Chương 28: "Chapter 28: Thanatos's Acting Skills and Freya's Invitation"
In the evening, after Alex left the "Hostess of Fertility," the members of the Loki familia also gathered and went home, needing to rest after the raid and calm Loki, who at any moment could start babbling nonsense and end up spilling something that could cause problems. Upon arriving at their mansion, the Loki familia dispersed to their rooms to take a shower and rest. Only the familia's captain, Finn, stayed behind to tell Loki what had happened in the dungeon and whose corpse they had sent to the Guild to determine which familia it belonged to. Alex hadn't revealed much information about the situation, but Finn understood enough to realize that trouble awaited them in the future.
— Well, Finn, tell me what happened in the dungeon and why Alex asked us to keep quiet about this situation? — Loki asked, approaching the bar and grabbing a bottle of alcohol.
— I'll explain everything in order so you don't get confused, Loki-sama, — Finn said. Hearing his words, Loki nodded, signaling him to continue.
— When we were returning from the raid, we encountered a new type of monster. It had black veins running through its body and red eyes, — Finn continued.
— And what kind of monster was it? — Loki asked, pouring herself another glass of alcohol.
— It was an Orc. It was stronger and faster than its kin, and most importantly, its power was equivalent to level 4 monsters, which is unusual for those floors, — Finn said, describing the monster and what he had noticed.
— Are you saying there was a level 4 monster on the upper floors? — Loki asked, spitting out her drink.
— That's right, Loki-sama. When our group decided to kill this monster, it managed to evade our attacks. It seemed to have the intelligence to realize the situation wasn't in its favor and escaped to the upper floors. Thankfully, it didn't encounter anyone except Alex's group along the way, — Finn explained.
— And what happened after you chased the monster? — Loki asked, hesitating to pour herself more alcohol.
— After the monster escaped, we decided to catch up to it and eliminate it to prevent it from causing more problems. But the monster reached the 10th floor, where it was killed by Alex, — Finn said with a wry smile.
— Are you saying that this monster managed to escape from a group of at least level 4 adventurers and reached the 10th floor, and if it weren't for Alex, the monster could have escaped the dungeon and caused a lot of chaos? — Loki summarized.
— That's correct, Loki-sama. And the monster didn't turn to ash after death; its body remained intact, so we were able to send it to the Guild, — Finn added, pointing out the peculiarities of the situation.
— I don't like this situation. If there are more monsters like this, it's going to be a huge problem, — Loki said, thinking seriously.
— What about the corpse of the adventurer you were carrying with you? — Loki asked, still thinking about the new type of monster.
— We found this adventurer on the 5th floor. According to Alex, this adventurer wanted to attack his group to eliminate them for his master, — Finn replied.
— But you said this adventurer died at the hands of the monster, — Loki said, surprised, not understanding why her familia members gave her different information.
— We reported that to the Guild because, according to Alex, this adventurer was responsible for why the monster turned out the way it did, — Finn explained.
— So, you're saying that we possibly have a group capable of creating unusual monsters that are stronger, smarter, and faster than their kin, and that they could escape from the dungeon? — Loki asked, realizing the scale of the problem.
— Do you have any suspicions about who might be behind this? — Loki asked, hoping Finn had some information.
— Unfortunately, no, Loki-sama. Alex said he would go to the Guild tomorrow and wait there for the god who comes to claim the corpse to cover up the situation, — Finn said with a wry smile, as he hadn't thought of that possibility at the time.
— Who do you think it could be? Maybe it's the remnants of "Evilus" or someone else? — Loki asked, considering the options.
— I don't think it's "Evilus" because they were exiled. It could be a new group trying to imitate them or seeking revenge. We don't have enough information to draw conclusions yet, — Finn shook his head.
— So, what should we do in this situation, Loki-sama? — Finn asked.
— For now, we won't take any action. As you said, we have too little information. We'll wait for their next moves and address them as they come, — Loki said, thinking aloud.
— Then, should we look for allies to deal with this problem? — Finn suggested.
— We can't know who might be part of this group, so we need to be cautious. The only allies we have for sure are Hephaestus and Hestia, — Loki replied, understanding that something bad was about to happen, probably worse than "Evilus."
— So what will we do, Loki-sama? — Finn asked, to know what to prepare for.
