"Well done, Bell! It's not often I see you come home after a fight! I'm kind of happy you're so spirited, but also kind of sad." Hestia said, trying to cheer up Bell, who was obviously down in the dumps.
"Bell's personality has become much cruder lately! You must be a bad influence on him!" Lili accused, seeing Hestia praise Bell for getting in a fight.
"That's no fair, Li'l Lili. Can't you rub this in a little more gently?" Welf complained. Lili was reflecting her anger onto Welf, rubbing the ointment on his bruises more roughly.
"Would you all shut up! We already lost the protection because of Welf!" You growled, laying on the ground. Welf stood up and glared at you.
"How is this my fault! They were mocking us! Did you want me to just sit there and take it?!" Welf argued, his voice getting louder and louder, putting on strain to your already painful headache.
"We would've if you weren't so aggressive!" You spat, standing up also and walking up to him. Hestia wanted to de-escalate the situation, but there was no butting in. This anger from you is something she hasn't experienced yet... well, not directed towards her.
"And you were so passive! They were slandering your Familia's name! Your God and teammates! Weren't you supposed to be some feared powerful being!" Welf shouted, pissed off at you, blaming this on him and your unwillingness to fight in the beginning.
"I've been that powerful being for years now! I've taken so many lives! Just, please. For once. Give me a break..." You said, pushing Welf aside and sitting on the couch.
"You want a break?! If you want a break, then why did you spend all those times chasing Ares soldiers! Bell told me most of his adventures were unwitnessed by you because of that." Welf added, putting you on edge. You stood up once more, glared at Bell, and shook your head, and stared directly at Welf.
"Because it was necessary! People are going to die if I don't get out there and stop Ares! And thankfully, I got a bit of a break to spend some time with family! And you just had to fuck that up!" You growled. Welf wasn't putting up.
"And this isn't necessary?! They were mocking your Goddess! Hestia of all people! You were always about family, but you can't even defend them right!" Welf continued. None of you were ready to give up on this argument. This has been a long time coming.
- You figured this argument would be coming from Bell, not Welf. But it's here, and you have no place to run to. This is an unavoidable thing coming. Now you just have to drop the bomb in the gentlest way possible. -
"I am defending them. Our protection from the War Game was my effort. It was my effort to stop this Familia from being run over by someone stronger." You said, not dropping it most gently. Now Lili was in the argument.
"Run over by someone stronger?! How can you be so sure that we can't take the feats the others can?! I thought you believed in your Familia, your party members!" Lili said, feeling saddened that you have no faith in them whatsoever.
"I believe in you, but there are things you can't just push through! Let's take earlier, for instance! What could've happened if I wasn't there! The three of you will be bloodied and bruised, probably limping back home." You said. Bell looked more saddened from what you just said. He stared at you.
"Do you not believe I'm strong and capable of handling things on my own? How about the things we accomplished?" Bell asked, looking back on his previous accomplishments. The Minotaur and the Dungeon incident.
"Things won't always go your way, Bell. You had this coming. You already had a lucky streak, and from my experience, people who do, tend to fuck up pretty badly at the end." You said, looking down. You were Bell's inspiration... but he has to lay low. Not everything is possible.
"L-Look. I'm not saying you're weak, but... just... take my word for it. Things always get worse eventually. It's like an oncoming beast, impossible to kill. You just have to hide and let it pass." You said, sitting down. Bell contemplated for a bit before opening his mouth.
"What if that's just your life. What if we have different experiences. Things that happen to you won't happen to me." Bell said. Your pupils constricted when you heard him say that.
"What are you trying to say, Bell?! Are you trying to say that what I got when I was a kid was my fault! That I did something for my family to be brutally killed and my peaceful life be ruined?!" You shouted, standing up and stomping towards Bell. Hestia got in the middle and pushed you away from Bell.
"Well, go live your happy-go-lucky life, Bell. Maybe you're fucking right! Things just go violently wrong when I'm around." You said, standing up and teleporting up to the Church.
"N-No!..." Bell said, but you were already gone by the time his words came out.
'I need to get someplace else before I fucking try to kill another one of my family.' You thought, walking out of the Church and out into the streets.
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- It was morning, you decided to sleep on the roof of a house last night. Whatever argument happened is something that won't be forgotten easily. -
"Tch. Why can't they just accept that there are things that can't be pushed through? Problems you can't solve." You mumbled, basking in the early sunlight.
"Looks like I won't be showing my face for a bit." You muttered, remembering how badly it ended up last night. You stared down on the busy street as people go around doing their daily tasks.
- You stood up, stretching your body from sleeping on a cold and crooked roof last night. Staring up, you see something glisten in the sky. Your eyes widen and readied yourself. -
'Not even brave enough to give it to me personally.' You thought, catching the arrow. A paper was rolled onto the arrow's shaft.
"Meet us at the entrance of Daedalus Street." The letter read. You shook your head and hopped down the roof.
'At least they're not stupid enough to put death threats on the letter.' You thought, shaking your head as you went to Daedalus street.
