Volume 2 Chapter 4: DIVINE WINE

"Please have a look."

"All right."

An amulet was placed on the counter. The owner of the store, an old male gnome with a long white beard and a red hat, picked up the green jewel-encrusted necklace and made his way to the back room.

At the Gnome Trader, a very simply named antique shop, a small transaction was again taking place. A prum stood at the counter waiting for the owner to return, surrounded by a random assortment of odds and ends decorating the shop.

"All finished. Sorry to keep you waiting."

"What's the result?"

"Looks like it's got a full status boost...and resistance to poison attached to it. Very good, very good. So...how does forty-six thousand vals sound to you?"

The prum nodded with a very satisfied look. A deal had been struck.

"Is today's payment in cash?"

"No, the usual."

The two finished the transaction at a brisk pace.

A grandfather clock in the corner of the store ticked off the seconds.

The gnome slowly opened his mouth to speak. "It might not be this geezer's place to say this, but..."

Fiddling with the talisman in his hands, the owner gazed at his customer with a bit of concern in his eyes. The prum tilted his head.

"Wouldn't be a good idea to stick your neck into dangerous situations. Might already be too late, I know..."

"......"

"There's a rumor goin' 'round in some adventurer circles. Not too well known yet, but out there just the same. Talkin' 'bout a prum with sticky fingers pilfering their valuables. Sometimes even a whole party at once."

"...What are you trying to say?"

"No, no, my friend. I'm not suspecting you. The prum in question is a lady, and been stealing for a while by the sound of it. Suspecting a man like yourself would be barkin' up the wrong tree, I know. It's just..." said the gnome under his breath, his white beard twitching. "I've seen most of the valuables reported stolen with my own two eyes...yes? This geezer thinks you should keep an eye on your company and keep your nose down."

The owner's mood suddenly turned sour. The prum could see it in his eyes. In response, however, the male prum flashed an arrogant smile.

"Sounds like there's a bad prum out there. But then again, are the words of adventurers all that reliable? I mean, many of them do exactly the same kind of stealing and blackmail."

"That is...true..."

"If you ask me, they should all get off their high horses."

The prum continued with a nasty grin on his lips.

"It's harsh, but the fact is that it's their fault for being tricked."

"Hmm?" the owner replied angrily, but his voice was drowned out by the ticking wall clock.

"Hnngh...guhhh...?!"

"...Bell, what are you doing?"

I'm lying facedown on the sofa, holding a cushion against the back of my head with both hands. The goddess seems to think that me hiding my face with my butt in the air is funny, but I don't have any snappy comebacks in me at the moment.

I ran away from Miss Wallenstein.

I have absolutely no clue what chain of events led to it, but I know that all of it was real. I know that my head was in the lap of the girl of my dreams, and I know that I ran away from her at full speed like some crazy idiot.

Gaah...Someone, please kill me...

"Don't tell me, you wet the sofa?"

"No, Goddess, no..."

Normally I'd be all about getting back at her for saying that, but all that comes out is a pitiful voice.

After I ran away from Miss Wallenstein in an explosion of shame and confusion, I think I wandered around for a while, but I have no idea where I went. By the time I realized where I was, it was almost morning and I was staggering up to the front door at home and falling to my knees.

"I don't know the details, but you're a really sensitive boy..."

No, Goddess, not sensitive. I'm heartbroken...

I manage to peel my shaky body from the sofa, my ears still bright red. I even make it to the table for breakfast with the goddess.

I just want to stay in the room and wallow all day, but I know I can't. Just for today, I need to forget about Miss Wallenstein...Yeah, like hell I can do that.

Will the day come when I can thank her properly and express my gratitude?

"Oh, yes. Bell, show me the book you were reading yesterday. I've got nothing to do this morning."

"Ah, sure. Go ahead."

Her shift must start in the afternoon today. She's still working at the street stand in addition to her part-time job at Hephaistos Familia's Babel Tower Branch Store...I wonder if she can physically keep this up.

I hold out the book, thick as an encyclopedia, that I borrowed from Syr, to the goddess.

"Hmm...the more I look at it, the book seems stranger and stranger...yes?"

She opens the cover and glances through the first few pages. Strangely, she stops moving.

But not completely. Her eyes start spinning. It's almost like someone had come to collect a debt she didn't know about and was looking at the paperwork.

Huh...? What's going on...?

"...Isn't this a grimoire?"

"G-grimoire?"

I repeat the word. I've never heard it before.

I don't have a good feeling about it, though. I break out in a cold sweat.

"So, um, what's that...?"

"To put it simply, it's a book that forces the reader to learn magic."

It feels like all the sweat glands in my body have opened at the same time.

"I don't think you know about Advanced Abilities, but they're special skills like Magic Control or Enigma. This book could only be made by someone who has mastered both."

—I know what you're talking about, Goddess.

Someone with two Advanced Abilities...In other words, a member of a Familia who has reached at least level three. An average smith could never make something like this. It would have to be someone much, much stronger.

It has to be the masterwork of someone on the level of a legendary individual known as "the Philosopher."

My body turns to stone, a broken smile on my lips.

"So this is how you learned magic...So Bell, just how exactly did this grimoire end up here in the first place?"

"I borrowed it from a friend...She said it was left behind by someone else..."

"......"

"What's it worth...?"

"At least as much as Hephaistos Familia's highest-quality weapons, or possibly even more..."

Crack! My stone body breaks, right down the middle.

"By the way, it can only be used once. Once someone acquires magic from it, a grimoire becomes nothing more than trash. A big paperweight."

I'm dead.

Acquiring magic through external intervention was said to be miraculous, and I used a book containing precisely such a miracle. Not only that, I basically stole it, and now it's worthless. Millions of vals down the drain, and all because of me...

A heavy silence falls over our home.

I'm in despair. There is no way to undo what I've done.

The goddess stares at the floor, her face as emotionless as a mask. She suddenly turns to the table, grabs a chair, and walks over to me, her feet tapping lightly on the floor. She climbs up onto the seat, thumps both hands down onto my shoulders, and starts talking down to me from her high vantage point.

"Listen to me, Bell. You met the book's owner by accident. And you returned the book to him before reading it. So the book was never here. Even if there was a mistake, the grimoire had been used before you had it...That's how this happened."

"Goddess, that's wrong!"

Why is she trying to pull a fast one?!

"Bell, Gekai is not all sunshine and flowers; there are many dark, dark things. I've seen them with my own eyes. Being thrown out of home, being so poor that even buying potato puffs was impossible and starving, being forced to live under ruins...carrying an enormous debt. The world is full of injustices."

"Wasn't all of that your fault?!"

And what was that last thing you said there?!

What are you hiding, Goddess?!

"A-anyway, I'm going to go and explain everything to the person who lent me this book!"

"Bell, don't! You don't have to be that upstanding! This world is even more unpredictable than the gods themselves!"

"Please don't try to sound wise at a time like this! Even if we tried to hide it, the truth will come out! It's just a matter of time!"

The die has already been cast! Syr will ask me if I read the book, for sure. Even if I lied to her, everything would come out when the real owner came back for it! Done! Over! Out!

At this point, the only option is to explain everything and assume the dogeza position.

