24 Path Foward
-Flashback-
(Hephaestus POV)
After bidding farewell to Oberon and heading to the dungeon, Hephaestus went back to her workshop to try to finish the customer weapon that they ordered, but when she arrived at her workshop and tried to hammer the hot steel that just came out of the furnace, she couldn't erase his mind about that young elf that she just met today. So, to cope with that, Hephaestus orders her Familia captain, Tsubaki, to give every piece of information about that young elf from whatever source she can get.
After days passed, she got what she wanted. She already expected the lack of information about him because Hephaestus knew and heard that Oberon had just arrived days ago and that he was living inside an elf forest. Because of that, there is a lack of information that can be gathered.
"Oberon Aendryr Wishe, age 15, birthplace Wishe Forest, day of Birt mid-autumn, height 176 cm, race a high-elf son of Levos Aendryr Wishe and Viska Aendryr Wishe and his servant it so little knows about her only her name Orstrid and no parents knew only his origin place..."
Then she continued reading about this mysterious elf's information that related to him, like the story that most of them were unconfirmed, like the incident that happened on the Santoria-Vega border, where there was a rumor that he took part in helping Freya Familia take down one of the most feared monsters, the Grey Dragon, and the rumor that the attack happened inside the Wishe Forest border, where a large horde of monsters attacked the forest and a single elf managed to wipe all of them single-handedly.
'If all this rumor were true and it was Oberon, which means Loki just obtained a talented child. With his power alone, it will change the balance of power between Freya Familia and Loki Familia. So that is why they both want him to join on the first day he comes to Orario, but how did Freya let Loki take him?'
"Hephaestus-sama, the guild only had his family history and basic information; the other was just a rumor that I got from the info broker. I can't guarantee they are all a hundred percent true."
"It's fine, Tsubaki. I believe the rumor started with a spark of truth, and somehow all the rumor was believable, plus I heard Loki and Freya want that boy, which means there must be something special about him."
"Hm, hm, I could feel that he was a hardworking man. Not only did he heal all my wounds in an instant, and his psychics were not normal for an elf."
Then Hephaestus touched her eye patch again and tried to recall her memory when she saw his reaction when he saw her dissect her right eye. She expected Oberon to run in horror or at least be disgusted by what he saw, but his expression was one of sorrow and fear, and then, out of nowhere, he promised to cure her right eye. He was probably the first ever to see her eyes and make such a promise; it was almost like a love confession.
Tsubaki saw her goddess start to grin and look so happy. Her goddess just looked like a maiden falling in love; she knew that because she had experienced the same thing. It makes her feel guilty to hide the last rumor that will probably hurt her goddess's heart. Then one of Hephaestus Familia's members knocked on the door.
Seeing Hephaestus still consumed by her own world, Tsubaki can't help but sigh a bit. Then Tsubaki left the room for more than a minute, and then she came back.
"Hephaestus-sama! We had-a-visitor!"
Hearing her Tsubaki raised her voice to wake her goddesses from a daydream. Hephaestus can't help but feel embarrassed a bit. Then she pretends to clear her voice and returns to her calm demeanour.
"Can you repeat what you said again?"
"Sigh, we had a visitor."
'Hm, I don't remember that I had scheduled to meet someone.'
"Who? I don't remember that I had scheduled to meet someone."
"It was the goddess Loki and Riveria."
Hearing the goddess Loki's name, her eyes flickered a bit. It has been days since Hephaestus met Oberon; there is no way that she came here and had to do something about Oberon.
"Let them come in."
Then Tsubaki knocked on the door, most likely giving a sign to the outside guard to let the visitor in. When the door opened, the first one who came in was Loki, with her usual expression of smile and eyes closed, and behind her, Riveria walked gracefully.
"Yo! Hephaestus How's it going?"
-Back to Present-
"After that, we had a long chat, and she suggested I wait for you here."
Then Hephaestus stole a glance toward Oberon. She expected he was dead tired after all two days restless to level up, but no, he looked fit and well like he was not struggling at all to venture into the middle-level dungeon.
"I see, then Loki-sama, should we start?"
"Before that, I want to ask you something, Oberon... Are you sure that you can cure Hephaestus?"
"Yes, I am sure of it because... when I observe the goddess Hephaestus's right eye, the symptoms and its look are the same as the disease that I know."
'Hm, he is not lying, but according to Riveria, my right eye was incurable by the elven healing magic... Did he learn something that even Riveria doesn't know?'
"Oberon, goddess Hephaestus already asked for my help, but I am sure there is no record that is curable or even matches any curse that exists in the Royal Library, so... How were you so sure you could cure her?"
