57 Chapter 57 - Apollo's Banquet 01.
Chapter Size: 2716 Words.]
Third Person POV
Orario, Apollo's Mansion.
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After exchanging greetings, we began to enter the mansion together at that moment. Hestia had also invited Takemikazuchi, but since he had already arrived, we didn't need to wait. As we entered the festive hall, Lucius was the first to notice the splendor of the decoration that adorned every corner of the luxurious space.
The atmosphere was infused with energy, with gods and goddesses engaged in lively conversations and laughter, exchanging stories and greetings. Members of divine families interacted, their smiles and gestures filling the place. However, our small group slid almost unnoticed among the illustrious guests.
Lucius and his fellow adventurers found themselves in a more bustling environment than depicted in the original anime, a profusion of colors and voices filling the air. The presence of two members with each god resulted in an eclectic crowd of adventurers from all corners of Orario. The buzz of the crowd was accompanied by the clinking of glasses and contagious laughter.
The elaborate decoration, filled with luxurious details, provided a dazzling sight. Bright chandeliers hung from the ceiling, casting a soft light over the attendees, while floral arrangements adorned the tables with elegance. The mix of vibrant colors and the subtle glow of candles created a magical and festive atmosphere.
Entering Apollo's party was not only visually impressive but also immersive, with fragrances of exquisite food dancing in the air. The initial impressions were of a grand celebration where every detail contributed to the magnificence of the occasion.
As we delved into the party hall, an elegant stage revealed itself in front of us. On it, a group of skilled bards produced an enchanting melody that served as a soothing background. The music, though not overly lively, had a captivating cadence, filling the environment with a charming atmosphere that set the stage for the upcoming festivities.
The soft light from the stage highlighted the presence of the musicians, creating dancing shadows on the walls. The absence of dancers, for now, did not diminish the quality of the performance, as the melodious notes filled the hall, enveloping everyone present in an aura of elegance.
While absorbing the musical atmosphere, our gaze was drawn to a peculiar golden-haired god. His enthusiasm was evident, and he quickly stood out from the crowd upon noticing our group. His eyes sparkled with recognition and joy as he approached, breaking through the party's commotion.
"OHHH! Hestia and Miach. Bell-kun, Lucius-kun, and Naaza-chan too!" The god's voice, brimming with enthusiasm, echoed through the hall. His expansive gesture and warm smile indicated a genuinely warm welcome. The curious looks of other guests turned towards us, creating a brief pause in the gradually fading music.
The expressions of our group varied. Bell, with his more reserved nature, displayed a polite smile. Naaza, on the other hand, maintained an elegant posture, but her eyes revealed a touch of pleasant surprise.
Ah? Scandalous as always, Hermes... I'm surprised Takemikazuchi is with you too... - Hestia grumbled, her expression revealing a mix of displeasure and surprise.
We're not together because I want to be... - Takemikazuchi muttered beside her, his stern expression indicating a certain discomfort with the situation.
Don't be like that, Takemikazuchi! - Hermes hugged him from the side, smiling as he continued to speak. We work together to protect Bell and the others, remember?
Not very enthusiastic about Hermes' gesture, Takemikazuchi grumbled, asking to be let go. Hermes, however, ignored the complaints, maintaining the hug with a relaxed smile.
Yes, and that resulted in two giant Goliaths! - Hestia couldn't help but mention with regret. Although she didn't show remorse, the memory of the imposing monsters still weighed on her mind. The decision to confront them, however, was something she would do again if necessary.
But everything was resolved, thanks to Bell-kun and Lucius-kun here! - Hermes let go of Takemikazuchi and stepped forward to the mentioned ones. His expression was one of genuine joy and admiration.
Hmm... You guys aren't bad for heroes! - Hermes said, laughing casually. Bell, embarrassed, lowered his gaze, while Lucius, with his usual calmness, observed Hermes without revealing much emotion. He was aware of Hermes' peculiar personality, knowing that anything could be expected from the messenger god, especially when it came to promoting new heroes or elevating their names.
'I'm afraid of what this guy might try when we're already gaining notoriety...' Lucius whispered to himself, his eyes scanning the various guests who were now watching them, especially because Hermes had the habit of speaking loudly.
"Mikoto and Naaza look beautiful, but look here!" Hermes announced in a theatrical pose, pointing to one side of the hall. "My Alfi is great too, isn't she?" He said, displaying his commander next to another family member. A wave of embarrassment took over her in the face of sudden attention.
"Stop it, Hermes-Sama! Or I'll really hit you!" Alfi protested, stuttering with shyness in the face of the new attention she was receiving. Hermes approached her and whispered something in her ear, prompting a well-applied elbow that sent her flying to the other side of the party, eliciting laughter from some guests.
'For now, everything as in the anime, now Apollo should appear...' Lucius thought, and his guess proved correct when a new voice echoed through the party hall.
