[To the esteemed Miss Alice, I wish to express my deepest, most sincere apologies for the actions of a member of my Familia, who attacked you, Miss Alice, when you had not even joined a Familia yet.]
[Regarding the Guild's punishment, the Apollo Familia fully accepts it. Furthermore, as a token of our apology, I have prepared another gift for you, Miss Alice.]
[This gift is currently being prepared.]
[Once again, as the patron god of the Apollo Familia, I apologize for the actions of my captain, Hyakinthos.]
[Additionally, three evenings from now, the Apollo Familia will be hosting a banquet. I sincerely request your presence, Miss Alice. During the banquet, the Apollo Familia will offer you a formal, public apology.]
[Sincerely, Apollo, Patron God of the Apollo Familia.]
[P.S.: Miss Alice, your friend arrived at the Apollo Familia yesterday to provide assistance. You may retrieve her the evening after next.]
This was the content of the letter from the Apollo Familia.
Inside the envelope was also a gilded invitation. Below Alice's name was a blank space, suggesting she could bring a guest.
Besides that, there was a blue ribbon and a small lock of white hair.
Alice was all too familiar with these two items. Holding the ribbon and the hair, a smile spread across her face.
"Lili, what kind of gift should I bring to the banquet the day after tomorrow?" she mused. "How about I bring that new puppet I just developed? After all, what's a banquet without a little excitement?"
"Uh..." Lili, recalling the recent explosion, tentatively asked, "Um, Lady Alice, this new puppet of yours... it wouldn't happen to be the explodey kind, would it?"
"Ara, Lili, you're quite clever." Alice's smile widened, her eyes narrowing gently in a seemingly tender expression. "Oh, and Lili, you should come with me. This invitation seems to allow for a plus-one."
But Lili could feel a distinct chill emanating from Alice. She gulped involuntarily, then turned around. "Lady Alice, attending a banquet requires formal attire! I'll go prepare yours right away!"
Broom still in hand, Lili scurried away like the wind.
Watching Lili flee, Alice shook her head helplessly. She closed the door, stored the invitation within a gap, and returned to her workbench, intending to continue her research on a new power system.
"But when exactly were Hestia and Bell kidnapped..."
Frowning, Alice found her focus on the research wavering.
Working almost on instinct, she finished sewing a new puppet and then let out a sigh. She retrieved the blue ribbon and white hair from the gap.
The two items sent with the invitation were, without a doubt, Hestia's blue ribbon and Bell's hair.
Somehow, without her noticing, the other side had managed to kidnap those two and were now using them to threaten her into attending the banquet.
Alice could more or less guess what would happen at the banquet—nothing more than an attempt to force her to join their Familia.
Truth be told, it didn't really matter if she went or not.
While they had kidnapped Hestia and Bell, her relationship with them was ultimately just transactional. Their bond wasn't that deep, though she supposed they could barely be considered friends.
Moreover, even if Alice didn't go, nothing serious would likely happen to Hestia and Bell.
Since Lili had been able to gather news about the Apollo Familia's banquet on the streets, the guests Apollo invited surely wouldn't be limited to just her; there would definitely be other gods present.
Hestia, despite having only Bell in her Familia, was still a goddess.
Apollo would not, and could not, directly harm Hestia. As for Bell, that kid didn't seem particularly special at the moment, so he probably wouldn't be targeted either.
"Whatever. I've hit a dead end with this power system research. To develop it fully, my current knowledge isn't enough. I need to study barrier magic and the Seven Luminaries magic more deeply."
"Besides, converting hydrogen-oxygen explosions for power is such a hassle. For me, it's simpler to just use it as an attack."
"I have plenty of magical power anyway, and with my [Sun and Wood - Photosynthesis] magic, as long as there's light around, my magic barely runs out. Applying that to a puppet isn't a problem either."
"See, I have been stuck in a dead end. Though the explosive power is quite impressive."
"Ah, forget it. I should go out for a bit to clear my head. Staying cooped up inside isn't doing any good."
Alice put away Hestia's ribbon and Bell's hair, stood up, and left the house.
Lili had run off, claiming she needed to prepare a dress for her.
The magic stones obtained from dungeon diving with Aiz and Lefiya, Alice had all handed over to Lili to exchange for money. Nowadays, neither Alice nor Lili was short on funds.
She just wondered if Lili actually knew her measurements.
Formal dresses required pretty precise measurements, after all.
--+--
The Apollo Familia was preparing for the banquet.
Hestia and Bell had been kidnapped by Apollo.
Lili had run off to prepare a dress for Alice.
And Alice was just wandering around.
Everyone had their own troubles, but for the city of Orario, it was all just part of an ordinary day.
In a little over a month, the Monster Feria, a festival established by the Guild's god, Ouranos, and held annually, would begin.
Compared to the Apollo Familia's banquet, next month's Monster Feria was far more captivating for everyone's attention.
Organized by the Ganesha Familia, the Monster Feria was a major festival for the entire city of Orario, exceptionally lively. While others continued their adventures as usual, the adventurers of the Ganesha Familia had already begun preparations for the event.
It was easy to spot members of the Ganesha Familia all over the streets and alleys.
Having never experienced any festival before, Alice was incredibly looking forward to the Monster Feria starting next month.
"Now that I think about it," Alice mused as she walked, chin in hand, "the Seven Luminaries magic could easily be turned into beautiful firework spell cards and sold to the Ganesha Familia."
Thump!
"Ah!" Something—or someone—crashed into the contemplating ing Alice, sending her tumbling to the ground.
"Oof! Eek? Huh?" A young woman's voice, full of confusion, sounded as if surprised by the collision.
Alice looked up, rather exasperated, at the girl dressed in a waitress uniform.
"Hey now," Alice said, "you're the one who ran into me. I'm the one who got knocked over. Why are you the one crying out in pain..?"
With her very light weight and her mind elsewhere, Alice had been easily sent flying by a solid bump from Syr, the waitress from the Hostess of Fertility.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
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