— We wait for now. Alex said he would go to the Guild tomorrow to wait for the god who comes to cover up the matter. Then we will have our first suspect, and from there, we will start looking for his accomplices, — Loki answered after thinking.
— Then I'll go to the other familia members who were present at the time and ask them not to spread this information, — Finn said, heading off to the other group members.
After Finn left, Loki immersed herself in thought. She didn't like where this was heading. She had had enough of the problems caused by "Evilus," and now there was another group that could consist of both gods and adventurers angry at the gods. Loki understood that new problems were brewing, and she didn't want a repeat of the tragedy where many adventurers and gods perished and returned to the heavens. Loki continued to think and no longer wanted to drink in such a situation. She needed to wait for news from Alex to seek potential allies. Sighing, Loki decided to go rest and leave these problems to her future self.
The next morning, when Alex woke up, he realized he was in a very uncomfortable position. Hestia was hugging him like a pillow and didn't want to let go. Alex decided to free himself from this situation, understanding that Hestia might sleep for a long time. After escaping the goddess's grip, he decided to wake her up, as they needed to discuss the current situation and possible threats. With some difficulty, he woke Hestia and headed to the dining hall to talk to everyone.
— Good morning, everyone, — Alex said, entering the dining hall where Tsubaki and Hephaestus were already seated.
— Where are those three? Don't they usually wake up early for training? — Alex asked, looking around.
— Didn't you bring back those three who got drunk and passed out last night? Now they're sleeping soundly! — Tsubaki replied, understanding that the girls had drunk too much and now couldn't be woken up.
— Alright, I won't wake them up, let them rest. They had a tough time in the dungeon yesterday, — Alex said, recalling what the girls went through.
— How long are you going to stay in the form of a child? — Tsubaki asked, approaching Alex.
— I'm fine with it for now. I'm still getting used to this height, — Alex said, feeling himself being lifted again.
— Hephaestus, why did you pick me up again? — Alex asked, turning to the red-haired goddess.
— I just feel like it, — Hephaestus replied, heading toward the table.
— Fine, it's not like I mind. When Hestia arrives, we need to discuss something, — Alex said, now sitting on Hephaestus's lap.
— What exactly do you want to talk about? — Tsubaki asked, realizing she missed the chance to have Alex sit on her lap.
— I'll explain everything when Hestia gets here, — Alex replied, starting to eat breakfast.
— What do you want to talk about when I get here? — a sleepy Hestia asked, entering the room.
— Unfortunately, there's an idiot or a group of idiots who think they're villains and want to cause trouble, — Alex began, explaining everything that happened in the dungeon and about the monster.
"Are you saying that there's a group of gods or adventurers who want to create chaos and have already succeeded in creating a strange monster?" Hephaestus asked after Alex recounted the events in the dungeon.
"As for the adventurers, I'm not sure, but that gods are involved — 100%. From what I've learned since being here, it's clear that gods get incredibly bored, and they'll do a lot to alleviate their boredom, hiding behind ridiculous excuses," Alex said.
"You're right about that. But what are we going to do about this situation?" Tsubaki asked, curious about their course of action.
"For now, nothing. We'll pretend we haven't noticed anything so that these rats make a mistake and reveal themselves. Then we'll act," Alex explained his plan.
"So, we're just waiting for them to make a mistake?" Hephaestus asked, unhappy with the idea of waiting, as innocent people might get hurt.
"We won't have to wait long. Later, I'll go to the guild to wait for the god who comes for their dead adventurer. Then we'll know at least one suspected member of this group," Alex assured, confident in his plan.
"Are you not afraid that this adventurer was just used and that the god knows nothing about it?" Tsubaki asked.
"No, I don't think so. This adventurer spoke about his master, and it's most likely his god. We just need to wait and then investigate this god and everyone connected to him. Or it could give them the opportunity to make him a scapegoat, while the others go into hiding for a while," Alex concluded.
"Then we have to wait for the information you get at the guild," Hephaestus said with a sigh, realizing there were no other options at the moment.
After the discussion, everyone lost their appetite. They understood that problems were brewing again. They didn't know who the enemy was, how many people were in this villainous group, or who was conspiring with them. There were too many unknowns. Why didn't Alex just use his magic to find the villains? The answer was simple: if he did that, where would be the fun in the hero facing the villain and winning? Alex wanted to feel what other heroes experienced when confronting enemies. He decided to face these villains as they appeared, to completely destroy their plans, and to show other such idiots that there was no point in trying anything — all their plans would be foiled.
