The night had descended in Orario. Even though a huge disaster struck earlier in the day, the fact that everyone returned safely was a miracle in itself. The streets were filled with a celebratory mood since it was rare for a day to pass without someone dying in the dungeon.
Akira, having rested, walked briskly while looking around at the bustling streets. Seeing the festive atmosphere, he felt reassured. Looks like the dungeon riot caused by me didn't lead to massive damage.
A butterfly flew toward the group, circling around Konan. She lifted her hand, and the butterfly landed on her finger. Naomi's voice came from it: "Reached the tavern, no problem."
The butterfly unfurled into a sheet of paper, which rested on the back of her palm before being absorbed.
"That was unexpected. I could've bet they would have caused trouble. I knew dying really changes someone, but this much change was unexpected." Akira was impressed.
"Our chakra cannot be recharged here, and most of it was used in the dungeon," Konan explained while recovering some of her chakra from the paper.
"What happens when you run out of chakra?"
"We will be unsummoned."
Akira grabbed Konan's hand. "Let's not use chakra at all, shall we? We can have fun until tomorrow morning."
"Hmmm…"
-----------------------------------
At the Hostess of Fertility, it was an especially busy night. Most adventurers had evacuated the dungeon due to the riot, so the tavern was packed.
"I don't think we'll get seats for all of us today," Nagato remarked.
"A genjutsu should be enough. Itachi-san?" Kisame suggested, remembering how easy it was at the tower. Sasuke glared daggers at him—the fish-man's suggestion would only decrease the time he could spend with his nii-sama.
"No, it won't work. There are too many high-level adventurers here," Nagato denied.
"Why are you standing outside?" Akira asked Naori, ignoring Deidara bound in ropes.
"Looks like there won't be any empty seats for a while." Naori glanced at his attire—a Shanks cosplay. She knew its powers, so she poked at his chest, causing Akira to grimace in pain.
"I knew it. You should've rested more. You always abuse your powers. Now go back and rest. We won't be having a party tonight."
"Ah! Naori, it's just a little injury. Do you think I can sit still when most of the gang is back? As for the seats, leave it to me." Akira thumped his chest.
"Idiot! What can I do with you…" She used a small healing palm on his chest to ease the pain from his thumping.
"That's the spot." Akira, feeling better, went inside the tavern.
Seeing him leave, Obito questioned Yahiko, "What do you think he'll use?"
Yahiko knew the cosplay. "It's Shanks. Maybe Conqueror's Haki."
"No, it could be Gildarts from Fairy Tail. He could use magic," another Akatsuki member chimed in.
"Are you blind? That was obviously Scar from FMA," his companion argued.
While they were debating, a lot of people walked out of the pub. After them, Akira waved for everyone to come inside.
"How did you do it?" Obito was the first to ask, with the others also curious—after all, Akira had a plethora of powerful artifacts.
"Don't you recognize this drip? I used Shanks' most powerful weapon: Face Fruit." Akira happily showed off. Of course, the real problem was convincing the shop owner, Mama Mia—something that only a 10% upcharge fee managed to solve.
"Now everyone, order whatever you want. Eat your fill." Akira settled down with Naori and Konan.
"Are you ready to order, nya?" He looked up to see a black catgirl waitress.
I think one of the cat people was an assassin, right? The fact she could get this close without a sound… she must be it, he thought.
"Yeah, well, I'll have a big pasta. As for alcohol, can you bring it in a barrel… Hello, waitress-san?"
Chloe Rollo was mesmerized by what she was seeing. The adventurer she thought was an old dwarf was just a cover, hiding a beautiful red-haired shota.
Akira noticed her staring at Sasori, who had just come out of his puppet after Deidara was restrained. In this world, Sasori had a real body with a beating heart, so he had to eat like the other short-lived species.
"You know, his parents died in the war. He's pretty sad about it—that's why he hides in a puppet. How good would it be if a onee-san hugged him and gave him the love he needs…"
Hearing the whispers of the devil, Chloe Rollo felt her throat go dry.
"Mama Mia! Chloe is skipping out on her work again!" Syr's voice snapped her out of her stupor.
"No, Cat is working, nya." Chloe felt Mia's gaze and rushed back to her duties.
