Familia Myth: Journey to Hero Chapter 36 (Patreon)

Hey friends and fans, Kairomaru is bringing you another chapter of Familia Myth: Journey to Hero! Time for Apollo Familia’s Banquet of the Gods! Hestia has asked her friends to come along in a show of support! Will Apollo still cause problems? Is he overestimating his Familia or just completely underestimating Hestia Familia? Things have changed already, so how will the plot of the Passionate God play out?

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So, without further delay, please enjoy.

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Chapter 36 – Banquet of the Gods, Plot Revealed

Many carriages arrived and departed before a large mansion owned by the Guild. A place that could be rented out to accommodate anything from meetings, to celebrations, or even a Banquet of the Gods, like tonight.

Apollo was the host of this particular Banquet and many Deities came to see what the lustful Sun God would show them all this time around. It was always a good bit of entertainment to see what had caught the passionate God’s eye at the current time. Sometimes it even led to the most entertaining event in all of Orario!

“Hm…” Bell looked over the black tuxedo that he was wearing, moving around in it and feeling a bit out of place. “It fits, but I’m really not used to formal attire.” Having grown up in a rural farming village, such nice clothing was never seen there. After coming to Orario, he’d still never needed to have any such formal wear of his own until tonight. He turned and held out his hand as he helped Hestia step down from the carriage with a soft smile.

“You look so handsome, Bell.” Hestia said with a gorgeous smile as she looked him over again.

She wore a navy blue dress with silver designs reminiscent of flames along the sides. Around her waist was a wide, black velvet belt with golden thread embroidery to emphasize her curves. The top of the dress was strapless, leaving Hestia’s shoulders bare and giving an amazing view of her ample cleavage. Her back was left exposed as well, the navy blue cloth coming around her sides to meet at her lower back. Her silky, raven locks flowed down her back freely tonight, looking different from her usual twin tails, but no less beautiful. Her hair ties with the little bells on them that Bell had bought for her were instead around her wrists, over her evening gloves, acting as accents to her dress. Around her neck was a black cloth choker with a small silver charm on it. On her feet were matching heels to complete the outfit.

“Thank you, Hestia.” Bell appreciated the compliment. “But you’re gorgeous tonight.” He returned the compliment, having already told her so when he’d first seen her in the dress while they’d been at home.

Hestia nearly swooned again. She was so happy that Bell liked the dress so much. Sure, she’d been with him when she picked it out, but still…a woman loved to know that her lover found her beautiful.

Not to mention the fact that they’d both been resisting the urge to get a little frisky on the carriage ride over. Hestia, more often than not, went braless and tonight was no exception. Her girls bounced slightly with her steps and especially with the light bouncing of the carriage. Bell had wanted to hook a finger into the front of Hestia’s dress and pull it down to free her tits the whole ride. Hestia had barely restrained herself from outright encouraging Bell to do it too. But rational thinking won out and the two were satisfied to hold each other close and share soft kisses while they traveled to the Banquet of the Gods.

“You have my gratitude, Hestia.” Miach spoke as he and Naaza walked over from the carriage they’d arrived in. “These clothes and the carriage ride, you’ve truly taken care of everything for us.”

Indeed, both Miach and Naaza were dressed in quality, tailored clothes for the evening.

Miach wore a black suit with a long coat that stopped just above the knees and was slightly longer in the back than the front. The coat was left unbuttoned to show the white button-up shirt and vest beneath, the shirt paired with a black string tie that formed a loose bow around Miach’s collar.

Naaza was wearing a deep red dress for the evening, accented with a black belt around her waist and with a long sleeve over her prosthetic arm, paired with a matching red glove, while her left arm and shoulder were bare to give a unique contrast to her outfit. Her matching heels clicked softly on the stone path that the carriages dropped the guests off at.

“Oh, please.” Hestia waved off the thanks and smiled at both Miach and Naaza softly. “I’d do anything for Naaza. A girl should let herself be pampered from time to time, right?” She gave the Chienthrope woman a little wink.

Naaza smiled back, giving Hestia a small bow of thanks. “You have my deepest gratitude, Lady Hestia.” The warm smile on Naaza’s lips as she stood next to Miach showed just how happy she was with the evening, even though she was somehow keeping her tail from wagging.

