NOVEL WEB Chapter 123: Apollo
Chapter 123 - Apollo
After collecting the deposits from Finn and Tsubaki, Orsted headed back to Hearth Mansion, carrying two Durandal weapons and two magic swords.
His first task was to confirm if Aerith had sought out Hestia. If not, he'd search for her.
Upon entering the hall, he heard two silvery laughs. Peering around a pillar, Orsted saw Hestia and Aerith chatting on the sofa, both smiling warmly.
They were clearly hitting it off.
"Aerith?" Orsted called softly.
"Long time no see, Orsted," Aerith said, standing and turning to him.
A glint of excitement flickered in her eyes, but she remained composed, hands behind her back, smiling gently.
Aerith could be lively or serene. Now, she was the latter.
"Orsted, you've got so many childhood sweethearts! Aerith's a gem," Hestia said, rising and bounding into Orsted's arms, grinning up at him.
Hestia was visibly pleased with Aerith. When it came to Orsted's connections, she was far more accepting than in the anime, unfazed by delicate ties like childhood friends.
"Haha, Aerith's great," Orsted said, scratching his head awkwardly.
In his summoned memories, Aerith was indeed near-perfect—hard to fault, easy to praise.
"I've engraved Aerith's Falna. She's part of our Familia now," Hestia said, nodding. "You'll need to prepare her equipment."
Orsted nodded, understanding. Hestia meant Grimoires, magic items, and equipment.
He'd been crafting these tirelessly, aiming to fully outfit the Familia, but time and materials limited him to Grimoires.
He planned to make more for everyone.
He turned to Aerith. "Good to see you, Aerith."
Orsted sat in the hall, chatting with Aerith and Hestia, mostly about Aerith.
Her vague account revealed she was summoned before Final Fantasy VII's plot began, like Tifa.
After a while, Orsted left Aerith with Hestia and headed to the Tower of Babel.
Hestia was right—Familia members' gear shouldn't vary too much. Aerith, newly joined, needed her share, but Orsted's stock was empty. He'd check the Tower for magic item materials and hunt for deals.
His EX Luck held true.
At Babel, shops were restocking materials. Though some were pre-reserved, plenty remained.
Orsted swept through, buying every usable resource.
His lavish spending—tens of millions of Valis without haggling—made shopkeepers see him as a god of wealth.
Even large Familias haggled fiercely for discounts, but Orsted paid full price without blinking.
"Come back soon, sir!" a shopkeeper called.
Orsted stumbled, nearly tripping. The tone was so brothel-like, even Entertainment District madams couldn't match its sleaze.
Laden with materials, Orsted trudged back to Hearth Mansion.
By evening, Lili and the others were back, but something was off.
"Orsted-sama, we clashed with the Apollo Familia," Lili reported immediately.
Orsted's eyes lit up. "Really?!"
"Uh, Orsted-sama?" Lili blinked, stunned by his sparkling gaze.
She rubbed her eyes and ears, ensuring she hadn't misheard, before saying cautiously, "What's with that reaction?"
The others were equally baffled. Why was their captain thrilled about a conflict with the Apollo Familia?
"Ahem," Orsted coughed, realizing he'd overdone it. "In that case, Hestia, let's challenge the Apollo Familia to a War Game."
Hestia: …
"Orsted, something's up with you," Hestia said, eyeing him warily.
"No, no," Orsted said, waving it off. "I just want to send that sleazy Apollo back to Tenkai ASAP, so he stops creeping on me."
Everyone: …
---
Read advance chapters at:
patreon.com/verse7
Powerstones:
200 Stones = 1 chapter
400 Stones = 2 chapter