Hestia had left to meet with Ganesha, leaving me to the rest of my off day.
The plan had initially been to immediately go back to the electric boogaloo version of the grind, a couple of twenty hour shifts to warm myself up and see just how damn explosive my growth would be with Berserk Exceliot. Bell had, however accidentally, shot that plan to hell by inviting me as the third wheel on his date. I don't blame him because my being there will take the heat off of him and it gives me the opportunity to fuck with Loki, the thought of which released a nice little spurt of happy brain juice.
That little part of being a child that enjoyed messing with other people never fully went away, and age only introduced the new variable of spite to make it worse.
I don't need my blades sharpened, repaired, or replaced, and I bought enough extra arrows that I wouldn't have needed the crate that Riveria had promised me would end up replacing the one they'd taken for use against the Caterpie Kaijus. My payment would be delivered after the Loki Familia had jumped through all the proper hoops to receive payment from quests and the trade-in of crystals and monster drops.
I'd already collected any drops and crystals that I'd been lucky enough to have received upon the trip down, got my money from trading in the crystals myself, and added my drops to the stockpile in our church.
A momentary thought of the Apollo Familia attacking us in canon hit me, and I frowned at the thought of them burning down all of the shit we'd built up. I'd put some fucking money into this church, dammit, and those drops were worth a stack of cash.
I'd ask Hestia to see if the Guild offered services to store monster drops later, and get back to grinding soon.
The thing was that, well, I had free time. No immediate tasks, talking to the Guild about official business could be handed to my direct superior (have fun with that paperwork, Hestia!), and about seven hours from the Loki Familia's celebration at Mia's.
Hrm, nothing to do but make something to do, visit a few people and see what's going on with my friends.
"Lenoa! You're as beautiful as always!" I cheerfully smile at the old witch as I walk into her shop.
"You're fired," the witch instantly shoots back, sending me reeling in response.
"Well damn, I didn't think it was that rude. My apologies," I awkwardly reply.
The witch snorts, "As if I would consider that little comment to be an insult. No, no, it's simply that you've made no moves to quit your job beneath me yourself, so I have to do it. Congratulations on graduating."
"Graduating?" I ask, before she reaches beneath her counter and shoves a book into my hands. "…Thanks?"
"It's tradition," the witch rolls her eyes, "Once your apprentice manages to reach the point of knowledge and ability that they can reliably cast magic without going into seizures or killing themselves from Ignis Fatuus, you give them an empty book to act as their first Grimoire, then send them on their merry way."
"Huh, that's real neato. I'm working on teaching the kids to make their own Grimoires as well, though it's slow going."
"Not everyone learns as quickly as you, boy," the witch grunts.
"Fair," I admit, "Still, you sure about graduating me just yet? I did get my magical ability through Falna rather than training."
"Contracts with spirits are also tradition. Though divine, this is hardly any different, " the witch wryly responds, "Besides, there are countless mages that have joined Familias, and my preference for the old ways is hardly reason enough to hold it against you. I'm not to fond of hypocrisy either."
That was it, the closest we'd gotten to discussing her old Familia since I'd joined her almost a year ago. I meet her eyes, and she gazes back in challenge.
Nah.
I'm curious, but too much so, and I won't go poking at someone's old history without them mentioning it themselves.
"Maybe you'll tell me about them someday."
"Maybe I will."
I snort at her dry tone, before changing the topic.
"So anyway, got any healing spells? I'm in the market for something good, even if I have to save up for a while. Shit, uh, really went sideways in the Dungeon, so the Loki Familia had to cut off their expedition, and I'm suddenly invested in making sure that I and others around me don't die horribly," I sigh, reaching up to rub my temple.
In a moment, Lenoa's face shifts.
No more amusement, simply a calm, stony expression as she stares me down.
She reaches beneath the counter again, this time pulling up a simple book and gently placing it on the counter.
"Pius' staff, Pione's light. Intersect with the authority of healing and heal everything," is all she says in a neutral tone.
"Uh, okay then," I intelligently respond at the tonal whiplash. "I'm gonna go ahead and guess that that's the chant for a healing spell? Kinda short, isn't it?"
"It is short," she agrees, "For a spell that heals on par with an Elixir."
"Jesus fucking Christ," I mutter, eyes snapping back down to the Grimoire.
