Chapter 63: A good steak and a surprising reunion.

Right now, I am enjoying a nice, cold, and sweet mixed juice as the waitress writes down our orders and Mr. Bartender tends to the drinks of the others.

Yep, I said juice.

I don't drink alcohol, unless it is a very special occasion.

In any case, we’re all sitting here at the pub’s bar, which is pretty large.

Although, team two hasn't arrived, so we are not that many to worry about running out of space.

Of course, once they do arrive, we’ll move to one of the bigger tables.

"Hmm?"

The mixed juice inside my glass just swayed a bit.

That should not be possible since my hands are quite steady when holding things.

How else would I be able to build my garage kits of besto waifu?!

Which leaves only one suspect.

My chair.

"I believe I told you not to move. My drink swayed for a second."

"Hiiiih! I-I'm sorry! I-It will not happen again, Ma'am!"

"Hmph. We shall see."

I say that with my dom-edge alter tone as I cross my legs in a sensual manner once more. The left leg being now on top of the right one.

Ahhn…so nice.

While I already knew that besto waifu works great as a dom, acting it out is just on a whole different level of good.

"Oh, my, my. I let you out of my sight for a little bit of time and you are already engaging in that type of play, dear~~?"

"...!"

That divine voice that almost made me spit my drink!

Nerinne!

"The one and only, dear~~."

You...!

What were you doing that you couldn't answer my calls?

I missed you, you know?

"Oh, I apologize, dear. It seems that I put almost all of my attention in scolding that naughty child."

Wasn’t 'multasking' one of your good points as a Goddess?

"Fufufu~~~, it is, dear! It’s just that…here, I shall explain it this way: Imagine that I am a farming an event and reading a light novel at the same time. What happened is that I got too focused on the light novel, dear.”

Hmph. I understand.

"Oh, are you still mad, dear~~? Even after a Goddess apologized to you?"

Hmph.

“Even after I was actually farming on your two accounts while scolding that child?”

Hmm…? No. I won't let you think that it is all forgotten. Hmph.

"Aw...even if I were to tell you that I was farming both the second part of that comedy event and that event in the Japanese server? You know…the one you usually get stuck on due to how challenging some of the fights are.”

That is...no! You cannot tempt me to forgive you like that!

"My, my...that truly saddens me. I even spent quite some time rolling the gacha just to get you that victorious samurai and that farming King of Kings. But I see…that is just not enough…”

Nnnnnnnnnnnn...fine! You are forgiven you lovable Goddess!! I can't be that cold hearted after all the things you just said.

"I knew you would understand, my dear~~."

But...

"What, dear~~?"

That King’s event in the Japanese server usually has two six stars featured on the banner. Not just him, darling. Could it be that you forgot to mention the other one? You know…the new unit.

"Oh. It was no one of importance, dear~~~."

Darling, you made this instinct. No lies please.

"Mou! It was just some goddess! So, what if she is illustrated by our favorite artist?! Or that she has different animations per limit break, including her ultimate attack! I told you! Auros is mine! No other goddess can bless you!!"

You...! An SSR illustrated by them?!! One that is unique to that point?! And you did not roll for it?!!

Wait...

What was that last part about other goddesses blessing me?

"Dummy dear! I told you already! Sharing you with other goddesses is a big no! Fictional or otherwise! But why it had to be a goddess…?!"

No, no. I get that, but you said something about a blessing...

"Ooops…! Amm…I…I said nothing of the sort, dear~~."

Nerinneeee...

"Can you wait?"

No.

"..."

You will only make me more curious if you keep silent like that, Nerinne.

"Aaah! Mou! Fine! Listen well, for this is the knowledge of the Gods! Souls usually forget everything when they go through the reincarnation system, but sometimes…they do not. Those souls end up carrying vestiges of their previous life, which usually manifest through dreams. They can be a foggy memory of some event, a name, an idea, and other things like that. Within that group there are some that remember the Gods of their world."

Umu.

"The thing is...they remember them as that, gods. What is even more strange, is that they tend to find others who remember that name, forming a group little by little. Said group then is set to rekindle their past worship in their new lives. But they need something else besides that notion for it to truly take root in their hearts and those of others.”

