Balm in Gilead Chapter 17

Chapter 17

I walked out of the Apollo mansion with a makeover, an alliance, and the urge to take another, much more thorough, bath.

After lounging in the bathhouse for a short time, I’d gotten out, only to find that my clothes had been replaced with…

Well, it was a short skirt—that did do nice things to my legs, I guess—with a completely anachronistic blouse that somehow made it look like I had actual cleavage while still emphasizing my trimmed physique. But even if I’d be going to this new tailor (hah) for clothes going forward, it didn’t change the fact that I felt like a dress up doll, paraded around for Apollo to appreciate if he had to talk business.

“God.” I shook my head, starting back down the road towards Orario. The clothes were nice, but it was clear he was only interested in me because I was the flavor of the month, and without the spa treatment, I still wouldn’t have been worth his time.

His entire Familia was composed of beautiful people, including little boys, which I would normally ignore, but he was a Greek deity. And while I hadn’t seen anything untoward happen while I was there, I’d still be keeping an eye on them.

But anyway, the point was I apparently cleaned up okay, now that I was a little taller, a little older, but I was no great beauty like Ais, or Hestia, or any of the countless people in the Apollo Familia. Just as apparent was that Apollo was after me just like all the other Familias that had been sending offers. I’d say he was being circumspect about it, except I’d figured out his plan within a few moments of sitting down across from him in the banquet hall.

He’d made a deal too good to refuse though, so I’d be happy to reap the benefits of our little alliance, sharpening my fangs until he made his play.

I didn’t hold any illusions that I could somehow solo his Familia the way I’d gone through Soma’s. Soma had come in small groups, fueled by their own greed. Apollo’s Familia would just fall on me and crush me with their hundreds. Nevermind that the captain was a level 3.

Before, maybe I might have entertained thoughts of taking out someone a level higher than me; that when the going got tough, I’d come out on top through grit and sheer determination.

Leveling up myself had put those ideas behind me. The difference was insane.

Any Level 3 more than a few weeks into their level up would be able to mop the floor with me just because their numbers were bigger.

It was a long walk back to Orario, though at least my cloak had been returned to me, so it was only the gate guard—the same one who signed me out—who paid any more attention to me when I came back into the city.

But I was exhausted. Dealing with people had never been my forte. Dealing with people who clearly wanted to use me? Well, I had a history of ending those kinds of meetings by jamming a fistful of spiders down the other person’s throat. I want to lie down, but Hestia wouldn’t be home yet, and Lili said she wanted to do a bit of solo leveling so she wouldn’t be left behind.

And going back to an empty house…

Almost without thinking, my feet led me to a familiar restaurant. The Hostess of Fertility hadn’t exactly become a ‘regular haunt’ or anything like that, but Hestia liked the atmosphere, and even I could admit that the service was good.

“Taylor!”

Speaking of.

I allowed a small smile as the silver-haired girl came up to me. “Syr.”

“It’s good to see you again.” She paused, giving me a look up and down. “Oh wow, that skirt is so pretty, you have to tell me where you got it!”

“You don’t want to know.” I shook my head, but I didn’t resist as the waitress took me by the arm and pulled him into the Hostess. It was after the lunch rush, so the place actually had open tables. Syr, without being told, seated me at a small booth tucked into the corner all the same. My smile grew a bit more genuine at that.

“So what can we get started for you today?” She smiled, whipping out her notepad. “Oh! Mama Mia added some new drinks to the menu too! Non-alcoholic!”

“Soft drinks, huh?”

“Hey, that’s a good name!” Syr scribbled it down on her notepad. “I guess whisky and stuff can be pretty hard, can’t they?” Her eyes twinkled.

I sighed. “What do you have?”

“Freshly squeezed oranges, grapes, and we even figured out how to juice lemons and make them taste good!”

“Hmm.” I tilted my head. “Orange juice sounds nice. And just…” I looked down at the menu on the table, before handing it to Syr. “Ask Mama Mia to make me something good? I can never pick when I come here.”

“You got it!” Syr gave a cutesy little salute before disappearing into the kitchen, leaving me to my thoughts.

Hestia had been worried about me after the Wargame, about drinking Soma, but it appeared that throwing off its effects meant that there were no lasting complications. Just like with the ‘normal’ Soma, where one never had cravings once they rose above the temptation to throw away their life for the drink.

Ostensibly, that meant I could drink the literal nectar of the gods now without suffering the consequences.

But for some reason, that didn’t sound like a good idea.

Soma was back in heaven anyway. After his Familia got disbanded, he ended up heading back up on his own, saying that it was time to return to the source.

I’d say I wished him the best of it, but I wasn’t in the habit of lying to myself.

