51 Chapter 51: A Choice

"Why'd you decide to go descend to gekai." Hephaestus asked and Hestia rubbed her chin.

"Why huh? I guess I just wanted to see what's so special in gekai. After all, you went down and you didn't return immediately.

But It seems that there's a pretty good reason huh?" Hestia grinned at her and Hephaestus blushed.

"W-what do you mean?" She fidgeted around as she fixed her hair.

"Kuu, stop trying to act like you don't know. You have the hots for the child that took care of your curse, don't you?" Hestia looked at her with half-lidded eyes.

"W-who wouldn't? He took care of my curse. Then painstakingly visited me every week to check up on me when he's so busy." Hephaestus got into a daze.

Thinking about how dreamy Lars was. Like a prince that appeared to save the damsel when all hope is lost.

"And the best thing is... He's not just kind, he's cool~ kyaa!" Hephaestus remembered him raising her chin as he demanded free equipment.

"Hmmm, I'll be the judge of that. Introduce the guy to me." Hestia huffed. She wasn't convinced at all.

"Hmph, like you'll stand a chance Hestia. You've never met a good man in your life, he'll blow you away." Hephaestus hyped him up.

"Let's see." Hestia didn't want to give Hephaestus to some rando.

__Hostess of Fertility__

Hephaestus wanted to celebrate Hestia's descent to gekai and she invited some people.

"Hi~ Hestia. You seem to be doing well." Demeter appeared and Hestia smiled at her.

"Demeter! Long time no see!" Hestia was pleasantly surprised.

"Good day, Hestia." Astraea nodded at her and they got along. She might not be as famous as the 3 virgin goddesses.

But Astraea is one as well, one of the only few.

"Have you finally found your justice, Astraea? You're quite obsessed with it." Hestia teased her.

"I think I do... My justice is to create a peaceful environment for my children." Astraea smiled softly as she remembered the ones who passed.

Hephaestus and Demeter almost winced at her answer, knowing the feel of losing children.

"So she's your friend, Hephy?" Lars arrived with his entourage and Hestia looked at him critically.

Hephaestus never lets anyone call him that. Even her, and Hephaestus was also squirming around.

'That's him!' Hestia stared at him and he already lost points. Because he was surrounded by beauties!

'What's with this playboy? He's with beautiful amazons and an elegant young woman!' Hestia checked out Tiona, Tione, and Airmid.

'And is he seriously rubbing a Renard's ears right in front of Hephaestus?' Hestia was shocked at Lars' dominance.

She looked at Hephaestus and the goddess was in a daze, staring right at him with a megawatt smile.

'She's hopeless...' Hestia could only lament. Her friend is already in the deep end.

"Yes, I'm Hestia." She raised her hand in greeting.

"Yo, I'm Lars. We're from Demeter's familia." Lars pointed at Demeter and the goddess hugged him.

"Isn't he so cute? He's my most hardworking child." Demeter's C rank familia turned to S rank due to him.

They were exporting dungeon crops everywhere. Their tax was crazy high, it rivaled the guild's income.

"Ahhh! Is that the reason why he's a player!" Hestia accused and they looked at her with raised brows.

"Uhhh, ummm. Look at him, he's definitely a playboy. Hauling beautiful girls around him." Hestia claimed.

"Well, I'm single though? How can I be a player?" Lars sighed at the accusation.

'I guess that's kind of true?' He looked at the most obvious ones, Tiona, Tione, and Haruhime.

Ryuu was the kuudere type, Alise was the shy type, and Kaguya was eyeing him all the time when they're together.

"Ahhh... I see." Lars realized that he was going to start their villain arcs if he keeps ignoring them.

Even some of the xenos were starting to act weird sometimes, like Marie who just clings to him all the time whenever she sees him and rubs herself all over him.

"Hmph, you finally realized?" Demeter scoffed at him. For being a really dangerous guy, he was clueless.

"Lars-san is quite the sinful man." Syr nodded sagely and the girls turned on him immediately, glaring at him.

"I'm fucked, aren't I?" Lars groaned as he thought of the stress he will have to go through.

After all, he's a normal guy from earth. And some cultural things wouldn't click for him because it goes against his common sense.

'I'm gonna have to pick, aren't I?' Lars frowned in exasperation.

