I left the Castle, absently scratching ice off my sword. After a few minutes, I found a bench, and sat down, carefully extricating my weapon from the icy cocoon, and then drew it, checking the edge.

I nodded, sheathing it, and started walking, randomly taking turns.

I loved getting lost in cities like this one. You always found the weirdest things... like a Tiny Noodle Shop! !

I sat down on a stool, and raised a hand at the chef. "Oi, Chief! Biggest bowl you got, eh?" I called above the clamor.

He nodded, and quickly set a large bowl of Teriyaki Udon in front of me. He then held out his hand. "1,000 Val."

I grinned and flipped him a thick coin, which he caught easily. Then I began eating, biting through the thick noodles.

As I picked up my bowl, drinking the soup, some asshole shoved past me, spilling it on my white shirt.

I set the bowl down slowly, and stood. "Not in here, boys." The old Chef grumbled, unfazed.

"Outside. ." I growled after the man.

The bastard looked back at me. "Eh? Wazzat?Can't hear you, shorty, speak up!" He grinned down at my diminutive height.

I simply grabbed his shirt, and walked out, throwing him into the wall across the alley. "I , . I don't want to smash up that nice little Noodle-Shop." I growled savagely, stripping the white button-up, and tossing it aside.

He picked up a pipe and roared, swinging at me with all his might.

I blocked with my sheathed sword, pushed him backwards to give myself room to move, and then lashed out, kicking him in the side of his skull.

He rammed into the wall of the alleyway again, cracking the stones, and I kicked the other side of his skull just as hard, to even the damage out.

He flipped upside down, and landed on his shoulders, ass end over tea kettle. I nodded and shook out my wet shirt, then sighed when I saw it was stained orange. "Just got this cleaned..." I grumbled.

The chef called out. "Oii? Want another bowl of broth? I've got extra!"

I grinned and entered the shop, sitting down. "Sure! Thanks, Chief!"

I drank the soup he gave me, and then tipped him with an extra 1,000 Val, walking out.

---

My visit to the Cleaners was painful, but fruitful. Apparently, for repeat customers, they would charge only half the cost, if I only got my clothes cleaned with them.

As I only knew of one place that cleaned clothes, I agreed easily, and paid 2,000 Val for my pearly white shirt and Black Jeans to be sparkling clean again.

Then I meandered through the streets again, looking for a bar.

I found several, but one look at my 'Dangerous Scowl', (resting bitch face,) they wouldn't let me in.

I grumbled, and wandered some more, and found a large Tavern, with no guards. I walked in, and sat at the bar, only to hum in interest when a small elf woman dressed in an almost maid-like outfit walked up to me, practically danger.

"." She said simply.

I sighed. "This is just my , Girly, leave me be unless you're taking my order, eh?"

She blinked, and another woman, similarly dressed, interrupted. "Ryu, please don't threaten customers!!! Sorry, sir, she's new here." She glared at the Elf, sighing in frustration.

"It's alright, I get it a lot. Tenth bar tonight I've been to, all except this one wouldn't even let me in the door. I look like a mean person." I shrugged.

A giant of a woman stopped in front of me, behind the bar. "I get that a lot too, HAHA! What'll you have, Sir?" She asked, setting her hands on the bar.

"What alcohols do you sell? Just Mead, or-"

"We have everything here at the Mistress of Abundance, Hence the name!!!" She laughed.

I smiled a bit. "Good... a glass of Dark Whiskey, then?"

She nodded and set a large glass down, filling it with whiskey from a promising-looking golden-brown bottle.

I nodded in appreciation of the large glass, and tipped it back. I discovered immediately that it tasted exactly like Jaegermeister.

I finished the glass in a long swallow, and grinned. "Good stuff! Another?"

She hummed and nodded, filling the glass, before going into the kitchen, yelling at someone.

I sipped on my drink, making it last. I knew my limits, and so I knew I could handle this glass, but another, and I'd be serenading the Cat-Girl Waitress with horribly composed love poems, which would be needlessly embarrassing for all involved.

I noticed that it didn't affect me as much as usual, and hummed. "I suppose my Limits have changed, now... alright, then. I'll discover my limits in the safety of my new home, I think that's best." I nodded.

Once the glass was done, I stood to go, then remembered my bill, so I looked for a waitress.

The elf from before approached. "Paying your bill, sir?" She asked.

I nodded. "How much?"

"Two glasses of Dark Whiskey... that's 2,000 a cup, so 4,000 Val, Sir." She said slowly.

I hummed. "And if I wanted two bottles of it to go home with me?"

She blinked quickly, humming. "I... don't know the answer to that... Seal!" She turned and looked for the woman from earlier.

"What're you caterwauling about, ye brat?!?" The giant woman from before stuck her head out of the kitchen.

"Oh! He wants to buy two bottles of Whiskey, I don't know how much that is!" She explained.

The woman sighed and walked into the Bar. "Okay, Ryu, I tell you this once. Each whiskey on tap at the Bar is priced at 20K a bottle, and 2K a glass. So, for two Bottles and Two Glasses, what's his bill?"

"42K?"

"Correct." The woman nodded, and set two large bottles on the counter.

I placed 4 of the 10K Val coins and two 1K on the table, then took the Bottles. "Thanks, have a nice night, eh?" I nodded, and wandered out, whistling a soft melody.

