the side of her throbbing head as Daphne muttered, “How dense are they…?” They might be gods, but Miach’s and Takemikazuchi’s lack of sensitivity was giving them headaches.
“This is why Lady Hestia’s followers get frustrated…”
“Nahza?”
Carrying on a plate two cups of tea she had prepared in the kitchen, Nahza made her way into the guest room.
She ignored the look on Miach’s face and placed one cup in front of each of them.
“I feel sorry for her…for Mikoto.”
“Oh…?”
“If you truly don’t understand…I won’t tell you to be careful, but…”
Takemikazuchi’s shoulders shifted uncomfortably under Nahza’s gaze.
At the same time, Miach felt that the chienthrope was including him in this as well when Nahza glanced in his direction. “What’s wrong?” he asked. She didn’t respond, only sighed in front of her god. When she was done, Nahza once again made eye contact with Takemikazuchi.
“Think it through carefully, and please accept whatever you may discover…”
Takemikazuchi remained motionless as the mortal’s words rang in his ears. Then he folded his arms across his chest a few moments later.
Steam rose from the cup of tea in front of him on the table, and the deity’s meek face reflected in its surface.
The day of Takemikazuchi’s celebration had arrived.
Mikoto started baking the cake in the manor’s kitchen early that morning.
She had made a few attempts yesterday after returning home, but none of them turned out as planned. She’d even asked Welf and Bell to sample her creations, and each spent the rest of the evening not far from a lavatory. Gloom started to set in, but she was quick to slap her cheeks with both hands and tell herself to focus.
She forced the events of yesterday out of her head and concentrated entirely on the task at hand.
“Excuse the intrusion, Miss Mikoto…About my meeting with Lord Takemikazuchi yesterday, I, um…”
“It’s not a problem, Lady Haruhime. I don’t mind at all.”
“That’s not what I meant…Mikoto, that was—”
“I said I don’t mind!”
Mikoto didn’t even look at Haruhime as she walked into the kitchen, focused entirely on the dough in her hands.
Haruhime wasn’t sure how to respond to Mikoto’s harsh tone and stood there with an apologetic look on her face. The renart left the kitchen a moment later.
Hestia and Lilly saw the brief conversation from a distance and were very confused until Bell brought them up to speed. Their puzzled expressions quickly turned to frustration at Takemikazuchi, but they remained quiet and decided to stay out of it.
Mikoto chased all stray thoughts out of her mind by following The Benevolent Mistress’s cake recipe as closely as possible. First came baking the dough in a metal pot, normally used for rice, over an open flame, and then gathering all the sweets and fruit…And then an impressive cake was complete.
Decorated with many types of berries, no one would have guessed the continent-style cake had been made by someone from the Far East.
“It’s done, but…”
She stood in front of her masterpiece, but now all those stray thoughts were coming back.
There was nothing else left to do. Mikoto lingered in the kitchen until the sky started to turn dark. The time of the celebration was upon her, so she put the cake, plate and all, into a box and got ready.
Leaving the manor, she made her way through Orario’s twisting streets toward Takemikazuchi Familia’s home while carefully holding the box in her arms.
Magic-stone lamps flicked on as the sky grew even darker, echoing the state of her mind. Many different feelings pulled at her all the way until she reached her destination.
The old, run-down community housing she used to call home was located on a narrow street in the northwest part of the city. Right now, Takemikazuchi and the remaining five members of his familia lived here. Light was flooding out of the living room windows—perhaps the festivities were already under way?
“Forgive the intrusion…” said Mikoto as she opened the door and made her way inside with an expression of uncertainty on her face. Staying true to Far Eastern traditions, she removed her shoes. She was a bit unnerved by the fact that no one came out to greet her. Nevertheless, she walked through the entranceway and down a narrow hall.
Arriving at the door that led to the living room, she came to a stop, took a deep breath, and slid it open.
A heartbeat later, pop!
“—Eh?”
A pleasant sound erupted from above her head, and long, multicolored ribbons and confetti fell around her like snow before she knew what was happening. Real flower petals fell past her shoulders.
She could only stand there, struggling to take in the vibrant display.
“About time you came.”
“Welcome, Mikoto.”
Her friends greeted her with applause and kind words.
Ouka, Chigusa, the other three members of Takemikazuchi Familia, and even Haruhime were chuckling to themselves at Mikoto’s look of shock. They had managed to re-create a Far Eastern kusudama—an origami ball stuffed with whatever the maker wanted and that could break open with a pull of a cord—and hung it on the ceiling.
The room was decorated with magic-stone lamps of many different colors and artificial flowers on the walls. There was also a small mountain of food sprawled out on the table. The Jyaga Maru Kun especially stood out.
Greeted as if she was the star of the day, Mikoto stood with the cake in her arms, more confused than ever.
