After seeing the Hestia Familia out, Rex decided to return to the goddess. With Bell coming to ask him for help for Haruhime, he had realized a 'solid' way to end Ishtar's impending doom right now and finally get a rest of mind. However, Scavenger confirmed that the goddess was asleep right now so he decided to put it off for tonight.
'Guess I can just use this free time to visit Coco and co.' Rex thought, yawning as he walked through the first floor of the main mansion.
Despite sleeping for two days, he already felt tired due to the fact he hadn't eaten anything and because the afternoon had been busy; from waking and meeting Ais and Bete, to teleporting to the sky with Ishtar, and then his meeting with Bell. Everything happened in the span of three hours making the afternoon feel endless, making him kinda thankful that Ishtar had gone to sleep.
Stopping in front of the three musketeers room, he knocked on the door twice. 'Should probably invite them out to eat.' Dinner was currently being served, so he figured they would eat there. And since he hasn't eaten in any of the dining halls since the renovation, this was a good time to try out the food.
It didn't take long for the door to swing open. "Who is it—" Kaede, dressed casually in simple purple shorts and shirt, paused as she stared up at Rex with her wide yellow eyes.
"Yo—"
*BANG!* The door slammed shut directly in his face, sending a gust of air that fluttered his now short hair back.
"???" Rex stood in bewildered silence, tilting his head and trying to process what had just happened. 'Did she not recognize me or something?' He had cut his hair, but he didn't think that's enough to make him unrecognizable, so he knocked again.
*Click.* The unmistakable sound of the door locking reached his ears, leaving Rex even more confused. Inside the room, Kaede turned away without a second thought and moved back into the space.
"Who was that?" Daphne asked, looking up from her book from her sitting position in the middle of the room. She sat on one of the cushions around the low round table, dressed in casual long black pants and a short-sleeve white shirt.
"Just some stray mutt," Kaede shrugged as she returned to the area where they kept their adventurer gear. "Sent 'im away."
"I smelled Rex," Momiji said calmly as she continued braiding her wax-doll's hair, causing Daphne's shoulders to shake slightly.
"You turned him away?" Daphne said, standing up in one motion and placing her book upside-down on the table without breaking eye contact. "Like that?"
"'Cause he can go screw himself, that's why," Kaede replied bluntly, picking up her katana and taking a seat on a small wooden stool to resume caring for the blade. "Who the hell does he think he is? Showin' up whenever he damn well pleases, but when we wanna see him, he's off disappearin' like some ghost. Does he think he's a damn celebrity or somethin'? Like we gotta book appointments now?"
"He is the vice-captain," Daphne said as she moved briskly to the door. "He is busy, just like Captin Zanis."
"Yeah, yeah—but unlike Zanis, he don't do no paperwork and spends most his time hidin' in the dungeon." Kaede snorted. "He should just go marry it already since he's in love with the damn place. Couldn't even show up for our level-up party. Bastard."
"Damn…" a voice sounded, making everyone in the room freeze with Daphne's hand halted inches from the doorknob. "You make me sound like some neglectful dad who skipped his daughter's graduation for work."
All eyes turned simultaneously to see Rex sitting calmly in the rocking chair beneath the large window at the far end of the room. The pale curtains were drawn halfway, fluttering gently in the cool breeze, while a soft ray of sunlight fell over him, making him appear almost serene.
Daphne opened her mouth to speak, but the words caught in her throat. She pointed at the closed door, then at Rex, glancing between the two in confusion, trying to piece together how he had gotten inside. Catching herself, she straightened up into a salute with both arms behind her back.
"Vice-Captain!" She greeted.
"At ease, soldier," Rex waved casually from his seat, causing the red-haired girl to look at him with slight confusion. "Relax."
Daphne nodded, though she didn't move from her position, so he just turned to the other two girls. "Hi Momo, hi Kiki~!"
"Hi—"
"Go screw yerself," Kaede cut off Momiji, not even looking up from her katana.
"Sadly, that is physically impossible," Rex sighed, shaking his head. "My dick isn't long enough."
*Cough* Daphne cleared her throat, stunned at what she had just heard. Never in her life had she expected that kind of reply. But neither Kaede nor Momiji reacted, so clearly they were used to it.