Bell offered Hestia his arm. “Shall we?”

Hestia looped her arm through his. “Yes, let’s go.”

“My lady.” Miach offered Naaza his arm.

“Thank you, my Lord.” Naaza had a cute little blush on her cheeks as she looped her arm through Miach’s, her tail wagging slightly now as her happiness grew beyond her control.

The interior of the large venue was brightly lit by dozens of chandeliers. The walls were white with golden accents. The roof of the banquet hall was supported by multiple large marble pillars. The floor was also marble in a rich earthy tone that reflected a little of the light from above to further brighten the place up. Large tables were lavishly decorated with fine cloth and loaded with fresh food and delicacies from all sorts of cultures and regions as well. Wine was being offered by waiters carrying around trays, along with other spirits on the tables.

The entire hall was filled with various Deities and whichever of their ‘children’ they’d chosen to be their ‘plus one’ for the event. It was certainly a much different air than many previous Banquets with the attendance of mortals.

“Ah, Hestia and Miach!” Hermes trotted over with a smile. “I see you brought Bell and Naaza with you!” The Messenger God was clearly enjoying the lively atmosphere.

“I see that you’re as obnoxious and loud as ever, Hermes.” Hestia said to her nephew with annoyance in her tone. “I’m surprised to see you with Také though.”

Takemikazuchi gave Hermes a side-eye. “Not by choice, I assure you.”

Hermes tossed his arm over the other God’s shoulder with a chuckle. “That’s not very nice, Takemikazuchi! We worked together on the mission to rescue Bell’s Party! Come on, I thought we were better friends than that!”

“Get off me, Hermes.” Takemikazuchi shrugged Herme’s arm off.

“Mikoto looks lovely this evening,” Hermes mentioned while looking over Bell and Naaza. “But you two are looking quite nice as well. But may I avert your eyes to this feast!” He declared while holding out his arm in Asfi’s direction. “My Asfi cleans up good, doesn’t she~?”

Asfi had a light blush at being put on the spot, but she looked quite beautiful in her soft yellow dress with white frills on the hems. Like Hestia’s dress, it was strapless and backless, showing off Asfi’s soft and clear skin. She had a thin golden necklace on and wore long white evening gloves that went up to mid-bicep. “Please don’t try and embarrass me, Lord Hermes. I might have to punch you.”

Hermes sidled up to the Captain of his Familia with a little smile. “You’re cute when you’re bashful, Asfi.”

Asfi’s eye twitched and she elbowed Hermes in the side. However, her Level 4 strength shot her God across the hall and straight into the wall with enough force to kick up a brief cloud of dust.

Apollo stood at the top of the stairs, having just come through the doors at the top of the staircase in the banquet hall, and looked over at the sudden cloud in surprise and confusion. “What in the world…” His expression went flat as he saw Hermes was the cause, his half-brother even looked to be in pain. “Oh, Hermes… Definitely deserved whatever caused that.” With a single shake of his head, he put his brother’s pain out of his mind easily and carried on with his role as host. “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining me this evening!”

All of the attendees turned their attention towards Apollo.

“So, that’s Lord Apollo?” Bell had never seen the Deity before.

Apollo’s hair appeared red and he wore a wreath of laurel upon his head. But Bell noticed that the God’s hair seemed to be a shimmering blonde color, like sunlight spun into thread, for a brief instant when the light hit it just right. One of the strange cases of duality among the mortal forms of the Deities, who often possessed many forms in Tenkai, was physical features that seemed to shift occasionally or under specific conditions. Tonight the Sun God was wearing a finely tailored suit of immense quality in a light gray color, a crimson red toga-like cloth was wrapped over his shoulders and tapered to his left side. He had a regal bearing, with the good looks that most Deities were known for.

“It seems so.” Mikoto said as she warily eyed the Deity, knowing that the reason that she and Takemikazuchi had come to this Banquet of the Gods was to stand in solidarity with Hestia Familia against Apollo Familia.

Bell’s eyes focused sharply as Daphne, Cassandra, and Hyakinthos walked forward to stand just behind Apollo, the women on the God’s right side while Hyakinthos was on the left. All three of them were dressed similarly, wearing white vests and yellow ties over long-sleeved black button-up shirts, the girls wearing short black skirts, while Hyakinthos wore black dress pants.

