Chapter 123 – Pallum girl

Apart from all the elven members of the Familia advancing to Level 2, Hestia also managed to fulfill the task Aston had entrusted her with, albeit not perfectly. Despite utilizing the hair obtained from Aston, Hestia was only able to recruit 15 elves, falling short of the target of 21.

However, considering the scarcity of unaffiliated elves in Orario and the constant recruitment of elves from the outside world by other Familias, securing these fifteen was an achievement. They were the elves that had not been noticed by other Familias in the past few days. There were plenty of newcomers from other races, even in the hundreds, but clearly, Aston was only interested in elves.

For Aston, elves were the optimal choice, given his current situation where his standing among the elves was unquestionably higher than even Riveria, the 29th princess of the royal family. This was evident from the behavior of Hogni and Hedin, the black and white elves, whose treatment of Aston was far more respectful than their treatment of Riveria.

To elves, Aston was the utmost priority, offering absolute loyalty even without the need for a Falna. While Aston could manage members of other races given his immense strength, the level of loyalty and simplicity in managing elves was incomparable. Hence, Aston would not opt for members of other races unless absolutely necessary.

Under the admiring gazes of the fifteen new elven adventurers, Aston signed them up with the Falna, incorporating them into the Hestia Familia.

The next morning, Aston left the Hestia Familia early to forge the necklace in the forge. Although it was also a Level 1 weapon, forging necklaces was much simpler for Aston. By noon, he had completed two necklaces, enchanting them with Riveria's defensive magic.

"Even after seeing it several times, I still find it incredibly unbelievable," Riveria remarked as she activated the Shilheim necklace. Observing the all-encompassing protective shield in front of her, she was filled with immense amazement and awe.

"My products are always of premium quality," Aston, who was standing behind Riveria, said as he embraced her from behind and kissed her face. Riveria, having been single for over a hundred years, did not exhibit the shyness of a young girl. Once she had made up her mind about Aston, she accepted these gestures without any resistance, quite comfortably.

Aston too had become more proactive compared to before, after officially ending his single status. Furthermore, considering Hestia's attitude when Riveria suddenly proposed to become partners, Aston did not hesitate much and agreed right away. It seemed neither the Tione and Tiona sisters nor Hestia minded this arrangement.

However, unlike the Amazoness boldness of Tione and Tiona, Riveria, even if not so reserved, would not rush things.

"By the way, the War Game is tomorrow. Are you going to take part in it?" Riveria, holding Aston's hand on her stomach and leaning on him, asked calmly.

"Well, let Eina and the others handle it. Not just me, but others in our Familia are also capable of holding their own," Aston explained gently. "Lyd, Gros, Ray, and others are more than capable of defeating Apollo Familia on their own. This War Game can be a good training exercise for Hestia Familia, a kind of real combat training."

"Is that so," Riveria nodded slightly and then shifted the conversation to share each other's past experiences.

Meanwhile, in Orario, the news about the War Game had been circulating since two days ago. After two days of spreading, everyone in Orario was now aware of the upcoming War Game between Hestia Familia and Apollo Familia.

The whole city of Orario was buzzing with activity and liveliness. A large number of merchants and adventurers from outside had poured into Orario upon hearing the news of the War Game. It was an event not to be missed, and those who could make it to the city had already arrived. Orario seemed almost bursting at the seams, with streets bustling with people, all discussing the upcoming War Game. Even taverns were packed to the brim.

Some adventurers had even taken the day off, resting up to fully enjoy the spectacle the next day. Orario was witnessing an unprecedentedly grand event. The influx of people from outside had the local vendors overjoyed.

Walking through the noisy streets and feeling the fervent atmosphere, Aston couldn't help but smile. After spending over an hour conversing and spending time with Riveria, the two parted ways—Riveria returning to the Twilight Manor and Aston heading towards the Tower of Babel.

Despite the hustle and bustle of Orario, the members of the Hestia Familia didn't slow down their pace. Eina and the others, who had joined the Familia a step ahead, had taken the new members into the Dungeon for an adventure that day.

Aston planned to follow them and observe. After all, it was the new members' first adventure, and as the head of their Familia, he felt the need to be present. However, on his way to the Tower of Babel, his attention was drawn to a scene.

It was a scene of a small-statured Pallum carrying a huge backpack. "Liliruca Arde, huh?" Aston murmured to himself as he watched the young girl, then fell silent.

"She also seems quite pitiful. Should I extend a helping hand?" Aston pondered while looking at Lili. Just as this thought crossed his mind, a prompt from the system rang out.

"Ding! Quest triggered."

"Quest Name: Rescue the Pallum girl on the brink of despair!"

"Quest Description: The host has encountered a Pallum girl on the verge of despair. Please extend your hand to help and rescue her from the abyss.

"Quest Reward: +1 to the protagonist's luck."

***

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