Grabbing the book and blowing past the goddess's attempts to stop me, I hold the book under my arm and kick the door open.

"Is Syr here?"

"Ohh, look who's here! Morning to ya, meow!"

One of the catgirl waitresses at The Benevolent Mistress responds to me while sweeping the street outside the bar.

If I remember right, her name is Chloe. She looks at me with a giddy smile, her tail swishing back and forth behind her.

"What's this, what's this? No morning greeting and calling on Syr at this early hour, meow? What are you planning to—"

"Please call Syr!"

"Wha—?! Okay, okay, meow!"

She finally understands my sharp words and jumps in surprise. Maybe she can tell I'm not my usual self. She runs into the building so fast she almost slips a few times. The bell on the front door rings as she flies inside.

A few moments later, Chloe sticks her face out from behind the front door and motions for me to come inside.

I step inside the café and bar; they're still getting ready for the day.

"Good morning, Bell. Is something the matter?"

"Syr!!"

Tap tap tap tap. I can hear her shoes on the floor as she comes running from the kitchen. She must have come in a hurry. She's still carrying a wooden tray in her arms.

Her blue-gray hair is tied back with a triangular bandanna. I start to tell her the gist of everything that had happened.

At first she wears a polite but confused smile, but her eyes grow larger and larger as I talk. The color of her face changes at some point...When I finish speaking, just like she had done at some point before, she breaks off eye contact.

"...Well, that's a very sticky situation you're in, Bell."

"Hold on there, Syr! How come you're acting like you're not involved?!"

I had to say something about her strange tone. What is she planning to use me as, some kind of sacrificial lamb?

She lifts the tray up to her mouth, hiding the lower half of her face. She looks at me with upturned eyes.

"So...I can't?"

"As cute as you look right now, no! Absolutely not!"

I strike down her request despite those imploring eyes, my own face a flaming cherry on my shoulders.

This woman really does seem like a witch!

"You're hittin' a nerve, boy! Burstin' into other people's shops this early in the mornin'."

The bar's owner, Mama Mia, must have heard our squabble and followed the noise all the way here. Despite being a dwarf, her frame is absolutely imposing. My body freezes as she walks up to me and plucks the book out of my unusually stiff hands, before glancing over the book herself.

"That's a grimoire, all right...But what's done is done. Boy, pay it no mind, ya hear?"

"Huh?? B-b-but..."

"The dimwit who left it here is at fault. Like saying, 'Here, please read this.' Boy, if ya hadn't read it, some other adventurer woulda said the grimoire was his and taken it anyway. That's just how it is."

She's rather persuasive. I close my still-open mouth as she lets out a long breath through her nose.

"He was prepared to lose it the moment he let it outta his sight. Think about it, boy: if ya lost a wallet full of cash, you'd come back to get it, wouldn't ya?"

"Well..."

"It's the same thing. Useless to worry about it, boy. Be happy ya got somethin' outta it and let it go."

Mia said her piece and leaves it at that.

I look back over to Syr. She has a small grimace on her face, tilting her head to the side.

This still leaves something to be desired, and I get a bad aftertaste from it. My face puckers up like I've drunk bitter medicine...

Mia glances at me through the side of one of her big eyes. "Real men don't brood over nothin'!" she says.

"Yes, ma'am!" Her voice is like a slap on the wrist. My whole body shoots to attention in response.

As I watch the dwarfess make heavy strides toward the back of the bar, I still can't help but wonder if it's really okay to just ignore what happened.

I rub the sides of my head, trying to untangle my thoughts.

"...Well, sorry to disturb you. I'll be going now."

I stand there in silence for a moment before turning on my heel. At the same time, a very sneaky Chloe brings a basket to Syr. She takes the basket and...nervously sticks it out in front of me.

"Would you be willing to take this again today?"

"...T-thanks."

I stutter as I take the basket from the outstretched hands of the shyly smiling Syr.

I always feel a little embarrassed when she gives me lunch, but Syr always looks very happy when I take it. Honestly, her smile looks more cheerful than usual...Not that it isn't always cheerful...I just can't put it into words.

My skin gets even redder as I express my gratitude one more time before finally making my exit from The Benevolent Mistress.

I set down the ex-grimoire when I get home and equip my armor to get ready for a day in the Dungeon.

I give the goddess a basic explanation of what happened at the bar before heading out. A very calm voice says, "Have a nice day" as I open the door to go outside.

Now that I think about it, didn't I use my last potion...?

I'm jogging down West Main when I suddenly remember my item situation. I used my last potion three days ago. The item holster on my left leg is completely empty.

They've helped me out before...Maybe I should swing by their shop first?

I decide to stop by a store I haven't been to in a while on my way to the Dungeon.

The shop is located off of West Main, but I have to go through a few backstreets to get there.

Basically, it's a house that was built in a dark, damp place. But there's a sign with the Miach Familia's emblem, a completely healthy human body, above the front door.

"Ex-cuse me, good morn-ing..."

I open the wooden double doors a crack and peek inside. My eyes look up and down the rows of shelves, trying to find an animal-person girl in the dim shop. She hears my voice and turns her half-closed eyes my way.

"Morning, Bell. Long time, no see..."

With her slow voice and drowsy-looking eyes, you'd think she'd just woken up, but that's just how she is. The girl's taste in clothing is also a little strange. Her tail is sticking through her skirt, and her left sleeve comes down to her elbow, but her right sleeve goes to her wrist. She has a glove on her right hand only. She looks to be about the same age as Eina, maybe a little younger. She stops what she's doing and walks to the back of the shop and behind a counter.

"Sorry to come in this early. Are you busy?"

"No worries. No one will come in after you leave anyway, Bell...So, what're you going to buy today?"

She reaches under the counter and pulls up a closed case before setting it on the counter between us.

The wide case holds many tubes filled with various colorful liquids lined up in a row.

"By the way, is Lord Miach around? I would like to speak with him if it's all right."

"Lord Miach is on a personal errand and won't be back until tonight. I'm alone today..."

My eyes were scanning the tubes when I asked her, and that was her answer.

The shop is run by Miach and belongs to Miach Familia; it also doubles as the Familia's home. The girl I'm talking to is Nahza, Miach Familia's only member.

She pulls out a very expensive-looking potion from the case and holds it out to me.

"Say, Bell, what do you think? Isn't it about time to try a high potion...?"

"Uh, n-no, it's still too soon for me."

I dodge her proposal with a nervous smile. The high potion she's holding is worth tens of thousands of vals. This kind of conversation is almost a daily thing for us because we both belong to dirt-poor Familias. If there is a way to make or save a few vals, we'll find it.

That being said, I'm usually on the losing side when trying to barter with Nahza...

"Bell, you haven't paid us a visit in a long time..."

"...?!"

"Lord Miach was very lonely. His stomach was growling...'cause he was starving."

Ever since I hired Lilly, I haven't been to this shop. She'll prepare any item I ask for, so I haven't needed to go anywhere else to buy potions. Nahza's words stab at my conscience; I'm breaking out in a cold sweat.

This is bad! At this rate I'll end up buying something I don't need...

"Ah! I just remembered! Something strange happened to me in the Dungeon yesterday."

Desperate to change the topic, I bring up how I passed out in the Dungeon after using magic. Nahza listens to my story before letting out an affirmative "Ah!"