“I wanted to make this event more interesting and shake things up a little.” Apollo began his greeting to the hall at large. “An idea came to me about how to make this event special. How do you like it?” He motioned to all of the ‘children’ that had accompanied their Deities to the Banquet. “Dressing up the ones that we hold most dear and bringing them to our celebration… What could be more delightful?  Seeing so many of my kin and the faces of their beloved ‘children’ fills me with great joy.” Apollo smiled at all of the guests, his eyes sweeping over the room until they landed on Bell. “Tonight is a night destined to be filled with grand opportunities and new meetings. I have foreseen it.” He referenced his Domain of Prophecy while finally looking away from Bell. “I have assembled the best wines and the freshest and rarest of delicacies. The night is young. Enjoy yourselves.” Apollo raised his wine glass high.

Most of the guests did the same, a toast to the host of the Banquet, several even calling out to Apollo in thanks for the evening.

‘He was looking at me for a moment, but he’s not coming over.’ Bell followed Apollo with his eyes as the God descended the stairs and began to speak with a few other Deities. ‘Maybe that’s a good sign?’

“Bell-dono…” Mikoto smiled at him, looking to start a conversation.

“Miss Mikoto.” Bell greeted her properly, a small smile on his face.

Mikoto’s dress was an interesting mix of Far Eastern style and western design. It was a soft purple color and left her shoulders bare, revealing a good amount of her cleavage, but was held secure by a thick, black obi wrapped around her waist and decorated with a red string tied around it. Her long black hair was done up in a bun, leaving her lovely purple eyes clear for everyone to see. She wore black evening gloves with red string stitched into them to match her obi and complete her outfit.

“In the last battle you were amazing.” Mikoto complimented him genuinely. “Facing down a Floor Boss under those circumstances and delivering the final blow… It left a profound impression on me.”

“I wouldn’t have been able to do that alone.” Bell shook his head once. “Alone against that thing, I wouldn’t have been able to do anything. Thank you very much for your assistance and the assistance of your Familia members.” He gave her a short bow of gratitude.

Mikoto bowed back, her cheeks slightly pink. “I-I didn’t do much…” The two realized that they were both just bowing to each other at this point and straightened up, smiling at each other. “Bell-dono, if you ever in need of assistance, summon me at any time. My sword shall aid you.”

“Me as well, Miss Mikoto… If you’re ever in trouble or need assistance with anything, feel free to call on me. I’ll do whatever I can to help.” Bell promised as he returned Mikoto’s smile.

Both Hestia and Takemikazuchi smiled at seeing their Familia members getting along and becoming friends.

Bell turned and gave Hestia a loving smile. “Would you like to dance, Goddess?” He held out his hand to her.

“I’d love to, Bell.” Hestia nearly cooed as she gently placed her hand in Bell’s.

The two joined several other pairs on the dance floor a moment later. Hestia placed one hand on Bell’s shoulder and held his leading hand with the other. Bell placed his free hand on her waist and the two smiled softly at each other as they began to move in time with the music. Bell led them around the dance floor slowly, the two of them twirling slowly together.

“Love you, Hestia.” Bell said softly as they danced.

“Love you too, Bell.” Hestia returned his love with her own as she leaned into him.

The two continued to dance for a bit longer, stopping when the current song ended. Bell walked Hestia off the dance floor, both of them smiling gently. Hestia headed over to try out the food while Bell looked over at Apollo, who was surrounded by a small group of other Deities still.

“Looking to chat with Apollo?” Hermes asked, almost making Bell jump from his sudden appearance.

“Not really.” Bell denied. “But aren’t guests supposed to greet the host at events like this?” He didn’t have a lot of knowledge of formal etiquette and the like, but he was pretty sure greeting the host was considered proper.

Hermes chuckled at Bell’s obvious lack of knowledge. “Apollo is my half-brother, so we go way back. He’s a tenacious one, always chasing after whatever new thing catches his eye. That’s not mentioning his ‘passionate’ personality. Right, Hestia?” Hermes called out to his aunt with a short laugh.

“You’re both annoying little brats!” Hestia snapped back after swallowing the food she had in her mouth. She finished off the wine in her glass and went back to eating with a sniff of disdain at her annoying nephews.