---

The next morning, I woke up slowly, expecting a headache or at least blurry vision, (well, worse than my normal near-sightedness,) but got nothing. I felt as fit as a fiddle... except that I was in the main room of the Castle, and half naked, surrounded by other sleeping people.

"What the hell?" I groaned, cracking my back.

"You had a drinking party. Loki started it, and everyone ignored her, but you walked in with Alcohol, and suddenly it became a real idea." Xavier shrugged, sitting next to me with a book in his hands, though he wasn't reading it.

"Oh... I see. Sounds like fun. What happened after that?"

"After that...? I'm really not sure. I think I set someone on fire... yep, there he is." Xavier pointed at a man covered in a thin layer of frost, but breathing normally. "Riviera was forced to ice him to put out the flames." He grinned shamelessly.

I chuckled, and stood, stretching. "Alright. Well, I feel great, actually... this God's Blessing thing really fixed my Arthritis, my Kidneys don't hurt anymore... feels like I'm 21 again, you know? With less Hangovers." I laughed.

He smirked. "Whatever, old man."

I grunted, annoyed. "I was only 18 when you were born, you shitty son!" I snapped at him, then turned away so he didn't see my face. 'Shit! I can't talk about that! Sage said not to tell him! Wait, he might never see his mother again, I tell him? Hmmmm...'

He chuckled. "Yeah yeah, I know, I don't treat my mother right. But, if you think about it, I may never see her again, which sucks... I don't really have any family left, except you."

I gulped. "Y-yeah. I know how you feel, I guess..."

"You okay? You're not gonna puke, are you? 'Cause I'm not cleaning that up." He grunted.

I cleared my throat. "No, I'm fine... it passed. I'm gonna get some fresh air, yeah?"

He waved swiftly, and I went to our room, getting clothes. I took a shower real quick to get the smell of liquor off of me, and then shaved, peering in the mirror closely.

Apparently, one of the setbacks of having Advanced Healing Abilities, my Hair and Nails grew at unacceptable rates.

I gave myself a quick haircut, and then grabbed my sword, tying it to the sash on my waist.

I hit the streets, wandering around again to clear my head.

"Maybe I should tell him... knowing who his father is doesn't exactly matter , seeing as his mother and aunt are gone... but she also made me promise I'd never tell him... she's a universe away, what's she gonna do, slap me through a few extra dimensions? Hmph..." I muttered to myself.

I continued debating the morality of telling Xavier that I was his Sperm-Donor/Father. On the one hand, it might give him a Lifeline to avoid losing hope in this new place, knowing he still has family... but on the other hand, he might hate me for lying to him all these years.

He was a logical boy, and intelligent, (although Egotistical at times,) so I'm sure that he would understand, , that his mother made me promise, and that my word was important to me, but his emotions might override that, and make him too angry to listen... it was an endless cycle of repetition.

I decided to wait, and tell him during a High-Stress situation, in order to let his emotions be directed somewhere that wasn't me, and allow us to talk about it later, calmly.

I entered the Tavern from the night before, and sat at one of the tables, instead of the bar, waiting to talk to a waitress.

The cat-girl approached, and I blinked, surprised. "Good morning, Sir, what would you like? We have Stew, Hash, and Steaks ready, and we can cook most anything else on command!"

I shook my head, clearing my sight. "Uhm... okay, can I get some of that Stew, and some Bread and Cheese? And a mug of Cider."

She nodded. "That will be right out, Sir!" She darted into the kitchen, and I saw her face as she turned, falling from her customer service smile, (which I gave her full props for holding up,) into one of worry.

I sighed. "Oh damn, I've frightened her. I hate when that happens..."

"Oi! Is that Jon?" The Wolf from the Loki Familia, and the other main First Class Adventurers, joined me at the table, pulling another over, plus it's chairs, to join me.

I hummed and looked at them. "Morning." I said simply.

The Elven Woman, Riviera, nodded serenely. "Good Morning, Sir."

I hummed. "I have a question for you, miss Riviera... do I look Old? For an Elf?"

She blinked slowly. "You are... very Wizened, I'm sure-"

"Ah. Okay... that explains why you're so respectful to me..."

She blinked again. "I apologize if I offended you."

"No, no, I was just curious. Not many people respect me, and I don't give them reasons to... But I'm only 36, Miss Riviera."

She nodded. "36 Centuries is a very commendable age to have reached for an Elf. You've earned your scars, and my respect."

The waitress arrived with my food before I made a retort. "Oh! Miss Riviera and Ais! Is... this man with you?" She asked them.

They nodded. "He's one of our newest Familia Members, along with Dorian, His Son." Riviera said simply.

I stood quickly. "Che diavolo?!? Who told you that?!? They're lying, !!!" I snapped. (What the Hell?!?)

She blinked, leaning back as the people at our table quieted for a moment, looking between us. "Oh! I apologize, I had no notion! I thought it was so obvious, given your language, hair color, eye color, and even nose... are you perhaps cousins?"

"No! All Italians have these features!" I sat down, grumbling. "I... I apologize for my reaction. That was rude of me. Please, never repeat that in front of him."

"I've been standing at the bar the whole time." Xavier plopped a mug down, taking the seat across from me. "You and I need to have a little Chat, eh old man?"

I gulped nervously. "How about a drink, eh? It's not too early for moonshine... or liquid courage."

"Alcohol won't solve problem, ." He snapped. (Long-Tooth, Old Man.)