“Here you go!” Syr slipped into the booth right next to me, sliding a steaming hot plate of spaghetti and a tall glass of orange juice in front of me.

I raised an eyebrow at her.

Syr pouted up at me. “What?”

I snorted, taking a bite of my food, delicious as always. I didn’t ask how Mama Mia cooked so quickly. That way lay madness. “Don’t you have work to do?”

“It’s slow.” Syr shrugged one slim shoulder towards the rest of the tavern. There were only a few other patrons in right now. “And making sure you’re having a good time is part of my job too!”

I held back a sigh. On one hand, I didn’t really know Syr. She was just a waitress at the one restaurant Hestia and I went to. But on the other, she looked so earnest that I didn’t just want to turn her down.

And also, I could use something to distract me from my meeting with Apollo.

“As long as Mama Mia doesn’t come over here to yell at me.”

Syr smiled brightly, shuffling more comfortably into the booth. She pushed against me for a second, until I sighed for real this time, moving closer to the wall to give the younger girl some space.

“How have you been doing?” Syr asked. “It seems like you’ve been pretty busy the last few days.”

I blinked, pausing mid-chew to look at the silver-haired girl. She was looking at me, eyes wide and curious.

I swallowed. “You could say that.” I took a drink, holding back a small laugh. The juice had pulp in it. Idly, I wondered if I could get Mia to pay me for the idea of pulpless orange juice.

Maybe I should go to Hephaestus instead…

“It’s nothing that I can’t handle, though,” I said.

“Yeah!” Syr nodded happily. “You’re pretty dependable, right, Taylor?”

I shrugged. “I like to think I keep my promises.”

She giggled, but let me keep eating mostly in peace. Really, she seemed to be enjoying just sitting next to me, idly kicking her feet against the booth. After I finished about half of the plate—I was apparently hungrier than I thought—Syr asked, “What’s it like?”

“Hmm? What, being the flavor of the week?”

Syr shook her head. “Being in the Hestia Familia?” She rested her chin on her palm. “I’ve never been an adventurer, so I kinda want to know what it’s like.”

“The Hestia Familia isn’t exactly the normal experience, from what I’ve gathered.”

“That’s why I want to know about it!”

I huffed, looking away. “It’s… great, actually.” I allowed myself a small smile. “I never really had someone to come home to, someone who was always on my side, not since…” I shrugged. “Hestia is everything I could ask for in a goddess.”

“Oh, Taylor!” My head snapped up as Syr took my hand. Her silver eyes were practically swimming with tears. “That’s so beautiful.”

“…”

“You really do belong with her, don’t you.” Sniffing, Syr wiped at her eyes. Of course she was one of those girls who could even make crying pretty.

“Yes,” I said. “I do.”

Syr nodded, slipping back slightly as she dabbed at her eyes. “That’s so nice. I’m really, really happy for you.”

I raised an eyebrow, slowly putting another forkful of noodles into my mouth.

“Still.” Her smile took on a sly cast as she looked up at me through fluttering eyelashes. “Hestia’s not a jealous goddess, is she?”

I frowned lightly. “What are you talking about?”

“Oh, nothing!” Syr giggled, giving me a quick hug before slipping out of the booth. “I’m just really happy that you and Hestia have each other.” She pointed. “You should bring her around more too! It’s always great to see you two.”

I sighed. “I won’t if you’re gonna be weird about things.”

Syr gasped, placing a hand on her chest. “Me, weird? Why, I would never!”

I just raised my eyebrow again, and Syr giggled. “If you promise to come by more often, I promise I won’t just melt seeing you two being all cute together.”

I rolled my eyes. “That seems like a big sacrifice on your part.”

“It is!” Syr nodded. “Besides, don’t you like the food? Hestia isn’t a goddess of cooking, after all.”

“She makes good jagamarukuns…” I gave a small chuckle. “Not that I get to have any, these days.”

“See? All the more reason for you to bring her here. I’ll have you know that I make good jagamarukuns as well.”

“I’m sure you do, Syr.”

She smiled. “I’ll show you next time. Anyway, I do have to get back to work, but let me know if you need anything!”

I hummed. “Another glass of juice would be nice.”

“Coming right up!” She moved back through the restaurant, green dress swishing behind her as she went. I let out a breath, but there was a small smile tugging at the corners of my lips. Pushy or not, someone uncomplicated like Syr was exactly what I needed after spending the last hour or so hammering out an alliance with the Apollo Familia.

Now if only all the gods could be as nice as her, things would be a lot easier.

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A/N: Who’s the real Freya? Sometimes I wonder if even she knows.

Also, you thought it was going to be Apollo, but it was me! Dio!

A note from the editor: Apollo’s section ended way too early, which I hear is a recurring problem for him.