[Denatus]
The divine assembly hall, ant for discussing important matters, had devolved into a noisy marketplace as gods argued with their neighbors.
The cause? Hestia, the Hearth Goddess, had yet to arrive at this full gathering of deities.
The assembled gods fell into four distinct groups: those annoyed by Hestia's lateness, those who condemned Apollo's underhanded tactics, those who rely sought entertainnt, and — remarkably — so high Gods who actually admired Apollo's despicable thods.
Apollo, the Sun God and central figure of this incident, sat comfortably in the negotiating party's chair at the assembly hall's center. His eyes were closed, a slight smirk playing across his face as if everything were proceeding according to plan.
His smug expression imdiately provoked those gods who despised him.
"That scoundrel...!"
"Indeed! First coercion, and now these tricks right before the deadline!"
"That bastard, I can't believe he would stoop so low!"
Hephaestus, Miach, and Takemikazuchi — deities who maintained close friendships with Hestia — were disgusted by his villainous behavior. They stood up for their friend, unlike the other deities who simply wished to see Hestia humiliated.
Since arriving from the lower world, Hestia had been looked down upon by other deities and treated as a laughingstock. Whether being forced to work by friends who could no longer tolerate her, or failing to recruit any Familia mbers (children), she had been typecast as a fool from the beginning.
Yet two high gods — Loki and Freya — saw things differently. These prominent figures of Orario felt no concern for her safety. They knew that with that person around, harming her would be impossible.
Still, neither could speak up at this mont, so they allowed the Sun God his brief mont of pride.
Both wore contemptuous smiles.
Apollo scanned the impatient faces of the high Gods seated in the venue. He couldn't help but smile, though he quickly suppressed it.
Speaking to Hers, who stood before him at the center of the negotiating table, he said, "Hey, Hers, Hestia still hasn't shown up — could she be scared?"
"Well, that's hard to say..." Hers adjusted his traveler's hat.
His response was deliberately ambiguous, calculated to offend no one by neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
Apollo, of course, noticed this.
"Tch, you really are an impartial fellow." He muttered, displeased with Hers' neutral stance. After a mont's thought, he raised his voice, "What if — just what if! — Hestia never shows up? Are we supposed to keep wasting ti waiting for her?"
Though he appeared to consider everyone's interests, this was rely his opening move to sway the other high Gods to his side.
Apollo was playing the villain perfectly.
"That's right, that's right!"
"When is Hestia going to show up?!"
"Are we supposed to keep waiting forever?!"
Though the high Gods had ti to spare, they had no desire to wait indefinitely. They quickly echoed Apollo's manipulative rhetoric.
"Uh... what should we do?" Hers tried to laugh it off, attempting to buy more ti.
But Apollo wouldn't let this opportunity slip away.
Rising to his feet with raised hands, he called out to the surrounding high Gods, "How about this! Ten minutes — let's wait just ten more minutes! If Hestia still doesn't appear, that ans she's surrendering without a fight. How about that?"
"That makes sense."
"Eh?"
"Indeed! Hestia already agreed at the previous banquet, if she doesn't show up..."
"Hey! You know Apollo is deliberately playing tricks!"
"But what does that have to do with us?"
"Uh... right, it's not our problem, nevermind then."
The high Gods who had initially defended Hestia now changed sides under peer pressure. Though they sympathized with her situation, they viewed this as the consequence of her recklessly accepting Apollo's provocation.
All of this should be her own responsibility to bear.
However, most deities disagreed — they had co for entertainnt. If there was no fun to be had, they wouldn't let it end.
"Hmph, looks like my victory." Apollo smiled with satisfaction.
Everything was going exactly according to his plan!
Ten minutes! There was no way Hestia could make it here!
The entire Apollo Familia had intercepted them — could a re Level 2 really break through while carrying Hestia, who couldn't use her divine powers, as dead weight? It seed impossible.
Even a Level 5 First Class Adventurer would struggle, let alone Bell, who had just reached Level 2.