"Customers who have a reservation has arrived!" Lunoire announced.

"Oh no, Loki and Hestia in the same area..." Hephaestus didn't think of them meeting so soon.

Her head was filled with fantasies, so she didn't factor in that Loki's favorite place is the hostess of fertility.

"Ohhh! Mia, give me some booze!" Loki went in like she owned the place, as always.

"Lars! Listen, Riveria banned me from getting Soma wine!" Loki whined to him.

But then, she saw Hestia. They were like deer that was caught under headlights.

"This isn't going to be pretty..." Demeter smiled wryly.

"Mia, I didn't know that you accept cows here as customers." Loki opened her eyes. Venom immediately coming off of her tongue.

"Hoh? Is that the rambling of a plank I hear? I can't hear it due to the clapping of my thick cheeks." Hestia fired back.

The two then immediately glared at each other while clicking their tongues.

"Damn... Are they like mortal enemies or something?" Lars blinked at their insults, they were ruthless.

"Loli cow tits, shouldn't you go with Ninsun to get milked? Why are ya here?" Loki scoffed at her.

"Shouldn't you be at the laundromat? A washboard's gotta work." Hestia pointed at her chest.

"Gah!" Loki did an orz as she received critical damage.

"Hey, hey, let's calm down here." Lars went between them.

"Argh! Let me at em!" Loki tried to strangle Hestia and Lars stopped her from doing so.

"Shhh, it's not like the end of the world if your chest is small. Besides, you have a great ass." Lars shrugged and everybody froze.

"Lars, do I have a good one too?" Ais broke the silence and he nodded.

"Thanks, so you like em? I work out. You can touch too." Ais smiled at him and he choked on his spit.

"T-that's, a generous offer..." Lars had a wry expression on his face.

"Ais! We'll talk about this later young lady!" Riveria chided her immediately.

Everybody then acted civil, because Lars and Riveria were trying to control everyone.

Another large group entered the hostess of fertility, and this time. It was someone that made Hestia smile.

"Artemis!" Hestia ran at her and Artemis looked at their direction.

She then smiled softly. "My bestie!" Hestia spread her arms to hug Artemis.

But the goddess of the hunt walked past her like she wasn't even there.

"Lars-kun, thanks for inviting us to this party." The goddess gave her hand to him and he kissed it.

Everybody who heard her name had their jaws drop.

"A-Artemis? You're not a clone or something, right?" Loki blinked in shock.

'What terrifying prowess!? Even Artemis is not safe from his grasp! My Odr is as amazing as I thought.' Syr bit her nails.

"W-wha? Artemis?" Hestia was both hurt and confused as hell.

Artemis wouldn't let any man go near her after all. They'd be turned into porcupines.

Athena's courters would be burned to ashes by magic, while Hestia would just ignore them.

Hephaestus squinted her eyes at Artemis and the whole pub was speechless.

Everybody knew about Artemis after all, she's famous as all hell even in gekai.

"Yo, Artemis. Why not try to settle here in Orario? It must be tiring to be a nomad?" Lars smiled at her.

"No, we must protect the places without strong adventurers." Artemis refused and Astraea nodded.

The two got together well, even when they were in tenkai. And like Astraea, Artemis has a solid sense of justice.

"I guess, how about you make militias instead? Prevention is better than cure." Lars advised.

After all, they won't be able to help every village or settlement that needs it.

"Lars, you are simply too smart. I haven't thought of that." Artemis rubbed her chin.

"Hey, Orion-sama. Artemis-sama really looked forward to meeting with you again and hearing one of your stories." Lante had a cheeky grin.

"Hmm? You could've just called me Artemis." Lars chuckled and she blushed like a tomato.

"Ahem, missing a friend is normal no?" Artemis coughed.

And it was sealed. 'Damn... So that's what he's been doing outside Orario!? Rizzing up ladies? And Artemis no less?' Hephaestus felt like she was in a crisis.

Her rivals were simply too strong. Demeter who was the mommy type, Artemis who is a cute tsundere.

The silver saint Airmid, the sexy chocolate amazoness, Tiona and Tione. And the doll princess Ais.

She had to take action. 'I must cook up a plan with Tsubaki later.' Hephaestus began scheming.

