From that point on, the atmosphere within Loki Familia remained unbearably heavy.
The ship's passengers, I was told, were none other than Cali Familia.
This nation-based Familia, made up entirely of Amazons from outside Orario, was the same group that Tione and Tiona had once belonged to.
Without a doubt, something unpleasant and ugly had happened between them in the past.
Something so bad they probably couldn't even say it out loud.
"Thanks to that, the mood of everyone traveling with us has dropped straight through the floor too. Honestly, both of you are a nuisance for no reason."
"You're the one spending money like it's nothing. What, are you trying to change the mood on purpose or something?"
"Nope. I'm just showing off with someone else's money."
"Huh? What do you mean by that? Someone else's money?"
"Well, you can hang an earring on your ear or hang a ring on your nose. This is all just necessary expenses, that's all. Make sure you keep the receipts so we can settle everything all at once later."
"Wow, shameless."
Lili looked disgusted by my shameless answer.
But despite what she said, her expression didn't look all that bad either.
In fact, she even took the opportunity to place a few more orders.
As expected of my disciple.
When you can milk a free bonus, it's only proper manners to squeeze it for all it's worth. That's how it is, yes indeed.
"Honestly, both of you. You might get divine punishment for this later."
"Hey, shorty. You should probably stop talking and put down that pile of skewers in your hand first, yeah?"
"Ugh, shut up! This is just Loki's survival instinct from years of habit! What am I supposed to do about it?"
"Bell, is that good?"
"Huh?! Ah, yes! Ais, would you like to try some too...?"
"Mm. Then just a little..."
"Hey! You there, that Varen-whatever! I'm right here with my eyes wide open, and you still dare make a move on my Bell!"
"What the hell, your courage is impressive. She looks so gentle, but unlike her appearance, her hands are filthy. It reminds me of that filthy perverted old man I knew back then... You wanna stop breathing and die?"
"I-I'm sorryyyyy!"
Man, the outfield's sure noisy during a meal.
Still, thanks to my efforts, the mood among the group had climbed back up to a somewhat decent level.
But that only lasted for a moment.
"We're back."
"Welcome back~ And... both of you are still the same as ever, huh."
When Tiona and Tione returned with the others who had gone to gather information in the city, the atmosphere among the group once again turned cold and gloomy at a rapid pace.
But given the circumstances, no one could easily say anything.
"An, you should do something about this."
"No, what am I supposed to do?"
"Seriously... who do you think you're fooling, acting like you don't know anything?"
"Hah? What?"
"Wow, this guy. He's really going to the end with this..."
And then it happened.
"C-come to think of it, I have a, a question."
"Hm?"
"M-Magus, what kind of woman do you prefer?"
For a moment, silence filled the shop.
Aside from the sounds of other citizens moving about outside, not a single sound could be heard inside.
It was truly a moment of silence.
Only after feeling that stillness for quite some time did my mouth finally open again.
"W-why are you asking that all of a sudden?"
"N-no! It's just...! I was just curious, that's all? Ah, hahahaha...!"
"Hmm."
The woman who had asked the question, Loki Familia's healer.
If I remembered right, her name was Line Arsche.
Seeing how flustered she was by my question in return, I quietly shifted my gaze to the others around us.
Sure enough.
The face of a certain shameless goddess came into view, wearing an expression that was oddly expectant and openly mischievous.
She had surely used her divine authority as she pleased and pushed this poor woman to the front.
That was how ridiculous Line's question had been to anyone watching.
And yet, even though she had been forced into it against her will, why was she also showing that strange mix of curiosity and anticipation, unlike her embarrassed expression?
Well, when it came to love-related topics, for women around that age it was almost a required course, or so one might say... no, if I used my previous life as an example, maybe that wasn't quite right.
Anyway.
"Right. My preference in women, huh..."
Twitch!
I could feel the quiet air around us suddenly boiling with interest, especially one person whose reaction was so exaggerated it practically stood out on its own.