“Haha…” Hermes’s laugh was rather strained. “Anyway, Apollo is also rather ruthless, when he wants to be.” The change in Hermes’s tone wasn’t lost on Bell.

A sudden ruckus near the main entrance to the banquet hall got Bell and Hermes’s attention.

“My, my, it looks like a celebrity has arrived.” Hermes said as the small crowd parted and the impressively tall and large frame of ‘Warlord’ Ottar walked forward.

The Boaz man was dressed in refined formal wear, a long blue jacket with golden buttons and embroidery, a purple vest with a white button-up shirt underneath and a white cravat around his neck. His dress pants were a light brown and paired with his black leather dress shoes, both looking extremely expensive (just like the rest of his clothing) even to Bell’s inexperienced eyes.

On Ottar’s arm was Freya. The Goddess of Beauty looking elegant in a dress of immaculate purple silk. It was a strapless dress, leaving Freya’s shoulders bare, it flowed down loosely around her legs to swish around her ankles. Her cleavage was covered with a purple silk scarf that was gently draped over her shoulders and flowed down her torso where it was wrapped around her waist once. Her long silver hair was decorated with purple flower-like ornaments that matched her dress for the evening.

“That’s Lady Freya, right?” Bell asked Hermes after a second to take the two in that had gotten everyone’s attention.

“Indeed, it is. The head of the Top Familia in Orario right now.” Hermes nodded once, a smile on his face as Freya noticed their small group and walked over with a little smile on her lips. Ottar followed behind her like a massive bodyguard.

Freya looked at Hestia and her smile grew just a little warmer. “Hestia, it’s been a little while.”

“Freya,” Hestia returned the smile. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“When Apollo decided to allow us to bring one of our ‘children’ to the Banquet this time, I found myself unable to resist showing off my darling Ottar.” Freya smiled warmly at her lover. Ottar’s expression barely changed, but for Freya who had many years of understanding Ottar and his expressions, she saw the tiny smile that Ottar only allowed her to see. “Miach, Takemikazuchi, I hope you’ve both been well.” She smiled at the two Gods.

Miach smiled back, putting on a bit of his unknowing charm without noticing at all. “You look lovely as always, Lady Freya.”

“Good evening, Lady Freya.” Takemikazuchi barely kept himself from stumbling over the first word past his lips. Though the light flush on his cheeks and the way he looked slightly downward, like a young man trying to talk to his crush, made it obvious that he was affected by Freya’s beauty.

Neither of these reactions sat well with the women that had come to the Banquet with the two Gods. Both Naaza and Mikoto pinched their respective Deity out of sight of the others. The slight jerk of Takemikazuchi and Miach’s bodies couldn’t quite be hidden though.

Freya only giggled slightly at the actions of the two young women. The occasional minor jealous acts could be amusing sometimes. She took a step towards Bell, seeing beyond what normal beings did as she looked at his soul again. It was still the bright and splendid soul that it always was, but the Miracle that had left him had taken away the unique shine that she’d once been enamored with. “It’s nice to meet you, Bell Cranel.”

“It’s very nice to meet you, Goddess Freya.” Bell greeted her, gently taking her hand in his own and bowing his head.

“Oh, such fortitude.” Freya remarked with an amused grin on her lips when Bell didn’t try to kiss her knuckles or the back of her hand. It wasn’t every day that a mortal could resist even her passive beauty, but Bell hadn’t even flinched. The only sign at all that he’d registered her Divine Beauty was the light pink on his cheeks.

Hestia looked at Freya with a flat stare. “Must you?”

Freya raised her hand elegantly and hid her mouth as she giggled softly. “I’m not doing anything. But your ‘child’ is quite…exceptional.” She praised Bell’s ability to shrug off her Divine Beauty. “I’ll circulate a bit, some of the guests seem to be a little too distracted.” Freya mentioned of the ones that were just staring at her in a daze. She took Ottar’s arm again and the two walked off to greet a few other Deities.

The group only had a minute or less to return to what they’d been doing before another familiar voice (to some of them) interrupted.

“There you are, itty-bitty.” Loki taunted Hestia from behind.

“Mmnnnn…” Hestia turned to face Loki with a little growl.