The book itself is thin, covered in brown leather and filled with tan pages. It isn't much to look at, lacking even a title on the cover or spine, and yet… it's a fortune. Elixirs themselves sell for fortunes, and spells always, always go for higher prices. The ability to cast a spell only costs Mind, which is a replenishing resource, so the cost increases by orders of magnitudes.
That chant though? A short chant spell that has an effect on par with an Elixir?
"What the fuck, Lenoa?" I hiss, "You know that kind of shit's out of my price range."
"It's free," she responds, staring me dead in the eyes.
"Nothing is free," I mutter.
"Normally you'd be right," she agrees, tone cold, "But this? This is free. There is only one single string attached."
There's a feeling one gets in the gut, a sort of nausea that defines an extreme emotion. Not quite fear, and not quite worry. Like something that doesn't make sense, and you completely lack any explanation for it.
"That's still a price," I attempt to laugh the worry away, doing a pretty damn good job of compartmentalizing the emotions from my expression.
"An old friend visited me a couple of days ago, you know?" Lenoa smiles, a crooked grin crossing her face, "We go a ways back, you see. Though she's my elder, she taught me a few spells and helped me get my grips as a teacher myself."
"Uh-huh," I smile at her, getting more information on her past in a single day than she'd divulged to me in the months we'd known each other.
"She was very impressed with your work in the Dungeon."
"Oh."
I was being watched? What the fuck, Lenoa? What kind of friends do you got that they watch your apprentice on a trip into the Dungeon?
"I've told her about you, you see," the witch answers my unspoken question, "You learn quite quickly, Crow, and you seem to simply never quit fighting when you venture into the Dungeon. This old friend of mine, she needs help with jobs on occasion."
Ah, yeah, it's all coming together now.
Skullduggery-type shit for jobs that need doing but people can't know about.
What the fuck is this doing in my shonen power fantasy though?
"Quests that she wants kept quiet about, huh?" I ask my teach- my old teacher.
"Mhm," Lenoa nods, "You would be compensated for them, so this is more of a genuine job offer and request for secrecy in return for the Grimoire. A string attached, certainly, but not a damning one."
I close my eyes in thought, dragging a hand down my face, before bringing it to a stop rubbing at my beard.
"Fuck," I grumble, "Is she good people?"
"Trustworthy and decent," Lenoa returns.
"Is it…" goddamn it all, "Is it an old-styled Grimoire?"
"Indeed, your Familia will be able to use it as well," Lenoa gives a small, tired grin, "Two circles, made with Mystery. The height of mortal ability, without becoming a Miracle."
"Well, shit, I guess she's got me by the balls then, doesn't she?"
"You can turn it down."
But I won't.
Some deals are too damn good, and any cost to the deal would be paid by me alone.
An Elixir-tier spell that takes barely any more time to cast than Modius Temperance? The sheer value of a safety net that that would grant Bell, Relicadia, Gilian, Albritch, and any future Familia members is…
So I don't. I don't turn it down, because even if I don't know what the future holds, I know it holds danger, and this spell can avert the consequences of that danger.
"A pleasure doing business with you, Ken. Her name is Fels. She wears a concealing black cloak, wears mithril gauntlets, and keeps her face covered. She'll reach out to you after you've grown stronger," Lenoa says as she hands the Grimoire over. "No use smothering potential investments, right?"
"Right," I sigh, taking the unassuming little book.
Such a small little thing.
"I look forward to meeting her, when the time comes," I smile.
If nothing else, I'd be able to get some damn answers that I know Lenoa would avoid answering until her friend showed herself.Hestia
I was, as long as I went through the proper procedure of introducing myself at the Ganesha gate and being led through specific rooms, allowed to enter as long as the resident god knew ahead of time. I could enter if unprompted, but would have to wait a little longer.
Since we'd planned this ahead of time, someone a little more important than the average Ganesha Familia member met with me today.
"Hellooo, Shakti!" I cheerfully shout, waving my greeting to Ganesha's Captain.
Relatively tall for a woman, with fair skin and eyes similar shades of rich, dark blue. The orange clothing strikes me as a little odd, but it certainly doesn't look bad on her. Her pose is firm and her face composed, little to no emotion appearing when she talks.
The woman is an absolute kuudere!
Uoh! Ganesha, you lucky dog! I want a kuudere! Gilian doesn't count, he's a boy, so that's a totally different vibe!