"That's Mind Down. It happens all the time to adventurers who've just learned magic but get carried away..."

"Mind Down...?"

"Magic requires mental energy to work. If you use too much, you go out like a light.

"So that's why..." Nahza continues as she rustles through a box under the counter, "...you need a mind-restoring potion to avoid that. This one was just brewed the other day..."

"Uh, but...that potion is really expensive..."

"No worries. I'll give you a discount, being a regular and all...Eight thousand and seven hundred vals."

I step back for a moment to think it over.

"All right..."

The dog ears on top of Nahza's head twitch happily when she hears my response, and she quickly bends over to pick up two more tubes.

"If you're willing to buy this for eighty-seven-hundred vals, I'll throw in these two potions for an even nine thousand...Sound good?"

Her suggestion makes my eyes go wide and my head spin. Is that really a good deal?

Miach Familia's cheapest potions are 500 vals apiece. Considering that, Nahza's offer is really good. But spending 9,000 vals in one go...that's almost painful. Then again, this item will let me use more magic, so it's very tempting.

The first rule of going on adventures is to prepare for anything and everything.

"No one knows what will happen in the Dungeon. It'd be a good idea to be thorough..."

With those words she's just sealed the deal.

I may be a bit of a coward, but if I have to choose between money and the safety of my party, I'll choose the latter.

"Okay. I'll accept your offer."

"Thanks, Bell. I love you..."

I feel a fire burning in my cheeks at her sudden words. Finishing the transaction, I take the items from the lazily smiling Nahza with her half-lidded eyes, and immediately feel the need to get the heck out of here.

Nahza waves good-bye as I make a break for the wooden doors and leave the shop.

"You're too easy, Bell..."

...I thought I heard something before the doors closed behind me, but no—it's just my imagination. My imagination, I tell you!

I leave the item shop and go down West Main—a street that I've traveled many times in the past few hours—toward the Dungeon.

A ton of fully equipped adventurers have already gathered in large, circular Central Park under a bright and clear blue sky.

Wonder if she's here yet...

I look around, hoping to find Lilly in the park. It's our meeting point, but I can't find a dog girl that looks like her.

Just as I was thinking this isn't like her, I happen to catch a glimpse of something strange on my way toward Babel Tower.

It's in a part of Central Park, under the shade of a tree with large leaves. Lilly is standing with three adventurers, sunlight dancing on their faces as the leaves sway in a soft breeze. It looks very comfortable.

However, the three large men are surrounding Lilly. They have their chests puffed out, looking down on her and saying something while Lilly frantically shakes her head from side to side. No one looks all that happy.

—Could they be members of Soma Familia?

As soon as the thought crosses my mind, I immediately go in their direction.

"...enough...hand...over!"

"Already...gone...Really...!!"

It sounds like they're having a heated argument.

I hide behind a tree in their blind spot and prepare to jump in at a moment's notice.

"Hey!"

"!"

But then, out of the blue—

Someone grabs my shoulder as if they're trying to get in my way. I spin out of it in a surprised reflex and turn to face the grabber.

It's a male adventurer. A human with black hair, excellent physique, and a longsword strapped to his back.

...Wait a second, isn't he...?

"Heh, yer that kid from before...Don't matter, got a question for ya: Ya working with that runt over there?"

That voice, that tone...No doubt about it. He's the man I met in the alleyway a while ago.

"Oi! Haven't got all day! Did ya hire that supporter or not?"

"...That girl is not the prum you were chasing in the alley that day."

I can tell he's pissed off just by looking at his eyes, but I still give him that answer. Part of it might just have been a reflex.

It's hard to tell because she's wearing an oversized robe and has a deep hood over her face, but Lilly isn't a prum. She's a Chienthrope, a dog person.

I just want to say, "Don't get the wrong idea..." The man curves his lips into a sneer.

"Moron...is what I wanna call ya, but what ya think is yer own business. Ya wanna play the fool, be my guest."

Sounds like he's giving me an angry lecture, but there's something in the tone of his voice that bothers me.

It's like he's saying I'm being tricked.

But I'm not just going to take him at his word...

I squint my eyes in suspicion, and the man makes a jeering smile back at me.

"But that don't matter; yer gonna help me...We're gonna snatch her."

"Wha..."

"Not askin' ya to do it for free. I'll pay ya a bit up front and a share of what we get out of the runt."

This guy sounds serious. I'm so shocked by his sudden proposal that words leave me.

"All ya have to do is go into the Dungeon like usual. After that, find an excuse to leave her alone and I'll do the rest. Piece of cake, ain't it?"

The man's mouth opens wide as he laughs with all his might.

I don't like that laugh at all. It reeks of a malice I've never heard before.

Even as a chill of nervousness sweeps through my body, I clench my fist.

"Why are you saying things like that...?"

"Huh? What's with the backtalk, kid? This is where ya nod 'yes' like a good boy. Think of all the money yer gonna get from this. Hell of a sweet deal.

"Ha-ha!" The man lets out another round of ridiculing laughter. "Use yer brain, boy! That's just a supporter—the runt carries the bags! Yer no worse off if that useless piece of trash were gone, now are ya? Wring her dry while ya can and ditch the rest."

I'm way past my boiling point.

This is different from the back alley. I don't have room to be scared—a fierce rage is taking control of my body.

"Not a chance in hell...!"

"Friggin' brat...!"

The man's face contorts into a gruesome visage. My forehead tightens as power flows into all of my muscles.

A fierce energy surrounds us. The leaves on the branch above us shake, almost as if in fear of what's going on below.

We stare each other down for a minute or two until he turns on his heal with a loud "Tsk" and walks away.

I watch him go, the mask of fury still on my face.

"...Mr. Bell?"

"!"

A voice from behind me.

I turn around, almost as if drawn in by it, to find a dumbfounded Lilly standing there, looking up at me.

The flames of rage that had been burning inside me cool. I return to my normal self.

"L-Lilly? How long have you been there?"

"Lilly just got here...What were you talking about with that honorable adventurer?"

"Ahem...Nothing much, he was just trying to pick a fight..."

I manage to come up with something. I can't exactly tell the person in front of me that he was trying to set up a trap for her.

Lilly can tell I'm not calm. She stares at me with her mouth closed. Her expression seems a little dark.

"Oh! You seemed to be tangled up in something a minute ago. Is everything okay, Lilly?"

"So you saw that...Please don't worry. As you can see, Lilly is fine."

She holds out her arms and does a small twirl before looking up at me with a big smile.

No bruises or tears on her robe. It looks like nothing happened. That's a relief.

"Lilly, who were those—"

"Just like what happened to Mr. Bell, they were picking a fight with Lilly. Maybe Mr. Bell and Lilly look weak?"

She jumped in before I could finish.

Smiling her usual bright smile and telling more jokes, she didn't let me get another word in. I don't think she wants to talk about what really happened.

"All right, let's go, Mr. Bell! Since Lilly hasn't worked in two days, Lilly's counting on your efforts today, Mr. Bell!"

She passes right by my side, heading toward Babel Tower. Her bangs sticking out of her hood shake as she turns back around for a second. I catch a glimpse of her chestnut-colored eyes—they're perfectly normal. It's like nothing happened at all.

