Danmachi: Scavenger

About two hours had passed since the party started, and Rex had spent most of the time talking to higher-ranked adventurers about the lower floors. Though he had read about them, speaking to people who had experienced those floors first hand was far more informative. Since he would soon venture down there, he had to be prepared. Getting cocky due to his higher power would only invite death.

Time passed without him even noticing, and he made a few connections, especially with a Level 4 smith who was the captain of the Ogun Familia. The man had taken a liking to Rex and invited him to visit when he was free, offering to make a weapon for him. Though there was no discount, Rex didn't decline the offer.

'Haah~' Rex sighed as he slumped into a chair in the corner, scanning the ballroom. 

The bright chandeliers hanging from the ceiling illuminated everything like a work of art, making the scene resemble one of those Renaissance paintings of noble gatherings. It was beautiful, and Freya and her captain weren't hard to spot—it was like finding a diamond amidst a pile of gold. She was that stunning, and the towering Ottar made it even easier.

'I wanted to talk to him…' If he could get Ottar to speak, the man would be a goldmine of knowledge. 

But sadly, he never left his goddess's side, and Rex was too much of a coward to approach them. As for Soma, the god was now sitting with a small group of drinking gods and goddesses, with Hermes nowhere to be seen.

The attendants were hard at work, carrying out even more extravagant food to the tables and passing around richly colored wine. Suddenly, the music changed as an elegant tune began to play, though Rex couldn't spot the live orchestra. Almost as if on cue, the center of the ballroom floor cleared for dancers.

'The party should be ending soon,' he thought, leaning back in the chair and crossing his legs in a figure four. He watched the dancers for a few minutes, then crossed his arms. 'Let's just wait this out.' He wasn't going to ask any girl to dance, and he doubted anyone would ask him… 'Hmm?'

Suddenly, he noticed that at some point, the doll-like Airmid was making her way toward him, her gloved hands resting in front of her, the flower pin in her hair glinting softly. Her silver and lilac gown shimmered subtly under the chandelier's light, the layered skirt swaying gently around her legs with each step.

She stopped before him, looking down at the relaxed man with a calm expression, and extended her silver-gloved right hand extended toward him, palm up, fingers slightly curved in an inviting gesture.

"Care for a dance?" she asked with a soft voice, her silver eyes meeting his.

Rex blinked, glancing around once more as if to confirm she was speaking to him. Then, a slow smile spread across his face. "Of course, m'lady," he said, sitting up straighter.

He reached out, his larger hand enveloping hers with a gentle grip, his fingers brushing against the smooth silk of her glove. "It would be my pleasure."

He stood, their hands still joined, and together they made their way to the large dance floor in the center of the room, her gloved hand resting gently in his. Rex looked calm on the surface, but his mind was going haywire.

'Has she been smitten by me? Did Dian Cecht put her up to this? If he did, then that's just low.' Multiple thoughts crossed his mind as Scavenger judged them low quality before rating only one as high quality—the true reason she had asked him to dance.

'Ah… that makes sense.' He was a bit bitter at the revelation, but such was life.

Taking a spot on the dance floor, Rex began using his 'parallel minds' to ask Scavenger what to do. Airmid was much shorter than him, and her heels barely added three inches to her height, bringing her to about his upper chest level, so he couldn't just copy the dancing style of other, more similarly sized couples.

He decided to rest his right arm gently around her hack just below the shoulder blade, bringing her slightly closer to minimize the gap and make it easier for her to rest her left hand near his biceps without stretching. For their other hands—her right, his left—they met slightly off to Rex's left side near Airmid's shoulder level rather than directly between their bodies, keeping the hold at a height that was easy for her to reach and allowing Rex to maintain good posture. 

As they began to move in time with the music, Amid's silver eyes met Rex's as they moved smoothly across the floor, their steps in sync thanks to Rex's parallel minds guiding him. After a few moments of silence, Amid spoke, her voice soft but clear enough to be heard over the music.

"Thank you for agreeing to dance with me," she began, her tone polite. "I hope I haven't taken you by surprise…"

"You did take me by surprise, but one I don't mind," Rex smiled down at her as they moved.

She nodded. "I must admit, I had an ulterior motive for approaching you."

"Oh?" Rex raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise. "And what might that be?"

"The formula I've been working on," she said, her tone softening. "I hope you can give me some pointers."

He already knew this was her purpose thanks to Scavenger, but he didn't mind. He got to dance with a beautiful lady, so it didn't matter. "I see you can't wait until after the party," he chuckled, causing her to avoid his eyes for a moment. "Well, I'm happy to help if I can. What exactly are you working on?"

Airmid's expression brightened slightly, though her tone remained professional. "It's a high-grade healing potion that should heal the user at the level of an elixir while also increasing their blood flow, and drastically boosting all physical stats and granting them small passive regeneration for a few minutes."

