Chapter 93
"We will talk again at a more favourable time," Freya finally spoke, breaking her intense gaze away from Bahamut before turning to leave.
Her graceful movements were laced with an undercurrent of tension, hinting at the gravity of their previous discussion.
"That was intense," Demeter remarked, her brow furrowed with a hint of concern after Freya's abrupt departure.
"See, she came looking for trouble on her own," Bahamut replied, a subtle satisfaction evident in her tone.
The exchange had been delicate, and she seemed relieved that it had not escalated further.
If possible, she didn’t want to resort to violence, a stigma that plagues a lot of dragon gods.
"Yeah, hopefully things don't get out of hand," Hephaestus commented, her voice carrying a note of caution.
The confrontation, while brief, had left a palpable unease in the air.
"Sigh, I hope so too," Bahamut responded, a slight frown creasing her features.
The situation was complex, and she knew that the brewing tensions could easily spiral out of control if not handled with the utmost care.
"Anyway, it's getting late, it's about time that I leave," Bahamut announced, her gaze sweeping across her two companions.
The night had grown long, and the weight of the day's events seemed to settle upon them.
"Hmm, it is indeed late," Hephaestus acknowledged, her features betraying a hint of fatigue.
The forge often kept her occupied well into the evening hours, but even she could feel the pull of the encroaching darkness.
"Do you both have escorts or need a ride?" Bahamut inquired, her hand pointing to the carriage that awaited her departure.
"I am fine, I will be returning to my forge anyway," Hephaestus replied.
"I see, what about you, Demeter?" Bahamut turned her attention to the goddess of the harvest, her expression softening.
"I am fine too, my carriage is over there," Demeter answered, gesturing towards the ornate vehicle that stood ready to whisk her away.
"Alright, you two have a good night then," Bahamut said, bidding her friends a sincere farewell.
With a final nod, she sat down to settle herself on the carriage, her escorts were knocked out after all.
As Bahamut settled herself on the carriage, she couldn't help but sense a familiar presence lurking nearby.
'Tsk, that nosy guy again,' she thought, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the surrounding area.
Hermes, the mischievous messenger god, had indeed been observing the proceedings from a distance.
Noticing that he had been spotted, Hermes doffed his cap in a playful greeting, but Bahamut simply ignored him, unwilling to engage in his antics.
With a firm tug on the reins, Bahamut directed the horses forward, the carriage swiftly carrying her away from the scene.
Demeter and Hephaestus stood watching the carriage until it disappeared from sight, their expressions pensive.
"Did I do anything to her?" Hermes asked, approaching Demeter and Hephaestus with a feigned look of innocence.
"Well, besides your being you, I can't think of anything else," Demeter replied, her tone laced with a hint of exasperation.
Hermes' tendency to meddle in the affairs of others was well-known, and it was no surprise that Bahamut had chosen to avoid him.
"So she doesn't like me, huh?" Hermes said, his face falling into a mock pout.
The rebuff stung, but he was no stranger to It.
"Anyway, don't stick your nose too much in her business. You wouldn't want to experience 'that' again, right?" Hephaestus warned, her eyes narrowing as he recalled a past incident that had left Hermes chastened.
Hermes' spine tingled at the memory, a shudder running through his body as he tried to suppress the unpleasant recollection.
Demeter reached out and offered him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder before turning to leave herself.
"Sigh, a storm is brewing," Hermes muttered, his hand coming to rest on his waist as he gazed up at the darkening sky.
'A dragon kin, huh? Should I make contact with him?' Hermes pondered, his mind racing with the implications.
"Hermes-sama, there you are! Please stop running off on your own," an annoyed feminine voice interrupted his thoughts.
Asfi, the vice captain of the Hermes Familia, approached him with a stern expression.
Asfi, a former princess from an island nation, had been taken in by Hermes and had become an accomplished adventurer.
With her striking blue hair and captivating cyan-coloured eyes, she was not only skilled in battle but also highly adept at information gathering, thanks to the vast network of the Hermes Familia.
"Oh, Asfi, you're here. What about the boy in question?" Hermes asked, his attention shifting.
"Sigh, what will I do with you, always dumping ridiculous tasks on me," Asfi muttered in annoyance, but proceeded to relay the information she had gathered.
"He went into the dungeon to attempt levelling up, and then he tested some weird transformation skill that boosted his stats by around 2 levels. After that, he spent nearly an hour hunting on the 15th floor," Asfi reported, pausing to gauge Hermes' reaction.
"Wait, the transformation skill was active for that long?" Hermes asked, his brow furrowing in surprise.
"Yes," Asfi confirmed, her eyes narrowing as she observed Hermes' piqued interest.
‘A transformation skill that can boost stats by two levels for almost an hour, the Dragon kin are still as ridiculous as they were back then,’ Hermes mused, his brow furrowing in contemplation.
