Chapter 40: Questioning the Gods! Bringing the little hedgehog home! What is the Goddess of Beauty thinking?
The moonlight was hazy, and the empty streets were silent.
Arthur arrived in front of a spired building, raised his hand, and pushed open the large door.
Creak—!
The dilapidated door let out a grating sound, breaking the night's tranquility.
A bleary-eyed guard member barely propped himself up, complaining discontentedly.
"Who is it! Coming so late? Everything's sold out today! If you want a drink, wait until tomorrow!"
Arthur glanced at the other party coldly, then pointed his finger.
In an instant, a dark, empty void suddenly appeared beneath the other party's feet, and a terrifying suction force firmly trapped him.
He continued to walk inside with steady steps, and along the way, anyone who showed their face was greeted with a simulated black hole.
Before long, Arthur arrived at the hall specifically used for Soma Familia's meetings.
A faint, rich aroma of wine permeated the air, and adventurers lay or sat in disarray, all with intoxicated expressions.
They were oblivious to the outside world, as if they were in another paradise.
Among these people, captive to the divine wine, the man with gold-rimmed glasses standing in the center was exceptionally sober.
But it was precisely this sobriety that showed he was more despicable than those adventurers who passively succumbed!
As the only one who noticed Arthur's arrival, the man with gold-rimmed glasses' face flashed with a hint of solemnity, and he asked in a deep voice.
"Who are you? How did you get in?"
Arthur sized up the man with gold-rimmed glasses, but his steps did not stop, and he asked.
"Charnis Lustra? The captain of Soma Familia?"
Hearing Arthur accurately call out his name, Charnis's expression grew even stranger, and his palm unconsciously moved closer to the sword at his waist, warily saying.
"Who exactly are you? If you don't state your purpose, I won't be polite..."
Bang!
Arthur stomped hard on the floor, accelerating like lightning, and a direct kick with a sharp whoosh of wind landed heavily on Charnis's chest.
The powerful impact sent Charnis crashing through various objects, eventually hanging heavily on the wall.
This sudden attack instantly made Charnis curl up into a shrimp-like shape; in excruciating pain, his face contorted, and he struggled to look up and shriek.
"You... do you know what you're doing! Familiae... private fights between Familiae will be severely punished by the Guild!"
Arthur scoffed, his eyes full of amusement.
"What, are your Soma Familia's pleas for mercy uniformly trained?"
"If you can win, you rob; if you can't, you threaten with the Guild?"
He unhurriedly walked over to Charnis, reached out and tightly gripped the other party's neck, lifting him into the air, and mocked.
"You think rules are meant to restrain me? Wrong, rules actually protect scum like you."
Charnis's body hung in mid-air, his breathing becoming increasingly difficult, his face turning purple, and the struggling strength in his hands weakening; he was on the verge of suffocating.
Seeing this, Arthur let go, kicked the "drowsy" Charnis lying on the ground, and commanded.
"Lead the way, I want to see Soma!"
...
On the top floor of the spired building, there was an extremely spacious private room.
Arthur, carrying the half-dead Charnis, pushed the door open, and the first thing that caught his eye was a huge display cabinet, wide enough for ten people to stand side by side.
Inside the cabinet were various plant seedlings, as well as some raw liquor waiting for secondary purification and processing.
Soma, dressed in a loose robe, was busy at a long table next to the display cabinet.
Hearing the movement, the God of Wine glanced towards the door.
Soma's slightly messy long bangs obscured his face, but Arthur could still keenly sense the indifference and decadence in his gaze.
Evidently, even though Arthur was currently carrying the captain of Soma Familia, it failed to stir the slightest ripple in this deity.
Arthur frowned deeply and questioned him impolitely.
"I say, do you really count as a god?"
As his words fell, Soma's movements of mixing the wine paused slightly, then immediately returned to normal, and he continued to focus on his brewing work.
Arthur directly threw Charnis away, letting him gasp for breath on the side.
He then strode to the long table and snatched the extraction container from Soma's hand.
This aggressive action finally elicited a reaction from the indifferent God of Wine; Soma's voice, tinged with suppressed anger, rang out.
"Give it back to me, rude human."
Arthur carelessly shook the extraction container; the originally clear and crystal-like wine became murky and turbid, and he chuckled mockingly.
"You think I'm rude? But in my opinion, you're incompetent and not worthy of my respect."
"As the God of Wine, you indeed possess extraordinary brewing skills, yet you complain that your children are constantly intoxicated and unable to extricate themselves?"