'Oh, like adrenaline,' Rex thought with a nod. 'Scavenger, can this potion be created?' Scavanger rated it high quality, meaning it was possible. 'Do they know about adrenaline?' This one was medium quality. 'I guess they know about something similar, but not exactly the hormone adrenaline.'

Seeing him silent, the girl continued, "I got this idea from the 'bloodrush' effect triggered by dire situations."

'So she wants to create a drug that artificially grants an adrenaline rush while also providing passive regeneration,' he confirmed, though he still didn't know how to make such a thing possible. "Why don't you walk me through your thought process step by step? I'll see what I can do."

It was difficult to use Scavenger to help her with her work. Even with his six different minds working together like a computer, it was still kind of difficult. He had to continuously make statements and have Scavenger judge them—'Scavenger, these are the only ingredients she needs. She doesn't need more.' 'Scavenger, she removed this ingredient and changed this process—she was correct in doing so.' Scavenger, Scavenger… 

He had to use his six minds to work in tandem, testing combinations of ingredients she mentioned, and even asking Scavenger if certain types of ingredients or processes should be added. If someone were to read his mind, they would have been overwhelmed with information. Even if he didn't fully understand what she was saying or what he was asking Scavenger, the skill knew and did its job handsomely, and he spoke to the girl as if he knew his stuff.

As they talked and danced, the girl's eyes grew brighter and brighter. To her, it felt like she was talking to a master, like she was back to being a child learning from a seasoned Familia captain. He taught just like her old teacher—he never directly gave her the answer. 

Instead, he asked questions, made her rethink things, and gave her ideas without explicitly stating anything, forcing her to think and understand on her own. She enjoyed talking to him and didn't want the dance to end, but Rex had to part ways after about ten minutes.

"As you should know," he smiled as they pulled away from each other, still holding hands, "there's no free lunch in this world."

"I understand," the doll-like girl nodded, a bit saddened that she couldn't continue the talk. "When the potion has been completed and tested, I'll give you the honor of naming it and provide you with three of them entirely free."

"That will do," he said, releasing her hand. They parted ways, their backs to each other, as they walked away and Rex immediately made his way towards a table filled with food. 'Time to eat.'

Using mental compartmentalization and Scavenger to continuously think and process multiple streams of information had drained him mentally. He was in need of a feast, followed by a good night's sleep. 

Thankfully, the party would soon come to an end. And as if on cue, he saw Apollo approaching the protagonist's group with a handful of his uniformed followers trailing behind him.

'Finally,' he sighed as he took a plate and began filling it with food.

The music suddenly stopped playing as other guests noticed Apollo movement and also made their way toward the protagonist group. Soon, the guest formed a ring around Bell and company, with Apollo himself at the center. Rex joined the circle at the back, his tall height allowing him to watch the scene unfold like a background character, his plate of food in hand.

"Much time has passed, but… Hestia," Apollo locked eyes with Hestia, smiling. "It appears my children have caused you some trouble."

"…Yes, and mine you," Hestia replied, eyeing him suspiciously. She took a deep breath, trying to figure out the exact wording she wanted to use.

However, Apollo didn't give her time. "My precious child was critically injured by your boy," his smile widened. "I demand compensation."

'Damn, just like that?' Rex's eyes widened. 'I thought he'd try a more sly approach.'

"That's an exaggeration!" Hestia shouted, pointing a finger at him. "My Bell was hurt, too! You have no right to demand anything!"

"My dear Luan came home so beaten and bloodied that day, I had to hide my eyes…" Apollo placed a hand on his chest, acting overly dramatic. "My soul wept in his presence!" With that, he spread his arms wide, his gesture prompting his followers to burst into exaggerated sobs, as if on cue.

"He was beaten!" one of them cried, his face stained as heavy snot flowed down his nose.

"Blood!" A girl cried out while cleaning her eyes with her forearm. "They was blood everywhere!" 

"I-I couldn't look at him," another fell to his knees, punching the ground. "Why did you beat him so brutally!" he roared, his eyes filled with rage and pain, causing Bell to flinch.

Just then, a figure emerged from behind them—a Level 1 Pallum named Luan, his entire body wrapped in bandages like a mummy. He groaned in pain as he hobbled forward on crutches, then stumbled.

"Aah, Luan!" Apollo cried out, rushing to Luan's side and catching the boy before he fell. "You don't have to push yourself."

"It hurts," the Pallum whimpered. "Everything hurts, Lord Apollo…" tears flowed down his eyes. "It hurts..."

'Damn…' Rex stared at the scene. 'I would have actually believed this if I didn't know the show. Wow, they know how to act.'

"B-Bell…!" Hestia turned to the boy with a horrified look. "You didn't do this, did you…?"

"I didn't!" Bell yelled at the top of his lungs, shaking his head. "I didn't! This is way over the top!"

"Additionally, I've heard that it was your boy who initiated the fight," Apollo turned to the duo. "There are many witnesses. You're not talking your way out of this."

The god raised one arm and wiggled his fingers as if beckoning someone forward. All at once, many people stepped out from the crowd, forming an even tighter ring around them.