“What…what is the meaning of this…? Today is Lord Takemikazuchi’s day, is it not…?”
“Of course, that is true…but the main reason we gathered here today was to give you a proper send-off.”
Mikoto looked at each of her childhood friends in turn until a smiling Ouka let her in on the secret.
She might be gone for only a year, but they had been planning to have a going-away party for Mikoto since she went to Hestia Familia.
They wanted it to be a surprise, so they disguised the event as Lord Takemikazuchi’s yearly celebration and even got Haruhime involved.
Mikoto’s jaw dropped the moment the cat was out of the bag. She looked at each of them once again.
“Haruhime lent her assistance to prepare this food…Said she wanted to help celebrate our reunion, too.”
“…I also wanted to commemorate Miss Mikoto’s departure.”
Ouka did his best to contain a chuckle as Haruhime smiled at Mikoto like a blooming flower next to him.
One look at the dumplings sitting on the table, and Mikoto finally connected the dots as to why she had met with Takemikazuchi the day before.
“It was Lord Takemikazuchi who suggested we throw you a going-away party.”
A wave of nervous energy passed through Mikoto as soon as Chigusa said those words.
Her friends stepped aside to make a path as Takemikazuchi came forward.
So many emotions assailed her heart at once that Mikoto couldn’t move, much less say anything. The deity came to a stop right in front of her and gently placed his hand on top of her head.
“Ahh…My apologies for yesterday.”
A small smile appeared on his lips at the look of shock on the girl’s face. Takemikazuchi’s expression softened and his shoulders sank.
“To be honest, I’m still unsure what I did to deserve such a reaction…but in the end, I did something that upset you, didn’t I?”
“…!”
“Even back in the Far East, I often did things that upset you.”
“Th-that isn’t so!”
Mikoto came back to herself when Takemikazuchi started to apologize, and she vigorously shook her head.
“It’s me, it’s all my fault! My fault that I was upset with you, my fault that I felt anger…That I was jealous!!”
Her episode had caused Takemikazuchi distress, bringing even more shame and guilt into the storm of emotions swirling within her.
Tears began to pour out of her eyes, her face a light shade of red as she explained that she had no right to feel upset, angry, or jealous.
But she lacked the courage to tell him what was really going on in her heart. She felt she didn’t have the right to do that, either.
“No, not your fault. Because I am your god, and also your father.”
Mikoto’s gaze was fixed on the floor, but Takemikazuchi’s words made her eyes open wide.
“If there’s something you want to say, say it. I will accept anything and everything. That’s what families are for, is it not?”
Then he smiled and added that it was the only way for him to notice things.
Slowly, very slowly, Mikoto raised her head. Cheeks getting darker by the moment, her lips parted and closed over and over without any sounds coming out. Even though she was separated from the familia, they cared enough about her to organize a going-away party. They were still her family, and knowing that warmed her heart.
Accept what she had to say—would he really?
If it was true, she wanted him to. To not only accept but respond.
She wanted to hear what he would have to say about going beyond their relationship as father and daughter, as a family.
She wanted to know the true thoughts of the god she had put through so much trouble over the years.
Lips trembling, Mikoto’s ears turned bright red as her heartbeat pounded audibly.
Chigusa, Ouka, and the other members of the familia realized what that meant and waited for Takemikazuchi’s next words with bated breath.
Mikoto kicked her pride to the side and built up as much courage as she could muster.
“Lord Takemikazuchi, I—!!”
“Mikoto, I have a gift for you. Wait right here.”
There was a hint of self-satisfaction in his voice as Takemikazuchi turned away from her and walked to the corner of the room, oblivious to Mikoto’s once-in-a-lifetime level of determination.
Mikoto froze, a dark-red statue in front of the doorway. Ouka and the others stared at their god, disappointed by his horrible sense of timing.
A fresh torrent of tears made its way down Mikoto’s cheeks. Oblivious to the glares of dismay, Takemikazuchi returned to her with a gratified smile on his face and held his gift out to her.
“A going-away present.”
“Eh…?”
A small sword the length of a dagger was in his outstretched right hand.
He held another one in his left hand, but a different color.
“…Male and female, a matching pair of swords.”
Mikoto’s voice trembled.
“That’s right,” Takemikazuchi responded with a satisfied nod.
“I used money earned at my part-time job without involving the familia…and, yes, a loan as well.”
Astonishment overtook Mikoto’s face with that admission.
Ouka and Chigusa didn’t know about it, either. They were just as shocked as Mikoto.
“I heard that Hestia went into debt to acquire a knife for Bell Cranell. I’m not trying to compete with her, but I figured I should be able to do something on that level as well…I don’t consider a loan to be appealing, but I…”
He closed his eyes toward the end, stumbling over his words. A faint blush appeared on Takemikazuchi’s face.
