The combined group walked through Orario's increasingly lively crowds. Moon attributes—whether crescent moons, half moons, or full moons—decorated almost every merchandise: displayed on clothing fabrics, carved on wooden dolls, hanging as pendants, printed on pillows, and shaped into sweet cakes.
The stark contrast was clearly visible in the financial conditions of these two groups.
On one side, Bell's group whose situation required frugality; every time Lili glanced at an item, she had to immediately recount their thin wallets.
On the other side, Charlie's group appeared very relaxed. Charlie didn't hesitate to spend money buying anything Est and Aishia wanted. He even covered all expenses for Astraea and Kei, considering Astraea Familia's operations had just started so their funds were still empty.
For him, money existed to be spent, and he was very generous in using it for the satisfaction of the girls around him.
Seeing that generosity, Bell seemed to be learning something about how to treat companions, while Welf could only lament the wealth gap between Upper Class Adventurers like Charlie and Lower Class ones like himself. On the other hand, Lili appeared almost drooling seeing the extraordinary "extravagance" before her eyes.
"Everyone, gather around!"
Suddenly, a loud voice broke through the commotion, drawing the crowd's attention including the combined group of the two white-haired youths.
"If you're far, listen well. If you're near, come and see for yourselves! At this Holy Moon Festival, we have the most exciting side show! Adventurers, come and test your strength!"
That voice was like a magnet, drawing many people to approach and surround a temporary stage erected in a small plaza.
Hestia, full of curiosity, immediately stood on tiptoes and looked toward the source of the voice. In contrast, Astraea's eyebrows furrowed, forming a slight frown—that voice belonged to someone very annoying to her.
"If I'm not mistaken, that voice belongs to Hermes. What could he be planning this time?"
Knowing Hermes's petty personality not much different from Loki's, she could only hope this festival would proceed smoothly without conspiracies, though she knew the chances were slim now that Hermes had started acting.
"Who knows?" Hestia answered while shrugging, not thinking too much about it. "Why don't we go and find out?"
"What do you think, Charlie?" Astraea asked, seeking the man's opinion and leaving the decision to him.
After thinking for a moment, Charlie nodded. "Sure. Let's see what God Hermes is doing."
However, behind his agreement, he wore a meaningful expression.
(So, it's finally happening. Regardless of story changes, some events are indeed fated to occur as if guided by destiny. Is this planned, or just coincidence?)
With that thought, he followed the crowd moving toward the stage.
While following the crowd's flow, Bell asked in a curious tone, "Charlie-san, what do you think Hermes-sama is doing?"
Seeing Bell's naive expression that was easy to manipulate, Charlie let out a soft sigh.
"I don't know."
"Trying to predict divine actions through human reasoning is, in essence, foolish."
"Gods are gods. Humans are humans. They are completely different beings, different concepts, even different forms of life. So, never think you truly understand the gods, and don't casually guess their intentions, okay?"
That statement made Bell and Welf pause, not fully agreeing. For them, their gods—Hestia and Hephaestus—weren't difficult to approach or understand.
What they didn't realize was how fortunate they were to meet gods with good morals who cared.
Not everyone was that lucky.
Just look at Lili, who secretly bit her lower lip, remembering her Main Deity, Soma, who was irresponsible and let his Familia fall into corruption because Familia authority was led by a leader who abused power.
On the other hand, Kei had blind faith in Charlie, so she considered his words as truth.
Meanwhile Aishia and Est, as spirits bound by contract to Charlie, weren't too involved in Familia dynamics, so this topic wasn't very relevant to them.
"That's an unpleasant mindset, Charlie. It shows you haven't fully opened your heart to your Main Deity."
Hestia, who was getting used to calling the youth by name, glanced at Charlie with a look of bewilderment and disagreement with that argument.
"Bell, don't take his words too seriously!" Hestia hugged Bell's arm protectively. "Racial differences can't limit the strong bond between us!"
"Yes, Goddess!" Bell answered firmly, nodding with conviction.
"Mm. Bell is the best."
Satisfied seeing Bell wasn't influenced by what she considered extreme thinking, Hestia patted her chest in relief.
"..."
Charlie just smiled thinly without commenting further. His right hand grasped Est's small cold hand, while Aishia walked calmly beside his left.
Together with the now-enlarged group, he continued approaching the center of commotion created by Hermes.
On the makeshift stage at the roadside, Hermes appeared to be leading the event with the charisma of a master showman. His voice rose and fell with full style, captivating everyone passing by. Beside him, a magnificent spear was firmly embedded in a large crystal.
"Step forward if you're confident!"
"Who will be the hero to pull out this spear? This is no ordinary weapon—only the chosen one can extract it! Whoever succeeds will receive blessings from the Virgin Goddess and the opportunity to travel the world, sponsored by the Guild!"
"Anyone can try! Test your strength and courage!"
Hermes's words had an immediate effect; the gathered adventurers cheered joyfully with eyes full of anticipation.
The term 'hero' even triggered Bell's enthusiasm to the highest level, making him very eager to participate.
On the other side, Charlie used his Six Eyes to sense the tremendously terrifying pressure of power hidden within the seemingly ordinary spear.
(Terrifying power... So this is the true power of a god whose Arcanum isn't sealed? Truly, gods are still gods. Although they usually act cheerful without dignity, their pure power scale is at least at planetary level.) He thought, trembling inwardly.
"What is Hermes planning? Organizing an event together with the Guild... Could this be part of the Holy Moon Festival?" Hestia muttered in confusion.
Unlike Hestia, Astraea immediately recognized the spear's uniqueness. Her face became serious. "Hestia, you and Artemis are close. Don't you recognize that spear?"
"Huh?" Hestia's blank expression already explained everything.
Astraea was speechless for a moment, then explained in a low voice. "That's a weapon capable of killing gods. Judging from its shape and characteristic silver aura, it's most likely Artemis's Orion Spear. This is strange... did she really violate the rules by using Arcanum? Power of that caliber shouldn't appear in the lower world."
"Eh? How is that possible? Artemis would never violate the rules!" Hestia exclaimed in shock. "Does that mean she's been sent back to heaven?"
Although Arcanum was sealed, the gods themselves sealed it, not others. They could certainly unseal it anytime, but the consequence was being forced back to heaven.
Hestia looked very worried her friend had met such a fate.
"Don't worry, Hestia." Astraea reassured her, placing a hand on the smaller goddess's shoulder. "We don't know the full story yet. But if Orion's Spear is in Orario and Hermes is using it in this event, it means Artemis likely hasn't been sent back to Heaven yet. She must have a reason. We can ask Hermes for details after this."
Calmed by those words, Hestia nodded slowly, though her eyes remained fixed on the spear. "You're right. Let's wait and see what happens."
The group then decided to stay, watching the side show unfold.
Time passed.
One adventurer after another climbed the stage with full confidence, gripping the spear's handle, exerting all their strength—faces reddening, muscles tensing, some even using Skills—but the spear remained unmoved, firmly embedded in the crystal.
Failure after failure only heated up the atmosphere and the audience's curiosity.
No matter how strong they were, the spear remained immovable in its place.
While the crowd continued cheering, Charlie glanced toward Bell, whom he knew was indeed destined to pull out Orion's Spear, waiting for the right moment for the youth to ascend the stage.
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