Bang!
Arthur slammed the extraction container heavily at Soma's feet; glass shattered, and wine splashed.
He angrily raised his hand, pointing directly at this utterly inactive deity, and thundered.
"Is it shameful for mortals to be unable to resist the temptation of divine wine?"
"Then can I say that you rely on divine wine to manipulate people's hearts, and afterwards put on an abominable attitude of extreme disappointment in humanity!"
After hearing Arthur's accusations, Soma, who had always been indifferent to matters outside of brewing, slowly raised his head, and a rare hint of sadness emerged in his tone.
"Children easily succumb to the temptation of divine wine; I have nothing to say to you all."
Arthur's eyes narrowed slightly, hiding a cold glint within.
He turned his head to look at the well-sealed wine jars nearby, and questioned.
"These are all wines you've brewed, right?"
Without waiting for Soma's reply, Arthur reached out, picked up a jar, and directly tore open the wine seal.
In an instant, the rich, intoxicating aroma of wine assailed their nostrils; even the half-dead Charnis, sprawled on the ground, couldn't help but twitch his nose slightly.
Arthur turned back to look at the expressionless Soma, and smiled proudly.
"Compared to gods, human will might not be firm enough; they make mistakes, and they might even fall into despair. But—"
"A god who never extends a helping hand to good has no right to judge human evil!"
With that, Arthur tilted his head back and drank the divine wine.
Soma stood dumbfounded, watching Arthur gulping down jar after jar of divine wine, yet his eyes remained clear and bright, and for a moment, he was at a loss.
...
The next morning.
Tower of Babel Plaza was bustling with activity, as adventurers' shouts and jests rose and fell.
Lili, carrying a huge backpack, stood by the artificial fountain, quietly waiting.
She would occasionally look up and glance around, then quickly lower her head again, secretly calling herself a fool.
Why should she wait here obediently?
Hadn't she always hated adventurers the most?
Just because someone was a little nice to her, she wagged her tail like a puppy, begging for help?
When did she become so naive?
...I must be crazy.
"Why are you being so hard on yourself so early in the morning?"
The sudden voice made Lili's body jolt. She quickly turned her head towards the source of the sound; it was Arthur, with that relaxed smile.
Arthur stepped beside Lili, pulled her hand without explanation, and walked towards the Guild hall.
"Come with me, there's something you need to decide for yourself."
"What? Where is Lord Arthur taking Lili?"
The small Lili stumbled under Arthur's forceful pull, only able to follow closely behind him, arriving at a room prepared by the Guild specifically for discussions.
In the room, the taciturn Soma sat in a corner of the sofa, while opposite him was the shameless Goddess Loki, trying to get some divine wine on credit.
Seeing this strange scene, the intelligent Lili's face suddenly changed. She looked up at Arthur in disbelief, seemingly having guessed something.
Arthur took two steps forward, stood between Goddess Loki and Soma, and explained with open palms.
"Simply put, I can help you pay the conversion fee to transfer you from Soma Familia to Loki Familia. What are your thoughts?"
...Why?
Lili's expression was somewhat bewildered at this moment. She truly couldn't understand why Arthur was willing to help her, even secretly arranging everything.
A faint smile appeared on Arthur's lips, and he answered seemingly casually.
"You are not the only one who has suffered due to your origin. Before, I had no choice, but now, you can choose."
After listening, Lili took a deep breath, trying to suppress the tears welling up in her eyes, and nodded heavily.
...
Not long after, in the extremely luxurious top-floor suite of Tower of Babel.
Freya had shed her usual composure and nobility; her beautiful and captivating face was deeply furrowed, revealing a unique, anxious charm.
On the low table behind her, lay a newly compiled intelligence report from a Familia member.
Arthur pendragon, formerly a LV4 adventurer of the Thor Familia, converted and joined Loki Familia two weeks ago.
He once ventured alone into the deep levels for six days; it is speculated that his ability value is close to the upper limit of LV4.
Last night, he went alone to Soma Familia's base. This morning, he invited Goddess Loki and Soma to the Guild for a meeting, possibly for the conversion of a certain member.
Freya stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, her gaze closely following the gradually receding starlight, and cupped her face in her hands, smiling foolishly.
"He doesn't care who that child clashes with, so can I also..."
As she spoke, the Goddess of Beauty unconsciously tightened her full, slender legs, and her breathing became heavier.