Seeing the banter, Akira smiled a little.
"You got me in trouble, customer. Now you should order a lot so I don't get scolded by Mia, nya."
"Well, I just told you what was written on your face." Seeing her still standing, he added, "Alright, add a fried fish."
After that, the others started giving their orders. Seeing the witch standing behind him, Akira couldn't help but ask: "Ask what you want to ask?"
"But I didn't say anything." Syr replied with her iconic smile.
Akira, knowing what a problematic woman she was, said, "I can hear the rats in your head cooking another scheme?"
"Oh? I didn't know adventurer-san could read minds. If you can guess, tell me what I'm thinking right now."
"What is this piece of coal doing, sitting among a bunch of jewels?" Akira replied instantly.
Syr was left speechless. Of course, seeing his ordinary soul in the middle of so many bright ones really was like somebody had made a mistake in an orchestra.
"You can even make the witch speechless. Very good. I forgive you for earlier, nya," Chloe said.
"I aim to please. As for that extra fish I ordered…"
"Of course I've already accepted it. So no returns." Chloe happily skipped off to the kitchen with the long list of orders to show Mama Mia.
"So, was I right?" Akira was curious. Although he knew he was ordinary, he had never actually known how his soul looked in the eyes of a goddess.
"Of course not, customer-san. How could I think such a thing?" Syr felt a little exposed, though she knew he didn't buy her answer. But she was the poster girl of the store, and this kind of confrontation was easily solved—with a little fist to her head and acting cute. "Sorry if you felt like that."
"You are forgiven." Akira drank his water, thinking: I don't know why new transmigrators always say never to meet Syr in Danmachi. At the end of the day, she's just a little mischievous with people who have ordinary souls.
"So… which one is your girlfriend?" Syr questioned.
"COUGH! COUGH!" He almost spat out his water.
I was wrong—she's a megamind. But this turn is mine. Akira smirked and introduced his companions: "She is Konan, my wife. And she is Naori, my fiancée. And my name is Akira."
The restaurant grew quieter. Other than the Akatsuki members, most people lowered their voices, eager to listen in. Even May was pulled by Chloe to hear the rest.
"You three must have had a lot of adventures. You must be pretty high-leveled too," Syr said.
"Adventures, yes. But as for levels—I'm only Level 1. As for their levels, you can ask them if they want to tell you."
Akira knew that when they were summoned into this world, they already had levels and excelia, which let them use their skills by consuming stored chakra. But he had never asked them directly about their levels.
Syr looked at the two women eagerly. Konan glanced at Akira, who nodded. "I am Level 4."
The crowd was shocked—but the reveal wasn't over yet. They turned toward the purple-haired beauty. Her answer made the situation even more absurd: "I am Level 5."
Murmurs filled the tavern. Many refused to believe it, but a god's confirmation of truth soon set reality in stone.
Why is there always a god around to confirm statements? I want to have a young master face-slapping moment too. Akira thought bitterly. Now people's gazes toward him shifted—from scorn to envy and jealousy.
"How did it happen?" Syr, acting as the frontline reporter, pushed further.
"What happened?" Akira feigned ignorance, earning more jealousy. But he was already used to that kind of behavior back in the Naruto world. If these people knew the real number of wives, fiancées, and lovers I had, they might just assassinate me to prevent a scarcity of beautiful women at marriage age.
"Well, how did you fall in love? Start from when you met." Syr had even taken a seat beside them.
"Well, I first met Konan on a rainy day. I ran away from the orphanage because I was bored, and I met her. She was visiting the orphanage and saw me running away. Since I looked like her ex, she took me under her wing. I learned fighting from her… a lot of things happened after that—wars, peace, and all that stuff. In the end, I asked her to marry me, and she said yes."
Akira gave a brief summary, pulling out a picture book with rough drawings of events. He had done the same many times in the past. Then he pulled out another book.
"As for Naori…"
"Wait—" Syr interrupted.
"No questions during the explanation. They'll be taken after." he said sternly. He opened the book to a ship on the sea. "So, I was on a mission when I found Naori's family attacking an ally. I ran straight toward the main ship, where I met Naori. She beat me to a pulp, nearly killing me. During and after the fight, we talked and resolved the issues. After that—same as Konan—wars, peace, and I asked her to marry me. She said yes. We still haven't decided the date and venue yet."