I decide to let it go and not say anything else. I close my mouth and follow her.

I can't tell what her face looks like now because she's in front of me. But I think about it as we weave through the crowded and noisy street on our way to the Dungeon.

"...Looks like the time is right."

"What's this? You're already finishing up, Eina?"

"Yes. About to."

Eina nodded at her coworker.

They were in the lobby of Guild Headquarters. The floors and walls of the first floor were constructed from white marble, giving the space a somber feel. Evening sunlight shining in through the windows lit up the lobby like the neighboring houses.

Eina looked around the Guild lobby as she cleaned off her desk and stood up.

"Wow! Right at closing time?! The Eina I know never leaves right away...Could it be...surely not...a date?!"

"Why is that the only..."

Eina waved off the idea, politely refuting the idea, and forced a smile before taking her leave.

Saying a quick good-bye to her other coworkers, she left the building through the employee exit.

"Well, then..."

Tat, tat, tat. The funny excuse for shoes the Guild provided her echoed off the stone street as Eina set off in the opposite direction from her home.

This area of West Main was completely devoid of street vendors and stalls. The evening sun bathed long rows of large stores on both sides of the street in red light. Being very close to the Guild, almost all of the stores targeted adventurers as their main customers.

People who lived and worked in this neighborhood referred to this Main Street as "Adventurers Way" for that reason.

The street was wide enough that adventurers wearing heavy armor could easily pass by one another without incident.

After all that searching through the Guild's resources, I couldn't find anything other than the usual information on Soma Familia...

Eina had been trying to find information about the inner workings of Soma Familia for the past few days.

If she was asked why, she simply answered, "There's something I need to know." If said person asked for more details, Eina would add that she was concerned about the possibility of Bell being caught up in a difficult situation.

Even talking to people in charge of Soma Familia's adventurers, they all say the same things...Let's see what I can find out myself.

Despite going through all of the Guild's records and talking to as many people as she could, the results were less than promising.

She'd gotten as far as understanding, superficially, that all of the members of that Familia were obsessed with money, and it seemed as though there was something forcing them into a frenzy. Eina did her best to focus on the important points as she organized her thoughts.

A god uses their Familia to further their own ends...No, nothing makes sense.

Where there was smoke, there was fire. The "smoke" seemed to be coming from two places: the members' unending desire for money and the sheer number of members in that group.

Soma didn't have the type of reputation that could bring in the large numbers of members and followers that belonged to Soma Familia.

What if the god Soma isn't the cause? What if there is something else...something making the members of Soma Familia act like that?

Eina stopped walking for a moment as she reached that point in her train of thought.

A large bar was in front on her.

"Hmmm...It might be useful to go in here, but..."

It had always been true that a bar was the best place to gather information.

However, it was the one place that Eina preferred to avoid.

For her—no, for all elves—bars where large numbers of adventurers gathered were usually unlucky places.

Basically, men of all races swarmed to her like bees to a flower.

"Ah-ha-ha...No, don't think so."

Thinking about what might be waiting for her beyond those doors, Eina laughed quietly to herself before walking past the bar entirely. Her pace quickened when the wild voices of the adventurers inside echoed through the entrance.

Not trying to flatter myself...

Eina was always very conscious of her appearance.

Despite being half human, the blood of elves—considered to have the most beautiful men and women among all the races—also ran through her veins. She had to accept the fact that, to a degree, men of other races would be attracted to her.

It's not that I'm not open to the idea of dating...

The surprised look on her coworker's face after she asked about a man or a date just before leaving work jumped into Eina's mind.

Eina wasn't trying to come across as some innocent virgin. She was already nineteen; it was perfectly acceptable for someone that age to have a partner. She did feel a bit empty from time to time.

That void was normally filled by work, however.

But then again, I've never really felt like "That one!" about anybody...

Most of the men who had approached Eina in the past were robust, capable adventurer types.

All of them were dependable men who could sweep her off her feet as well as protect and support her.

But because they were like that, there was one thing about them that made her a little nervous:

Maybe it would be better if they weren't so reliable...

She was a workaholic, so perhaps someone who was a little more unpredictable would be a better fit...Never before had she been so honest with herself.

She'd be struggling with problems alone, trying to overcome them by herself, but then in the end someone would just come into her life. She wanted that kind of person. She laughed to herself as she envisioned getting a little too involved with him, working together to make something great, a hold-and-be-held relationship. Someone who would depend on her and let her feel like a protector would be just right for Eina.

Ahhh, I wonder if there's a man like Bell anywhere—

Yes, that was it.

The answer was clear. It was hard to miss, putting it into words.

So a man like Bell would be perfect—ahhh...Eina had found the most satisfying answer.

...Wait.

Hey, hey! Her hand flew into the open air beside her.

A man like Bell...Well, then—that was it, wasn't it?

"Hee-hee-hee..." No one was there to see Eina's ears turn pink or to hear her giggling.

"Ah! There it is, there it is!"

She was alone but still said her thoughts out loud and much louder than necessary.

Her face still flush with heat, she entered a two-story item shop made from stone. The billboard above the entrance to the shop read RETAIL.

The reason she wanted to come here was to investigate Soma Familia's wine.

Part of it was that she had exhausted most of her options, but the fact that they sold so little wine didn't seem right to her. While she didn't think she'd crack the case with this, Eina thought there was some value in looking into it.

I haven't been here in ages. I wonder if they have a larger selection.

Transparent cases that were many times stronger than glass lined the inside of the shop like army camps. Eina craned her neck to look at the highest shelves.

Many products were stored on each shelf. Round-bottomed flasks filled with blue liquid were potions. Green fluids in cylindrical tubes were antidotes, and elixir was sold in fancy bottles with intricate designs. All of them were made by Familias that specialized in sales.

Many item shops sold items produced by only one Familia. This particular shop had secured a spot on Adventurers Way by having a good reputation and carrying many different types of items.

Eina walked right past the adventurer items and over to a corner of the store marked GROCERY.

Yes! Here it is!

Eina happily clapped her hands together when she spotted Soma Familia's label on a shelf lined with wine.

The container on the shelf wasn't very appealing, being nothing more than a typical glass bottle. The liquid inside was clear. For something so highly sought after, it didn't look very good at all.

However, out of all the varieties of alcohol on the shelf, there was only one of Soma Familia's wines left. Its popularity must be the real deal.

"...Soma"?

Eina blinked her emerald eyes a few times as she looked at the most boring and thoughtless label in the shop.

Same name as its creator...Had the god Soma named it after himself?

Eina tilted her neck as she thought about it. She was thinking about calling over a sales clerk to open the closed case for her when her eyes saw the price tag.

Sixty thousand vals.

Thunk! Eina's forehead hit the shelf.

Wha...huh—? This is just wine?!

Unbelievable! It cost more than all of Bell's equipment combined!

Eina rubbed the red spot on her head and looked at the bottle one more time.

The price was equal to or above the value of specialized weapons and armor for adventurers. While it wasn't impossible for an average person to purchase a bottle of this wine, at that price it was highly unlikely.

The value of the contents and the shoddiness of the bottle didn't match in the slightest.

How much money do I have on me? No way I brought enough...

