Danmachi: My Adventure With a High Fairy Queen, Vol. 1

The Lost Child of Zeus and Hera

"I must confess, Kletpos, I'm very displeased with you." Medusa hissed. "How dare you return here without the boy."

The disgraced Kleptos knelt before Medusa in a pitiful display of subservience in her dark chambers. The air was thick with the stench of decay and the cloying sweetness of venom. He trembled as he felt Medusa's malign eyes on him as she contemplated whether or not to spare him.

"If it wasn't for that High Elf, I would have been successful, Mistress." Kletpos explained. "But my plans were ruined when Nine Hell interceded."

Medusa, her eyes blazing with fury, rose from her seat. Her serpentine hair writhed and hissed, their fangs glistening with deadly poison. "I gave you very specific orders to eliminate her," she snarled, her voice dripping with venom and malice. "The bond between her and the boy is growing, which could unleash a power that could destroy us all. My plans have been set back by your incompetence."

Kleptos, his voice trembling, prostrated himself before the Queen of Monsters. "Forgive me, my Queen," he begged, his words tumbling over each other in his haste to appease her. "I misjudged the High Elf. It won't happen again."

Medusa's eyes narrowed, her gaze boring into the cowering creature before her. "See that it doesn't," she hissed, her voice filled with deadly promise. "Or you will pay for it with your life."

Kleptos, his heart pounding with fear and desperation, raised his head. "All is not lost, my Queen," he said, his voice quivering with a mixture of fear and anticipation. "I still have control over the Guild. And I have been slowly poisoning the city's water supply, just as you instructed."

Medusa, her interest piqued, leaned forward. "Go on," she purred, her voice filled with dark amusement.

Kleptos, emboldened by her attention, continued. "The denizens of Orario are unwittingly consuming your venom. Soon they will be our mindless slaves. With the Guild under our control, we can manipulate the flow of information and resources throughout Orario. We can sow discord and confusion among the adventurers, turning them against each other and weakening their resolve."

Medusa, a cruel smile playing across her lips, nodded in approval. "Very well, Kleptos," she said, her voice filled with dark satisfaction. "You may have failed in your task to bring me Bell Cranel, but your control over the Guild may yet prove useful."

Kleptos, his heart swelling with pride and relief, bowed deeply. "Thank you, my Queen," he said, his voice filled with gratitude and devotion. "I will redeem myself, and destroy that meddlesome High Elf."

As Kleptos scurried from the chamber, Medusa leaned back in her throne, her mind racing with dark thoughts and twisted schemes. With the Guild under her control, she could begin to unravel the very fabric of Orario, turning friend against friend and ally against ally.

A cruel laugh escaped her lips, echoing through the dark halls of her lair. The heroes may have won this battle, but the war was far from over. With the Guild as her puppet, Medusa would weave a web of deceit and betrayal that would ensnare all of Orario in her dark embrace.

***

Bell and Riveria made their way to the infirmary, their hearts heavy with concern for Eina. As they walked through the white halls, Bell could feel the weight of everyone's eyes on him. The whispers of the injured and ailing followed him, like a shadow he could never escape.

As they entered the infirmary, they were greeted by the sight of Amid, the skilled healer, tending to Eina's unconscious form. The half-elf lay motionless on the bed, her face pale and drawn, her breathing shallow and labored.

"How is she?" Bell asked, his voice thick with worry.

Amid looked up, her eyes filled with a mixture of concern and determination. "She's stable for now," she said, her voice calm and reassuring. "But the poison has taken its toll. It will take time for her to fully recover."