(Riven POV – Tower of Babel, First Floor – 5:30 PM)
Getting back was simple enough.
I had Great Sage map the fastest route to the exit, weaving past clusters of monsters and only taking out the stragglers who stood in my way.
By the time I reached the spiral staircase leading out of the Dungeon, it was 5:30 PM.
A few curious stares followed me as I ascended into the first floor of Babel, which wasn't too surprising.
'I really should've brought a bag...'
It's probably strange for an adventurer to return from the dungeon with no visible loot. Not even a pouch. Most would assume you were either robbed, or are hiding something.
'And I am hiding something.'
All of my spoils are tucked away in Stomach. It's convenient, but extremely suspicious if anyone were to notice. Spatial storage abilities are absurdly rare in this world. I've yet to even hear of anyone possessing one.
Which is why I only hand over 17 goblin stones at the exchange, after having discreetly slipped them into my pockets.
"Two thousand five hundred fifty Valis." The clerk states flatly.
I accept the Valis and immediately purchase a standard backpack for 2,000.
'I can't afford to draw attention and suspicion just to make things slightly more convenient.'
Once outside, I duck into a quiet alley and transfer all my stored items into the bag. A mundane bag filled with mundane loot. The only thing suspicious is the quantity of drop items.
By the time I reach the Guild, it's a little past six. The lines are long, but I choose the shortest one and wait it out.
Ten minutes pass.
Finally, I reach the front, only to be greeted by a perky voice and a wave.
"Evening!" Says the pink-haired receptionist behind the counter. "I'm Misha. How can I help you today?"
Bright, pale pink eyes, a bubbly tone, and a smile that looks a tad bit too curious. Classic Misha. Her personality's hard to miss, even if she didn't get much screen time in the anime.
"Hey. I'm Riven. I want to exchange some magic stones and drop items."
Her eyes flick over me, and I see the recognition spark.
"Oh~!" She grins. "You're the new guy who registered this morning, right? The one who tried flirting with Rose?"
'So she was watching me... or maybe Rose said something after all.'
I nod. "Yeah, that's me, but I wasn't flirting. Is something wrong?"
"Not at all." She says sweetly, folding her hands. "But you're from a brand-new Familia, right? I was just wondering... did someone show you the ropes? Or did you team up with another party? You don't look too beat up, so I don't think you were dumb enough to go solo for your first time."
Her voice is chipper, but there's a subtle edge of concern underneath.
I smile. "Well... I did go alone. So I guess I am dumb?"
Her cheerful demeanor falters, and we just stare at each other in silence.
Then she coughs lightly and pastes on a professional smile. "Of course not. I'm sure you were smart enough to stay on the first floor."
"About that... I went to the fourth."
Her smile twitches.
She frowns. "If you're just messing with me, I'll get mad, okay?"
I shrug. "Fair. But seeing you flustered is fun."
She glares at me with narrowed eyes..
I grin, unaffected by the stare. "Anyway, I'd prefer to use a private booth. It's... kind of a lot."
Her expression shifts towards exasperated. "Private booths come with a fee if you don't have an advisor, you know."
'Huh. I in fact didn't know.' I nod anyway. It's worth the cost to keep suspicions low. I can't just dump a small mountain of drop items in front of a crowd and expect no one to ask questions.
"I'll pay."
"Alright then," she says with a businesslike smile. "Follow me."
She leads me through a side door into a modest booth with a table and chairs. I take off the backpack, set it on the table, and unzip it slowly.
Then I flip it and dump the contents in a neat pile—magic stones, goblin fangs, kobold claws, and lizard scales.
Misha's smile falters again.
"This... is everything?" She asks, blinking at the pile.
"Yep." I fold my arms. "Why? Something wrong?"
Her brows knit. "Didn't you say you went alone?"
"Mmhm."
"And all this—" she gestures, "—came from you? Not... bought off other adventurers to pad your numbers for whatever reason?"
I chuckle softly. "Why would I need to pad numbers? It's not like I get a bonus, and looking more capable than I am could cause me to die. So no... I hunted everything myself. I must be really lucky."
Her expression is skeptical, but she doesn't press, given that my words make sense.
Instead, she begins sorting through the pile, using a measurement tool to assess the magic energy of each stone.
As she works, I hear her mutter under her breath, "He really did go to the fourth floor..."
