Danmachi: Scavenger

Dian Cecht strode toward Rex and Soma, his blindingly white, floor-length robe embroidered with swirling gold patterns catching the light, with a high-collared cape, and a golden sash across his shoulder. A jeweled belt cinched the robe at his waist, with a few expensive looking rings on his fingers, and he carried a staff topped with a glowing white crystal.

'A cape?' Rex watched the cape flowing dramatically behind the god with an unreadable expression. 'Really?'

Slightly behind Dian Cecht was Airmid, dressed in a sleeveless, flowing gown of delicate silver and lilac, and silver and closed-toe heels. The dress hugged her petite waist before cascading into a wide, layered skirt, and her arms were covered by matching long, silken gloves that reached just above her elbows. The neckline of her gown framed her collarbones without revealing too much and a flower pin held her silver hair in a bun with a few stands framing her face.

Rex hadn't paid much attention to her the first time they met in Cupidinem or when he handed her the dust in the Dian Cecht store. But now, as he really looked at her, he understood why many called her a 'doll.' She was beautiful—strikingly so. 

A beautiful doll he would kidnap and lock up in his basement—

'WOAH!' He cut off the thought. 'I should NOT be thinking that with a crowd like this. Someone might have mind-reading powers or something. Holy shit, bro.'

"Soma!" Dian Cecht's grin widened as he approached. "The hermit himself, gracing us lowly socialites with his divine presence!"

Rex watched as Soma slowly tilted his head up, locking onto Dian Cecht's face for half a second before giving a small, indifferent blink.

"And here I thought parties were beneath you, my dear Soma," Dian Cecht continued, his tone dripping with mockery. "To see you here, out in the open, among people. Truly, a historic moment!"

"...Go away," Soma muttered, his voice flat, as he returned his attention to a random spot on the ground.

"FU-HA-HA-HA!" Dian Cecht threw back his head in laughter, his entire body shaking as if Soma had just told the funniest joke in the world. "You wound me, old friend. You act as if I don't value your presence. As if I am not absolutely delighted to see you at such a lively gathering."

Dian Cecht didn't continue the conversation with Soma and instead turned to Rex. "Ah-ha! And if it isn't the one and only Rex Magnus."

"Good evening, Lord Dian Cecht," Rex greeted with a small bow. "Lovely evening we're having."

"Indeed, indeed," Dian Cecht replied with a grin, his golden staff glinting as he leaned slightly forward, his deep gray eyes locked onto Rex's. "Though, I must say, the evening just got a little more interesting now that I've found you here. You see, a little bird—a rather talkative one, might I add—has been whispering the most fascinating things about you."

"Oh?" Rex raised an eyebrow ever so slightly, already guessing what was coming. 'Let me guess. Me being a Level 3?'

"Yes, yes," Dian Cecht chuckled. "The bird told me that you, my dear Rex Magnus, are the true architect of the Papilio Crystallinum. Does the bird lie?"

'Eh?' Though surprised, his face remained composed.

Papilio Crystallinum was the name under which his 'purified Blue Papilio Powder' was registered in the market, and only one person knew the true creator: Zanis. But Zanis wouldn't say a word unless he had a knife to his throat—or something equally dire. So he guessed Dian Cecht was just be making an educated guess.

'Or maybe he put a knife to Zanis' throat and asked him of me while I was away in the Dungeon,' Rex thought. He replied with a small nod. "No, the bird wasn't lying. I am its maker."

He saw no reason to hide it. Concealing the truth wouldn't bring any extra benefits. In fact, revealing he was the creator might. Besides, gods could tell when someone was lying or telling half-truths, and Rex wasn't clever enough to craft a response that avoided lying without revealing the truth.

There was a short pause, and then Dian Cecht laughed loudly, his grin widening as he looked at Rex. "So it is you," Dian Cecht said, his grin widening. "I knew I had an eye for talent. You were practically glowing when we first met."

'Yeah, my handsomeness makes me glow,' Rex thought, keeping his expression neutral as Dian continued.

