Danmachi: Westward Cloud [Complete]

[Vol.3] Quest 236- Grand Opening

Some days pass and the Rakia Invasion ended earlier than they expected. At that time, Cirrus and the rest of the Artemis Familia worked to further finish up the Entertainment District and now it was done enough to be opened up.

“Remember Bell! Stay next to me! I don’t want you to get lost again like last time!” said Hestia.

“Y-yes Hestia!”

“Haruhime you sure you okay?” Lili asked.

“Yes, I’m fine with you all. I’m sure nothing bad will happen,” Haruhime said with a small smile.

“Of course not! I heard Miach is one god who helps run this place now!” Hestia said proudly. “I’m sure he will hook us up with anything!”

“Must be good to have friends in high places.” Said Hephaestus, who came with Welf. “If only you could work this hard.”

“I’m doing my best! Besides, I’m sure my Familia will reach these levels soon!” Hestia said with pride and confidence.

“I-I’m sorry Lady Hestia.” Said Mikoto, looking up. “But I don’t see us reach…”

They all stop before the entertainment district to find it completely different; the entrance has that of the Quetzalcoatl Familia’s emblem of a feathered serpent on the top of the stone gate.

“This grandeur.” Said Welf. “It’s really intimidating.”

They walk in to find it filled with tons of beautiful and bright-colored flower petals scattered and flowing down from the air; it was as if they had walked into a different world.

“Waah!! This is so amazing!” said Lili, looking around and how festive it is.

“Whoa… I never thought I would see such festivities for an opening before.” Said, Hestia.

“This is only one area.” Said Hephaestus. “We came in from the West, so this is Quetzalcoatl’s area.”

“Um, Lady Hephaestus, how many areas are there?” Bell asked.

“Four, including this one. To the East is the Kama Familia. They used to be the second biggest in the area after Ishtar, so her business is in the red-light area and some other stuff, that’s more, shall we say, isn’t too kid-friendly. To the North close to the Dungeon is the Miach Familia, now with more wealth and people, they have started to really give old Dian a run for his money!”

“And Artemis?” Hestia asked. “I heard she runs the whole place?”

“Her Familia are there.” Hephaestus points to the tower that once was the Ishtar Familia home now with a more polished look to it from afar. “As the district's security, they are in the center, so if any happens, they will get there quickly from any side, and it serves another purpose.”

“The perfect view,” said Hermes, sneaking into the group.

“Hermes, you’re here as well,” Hephaestus said, glancing at him with her one eye.

“I am! I wouldn’t miss this for the world! And to finish what Hephaestus was talking about with their home in the center. Artemis would have a perfect view to fire her arrows at so her gaze could be said to encompass the whole of the entertainment district!”

“Much like 7 years ago when her co-captain Cirrus stood on top of Babel and fired his arrows, having an unmatched advantage, he saved many from on top of that tower.” Said Asfi, coming up to the group.

“It was a sight to behold.” Hermes closed his eyes and remembers that day. “Had I not looked, I would have thought it was Artemis firing her bow with such accuracy.”

“Whoa…” said Bell, a bit amazed at a little tidbit of Cirrus’s exploits.

“Anyway, shall we go see the other areas?” Hermes suggested. “Or do you wanna see some of Quetzalcoatl’s wrestling? It’s pretty fun to see people fly through there and make extravagant moves!”

“Hestia, could we see!!” Bell and Welf said with stars in their eyes.

“But I wanted to see how Miach was doing!” Hestia responded. “He is our friend. We should congratulate him on this opportunity he was given!”

“How about we split up?” said Lili. “When dusk hits, we come back to the center at the Artemis Familia home.”

“Seems like a good plan!” said Hermes. “Now come to Bell! Welf! I have tickets!!” he quickly got them and ran.

“Haa… Hermes…” said Asfi, going after him.

Watching Hermes drag Bell and Welf away, with Asfi begrudgingly following behind, Hephaestus turned to Hestia.

“So shall we meet up with Miach to see how he’s doing?” said Hephaestus to Hestia.

“Lets! Supporter.” Hestia looks at Lili. “Where are you planning on going?”

“I was going to meet up with Sora at his Familia home.” Lili then looked at Haruhime and Mikoto. “And you two?”

“Can we come with you?” Mikoto said. “We wish to talk with Lady Ai once more. Last time, we are ashamed of how we introduced ourselves.”

