NOVEL WEB Chapter 80: Date Gone Wrong
Chapter 80 - Date Gone Wrong
Orario is a vibrant microcosm.
Living here means navigating a web of relationships, whether you like it or not.
Orsted wasn't fond of these social intricacies, but he knew they were unavoidable.
His dealings with Hephaestus and Tsubaki had taught him that.
Engaging with the Loki Familia was equally essential, especially with Riveria, one of its three executives and deputy captain.
Connecting with her was a direct line to the Familia's influence.
Time slipped by, and evening descended.
Hestia had been out all day, leaving Orsted alone in the mansion.
Riveria's visit had filled the afternoon, though she'd since departed, her expression faintly dazed as she left.
Orsted didn't dwell on her thoughts—he had other priorities.
Freshly washed, he donned a moon-white robe and left the mansion, heading for Amor Square.
Only an hour remained until his appointment with Hestia.
As a man, Orsted refused to be late for a date.
He used Instant, teleporting swiftly along the route.
Halfway, he paused.
Instant only worked for places he'd visited, and he'd never been to Amor Square.
From there, he walked, arriving in ten minutes.
Amor Square was Orario's infamous dating hub.
Beyond passing adventurers, it teemed with couples, their affection palpable.
Today, though, he was here to dish it out, not eat it.
He'd be the one with Hestia, turning heads among the lovestruck crowd.
Still, waiting alone by the square's hot spring, Orsted felt a flush of embarrassment as couples strolled past, their laughter and whispers amplifying his solitude.
His pointy ears reddened under the scrutiny.
Yet something else gnawed at him.
"Is it my imagination, or is someone watching me?"
The sensation of hidden eyes prickled his senses, and it wasn't just one pair—multiple presences lurked in the square's shadows.
A memory from the canon surfaced.
In the anime, Hestia had bathed at goddess bath before her date with Bell, catching Demeter's attention.
Other goddesses, sensing a rare romantic venture from the virgin goddess, followed her, crashing the date when they confirmed Bell as her partner.
Orsted's situation differed.
His record-breaking rank up had made him a known figure.
Unlike Bell's relative obscurity, Orsted's presence in Amor Square—dressed for a date—would scream "Hestia's partner" to any goddess trailing her.
"This is bad," Orsted muttered, a cold sweat breaking out.
His fears were spot-on.
In the square's periphery, a gaggle of goddesses, intrigued by Hestia's unprecedented date, had shadowed her to confirm her suitor's identity.
"Is that him?" one whispered, peering from behind a statue.
"That's Orsted, fastest to break Orario's rank up record," another confirmed.
"He's dressed up, standing here at this hour. It's definitely him."
"Even if he's not, that handsome elf is worth a look."
"I'm going in. You?"
"Together!"
"Can't miss a catch like that!"
"Isn't that Orsted?" a voice exclaimed, sparking a frenzy.
"Charge!" With a collective shout, the goddesses surged from their hiding spots, rushing toward Orsted at the hot spring's edge.
Across the square, Hestia, spotting Orsted, had begun jogging toward him, her face alight with excitement.
But as the swarm of familiar figures erupted, her joy turned to horror, her body freezing mid-step.
"Nooo! Stop! Don't touch my Orsted!" she wailed, tears streaming as she sprinted forward.
Halfway, darkness clouded her vision.
A sudden lift yanked her upward, and she found herself soaring through the air, cradled in Orsted's arms.
"Huh?" Hestia blinked, her grief morphing into confusion.
Orsted, using Instant, had evaded the goddesses' charge.
"There! Chase them!" a goddess below shouted, spotting the airborne pair.
The mob pivoted, racing after Orsted and Hestia.
Amid the chaos, Demeter lingered behind, stroking her cheek with a wistful smile.
"Oh, Orsted, so popular. He's dating Hestia, but I wouldn't mind a date with him myself."
Orsted, clutching Hestia, glanced down at the pursuing goddesses.
'This date's off to a wild start.'
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