"It's a marvelous creation," the god said, spreading his arm, causing the gold on his robe to catch the light. "Almost like the perfect base for any healing potion. The best that can be produced in the mortal realm." 

He then leaned in slightly, his sharp eyes gleaming. "Tell me, boy, how did you do it? What's your secret?"

The Dian Cecht Familia had conducted research on one of the bottled powders, attempting to reverse-engineer it. But they had discovered it couldn't be reverse-engineered because it wasn't 'engineered' in the traditional sense. It was as if the powder had been made that way naturally, with no discernible method behind its creation.

 Of course, they dismissed this as impossible—no one could create something so pure without a process. They concluded that the creator must have perfected its purity to such an extent that it appeared natural, so they gave up with attempting to reverse-engineer it.

"I'm sorry, Lord Dian Cecht," Rex replied with a polite smile, "but I can't say."

Internally, he smirked. 'Would you want to know that I can swing my dick and this powder will drop? That I'm literally a walking bank? That you've been paying millions for something I can create for free?'

Dian Cecht waved a hand, his smile never faltering. "Of course, of course. No one would want to reveal such an expensive secret." He didn't seem mad or bothered at all. Instead, he continued;

"You see, my lovely Airmid over here—" he gestured to the doll-like gil, who gave Rex a slight nod, "—has been working on a formula for almost two weeks, and she's unable to progress. At this rate, it would take months to make progress, and we can't wait that long. Haha~."

He pointed at Rex with his free hand, his ring on his index glinting and making Rex blink. "I would like you, Rex Magnus, to take a look at the formula and help my girl."

"I apologize," Rex shook his head. "But I can't help her, my lord."

Airmid's face remained composed, but one of her fingers twitched slightly at his response, while Dian Cecht frowned, his sharp eyes narrowing.

"I was only able to discover the 'Papilio Crystallinum' by accident." Rex explained, "My knowledge in alchemy isn't at all on par with Dea Saint, who is one of the best in the city. If she's hung up on a formula, I won't be able to help."

He was telling the truth, and the god knew that, but he laughed. "Luck is a part of skill, my boy." He said with a grin. "Why don't you take a look after this party and see if your luck will come into play?" This time, he wasn't asking.

Rex sighed internally but nodded. "Then I won't decline, my lord." He said while thinking, 'I can just see if I can use Scavenger on the formula or something.'

Dian Cecht chuckled, his tone light but his eyes sharp. "Though I hope you'll keep your mouth shut about the content of said formula."

Rex nodded. "I won't dare run my mouth."

Dian Cecht waved, about to turn and leave, when he seemed to remember something. "Earlier, you said my girl was 'one of the best.'" He glanced at Rex. "Why not the best?"

"I meant nothing by that, Lord Dian Cecht," Rex replied with a smile.

Dian Cecht's grin widened. "Then who would you say is the best?"

Rex wanted to say Durlan, the captain of the Panacea Familia, but he knew that might anger the god. Instead, he laughed nervously.

Dian Cecht joined in, his laughter booming. "HA-HA-HA—" Suddenly, he stopped, his face turning serious. "Who is the best, boy?"

Rex gulped, his Adam's apple bobbing visibly.

Then, a voice cut through. "Don't pressure the boy like that, fox." Rex recognized the voice and turned to see Panacea walking.

'Phew.' Rex exhaled slightly as he saw his bail.

Panacea wore a fitted emerald-green bodice over a silver-green blouse, its high neckline peeking out above the bodice's sweetheart neckline. The bodice tapered at her waist, flowing into a floor-length sage-green skirt that shimmered with every step. Her usual silver leaf circlet rested atop her honey-blonde hair, now arranged in a slightly more polished bun.

Behind her, Durlan stood tall in a deep forest-green suit, the silver embroidery on his blazer mirroring the motifs on Panacea's bodice. His pale sage-green shirt matched his goddess skirt, with a silver-green tie, and black leather shoes. His blonde hair fell loosely to his shoulders, and a green watch gleamed on his wrist.