“You know she doesn’t really care about that, right?”

“Nonetheless, we wish to make a good impression!” said Haruhime with a stern determination. “And I wish to know how our homeland is doing! It has been ages since we were last there.”

“Alright, I’ll be sure to introduce you to Sora!”

From there, they split up into three groups.

Quetzalcoatl’s arena.

They arrive and the arena with a blaring roar from the crowd.

“There are so many people here!” said Bell.

“Yup! It became rather popular quickly!” said Hermes.

“For good reason, too! Yeah!!! get him!!!” shouted Welf.

In the ring were two wrestlers fighting with one another. These two were adventures, but for this match, they sealed their Falna to make this equal and entertaining.

“Haaa!!!!!!!”

“Grand Chariot!!!!”

The wrestler jumped from the corner and struck the other wrestler with a rider kick.

Smack!!!

“Gah!!”

Thud!!

He dropped to the ground and slowly got up from the attack.

“Uroooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

The crowd roared with excitement.

In the crowd, Bell saw some familiar faces.

“Hm? Is that?”

Across the arena, he saw a few from the Loki Familia.

“Come on!!! Smack him!!!” said Beta.

“Yeah!!! give him a roundhouse kick!!!!” shouted Tiona.

“Come on, get up!!! you can’t lose El Toro!!!” shouted Raul.

‘Seems this place really attracts many people.’

Miach’s Place.

When Hestia and Hephaestus arrived, they were surprised by how clean and fancy it all was.

“Oy!! Miach!!” shouted Hestia, finding him talking with a girl around her height with pink-blue hair.

“Oh, Hestia! Hephaestus! Did you come to see the place?” Miach said with a smile.

“We did and I’m amazed the building is beautiful.” Said Hephaestus. “Outside with the plants and trees, it looks more like a mix of a villa and hospital.”

“Haha! yes it was designed to make people at ease. Plus, we have that giant white pillar in front, so people will always know where we are!”

“Well, seeing as my business here is done.” Circe nods and nods at Miach. “I’ll be going now.”

“Oh, thank you for your time, Circe! You're welcome here anytime!” Miach said.

“Not at all. You’re a loyal client! Well, I have to get back still a lot of orders to make.” She bowed and then left.

Hestia and Hephaestus look at Circe as she walks away. They find her existence to be… odd.

“Not to sound rude, but what is she?” Asked Hephaestus. “She… she has something odd about her.”

“Is she one of your new children, Miach?” Hestia said.

“Oh, no! she’s one of Artemis’s children, her name is Circe, she gained famed during the Great Feud as the Little Witch, her healing and potions were vital to many surviving that time, many children from Medical Familia’s hold her in high regard, isn’t that right Naaza?”

Naaza turned to him in a doctor's outfit with a black glove on her right hand and a white coat.

“Hm, yes, she was the one who made High Potions, Stamina Potions, High Stamina Potions, High Antidotes, High Elixirs, High Dual Potions, and Full Restores. It’s safe to say she has improved various potions and even developed some drugs for brothels, which really made her name spread far and wide.”

“Is that so…” Hestia said, holding back her jealousy. “Artemis really has a lot of special children… what’s her Familia rank, anyway?”

“S,” said Hephaestus. “The same as Ganesha, Freya, and Loki. With Cirrus and Ai along with several level 4s and soon-to-be level 5 children, they have the war power to rival any country.”

“And because of their reputable strength, no one has gotten seriously hurt in the district! Well, maybe except for the people who drank too much and tried to pick up a member of Artemis Familia.” Miach said.

“Lord Miach!!” said Daphne. “We got more!” she said as she brings him a cart full of drunk people.

A lot of them were beaten up.

“Haa… well, at least it wasn’t anything serious, so that’s good!”

Artemis’s home, the Moonlight Tower.

Coming up to the tower, Lili, Mikoto, and Haruhime could see in more detail several pieces from their homeland, with designs and bridges having a Far Eastern influence.

The tower, as the name suggests, it has the appearance of being bathed in the moon's light with silver and red with the Familia emblem of a bow and arrow over a crescent moon. The construction went along quickly with Cirrus helping.

“Wow!” said Haruhime, amazed. “It’s so breathtaking! It’s like a tower from stories!”

“I-it’s bigger up close…” said Mikoto, a bit more nervous.

