Danmachi: Westward Cloud [Complete]

[Vol.4] Quest 304- Two-Three Years of Persistence

Moonlight Tower's third tower, training area.

Clang!!

Stab!

Malion stabs her sword into the ground.

"Huff!! Huff!! Huff!!" Malion kneels in exhaustion. They covered her body with several cuts and bruises.

"This makes the 10th try, Malion," Ai said, sheathing her blade.

"Ugh… I will come again tomorrow." She slowly picks herself up.

Coming up to her was Bree.

"Here you go!" She hands her a Full Restore Potion that restores her mana, stamina, and health.

"Fuu~ thank you. I thank you for the battle, Ai, Lady Artemis."

"You did better this time! Tell Hestia we have tea in three days!!" Artemis shouted, waving goodbye with the bow Cirrus made for her.

"Hm! I will inform her."

Malion left their training facility.

Since about two months ago, Malion has been trying to beat Ai and Artemis.

"Haa… Another failed attempt." She stops in their garden and looks at the top of the tower. "… Cirrus. Haa… Would be nice if I can—"

"You rang?"

"!?" Malion jumped a bit as she quickly turned to see Cirrus. "C-Cirrus! You are here early!?"

Malion was embarrassed that Cirrus had overheard her.

"Yeah, my work got cleared up. Well, not Familia work, but personal stuff. So, um… You, uh, won the fight against Ai and Art?"

"… No. Your wives are certainly tough. But Lady Artemis said I got better."

"Ah, that’s good! So um… how’s everything been?"

Both Cirrus and Malion know how little they have in common. That could be remedied by spending some time together, but the fact stands that Malion knew his mother personally, which kinda makes it a bit harder.

"Everything has gone well. Bell, Ais, and Syr have been doing well. But I believe Haruhime wishes to join in, as well as the Amazoness of the Loki Familia, Tiona."

"Ah, the book lover. Well, that’s Bell’s business."

'Geezus fucking Christ, Bell is fucking pulling!’

"Very. As the advisor and temporary Vice-Captain of the Hestia Familia, until Lili is more experienced, I have been teaching Bell how to carry himself. Both for appearances and to train him should, or when Hera ever meets him."

"Very good idea. Hera would eat him alive."

"Hm. Cirrus, would it be possible if you could walk me home?"

"I um… kinda have the kids so..."

"I understand. Next time." She nods. "See you again, Cirrus."

Walking back, Malion wanted to punch herself.

‘Why did I say that!! It was going so well!! Next time! Next time I will do better!!"

She went home and painted the stress away in abstract art.

Malion would spend a month—

Clang!!

"Huff!! Huff!! Huff!!"

"Try again next time."

—after month—

Clang!!

"Huff!! Huff!! Huff!!"

"Next time."

—after months of trying to beat Ai and Artemis.

"Clack!! Huff!! Huff!! Grr…"

"Better. You managed to graze me." Ai said. "Well, see you again in two months."

"Is it that time already?" Artemis asked Ai.

"Yeah, it's time for our expedition with the Loki Familia."

Eventually, those months turned into a year.

"Hmm…" Cirrus looked from the side as Malion put in a good try.

"Huff!! Huff!! Dammit."

"You are getting even better," Ai said, wiping some sweat from her brow.

"Thank… you." She slowly got up with fewer injuries. "I will come next week."

They watched as Malion leaves the facility.

"She is getting close," Artemis said.

"Yeah, she is getting better at dodging my drawing strike."

By this point, it was routine for Malion would come, fight, and lose.

Not that she was weak, not at all, but having to face Ai and Artemis, whose aim was greater than her own. Then there was the fact that she can’t shoot at her back. But more primarily, the reason she kept losing is simply because she is not a close-quarters fighter. Ai, however, has more than enough experience dodging Artemis’s arrows from various distances and angles. In short, Malion was at a massive disadvantage. That was before she would polish and improve her swordsmanship against Ai.

"Soon," Malion said, walking through the garden after another loss. "More polish. Sharper. More—Thud! Hm?"

She looked at her leg to see a small, white-haired child with fox ears.

"Helro auwty!!" Callisto said, looking up at Malion, smiling.

"Ah, little Callisto." She picked her up. "It is hello, Aunty."

"H-hello Aunty!" She said it clearly.

"Very sharp. Much like your father."

"Hehe!" She smiles happily at the compliment.

"You like that, don’t you? Where is your brother? Or father?"

"Dat wy!"

"That way, Callisto."

She pointed to where her brother and father were and walked there.

"Hah! Clack!" Haku shouted, swinging a small branch.

"Keep trying," Cirrus said with his finger out.

"Hm! Thud! Thud!" He swung his little arms, hitting Cirrus’s finger.

Cirrus was smiling ear to ear as Hakushika was trying to imitate his mother.

