Capítulo 1: Chapter 1: Waking Up in a not so Familiar Place
(This chapter was re-uploaded on Monday 14/August/2023 9:00 PM, timezone GMT+3)
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Quick notice for readers who already read the first fourteen chapters before I changed into this account:
Chapters thirteen and fourteen are going to be done before another hour passes by after this chapter is re-uploaded. Chapter fifteen, oh chapter fifteen, I will try my best to finish editing it and will upload it whenever it is done.
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('1), ('2), ('3), etc. means that there is some explaining for the thing in the notes at the end of the chapter.
"..." small moment of silence
"Talking"
"He-" Someone was interrupted.
'Thinking'
[Skills' names, chanting and spells' names]
Don't shy from commenting on typos and/or inconsistencies. That and/or suggesting a modification to certain things that didn't make sense to you.
I hope you enjoy reading this chapter.
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(MC PoV)
Hmm? The damn sun. I didn't get enough sleep ye-....
I don't think this is my room, nor is it where I normally sleep in the forest. The floor is made of cobblestone. A street, maybe an alleyway. It might be in a rural area by the looks of it.
Anyway, staying in this alleyway will yield me nothing. I should see if I can call her.
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(Third person PoV)
The MC of this story, a young man called Henryk, exited the alleyway he woke up in.
In this unfamiliar place he found himself in, he wanted to call his companion. A companion who was sure to stalk him if and whenever he was outside his house.
*WHISTLE* And so, he, with all his might, whistled.
The people passing by him gave him strange looks. He dressed differently to them. He also looked suspicious, whistling like that in the middle of the road.
"YOU THERE! DON'T YOU BLOW OUR EARS OFF! YOU HEAR ME?" Someone shouted over the crowd's noise.
Some of the people got curious and stuck around to see what was going on.
"PIIiEee PIee" Some bird pealed in the sky of the city.
It was an unusual sound to hear in the city. As such, some civilians got their eyes at the sky above them. That is when they saw it. A paralysis demon with wings that took the form of a bird of sorts. It was a monster that escaped the depths of the hellhole under Babel, or so they thought.
"Hoo there, buddy. Sheath your toy. This eagle is my girl" Henryk tried to make these weird cosplayers sheath the weapon-toys they had on them. His girl does not take kindly to weapons once her attention is drawn to them.
All Henryk got was the rest unsheathing their weapons. They were cautious of such birds. For some reason, they feared its unfamiliar appearance.
"FEY, DOWN" Good for them, the eagle, now identified as Fey, did not care about them. Her attention was solely drawn towards her human. She landed on his extended right arm. She appeared to be a little higher than a meter.
"Who is a good girl? Of course, it's you" Henryk started scratching under her beak, as she leaned down for it, to coax her to listen to his next order. "Now, Fey. Don't attack them"
"Piee" Fey spread her wings and did a little beat and peal. She listened.
'Are those the security? I mean, people are parting for them to pass through. Now that I think about it, I might be in a place that has a backward cul- Scratch that. I'm in a fantasy world. That's a cat-girl standing there. Going by the movement of her tail and ears, it is too real to be anything else. I should avert my eyes, lest I incur some sort of lawsuit for ogling her for too long' Henryk was thinking that this was all a deliberate prank by his wealthy friend. If it was, it would not have been the first.
That line of thought was shaken after seeing how natural everything was. There is a level of naturality to things not achievable by acting. He started thinking that he was in an unheard-of country that was not so advanced, however that could be with all the transportation going around.
He dashed both possibilities after seeing the race that does not exist in his reality.
The security personnel raised their spears at him. "PIIEEE" In response, Fey pealed strongly at them. As if to tell them to lower their "talons".
"There, girl. You can ignore their weapons for now" Henryk rubbed her chest to calm her. Thankfully, he succeeded.
"Mister..."
"The name is Henryk Williams. Glad to meet you" Henryk could not give a courtesy bow at the moment. It was a given, with Fey on his arm.
"My name is Hashana Dorlia. The pleasure is mine. Mr. Williams, you may have to accompany us for some time" Henryk complied, as staying within such a large crowd of curious people might stress Fey. That would result in anything but good.
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Midway towards their destination, Henryk told Fey to relocate to atop his shoulders. He had a protective measure against her sharp talon. He developed it himself after having to deal with a ton of talons he raised.