Something like a…solid foundation?

“Mhm. For context, Yawue wore many masks and forms to try and…correct his mistakes. In doing so, he created many pantheons with only himself as the actual god behind them. But sometimes..."

One of the Gods those people remembered was put beside those?

"Exactly, dear. They would add them to the pantheons of the places where they lived. By the time we as gods became aware of such thing, no one took it to heart. We all just thought of it as part of the unpredictability of life. And so, many of Earth’s gods are Yawue in disguise, but there is a small group of them that actually exist and look over their own worlds."

Aaaaaand she is one that appears in the game?

"Yes...”

I see.

“I want you to understand that our names are part of us. When someone utters our name in another world, we notice. Some just raise an eyebrow, but others are more carefree and reward them with a very light blessing. Nothing major is gained, just something mundane. Like finding a coin on the sidewalk or barely passing a test that you were sure to fail."

Or getting the SSR with their name in the gacha?

"Yes."

But I don't think I have done that...I mean...

"You have, dear. In one of your accounts you got one in just one shot, right?"

No way so—

"SHHHHH! DO NOT SAY HER NAME! I do not want her looking this way!"

Ok. Ok. My bad...

Then the goddess that just released is...

"Entirely fictional and just another of Yawue's disguises, dear~~. I just do not like you getting all excited by another goddess..."

Aww...jealous Nerinne is cute...I bet you are pouting too.

"..."

So cute.

Umu. Umu. I'm good with that answer. Thank you, Nerinne.

Also, now I can't get the image of a crossdressing Yawue out of my head...

But!

You are the only Goddess who can get my heart and soul, so don't worry about it, darling.

"Auros, you...I love you. Anyway, I think that fifteen minutes is enough punishment."

Hm?

"I am talking about your chair, dear~~."

Ah, right.

Yeah, looking at him right now it does seem that way.

"Hmph, you have done well. Bring me a real chair and stay out of trouble. Understood?"

I say so as I get off my fleshy chair and help him stand up.

"Y-yes, Ma'am! One chair coming up!"

So he exclaims while immediately running off to get a chair and bringing it to me.

“H-Here, Ma’am!”

He has even cleaned it to the point that I can see my reflection on it as he presents it to me.

“Good.”

With that, I nod in approval and sit.

"I will also apply for the Paladins tomorrow morning!!”

"The paladins? Oi wai—"

“Good night, Ma'am!!"

Aaaand there he goes...

Just when I was about to tell him that he didn’t need to do that…

"Fufufu~~, it will be good for him, dear."

I hope so.

"Here it is, esteemed client. The best dish of the house. The beeftain steak with the boss' secret sauce, an extra for winning the glaring match. And for the lady on the right, beeftain steak with mashed uruns and gravy."

"You have my gratitude."

"Much appreciated."

Both Erevain and I smile gratefully at the waitress, who quickly puts our food on the bar and only leaves after saying the following with a smile of her own:

"Please, enjoy!"

One thing though.

It was only for a moment, but she looked quite surprised when she saw Erevain. It was to the point that she was about to say something, but she reigned herself in.

I think everyone can guess the reason for her surprise at this point, right?

Good.

Anyways, I can see that everyone already has their own dishes. So, without further ado, lets dig in!

*sniff*

"...!"

HHHHNNGHH!! WHAT IS THIS SMELLGASM?! JUST SMELLING IT IS MAKING ME EVEN HUNGRIER!!

LETS GOOOO!!!

I GRAB THE KNIFE AND THE FORK WITH MY FULL HANDS AND—!

"My Lord do not forget your table manners. And I did not push the issue any further, but it is not proper etiquette to use other people as chairs in public, My Lord. Even if it is for punishment. Please, reflect on your actions."

Uwaa...Erevain just stopped my right hand with incredible strength and is looking at me with some scary strict eyes...

"…right, of course. Thank you, Erevain."

"No need to thank me, My Lord. I am just doing my duty."

Ahahaha...she looked quite scary...even if she has that beautiful face...

"Fufufu~~~, as expected of the second heroine. The earnest princess that takes her role very seriously. She will make a great wife."

Wowowowowow! Don't you think that you are going too fast!? We’re still in the first volume! We are not getting axed to start talking about marriage this early!!

