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Chapter 11: The Underground Denatus — A Sanctuary for Degenerates
The world knows of the Denatus—the formal, dignified assembly where the Gods of Orario gather to discuss the shifting tides of the Dungeon and bestow titles upon their children. But beneath the veneer of divine grace lies a darker, more frantic secret: the Underground Denatus.
This was not a hall of marble and light, but a subterranean vault thick with the scent of cheap wine, stale smoke, and the heavy, humid atmosphere of men who had long ago traded their dignity for their desires. Here, the male Gods of the lower world met in secret. Theoretically, it was a forum for "valuable information exchange," but lately, the air had been filled with nothing but the sounds of screeching chairs and the rhythmic thud of divine fists meeting divine jaws.
"You're blind! Utterly blind!" one God roared, slamming his goblet onto a scarred wooden table. "The pinnacle of intimacy for Bell-kyun is clearly with the waitresses at the pub! It's the 'hiding in plain sight' trope!"
"Tch! A commoner's taste!" another countered, his eyes bloodshot with passion. "The 'Shameless Wedding' volume was a masterpiece of moe, I'll grant you that, but nothing—absolutely nothing—surpasses the raw, suggestive charm of a tiny Pallum supporter. The way she looks at him from under those bangs? That's where the real 'civilization' is!"
"Idiots! All of you!" A third God stood up, his voice cracking with religious fervor. "The mysterious, fox-like allure of that Renard girl—she is lover, mother, and mistress all in one! That intoxicating scent is the ultimate masculine fantasy! It is the hill I will die on!"
In the Underground Denatus, baring one's primal lusts was the only law. For weeks, the agenda had been hijacked by a single, world-altering phenomenon: the "Bell-kun Erotica" currently flooding the Pleasure District. These weren't just books; they were battlegrounds. Discussions on the "ultimate pairing" for Orario's rising star often devolved from civil debate into full-blown riots.
"That's enough. Any more of this and we'll just be repeating the transcript from last week".
"THE CHAIRMAN!" the Gods shouted in unison, their voices filled with a mix of awe and desperation.
Hermes stepped into the flickering torchlight. He didn't hold a higher rank than the others, but as the one who had discovered the "Scriptures" first and organized these secret sessions, he was worshipped as the group's spiritual leader. He adjusted his hat, his expression that of a man who held the keys to the kingdom.
"I hear your pleas, brothers! I share your hunger!" Hermes proclaimed, holding a volume featuring Bell and the Sword Princess high toward the rafters. "This work is a miracle! It captures Bell-kun's virgin purity while meticulously detailing the charms of every woman in his orbit. Frankly, I have nothing but the deepest gratitude for this author!"
The vault erupted.
"Onee-shota is the path to enlightenment!"
"I want the Pallum girl to 'Yoshi-Yoshi' me after I'm done with work!"
"Let the Fox-girl be my mother!"
"Now, a question for the assembly!" Hermes' voice cut through the madness. "Is there a man among you—no, a God among you—willing to pledge his divinity to protect the one who created our Bible?"
The room went silent. The Gods looked at each other, the weight of the question sinking in. Hermes then leaned forward, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper as he described the recent "catastrophe" within the Freya Familia—specifically, the "Vana" Allen Fromel's total psychological break. While the details were still a secret to the public, Hermes' intelligence network had provided him with a front-row seat to the carnage.
"At this rate," Hermes warned, "our gifted author will be snuffed out before we see the next volume. Can we, as the guardians of romance, stand by and watch this light be extinguished?"
The response was a literal roar of defiance. The male Gods stood as one, fists thrust into the air, united by a singular, degenerate mission: protect the author.
"I haven't seen the 'domestic bliss' volume with the supporter yet! I won't let it end!"
"I demand the Amazonian sisters 'Rough-and-Tumble' special! It is a divine necessity!"
"The Guild receptionist and the 'Private Tutoring' session..." one God whispered, his face flushing. "When I first saw it... it was... how do I say... vulgar... but... I've never been so inspired..."
"My brain was charred by the 'Adult Training' volume with the Sword Princess! I've been ruined for anything else!"
"Seeing that refined Elf waitress in a wedding dress has become the sole compass of my divine existence! I must see the conclusion!"
"The Fox-girl's mature allure... the way the Rabbit devours her in his 'Heat Phase'... we need more 'Gods-Only' restricted play!"
They shouted until their throats were raw, gossiping about which books were hidden in their children's rooms and laughing about how Bell's "growth" was starting to look remarkably like Zeus's old habits.
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"Well, that's one layer of insurance. I wonder if it'll actually hold up against a Level 6 cat on a rampage?"
Hermes stepped away from the heat of the crowd, his mind already spinning through the logistics of his defense force. The Ogma Familia—led by Mord, who already had a 'history' with Bell's initiation into the dark side of the city—would be his front line. However, the Magni and Modi Familias were a wild card. While the Gods were fans, their subordinates who worshipped the 'Goddess of the Counter' Eina Tulle might turn into a lynch mob if they felt the books were too disrespectful to their crush.
I still can't get over it, Hermes thought, glancing at the book in his hand.
The medium of "manga" was a revelation. The paneling, the composition, the pacing—it was as if someone had taken centuries of artistic evolution and condensed it into a single format. It was a technical marvel that didn't belong in this era. When he had looked into the author's background, he was shocked to find they belonged to a Goddess who made Hestia look like a workaholic.
"This child built this from nothing," he whispered, his heart thumping with the excitement of a true Pioneer. "This is the true 'Unknown' of the lower world". For a God who had seen everything, this was the ultimate drug.
"Besides," Hermes chuckled, a mischievous glint in his eye, "they say 'Heroes love beauty'. I've always wanted to teach Bell-kun the finer points of romance. Perhaps this is the perfect textbook—even if it's a bit more 'advanced' than what Zeus had in mind".
Hermes' face was a mask of pure, unadulterated mischief—the look of a God who had finally found a game worth playing.
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