"Mr. Williams, can you remove your "eagle"? We need you alone for this interrogation" As they walked towards one of their interrogation stations, Hashana asked him.
"I would prefer keeping her by my side. I can calm her quickly, as you saw earlier. By the way, call me Henryk. I'm not all that keen on formalities" Henryk really feared her attacking someone and hurting them or getting hurt as a result.
"That is true. She can stay on the condition of being calm" Hashana allowed it.
They entered a room with a man sitting on one sofa. There was another sofa on the opposite side of a wooden table. Nothing else was in the carpeted room.
The man was muscular. He wore a red and yellow elephant mask over his face. He also wore an orange sash that went over his right shoulder and wrapped around his waist. A gold rimmed leather plate sat on his stomach, holding the garb together. He also sported white pants with dark brown under the knee boots - also with gold accents. The man has gold jewelry to further cement the image of "showboat". His jewelry can be seen as a thick gold necklace and arm bands. He also wore gold rimmed gauntlets. He had long, shaggy, ash-brown hair.
(AN: This description was taken from the wiki. By the way, Ganesha deserves to be described at least once. He is a chad through and through)
"I AM GANESHA. Might I ask the young man's name?" The person who called himself Ganesha was acting in a flamboyant manner. His voice was also loud.
'So that tower was truly Babel. I regret not re-watching the show or reading the novels over and over. That would've been helpful. Oh, that Sword Oratoria thing, too. I didn't read or watch it. Good thing my friend spoiled things on me. I still don't regret punching him square in his face, though' "My name is Henryk Williams, Sir Ganesha" Henryk could give a bow this time. Fey left his shoulder in favor of a sofa's armrest.
"Take a seat, young Henryk" Henryk took the offer and sat down. "Shall we start the questioning?"
"Yes, I don't want to take out of your valuable time, sir" Henryk replied positively.
"Do you belong to any familia? And if yes, which one?"
"No, not yet a part of any"
"How do you control this bird monster, then?"
"First and foremost, Fey's no monster. She is what you call a Harpy Eagle. She is a totally normal animal. I hatched and raised her by myself. I KNOW that she doesn't have a magic stone.
As for the control, I just trained her from when she was a hatchling, after she imprinted on me. She understands simple commands; those commands stand out when their sounds are played together. Don't assume for even a second that I can control her, as she can ignore my commands if agitated enough"
"Do you have any criminal records?"
"As far as I know, I shouldn't have one. Well, if you didn't count living in the forest when I have a fully functional house in the nearest city" Ganesha smiled at the joke.
"Are you interested in joining our familia?"
"Whoa there, sir Ganesha. That came out of the blue"
"Your natural bond with what still identifies as a wild bird is interesting"
'She comes from a long-domesticated line, but again, he doesn't need to know that' "Sorry, but I must refuse. I want to help someone be with their love interest. And for that, I need to enter their familia. I will make sure to visit from time to time, though"
"Whose familia are you planning to join? I may be able to help you" Helping young love? Sign him in. Ganesha would love to be the cause for the masses to become happy.
"I have a question for Hashana over there first. Did you meet a boy who looked like an almiraj at first glance?"
Hashana looked at Ganesha. He was asking for permission to answer. Ganesha nodded his head.
"Yes, I did. It was about a week ago. It is more like 8 days, actually"
Henryk nodded in thanks.
"Then take me to the guild. I plan to join his familia"
"Can I know from where I could get one of her kind?"
'Look at this guy. He seems interested' "I'm sorry to tell you, but Fey is the last one of her kind to soar the skies of the lower world. I don't think you can get a harpy eagle anymore" 'Luckily, she is only 7 years old. She still has more than twenty years to live with me' ('1)
"PIIIEEEEEE" Fey sensed a dangerous presence.
She flew away from her comfort at the armrest and onto the safety of Henryk's shoulders again. The feathers surrounding her face were flaring and her wings were stretched open.
After a good look around, Henryk found the source to be none other than Ganesha. The man was eyeing Fey.
"No" Henryk made a face of denial whilst raising his arms protectively between Fey and Ganesha.
"At least the feathers?" Ganesha's fingers were interlocked under his chin.
"No"
"One last thing. We can only legally allow your friend here to accompany you if you were an adventurer. Join a familia so you can keep her free" Ganesha gave his advice.