"Greetings, Lady Hestia," Shakti politely answers me, bowing her head slightly. "I assume you are here to visit Lord Ganesha?"
"Yup! Sure am!" I grin, patting Mr. Squeaker and making no suspicious movement towards my backpack filled with crystals tightly wrapped to avoid clinking against each other. "How's your god doing?"
"He's allowing you into our home," a tone of quiet aggrievement enters the woman's voice, and I nod a little.
Gods aren't normally let into other gods houses outside of parties, careful preparation, or trust between the gods involved. Too high a chance of one god discovering secrets of another's and then running off to gossip about it.
That's pretty darn rude though! Imagine getting invited to someone's house, snooping around, and then gossiping about stuff when they trusted you! Rude, super rude!
Couldn't be me!
"Don't worry! We're civilization homies!" I flash Shakti a grin. Ken's strange words are always a little silly, but that one's great! Friends, but based around the word 'home'!
I'd told Ganesha, and he'd liked it too!
"…Yes, homies," Shakti agrees, a mildly strained expression flashing across her face being one of the most intense I've yet seen from her.
Ha! I knew Ganesha liked it, but with a reaction like that he must have been using it around her more often lately or something.
As the thought passes through my head, the god himself makes his explosive entrance. A door slams open and the tall, muscular god in an elephant mask makes his way in.
"Greetings, Hestia! I am Ganesha!" he shouts with a wide grin, hooking a thumb towards himself.
"Greetings, Ganesha! I am Hestia!" I mimic his tone and pose, though shifting into a petting motion as Mr. Squeakers squeaks at the sudden motion.
"It is good to see you, civilization homie!" he smiles, not noticing the faint twitch beneath his Captain's eye. "Aurelia is ready to say hello as well, waiting in her room!"
"Very well, my god, I am ready to accompany you and," Shakti begins, only to be interrupted by Ganesha.
"No," he cuts her off, tone firm but not rude. "Hestia and I will visit Aurelia alone."
"My lord, I know that you place a great deal of trust in the Jack Bird as she's behaved in prior visits, but a certain degree of safety is-"
"No."
"Lord Ganesha, please-"
"No."
Even if Shakti isn't the one to greet me every time, this is apparently a continuous issue with her. It's not that I don't understand, monsters are dangerous after all… but Aurelia is different. She's a good girl, and a she definitely wouldn't hurt the people that gives her snacks!
Not that, uh, Shakti would know about the snacks. Hence Ganesha's continuous rejection of having an adventurer accompany us to visit the sapient monster.
Ganesha's Captain clenches her eyes shut, before conceding once more, "Very well, Lord Ganesha. Please stay safe."
"Yes, I will!" he smiles at her, "If anything goes wrong, I'll make sure Hestia escapes unharmed, but it won't come to that!"
Once more, Shakti twitches at him, before swiftly turning to leave.
"We've furnished Aurelia's room a little bit better now," Ganesha whispers to me loud enough to hardly be called a whisper, "We've had to have a few things custom-made so that a bird could open them, but it's very nice."
"Oh, so she has more than just her cushion bed now?" I wonder.
"Yes, although we've replaced that with a newer bed as well," Ganesha grins, "Here, I'll show you to her room!"
Warm browns, tans, and rich greens with the occasional gold highlights greet me as I walk into Aurelia's room.
"We asked her what colors she liked, and these are what she settled on!" my fellow god explains as we walk into the room, closing the door behind him.
"It looks really nice, Aurelia," I say to the bird herself, and receive and appreciative bob of the head in turn as she perks up, eyes quickly honing in on the backpack over my shoulders.
Ganesha and I grin in response, and I swiftly take the bag off and move to a Far Eastern-style sitting cushion. Aurelia bobs upward and moves towards me as I withdraw the package, and Ganesha moves to take some of the revealed crystals.
"So how are things with your Familia, Hestia?" he asks as he takes a crystal and gently feeds it to the Jack Bird, running a knuckle down her neck, delighting in her trills and ruffling feathers.
Aurelia likes to get pet and brushed, as long as it's someone she knows. It's easy to think of it as an animalistic trait, and it very much is, but she's too smart despite those traits. It's like how demi-humans will like scratches and grooming as much as their matching animal, but are still people that can be annoyed by being touched by people they don't know.