Still…Erevain in a wedding dress...

"...!"

Aaah…my face is getting hot just by imagining it...

"Fufufuhahahaha!! You are so red right now, dear!"

THIS GODDESS!!!

I'll just eat my steak then! Hmph!

___________________________________________

DELICIOUS!!! IT’S SOFT!! IT’S JUICY!! IT’S MELTING IN MY MOUTH!! SO GOOOD!!

AND THE SAUCE!!! THIS.DAMN. SAUCE!! IT’S THE BEST!!

IMAGINE IF I COULD USE IT IN MY PULLED PORK SANDWICHES!!!

I WOULD REACH THE NIRVANNA OF PULLED PORK SANDWICHES!! BELIEVE IT!!

"My Lord, do you want to try the mashed uruns?"

Eh…?

Did Erevain just offered to share some of her food with me?! Is this that event?!

"Hooh~~, can I? If I remember correctly, sharing food with others is not proper etiquette."

"Indeed, My Lord. But that is only in fine dining establishments and this is not one. We are in a pub, My Lord."

"Ah, yes."

Wait...then what the hell was that before?!

"Here, My Lord."

She takes a bit of mashed uruns with her fork and then moves it towards…my mouth?!

AHHH! THIS IS REALLY THE EVENT WHERE ONE OF THE HEROINES FEEDS THE PROTAGONIST!!!

SHE IS EVEN BLUSHING!! MY HEART…!!

No! Get a grip, Auros!! You can’t get all tsundere or flustered!!

Maintain your edge alter character!! Maintain it!

"Hmph. If you insist. Aaah..."

She really is feeding it to me with her fork—OH! IT’S GOOD!

Even more so because of Erevain!

"How was it, My Lord?"

"It was fine, but I want to make it clear that I did not enjoy it more because of you."

AAAAAHHH!!!! I’M BLUSHING SO MUCH RIGHT NOW!!  WHY DID I SAID THAAAAT?! AH! HOW COULD I FORGET?!! MY BESTO WAIFU IS A TOTAL TSUNDERE!!

"Hehe…of course, My Lord."

SHE GIGGLED!! ERE GIGGLED WHILE SAYING THAT!!

"FUFUFUHAHAHAHAHA!"

OF COURSE, YOU’RE LAUGHING YOUR ASS OFF, NERINNE!!

I WANT TO TELEPORT SOMEWHERE FAR AWAY!! BUT THE FOOD HERE IS SO DELICIOUS!!!

___________________________________________

Ooof...there...there...ah...

I'm fine now.

Yes...fine...

Man, that really was a surprise bond event...

Now…

We’ve already finished eating and we’re waiting for team two right now.

And if you’re asking yourself why I’m sitting alone at the bar, it’s because Erevain and Erica went to watch over Bertia, who is having some hand-wrestling matches over there.

Although, my dear head maid is glancing at me every now and then just to make sure that I'm fine and not being bothered.

So cute.

She still worries about me and does her job properly, even if she knows that I can pretty much blow up this whole Capital if I wanted to.

"You will not do that, right?"

Of course not, Nerinne!!

I am not a villain!!!

Anyways, now that I give this place a better look, I can see that there’s many heads of monsters and beasts mounted on the walls.

Oh, there are even some doorim antlers!

Nice!

Not only that, but there are various pelts on the wall too.

Hmm...now I'm curious.

"Did you hunt those, old man?"

I ask Mr. Bartender, who is currently cleaning a mug.

"Only some alone, young miss. I hunted some of the others with my son when he was a child. And the most impressive ones are those that he hunted on his own when I had no more to teach him."

Oh, that is a nice story.

Father and son bonding through something they share a liking to.

I...did not have that with my father. He…well, let’s just say that he had other things to do.

But I did with grandpa, so I kind of understand.

I hope your watch is in the hands of my sister. She'll take care of it. I promise.

I love you, Gramps. I hope you are happy wherever you are now.

"Like the doorim antlers over there?"

I point at them as I say that, and he chuckles.

"Heh, yes, exactly those, young miss. Do you want to hear the story about them?"

"I'd be glad to."