Loki chose to wear a red suit with black accents and a white button-up shirt to the Banquet of the Gods. The Trickster Goddess pulled off the ‘men’s wear’ style quite well, in fact.

Bell’s eyes, however, were quickly locked onto Ais, who stood at Loki’s side.

Ais wore a light pastel green dress for the evening. It was strapless, but still covered a good amount of her cleavage. The dress still hugged her figure before becoming loose and flowing around the hips. A black choker wrapped softly around her slender neck with a large silver and emerald charm on it. Her arms were covered up to mid-bicep with black evening gloves and her feet were in matching heels to finish off her outfit. Her long blonde hair was allowed to flow freely, only being tied up in the back a little with a pink ribbon.

“Ais.” Bell smiled warmly at his girlfriend.

“Bell.” Ais smiled at him after giving him a once over in his tuxedo. Given the slight pink on her cheeks, she liked him all dressed up like this.

Hestia and Loki’s impromptu stare down was broken as Hestia spoke up.

“When did you get here? I guess you’re too boring for anyone to notice your presence.” Hestia said with some annoyance bleeding into her voice.

“Oh, shut your trap!” Loki snapped back, stepping forward. “If you want to complain to someone, do it to that little hussy, Freya! Ais and I were supposed to make a grand entrance, but she had to go and steal the spotlight!”

Hestia scoffed at Loki’s words. “Oh sure, blame all of your problems on her. Are you dressed like a man to avoid the embarrassment of your nonexistent chest?”

Loki tsked at Hestia’s jibe. “You wish! I dressed like this because tonight is all about my darling Ais!” The bickering came to an end as Loki noticed that Ais and Bell were talking. “Eh?” She took two steps and got close to Bell, her red eyes examining him up close for the first time. “Hmm…” Loki turned to Ais. “Are you sure, Ais-tan? He doesn’t look that impressive to me.”

Ais stared at Loki with an intensity that the Goddess had never experienced from her favored ‘child’ before. The look in those golden eyes practically screamed: “Don’t you ruin this.” To such a degree that Loki perceived it as the not-so-subtle threat that it was.

“Ais, may I have this dance?” Bell asked as he held out his hand to his girlfriend.

Ais’s cheeks turned a dark pink even as a smile lit up her face. “Gladly.” She placed her hand gently into Bell’s.

The two walked out onto the dance floor together. Ais placed her free hand on Bell’s shoulder while his free hand rested softly on her waist. Bell held her other hand with his own and took the first step. Ais followed his step, their eyes never looking away from each other for a second as they began to twirl slowly around the dance floor. Bell raised his arm and the hand that held Ais’s. She saw what he planned in his eyes and removed her hand from his shoulder as his hand slipped from her waist. Ais smiled as Bell twirled her once and then his arm was around her waist again as he dipped her before pulling her back upright.

“This is my first…” Ais said quietly as she and Bell moved slowly around the dance floor.

“Hm?” Bell looked at Ais curiously, his rubellite eyes warm with his love and affection for her.

Ais held his gaze for a long moment, her golden eyes soft and gentle. “This is my first time dancing… I always wanted to try, when I was little… I’m happy that it’s with you, Bell.” She leaned into him as they danced. “Thank you.” The gorgeous smile that she gave him made Bell smile reflexively.

“You’re welcome, Ais.” Bell said with a loving smile as they moved across the dance floor again.

After their dance, Bell walked Ais off the dance floor. Loki had crocodile tears running down her face as she saw how happy Ais was with Bell. Hestia had a warm smile for Bell and Ais as the two began to sample some of the food from the tables.

None of them noticed the eyes of Apollo slowly following Bell throughout the party venue.

A while later and Hermes approached Bell with a grin and a glass of wine in each hand. “Bell, would you mind chatting with me for a bit?” He offered the young man one of the wine glasses.

“It’s not going to end up like the last time you wanted to ‘talk’ with me, is it?” Bell deadpanned at Hermes, though he did accept the offered wine glass.

“What? No, that was just a miscommunication.” Hermes laughed the incident off.

“Uh huh…” Bell didn’t look like he believed the Messenger God, but put that aside as he sniffed the wine a little.

Hermes sipped from his glass and then looked at Bell with a smile. “I’d like to get to know you better, is all.” He led Bell off to the side of the party as he started the conversation. “Tell me a bit about yourself Bell.”

