Confrontation: Truth x Reason

Hey, we're back, hopefully, it'll take some time until our next time off.

Right now, we continue from where we stopped with the Loki Familia visit, immediately after Silver 'provoked' Bete after he was too much of an ass.

As for the Plot, so far, a lot will happen, and some conflicts will rise...

But I'm already starting to see the end of this Volume.

You can continue reading, or jump to the chapter since it's a possible spoiler.

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Most likely, it'll end with a direct confrontation between the Ishtar Familia and the Mc, to make reason of this Volume's name, together with a potential Level up, or be very close to after this conflict.

Of course, I'll do a time skip. It'll definitely be over 2 months, but more than that I can't say.

This will open a lot for the future, Silver won't have to worry about them pestering him anymore, Haruhime will have the chance to properly start diving into the Dungeon, and the Hestia Familia will likely advance to a D rank Familia not much after.

We'll see what'll happen after!

I will start reading the sword Oratoria volumes... There is quite a lot I need to inform myself with...

Anyway, bye!

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(As always, the other version of this Chapter will be released on Volume 0 for the interested)

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"If you want to pick a fight, be a man and say it to my face." Bete said as his expression turned serious

This guy...

'He exuded a certain pressure, it was the killing sense of a wild beast… A Demi human… A Level 5 Demi-Human pressure…'

'A Werewolf no less, one that grew amidst bloodshed with an ever-increasing desire for power…'

'One that does not recognize the weak, only the strong.'

'Despite it all, Silver was not intimidated.'

"Pick a fight? Are you serious?" Silver asked with a frown

I would like to, a decent beating is all that this guy needs to stop bullshitting, but this is not the time, nor the place for that.

For someone that only respects the strong, and tries to incentivize the weak, only proving your capabilities will make him stop.

"I'm already aware of why you're here, so I won't beat around the bush… Still."

'Silver paused slightly to breathe before continuing:'

"You're currently in my house, inside my office… It was already a lot when you spoke rudely with my goddess, and broke my door..."

"Now, you're trying to pull me into a fight?"

'Bete just remained there, gazing at Silver.'

"Stop it with your meaningless words, you barked a lot, but now you're backing off huh?!" Bete said as his eyes sharpened

Looks like not only his eyes are Silver!

'Despite his immense anger, he still held himself on account of his Goddess wishes and orders, he is rash, but not completely irrational.'

'However, Bete would continue to push... Push as much as he could until this man in front of him bent, allowing him to finally beat him up... For him, the weak, to learn his place.'

'Or so were his delusions.'

'The man in front of him was more patient than he thought.'

"He's right Bete, just chill out and have some respect." Loki said as she pointed at the chair

Before I make you!

"..."

'But Bete only smiled.'

"Respect? Are you telling me to respect this twerp? A newbie that has barely even explored the Dungeon?"

How long has it been? 4-5 months...

Don't make me laugh!

'He looked at Silver and showed his sharp teeth in a wide 'smile' as he gazed at Silver.'

"He doesn't deserve it."

"EEK!" Lefiya said as she hid her head behind the couch, the pressure exuded by Bete at this moment was a bit too much for her to bear

'Deeming her meek personality, this stimulus was a bit too much for her... Even she could tell that both Silver and Bete were starting to lose their patience.'

'Ais frowned a little, she was about to ask Bete to stop as it was making Lefiya uncomfortable when Tiona said:'

"Bete, why don't you just relax…?" Tiona said with a frown, already seeing that things were scaling down really quickly

'Tione shook her head, she had predicted this outcome from the very beginning, but in a sense, she was curious as to see what would happen.'

'Of course, if Bete were to go out of line, she would be the first to discipline him... In the name of her Captain, who would've done the same, of course.'

'Hestia looked at Silver with worried eyes, she didn't know what to say.'

'She was upset of course, having a guest be so rude is rather uncomfortable and awkward to deal with...'

'But she could feel the sorrow and anguish in this child's heart, this rudeness was supported by something... Immense grief, anger, helplessness, and responsibility hidden deep within.'

