Danmachi: The Multiverse Portal

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After the shameless fireworks stunt came to an end, August and Liliruca Arde walked back together.

August reached out and lightly knocked her on the head. "You little rascal. Was all that really necessary?"

During her confession, he had believed Lili was pouring her heart out. Looking back, however, the entire scene had felt a little too polished, almost as though she had rehearsed every word and gesture beforehand.

He glanced up at Ray circling through the night sky and finally put the pieces together. Lili had staged the entire performance as her own peculiar way of turning Finn down.

"You don't understand," she said. "That's called romance."

Despite being rejected moments ago, Lili showed no trace of heartbreak. Instead, a sly smile spread across her face.

August's refusal had been entirely within her expectations. They were partners first and foremost, and while he cared about her, part of that affection came from sympathy for everything she had endured. Their relationship had never reached the point where he would accept a real confession from her.

More importantly, Lili knew exactly where his heart was directed. August had crossed worlds in pursuit of Hestia.

As a member of the Hestia Familia, how could she possibly overlook something so obvious?

Her own ambition was to surpass Hestia and claim the position of main wife. Being rejected now was merely an expected part of that journey.

"Still, Lili, how did you come up with that setup??" August asked.

She had deliberately reenacted a scene from a tragic romance to accomplish her goal, but why had she chosen that particular story?

"Because I'm a Pallum," Lili answered, her expression turning serious. "I can't do much to restore the glory of our race on a grand scale, but I can judge what's in front of me and make my own choices. At the very least, Loki Familia's Braver should properly understand the person he claims to like instead of blindly following some ancient myth."

Lili had researched the legends from August's world. If Finn wanted to find a Pallum bride worthy of carrying their race forward—he needed to nurture that bond himself and reach out to someone still trapped in despair.

Trying to claim a woman another person had already rescued, then expecting her to compromise her feelings for the sake of the Pallum race, would only produce a hollow imitation of what Finn supposedly wanted.

Lili understood that perfectly. She had staged tonight's confession so word would eventually reach Finn and force him to reconsider his pursuit. Continuing to fixate on a Pallum who had already found her salvation would only breed resentment.

August caught the reference to ancient mythology. "You mean the legend of Fionn?"

He had to admit, if Finn Deimne was meant to mirror the legendary hero Fionn mac Cumhaill, the similarities were hard to miss. In that story, the older hero wanted a young bride, but she ran off with one of his warriors.

Later, when the warrior was dying, the hero let his anger win and refused to help. It was a well-known tragedy about pride, betrayal, and the disaster that followed.

August hadn't expected Lili to remember the details so well, much less use them against Finn.

"No wonder you chose this setup." He gave her a thumbs-up. She had mirrored the myth deliberately, turning her public confession into a message Finn could not misunderstand.

"Of course. I don't like strangers anyway," Lili said matter-of-factly. "Besides, if I'm going to fall for someone, it would have to be a mature older-brother type. Right, Onii-chan~?"

She slipped her arm through his and looked up at him with a sugary-sweet smile.

"..." August felt a chill run down his spine.

This girl really knew how to push his buttons.

The two continued through the Southwest District at an unhurried pace, passing the Bridge of Heroes and the nearby entertainment plazas and parks popular with couples.

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Inside the Pallums' secret gathering place, Finn Deimne stared at the untouched cup of wine before him.

"Lord Finn, she isn't coming," Luan said apologetically.

Currently working as a waiter, he looked uneasily at the most respected member of their race. The invitation had already been delivered, yet their fellow Pallum clearly had no intention of accepting it.

"Is that so?" Finn murmured.

A hint of disappointment showed in his eyes. No one had ever left him waiting before. Usually, women gathered wherever he went, but this time, someone from his own race had ignored his invitation without even turning him down face-to-face...

It hurt his pride more than he wanted to admit!

Finn picked up the cup and took a slow sip. The wine tasted more bitter than usual.

Before he could decide what to say, a broad silhouette appeared in the tavern entrance. The noisy establishment fell silent, and every head turned toward the door.

It was Gareth Landrock.

"Gareth." Finn's gaze sharpened.

"Finn..." Gareth approached the table with his usual steady expression.

"—She isn't coming."

Finn froze. He had known the rest of the Familia might hear about his invitation, but he hadn't expected anyone to interfere so directly.

"She isn't coming?" he repeated.

"Here. This just happened not long ago."

Gareth tossed an object onto the table. It was a newly made magic crystal designed to record and replay images.

Finn caught it and poured a thread of magic into the crystal. A projection appeared above the table.

The recording showed Liliruca Arde, no longer dressed in her usual Adventurer gear but wearing an elegant gown. Finn's eyes brightened for a moment.

Then he saw her walking next to August, looking truly happy. At first, he thought it was just a friendly outing between a captain and his Supporter.

The scene soon shifted to the riverbank.

Lili stepped forward and confessed, her eyes fixed entirely on August. Mournful music played in the background, making the carefully staged scene feel like the climax of a tragic romance.

Then August rejected her.

He made his position clear. His heart and ambitions were focused on pursuing Hestia, and he had no intention of abandoning that goal—yet Lili neither begged nor tried to force her feelings upon him.

Instead, she decided to become stronger.

She would keep chasing after August until she could stand next to him as an equal.

Finn watched the projection in complete silence.

"...Ah."

He had nothing to say.

Until now, he thought he was already winning. Only after seeing the recording did he realize he had lost before things even started.