"Oh dear, oh dear..." Hers adjusted his traveler's hat again, hiding his face from the others.
Despite his neutral position, he could not show any favoritism.
The other high Gods who were close to Hestia could only grit their teeth as they watched the villainous Apollo have his way, powerless to intervene.
This was a ga concerning the life and death of Familias — other Gods could not interfere. Such was the rule they had established.
3 minutes...
5 minutes...
10 minutes...
Hestia still hadn't appeared.
"Heh heh heh... hahaha... AHAHAHAHA!!!" Apollo abandoned all pretense, laughing maniacally.
Everything was exactly as he'd planned!
The deities seated around all sighed. Hestia's absence had left them deeply disappointed.
"Hers, you should declare the outco now." Apollo, carrying the will of the Gods, pressured the "eternally neutral" Hers.
"Haah—" Hers sighed dejectedly; even though he had sent help, it had made no difference.
Really now, what are you doing, Hestia?
But now, he had no choice but to make his ruling.
"Now! Since Hestia has failed to appear, according to the War Ga rules, I declare her def—"
"Wait just a minute—!"
With perfect dramatic timing, Hestia burst into the room!
The Gods' gazes converged like spotlights on the petite Goddess, and seeing her blackened face and tattered clothes, they imdiately understood what she had endured.
'Must be Apollo!'
The high Gods who reached this conclusion shifted their gaze toward the Sun God at the negotiating table.
They found him staring at Hestia in disbelief, his face contorted with shock at the sight of the Goddess who shouldn't have been able to appear.
"Hestia—!" He growled out her na.
Yet he maintained enough composure not to demand how she had managed to arrive.
For if he spoke up, it would confirm his earlier underhanded tactics and place him in a precarious position.
Though the other deities knew he was behind it, without concrete evidence and as long as he kept quiet, Apollo's position was secure.
Composing himself, he smoothed his expression.
With feigned sympathy, he asked the injured Hestia, "Oh my poor Hestia, you're hurt — whatever happened?"
"As if you don't know! Drop the act, Apollo!"
Though Adam had warned her to stay calm, how could she contain her anger when her beloved Bell had nearly been gravely injured?
"What are you talking about? I don't understand." Apollo feigned innocence before turning to Hers, who was presiding, "Now that Hestia has arrived, shouldn't we continue with the proceedings?"
"Oh, now you're not in such a rush to determine the outco."
Hers gave a derisive laugh but didn't press Apollo further about his sches, simply gesturing for Hestia to take a seat.
"Well then, shall we begin?"
"No, wait! Before that, I have sothing to report." After sitting down, Hestia announced to the assembled deities, "My Familia mber, Adam Carter, reached Level 2 yesterday!"
"Ohh?!"
"What did she say? Level 2?!"
"Another one?!"
"No way!"
The Gods were stunned.
Having one adventurer like Bell was remarkable enough — now another had appeared?
Loki had anticipated this. Given that Adam had joined their expedition and reached the 59th Floor, it would have been strange if he hadn't ranked up.
Still, the thought of two prodigies in Hestia's Familia made her blood boil. Though she feigned disdain, she was consud with envy.
So jealous it hurt!
"Impossible! How could there be another one in such a short ti?" Apollo slamd the table as he stood up, "Hey Hestia, trying these tricks now won't help you!"
"Not everyone is like you, Apollo." Hestia waved him off, "It doesn't matter if you believe it or not — that child has definitely reached Level 2, and you can verify this with the Guild."
"What?!" Apollo had no choice but to accept it.
After all, Ouranos maintained absolute neutrality and showed no favoritism to any God. If Hestia made this claim, it had to be true.
"But so what if there's another Level 2?! My Familia won't lose!"
"My, such confidence is quite sothing."
"Tch! Hestia, that attitude of yours... Why even bring this up now?"
"No particular reason—I just wanted everyone to know. I'm being transparent about my Familia mbers' capabilities."
