The next day at Hermes’ Familia home.
“Ah, Cirrus! Ai! What a surprise!” Hermes said with his usual smile.
“Where is Astraea?” asked Cirrus.
“Not angry I didn’t tell you?” he said, a bit worried.
“No, I can understand why you or anyone wouldn’t have told me, should you have told me what happened 5 years ago I would have flipped this city inside and out trying to find all the little spineless fuckers and ripped their fucking bones from their meat bag of a body like chopsticks picking rice until they told me everything and I slaughter all of them and hang them for all of the fragments to see what I’m going to do to them.” His tone of voice said it all. He held a deep, DEEP hatred towards Evilus.
“…”
Sweat was coming down Hermes and the rest of his Familia’s back as an intense bloodlust filled the room with such discomfort they didn’t dare breathe it.
“S-so Astraea! She’s in a village to the northwest called Virgo! Here, let me get you a map!” Hermes said.
Hermes left the room, and Cirrus followed him.
“Sorry about that!” said Ai with a bright smile that lit up the room. “We both are going through the motions.”
‘An angel!’
‘She’s truly a saint!!’
“I-its fine Ai.” Said Arfi. “He still must be going through the motions, as are you. How are you handling it? You seem… better then him?"
“I am doing fine but… I do suggest not aggravating him. With no work around he is doesn't have a way to really distract himself."
"A workaholic I see." Asfi said feeling some sympathy.
Cirrus's week in Yamato was a very busy one. For the two days, he spends at home relaxing. He spends the weekdays working around the clock. An unhealthy habit he formed from a young age to help distract him from his thoughts. His times off are less for pleasure and more for everyone to not worry about him and see his workaholic tendencies. That fact has grown to where it's one thing the people of Yamato know him for and call him; Lord of The Midnight Oil.
"Yeah... As much as I hate that he does it he makes sure Fuyukusa is corrupt free and that everyone is happy and heathy."
They wait a minute or two later for Cirrus to come back.
“I have the location,” Cirrus said, coming into the room.
“I think I’ll stay in the city Cirrus; I’ll be going to see Eupheme.”
“Um Eupheme as in Polýmētis?” said Asfi.
“Yeah! She’s my smith! She isn’t—"
“Oh, no! No! it’s just that she went with the expedition with the Loki Familia.”
“Ah… Well, I guess I’ll stay here for a bit and catch up on what’s going on in the city!”
“Hm, I’ll see you in a day.”
“A-a day!” said Hermes. “The village is 1 week away!”
“Yeah, pretty close. Shit, I need to get going if I want to make it by nightfall.” Cirrus puts on his hood and leaves through the back.
“So… What has been going on in the city?” Ai looked back at Asfi and the others.
“Umm….” Said Arfi.
Almost like a 6th sense, Ai knew Asfi was hiding something. It was the same look she had made back in Yamato.
“You know I’m grieving as well; I lost a friend in Kaguya; I have met with her father, you know.” Ai said coming up to them.
“Guuuh!!!! I think I actually preferred to be scared!!” shouted Asfi and the rest of the Familia, looking at her sad puppy dog eyes.
Having already left the city’s walls, Cirrus quickly runs far enough from the city to put on his armor and burst through the land quickly, covering the distance.
Arriving at the village by dusk, he found it to have a few buildings.
“…”
Cirrus removed his armor and walked through the village trying to find Astraea when in the corner of his eyes he spots something familiar.
He walks towards it to find Astraea with another child, one very young human.
“L-lady Astraea, there’s a big guy over there!” she said.
Astraea looks to see Cirrus there.
“Don’t worry! He’s one of my children! Like you!”
She slowly let's go of her and walked towards Cirrus.
“U-um… m-my name is Cecil! I’m 7 years old! What’s your name!” she said, trying to be brave.
“…” Cirrus made a gentle smile as he bent down and patted her head. “My name is Cirrus. I’m 22, are you my new Familia?”
“Hm!” she said with a bright smile.
Coming up to them with a smile was Astraea.
“Cecil, could you go back in?”
“Hm!” she runs back into the house.
“Lady Astraea I—"
“I’m sorry Cirrus.” She said with a calm face. “I have replayed that day so many times and I only have one regret and it's not getting Ryuu to leave with me that day." She said with a calm-ish expression. "Cirrus I do not regret not telling you of their fates."
“…” Cirrus could see she wasn’t lying; her face was as calm as water but he knew there was more under the surface. “I know… I visited Ryuu and the rest down on the 18th floor where she buried them.”
Cirrus could see her mask break a bit.