Aurelia Lustre is definitely a person, even if she can't talk. She's too smart, too attentive, and gets incredibly annoyed if you start looking down on her!
Nobody gets annoyed by being treated as less than a person than people, that's a fact!
"Oh, things are going good," I clear my throat, "My Children are, ah, they're growing pretty quickly. It's a little worrying. Has your Familia shown similar results?"
"Yes, this 'Revolver System' your Captain developed, and those stamina potions Miach developed at his commission," Ganesha idly murmurs, "I've had some of my newer and middling adventurers test it. The revolving supporter role separate from the potions, and both together. We're getting similar results. The increased growth isn't massive, but it is notable and measurable, especially considering a few of my Children had slowed growth."
"It works well then? Those annoying gods won't try to poach from me if it's replicable," I grumble, having been worried that that wouldn't be the case.
Ken and Bell had grown unnaturally quickly, and with their Skills that would only increase. If I could get Ganesha to help support my claim that the Hestia Familia had discovered a new, publicly available method of increased growth, then that would provide a smokescreen for a time.
Gods and Children alike would be so pleased at this new avenue of development that I could divert some attention away from my two most abnormal Children. It would only work for a time, and less so for Ken considering that he'd decided to reveal his Development Ability, but every Familia worth its salt had hero units! Weirdly strong or unique Children that stood head and shoulders above the rest.
It's funny that the source of my headaches was also the solution to them, though Ken Crow certainly seemed driven to give me more of both.
"Indeed it is," Ganesha nods at me. "The Ganesha Familia will back your claims of this Revolver System, and the efficacy of the stamina potions. As long as the adventurers obey the safety limits to the potions outlined by Miach, they've been an incredible boon, and I've had Shakti work out a contract with Naaza Erisuis. I've never had a head for money, and it seems Miach is much the same, so we simply drink together while our Captains came to an agreement."
"Tch, damn," I grumble, "If you'd let me know, I could have swung by with Ken."
"It's my understanding that you already have some manner of deal with Miach's Familia?" the elephant rumbles in confusion.
"Well, yeah, but if you two were just drinking then I could have hung out with you two!"
"How would Ken's presence be necessary then?" Ganesha wondered, and Aurelia chirped a little as reached for another crystal, shifting her body towards me.
Mr. Squeakers makes a noise at that, and I gently pull him out of my pocket and set him next to the Jack Bird.
He'd been nervous the first time I'd brought him over, but had quickly gotten along with her, settling beneath her wings when she had grown comfortable.
"Ken is necessary, because, uh," I trail off in thought, "Because I'd want him to be there."
"Of course!" Ganesha responds with a grin, and I glare at him even though I don't detect any hint of irony or teasing in his voice.
Aurelia reaches up to finish off another crystal.
Then, without much fanfare, she begins glowing gold.
"What," I mutter, turning to stare at her now-luminescent feathers.
"Oh dear," Ganesha smiles and claps, "It seems she's become Abnormal!"
"Huh," I blink at that, "So like, can she turn it back off, because this seems like it could get our snack sessions caught if Shakti were to find out."
A knock at the closed door gathers the attention of me, my fellow god, and an Aurelia that had been craning her head to analyze her new look in confusion while avoiding bothering Mr. Squeaker.
"Aha, who's there?" Ganesha awkwardly calls out. "It's me, Ganesha!"
"I'm aware," a familiar voice calls out, and I groan at it. "I'd heard that Lady Hestia had arrived, and I'd come to ask if I could speak to her, though it seems I've learned something I wasn't supposed to."
I bury my face in my hands and Ganesha sighs as he answers his child.
"Yes, Prana, you can come in. Maybe you'll be able to figure out how to give Aurelia some pointers?"
The small Amazon woman enters the room, glances at the brightly shining Jack Bird, turns to give us a dead look and a tired sigh, before closing the door behind her.
"Very well, Lord Ganesha, I'll see if I can assist you. This does give me the opportunity to talk with Lady Hestia, although I hadn't expected it to be under… these conditions," the woman drily declares, giving an apologetic look to Aurelia that she doesn't spare either of the gods before her.
Nooo, this is so embarrassing!
"So, Lady Hestia," Prana turns sharp eyes on me, "What is this I've heard of Ken Crow having the Mage Ability at Level One?"
Ganesha pauses at that, then turns to me with extreme interest.
