Chapter 356: Worried girls
Chapter 356 - Worried girls
The ringing bell announced the official start of the war game.
Along with the bell came thunderous cheers, resounding from every corner of Orario.
It was as if the residents of Orario had been holding back their excitement for a long time, pouring it all out the moment the bell chimed, driving the entire city wild.
Massive divine mirrors, created through arcanum, manifested all across Orario.
These divine mirrors acted much like broadcast screens, displaying every moment of the war game right before the citizen’s eyes.
Suspended in the sky above Orario, three immense screens displayed the movements of the Hestia familia, Apollo familia and Ishtar familia.
On one screen, only two people were seen walking side by side: Mahiro and Ais.
As outside help for this war game, Ais had been granted official approval by the guild to participate only in the clash between the Hestia familia and Ishtar familia, an official announcement having been posted long in advance.
Because of this, no one was surprised to see her there.
Naturally, that guild notice had driven busybodies to dig deeply into the relationship between Ais and Mahiro, quickly making Ais the top candidate for the best girlfriend in Orario.
Everyone watched their actions closely, as they were the offensive side in this war game.
As attackers, they would surely utilize every trick at their disposal to overcome the defenders.
The spectators eagerly awaited the thrilling sight of an underdog force launching an attack against superior numbers.
Since the war game had only just begun, the most exciting action was yet to come.
For now, the audience could only watch the two figures slowly moving forward.
Meanwhile, the Apollo familia and Ishtar familia were mobilizing their forces, setting up defenses within their respective strongholds.
Inside the hostess of fertility, the tavern was packed to capacity.
As one of the most popular taverns in town, it naturally served as a prime gathering spot for adventurers. Even though it was still daytime, business was far livelier than a typical night.
Shouts from patrons and the frantic scurrying of waitresses filled the crowded hall.
Some bookies even set up gambling tables inside the tavern, knowing that with Mama Mia holding down the fort, no one would dare cause trouble.
"Ryu, will Mahiro really be all right?"
Syr had just finished serving drinks to a table of patrons. Holding her tray tightly against her chest, she looked anxiously up at the divine mirror hanging in the tavern, her worry far deeper than that of the casual onlookers.
"He will be fine."
The elf girl maintained her usual calm composure and offered comforting words.
"There is no need to doubt Mahiro’s strength. As long as he remains cautious against the Apollo familia, slips into their headquarters, and picks them off one by one, he will face no trouble."
"As for the Ishtar familia..."
Ryu shook her head. "I cannot say for certain, but with the Sword Princess assisting him, their chances are reasonable."
The Ishtar familia have far too many veteran combatants.
Even without Freya’s ability to discern the souls of mortals, Ishtar’s charm could easily sway countless adventurers to her side.
"Syr, all we can do now is pray for Mahiro, nyaa! Worrying will not change anything, so we just have to believe he will come back victorious, nyaa!"
Anya chimed in with a bright tone.
"Yes."
Syr managed a small smile. Though her anxiety had not vanished entirely, her spirit felt lighter.
Over at the guild, another girl was equally worried about Mahiro.
As a guild employee, Eina had been swamped with work over the past few days, as preparing for a war game required an overwhelming amount of effort.
Now that the war game had officially commenced, she finally had a moment to watch the broadcast.
Eina stared up at the divine mirror in the guild hall, her brow tightly furrowed.
Just like Syr, her eyes held deep concern.
"Eina, your boyfriend is facing truly terrible odds this time."
Misha sighed as she looked at her friend.
She was genuinely worried that Eina’s relationship would end before it had even truly begun.
"Mahiro was far too reckless this time. Facing the Apollo familia alone would have been difficult enough, but he added the Ishtar familia into the mix."
Misha was already trying to figure out how to comfort her best friend once the war game concluded.
"Mahiro is not the type to act recklessly without a plan. If he were not confident, he would never have challenged two familias at once."
Eina shook her head firmly.
Misha could only sigh.
Although Mahiro was remarkably strong, facing an entire first class familia alongside the Sword Princess still seemed like an overwhelming struggle.
"Still, Mahiro accepted Ishtar familia’s challenge without saying a single word to me. As his advisor, I was completely left in the dark."
Eina huffed, crossing her arms. "When he gets back, I am going to give him a piece of my mind!"
During the preparation period, Eina had refrained from visiting Mahiro out of fear of distracting him.
"All right, all right. I hope I am worrying over nothing and that Mahiro returns victorious," Misha said helplessly.
Inside Babel, the gods gathered around, watching the divine mirrors with excitement as they eagerly anticipated the battle between the familias.
"Which stronghold do you think Hestia’s child will attack first?" one god wondered aloud.
"Apollo, of course!"
"It has to be Apollo."
"In a situation like this, taking out the weaker opponent first makes the most sense. Once they regroup, they can head for the second stronghold."
The consensus among the gods was clear: the Apollo familia’s headquarters would be where the battle began.
"Shut up, all of you! Who are you calling weak?!"
Apollo’s face turned sour.
Hearing the other gods dismiss his familia so easily infuriated him.
Apollo snapped his fingers, summoning another divine mirror. This screen was unique, focusing entirely on a close-up of Ais.
"Hey! Apollo, do you have a death wish?! How dare you spy on my Ais!"
The moment the screen appeared, Loki exploded in fury, shouting aggressively.
"The Sword Princess is only permitted to fight against the Ishtar familia. Who knows if she will secretly pull something else? I am merely taking precautions," Apollo replied defensively.
"You think my Ais is like you, pulling underhanded tricks behind closed doors?!" Loki sneered.
"Apollo, shameless as always!"
"How embarrassing!"
"Shameless!"
"Though Ais is looking as lovely as ever!"
Mocking remarks echoed throughout the room, but Apollo remained utterly unfazed, even feeling quite proud of his foresight.
"Look, those two stopped moving!"
On the divine mirror displaying Mahiro and Ais both figures suddenly came to a halt mid-stride.
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