Syr Flova.
A waitress at the tavern The Hostess of Fertility, she had a sweet and lovely appearance and a remarkably good personality, making her immensely popular with the male adventurers.
Rumor had it there was even a fan club for Syr among the adventurers, though Alice wasn't interested in that sort of thing.
In fact, Alice didn't even like coming to The Hostess of Fertility.
The proprietress, Mama Mia, was said to be a retired first-class adventurer with formidable strength, which was why no one dared to cause trouble at The Hostess of Fertility.
She was also hearty, generous, and had a bit of a bandit's swagger.
The food she made was incredibly delicious and the portions were enormous.
Alice had been there once before, but only once. She never went back because a single dish from Mama Mia was enough to feed Alice for a day and a half—there was simply no way to finish it.
One of her dishes would take Alice a full day and a half to get through.
But even so, Mama Mia would use the line, 'I get the feeling you're still hungry,' as a reason to force more food on you, stuffing you to absolute bursting.
While this bandit-like approach was warmly welcomed by the normally unpretentious adventurers, for Alice, Mama Mia's method made her first visit feel like she'd glimpsed hell.
To this day, Alice still couldn't remember how she managed to finish that gigantic plate of fried noodles.
Alice and Syr had only met that one time.
Since Alice's first and only visit to The Hostess of Fertility, she hadn't set foot in the place since.
Well, except for that time she drank with Hermes; that was probably the most recent visit.
But that day, Alice got drunk after just one cup and her memory was fuzzy. Besides, the service was handled by an elf named Ryuu, so this encounter with Syr was technically only their second meeting.
"I'm so sorry! So sorry!"
Seeing that she had knocked someone over, although Syr was puzzled—she was sure she'd controlled her momentum perfectly to just tumble into Alice's arms, not knock her flat to the ground—her ultimate goal of making contact with Alice had been achieved.
"Sorry, I didn't see anyone there. Are you okay?" Syr bent down and offered a hand to help Alice up.
At that moment, Syr froze.
This was only Alice's second time meeting her, and it was the same for Syr. The first time, Alice had been wearing a hood, and Syr had only caught the barest glimpse of her features when she was eating.
Even that unclear glimpse had been captivating enough.
But she never expected that today, after spotting Alice and planning this 'accidental' encounter, seeing Alice's full face up close would leave her utterly stunned.
Then, a cool sensation came from her hand.
Alice had taken Syr's hand, snapping her out of her daze. With a slight pull, Alice got to her feet.
'So cold, and so soft!' was the thought that flashed through Syr's mind upon touching Alice's hand.
"Sorry, Anya was causing a bit of a ruckus, so…" Syr looked at Alice a bit apologetically.
"No, it's fine," Alice said, brushing the dust from her clothes.
Seeing this, Syr hurriedly stepped forward to help.
And with this closeness, Alice could see the intense emotion burning in Syr's eyes, now so near.
Involuntarily, Alice took a step back, startled by the look in Syr's eyes.
Seeing Alice step back, Syr froze mid-motion, her helpful gesture stiffening.
"…"
"…"
Syr stood awkwardly, rooted to the spot, a faint blush coloring her pretty face.
"Ahem…" Alice also felt the atmosphere was a bit awkward and coughed lightly. "I can manage."
"Oh! The tavern's pretty empty right now, and it's almost lunchtime. Would you like to come in for a bite?" Syr clasped her hands together and invited Alice.
"No, thank you. I have some things to attend to. I should be going."
Alice declined Syr's invitation.
After neatly brushing the dust from her clothes, Alice simply walked away from Syr.
It was just an accident after all, and they'd only met twice. They weren't that close, so there was no need to stay.
Besides, Alice really did have something to do; she was planning to visit the Loki Familia.
Right after Alice left, Syr, still standing in the same spot, watched Alice's retreating figure. Her eyes held an indescribable meaning, full of that same intense emotion, mixed with shock, and a burning curiosity about something she had never encountered before.
Meanwhile.
At the very top of Babel, a goddess with an alluring figure and stunning beauty gazed out over Orario through a massive floor-to-ceiling window.
"...Alice, is it? A very interesting girl. I recall the artisan behind Hermes's doll is also named Alice. And it seems that fellow Apollo has taken a liking to this child."
Freya stared intently at a specific location within Orario.
Holding a glass of red wine, a smile played on her lips.
"That soul… Loki is really hiding something quite remarkable."
"Ottar." Freya turned her head towards the door. "I believe Apollo is holding a banquet this month, correct? Look into matters concerning a girl named Alice for me, particularly recent events."
"Yes…" A low male voice sounded from outside Freya's room.
"Apollo Familia's banquet is in three days. I look forward to our formal introduction, my dear girl with the prismatic soul."
--+--
Walking down the main street, Alice headed for the Loki Familia.
But she didn't quite make it. Instead, she found herself sitting inside a Japanese-style confectionery shop. Sitting across from her was the captain of the Hermes Familia, the Jack-of-All-Trades, Asfi.
Alice was quite happy to see Asfi again.
Asfi was a rare person with whom Alice could discuss doll crafting. While Asfi specialized in creating magical items with wondrous effects, some of her theories and principles regarding craftsmanship offered Alice a wealth of valuable insights.
The thing was, while Alice's knowledge included memories related to doll making, her understanding of materials was largely limited to those from Gensokyo.
She wasn't familiar with the materials of this world.
But Asfi was different. She knew the properties and effects of a vast array of materials.
Asfi's experience could significantly enhance Alice's knowledge in the field of materials.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
20+ advanced chaps on my patreon.
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.