The average pay of a Guild employee was more than what a run-of-the-mill adventurer made but nowhere near enough to justify walking around with 60,000 vals in their pockets. Buying even one bottle would put immense strain on Eina's living expenses. Not to mention the fact that she'd bought a piece of armor as a present for Bell just a few days earlier.

Eina stood in front of the wine shelf, a fierce debate raging in her mind.

"...Aren't you Eina Tulle?"

"Huh?"

A clear voice caressed her eardrums. Eina turned around to find the person who said her name.

Behind her stood a stunningly beautiful and surprisingly tall female elf.

Her glimmering jade-colored hair was tied into a single ponytail that hung halfway down her back. Her ears stuck up like leaves on a tree, guiding her gorgeous long hair backward. Even among the beautiful and refined elves, the woman looked on par with royalty. Her looks could even be described as otherworldly.

Fitting right in with her elegance, the woman's emerald eyes were the same emerald green color as Eina's, if not a little deeper shade.

Eina's body snapped to attention.

"Lady Reveria?!"

"So it is you...It's been a long time. You have become very beautiful in my absence. I almost didn't recognize you."

While it wasn't quite a smile, the lips of Reveria Riyos Ahrve softened and curved upward. Eina was very quick to show respect.

"I am honored, my lady. To receive such high praise, I will hold your words dear..."

"Stop talking like that. This isn't the elven homeland. You were not born in the homeland in the first place. You have no reason to hold me in such high regard."

"Even so, I mustn't forget to be humble and show the utmost respect to royalty such as yourself. Mother always told me—"

"So even that Aina would force this upon her daughter...It is regrettable. She escaped the homeland alongside me, to end up like this."

Eina looked on as Reveria let out a wistful sigh before fixing her piercing gaze on her.

"It is prudent to carry the smallest amount of respect, but any more than that is needless. I find it tiresome to be placed in that particular cage. If you say that you want to respect and honor me, then you must comprehend what my heart desires."

"M-my lady..."

Reveria's overpowering words left Eina speechless.

The fact remained that Eina was born in a free city with its doors wide open to any and all races. Her knowledge of elves in the homeland was very limited but...she knew that the elf in front of her was royalty, a high elf.

The elven half of her blood was forcing her to bow her head.

"I'm not asking you to break the system. Only don't go overboard."

"U-understood."

"Good."

Reveria gave a satisfied nod, but Eina wasn't sure how to feel. Even her eyebrows weren't on straight.

Eina felt like she had lost an argument and tried her best to keep that feeling hidden. So rather than dwell on it, she decided to be happy about their reunion.

When they were both young, Eina had met Reveria many times at her childhood home. However, they hadn't seen each other even once since then.

Eina knew about Reveria's activities as soon as she entered the Guild. Due to their schedules and job responsibilities, there hadn't been a good opportunity to meet again.

Not that there wasn't the possibility, but neither of them had made an effort.

"I'm glad to see that you are well. To think you would work for the Guild, of all places..."

"Please forgive me, I meant to contact you..."

"Pay it no mind. I've spent my days in the Dungeon ever since arriving in this city. There has been no time for much else. Our meeting would have been delayed over and over, no doubt."

All of Reveria's movements, even her short head bow, were extremely polished and refined. Eina had grown up watching her mother carry herself with dignity and grace, but the high elves were on another level entirely. The two girls came from completely different walks of life.

"Why are you here today, Lady Reveria?"

"What? I used up the last of my items the other day in the Dungeon. Simple as that."

"Would it be silly to think...that Lady Reveria can't use healing magic?"

"Why, yes. However, magic is not perfect. If an item is on hand, nothing is better. What about you, Eina?"

"Oh..."

Reveria's question reminded Eina of her mission. Her knees wobbled for a moment before she decided to answer as best she could without bringing up her investigation of Soma Familia.

This was to avoid the possibility of rumors going around that someone working for the Guild was investigating a specific group.

"Ahh, this wine. There are many in my Familia who adore it."

"Um...can I ask you a question, Lady Reveria? Do any of them show signs of dependence or act strangely?"

"Everyone who drinks alcohol looks strange to my eyes...but no one has done anything I would consider out of the ordinary. Why do you ask?"

"Well...a friend of mine recommended it to me. But from the things I've heard about Soma Familia..."

There was some truth in Eina's words. Even though she didn't feel right, purposely misleading Reveria with her answer, the chance of getting valuable information from her was too good to pass up.

"I see. I too have heard a few things about members of that Familia being odd, almost cold."

"Lady Reveria, do you know anything about them?"

She got her hopes up, and her voice cracked with excitement.

Her cover was blown.

Reveria closed one eye and stared at the excited Eina for a moment.

Oh no...Eina froze. She realized her mistake a moment too late.

Reveria was very sharp. She could sense the emotions of whomever she was talking with and figure out their true intentions. Reveria was the only person Eina couldn't keep a secret from when they were children.

Reveria had more than likely figured out that Eina was investigating Soma Familia.

A wave of cold sweat passed over her body as Eina waited for the high elf's response.

"...Whatever. I'm sorry to say that I don't have any information concerning that Familia. No more than you know, probably less."

"Oh, is that so?"

Reveria had seen right through her, but Eina was relieved that the high elf hadn't asked for a reason why.

She gazed at Eina for a few moments before opening her mouth to speak.

"While I don't know about them...I do know someone who knows something concerning that group."

"...Yes?"

"Would you accompany me to my Familia's home?"

The head residence.

That was this building put into words.

I never heard anything about them...but this is just how the home of a prominent dungeon-prowling Familia should be...

The building was located on the northern edge of Orario. It stood on the side of a backstreet, one block away from North Main.

Long and thin, it was as if the builders had to squeeze it onto the spot. Several pointed towers protruded from the roof like a line of spears standing on end, supplementing one another.

Of course these bronze towers were nothing compared to Babel but were still tall enough to make someone crane their neck to look up at them. The very tips of the towers were dyed black by the evening light.

It was a dwelling carved from flames.

"Lady Reveria, welcome back."

"Excuse me, this person with you...is she with the Guild?"

"She is the daughter of a friend. I request that you overlook her position."

After being questioned by male and female guards at the doorway, Reveria and Eina walked into the building.

The two of them looked as though they could be sisters, walking side by side. In reality, Reveria was many times older than Eina.

Elves live the longest of all the races of demi-humans.

"I suppose it's a little late for this, but...but are you sure this is all right?"

"What is?"

"Inviting me, a member of the Guild, into a home like this...If private information about Loki Familia became public because of me..."

"Do not speak of impossibilities, Eina. If I felt you had the potential for something like that, I would not have brought you here. Or perhaps you are trying to insult me?"

"N-no, not at all..."

More and more childhood memories came flooding back into her head as Eina followed Reveria through the main hall and into a reception room.

The room itself was completely open to the hallway and decorated in a calming, light orange color scheme. There were many expensive-looking sofas and round tables draped in cloth. While every furnishing there was of the highest quality, it seemed less a reception room than a space for repose and conversation.

Eina got a good feel for the overall atmosphere and mood of Loki Familia just by looking around this room.

Hey, not bad. I wouldn't mind living here myself—Hmm?

She noticed something as her gaze reached the far corner of the room.