"Dad!!" Callisto shouted.

"Hm? Oh, that’s where you went. Malion, thanks for getting her."

"Not at all." She hands her over to him. "It surprised me that she left your eyes. She usually is always attached to you."

"Hmm!!" Callisto hugs Cirrus tightly.

Cirrus hugs her back before putting her down.

"Yeah, I didn’t even think she would. Haku, do you wanna greet your—"

"Hello, Aunty Malion," Hakushika said politely while looking up at her.

Callisto walks and stands next to Hakushika.

‘Hakushika. He’s just a handful of days older than his sister, but he is smart. He is like a blueprint of what Callisto would develop. At least in intelligence. She is still a demigod.’

"Your pronunciation always impresses me, Haku. Are you playing with your father?"

"Hm! I wanna be like Mom and Dad!" He said proudly.

"Well, I am sure you will. I’ll see you next week, Cirrus."

"Hm. I will—"

Thud!

"Hic! Hic! Dad!! Baku pushed me!!" Callisto cried out on the ground.

"I did not!! And you know it's Haku!! Quiet mispronouncing words!!" Haku said, stepping away from Callisto.

Cirrus patted Haku’s head.

"I know you didn’t." Cirrus looked at his daughter. "Callisto, I know you fell on your own; don’t try to get your brother in trouble just so I can hold you. Artemis told me what you did the last time you tried this."

"Hmmm!!!" Her face turns red, and her cheeks puff up. "He pushed me!!! He pushed me!!! He pushed me!!! He pushed me!!!" she cried out, throwing a tantrum on the ground, tossing, turning, and shouting with amazing pronunciation of her words.

"See ya, Malion." Cirrus nods, ignoring Callisto.

"Hm. Later." She bows and takes her leave.

"Alright, let's try again, Haku. Ignore you, sister."

"He pushed me!!! He pushed me!!! He pushed me!!!"

"But she’s so loud." Haku looked at his sister as she thrashed around on the ground.

"She’ll tire herself out eventually," Cirrus said assuredly.

When Malion returned to the Hestia Familia home, she resumed vigorously training herself in swordsmanship.

"Huff!! Huff!! Huff!!"

"Failed again, huh?" Hestia said.

"Yes. But it is only a matter of time before I could match Ai and then beat her."

Of course, eventually, Malion’s persistence paid off. With each month, she got better than the last, and since she started, it took her three years to finally do it.

"Huff!! Huff!! Clang!!" Malion stabs her blade into the ground to hold herself up. "Dammit… A… draw."

Malion was covered in slashes and bruises, and she had a few arrows in her.

"Ugh… That is gonna leave a mark tomorrow." Ai said, wiping the sweat from her head as she had several cuts all over her body.

"I am… still impressed that you overcame the gap between levels."

"Of course," Ai said, slowly walking towards her. "I have fought with Cirrus over a thousand times. It would be weird if I couldn’t cut you."

"Yes, the sparring these two did might as well be called a raging storm." Said Artemis, high up in the training area.

"This makes the 223rd time you challenged us for a place by Cirrus’s side, and today, Malion," Ai said, holding out her hand. "You have won."

"… Eh? What do you mean? It was a draw?"

"We know, but it is up to us whether you win or lose. Besides, you just needed to get our approval, and you did more than enough to show how serious you are about this. I mean, no one has even gone for another round besides you. And you did it 223 times!"

"Well, I have faced the Black Beasts, so I am not so easy to back down. Except, of course, that one." A dark memory quickly came and left.

"But now for the hardest part. Are you ready for the date?"

"I am. As I said before, I have faced the Black Beasts. A little rejection isn’t enough to scare me. I have seen his strength and his compassion to spare the goddess of Bell Cranel simply because of Alfia’s request. He lost a friend I could see ran deeper than what I could ever hope to get. I wish to be by his side and make sure he doesn’t lose another friend like her again."

Ai looked at Artemis and they both nodded.

"Then we give you our full approval," Artemis said.

"… Uwaaah!!" Malion’s eyes widen. "Really!!" She stands up with excitement in her heart.

"Yes. You should be proud, Malion." Ai said. "So what do you plan on—"

"A Dungeon Date!" Malion said proudly. "I have long come down to that decision."

Malion took time to reach this conclusion. Any other way was too short to ensure she reciprocated her feelings. A Dungeon Date is a long process. It can take days or even weeks to end. It also allows the two of them to be close to one another.

"A good choice," Artemis said. "I’ll go and tell—"

"Lady Artemis, Ai, I have a single request," Malion said firmly. "I wish to tell him when I am ready."

Ai and Artemis looked at one another and nodded.

"That's fine. Take as much time as you need." Ai said.

"Thank you." Malion bows. "I will return in a week’s time."

"See ya then."

Malion then took her leave, walking with a pep in her step.