Hephaestus indeed tried to ask Riveria for her help when she left the Elven Kingdom because she was still hoping that it could be cured, but it was of no avail even when she showed Riveria her dissected right eye. Oberon then leans his back on the sofa while staring upward toward the ceiling. While closing his eyes for more than a minute, he stays that way, leaving everyone wondering.
"There is a story about a man whose name was Rudeus. He was a genius mage who was well respected, and he had a wife that he loved more than anything in the world. but one day his wife fell in front of him. She fell into an eel that was unknown, even when he brought every known healer, scholar, and healer that he could to find out what happened to his beloved wife.
Hephaestus could understand that the story Oberon started to tell was connected to her curse, but she never heard that a mortal had the same curse as she did. So, either Oberon made up the story or there is something that Oberon knows that she doesn't know.
"Then one of the scholars from far away finally gave him the answer that he wanted, but it never brought any comfort to him because it was a rare disease that was special for a woman in a certain condition."
"What condition?" Loki asks.
"When a woman was... bearing a child."
Everyone in the room froze up their shoulders, all tensed, and all the women trembled. Neither Hephaestus nor Loki's senses lie in his words, so it must be true, but there is one question that nags in Loki's mind. When everyone was speechless, Loki continued.
"You know that we goddesses can't bear children, right? How was that story connected with yours?"
'She was right. I never recall having any intercourse with anyone since I arrived here in Gekai. How is that possible?'
"There is a reason that disease attacks a pregnant woman because a baby that develops inside a woman's body has a weak soul that is still in development... The disease took the baby's ability to develop his or her soul, and then when it was strong enough, it attacked the mother."
'Weak soul means the reason my soul was weakened at some point? But when?'
Then Hephaestus tried so hard to remember all the memories that she had for eons. Normal mortals cannot understand or be able to store such a long memory, but the goddess of forging demands that she remembers every detail of the weapon she created, so it was possible for her that every weapon she made was well regarded by the gods. Then she is struck by a realization: when that happened, Loki observed Hephaestus notice the change in her reaction.
"I remember… yes it must be it. The time forge that box in heaven."
"I see, then it connected. Please contin- "
Before Oberon continued Orstrid took a step forward from where her master seat and bowed her head.
"Please, no more… it is painful for Master to continue that tragic story."
When she bowed her head, everyone tried to look at Oberon's face still face upward then all of them saw water streaming on his face. Loki and Hephaestus seeing that can't help to bite their lips in regret for making him tell that story without knowing that it hurt Oberon. Seeing that Riveria who is standing beside her goddess heads to Oberon's side and hugs him to comfort him after a few minutes Oberon releases Riveria's hugs and wipes his tears.
"I am sorry Oberon… I am a triable parent, am I?"
"No it's okay Loki-sama… it's just when I told that story I can't help to imagine it myself what if I am in his position… Fiuh now from that story, all I can say is that there is a case that happened and it made clear affirmative that the goddess Hephaestus indeed experienced a weakening soul that made her catch that disease. There is something I want to ask Hephaestus-sa- "
" Called me Hephaestus no need for formality."
"I understand, Hephaestus did that crystal in your right eye not spread right?"
"Hm, yes you are correct. This curse happened to appear when I finished forging one of my greatest creations The Pandora's Box. It where all gods and goddesses that living here storing their power."
"I see…"
'But how did she catch that disease did someone secretly give it to her? No, I don't know what kind of place called Heaven is like it pointless to assume.'
"Then Loki-sama I hope to update my status so I can cast the magic to heal Hephaestus."
"Oh, the reason you want to rush to level up was for the sake of healing Hephaestus. *Sigh* what a lucky woman you are Hephaestus."
Hephaestus feels really embarrassed of how Loki put it that way and she understands Loki tried to tease her. It makes Hephaestus regret not waiting for Oberon to come to her workshop instead of in the mischievous goddess manor.
"Now take off your top clothes and lay there."
----
(Oberon POV)
I just took off the green cloak that King Larfal gave me, and the chest armor that Riveria bought for me only left my bare chest. It felt a bit embarrassing because I was the only male in the room, but I tried not to think too much about it. Then Loki rode my back and then brought her lips close to my ears and whispered.
"I am sorry for what I did. If you want, I can grant you anything that I possibly can give you, and of course, include myself."
He can't lie that Loki had her charm with little clothes; she was wearing hot pants. There is no way for Oberon to not pay attention to her.
"Loki-sama, please stop joking around. Riveria-san will get angry."
"Kukuku, you are right. I could feel his dangerous gaze from her direction, but I am not joking with my offer, Oberon."
'I know from others that she loves joking around, but I can't sense any lie in his tone... Not only Freya, but I also had to be careful not to be alone with her in a room.'
Then Loki started the process of the ceremony. Strangely, Loki invited Hephaestus and Tsubaki to stay in the room. That makes Oberon think that Loki and Hephaestus may have made some kind of deal that he is not aware of. A light started to illuminate the room, and Oberon could feel something hard to describe.
