Getting Falna

It wasn't even 10 minutes before Gin and company finally arrived at their respective rooms through the myriad of staircases and long white corridors.

"In less than 3 hours, dinner would start. Rest now before I pick you all up. After the dinner, I will bring you to the Goddess," Lina said before opening the two doors and pointing out that one was for Meteria and Alfia, and the other was for me.

"Thanks, Miss Lina," Meteria replied when she saw that the head chamberlain was about to leave.

"No worries. See you all later, kids."

After the parting words, the kids have been left to their own devices - exploring their rooms being the highest priority. Although exhausted from their journey, they still were quite happy to see a place where they could stay.

The rooms they were assigned weren't large but were not small either.

A bunk bed made of the highest quality maple wood with a very soft mattress made it possible to sink in. It was like a god's gift compared to everything children were used to.

An exquisite royal blue carpet from another country covered the majority of the flooring in the room.

Spacious drawers, two tables with candlestick-like magic stone lamps, and an overcomplicated chandelier-type magic stone lamp at the top.

The rooms were nothing less than a premium hotel rather than just a simple place to sleep.

Overall, there has been plenty of space for two people to live comfortably in a room.

Luckily their rooms were assigned close by. However, Gin later saw that his room also had a bunk bed where someone had slept just today.

'Hopefully, someone normal….' Gin prayed in his heart.

In the end, the exhaustion overtook the will to discover the unknown for the two girls, while Gin lay on the top of his bunk bed, looking at the window that opened a great view of the Babel.

However, no one knew what he was thinking about…

***

Bong!

Bong!

Bong!

'I guess this is the bell for dinner?'

It was not even a minute after that when the same elven woman who brought kids to their rooms had returned. The same beautiful yellow dress was still on her.

"It's time to have dinner. Follow me."

Solemn white corridors led them to the so-called "Great Hall" - a magnificent hall where all the food was laid on the long table to serve all the familia members in the evening.

The place looked somewhat quiet, with many tired people walking in, taking an empty plate before loading all types of food and silently chewing on their dinner after taking their seats.

As for what types of food were on the table, those were too many to even talk about.

Tea, milk, honey, wine, all types of bread, some porridges, butter, smoked and grilled fish, ham, some fruit drinks, random fruits, ale, beer, spicy grilled sausages, cooked potatoes, bacon, berries, fried eggs, roasted meats, some random stews, soups, vegetables, and some greens - it seemed like everything that could be even in theory be consumed during dinner was abundantly available there.

If anything, the whole table resembled a Viking feast after a good raid.

The smell made it apparent that everything there was as tasty as it seemed.

Gin's salivary glands were already crying out to him to try all foods there, almost taking his brain hostage.

At another edge of the room, Gin even was able to spot a young Mia Grand.

She was sitting somewhere at the front of the table and saying something to a dangerous-looking cat-girl in a red dress. Another girl with long lilac hair sat near them with a big plate full of smoked fish.

'Other executives, perhaps?' Gin reasoned.

The total number of people in the room also greatly lived up to Gin's expectations, as more than 100 people poured into the dining hall, taking over practically all the seats.

In addition, the shape of the tables seemed to resemble a big trident or a fork, with executives sitting farthest from the entrance at the base of the trident while everyone else occupied the 3 long tables.

At some point, the trio was led to what seemed like a newcomer table - the middle long table.

With them having somewhat of an involuntary diet today, along with a breathtaking and long journey, the three 7-year-olds have been swallowing food at an almost unbelievable rate.

It wasn't even 20 minutes since they started when they were completely and utterly full.

With their subconscious coordination alone, they all agreed to leave without saying a word.

However, they weren't even able to make a few steps out of the hall before they saw Lina patiently waiting for them.

"Here you are. Follow me."

***

Not even 5 minutes later, the three of them arrived at the visitation room adjacent to the Goddess room.

"Come in one by one," Freya's gentle yet clearly somewhat loud voice echoed in the visitation room.

The 3 of them didn't need to hear the call again - today was the day when they would be getting their own Status.

Everyone looked at each other for a brief moment, after which Gin looked at the door leading to the Goddess's room and started walking towards it.

***

"Are you happy to join my familia, Gin?" an unexpected question with an inquisitive tone broke the silence, a tiny moment before Gin could sit on the chair with his naked back to the goddess.

Was he thrilled, or did he join out of convenience? Joining a familia was unlike joining a company in his previous life - if anything, it was like entering a mafia family.

