Chapter 353: Short Denatus
Chapter 353 - Short Denatus
Unsurprisingly, news of the clash between the Hestia, Apollo and Ishtar familia, a conflict so severe it demanded a war game, swept through all of Orario in a single day.
What began as mere idle gossip among adventurers soon set the atmosphere of the entire city ablaze.
Virtually every conversation revolved around the upcoming war game, whether spoken by hardened adventurers or ordinary citizens.
Swept up by this intense enthusiasm, the guild convened a denatus on the very next day.
Normally, a denatus occurred only once every three months.
Only an extraordinary event capable of shaking all of Orario such as a war game, could assemble the gods for an emergency session.
This was no standard war game either, but two stacked together.
A newly formed familia was challenging two established factions at once, an unprecedented spectacle in history.
The main purpose of this denatus was to determine the format of the war game.
Mahiro had no particular preference for the match type but the thrill seeking gods organized the gathering simply to indulge in the excitement.
Inside the sacred hall, the deities squabbled over potential formats.
In the end, they chose the simplest method to settle the matter: a random drawing.
Hestia drew the slip herself, revealing a siege battle format.
The defenders would be the Apollo familia and the Ishtar familia while the attacker would be the Hestia familia alone.
As the text on the parchment was read aloud, Hestia could not help but crumple up her face in frustration even with her total confidence in Mahiro.
"Hahaha!" Apollo laughed. "Hestia, this was a sacred and completely fair draw, so you cannot back out now!"
"Even the goddess of luck favors me. It seems my confession to her paid off!"
Apollo sighed dramatically and added, "Hestia, if you forfeit right now and hand Mahiro over to me, I will refrain from driving you out of Orario. Why not give it some thought?"
Apollo had not personally seen Mahiro defeat Hyakinthos, but he had witnessed Mahiro strike down Aisha, who was even stronger than Hyakinthos.
That level of power far surpassed any member of his own familia.
Even in a group assault, their chances of defeating Mahiro were slim.
Fortunately, the draw had resulted in a siege battle.
Compared to a direct clash on open ground, a castle defense vastly increased his odds of victory.
"You just got lucky, you little creep," Hestia humphed coldly. "Even with a siege battle, Mahiro will still grind you into the dirt."
"Still stubborn, are we?" Apollo retorted with equal irritation.
"Do not forget, the Ishtar familia is on my side as well!"
"A siege battle?" Ishtar remarked indifferently. "While I have no special preference for how this war game is conducted, speaking objectively, a siege format does seem somewhat unfair to Hestia."
"Still, since it was decided by fair draw, I will naturally abide by the result. I certainly wish to see my children emerge victorious."
Hestia’s face grew grim. She could afford to look down on the Apollo familia but she could not do the same for the Ishtar familia.
After all, they were a top-tier familia boasting high-level, mid-level, and lower-level veterans along with hundreds of leveled adventurers.
Their overall fighting force was formidable.
On top of that, the format was a siege battle, which minimized any positional advantage her side might have held.
"Ishtar, do not get ahead of yourself." Freya sat in her chair with supreme elegance, resting her cheek on one hand as she cast a cold glance toward Ishtar.
"If you lay a finger on that child, I will show no mercy."
Freya’s expression lacked its usual captivating warmth, replaced instead by a quiet piercing frost.
"My, my, those two are at it again!"
"Could we be seeing a conflict between the Ishtar familia and the Freya familia once Hestia’s war game concludes?"
"To capture the affection of so many goddesses at once, that boy in the Hestia familia is truly blessed!"
One was the deity ruling one of the two apex factions in Orario, while the other led a long-standing first-tier powerhouse.
If those two forces ever clashed in a war game, it would undoubtedly dwarf the current contest.
"Ahaha!" Ishtar met Freya’s gaze without a trace of fear. "I have no interest in Hestia’s boy. He was the one who provoked me first, so my children are merely retaliating."
"Is that so?" Freya looked at Ishtar with eyes as deep as clear water.
"I suggest you leave him unharmed. Otherwise, things will become rather unpleasant."
Ishtar snorted, her resolve to capture Mahiro alive only growing stronger.
Freya offered a faint chuckle.
Her gaze brushed past Apollo for less than a fraction of a second before sweeping away, treating him as though he were complete air.
Apollo stood there, utterly baffled.
Ishtar had never explicitly claimed she wanted to take Mahiro whereas Apollo had openly declared his desire to claim the boy.
Why had Freya warned Ishtar while completely ignoring him?
Logically, Apollo should have felt relieved, yet an uncomfortable irritation gnawed at him instead.
"Now that the format is set, let us settle on the date." Serving as the emcee, Loki spoke with a purely businesslike expression, offering her blunt announcement.
"The guild application has been processed, and we will notify everyone of the chosen format. Since the guild needs time to prepare a suitable battleground for a siege, it will take roughly three days."
"Thus, the official date is set for three days from now. Any objections?"
"No objections."
"None here."
"No objections."
"Fine by me."
One deity after another voiced their agreement until the motion passed unanimously.
"Hestia, enjoy your remaining time in Orario," Apollo said with a triumphant smile.
"I should be saying that to you," Hestia retorted with a cold humph before turning on her heel and departing.
As Hestia took her leave, the other gods began filing out as well.
"Are you not worried that Mahiro might actually lose?" Hephaestus remained seated beside Freya rather than leaving right away, striking up a quiet conversation.
"The children of that fool Apollo are no match for Mahiro. As for the Ishtar familia..." Freya paused for a moment before letting out a soft smile.
"The radiance of that boy is the most brilliant sight I have ever laid eyes upon. Even if every member of the Ishtar familia gathered together, they could not begin to compare to him."
"For people like them to dream of taking Mahiro for themselves..." Freya scoffed quietly. "It is truly foolish."
"Then why bother warning Ishtar? Was that not a bit unnecessary?" Hephaestus asked.
"That boy is far too captivating," Freya replied softly.
"Far too many eyes are fixed upon him, so I must remind those who lack self awareness to abandon their foolish greed."
"Could it be that because Mahiro resisted your charm during your last encounter, you are actually feeling a bit threatened?" Hephaestus teased with a light chuckle.
Freya watched the empty doorway where Hestia had vanished her expression quiet.
"Ever since I met him, that feeling has been there all along."
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