by Fujino Omori
Hey, not bad. I wouldn’t mind living here myself—Hmm?
She noticed something as her gaze reached the far corner of the room.
It was in an armchair facing away from her. There seemed to be a big fluff of golden string attached to the side of it.
No, not string—blond hair. It was the back of someone’s head, their hair flowing down the side of the chair and sticking out.
The person sitting there slowly turned her thin neck to face the elves.
Eina suddenly swallowed a lump of air.
“Welcome home, Reveria.”
“Yes, Aiz. I have returned.”
The speaker was a beautiful girl, even younger than Eina.
What stood out more than her soft, delicate features was her refined solemnity. Still, her eyes glimmered like pools of gold on her face. The word “innocent” seemed to fit her very well.
A noble beauty and a childlike purity seemed to coexist within her.
As Eina had said once before, just seeing the girl’s beauty made her heart skip a beat.
Aiz Wallenstein.
The blond-haired, golden-eyed adventurer whom Bell couldn’t get out of his mind.
“Who is…that person?” Aiz asked.
“I…um, I’m…” Eina stuttered.
“She is like a member of my family. You two, introduce yourselves.”
They followed suit and exchanged greetings. Aiz didn’t break eye contact with Eina as she spoke, her words clear and concise.
Without any armor on, Aiz looked like a very sheltered girl. She was very feminine, with her slender body wrapped in a pure white one-piece dress. It accentuated her generous bosom, as well.
Aiz’s bare feet were pearl-white, like alabaster, smooth and vibrant.
…Breathtaking.
Eina didn’t feel right, looking at Aiz this way. Even though he wasn’t here, it felt like she was wedging herself between Bell and Aiz.
Moving slowly and carefully, Eina walked around the armchair and took a seat on the sofa facing her. Reveria joined them, with a table situated between the three girls.
“Aiz, have you purchased replacements for the items used during the last trip? We set out again in ten days.”
“Yes…I’ll go tomorrow.”
Aiz’s voice was muffled by her knees; she was holding them to her chest while sitting in the chair. Her words sounded dull, like a bell fallen on its side.
Eina could tell something wasn’t right. She glanced over at Reveria, only to see a look on her face that the high elf often gave Eina years ago—a warm, motherly expression. Eina finally worked up the courage to say what was on her mind.
“Um, Lady Reveria?”
“What is it?”
“Don’t you think that Aiz looks…a little upset?”
Eina couldn’t feel any energy coming from the girl, her face half hidden behind knees covered in white cloth. Even Aiz’s hair seemed to be missing its usual luster. It hung limp over her shoulders.
Eina hadn’t known the girl for long, but she could tell Aiz was very sad.
Reveria laughed quietly at Eina’s question, letting a rare smile onto her lips.
“Oh, a boy she’s been interested in for a while now apparently ran away from her.”
Reveria’s shoulders shook as she laughed again, teasing Aiz about the situation. Eina, on the other hand, didn’t feel like this was a laughing matter. “That’s terrible…” she said, her hand on her forehead.
It looked as though the chances of her cute little subordinate getting a girlfriend were rather low.
Eina decided to hide this information from Bell and seal it within her memory.
“…Lady Reveria. About the reason I came here today…”
“Oh yes, my apologies. Let’s call her here.”
A still-smiling Reveria reached into the bag she had brought back with her.
She pulled the bottle of Soma out of it.
“Um…Lady Reveria? Weren’t you going to summon someone for me…?”
“It would be a waste to go looking for her. She has always been very elusive; I don’t know how much time finding her would require. It would be more effective for her to come to us.”
Before Eina could ask another question, Reveria removed the lid of the wine she’d purchased herself, though the fact that she’d put all of her purchases on Loki Familia’s tab seemed somehow more striking.
Soon, the surprisingly sweet smell of the wine filled the reception room.
“Wow…a frosty smell.”
“I may be quite accustomed to it, but this smell still has that effect.”
Eina enjoyed the aroma for a moment before realizing that Reveria was holding out a glass in front of her and took it out of reflex. Before she knew it, a high elf was pouring her a drink. Eina was on the verge of passing out from shame and embarrassment.
