As Apollo spoke, a magic stone lamp in a corner of the banquet hall flickered to life. It illuminated three human adventurers covered in plaster casts and bandages.
The sight caused a stir among the gods and the adventurers they had brought with them. Having already guessed that Apollo was planning something, Hestia merely narrowed her eyes.
"What are you trying to say?"
"Was I not clear enough?" Apollo's tone was jovial, showing none of the anger one might expect from a god whose children had been bullied. "My children were adventuring peacefully in the Dungeon when they happened upon a baby dragon. Just as they were about to slay it, your boy, Levi, leaped out of nowhere. Not only did he steal their prey, but he also brutally injured my children."
Hestia's eyes widened, then she realized Apollo was twisting the truth. With a calm, steady face, she countered, "Apollo, are you putting on this little farce to slander Levi just because he isn't here today?"
"Slander? Why would I need to slander him?!" Apollo looked as though his very honor had been insulted. "My children are the ones who were hurt!"
Without giving Hestia a chance to find a loophole in his logic, he turned directly to the three injured men.
"Did you encounter a baby dragon?" "Yes." "Were you planning to kill it?" "Yes." "Did Levi kill the dragon?" "Yes." "Were you all injured by him?" "Yes."
In the Lower World, humans cannot lie to gods—or more accurately, a god can instantly perceive a lie. But that didn't mean gods were all-seeing or infallible. By asking four unrelated questions, Apollo had easily constructed a "fact": that Levi had stolen their hunt and attacked them.
Hestia listened to Levi's stories of the Dungeon every night. She knew exactly how "honest" her boy was. But just because she knew didn't mean the others did. Many gods saw through Apollo's trick, but since it didn't affect them, they simply watched it as a comedy.
"What a joke," Hestia scoffed. "Everyone knows Levi only arrived in Orario recently. He hasn't even been a registered adventurer for a full month."
She paused, looking around. "I recall that the Loki Familia's 'Sword Princess' took nearly a year to reach Level 2. Are you suggesting, Apollo, that I got so lucky I found a 'Super Rare' card who can fight one-against-three while simultaneously taking down a baby dragon with the potential of a Level 2?"
To her surprise, Apollo just laughed. "Hestia, do I need to remind you why you approached Levi Bright in the first place?"
Hestia went silent.
As he said this, the crowd—particularly the adventurers—began to murmur. Levi Bright was famous for his public confession to Hestia in the Guild Hall, but before that, there had been rumors. Scuttlebutt suggested the guy had been diving into the Dungeon alone even before receiving a Falna.
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My : https://[email protected]/AuAuMon
Danmachi : I'm Surrounded by Goddesses (132 Chapters, Ongoing)
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At the time, most adventurers had scoffed at the news. Even the gods had dismissed it. In modern Orario, the God's Blessing and the status of an "Adventurer" were inextricably linked. No fool entered the Dungeon as a "Blank Slate."
But hearing Apollo's words and seeing Hestia's reaction, those rumors that everyone had treated as fake news suddenly seemed... possible.
"Damn, what kind of monster is that guy?!" one adventurer whispered, voicing the thoughts of everyone present.
In the crowd, Naaza Erishuis, the captain of the Miach Familia who had once tried to scam Levi, looked pale. Though she had transitioned to being a pharmacist, she knew exactly what kind of people adventurers were. There were good ones, sure, but most were petty, vengeful thugs who wouldn't hesitate to backstab someone for profit.
Miach, standing beside Naaza, sensed her anxiety and patted her head. "Don't worry. Hestia is a friend, and Levi told her to let me know he doesn't hold a grudge about that incident."
"I see..." Naaza nodded. Only at this moment did she truly realize the weight of her mistake.
"Whether Levi Bright dared to enter the Dungeon before his blessing, or whether he already had a blessing from a Familia not recognized by Orario's mainstream... it doesn't matter," Apollo shouted. "In either case, I believe the Guild needs to perform a status check on his Falna and make the results public!"
His ultimate goal was now laid bare. But again, aside from Hestia and her close friends, the other gods didn't care about the injustice. Driven by gossip, they began to shout their agreement.
Hestia's brow furrowed in anger. "On what grounds?"
"On the grounds that he injured my children!" Apollo wore a repulsive smile. "As the victim, I have the right to make demands!"
"Those three children of yours weren't injured by Levi." Hestia's voice was eerily calm, but a second later, her cold words rang out across the hall. "If they truly had been, you wouldn't be seeing them on the surface ever again."
Apollo blinked. "Huh?" The three injured adventurers: "..." The crowd: "???"
"Didn't hear me? Want me to say it again? Fine," Hestia said, crossing her arms. "The child I chose, my current lover, and my future husband—Levi Bright—is a man who cannot stand a grain of sand in his eye. If you don't provoke him, fine. But since you've decided to fabricate these lies, Apollo..."
The twin-tailed goddess paused, her lips curving into a sharp, dangerous smile.
"Then prepare for the total dissolution of your Familia under Levi's targeted wrath."