Bell decided to just go along with it and gave Hermes a brief overview of his life without going into much detail at all.

“So, you lived your life in your village until coming to Orario, huh?” Hermes summarized with a small nod.

“It was a small place in the mountains, so there’s still plenty of things that I don’t know about the wider world.” Bell admitted as he took a sip of his wine.

Hermes had a small smile form on his lips before he turned to look at Bell again. “Is that so? Then I suppose you wouldn’t know about a God named Zeus?”

Bell looked at Hermes curiously. “I think I’ve heard the name before, in passing, from some of the older people that live in Orario.”

“Zeus used to be the leader of the most powerful Familia in Orario’s history; practically since we Deities descended to Gekai.” Hermes told Bell and saw the slight interest in the young man’s eyes.

“Aren’t Freya Familia and Loki Familia the two most powerful Familias in Orario?” Bell didn’t recall anything about a Zeus Familia when he’d been looking for a Familia to join.

Hermes chuckled for a second and gave a half-shrug. “Certainly, they are now. But before them, the two main Familias were Zeus and Hera. However, they were banished after a failed quest.” He looked at Bell with a small grin. “Tell me, Bell, did you know that since the beginning of Orario, there has been something called the ‘Three Great Quests’?” When Bell shook his head, Hermes continued. “During the era that you children call the ‘Ancient Times’, three Monsters of incredible power escaped from the Dungeon. The Quests are to eliminate them.”

“You mean…” Bell began, but was cut off by Hermes.

“Yes,” Hermes nodded once. “Almost twenty years ago now, the Zeus and Hera Familias were at the height of their power. They first took on the Tyrant of the Land: Behemoth, after the Thor Familia spent centuries keeping it from leaving the Dedine Region far north of Orario. When Behemoth was slain, it burst apart into a blanket of black ashes so thick that it covered a portion of the Dedine Region and turned it all into a sterile area where nothing can grow. Nowadays it’s called the Black Desert, or the ‘Desert of Death Ash’.”

Bell blinked at learning the outcome of one of the Three Great Quests.

“After Behemoth was slain, the Zeus and Hera Familias set their sights on the Ruler of the Oceans: Leviathan. With a lot of help from the Poseidon Familia, they managed to bring Leviathan to the surface and keep it engaged long enough to slay it.” Hermes said, letting Bell know of the fate of the second of the Three Great Quests. “They used its Drop Items, its bones, to form the underwater seal near Melen that finally stopped the Dungeon exit there from letting out any more aquatic Monsters into the oceans. Poseidon Familia’s fleet of ships now sail the seas killing every Monster in the oceans as their Familia’s sole mission.”

“Then the last one is…” Bell was pretty sure he knew.

Hermes confirmed his suspicions with a nod. “The Black Dragon. It was too powerful and wiped them out.”

Bell knew that Monster in particular from more than a few Heroic Tales and Legends that he’d read. “The ‘One-Eyed Black Dragon’…”

“That was the fall of Zeus and Hera. It’s how the Orario that you know today came to be.” Hermes said and then finished off his wine. “The people of the world still yearn for the completion of the last of the Three Great Quests, the slaying of the Black Dragon. I hope that you’ll remember that.”

‘Looking at how peaceful Orario is and how simple life in the village was, I didn’t think such ancient Monsters still existed in the world.’ Bell had long thought that such Monsters had disappeared from the surface and now could only exist in the deepest depths of the Dungeon. “Lord Hermes, can I ask what happened to Zeus?”

Hermes had a brief flash of emotion in his eyes, though very few would’ve ever been able to spot it. “Freya and Loki were very cold with Zeus. After what happened, they banished him from Orario. There are several rumors about how exactly everything played out, but no one knows the truth for certain.”

Bell looked down at that, knowing that Orario could be a very competitive place just on the situation that Hestia Familia was potentially facing from Apollo Familia. ‘If for some reason we’re drawn into a conflict and lose… Hestia, Lili, and I… Would we be banished too?’

“So, this is where you went.” Hestia said as she finally found Bell amongst all the party goers. “Hermes, you better not have been doing anything to Bell.” She glared suspiciously at her nephew.

