Author's Notes: Chapter edited and corrected by Scott Fellman.
Bellatrix POV – seventh day as Miach's Child.
I let the magic flow, and the dishes were placed on the table, preparing breakfast for the three of us.
"I really don't know how you keep getting food from your wife, but please don't stop." Miach practically begged as he grabbed a plate and began to serve his breakfast quickly.
"I can give you another share of the profits if I can keep eating this every morning." Naaza agreed, sounding completely serious. I snorted, amused. Food prepared with Faery Feast is truly addictive.
"I have plenty of food, it's all stored and enchanted to keep it fresh for a long time. Don't worry." I said dryly, and they both seemed completely pleased as they ate their breakfast.
"By the way, what's going on with you and that waitress from the Fertility Hostess?" Naaza asked while nibbling on a piece of toast.
"A waitress?" Miach asked, confused.
"The clumsy girl who was falling and having accidents all night last night. I can't prove it, but I know it was her fault," Naaza said, pointing at me with her fork. I smiled amusedly as I ate my breakfast.
"Oh! Syr! Wait, were you the one who tripped her 5 times last night? " Miach asked, surprised.
"She also made her spill food and drinks all over herself," Naaza remarked with a smile.
"Oh! Was that super spicy condiment that got in her eyes your doing too? " Miach asked incredulously.
"Or that all their drinks and food turned to ash?" Naaza added playfully.
"Let's not forget all the insects that kept appearing in her pockets every time she went to get something; the poor thing must have a sore throat after screaming so much," Miach said pityingly. I stifled a laugh.
"Of course it was me," I said with a smile, no denying it. Naaza snorted.
"Not even deny it?" Naaza asked dryly. I shrugged.
"With Miach here, why even try?" I said simply. Naaza smiled slightly.
"But... why?" Miach asked, completely baffled. "Did she do something to you?" Miach asked, worried. I hummed softly.
"Or the other way around, I saw Syr glaring at Bella." Naaza pointed again.
"You really are perceptive." I said dryly. Naaza shrugged while smiling.
"It wasn't even difficult, that Syr is an open book, she doesn't even try to hide it, so? The story? " Naaza asked curiously. I snorted.
"It's Freya," I said simply. They both blinked several times.
"Freya? Like... the goddess? " Miach asked, confused. I nodded.
"I don't understand how she's involved," Naaza said, puzzled. "Did the Freya familia hire you to play pranks on her?" she asked, nibbling on a sausage.
"No, no, no, impossible. Mia Grand was the former captain of the Freya familia. It wouldn't make sense for them to pay her to harass one of their employees." Miach pointed out while taking a sip of tea. Naaza nodded absently, and I rolled my eyes in amusement.
"No, that waitress, Syr? She's Freya." I said it directly, and they both choked on their air; well, Naaza choked on her food while coughing loudly.
"Freya?! The waitress is a Goddess? " Naaza asked incredulously.
"Wait, I remember that in Tenkai, Freya could change her appearance, but... she shouldn't be able to use it in the Lower World." Miach pointed out quickly, and I shrugged.
"I have no idea how she does it, but I found out the other day. She doesn't know I know, but we had a little run-in when she was in her true form over something else. So Freya doesn't like me, but she doesn't know that I know she takes on Syr's appearance at the Hostess."
"So I decided to go bother her when I get the chance," I said playfully. Naaza opened her mouth, then closed it, before sighing.
"First, the entire Loki familia, and now you're bothering the Freya familia?" Naaza groaned. I chuckled. Was it a good thing that Naaza didn't even question most of what I said anymore?
"Don't worry, the confrontation was between us. I caught her red-handed while she was up to some mischief, so I didn't involve your familia," I said, honestly but playfully.
"Mischief? Freya?" Miach asked, confused. I shrugged.
"On the day of the Monster Feria, she was about to release some monsters from their cages. I stopped her before she could do it, but I guess I made her angry," I said vaguely. Naaza frowned immediately.
"Release the monsters? Why would she want to release the monsters? " Naaza murmured thoughtfully.
"Wait—if you 'stopped' her, what about that plant monster the Loki family fought?" Miach asked quickly. I shrugged.
"I have no idea. There weren't any plant monsters in the cages at the fair. That monster was released by someone else, not Freya," I said simply. They both frowned.
"That... is worrying." Miach murmured. Naaza nodded before shrugging.