"Then cut it off and shove it up yer own ass," Kaede scoffed, still polishing her blade.
"…" Rex stared at her, then stood from the rocking chair and adjusted his shirt. "What do you want?"
"A second grade Katana," came Kaede's instant reply.
"Ask, and you shall receive."
Kaede's white rabbit ears perked up instantly. "Rex…" she called, turning toward him with a wide grin stretching from ear to ear. "That's why I love ya, bro~!"
"Seriously?" Momiji let out a soft sigh, her eyes drifting to Kaede with a half-smile. "That's all it takes for you to forgive him? After days of cursing him out?"
Kaede gave a small shrug and shot Momiji a cheeky grin. "I'd do just about anythin' for twenty million."
Turning back to Rex, her expression shifted slightly. "But for real… you need to stop throwin' yerself into the dungeon like that," she said, more firmly now as her gaze landed on his bandaged arm. "It ain't goin' anywhere. You don't gotta live down there. Keep pushin' like this, and next time it won't just be your arm wrapped in bandages—it'll be your whole damn body."
"Like you said, I'm in love with the dungeon, so I won't be slowing the grind anytime soon." He waved the girl's worry away before turning to Momiji. "And you. What do you want as your gift for reaching Level 2?"
"...A magic staff—or wand, whichever fits better—for long-range casting," Momiji said after a short pause. "After our fight with the Wyvern, I realized how much of a liability I am when I get too close to the action and the range from my mage DA isn't good enough right now."
"That shouldn't be a problem." Rex nodded, thinking, 'I still have those three Vouivre's Tears. After learning forging, I could probably use one to make a staff for her while adding one of my magic with Spirit-Blood—'
Rex suddenly noticed something and looked between the two girls, a brow raised in disbelief. "You guys fought a Wyvern to level up?"
"You got it!" Kaede puffed out her chest proudly. "Three lil' Level Ones takin' down a damn Wyvern—a monster even a proper Level Two'd have trouble with! And we made it look easy!" she declared, tone full of exaggerated bravado.
"There's no way." Rex shook his head, "Even I wouldn't have been able to take down one at a level one. Ain't no way you three took it down."
"Well, we're just built different," Kaede said with a smug grin, strolling over to Rex. "Face it, this's just proof we're gonna leave ya in the dust one day."
Stopping in front of him, she rose onto her tiptoes to pat his shoulder like a parent consoling a child. "Don't take it too hard now, ya hear? It was always meant to be~"
"Hyakinthos had already crippled the Wyvern's flight—they fought a severely weakened Wyvern." Daphne suddenly blurted from her position still standing rigidly with her arms behind her back like a cadet giving a report. "It was a controlled scenario."
"...Couldn't let us have our moment, huh?" Kaede muttered, shooting a glare at Daphne, who completely ignored her. Clearly, she'd reported the weakened state of the dragon on purpose.
"That's still impressive," Rex said, nodding at the two girls. "Honestly. I expected your level up achievement to be something like you three taking on one or two Minotaur—not a Wyvern. That's solid."
"Thanks." Momoji said with a bright smile. "It was still a difficult fight, but worth it. It allowed us to really experience the gap between levels."
"Not really." Rex shook his head. "Most of the time, fighting an adventurer and a monster—ignoring monster Rexs—at the same level, the adventure will always be harder due to intelligence." He glanced over to Daphne. "I doubt you three, even right now as level 2, will be able to defeat Daphne over there."
Kaede scoffed. "Yeah, right," she said. "Ain't tryin' to sound cocky or nothin', but Daphne ain't layin' a finger on us the way we are now."
Daphne met her gaze with a steady, unreadable expression. "Then you're overestimating yourselves." She stood up, brushing her hands off. "If you want proof, I'll give it to you."
"Hehehe~" Kaede cracked her knuckles with a grin. "I thought today was gonna be a snoozefest, but I guess not. Soon as Coco gets back, we're headin' to the trainin' grounds and puttin' this 'theory' to the test."
"Kaede, I don't think that's wise." Momiji said from her sitting position, turning to Rex. "Please change her mind, Rex."
"Nah, I think it's also a good way for you guys to learn." Rex nodded in agreement, smiling at Daphne. "Speaking of that, where's Coco?"