After finishing breakfast, Alex decided to head to the guild and observe which god would come. He was sure it would be a god associated with a negative aspect, and he already had a few guesses about which gods might be semi-villains in this situation.
Guild Hall
Upon arriving at the Guild Hall, the first thing Alex decided to do was gather information about the monster and the dead adventurer. However, he understood that such information wouldn't be easily disclosed, so he needed someone to help him in this situation. Searching for his target, Alex found her — Eina, his cute half-elf advisor. Approaching the counter where Eina was working, he wanted to say hello but was interrupted.
"Hey there, little one! What are you doing here? Lost? Need help finding your family?" Eina began asking questions. Alex's eye started to twitch from all these questions.
"Why are you silent? Shy? No need to be shy; big sister will help you," Eina continued with a kind smile.
"Eina, it's me," Alex said, interrupting the endless stream of questions.
"Little one, I don't know you, but you look very much like my friend. Could you be his brother looking for him?" Eina said, noticing that the child in front of her looked very familiar.
"Eina, this isn't funny anymore! It's me, Alex," Alex said, his eye twitching more from the situation. He still couldn't understand why his acquaintances couldn't recognize him.
"ALEX! How can it be you? Why are you a child? Were you cursed?" Eina started asking questions, and her shout drew the attention of everyone in the room.
"No, I wasn't cursed. It's just age-altering magic," Alex replied, already tired of explaining what had happened to him.
"But why did you use that spell? You're so small now, can I hug you?" Eina started asking questions again, approaching Alex and squatting down so their eyes met.
"As you wish, I'm used to it by now. But we need a place where we can talk without any eavesdroppers," Alex said. Eina smiled happily, picked him up, and went to a consultation room.
"So, what do you want to know?" Eina asked once Alex was seated on her lap.
"Does the Guild have any information about the monster and the dead adventurer?" Alex asked, getting straight to the point.
"Why do you need that information?" Eina asked skeptically, not understanding why Alex needed it.
"I'm just curious, and I was the one who killed that monster yesterday," Alex said, spreading his hands.
"If you killed it, why did the Loki Familia file the report?" Eina asked, squinting her eyes.
"Because it had to be that way," Alex replied, not wanting to go into details.
"If you don't tell me why, I won't tell you which familia the adventurer belonged to," Eina said, adjusting her glasses and looking at Alex.
"If you don't tell me, I'll find out anyway. That god will have to come here to retrieve the adventurer's body," Alex said with a smug smile, causing Eina's glasses to slide down her nose.
"You still have to tell me, or I won't let you go," Eina said, threatening another way.
"I can't tell you everything right now because I'm not sure about many things myself. Just know that this dead adventurer is involved in the situation, and it's better if you don't tell anyone about this to avoid putting yourself in danger," Alex said, making it clear that the situation was delicate.
"Do you suspect that a god might be involved in this?" Eina asked, to which Alex nodded.
"The adventurer belonged to the familia of Thanatos. Yesterday, he was informed that the Loki Familia brought the body of his familia member to the Guild and requested to identify him," Eina shared what she had learned that morning.
"Alright, then I'll sit in the hall and wait for Thanatos to see what he does and how he reacts," Alex said, jumping off Eina's lap and heading to the door.
"You're not going to put yourself in danger, are you?" Eina asked, concerned for Alex.
"Don't worry, Eina. I'm much stronger than you can imagine. Better yet, take this. This bracelet will protect you in case of danger," Alex said, already by the door, tossing Eina a magical bracelet for her protection.
Seeing the bracelet, Eina looked at it suspiciously and wanted to ask more questions, but Alex had already stepped into the hall. Shrugging, Eina put on the bracelet and returned to her work. When she entered the hall, she noticed Alex had taken a seat on an empty sofa, waiting for Thanatos to arrive. Alex sat and pondered what Thanatos would do when he arrived. While he was lost in thought, adventurers took note of the unfamiliar child sitting in the hall, but no one dared to approach, as rumors began to spread that this child was the son of the Sword Princess and the Demon King. No one wanted to mess with the child of such a pair.
