Interlude- Month 3, JanuaryJanuary 3rd, early in the afternoon, Cirrus cleans the snow.
"Fuuu~" A warm white breath leaves his mouth. "So much snow." He shovels the snow away.
"Sir, if you wish, I can help if you want?" said Hecton.
"Yeah, master, I could lt the snow for you?" said Fafnir.
"No, I don’t wanna have you both be my arms and legs. There is sothing to working hard and building up a sweat."
Crunch!
Crunch!
"Hm?" Cirrus looks up to see an older-looking man coming up the snow-covered path.
"Hello there, neighbor!! How’s it going!!" He shouted, waving at Cirrus.
"Oh, hey there!!" Cirrus waved back.
The man ca up to Cirrus.
"My na is Dave; I live just, umm…" He looks behind. "Around... yeah, about 2 farms down and 3 to the left."
"Oh, you’re the farm owner near the town, huh?"
"That I am! I just ca up here because we haven’t really seen you in town much. Thought sothing happened."
"Ah yeah, sorry, I didn’t go and introduce myself. Busy with the house and everything."
"I see. How are the wives?"
"Good. But they're not fans of the cold weather."
"Well, that’s a sha. These tis are rather cold."
"Yeah, there are a bit chilly. Oh, my na is Cirrus." Cirrus extends his hand.
"Ah, Cirrus! It’s good to et you!" Dave goes and shakes Cirrus's hand.
He notices Cirrus has a firm grip, but his hands are neither too soft nor too rough.
"The sa to you, Dave."
"Say, um, do you and your wives wanna co to town? We are thinking of holding a little party to celebrate so new people in the village. Unless you’re working on sothing?"
"Oh? You would do that for us?"
"Sure! Not every day we get new blood here. The last ones were Georgos and his grandson Bell. I heard he is doing well for himself. Have you heard anything about it? Last we got was he won a Wargas or sothing."
"Ah yeah, a bit. He’s doing well for himself."
"That’s good. We still kept his old ho intact. We figured if Bell doesn’t find success, there was always a place for him here. Even if his grandpa died and the pain of his loss is still felt in that ho."
"… Well, I’ll be sure to co along later today. My wives are pregnant, so—"
"Truly!? But you’re so young!?"
"Yeah, I’m 22."
"22, and with two beautiful wives!? You're even more of a player than ol’Georgos I’ll you hwhat!"
"Haha… Yeah. Well, it was nice to et you, Dave. We’ll co down in a bit, maybe when the sun sets or sothing, I should have this snow cleared up."
"Sure thing! See ya then!"
After he had left, Cirrus went back inside.
"Ai! Art! I t one of the neighbors! I think I can make more guy friends!"
Later, when the sun was setting.
The people of the village all gathered at a little party with a large bonfire in the middle of the village.
"Oh, I see them coming!" said one villager.
They could see them coming down the road, hand in hand.
"Ahh~ These shoes you made make it a breeze to walk!" Ai said.
"Yes, with the weight off my feet, it's amazing. I can move a bit like how I used to." Said Artemis.
"Hello, their neighbors!!" The village shouted.
"Oh, hello there!!!" Ai shouted and waved back.
They were welcod with open arms, warm food, and alcohol-free drinks.
To Cirrus’s surprise, there are so rather young people in the village. So were about 3 years older, and so 3-year-old kids were running around.
"So what are your nas?" asked the won of the village as they surrounded Ai and Artemis.
"My na is Ai."
"And my na is Art."
Artemis chose to go by Art as she has a sort of fa in small villages like these. So, just to be safe, she went with an alias.
"My, you are both so beautiful! Tell us, how did your husband manage to land you two?"
"Hm! Hm!" They looked at them, wanting answers.
"W-well, it’s a lengthy story." Said Art, a bit surprised at how fierce the look the won had.
For Cirrus, he hung with the guys.
"Chug!! Chug!! Chug!! Chug!! Chug!! Chug!! Chug!! Chug!! Chug!! Chug!!"
"Ahhhh!!!" Cirrus finished a barrel of alcohol. "Is that all you got!! Wooooo!!!!"
They all had their fun nights.
"So how’d you like yer steak?" said Joseph, a cow farr in the village.
"dium-rare," Cirrus replied with a mug of beer in hand.
"Good man." Said Roth, the village head. "I knew you had a taste."
"God dammit, Roth, the best steak is dium-well!" said Matthew, another farr.
"Every day I know your cooking steak dium-well brings a tear to my eye," Joseph said, shaking his head slowly.
"Co on! It’s not as bad as Lambert’s! He cooks his well-done!"
Everyone looks at Lambert, a man with black hair and blue eyes.
"I ain’t gotta explain myself!" He said it proudly.
"… Lambert, would you kindly leave this party?" Roth said.
"Fuck off! Ned eats his rare!"
Everyone looked back to see Ned, a man with brown hair and eyes, eating a rare steak with the juices dripping down.
"That isn’t right," Cirrus said, looking away at the horror.
"Tsk, tsk." Everyone looked away at the sight.
"Hey! Co on! It’s not that bad!" Ned said.
"Can you pass the salt and pepper?" Cirrus asked.
"Uhh... we only have salt." Said, Joseph.
"God dammit. Do you guys sell pepper or have any?"
While Cirrus was with the n, Artemis stepped away from everyone.
"Haa..." She takes a second for herself.
"They are rather tireso, aren't they?" said a woman with a chest that reminded Artemis of Deter.
"H-hello! Sorry I don't think we t?" Artemis holds her hand out. "I'm Art!"
"Fufu. I'm Gloria. I own the farm just two farms down with all the vegetables and fruits."
"Ah, I see."
"Yes, well, I wanted to ask you sothing?"
"What is it?"
"Your husband, Cirrus. He is an adventurer, right?"
"..." Artemis remained stone-faced. "What gave you that idea?"
"Well, I t him so seven years ago. He was a rather cute young man with the most adorable owl on his head. I ask because he asked for Georgos when he ca."
"Ah. I see. Was it Georgos that tipped you off?"
"Yes, that man was persistent, as his words were charming. But he has so rather loose lips while trying to impress . He said he was once part of the Zeus Familia. Fufu. Can you believe that?"
"That is certainly sothing."
'Gods fucking dammit, Zeus!!!'
"Well, that's all I wanted to say. I'll do a better job than that, gentlen. I am sure there is a reason Cirrus left, right? He wished to leave the hustle and bustle of the city, right?"
"Yes, we left to spend ti together."
'And the fact that I'm pregnant with a Demigod.'
"If it makes you feel better, I was once part of a Familia."
"Really? Which one?"
"It doesn't matter anymore. They are gone now. Back to heaven, I'm afraid."
"Oh... I am sorry for the loss. What were their nas?"
"Lady Auxo."
"!?" Artemis did her best to hide her surprise.
'Oh, she is one of her children.'
Artemis rembered the shy goddess that always hung around Athena. Her hair was like wheat being blown by the gentle wind, and her soft, warm, brown eyes always made you wish to dote on her.
'The last I heard from her was from Athena 200 years ago when I ca to visit her... So that was her fate.'
"You look rather sad? Did I bring up a bad mory?"
"Ah no! No! It's just that... I simply rember so fallen friends."
"I see..." She looked over at the won of the village, who had surrounded Ai. "Your fellow sister is handling them rather well, all things considered."
"Ai knows how to deal with overly kind and cutthroat won." Artemis gets back on her feet. "I need to learn how to deal with them."
"The secret is to smile and nod."
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