He turned to the last page, which said The End.
"You didn't even explain anything! That just creates more questions," Syr protested.
"That means I don't need to explain. Even if I did, you wouldn't understand. For a person who still hasn't found her lover, my actions will look illogical—like I was sick. So first, fall in love, Ojou-chan," Akira mocked.
Seeing her silence, he pressed on: "Why are you quiet? Looks like you're feeling overwhelmed with emotion. This emotion is called envy. Don't worry—it's okay to feel envious of me. After all, what I have, you may never get in a lifetime. So feel envious—drown in your jealousy. Ouch…"
Akira stopped when he noticed Konan shaking her head and Naori's disapproving look. Realizing he had gone too far, drunk on his victory, he stood up and bowed.
"I'm sorry."
"Ah…" Syr took a step back.
Akira straightened and said, "Those words were uncalled for. In my thirst to win an argument, I ended up hurting you. I'm so sorry, again." He bowed once more.
Syr smiled faintly. "Don't worry, customer-san. Syr is a strong girl."
Seeing her fake smile, Akira placed his hand on her shoulder.
"Listen to me, Syr. I know how excruciating the world feels when you're waiting to find the one you love. Even food made by gods tastes bland, everything feels stale and dull. It becomes unbearable—you just want it all to end. But you must bear the pain. This world has something called fate, and it always gives everyone at least one chance to be with the one they love. You'll have to wait for that chance. And when it comes, you'll have to fight tooth and nail. So say it with me—Fight on!"
"Fight on…" Syr said softly.
Akira was disappointed. "Not like that. You have to scream it with all your heart—FIGHT ON!"
"Fight ON!" She pumped her fists cutely.
"Yes! Imagine that shining jewel that is your future love. What are you going to do?"
"FIGHT ONNN!!"
Seeing her mood lift, Akira smiled, then turned toward the shop owner.
"Mia-san, this waitress has been talking to me for the past five minutes instead of working."
"Youuu!" Syr puffed her cheeks in anger.
Akira just sat back with a smirk. "Get back to work. You'll need to become an expert at this if you want to charm your future husband. You should be thanking me."
"Hmmm…" Syr ran off with an angry face, though her steps couldn't hide her happiness. The other waitresses consoled her while glaring at the rude but rich customer.
Well, that was a good first impression. I think I might have gotten a skill from that experience. Akira felt lighter.
From the gates, Hestia entered with Miach, Naaza, the Takemikazuchi Familia, and Goddess Hephaestus.
"Akira-kun!!"
"Hestia-sama, you're here." He then greeted the others. "Miach-sama, Takemikazuchi-sama, Hephaestus-sama—you all can take a seat. It's all on me today."
"Before that, on behalf of my familia, I must apologize. We broke our promise. I am sorry." Takemikazuchi bowed before Akira.
"Akira-kun. It's not Takemikazuchi-sam's fault, it was my fault. As captain, it was my decision. I take full responsibility. I am sorry." Ouka stepped forward with his team members and bowed.
"Take!!" Hestia wanted to speak up for her friend, but Hephaestus shook her head. She knew these matters could cause greater problems later if Hestia interfered.
"Ah, it's fine. I think I would have done the same in your place. You don't need to apologize." Akira waved it off—it truly wasn't a big deal for him.
"Still, it was our promise that was broken. Because of us, you were so seriously injured. We will do anything to repay you." Takemikazuchi insisted, and his familia echoed the sentiment.
"Takemikazuchi-sama, I just said—I cannot expect others to do what I myself cannot. If I asked something of you, it would only make me feel guilty. Just join the feast and start anew without the burden of the past. That is enough for me." Akira said, then turned to Ouka. "And you—never feel guilty for protecting your familia over a stranger. You may have your warrior code, but as captain, your top priority must always be their safety. You did the right thing."
Takemikazuchi felt even more convinced that Hestia had chosen well. "Still, our familia will remain indebted to you. If you need anything, you can come to us."
"Whatever…" Akira was already over it. Meanwhile, Syr grew excited—because, for the briefest moment, his soul had shone brightly before dimming again.
