Is It Wrong To Crave Love (In A Dungeon)? Chapter 11 - Invitation

“I still can’t believe it…”

How in the world did that no-good, itty-bitty shortstack goddess manage to get a child like that?

Within the Benevolent Mistress, a red-haired, slanty-eyed Goddess downed another mug of ale and wiped her lips, unable to fight off the gnawing, biting sense of irritation she was feeling. Hestia had, after all, shortly after descending, declared her to be her rival. The two were not foes, but it could be said they didn’t see eye to eye, with Hestia in particular not believing how she had managed to accrue a Familia that genuinely cared for her and loved her. The shortstack goddess had all but pointed and challenged the Goddess of Mischief with a claim that she would create a Familia that could rival and beat hers.

At the time, she had laughed off such a claim, because that was a thing easier said than done. With no resources, no wealth, no cunning, no plan, no strategy, and a dubious work ethic, it was a dream as laughable as attempting to convince Thor to entertain sobriety. She had not taken it seriously. She had not even considered the possibility that it could ever be taken seriously. That had changed today, however, because that shorstack goddess was the only thing anyone could talk about. She and her child, a Level 1 Adventurer by the name of Moses Vanderzee.

“Those damned bastards tried to pull a pass parade on us. I thought we were done for when I saw the light, the campfire. We legged it as quickly as we could. When we got in… I swear, it was something I’ll never forget as long as I live. The monsters stopped chasing us! They saw the flames… saw the light, and all of them started backing away.”

“Horseshit!”

“No, no, it’s true! I swear! They’re afraid of the light of the campfire!”

“I saw it too, I did! Some goblins got too close to one, turned to ash in moments, they did! I swear it! On me mother’s grave, I swear it!”

“No way, so it’s true?”

“It really is! Praise Lady Hestia!”

Her brows twitched.

“I’d be dead today if it weren’t for those campfires… that goddess, Lady Hestia, she’s amazing! The Hestia Familia is definitely going to be a game-changer. With them, helping us in the Dungeon, my wife already feels at ease knowing there’s a bit of safety.”

“I heard there’s talk that the Guild might soon partner with the Hestia Familia.” 

“Really?” 

“The Captain, Moses Vanderzee, he’s a Level 1, but if they can escort him down to deeper levels to create more of those campfires in lower levels, it’ll be safer for everyone!”

“That’ll be great! Everywhere we go, we’ll be able to feel Lady Hestia’s warmth!”

Her brows twitched again.

“It’s a great thing Lady Hestia descended to Orario!”

“It really is! A Goddess of the Hearth, and Home! We really needed a goddess like that. She’ll definitely become one of the great honored goddesses during the Goddess Festival.”

“That’s what we call a real Goddess!”

Her brows twitched a third time.

“Do you think the Hestia Familia is recruiting? I’ll definitely consider joining them.”

“I heard they’re holed up in some small dingy church. I guess anywhere can be a home. Lady Hestia’s so humble, so gracious!”

“I also hear she’s got like… really massive tits.”

“That’s a real Goddess!”

Oh no you didn’t—

She slammed her mug down and rolled up her sleeves.

“I don’t think Mama Mia will take kindly to starting a fight, Lady Loki.”

A familiar face arrived before her, with grayish silver hair and a smile. The wind puffed out of Loki’s sails. It was her. Seeing her soured Loki’s mood even worse than it already was. If her children weren’t still deep in the Dungeon on that Expedition… she wouldn’t mind getting Bete to make a little bit of a small ruckus to show these adventurers what was what.

Instead, she turned to the silver-haired barmaid and jerked her finger.

“I’m guessing you’ve also heard of the newest wonderkid?”

“I have.”

Loki observed her carefully.

“You’ve met him?”

“Is it so surprising, Lady Loki?” the girl smiled. “Quite a lot of adventurers come to the Hostess of Fertility.”

Loki wasn’t buying it. She knew her more than anyone else, and she was more than aware of that particular habit of hers, especially when it came to finding and searching for lost strays. Had this one simply managed to slip between the cracks? Or…?

Or… was there something else?

She observed her features for a bit longer.

Huh.

“To think there’s finally someone else whose authority can be used willy-nilly to gain influence and cheat their Familia upwards…” Loki dryly muttered. “All goddesses are equal, but in the end, some are more equal than others…”

The gray-haired barmaid only smiled at her.

