Chapter 23: "Chapter 23: How to Kidnap New Members, or Rather, How to Invite Them"
After Uranus invited Alex and Hestia into a separate room, everyone fell silent, trying to understand what had just happened. Initially, it all began as an ordinary War Game, but then events took an unexpected turn. Alexander Valdiogoad, a member of the Hestia Familia, attacked the Apollo Familia and dealt with them brutally. Those watching the screen couldn't comprehend what had provoked him so. Events unfolded so quickly that the spectators couldn't keep up. After the battle ended, Alex returned and attacked Apollo. The chief god Uranus attempted to stop him but instead invited him into a separate room for discussions. Everyone held their breath, waiting to see what would happen next.
Everyone began to speculate about what would happen next.
-"What do you think Uranus will do with that child?" one god asked.
-"I think he will severely punish him for attacking a god," said another.
-"He must punish him. If Uranus doesn't, others might start attacking gods too," another god interjected.
-"I think it's more serious than we think. If Hestia's child attacked just like that, Uranus would have stopped him immediately and not waited," said the first god.
-"What do you mean?" asked the third.
-"Uranus is the wisest and oldest god among us. That means he noticed something that others didn't," replied the first.
While the male gods argued about what would happen to Alex for attacking a god, his friends were discussing and worrying about Alex, who was in the same room with Uranus.
-"Hephaestus, what do you think Uranus will do to Alex for attacking a god?" Loki asked, approaching Hephaestus' table.
- "I don't know. Mortals haven't attacked gods in a long time, so it's unclear what the punishment will be," Hephaestus replied, shaking her head.
-"If necessary, I will try to help Alex, just as he once helped me," Hephaestus continued, touching the patch on her eye.
- "What did he do to help you that made you decide to intervene on his behalf?" Loki asked, to which Hephaestus shook her head, indicating that she couldn't answer for now.
-"I don't think Uranus will punish Alex for his attack on Apollo," came an elegant voice from behind the duo.
-"What are you doing here, Freya? I don't recall anyone inviting you," Loki said, frowning at Freya.
-"I just came to chat. It's boring standing alone while all this is happening, so I approached those I know better," Freya said, walking to the table.
-"I don't remember us being that close! And what do you mean Alex won't be punished?" Loki asked.
-"I mean he won't be punished, but Apollo most likely will be," Freya, who was already sitting at the table, said.
-"Can you answer clearly instead of speaking in riddles?" Hephaestus said, losing patience. She never liked Freya.
-"Apollo has done many things and will soon be punished for his actions. Alex's attack on Apollo just accelerated this process," Freya said, holding a glass of wine.
-"So, you knew what Apollo did and kept it a secret?" Hephaestus asked, to which Freya shook her head.
-"I only heard rumors and nothing more," Freya replied.
Before Hephaestus could continue questioning Freya about Apollo's actions, Alex, now calm, and Hestia, extremely angry, emerged from the room. The gods who knew Hestia were surprised that such a small goddess could be so angry. Everyone in the hall became even more curious about what was discussed in the room, but no one dared to approach Hestia, let alone Alex. Alex's acquaintances wanted to approach and ask him what had happened, but they didn't have the chance as Alex took Lili and Hestia and teleported away. Everyone was surprised by such magic but didn't have time to react as Uranus and a very pale Apollo, whose eyes had lost all light and who was trembling as if he could fall at any moment, walked out. Everyone couldn't understand why the previously arrogant Apollo had become like this, but their thoughts were interrupted by Uranus's words.
"After discussing with the Hestia Familia, it has been decided to change the stakes of this game, and Apollo will be permanently sent to the world of the gods and remain there without the possibility of descending," Uranus said, making it clear that this decision was final.
-"Everything that happened today in the War Game must remain in this hall. Anyone who spreads this information will be punished," Uranus continued.
-"This concludes the War Game between the Hestia and Apollo Familias. You may disperse," Uranus said, taking Apollo with him.