Just then, the doorknob rattled like someone tried to twist it open.
"Coco and Cassandra went to get some snacks," Daphne said, stepping off her attention to unlock the door Kaede had locked earlier.
The motion jogged her memory—Rex had somehow gotten into the room despite it being locked. And if it was through the window, how didn't she notice the shift in shadow? She wondered, but pushed the thought aside as she turned the knob and opened the door.
"What'd ya find?" Kaede asked, hopping toward the entrance as the smallest—but oldest—of the three stepped inside, dressed in an orange pair of sports shorts and a short-sleeve shirt.
Her eyes immediately locked onto Rex, lilting up as Rex smiled. "Hi, Coco~" He greeted her with a wave of his right arm.
"Hi, Rex!" she practically shouted, smiling brightly.
As for Cassandra, the moment she saw Rex standing in the room, she turned on her heel, tray of snacks wobbling in her hands as she tried to make a quick exit. But Rex wasn't having it.
"Cassandra!" He called with a smile. "How have you been? How's the new Familia treating you?"
"G-good?" she stammered, forcing a twitching smile as she slowly turned back around.
"FUHAHAHA!" Rex laughed loudly much like Dian Cecht, causing her to shrink back. "You're not supposed to answer a question with a question, my great healer Cassandra!"
"I—I mean, yes!" she blurted, nodding a little too fast. "I-it's good. I—um, better. The Familia is—" she paused, words piling in her mouth too fast. "Everything's... nicer. N-not that the old one wasn't—but... I like it here."
"Good to know!" Rex gave her the best smile that he could, even positioning his face in the sunlight that always seems to be on his side, "You are the Soma Famila only healer so you are one of the most important adventurers in this Familia. if you EVER need help with ANYTHING, come to me and I'll hear you out."
He placed emphasis on those two words to maybe plant the idea of her speaking to him about her prophetic dream to kick off the Cassandra training arc. And it worked, with Cassandra's light green eyes darted up, meeting Rex's piercing amber for only a second before flinching away, dropping her eyes to the floor.
"I w-will." Cassandra muttered, voice barely above a whisper, one foot unconsciously sliding behind the other like she was trying to disappear into herself.
'That's progress, I guess.' Rex thought, before deciding to get to the other reason he came here apart from meeting the girls. "So who wants to follow me to the dining hall?"
"...That's not a good idea," Daphne said flatly as Cassandra silently walked to stand behind her with the tray of snacks.
"Hmm?" Rex looked over. "Why not? Is the food bad or something? Should I have Zanis increase the dining hall budget?"
"No, that's not it—" Daphne paused, then nodded. "Actually, yes. That is one reason. The dining hall budget needs to be increased—significantly." She stressed the last word with a grimace, as if just saying it left a bad taste in her mouth.
"That bad?" Rex asked, tilting his head.
"It's hot garbage," Kaede nodded without hesitation. "Like, straight-up slop, y'know?"
"I doubt the budget that they were given before the Apollo Familia merged with us had been updated." Momiji said, shaking her head. "So the dining hall is cutting corners, and it really shows. It's... not good."
"And you guys didn't bring it up with Zanis..." Rex trailed off before sighing. "Knowing him, he probably thinks it's not mandatory and anyone who doesn't like it can eat outside."
"That's exactly what he said," Daphne confirmed. "He also pointed to the low monthly quota as justification. I argued we're earning more now through our deal with the Ishtar Familia and that we should tap into that for support. He refused without discussion."
'That's the Zanis I know,' Rex thought, shaking his head. "Alright, I'll talk to him. But, apart from that, what was the other reason I shouldn't go to the dining hall?"
"Ain't it obvious with how she's scared o' ya?" Kaede said, jabbing a finger straight at the blue-haired girl, who flinched the moment Rex's eyes landed on her.
"I-I am not scared..." Cassandra muttered, voice barely above a whisper, one foot sliding behind the other like she was trying to disappear.
"Most of the Familia are scared of you," Momiji said with a slight chuckle. "Your status is the main reason. If you walk into the dining hall, the whole mood will shift. It'll become awkward."
