Standing in the middle of Orario's noisy streets, Genichi felt like he was standing inside a massive furnace forged from steel, sweat, dreams, and loss.
Babel's shadow covered half the city, and it felt as if it had settled over his heart as well.
The frustration from earlier had not fully faded. If anything, it had been distilled into a hotter, more restless urgency.
"Am I really going to have to go that far?"
The scenes of Familia doors slamming shut in his face replayed one after another.
The Loki Familia's polite refusal. The Freya Familia not even opening their doors. The mid and small Familias either sneering at his aptitude or ignoring his pleas outright.
Was the Evils truly the only path left?
The thought darkened Genichi's mood even further.
The Evils were the cancer beneath Orario's glossy skin, an amalgam of chaos, brutality, and twisted desire.
Joining them might grant him a falna, but it would also mean stepping fully to the opposite side of order, losing any right to walk in the sunlight, and being dragged into endless betrayal and blood-soaked infighting.
The risks and the uncontrollable variables would spike exponentially.
His expression hardened. His gaze swept over the adventurers striding past with all kinds of emblems on their chests.
Their pride, longing, or exhaustion all felt like silent mockery.
"No."
A harsher, more decisive fire flared in Genichi's chest. It was the hunger for strength pushed to its limit, and it was also a growl of refusal toward fate itself.
"I can't stop here. No matter what, I have to find a way to obtain a falna. Even if it means the Evils."
Yes. If the righteous road was truly blocked, he did not mind stepping into the mud for a time.
A god's falna was the foundation of this world. It was the key to rapid growth, to covering his weaknesses fast.
For power, he was willing to pay a price, even if it meant walking with darkness.
Just as he was locked in that mental tug-of-war, on the verge of making a dangerous decision, it happened.
"Ah!"
A soft, warm, astonishingly springy sensation collided into his side without warning.
It was not strong, but it was sudden enough that Genichi, caught in his thoughts, swayed and stumbled a step before forcing himself back into balance.
"I-I'm sorry! Are you okay?"
A voice sounded near his ear, a little flustered, but unusually gentle and sweet.
Genichi frowned and turned, ready to see what careless idiot had just run into him.
What met his eyes first was a cascade of bright golden hair, like flowing honey, gleaming warmly in the sunlight.
Then came a delicate, soft-featured face, clearly apologetic, with eyes that were pure and kind, carrying a faint, natural air of harmless ditziness.
Her figure was striking, especially the breathtaking fullness that even a plain dress could not hide. That was obviously the culprit that had "hit" him just now.
Demeter.
Her name and the attached information flashed through Genichi's mind at once.
The goddess of agriculture and harvest. Her Familia was famous in Orario for running farms, cultivating crops, and supplying high-quality ingredients, not for combat.
She was gentle, benevolent, loved life and nature, and among the gods she was known for her good temper and "nice person" reputation.
A somewhat peripheral deity in terms of battle power, yet deeply tied to everyday life. A mild god.
A thought cleaved through the darkness in Genichi's mind like lightning.
Maybe it was the last thread of fortune. Maybe it was desperation. Or maybe, on some subconscious level, he understood that a goddess known for warmth and acceptance might be the only one likely to take him in right now.
Genichi did not hesitate.
He inhaled, forced down every calculation, every mask of nervousness or false excitement, and looked straight at the slightly flustered goddess with a gaze that was direct, almost carrying the meaning of burning the boats behind him.
"Lady Demeter."
His voice was not loud, but it was clear and steady, cutting through the surrounding noise.
"May I join your Familia?"
No buildup. No explanation. No display of talent or potential. Just a blunt, sudden request.
It was the kind of reckless move someone made when they had reached the end of the road and grabbed at the last straw.
Demeter was visibly stunned by the abruptness.
She blinked her beautiful amber eyes, long lashes fluttering like butterfly wings, and the apology on her face turned into pure surprise.
She studied him carefully, earnestly. A black-haired, black-eyed boy in ordinary clothes, but with an unnervingly deep gaze.
Time seemed to stretch thin.
Genichi could feel her eyes moving over his face, his posture, his presence. There was none of the pickiness other gods used when they assessed someone like merchandise. There was none of Hestia's piercing sharpness that seemed to see through to the soul.
It felt more like simple observation. A god's natural sensitivity, yes, but softened by Demeter's particular warmth and openness.
What was she seeing?
His appearance?
His battered state?
Or the kaleidoscopic darkness inside his soul?
Genichi held himself rigid, prepared for rejection, even prepared for her to sense something "wrong" in him.
Yet, to his surprise, Demeter looked for a long while. Her brows drew together slightly, as if thinking, or as if feeling something subtle.
Then her surprise slowly faded, replaced by something more complex.
Confusion. A faint, restrained pity. Perhaps even the small stir that came from seeing stubborn grass pushing up through stone.
Finally, Demeter let out a soft breath. Her honey-colored hair shifted with the motion.
She nodded.
Warmth returned to her eyes, and her smile came back, like sunlight spilling across a field of wheat, carrying a kind of acceptance that seemed able to hold anything.
"Okay."
Two words, clear and certain.
Genichi's heart slammed once in his chest.
Success?
Just like that?
No test. No interrogation. She did not even ask why he wanted to join a non-combat Familia centered on agriculture.
"R-Really?" Even Genichi, usually controlled, felt a flicker of disbelief, a brief haze of unreality.
The good fortune came too suddenly. Too easily.
"Mm. Really." Demeter nodded again, her tone gentle.
"My Familia mostly runs a farm, so it may not be as exciting as the combat Familias. But everyone works hard, and they truly love living. If you don't mind that, you're welcome to join."
She paused, then added, "But joining requires a formal rite. I'll need to carve your falna. If you're free right now, would you come back to our home with me? Our farm is outside the city."
Genichi pressed down the turbulent rush inside him and forced himself back into calm.
He bowed at once, voice sincere. "Thank you very much, Lady Demeter. It's an honor. I'm free right now. I'll follow your arrangements."
"Good." Demeter smiled, looking pleased. "Come with me then. The farm is a bit far, but the scenery is lovely."
She turned and walked toward the edge of the city with light, easy steps. Her honey-gold hair swayed gently behind her.
Genichi followed immediately, half a step behind her shoulder. His head was slightly lowered, outwardly respectful, yet his thoughts were in upheaval.
It worked.
In a way that almost felt like a joke, he had obtained a chance to join a Familia and receive a falna.
Even if joining Demeter's Familia carried the risk of Dionysus's influence, he had no other choice.
But had this gentle goddess truly failed to see his nature, or had she chosen, in her own way, to accept him anyway?
No matter what, the first step of his plan had moved forward with unexpected smoothness.
Genichi lifted his gaze, looking toward the faint green fields beyond the city, and a cold, unwavering light flickered in his eyes.
A god's falna was within reach.
(End of Chapter)
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