Feeling bad that Reveria had gone through the trouble, she cautiously raised the glass to her lips.
Oh my…!
Her eyes shot open the moment the glass touched her lips.
It was heavenly. Too heavenly.
It was so sweet that her tongue almost went numb. But somehow it had a smooth, almost melting texture.
Its sweet bouquet instantly filled her nose. The aftertaste was so invigorating that her very consciousness seemed to be tossed around inside her head until the very last drop. That feeling made its way into her body, right down to the tips of her toes.
No wonder so many people like this wine…In just one gulp, Eina learned firsthand where the wine’s reputation came from.
“I know that smell…”
It was only a heartbeat after Eina put Soma to her lips.
Thump, thump, thump, thump. The sound of excited footsteps drew ever closer, as if being pulled in by the smell of the alcohol.
“Hey, you—is that Soma?!”
With that, the vermillion-haired goddess of this Familia, Loki, appeared from around the corner a second later.
“She has arrived.”
“So that’s what you meant by her coming here…”
“I knew it! I knew it! That’s Soma, all right! Did ya get me a present, Reveria? You devoted child, you!”
Eina took a look at the glass in her hand, the source of the mellow smell around her. Next she looked at Loki, in awe of how well Reveria’s plan to summon her had worked.
Even in the dimly lit reception room, Eina could clearly see Loki’s vermillion hair and eyes.
“While it was I who purchased the wine, the idea was not mine.”
“Well then, musta been Aiz! And here ya were actin’ all sad since you came back from the Dungeon! It was ta keep this a surprise! Geee! Aizuuu, yer soo cute!”
“Not me.”
Loki was ready to jump onto Aiz and give her a big hug, but an intimidating glare from the depressed girl stopped her in her tracks. Aiz’s eyes were saying “Touch me and I’ll slice you.”
“Huh…?” Loki was confused as she took a few steps backward, sweating.
“A-Aizuu…Isn’t that a little too prickly, even fer you? What ya think?”
“If you want my permission, use words I can understand. More importantly, the person who brought the wine is standing right there.”
Ah, so that’s how this is going to work.
Eina realized this was part of Reveria’s plan as well.
The person who had information about the inner workings of Soma Familia was in fact the goddess of her own Familia, Loki. By appeasing her with a gift, Loki might be willing to answer a few questions.
Directly asking a god for their opinion made Eina rather uncomfortable, but she forced herself to relax.
“Huh? Who’s this girl here?”
“This is our first meeting, Lady Loki. It is my pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is Eina Tulle. I know that my being here is very unexpected…”
“No need ta be so formal. Yer makin’ my neck itchy. Talk normal, got it?”
Loki waved off
Eina’s formality like it was too much trouble to bother with as she turned to face her. Loki stiffened when she noticed Eina’s uniform and planted her gaze firmly on the half-elf.
Her thread of a right eye opened; a catlike smile popped up on her lips.
“What’s this here, a Guild member payin’ my Familia a house call?……Old man Uranus, claimin’ neutrality and all that, yet havin’ a dagger armed and ready. That how this is?”
“N-no, it’s not! I…I…”
“This girl is my guest. I won’t allow such slander.”
“Ah, ehh. So yer Reveria’s guest, my mistake, then. Sorry ’bout that, Einy. Beg yer pardon?”
“I-I’m fine. Please pay it no mind…”
Feeling Reveria’s quiet gaze, Loki tried to pass the moment by shrugging and laughing it off.
She then plunked herself down on the sofa.
“That’s enough with keepin’ up appearances, let’s get ta it. Ya brought me one of my all-time faves, which means ya wanna ask me somethin’. Am I right?”
“…Well then, I’ll get right to the point. If you know any details about what goes on behind the scenes at Soma Familia, would you be willing to tell me?”
“Bringin’ Soma fer that? Ha-ha. I see how it is.”
Holding the bottle in one hand, Loki rudely grabbed a glass from the table and poured her own drink. One big gulp and a long, satisfied sigh later, Loki turned her reddening face in Eina’s direction.
