151 Under The Spotlight

The further down into the earth that they descended, the more aghast Yolanda's expression became. Just about five minutes ago, she - alongside a few of her colleagues - had been sent to release Isaac from the solitary confinement cell that he was currently being held in. At first, she had just expected him to be imprisoned in a slightly more secure location than where she had last seen him, but this assumption couldn't have been further from the truth.

'Only the worst kinds of criminals are ever being held here…'

Originally, the cells that they had come across had still had some manner of civilized furniture, but the deeper that they went, the more the cells resembled cages used to house ravenous beasts. It wouldn't even be much of a surprise if some of the dungeon's monsters had been restrained in them at some point in time.

When they reached the seventh basement level, the doors leading to the cells stopped having the vision panels that had previously allowed those on the outside to peek into them at their leisure. The number of cells grew smaller with every floor, and the lighting became far more gloomy as well.

Finally, they arrived at the deepest reaches of the Pantheon. On the tenth basement level, there were only two cells, the right of which being the one that Isaac had been confined to for the past ten days.

Yolanda's eyes widened in shock as she realized that every single inch of this floor had been made out of adamantite - that really was about as high-security as it could possibly get. This entire journey downwards had been an eye-opener to her. Previously, she had never descended further than to the holding cells, because there had never been a need for her to do so.

"Please stand back, I'll turn off the formation."

Taking a deep breath, the nervous Rehmer took out an object from one of his pockets. Yolanda couldn't tell exactly what it was, but it looked round, a bit like a ball. After a bit of hesitation, the Chienthrope man smiled to himself and shook his head, as if dispelling the very last of his doubts, then he pushed the ball into a small groove on the wall, right next to the door. Seconds passed, then a slight vibration was transmitted through the ball and into Rehmer's fingers, letting him know that the magical formation that had been protecting this cell had successfully been disabled.

"Get ready, everyone! Spending ten days in darkness and solitude can have a heavy toll on even the most resilient minds. Mr. Blackshaw might be in an unstable state at the moment and his physical health might also have been compromised to a degree. Healers, prepare yourselves!"

"Yes, sir!"

In response to their superior's reminders, the other four Guild employees nodded their heads solemnly. One of them was a retired Level 5 adventurer who had been sent along to act as a guard just in case the about-to-be-released inmate had lost his sanity, while two were relatively competent healers who should be capable of dealing with most physical maladies. Lastly, there was Yolanda, the dungeon advisor in charge of Isaac - as a familiar face, she might possibly be able to mediate between the group and him easier, should it be necessary. But even more importantly, she had been dispatched by their deity personally for some reason, so there was no question at all that she had to come along.

Having steeled himself, Rehmer took out an adamantite key from his pocket and unlocked the cell door, pushing it inwards gently in an attempt not to startle Isaac - it never hurt to be a little more careful.

"Ugh…"

A somewhat pained, hoarse groan resounded from the darkness. Peeking into the cell from behind her co-workers, Yolanda could make out the figure of a young man leaning against the wall opposite of the door that they had just opened. But what greeted her was not the good-looking, charming man that she had known - well, not exactly, at least.

His skin had markedly paled and taken on an unhealthy tone. There were deep and dark circles underneath his eyes, speaking volumes of his many sleepless nights. The whites within his eyes were quite bloodshot, but not too much to be overly worrisome. A bit of weight had been lost, and his mind was clearly still murky, because it took him close to ten seconds to react to the pale light flooding his cell. Weakly, he raised his left arm and shielded his eyes from the invading brilliance. All in all, while he didn't look terrible - mostly due to how handsome his default appearance was - Isaac seemed quite a bit under the weather, to say the least.

"Someone… is here? But hasn't it only been… ten days?"

His slow words were filled with confusion. He had to squint his eyes and blink repeatedly to somewhat grow used to the dim light that he had been cut off from for so long.

"Please remain calm, Mr. Blackshaw. This is Rehmer Kohm speaking, we've met before. I come with great news! You're being released."

Rehmer noticed that while the young man's mind had grown somewhat sluggish, his sanity was still more than intact. With nothing to worry about, he breathed a sigh of relief and slowly stepped closer, reaching out a hand to help him up. Upon noticing the wary glint in Isaac's eyes, however, he took a few steps back and nodded at Yolanda, whose support Isaac finally accepted.

He almost fell over when he got to his feet and had to hold his head with a pained expression. Clearly, having sat around for so long, his legs had fallen asleep and this abrupt change to his center of gravity had caused him to have a headache. Thankfully, Yolanda wrapped one of his arms around her shoulder and held him upright, else he probably wouldn't have been capable of moving around efficiently anytime soon.