'They were paid off,' Rex thought, and Scavenger confirmed it. 'Damn, I'm learning a lot from this guy. I should use this one day—'

He suddenly noticed Soma trying to use the commotion to sneak away, so he quickly returned his plate to the table and followed the god.

'I shouldn't have to take Dian Cecht back to his home, right?' After all, he had helped Airmid with what she wanted.

To confirm, Rex glanced in their direction across the room. His eyes locked with the silver-haired girl, who gave him a polite bow. He returned a wave. As for Dian Cecht, the god was watching the scene with a wine glass in hand and a dirty grin on his face, completely oblivious to Rex.

So, the man and god simply left the venue.

"I'm never doing this again…" Soma mumbled, sounding like he was on the verge of tears.

"Should I beat up Zanis?" Rex asked, and there was a long pause before Soma responded.

"…Yes…"

'Did not expect a yes.' Just as they reached the door, Rex noticed two beautiful young women in Apollo Familia uniforms making their way toward them. 'Ah, dammit.'

One was a young woman, standing at about 164 cm (5'5") with a slender yet athletic build. Her medium-length dark red hair framed strong facial features, and her piercing light-yellow eyes locked onto them. She wore a clean, fitted white uniform dress that extended down to mid-thigh, paired with long black thigh-high stockings that left a small section of her thighs exposed, and beige ankle-high boots. A neat yellow necktie rested at her neck, and a long sword hung from a belt on her left side.

The other stood around 160 cm (5'3") with a slender, gentle build. Her long, straight blue hair reached down to her waist, partially hiding her face. Her soft, pale green eyes glanced shyly at them. She wore a form-fitting black uniform dress that extended down to her ankles, dark-colored shoes, and a neatly tied yellow necktie.

"Lord Soma and Rex Magnus—am I wrong?" the red-haired woman spoke in a strong, curt voice.

"Yes," Rex replied as they both stopped to glance at the girls. "That's us."

"The name's Daphne, Executive of the Apollo Familia," the redhead introduced herself. "This is Cassandra." She gestured to the shy-looking girl beside her.

"Umm, this…" Cassandra stepped forward and bowed, her eyes glancing up at Rex as she held out two letters and a folder. "This is for you…" she said in a quiet tone.

'Haah.' Rex sighed as he took the three items. "And this is…?"

"Um, you see, it's a letter from Captain Hyakinthos for the captain of the S-Soma Familia," Cassandra spoke softly as she pointed at the top letter. "The other one is an invitation from Lord Apollo to you, Mister R-Rex." She pointed at the bottom one.

'Me?' Rex looked at the two letters, one which had a slightly larger seal, reserved for the deities of a Familia. 'Why does he want me?'

"That's all from us," Daphne said as she turned around. "I hope you enjoyed the party."

"Um, bye," Cassandra bowed before running off to catch up with Daphne.

Rex watched them go, then turned his attention back to the two letters as the duo left the venue. Outside, many carriages waited—some belonging to the guests inside, while others were up for rent. Rex rented one, and they climbed in as the journey back began.

Inside, he opened both letters. The first one was from Captain Hyakinthos.

The letter proposed an alliance between the Apollo Familia and Soma Familia to attack the Hestia Familia. The Soma Familia will leverage their legal claim over Liliruca, and frame the assault as a justified effort for the Soma Familia to reclaim their member, who had been tricked, used, and profited off by Bell to avoid Guild penalties.

Hyakinthos offered 10 million valis upfront and an additional 20 million upon Hestia Familia's defeat. The letter stated the attack would take place the following morning, with Apollo handling the main assault and Soma Familia ambushing escape routes. 

Included in the folder were forged documents to prove Hestia had coerced Lilly, ensuring Guild immunity for Soma Familia by portraying their actions as lawful retribution. The letter also contained a contract signed by Hyakinthos, guaranteeing the ten million valis tax-free upon submission to the Guild. Of course, the moment they submitted the contract, they would be bound by it and obligated to assist in the attack on the Hestia Familia.

The other letter was simply an invitation from Apollo for a meeting the following morning. 'Don't tell me he also has his eyes on me,' Rex thought, staring at the letter from the sun god. 'This is going to be troublesome.'

As for Hyakinthos's proposal to attack the Hestia Familia, Rex had already decided against it. Still, he would deliver the letter to Zanis to gauge the man's thoughts.

'And that girl,' his thoughts drifted back to the shy, blue-haired Cassandra. While they were leaving, he took the chance to look at their status, and one thing's certain. 

'I want her.'

[Author's Note: Hehe, I wonder what Apollo is going to do to Rex. 

Also, if you have any ideas on how Rex and Zanis can benefit from this war, please let me know. I am not too good in writing these 'politics' or 4D scheming, so if you can help me come up with some ideas that will be good. Not going to use everything proposed, or maybe none of them, but it will help me come up with something.

さんくす ふぉー りーでぃんぐ あんど はぶ あ ぐれいと でい!(*￣▽￣*)ブ]