DanMachi Universe, Lower World, Orario.
While the members of the [Dimensional Chat] agreed to call it a night, none of them went straight to bed. Instead, the female members of the [Chat] went to the villa's large communal bath to bathe properly after a dive in the Dungeon.
Meanwhile, Tatsuo, James, Alfonzo, and Zelretch headed to their rooms to do the same. Naturally, because they bathed alone, all the men finished their baths before the group of women came out of the communal bath. And most of them decided to go straight to bed.
*knock!* *Knock!* *Knock!*
However, just as Tatsuo finished drying his hair and was about to lie down, a knock on his bedroom door stopped him in his tracks. And when he remembered that Aislynn had not forbidden sex this evening, a hungry smile spread across his face.
"Is that Violet?" Tatsuo muttered to himself as he stood up from the edge of his bed. "Or maybe it's Sakura. *Sigh* Not being able to use my [Spatial Awareness] is a real hassle. I wonder if I'll unlock a spell or Skill for it after Leveling Up."
Deciding he could worry about that later, Tatsuo made his way over to the bedroom door. Then, without hesitation, he twisted the knob and pulled the door open.
However, when he saw Aletia, someone he was not expecting, standing in the hallway, Tatsuo found himself somewhat surprised. Yet, instead of freezing up, Tatsuo simply stepped to the side and allowed his guest to enter the room. {Pic}
With no hesitation, Aletia stepped into the room and made her way over to Tatsuo's bed before taking a seat. Then, as Tatsuo closed the door, she stared at him intently.
"So, what's up?" Tatsuo asked as he approached the bed.
"I'm thirsty." Aletia said before licking her lips with an expression filled with anticipation.
Understanding exactly what Aletia meant, Tatsuo shrugged his shoulders. Then, he climbed into bed and rested his back against the headboard. And once he was comfortable, Tatsuo patted his lap, gesturing for Aletia to come closer.
Smiling happily, Aletia also climbed onto the bed. Then, she crawled towards Tatsuo slowly, doing her best to entice the half-dragon in front of her. Finally, when she reached Tatsuo's side, Aletia quickly straddled his legs and looked into his eyes, her smile taking on a seductive quality.
"Thanks for the meal." Aletia said before opening her mouth wide, showing off her sharp fangs.
However, instead of biting into Tatsuo's neck immediately, Aletia first stuck out her little tongue and licked the spot where she intended to bite, causing Tatsuo to shiver. Then, after she was satisfied with Tatsuo's reaction, she sank her fangs into the side of Tatsuo's neck and began to drink. {Pic}
"Ah~~~!"
Feeling the quick piercing feeling, Tatsuo did not make a sound or react at all. However, when Aletia started sucking his blood, he could not help the shuddering breath that escaped his mouth. At the same time, his hands involuntarily rose to rest on the blonde vampire's hips.
Meanwhile, when Aleitia heard Tatsuo, her eyes squinted into a smile as she pressed herself tightly against Tatsuo's chest. At the same time, she also started grinding her hips against Tatsuo's. And when she felt what was under his shorts, the smile in her eyes brightened.
Eventually, Aletia got her fill of Tatsuo's blood, and the intoxicated expression on her face when she pulled her fangs out of Tatsuo's neck made it clear she was fully satisfied with her meal. However, instead of climbing off Tatsuo's lap, Aletia leaned back in and licked the two puncture wounds on Tatsuo's skin, causing him to shudder once again.
Slowly, Aletia's tongue climbed up Tatsuo's neck to his jawline. Then, to his cheek, and finally to his ear where she opened her lips and wrapped them around Tatsuo's earlobe while her tongue traced its curve. At the same time, her hands trailed down Tatsuo's chest, her fingertips lightly brushing against his pecs and down his abs.
Then, just as Aletia let go of Tatsuo's earlobe and started kissing across his cheek towards his lips and her hands reached the waistband of his shorts…
*Knock!* *Knock!* *Knock!*
"Tatsuo-Kun, are you still awake?"
"Tch!"
… Aletia clicked her tongue when Tatsuo jolted after hearing a knock on the door and Violet's voice that carried inside from the other side of the door.
"Violet…?" Tatsuo asked in a blank tone as he turned his head towards the door.
"Just leave it." Aletia said as she hugged Tatsuo tightly.
Shaking his head to clear it slightly, Tatsuo smiled at Aletia. Then, he curled his tail around the short vampire's waist, causing her to smile. However, that smile froze on her face when Tatsuo climbed out of his bed to answer the door. Though, he never unwrapped his tail from around her waist.
A moment later, Tatsuo, with Alitia still pressed against his chest, stood up from the bed and strode across the room to answer the door.
"Yeah, I'm still awake." Tatsuo said as he pulled the door open.
However, when Tatsuo saw that Violet was not alone, as Sakura was standing just behind her, he was somewhat surprised. Meanwhile, both Violet and Sakura widened their eyes when they saw Aletia clinging to Tatsuo and glaring at them for interrupting his good time.
"So, that's where you went after leaving the bath so quickly." Violet said while smiling at Aletia after getting her shock under control. "I don't know why you were being so secretive, though. We all know that Tatsuo-Kun is starting a harem. If you'd said something, we would have left tonight to you."
Hearing that, Aletia's glare was immediately replaced with a dumbfounded expression
"Being sneaky isn't good." Sakura said quietly while looking at Aletia.
Meanwhile, Tatsuo only sighed at the situation he found himself in. Before the knock on the door, he was ready to let things happen. But it did not need to be said that the mood was completely broken by the interruption. Even so, he found the current situation more amusing than frustrating. So, he stepped aside and opened the door wide, inviting the two women standing outside into the room.
"Well, since you're here, come in." Tatsuo said, his smile widening when Aletia started to pout. "I actually was planning to go to sleep before Aletia came by. So, if you want, you can all sleep here, too."
Naturally, both Violet and Sakura accepted Tatsuo's invitation. And judging by the fact they came together, they probably weren't expecting anything sexual to happen. So, they did not seem to mind just sleeping in the same bed as Tatsuo. On top of that, they felt this was a perfect punishment for Aletia, who tried to go behind their backs to have Tatsuo all to herself.
Before long, the quartet was all cuddled together in Tatsuo's bed, with Aletia lying on Tatsuo's chest with his tail still wrapped around her. Meanwhile, Violet and Sakura used his right and left arms as pillows as they all chatted lightly before eventually falling asleep.
The rest of the night passed peacefully. And before anyone knew it, the sun crested over the horizon, marking a new day for Orario.
At the Hostess of Fertility, the waitresses were bustling around preparing the pub for business. While some of the girls cleaned the hall, some prepped ingredients the day. All the while, Mia kept her employees in line.
"Syr, are you sure you're okay?" Ryuu asked as she approached a waitress who was sweeping near the pub's front door. "You seemed really sick last night." {Pic}
Turning around after hearing her name, Syr Flova, a beautiful young human woman with bluish-grey hair pulled into a ponytail and eyes of the same color, smiled at Ryuu.
"Yes, I'm fine, Ryuu." Syr said in a cheerful tone. A moment later, she let go of the broom with one hand and patted her stomach. "I must have eaten something that didn't agree with me. But after a good night's sleep, I feel great."
Last night, as soon as the Aislynn Familia entered the Hostess of Fertility, Syr, the pub's poster girl, suddenly felt ill. Then, after getting Mia's permission, she quickly left the establishment for the night so she could rest.
At least, that was the reason she gave.
In reality, Syr left so that Aislynn would not see her. Because as previously mentioned, the Hostess of Fertility was the place where Freya, Goddess of Beauty, played house. And Syr Flova was the identity she used during this roleplay.