“The 18th floor… They always joked about being buried there… How are you holding up? From your face I could see your feeling guilty over their deaths."
"...Possibly."
"I know you are. It's in your eyes."
"My eyes? Where they that fucked up?"
"As a child yes. Depressingly so. But back then who's eyes weren't filled with death. But your eyes... Your eyes I always find truly sad. Kaguya was the closes to you in terms of perspective but even then she had a... well—"
"Cold blooded pragmatists?"
"With no better words... Yes. But of all the people I have seen you always seem to be the one who has the most introspective."
Cirrus has some level of introspection but that can only go so far. In Yamato aside from learning medicine he tried to get mental health into the zeitgeist. It has... about as much recognition as America had in the 30's and 40's minus the electro therapy and several other inhuman 'treatments'. But they were making good progress in the research and help needed. With two or three generations of family's having gone to war there plenty of people to further help this along.
“Well... I am smarter then a good chunk of people. I have been working on my anger."
"And how is it?"
"...Better now then before."
"Well that's great!" She said proudly. "Has Ai and Artemis been helping you?"
"Yeah. Talking every now and again helps gets some stuff off my chest. Of course there are somethings Ai and Art don't really... shall we say understand?"
"Well I don't have much to say on that. Your experiences are your own, I can continue to talk but it would be semantics. So do you wanna come inside? It is getting late."
“Is there even enough room for me?” He said looking at the small home.
“Hmm… I guess I’ll have to sleep outside!” Astraea said smiling at him.
“You know I can’t have that; you have a chair, right?”
Cirrus stayed for dinner and went outside with a chair by the home. This wasn’t the first time Cirrus had to learn to fall asleep on a chair. When he was getting his Family up and running, he had to make an appearance and he usually slept on his chair from working too long.
“Cirrus, are you up?”
He slowly opens his eyes as his head was resting on his arm.
“I am.”
“Good, it’s been 7 years, However you didn’t come here just to talk, did you?”
A slight grin appeared on Cirrus’s face.
“Cleaver, as always.”
Cirrus gets up and walks a bit from the chair and kneels. He removes his top clothes and feels the cool night air.
Astraea walks behind him and pricks her finger and drops a drop of blood onto his back.
“… You have grown well despite not being in the dungeon.”
“You can blame Ai and Artemis for that. They spar with me every weekend. Furthermore Ai has her status update every weekend as well.”
“Fufu… and how is Artemis? I saw the wedding and I am a bit sad I couldn’t attend or give you a present.”
“That’s fine. You letting me go was more than enough.”
“How sweet… do you have paper?”
From his shadow, he pulls out and gives it to Astraea. A few seconds pass as she puts his status on the sheet.
“A~nd there!”
She hands him his updated status.
Cirrus Zephyr
Lv. 8
Strength: H169→ G204 Endurance: G287→ D533
Dexterity: H101→ G207 Agility: F300→ E474
Magic: F350→ E400 Mage: A
Immunity: B Martial Arts: E
Crush: E Blacksmith: F
Chain Attack: H Luck: H→ G
<Magic>
[Dia Chrysomallos: Exev̱genisménos]
- Super Short Chant.
- Enchant Type.
[Kaló Spirtáda: Synafxáno]
- No Chant.
- Summoning Magic.
- Transformation Magic
[Dia Dikastí̱s: Logia]
- Short Chant.
- Enchant Type
<Skill>
[Amaryllis Leo Antheia Nemeaeus]
- Increase speed of growth.
- Recovers the user's stamina drastically. (Passive)
- Pain tolerance is increased. The strength of the effect depends on the user's Endurance stat.
- Grants the user the development abilities Strong Body, Strong Defense. The strength of the effect is proportional to the user's level. (Only activated when using [Dia Chrysomallos: Veltió̱]).
- When on the border of life and death user’s basic parameters are multiplied by the user's level.
[Lefkí Nychteriní Mágissa Sýmvasi̱: Logia]
- A pact forged with the Spirit of the White Night and Spirit of Witchcraft the spirits and user have been bounded through mind, body, blood, and soul. They can now truly share one being.
- Grants Shadow Storage.
- Grant's new creations.
- Grants user Development Ability Spirit Healing and Magic Resistance. The strength of the effect is proportional to the user's level.
[Orgisménos Anemos Sámael]
- When in the sand, wind, poison, cursed all physical stats are increased. Effect stackable.
- Increased resistance to heat, strong winds, poisons, and curses. Effect strengths depend on Endurance stat.
[Orpheus Megaleíologia Psychí̱]
- When playing or singing, all will feel your soul.
