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Chapter 112: Aiden and Asfi's Mutual Pity
"I know. You are a god, after all," Aiden replied flatly, his tone as calm as if they were discussing the weather. It would be a miracle if Hermes actually helped him hide it. If the God of Trickery didn't actively seek out amusement, that would be the real anomaly.
"Oh? You seem to understand us quite well." Hermes nodded approvingly and held up a single finger. "But don't worry, I won't breathe a word of this until the next Denatus. The time between now and then is yours to prepare. Fight tooth and nail to grow stronger! I'm truly looking forward to seeing just how much you'll have grown by the time that day arrives."
Hermes's goal was simple: he wanted to force Aiden's hand. He intended to use this crushing pressure to test the limits of his designated "hero candidate," to see if he truly had the potential to become the era-ending savior he envisioned.
He had investigated Aiden. His Great Feat to reach Level 2 involved defeating powerful elite monsters far above his rank. Possessing an unheard-of rare skill and leveling up at an unprecedented, inhuman speed—all these factors made Hermes believe that Aiden was the very person the gods had been waiting for. The one who could finally defeat the Black Dragon—the final hero.
Therefore, for the sake of this hero's growth, he didn't mind personally applying a little extra pressure. Hiding one's brilliance certainly avoided a lot of trouble, but Hermes absolutely could not stand seeing a true hero buried in the dirt like an ordinary stone.
Aiden let out a long, internal sigh. It seemed he was destined to be thrust right into the eye of the storm. Running into a troublesome deity like Hermes was simply his own rotten luck. The only silver lining was that he still had some time to prepare. Hermes planned to reveal the true timeline of his level-up during the Denatus, making him world-famous overnight. And the next Denatus wasn't scheduled for another month or so. He absolutely had to shatter his limits again and reach Level 3 within that timeframe.
Only then would he have the confidence and strength to weather the incoming hurricane.
Aiden sighed heavily once more. Being targeted by an amusement-seeking god who knew his secrets was a monumental headache. He then looked up, but not at Hermes. Instead, he shifted his gaze to Asfi, who had been standing quietly off to the side the entire time. His eyes were brimming with deep sympathy.
"Miss Asfi," Aiden began, his tone incredibly sincere. "Your patron deity is truly a once-in-a-century troublemaker. It must be exhausting having to put up with him every single day, isn't it?"
Hearing this, the eternally composed expression on Asfi's face—who had maintained absolute professionalism like a silent background piece—finally cracked. Her mouth twitched slightly. Then, she raised her head and looked at Aiden through her glasses, returning his gaze with an equal amount of profound pity.
"...Mr. Aiden, you are also incredibly unlucky." Her voice was soft, but the bitterness and sheer exhaustion layered within it were beyond the descriptive power of mere words. "Being targeted by our patron is the exact equivalent of stepping one foot into an eternal vortex of absolute chaos."
Two gazes, heavy with the shared sorrow of the damned, met in the air. In that fleeting second, a silent consensus was forged. One was the newly marked prey, the other the perpetually suffering veteran subordinate. In this moment, they transcended the boundaries of their respective Familias and formed an unbreakable alliance of victims.
The very next second, as if operating on a synchronized wavelength, both of them snapped their heads back and skewered the instigator of all this misery—Hermes—with glares full of intense condemnation and total exasperation.
"Hey, hey, Asfi-chan!" Hermes dramatically clutched his chest, feigning a look of agonizing betrayal. "How could you side with an outsider to slander me like this? I am your most beloved patron deity! Everything I do is for the sake of the future hero, for the peace of the world!"
Asfi expressionlessly pushed up her glasses, the lenses flashing with a cold glare. "Lord Hermes, are you entirely sure it isn't just because you want to watch the fireworks?" she replied in a completely deadpan voice.
Aiden silently picked up his empty wine glass and raised it toward Asfi, offering a mute gesture of profound respect. This woman has it rough.
Although he had managed to glean some information about Alfia, Aiden's mood hadn't improved. He didn't want to spend another second with this mischievous god who was full of bad ideas. He immediately stood up from his seat, ready to take his leave.
"Well then, I'll be taking my leave." Aiden's tone was icy. He turned to go, but just as he took his first step, the noise from the adjacent table suddenly spiked.
Seven adventurers wearing matching uniforms stood up unsteadily, looking as though they were preparing to leave. Aiden stepped sideways to clear the aisle for them, but unexpectedly, the shortest among them—a Prum—suddenly pitched forward, tumbling directly toward him as if he had lost his footing.
Thud!
The Prum didn't crash into Aiden. Instead, acting as though he had tripped over Aiden's leg, he completely lost his balance and smashed headfirst into an empty table nearby. A plate of roasted meat, a vegetable salad, and a full mug of ale went flying into the air, raining down in a messy clatter over the Prum and his companions.
Globs of food and dark amber ale dripped pathetically from their hair and stained their clothes. It was an incredibly ugly scene.
"Hey, watch where you're walking, you blind bastard!"
"You got a death wish, bumping into members of the Apollo Familia!?"
"Apologize right now and pay for the damages!"
The other six immediately swarmed him, shouting aggressively with vicious scowls plastered on their faces. Aiden's expression turned frigid in an instant. He had seen it clearly; the Prum had intentionally thrown himself toward his feet. The entire sequence of movements had been grossly exaggerated and entirely staged.
His eyes swept over the Golden Bow and Sun Emblems pinned to their chests, and he instantly understood. The Apollo Familia had made their move.
They had done it on purpose. It was a vile, despicable tactic, a pitifully transparent theatrical performance. He just hadn't expected the Apollo Familia to act so quickly. He had only noticed they were tailing him last night, and today, he had already walked right into their trap.
Hermes and Asfi, standing a short distance away, witnessed the whole spectacle. Both of them paused, bizarre expressions washing over their faces. Doesn't this scene look a little too familiar?
Asfi shot a speechless glance at Hermes, who was now watching the drama unfold with keen interest. Then, she turned her deeply sympathetic gaze back to the surrounded Aiden. How was it so easy for him to get extorted? First, it was her own irresponsible patron deity, and now it was the notoriously scummy Apollo Familia. Was his luck really that abysmal? Or did he simply have a natural constitution for attracting disasters?
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