“It’s not like I got a good connection with that idiot Soma. Don’t know if I have the info ya want, Eina……But what the heck, I’ll spill the beans on anythin’ ya want. So, what’ll it be?”
“…Do you know the reason behind the strange tendencies of the members of Soma Familia?”
“Hmm, right ta the good stuff, eh?…But how to explain it.”
Loki swirled the wine around in her hand a few times, watching the waves wrap around the inside of the glass.
After a few moments, Loki downed the remainder of the wine in one loud swig.
“Got it! I’ll tell ya a story ’bout me and Soma. Ah, just bein’ clear, the wine Soma. Not that idiot god, just t’be clear.”
“Ah, um, okay?”
“Well then…Ya know me, I love me some wine. Goin’ ta different shops, tryin’ and comparin’ all brands every day. Gettin’ drunk off my ass, pukin’, passin’ out…Livin’ the dream in a loop until one day…I ran into this li’l beauty, Soma.”
Reveria was staring at Loki with her eyes half closed, with no notion where the goddess was going with this. Loki, however, didn’t care, and continued her story.
“One of those fated meetings, I guess you could call it? It was love at first taste! Some Familia made it, but I didn’t care. Went ’round Orario, buyin’ Soma left ’n’ right…But while I was doin’ that, I heard somethin’ very interestin’.”
“Something interesting…?”
“Can ya wrap yer head ’round this, Eina? This wine is defective, a failure.”
Wha…Eina remembered Bell saying he heard that from Lilly.
Loki’s smile grew deeper.
“Makes ya wonder, don’t it? A failure that’s this good? What about the successes, huh? I had ta know. Found my way to Soma Familia’s home base by myself.”
Eina was shocked and Reveria looked down on Loki with disgust. While the two gods weren’t exactly enemies, a god going directly into another’s territory was almost an open invitation for an attack.
Even the gods had manners. While part of this was to protect personal information, there was no reason for a member of one Familia to go waltzing into another’s home.
“Went up ta the porch, yellin’ ‘SOMA! Marry me! I’m beggin’ ya!’ But I was ignored, ta the point of gettin’ lonely…I was gettin’ ticked off, so I went inside without askin’.”
Eina rubbed her fingers up and down her temple as though she had a bad headache.
However, Soma Familia’s lack of resistance to an intruder added to her curiosity about the members themselves.
“Place was totally silent. Not a single child anywhere. This is their home, y’know? Why’d everyone be out at the same time? I could tell somethin’ wasn’t right, and it gave me the chills…But I ignored it and perked up a bit. Went snoopin’ ’round the whole place.”
“……”
“I implore you, Loki. Do not reveal any more embarrassing information.”
“Ge-hee-hee, you’re no fun, Reveria. Anyway, couldn’t find the real Soma anywhere. Finally got to the point o’ gettin’ fed up with it, turn ta go home…and there he was, that idiot himself.”
Loki lowered her head as if remembering every detail of that meeting. Her smile vanished.
“I let out a big friendly ‘Hey, there!’ and that idiot responded with only ‘Welcome.’ Nothin’ else. It was our first time meetin’, y’know? Hardly ever looked at me, either, just stood there with a hoe in his hand. Was tendin’ ta his garden. Only heard ’bout this later, but he grows all the ingredients fer his wine. Ah, nothin’ too alarmin’ goes in, though.”
Loki continued to refill and drink the wine even while telling her story. Her bright pink cheeks were getting redder by the minute.
The tone of her voice went up.
“This Soma god…really pissed me off.”
“Huh?”
“Tried talkin’ ’bout everythin’, but all he did was answer ‘yeah’ or ‘hmm’ and kept on hoein’…He was implyin’ that his shit-filled fertilizer was above me.”
Just talking about this memory made Loki’s gaze grow more and more serious.
Eina was damp with sweat.
“That god was nothin’ more than an indecisive, pitiful coward. But he acted like I was some dumb scarecrow and ignored me…Makin’ me sick just thinkin’ ’bout it!”