'I just realized that I'm not that handsome.' Rex sighed internally when he saw Durlan. 'Elves are really a VIP race.' The elf golden eyes met his, and they gave each other a slight nod as Panacea spoke,

Panacea turned to Rex. "I trust you are enjoying the evening, Rex Magnus?" Her gentle eyes met his. "These gatherings can be overwhelming, but they're also an opportunity to connect with others

"So far, I am, Lady Panacea." Rex gave a polite nod. "Thank you for asking."

"I'm glad to hear it." Panacea's smile was warm, her presence calming. "If you ever need a moment of respite, don't hesitate to seek me out."

She turned to Soma and was about to say something when another voice interrupted.

"Dian Cecht, Panacea." Rex glanced over, his gaze landing on a dark-skinned goddess, Pinga, with a tall, well-built level 3 human following behind her with his hands in his suit pants. "What's the occasion?" Pinga asked. 

As the three gods began conversing, the shift in the atmosphere was almost immediate. Like a dam breaking, the gathering around Rex and Soma expanded.

More gods began to drift in, sensing an opportunity to mingle with the most renowned figures in healing and alchemy. One by one, they joined the growing cluster, bringing with them their captains, elite members, and tales of their own exploits.

Rex barely had time to react before he and Soma were suddenly boxed in by a sea of divine egos. Some gods began boasting about their Familia, while others tossed subtle jabs at their competitors, their voices weaving between playful banter and sharp-witted arguments.

'Bro, why?' Rex sighed internally, his expression carefully neutral. 'Why the fuck can't they go anywhere else?' 

He glanced down at Soma... Soma was gone?

Rex quickly looked around, his taller stature allowing him to see over the shorter mortals and gods crowding the room. His eyes landed on Soma, who was halfway across the room, sitting at a table and pouring himself a glass of wine. Soma seemed to sense his gaze and glanced in his direction. 

Their eyes met briefly beneath the god's long bangs before Soma turned back to his drink.

'Betrayal!' Rex screamed. 'How did he even manage to leave without me noticing?!'

He quickly took advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention to him and began maneuvering through the crowd. It took a few minutes because some gods kept inexplicably dragging him into their conversations—like the two arguing over which of their elf girls looked the best. 

Rex had simply said, "Why don't you ask him?" and pointed at Durlan, who was standing silently behind his goddess as she argued with Dian Cecht in their own small group. Before the gods could react, Rex slipped away.

He finally made it to Soma, who had only taken a sip of his wine before setting it aside, clearly unimpressed by its quality. Rex decided to use a drink to clear his mind and picked up the bottle. 

'A while has passed, so Apollo should come in soon to start the party.' He thought as he opened the bottle. 'Then we can leave.' He grabbed a spare glass, poured himself some wine, and took a sip. His face immediately contorted. 

'...This shit is so ass.' He closed the bottle and placed it back on the table. 'Cheap fucking wine.' The thought irritated him. He came here against his will, and the wine was this bad?

He grabbed an apple from the fruit tray, cleaning it with a napkin from the table. 'At least no one else should approach us, since those two are busy.' He was about to bite into the apple when a loud voice rang out.

"There he is!"

Rex nearly crushed the apple in his palm as he turned to see Hermes sprinting toward him. 'Oh, it's just him.' Rex relaxed.

Hermes was a chill god—the one who'd taken him to spy on naked girls (a memory he still hadn't forgotten) and the one who'd saved his life. He didn't mind talking to the man, especially since he'd seen the god earlier flitting from group to group, never staying too long. Rex figured this would just be a brief catch-up.

The god was dressed casually in a cream-colored suit, the blazer unbuttoned and his burgundy dress shirt untucked. The top two buttons of his shirt were left undone, and his red tie hung loosely around his neck.

