THE GODDESS OF FERTILITY

Ur, a lakeside town known for its abundance of natural resources. To the east is lake Urdea, which is Tortus' largest lake. And occupying the north of this lakeside town was a mountain range packed with various monsters. Ivan and Yue stared out at this lakeside town warmly, admiring the lush greenery and shimmering of the lake. They embraced the pleasant breeze that hit their face as they approached.

This town was truly a tourist spot, with no walls or gates to defend itself from monsters or unsavory folk. It was a bit of a problem in Ivan's eyes but that's not what he was here for. Tomorrow he and Yue would travel the mountain range to find Will Cudeta. But first, they would check into this beautiful inn.

The two inspected the inn that goes by the name of the 'Water Sprite Inn,' it was a name that definitely had to do with the history of this town but Ivan would rather not spark up that unimportant conversation with any of the townsfolk. Its first floor served as a pub renowned for having the best rice dishes around. With a magnificent set of tables and bar counter, Ivan eyed the chandelier hanging from the center of the room.

That's when a man approached the two.

"A pleasure to meet you two. May you be customers that have come to stay in our inn? If that is so then allow me the honor of serving you today." He was Foss Seluo, the owner of the Water Sprite Inn. He stood with his back ramrod straight, but his gaze was gentle. His grizzled white hair was swept back neatly.

"Ah, a pleasure to meet you. My name is Paracelsus Von Hohenheim, and this is my partner Yue. We have arrived in Ur to take care of the monster problem happening up in the mountain range. I'm aware it has caused quite a bit of trouble for you and the townsfolk who need to collect the resources up there for your businesses."

Ivan responded with an equally curt bow as he presented the quest documents for validity purposes. That along with his status plate. Now, why was he being so respectful with this innkeeper to go so far as showing identification and proof of reason? Well, as stated before Yue and Ivan's funds were quite low. And on the bottom of the quest documents was a clause stating that any adventures who travel to Ur are to be serviced by the Water Sprite Inn free of charge, as everything would already be paid for by the Fuhren guild branch leader.

"It is wonderful that you two have come. Those monsters roaming the mountains have made it impossible to gather ingredients for our food here. Come, follow me. I'll make sure you two are properly served the best food we have tonight. Not that our food isn't the best already, ohohoho~!"

Foss led the two to an alcove in the corner of the inn. Fastened with curtains it was a way for guests with high renown to hide. Yue and Ivan took a seat after making sure the curtains were fully drawn. Beside them was another table of high-status guests but they ignored them. Though their murmuring was quite distracting, to say the least.

Ivan excitedly ordered some of the rice dishes that resembled the ones from Earth, Yue shared that excitement as well as she wanted to know more about the land Ivan was from. If this food truly reminded him of home then she'd make it her duty to replicate it for his pleasure, a plan left unannounced to Ivan.

And so the two chatted idly while awaiting their food. Often the discussion would be about Japan as Yue's curiosity grew with every word, or they would talk about their workshop and how they would decorate it. But never once did the two remove their masks, waiting for that moment when their food arrives. It seemed that Foss as a professional knew better than to heckle with some high-status guests, especially with something as harmless as wearing masks in the inn.

It didn't take too long for their food to arrive, as Foss whispered aloud from outside the table's curtains to warn the guests of his entry. Ivan held up the curtain as Foss made his way in with six plates, three on each arm. Then gracefully he settled down each plate without making a noise. It was truly a fascinating display of skill to Ivan who has only seen servings skills like that in movies or anime.

Foss then left as fast as he came after inquiring the two to see if they needed anything else, stating he wouldn't want to disturb them any further. In any case, they were grateful for his gesture as their travels left them weary and hungry. They would have dug into the steaming hot food right in front of him if he didn't take the initiative to eat.

To Ivan and Yue, the reputation of this place had lived up to all the hype they heard in Fuhren. Each bite only cultivated a desire for more. The aroma, the texture, the flavor, all of it measured to a perfect degree to make these master dishes. Ivan damn near teared up upon his first bite, and though Yue wasn't nearly as emotional that stoic expression of hers changed to one of delight. The only problem she had with the food was that it may be impossible to replicate it after all, at least with her current skill.

The two sighed in satisfaction before slumping in their seats. The six plates full of food had vanished in only mere minutes. Even for Yue who got the most benefits from sucking Ivan's blood this place had managed to sate her hunger. Just for a moment, the two decided to lounge around a bit more until the full feeling of their tummies settled down a bit. And as the sun was setting they thought of taking a stroll through the town before returning to the inn to sleep.

As he was raised to do, Ivan left a tip on the table. Though their funds were low he couldn't resist paying the inn for its services, a sentiment shared by Yue. Leaving five thousand Luta on the table, Ivan was about to get up from his seat when he heard—

"Oi, isn't that the goddess of fertility…?"