“Of course not, Aunt Hestia, I wouldn’t dream of it.” Hermes still remembered the beating that Hestia had given him back in the Dungeon with her flip flops. He’d much rather NOT find out what she could do to him with a pair of heels.

Hestia shooed Hermes away and happily took Bell’s hand in hers. “Let’s get back to enjoying ourselves, Bell.”

Unfortunately, the pair had barely made it to the dance floor when the host of the Banquet approached them.

“Hestia. It seems that you’re enjoying the party.” Apollo greeted his aunt. “I apologize for the problems that my children caused yours the other day.”

“Apollo.” Hestia didn’t believe her brat of a nephew was actually apologizing for even a second.

“Unfortunately, one of my children suffered rather severe injuries at the hands of yours.” Apollo declared, raising his voice a bit to make sure that they quickly became the center of attention. “I’d like to request some compensation.”

Hestia glared at Apollo. “You say one of yours was hurt, but your Captain was the one that bloodied my Bell.”

Apollo had a devious grin spread across his face. “A busted lip and a bloody nose are nothing compared to the injuries my child suffered.” He motioned with his arm to Luan, the Prum using a crutch to walk while his left arm was in a cast and sling, and his right legs was in a cast, other bandages covered his body in various places as well.

“Bell, you didn’t fight the Prum, right?” Hestia whispered to him.

“Not at all, Goddess.” Bell shook his head once.

“I didn’t think so.” Hestia recalled from Lili’s Excelia that she was the one that slapped the Prum that was making a show of his ‘injuries’ in front of everyone at the banquet. “If you’re going to make false accusations, nephew, then you should make sure that I don’t already know the truth of the matter.”

Apollo’s expression became less devious and more stern, as if he was insulted by the insinuation. “I think I know the truth quite well, Hestia. As I’m told, it was your child that started the altercation.” Another lie. “There were witnesses!” Three more of Apollo Familia stepped forward and Bell instantly recognized them as the ones from the bar.

“Yeah he did!”

“We were just talking!”

“When did expressing one’s opinion become a crime in Orario?”

Hestia stood to her full height (which was only 140cm, so not very imposing at all) and glared heatedly into Apollo’s eyes. “Your lies are becoming insulting, Apollo. You should take back your words before others start thinking less of you.”

Behind Hestia, Takemikazuchi and Miach stepped forward in an obvious show of support for their friend.

Across the venue, Freya looked at Apollo with unamused eyes. “Making a nuisance out of himself.” She’d been enjoying a dance with Ottar when Apollo had started this little show of his, and that dampened her mood.

“If you intend to ignore your child’s wrongdoings, Hestia, then you’ve left me no choice.” Apollo smirked and then raised his arms into the air as he loudly declared for the entire Banquet to hear: “I, Apollo, as head of the Apollo Familia have no choice but to challenge you to a War Game!”

“Oh!” The exclamation from so many of the guests at the same time was loud in the hall.

Apollo then pointed at Hestia, but actually over her head and directly at Bell, with a wide smirk. “And if we win this clash, then Bell Cranel will belong to my Familia!”

“WHAT!!!” Hestia roared in anger, fueled by her desire to protect her beloved.

“Whoa!”

“Apollo doesn’t mess around!”

“War Game! War Game! War Game!”

The chant began among the various gathered Deities among the crowd.

“Are those terms agreeable, Hestia?” Apollo asked, his gaze filling with a heated desire that neither Bell nor Hestia wanted directed at them. “I’ll take your sweet child all for myself!” Left unsaid, but clearly conveyed between aunt and nephew, was that with this War Game, Apollo planned to stop Hestia’s rise within Orario cold.

“So this was your plan all along, Apollo?” Hestia barely kept herself from growling at her nephew. “I don’t have to entertain your foolishness you little brat! Why would I accept a War Game based on your lies?”

Apollo’s smirk never left his face, even as his hand rose up and covered his chest, right over his heart. “What an awful accusation, Hestia! Please, I thought you knew me better than that given our past~”

Hestia looked a mix of angry and disgusted, a rather odd combination. “That’s a lie dreamed up in your disgusting mind! I never once entertained any of your pathetic advances; you’ve always acted like a desperate horny loser begging for attention and gratification from anyone and everyone!”

Apollo actually flinched back from the shot to his ego in front of so many other Deities.