"I will be damn. I thought that old man Zeus and old woman Hera were fooling me by saying that one of their children managed to reach SSS rank. *sigh* In here, you had three skills appear. Normally, it is an impossible thing to happen, but in your case, somehow it will make more sense. If you want, I can deny the other skills if you think it is overwhelming for you to learn each of them."
According to the Riveria, the teaching skill of an adventurer could be rejected when it appeared, but if the skill had been obtained when it first appeared when the adventurer gained his or her first Falna, the god couldn't deny the skill that appeared.
"It's okay, Loki-sama, I could handle it. The skill that appeared maybe could help me with many things."
"Sure, if you think so."
==========
Oberon Aendryr Wishe
Level: 1
STR: SS 1004
END: SS 1080
DEX: SS 1100
AGI: SS 1099
MAG: SSS 1244
Magic: Eyes of Dingir
Skill: Heart of Nergal, Breath of Titania, Alberich le fey
===========
'Hm, it means I use my mana more than raw physical strength, and the gravity bracelet is indeed effective in increasing my strength and... Titania I know that name. She had a connection with a fairy tale or something. I hope to learn more about mythology, and Alberich, I did hear that name from my dream, but I never know who he is.'
Mother did tell me about the stories of heroes like Argonaut, our former Elven queen Celdia, and some myths of a fairy queen and the first Elven King, but the sad thing is, according to Mother, the grandfather of Queen Celdia, King Ultsur was jealous of the first king, and so he tried to wipe every record of the first king of the elf before he was banished from the Elven Kingdom and make his own kingdom called the 'White Elf Kingdom', but I heard it was already in ruin because of war.
"Oy Oberon, stop daydreaming and lay back again; I will raise your level."
"I am sorry, Loki-sama."
Following Loki's request, I laid my body down again. Just like before, she rode my back again and started dropping her single blood, and the tattoos on my back started to glow. All I felt was warmth and an overwhelming feeling of strength surging all over my body.
"Hmm, okay, your stat will come back like the first time you gain your Falna, so all will be 'I' rank that what level up did, and in exchange, Oberon, you already understand the difference between a skill and a development ability, right?"
"Yes, thanks to Riveria-san."
"Now let's see. I will make you choose which development skill you will like. I warn you to choose it wisely because it can never be reversed or changed when you make your decision."
"I understand, but is it okay for Hephaestus and Tsubaki to hear everything?"
"If you don't want us to know your ability, Oberon, you could order me and Tsubaki to leave the room."
"No, I already trust both of you. What I am worried about is that goddess Loki will have a problem with it. I see that both of you have already reached some kind of agreement; if not, Loki-sama will not let you be present in this room."
"Keep silent a bit; I need to concentrate... Hunter, I am not surprised. You must have killed plenty of monsters while in the dungeon. Magic Resistance, Spirit Healing, and Luck? That's a new one."
Oberon already expected a Hunter skill would appear because I managed to kill many monsters in a brief time, but I already decided not to take it because it was not helpful the same with magic resistance and spirit healing because item could take care that weakens much better.
'I think Luck it's then'.
"So did you already make your decision?"
"I will take Luck I believe it will help me more than the other Ability. Don't you think it was okay Riveria-san?"
Riveria stood beside me thinking a bit before she answered because she knew it was an important matter to choose the right one.
"I am sorry Oberon in this case you are the one deciding alone because you are the one who knows your strengths and weaknesses."
"I understand. Then Loki-sama I chose Luck."
"Okay then…"
==========
Oberon Aendryr Wishe
Level: 1
STR: SS 1004
END: SS 1080
DEX: SS 1100
AGI: SS 1099
MAG: SSS 1244
Magic: Eyes of Dingir
Skill: Heart of Nergal, Breath of Titania, Alberich le fey
===========
++++
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Oberon Aendryr Wishe
Level: 2
STR: I 0
END: I 0
DEX: I 0
AGI: I 0
MAG: I 0
Magic: Eyes of Dingir
Luck: F
Skill: Heart of Nergal, Breath of Titania, Alberich le fey
==========
"Piuh, that should do it… did you feel anything?"
After I stood up, I tried to move my muscles a bit, then I created a small rock and tried to crush it. Normally need more grip and strength to crush it know it takes less force to crush it and for my mana, I could feel it was increased to know how much Oberon needed to do some experiments.
"I felt great. Thank you, Loki-sama."
"Now next, Orstrid, right?"
"I will be in your care, lady Loki."
Then I started to create a platform made of earth magic. Seeing that Riveria watched me closely for what I was doing when I started to draw a magic circle, Riveria at once knew what kind of magic circle it was. She can help say out loud what is on her mind.