But I ignored that and answered their question with what I considered my honest feelings.
So, to put it simply, I...
"If we're talking purely about preference, then breasts come first. I'm a man too, after all, so if possible, I like them big and beautiful. I have no objections to that."
"Eek."
"Now, now. I'd appreciate it if you didn't look at me like I'm that creepy, lady. Like it or not, when a normal, healthy man first meets an adult woman, his eyes naturally drop from her face to her chest. It's just a reflex. A completely uncontrollable instinct, something like that.
Of course, if it goes on forever, then that's just a plain lecher, no different from a pervert. I'm not saying I agree with that either. But what matters here is that on a first meeting, everyone does it unconsciously, or in a place even they themselves don't realize. I'd bet most of the male members in your Familia are the same.
I can say with certainty that there are no exceptions. Even that lofty so-called 'Hero.'"
"D-the captain would never..."
"I'm telling you, he would. Besides, there are two other men here besides me, so why don't you ask them? Hmm? As they say, silence is tacit consent."
The instant I finished speaking, the women's gazes all turned at once toward Bellf and Bell.
As expected, both of them had their heads bowed, faces red as ripe apples.
It was the very picture of silent agreement, with not a shred of denial.
And the women standing nearest to them all subtly put a little more distance between themselves and straightened their posture again. Surely that was just a coincidence.
Well, there was no way it was, but still.
"What the hell. What's this guy saying? Is he picking a fight with me right now? Huh? You're really being disrespectful to a goddess, aren't you!?"
"Pfft! S-sorry, Loki. I guess the environment I grew up in still affects me even now, ahahaha!"
"You filthy little brat!"
Good grief.
I'd only just started telling one little story, and the outfield was already way too noisy.
Still, since I'd started this, I might as well keep going.
It might be useless, but...
Even I don't know what else to do besides this crooked kind of method.
So there's no helping it.
Just this once... I'll have to be the bad guy for real.
"That said, a woman's value as a person can't be judged by a single lump of flesh alone. I can't call myself a gentleman—pervert—if I stop there."
"R-right! After all, the most important thing is ma..."
"Maturity."
"...Hm?"
"Maturity. Ah, do you not know the meaning of the term? Put another way, you could call it composure, generosity, modesty, kindness, and adulthood. To put it most directly and plainly, something like..."
I slowly pointed a finger at one person.
The one at the end of that finger was someone who, if anything, seemed the furthest possible from the topic we'd been discussing, casually looking away as if it had nothing to do with her.
"Hm? Me?"
It was the elf princess, Riveria.
"Y-you filthy man!"
"So you've finally shown your true colors! How dare you target Lady Riveria...!"
"He deserves execution! This is definitely a case for execution!"
The exact reactions I wanted rang out inside the shop.
With that, I deliberately put on a mocking grin and provoked them.
Just as the girls were growling and about to stand up,
Bang!
One person finally rushed outside in a hurry.
There was no need to check with my own eyes who it was.
And then, right after that—
"Hey."
"Cut it out."
The sister who had been driven so far past the point of anger that flames seemed to be shooting out of the top of her head grabbed me by the collar and hauled me up.
Good grief, how scary.
"I don't know what exactly you're thinking, but if you're going to keep treating us like idiots, especially Tiona...!"
"As if I would."
She seemed to be misunderstanding something badly, but Tiona is definitely not an idiot.
In this case, the idiot was more likely... me.
The fool who knew nothing but this crooked method.
"By the way, you've seemed pretty off since earlier too. Is it because of those Amazons outside?"
"What? What do you mean?"
That was when it happened.
Crash!
"Ah!"
"Tiona?!"
Tiona, who had rushed outside just moments ago, was forcibly thrown back inside after smashing through the shop wall.
It was an obvious attack to anyone who saw it.
When everyone turned toward the disturbance, sure enough—
"Hmm, so you were here, Tione."
