NOVEL WEB Chapter 78: Riveria
Chapter 78 - Riveria
Hestia wasn't kidding when she said she had errands to run.
After Lili and Tifa left the villa for the dungeon, Hestia gave Orsted a quick look and headed out.
Orsted didn't idle.
He strode to his workshop, ready to craft grimoires.
He had plenty of blank books, but materials for grimoires were scarce.
His current stock would suffice for only two more.
To make more, he'd need to buy supplies from the Demeter Familia.
The thought of his first meeting with Demeter gave Orsted a headache.
Her overwhelming "love" had nearly dragged him into a nostalgic spiral.
"Maybe I can ask Miach to handle it," Orsted murmured.
He really didn't want to face Demeter again.
"It's settled. Miach can run the errand," he decided.
"He wants a grimoire anyway, so it's only fair."
With that, Orsted dove into crafting. Hours slipped by as he wove into the pages.
Finally, his fourth grimoire was complete.
"Phew," Orsted exhaled, holding the grimoire.
"Magic items, magic swords, grimoires—I'm practically funding the entire Familia."
He knew many things, but time was his bottleneck.
Strengthening himself through dungeon runs took priority; crafting was a luxury for rare free moments like this.
Setting the grimoire aside, he prepared for the next.
But before he could start, a chime echoed through the villa—a doorbell, a feature common in Orario's grand residences.
"Who could that be?" Orsted muttered.
He left the workshop, crossing the courtyard to the gate.
Spotting the figure waiting, he froze.
"Riveria?!"
Why was Orario's strongest mage here?
Shaking off his confusion, Orsted hurried to greet her.
Riveria's eyes softened as Orsted approached, a faint daze in her expression.
Lefiya hadn't lied—Orsted radiated an aura that soothed her, a comforting presence akin to nature itself.
She recalled records of the elven princess from a thousand years ago, whose similar aura drew elves to her, forming the elven royal family.
Many believed that princess was nature's incarnation, a belief that solidified her lineage's rule.
None since had matched her—until Orsted.
Riveria's trance didn't escape Orsted, but he brushed it off, inviting her inside with a polite smile.
In the living room, he offered Riveria a cup of tea, setting it before her on the table.
She accepted it with a nod, placing it down gently.
"May I ask what brings you here, Riveria-san?" Orsted asked, his tone calm yet curious, a hint of puzzlement in his gaze.
His composure startled Riveria.
As an elven royalty and Loki Familia's deputy captain, she was accustomed to reverence from her kind, even from elves in rival Familias like Freya's.
Orsted's casual treatment—as an equal, not a superior—was unprecedented.
But given his uniqueness, she wasn't entirely surprised.
"Forgive my unannounced visit," Riveria said softly, her voice measured.
"How could a visit from Orario's strongest mage be a disturbance?" Orsted replied, his gentle tone disarming.
Riveria's expression grew complex. "Someone in my Familia prompted me to investigate a certain… phenomenon."
"I didn't expect it to be true."
Orsted wasn't fazed by her vagueness.
He'd pieced it together—his brief encounter with Lefiya must have revealed Natural Breath.
Lefiya wouldn't hide such a discovery from her mentor.
"You seem aware of your condition," Riveria said, noting his silence.
"Do you have any plans?"
If Orsted's aura became public, it could shake the elven community.
A thousand years ago, such an aura birthed the royal family.
By that logic, Orsted could claim legitimacy as a new royal—a threat to the current elven king, Riveria's father.
Though she'd left the royal family, Riveria cared for her father's safety.
She needed to know Orsted's intentions.
If he harbored ambitions, she'd urge her father to step down to avoid conflict.
"You're overthinking, Riveria-san," Orsted said.
"The past is the past. I've no desire to become an elven royal."
"At most, I might recruit a few elves to the Hestia Familia as we grow."
He understood her concern.
The Natural Breath mirrored the elven princess's thousand years ago, but times had changed.
Elves were loyal to their established royalty.
Claiming leadership would only spark chaos, potentially fracturing their society.
Orsted wanted no part in that.
Relief washed over Riveria.
Despite her estrangement from the royal family, she dreaded elven infighting.
"Thank you," she said, standing and bowing deeply, hands clasped before her.
Orsted blinked, caught off guard.
"You're… welcome?"
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