Behind him, Asfi wore a black sleeveless gown with an open-back blouse that exposed a portion of her upper back. The blouse covered her entire front and wrapped around her neck with a fur-lined collar, and a matching fur waistpiece cinched the gown to her waist, with the long, flowing skirt extended gracefully to her heels.

"Hi there, Rex," Hermes said with a smile as he approached. "Looking as handsome as ever, I see." He immediately turned to Soma, who was sitting beside Rex. "You too, Soma. Love the watch—that's what I call style!"

"Lord Hermes, please lower your voice…" Asfi said, pushing up her silver glasses.

Soma didn't respond, and Hermes turned back to Rex without pause. "How have you been these past few days? What have you been up to?"

"Just Dungeon diving," Rex shrugged. "Same as always."

"You didn't take a break after the event on eighteenth?" Hermes grinned. "That's dedication! True dedication!"

"Haha," Rex chuckled as he placed his apple on the table. "I forgot to thank you for the elixir you gave me a few days ago." He unbuckled his watch. "How about you have this? It's worth about one and a half million valis, and I just bought it, so—"

"Don't worry about it!" Hermes waved dismissively. "The potion was payment for the amazing magic you—wait, waaaa…" Hermes' eyes widened as they landed on the black watch. "How much did you say that was?"

"Around zero point five million," Rex repeated, lowering his hand. "And, thanks for not seeking payment. You are truly a kind god—"

"Ahem!" Hermes cleared his throat, cutting Rex off as he extended his right palm.

"???" Rex looked down at the palm in confusion. "What?"

"*Cough*The watch.*Cough*" Hermes said, beckoning with his palm. "Hand it over—"

*Thud!* Asfi punched Hermes over the head, sending him to his knees. She bowed slightly to Rex. "I apologize for him," she said, meeting his eyes. "You can keep the watch."

"No, it's alright," Rex said, removing the watch. "It wasn't that expensive. I can always buy a new one…" He noticed the duo staring at him in silence.

Suddenly, Hermes—still on his knees—appeared in front of Rex, hugging his legs like a begger and looking up at him with puppy-dog eyes. "Please pay off my Familia's debt—"

*Wham!* A kick from Asfi sent Hermes flying to the side, sliding across the tiles. Some gods who witnessed the scene burst into laughter. "Again, I apologize," Asfi said to Rex.

"Ah, no problem," Rex said, glancing at Hermes, who was now sprawled in the Yamcha pose on the ground. 

'It amazes me how they treat gods so casually.' It might just be because he was a coward, but he could never treat a god like that—no matter how close they were. He then held out the watch to aqua haired girl. "You can have the watch."

"It's no problem," Asfi said, waving it away with her gloved hand.

"I insist, take it," Rex smiled.

"I don't—"

"Take it."

There was a short silence between them, cyan eyes on amber, before Asfi reluctantly took the watch. "Thank you," she said.

"No, I should be the one thanking you for saving my life." Rex replied, messaging his wrist. He hated wearing that watch—expensive but uncomfortable.

Asfi was about to say something when Hermes shouted, "There they are!"

Rex looked over to see the god grinning at the door from his position on the ground, all the way across the room. Following his gaze, Rex saw the protagonist group stepping in. Bell was holding his goddess Hestia's hand, and Miach was holding Naaza's. They were quickly joined by Takemikazuchi and his girl, Mikoto, and a woman whose status showed:

'That's Hephaestus?' Rex was surprised by the appearance of the 'god' called Hephaestus.

"I'll catch up with you later, Rex!" Hermes shouted, scrambling to his feet and sprinting away.

"It was great meeting you," Asfi said with a slight nod.

"Likewise," Rex returned the nod as the girl speed-walked after her god.

The moment the left, Soma's voice came from behind him. "…You draw attention…" Rex turned to see the god's tired black eyes staring at him through his bangs. "…Leave…"

"…" Rex didn't argue. He walked away and took up a position next to a pillar not far off, where he could keep an eye on Soma and most of the ballroom. 

'But that's really Hephaestus?' Rex thought, staring at the beautiful red-haired goddess wearing a red gown that has a sash that crosses diagonally over her chest, leaving one shoulder bare while the other is partially covered.