Everyone in the hall was at a loss to understand what had just happened and why Apollo looked so defeated. He was simply being sent to the realm of the gods, but he looked as if he had experienced something terrible. A god hiding in the corner frowned at the failure of his plan and left the hall unnoticed, as everyone was busy discussing the situation.
"So, this situation was resolved just like that? I didn't notice Uranus being angry or reacting in any way after Alex attacked Apollo. He looked rather calm, as if he expected this," Hephaestus said.
-"Uranus is the oldest and wisest god among us, and he sees and understands more than meets the eye," Freya said, sipping her wine and glancing around the hall.
-"It doesn't matter anymore, the situation is resolved, which means Alex is safe," Loki said, standing up from the table.
-"And where are you going?" Hephaestus asked Loki, who was leaving.
-"I'm going to gather my children and head to Alex for answers. Uranus said not to spread this information to those in this hall, but he didn't say anything about Alex," Loki replied with a smile, clearly eager to know what had happened in that room.
-"Do you even know where Alex, Hestia, and Lili went after they disappeared?" Hephaestus asked.
-"They most likely returned to your home, Hephaestus. So, I'll gather my children and head there," Loki said, heading toward her familia.
-"(Sigh) As you wish, Loki. Let's go, Tsubaki, we'll return home too. Maybe we'll find Alex and the others there," Hephaestus said, standing up from the table.
-"Can I come with you?" Freya asked, looking at the two goddesses.
-"NO!" Hephaestus and Loki said simultaneously, to which Freya just smiled and shook her head, also standing up.
Hephaestus' Home...
After Alex, Hestia, and Lili returned home, they simply sat in the main hall in silence, saying nothing. Hestia continued to hug Alex, thinking he was still angry and trying to calm him down this way. Lili sat on the other side, lost in her thoughts, recalling how Alex had been when he was angry. Seeing their state, Alex decided to pat their heads to help them relax and feel reassured. After sitting in silence for a bit, Alex decided to break it.
"Why are you sitting with such sour faces?" Alex asked, looking at the two silent girls.
"What did you just say?" Hestia yelled, who had just calmed down. "Do you even understand what you did?"
"I didn't do anything special, just attacked a pathetic imitation of a god," Alex replied, spreading his arms. Hestia's eye began to twitch at his words.
"Just attacked a god? Are you kidding me? Do you understand how many problems you've created?" Hestia screamed, trying to attack Alex, waving her arms.
"Hestia, calm down, there won't be any problems. Uranus will probably take care of all these issues and prevent it from spreading," Alex said, holding Hestia by the head to keep her from attacking him.
"What do you mean Uranus will handle everything? How can a god who created these rules solve it?" Hestia continued her attempts to attack Alex.
"I mean just that. Since he created them, he can break them. And he probably knew what Apollo was up to," Alex said, continuing to restrain Hestia.
"What do you mean he knew what Apollo was doing? Then why didn't he intervene earlier?" Hestia asked, beginning to calm down.
"Uranus couldn't resolve it earlier because circumstances likely didn't allow it," Alex said.
"What circumstances?" Hestia asked. Lili, who was lost in her thoughts, snapped out of it and started listening to the conversation, as she was also curious.
"I have a couple of hypotheses, but I'm not sure if they're correct. The first possibility is that he knew what Apollo was doing but didn't have any proof," Alex said.
"And the second?" Lili asked, nodding at Alex's words.
"The second possibility is that Uranus is limited in his ability to act. You've noticed that gods can freely travel in the mortal world, right?" Alex asked, to which Hestia nodded. "That means Uranus is tied to this place, specifically to the dungeon, and can't take action without preparation."
"What do you mean Uranus is tied to the dungeon?" Hestia asked, not understanding what Alex was getting at.