Rex immediately understood. If the Soma Familia were a company—which it basically was—then Zanis would be the CEO, he the CTO, and Hyakinthos the COO. It made sense why others would tread lightly around them, especially since Rex tries to keep up the cold Mafia boss image when walking around to avoid NPCs interaction.
"Guess we're going out to eat," Rex muttered.
"Wait, hold on. Who's 'we'?" Kaede asked, frowning.
"Me. You," he said, pointing at her face. "Coco, Momo, and..." he turned to the two last girls, pausing, "You two, if you want to come. I don't mind."
"We already ate without ya," Kaede folded her arms, shifting her weight to one foot. "'Cause someone decided to go MIA. And we still got snacks, so we ain't starvin'."
"Like I said—WE," Rex pointed between himself and the rest of the girls, "are going out to eat."
"I don't wanna—" Before Kaede could finish, Coco's hand shot out and grabbed her jaw, silencing her.
With a sweet smile, she turned to Rex, "We're coming," she said before releasing Kaede who folded her arms, looking away to the side, fuming, while Momiji just laughed quietly on the side.
"Now, where do we go?" Rex asked, tapping his jaw. "I want something simple. Not in the mood for high-end today."
"Why not go to the Hostess of Fertility—"
"No," Rex said before Momiji could finish.
"They just opened for the day," she continued. "If we go as civilians, we can order from the cheaper menu without any drop in quality—"
"No." He cut her off again.
There was a clear reason he'd been avoiding the place—and that reason was Freya.
As he'd mentioned before, he had seen spoilers on Reddit revealing that Freya disguised herself as a gray-haired girl named Syr Flova to work at the Hostess of Fertility. That tavern served as the backdrop for most of her interactions with Bell. And while Rex wasn't as terrified of her attention as he had been in the past, that didn't mean he welcomed it, either.
If things were different—if she weren't involved—he probably would've visited the place a month ago like any normal man. A tavern filled with beautiful women? It would've been an easy choice. But not when a goddess like Freya was potentially watching his every move from behind a smiling mask.
But he couldn't give that meta reason, and notching all eyes on him, he explained, "The food's trash."
"T-trash?" Daphne repeated, her tone sharp with disbelief. "They're one of the highest-rated kitchens in Orario. If that's trash, what do you think everything else is?"
Rex blinked once, then casually deflected, "My ex-girlfriend works there or something." He gave a dismissive shrug, brushing off their stares. "Next suggestion."
"...Then how about..." Kaede started to offer an idea after a pause.
Off to the side, Cassandra whispered to Daphne, "...Are we going too?"
Daphne glanced at the group deep in debate over where the 'six' of them should eat, then gave a resigned nod. "Apparently."
"No..." Cassandra whimpered like a kicked puppy. Daphne could only pat her shoulder gently.
"Then, let's go!" Kaede declared as she marched towards the door, forgetting the fact she was so adamant against going before.
—✦—✦—✦—
By the time Rex finished his dinner with the Three Musketeers, Daphne, and Cassandra, the bright, unbroken blue of mid-afternoon had begun its slow transition into the coming evening. He left the girls to finish their 3 vs 1 theory and returned to where he was supposed to be—the hospital—climbing into his room through the still-open window. It looked untouched, like no one had entered while he was gone, but he knew better.
The moment he stepped inside, hurried footsteps echoed toward the room, making him raise a brow.
'Um... how the fuck did she know I was back?' he thought, staring at the door and moment later, it swung open to reveal a clearly stressed Airmid. Her glare wasn't exactly threatening, given her doll-like features, but it still made an impression.
Smiling, Rex raised his right arm in greeting. "Greetings."
"Good to see you're back, Rex," Airmid said in a low voice, her piercing violet eyes locked onto him. "Curious. Why did you leave your room when you were supposed to be resting?"
"I had an important meeting that couldn't be postponed," Rex replied, but before he could elaborate, Airmid spoke.
"You're in no condition to be pushing yourself, especially after just waking from a coma." she said, her tone even but firm. "Your health comes first, Rex. Everything you've earned means nothing if you're not around—or well enough—to enjoy it. Please, you need to take care of yourself."
"...Okay." Though he knew the 'curse' wouldn't escalate or he was in no danger, Rex couldn't bring himself to argue. She clearly cared—and what she said wasn't wrong.
