However, Nothing Stays The Same. (14.3)

…

No matter what anyone tells you, parties are never just celebrations. Like everything else in life, there's always a reason for everything that takes place.

In family circles, parties are markers of the passing of childhood and impending adulthood. Hope you liked being 12, kid, because you're 13 now! Five more years until I can really threaten to throw you out of my house! Children go from having carefree lives with pocket money into teenagers who realize that each birthday means the impending loss of their freedom.

Normal people would probably become stressed as each party marks their growing age and impending adulthood. When they get a house or an apartment, they'll have to host their own birthday parties because they won't have any rich, extraordinary friends, and in the end they'll have to spend lots of money to just know they're one year closer to dying.

Should you be a loner, each and every party you had with your family on your birthdays and holidays will probably just make you cry yourself to sleep when you find yourself without friends, living alone in a single apartment, and eating a slice of convenience store cake. There's not much money lost in this particular case, but being alone on a day where you'd always been surrounded by family before always hurts.

Only filthy riajuus would ever be happy with the social "traditions" of parties. Given that they'll have tons of friends and people at their parties, they'll always get a decent return on their time and monetary investment. Hell, with their number of friends, it's very likely that they're not going to spend a dime on their birthdays! Normal people and loners will always only lose when we try to celebrate anything!

If you're any kind of decent parent, please never teach your kids to value celebrating holidays or birthdays. You'll be saving them money, heartache, and a lot of their self-worth. Be a good parent, please.

Anyway, parties held for the public by the rich are a different beast, but also never just for the sake of the people. Image, power, and influence are all increased when a rich person decides to ply their money toward feeding, entertaining, and "enriching" many, many lives at once. To enemies they show that they're so beyond them that they can afford to waste money. Friends are made closer friends. Strangers start to think better of people who they've never met. People will talk about it for months on end, years if it's grand enough, and forever if they're conducted in a timely manner.

With money alone, a person can increase their renown within the entire city.

Those who host parties want more power than they already have, are vying for more influence and control, and wish to intimidate their enemies.

Meaning, of course, that grand, impressive parties can really only be hosted by one kind of person: a ruler.

Needless to say, I'm very interested in finding out who was currently winning the race to control Orario.

…

"You need to be less reliable, Hikigaya-sensei!" Just after I sent Cranel off to make sure he invited Wallenstein to dance, I found myself accosted. Hestia and her Hestias halted me for a split second. The Oppai-Loli goddess wasn't wearing her typical clothes, wearing a cardigan over a plain white dress, making her less of a challenge to look at directly. Still, even without String-chan, there was no denying Hestia's Hestias were formidable opponents to a man who had to look down at her to meet her gaze. I persevered and focused my attention on her pout and crossed arms. Well, mostly her pout. "Muuu… Bell-kun should've asked me to teach him how to dance!"

"Hestia-sama." I addressed her as I usually did, but looked her over with a more… critical eye as soon as I realized her words. It took me a moment to realize that Hestia was deep into her cups. The Oppai-Loli goddess sported a flushed face. The scent of alcohol wafted from her as she continued to stand shakily before me. Ah, I must be looking upon the legendary "unattended girl drinks herself to stupor due to sorrow" comedy skit. You're playing with fire, Zaimokuza. You made her powerful, perhaps too powerful, and striking her down like this will backfire. You may have just dug your own grave, you tubby bastard. "You are drunk."

"I… hic… am not!" Judging by the fact you pronounced "hic" aloud, I believe differently. Zaimokuza's walking, talking pandering character pointed a finger towards me. "I am p-perfectly so-sober!" The twin-tailed, busty, and kind goddess swayed where she stood. Placing a hand on her shoulder, making sure to not trip any flags by holding her hand or picking her up, I walked her to her seat. Yamato gave me a wan smile and a wave with a hand holding a familiar saucer. Yep, two lost causes here. "Aaannddd! You're changing the subject!"

I replied the only way I knew how: I raised an eyebrow questioningly.

Man, I sure was easy to animate.

"Bell… Bell-kun's been soooo strong and ruh-reliable luh-lately… but he always g-guh-go's to you first!" Some semblance of intelligence was working its way through the alcohol. I made sure to pay more attention to the drunk Oppai Loli before me. This wasn't a comedy skit! Zaimokuza was trying to trick me, dammit! This was important character development for the most important person in this story: me! "Hik-Hikigaya-sensei, you need to be less reliable so my child can stand on his o-hic-own!"

I scrambled my mind for a reply. This was the moment where I could cement myself as a main character in Zaimokuza's crazed light novel! I was being spoken to by Cranel's main girl about Cranel's power levels and abilities! That I needed to lay off guiding him everywhere and have him make his own decisions! This was my chance to say something that would lead to my own character arc and make sure the tubby bastard can't kill me off!

