"Hermes" The Loki Familia set out on another expedition, their elites equipped with the suppression armguards Drake had hastily crafted. Bef
"Hermes"
The Loki Familia set out on another expedition, their elites equipped with the suppression armguards Drake had hastily crafted.
Before their departure, Finn delivered the previously promised information to Drake.
After incapacitating the two groups of observers, Drake found the surveillance had ceased the following day. He could finally fully dedicate himself to his research.
Among the documents, Drake excitedly discovered a book on magical grimoires.
Orario's grimoires differed significantly from the four-leaf clover grimoire Drake possessed from the Black Clover world.
In the Black Clover world, grimoires functioned essentially as staves, primarily assisting magic knights in sensing and manipulating magical power.
However, in Orario, grimoires served to awaken magic within individuals.
The most advanced grimoires were consumables, capable of generating magic tailored to the reader's desires and potential.
The documents in Drake's possession contained knowledge about precisely this type of grimoire. As expected of a high-level item that only adventurers with high-level [Mystery] skills could craft, even the related texts were written in sacred script.
The book was divided into two main sections. Even Drake couldn't understand the section on magic itself, as he didn't possess [Magic] skills.
The magical abilities granted by the [Sprite's Blessing] skill were ineffective in magical research.
However, the other section, concerning [Mystery], proved highly enlightening for Drake.
The experience required for upgrading skills varied; skills like [Magic] and [Mystery] required knowledge in addition to practical training.
Drake realized that the knowledge he had accumulated during this period of study had actually caused his [Mystery] skill to level up.
In practical terms, this meant that Drake could now imbue the equipment he crafted with even more powerful abilities.
After completing this period of intense research, Drake decided to take a break and relax.
He headed to the Bountiful Mistress, intending to enjoy a good meal.
However, as soon as Drake stepped inside the tavern's doors, he spotted a man with a feather stuck in his hat leaning against the counter, engaging in conversation with a group of female patrons.
It was Hermes, a god whom Drake feared more than any other in this world, aside from Freya.
While Freya was undoubtedly mad, she at least possessed clearly defined goals. Hermes, on the other hand, was a pure hedonist, a creature of pure amusement.
Although he consistently assisted gods like Uranus and the now-departed Zeus from Orario, and frequently provided aid to the main protagonists,
in reality, Hermes's actions were always geared towards facilitating the emergence of heroes, all for the sake of securing the best possible viewing position when the heroic epic unfolded.
However, the emergence of heroes often came hand-in-hand with disaster.
In a certain sense, Hermes and Enyo were not so different from each other.
Acting solely on the basis of his own amusement, there was nothing this god was incapable of doing. What made him even more terrifying was the fact that his wisdom and the power he wielded allowed him to accomplish a great many things.
Drake merely glanced at him before finding a seat for himself, subconsciously choosing a location that was some distance away from the god.
Ryuu approached, carrying a menu. "Long time no see! What will you have this time?"
Drake smiled. "It has indeed been a while. I've been swamped with a mountain of things lately. The moment I had a free moment, I came straight here.
As for what I'll eat, I'll leave the decision entirely up to you, Ryuu. I trust your recommendations!"
Ryuu nodded and turned to leave, her steps noticeably quicker than before.
While Drake was waiting for his meal, a figure approached him. Hermes placed a drinking glass on Drake's table and sat down opposite him.
"Well, well! If it isn't the Dragon Crucible from Hephaestus's Familia! Everyone's been buzzing about you lately. Fancy meeting you here!"
In response to Hermes's enthusiastic greeting, Drake maintained a cold demeanor. "Hermes-sama, I believe this is our first meeting. We're hardly close enough to be sharing drinks together."
Hermes chuckled. "What does it matter! Sometimes, friendships between men can form very quickly.
I have very high hopes for you, Drake. It's been a long time since I've seen someone who has forged a contract with a sprite. And most importantly, you're quite interesting.
So, let's get along famously!"
Hermes narrowed his eyes, the gaze from beneath his hat brim radiating a captivating intensity.
Drake completely ignored Hermes's gaze, which seemed to be able to see right through him. "However, I have absolutely no interest in Hermes-sama."
Hermes affected an air of dejection, as if the divine aura he had just exuded was merely an illusion.
"That's terribly disheartening! I always thought of myself as a rather humorous individual."
Drake watched Hermes's display of charm without offering a single word in response. Drake had no doubt that if he were to reply, the god would seize the opportunity and latch onto him immediately.
However, Drake had still underestimated the god's shameless audacity. He showed no sign of embarrassment whatsoever, continuing instead, "I've just thought of a way to foster a closer relationship between us.
How about I take you to a rather interesting place later? It's quite interesting, I assure you; a veritable paradise for men!"
Bang!
Before Drake could even respond, a food tray slammed heavily onto the table, effectively separating the increasingly lecherous Hermes from Drake.
Ryuu's gaze was sharp and unfriendly as she looked at Hermes, as if she were looking at some piece of refuse.
"Hermes-sama, not everyone shares your fondness for such unsavory establishments!"
Hermes glanced at Ryuu, then at Drake, a strange smile playing on his lips. "I see… I see…"
Ryuu, visibly flustered by Hermes's gaze, turned and left.
As if something amusing had just occurred, Hermes remarked, "The minds of young women are truly unfathomable. Wouldn't you agree, Drake?"
Drake simply glanced at Hermes before lowering his head and concentrating on his meal.
"So it's settled then. We'll go and have some fun together later!"
Drake kept his head down, his expression cold and unyielding.
If, at the beginning, Drake had considered the appearance of Hermes to be mere coincidence, the moment Hermes suggested they visit the red-light district, Drake had become certain that he had deliberately waited for him.
So, what was the god's purpose?
There was no doubt that he was connected to Ishtar; it was even highly likely that Ishtar had instructed him to lure Drake to her territory.
This wasn't particularly surprising. In the original storyline, Ishtar had slept with Hermes and had obtained information from him regarding Freya's interest in Bell.
Of course, it was quite possible that this information had been deliberately leaked by Hermes himself.
Indeed, later on, Bell had met Sanjouno Haruhime and had developed a much deeper understanding of heroism, taking another step forward on his path.
However, what puzzled Drake was why, if Ishtar had designs on him, she would choose to use Hermes as an intermediary.
A more plausible explanation would be that Hermes himself had learned of Ishtar's interest in Drake and had decided to orchestrate a dramatic confrontation between himself and the Ishtar Familia.
If that were indeed the case, and if Hermes were truly interfering in matters that had nothing to do with him simply for his own amusement, then Drake had gained a whole new appreciation for the god's playful and mischievous nature.
__________________
for more advance chapters visit patreon.com/bars45.
For 10$- All advance chapters.