<Small Timeskip>
- You arrived at the entrance, spotting the man wearing the same exact uniforms, those dumbasses you almost killed last night. You walked closer to him, and he nodded to your presence before gesturing you to follow him -
"You know you're dealing with death here... I almost killed like one of your best members, and you're here meeting me alone." You said, trying to make him anxious. It did work as his movements slowly became shaky.
- After walking deeper into Daedalus street, your eyes widened to a surprise you weren't expecting. Someone like Apollo, a God and a prideful one at that, there himself in the streets of Daedalus. -
"Must've been really important for a golden-spooned God like you to come all the way out here for me." You said, grabbing the man who directed you there.
"So... what do you want? Just choose your words carefully, Apollo. I'm still dubbed a Godkiller for something." You threatened, knowing how vile these high-society pricks' mouths are when it comes to someone beneath them.
"Yes, I'm here to form some kind of truce, in return that you join my Familia." Apollo said, grinning widely at you, but his face shows a bit of disgust.
"I join your Familia? The look on your face isn't very sure of this decision, so what's the real end goal here, huh? Why did you mess with our small Familia?" You said, seeing Apollo's face cringe when he said he wanted you to join.
"The real goal was Bell, but you're here now... sorry, b-but could you kindly remove that mask of yours!?" Apollo said, his tone and look clearly states something is bothering him.
- You sighed and just took it off, not finding any reason to conceal it since most of the Gods in Orario already do know how you look. Apollo gasped and immediately smirked. -
"Well, I think you'd do just fine as a replacement. Let's go! We'll leave your old Familia alone now. It's icky here." Apollo said, gesturing to you and his five children to leave.
"And when the hell did I ever agree to your agreement?!" You growled, tightening the grasp on one of his children who you took hostage earlier.
"Considering how much you wanted to protect those peasants back at the Church. I'd assume you'd be willing to join immediately. The argument you had last night was concrete proof of it." Apollo continued, angering you.
"So you eavesdropped on our conversation last night!? Fuck you, Apollo! I'd never join your sick Familia that can't even leave others alone. Continue with your plans. I will fucking murder everyone in your Familia!" You said, knowing how easy it will be to fight that War Game alone.
"Oh, don't be so cocky, Godkiller. There are agreements and limitations to a War Game. I can totally leave you out, and knowing how many Gods here hate you, the vote will all be on my side." Apollo said, smiling smugly at the remark. You growled, holding yourself back.
"And if your Goddess doesn't agree, we'll harass your Familia nonstop until you're either forced to leave Orario or agree to our terms." Apollo continued, earning a laugh from his lapdogs.
"And what makes you so sure that the people will view you as the righteous? In the eyes of the people and other Familias, we are nothing, and we don't mess with others." You rebutted, knowing your Familia's reputation as barely noticeable... except for Bell's accomplishments.
"You'll find out soon enough, Godkiller. Return home, I've made my decision. I'll be acquiring both you and Bell." Apollo added before leaving. You let go of his child, and he immediately ran to his God.
- You were fuming with anger. Not having options to escape this unfortunate position made it feel like you're trapped inside a brick wall with no exit. -
"I need to return home and rethink all this." You mumbled, running back to the Church.
<Small Timeskip>
- You arrived and saw Hestia, reading a letter. Not wanting to let shit escalate more, you immediately announced your return. -
"I-I'm sorry for what I said last night, (Y/N). About how you were at fault when your family got killed by Ares' knights." Bell apologized, bowing in front of you.
"No, no. I'm the one who should be sorry, I started all that commotion last night, and I don't think that's what you meant when you said that." You said, bowing also. Hestia stared at the both of you with a smile.
"We'll overcome this together as a Family! We'll show those high-society dogs just how strong Hestia Familia can be!" You said, locking Bell in a one-armed hug.
- Clearly, things haven't cooled off yet. It still was a bit awkward, but you had to forget all that happened last night to help each other with this problem and maybe actually make up when it is done. -
"I can't believe that the Apollo Familia invited us now, of all times. We can't ignore it, can we?" Hestia said, closing her eyes as she thought of how she can overcome this.
"Is it a Banquet of the Gods?" Bell asked, seeing the stamped letter, "Oh yeah, the one Goddess went off to before." You said, remembering the day you and Bell ate at the Hostess of Fertility for the first time.
"Yeah. And one that's a little different than usual. Apollo and I had some history back in Heaven, but..." Hestia said, hiding something as you narrowed your eyes at her. She immediately looked away and stood up.
"All right, I'll just invite Take and Miach, and we'll all go together!" Hestia said, planning on bringing close friends to weed out the hidden conflict between the two Familias.
"All of us?" Bell said in surprise. Hestia just giggled at him and smiled mischievously.
<Timeskip>
- All of you went to the Banquet at Apollo's Familia House. All of you wore luxurious clothes for the event, order of Hestia. She complimented both of you and walked towards the house, passing by Miach. -
"Thanks so much, Hestia. You got the carriage and the clothes for us." Miach said, wearing a tuxedo, while Naza wore a red dress behind him.
