The next day, Luki and Hestia got up, ready to begin a new day. Or almost.
Just as Hestia had said, although only part of the church had collapsed, the earthquake had compromised its inner structure. Now, it was only a matter of time before the rest of the building crumbled completely.
During the night, they had been woken up several times by the sound of chunks of the ceiling and walls collapsing little by little. The fear of something falling on them while they slept didn't help at all.
The result was obvious: neither of them had a good night's sleep. Dark circles formed beneath their eyes, betraying their exhaustion.
— Luki-kun… I'm so sleepy. — Hestia muttered, dragging her feet as he pulled her along.
— We… mUst go. — Luki answered, his voice heavy with fatigue.
— We'll move tomorrow. The house can last a few more days… I just want to sleep… — Hestia insisted, almost stumbling.
At that moment, the two wandered the streets in search of a new home. Considering their financial situation, the only viable option was to rent a room in an inn. It wasn't ideal, but it would be enough.
As they walked, they couldn't help but notice the destruction around them. A night had passed since the incident, and the city was already beginning to recover, but that didn't mean things were fine.
Piles upon piles of rubble lined both sides of the street—remains of what once had been houses and shops. People sat in corners, exhausted, hopeless, watching the world go by with red eyes, worn out from tears and/or fatigue.
The streets were strangely empty, and at the same time, full. There weren't many passersby, nor the typical noise of the city. Instead, a suffocating silence hung in the air.
It felt as though Orario had lost its life.
Hestia glanced around, her eyes gleaming with a mixture of pity and sorrow.
— This is so… sad… — she murmured, almost to herself. — So many people lost their lives, their dreams, their homes… all because of a single accident.
She paused, gazing at a family sitting among the ruins, trying to gather what remained of their belongings.
— Many of these people will probably never recover… Some will have to leave Orario and start from scratch somewhere else…
Luki remained silent for a moment before muttering:
— Yeah…
Hestia went on, her tone lower, more hesitant:
— Do you think someday… the same thing will happen to us? That we'll watch everything we built together be destroyed right before our eyes? Unable to do anything but grieve…?
Luki sighed.
— Life…
Hestia frowned.
— I know life is hard and unfair, but… I don't know. Is it wrong to want to be happy in peace?
Luki turned his eyes toward a broken window, the shards of glass still hanging from the frame.
— Yes… haPPy… wEAk and broKEn.
Hestia blinked, confused.
— You mean… happiness is fragile?
Luki kept staring at the cracked glass.
— FrAgIlE? Fra-gi-le… yes, fragile...
Silence stretched between them. The wind blew lightly, carrying dust through the air.
— This is so unfair… — Hestia muttered, folding her arms. — I hope our time never comes.
Luki didn't reply, just kept walking, his eyes distant.
Hestia followed him in silence, a tightness in her chest.
…
Hestia and Luki spent several hours visiting inns across the city, but with no success.
At every place they tried, the answer was the same: "Full."
Many people had lost their homes in the earthquake and, just like them, were searching for somewhere to stay. And when that wasn't the case, the problem was even worse, some inns had been damaged by the disaster, forcing them to close for repairs or even be completely destroyed.
Time passed quickly, and now the sun was nearing the horizon, painting the sky with orange hues.
Tired, frustrated, and starving after god's know how many hours walking withou eating anything. Hestia and Luki decided to take a break.
That's when Hestia spotted something familiar as they turned a corner. Her eyes lit up.
— Look! The Hostess of Fertility is still open! — she exclaimed, pointing excitedly. — And it doesn't even look like the place was affected much by the earthquake! How about we stop there for something to eat?
Luki said nothing, only nodded, accepting the suggestion without hesitation.
They crossed the tavern's entrance and were immediately greeted by the warm, comforting aroma of food being prepared. The low hum of conversations filled the air, bringing a sense of normalcy amidst the chaos dominating the city.
At the door, a blonde elf with an impassive expression observed them for a moment before speaking, her voice calm and professional:
— Welcome to the Hostess of Fertility. Would you like a table for two?
— Ah, yes, preferably somewhere more private, please. — Hestia smiled, trying to sound polite, though her tired face betrayed how exhausted she really was.
The elf nodded.
— Follow me.
Without another word, she turned and began walking through the hall.
Luki and Hestia followed, and as they did, he couldn't help but look at her with curiosity.
'Wow, a real elf. She's even prettier up close. Are all elves like that, or is she just beautiful?'
The thought made him reflect for a moment, until another strange realization struck him.