While Take's familia took their seats, Hestia, feeling proud of Akira, began to boast to Hephaestus about his good qualities.
"I would also like to thank you for saving Naaza," Miach said politely.
"You don't need to. She saved me first," Akira replied.
"Still, you fought alone to protect her. In return, you may visit our shop anytime—we will give you a good discount," Miach offered.
"Well, what could I do? She was crying her eyes out, saying things like, 'Oh, I only wanted to stay with Miach-sama and make potions all my life.' I couldn't count on her for a fight." Akira mimicked her tone.
Naaza blushed with shame and covered her mouth. "I didn't say that… Miach-sama…"
Akira gently pulled her hand away and took out his phone. "Look—I have proof."
The device played a video of her crying on the dungeon floor, saying, "All I wanted was to stay with Miach-sama, making potions in our shop. Tell me what to do!"
"Th-this…" Naaza stuttered, but Miach calmed her with a gentle headpat.
"I also enjoy making potions with you, Naaza," Miach said softly.
"Miach-sama…" Naaza nuzzled closer to him, overjoyed.
"Well, she might be interested in other things besides potion-making," Akira teased, earning himself a sharp pinch on the waist from Konan.
"That's a remarkable magic item. It must have cost a fortune," Hephaestus remarked.
"Oh, this? Yeah, but it has an even better feature." Akira handed her the phone—it immediately shut down. When he took it back, it powered on.
"A bonded item. That is good—it reduces the chance of theft." Hephaestus nodded in approval.
As the waitresses began delivering food and barrels of alcohol, Akira tasted the wine. "It's good enough. Konan, do you have any ambrosia left?"
Konan nodded and pulled a scroll from her sleeve to conceal her inventory ability. With a poof, a golden jar appeared—one of Akira's most prized possessions.
[Item: King's Wine Extract (Legendary)
Properties: One Drop Conversion]
[One Drop Conversion: A single drop in any barrel of alcohol upgrades it into wine worthy of Gilgamesh's Treasury. As it is said: 'Whether wine or swords, only the best belong in a king's treasury.']
Akira placed a single drop into each barrel. Instantly, the liquid changed color, sparkling like molten gold. The intoxicating fragrance filled the tavern, making everyone desperate for a taste. But the show wasn't over. Akira pulled another scroll and handed it to Naori. From it, she summoned two golden goblets. With a soft clink, another appeared. Soon, everyone had one in hand.
[Item: King's Golden Goblets (Legendary)
Properties: Shadow Clone]
[Duplication: Clinking two goblets produces a temporary copy. Duration: 1 hour.]
[Remark: No change to taste, but a spectacular drip.
PS: Shirou Emiya: "Hero King, do you even have enough cups in that treasury of yours?"]
"You are full of surprises. Even I feel envious of Hestia's luck," Hephaestus admitted, admiring the craftsmanship of the goblets.
Hestia bit her cup suspiciously. "This is real gold, Akira-kun. Isn't this dangerous?"
"Don't worry, it'll disappear after a while. So start drinking. I'm not going to pour the finest wine in all the lands into anything less than the finest cups." Akira said as Sasori used his strings to lift the barrel and pour.
Clang! Clang!
"It's the Loki Familia."
Goddess Loki strode in with her top executives: Finn Deimne, Riveria Ljos Alf, and Gareth Landrock. Behind them followed the others—Tione, Tiona, Bete, Lefiya, and finally Ais Wallenstein.
Loki sniffed the air and zeroed in on the chibi goddess. She teleported beside Hephaestus. "Is this Soma's new stuff, Hephy? Let me taste it."
"It's not mine—it's Hestia's familia." Hephaestus looked at the swirling gold in her goblet.
"It's the chibi." Loki turned toward Hestia.
Hestia puffed out her chest proudly. "This came from Akira-kun's homeland. You won't find it anywhere else in Orario. If you say please, I might let you taste it."
"Oh, I should say please? Looks like that brat didn't tell you how much he owes us from the dungeon." Loki smirked.
Akira remembered the phone call from the reincarnation goddess, when she gave him the guild's special permission slip. He had to cut Loki off here.
"Goddess Loki, Hestia-sama was just teasing you. You can take two barrels. As for cups…"
He clinked his goblet with Konan's twice, creating two more, which he handed over. "I think you know what to do."
Loki duplicated them with a grin. "Interesting. I'm getting more and more curious about you, Akira-kun. How about this—if you join us, I'll erase everything you owe us."
"My answer is the same as before. There isn't enough money in the world to make me leave my familia. Take the booze instead—it's repayment for showing me that beautiful scenery in the dungeon." Akira smirked, then glanced at the Sword Princess.
Ais felt his gaze and immediately recalled jumping after him in the dungeon—her torn clothes flashing in her mind. She blushed, covered her chest, and muttered, "Ecchi…"
Seeing this, Loki exploded in rage. She threw her goblet aside and grabbed Akira by the collar.
"You bastard! What did you do to my Ais-tan?! What did you see—tell me!!"
Akira looked down at the flat-chested goddess with a condescending smile. "It was only a silhouette. But I saw the final destination that Goddess Loki might never reach."
"You—how dare you!!" Loki bared her fangs and tried to bite him, but Mama Riveria quickly restrained her.
"Mama-san! Let me kill this bastard! He saw what I could only dream about!!" Loki thrashed like a child.
Akira ignored her and turned to someone who was glaring with the highest intensity. "Don't worry. I have no interest in her. I've been a Lefiya × Ais shipper since day one. Go, Yuri Elf—I'm rooting for you."
Lefiya's face burned crimson. Feeling everyone's eyes, she hid behind the Amazoness sisters. "It—it isn't like that! I mean, I want to be with Ais-san, but she's my idol. It's not like I could…"
As the elf spiraled into her own world, Akira laughed.
"Your food is getting cold," Naori said, pushing his plate in front of him and sliding the alcohol a little away.
"Okay, okay." Akira started eating pasta. The flavor was surprisingly modern—likely thanks to magical ingredients.
Clink! Clink!
A drunk Yahiko raised his glass. "Before we begin, I want to thank everyone in Akatsuki. When we first founded it, our goal was peace in the shinobi world. Though there were tangents, in the end peace was achieved—because of all your sacrifices. Even if the world calls us villains, to me, you are heroes."
"Hear, hear!" the first-generation Akatsuki cheered.
"What fcking peace? I joined only to perfect my art!" Deidara barked.
"Yes, yes. I still remember Senpai's C0 explosion that killed zero people." Obito teased in his Tobi voice, earning a glare.
"What heroes? They look more like thugs," a drunk Bete scoffed from his table.
"Exactly. I concur with this tsundere werewolf. We are villains." Akira, clearly drunk already, tried to climb on the table. Naori helped him up.
"How is he so drunk? We haven't even started yet." Hestia muttered.
"He has very low tolerance. The smell alone was enough," Konan said.
Akira steadied himself. "As I was saying—everyone after the second generation is a villain. Do you think when Deidara blew up the Sand Village, he was thinking of peace? Or when Obito and Itachi slaughtered the Uchiha clan, were they thinking of saving the world? Or when I gambled millions of lives just for a happy ending, was I being heroic? No.
If there were a hell, we'd all be on the express train to it. We did it all for selfish reasons. Itachi didn't save the world—he saved the village. Obito didn't save the world—he tried to trap it in a lie.
We all chased our ideals, no matter the cost. Even if the world suffered, we didn't care. We are greedy bastards. Words like 'heroes' don't belong to us. We are proud of our villainy. So don't thank us."
He raised his goblet filled with alcohol. "This is to the Akatsuki, which embodied my ambition of a happy ending at any cost."
Deidara: "To my explosive art."
Sasori: "To my eternal art."
Kakuzu: "To the only truth—money."
Itachi: "To breaking the chain of hatred."
Kisame: "To a world without lies."
Jūzō: "To a less lonely world."
Konan: "To a hopeful tomorrow."
Naori: "To a kinder world."
Sasuke: "To a world full of bonds."
Pain: "To eternal peace."
"CHEERS!!!!!!!!!"
..............
(A/N: It has been so long that I wrote something by myself that I feel I forgot how to write. Any comment to improve would be a huge help)
You can Support me on p@treon: [email protected]/Uchiha_Itachi007 (replace @ with a)
I mainly translate other fanfics on there.