However, things were not as simple as Freya simply taking an interest in the Hostess of Fertility owned by her Familia's former captain, Mia. Instead, things were much more complex than that. On top of that, no matter how much she wanted to experience life as a human girl working in a tavern, that would be impossible thanks to her aura of divinity.
But Freya found a way to take a human identity after making a deal with the original Syr Flova, making it possible for her to freely transition between her Goddess and human forms. Meanwhile, when she was in the form of Syr Flova, one of the Adventurers in her Familia would use magic to disguise herself as Freya as she waited for the real Freya's return at the top of Babel Tower.
And while this elaborate disguise was able to fool nearly everyone in Orario, Gods and mortals alike, there was one individual who knew the truth. And that was Aislynn, who could peak at everyone's secrets through their dreams.
"That's good." Ryuu replied in a relieved tone. "I was really worried about you."
Hearing the concern in Ryuu's tone, Syr's smile widened. Then, she looked around the dining hall with a hint of confusion.
"By the way, Ryuu, why is everyone working so hard, so early?" Syr asked. "We don't open until lunch time. Usually, everyone is a lot more leisurely about getting things ready this early."
"Oh, I guess you wouldn't have heard about it since you left early." Ryuu said calmly. "But someone is coming to give Mama Mia and May cooking tips."
Hearing that, Syr's eyes widened in surprise.
It was no exaggeration to say that the Hostess of Fertility served the best food in all of Orario. And that reputation came thanks to Mia's and May's skill in the kitchen. So, it was unsurprising that Syr found herself surprised when she heard that someone was coming to give them tips in the kitchen.
"Who… Who would be so bold?" Syr asked in a dumbfounded tone.
"A couple of new Adventurers from what I gathered." Ryuu said. "They came with Lady Loki last night. And Lady Loki actually vouched for them. So, Mama Mia agreed to give them a chance."
Hearing that the new Adventurers came with Loki last night, a hint of panic flashed through Syr's eyes. Luckily, she managed to keep it from showing on her face. Since she was there when the Aislynn Familia arrived last night, she knew exactly who Ryuu was talking about. It had to be one of the ten Adventurers that just joined Aislynn's Familia.
As a result, Syr was already coming up with reasons to disappear while they were here, just in case Aislynn decided to accompany them. But at the same time, anticipation was rising in her heart at the thought that those mortals might come without their goddess.
'I might finally get a chance to see their souls up close.' Syr, or rather Freya, thought to herself. 'Just as long as I don't overstep, I won't have to worry about an angry Aislynn showing up at Folkvangr. *Sigh* That woman is terrifying.'
"Honestly, I'm not sure if those two were boasting." Ryuu said while shaking her head. "But Mama Mia was willing to give them a chance. Though, if they were just boasting, she would charge them double for the ingredients they wasted."
"That sounds like something Mama Mia would say." Syr said with a smile and alight giggle. "By the way, what kind of people were those two? And do you know their names?"
"Hmm? I think their names were Tatsuo and Alfonzo." Ryuu said while raising her had to think. "The older of the two, Alfonzo, was a human male with skin the same color as an Amazoness. It looked as though he were married, too. His wife also had brown skin. Though, she did not seem like an Amazoness."
"That's rather unusual." Syr said while thinking back to the souls she saw from the top of Babel Tower the previous day. "And what about the other one?"
"He was even more unusual." Ryuu replied. "Like the other two, he had brown skin. However, he clearly wasn't human. The horns growing from his head and the tail on his back made that quite clear. Also, he looked even younger than you, Syr. On top of that, he was the most handsome man I've ever seen."
Hearing the descriptions of the two chefs who would be coming to the Hostess of Fertility, Syr drifted off into her thoughts. in fact, she was so lost in thought that Ryuu, who was still trying to talk to her, could not get a response from her for quite some time. However, that did not last too long, as the sound of unfamiliar voices outside the Hostess of Fertility's doors broke Syr from her thoughts.
