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Chapter 119: Banquet of the Gods
When she learned they were to attend a Banquet of the Gods that was clearly a trap, Furina—who had always been terrible at dealing with troublesome patron deities—decided to try one more time. Holding onto a sliver of hope, she attempted to awaken the dormant divinity within her: Focalors.
Every previous attempt had ended in failure. Focalors had never answered her calls.
But this time, surprisingly, she succeeded. The divine Focalors awakened, assumed control of their shared body, and decided to accompany Aiden to tonight's banquet.
It was exactly because of this that the extraordinarily holy and majestic gown—one that an ordinary person would struggle to pull off—suited her so flawlessly.
If Furina had worn it with her usual personality and demeanor, she would have looked ridiculous, like a child playing dress-up. But for the true deity, Focalors, the dress seemed custom-tailored for her, perfectly amplifying her divine authority and majesty as the Goddess of Water.
.....
The continuous arrival of high-end box carriages, the countless handsome men and beautiful women dressed in formal attire, and the palatial scale of the venue itself—all these elements wove together to form the magnificent prologue of tonight's feast.
Today's Banquet of the Gods hosted by the Apollo Familia was somewhat unusual. It required every deity to bring along one member of their Familia, allowing the gods and their "children" to attend the party together.
Typically, a Banquet of the Gods strictly forbade any Familia members from entering. However, the organizer, Apollo, had made a special exception this time.
And the other gods, behaving exactly as they always did, gladly accepted the condition simply because they thought it sounded "entertaining."
Thus, they had all handpicked their most prized Familia members to tag along, fully prepared to show off their children to the masses.
As a result, mingled among the flawlessly gorgeous gods and goddesses were the figures of numerous brightly dressed adventurers.
Aiden possessed zero experience when it came to attending high-society banquets.
Logically speaking, the intelligent and elegant Robin would have been far better suited to escort Focalors to an event like this.
However, he knew full well that Apollo was targeting him specifically. Furthermore, as the Captain of the Focalors Familia, there was no way he could let Robin take his place on the firing line.
Besides, Robin had already given him a crash course on basic banquet etiquette. He had enough knowledge to easily handle the superficial pleasantries.
Aiden wasn't the type to show fear anyway. He could calmly face life-and-death battles in the Dungeon; was he supposed to be terrified of a little party? What a joke.
"Don't be nervous. You look incredibly handsome today," Focalors whispered soothingly into his ear, her arms clinging to his own, sensing his momentary stiffness.
"What do I have to be nervous about? It's just a banquet." Aiden lifted his chin, feigning total indifference.
Seeing his stubborn display of bravado, Focalors broke into a genuinely delighted smile. She appeared to be in an exceptionally good mood.
Although she had been slumbering and had only just awakened, she shared all of Furina's memories. As such, Aiden didn't feel like a stranger to her at all.
Just like Furina, she viewed Aiden as her most precious child.
"I'm really sorry to impose, Aiden, Focalors. We've made you go through so much trouble, paying for the clothes and everything else."
Following right behind Aiden and Focalors, God Miach stepped out of the carriage. He was holding the hand of his Familia member, Naaza. Naturally, both of them were dressed in formal attire to match the occasion.
Initially, God Miach hadn't wanted to attend, feeling that a poverty-stricken Familia like his had no place at an event that threw money away like water.
But Focalors had personally invited him, asking for his support to help back up their Familia. Coupled with the fact that Naaza was usually under immense stress and could use the banquet as a chance to relax, Miach eventually decided to come.
Additionally, the Focalors Familia had fronted the money for renting the carriage and buying the formalwear.
Otherwise, the Miach Familia—who had only just scraped together enough to pay off a fraction of their colossal debt—would never have had the spare funds to buy expensive dresses and suits.
Knowing full well that Apollo had orchestrated this banquet specifically to target them, there was no way Aiden was going in unprepared. Inviting a few familiar deities to form a united front against whatever Apollo had planned was the most logical strategy.
Therefore, it was only natural that the Focalors Familia covered all the expenses required to attend.
"Thank you for inviting us, Aiden." Naaza looked at him with immense gratitude. Even though she had done something terrible to him in the past, Aiden didn't hold an ounce of a grudge.
"Think nothing of it. Besides, Miss Naaza looks stunning today," Aiden smiled, offering a sincere compliment.
Naaza normally dressed quite plainly, so seeing her in a gorgeous gown was a fresh and deeply charming sight.
She wore a flowing crimson dress, custom-tailored with long sleeves specifically to conceal the prosthetic of her right arm. Elated by the praise, the fluffy tail behind her began swaying happily side to side.
"Well then, I believe it's time we head inside," Focalors gently reminded them.
"Yeah, alright." Aiden agreed. The four of them stepped forward together.
Before them stood a building that could truly only be described as a lavish palace.
Countless exquisitely dressed Familia members, accompanied by their aristocratic-looking deities, were slowly filtering through the grand, open front doors.
Soon, Aiden's group entered the towering structure—a building so massive one had to crane their neck to see the top of it.
The dazzling extravagance of the entrance hall easily rivaled the grandeur of its exterior.
Soft gold and silver light spilled from above, illuminating thick marble pillars and intricately wrought candelabras. The glow was resplendent yet remarkably easy on the eyes.
The high vaulted ceilings created a profound sense of openness, making the space feel incredibly vast.
Alabaster statues lined the walls. They seemed to have been carved in the likenesses of various gods and goddesses, rendering them so lifelike they almost seemed to breathe.
Following the flow of the crowd, they ascended an absurdly opulent grand staircase—one so steep it made people feel like they were going to tip backward—and arrived on the second floor, the main venue for the evening's banquet.
The atmosphere inside the banquet hall was already reaching its peak. The sheer luxury of the room defied linguistic description.
Several massive, chandelier-style Magic Stone lamps hung from the towering ceiling, bathing the entire hall in light as bright as day.
Long rows of banquet tables were laden with endless arrays of exotic delicacies and fine wines, the sort of feast usually reserved only for high society.
Glancing out through the tall, arched windows revealed a sprawling balcony. Twilight had already passed, and the scenery outside was now swathed in the tranquil cloak of nightfall.
The venue was located in a high-end residential district near the North Main Street. Perhaps because of its location, the raucous noise of Orario's nighttime pubs and the hustle and bustle of its dense crowds felt unimaginably distant. It was so quiet that it created an illusion: was this really the same chaotic Orario? Perhaps this was the unique, worldly-detached atmosphere exclusive to high society.
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