He wanted to see this young man's future accomplishments. Helping him was the first step in allowing his talent to shine. 'Maybe I can have young Henryk's assistance when it is needed'
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"Did you have to refuse him that hard?" Hashana sighed yet again.
They were on their way to the guild's building, Pantheon.
"I raised Fey like a daughter. I won't sell her or her body parts. Never"
Fey was flying from foothold to the next beside the two. Pedestrians were looking at Fey with fearful eyes while some of the adventurers looked at her as a prey. Henryk remembered their faces.
The only reason nobody fled or attacked was the presence of a Ganesha familia personnel who was calm in the presence of the flying menace. That, and the fact that it did not hurt anybody, yet.
*Whistle* Henryk whistled for Fey, and she came to his shoulder again.
"Is she not heavy?" Hashana found himself questioning the sight before him.
"Believe it or not, she is only around 10 kg in weight. She is light as a feather" Henryk scratched her chest gently.
"Pie" Fey loves the caresses she gets from Henryk.
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(At the guild's entrance)
"See you later, Henryk"
"Can you remind me of your name again? It's easy to forget"
"Oh, you little- My name Hashana Dorlia. You better remember it"
"Hahaha, of course. I was joking with you. See you later, Hashana"
They parted ways smiling. It was refreshing to chat with someone after living alone for a little over a month, since his friend's last visit at least.
Henryk proceeded to enter the pantheon with Fey atop his shoulders. She was slightly dozing off.
As he entered, the sun was shining behind his back. His figure was not clear. With his height being 2.03 meters and Fey's being 1.3 meters, what the people initially saw was a 3.33 meters monstrosity with two legs, two arms, two wings, two heads and is not inside the dungeon.
"Hey, Fey. Wake up"
"Pie?" Fey shook herself awake.
"Go to that armrest" Fey headed towards the armrest she saw Henryk point at and dozed off again.
The adventurers and guild employees calmed down. They thought that he was an adventurer with a taming skill. They were still vigilant. They are not going to trust something they do not know. Tamers often lost control of their monsters, especially if they are stronger than the tamer.
Henryk went to the receptionists and searched for a specific someone. A half elf with brown hair and green eyes. He found her.
"Good afternoon, lady. My name is Henryk Williams. May I have yours?" Although he already knew her name, he acted otherwise.
He did not want to paint himself a creep on their first meeting. He also smiled to ease her mood.
"Good afternoon to you too, mister Williams. My name is Eina Tulle. How may I help you?" She gave her best business smile. The paperwork her coworker threw her way was not hers to begin with. She almost gave up on correcting the coworker's mistakes and doing her piling paperwork all the time.
"Do you know of any adventurer who looks like a rabbit? Oh, his name is Bell Cranel, by the way" He made a suspicious move.
He should have asked someone else about it. Asking the boy's dungeon advisor as if he did not know it, that was not a bright move at all.
"May I inquire about your business with my charge?" Eina's eyes spoke volumes about the situation he may find himself in if he answered wrong.
"I wanted to join his familia. Why are you looking at me as if I was a suspicious person, though?" He knew already. But his excuse demanded he acted this way. He prepared one.
"Coming to ask me to arrange a meeting with my charge may be one normal thing. Asking that of me as if you did not know he was advised by me is suspicious. How do you know his name?" Eina narrowed her eyes at him, guessing his next move.
"I already knew him when he was a child" It was not a complete lie. He saw his flashbacks with Zeus, in the anime.
"And why did you come to me specifically?" She adjusted the position of her glasses, which shined white for a fraction of a second.
"It seemed as the more likely option to bear fruit, seeing as Bell has a thing for elves. That is the main reason I didn't go to her" Eina guessed wrong. Henryk pointed at a chatterbox two counters away.
"What's it about me?!" Asked Misha with her eyebrows furrowed.
"We were talking about how lazy you are. Happy?" Henryk had no mercy. He took a throw in the dark and it connected.
"Hey, Eina! Don't you dare laugh!" A flustered Misha said.
"Oh, do not worry about me. Worry about the work piling on your desk without you finishing much of it" Eina's glasses became white as her voice had the signs of a stifled laugh. It was uncharacteristic of her.
"Anyway. When will Bell arrive at the guild? I want an official meeting as a prospective member of his familia" Henryk wanted to be introduced to Hestia through Bell. It will make it easier to get into the familia.
