"Come! Whatever trial awaits! I, Apollo, shall accept it and execute it flawlessly!"
Apollo spread his arms wide, his voice ringing out with utter confidence.
The surrounding gods grew excited at his display.
"Oh!! Apollo! Well said!"
"Magnificent! I acknowledge your manhood now!"
"Go on! And then go die quickly! Leave the enchanting Alice to us!"
At that moment, Alice raised her hand.
The banquet hall fell silent instantly.
"Then here, under the gaze of the gods, I shall commence the trial for the Apollo Familia. O gods, I ask you not to panic in the moments to come. Alice's Dream Trial is about to begin. Please guide your children well, and do not let them lose themselves within the dream."
"Now then."
A crystal card appeared in Alice's hand. With a slight squeeze, it shattered.
The resulting dust instantly spread throughout the entire banquet hall, then pushed outward, expanding until it covered the whole of the Apollo Familia's estate.
[Barrier]
[Curse of Illusion and Reality]
With Alice's declaration, every adventurer present felt a vast surge of magical power. Even those who couldn't normally sense mana felt a strange palpitation in their hearts.
As for the gods, though their divine power and majesty were sealed...
After Alice's Spell Card was activated, they were all astonished. In that moment, every god understood Alice's uniqueness, and every single one of them desired to possess her.
Their gazes upon her were filled with an intense, burning covetousness.
This peculiar ability—none of them, with their vast divine experience, had ever seen its like. So there could only be one answer.
Right then, everyone was thinking about how to seize Alice after Apollo's inevitable failure.
Yes.
Though Alice's method had just begun, all the gods were certain: Apollo would fail this trial.
After all, this was a power from another world.
Once more, Alice's voice sounded. "O gods, please guard your children. Do not let them be lost."
Hearing Alice's words, all the gods noticed their own children's eyes beginning to glaze over, as if influenced by some hypnotic magic.
Immediately after, the consciousness of the gods themselves was also pulled into a dream-like space.
And so, once again, the gods' desire to possess Alice grew even stronger.
--+--
Outside the Apollo Familia estate, Lili, along with a group of Hermes Familia adventurers, had formed a perimeter around the manor.
Before each of them floated a doll.
Each doll radiated a powerful magical pulse, and the energy from all the dolls was now interconnected.
Hourai floated at the very apex of the Apollo Familia manor.
With Hourai at the center, a triangular, pale golden tetrahedron enveloped the entire Apollo Familia estate.
"Incredible... So this is your master, little Pallum? This is amazing. Just this barrier alone could probably withstand a full-power assault from a Level 3 adventurer. Not to mention it seems to have other special properties too."
A canine girl gently tapped the tetrahedral barrier formed by the dolls with her gloved hand.
"Miss Lulune..." Lili knew who this canine girl was.
Or rather, because of this cooperation, Lili had made sure to memorize all the Hermes Familia members who showed up.
"Mhm~ That's me~" Lulune seemed exceptionally cheerful.
Lili, however, didn't seem to share her sunny disposition.
Seeing this, Lulune laughed heartily and gave Lili a firm slap on the shoulder. "Relax, little Pallum! Anyone who can deploy such a powerful barrier using just dolls—that Alice person is definitely not someone the puny Apollo Familia can handle."
"Their strongest member is their Level 3 captain. This barrier alone can defend against a Level 3's attacks, so there's absolutely nothing to worry about."
Lili weathered the slap with a sweatdrop, then said wearily, "Miss Lulune, that hurts. And just call me Lili."
"Ahaha~ Sorry, sorry! I'm not always great with my strength," Lulune said with a laugh.
"But really, don't worry. Asfi and Lord Hermes told us to help you. If they weren't absolutely certain of victory, Asfi would never have agreed."
"So, just like I trust Asfi, you should trust your master."
It had to be said, Lulune's comfort did make Lili feel a bit more at ease.
"I hope so."
--+--
Plains.
An endless plain, a beautiful river gurgling gently—a sight unseen in Orario.
Commonplace, yet beautiful.
An illusion.
All the gods, including Apollo, the target of this illusion, saw through its nature instantly.
Then, all the gods except for Apollo suddenly found themselves in a vast, dimly lit room. They were seated row upon row in comfortable sofas, their own familia children to their right, and other familia's children to their left.
And Apollo appeared on a giant screen up front.
Then, Alice's voice emerged.
"And now, gods, please enjoy Alice's Puppet Play. A story from another world. The story of a flower called the hyacinth. A story between a god and a mortal. A sorrowful tale."
Alice's voice was soft and beautiful, soothing, making even the gods unconsciously immerse themselves in the story her voice painted, watching the Apollo on the screen intently.
--+--
In contrast to the gods who were here to watch a show, Apollo was directly inside the illusion.
Within it, Apollo found himself in a temple, a laurel wreath upon his head, holding a lyre in his arms.
"Where is this?" Apollo looked around, confused.
As a god, he knew clearly this was an illusion, but even knowing that, with his divine power sealed, he had no means of escape.
And also...
"This place... feels rather pleasant, actually." A happy expression appeared on Apollo's face.
"And a lyre, crafted by Hermes himself... how long has it been since I've played one? Is this a gift from you, my dear Alice? If so, I shall accept it gladly."
Apollo strummed the strings of the lyre in his arms, and a melodious sound instantly rang out.
But soon after, Apollo frowned.
"Even though it's an instrument I haven't touched in so long... even though I was just so happy... why do I suddenly feel so weary of it? Is this also an effect of this illusion..?"
A smirk played on Apollo's lips. Following the feeling in his heart, he walked out of the temple.
--+--
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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