[Skiés Rin Yagokoro Voí̱theia]
- Able to summon the versatility of The Hecatonchires.
- When engaged in battle, it will accelerate user thoughts.
- Grants user Development Ability Metal Working, Mixing, and Mystery. Strength is proportional to the user's level.
- Its essence empowers you.
“… This… so much of my skills and magic changed? Even my luck shot up a rank!”
“Well, what do you expect when you took one of Heaven’s Three Big Virgin Goddesses as your bride along with another." She said holding herself back as to not wake up Cecil. "It’s nothing but sheer luck! And of course a little bit of your charm.” Astraea said, slapping his shoulder with a big smile on her face. “To be honest, I wanted to rub it in the other goddesses' faces, but sadly, it’s a bit too late for that.” She took a seat and let out a sigh.
“Hm… Who knows? Maybe one day you will return to Orario.”
“Maybe… I think for now I’ll just stay here.”
“… Oh, I should give you some gifts! I was going to give them to the others, but well…”
She smiled as sweetly as always.
“You can give them to me if you wish. I can’t promise you they will be used.”
“I’m sure Cecil will have use of them in the future.” Cirrus puts back his clothes.
“Hm… Cirrus, you know I left your status open, correct?”
A brief silence fell on them.
“I know. You left it open when I left."
“Did Artemis or Susanoo offer to give you their blessing?”
“They offered, However I declined… I wanted to talk to you first before anything.”
“I see…” she made a slight smile. “Well, you can convert whoever you want. I won’t be angry. In fact, with only you and Ryuu left, I guess that would make you the captain and she the vice-captain.”
“… I rather not fill those shoes. I could say the same for Ryuu."
"Nonsense. I could tell you have grown as a leader."
"Can you tell or was it Hermes who told you?"
"Nevertheless I think you will be a very fine leader!" she said ignoring what he said.
"...Thank you Astraea."
"Not at all Cirrus… It was nice to see you again."
“Hm.” he nods his head. “It was nice to see you as well, but…” a wind brushed past them. “I think the next time we meet won’t be as a goddess and child.”
A bitter-sweet expression grows on Astraea’s face.
“Well… it’s not like I was ‘your’ god.”
“No… I think you sneaked your way in there. I mean, who says one has to follow one god? Especially one who strives to be virtuous and kind as she can be despite having lost her children. I find that to be a very admirable trait.”
The bitterness and sweetness grew 10 fold. She didn’t want to lose her child, but a mother's job is to raise her young as best as she can and let them fly.
“I think I did a pretty damn good job of raising you, my son.”
“!?” Cirrus was a bit shocked. He never expected Astraea to say damn. "Heh... What a surprise." He made a big smile and knelt before her one last time. “Thank you for taking me in when I was still rough around the edges. I hope whatever lays ahead of you will be one of kindness and happiness. Goodbye Astraea, goddess of justice, innocence, purity, precision, and my second mother.”
"Thank you... For sticking with me."
They share one last hug with one another. In each other's embrace Astraea had some last words.
"Cirrus."
"Yeah."
"I want you to know it's not your fault they died."
"Astraea—!?"Astraea held him tightly, she even went so far as to seal his Falna.
"Cirrus I want you to listen to me close and well."
"...Go on."
"Cirrus. It is not your fault they died."
"!?" Cirrus shakes a bit. "B-but I could have—"
"It was a bad encounter Cirrus. A bad roll of the dice. They did what they always done and tried to save people. Them losing their lives... It pains me but it was a fate that was always looming over them, you know this Cirrus."
"..." Cirrus had a painful expression. "But I—"
"Cirrus. They went into the dungeon of their own volition. They knew the risks of saving adventures while traversing the Dungeon just like any other adventurer. This isn't something you should beat your self over especially when you I asked everyone to keep it from you. It has been 5 years Cirrus. It's not your fault. It's not your fault you wanted to leave this city and get some peace. It's not your fault. I want you to understand that."
Astraea could feel the tears on her back, the tightness of his hug. He didn't need to say anything for her to know.
It was a weight lifted off his shoulders. But the pain remained. He had solace that it will heal over time.
"Can we... stay like this a bit longer?" Cirrus said softly.
"Of course."
The two would remain together for a good while. Not saying a word and being there for one another.
20 minutes pass and Cirrus bid Astraea a farewell.
"I hope to see you again, Astraea." Cirrus said with a more softer face.
"Please come again whenever you feel like it Cirrus."
"I'll hold you to it."
She watched and waved as he leaves over the horizon. Back to Orario where his story will continue.
rayan2302· Sep 3, 2022
bruhusrs· Sep 2, 2022