"MISS EINA"
"Talk about the almiraj and he should come hopping" Henryk said.
"Huh?! An almiraj?! Where is it?! How did it escape the dungeon?!" Bell started searching for the rabbit monster that was not there. His weapon, a dagger borrowed from the guild, was unsheathed and ready for combat.
"..." Three people... No, correct that. All occupants of the guild looked at him funny, whilst Eina almost burst a giggle or two at the clueless boy.
"Why... is everyone looking at me like that?" Bell asked awkwardly.
"The almiraj we were talking about" The man standing in front of Eina's counter pointed in his general direction.
"... DO NOT CALL ME THAT!" Bell did a "Bell pose" and shouted in embarrassment. Eina broke out of character, laughing for a few seconds.
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After Eina calmed down, she took both men to a booth and left them there. Before she closed the door, a shadow flew inside and landed on the armrest closest to Henryk.
"Let's start with our names. My name is Henryk Williams. This is my girl, Fey. Fey, say hello"
"Pie" Fey greeted bell with a peal. Her eyes showed an unsettling glint, which Bell did not notice at the time.
"My name is Bell Cranel, the only member of the Hestia familia" Bell was distracted by the big bird before him. It was cool in his eyes, eyes that shined with interest. "Mr. Williams, are you a monster tamer? To which familia do you belong? Wh-" Bell was not going to stop with his rapid-fire questions on his own. He had to be stopped.
"Slow down with the questions, Bell. First, you can call me Henryk. Now, to answer your questions. No, I'm not a monster tamer, seeing as Fey is a normal animal. I didn't receive falna yet, either. Assuming you were going to ask about my level, I will be level one if lady Hestia accepts me" Bell's face went from disappointed, to hopeful and then to absolute joy. It was going to be a celebration tonight. What both him and his goddess thought would be an arduous path gained the tiniest amount of hope just now. A person wants to join their familia. What more, he has a bird that looked like it could hunt a few goblins on its own.
"Before joining us, it is your right to know of our situation" Bell wanted to just up and have him get Hestia's falna. What prevented him was that Henryk would have had an even worse impression of them then.
"I'm all ears" Henryk gave him the green lights. He was going to listen and compare it to what he remembers.
"I have to be honest with you. Our familia is poor. Our familia home is a crumbled church. We have no proper food. Not to mention, I am the first and only member to join. That was only for two days, starting yesterday. Do you still want to join the Hestia familia?" Bell was not going to give up this chance if it was for him. Sadly, Henryk had the final say in this. Even if Hestia accepted him, he could refuse to join.
"Does falna differ from god to god? Would lady Hestia's falna give me any less than the others' just because of your situation?" 'Logically speaking, it should be the same no matter the god or goddess'
"No, it will be the same falna regardless of the patron deity" Bell was shocked. He did not expect someone to join their little and upstart familia so soon. "Bu-"
"We should go see lady Hestia" Henryk cut him off.
"Yes" Bell's happiness went through the roof. He had a bright smile that reached his ears.
'Maybe it's because he is a bunny, but he gives the impression of being loved by the world' Henryk thought. He just could not help himself. He felt like protecting this child.
*grrrrrrr* A certain stomach growled in hunger.
"Piee" Fey eyed Bell. She drooled over him. The thought of eating this big rabbit made it seem all the more worth it in her eyes.
'Well, the entire world except this girl. She may prey on him if I leave her to her devices' "Fey, no" Henryk then pointed at Bell "friend" It was one of the words he trained her to recognize. It meant not attacking the target until explicitly asked to.
"Pie" *grrrrrrrrRrrrRrRrRRRRR* The sound of her being famished prompted Henryk to remember that neither of them ate anything today. It is evening now.
"Mind grabbing a bite on our way? Fey eats raw meat, by the way" Leaching off him these few days might not be a bad idea after all. It started tempting Henryk to do so.
"If it means not getting eaten in my sleep, I will be glad to" Bell nervously answered.
He felt danger. It was not because Fey was stronger than him, no, far from it. It was like how a stag with impressive horns would still run away when faced with a predator. It could give them a crippling or a fatal injury, but it still decides to run in most situations.
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End of chapter.
'1:
According to the wiki, harpy eagles can live up to 45 years. But hey, we are in fantasy settings. Everyone knows what happens to logic in such settings.
Have a good day, ladies and gentlemen.
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