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Chapter 88: Versatile
The crowd naturally parted to form a path, and a noble-looking woman with blue hair, blue eyes, and glasses stepped forward.
She looked down at Hermes, who was still rolling and wailing on the ground, and pressed a hand to her forehead in sheer exasperation.
"Asfi! I'm dying of pain over here! Ouch—~"
Seeing the Captain of his Familia arrive, Hermes didn't tone it down in the slightest. Instead, he doubled down on his performance, adding a touch of faux realism to his agonizing groans.
"Stop embarrassing us in public."
Asfi's voice was completely flat. She saw right through her patron god's ludicrously exaggerated acting, her face screaming with disgust. "If you keep this up, I'm leaving without you."
"Wait, don't! I was just joking!"
Realizing the act was completely useless, Hermes broke character. With a swift kip-up, he vaulted off the ground and landed on his feet.
He expertly brushed the dust off his clothes and adjusted his traveler's hat. The dramatic, half-dead facade vanished without a trace, instantly replaced by the elegant and handsome demeanor of the God of Travelers.
"I apologize. My god has caused you trouble."
Completely ignoring Hermes, Asfi turned to Aiden's group and offered a polite bow, apologizing sincerely.
As she did, her gaze swept over Lefiya and Ais. Recognizing them as core members of the Loki Familia, she covertly shot Hermes a vicious glare.
This troublemaking god of mine seriously tried to pull an extortion stunt on the Loki Familia.
"It's fine."
Aiden shook his head. He studied the smiling male god, who acted as if nothing had just happened, and cut straight to the chase. "Lord Hermes, I don't believe I've ever offended you. Why go out of your way to mess with me?"
Hermes was the God of Travelers. His Familia spent most of the year journeying abroad and rarely stayed in one place for more than half a month.
Given Hermes's global intelligence network, it was perfectly normal for him to catch wind of the recent Dungeon anomalies and rush back to Orario.
But why had he targeted Aiden?
A shadow of doubt flickered in Aiden's mind.
Does Hermes already know I'm the one who caused the Dungeon anomaly? Isn't his information network a bit too ridiculous?
"Haha, don't be so tense!"
Hermes nonchalantly grabbed the brim of his hat, wrapping an arm around Aiden's shoulders with overly familiar ease. "I just saw an old acquaintance and came over to say hello. It was just a harmless prank."
"Old acquaintance?"
Aiden's brow furrowed slightly.
He glanced at Lefiya and Ais beside him. Was Hermes actually targeting them, and he was just collateral damage?
"Don't misunderstand," Hermes said, seeing right through Aiden's thoughts. He chuckled and wagged a finger, shutting down the theory. "You don't know me, but I definitely know you."
"I don't recall ever meeting you."
Aiden shook his head, his tone firm.
His memory wasn't so poor that he would forget meeting a god.
"Well, I actually saw you a very, very long time ago."
The smile on Hermes's face remained, but his eyes took on a nostalgic hue. "You were only six or seven years old back then. I had heard a few things about you."
He paused, his tone shifting into an exaggerated complaint.
"But, that dangerous woman didn't want me anywhere near you, so she chased me off right away. How heartless! And to think I was a big fan of hers, too."
Lefiya and Ais were completely lost, utterly failing to comprehend the conversation.
But Aiden understood perfectly.
In an instant, the relaxed atmosphere around him vanished.
It was true that he had never formally met Hermes.
But Hermes's words instantly made him realize that the god had once sought out Alfia and Zald, and had indeed caught a glimpse of him as a child.
Which meant Hermes knew about his unique inability to receive a Falna.
With Hermes's pervasive intelligence network, it was highly likely he had secretly investigated Aiden. The god probably knew far more than Aiden had anticipated.
"Well, it looks like I might have said something I shouldn't have."
Hermes sharply noticed that the smile had fallen from Aiden's face, replaced by a glacial chill.
Knowing when to quit while he was ahead, Hermes grinned and released his grip, patting Aiden on the shoulder.
"I won't bother you kids any longer. I'm not a wet blanket, after all, and interrupting a date is a cardinal sin. You owe me a drink next time to make up for knocking me over!"
He turned around and waved Asfi over. Before leaving, he glanced back at Aiden, winking meaningfully. "I think we'll have... quite a lot in common to talk about."
With that, he grabbed the exasperated "Versatile" Asfi and whisked her away.
Before being dragged off, Asfi pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, her blue eyes lingering curiously on Aiden for a split second.
Anyone capable of piquing Hermes's intense interest was absolutely no simple character.
As the Captain of the Hermes Familia, she knew that better than anyone.
Hermes and his highly capable Captain Asfi soon vanished into the endless sea of people, as if the little farce had never occurred.
This sudden interlude didn't derail the trio's original plans.
Their first stop was Saint Fulland's Spirit Shrine, a magnificent structure built to honor the legend of the ancient hero Fulland.
It was a colossal megastructure towering a hundred meters high. Its front facade was almost entirely occupied by massive stained-glass windows, flanked by two soaring bell towers. Every inch of the walls was adorned with exquisitely carved high-reliefs.
The placement of many of the carvings made one wonder how the artisans had managed to sculpt such intricate designs at such dizzying heights.
It was massive, and thoroughly solemn.
The aura radiating from the entire building was enough to instill a sense of awe—and a slight dread at one's own insignificance—in anyone looking up at it.
This was one of Orario's most famous tourist attractions: Saint Fulland's Spirit Shrine.
[T/note: Fulland, a legendary ancient hero contracted to Dine or Undine, a powerful water spirit. They appeared in Danmachi game title 'Fulland of water and light'.]
At the fencing near the entrance, Lefiya took the initiative to approach the male Guild staff member working reception, handing over Valis coins for their admission tickets.
Since they had agreed that Lefiya was playing host today, Aiden didn't fight her to pay the bill.
"Three people, please."
"Certainly—Huh? Thousand Elf... and the Sword Princess! Ah! I am so sorry, please, come right in!"
Once the Guild employee realized who Lefiya and Ais were, he jumped in fright, his attitude instantly becoming incredibly deferential.
The three of them passed through the gates and walked toward the center door among the three massive, side-by-side entrances.
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