'Loki's eyelids twitched, she knew she shouldn't have brought him, she wanted to ask Silver some questions, but if a fight were to start and if he ended up being beaten up, how was she supposed to ask for his cooperation?'

'It would be shocking if he was still willing to talk with them at all…'

"Fine. Not like I need your respect, but so what? If fighting me is the reason you came here, then you may as well leave." He said as he pointed at the door

I have no time and my desire to fight him has dwindled, his act is simply that pitiful for me.

A poor guy that has resorted to scare tactics in order not to hurt himself anymore...

'His expression was dark, he knew Bete had a rough personality and that the way they met wasn't ideal, but his patience had limits.'

'In fact, if it wasn't for their difference in Level, Silver may have started a fight long ago to show the Werewolf what he was capable of.'

'Did this mean he was scared? Not quite, he simply felt that it would be an inconvenience for both him and the others around him where he and Bete to start fighting.'

'But he knows himself very well, he is incapable of dominating him in a fight, so why risk his pricy furniture?'

"Leave? Not after coming all the way here…" Bete said with a frown

"BET… e?" Loki said angrily

'She had reached her limits, and it was time to chain this feral wolf before he caused her any more trouble… But surprisingly, Bete grabbed Silver's hand!'

/Clench!/

'However, each second, he increased the pressure on his hand.'

'He felt humiliated in many ways, defeated, he simply wanted everything to end, and this was his way to repay it all.'

'If he can't clash directly, may this show of strength be enough to shut him up!'

...

"..."

What is...

'But each second that passed as he kept increasing his strength, the expression of the man in front of him did not change, gazing at him with a small smile.'

'Bete started to tense up... Something was wrong with this Level 2 adventurer!'

(Remember, officially, he is Level 2, in truth, he is a Level 3 adventurer)

""...""

/Silence…/

'The people observed this exchange with confused gazes... Why wasn't anything happening?'

"..."

Dammit, is this still not enough? I'm using my Level 4 strength here!

How high is his strength?... Is he like the old... Huh?!

'Out of nowhere, the pressure on his hand increased many times!'

'But he wasn't the one putting pressure anymore... It was Silver!'

"..."

Trying to get the initiative?!

'And this pissed off Bete greatly, but just as much as it made him confused.'

"What is it? Wasn't it enough? Why don't you… Stop holding my hand?" Silver asked slowly as he continued to grasp tighter

"You…" Bete replied angrily

"Oh no…" Loki said with a frown

Please… Stop provoking him!

/BAM!/

'Bete pressed down, using a considerable portion of his strength to crush Silver's hand, but not enough to cripple it, he simply wanted to teach this arrogant prick a lesson.'

'It was his Level 5 strength, his arms were clearly showing some level of effort as his muscles bulged...'

'Yet! Nothing changed at all.'

"Hm?"

'Silver remained there, holding onto his hand in silence, allowing Bete to keep trying…'

'But the more strength he put, the lower his self-esteem fell.'

'Was this all of his own strength was worth? He wasn't even good enough to push a Level 2 to his knees?...'

"..."

'Silver silently watched the werewolf as his expression changed.'

I don't really have anything against him, in fact, I would prefer him to be an ally instead of an enemy.

Not like this situation will put us as enemies in the first place, I'm not that petty, nor is he... Especially him.

Bete is simply... Hot-headed…

Or would the proper word be, stubborn?

'Bete grew up being beaten and humiliated by many, some he outgrew, others he still can't such as Gareth, people he strives towards even today, like a certain King.'

(Ottar's Allias is King)

'And yet, he deeply respects them and treats them as friends.'

'He doesn't want to suppress everyone that is weaker than him, instead, he wants them to realize how weak they are so they strive to improve, that is what he does, even if that makes him hated by many.'

'If they use him as fuel for their growth, and live in the process, then he is satisfied, even though he'll never show that to anyone.'

'And at the same time, that is a defense mechanism so that the impact when they eventually die decreases...'

'That is Bete Loga, someone that can't bear to build relationships with others, in fear of losing them again, he presses everyone around him, calling them weak and humiliating them, so they either quit or grow a desire to grow.'