Would he dedicate everything in the future to Freya Familia? From what he remembered, the goddess herself wasn't THAT bad, except for some issues.

Besides, although she didn't care for innocent people worldwide, she cared greatly about those she claimed as her own. So at least some empathy is required for a goddess to go around collecting strays - even if she viewed them as potential members of her familia and beautiful souls in her own collection… Besides, who else in this world would pay for the medical treatment?

Just like he reasoned with himself many times before, he thought he made the right choice. A choice that he will not regret. Even if more information would be learned later, he made the most correct choice with the limited information available.

"Yes, Lady Freya. I am very happy to join," he earnestly answered while already hearing the 'Ping' sound of a goddess piercing her own finger with a needle to release her ichor on his back.

[Ding! Congratulations, host! You have completed a hidden task, "Join a familia." Reward: basic Kaido proficiency.]

[Ding! Congratulations, host! You have completed a hidden task, "Become a Level 1 adventurer." Reward: Mind power increases by 30.]

"Oh my, healing magic and skill on level 1. Not bad at all," Freya said with a playful, surprised expression while simultaneously happy for her correct choice to let these kids join and a little amused about how much this child thought about the answer to the previous question.

However, she didn't feel that he lied to her, and that's what mattered to her.

Afterward, she grabbed a feather pen from a small table nearby and started writing his Status in Koine.

"Here is your Status sheet," she said while handing him a paper.

[Gin

Level 1

Strength: I 0

Defense: I 0

Dexterity: I 0

Agility: I 0

Magic: I 0

Magic: [Kaido: Healing magic. Allows the user to use numerous healing spells by consuming mind power. Release Spell: Kaido]

Skills: [Unity with Sword Spirits. Provides the ability for a user to summon and use Zanpakuto (Soul Cutting Sword) in the real world. In addition, the spirits of the swords being summoned can assist the user by providing the user with new abilities.]

]

"Do you want to join the healing group, Gin? With your healing magic, you can join Andhrímnir right from the start. If you would want, you can even not go to the Battle Wilderness and choose to become a pure healer," she said in a very calm and candid voice, expecting him to refute her afterward.

If he wouldn't refuse and would choose to become a pure healer, although she wouldn't show it, her overall opinion of this newfound child would fall lower than anyone else in her familia.

'Say that you don't agree!' she cried in her heart.

"Lady Freya, I will exercise my healing magic after the daily training with everyone else. Although the physical training through daily battles is most important, I don't want to lose out on the Magic points from level 1. I know that those would be useful later on. I plan on becoming the strongest swordsman first and foremost and a healer after that."

'Thankfully, he didn't agree….' she exhaled in her heart, after which she tried to collect herself and answered him.

"Well, Gin… I think what you said is logical. You can talk to Ellania later if you would like to practice your magic at the end of the training sessions."

"Thank you, Lady Freya. I will live up to your expectations," Gin solemnly assured her before putting his shirt back on and leaving the room.

'Why do I feel like I just dodged the bullet?' a silver-haired boy thought as the door was closing…

***

Alfia being next in line was not out of anyone's expectations. A slender child with a hair color similar to the goddess herself approached a seat before showing her bare back to the head of the familia she will be a part of in the future.

"Hello, Lady Freya," she apologetically said right before taking a seat because she forgot to greet her right after stepping into the room due to her anxiety over a meeting with a goddess.

"Don't be shy. I expect you will be coming here often in the future," Freya reassured the nervous child.

"Thanks."

Ping!

And another drop of ichor found its destination on the body of a mortal, revealing an intricate pattern with a Valkyrie on it.

Two strong-willed people stayed silent for some time, during which Freya engraved her Falna on Alfia. Nonetheless, Freya saw how nervous the girl was, so to help her, in addition to herself wanting to know more about her, she decided to break the silence.

"About Gin saying you have enough talent to become a first-tier adventurer or even a Level 7, do you believe it yourself?" Goddess asked, seeming out of nowhere.

"Gin always seems to be planning ahead. So I think if he says that I can become a Level 7, I can do it."

"Indeed. He seems very confident in you," Freya added, her voice like a mother's murmur. "Are you or Meteria the older one?"

"I am."

"As expected," Freya replied while copying the empty Status sheet before handing it to Alfia.

Just as Alfia took the paper, the goddess stood up from the bed and walked to the window - overlooking the whole evening Orario for a brief moment.