Eventually, she finishes counting and looks up.
"You've got: twenty goblin stones, thirty-seven fangs, twenty-two kobold stones and nails, plus six dungeon lizard stones and lizard scales."
She checks the tally again, then does some quick math on a slip of parchment.
"Total value: twenty-six thousand two hundred Valis. Minus the private booth fee... your payout comes to twenty-five thousand two hundred. Is this acceptable?"
"Yeah. I don't think you'd scam me." I nod, satisfied.
'It's not a bad haul at all for my first day.'
She steps out to retrieve the payment, returning a few minutes later with a heavy bag of coins.
"Thank you for using the Guild exchange." She says with a polite tone, but there's still a trace of curiosity behind her eyes.
"Thanks, Misha." I drop it into my bag, and offer her a smile. "I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot more of each other."
She blinks, then gives a short, amused laugh. "Guess we will. Try not to die, okay?"
"Definitely." I wave as I step out.
No further words are needed. I'll simply let my results speak for themselves.
'Still... I'm exhausted.' I can ignore the ache in my muscles with IronHeart, but mental fatigue builds up.
I let out a long breath as the sun begins to dip beyond the horizon.
"I'm definitely going to be in trouble when I get back..."
(Hestia POV – Abandoned Church – 6:28 PM)
"Where is he...?" I whisper softly to myself, my voice barely rising above the hush of the evening breeze.
The last light of the setting sun pours gently over me, illuminating the street around me, but no matter how bright the light is... I can't feel its warmth.
I sit on the crumbling stone steps of our little church, hugging my knees to my chest, as the street remains silent around me.
'He should've been back by now...'
When I woke up, he was already gone. All he left was a note, saying he'd go to the Guild and register himself and the Familia.
But when I checked, they said he'd already registered in the morning.
That leaves only one place he could be...
'The Dungeon.'
My stomach twists.
"He wouldn't..." I murmur, trying to convince myself.
'He wouldn't go there alone, not on his first day... not without telling me… right?' My mind spins with possibilities, each darker than the last.
Maybe... he regretted joining me. Maybe he realized he could do better. Join a richer, stronger Familia. One with resources and prestige. One with a God or Goddess with more experience and can actually help him.
'One who's not... me.'
A useless goddess with no status, no Valis, and no strength to protect her only child.
'What if he really left?' My throat tightens at the thought. 'What if I wasn't enough?'
But even as the thought takes root, I shake my head fiercely.
'No. Riven isn't like that.'
He looked me in the eyes and said we were family. And I believed him. I still do.
Which means—
My heart plunges.
'He's probably in the Dungeon.'
And if he's been gone this long, he must have gone deeper than the first floor.
'He's probably down there right now, all alone... Maybe he's hurt... scared... bleeding...'
Or worse.
Tears sting my eyes before I can stop them. I clutch my knees tighter.
'I should have stopped him.'
I should've been woken up sooner. I should've warned him to wait. I should've done something.
But I was sleeping...
I was resting while my child, my first ever child... might be dying.
'What kind of goddess am I?'
My tears finally overflow, trailing warm down my cheeks as I press my forehead against my knees. The silence around me grows heavier as the minutes crawl by.
Every second he doesn't return digs deeper into my heart. I feel guilty, powerless, terrified.
And then—
A shadow falls over me, cutting off the last rays of daylight. My breath catches. For a second, I can't move. Can't believe it. Then—
"...Hestia?"
My heart stops. And then it surges.
"Riven!!"
I throw myself at him with a strength I didn't know I had, crashing into his chest and clinging to him as tightly as I can. My arms wrap around his neck, while my legs circle around his waist without thinking.
I bury my face in his shirt as the tears come rushing back, this time from overwhelming relief.
He's back.
"I was so scared I lost you..." I sob into him, my body shaking. "I thought—I thought you were—!"
He says nothing at first and only holds me. One of his arms loops securely under my legs, the other gently holds my back.
"It's okay, Hestia." He says softly, his voice gentler than usual. "I'm not going anywhere."
I nod into his chest, my cries muffled by fabric. I can feel his heart beating, slowly and steadily.
It makes me feel at peace.
For a while, we stay like that—just the two of us on the steps of the worn-down church, no one to witness this scene but us.
(Freya POV – Tower of Babel – 7 PM)
'Who is he...?' The question lingers in my mind, as I desire to speak a name I've yet to hear.