“Come on, they should be inside,” Lili said, walking ahead.

They come up to the home’s front gate, where two guards are stationed. One to block the entrance and another on the side to report anything on the dime.

“Which Familia are you with?” said a guard at the gate.

“We are with the Hestia Familia. Our goddess is currently visiting Lord Miach.”

“… I see, and your name?” The guard glances a bit more sharply at Lili.

“My name is Liliruca Arde, the human is Yamato Mikoto, and the Renard is Sanjouno Haruhime.”

“Hm, stay here for a second.”

She went back and talked with another of the guard inside the guard post and then came back.

“Your welcome to enter. Co-Captain Cirrus is currently busy with paperwork with Co-Vice Captain Ai. Lady Artemis and Yoru are currently in the central tower attending to the gusts.

“Thank you! Come on and stick close, alright!”

“Hm!”

They nod and head inside the tower’s premises.

Entering, they found it filled with beautiful ponds and greenery with flowers abode; the scent carried with it a banquet of great aromas.

“This reminds me a bit of home.” Said Haruhime, smiling warmly.

“Hm! it even has that mountain smell!” said Mikoto, taking in the aroma.

“Lucky you. I always lived in the city.”

They enter the tower to find it filled with various people and gods. The decorations were lavish and refined with spiraling staircases and elevators.

“There are so many gods and their children.” Said Lili.

“S-so many people.” Said Haruhime.

“Lili, do you know where to go?” asked Mikoto.

“Hm, do you see a large crowd?”

“Yes, over there.” She points to a large crowd of men.

“Follow me.”

They follow Lili as she weaves in between people and through the crowd to the center where Nox was.

Nox, of course, was using Cirrus’s magic tool to hide her natural hair color and eyes.

“Lady Yoru!”

“Hm?” Nox turned to see Lili. “Lili!” She then helped her get to her.

“Hey, it’s the Pallum!”

“Yeah, the Pallum that helped Yoru and Cirrus!”

“The assistant!”

Many complimented Lili when Mikoto and Haruhime made it through.

“Oh, you brought more of your Familia!” said Nox.

“Y-yes we are!” Haruhime and Mikoto stuttered a bit at Nox’s beauty.

‘Such a beautiful figure and face. Her beauty could match a goddess like Lady Ishtar with no trouble, but… she has no divinity? A human… but her beauty is more… inhuman-like?’ Thought Haruhime.

“Stare enough and I’d want to eat you up.” Nox said in a suggestive tone, coming up to Haruhime with a playful smile and a poke to her nose.

“S-s-sorry!” She bowed profusely with a blushing face. “I-I-I didn’t mean to stare!!”

“Hahaha!!!! What a cute kid! Can you all give us some room?”

Many of the men and women then left, giving her some room.

“Lili.” Mikoto said, glancing up and down at Nox. “Is she…”

“She is Yoru, she’s Cirrus' musical partner, but she’s gone most of the time. Where have you been!?”

“I went with my partner, of course.” She said to Lili before turning her attention to her Familia. “Hello Mikoto, Haruhime! I hope Lili isn’t in too much trouble! Or is it the other way around from what I heard?” Nox then noticed Haruhime and Mikoto were shaking a bit. “You two are shaking more than a bald man in the cold. What’s wrong?” She said, tilting her head a bit.

“S-sorry!” said Mikoto. “W-we just never talked with one with such beauty as yours and, well, Lili holds you in high regard.”

“How nice!” she had a slight blush and a large smile. “Lili, I didn’t think you would talk about me.”

“C-come on! Don’t tell her!” Lili got embarrassed. “Anyway, do you know when Ai or Sora are?”

“Umm… They are currently busy with some stuff at the moment. But I’d say they should be down in about in a few minutes… at best?”

Main Office of the Moonlight Tower.

“Do you think Art is having a worse off time than we are?” said Cirrus, doing several mountains of paperwork with Hecton helping.

“Yup.” Said Ai with utmost focus, finishing the mountain of paperwork. “She would always leave the parties and the like with other people to us while she is out on guard duty.”

“… I fucking hate paperwork,” Cirrus said with utter disdain as he reads and stamps documents.

“Same… Hecton, how is it for you?”

“It is… alright,” Hecton said with a mouth coming out from the shadows of the room. “But if I were given a choice to not do this, I would have taken it.”