"Since I promised the three of you, tomorrow morning, you and Meteria will come with me to the Dian Cecht Hospital. I want to know personally how things are with the two of you," she said in a much more determined tone than before.

If one could see the goddess's face at that time, pure determination would be impossible to overlook.

"Ahem…" Alfia didn't expect such a fast switch between the tone of the goddess, so all she was able to say was, "Thanks, Lady Freya. We really appreciate it."

"Don't worry about it, child," she replied, her voice back to a soothing and tender one.

'No magic yet, but the potential of this girl's soul is truly amazing. Maybe I should ask Echidna to help her in the future?' a thought flashed in her mind, but then she decided to first see what type of magic this girl would obtain at level 2.

All of this was because, as a person who can distinguish between the slightest differences between mortal souls, Freya long ago saw what souls with strong magic affinity look like - and Alfia was one of the strongest ones she had seen.

It even reminded her somewhat of a soul of the Level 8 Hera Familia's captain, "Empress" Eileithyia, who was also known as the most powerful spellcaster in Orario.

'Let's just nourish this soul first,' she interrupted her own thought process, not willing to go into lengthy comparisons between a 7-year-old child and a captain of the strongest familia.

"Well, you are done, Alfia. Let's call in Meteria. I also have other matters to attend to."

***

The third girl in the batch of stray children that Freya accepted today was the one that interested her the most. Not to say that the first two were not worth the occasion - it's just that the girl's soul was the most unique. It was almost transparent.

'So pure…' Goddess thought every time her vision would focus on the young girl.

"Hello, Lady Freya. Thanks for taking us in!" Meteria kindly smiled.

'She is so kind… I can feel it by her soul's presence alone…. ' Freya mused and somewhat aggressively smiled. However, no one knew who the aggression was directed at.

"Hi, Meteria. I'm also happy to see you," the goddess replied with a kind and caring voice.

A small girl with perfectly white hair and differently colored eyes walked in and bowed to someone she would regard almost like a mother figure in the future.

"Thanks," the girl awkwardly smiled before asking a question. "What do *cough* I have to do?"

"Well, just sit on the chair while I give you a Falna, child."

"Does it hurt?" she worriedly asked, her eyes piercing something in the goddess's heart.

"No, it shouldn't," Freya answered with a calm and reassuring tone that surprised the goddess herself.

"Speaking of, do you want to become an adventurer yourself? Gin said that your body may be too weak," she hurriedly changed the topic, not knowing herself why.

"Of course, Lady Freya!" The girl replied after sitting on the soft chair, her hands on her lap. "I don't want to be a burden to you."

'Clank!' - something somewhere started cracking. Someone almost instinctively gnashed their teeth.

"You will never be a burden to me, Meteria. I promise you," Freya interrupted her. "But, if you want, you can be a noncombatant member. There are plenty of ways you can help me."

"Well… Ummm… If that is what you ask for, then I will do it, Lady Freya."

"Don't worry, I won't stop you if you would want to become an adventurer - you are free to do whatever you want. I'm just concerned about your health - that's why you also should prepare to go to the hospital tomorrow morning with me. I want you to be healthy and happy in my familia," Freya said with a caring tone. After which, she gently hugged Meteria from behind, slightly caressing her snow-colored hair."

'And once your soul would truly bloom, I would be even more happy…' goddess claimed in her heart.

***

By the time the girls had returned to their room, it was already well past 9 pm. Yet, even with the last rest, they still wanted to go to sleep in their new, cozy beds.

The feeling that everything around them was a dream didn't leave either of them.

Furthermore, before both of them went to sleep, they changed into the new clean clothes that someone carefully brought into the room and placed in the drawers.

"Alfia."

"Mhm?"

"Is this a dream?"

"What exactly?"

"Well... Us finding a familia... and the Goddess is so kind and pretty…."

"Meteria, I wish it isn't a dream. But, even if it is, we will wake up at Maria's Orphanage tomorrow, so we can just walk here and try again."

Meteria's chest tightened when she heard those words.

"Alfia, stop joking."

"Heh! Go to sleep, and good night, Meteria."

"You too."

***

At the same time. Gin's room.

"Are you looking for problems, kiddo?"

"Look, no need to be so aggressive. I just asked your name, man."

"Name's Vanir. What do you need?" a short half-prum angrily replied, his voice full of vigilance.

"I just wanted to say hi, since we will be roommates in the future."

"Don't talk to me, lowly Level 1. I need to relax to prepare for tomorrow."

"Fine, fine, buddy."

'What a headache….'