It was in an armchair facing away from her. There seemed to be a big fluff of golden string attached to the side of it.

No, not string—blond hair. It was the back of someone's head, their hair flowing down the side of the chair and sticking out.

The person sitting there slowly turned her thin neck to face the elves.

Eina suddenly swallowed a lump of air.

"Welcome home, Reveria."

"Yes, Aiz. I have returned."

The speaker was a beautiful girl, even younger than Eina.

What stood out more than her soft, delicate features was her refined solemnity. Still, her eyes glimmered like pools of gold on her face. The word "innocent" seemed to fit her very well.

A noble beauty and a childlike purity seemed to coexist within her.

As Eina had said once before, just seeing the girl's beauty made her heart skip a beat.

Aiz Wallenstein.

The blond-haired, golden-eyed adventurer whom Bell couldn't get out of his mind.

"Who is...that person?" Aiz asked.

"I...um, I'm..." Eina stuttered.

"She is like a member of my family. You two, introduce yourselves."

They followed suit and exchanged greetings. Aiz didn't break eye contact with Eina as she spoke, her words clear and concise.

Without any armor on, Aiz looked like a very sheltered girl. She was very feminine, with her slender body wrapped in a pure white one-piece dress. It accentuated her generous bosom, as well.

Aiz's bare feet were pearl-white, like alabaster, smooth and vibrant.

...Breathtaking.

Eina didn't feel right, looking at Aiz this way. Even though he wasn't here, it felt like she was wedging herself between Bell and Aiz.

Moving slowly and carefully, Eina walked around the armchair and took a seat on the sofa facing her. Reveria joined them, with a table situated between the three girls.

"Aiz, have you purchased replacements for the items used during the last trip? We set out again in ten days."

"Yes...I'll go tomorrow."

Aiz's voice was muffled by her knees; she was holding them to her chest while sitting in the chair. Her words sounded dull, like a bell fallen on its side.

Eina could tell something wasn't right. She glanced over at Reveria, only to see a look on her face that the high elf often gave Eina years ago—a warm, motherly expression. Eina finally worked up the courage to say what was on her mind.

"Um, Lady Reveria?"

"What is it?"

"Don't you think that Aiz looks...a little upset?"

Eina couldn't feel any energy coming from the girl, her face half hidden behind knees covered in white cloth. Even Aiz's hair seemed to be missing its usual luster. It hung limp over her shoulders.

Eina hadn't known the girl for long, but she could tell Aiz was very sad.

Reveria laughed quietly at Eina's question, letting a rare smile onto her lips.

"Oh, a boy she's been interested in for a while now apparently ran away from her."

Reveria's shoulders shook as she laughed again, teasing Aiz about the situation. Eina, on the other hand, didn't feel like this was a laughing matter. "That's terrible..." she said, her hand on her forehead.

It looked as though the chances of her cute little subordinate getting a girlfriend were rather low.

Eina decided to hide this information from Bell and seal it within her memory.

"...Lady Reveria. About the reason I came here today..."

"Oh yes, my apologies. Let's call her here."

A still-smiling Reveria reached into the bag she had brought back with her.

She pulled the bottle of Soma out of it.

"Um...Lady Reveria? Weren't you going to summon someone for me...?"

"It would be a waste to go looking for her. She has always been very elusive; I don't know how much time finding her would require. It would be more effective for her to come to us."

Before Eina could ask another question, Reveria removed the lid of the wine she'd purchased herself, though the fact that she'd put all of her purchases on Loki Familia's tab seemed somehow more striking.

Soon, the surprisingly sweet smell of the wine filled the reception room.

"Wow...a frosty smell."

"I may be quite accustomed to it, but this smell still has that effect."

Eina enjoyed the aroma for a moment before realizing that Reveria was holding out a glass in front of her and took it out of reflex. Before she knew it, a high elf was pouring her a drink. Eina was on the verge of passing out from shame and embarrassment.

Feeling bad that Reveria had gone through the trouble, she cautiously raised the glass to her lips.

Oh my...!

Her eyes shot open the moment the glass touched her lips.

It was heavenly. Too heavenly.

It was so sweet that her tongue almost went numb. But somehow it had a smooth, almost melting texture.

Its sweet bouquet instantly filled her nose. The aftertaste was so invigorating that her very consciousness seemed to be tossed around inside her head until the very last drop. That feeling made its way into her body, right down to the tips of her toes.

No wonder so many people like this wine...In just one gulp, Eina learned firsthand where the wine's reputation came from.

"I know that smell..."

It was only a heartbeat after Eina put Soma to her lips.

Thump, thump, thump, thump. The sound of excited footsteps drew ever closer, as if being pulled in by the smell of the alcohol.

"Hey, you—is that Soma?!"

With that, the vermillion-haired goddess of this Familia, Loki, appeared from around the corner a second later.

"She has arrived."

"So that's what you meant by her coming here..."

"I knew it! I knew it! That's Soma, all right! Did ya get me a present, Reveria? You devoted child, you!"

Eina took a look at the glass in her hand, the source of the mellow smell around her. Next she looked at Loki, in awe of how well Reveria's plan to summon her had worked.

Even in the dimly lit reception room, Eina could clearly see Loki's vermillion hair and eyes.

"While it was I who purchased the wine, the idea was not mine."

"Well then, musta been Aiz! And here ya were actin' all sad since you came back from the Dungeon! It was ta keep this a surprise! Geee! Aizuuu, yer soo cute!"

"Not me."

Loki was ready to jump onto Aiz and give her a big hug, but an intimidating glare from the depressed girl stopped her in her tracks. Aiz's eyes were saying "Touch me and I'll slice you."

"Huh...?" Loki was confused as she took a few steps backward, sweating.

"A-Aizuu...Isn't that a little too prickly, even fer you? What ya think?"

"If you want my permission, use words I can understand. More importantly, the person who brought the wine is standing right there."

Ah, so that's how this is going to work.

Eina realized this was part of Reveria's plan as well.

The person who had information about the inner workings of Soma Familia was in fact the goddess of her own Familia, Loki. By appeasing her with a gift, Loki might be willing to answer a few questions.

Directly asking a god for their opinion made Eina rather uncomfortable, but she forced herself to relax.

"Huh? Who's this girl here?"

"This is our first meeting, Lady Loki. It is my pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is Eina Tulle. I know that my being here is very unexpected..."

"No need ta be so formal. Yer makin' my neck itchy. Talk normal, got it?"

Loki waved off Eina's formality like it was too much trouble to bother with as she turned to face her. Loki stiffened when she noticed Eina's uniform and planted her gaze firmly on the half-elf.

Her thread of a right eye opened; a catlike smile popped up on her lips.

"What's this here, a Guild member payin' my Familia a house call?......Old man Uranus, claimin' neutrality and all that, yet havin' a dagger armed and ready. That how this is?"

"N-no, it's not! I...I..."

"This girl is my guest. I won't allow such slander."

"Ah, ehh. So yer Reveria's guest, my mistake, then. Sorry 'bout that, Einy. Beg yer pardon?"

"I-I'm fine. Please pay it no mind..."

Feeling Reveria's quiet gaze, Loki tried to pass the moment by shrugging and laughing it off.

She then plunked herself down on the sofa.