Apollo waved his hand impatiently, "Yes, yes, I get it."
A deity called out loudly, "Hestia, since your child has reached Level 2, why don't we give them an alias?"
"That's right, that's right!"
"I second that."
"I also agree."
The Gods were quite enthusiastic about this sort of thing.
Plus, giving aliases was a chance for them to play their pranks. Last ti they had chosen "Little Rookie" — this ti they would definitely give them a "nice" alias.
"Wait, I object! With the War Ga approaching, naming an alias should wait!"
The one raising the objection wasn't Hestia, but the Sun God Apollo!
Though uninvolved, the Gods couldn't understand why he was interfering. His next words revealed his true motives.
"Hestia, I demand a change to the ga's stakes! If I win, I want not just Bell Cranel, but Adam Carter as well!"
"What?!"
This ti it wasn't just Hestia — the other deities also grasped the situation.
So that's why he opposed giving an alias — he wanted to claim Hestia's other child too! How despicable!
The Gods were about to denounce him when Freya spoke up, "Isn't this actually good?"
"Eh? What do you an?"
"Look, we know nothing about that child, so even if we gave them an alias now it might not fit. But by seeing their performance in this battle, won't we be able to give them a more fitting one?"
As one of Orario's top powers, Freya's suggestion carried significant weight with all the deities. This influence ca not only from her Familia's strength, but also from the advantages her beauty brought.
And she wasn't alone — another top power joined in.
Loki, never one to mince words, jumped up with a jest, "I agree! If shorty loses, who knows what alias they'll end up with — maybe sothing like 'Helios Hyperion'?"
{T/N: The alias references Hyakinthos and his alias 'Phoebus Apollo' - two nas for the sa Sun God. This other choice might have been a joke, since Helios refers to the ancient Sun God, but I'm not sure if he exists in Danmachi or if it's another na for Apollo.}
She appeared to be siding with Apollo.
In truth, however, knowing Adam's strength, she was deliberately securing advantages for them. It was repaynt for saving the entire expedition party on the 59th Floor.
Though she and Hestia didn't get along, debts still needed to be repaid.
"Hmm... indeed."
"That makes sense."
"I agree."
"I agree too."
While the two powerhouses seed to be backing Apollo, leaving Hestia in a pitiful position, the other deities remained silent under the pressure, choosing to play it safe.
"Well then, shall we officially begin?"
Hers had been smiling ever since Hestia appeared, as if everything was proceeding exactly as he had expected.
"First, let's confirm the stakes of the ga: If the Apollo Familia is victorious, Apollo demands that Hestia hand over her Familia mbers — both Bell Cranel and Adam Carter. If the Hestia Familia is victorious, Hestia demands everything from the Apollo Familia, including all Familia mbers and assets. Do both parties acknowledge these terms?"
"I acknowledge."
"I also acknowledge."
Hestia and Apollo agreed before all the assembled deities.
"Now then, for the exciting mont! Let's draw to determine which type of War Ga you'll be holding!"
And after so ti...
"Of all things, a siege battle...?"
"Hestia has such terrible luck."
"Though I'm surprised Apollo allowed her to get help."
"What difference will it make? One person — and they can't even be from an Orario Familia."
"He's so stingy."
"Truly."
"Well, it's Apollo — being miserly is his nature."
"Co now, don't be so gloomy! There's still sothing worth watching! If Hestia's side launches a surprise attack as the offensive force, they might have a chance!"
"Hah, two versus a hundred? Impossible."
"Indeed."
"The numbers are simply too overwhelming."
"Ah, this is dull. I'm leaving."
From the mont Hers drew "Siege Battle" from the box, the deities took a pessimistic view of Hestia's chances. They unanimously believed her defeat was inevitable, and interest in the contest quickly faded.
Yet even so, the promise of entertainnt in their mundane lives kept the gods eagerly anticipating the outco.
The ti was set for three days later!
The ga that would determine both sides' fate was about to begin!
✧✧✧
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