“I wouldn’t know anything about that, Lady Loki.”

Loki frowned.

This isn’t good.

That ability displayed by Hestia’s kid was more of a big deal than anyone could imagine. Loki had already theorized, from the reports, that Hestia could directly invoke her Authority in the Dungeon with those campfires, and she could do so without breaking any rules. Before today, the only Goddess whose Authority could be used to influence others and even influence monsters of the Dungeon was her. The amount of influence and leeway that afforded was immense. 

However, if it was as Loki suspected, those ‘campfires’ in the Dungeon would not only be a respite for adventurers, they would also work as ‘eyes and ears’ for Hestia, granting her a level of omniscience in the Dungeon no other god besides Ouranos could possess.

If that really was the case, it meant certain privileges would go to Hestia. Privileges previously reserved for someone else. As time went on, the more of those campfires that were set up, the more privileges that would be given, the more power that would be given, and the more influence that Hestia and the Hestia Familia could accrue.

As time passed, Adventurers would likely grow to rely on those campfires and even form entire plans, hunting parties, and strategies around them.  If that day came, and Hestia decided to withdraw her authority from one party or another who offended her, if she decided certain things and tributes must be made for someone to use those rest points, or if she completely barred entire Familias from that grace—

It was no understatement to say Hestia would become the most powerful and influential goddess in all of Orario. The most loved, cherished, feared, and revered goddess in Orario.

That old guy would never allow that happen. He’ll likely try to cut some sort of deal to prevent shortstack from accumulating that much power…

But if shortstack doesn’t agree to it…

One of the adventurers slammed his mug down. “That’s it! When I go to the dungeon, I’ll give some offerings to the campfire! To Lady Hestia!”

Loki turned her gaze to the group of chattering adventurers and noticed how the silver-haired barmaid was also paying attention.

“Me too. Lady Hestia saved my life. It’s the least I can do.”

“She’s definitely going to be honored at the Goddess Festival! Perhaps even more than Lady Freya—”

“Shh! Idiot! Don’t go saying that out loud! Are you crazy?”

Loki felt a headache coming.

…Damn it, shortstack. You and that kid of yours have gone and poked a hornet’s nest.

While Loki couldn’t say she was fond of Hestia, she was, at the very least, more fond of Hestia than she was of her. She would rather let the shortstack goddess rise to fame and glory than allow her to accrue even more influence and power by pilfering this child from under Hestia’s nose. 

Loki couldn’t allow such a thing to happen. She absolutely did not want to see that. It would be the absolute worst-case scenario. That much power, that much authority atop what she already had would undoubtedly break the balance of power in Orario, or at least, the illusion of that balance.

What was that saying…? The enemy of my enemy…

For the sake of maintaining the status quo, for the sake of peace in Orario, Loki was going to have to make sure, no matter what, Moses Vanderzee did not get stolen from his Familia.

Loki slowly lifted her mug to her lips, drinking her liquor.

Hopefully, if the brat knows what’s good for him, he’ll stay far away from here…

“Moses! You made it!”

PFFFFFTT—

She spurted out the liquor, coughing and hacking as her neck snapped towards the door. Several pairs of eyes also, at the same time, snapped towards the door. The blue-haired adventurer, clad in a set of clothing from the Far East, stepped into the Hostess of Fertility, and as soon as he did—

What in the…?

Loki felt it. Warmth. A warmth that spread from him. A gathering, comforting, relaxing warmth, a warmth that was undoubtedly the effect of a Goddess’ Authority, of that bite-sized goddess, her power, emanating in a manner that made his mere arrival into a building bring with it the warmth of home.

The child was not by any means special. He was not extraordinarily handsome, nor was he extraordinarily built, but the inverse. Skinny, lanky, unassuming, seemingly someone her eyes would have passed over without a second thought, but they didn’t, and they couldn’t.

Loki’s gaze locked on him, and as they did, she felt something off about him. 

Even stranger was her, the girl, Syr, dragging him forward, towards a seat, a chair, humming so cheerfully that it rang several alarm bells in her mind.

Shortstack… you’re going to owe me for this…

=====)+(=====

“I met an interesting boy today.”

For Ryū, it was not rare for Syr to bring up boys. The topic came often, many times, at the Hostess of Fertility, where Syr was doing the only task she was best at, washing dishes, and discussing with the other girls. 