"Well, as long as the Freya familia doesn't come and declare a war game on us, have fun," Naaza said simply. I sighed.
"You seem pretty happy I'm bothering a goddess," I said playfully. She shrugged.
"Most gods are idiots." Naaza remarked dryly, looking at Miach with a raised eyebrow. Miach opened his mouth before sighing.
"Yes, I can't deny it," Miach said miserably. "Just... be careful with Freya, she can be quite mean and brutal when she wants to be," Miach said with a grimace. I nodded.
"Don't worry, she won't notice." I said simply, and Miach nodded.
"Well, I suppose you'll be going to the dungeon for the rest of the day, right? " Naaza asked while looking at me. I nodded.
"I'll go to the guild to sell the magic stones as usual, and then to the dungeon." I confirmed with her. Naaza nodded.
"Well, some resources are running low. If you could get something while you're there," Naaza said, taking a piece of paper from one of her pockets and placing it on the table. I just took it and nodded.
"Very well, I'll do some morning shopping and continue with the deliveries! Also—" Miach was interrupted when there was a knock at the pharmacy door. Naaza sighed wearily.
"Damn adventurers who can't read." Naaza grumbled as she complained, yet she stood up and left the room where we were, a small sitting room located behind the pharmacy.
"Hello Naaza! We have a question! " I could hear the voice even from here.
"Tiona? Tione? What does the Loki family want? " Naaza asked defensively.
"Is Miach's other daughter here? We're looking for Bellatrix Prince! " said the same voice.
"She's gone, you're late, she's already left for the dungeon," Naaza said simply. I could hear both of their groans of disappointment.
"Damn it, if you see her, tell her Riveria wants to talk about that book of hers!" the voice said with disappointment. Before they finished, I was already on my feet.
"Oh? Riveria wants to talk to me?" I asked curiously as I left the room. I could hear Naaza sigh.
" It's for you, and it seems you were expecting this, so take care of it yourself." Naaza said, sounding uninterested as she went back to the other room. I looked at both Amazons; they were twin sisters, but it was really easy to tell them apart.
"Ah! You were here!" accused the one with short hair.
"Yes, now, what does Riveria want?" I simply asked.
"It's a pleasure to meet you. Our Captain Finn and our Vice-Captain Riveria wanted us to guide you to Twilight Manor. They had some questions about a magic book you gave Riveria a few days ago," the long-haired Amazon said more calmly. I hummed.
"Very well, one minute." I said, nodding. Without waiting for a reply, I poked my head into the previous room and saw Miach and Naaza quickly finishing the rest of the food. I gave them the most blank stare I could muster. "I'm going to see Riveria, then to the dungeon. Don't wait for me until dinner."
I simply said that, and they both gave me a thumbs-up as they finished their meal. I snorted in amusement.
"Let's go," I said simply, heading in the direction of the Amazons. To my surprise, neither of them said a word during the entire trip, and neither did I, although they both glanced at me every few seconds. I just followed them through the city.
When we finally arrived at the Loki family mansion, we barely stopped.
"Ah! They were able to find her!" "That's great! " said an elf dressed in pink, Lefiya, if I remembered correctly, along with Ais Wallenstein. "Welcome to Twilight Manor. Captain Finn and Riveria-sama are waiting for you in their office." The elf said excitedly. I nodded.
"Lead the way," I said simply. She nodded with a smile and turned, starting to walk. After several hallways, we finally arrived at a door, which Lefiya entered without knocking.
"That's great! They found her." Finn said with a gentle smile as he stood up. "Greetings, Bellatrix Black." Finn said, bowing slightly.
"I have so much to talk to you about!" Riveria said excitedly, before blushing and clearing her throat. "Hello, it's a pleasure to see you again, Bellatrix," Riveria greeted more calmly. I smiled slightly.
"Finn Deimne. Riveria." I said as I bowed my head slightly.
"I hope you don't mind them being here," Finn said as he took a seat behind his desk. Riveria was beside him, clutching her book to her chest, while the others—Tiona, Tione, Lefiya, and Ais—stood against the wall. "They won't interfere in any way," Finn said, looking at them intently.
Everyone nodded almost immediately. Finn smiled slightly before looking at me.
"They don't bother me, but I'm really curious why they brought me all the way to the Loki Family Mansion, especially since I said it was a bad idea to give you that book," I said to Riveria, staring at her intently. Riveria was about to speak when Finn raised his hand.