He couldn't pinpoint when things went wrong. Lili's gentle but firm feelings, her clear choice, and the way she accepted rejection left him shaken.

For the first time, Finn thought he was looking at the most beautiful Pallum in the world.

The other Pallums in the tavern were equally stunned.

"Is this real?" Luan muttered.

At first, hearing that August had turned Lili down made him hope she might still accept Finn's invitation. But seeing her keep chasing August anyway changed everything he thought.

The Pallum women scattered throughout the tavern were just as captivated. They had never witnessed a romance so tragic yet strangely moving.

They understood Lili better than anyone. She was one of them—a Pallum who had suffered hunger, abuse, and humiliation before August helped her out of it. They envied her. Many secretly wished someone would save them the same way.

But they also knew what it meant for their race. Lili's choice to keep following August wasn't weakness or blind loyalty. It was the path she picked after leaving the Soma Familia.

"If it were me..."

"If it were you, you would've started resenting Lord August the moment he rejected you."

"But Arde didn't resent him. She chose to catch up."

"She crawled out of the Soma Familia's hell and kept moving forward. That's her decision."

"Lord August made enemies of major Familias to protect a weak Supporter. Arde chose the right person."

The women whispered among themselves.

Pallums were at the bottom of Orario's social hierarchy, but Lili's actions showed them a different way. She didn't wait for her race's glory to save her. She took her future into her own hands.

Finn listened to his people and let out a bitter laugh.

"I see. So this is what defeated me." At last, he understood the reality facing the Pallum race. When their own people had failed to save one another, August had reached out and rescued Lili without demanding anything from her in return.

That alone put Finn in August's shadow.

Lili had ignored Finn's invitation and still chosen August, even after being rejected. That was her answer.

"Let's go," Finn said quietly.

He left enough Valis on the table to pay for the wine, then got up and followed Gareth out of the tavern. Neither of them spoke during the walk.

Rather than return to Twilight Manor, Gareth led Finn to the Hostess of Fertility, where the Loki Familia's executives had gathered for dinner.

The restaurant's atmosphere changed the moment the two entered.

Everyone there—the waitresses, cooks, and Adventurers—knew what had happened. They'd seen the showdown between Hestia and Loki, watched Finn invite Liliruca Arde, and then saw Lili confess to her own captain instead.

Now Gareth had brought the rejected man straight into the restaurant instead of taking him somewhere private to recover.

Riveria Ljos Alf watched Finn as he sat down. He hadn't said a word since coming in, and his face looked distant and thoughtful. "This isn't like you, Finn... You've hardly said anything since you got here. What's wrong?"

"I'm trying to figure out exactly where I lost to August," Finn answered, completely serious.

"..." The Loki Familia executives fell silent.

Was he really still comparing himself to August?

Everyone knew what kind of man August was. Even temptation that would have shaken most people barely moved him. In that regard alone, Finn could hardly compete.

Still, it was a legitimate question.

"Hmm..."

"He's more shameless than you. He cares far less about what people think, and more importantly, he has the nerve to act on it," Loki said.

She looked helplessly at one of her Familia's earliest members, then glanced across the restaurant at Hestia, who sat nearby with a bright smile.

"Is that so?" Finn asked.

"Exactly. Look at how he acts. You might think he hides behind arrogance, but that's just who he is. He fell into another world without even knowing the language—yet he still locked onto his goal and went after it without hesitation. That alone puts him ahead of ninety-nine point nine percent of the people on the Lower World."

Finn knew August's background. He was an otherworlder who had prepared everything he could for the sole purpose of finding Hestia.

That degree of resolve was difficult to comprehend.

Hestia had answered him in return. The bond between them was something both a mortal and a goddess had chosen for themselves.

"If I were in her position, I'd be grinning from ear to ear too," Loki muttered.

"Loki, you sound like a traitor," Ais Wallenstein observed.

Even she could hear the jealousy in her goddess's voice.

"If I could turn traitor, I'd be first in line," Loki grumbled. "SEEING THAT SHRIMP SMILE LIKE THAT PISSES ME OFF."

"..." She glared toward Hestia. If the circumstances allowed it, Loki would have gladly marched across the restaurant and beaten her black and blue simply to vent her frustration.

The Loki Familia could only sigh. They had seen this reaction too many times before. Loki could live with being broke. What she couldn't stand was seeing Hestia doing better than her.

Hestia's delighted expression only made matters worse.

Finn felt a bleak weight settle over him.

'Maybe this is why I can't win.'

For the first time, being Braver felt like a burden. Finn used to think being a hero was something wonderful, but now the title didn't really belong to him anymore. Every choice he made had to consider appearances, expectations, and the Pallum race's reputation.

August had offered a completely different answer.

He did not allow pride or reputation to restrict him. If a shameless method achieved his goal, he would use it without hesitation. He cared little about how the world judged him.

Finn had lost.

Completely.

"Still," Tiona Hiryute said with a cheerful smile, "if I were choosing someone to date, August wouldn't be a bad choice."

She had always held a favorable impression of him. Being an Amazon did not mean she lacked the right to choose her own partner, and August suited her preferences remarkably well.

Unfortunately, there was no opening.

"Tiona, you too?" Loki stared at her like she'd just been stabbed in the back. "Why are all my children turning on me?"

"I support her," Riveria said calmly.

"Me too," Ais added.

Loki looked between them in disbelief.

August was not always easy to deal with, but as a partner, he was loyal, steady, and fiercely protective of the people he loved.

On that point, even the Loki Familia could not deny his appeal.

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