"Literally. Uranus is restricted in his freedom of action; he literally limits the dungeon by binding himself to it," Alex said, seeing that Hestia still didn't understand. "Hestia, listen carefully. If Uranus didn't restrict the dungeon, monsters would be constantly escaping from it. The monsters that live on the lower floors would have long since roamed the world, causing chaos."
"Are you saying that as long as Uranus restrains the dungeon, everything will be fine?" Hestia asked skeptically.
"Sort of. When gods descend to the mortal world, they limit themselves to live among people using 'Arcanum,' and in turn, Uranus uses the dungeon to restrain his power and vice versa. In other words, without Uranus, things would be bad," Alex concluded, to which Hestia nodded, indicating that she understood.
"Alright, I still have some things to finish, and then we can go to sleep," Alex said, getting up from the couch.
"Are you going to kill Apollo?" Hestia screamed, thinking that Alex went to finish what he started, which alarmed even Lili.
"What are you talking about, silly," Alex said, knocking Hestia on the forehead. "I'm going to recruit new family members."
"Alright, I'll be back soon," Alex said, using teleportation.
In a random inn...
In one of the inns of Orario, where adventurers stay, two girls sat, finally able to catch their breath and calm down, realizing they had avoided a terrible fate. Once they calmed down, they decided to talk about what to do next.
"Cassandra, are you sure we're no longer in danger?" Daphne asked, still remembering those cold eyes that looked at her.
"Yes, Daphne, everything has been resolved, and the Demon King won't be pursuing us since we weren't at fault in this situation," Cassandra replied, holding her favorite pillow in her hands.
"If we're not in danger, what are we going to do next?" Daphne asked.
"First, we'll sleep, and then we'll look for a new family to join," Cassandra said, already preparing for bed.
"Then why not join the Hestia Familia?" another voice in the room asked.
"I don't want to join the Hestia Familia because that Demon King is there," Cassandra replied without thinking, not noticing the new voice in the room.
"Demon King, you say? No one's ever called me that before," the voice said.
"You-you-you... what are you doing here?" Cassandra said fearfully, realizing there was someone else in the room.
"Did you come to finish what you started? Did you come to eliminate the remaining members of the Apollo Familia? But we're no longer members of the Apollo Familia!" Daphne said, grabbing her sword.
"No need for aggression. I'm here to kidnap you two into the Hestia Familia. Or rather, to invite you," Alex said, stepping out from the dark corner.
"Why should we believe you? And did you just say 'kidnap'?" Daphne said, holding her weapon at the ready and shielding Cassandra.
"If I wanted to harm you, I would've done it long ago and wouldn't have waited for you to talk and get ready for bed," Alex replied, walking over to a chair and sitting down.
"Can we refuse?" Cassandra asked quietly, still afraid of Alex.
"Well, that's a complicated question," Alex said, looking at Cassandra with a smile.
"What does that mean?" Daphne asked loudly.
"No need to shout; you'll wake the neighbors. It means that I am kidnapping you, and you have no choice," Alex said, making it clear they had no option, causing their faces to sour.
"Since the matter is settled, we're off to the Hestia Familia," Alex said, not giving the girls a chance to react, and used teleportation.
"WAIT!" Daphne managed to shout before the light enveloped her.
Hephaestus Mansion...
After Alex went off to recruit new members, Hestia and Lili sat on the couch, full of confusion. He had been all grumpy and angry before, and now he went off to kidnap some girls to join the Hestia Familia. Hestia still didn't understand what was happening: today's events were piling up one after another, and she couldn't keep up. While Hestia and Lili were deep in thought, Hephaestus returned home, bringing the Loki group with her.
"Shorty, where's Alex?" Loki shouted, not giving Hephaestus a chance to speak.
"What are you doing here, Loki? You're not welcome," Hestia said as soon as she saw Loki.
"I thought we had become friends by now? How can you treat me like this, Hestia?" Loki said, ignoring Hestia's tone.