"Arghana!"
"Long time no see. I was so happy to see you that my hand moved before I knew it. Strictly as a greeting, of course."
"You damned bitch! How dare you lay a hand on my little sister!"
With the rough voices, the air between the attacker and Tione grew heavier and more vicious by the second.
Before long, the two of them could no longer hold back and leaped at each other like arrows loosed from a bow, colliding head-on.
Bam!
"Kgh, this!"
"Heh, just as I thought."
The terrifyingly heavy sound of impact shook the surroundings.
Then, as a result of the fight, they not only turned the shop into a disaster area but made the entire main street around it the stage for a full-blown brawl.
And with that, the damage to the street kept growing.
"Aaah, a fight!"
"W-whoever it is, bring the Nyrd Familia!"
"Waaah, Mom!"
It didn't take long at all for the once-peaceful street to become a complete mess.
Even knowing that, Tione still couldn't stop fighting.
And on the other hand, the attacker—Arghana—kept deliberately provoking her and spreading the damage even further, to the point where I had to wonder if she even realized what she was doing.
"Just as I heard, Tione! You've gotten incredibly strong out in the outside world, haven't you? You've become a 'snake' just like me!"
"Shut up! Keep your mouth shut, Arghana! Don't lump me in with you!"
Under the repeated provocations, just as true killing intent began to surface in Tione's eyes—
"[Bakudo 61, Six-Arm Thunder Prison.]"
Fwoosh!
"Guh, what is this?!"
"An's Magecraft?!"
"Yep, that's enough."
A third party stepped in and temporarily stopped the fight.
Who? Me, of course.
"That lady over there. Arghana, was it? As expected, she's strong. Even though Tione only recently ranked up, to push a Level 6 that far..."
"Who are you?"
"Just a passing Magus."
"Hmm, I see?"
Arghana let out a disappointed sound, as if my interference had spoiled her fun, and relaxed the strength in her body.
"Hmph!"
Crack!
But only for a moment.
In an instant, she unleashed terrifying brute strength and broke free of my Magecraft restraint at once, then charged straight at me.
And with a sharply raised knife-hand, she aimed for my throat and tried to pierce—
"Well, I figured you'd do something like that."
Puhat!
"What?!"
...as if that would work.
Sorry, but that wasn't me.
It was nothing more than a trap I'd set as a decoy.
"Kgh, what the hell is this!? It's disgustingly sticky!"
A mutated slime disguised by the illusion of [Timeless Temple]—my own creation.
I named it Yellow Temperance.
It has no weaknesses!
"...That's what I'd like to say."
Against a Level 6, that would just be a stupid act of suicide.
With that in mind, I decided to add a few more tricks for safety's sake.
"[Bakudo 63, Chain Binding. Bakudo 79, Nine Luminaries Binding.]"
Shrrrk!
Thud! Thud! Thud!
At my gesture, chains of light burst out from the air and seized her body as she struggled inside the slime.
Then several black spheres appeared around her, intensifying the pressure in the surrounding space several times over and restricting her movements.
Just as I was about to cast one more Magecraft—
"An! Behind you!"
"Hm?"
Another person launched a surprise attack from behind.
As I hurriedly moved to respond—
"Uh, shaa~!"
Crash!
A girl cut in between us.
"Hey, thanks. You saved me there, Tiona."
"...Hmph!"
"Honestly. If that's how you feel, you could've just not saved me."
I turned away from Tiona, who was acting one way and speaking another, and checked the identity of the second attacker.
A beauty with half her face hidden by a mask.
And yet I could tell immediately.
This woman was the twin sister of the one named Arghana, who was currently being restrained over there.
If I remembered right, her name was Bache Kalif.
Unlike her hot-blooded sister, she was cool and cold, and if not for the strange sense of unease faintly visible beneath that, the two of them were so alike they'd be hard to tell apart.