"And your arm." Her gaze dropped to his right side. "Doesn't it hurt? I know you can handle the pain, but do you need something to numb it?"
"It's annoying, but not a big deal." Rex said, lifting his arm and clenching it into a fist. "And, honestly, I'm good." He lowered it and looked at her. "Dulran said the arm is basically a deformity now, so—"
"But we don't know how it became a deformity, do we?" she snapped, cutting him off again. "It's most likely the result of using that magic directly on your body. Lady Riveria mentioned it was designed for weapons, not people."
'I guess they were there when I was rambling about turning my body into a weapon,' Rex thought, realizing how Riveria would've learned that.
"However, we can't be certain," Airmid continued. "You may look healed on the surface, but we still have no idea if the curse on your right arm will worsen. It could also be a curse so advanced we can't even comprehend it yet and are mistaking it for a simple deformity. You can't be too sure."
'You make a valid point but that have been invalidated by Scavenger.' Rex thought but nodded in agreement. "I understand. How long do I have to stay in the hospital?"
"Two to three days, until I'm done treating your arm," Airmid said, pointing at the bed. "Please sit. I need to change the wrappings."
Rex silently walked around and sat at the edge as Airmid pulled open the table's drawer beside the bed. She brought out a new roll of wrappings, scissors, and ointment, then put on a fresh pair of disposable gloves over her striped gold-and-white ones. Closing the drawer, Rex held out his arm, and Airmid stepped in front of him—barely taller than the seated man—to begin her work.
"Goddess Loki and Lady Riveria stopped by earlier, but you weren't here," she said, carefully cutting away the old wrapping on his arm. "The goddess was pretty adamant about seeing you and she threw a tantrum when she found your bed empty. If not for Lady Riveria holding her back, she would've stormed straight to the Soma Familia, convinced you had gone there to update your status."
"I see..." Rex muttered. He knew Loki would visit after Ais and Bete let her know he was awake—that's why he wasted no time leaving for Ishtar. The goddess would've definitely slowed him down.
'Though I expected Gareth to follow her, not Riveria,' he thought, even more thankful he didn't run into them. The memory of him striking poses and saying cringe stuff like 'Plus Ultra' was still fresh in his mind. 'They are prolly calling me goofy behind my back or something.'
Deciding to change the subject, Rex asked, "By the way, what's that potion you wanted help with?"
"That..." Airmid nodded slowly. "The Loki Familia requested that I develop an antidote to counteract the curse inflicted by a new weapon Evilus used against them during their recent battle in the Dungeon."
'Dungeon? So they're calling it a dungeon battle and hiding the whole Knossos thing,' Rex noted, deciding to keep quiet about it. "Have you started working on it yet? If so, can I have a look at it?"
"No," she said, shaking her head. "However, I do have one of the cursed weapons the Loki Familia recovered, and I've preserved some blood samples taken during the test I did on myself. That should help us a lot."
'Testing a cursed weapon on yourself is crazy work,' Rex thought, side-eyeing the doll-like girl. It felt like he'd just uncovered a hidden layer of Airmid that few others knew. "When will you start working on it?"
"Not soon," she replied as she removed the final layer of bandage. "I still need to—"
"OH MY GOD!" Rex blurted, recoiling instinctively. Airmid jumped at the outburst, but he didn't notice—his focus was entirely on his arm.
Though his right arm was the same size and shape as the left, the skin from fingertip to shoulder was dried like shriveled raisins—dried, blackened, and marbled with streaks of deep purple. It was utterly grotesque, answering the question of why they kept the bandages on despite his arm being considered 'healed.'
"O-Oh, th-this," Airmid stammered, quickly clearing her throat as she tried to regain her composure. Her eyes never left his arm. "Now that you've seen it for yourself, I hope you understand why I insist you stay in the hospital."
"Definitely," Rex nodded, clenching his arm and watching the blood pulse through the glowing veins—a disturbing sight. 'It's not going to get worse, but this NEEDS to be fixed. Holy fuck, this is ugly.' Yep. He have decided to keep the arm locked up for eternity if that's how its going to look.