It was however, the first time, Syr had done so, after she had spent the entire day, occasionally stumbling as she helped them carry trays, washing one plate over and over for thirty minutes in a lost trance, plates slipping between her hands, absent minded, unfocused, and staring out into empty space in a daze like trance, occasionally giggling and chuckling and laughing to herself, as if she’d heard the funniest joke ever told.

Ryū had, eventually, pulled the girl aside, and asked about her well-being, asked if there was something wrong, asked if there was a person she needed dead, not, of course, directly asking, but leaving the implications and interpretation wrapped inside a much more pleasant question, to which, Syr had told her the answer, that she had met a boy.

A boy.

She had said, idly popping soap bubbles, too distracted to notice when she placed soap on the side of her cheek and face from leaning on it wistfully.

A boy.

Ryū was not sure what answer she wanted to hear, or what answer she was expecting to hear, but somehow, the answer she received was both completely unexpected and utterly unexpected.

The other girls, ever nosy, had been eavesdropping. Anya was the first one to squeal.

“Syr has a crush, nya~!”

“Really? Syr has someone she likes?!”

“No way! Who is it? Who is it, nya?!”

“Wait, I didn’t say anything about a crush—”

“As if you needed to say it!”

“You’ve been distracted all day, nya!”

Ryū was somewhat… glad the other girls had stepped in, and glad they had begun to drill her friend for information, because they spared her the pain of having to be the one to make those actions, to perform those deeds. She was not quite sure how to do such a thing, to ask about her friend’s romantic interests, or even if she was suited for such a task. She did not know what to ask, how to ask it, and despite being older, she knew frighteningly little regarding what she was supposed to say, or do, or how to advise her friend on how to proceed.

What Ryū did know was that she had to look out for her friend, for Syr, and that meant ensuring whoever this boy was that had her friend’s head in the clouds was not a shifty person, a bad person, a dishonorable, evil, or vile person.

“Eh? The Rookie everyone’s talking about?! No way! Him?!”

Rookie?

Ryū, like most people in Orario, had heard of Moses Vanderzee, a Level 1 Adventurer who rose to overnight stardom, the captain of the Hestia Familia, who set down campfires in the Dungeon, and brought respite and light to that dark place.

It was… noble.

When she heard about it, the ‘safe zones,’ she had doubted it at first. Then, when the word spread further and the guild confirmed it, Ryū could only remember feeling a sense of disbelief, then a sense of amazement, and a sense of gratitude.

Yet, there had been a tiny, small sense of… bitterness.

If the Goddess Hestia had descended earlier…

If those campfires had been there earlier…

Would… Alise… Kaguya… Neze…

Would they still…

Ryū swallowed down that bitterness. There were no ifs. The time for ifs had long gone. At least, someone like him was here, now. At least, someone like him, like that, would prevent such events from happening in the future. For that, at least, this Moses Vanderzee was at least a person worth giving a small concession, a small bit of gratitude, and leeway.

Yet, his character was still in question. Thus, Ryū had slipped out, just long enough to ask Lunoire to use a few of her old contacts to run a tiny, minor background check, and to cross-reference that information with what was provided by the Guild.

To no surprise, she’d learned a lot of people were investigating Moses Vanderzee. Not just him, but also his Familia. Yet, the information was always the same: sparingly little.

He appeared out of nowhere and became known locally as the Pauper’s Orator, telling stories to beggars, children, and orphans. Before that, he claimed to be a Coachman, but no one, absolutely no one, could say they had ever been in a coach ridden by him.

It was not uncommon for people’s pasts to be difficult to find in Orario, especially because many individuals came here looking for a way to flee said past and bury said past. She, Lunoire, and Anya knew that very well. The fact that his past was completely blank wasn’t necessarily a sign that he was trouble; he could also simply be someone wanting to start over. Someone trying to start over. A new slate, a clean break.

Perhaps he was someone who had better luck doing so than she did.

Syr said the boy had promised to come by in the evening, and from there… 

They would see for themselves the sort of individual he was.

“Moses! You made it!”

Ryū had not been the only one who had stopped to take note of when the boy entered the Hostess of Fertility. Everyone had stopped. Everyone. Every conversation had ended, every drunken patron had gained a momentary sobriety from the silence, and every person about to eat from their meal had paused.