I can see in his eyes that such story is one he holds dear. There’s no way I can say no.

"You see, my son could be described as carefree. He liked eating delicious things and hunting with me. Everything else would go over his head most of the time. So, when he told me that he would enter the trials for a certain Order, I was surprised to say the least.”

Hmm…something about his son sounds familiar...

“He left the house for about 2 months, since that is how long the trials tend to get. And I didn’t hear from him during that time. No letters. Nothing. When he returned, he did so while carrying that doorim on his shoulders. He was full of cuts and panting. Now, you might not know how difficult it is to hunt a doorim, but it is. Only highly experienced hunters dare to try it because they are not only agile beasts, but they’re also very powerful."

He makes me another mixed juice as he says that, and he does it masterfully.

"I almost let a mug fall to the floor from the shock that caused me. I ran to him, trying to scold him, but he just smiled proudly while I shook him. And then he said it 'Dad, I got in. I was found worthy. I hunted something delicious to celebrate!'. Heheh…”

“…”

I can help but smile at the sight of Mr. Bartender chuckling and shaking his head, showing just how fondly he holds such memory.

“Oh, my boy. There were cuts all over his face and body. His bow was broken. And his knife was a mess. But he still said all those things as if it had been as easy as serving some water. That night, we ate almost everything on the doorim and my boy made the biggest smile I had ever seen him make. That moment I realized that my dear late wife and I had nothing to worry about, for he was happy."

His eyes only get even more filled with love as she says that and…AAAAH! I WANT TO CRY!!! BUT I CAN'T!! I HAVE TO HOLD THESE TEARS BACK! HOLD THEM BAAACK!!!

"…that is a really moving story, old man."

"It’s just one of the best blessings I have been able to experience in this place, young miss."

He says so with a big, warm, fatherly smile as he looks at those antlers.

"May I ask a question?"

"You want to ask where my son is, right?"

I raise an eyebrow in response to him pretty much deducing my question and he chuckles.

"Heh, a lot of travelers ask the same thing after listening to this story. He...”

He pauses for a moment before continuing, his expression becoming a bit more serious but also hopeful, all while never losing that fatherly smile.

“Some say that he is dead after what happened here, but I do not think so. He is alive and he is having the time of his life out there, eating and hunting. Yes, he might be facing some difficulties too, but...he is alive. I can feel it. It is not like when his mother fell in battle at the Front. I did not feel that...void. Not then and…not now."

He says so while putting his fist where his heart is and lightly tapping it, showing that such feeling comes from the bottom of his heart.

Also, I think I know who it is, but...I want to hear him say it.

"Old man, what is your son's name? I intend to travel to other countries, so I can help look for him."

“…!”

His face lights up as I say that and he immediately nods, his eyes brimming with hope.

"His name is Julius, young miss. But everyone knows my boy as...Jules."

Bingo.

And as if it were scripted for an anime cliffhanger, the door to the pub has opened and through it, team two has entered.

Which includes a certain hunter maid named...

You guessed it.

Jules.

To be continued...(cue rounda…you know the rest)

Thank you for reading! I hope that you enjoyed the chapter and I apologize for the delay! Now, onto the poll report!

Well, no surprises here again. But, now it is Erevain who is moving once more and is closing in on Gabrielle! So, who knows? Perhaps there will be a change before this ends!

Speaking of Erevain...here it is an epic fanart of her by fia from our discord server! I call it "Erevain [Crescent Moon Slash]"!

SHE LOOKS AMAZING!! THANK YOU FIA!! THANK YOU!!

If you want to send some fanart, you can do so by going to our discord server and uploading it to the fanart channel! Or you can ask for my gmail and you can send it there!

In another news, I just launched my Patreon! There you will be able to support me and the story! You will not only get your name on every chapter, but also at the end of the volume in the "special thanks" section and even a personal message! Plus, a little surprise will come your way via email! It might be a bit spicy! And thank you beforehand to those who choose to support me, it really helps!

Special thanks from the bottom of my heart to: EmbraceTheSleeb, Lord-Hollow, YukisoraRin, LordInquisitorSteele, Anon, Anon2 and Ayth!

I will be taking a break today (monday), so see you all tomorrow!