"If you need, I could craft a replacement limb for you—"
"Nope," Rex cut her off, extending the arm to her. "No amputation."
"Of course," Airmid said, without protest. She opened the ointment and gently dabbed it on his arm with a cloth, the cool, numbing sensation making Rex twitch slightly. "That said, I need to finish your treatment and take care of a few other responsibilities before I can properly begin researching the curse. It'll be a few days."
As she carefully massaged the ointment into his arm, her gaze lifted to meet his. "But before then, you can observe me using Mysteries as you requested."
"Thanks," Rex smiled. "If you have other books on Mystery, I'll buy them."
"I'm sorry, but you'll need Lord Dian Cecht's approval before I can share those," she said, her expression dimming slightly.
"Understandable." Rex nodded, looking down at his now-shiny black arm, glossed with ointment. "I'll ask him the next time I see him,"
They continued their conversation as she rewrapped his arm, finishing by tossing her disposable gloves into the trash bin.
"Dinner will be ready in the hospital cafeteria in a few hours," she said as she returned the supplies to their drawer. "Normally, it's included and gets tacked onto the hospital fees, but since Lord Dian Cecht is covering your treatment, that should extend to your meals too. So make sure you don't skip it."
"I'll be there," Rex said, stretching his arm over his head, his tiredness from earlier still there even after eating.
Airmid smiled, but then—as if remembering she was supposed to be upset—her expression turned stern and she pointed at the pillow. "Now, lie down and rest, young man," she ordered.
Rex obeyed without a word, laying on the bed, his chest facing the ceiling.
"And please don't leave the hospital again," she said, glancing at his arm. "And if the pain becomes too much, don't hesitate to take the painkillers." She pointed toward the drawer on the table.
Airmid's gaze dropped to his right arm resting on his side, a frown growing on her face. "If the pain gets unbearable, don't hesitate to take the painkillers." She pointed at the drawer. "It makes things better, and the mental numbness only lasts a few minutes."
"I'll keep that in mind," Rex replied, and Airmid nodded.
She opened the door, paused, and glanced over her shoulder. "I'll be dropping by at random," she warned, her tone deceptively light. "So don't even think about sneaking off again. Or else..."
"Or else what?" Rex asked, tilting his head.
Airmid stared at him for a moment. "Rest well." She shut the door a little harder than usual—not enough to slam, but enough for Rex to know she was still mad. And that, oddly enough, was kind of cute especially due to how non-threatening she looked.
The moment she left, he turned toward the window, the smile fading.
'Tonight, I'm heading back to Ishtar.' He had already decided that hours ago.
He planned to bring the Ishtar "arc" to a close tonight—no more delays, no more spiraling uncertainty. The sooner he settled things, the less time Bell or Hermes would have to throw a wrench in his plans.
"And if push comes to shove..." he muttered, stretching his right arm toward the ceiling, eyes fixed on the back of his bandaged hand. 'I'll just go to the Freya Familia's home and wipe out the base and every last member who didn't join Freya in attacking Ishtar... with Meteor Swarm.'
He let out a theatrical villainous laugh as he imagined himself floating above Folkvangr beneath a moonlit sky, then calling a storm of meteors. The image thrilled him, even if his mental picture was vague. He wasn't entirely sure what the spell looked like in action.
He wanted to open a door to one of the deep areas of the Large Tree Labyrinth and try the magic out in secret, but he was too tired for that. And he definitely needed to rest before his meeting with Ishtar tonight.
'Let's just hope everything goes according to plan~' He groaned as he stretched on the bed. 'Time to sleep.'
[Author's Note: No chapter in three days is diabolical, but I had no control over that. Who would've thought I would be more busy during SUMMER BREAK than I was in college? Holy shit, this is not good. And work is fucking annoying—8-hour shifts leave me completely drained, and I can't type in that state or I'll just write bullshit.
Anyway, I hope this chapter was at least interesting to read. Next chapter, I'm planning to end the Ishtar arc. I feel like it's dragged on long enough, and I want to kick off the 90s chapters with a new arc. Though, how that one should go is still on the drawing board. Will have to read some forging fanfiction to get a gist on how MC forging arc should go. If you have any fanfiction or novel ideas, let this young author know.
Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful day. \(￣︶￣*\))]