Turning to look through the open doors of the Hostess of Fertility, Syr's breath hitched and her eyes widened when she saw the ten people walking towards the doors. {Pic}
"Oh… My…" Syr muttered to herself while raising a hand to cover her mouth as she stared at the ten members of the Aislynn Familia with an infatuated gaze. "Magnificent…"
"Indeed." Ryu said with a nod while completely missing the infatuated expression on Syr's face. "Those are quite the impressive looking outfits."
"You think so?" Elicia sked excitedly as she skipped forward and took Ryuu's hands not her own. "If you like them, I could make some clothes for you, too."
"You made all those clothes?" Ryuu asked in a stunned tone.
Syr was also stunned. However, her reason for being so was completely different than Ryuu's. Because like most Elves in the Lower World, Ryuu was quite averse to having people she was not familiar with making physical contact with her. Yet, when Elicia held her hands, Ryuu did not react in the slightest. In fact, she did not even seem to notice that her hands were being held.
"Yup! I make all the clothes the Aislynn Familia wears." Elicia replied cheerfully. Then, she let go of Ryuu's left hand and gestured back towards the rest of her group. "Making clothes is my passion. I've been doing it since before we came to Orario."
At that moment, when the warmth of Elicia's hand was no longer wrapped around her left hand, Ryu finally noticed that someone was touching her. However, instead of being repulsed like she usually was when someone unfamiliar touched her, she felt a sense of loss, even though Elicia was still holding her other hand.
"Alright, Lici, bring it down a notch." Alfonzo said with a smile. "It looks like you're overwhelming the poor girl with your enthusiasm."
"Huh?" Elicia hummed as she looked at Alfonzo before returning her gaze to Ryuu, who was staring down at their hands. "Oh… I forgot."
Quickly, Elicia let go of Ryuu's other hand and took a step back. And at that moment, Ryuu felt an even more intense sense of loss.
'What's happening?' Ryuu asked herself as she brought her hands to her chest with a lost expression on her face. 'I haven't felt this way since… that day…'
"Good, you're here!" Mia's voice boomed from the kitchen door. "Since all of you came here, why don't the rest of you make yourselves useful and help the girls get the restaurant ready for the day? As for you two, hurry and get back here. We don't have all day."
However, before Ryuu could think too long, Mia's words pulled her out of her thoughts. She then turned to look at Mia, who first pointed at James, Elicia, Violet, Aletia, Akatsuki, Sakura, Zelretch, and Momo before pointing at Tatsuo and Alfonzo and gesturing them to come to the kitchen.
"Ooh! Mama Mia!" Elicia shouted. "How about you let me make some designs for a new uniform for your staff? I won't even charge you for the designs if you like them. But I'll have to take a little something if you ask me to make them."
Mia raised an eyebrow in response. Then, she turned around and started heading back into the kitchen.
"Do what you want." Mia said while waving over her shoulder. "Just don't keep the girls from doing their jobs."
"Got it!" Elicia shouted back happily. She then turned to Ryuu with a smile. "So, can I borrow a pen and some paper?"
"O-Of course." Ryuu said in a flustered tone as her cheeks reddened. "I'll get them right away. Just give me a moment."
Then, faster than most normal people could even hope to move, Ryuu ran out of the dining hall and headed up to the Hostess of Fertility's second floor to grab what Elicia asked for. Meanwhile, Elicia went to a table to take a seat while James, Violet, Aletia, Akatsuki, Sakura, Zelretch, and Momo started helping the employees of the Hostess of Fertility prepare for the day. Tatsuo and Alfonzo, on the other hand, made their way towards the kitchen to start their lessons on cooking.
That left Syr standing in front of the pub's entrance with the broom in one hand while she stared at the backs of the Aislyn Familia.
"*Sigh* They're all so magnificent." Syr… No, Freya muttered "But there's no way to make them mine. I really don't wanna be sent back to Heaven after making Aislynn angry."