I gaze down upon Orario from my room on the highest floor of Babel.
The city sprawls beneath me, beautiful lights shining as evening fades to night, but my eyes no longer care for it.
Not after what I've seen.
It happened barely an hour ago. A dazzling brilliance unlike anything I've ever witnessed just walked out of the dungeon. A soul so bright it eclipsed all others.
"That color..." I murmur aloud, my voice trembling with awe and hunger.
It wasn't a color I could describe, nor one I could even have imagined existed.
It was new.
An original shade that doesn't exist anywhere else.
Something about it draws you closer, like a hungry abyss waiting to devour you. Yet it carries an air of wisdom and authority, but is basked with an aura of detachment.
'It was beautiful...'
It took my breath away the moment I saw it.
I've watched the souls of mortals for centuries, and even Albert's soul can't compare.
This boy, whoever he is, demands attention. He's filled with infinite potential, just waiting to be unleashed.
I run a hand through my long silver hair, feeling the faintest tremor in my chest. Something I haven't felt in a long time.
Curiosity. Excitement. Desire.
Obsession.
I close my eyes and recall his colour and brilliance again. The sharp pull of fate when I first saw him. I wasn't looking for him, yet he appeared before me.
"Why now...?"
Where had he been hiding? How had a soul like that evaded my gaze for so long?
I exhale slowly, my hand pressing against the window as moonlight bathes my body. 'No matter. He's here now.'
"And he belongs to me." I say softly, but an undercurrent of desire taints my voice.
'But... he has a Falna.' I frown. 'But his vessel is undeveloped.'
So he must be a newly minted adventurer.
Which means...
'Whatever Familia he's in... He hasn't been in for long, and he can still be taken.'
A small, elegant smile curls my lips. My fingers trace the window, imagining his face instead of glass, visualise the colour of his extraordinary soul.
I want to know who he is.
I want to know what kind of strength such a soul can give rise to.
I want to see what heights he'll ascend to when nurtured... when pushed to his limits...
'And I want to be the one he looks up to when he gets there.'
A quiet thrill stirs within me, and I can't wait to see him bloom.
'Which Familia is he in?'
I'll find out soon enough. It's only a matter of time. I will watch, and I will wait until I can see him again.
"Because he is mine." I whisper.
And soon, I'll make sure he sees it too.
He'll desire me soon enough.
And no one can stop me...
'After all... I always get what I want.'
***********
A/N: Hello Everyone. How are you? Good? Great! Please consider leaving me some comments, reviews, or powerstones if you enjoyed the chapter and book so far.
So, moving on to the chapter😂, I think I pushed things a bit. To be entirely honest, most of everything this chapter could've been entirely avoided. But, I wanted to show how this isn't canon yet. Hestia is quite an insecure Goddess. She just got her first familia member, and he disappears the next day, then it becomes a situation of her thinking he's about to die. Some might say she's overreacting, which I agree, but that's how Hestia is.
In canon, whenever Bell is late, she gets worried, and here, they haven't known each other all that long, and there's a lot less security. I assume in canon Bell got some training, warnings and so on, so yeah. I think it kinda fits, and I wanted something emotional here for what I'm planning on future. Which is obviously developing Riven's emotions. But we'll see how well that goes.
As for Freya finding him out so soon... That's inevitable. Truth be told, he wanted to be found by Freya, so he was gonna go to the Hostess soon (like next chapter), since he wants to get the mYstery DA, through a Grimoire, and he don't got 100 mil to buy one😂. I'll tell you the truth, Riven is underestimating Freya's craziness. It's genuinely a miscalculation on his part... But it was all part of my plan (Have I become Aizen?). He has no idea what his soul looks like, nor that she saw him already, or how bright it actually is (He has multiverse level potential with Great Sage, so yeah...), he fucked up.
But it won't go straight to a bad end, so no one worry. Trust me (this sounds shady as hell). Another thing, do you guys want an Aux Chapter where I list the prices of things? I'm keeping them relatively consistent
, and have tabulated it, so yeah. I try to keep track of the math.
Finally, Freya's the kind of girl who'll ruin your life... Am I weird for wanting my life ruined 😭 😭 😭.
That's all from me. I hope you all have a wonderful day.
6 advance chapters on patreon.com/AMV_WEAKLY