"People, thank you for coming!" Apollo appeared at the highest part of the hall, accompanied by three other members who stood in the background. However, Lucius, with his ability to detect life, sensed the presence of a few more hidden in strategic points of the hall.
'There are three he's showing now, but there are also nine hidden, or was this security already present in the original, or did something make him increase his security at this moment?' Lucius couldn't help but mockingly question.
"Is this the God Apollo?" Bell asked, his gaze fixed on the god.
"Yes, it seems so," Mikoto replied.
"Today, I decided to have a banquet a little different from the usual!" Apollo announced, his voice echoing through the hall.
"Are you enjoying it? Dressing up your beloved children and bringing them to a banquet like this isn't a big change, is it?" Apollo asked calmly.
"YES, APOLLO!!" The gods and members of the families present responded with enthusiasm.
"Brilliant!"
"I'M LOVING IT."
The gods and guests expressed approval with cheers and nods.
"I'm glad to see many Tenkai fellows with their children. Today will be a night of many meetings and connections..." Apollo declared, turning his head in our group's direction.
"...I feel it." He had bright eyes as he fixed his gaze on Bell and Lucius. Apollo's penetrating gaze made it clear that something deeper was happening, creating a palpable tension in the air.
"Great, this guy is a pervert and looking at me strangely. Can I launch a fireball at him if he bothers me?" Lucius murmured to his family members, and Miach and Naaza, hearing this, were stunned on the side.
"Alright, the night is long, I wish everyone a good banquet!" He concluded the speech, looking at everyone.
After that, Apollo descended from his platform to mingle with his guests.
While Hermes was talking about how Apollo could be vengeful, Bell and the other members were talking to Takemikazuchi and Miach, and Hestia was devouring the banquet quite extravagantly.
Meanwhile, a new commotion broke out in a corner of the hall, drawing everyone's attention. Freya entered with Ottar and Heith.
Ottar was a character Lucius already knew, but he didn't know who the red-haired girl on the other side of Freya was.
Everyone at the party had stopped to witness the glory of the strongest family in Orario.
"The Freya family!" Many shouted, looking mainly at Freya with desire.
Suddenly, Freya turned her way as in the original and went straight to where Bell and the others were.
"Hestia, Takemikazuchi, Miach, and Hermes, good to see you again..." She said with a seductive tone, making the three men blush as they were scolded by their daughters at the same time.
Freya looked at Bell and approached him, commenting that she would have sweet dreams with him, which made Hestia jump on him. Lucius was in a corner, uninvolved, while sipping whiskey on the rocks. He wasn't interested in joining them now, just enjoying the show.
However, Freya suddenly turned to him, making his hair stand on end, wondering why this sudden attention. He knew Freya had glanced at him a few days ago, but this wasn't something he was expecting.
"Hm?!... If it isn't Hestia's new son..." She said, approaching while putting a hand under her chin as she did with Bell.
But something unexpected happened before Hestia could jump on Lucius too, to prevent him from being enchanted by the goddess of love. This was exactly what Freya was doing at that moment, as Lucius was not a character who feared the Gods. This was noticed by the goddess in front of him, making her eyes sparkle with a dangerous tone.
But suddenly, a hand grabbed the hand under her chin, making Ottar stiffen behind Freya, and that red-haired girl stared with intense eyes as if ready to kill the owner of that bold hand at any moment. For her, touching her goddess was an unforgivable act.
The hand, of course, belonged to Lucius himself, who politely removed the fingers from the goddess on his chin and looked directly into the eyes that were trying to enchant him.
"I'm not interested..." He simply said, turning and walking away, completely ignoring Freya, who stood still, observing Lucius.
A silence formed seconds later, and no one understood what was happening. Even Hestia, who was ready to jump and cover Lucius's eyes, fell stunned to the ground.
"Hey hey, did he really reject Freya?" A god commented in the crowd.
"Yes, he really did, I've never seen someone do that before!" Said another.
"How can he resist Freya-Sama, I'm having a hard time not thinking about her now!" A child from some family said.
"How can someone be so rude and dismiss the most beautiful goddess!" Said another.
"Can he resist her charm? That's quite interesting..." Hermes couldn't help but comment with a calculating look.
"Freya-Sama?" Ottar asked a little concerned inside, but his voice came out neutral.
"Hehe. He's much more interesting than I imagined..." She commented as she began to walk again without looking at Lucius anymore.
"Come on, I don't think Hestia would like me here, close to her children." Freya said with a calm smile.
"Freya-Sama, I can't let this humiliation pass!" Heith growled beside her, not liking at all how things had happened now. She already hated that human who dared to refuse Freya in public.
"Don't do anything; this actually made me even happier and more interested." Freya said with a calm smile.
