NOVEL WEB Chapter 131: Demeter's Dance
Chapter 131 - Demeter's Dance
The Banquet hosted by Apollo stretched far longer than in the anime.
In the anime, Apollo pounced after Bell's dance, framing Hestia and Bell.
This time, over an hour had passed since the banquet's opening speech, yet Apollo remained absent.
Orsted was puzzled but had little time to dwell on it.
After dancing with Ais, he sought Hestia, finding her and Loki restrained by Hermes and Asfi.
Orsted's arrival prompted Hermes to release them.
Hestia and Loki, freed, rushed to Orsted and Ais, demanding dances.
Orsted, having learned to dance, agreed.
Ais didn't refuse either.
The four took their partners and returned to the floor.
Hestia, dancing with Orsted, griped loudly about his "first time" being "stolen," her ambiguous phrasing embarrassing Miach nearby.
Loki mirrored her antics, bumping into her mid-dance.
Their force nearly caused Orsted and Ais to collide face-to-face, almost kissing.
Realizing this, Hestia and Loki sobered, united in their resolve: Orsted (Ais) is mine!
The dance ended, and Orsted led Hestia off the floor.
"What's Apollo up to?" Hestia muttered, arms crossed, frowning.
"This is weird."
Orsted shared her confusion.
In the anime, Apollo acted swiftly. Why the delay now?
Unbeknownst to Orsted, Apollo was in a backstage room, brooding darkly.
His hesitation stemmed from fear.
Freya's earlier teasing of Orsted wasn't unusual—she often flirted with male gods at banquets.
But inviting Orsted to dance signaled deeper interest, a troubling sign.
Orsted, recognized by Ottar, likely had a radiant soul, ripe for Freya's fixation.
Apollo, wary of her, wasn't sure if she truly targeted Orsted.
If she did, his plan was risky.
If not, he could vie for Orsted against Hestia.
Torn, he stalled, unable to decide.
Orsted, unaware of Apollo's turmoil, was soon invited again—this time by Demeter.
Hestia, slightly miffed, didn't object.
Demeter was a close friend, and her manor supplied crucial Grimoire materials.
Hestia wasn't overly bothered by Orsted dancing with others; it was common at banquets and showcased his appeal, which she took pride in.
Her real gripe was Naaza claiming his first dance.
With that gone, she was less possessive.
"Orsted's quite the catch," Hephaestus said, smiling beside Hestia as Orsted and Demeter took the floor.
"Can I dance with him later?"
"Sure, Hephaestus," Hestia agreed, her best friend's request an easy yes.
Hephaestus nodded.
"Then, Lady Hestia, count me in," Tsubaki chimed in, peeking out from beside Hephaestus.
"Eh? Tsubaki, you tinker with gear all day—can you dance?" Hestia asked, surprised.
"Rude! I'm a blacksmith, but still a woman. I've learned this stuff," Tsubaki huffed.
"Oh? Alright, go dance with Orsted if you want," Hestia said, raising an eyebrow.
Her approval flipped a switch.
Female elves, who'd greeted Orsted earlier and lurked nearby, swarmed forward.
"Lady Hestia, may I have your permission?"
"Lady Hestia…"
"Lady Hestia…"
"Gah!" Hestia gaped at the dozen-plus elves encircling her, jaw nearly hitting the floor.
She'd forgotten Orsted's allure.
Meanwhile, Orsted and Demeter danced, hands and shoulders linked.
Mid-step, Demeter spoke softly, her tone pleading.
"Orsted, my Familia may be targeted over past events. Do you have any solutions?"
"Targeted?" Orsted frowned slightly.
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