DANMACHI: The Silence's Heir (OC x Freya)

Chapter 22

GOJOUNO KAGUYA

"Are you certain?" Alise asked as she mentioned to her the suspicion of foul play and how their enemies may have just tried to kill Inumaki-sama's patron goddess.

"Yes, it was why I stopped Bell Cranel's training. I felt a presence on the roof and decided to check it out, but I had to stop because of Hestia-sama," otherwise, she would have caught them, and given that they had managed to run away, it meant that they were not an inexperienced adventurer.

They would have to be at least level 2, if not even higher, to move as fast and quietly as they had.

"He did fear this," Alise sighed, surprising her.

"Inumaki-sama did," she asked, and her ed-captain nodded.

"Yes, he believes that the Soma familia is connected with the underground black market, more specifically with the Ikelos familia," and that was a surprise to her. He had not shared these fears with her.

"Is that why he made such a wager, to draw them out?" she asked, for she knew just how much that spear meant to him. And to wager it on simple issue like that, there had to be something greater to it.

"Yes," and it seems as if his fears are being proven right.

"What was she even doing here?" Alise asked.

"She was looking to buy this place, as a new home for her familia," Kaguya answered, and saw Alise's expression drop. It was no wonder, the lease on the place must have run out a year ago, and it must have been put back on the market.

But still this place had once been their home, and seeing it in its current state, in its lifeless state did affect them.

"That is interesting," Alise sighed as she looked at the decrepit walls around her rather nostalgically.

"Perhaps it is a good thing in the end. It would be good to have some laughter in these Halls again," and perhaps it would be.

"You had something to say as well," she asked and Alise nodded as she handed her a poster, and she opened it and read through it.

"An expedition?" she questioned, interested in the floor that the Loki familia was aiming for.

"And I believe that Inumaki is preparing for this. That is why he asked for our help in all of this, and then there is also the fact that he suspects that Valette still lives," and Kaguya perked up at that name.

"That Veletta?" she confirmed, and Alise nodded.

"Yes, during the attack on Riveria, he suspected that they were hit by her magic. And so, he had Ryuu look into it, and his guess was correct. The effects of the magic, and the whisper of its spell key they were the same. So it means one of two things, either someone is pretending to be her or..."

"Vaeletta Gerde is still alive," she finished as her fists balled. Valetta Gerde was an Evilus executive, a high ranker who had killed hundreds of, not thousands of, innocents seven years ago. They had all thought her dead, but it seemed now that much like Olivia's Act, she had managed to cheat death as well and had lived so long.

"If that is true then this expedition must be connected to Evilus as well," she reasoned out and Alise shrugged.

"It very well could be," Alise answered.

"Do you think we should join in," she asked, and Alise's lips thinned.

"I don't think at this point we can. We have neither the valis needed to join in, nor have our falna been updates in years," and at that her lips thinned as well.

All of them still had their original falna's and were hesitant to move on, even though their goddess seemed to be asking of them. Otherwise, why would she have mentioned it all to Hestia-sama?

"I doubt any smith in the city will accommodate us now. I have heard that all the smiths are busy hammering away making equipment for the participants of this expedition," and since they had not been to the dungeon yet, they lacked the valis to even get the equipment.

Making valis would not very difficult but still they were high ranking adventurers, and this expedition was to go to the lower levels, which were nothing to scoff at. To go down there hampered both because of a non-updated falna, and a lack of equipment did not sit right with her.

"We could ask Inumaki-kun for some mo..."

"No!" Kaguya cut in.

"We must not trouble him any more," she added, and Alise nodded.

"Sure, but I would have liked to join in on this and see the lower floors for myself," she added, and Kaguya agreed with her sentiment.

"We will. Now that Inumaki-sama is back, this will not be the last expedition that explores the lower floors of the dungeon."

0000

LEYFIA VERDIS

Leyfia Verdis snuck out of the Loki familia mansion at night as she waited for Ais-san, who had promised to train her, and despite everything, she could not believe that she was going to be trained by none other than Ais-san herself.

"Are you ready?" she nearly screamed as Ais-san covered her mouth, stifling her voice. She nodded, nearly melting away with that touch.

"Yes," she answered nervously and the blonde ace of Loki familia nodded.

"Then follow me," and Leyfia did as she was ordered and began to run after Ais-san as they ran through the city of Orario, until they were out of the actual city and neared its outskirts as she was led to an abandoned castle, that was very run down and was rather creepy.

"Why are we here?" she asked.

"To train, of course," Ais-san answered, much to her surprise.

"I used to train here at this place when I was young," and there was a fond smile on her face as she said those words as she led her through the Hall's and towards a clearing and as they entered the clearing she could see the ground marred by remnants of training with massive chunks of ground missing and debris lying all around, and yet for some reason the destruction seemed rather new.