“……”
“On top o’ that, Einy, on top o’ that!”
“E-Einy…?”
“Overlookin’ all of that, all of his rudeness and whatnot, I still asked ta taste the real ‘Soma,’ bein’ real polite and everythin’! Even bowed ta him! Me! What ya think that idiot’s answer was?”
Since Loki hadn’t sensed any kind of hard feelings from Soma, she thought there was a chance she could try the good stuff—if not a full bottle, then at least a cup or two. However, Soma finally stopped working and turned to Loki for the first time and said:
“I refuse.”
Apparently that was the first time he had shown any kind of emotion.
“Geeyahh! He’s supposed ta be on my side, but that kinda tone pissed me off more than ever!”
“Loki, get a hold of yourself. Stop going off on tangents and get to the point.”
“Hee-hee-hee.” Loki took a few quick, deep breaths to calm down before her face relaxed. She sank back into the sofa.
“Sorry, sorry. Beat ’round the bush a bit, but I asked that idiot about his Familia. When I asked, what he said made me sick, that idiot. He’s got absolutely no clue how to run a Familia, no sense at all. Like his heart wasn’t in it from the start.”
Eina’s thin eyebrows flicked up.
His heart wasn’t in it from the start…?
Well then, what was his goal? Eina had a new train of thought take off in her mind.
“Eina, don’t be thinkin’ too hard on it, y’know? The god known as Soma has only one thing in his skull: his hobby. Plenty o’ those types, right? Their head’s so far in the clouds, they can’t see nothin’ else. That idiot is case number one, the ultimate example. Not barbaric or evil, just purely livin’ fer his craft. A god o’ pure amusement. Guess you could say he’s the wise ol’ hermit of the gods—ha-ha!” joked Loki.
There were many strange and usual personalities among the gods, but Soma was weird even among them.
At least that was the impression Eina was picking up from Loki.
“Now, the problem is that wine, Soma. That idiot made his Familia for one reason only: his hobby. But they weren’t bringin’ in enough money
. Not enough ta support his pastime, anyway—makin’ wine’s expensive, yeah? Couldn’t keep it goin’. What little brain he had told him to give them a ‘prize.’ Somethin’ really special—a trigger ta get them ta work harder.”
“Don’t tell me…”
“Yep, that Soma. The good stuff, yeah?”
A drop of wine from her last swig started to roll down Loki’s lip. She licked it up a second later.
“Eina, ya drank the failure, so ya probably know, but the real stuff isn’t playin’ ’round. It takes ya. Not talkin’ ’bout getting hammered outta yer mind, now. The deepest part of yer soul, the spirit, gets taken. Like it takes hold of the mind and body, like they’re not yer own.”
Whoosh. A sudden chill ran through Eina.
She thought back to the warm, elated feeling she got from drinking the failure before.
Her senses had been swept away by the wine, in a good way. Her spirits had been lifted.
Something even more euphoric than that?
Goose bumps quietly erupted on her skin beneath her suit.
Loki then said, “Maybe if I put it like this, you’ll get it easier,” as a way of leading into her next sentence.
“The children who follow him aren’t there fer the idiot, but the Soma itself.”
Members of that group weren’t worshipping a god, but divine wine.
That meant that the reason Soma Familia had more members than the god Soma’s reputation would allow was because their spirits were taken by the wine he gave them.
His followers had fallen in love with wine that could give them more happiness than anything else with as little as one sip.
“That idiot is a real monster. He’s not gettin’ help from members with Enigma, he’s just growin’ ingredients, mixin’ ’em, and brewin’ them himself. That idiot has driven his hobby ta utter perfection.”
It suddenly came to Eina.
Part of the reason Loki referred to Soma as “that idiot” was out of fear and awe.
“He ain’t usin’ ‘our’ power, either. He’s usin’ the same abilities as his children, maybe even less, ta make somethin’ like that. Can ya believe that? In other words, human hands can make the wine o’ the gods. It’s, like, what the hell’d he do up in Tenkai, right?”
“Hmm, I think I see the gist of your story. The god Soma uses his wine as bait to lure in members…”