"Don't blame her, I called you," Finn said calmly. "And... since our last encounter, it was more... lively. There was no harm done to either of us, so there's no point dwelling on it," Finn said casually. I smiled slightly.
"I see," I said playfully. "Then we'd better get to the point, right? " I asked simply. Finn nodded.
"Alright, how much do you want for Riveria to be able to teach the magic inside the book you gave her?" Finn asked directly.
"Five grimoires," I said immediately. It was more than obvious why they had called me. If it had only been Riveria, it could have been something else, but if Finn was involved, it was more than predictable.
Finn and Riveria's expressions trembled slightly; I could hear several gasps from one side of the room, but I ignored them.
"Do you have any idea... what the average price of each grimoire is?" Finn asked with a strained smile. I chuckled slightly.
"150 million Valis, on average." I answered without hesitation.
"Then you can understand that five grimoires might be... excessive." Finn said slowly. I hummed.
"It is?" I asked with a broad smile. "I'm sure your Sword Princess is capable of generating around 50 million in a week, right? And that's on her own. You have several adventurers of the same level who can easily collect the money," I said simply.
"Even if that were true, 5 grimoires for one book is far too excessive, we- "
"Don't take me for a fool, Braver. I was born playing this game." I said coldly, narrowing my eyes at him. "Five grimoires only allow five people to learn five spells effortlessly. They're powerful, yes, but limited."
"You're asking me to let you teach, without any limits, spells that all your mages can learn with effort, even any adventurer with a minimal magic stat could learn them."
"My book is a multiplier; they may be basic or not so powerful in some circumstances, but they are easy and quick spells to use that all your magicians, and your future magicians, will be able to learn."
"It doesn't even begin to compare; in fact, it would be worth more than five measly grimoires. The only reason I lowered the number is that I'm genuinely surprised you even called me at all. I almost expected you to start teaching the spells without even asking me," I said coldly.
Finn didn't even flinch; he just pursed his lips in a long line before sighing.
"My apologies, I won't insult your intelligence again, Miss Prince. Very well, we are willing to give you 5 Grimoires in exchange for Riveria being able to teach that magic without restriction within our Familia." Finn finally said, and I hummed softly.
"Wait." Riveria interrupted, biting her lip.
"Riveria?" Finn asked, confused. Riveria just picked up the book and held up the cover.
"This book is The Standard Book of Charms, Grade 1. How many... how many more are there? " Rivera asked, pointing to the book's title. Finn froze, his eyes widening. My smile grew.
"There are 7." I said playfully, and everyone visibly shuddered, or well, Finn did, after all. If I sold them at the same price, it would be 35 grimoires. On the other hand, Riveria's eyes shone with excitement.
"And this book describes and explains the branch of spells it calls Charms. Are there other branches?" Riveria asked once again. My smile grew even wider.
"There are. Several, actually. But the ones you'd care about are three others: Transfiguration, Dark Arts, and Defense." I said immediately, and the gleam in Riveria's eyes grew excited.
"and they also have-"
"Seven books? Yes," I confirmed, before smiling. "At least that would be standard education. Then there are dozens more books you can study in parallel, or higher once you finish these," I added playfully. Riveria's eyes widened.
"Okay, wait a moment," Finn interrupted, completely pale, and I just wanted to chuckle. Just those four disciplines alone comprised 28 books, equivalent to 140 grimoires.
Leaving aside the fact that many grimoires didn't exist in Orario, that would amount to over 21 billion Valis. Even if the entire Familia worked together for years, they could barely afford them all.
"You really want to squeeze us dry, huh? " Finn said with a hurt expression as he sighed. "Isn't there... any other way we could pay them? That price is impossible. It would take us years, possibly a decade, to get that money, especially since we need to use our earnings for the Family itself."
"Our profit margin isn't as big as you'd like to think," Finn said with a grimace.
"Well... there is a way." I said slowly as a smile slowly grew. "It's a request only for Riveria." Riveria looked at me warily, almost as if she were expecting something bad.
"What?" Riveria asked slowly.
"My wife has a... condition, you could call it, almost like a curse." I began slowly, Riveria's eyes opening slightly.
"Do you need help?" Riveria asked quickly. I sighed.