"Wait," and the way Ais-san frowned told her that she felt a similar thing, and as they walked out into the clearing, she spotted a figure sitting there surrounded by massive craters as he sat there, and suddenly, as she stepped into the field, she stilled.

The pressure. It was mana, and it was suffocating, and even without seeing the person's face, she felt a shiver run down her spine as Ais-san reached for her blade as well.

"Who is there?" came the question, and the voice seemed somewhat familia, and as she saw that face turn her eyes widened as she recognized those eyes and grey hair.

And in an instant, the suffocating pressure was gone as she saw Ais-san relax as well.

"Inumaki-kun!"

"Ais!"

.

.

.

.

"So, you are here to train her simultaneous casting," Inumaki-kun asked as she found herself sitting beside him and Ais as they talked of her. In contrast, Leyfia found herself looking around and marveling at the sheer extent of destruction that had been done all around her.

"Interesting," he called out as he stood up.

"Well, the ground is yours. I was going to take a break myself," and then he went to the side as Ais-san and her began practising and to her dismay it was not working out, and they spent hours with her trying to do simultaneous casting.

As she sat there, distraught at her failures, Ais-san beckoned them to take a break, and his voice came in.

"You are doing it wrong," and she perked up at those words as she saw him standing beside her.

"What do you mean?" she asked timidly, intimidated by his gaze as she looked down bashfully.

"Your mana and your chant. Nothing should interrupt them, and for that, you must trust both your body and your comrades," and that was easier said than done.

"But your chant is so easy. You just have to use your spell key," Ais-san complained, and she saw his eyes glint as he raised a brow.

"Ohh, is that a taunt I hear," he asked as Ais-san raised a brow.

"Still, Leyfia's chants are long that is why she is having trouble. Both you and I have rather short chants and have it somewhat easy.

"Hmm, well, let us see about that," and with that, she saw him move to the side as Ais-san prepared herself for the attack as she saw Inumaki-kun throw a pebble in the air.

And as it hit the air she saw him begin his chant, and yet her eyes widened as she heard the words coming out of his mouth.

"Harbinger of the end, the white snow," and those words, she was all too familiar with them, and yet that chant. It was Riveria-san's magic.

"Aeriel!" Ais-san blurred forth as she appeared in front of him, and Inumaki-san took a step back and avoided her attack. Yet the chant did not stop even as Ais-san's attacks did not stop.

"Blow with the wind before the twilight. Closing light, the freezing land," and she could feel it, the mana buildup, the magic in the air filling up as he continued the chant. All the while, Ais-san came at him at her full speed, while she could do nothing but watch in amazement and awe as he uttered the last line.

"Blizzard, the three severe winters - my name is Alf!"

And with that the chant was complete, and in a blur Ais-san pushed her blade towards his face as she saw his eyes turn scarlet as he shouted, the name of the magic he had no reason for possessing.

"Wynn Fimbulvetr!"

BOOOOM!

A massive explosion rocked the area, and a deep chill penetrated her bones, making her tremble. She looked up and found the whole area covered by an ice storm.

"This magic!" she gasped as the smoke cleared and watched as Ais-san's blade stood there inches from his face as a wall of ice came in between her and Inumaki-san.

"Tht was Riveria-san's magic!" she gasped as the realization on dawned on her.

"But how?"

0000

FREYA-The Goddes of Beauty

As the date of the War Game neared, Freya's excitement rose as well, and the city of Orario stirred. Already, rumors about the return of Astarea's children had sparked much debate amongst the underbelly of the city. Then the closing gala for the Harvest Festival was just around the corner as well.

She had sent a special message to her precious child to attend. It was rare for her to get a chance to meet him in such an open setting, and Freya would hardly let it go. Given the huge favor she had done him, she knew he would oblige her request.

"Did you give him my message, Ottar?" she asked again, and her captain nodded.

"I did, Freya-sama," he answered ever so dutifully as she turned her back on the expansive city and faced him, touching the bandage on his face as her eyes narrowed.

"So, how is he?" she asked, for this training was just a test to get a measure of him, to help him catch up to his old fame.

"He has gotten stronger and faster. And I am sure that he is still holding back a few of trump cards," and that impressed her. His rank-up speed had always been impressive, despite being much younger than Ottar, Finn, and Riveria, he had been on track to catch upto them and even out rank them before his exile.

This had been the main reason for his exile, at least for Loki. Even though she was guilty of the same thinking, if he was allowed to stay in Orario, he would never get out of the shadow of his defamation and the legend of Hera familia.

Now, she had taken care of both, cleansing him of all possible distractions. Soon enough, she would have him, and with that, her life would be complete. She would have him, the pinnacle of human existence beside her, the pinnacle of divinity.

"And what has become of the other think I asked of you?" and with that Ottar nodded as she smiled.

"It is done. The true identity of the one they call Enyo is Lord Dinoysus."

And she smiled as she learned that name, impressed at that the sheer audacity of this God for doing what he had done.

"Interesting."

0000

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