'He'll protect them if they get in danger, and silently mourn them if he fails to do so, but he'll never change, insulting everyone weaker than him with a straight face.'

'You can even say he's slowly self-destructing, but that is the paradox of this lone wolf, one he may have realized already.'

"..."

This is enough, I can't push any further than this...

Despite it all, his strength is definitely higher than mine, even if by just a little, so before I make a fool of myself...

(N1)

'Silver let go of Bete's hand when he realized the wolf boy was lost in thought, thinking too deeply to care about his surroundings anymore.'

'Once his hand was released, the wolf boy walked slowly towards the door, his tail loose and his ears slightly tilted, he seemed confused and even a bit broken…'

'It was a strange side they had never seen before, like a beaten dog in the rain.'

'Silver turned around and looked at Loki, he bowed slightly and said:'

"I'm sorry, I may have gone a bit overboard."

What a terrible way to host a meeting. But the guests were at fault…

"... No, things went better than I expected in the end, thank you for doing it like this." She said awkwardly

I should have been more adamant in refusing him… What is happening to me recently? I'm committing so many oversights…

Although… What was that?

'Loki's eyes sharpened.'

Bete was struggling at the end, he was getting really close to his full strength there…

"Tell me… What just happened?"

Bete wouldn't have allowed himself to be beaten like that.

'A dangerous thought formed on her head...'

Is this brat... On the same level already?

"What happened?" Silver asked out loud

"Nothing much, I just shook his hands and reconciled." He replied with an innocent smile

"You call that reconciling?..." Loki asked with an amused smile

So he'll keep quiet huh... Fine, I'll ignore it for today.

'On the other hand, when she looked at Hestia, she smiled proudly, greatly annoying her.'

That… Look at her all proud… I'll have to punish Bete accordingly later!

'Outside of the room, the fur on Bete's body started to rise, it where his instincts telling him that something was about to happen...'

'He looked left and right, but nothing... So he calmed down as he shook his head, after all, what sort of danger could there be in here?...'

...

'Back in the room, Silver smiled slightly, replying to Loki's question:'

"I won't deny it, I did this mainly because I found it amusing, but at the end of the day, he's upset for what I did last time, that I can understand, but to that, his foul personality was the cause of it."

"To be honest, I kind of wanted to be on terms with him, but I'm fine if he doesn't want to." He said with a shrug

"I have nothing against him at all, on the contrary, I respect him for how far he came and for what he did to Orario."

I'll give him respect if he respects me, even if he scorns me in private I won't care.

But if he doesn't... Then why care?

"..."

He talks like this, but he's hiding his threats beneath them…

'Loki suddenly had an intense headache.'

It was already hard to make him forget what happened last time, and it'll be even harder now…

Nothing serious happened this time, but I doubt Bete will take lightly into being trashed around like that.

I'll chain him up before he causes more trouble.

"I'll keep that in mind…" She said with a frown

And I'll make sure he understands that as well!

Besides... This was quite unexpected.

'She looked at Silver with a deep gaze.'

He really grew huh... That isn't the power a Level 2 should have.

So unless he has several Skills to increase that, it's still impossible...

Not only that but his strength as well...

The only possible explanation is... He's level 3 already. And not a weak Level 3 at that...

This Level of growth rivals even that of what Ais showed me recently... No, it goes beyond that.

For him to compare to Bete in strength than at the minimum, he definitely got S every time he leveled up…

So I'm very curious.

I thought at first that his fast growth was due to this Item while it was in his possession, but I may have been mistaken all along...

If that's the case... What is the source of his speedy growth?

A Skill? A Type never seen before? This dunce doesn't seem to be breaking the rules and using her Arcanum to boost his Status...

If it really is that...

'Silver nodded and went to take a seat next to Hestia.'

"Without further ado, allow me to properly welcome you all into the Hestia Familia's home, the Hearth Manor... This time, without interruptions."

/Snap!/

'Silver snapped his fingers, and the entire room vibrated as many shelves and drawers were opened at the same time.'