Some quick first aid Magics and a few gulps of water later, morsels of strength returned to his limbs. Slowly, he was led outside of his cell and up the many flights of stairs that separated him from the surface. As if he had finally truly come to, his gaze sharpened and he sent an inquisitive look in Rehmer's direction.

"May I ask why I'm being released?"

Pleased by the young man's speedy mental recovery, the Chienthrope man showed a smile and nodded, explaining the circumstances as they went.

"But of course. News of your incarceration and your deeds spread amongst the citizens of Orario. Many felt that the way that the situation was handled was unjust, so more than a million people gathered and staged a protest to ask for justice. The deities convened for an emergency assembly, and they decided to change the laws in regards to deicide. In essence, should a deity that qualifies as an enemy of Orario be slain, then the perpetrator will be pardoned and not face any punishment whatsoever. Thus, you're free to go!"

Unconcealed shock flashed past Isaac's face and he grew silent for a few moments. Eventually, though, he calmed down again and asked another question.

"Let me guess. I'm expected to meet with the masses in order to let them know that they've succeeded, right?"

Nodding as if he had already expected this inquiry, Rehmer's smile widened and turned more appreciative. This young man's wits were still especially sharp, despite having just suffered through horrendously tortuous days that would have driven most mortals insane. He honestly couldn't help but begin to genuinely respect him.

"You catch on quickly, Mr. Blackshaw. It would indeed be best if you could placate the public's worries, but Lord Ouranos has stated that it won't be a problem for you to refuse if you don't feel up for the task - whether that be mentally or physically. The Guild is currently not in a position to make any demands of you, so don't worry."

For a minute or so, Isaac seemed to be lost in deep thought, then he raised his head, his eyes flickering resolutely.

"Many thanks to Lord Ouranos for the offer, but I'm fine. Well, fine enough. I'll meet the people. Please let him know."

With gratitude written all over his face, Rehmer gave a short nod towards the accompanying Level 5, who hurried upstairs with incredible speed in order to let the higher-ups know about this immediately. To be frank, the Guild truly didn't want to face any more backlash, so Isaac agreeing to this was saving them from a lot of irritating problems.

The next five minutes passed in a flash. Finally, they had arrived on the fourth basement level, where the shouts and cheers of the protesters could be heard.

When Yolanda turned her head to glance at this charge of hers in order to check up on him, she noticed that a small smile had formed on his lips. Her heart grew warmer at this sight and she felt compelled to whisper a few words into his ear.

"They're all cheering for ya. Don't be afraid or overwhelmed, alright? I'll stay at ya side for now. Someone's gotta be ya crutch, after all."

A chuckle escaped his lips and his smile broadened. His body, which had started to grow more tense the closer that they had gotten towards the surface, slowly relaxed again.

"Thanks, then I'll rely on you for the time being."

Pride welled up in the uniform-clad Amazoness' chest. Finally, for the first time since they had met, she could actually do something significant for this adventurer of hers. Usually, whenever she was put in charge of someone, she would have many regular meetings with them, during which she would inform them of dangers that they had to watch out for, advise them on dungeon-related matters, and even work as somewhat of a therapist. However, due to Isaac's exceptional status as a member of the prestigious Loki Familia, she hadn't gotten a chance to do any of that. To have encountered an opportunity to help him felt legitimately refreshing.

Before they knew it, the young man and the Amazoness had made their way in front of the door leading outside of the Pantheon. The noises coming from beyond it had grown a little quieter, but they were still deafening. Due to security concerns, all entrances to the Guild's headquarters had been tightly locked before, but now, they got ready to open this one in order to release the unrightfully imprisoned Isaac into the city.

Pretty much every Guild employee that the enigmatic man had come to know so far was assembled, aside from Fels - the friendly skeleton couldn't really appear in public. Isaac exchanged polite words and courteous nods with all of them, Eina and Misha included, then Rehmer unsealed the front door and swung it upon.

As he was led outside by Yolanda, many thousand pairs of eyes instantly focused on him and the surroundings turned quiet enough for people's heartbeats to seem ear-shattering. There was even a familiar feeling mixed amongst all of these gazes that he - at first - couldn't place. Very quickly, however, he realized that it had to be Hermes' version of the Eyes of Hermes. All throughout the city, many small floating 'mirrors' fashioned out of Divine Energy had appeared which showed him stepping outside of the Pantheon, supported by a gorgeous Amazoness office worker.