The Goddess, Loki, had even choked on the wine she was drinking, spraying the table across from her and a dwarf across from her, to which she hastily waved an apology, choking and coughing.

…Him?

Ryū was not sure what to think upon seeing him. The current most famous man in Orario, entering the place with a steel staff, wearing clothes from the Far East, skinny, frail, looking lighter than the breeze.

I thought he would be more…

Ryū took the moment to remind herself that appearances could be deceiving. The boy, Moses, certainly did not look like he was the famed figure on everyone’s lips, but even she could not say for certain what she expected such a person to look like. All she could say was that he would be mistaken for a civilian rather than an adventurer, but there was… merit in that.

The whispers that came from the customers were not as gracious as her thoughts.

“Really… that’s him?”

“Yeah, it’s him… that’s Moses Vanderzee… Captain of the Hestia Familia.”

“Huh… I mean… huh.”

“Someone get that man a bloody steak or something…”

“I thought he’d be taller…”

The grumbles were many. The expectation of a larger-than-life figure had clashed with the reality of a smaller, more mundane individual. Ryū did not know what they were expecting, but by the looks and words, somehow, many thought he would be someone as larger than life as Ottar.

“Maybe… It's just his goddess that’s special…?”

“That’s it, yeah, that’s probably it…”

“Well… he is a Level One…”

To his merit, to his praise, either the Rookie could not hear their words, or was immune to them, immune to the myriad of gazes locked on him as though he were a hawk. He smiled politely at Syr; his eyes were only on Syr, as she took him by the hand and dragged him to a seat.

Ryū’s brow lifted slightly. Odd.

Moses Vanderzee had the bearing of a person already used to fame. Someone already used to attention, and judging by how he did not seem to mind the words, he was someone already used to negative attention, to infamy, rather than fame. That made fairly little sense, as far as Ryū knew, and as far as her impromptu check-up on his background went, the man had been a Coachman before he became an adventurer. 

What sort of coachman was not only familiar with, but comfortable amidst attention and negativity?

Hm?

Ryū’s gaze flickered to Syr for a moment. She could have sworn that as Syr held Moses’ hand and led him to his seat, her friend had shuddered and bit her lip in a way that was…. her expression in that moment had been…

I… I must have imagined it. Ryū shook her head. I’ve been working too many shifts…

Her friend, Syr, innocent Syr, could never make such a… face. 

“Welcome to the Hostess of Fertility!” Syr chirped. “What can we get you?”

“This is my first time in a place like this in Orario. I’m not sure what’s on the menu,” he had said. “I’ll have whatever is—”

“Best?”

“I was going to say cheapest,” Moses chuckled. “My goddess is still in talks with the guild, and I have to be cautious about our financial situation, so—”

The boy paused as a familiar, red-haired goddess stood in front of him.

“Can I help… you?” He tilted his head, then his eyes widened. “Ah, you’re a goddess. Can I help you, goddess?”

“Oi, skinny… you’re in my seat.”

“I am?” Moses blinked. “I didn’t realize that. I’ll get up—”

“Bah, don’t bother. I’ll just sit down here anyway.”

“I… pardon?”

Ryū was… confused.

She wasn’t the only one. She couldn’t be the only one confused. Loki, Lady Loki, Goddess of the Loki Familia, one of Orario’s strongest Familias, a Familia which had the likes of Finn Deimne, Riveria Ljos Alf, Gareth Landrock, and Aiz Wallenstein, had just… sat on the lap of the hottest topic Rookie on Orario, Moses Vanderzee, as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

Loki had always been known for her perverted streak, and sometimes, sometimes, she got a little too handsy, but those were always towards women. This was the first time she had pulled something like this towards a man.

“Lady… Loki…?”

Syr was smiling a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

“What? He doesn’t mind,” Loki said, offhandedly. “You don’t mind, do you, skinny?”

“Not really, no,” Moses admitted, chuckling. “Though I’m not sure it makes a difference…”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You’re a Goddess…” he tilted his head. “There is no right or wrong to a god’s actions, so, even if I didn’t like it, would it make a difference if I objected?”

Lady Loki stared into Moses Vanderzee’s eyes.

“I never would have thought that shortstack’s hot topic kid…” 

Lady Loki ran her hand through her hair. 

“Would be utterly batshit crazy.”