'Many pieces of cutlery, teapots, kettles, and more started to fly around the place.'

"Wow!" Exclaimed Tiona as she looked at the flying objects, organizing themselves on the table in front of them

"My apologies as we don't have that deep of a selection of tea and snacks..."

'Loki smiled.'

"Stop showing off and pour us some tea."

'Silver also smiled in reply.'

"As you wish."

/Creak!/

'The door to the Office opened with a creak due to the broken hinge, revealing Haruhime in her maid clothes, holding onto a large water bottle.'

'She seemed a bit flustered and even a bit confused...'

'But why as she here?... That's simple.'

...

/Simple flashback/

'Not so long ago, Haruhime was calmly cleaning the main table as everyone finished their breakfast when she heard Siver's voice in her head:'

*Haruhime...*

"?!"

'All of the fur on her body stood up due to the surprise, she almost dropped the plate in her hand on the ground.'

*Sorry for startling you, but could you bring us a large bottle of water to the office?*

"O-Okay..." She said gently as she looked around

...

/Present/

"Thank you Haruhime, can you pour some tea for our guests?" Silver asked the fox girl

"Tea?..." She asked as she looked around

'She immediately noticed the cutlery on the main table, but she also noticed that something seemed wrong... There was someone missing, right?'

'She quickly shook that off from her mind as she said:'

"In that case, give me a minute to heat the water..."

'However, Silver interrupted her and said:'

"Give me the water bottle."

"..."

'She tilted her head, a bit confused, but she complied...'

'Silver held the kettle with one hand and soon...'

/WHISTLE!/

'A large column of vapor started to be released from the kettle, the water was already boiling!'

"Heh..." Loki said with a small smile

Look at this guy, showing off again...

/Clap clap.../

'Haruhime clapped slightly in a cute way, in awe of his ability.'

"Here, be careful, it's a bit hot." He said as he gave the kettle back to Haruhime

'As she poured the tea for them, Silver said:'

"I would like to small talk and ask how your expedition went, but I doubt you came here for that..."

"So tell me, I'm all ears, what do you need me for? Oh and ah… Is it okay for him to just leave like that?" Silver asked as he pointed at the door

"Not beating around the bush huh... I like it." Loki replied

'She then crossed her legs and said:'

"And yes, leave him be, he came here to meet you, and he got what he wanted, albeit not in the way he expected, he just needs some time to think and he'll be okay."

He was never one to participate in meetings, always calling them a waste of time.

"It's simple, can you tell us everything you know about... This item over here?" She said as she pointed at the red scarf on Ais' neck

"..."

'But Silver remained silent.'

"You know something about it don't you?"

'There was no point in remaining silent now, if she came to him, then that means she had at least one or two clues pointing to him.'

"I do." Silver replied plainly after thinking deeply for a little while

"How honest! In that case..."

'But before Loki could say anything else:'

"Please. I want to know." Ais said in a firm tone as she interrupted Loki

'Everyone nodded, they were just like her, they were very curious about this item.'

'Hestia wasn't an exception, this story came and went in the blink of an eye, she barely heard anything about it, be it what actually happened or the events surrounding it.'

'To be honest... She kind of forgot about it, there were too many things on her head and as such, the idea of inquiring Silver scaped her mind.'

'Hearing their words, Silver smiled and said:'

"Hum... Fine, having you owe me more favors can't be that bad."

"You're making me regret this..." Loki said with a twisted expression

'Silver simply shrugged and said:'

"The answer is simple, but at the same, it implies something I'm not sure you're all quite ready to hear..."

"Please... Say it." Ais replied, her conviction not wavering in the least

"We do have some time..."

Since you're so eager...

"Where do I start?..."

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Notes

N1

Numerically, going by the wiki, Bete most likely maintained an average of 700+ to 750 for every Level up in regards to strength.

And considering that he is at the start of level 5, he has at most 100 to 200 strength, but that is already enough to make his raw values higher or at the same range as Silver...

Around 3000+ if you didn't wish to do the math.

But they have a 2 Level difference, and that is huge.

Hope it helped, peace.