"That's enough with keepin' up appearances, let's get ta it. Ya brought me one of my all-time faves, which means ya wanna ask me somethin'. Am I right?"

"...Well then, I'll get right to the point. If you know any details about what goes on behind the scenes at Soma Familia, would you be willing to tell me?"

"Bringin' Soma fer that? Ha-ha. I see how it is."

Holding the bottle in one hand, Loki rudely grabbed a glass from the table and poured her own drink. One big gulp and a long, satisfied sigh later, Loki turned her reddening face in Eina's direction.

"It's not like I got a good connection with that idiot Soma. Don't know if I have the info ya want, Eina......But what the heck, I'll spill the beans on anythin' ya want. So, what'll it be?"

"...Do you know the reason behind the strange tendencies of the members of Soma Familia?"

"Hmm, right ta the good stuff, eh?...But how to explain it."

Loki swirled the wine around in her hand a few times, watching the waves wrap around the inside of the glass.

After a few moments, Loki downed the remainder of the wine in one loud swig.

"Got it! I'll tell ya a story 'bout me and Soma. Ah, just bein' clear, the wine Soma. Not that idiot god, just t'be clear."

"Ah, um, okay?"

"Well then...Ya know me, I love me some wine. Goin' ta different shops, tryin' and comparin' all brands every day. Gettin' drunk off my ass, pukin', passin' out...Livin' the dream in a loop until one day...I ran into this li'l beauty, Soma."

Reveria was staring at Loki with her eyes half closed, with no notion where the goddess was going with this. Loki, however, didn't care, and continued her story.

"One of those fated meetings, I guess you could call it? It was love at first taste! Some Familia made it, but I didn't care. Went 'round Orario, buyin' Soma left 'n' right...But while I was doin' that, I heard somethin' very interestin'."

"Something interesting...?"

"Can ya wrap yer head 'round this, Eina? This wine is defective, a failure."

Wha...Eina remembered Bell saying he heard that from Lilly.

Loki's smile grew deeper.

"Makes ya wonder, don't it? A failure that's this good? What about the successes, huh? I had ta know. Found my way to Soma Familia's home base by myself."

Eina was shocked and Reveria looked down on Loki with disgust. While the two gods weren't exactly enemies, a god going directly into another's territory was almost an open invitation for an attack.

Even the gods had manners. While part of this was to protect personal information, there was no reason for a member of one Familia to go waltzing into another's home.

"Went up ta the porch, yellin' 'SOMA! Marry me! I'm beggin' ya!' But I was ignored, ta the point of gettin' lonely...I was gettin' ticked off, so I went inside without askin'."

Eina rubbed her fingers up and down her temple as though she had a bad headache.

However, Soma Familia's lack of resistance to an intruder added to her curiosity about the members themselves.

"Place was totally silent. Not a single child anywhere. This is their home, y'know? Why'd everyone be out at the same time? I could tell somethin' wasn't right, and it gave me the chills...But I ignored it and perked up a bit. Went snoopin' 'round the whole place."

"......"

"I implore you, Loki. Do not reveal any more embarrassing information."

"Ge-hee-hee, you're no fun, Reveria. Anyway, couldn't find the real Soma anywhere. Finally got to the point o' gettin' fed up with it, turn ta go home...and there he was, that idiot himself."

Loki lowered her head as if remembering every detail of that meeting. Her smile vanished.

"I let out a big friendly 'Hey, there!' and that idiot responded with only 'Welcome.' Nothin' else. It was our first time meetin', y'know? Hardly ever looked at me, either, just stood there with a hoe in his hand. Was tendin' ta his garden. Only heard 'bout this later, but he grows all the ingredients fer his wine. Ah, nothin' too alarmin' goes in, though."

Loki continued to refill and drink the wine even while telling her story. Her bright pink cheeks were getting redder by the minute.

The tone of her voice went up.

"This Soma god...really pissed me off."

"Huh?"

"Tried talkin' 'bout everythin', but all he did was answer 'yeah' or 'hmm' and kept on hoein'...He was implyin' that his shit-filled fertilizer was above me."

Just talking about this memory made Loki's gaze grow more and more serious.

Eina was damp with sweat.

"That god was nothin' more than an indecisive, pitiful coward. But he acted like I was some dumb scarecrow and ignored me...Makin' me sick just thinkin' 'bout it!"

"......"

"On top o' that, Einy, on top o' that!"

"E-Einy...?"

"Overlookin' all of that, all of his rudeness and whatnot, I still asked ta taste the real 'Soma,' bein' real polite and everythin'! Even bowed ta him! Me! What ya think that idiot's answer was?"

Since Loki hadn't sensed any kind of hard feelings from Soma, she thought there was a chance she could try the good stuff—if not a full bottle, then at least a cup or two. However, Soma finally stopped working and turned to Loki for the first time and said:

"I refuse."

Apparently that was the first time he had shown any kind of emotion.

"Geeyahh! He's supposed ta be on my side, but that kinda tone pissed me off more than ever!"

"Loki, get a hold of yourself. Stop going off on tangents and get to the point."

"Hee-hee-hee." Loki took a few quick, deep breaths to calm down before her face relaxed. She sank back into the sofa.

"Sorry, sorry. Beat 'round the bush a bit, but I asked that idiot about his Familia. When I asked, what he said made me sick, that idiot. He's got absolutely no clue how to run a Familia, no sense at all. Like his heart wasn't in it from the start."

Eina's thin eyebrows flicked up.

His heart wasn't in it from the start...?

Well then, what was his goal? Eina had a new train of thought take off in her mind.

"Eina, don't be thinkin' too hard on it, y'know? The god known as Soma has only one thing in his skull: his hobby. Plenty o' those types, right? Their head's so far in the clouds, they can't see nothin' else. That idiot is case number one, the ultimate example. Not barbaric or evil, just purely livin' fer his craft. A god o' pure amusement. Guess you could say he's the wise ol' hermit of the gods—ha-ha!" joked Loki.

There were many strange and usual personalities among the gods, but Soma was weird even among them.

At least that was the impression Eina was picking up from Loki.

"Now, the problem is that wine, Soma. That idiot made his Familia for one reason only: his hobby. But they weren't bringin' in enough money. Not enough ta support his pastime, anyway—makin' wine's expensive, yeah? Couldn't keep it goin'. What little brain he had told him to give them a 'prize.' Somethin' really special—a trigger ta get them ta work harder."

"Don't tell me..."

"Yep, that Soma. The good stuff, yeah?"

A drop of wine from her last swig started to roll down Loki's lip. She licked it up a second later.

"Eina, ya drank the failure, so ya probably know, but the real stuff isn't playin' 'round. It takes ya. Not talkin' 'bout getting hammered outta yer mind, now. The deepest part of yer soul, the spirit, gets taken. Like it takes hold of the mind and body, like they're not yer own."

Whoosh. A sudden chill ran through Eina.

She thought back to the warm, elated feeling she got from drinking the failure before.

Her senses had been swept away by the wine, in a good way. Her spirits had been lifted.

Something even more euphoric than that?

Goose bumps quietly erupted on her skin beneath her suit.

Loki then said, "Maybe if I put it like this, you'll get it easier," as a way of leading into her next sentence.

"The children who follow him aren't there fer the idiot, but the Soma itself."

