In Danmachi with My System

"Yes, that's it! It's good!"

"Uh-huh..."

"This is delicious! Delicious!"

"Mhmm. Yeah."

"This is great!"

After my adventure in the dungeon, we had agreed to go to the most popular pub in the area. Well, we were sitting at one of the tables, with several plates in front of us, along with some drinks.

I don't know what the hell it was made of, but the alcohol didn't look good at all. The color was bright orange and dark red, and there were bubbles everywhere. No, I don't think it's good.

While I only had a glass of water, Hestia, unlike me, already had several drinks, and every time she finished one, she poured herself another. And now she was excited, jumping happily in her seat.

Sitting next to her, I smiled. She was very happy and it was a beautiful sight.

"Ei-kun, this is my first time in a pub! The food in this tavern is so good, I won't be able to eat anywhere else!"

We had ended up at the famous Hostess of Fertility pub, a place she had insisted on visiting. Not that I had much choice at the time. Hestia was excited, and with that level of enthusiasm, it was impossible to say no. Besides, the place had its reputation. Although, I won't lie, there was a little worry in the back of my mind.

"Am... Well, be careful or you'll end up rolling in the streets of Orario."

"Hey, I can eat all I want and not get fat!"

"How unfair... Perks of being a goddess, I guess."

To be honest, a body made of data couldn't get fat either. If Hestia was a cheater for that reason alone, then I was a cheater too. After all, I was the one who created this vessel.

'Anyway, I was referring to your drunkenness...'

While Hestia devoured another plate, my eyes wandered around the room. We weren't the only ones here. Most of the people were human, but there were also half-humans. Then the pub was bustling with noise and activity.

Suddenly, my heart skipped a beat. In the crowd, an ashen hair shone under the yellow light. Focusing on her, I saw her beaming smile as she moved from table to table, handing out trays and glasses of beer.

The famous waitress from the anime. Syr. Or should I say... Freya.

Yes, that Freya. The goddess who was only interested in pure and shining souls, the most promising adventurers of Orario.

Our eyes met for a moment. She waved her hand and her sweet smile widened, lighting up the space around her. Damn, she really is cute.

I swallowed. I felt a twinge of regret for agreeing to come here in the first place. If it weren't for the desire to see that lovely elf maid, I probably wouldn't have stepped through the door. It was a pity that, to my double misfortune, she still hadn't shown up.

'Quiet. Freya is only interested in pure and shining souls.'

The only thing that reassured me was that as far as I was concerned, my soul had to be dark and ugly as coal. That kept me safe didn't it?

It's an advantage to be an emotional mess sometimes.

As I tried to ignore the feeling of being watched, a waitress approached our table. It was a brown-haired cat-girl with a new tray.

"Nya! Are you liking Hostess of Fertility?!" She said cheerfully. "Well, well, do we have a new handsome one here? First time I've seen you, nya~"

My thoughts raced for a moment. Handsome? Me? Okay, that's going to inflate my ego in a healthy way.

"Ah, yes. I just arrived in Orario."

"Nya~ Welcome then! I'm Anya, nya~ You know, if you need anything, just yell, nya~!"

'If you need anything, just yell.' Are you crazy? Because if I yell and Freya is around, something terrible will happen. So, very kind of you, but I'll stay quiet.

"Then I'll say goodbye, nya~"

As she spoke, the cat ears on her head twitched excitedly. Then I realized it was the legendary Nya~. I never thought I would hear it in person. But she looked adorable, and I wanted to grab her and pull her tail.

"Ah... she called my Ei-kun handsome, didn't she?"

Hestia's voice was strained.

"Ah, yes?"

"That cat shouldn't talk to you! Ei-kun is mine!"

Only then did I notice that Hestia's face was red. Her eyes were a little dull, slightly moist, and she was staring at Anya's back. Oh no, she's drunk.

"Hestia, I think you've had too much to drink."

"I can't allow people to approach my Ei-kun so freely!"

"All right, all right, all right. But shouldn't we go home?"

"No, no, no~" She said, leaning towards me. "Let's stay here! I'm excited about all the things we have to do! Like our date!"

'Huh? Our date?'

Just before I answered her, there was a commotion all around.

The people in the pub were happily emitting noise and eating to their hearts' content. Actually, the improvement in their lives was the food and beer being served.

The air in the pub changed in an instant. The festive mood picked up and all eyes fixed on the group that had just entered. You could feel it, the dense energy they brought with them. 

"Who the hell are they?"

"Are you so drunk your brains are rotting? Look at the crest they're wearing!"

"Loki Familia!"

"So that's the famous Sword Princess? The one with the golden hair. She's so beautiful... I'd like to be her slave."

"Watch your tongue, fool, if they're going to listen to you."

"They bring such glory that I don't need to have lived here to know it."

My eyes swept over them, inspecting each one.