"Huh, that short lady?... Now that you mention it… Don't those kids next to her seem like the summoned heroes? And those templar knights… they wouldn't follow any regular folk."

"Oh, oh, bro don't you remember that the town was celebrating something the other day? I think that was the day we got word that she was heading over to Ur to fix the fields. And those heroes, maybe they're here to fix the monster problem. Ah, thank Ehit! Our prayers have been answered!"

The table next to them with the rowdy guests had finally said something that caught his ears. The goddess of fertility was a title he only knew one person in this world had, that being someone he knew who had started being called that when she first started working for the kingdom. Her title along with the heroes and news of guarding templar knights only confirmed his suspicions.

He moved the curtain slightly to peek at the front door, only to make contact with the goddess herself, Aiko Hatayama, his high school teacher. Thankfully he had slipped on his mask before peeking. He had no doubts the kingdom and holy church would be pissed with him if they knew he faked his death to break off an agreement. So those templar knights personally sent by the Holy Church were quite a threat to him.

Yue slipped on her mask and mantle as well after noticing his hand gestures. Aiko and the rest of her party moved to the table on the unoccupied side of theirs. For now, Ivan motioned for Yue to sit still as he wanted to listen in on their conversation.

"Honestly, who does Hajime think he is? He's just getting in the way of Kouki and his group. Sure he's made some pretty helpful stuff but that doesn't mean he should be out in the frontlines. In fact, that's all the more reason for him to stay back with us!"

"Quiet, Hajime has the right to make his own choices. Even if you think less of him you have to at least commend his bravery and determination. Who are we to question his actions?" The one who spoke to reprimand the boy was a girl by the name of Yuka Sonobe, a young student with chestnut-colored shoulder-length hair and green eyes.

"N-Now settle down you two. And I believe Yuka is right, Hajime-kun has the right to make his own choices. Even if I think it's dangerous… As his teacher, I want to support whatever decision he makes." The last one to speak was Aiko, who started her words meekly then resolutely by the time she finished her sentence.

Ivan whispered the identity of these folk into Yue's ear. She nodded confidently as she turned her ear to listen to more of the discussion. Making a reminder in her mind to call Ivan by his fake name. He had no idea what the strength of the Holy Church was so it was best to play it safe until he was confident in resisting them.

As more of the conversation entered his ear he came to know of the many things that had happened since his 'death.' First, Hajime went on to make explosive portable objects (grenades) as well as more tactical inventions suited for combat. Such as flashbangs, incendiary nades, and even smoke grenades. Ivan nodded with satisfaction as it would seem Hajime found a way to play to his strengths.

Other than that it would seem that both He and Kouki's group had surmounted the Behemoth in a fierce battle. Ivan wondered if they saw his note on the floor right before the Behemoth. And then finally something more recent—

"Ah… just where could Shimizu-kun have gone?" Yukitoshi Shimizu is a student proficient with the dark arts. At least that was all Ivan knew from his time at the kingdom. Other than that the kid was a loner no one wanted to be around. According to Aiko, he had disappeared one night, without anyone having spotted him or knowing he had left. Their investigation of his room had led to no answers as there was not a single sign of struggle or anything missing.

Which means he only could have left of his own volition. No assassin, no matter how strong, could have kidnapped a hero without making a single noise, unless it was Hajime of course. This gave a rather foreboding feeling in Ivan's heart.

Seeing no point in staying any longer he got out of his seat along with Yue. They moved their curtains aside and were just about ready to head to the exit. However, that's when Foss called out to them—

"Ah, Paracelsus-dono. Could you please come over here for a second? These are the heroes, they have come to answer the plea of Ur. They were quite interested to see who would undertake this mission so I hope you don't mind me introducing you two."

Ivan had half a mind to not get behind those curtains again and take back the tip he left out.

Meanwhile, Aiko and the students stared at Ivan for a bit. Though they couldn't discern his looks from the mask and mantle covering his features, his name was a bit odd to them.

"Foss-san, could you please tell us his full name?" Aiko was the one to speak out, just to be certain of her suspicions. And hey, who was Foss to decline the request of someone as renowned as the goddess of fertility?

"This here Aiko-dono is Paracelsus Von Hohenheim, an adventurer who has come to solve our problems. Beside him is his partner Yue."

Her suspicions only grew as the name was starting to sound very familiar to her, even the students were getting a feeling that something was off.

"Paracelsus Von Hohenheim….. As in the Swiss physician, lay theologian, philosopher of the German Resistance, and… alchemist?" She glared at Ivan as he made no noticeable movements. If not for the mask she would have noticed the sweat dripping from his forehead.

Meanwhile, Ivan on the other hand was debating whether or not to refute these statements. On one side he could sway these suspicions with a few words, and on the other, he had no idea if she'd remember his voice. He decided to make a note for later to implement a voice changer in these masks.