“I’m not going to stand here and listen to any more of your lies and infantile provocations!” Hestia declared strongly, stomping her foot slightly before turning away with a huff. Left unsaid was that both motions made her tits bounce, which distracted a few of the onlooking Gods. “I won’t agree to your War Game just because you whine about it like the little brat that you are, Apollo.” She shot over her shoulder at her nephew. “Come on, Bell. We’re leaving.” She took his hand and Bell looked at Apollo one last time before turning away.

“Oh? I think you’ll come to regret that choice.” Apollo said as Hestia and Bell walked away from him.

“I really doubt it.” Hestia didn’t even look at him when she spoke, snubbing him entirely.

While Apollo didn’t show it on his face, he knew the snub was a blow to his image in the eyes of the watching Deities. Hestia’s sudden and rapid rise within the unofficial ‘rankings’ of the Deities within Orario meant that her words and actions carried more weight now. Being snubbed by her wasn’t quite as damaging as being snubbed by Freya or Loki, but it was still a snub from a Goddess with a rapidly growing influence in the Dungeon City.

“Thank you for the evening, Apollo.” Miach thanked the host with a small nod before taking Naaza’s hand and walking out the doors after Hestia.

Takemikazuchi gently took Mikoto’s hand in his own, both of them schooling their expressions as they faced Apollo. “Thank you for the invite, Apollo. We’ll be taking our leave now.” The War God’s tone made it clear that he was only saying that because it was proper decorum to do so. Takemikazuchi and Mikoto left following Miach and Naaza.

The show of solidarity wasn’t lost on anyone in the crowd. Three Familias had clearly made their stance against the Apollo Familia known to all.

Not a minute later and the more observant Deities still in the banquet hall noticed Freya and Ottar heading for the doors as well.

“I’ve had my fill of this place, so I’ll be leaving.” Freya said to those within earshot, not even bothering to give a polite goodbye to Apollo as the host.

That snub did get several people talking and when it reached Apollo’s ears a minute later he clenched both of his fists tightly.

It wasn’t the only snub, though the next one wasn’t intentional on the Goddess’s part.

Loki was nearly pulled from the hall by Ais, her ‘child’ had her normal stoic expression back on her face as she left, clearly upset with Apolo’s actions against Bell and Hestia Familia.

“Well, I should’ve seen this coming.” Loki sighed at what had happened at the Banquet of the Gods. ‘We’ve already got enough on our plate. That horny mutt better not cause my Familia any trouble!’ Loki thought to herself as she stepped into the carriage behind Ais.

Unseen by any of the one’s leaving the Banquet, Hyakinthos watched from the balcony as Bell helped Hestia into a carriage and then stepped in himself, closing the door behind him.

‘All according to plan.’ Hyakinthos smirked as the carriages pulled away from the venue. Next would be forcing Goddess Hestia’s hand and then crushing her tiny Familia with superior power and numbers. “No one threatens my Lord Apollo’s position.” He uttered coldly, glaring at the carriage that held Hestia and Bell.

-End Chapter-

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The War Game challenge has been issued!

Unlike in Canon where Hestia was backed into a corner by Apollo’s lies, here she’s got enough influence to rebut his claims and stand up for herself and her Familia. The snub against Apollo is a blow to his image within Orario in front of many other Deities too!

Apollo doesn’t like that, but it’s within his plans. What hurts more is the solidarity between Hestia, Miach, and Takemikazuchi Familias as they leave his Banquet of the Gods together. What hurts the MOST is Freya leaving with a clear snub of Apollo as the host. That’ll definitely spread throughout Orario quickly! Deities can be rather gossipy!

Will the Apollo Familia be so bold as to directly attack the Hearth District?

Do they even realize the danger they’re poking with a stick right now?

This version of Bell is already STRONGER than the Canon version after training with Ais and Tiona for the War Game. And you know that his lovers aren’t going to sit by on the sidelines this time around either!

Oh, Apollo, you prideful, lustful, dumbass…

Hermes has a talk with Bell and tells him about Zeus and Hera, and the last of the Three Great Quests still not completed. Why did he decide to tell Bell about this now? Does Hermes have his own plans running in the background, or is he acting for someone else in secret?

Keep reading to find out!

Let me know what you thought!

Until next time, later!