Hmm, saying it like that...
For some reason, they're a bit like Tione and Tiona, aren't they?
What kind of fate brought them together, I wonder.
"You caught Arghana? Who are you?"
"The sisters ask the same thing, I see. I'm just a passing Magus, poor lady."
"Ah, what the hell! Why are you reacting differently than when Arghana asked? Why?!"
"Good grief, do you really need to argue about that in this situation? Besides, I like lively girls, but I'm not really into hot-blooded types. It's a matter of taste. Please respect that, Tiona?"
"U, uuuuu..."
Ah, that face again.
It's so damn cute I want to bite it.
Of course, if I actually did, I'd probably be the one getting bitten instead.
By the way—
"When is that goddess of yours planning to step in?"
"Oh, you noticed."
A young girl appeared on the second floor of the building next to us.
Exotic clothing, a mask covering half her face.
And within it, a strong sense of divinity.
"Goddess Kali."
"It's our first meeting, but I'll say it's nice to meet you for now, passing Magus."
There's some edge to those words.
Even so, she seemed intensely interested in us.
Well, what did I care at this point?
"And yet you're here with Tione and Tiona. Then are you one of Loki's children too?"
"Wouldn't it be nice if I were."
"What nonsense are you talking about! The Magus is my child! Don't misunderstand!"
And so, at last, the three goddesses faced each other in one place.
Of course, that was the end of the lower-ranked followers' role here.
With that, I also released the Magecraft that had restrained them.
Then I fell back with Tione and Tiona and rejoined the others.
The same went for Arghana and Bache on the other side.
Hmm, both of them... especially Arghana, are glaring at me like they want to eat me alive.
How scary~
"And you are?"
"I am Loki."
"I'm Hestia."
"I am Kali. I don't know much about this Hestia, but I do know the other one, Loki. Her fame even reached my Terscura. Though... was Loki a male god?"
Pfft!
"Y-you idiot! She's a goddess, you hear me! A gorgeous goddess, too! Didn't I just say goddess? Want me to personally drill open that blocked ear of yours?!"
How long had they known each other, and they were already chatting away like old friends.
They should just wrap this up quickly and go home already.
Perhaps the goddesses themselves felt the same way, because their conversation ended much faster than expected.
"Tiona, Tione. It has been a long time for both of you."
"You're ignoring us? You're ignoring us?! You've got guts, you little brat number two!"
"Male god, Loki. Pfft, p-puhuhuhuhu!"
"How long are you gonna keep laughing like that!"
Well, to be exact, the conversation only progressed through Kali's one-sided ignoring of them.
Anyway, according to Kali, the purpose of their visit here was simply sightseeing.
A flimsy lie no stray dog would believe.
But there was no need to keep arguing any further.
Just as we were about to part ways after glaring at each other's faces—uneasily, but still—
"Let's go. Arghana, Bache. And..."
Penthesilea.
"What?!"
The name I had thought I would never hear again in this world.
At the sound of that beloved, longed-for name, I couldn't help it.
I hurriedly turned my gaze.
And there, I saw...
"No wa..."
A young female warrior standing proudly behind Kali, following after her.
She looked exactly... exactly like the "her" I remembered.
Just like the one I remembered, down to the very last detail.
"An?"
Perhaps because my reaction looked unusual, Tiona's anxious voice came from behind me.
But even so, I...
Even knowing that, I...
"Ha, ah..."
I simply couldn't tear my eyes away from the "her" before me.
Because...
"Berserker."
The Berserker of Eldorado.
Also known as Elserker.
True Name: Penthesilea.
The queen of the Amazons from the previous world.
The Berserker from the pseudo Holy Grail War I had once taken part in.
And...
"An? What's wrong? An?! An!?"
As vulgar as it may sound... truly, terribly rude and vulgar, but...
"Ah."
For the first time since being born into this world.
I desperately wanted to go to the bathroom.