"Go on," he urged Asfi, his voice laced with a hint of curiosity.
Asfi continued her report, "After around an hour of hunting, his transformation became undone, but he suddenly began bleeding, perhaps a recoil from the skill. Despite that, he somehow made it home safely." She paused, a slight frown crossing her features.
"Just so you know, it was very hard keeping up with him. He has some skill that enables him to know the location of monsters and even adventurers, so it was extremely challenging to monitor him." she added.
Hermes nodded, processing the information.
"I see. What about the other children?" he asked.
"Though not as talented as their brother, they are very talented and growing at a remarkable pace," Asfi replied, a touch of awe in her voice.
Hermes let out a soft sigh, his expression pensive.
"Sigh, Bahamut has too much talent in her hands. This might not end well. The balanced power scale is being threatened, and on the other hand, picking a fight with the dragon gods won't end well either."
He paused, his brow creased in thought. "Continue watching them and keep an eye on Freya too. I don't believe that she will just sit still." Hermes instructed.
Asfi nodded, her grip tightening on Hermes' arm.
"Hmm, but not today. We are going home now," she said, gently pulling him along towards their familia's dwelling.
Hermes allowed himself to be led, his mind still swirling with the implications of the information he had just received.
The delicate power balance in the city was in flux, and he couldn't help but wonder what the future might hold.
Back in the carriage………..
"Ugh, my head," Vasileios groaned as he stirred awake, his eyelids heavy and his mind foggy.
Turning his head, he noticed Nikolaos still asleep beside him, peacefully resting.
Looking around, Vasileios realized they were moving - the carriage was in motion, swaying gently as it traveled through the night.
'We're moving, but what happened?' he wondered, the events of the past slowly coming back to him.
A wave of realization washed over him, leaving him silent and stunned.
"Finally, you're awake," a familiar voice interrupted his thoughts.
Glancing ahead, Vasileios saw their goddess, Bahamut, manning the carriage's reins.
Just then, Nikolaos began to stir, his eyes fluttering open.
"Glad you two are okay," Bahamut said, her voice tinged with worry.
"I didn't hit you too hard, did I?" she asked.
"We're alright, just a bit shaken by what happened," Nikolaos replied, sitting up straight and rubbing the back of his head.
Vasileios remained silent, his face contorting with a mixture of emotions.
As a tank, he had been knocked out so easily by Bahamut, without her even using any godly powers.
It was a humbling and concerning realization.
Nikolaos shared a similar sentiment, feeling a sense of embarrassment that they had come as escorts but ultimately proved to be useless.
He was certain the others would mock them once they heard of this incident.
"Don't worry too much about what happened," Bahamut said, sensing their unease.
"Freya has that effect on everyone, including gods. It's best to avoid her, at least until you have enough power to resist her charms." she advised.
Both Vasileios and Nikolaos nodded in understanding.
What they had experienced was both frightening and strangely alluring, the feeling of being completely captivated by Freya's presence.
They were now aware about the dangers of such power, and the importance of guarding their hearts and minds.
"Is she a bad goddess?" Vasileios couldn't help but ask, his curiosity piqued.
Bahamut paused, contemplating her words.
"No, not really," she replied.
"Freya can just be... extremely excessive in her pursuits and desires. With the addition of her charm and magnetism, she can be quite overwhelming, even for the gods." she added.
The carriage descended into a brief pensive silence, the only sounds being the gentle clop of the horses' hooves and the distant hum of the city's nightlife.
"I hope you two didn't... get seduced by her," Bahamut asked, breaking the silence.
"No way!" Nikolaos quickly denied, his face flushing with embarrassment.
"What he says is true," Vasileios chimed in, a teasing grin spreading across his face.
"Niko is only into redheads, so someone with silver hair like Freya wouldn't even catch his attention." he said.
"What the hell are you revealing?!" Nikolaos exclaimed, his hand twitching as if he wanted to strangle his brother.
Bahamut couldn't help but chuckle at their antics.
"That's good to hear," she said, her voice laced with relief.
"I would be saddened to lose any of you to her” she added.
At her words, Vasileios and Nikolaos fell silent, a slight pang in their chests.
They were both acutely aware that, even if only for a fleeting moment, they had been completely captivated by Freya's charm, and its effects still subtly lingered.
Bahamut was aware that it would take some time for the effects of Freya's enchantment to fully wear off.
“So redheads huh, and here I thought you were the most normal amongst your siblings ” Bahamut teased, feigning a saddened expression while twirling her silver hair.
“Y’all will not let me live this down will you” Nikolaos replied, a deep sigh escaping his lips.
The carriage ride home was filled with banter, mostly Vasileios and Bahamut poking at Nikolaos emotions.