'Not a bad idea. I should try to replicate this myself. Well, it'll have to wait until I actually have the time.'

The moment of extreme silence quickly passed. From one moment to the next, clamorous shouts and yells threatened to submerge the duo of adventurer and dungeon advisor.

"My hero!! You're finally free!"

"Praise Isaac Blackshaw!!!"

"Lord Ouranos didn't lie to us, he's really been released!"

"That's Isaac Blackshaw? Huh, he looks a bit more sickly than I imagined."

"Duh! Of course he does! Spend ten days in solitary confinement and you won't look any better yourself."

"Can I have an autograph?"

"Marry me!"

As if assaulting him with words wasn't already enough, many people charged at Isaac with a plethora of emotions glistening in their eyes. The only ones who actually caused him visible discomfort were the considerable number of women who were drooling and panting.

'How thirsty can you get?! I clearly look like a frail wreck right n--- wait, maybe they're into that?'

Before anything untoward could happen, while the tsunami of people was still around ten meters away, three figures appeared in front of Isaac, shielding him from the masses like sturdy bulwarks. They were a familiar High Elf, Pallum and Dwarf - Riveria, Finn and Gareth.

Seeing these celebrities of their own right appear and exude their pressure, the people backed off but still shot fiery gazes in Isaac's direction. Their cheers and shouts also only intensified in volume.

Furrowing her eyebrows at this, Riveria chose to ignore it and turned around, pulling out a flask of water and a handkerchief from her pockets. With practiced motions, she moistened it and thoroughly wiped Isaac's face, ridding it of the bits of grime that had accumulated there over the past ten days.

"Good, that's better. You look a little bit more presentable now. But when we get home, you will have to take a shower."

Feeling a bit sheepish at her scolding, he scratched his cheek. With a glance at Yolanda, he muttered a few words of apology.

"I hope my body odour isn't bad yet. If it is… then I'm sorry."

Hastily shaking her head, the Amazoness shot him a reassuring, pure smile.

"Not at all! I'm actually surprised by how pleasant ya smell is!"

This statement of hers only earned her the baffled and speechless looks of not only Isaac, but also Riveria. It took Yolanda a few moments, but she eventually realized how weird her words had been - if she hadn't been ordered to accompany her charge until he returned to the Twilight Manor, then she would have already tried to escape this embarrassing situation somehow.

As if to rescue her from her pit of shame, a loud voice suddenly drowned out even the overwhelming cheers and the ambient noise of the crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen! An end has finally been put to injustice, and our hero has been released. In the name of the Ganesha Familia, I thank the gracious Lord Hermes for his assistance in providing us all with clear live footage of the scene. We'd like to invite you, dear Isaac Blackshaw, to the stage, to address the people. Please make your way to the plaza in front of Babel, we will be patiently awaiting your arrival."

Because the man who had shouted these words into a microphone-shaped Magic Item was also the one who usually represented his familia during the Monster Feria, the citizens were already familiar with him. Their applause erupted even more thunderously after his message had been delivered. Almost as if they had rehearsed it in advance, everyone hastily opened a route towards the plaza, allowing Isaac and those who were accompanying him to get there relatively unobstructed.

Smirking slightly, Isaac nodded at Yolanda as well as his familia's three heavyweights and embarked on the cleared path. A few of the more unrestrained men plus women clearly still held the desire to swarm him, but three Level 7 adventurers were far more than enough of a deterrence to keep them somewhat civil and at bay.

'Seriously, that Hermes… I didn't pay too much attention to what he wrote on the signs before this, but some of these… does he plan to have me be a sex symbol of some kind?!'

As he was reading the contents of the seemingly countless signs that people were raising, Isaac's smile stiffened on more than one occasion. Although he had never let up on his surveillance of the entire city, he hadn't thought it relevant to read each and every single word on these countless signs - it would have just been a waste of mental strength. Now that he finally got to take a direct look at them, some truly were simply outrageous. The amount of people who professed their love to him via signs, or claimed to want to bear his offspring, was staggering. Worst of all was that a significant number of them truly had that weird, seductive look in their eyes that made it very clear that they were being serious…

When the five of them had made it half-way to the plaza, another group of people came running towards them - this time, however, the Loki Familia protectors didn't bother to block them.

"Isaac!"

With a smile that could bring the light of hope to even an apocalypse-stricken world, a girl whose otherworldly beauty had caused a fair few goddesses to become stricken with jealousy rushed towards her beloved and enveloped him in a hug. Relief and joy was painted all over the breathtaking facial features of the Sword Princess, her golden hair swaying ever so slightly in the gentle gusts of wind that surrounded her.