"…"

Naturally, just as I was about to speak, the lights in the ball room went out save for the stage, the orchestra began to play, and the most beautiful woman in the world began to address her guests with a voice like warm honey.

"Welcome, my lovely guests, to the first Banquet of Adventurers and Gods." Freya, the goddess of the most powerful Familia in Orario, drew the eyes of every single person in the room. She was clad in a dress of gold and white with a silver wreath around her head. Looking her over, I was very, very sure that she was now the center of the screen. Goddammit, Zaimokuza, this was supposed to be my scene! Don't just introduce new plot-relevant girls out of nowhere! "I am glad that so many are enjoying this wonderful evening." The goddess of beauty smiled. "With tonight's preparations all concluded, I look forward to spending the rest of the evening with you all."

Applause followed Freya's words. Not light applause either. The cheering was just shy of wanton abandonment. More than a few men, both divine and mortal, had flushed looks upon their faces while their dates clapped very, very politely with smiles that were as frigid as ice. Ladies, that's scary, y'know?

Anyway, as Freya continued to exchange pleasantries, I turned back to Hestia. Perhaps, after all, there was a chance for me to get my screen time? I mean, Cranel has plenty of girls already, right? I was going to get the chance to speak instead of this week's new flavor, right? Plot, after all, triumphed over petty pandering…

Hestia gave a little hiccup, lolled back, and finally fell onto the table face first. The Oppai-Loli goddess, my only hope of screen time, was no longer physically or mentally present. She began to drool lightly on the tablecloth. Mutterings of "Bell-kun," "too reliable," and "that sort of love is forbidden" spilled from her lips.

As expected, my dreams and aspirations are easily destroyed by alcohol. Truly, I needed to vest my expectations into a more reliable source. Hestia, despite her status as an Oppai-Loli Goddess, First Girl, and kind person, wasn't all that reliable as a method of gaining the main cast status that I dearly wished to have. I'd put my faith in you, Oppai-Loli, but it appears that I've only placed a burden on you that even String-chan would've been incapable of supporting.

Soundly defeated, I resigned myself to listen to Cranel's newly opened route.

Eh, why's there a raffle box on stage?

Why was everyone staring in my direction?

Why was I receiving glares of fury without having done anything?

Why is Ottar, the strongest adventurer in Orario and the only Level 7, looking down at me while clad in a suit?

"Hikigaya Hachiman?" A voice like rolling thunder came forth from Ottar's mouth. Oi, how did you know my name. Also, who tailored that tuxedo? I'm sorry, but it appears to be too small for you. Sir, your biceps are bigger than my head. Sir, you are very scary. "That is you, correct?"

"…" The famed adventurer of the Freya Familia had a stoic face and a cool gaze that reminded me way too much of a villain getting serious. What was this about? I decided on only nodding and affirming that I was, yes, Hikigaya Hachiman. "I am Hikigaya Hachiman, yes."

"Due to Freya-sama's time spent setting up this Banquet, she was unable to call for a date. It was decided to reward one of the guests of this Banquet with her hand for the evening." My face must have told Ottar all he needed to know, that I hadn't been paying attention to Freya's speech in the slightest, since he promptly provided an explanation. There was a glint of an emotion in his eyes that I immediately recognized. Why? Because I usually had it mine. It was schadenfreude, plain and simple! I felt a chill go down my spine. "You have won the raffle to be Freya-sama's date for the evening."

There was a whole slew of answers I could have given. I could have made an excuse about being still too injured to dance. However, I had just taught Cranel to dance. I could have said I didn't know how to dance. Again, however, I had just taught Cranel to dance. Perhaps, I could have said that I had a date and that dancing with another woman would be in poor taste, but who the hell would believe me if I said that? Hell, there wasn't exactly anyone present willing to present that I was their date. Yamato was drunk, Hestia was asleep, Hecate was nowhere to be found, and Cranel had a date. Wait, what was that last one? That seemed quite a suspicious thing to say. Oh, well.

So, in the end, I had no choice but to rise, follow Orario's strongest Adventurer, and feel the jealous glares of dozens and dozens of men.

Joy, it looked like I was going to be hated by everyone again.

I did my best to look decent as I went. Straight back, impassive face, and no slouching. It was a lot harder to be intimidated when everyone glaring at you is short. Ha ha ha, I might only be taller than average in my world, but when standing straight here I'm a head taller than everyone else! Glare all you want pipsqueaks, I can barely feel your hatred all the way up here, lol.

"A pleasure to meet you, Hikigaya Hachiman." Freya, the goddess of beauty, greeted me with a smile and offered her hand. Naturally, I followed basic etiquette and pressed my lips against the back of her hand. She smelled of winter forests. It was an unfamiliar scent, but I could tell why she chose it. "Take care of me tonight, please."

Thus, through my lack of luck, I found myself being used as a foil to introduce Cranel's new love interest.

...