__Hephaestus familia__

Hestia was currently lazing on a couch while Hephaestus walked to and fro with a serious expression.

"Hephaestus, why are you so tense?" Hestia was reading a novel while eating jagamarkuns bought with Hephaestus' money.

"This is a crisis Hestia! Can't you see? Lars is definitely the closest with Demeter and his group.

You've seen how Demeter acts and looks! Even though she's all fuwa fuwa, that woman is sly!" Hephaestus was paranoid as hell.

"That's why I called you neurotic. You're like a ball of anxiety! Huhun, it can't be helped then. Let this onee-san teach you." Hestia had a smug look on her face.

After all, she's had numerous courters. Hephaestus deadpanned at her.

"What do you know about sexiness and seduction? You're a goddamned virgin." Hephaestus replied with a monotone expression.

"Agh! I... I'm very popular you know!" Hestia huffed.

"Yeah, because everyone wants the prestige, not you exactly." Hephaestus sighed.

"Uuu... Why do you have to say it?" Hestia got depressed.

"Anyways! I'll have to seduce Lars!" Hephaestus planned with Hestia.

"Huhun~ I'll teach you hopeless goddesses about romance." Tsubaki stepped in.

"If you want to seduce him, Hephaestus..." Tsubaki closed her eye and they listened intently.

"Shouldn't you just take off your clothes in front of him and spread your legs?" Tsubaki snorted.

"Wha!?" The goddesses were outraged and they immediately banned Tsubaki at the planning committee.

__Wheat manor__

Lars was in the baths and he thought deeply about the girls in his life.

"Fuck, bastards would love to be in my place. But this is pretty hard if you're in the situation." He slicked back his hair.

"They're all great ladies too." He sighed heavily.

He then craned his neck to the side. The door opening.

And he knows that scent, the scent of plants and earth.

"Demeter? Why are you here, I'm bathing you know?" Lars asked and she chuckled.

"I know, dummy." Demeter started to clean herself and rinse off the soap from her body.

She then walked up towards him and sat beside him, only covering her body with a small towel.

"You're one courageous woman. What if I attack you? You're very attractive." Lars sighed.

"Hmmm? My sweet child won't attack me, now would he?" Demeter chortled.

"Stop playing, woman. I'm in the peak of puberty right now." Lars felt like he was preventing a beast from getting out of control.

And purple light shone on his back as his skill tried to control him and attempt to drown in carnal pleasure.

"You're troubled." Demeter broke him out of his dangerous thoughts.

"Yeah, I am. Who wouldn't?" Lars laughed wryly and she nodded.

Demeter went towards his back and she hugged him.

"Isn't it fine? To choose whatever you want?" Demeter whispered like the devil.

"What I want? I don't even know what I want." Lars thought about it and what he wanted to do in the first place.

He just wanted to have an adventure, hunt monsters, turn them into ingredients. Have a nice, gourmet pilgrimage.

But he wasn't blessed to do so. As the monsters that he covets for their ingredients disappear into dust.

The xenos turned into his responsibility and he works for them to forge a brighter tomorrow.

"Follow what your heart desires. As long as you're not in a crooked path, I will support you." Demeter smiled at him and he chuckled.

"Are you trying to seduce me, my goddess?" Lars thought that such words were dangerous for men.

They're simple creatures after all. "Hmm, you're a very attractive man, I wouldn't mind spending a lifetime with you."

Demeter thought his lifespan couldn't compare to the gods.

"Hoh? Those are some fighting words." Lars checked the description of his skill. And Gula will basically turn him immortal.

"Remember, you always have a choice." Demeter stood up and she left with a wink.

Swaying her hips as she walked away. Making Lars grit his teeth. "Fuck, what a dangerous woman."

"Hmm, a choice huh? Well, I'm already the world's enemy, why not do something ridiculous?" Lars smirked.

__

Thanks for reading everyone. I have noticed a fatal flaw in my writing. My pacing sucks ass.

I just write whatever I want like an amateur, leading to less development. And even though the pace is fast, it feels slow.

Anyways, I will be focusing more on the characters instead of just building the world and the premise like what I've been doing.

Well developed characters that are not one dimensional makes the story immersive, more real. Anyways, ciao.