Meanwhile, Mikoto gazed at the small swords in the god’s hands as he admitted his rivalry with the young goddess.
One black, one white. Shaped like katana, even their sheaths were well-designed and high quality.
Goibniu Familia’s signature was carved into each; both were custom made.
Mikoto’s dark velvet eyes began to tremble and moisten.
“…Something for my beautiful daughter, a little token.”
The smile she gave him broke what was left of the dam, sending more tears than ever streaming down her face.
Takemikazuchi hesitated for a moment, forcing a smile in front of the tearful girl. He took a step forward and bent his knees so that his eyes were level with Mikoto’s.
“The male is Tenka, the female Chizan…I give this one to you now, and I’ll carry the other.”
With the box in her arms, Mikoto couldn’t take the blade from him, so Takemikazuchi slid the dagger-size black sword—the female, Chizan—into the sash around her waist.
After making sure it was secure, he looked into Mikoto’s still leaking eyes.
“And the other one shall be yours on the day you come back to us,” he said. “So make sure you come back.”
Showing her the white blade, Tenka, Takemikazuchi smiled once again.
“I will wait as long as I must, Mikoto.”
More tears flowed as Mikoto closed her eyes.
A pleasant, warm feeling swelled within her heart and grew to envelop her entire body. Eyes still closed, she smiled back at him.
She envisioned the moment when the two blades would be reunited.
That would be the day she would reveal her true feelings, the ones she couldn’t say this night.
She would become someone worthy of carrying both blades.
Next time, for sure, she would speak her mind.
“—Yes!! Please wait for me!”
Cheeks slick with her tears, genuine joy appeared in her expression.
She exchanged smiles with Takemikazuchi, face-to-face.
Chigusa, Ouka, Haruhime, and the rest of the group that surrounded the two couldn’t help but follow suit.
“Um, this…this is a cake…so, Lord Takemikazuchi, everyone together…”
“Oh, thanks, Mikoto! Now then, all of you—let’s dig in!”
““Yes!”” came their voices in unison.
Takemikazuchi took the box from the still-sobbing Mikoto as the room came alive. The men couldn’t wait another moment and were around the table in the blink of an eye, hands outstretched.
Chigusa, Haruhime, and the other girls gathered around Mikoto. All of them exchanged hugs, smiles, and pats on the back. The star of the evening wiped the tears away with her arm and smiled back at her friends.
Light from the magic-stone lamps outside came in through the living room windows.
It was just like back at the shrine. Their small home overflowed with laughter.
Warm sunlight shone down through clear blue skies.
Early signs of summer had arrived in Orario. A blade flashed in the sunlight from overhead as it whistled through the air.
Hestia Familia’s home, the manor’s garden.
Mikoto was by herself, shedding droplets of sweat as she practiced combat techniques among the lush green of the lawn, shrubbery, and trees.
Spinning, tumbling, and slashing like a ninja, she held Takemikazuchi’s gift Chizan tight in her grasp.
“My opinion of Lord Takemikazuchi has improved…a little…”
Bell and Welf watched Mikoto’s training from the shade of a nearby hallway. Nahza spoke up next to them.
She had come to the manor to deliver the items that Hestia Familia had ordered. Hearing about what had transpired yesterday seemed to put her in a good mood. Even her tail swished back and forth with more enthusiasm than usual.
“Was a bit worried for a while there. Can’t help but feel like we’re missing something important, though,” Welf remarked as he stood with his hand against a wooden pillar.
“But Miss Mikoto’s back on good terms with Lord Takemikazuchi. She certainly looks happy…” Bell, right next to him, wore a cheerful smile.
Every so often, Mikoto would stop practicing, admire the blade in her hand, and grin.
She looked to be in very high spirits. Bell and Welf watched her and shared a lighthearted, wry smile. On the other hand, Nahza narrowed her eyes at the girl. While she admired Takemikazuchi for preparing a weapon for Mikoto on his own, there was another concern.
“But, you know…”
Slowly but surely, the corner of her mouth tilted up.
“…he does things like that all the time like it’s nothing. I think that’s why people call him insensitive.”
Dividing a male and female pair of blades between god and follower like Takemikazuchi just did.
The female blade to the woman, and the male blade to the man.
It was almost like—
“?An engagement ring. Deities tend to call it a ‘proposal.’”
“…Well, yeah.”
“Ah, ha-ha-ha-ha…”
Welf rubbed his neck with his free hand. An empty laugh escaped Bell’s mouth before he could repress it.
It was easy to get the wrong idea as the recipient of something close to a marriage proposal. All three observers were thinking the same thing.
“Everyone! Why don’t you join me in training if you have time—?”
Mikoto stopped her practice swings, turned to face the onlookers, and waved.
With the female half of the pair firmly in her grasp, a smile as clear as the sky above bloomed on her face.
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