After sitting for some time, Alex finally saw one of the suspected culprits in the situation with the monster and the dead adventurer. He noticed Thanatos entering the hall and heading straight for the Guild's deputy. Thanatos was a tall man with long, smooth dark purple hair and eyes. He wore a long, tattered black robe with gray patterns and purple edges. His entire appearance screamed "villain." Alex understood that only villains would wear such an outfit, making it obvious they were villains. As Alex watched Thanatos with a smile, Thanatos turned around, and their eyes met. Alex's smile widened. He waited to see what Thanatos would do: cause trouble or silently take the body and leave the Guild. While Alex pondered Thanatos's next move, Thanatos had already begun speaking with the Guild's deputy.
"I was called and told that an adventurer from my familia was found dead in the dungeon," Thanatos said in a calm tone.
"That's correct. We called you because this situation is a bit unusual," replied the guild deputy, Rehmer.
"And what is so unusual about this situation that it required calling me?" Thanatos asked upon hearing Rehmer's words.
"Your familia member died from a strange monster that was eliminated by members of the Loki Familia, who then brought the monster's body and your adventurer's body to the Guild," Rehmer explained.
"And what kind of strange monster killed my familia member?" Thanatos asked, pretending not to understand what had happened.
"We don't know what happened with the monster, but after it was killed, its body did not dissipate but remained intact and was brought to the Guild," said Rehmer, who himself did not understand what was wrong with the monster.
"So you're telling me a strange monster appeared, attacked my familia member, and killed him, and the Guild has no information about it?" Thanatos said, feigning anger.
"Unfortunately, the Guild does not have any information on this matter at the moment, and we are still investigating the case. The appearance of this monster may be an isolated incident," Rehmer responded calmly, as he had faced an angry god before and knew how to handle such situations.
"Then when will the Guild investigate this incident?" Thanatos asked, continuing to pretend to be angry.
"We will do everything possible to find out what happened with this monster and provide you with all the information once the investigation is complete," Rehmer replied in an official tone.
While Thanatos pretended to be angry and sought information from the Guild, Rehmer maintained his official tone to calm the god down. Alex observed the situation and could barely contain his laughter. Thanatos played his role so well that Alex wanted to give him an "Oscar" for the best portrayal of a concerned god. Alex did not wait to see if Thanatos would accuse the Loki Familia of not saving his family member. After finishing his dispute, Thanatos left the Guild with a "angry" expression and went home. Alex realized there was no need to stay at the Guild any longer and decided to go home to report what he had learned after Thanatos's performance. Saying goodbye to Eina, Alex went to his usual empty alley and was about to teleport home.
"How long are you going to keep hiding? The last person who did that got hit by my spear," Alex said, summoning Chastifol and pointing it towards the roof. After his words, a figure dressed entirely in black with cat ears leaped down from the roof.
"And who might you be? Planning to teach me a lesson for attacking a god?" Alex said, aiming his spear at the cat-boy.
"No, I was sent by my mistress to invite you," the cat-boy replied in a monotone voice.
"And who is your mistress? Were you not taught to reveal details when inviting someone? Am I supposed to know who your mistress is right away?" Alex said with a sarcastic tone.
"My mistress is the goddess Freya," the cat-boy continued.
"Well, why should I go to her?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow.
"My mistress asked me to invite you, and you will go to her even if I have to bring you by force," the cat-boy said threateningly.
"You're amusing! Aren't you afraid of becoming a pincushion with your words?" Alex asked, transforming Chastifol into its fifth form.
"It doesn't matter. I will do what Mistress Freya commanded," the cat-boy said, preparing for an attack.
"Alright, I won't kill you. I'm curious about what Freya wants from me," Alex said, returning Chastifol to its cushion form. At his words, the cat-boy was stunned and couldn't understand what had happened.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Show me the way, or will we stand here in this alley all day staring at each other?" Alex said, looking at the cat-boy, who was now in a daze.
The cat-boy snapped out of his daze and decided to show the way. Shrugging, Alex followed him, flying on his cushion and wondering what Freya wanted from him.
To be continued...
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GreedHunter
GreedHunter It was supposed to be about how I complain about machine translation and other little things, but I’m too lazy to do that, so just enjoy the chapter. Enjoy reading.
(What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays?
You're the pretender
What if I say I will never surrender?
What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays?
You're the pretender
What if I say I will never surrender?)
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