'Wait… I'm an elf too.'
The thought almost made him laugh. He had spent so much time living like everyone else in Orario that he rarely thought about it. Still, there was something fascinating about her presence—and then another detail came to him.
'Now that I think about it, this is the first time I've interacted with her. It's not like we're regular customers, but I've never seen her before.'
Her name… was it Lyu? Ryu? Something like that. He vaguely remembered hearing stories about her. A strong adventurer, with a complicated past.
'If I asked nicely, would she train me? After all, we're both elves… But then again, forget it. I don't even have a sword.'
— Kurhurnn!
The sound of someone forcefully clearing their throat snapped him out of his thoughts.
Turning his head, he found Hestia staring straight at him. Intensely.
Meanwhile, Lyu, standing beside the table where they were to sit, kept her impassive expression, though a slight discomfort flickered in her eyes.
It was only then that Luki realized.
He had stared too much.
— Oh… soRRy... — He scratched the back of his neck, looking away, a little embarrassed.
Lyu closed her eyes for a moment, sighing softly, before gesturing for them to sit.
— Here's the menu.
Without another word, she set the menu on the table and disappeared among the other customers.
Hestia, still with her arms crossed, turned her head away and puffed her cheeks, clearly irritated.
— Luki-kun, you idiot. — She muttered through her teeth, not even looking at him.
Luki blinked, confused, before scratching his neck.
— SoRRy, Hestia-sama… I… am suRPRised. She is alsO an elf...
Hestia opened one eye, giving him a piercing look. He seemed genuinely puzzled, not realizing what he had done wrong.
She sighed and relaxed her shoulders a little.
— Yeah… come to think of it, this must be the first elf you've seen since you got here. After all, you gaus are all very reclusive and don't like leaving their homes. I think someone as young as you being here is quite unusual… if I remember correctly, at your age you're still considered a child among elves.
She looked up, thoughtful, before turning back to him.
— But that doesn't mean you're forgiven for staring like that!
With a sudden gesture, she pointed her finger at him, her irritation flaring again.
Luki averted his gaze, clearly not knowing how to respond.
— SoRRy… uhmmm... i paY?
Silence lingered for a moment.
Hestia narrowed her eyes, weighing his offer.
— Hmph! I'll think about it… — She crossed her arms again, though the playful sparkle in her eyes betrayed that her anger was already fading.
Then, as if remembering something, she slapped her hand against the table.
— Just now… I think you meant "I'll do anything" when you tried to apologize. But that one's a bit more complicated, so I'll let it slide.
Luki blinked several times, trying to absorb the sudden grammar lesson.
— I… learn?
Hestia rolled her eyes and sighed wearily.
— At least you he's cute…
Luki gave a faint smile before picking up the menu. He didn't understand many words there, but that didn't stop him from pretending he knew what he was doing.
Not long after, Lyu returned to their table.
— Have you decided what you'll order?
— Honestly, we're starving and just want something to eat as soon as possible. What's ready right now? — Hestia asked.
— Pasta with red sauce and basil leaves. The dish also comes with a jug of wine.
— Perfect! I'll have a serving for, uh… Luki-kun, are you okay with that?
Luki blinked, confused.
— That?
— You… didn't understand what she said?
The moment Hestia asked this, Lyu's eyes turned to Luki with a strange gleam, a subtle yet noticeable interest. But before anyone could truly notice, she had already returned to her neutral expression.
— No… onlY red, lEAves… and jUUg.
Hestia sighed, running a hand over her face.
— Alright… how am I supposed to explain this…
[After a really long explanation.]
Hestia leaned forward, smiling hopefully.
— Do you understand now?
Luki, on the other hand, looked ready to explode. His gaze fixed on Hestia was that of someone whose mind had just been fried.
— Arrrrgh… — He let out a long, exasperated groan. — No.
Hestia slammed her head against the table.
— Damn it…
Now she faced a dilemma. Elves were extremely particular about food and drink, whether because of culture or even physiological traits, she didn't know. In Orario, there weren't many options that followed elven standards, which meant that any elf who came to the city would have to swallow their pride, and their food, until they got used to it.
Luki had already tried some dishes since arriving. He quite liked the salad prepared by the owner, Mia, but didn't seem to handle other kinds of food very well.
But it had been so long since their last meal… and the tavern was packed. Ordering something too specific would take time. It would be so much easier if Luki just ate like a normal person.
Then suddenly, Lyu broke the silence.
— You don't know the local language?