"What? I'm just doing this to help you out, Naaza. You need some luxury in your life once in a while, right?" Hestia said, smiling at both of them. Naaza stepped forward and bowed.
"Thank you, Goddess Hestia." She thanked before staring at the both of you, "You both look good, Bell, (Y/N). A bit sad... Vonika isn't here with us..." Naaza complimented before looking down.
'I guess the two really had some sort of friendship going on.' You said, walking closer to her, "Don't worry, Vonika isn't our enemy. I just got information that she already fled Rakia." You whispered. Naaza stared with joyous eyes and thanked you.
"Takemikazuchi's group should be here, too. Let's go." Hestia said. You walked away from Naaza and followed Hestia inside.
- The interior was beautiful but too rich for your liking. A farmboy naturally won't get used to something this tacky. As you all stepped inside, Hermes was there to greet you all. -
"Oh! Hestia, Miach! And Bell, (Y/N), and Naaza!" Hermes greeted. He walked towards your group. With him was Takemikazuchi, wearing a suit, Asfi who wore a yellow dress, and Mikoto, who wore a pink dress.
"You're as loud as ever, huh, Hermes?" Hestia said, hearing the booming voice of Hermes, "I'm surprised to see you with Take, though." She continued, a bit confused, seeing as Take and Hermes are opposites.
"We're not together because I wanted us to be." Take quickly said, moving back a bit from Hermes. The latter swung his arms over Take's neck.
"Aw, don't be that way, Takemikazuchi! We both worked to save Bell together, right?" He said, inching closer to Take, who glared at him in irritation.
"Get off me!" Take said. You were not here for this nonsense, so you walked away quietly from Goddess and the others and stood idly outside.
You went out and cracked the Nurse and Spirit pendant, summoning both of them, "Seek Vonika and the others. I don't want to converse with the rich folks." You said, sending them out on the hunt.
- As the two Killers left, a booming voice reaches out to everyone inside, garnering your attention. You walked back in and saw Apollo with a mellow and respectful look on his face, different from his demeanor earlier. -
"You really are a manipulative son of a bitch." You muttered, glaring at him as he takes a glance at you and winks.
- Three more people walked beside him. A purple and red-haired girl, and the guy you almost sent to death. He looks fully healed, only the best potions for the best members. -
"Today, I decided to hold a slightly different banquet than usual. Are you enjoying it? Dressing up the children you love so much bringing them to a banquet like this is quite a change of pace, isn't it?" Apollo said, smiling proudly to his fellow Gods.
"Great job, Apollo!", "Brilliant!" Were some of the words heard among the cheers, telling Apollo how good he's done, probably giving him more pride than he already has.
"I'm happy to see so many of my fellow Gods and Goddesses here with their children." He said, looking amongst the crowd, "Tonight will be a night for new meetings." He continued before staring at Hestia and the others.
"I just have a feeling." He said with hidden intent, narrowing his eyes at Bell, who caught the gaze and visibly panicked.
"Now, the night is long! Everyone, have a good time!" He continued, shrugging away the last words he said as the guests erupt in cheers. You returned to your previous spot.
'I think I'll have to wait two or three days before they catch onto Vonika.' You thought, sitting down on one of the benches in the Balcony as you stared closely at Hestia and those near her.
- After watching for quite some time, the people started gaining shocked expressions. You stared to the side and saw Freya and Ottar, both unknown as of now, but you have little knowledge about them. The two started walking towards Hestia and the others, so you gain a faint feeling of worry and return to them. -
"Oh! Godkiller, I see you're here too. How is that? From the letter Apollo handed out, he specified to only bring one child." Freya said, you didn't answer and kept on glaring at them. Those superior to others tend to have hidden agendas when it comes to speaking with the lowlives.
"That's confusing me also... He was specifically invited by Apollo, even though I doubt they had some history with each other." Hestia said, slowly covering Bell's eyes.
"Then that does raise some suspicion. But anyway, how does it feel, in front of the Goddess of Beauty?" Freya continued, staring at you directly in the eyes. You stared to the side and saw Take flustered and Miach complimenting her beauty.
"Nothing... you're not beautiful to me." You harshly said. Her tall bodyguard wanted to take a jab, but you growled.
"What?! You want a piece of me! I've taken down larger opponents before!" You growled. The deal with Ouranos was already broken. There's no way you're going to bow down and humble yourself in front of these highly pricks.
"Whoa! Too aggressive, (Y/N). We are at a party, have some respect to the lady." Hermes said, pushing you aside. You scoffed and walked away.
'I already know where this party is headed. Why can't Apollo just get on with it.' You thought, glaring at Apollo as the other Gods stare at you in fear.
- Apollo stared back at you and winked, smugly smiling as he turns around and greets the other visitors. You turned around and went back to the original position, playing with the Nemesis pendant, throwing it, and catching it to pass the time. -
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Welp, Chapter 47! Bye!
This chapter was supposed to be released 3 days earlier, but, dang did I get sick. Couldn't even stand up because of the splitting headache I received, but here it is, and I hope you enjoyed it.
Thank you for bringing this story to 50k reads! Bye!