The bodice was fitted, accentuating her toned physique before transitioning into a long, layered skirt that cascades in soft folds, adding movement and elegance. She accessorizes with bicep-length gloves that match the gown, featuring small, delicate ties near the upper arms, and a large, dark rose-shaped accessory was pinned at her collarbone.

'Why do I remember her as a buff, tall woman?' he thought, racking his brain to see where his memories got messed up. "Ohhh!" He snapped. 'I mistook her for Mama Mia. Right, ok. Mama Mia is the tall muscle mommy, not her.' He nodded.

But looking at the group, he realized, 'I haven't gotten my payment from her for saving her boy.' He covered his grin with one palm. 'I can have her make me my new weapon. An overpowered, first class weapon.' 

He then frowned. 'Fuck, why didn't I think of that for the past week? Am I retarded???'

As he watched, he noticed that after the initial greeting, Hermes took the watch from Asfi and started showing it off to the group. After he introduced the watch, Hestia and Naaza's eyes turned into the symbol for Valis, and the small goddess tried to snatch it from his hand, but he quickly moved it away.

Hermes then held it above Hestia's head and as she jumped to try to get it, he raised it up while sticking up his thought like a child.

'...' Rex just stared in silence, and then Asfi elbowed him, literally sending him flying across the room like a rag doll and slamming into a wall. 'How isn't he dead from that?'

"—My guests! I'm glad to see you've all arrived!" A loud voice echoes through the ballroom. 

Every head around me instantly turns to face the front side of the room to a god standing in front of a double door on top of a grand staircase. He has blond hair that seems to shine like the sun from the chandeliers lights, the bright and wavy locks gliding neatly over one. 

With a smile that is equally brilliant, his handsome looks are powerful enough to make male and female, stand and stare, including Rex. He stood 180 cm (5'11") tall, wearing an elegant soft white three-piece suit, with a blazer that had a single sun-shaped button at the waist. 

Underneath, he wears a black vest with a deep V-cut along with a high-collared dress shirt. A silk cravat that matched his blazer ant pants was tied neatly at his neck and draped over his shoulder is a long, flowing red sash. He holds a delicate wine glass with red wine and two adventurers, a man and a woman, stood just behind him on either side. 

Apollo has arrived.

[Author's Note: There is a lot of discrepancies I noticed from the anime, manga, and novel. I know that the anime need to cut out some things for time, but they really cut out Hephaestus from the entire ball. Or was she was there and I just forgot? Too lazy to go watch it now.

Also, in an earlier chapter I wrote this: "By the end of just two nights, fourteen of the twenty-seven bottles of Soma wine in stock had already been sold" (Emerging, 2025, Chapter 28, para. 20).

I realized how wrong that was while reading volume 6. Soma didn't only have twenty-seven bottles in stock. He had so much more saved up.

———

"A wine cellar?! Not their home?"

"That's right. Soma bought a big building just for storing his wine. Guess his home wasn't big enough." Hestia doubted his words, but Hermes was serious. The deity continued to relay the information. 

"It's located in the southeast, close to Daidaros Street. Apparently the security is pretty tight, tighter than their home. Upper-class adventurers are crawling all over the place."

——— (too lazy for the APA format)

This also confirms that there are multiple level 2s in the familiar since upper-class adventures normally refers to Level 2+ adventurers. There was also another mention in the earlier volume that 'higher class' adventure in the Soma Familia are calmer because they can handle Soma's Devine wine better. I mean, it makes sense there will be more level 2. Its not like only level one will get addicted to the wine. I can even add a level 4 and no one can say shit!

So I will be changing some part that I mentioned there only being two level 2s in the familia and I will try to introduce the other high class adventure after the party.

Anyway, thank you for listening to my Ted-Talk, and sorry for the late chapter. Was reading volume 6 of the novel. 

Thank you for reading and sleep well. Don't let the bedbugs bite~]