CHAPTER 181(Press Conference)

Please read the author's notes. (Examples and explanation of moves and appearance+ Monster Sources)

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pat.treon:/Keanu_Eugene

CHAPTER START---

---2 Days after the siege...

"I still don't see why I need to be here. I'm technically not even on the list," Yang whines.

Sitting behind a long table on a stage in Babel Plaza he leans forward onto his elbows. To his left is Tsubaki beside Hephaestus who was sitting at the end of the table. To his right are Freya, Loki, and Ganesha, all with their captains at their right sides.

Under a large tent, the guild was hosting its standard post-crisis forum for scribes and reporters from far and wide to ask questions, all for the sake of hearing the masses and keeping everyone calm.

"Just quit whining," Tsubaki says from beside him. "You need the good publicity, most people either hate you for being a traitor or think you watched the monster kill adventurers and didn't help," she reminds him.

"Well..." he says quietly, neither of those thoughts were wrong per se.

"She's right," Freya says from his right side, leaning toward him and keeping her voice low, "Orario protects the world from monsters and people want to know about every big event like this. And you could use the good press, you're kind of an ass in their minds. Not that they're wrong."

"Wow," he shakes his head dramatically as the reporters begin pouring in and taking seats in front of the stage. "You're supposed to be nice to me remember?"

"Babe I'm just being honest, your reputation is atrocious, the only reason they don't have torches and pitchforks calling for you to be banished is that you're a necessary evil," Freya says.

"Necessary evil?" he quirks a brow at her word choice.

"You're strong," Ottar says, looking directly over Freya's head to see Yang. "They need you to protect them, especially since we aren't enough anymore," he finishes quietly.

"Exactly," Hephaestus leans forward to meet Yang's gaze as he turns to her. "I have people investing in my familia because we make the best monster killing gear, this kind of thing is good for business which is why I made sure you didn't run off into the dungeon and came down here like the guild asked, now stay put and play along. No running off back into the dungeon until it's over," she hisses.

"Alright fine," he relents. Seeing the gathered crowd staring at them Yang shakes his head, "but I can at least skip the party tonight right?"

"No," Hephaestus almost growls at him. "You'll be fine socializing for one night, and Freya will be there too," she says.

"I never agreed to that," Freya immediately argues, not a fan of social events herself.

"Not optional," Hephaestus says before sitting back in her chair and getting ready to answer questions.

"I didn't even do anything! This is so unfair," Freya crosses her arms and pouts like a petulant child, not wanting to cross Hephaestus considering Yang was still a member of her familia.

"Yeah," Yang sits back in his seat beside her, "Thalie gets to go making money in the dungeon and I'm stuck here."

As all the reporters finally get settled Finn stands to begin the Q&A, delivering a refresher on the mission report which the guild publish just yesterday and opening the floor to questions about the mission itself.

As question after question is asked most of them are simply general questions such as:

"Was the monster ever at risk of breaching the surface?" No.

"How much did the hunt cost?" this question was not answered, mostly to spare the guild and involved adventurers from embarrassment.

"How long did the hunt take?"

"Was the fight challenging?"

Eventually, after almost falling asleep from sheer boredom Yang sits up as a question is directed at him.

A woman in the crowd stood up and asked, "if the Trifecta is so powerful why were other adventurers initially deployed? Would it have not been enough to send Lady Hephaestus's team and save dozens of lives?"

All eyes immediately move to Yang as silence fills the tent.

"That's actually quite simple really," Yang says. "My team has a very, particular, fighting style. Because we're more used to operating on our own while the other familias are very experienced with sieges such as this we would have been a liability. Having our power become friendly fire would have cost more lives.

The simple truth is the new monsters are extremely unpredictable so moving forward the guild has already reconsidered how to handle them. The tried and true tactics of the past have been rendered useless, but I assure you I've already been consulted on how to handle them moving forward," he says with a polite smile.

"I see," the reporter says. "Thank you for clarifying."

With a measured look toward Yang, Finn asks the crowd, "who'd like to ask the next question?"

As a Dwarven man raises his hand Finn calls on him. He asks, "with so many loses in each familia that participated, aside from Hephaestus familia, will this affect the standing of your familias in any way?"

Finn doesn't even hesitate as he'd already expected this question, "every loss is felt. Nobody wants to see their friends die on the battlefield. But as adventurers, and the top familias no less, we will grow even stronger than before. We will rise to the challenge because that's what we're here to do, it's what's expected of us," he says. The crowd gives him a small cheer as the questions continue.

After another fifteen minutes the questions begin moving away from the siege as everyone is sated with the information they have and begin moving into more familia business territory. A question is finally directed at Hephaestus.

"Lady Hephaestus, might I ask why isn't Yang Shen captain of your familia. It is tradition for the strongest, most reliable member to be captain after all," a human girl asks.