"I'll ask again: why are you here, Loki?" Hestia said in a harsh tone, clearly not in the mood for jokes.
"I'm here, like everyone else, concerned about Alex, that's why I came," Loki said, eliciting nods from the group.
"Alex isn't here right now. He left," Hestia made it clear that Alex was not at home.
"Where did he go then? Hestia, why are you silent?" Hephaestus asked, then noticed the crooked smile on Hestia's face.
"He went to recruit new family members," Hestia said with a crooked smile.
"He went where?" Hephaestus and Loki said simultaneously.
"He said he went to recruit new members for the family, whatever that means," Hestia repeated in a weary tone. This day had been too stressful for her.
"Where did he go?" Hephaestus asked worriedly.
"I think he went to recruit two girls who were in the Apollo Familia," Lili said quietly, drawing the others' attention.
"Maybe he went to finish what he started?" Loki said, stroking her chin.
"No, I don't think so. After he came home, he was already calm and smiling like before," Hestia said, shaking her head.
Just as Hephaestus was about to speak, a bright light appeared in the room, drawing everyone's attention.
After Alex had kindly invited the two new members into his family, he immediately teleported to Hephaestus' mansion so Hestia could accept them into the family right away. Returning to the main hall, Alex noticed that instead of just Hestia and Lili, the hall was filled with people who were now looking at him. Not understanding what was happening, Alex decided to just go with the flow.
"Hey, how's it going? What brings you all here?" Alex asked, raising his hand in greeting.
"What do you mean, what brings us here? I live here, you know," Hephaestus said irritably, feeling relieved as Alex returned to his usual goofy self.
"Who are these girls, Alex?" Loki asked with a smile, seeing that he was still the same.
"I kidnapped them... I mean, I invited them to join the Hestia Familia," Alex said, correcting himself again.
"You kidnapped these two girls to join the Hestia Familia?" Hephaestus asked, putting her hand on her forehead.
"I said invited, not kidnapped – they're two different things," Alex said, spreading his arms, causing everyone in the room to twitch an eye.
"If you didn't kidnap us, then why did you bring us here by force?" Daphne asked, not believing this absurd situation.
"First of all, I made you an offer to join, and you went silent, so I took that silence as agreement," Alex said with innocent eyes, causing Daphne's teeth to grind.
"Alright, now to the important stuff. Loki, why are you here, and why did you bring Ais and Tiona with you?" Alex asked, looking at the girls next to Loki.
"Well, we were worried about you, so we came," Tiona answered for the others.
"Oh, you're so sweet, you didn't have to do that, but I'm very flattered," Alex said, starting to act silly, causing the group's mouths to twitch.
"We were worried about you, and you start acting silly. I'm going to strangle you!" Loki shouted, starting to attack Alex.
"Oh, help, I'm being murdered," Alex yelled, running away from Loki with a laugh.
"Loki, if you don't stop, I'll use my secret weapon," Alex said, stopping Loki.
"Yeah? And what will you do to me?" Loki asked with a smile, looking for an opportunity to attack.
"You made me do this. We constantly have to apply force to keep our lower jaw aligned with the upper one," Alex said, causing everyone's jaws to drop at this information.
"You scoundrel, I haven't recovered from your previous facts, and now you drop another one. Now I'm definitely going to strangle you," Loki screamed, starting the attack again.
Loki continued to chase Alex, who ran away from her with laughter, bringing joyful smiles to the group's faces. Daphne and Cassandra saw that the so-called Demon King was completely different from the person they saw on the battlefield. It was like two completely different people. Seeing everyone watching the situation with smiles, they thought it might not be so bad to join this family.
To be continued...
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
GreedHunter
GreedHunter Due to some internet issues, which seem to work any way but well, this chapter came out later than it should have. If the internet starts working properly today, there will be another chapter, so happy reading!Mua^^
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To the place I belong
West Virginia, mountain mama
Take me home, country roads)
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