As they walked away, Lucius rejoined his acquaintances.
"That was quite brave, interesting, and bold..." Hermes commented beside him.
..." Lucius just looked at him, receiving a smile from the same god.
Deep down, Lucius breathed a sigh of relief. He had his doubts about whether he could handle Freya's charm as he did with Ishtar. In the end, the result was quite positive for him.
"You managed to resist her charm, but be careful!" Hestia warned seriously, not liking how Freya approached her children.
"It's alright." Lucius calmly spoke.
"There you are, chibi." A new voice reached the group's ears before anyone else could say anything.
The group turned to find Loki with Aiz on one side in her original dress and Riveria on the other side in a dress.
Their green eyes met his for a brief moment, sending a spark of recognition and perhaps something more. The green dress seemed tailor-made, gracefully highlighting every curve, and Riveria's refined features shone amid the party lights. Riveria's elegance did not go unnoticed, and Lucius couldn't help but think how stunning she looked at that moment.
Bell looked surprised at Aiz while Hestia took a step forward.
"When did you get here?!" She shouted and continued, "You're so bland I didn't even see you coming!" Hestia mocked.
"Shut up, idiot! If you want to know the problem, it's with that Freya bitch, stealing all the spotlight when she entered, from me, my precious Aiz, and Mom!" Loki shouted again.
As the two goddesses began their usual argument, Aiz nudged her goddess, asking her to introduce Bell. Meanwhile, Lucius approached Riviera when almost no one noticed because everyone's attention was on the heated discussion between Hestia and Loki. This dispute seemed to be great entertainment even for the gods present. Lucius took advantage of the moment of distraction to initiate a more private conversation with Riviera, who now seemed more approachable than ever.
"Hello, Miss Riviera, I must say you look stunning," Lucius said without a touch of shame in his voice.
"T-Thank you, you don't look bad either." Of course, Riviera wasn't used to this kind of attention, and knowing Lucius, she already expected something like this. So, he made her stutter in her first words, and her blush became even stronger.
"Anyway, how are your studies?" Suddenly, his voice became serious without any hint of shame.
'So, she changed the subject quickly and turned into strict and ruthless teacher mode...' Lucius lamented, already realizing that he had lost his chances with some flirts now.
"I'm reading, I've already read 8 of them," Lucius said with a certain pride, which left Riviera with a surprised look.
"You've read more than half? That's good, but let me test your knowledge. Did you read them in the order I assigned?" She said with a stern voice, not sounding like we were still at a banquet.
"Yes, you can ask your questions, teacher..." Lucius said with a smile.
"Introduction to ancient elven magic and its fundamentals, volume I, who wrote it?" She asked.
"Cirulius Karpthon, an Elf who lived secluded in the Royal Forest of Alf his entire life. He wrote his theory over 600 years ago," Lucius said.
"Give me a summary of his theory," she said.
While Lucius commented on what he had read, Loki was staring at Bell at that moment.
"He's one of your toys I saw the other day, chibi. He's so bland; the other one is more interesting, but he's dangerous. I can't let him near Mom! By the way, wasn't he here? Huh, not even Riviera is reprimanding me now, which should be normal in my mischief... where is she?"
"..."
"..."
"..."
Loki realizing that Lucius was not present with Riviera, all her internal fears erupted.
"MOM!!" She quickly shouted, looking for the emerald-haired elf.
"He was a half-elf who studied magic with the phallic potential of the gods..." While Riviera listened to Lucius talk admirably about his second recommended book, they both stopped when they heard Loki's scream.
"Don't get close to Mom!!!" Loki shouted when she saw the two and advanced as much as her legs allowed.
She quickly reached them and made them move away from each other.
"Don't get close to him, Mom, he will corrupt you!!!" Loki cried with a tearful face.
"No one will corrupt me, Loki-Sama. Please, you're making a scene here, contain yourself!" Riviera scolded her severely.
"Give me a hug, Mom, your goddess is vulnerable!" She shouted as she jumped at Riviera, but the elf just dodged the hug, making Loki fall to the ground with her face cushioning the fall.
"BOO-HOO! My daughter doesn't love me anymore; she traded me and was corrupted by a magician from the Chibi family!" Loki began to cry, making everyone feel secondhand embarrassment, especially Riviera, who was red at that moment.
"Do you need some time to deal with her?" Lucius asked a embarrassed Riviera next to him.
"I believe so... Sorry." Riviera mumbled.
"It's okay; I can understand." Lucius spoke calmly in the midst of this mess.
While Riviera began to drag Loki on the ground even as she moved away, Aiz followed without expression.
I looked at my acquaintances while they were quite stunned by all that.
"Wait! Are you and that Loki-damned magician having an affair or something?" Hestia asked suspiciously.
"Why does everyone think that? Of course not, I mean, not yet..." Lucius grumbled.
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