Chapter 201
"Did you see that?"
An adventurer stared at Kiriya with wide eyes and swallowed hard.
"Yeah. That was some kind of teleportation."
The adventurer beside him looked equally serious.
"He escaped an attack from the King himself. That speed was ridiculous."
"How many more abilities is he hiding?" someone else muttered. "He’s a complete monster."
"You’re only figuring that out now?"
A nearby god scoffed, though his eyes burned with interest as he studied Kiriya.
"That child practically defines the word miracle."
"Hahaha! Now this is entertaining. Orario’s strongest adventurer against its fastest-growing rookie."
"Do you think they’ll actually fight?"
"They’d better. After a buildup like this, it would be disappointing if they didn’t."
"But the difference in level is enormous. Ottar is Level 7, while Sylvan is only... Level 3, isn’t he?"
"Stop worrying about the details and enjoy the show."
Ottar ignored the whispers spreading among the gods and adventurers.
His oppressive gaze remained fixed on Kiriya.
"You will not insult our goddess."
"Insult her? I wouldn’t dare."
Kiriya idly cleaned one ear with a finger.
"I merely stated the obvious. Using Charm on someone you’ve only just met hardly qualifies as proper hospitality."
Ottar said nothing.
He had never been fond of verbal arguments. He preferred settling disagreements through strength.
He took one step forward.
The atmosphere inside the banquet hall immediately tightened.
"Freya!"
Hestia pointed furiously at the Goddess of Beauty, who appeared perfectly content to watch events unfold.
"What is the meaning of this? You invite us here, then immediately try to steal my child? Is this how you treat your guests?"
To her surprise, Freya did not even acknowledge her.
The goddess’s full attention remained on Kiriya, her gaze lingering on his face with open fascination.
"Would you consider coming to me?"
Freya’s voice was soft and inviting.
"Join my Familia, and I’ll grant you anything within my power."
A wave of agitation swept through the men in the hall.
The offer alone was enough to leave many of them struggling to remain composed.
Freya’s allure was simply that overwhelming.
"Sorry, but I have no intention of converting."
Kiriya shook his head.
Then he looked toward Hestia, whose cheeks were puffed out in fury, and smiled.
"The person most important to me is already here."
"I would never abandon her."
"Kiriya..."
Tenderness filled Hestia’s eyes.
Ignoring the audience around them, she threw herself into his arms and hugged him tightly.
"Oho!"
Her divine friends immediately began teasing her, though their amusement was mixed with genuine admiration.
Resisting Freya’s Charm was astonishing enough.
Rejecting a personal invitation from the Goddess of Beauty was almost unthinkable.
The envious expressions on the surrounding gods and adventurers said everything.
Had Freya offered them the same thing, most would have agreed before she even finished speaking.
If anything, Kiriya had become even more desirable in their eyes.
Freya was hardly the only goddess now considering whether she could steal him away.
"And what if I refuse to accept no?"
Freya took a slow sip of wine.
Behind her, Ottar stepped forward once more, his towering body bearing down upon them like a mountain.
"So this is the generosity of the Goddess of Beauty?"
Kiriya narrowed his eyes.
Hestia glared at Freya with enough anger to bite her.
"Women can be rather emotional creatures."
Freya remained entirely unconcerned.
Her eyes only grew hotter as she looked at Kiriya.
"For someone like you, even a considerable risk would be worthwhile."
"Heh."
Kiriya laughed softly, though mockery flickered in his eyes.
’You think having Ottar guarantees your victory?’
’You’re far too confident, Freya.’
"All right."
His unexpected answer made Freya pause.
Hestia’s expression changed instantly.
"Kiriya!"
She clutched his clothes, her eyes already beginning to water.
"Are you going to leave me?"
"Of course not, silly."
Kiriya gently stroked her hair.
"I’m only going to make her give up completely."
"Oh?"
Freya’s eyes shone.
"You mean that?"
Every person in the hall, gods included, watched Kiriya without blinking.
At that moment, the young adventurer had become the undisputed center of the banquet.
"Let’s hold a War Game."
Kiriya pointed first at Freya, then at himself.
"The loser becomes subordinate to the winner and must obey their commands."
"What do you say?"
The banquet hall went completely silent.
Everyone stared at him in disbelief.
One man had just challenged the entire Freya Familia.
How could anyone possess that kind of nerve?
The Freya Familia was the strongest Familia in Orario.
That reputation was not empty praise. It had been earned through overwhelming force.
More than one hundred and fifty registered adventurers belonged to the Familia.
Including healers, attendants, logistics personnel, and other noncombatants, the organization numbered in the thousands.
Its size alone was imposing.
Its quality was even more terrifying.
Freya’s fanatically devoted followers fought one another every day in the Familia’s training grounds, competing for even the smallest opportunity to approach their goddess.
Those battles could be as violent as expeditions into the Dungeon, sometimes even worse.
Without Orario’s finest team of healers, the training would have left countless members dead.
That brutal environment had produced a huge number of outstanding Level 3 and Level 4 adventurers.
Their elite forces were even more overwhelming.
Ottar, Orario’s only Level 7, stood at the Familia’s peak.
Below him were Allen Fromel, Hedin Selland, and Hogni Ragnar, all famous Level 6 adventurers.
The four Gulliver brothers, known collectively as the Bringar, possessed flawless teamwork and could contend with a Level 6 when fighting together.
This lineup could crush nearly any other Familia in Orario.
Yet Kiriya, standing alone, had just challenged them to a War Game.
It sounded insane.
Even considering his victories over Level 6 opponents, the proposal was beyond belief.
Once their initial shock passed, however, several gods began to grin with feverish excitement.
The impossibility was precisely what made it entertaining.
"Hestia."
Kiriya turned toward his goddess with a mischievous smile.
"Do you trust me?"
"You really are impossible."
Hestia planted both hands on her hips and sighed helplessly.
"At least discuss it with me first next time."
"Sorry. I promise I will."
Kiriya nodded repeatedly.
"Haha... Hahahaha!"
Freya burst into delighted laughter.
When she finally regained her composure, she wiped a tear from the corner of one eye.
"Very well. I accept."
She smiled at Kiriya.
"What kind of War Game do you want?"
"The usual."
Kiriya looked completely relaxed.
"A Castle Siege."
"I’ll attack. Your Familia will defend."
Freya went still.
Of all the possible formats, she had never expected Kiriya to choose one that placed him at such a massive disadvantage.
"You seek a great feat."
Ottar’s deep voice drew everyone’s attention.
He ignored their gazes and studied Kiriya carefully.
"So you have grown stronger again."
"That’s right."
Kiriya grinned, showing a row of white teeth.
"You should prepare yourselves."
"Otherwise, the strongest Familia in Orario might suffer a very embarrassing defeat."
"I look forward to it."
To everyone’s surprise, Ottar smiled.
It was the smile of a warrior anticipating a worthy battle.
"Then it’s settled."
Kiriya looked around the silent hall.
"Three days from now."
"Once I’ve fully adjusted to my new Level 4 strength, I’ll come for all of you."
The banquet hall fell silent once again.
---------
Read 30+ Chapters ahead and support me on patreon.
patreon (.)com/Newbietranslator