Members of that group weren't worshipping a god, but divine wine.

That meant that the reason Soma Familia had more members than the god Soma's reputation would allow was because their spirits were taken by the wine he gave them.

His followers had fallen in love with wine that could give them more happiness than anything else with as little as one sip.

"That idiot is a real monster. He's not gettin' help from members with Enigma, he's just growin' ingredients, mixin' 'em, and brewin' them himself. That idiot has driven his hobby ta utter perfection."

It suddenly came to Eina.

Part of the reason Loki referred to Soma as "that idiot" was out of fear and awe.

"He ain't usin' 'our' power, either. He's usin' the same abilities as his children, maybe even less, ta make somethin' like that. Can ya believe that? In other words, human hands can make the wine o' the gods. It's, like, what the hell'd he do up in Tenkai, right?"

"Hmm, I think I see the gist of your story. The god Soma uses his wine as bait to lure in members..."

"Yep, that's right. Once the members knew the flavor of Soma, they did anything they could ta get money. While I did call it a 'prize,' not everyone in the Familia gets an equal share. On top o' issuin' a quota, the idiot only gives the highest earners the good stuff. That Familia is at war with itself. Ah, yeah, those who fill the quota get a sip, most likely."

Loki racked her brain, trying to remember. However, Eina had a realization.

This was why the Soma Familia members she sometimes saw at the Guild were obsessed with money.

They were thirsty for Soma.

"The more I hear about this, the more it sounds like a dangerous drug. Is it acceptable to let this continue?"

"Might just be my bad choice of words. The spirit 'gets stolen,' but yer brain doesn't go up in smoke like that other stuff. Ya don't go mad, just feel really good. Makes yer whole body tremble. Makes ya want ta take another sip, no matter what. But, just like with normal alcohol, that feeling will go away."

Loki explained the difference between Soma and drugs like this:

There was no withdrawal with Soma. Its addictive qualities were not particularly strong.

Since Soma's followers' condition was only temporary, everyone would return to normal in time.

However, in the case of Soma Familia, members were given their next drink before the effects of the first dose had worn off. They were stuck in a hellish cycle.

"Can you explain what you meant by the addictive period being short?"

"Well then, there are loads o' children who have tasted Soma but got cut off and managed ta recover, right?"

To add to that, it appeared that even Soma drinkers became tolerant of it over time. The strongest members of Soma Familia were almost always at the top, and therefore received the wine all the time. However, somehow they could drink it without their spirits being stolen, and stay normal.

Come to think of it, thought Eina, of all the members of Soma Familia who demand money at the Exchange, the ones who have reached Level Two are always much calmer and more collected.

"To sum it all up fer ya, the leadership of a careless idiot obsessed with his hobby, the allure of Soma, and the members cravin' fer it all mix together ta make the craziness that infects Soma Familia."

Normally, if the god at the top of a Familia had real interest in it, things wouldn't turn out this way.

This was because if the one who empowered everyone raised their voice, the Familia would fall silent. If they didn't, they would be stripped of their Falna.

All this information seemed to indicate that, although he was not at fault for the current conditions, Soma himself was responsible for setting them in motion and not putting them to an end.

"That's all there is ta it, Eina. Anythin' else ya wanna ask?"

"No, that's all. Thank you very much for your time."

Eina understood what was happening at Soma Familia.

While their craving for that special wine was a bit scary on its own, this was a case of her being too focused on appearances.

Eina came to this conclusion because their yearning for alcohol and large amounts of money were not much different from other adventurers trying to strike it rich quick in the Dungeon. The only scary part of it was how they chose to reach their goal.

However, according to Loki's explanation, this was only a risk for part of the Familia, not every member. The supporter whom Bell had hired sounded as though she was perfectly normal, by the way he described her last time they talked.

A feeling of relief flowed through her as Eina deduced that it was highly unlikely that Bell would be thrust into a life-threatening scenario.

Loki watched her carefully and, upon seeing the look of relief on her face, opened her eyes a little wider.

"Eina."

"Yes?"

"Do ya know what happens ta donkeys that have a carrot hung in front of 'em but can never reach it?"

Eina was dazed by this sudden, strange question.

Loki stuck out all of the fingers on both hands one by one and continued without waiting for Eina's answer.

"The weaker ones get run over as the stronger ones go fer the others' carrots, kickin' and thrashin' their competition outta the way."

At first, Eina was confused. The answer dawned on her a moment later.

"That's what's happenin' at that Familia. All the idiot does is hang carrots. Nothin' can stop them now."

Then Loki folded all of her fingers together, expect for the pinkie on her right hand.

"There might be a donkey that doesn't care how many times it gets kicked down by its 'allies.' One who can't do nothin' alone...but in exchange skillfully spurs sympathy and pity from a different 'master.' A smart, uncompromisin' donkey."

The face reflected in Loki's vermillion eyes suddenly tensed. Eina's face.

"The new master might realize his carrots are gone, yeah?"

Loki sat up to peer into Eina's eyes, sliding all the way into the sofa.

Pouring what little was left of the wine into Eina's glass, Loki continued:

"Just thinkin'. If ya got a friend connected with one of 'em, ya might wanna let 'im know, just in case? Don't think it'll be serious, but there might be some problems. Gotta take care o' adventurers at the Guild, yeah?" said Loki, crossing her legs and grinning.

She had seen through Eina. Loki was truly worthy of the title of goddess.

Eina took a slow breath and nodded with a very concerned look on her face.

"Sayin' it outta kindness might not be my place, though."

"...No. I'm taking your advice to heart."

She was a good goddess.

Loki was much more compassionate than her reputation indicated. Either that or Eina was getting special treatment because of her relationship to Reveria.

Feeling Eina's gaze on her, Loki flashed another grin.

"All right, the wine's gone. Shall we go our separate ways?"

"I apologize for taking this much of your time."

"Don't worry 'bout it. Glad I got ta chat with the cute little beauty Eina."

"A-ha-ha-ha..."

Loki stood up from the sofa and stretched out as high as she could before going over to the one person who was silent this whole time: Aiz.

"Hey, Aiz. How long ya gonna beat yerself up?"

"......"

"'Kay, then, how 'bout updatin' yer status? Haven't done it since ya been back, yeah?"

"...Okay."

"Fu-hee-hee, been a long time since I got my hands on Aiz's soft skin...!"

"Do anything else and I'll slice you."

"Huh?! Ya serious?"

Aiz's harsh tone made Loki crouch down slightly as the two of them left the reception room. Just before turning the corner, Loki looked back at the elves, winked, and gave a quick wave.

"She's...an interesting goddess."

"I am inclined to agree that she is interesting, but she's much more. We have a lot of faith in her."

"You too, Lady Reveria?"

"Yes, me included."

Eina giggled to herself, looking at Reveria's closed-eyed half smile.

Eina picked up her glass from the table and drank what was left.

Tomorrow, I wonder if I'll have a chance to talk with Bell.

Loki's warning was still fresh in her mind. The Soma tasted a little bitter on Eina's tongue.

"AIZUU'S A LEVEL SIIIIIIIIIIX!!" Loki suddenly yelled.

"PFFFTT—"

"...Eina."

"Aaaaaagh! I'm so sorry!"