"Yes, but not in the way you're thinking," I said playfully. "If she'd wanted to get rid of that part of herself, she would have done it a long time ago, but in fact, even though she doesn't realize it, she loves that part of herself." I said simply, Riveria, and the others looked at me strangely.
"what kind of… 'condition' could it be-"
"A sexual one." I interrupted with a smile, and Riveria's jaw snapped shut so hard that I heard it click. The girls started blushing deeply. To my surprise, Finn only looked surprised and didn't blush.
"How-" Riveria tried to say awkwardly, and I laughed at her embarrassment.
"It's inherent in her, you can think of it as a racial characteristic," I said vaguely. Riveria frowned.
"A half-elf? And what kind of race has something so... crude? " Riveria asked, embarrassed.
"That doesn't matter." I dismissed it quickly. "The point is, her magic is strongly linked to her lust. The more magic she uses, the more repressed it becomes, and she has to release it, and it works best if she does it with another person." I said easily, and Riveria looked at me in horror.
"But you're here, and your wife..." Riveria tried to say, almost scandalized.
"I'm not her only wife," I said simply. Riveria looked as if I'd been lightly struck. "Yes, I am her first wife, but she has three other wives and is courting one or two more people."
"Oh," Riveria said foolishly. I laughed slightly. "And you... Do you agree with that?" Riveria asked, concerned.
"Why wouldn't I be?" I asked, confused. "It took me a while to get used to it, but I love my wife and every part of her. She loves magic, which is an awful combination with her condition, but she also likes women, so she doesn't actually dislike her condition."
"At least she's careful enough not to sleep with just any hot body she sees, but that doesn't mean she isn't excited about the idea of getting or seeing more women," I said simply. Riveria was still surprised.
"I didn't think any elf would agree to join that kind of... relationship," Finn said slowly. I shrugged.
"Look, my wife is an overly kind idiot, she'll let herself be swayed by others and is capable of helping other people simply because she can, like, for example, letting me come to Orario when she could easily have refused."
"My wife loves magic; she loves to study, create, experiment, and use magic; her whole being revolves around magic. That's why she writes books, creates new things, and much more. Me? I like to fight, I like to kill, I like the bloodlust of a fight."
"My wife didn't even think twice about letting me come to Orario to enjoy the dungeon at my leisure simply because she wants to make me happy. In the same way that I reciprocate, I will do what is necessary to make her happy, and since I really can't help her with magic..." I said slowly.
"You're looking for women for her," Riveria said, getting to what I was trying to say. I smiled slightly.
"I'd like you to think about it. You wouldn't have to give up anything, neither the Loki family nor your responsibilities," I said easily.
"For how long?" Riveria asked, almost bitterly. "She's a king; your wife is the king of a city. How long will it be before he summons us both and forces us to participate in that circus?" Riveria asked dryly.
"Are you a queen?" Finn whispered incredulously as he looked at me. I ignored him and looked at Riveria.
"Never. I already told you, you won't have to give up anything, she'll never make you give up something you want," I said earnestly. Riveria still had a grimace on her face.
"Honestly... that's the weirdest marriage proposal I've ever received," Riveria said, shaking her head slightly, puzzled. I shrugged.
"If not... I have another idea," I said playfully. Riveria gave me a blank stare.
"Why do I have a feeling I'm not going to like it either?" Riveria asked dryly, and I chuckled.
"You have good instincts," I said honestly, reaching inside my coat and pulling out a small magic camera that Serena had been building for Enid. "This is a camera. It takes... portraits instantly," I said, showing her the small device.
The camera was square, relatively small compared to the cameras she was familiar with from the wizarding world. It was pretty compact, with rounded, smooth corners, and a soft blue color, the same shade as Enid's hair.
I'd say it's... cute, Enid will love it. And she won't mind if I use it for a few hours.
"May I?" I asked as I raised the camera and pointed it at Riveria. She looked confused, but nodded shyly. I looked through the lens and pressed the button. A small flash startled her, but I ignored it.
I looked at the camera, which was immediately spitting out the freshly taken photograph. The camera was magically designed so that the film and ink would never run out, or however it worked. Also, even though the photograph had come out as a small rectangle, once the camera finished processing it, it enlarged.
The resulting image was 15cm x 21cm. According to Sera, the camera could magically change the resolution and size of the photograph, but it wasn't necessary; this size was more than enough.