Running would just confirm her suspicions. Speaking may also confirm them. Doing nothing will confirm them. Right now he was stuck in a hard place, so as he made a move he was elated that his partner spoke for him.

"... You got the wrong person."

"Hm?" Aiko turned to the girl that stood beside him who was only three centimeters shorter than her.

"I have no idea who you are talking about but Paracelsus here is by no means a scientist. He's just an adventurer who flunked education and now does this for a living. And I have been his partner for several years, never once have I heard of you so I would like to know why you think you know him?" Yue's expressionless voice managed to come off as annoyed, Aiko stared back at her. She felt a bit of her confidence wane but there was one matter that'd settle this once and for all.

"I apologize, but may I ask him to take off his mask? There is just one thing I must know. And I'll be content once I see his face." Aiko spoke with a firmness none of the other students have ever seen.

"... No can do. During one of our adventures, Paracelsus got in the way of a fire attack to protect me. However, he lost half of his face in the process. Since then he has worn that mask, and to make up for it I have sworn to never take mine off either. He feels severe pain when his burn is exposed to the air, as such I cannot allow harm to fall on him to satisfy your curiosity."

"... I see. If that's the case then what about speaking. I'd like him to answer a few questions. You see a companion of ours has gone missing and I feel like the opinion of professional adventurers holds value."

"Once again due to his injuries he cannot speak," Yue spoke bluntly as Ivan flashed a glare towards Foss who was about to refute that claim. Foss shivered for a moment before dropping his arm, a movement caught by Aiko and the others.

"Foss-san, what's wrong? It looked like you were about to say something, what was it?"

"N-Nothing, just forget it…"

Aiko turned back to Yue and Ivan before speaking again. "We have a healer back in the Kingdom who I'm sure can fix you up as good as new. What do you say, would you like to come with us?"

"He has refused any attempts at restoring his wounds. As to him, they are a sign left to remind him of his blunders. He still feels responsible for what happened that day… and this is just his way of atonement." Ivan nodded to each of Yue's words as he was surprised by how quickly she can make up a story.

This finally rests aside some of Aiko's suspicions. Though she was still a bit skeptical it'd be even ruder of her to continue pressing these two that have come here to aid the people of Ur.

"I'm sorry for the confusion… it's just that I was sure that name was something a boy in my class came up with. You see his name was… is, Ivan Korei. An alchemist summoned alongside the rest of me and the students. And though word of his death has gone around what the people have neglected was the sadness felt by those left behind. Me, his teacher, he helped me regain my confidence to stand up for my students against the unfairness of this world. Another student of mine, Hajime Nagumo, was a reclusive boy who saw himself as useless, but that was until Ivan motivated him to find his strength. Now that boy fights alongside the best of the kingdom out on the frontlines."

Aiko's expression turned solemn as the next words came out of her mouth. "And finally, Claire-san. I'm not sure what their relationship was but they were very close. From the time they first met, they were never apart. I know she's still feeling the effects of Ivan's passing. She's nothing like the cheerful and helpful maid like before. Nowadays she stays locked up in her room."

Aiko breathed a sigh of relief as she held her hands to her chest and closed her eyes for a moment. When she reopened them what shone was a glimmer of gratitude as a smile formed on her face.

"What I'm trying to say is that Ivan was a hero to all of us. I regret each day that goes by for not thanking him properly when he was still here. And though I may never hear those words of kindness he gave to me again, or see his playful attitude again, I live each day knowing I travel the path he led me on. A path to lead me to become the best teacher I can be!"

"...."

Silence permeated the room as even those loud guests on the table not too far from them refused to speak another word. Everyone just looked at Aiko in a daze. The students who had no idea she felt that strongly about a guy they barely knew about, Yue who felt this woman was truly deserving of the respect Ivan showed, the templar knights who didn't know what was going on, and Ivan himself who stared blankly at Aiko.

Never did he think his life and death would have an impact on anyone. And yet before him stood someone who thanked him for everything he's done. For a second he felt a strong impulse to just pull up his mask and show her his face.

However that impulse was aside as he felt a hand intertwined with his, he turned to Yue who stood beside him. And though he couldn't see her face he knew that she wanted to comfort him. He reaffirmed his resolution as he couldn't just throw away all of his work till now to get found out just because he wanted to accept a thank you.

Foregoing their walk in the town, Yue and Ivan opted to just head towards their room. Right now Ivan had a bit to think about. He needed to calm his heart after what he just heard. If not then he was afraid he'd do something truly impulsive.

So that night he spent in Yue's embrace, as the two slept peacefully.

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Aye, here's a long one for you guys. A most awkward reunion. I feel like my dialogue improved with this chapter but I'd like your guys' opinions. This took me about three hours to write so I'd appreciate it if you guys found entertainment in it. Apart from that I wanna thank you all for the amazing support. Feel free to support me on p.a.t.r.e.o.n as well if you can afford it.

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