Agh! Dammit all, Ken!
Why are you like this?!
'All good things come to an end.'
One of those often-correct bits of wisdom that are often repeated.
Up there with, 'if they cheat with you, they'll cheat on you,' 'wrap before you tap,' and, 'if it looks like a good deal, it might actually be a good deal, but double check first because people will fuck you over with a smile on their faces.'
Good things coming to an end is a warning, not to be wary that things will end, but that it's better to prepare yourself for when they do.
Rarely though, do you know good things are coming ahead of time.
Oh baby, it feels so damn good.
"Loki!" I cheerfully call out to the redheaded goddess as I stride into the Hostess of Fertility, Bell walks slightly behind me, "What's cooking?!"
The trickster that had just a moment before been happily chugging down some beer was now hacking and coughing on it, turning to me with an affronted look on her face.
"Yooooou shitty bird, what are you doing here? This is a Loki Familia celebration! L! O! K! I! "she yells at me, face flushed with anger and alcohol in equal measure, "Nobody invited you!"
"Ais did!" I give her my most shit-eating grin, so wide my cheeks hurt a little.
Loki, instantly realizing I hit her with the hard fact, instantly whips to the sword princess. The look on her face… my god, Hestia, I'm so sorry you can't be here for this. Loki's expression of pure betrayal would sustain you forever.
Apologies, my goddess! I'll tell you all about it while giving you a foot and back rub!
I'm truly the most devoted Child in Orario, providing balm to both Hestia's body and soul!
"A-aizuuuu," Loki weeps crocodile tears as she leans towards her blonde Child, "How could you invite that no good bird?"
"He helped me win," Ais simply replies, and Loki slumps a little at that.
A few other patrons of the restaurant fall quiet at that, glancing at me in disbelief, and I merely give a dismissive shrug in response. If Ais wants to toot my horn, I'm all for it, but I sure as hell didn't do much beyond toss an Enhancement spell her way. She probably could have done it without my help, considering she didn't die in canon.
'Ah well, free reputation points are nice,' a faint smile spreads across my face as the thought passes through my mind.
I reach back to pat Bell on the back, and we both walk forward, the kid moving toward Ais as she points out a chair for him to pull up next to her.
Me though? I'm the deterrent. Chaff. The distraction.
Loki commanded me to be interesting, so I'm gonna hog all her attention so my little rabbit bro can cuck her Child from beneath her.
I grin and wink at Mama Mia as I grab a spare chair, and receive a huff and rolled eyes in response. As I turn to leave I see Anya's mouth drops at both my audacity and the larger woman's lack of reaction.
I march right back to the table, gently place it opposite the table from the Loki Familia's matriarch and smile at the goddess.
She glares at me in response.
"Having fun?" she asks in annoyance.
"So much fun," I easily respond, "Thanks for the advice, last time we met. It really helped me grow more than expected."
Loki's eye twitches in response, and she takes a deep chug of her drink at that. Swig, swig, swig, slam, goes the mug, and she glares at me with foam on her lip.
Dammit, you sexually degenerate goblinoid, you don't get to be cute when your personality is trash.
"So, you get a Development Ability at Level One and think you're hot shit?" she crosses her arms.
Hn, straight for the throat, huh?
While it's rude to openly state it and dangerous for my position in the Hestia Familia, I'd already made my bed and lay in it. It was only a matter of time until some Loki adventurer spilled the beans without Loki herself ordering all their mouths shut, and she didn't particularly owe me that. Sure, I helped Ais out and provided lightning against the caterpillars, but the situation was theoretically manageable without me.
In a sense, she was doing me a little bit of a favor, in her own asshole way. Open it up, clear the air, and let me talk about it to clarify the situation so that rumors are slightly controlled.
She doesn't owe me too much, but this is just a little bit in my favor, while being the one to rub my face in the dirt as getting to be the one reveal it.
Funnily enough, it also helps me cover my ass with Wicca Hazel's additional Spell Slots by providing something different for gods to focus on that, while incredibly rare, is still within the realms of believability.
Loki's eye tics slightly as the thought passes through my mind.
Damn, my expression must not be as composed as I'd thought.
"Well, teaching a few kids magic in a few weeks before they got their Falna was impressive enough that a Skill's allowing a really weak form of Mage," I shrug. "It isn't good enough to compete with someone that genuinely has Mage unlocked, and since I plan on grabbing Mage when I level up, it doesn't change too much anyway."