"Yes that is generally how things work themselves out to be, " Hephaestus begins. "But the fact that the highest level is normally the captain is usually a matter of experience. What's most important is someone the familia can trust and depend on, in a combat familia such as Loki's or Freya's being the commander would be enough but in mine we have no need for that role. My familia is a craftsman familia first and foremost which makes Tsubaki the only logical option for the position. Yang Shen is far stronger but that doesn't matter for the Captain position in my familia.

Welf Crozzo is a viable second option, but because of his reputation in the familia he's unfit for the role. The structure of my familia allows Tsubaki to command the main focus of my familia whilst Yang takes control of a more specialized sub-division that explores the dungeon. While they are exceedingly powerful the Trifecta is still only a sub-division of my familia."

"I see," the girl says as she takes notes. "And what of the sale of Crozzo Magic Swords. The reports stated they were instrumental, as well as weapons made by Welf Crozzo. Will those be in stock at your familia shops any time soon?" she asks.

Hephaestus feels every eye in the room burning holes into her.

"No, the sale and creation of items are entirely controlled by the smith, I exert no influence over their creative or market freedom," Hephaestus says coldly.

Taking the hint the reporter politely bows and quietly sits down.

"Shouldn't the guild at least have some," a man speaks up. "What if another of those monsters shows up and your team isn't there?"

Hearing the question Yang answers in a bored tone, "the guild is welcomed to request weapons from our armory at any time, if circumstances justify it they may even get something from it, as unlikely as that is. Anything else?"

"Uh, yes actually," the man says. "Did the Trifecta attempt to combat the One-Eyed Black Dragon, or are you making any plans for that specific quest?"

A deafening silence befalls the crowd as everyone looks to Yang expectantly, only for him to give a surprising answer.

"No, and no. I don't care about that quest, if it isn't in my way it's not my problem," he says. The endgame for most adventurers and he simply didn't care about the fame, fortune, and legacy that came with it. To become a living legend.

"Ahh, I just assumed you tried because, uh," the reporter awkwardly rubs the back of his neck as he gestures to Yang's hand resting on the table.

"Oh, this?" Yang raises his metal hand, "I was running with scissors," he shrugs at the silent crowd.

Much to their surprise, Freya raises a hand to her face to hide her chuckling at his joke.

After a few more minutes of questions, it's finally time for the final questions.

"Due to the loses of this mission will your familias be open to applicants?" a reporter asks.

Starting from the far right of the table Loki is the first to speak on this matter.

"My familia hasn't changed its current policy, currently only level-three adventurers may apply, but if you're cute you're more likely to get in," she says with a manic smile.

Finn only shakes his head at his perverted goddess.

Next Ganesha speaks up," I AM GANESHA!"

As the reporters are left confused at his statement Shakti fills them in, "anyone willing to protect peace and order in Orario is welcomed into the Ganesha familia," she says.

"The application process for my familia remains unchanged," Freya says coldly.

Finally, Hephaestus answers," anyone with the Blacksmith Deleopment Ability or an equivalent may apply to join my familia, fine craftsmen are always welcomed," she says.

"And what of the Trifecta?" a reporter asks, a stocky human man.

All eyes turn to Yang.

Somewhat surprised by the question he doesn't miss a beat in answering, "don't apply. We're invite-only, and I've got like a thousand new applications I'm ignoring every week, it's annoying," he says.

"I represent the Empire Mr.Shen," the man says. Yang's bored expression doesn't change as he continues, "we'd be more than willing to contract some of our best adventurers to your team."

Immediately the entire crowd is stirred into an uproar. Just as Hephaestus said these people were also here representing their familias or nations in some capacity. The idea of getting some of their adventurers onto the Trifecta seemed far too valuable to not fight over.

Before the crowd gets out of hand Yang snaps his fingers.

A crack echoes out through the tent like a gunshot and silences the crowd, one of his personal favourite uses for Wind Magic.

Beside him Freya elbows him in the side, "warn me before you do that," she mutters.

"Sorry," he gives her an apologetic smile before turning to the crowd. "Yeah, so no amount of bribery or money is gonna work. The fact is I'm always on the lookout for people that could work as either an extension of my team or to form a second team.

Trifecta is an intentional name. We're all the best at what we do, making magic weapons, monster hunting, or even martial combat, a trio of unmatched people. Top of our respective fields, that's the minimum requirement for me to even look in your direction for recruitment. Orario has the most adventurers in the world and I've only found three I'd be willing to recruit, and none of them are even at this table," he says, shocking everyone.

After a long and awkward silence Freya breaks the tension, "does anyone have another question, or are we done here?"

With that wrapped up everyone heads back to their familia homes, aside from Freya who takes it upon herself to leave with Yang. It seems two days at her mansion away from him was her limit.

She didn't feel like wasting any time between this meeting and the party later that night...

END CHAPTER---

And the Kulve Taroth event is officially over which means the first arc of this volume is done. We've got a party then to see what Welf has been working on and back into the dungeon we go... Giving this update because I realize the team hasn't been in the dungeon for 44 chapters :/

Chapter 181/224 for anyone wondering how far in we are :)