Bab 26: Center of Attention
If an ordinary person were to visit Orario for the first time, they would likely be impressed and awestruck by the grandeur and bustle of the city.
Elf, Dwarves, Pallums, humans, Demi-Humans, and even gods could be seen walking amidst the crowd.
But Charlie was different. For him, the most impressive thing was seeing various races that only existed in fictional works now standing before him.
As a modern person, he was not at all impressed with the architecture of Orario, which he found primitive compared to modern civilization.
Even Babel Tower, the iconic symbol of Orario, seemed ordinary to him.
"You don't seem surprised. Usually, people show a reaction of astonishment when admiring the beauty of Orario."
Not seeing the expected reaction from him, Aphrodite was slightly disappointed. She wanted to mock him as a country bumpkin seeing the world for the first time.
"Menel City is indeed nothing compared to Orario. But I've seen more remarkable places."
"Impossible! Orario is the center of the world! Most of the gods have established their Familias here, making Orario their playground."
Aphrodite refused to believe Charlie's claim. Before establishing her Familia, she had traveled the world and visited many places. She was certain there was no place better than Orario.
"I'm not lying."
Charlie gave a simple answer as usual.
Given the gods' ability to detect lies, Aphrodite should have realized he wasn't lying.
"You have to take me to that place!" Aphrodite clung tightly to Charlie's arm, staring at him with sparkling eyes.
"Goddess Aphrodite, please keep your distance. Aren't you embarrassed being seen like this?"
"Not at all."
"But I am!"
Charlie pulled his hand back and gently pushed Aphrodite away.
Since they had passed through the city gate, he had felt the gaze of everyone around them focused on them—more precisely, on Aphrodite beside him.
Aphrodite radiated an unparalleled aura of beauty. Every step she took drew the attention of everyone around them.
People who were going about their activities suddenly stopped and stood in awe.
Women were mesmerized, feeling envious of Aphrodite's natural beauty, while men held their breath, their hearts beating faster as they gazed at the Goddess of Beauty.
One adventurer even almost stumbled at the sight. His face flushed, his heart raced, and for a moment, he forgot his purpose for heading to the guild.
"Look, everyone has fallen under my charm! Now you know how amazing I am, right? Look at the men staring at you with envy, wishing they could be in your place beside me." Aphrodite boasted.
"I can feel it."
From the beginning, Charlie hadn't expected to keep a low profile.
First, he was a member of Hera Familia, which had once been the strongest Familia in Orario alongside Zeus Familia. It was impossible for him to hide this information from other Familias because he had to register at the Adventurer Guild.
Second, Hera had asked Aphrodite to look after him. Naturally, this would attract significant attention, especially from other gods who were curious about him.
The combination of these two factors made it impossible for Charlie to remain low-profile, even if he wanted to!
There would undoubtedly be many challenges awaiting him in the future.
"You're too mature for your age." Aphrodite was not satisfied with Charlie's calm demeanor.
"I'll take that as a compliment." Charlie only smiled.
As they walked through Orario's main market, their presence quickly caught the attention of the residents. Rumors began to spread among the townsfolk, and people stopped their activities to witness this rare sight.
At a fruit stall, a normally talkative vendor fell silent.
"That's... Aphrodite-sama, isn't it? This is the first time I've seen the Goddess of Beauty... She's even more beautiful than the rumors describe." He whispered, his eyes wide with astonishment.
A customer who was picking out apples also took notice.
"Oh my... Who is that young man who seems so familiar with Aphrodite-sama?! I'm so jealous!!! If I could receive such attention, I wouldn't mind losing ten years of my life."
The man still couldn't believe what he was seeing.
Nearby, a group of women who were shopping were also captivated by Aphrodite's appearance.
"I've never seen beauty like that in my entire life. If only I had a fraction of her beauty, my husband wouldn't secretly visit the red-light district."
One of them said, her voice full of admiration and self-doubt.
"How can someone be so perfect?" Another woman commented.
Accustomed to hearing such praises, Aphrodite ignored the admiration of the crowd and gave Charlie a brief explanation about Orario.
"Orario used to be just a small town, and adventurers were known as mercenaries, with Hero Albert as their leader. They killed the monsters that appeared on the surface until one day, the Black Dragon came. Albert, with his best attack, took its eye, and the Black Dragon fled north after Albert's death. Ouranos descended and founded the Guild, creating the first Familia. Zeus and Hera, along with other gods, began their Familias. For a thousand years, Zeus and Hera protected the city until they were defeated by the One-Eyed Black Dragon."
Pausing for a moment, Aphrodite observed him.
"Sigh... Even the Strongest Hero and the strongest Familia failed to defeat the One-Eyed Black Dragon. Just how powerful is that monster..." Charlie muttered and sighing.
He deeply respected those who sacrificed their lives to protect the world's peace. Once, he had been one of them, but eventually, he became a villain.
"Orario has eight main roads called the main streets. These main streets radiate from the center of the city, stretching in eight directions to the great city wall that surrounds Orario. People distinguish the main streets based on their direction. For instance, since we entered through the west gate, the street ahead is the West Main Street."
"First, you need to register at the Guild. If adventurers don't register, they can't legally sell the magic stones and drop items they obtain in the Dungeon."
"It's up to you, Goddess Aphrodite."
Feeling there was nothing wrong, Charlie followed Aphrodite's decision.
Wherever the two passed, whether human or Demi-Human, they would stare at Aphrodite, unable to look away.
"Oh, it's unusual to see you out in public, Aphrodite."
A man and a woman approached.
He was a handsome man with blonde hair, emerald eyes, and dressed in a matching purple suit with a long-sleeved coat. At first glance, he gave off a friendly and kind impression. Beside him was an Elf with long black hair, wearing a white lace dress with a white coat trimmed with light blue. Unfortunately, her cold expression marred the beauty of her face.
"It's Dionysus and Filvis."
Aphrodite greeted the newcomers with a smile.
"Is he your new member?"
Dionysus glanced at Charlie, then noticed the white robe the other was wearing.
"He refused to join me." Aphrodite pouted.
"Really? Someone actually turned down an invitation from the Goddess of Beauty..."
Hearing this, Dionysus was shocked. In fact, he was doing his best to ignore Aphrodite so as not to be influenced by her charm.
"I have some business to attend to. See you, Dionysus."
"Good night, Aphrodite."
After both parties said their goodbyes, Aphrodite pulled Charlie away.
Meanwhile, Dionysus watched Charlie's figure, narrowing his eyes.
"Dionysus-sama seems to be paying attention to that human. Is there something special about him?"
Filvis, who had been silent, couldn't hold back her curiosity and asked.
"Filvis, that young man is unusual. He wasn't affected by Aphrodite's charm."
"That's impossible!"
It wasn't that Filvis doubted Dionysus, but it was hard to believe.
"Also, that young man is wearing an unusual robe. I'm afraid Orario won't be calm with his arrival."
There was a hidden meaning behind Dionysus's warm smile.
"Dionysus-sama holds him in high regard... I didn't sense anything special about him."
"Well, you'll find out soon enough. Tomorrow, he'll be the hot topic of conversation among everyone in Orario. Just wait."
"..."
Seeing that Dionysus refused to explain further, Filvis didn't ask any more questions, even though she was still curious.
Then, the two of them headed to the Dionysus Familia headquarters.
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
Takamiya_Shin
Takamiya_Shin There are two options for accessing more chapters.
1. Ko-fi: bit.ly/Candra24
2. Patre*n: https://www.patre*n.com/LoveFanfiction
-For donations from generous benefactors who are Crazy rich: paypal.me/andicand
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone