Bell Cranel.
He stood in the Apollo Familia's rear garden, a wooden sword gripped in his hands as he swung it repeatedly.
As a member of the Hestia Familia, both Bell himself and the familia as a whole were complete newcomers in Orario.
Like all familias, theirs only had one deity.
And he was the only member. Sure, there were other familias with just one member, like the Miach Familia, who were acquainted with Hestia.
He heard the Miach Familia was once a famous familia in Orario, though they couldn't compare to the Loki or Freya Familias.
Still, in their prime, the Miach Familia wouldn't have been much worse off than the current Apollo Familia. But then something seemed to happen, and now the Miach Familia was down to just one member too.
Though, even with only one member now, the Miach Familia was much better off than the Hestia Familia.
The Miach Familia had their own shop, and their Panacea for healing all kinds of injuries was quite popular on the market.
So, even with just one member, they were far better off than the Hestia Familia, who even had to mooch meals off others.
The Hestia Familia had pretty much nothing.
Especially after these past three days under house arrest in the Apollo Familia, where Bell witnessed what a large familia was really like, he became even more determined to ensure his goddess, Lady Hestia, could live a decent life.
Three days ago, Miss Eina from the Guild brought some divine wine to Alice's place, saying it was compensation from the Apollo Familia.
But Hestia drank all of it, so when they headed back that night, she was completely drunk.
Even though they just lived across from Alice's place.
With Hestia drunk and Bell himself still weak, the Apollo Familia members easily captured both Bell and Hestia.
Three days passed, and the night of the banquet arrived.
Even though Bell and Hestia had been brought here by force, the Apollo Familia hadn't treated them like prisoners.
In fact, these past three days, Bell and Hestia had been treated quite well within the Apollo Familia.
Hestia was kept under Apollo's personal watch, supplied with unlimited delicious food and drink every day.
If gods weren't immune to such changes, the way Hestia ate—absolutely determined to enjoy herself—would have made her gain a lot of weight.
As for Bell, he was looked after by two women, both beauties. One was Daphne, who seemed cold and short-tempered.
But Bell felt she was a good person.
The other was a woman named Cassandra. Though a bit neurotic and saying some strange things, she was also a very kind person.
These three days, these two had been taking care of him. It didn't feel like he was a kidnapped prisoner at all, more like an invited guest.
At Bell's request, Daphne had even taught him some combat techniques.
"Bell-kun, training again? You're so diligent."
"Wah!" A woman's soft, sudden voice made Bell jump. He turned to see it was Cassandra and let out a sigh of relief. "Miss Cassandra, please don't suddenly appear behind people like that. It's scary."
"Hehe..." Cassandra lowered her head, laughing sheepishly.
"The banquet in the main hall is about to start, right? Aren't you going, Miss Cassandra?" Bell looked at her curiously.
Even though their treatment these past three days had been excellent, like honored guests, Bell knew full well their current situation: they were just hostages to threaten Miss Alice.
He hated himself for causing trouble for others. If only he were stronger, he and his goddess wouldn't have been captured.
And he wouldn't be causing trouble for Miss Alice.
Hestia told him not to worry about Alice, that Alice was strong and Apollo would be the one to suffer.
Though he was still worried inside, Bell chose to believe Hestia's words, to believe that Alice could handle this situation.
So, for these three days, Bell had been pushing himself hard in training, striving to get even a little stronger. If something happened tonight, at the very least, he needed to be able to get his goddess away, to not become a burden on Miss Alice.
Once the banquet started, it would be a perfect chance to escape.
Most of the Apollo Familia would be busy with security at the banquet venue, so there were bound to be weakly defended spots somewhere in their headquarters.
Then, he could take his goddess and slip away.
However, Cassandra's next words dashed that plan.
"The banquet is starting soon. Lord Apollo asked me to bring you over as well. Lady Hestia is already at the banquet hall."
Hearing this, Bell's heart sank.
Things really weren't as simple as he'd thought.
But then, Cassandra continued, and her words left Bell stunned.
"The stars are surprisingly bright tonight. The light of the stars outshines even the sun. Under their glow, even the sun must yield, lest it be enveloped and scattered by their radiance."
Cassandra looked gently at Bell. "Bell-kun, you were the first one to believe the things I say."
"So, please, you must remember this."
"When the witch reveals her smile, you must stand with the elf. A witch's smile is more terrifying than the sun's brilliance."
--+--
Main Hall.
The atmosphere was harmonious.
Apollo hadn't made his appearance yet. Alice stood with Loki, while the other gods nearby whispered amongst themselves.
Their gazes when they looked at Alice were filled with delight and desire. Thinking about what was to come, all the gods suppressed the urge to approach and get to know Alice.
Of course, not all gods were keeping their distance.
Hermes, who knew Alice, walked over with Asfi.
"Yo~ Alice-chan~ Long time no see. And Loki, haven't seen you in a while either." Hermes greeted Alice and Loki with a smile.
Then, Hermes leaned closer to Alice and asked in a low voice.
"Alice-chan, I heard your doll shop is planning to reopen. So, do you have any of, you know, that kind... the kind, you get it~~"
A suggestive expression appeared on Hermes's face.
Upon hearing his words, Alice's expression instantly turned cold. Her look towards Hermes was one of utter disdain, as if looking at trash.
"No."
"Eh... How can that be? I'll pay five times—no! Ten times the price!" Hermes held up both hands, pleading with Alice.
Seeing this, Alice sighed. "Asfi, could you please keep your god in check a little?"
"Sorry..."
Her god's embarrassing behavior made Asfi blush. She coughed lightly, trying to recover her composure, then asked Alice, "Alice, are all your preparations complete? When do you plan to make your move?"
Hearing this, Alice's eyes narrowed slightly, a smile playing on her lips.
"No rush. Let's see how our Lord Apollo plans to deal with me first. If he doesn't go too far, I might let it slide."
--+--
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