Once the photograph finished enlarging, Riveria's image appeared on it. It was a shame that the potion was still needed to bring the photograph to life. Even so, I took the still photograph and handed it to Riveria, who took it in surprise. The others approached and looked at the photograph.
"This... is incredible." Riveria murmured, her eyes wide, as she stared intently at the photograph.
"Oh! This is incredible!" "Let me see it more closely! " Exclaimed one of the Amazons as she looked at the picture. The others agreed, nodding in agreement. Riveria handed the photograph to the Amazon, who immediately took it.
"This artifact is incredible, but... I don't understand its purpose." Riveria said, confused. I smiled predatorily.
"I want to take pictures of you, of you, in skimpy clothes, let's say... Amazonian clothing and underwear, or less." I said with a wide smile, and Riveria froze completely, looking at me with complete scandalization.
In fact, she looked far more horrified than when I proposed she marry Sera. I could hear the other elf present gasping quite loudly; Lefiya almost looked like she was about to faint.
The Amazons, on the other hand, seemed enthusiastic about that idea.
"H-h-how dare you suggest something like that!?" Riveria squealed, blushing furiously. She clutched the book to her chest, tightening her grip like a shield. I smiled broadly.
"One different outfit per image, for each magic book, you will have the right to show all its contents." I said with a smile.
"No! I won't do anything so scandalous! " Riveria immediately denied, completely blushing. I hummed as I reached inside my coat once more and pulled out three more books, placing them on the desk.
"The first books on transfiguration, dark arts, and defense. Again, they're just for your reading. I'm sure... you'll find them interesting." I said tantalizingly. Riveria looked at the books longingly while biting her lip hard.
"I-"
"If you're interested, I can make a better offer. You, completely naked in one picture, for every three books." My smile was really wide; Riveria looked like she was about to faint. Everyone else was also shocked enough not to reply.
"y-y-y-yo-" Riveria tried to scream, but I let out a funny laugh.
" And while we're at it, I'll also add a... small magical artifact," I tempted slowly as I reached inside and pulled out a small bracelet. "This is something my wife has been working on and considers a failure. It's called Twice Critical, and it allows the wearer to increase their stats by 50%."
Everyone's eyes widened.
"And you consider it a failure?" Finn asked incredulously. "How long does it last? What's its capacity?" "How many uses does it have? " He asked quickly.
"It lasts around 2 minutes, needs 30 seconds to recharge, and as long as it doesn't break, it can be reused indefinitely." I said simply while showing him the edited Twice Critical.
"I... that's impossible, increasing magic by 50% is... incredible." Finn said incredulously, and I raised an eyebrow.
"You misunderstood me. I said all the stats—speed, strength, magic—everything is increased by 50% for two minutes." I corrected Finn, who looked at me incredulously once again. Everyone else was in shock, too.
"And she considers it a failure!?" Finn yelled as he repeated himself. I shrugged.
"She's too much of a perfectionist with her creations; she was looking for something that would double the stats, so reaching only 50% is a failure for her," I said easily as I threw the replicated Sacred Gear towards Riveria, who was still in shock.
"W-what?!" Riveria yelled.
"Here, try it if you don't believe me. I'll be back next week; I'd prefer to have an answer by then. Grimoires or portraits, it's up to you," I said playfully. "You don't need to walk me out; I know the way," I added as I turned and started to leave.
"Wait!" Finn said. I looked at him over my shoulder. "Just like that? You give us more books and a magical artifact of this caliber with no guarantee?" Is there something wrong with the bracelet? "How do you know we'll keep our word and return the bracelet and books if we don't accept the deal? " Finn asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Don't worry, Braver, the bracelet is completely safe for anyone. I would tell you not to show it to anyone in the Family, but do what you want."
" And by the way, I have my ways of securing things. If you don't accept the deal, I'll simply take them. Remember, it's either five grimoires per book, or pictures of Riveria in her underwear."
"And for the record, the Twice Critical is only exchangeable for portraits of Riveria naked." I said with a smile, not waiting for a response, and I simply left the room, closing the door behind me. I ignored the noises in the room and apparated before anyone could come out and call me back.
Well, let's see what Riveria decides. If she accepts any of the options, it will be a nice gift for Sera; she'll enjoy it. Although I was hoping Riveria would accept the pictures. I smiled slightly as I started down into the dungeon.