In front of the entire population of Orario - all of whom were currently watching them because of Hermes - she softly interlocked her fingers with Isaac's and planted a loving kiss on his lips. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, and so were those of her beloved, but the two didn't really pay much mind to their surroundings. The delight caused by seeing each other again after having been separated made them disregard the hurt feelings of their admirers entirely. Well, to be fair, they would have also ignored them under normal circumstances.

Shortly after Ais had arrived at his side, Isaac's students followed. Most of them just gave him a quick hug or a pat on the shoulder, but Aselina and Mina didn't let go of him until he had given them a few head pats.

Suddenly, Isaac's right eye twitched a little and he turned his head to look towards the direction which his people had just come from. Someone who he hadn't had all too much contact with in recent days, due to her trying to come to terms with her own feelings, was barrelling towards him akin to a missile. It was Tiona.

Like the others, she hugged him - but a lot more tightly, clearly happy that she didn't have to restrain herself any longer. No matter how hard she squeezed him, his body wouldn't get crushed. It was fantastic! Usually, she would have done a few more sensual things and would have let her hands wander, but today, she was being oddly… docile.

'This wasn't exactly a part of the plan. Anyway, I'm glad that she didn't go too far… hugs are fine.'

After letting go, Tiona joined the rest of the group with an innocent smile on her lips. There was a bit of sadness in her eyes, but she didn't seem to be overcome by it - it was merely a tiny trace. Raising his eyebrows a little, Isaac thought of a few possibilities, but ultimately decided to shelve thinking about them for now. At the moment, there were far more important matters to deal with. For example, the five people that he hadn't personally met yet.

In response to the inquisitive gaze that he shot in her direction, Ais introduced them to him.

"This is Phelia Nihara, the Queen of Mystldom, and these four are her guards."

With a broad and unrestrained grin, the Pirate Queen walked up to Isaac and reached out her hand for a greeting.

"Nice to finally meet you! Just call me Phelia or Pheli, alright? Want to be friends?"

Apparently a bit taken aback by the frankness of her request, Isaac froze for a moment, then a smile formed on his lips as well and he grasped her hand, giving it as firm of a shake as he could manage.

"Sure. It's nice to meet you too, Pheli."

Despite his currently feeble appearance and the relatively weak nature of his handshake, the spirited goodwill in his eyes caused the queen's evaluation of him to rise. At the moment, he might still not be on her level, but his determination appeared rock-solid, and his nature amiable. Inwardly, Phelia loudly rejoiced at her success - she had actually been quite worried that she would fail here at the very first hurdle and be met with a far more distant approach.

"Mind if I tag along? I can come back another time if you're feeling too exhausted."

Despite how casual she sounded, there was a hint of genuine worry in the queen's voice. In his current condition, this new friend of hers might very well need some rest and a good night's sleep. If her continued presence extended the period of time that it would take until he would get a chance to recover, then she'd prefer to take her leave for now.

Shaking his head, Isaac smirked, the look in his eyes a mysterious one - nobody was able to tell what exactly he was thinking.

"No need, just come with us. I'm going to be as good as new soon enough. Anyway, we should probably continue onwards, else some people might start to get violent."

Isaac's reminder woke the rest of the group from their reunion-induced daze. They had been standing here for a few minutes already, and the crowd was getting even more noisy. Raucous complaints for them to move on already had been shouted a few times, and it would surely only get worse if they made them wait for too long. Everyone could spare some sympathy for this freshly released hero and his loved ones plus friends, but it had a limit. At some point, people's selfish desires would take over and make them urge others on, in an effort to avoid having any more of their own time wasted.

"Excuse me, but can you leave him to me?"

Smiling gently, Ais poked Yolanda's shoulder and finally freed the Amazoness from her, by now, quite flustering fate. While her charge had been getting kissed and embraced, she had still been acting as a support pillar for him. It had felt incredibly awkward to almost be included in a group hug, and to be in such close contact with people that she didn't really know. Now that the Sword Princess had swooped in like a saviour who would allow her to blend into the background until she had fulfilled her duty, she happily switched places with Ais. Honestly, she even felt a bit ashamed for not having brought up this transfer of responsibility herself - it had kind of made it seem like she had wanted to hog Isaac for herself, had it not? But, in all honesty, she had never even thought of that.

After this minor matter was settled, Isaac and his entourage hastily made their way towards the plaza in front of Babel. They didn't move all too quickly, because they still had to keep his weakened state in mind, but it nonetheless didn't take them all too long to arrive there.