Danmachi: Westward Cloud [Complete]

Interlude- Month 3, January

January 3rd, early in the afternoon, Cirrus cleans the snow.

"Fuuu~" A warm white breath leaves his mouth. "So much snow." He shovels the snow away.

"Sir, if you wish, I can help if you want?" said Hecton.

"Yeah, master, I could melt the snow for you?" said Fafnir.

"No, I don’t wanna have you both be my arms and legs. There is something to working hard and building up a sweat."

Crunch!

Crunch!

"Hm?" Cirrus looks up to see an older-looking man coming up the snow-covered path.

"Hello there, neighbor!! How’s it going!!" He shouted, waving at Cirrus.

"Oh, hey there!!" Cirrus waved back.

The man came up to Cirrus.

"My name is Dave; I live just, umm…" He looks behind. "Around... yeah, about 2 farms down and 3 to the left."

"Oh, you’re the farm owner near the town, huh?"

"That I am! I just came up here because we haven’t really seen you in town much. Thought something happened."

"Ah yeah, sorry, I didn’t go and introduce myself. Busy with the house and everything."

"I see. How are the wives?"

"Good. But they're not fans of the cold weather."

"Well, that’s a shame. These times are rather cold."

"Yeah, there are a bit chilly. Oh, my name is Cirrus." Cirrus extends his hand.

"Ah, Cirrus! It’s good to meet you!" Dave goes and shakes Cirrus's hand.

He notices Cirrus has a firm grip, but his hands are neither too soft nor too rough.

"The same to you, Dave."

"Say, um, do you and your wives wanna come to town? We are thinking of holding a little party to celebrate some new people in the village. Unless you’re working on something?"

"Oh? You would do that for us?"

"Sure! Not every day we get new blood here. The last ones were Georgos and his grandson Bell. I heard he is doing well for himself. Have you heard anything about it? Last we got was he won a Wargames or something."

"Ah yeah, a bit. He’s doing well for himself."

"That’s good. We still kept his old home intact. We figured if Bell doesn’t find success, there was always a place for him here. Even if his grandpa died and the pain of his loss is still felt in that home."

"… Well, I’ll be sure to come along later today. My wives are pregnant, so—"

"Truly!? But you’re so young!?"

"Yeah, I’m 22."

"22, and with two beautiful wives!? You're even more of a player than ol’Georgos I’ll you hwhat!"

"Haha… Yeah. Well, it was nice to meet you, Dave. We’ll come down in a bit, maybe when the sun sets or something, I should have this snow cleared up."

"Sure thing! See ya then!"

After he had left, Cirrus went back inside.

"Ai! Art! I met one of the neighbors! I think I can make more guy friends!"

Later, when the sun was setting.

The people of the village all gathered at a little party with a large bonfire in the middle of the village.

"Oh, I see them coming!" said one villager.

They could see them coming down the road, hand in hand.

"Ahh~ These shoes you made make it a breeze to walk!" Ai said.

"Yes, with the weight off my feet, it's amazing. I can move a bit like how I used to." Said Artemis.

"Hello, their neighbors!!" The village shouted.

"Oh, hello there!!!" Ai shouted and waved back.

They were welcomed with open arms, warm food, and alcohol-free drinks.

To Cirrus’s surprise, there are some rather young people in the village. Some were about 3 years older, and some 3-year-old kids were running around.

"So what are your names?" asked the women of the village as they surrounded Ai and Artemis.

"My name is Ai."

"And my name is Art."

Artemis chose to go by Art as she has a sort of fame in small villages like these. So, just to be safe, she went with an alias.

"My, you are both so beautiful! Tell us, how did your husband manage to land you two?"

"Hm! Hm!" They looked at them, wanting answers.

"W-well, it’s a lengthy story." Said Art, a bit surprised at how fierce the look the women had.

For Cirrus, he hung with the guys.

"Chug!! Chug!! Chug!! Chug!! Chug!! Chug!! Chug!! Chug!! Chug!! Chug!!"

"Ahhhh!!!" Cirrus finished a barrel of alcohol. "Is that all you got!! Wooooo!!!!"

They all had their fun nights.

"So how’d you like yer steak?" said Joseph, a cow farmer in the village.

"Medium-rare," Cirrus replied with a mug of beer in hand.

"Good man." Said Roth, the village head. "I knew you had a taste."

"God dammit, Roth, the best steak is medium-well!" said Matthew, another farmer.

"Every day I know your cooking steak medium-well brings a tear to my eye," Joseph said, shaking his head slowly. 

"Come on! It’s not as bad as Lambert’s! He cooks his well-done!"

Everyone looks at Lambert, a man with black hair and blue eyes.

"I ain’t gotta explain myself!" He said it proudly.

"… Lambert, would you kindly leave this party?" Roth said.

"Fuck off! Ned eats his rare!"

Everyone looked back to see Ned, a man with brown hair and eyes, eating a rare steak with the juices dripping down.

"That isn’t right," Cirrus said, looking away at the horror.

"Tsk, tsk." Everyone looked away at the sight.

"Hey! Come on! It’s not that bad!" Ned said.

"Can you pass the salt and pepper?" Cirrus asked.

"Uhh... we only have salt." Said, Joseph.

"God dammit. Do you guys sell pepper or have any?"

While Cirrus was with the men, Artemis stepped away from everyone.

"Haa..." She takes a second for herself.

"They are rather tiresome, aren't they?" said a woman with a chest that reminded Artemis of Demeter.

"H-hello! Sorry I don't think we met?" Artemis holds her hand out. "I'm Art!"

"Fufu. I'm Gloria. I own the farm just two farms down with all the vegetables and fruits."

"Ah, I see."

"Yes, well, I wanted to ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"Your husband, Cirrus. He is an adventurer, right?"

"..." Artemis remained stone-faced. "What gave you that idea?"

"Well, I met him some seven years ago. He was a rather cute young man with the most adorable owl on his head. I ask because he asked for Georgos when he came."

"Ah. I see. Was it Georgos that tipped you off?"

"Yes, that man was persistent, as his words were charming. But he has some rather loose lips while trying to impress me. He said he was once part of the Zeus Familia. Fufu. Can you believe that?"

"That is certainly something."

'Gods fucking dammit, Zeus!!!'

"Well, that's all I wanted to say. I'll do a better job than that, gentlemen. I am sure there is a reason Cirrus left, right? He wished to leave the hustle and bustle of the city, right?"

"Yes, we left to spend time together."

'And the fact that I'm pregnant with a Demigod.'

"If it makes you feel better, I was once part of a Familia."

"Really? Which one?"

"It doesn't matter anymore. They are gone now. Back to heaven, I'm afraid."

"Oh... I am sorry for the loss. What were their names?"

"Lady Auxo."

"!?" Artemis did her best to hide her surprise.

'Oh, she is one of her children.'

Artemis remembered the shy goddess that always hung around Athena. Her hair was like wheat being blown by the gentle wind, and her soft, warm, brown eyes always made you wish to dote on her.

'The last I heard from her was from Athena 200 years ago when I came to visit her... So that was her fate.'

"You look rather sad? Did I bring up a bad memory?"

"Ah no! No! It's just that... I simply remember some fallen friends."

"I see..." She looked over at the women of the village, who had surrounded Ai. "Your fellow sister is handling them rather well, all things considered."

"Ai knows how to deal with overly kind and cutthroat women." Artemis gets back on her feet. "I need to learn how to deal with them."

"The secret is to smile and nod."