A small frown crosses the goddess's face at that.
Tch, a lie then.
I hadn't meant to lie, but that doesn't mean that I didn't.
What was it? That it does change a lot, or that grabbing Mage on one of my future level ups was too separate from the implication of grabbing it this level up?
"Anything else you want to say about it?"
"Not particularly."
"Not even its name?" Loki prods at me again.
"Magister," I shrug, and Loki's head cocks at that.
"Magister granting Mage, huh?" she considers that.
"Does the Skill…" Riveria hesitantly begins, before realizing the rudeness and slightly flushing, before I wave at her to carry on, "Ah, my apologies. Does your Skill do anything else?"
"It lengthens spell effect," I smile, "So even when I unlock Mage properly, it won't be useless considering Modius Temperance is a staple part of my kit."
Riveria's brow furrows at the odd term, but nods in thought, "The same spell you taught your student."
"Mhmmm, the shitty spell!" Loki brightly responds, licking away her lip foam.
"The shitty spell I cast on Ais to help her fight an adventurer killer!" I brightly respond, going for the goddess's throat.
"Tch, you little turd," Loki grumbles, before leaning away from the potent glare that Riveria shoots her.
"Well, anyway," I consider the options before me, "Gareth, my man! Any advice for an up and coming, strapping young adventurer, to greedily take and pass on to his students?"
The dwarf blinks at me, before smiling.
"Well, while it's rare and you can't plan on it, I've heard of a few adventurers that get Skills focused around improving their Basic Abilities," he cheerfully responds, before his expression grows a little firm. "Loki Familia used to have one. She taught me a few tricks."
"Bara," Loki mutters, eyes clenched with some undefinable emotion, a pained chuckle escaping her, "She was a good girl, loved to hit the drink almost as much as me."
The goddess and dwarf both sigh, raise their mugs, and knock them back in unison.
I glance over at Riveria, and she gently shakes her head at my worried, probing look.
Okay, cool, not my fault! Always fucked to cross a line you didn't know was there, but hey, I literally couldn't have known that would bring up some memories!
"Anyway," Gareth murmurs, "Accomplish something real damn impressive utilizing one of your Basic Abilities, and you get a Skill that improves it."
"Like, it increases the Basic Ability?" I wonder, rubbing my beard in thought. That doesn't really sound like what he's getting at though.
"Nope," Loki pops, "Makes it better. Say two adventurers, twins, mmm, twins are hot. Twin adventurers! Both of 'em get to eight-hundred Agility, yeah? Well, one of 'em's got a Skill that says their Agility is better. The number's equal, but the performance ain't, y'know?"
She stares into her mug for a long moment.
"It goes all the way down. All the way beneath your Levels, when you can't see those Basic Abilities anymore. They're still there, added up, better than what other adventurers got," Loki smiles slightly. "Separates the good from the great from the grand."
"So do something really cool related to a stat, and get stronger for it then?" I wonder aloud. "Instantly get stronger, just like that?"
"Just like that," Loki agrees, smiling darkly at me, eyes opening slightly to reveal a cold, gold gaze. "Good luck, kid, try not to die seeking out glory. You wouldn't be the first that failed seeking out great Skills like that."
Well, so far I'm four for four on broken bullshit, so I figure I can manage something. If I keep redlining, I might get a Strength or Endurance!
Bell, meanwhile, is quietly murmuring with Ais who's been leaning slightly closer to talk back to him.
Bete has a salty look on his face, but is keeping quiet, while Riveria shoots interested looks, but doesn't draw Loki's attention to it.
Doing pretty good on this 'distraction' and 'bother Loki' thing!
The night is still young, so why stop here thought?
"Hrm, thanks for the advice," I smile, "By the way, your eyes are beautiful."
Loki's eyes snap open and she reels back at the sudden turn towards flirting, Riveria's quick disapproval turns to confusion as she turns to stare at her goddess, and Gareth lets out a low, bassy chuckle.
Oh yeah, I'm smelling blood in the water, this is gonna be a good night.
…I'll just, uh, not tell Hestia about this part.
Glare Bell into being quiet later and hope he keeps his mouth shut.
Ah well, we'll see.
Nothing to the here and now but to enjoy life.