First, a red-haired girl with a chest so flat she almost looked like a walking plank. She had a mischievous smile and that "I can kick your ass and not even mess up my hair" energy. Next to her was an elf with emerald hair and a serene expression. She gave me the vibe of a serious woman who was more focused on the "mission" than having fun in her life.

Then my eyes slid to the figure behind her.

Ais Wallenstein.

Golden hair fell over her shoulders, gleaming like gold in the pub's dim light. Her expression was as vacant as I expected. Incredibly beautiful, and yet unapproachable. Cold, perhaps. Or maybe she just didn't care about her surroundings. 

She carried a different sword than the one I remembered from the anime. The adventurer from earlier had called her "Princess Sword". And rightly so, as I could almost feel the edge of her weapon just by looking at it. 

The rest of the group was a little less impressive in my eyes. Bete, the werewolf with the perpetually irritated face, was there too, followed by two Amazons. Then there were the two dwarves: one stout and the other thin; the latter was actually a Pallum. I didn't care much for them, to be honest. I didn't even know their names for sure.

"Loki Familia! Welcome~ What an honor to have you here at the Hostess of Fertility!"

Syr took the opportunity to announce the Loki Familia's arrival with her sweet voice. She led them to a table not far from where Hestia and I were sitting.

Hestia was still drunk next to me, her face flushed, "Ei-kun ignored me... wahhh!" She was too engrossed in her glass of beer to notice the group's arrival. Her eyes were barely open and I honestly thought it would be best to leave before Loki recognized her. I didn't want to end up in the middle of a scene between two goddesses.

I mean, Loki and Hestia had a rivalry that was no secret, and I really didn't want to see my goddess fighting with another. Time to go.

Before I could suggest that we leave, a loud bang drew my attention back to the Loki Familia table. Bete had slammed his fist against the wood, causing the glasses on the table to shake.

"It's fucking crazy what's going on in the dungeon! What the hell, two Goliaths! Even normal monsters have become abnormal. I've never seen them act so strategically. And what are these new types of bosses!"

The stout dwarf gave him a smiling look and patted him on the back with his big hands.

"Haha! Calm down, Bete. If it hadn't been for this madness, we'd probably still be in the depths. You'd be complaining just the same, but because we wouldn't have gotten out yet."

Bete growled. He only seemed to be irritated, because he gave the impression that he still wanted to fight.

"We could have gone deeper, but it was our responsibility to go out and inform the guild. We can't risk other less prepared adventurers encountering a situation like this."

As one might expect from the green-haired elf, Riveria. With a stoic face and dignified posture, she spoke of what was best for all.

Chaos in the dungeon... I would say I was surprised, but that would be a lie.

'Has the dungeon awakened a more powerful consciousness? Does it have something to do with Isis?'

As I lost myself in my thoughts, Loki Familia was still arguing. And it seemed that the news had not spread yet, because the adventurers in the pub were worried as soon as these words reached their ears. Loki Familia would not lie. If they said that there had been a change in the dungeon and that it was more dangerous now, then it was true.

"What now?" a flat-chested Amazon raised her hand. She seemed unconcerned and very eager to act. "Do we wait or come back tomorrow? Now that there are more monsters, I'd like to crush them!"

Another, but larger-chested Amazon tugged at her cheek. "Ay, ay, Tione, leave my cheeks alone!"

"No."

Riveria shook her head. "First the guild has to investigate. It's not normal for the dungeon to react like this without a reason. Until we have more information, it would be unwise to venture further."

It didn't take me long to decide it was time to leave. I didn't want to stay long enough for things to get ugly. Hestia was too cheerful and the atmosphere in the tavern no longer felt as festive. Loki Familia's talk about the changes in the dungeon had made the people around her nervous, and I didn't blame them. The dungeon was no playground, especially not now.

"Hestia." I said, offering her my arm. "What do you say we get going? It's getting late."

"Huh? So soon?" She protested with a slight pout, but she was wobbling enough that I knew she wouldn't last much longer. I sighed, gave up with a smile, and helped her up.

We started walking towards the exit. But then I realized we had no choice but to pass by the Loki Familia table. I tried to pick up the pace, hoping they wouldn't notice us.

I saw Riveria look up. A second later, she muttered something with a resigned look on her face. She probably didn't want her goddess to meet mine either. I wanted to go on, but well, it was useless.

Loki turned quickly towards our table and her voice, shrill and exaggerated, echoed through the pub.

"Look who's here, it's the cow-breasted dwarf, Hestia!"

I slapped my face with my free hand. No, not now. Not with Hestia drunk.

Hestia, who seemed to be in her own world until a second ago, tensed. Suddenly, the beer she had drunk no longer had any effect. She straightened up, let go of my arm, and pointed directly at Loki.

"Y-you! You flat-chested goddess!"

***

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