Capítulo 196: Chapter 196: Party Time (4)
[Third Person's PoV]
After Luke made his ominous declaration, Lucian and the others silently returned to where Nico and Bianca waited. The tension from their earlier confrontation still lingered like an invisible weight in the air.
Bianca's perceptive gaze swept over them, her brows furrowing at their solemn expressions. "Who was that?" she asked, her voice cutting through the quiet. Beside her, Nico mirrored her curious look, his head tilting slightly as he awaited an answer.
Lucian let out a weary sigh, running a hand through his hair. "A friend who excels at making terrible life decisions."
Nico gasped, his eyes widening. "Does he do drugs?"
"Nico!" Bianca scolded sharply, shooting him a withering look.
Lucian couldn't help but chuckle, shaking his head. "Not drugs exactly, but he's definitely addicted to bad decisions. Don't worry about him for now, though. Let's move on to the tour."
Bianca raised a skeptical eyebrow. "For now? Does that mean we'll have to worry about him later?"
Lucian's expression remained deadpan as he replied, "You sure ask a lot of questions."
Bianca crossed her arms defiantly. "I was told to come to you if I had questions. Deal with it."
Lucian sighed again, clearly resigning himself to her persistence. "Fine. Yes, you'll probably have to worry about him later. Now, come on. Let's start the tour."
Annabeth took the lead, launching into an explanation about the camp, its rules, and the cabins dedicated to the twelve Olympians. "Officially, there's no cabin for Lord Hades. The one you'll see was built unofficially—Lucian created it. While it's allowed to remain, it's not recognized as part of the Twelve."
"Huh? Why not?" Nico asked, his head tilting in confusion.
Thalia stepped in to explain. "Lord Hades isn't one of the Twelve Olympians. He rules the Underworld and doesn't concern himself with mortal affairs."
"But Poseidon's the king of the seas, and he's one of the Twelve," Nico countered, still puzzled.
Lucian spoke up, his voice calm yet firm. "It's more than just jurisdiction, Nico. The other Olympians handle matters directly tied to the mortal world. They meet as a council to make decisions affecting mortals. Our father, though? He governs the afterlife. He doesn't need to worry about the living. His only concern is what happens when they die. As far as Olympus is concerned, his opinion on mortal matters is irrelevant."
Nico's eyes widened with understanding. "Ah, I get it now. That actually makes a lot of sense."
Lucian smirked. "Not to mention, our dad is notoriously antisocial."
"Eh?" Bianca blinked, clearly caught off guard.
"He hates dealing with anyone—gods or mortals," Lucian said, his tone laced with amusement. "He'd rather stay underground, far away from the living, than waste time in Olympus attending boring meetings every week."
Bianca and Nico were about to respond when their attention was drawn to a massive obsidian statue ahead. It was unmistakably Lucian, holding a flag in a triumphant pose.
Bianca's expression twisted into one of utter disbelief. "Lucian... what the hell are we looking at?"
Lucian's smug grin widened. "Handsome, isn't he?"
Thalia and Annabeth groaned, both facepalming in unison.
"You have a statue of yourself?" Nico asked, his voice brimming with curiosity. "What did you do to earn it?"
Lucian raised a finger dramatically. "It's not about what I did, little bro. It's about what I didn't do."
"And what didn't you do?" Bianca asked, her skepticism evident.
Lucian winked, his grin turning cocky. "Lose. I haven't lost."
Thalia and Annabeth took over, explaining the camp's war games and the intense rounds of Capture the Flag that had earned Lucian his statue. By the time they finished, Nico was practically glowing with admiration for his older brother, while Bianca looked increasingly exasperated by his antics.
Their conversation was interrupted by a booming voice. "NEPHEW!"
Lucian spun on his heel, his face lighting up with unrestrained joy. "AUNTY!"
Before anyone could react, Lucian darted forward, practically teleporting to a small woman dressed in druid-like robes. The two began a rapid series of high fives, their hands moving so quickly they created afterimages. With each successful slap, they shouted, "Ho! Ho! Ho!"
Thalia and Annabeth approached, their expressions torn between amusement and disbelief. Nico and Bianca, however, stood frozen, utterly baffled by the chaotic display.
Eventually, the duo stopped, crouching down to blow on their reddened hands.
Hestia, the goddess of the hearth, glared at Lucian. "Did you get stronger or something? Why do my hands hurt?"
"Says you! You're using godly strength to keep up!" Lucian shot back, blowing on his hands. "Need I remind you I'm still mortal?"
They both dropped their pretense and smiled at one another. Hestia hooked her arm around the crouching Lucian and gave him a noogie. "Look at you now! You go away on one quest, and you come back older and stronger."
"You're still the little beanstalk, huh, little aunty?" Lucian teased.
Thalia stepped forward and bowed. "Lady Hestia."
"THAT'S HESTIA?!" Nico exclaimed in shock.
Hestia leaned to the side to get a better look at them and smiled. "Based on what I can see, you must be Hades' children."
She then turned to Thalia and smiled warmly. "I already told you to call me either Aunty or Aunt Hestia if that's too informal for you."
Hestia looked at Nico and Bianca as well. "The same applies to you two. Since you are my brother's children, you may call me Aunt Hestia or Aunty," she said, puffing out her chest proudly.
"All right, Aunty," Nico said with a smile. "I'm Nico di Angelo. You can call me Nico."
Bianca nodded politely. "I'm Bianca di Angelo. You can call me Bianca."
Hestia nodded. "It's a pleasure to meet you both."
She turned back to Lucian and pinched his cheek. "As for you, don't think I've forgotten whose birthday it is. Happy birthday, little Lucy."
Lucian, a bit embarrassed, blushed and muttered a soft "thank you."
Hestia looked at the others and smiled. "It seems you all have something to do, so I'll leave you to it."
Lucian nodded and teased her. "Don't worry, little Aunty. There's going to be a party later today, and you and I can go dancing once again."
"Ha! No way! So you can embarrass me in front of everyone again? I'm not doing it, no matter how much you beg me!" Hestia exclaimed.
"Not even because it's my birthday? You wouldn't grant me the wish of having a birthday dance with my favorite aunty?" Lucian asked, giving her puppy dog eyes.
"Ugh!" Hestia groaned as if physically attacked. "Using the birthday card is a dirty move, and you know it!"
"That's not a no~," Lucian teased.
Hestia's shoulders slumped as she let out a defeated sigh. "Fine…" she grumbled.
Lucian pumped his fist in celebration, stood up, and began 'raising the roof.' "You better warm those feet of yours, Aunty!" Lucian exclaimed as he walked away. "Because we're going to be raising the roof!"
Hestia let out a sigh and muttered, "I'm already regretting agreeing."
The others looked at her with pity before saying their goodbyes. They followed Lucian as he headed toward his cabin, still 'raising the roof' and shouting, "Whoop! Whoop!"
********************************************
+10 advance Chapters on: patreon.com/Shadow_D_Monarch3
— Un nuevo capítulo llegará pronto — Escribe una reseña
Estado de energía semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Piedra de
Poder