"Teleportation magic I thought you pranked me. If it's true, Oberon, how did you know teleportation magic?"
"Yes, it's true. To be honest, I want to hide this kind of magic from anyone because it would be dangerous if it were misused. You know what that means, right, Riveria-san?"
Riveria indeed knows the risk of this knowledge falling into the wrong hands, and on the other side, she feels happy that Oberon has already put trust in her and her goddess.
"But where will it end up?"
"To my secret base, of course. In that place, there is an altar where I could cast the magic to cure Hephaestus. It could do with chanting, but it will take time, and I don't expect goddess Hephaestus to have two days to spend."
It did not take long for me to finish my drawing and for Loki to finish updating Orstrid's status, and she handed me the papers for Orstrid's status. Orstrid seems to have gained two new skills and one magic that I don't know what it will do.
"It was amazing, Orstrid, you did well."
"Thank you, master."
==========
Orstrid
Level: 1
STR: SSS 1200
END: SSS 1300
DEX: A 870
AGI: A 860
MAG: A 898
Magic:
Skill: Soul of Svalinn, The Blood Fendr
==========
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Orstrid
Level: 2
STR: I 0
END: I 0
DEX: I 0
AGI: I 0
MAG: I 0
Magic: Fafnir Claw
Strong Body: F
Skill: Soul of Svalinn, The Blood of Fendr
==========
Oberon already expects Orstrid to gain more strength in her stat because in the dungeon she spends more time carrying our luggage and using the gravity bracelet to train and she did sometimes support me with her magic. With her newly Developed ability, she could increase her body strength to fight and protect from any adversary.
"Now I complete the teleport magic Hephaestus, Tsubaki steps inside the circle and…. Loki-sama, Riveira-san you both can come with us if you like… Hm, Hephaestus why you are so quiet?"
When I saw her, she always tried to look away and not try to make any eye contact Hephaestus with her stutter voice told me something so obvious.
"Y-your clothes."
Then I look at my top body then release that was walked around topless.
"Ah, I see I am sorry."
Because I was so concentrated on drawing the teleport magic circle, I forgot to put back my clothes. Then I asked everyone to gather and circle the magic circle and I tried to ensure them that it was safe because I already used it for years. Loki seems to look so exciting the same as Riveria.
"Orstrid please stay here and guard the magic circle."
"Ah, wait the minutes."
Then Loki went to take a blank of paper and write something.
"Here! Hand to Finn if he comes. He will understand."
"I understand lady Loki. Master had a safe trip."
----
When we all step into the teleport circle together, we are all teleported to my secret base, where all my research is well-kept from the outside world.
"Where are we?"
"It's my secret base, Riveria-san, deep underground. Here is where I do my research about magic and other things about this world. And here is the altar to cure Hephaestus."
Then I step close to the wall on the opposite side of the door.
"Hm, where are you going? Oberon, is the door that way?"
"No, that door was not the way out of here, Loki-sama."
Then I touched one of the bricks on the wall and chanted.
{Roeshy}
The wall starts to glow.
((THUD!))
The wall starts shaking and starts revealing the secret door behind the thick wall.
"That's a fake door prepared for an intruder."
"Kukukuku, how considerate of you."
This base, which I named Roeshy, was found deep underground. It took me 3 years to build this place, which is still not being completed yet. I chose this place because it has a large concentration of mana and is found outside of the Elven Kingdom. I found it when I surveyed the outside border of the Elven Kingdom.
After passing the door, we are walked through a long hall with only light crystal on the wall shining our way. Then there is a stair heading up where there is a large gate 20 feet high that is made of unknown material. From Hephaestus's perspective, it looks like metal, but it is not when she inspects it up close.
"What is this door made of?"
"Hm, if you look close, it does not look like a gate made of steel."
"You had good eyes, goddess Hephaestus; indeed, it was not made of steel. Goddess Loki tried to touch it, and you will understand."
The others tried to touch it, and when they did, they at once understood what I meant.
"It was smooth and flat, and it does not make any sound whatsoever."
Knowing that Hephaestus and Tsubaki look at me with eager eyes, they want to know what kind of material I used to create the gate.
"I will show you the material I use, so be patient, Hephaestus and Tsubaki. Please don't forget the reason we came here."
They both nod in agreement and then once again chant the spell I use to open the gate in my mind.
((THUD!))
When the door was fully open, we all could see the marvel of the hall, which was so beautiful and clean, and the white tile and a wall made of white marble. It was so fancy and luxurious that it was hard to believe we were underground.
When they looked forward, a maid was standing in line; there were ten maids. Eight of them had identical looks, all white-haired and wearing dark blindfolds, and the other two had different looks from each other. Then they all bowed to welcome me and the guest I brought here.
((Welcome home, Oberon-sama.))
