Danmachi - Eldritch Apostle

I stared at her purple eyes, which she revealed under her black cloak. Her beauty was remarkable, but not enough for a person such as me.

"And to what do I owe the pleasure of having my drink paid for by the goddess of beauty herself? Well, one of the goddesses of beauty, to be precise?"

My statement seemed to shock her before an amused smile appeared on her face. I could feel a mix of emotions coming from her stare alone. Her gaze was a mix of thirst, confusion, and a little bit of fear.

"I'm honored to be known by such a handsome young man like you, but I couldn't resist paying for your drink when I saw you drinking all alone; such a beauty shouldn't be left to drink alone."

She tried charming me with her flattery, but her charm still couldn't penetrate my defense mechanism, also known as Azathoth's blessing. The blessing, however, had disappeared from my skill tree; instead, it had become part of my newly acquired REDACTED race.

I don't know why Azathoth removed the ability to see my race progress; I guess I need to ask her about that next time we meet.

"I see. Is there anything you need from me, or is this just a deed of goodwill? Surely a goddess such as you wouldn't pay for a drink for any mortal you see, right?"

Her amused smile grew even wider, and her thirsty look even hornier. This woman was completely nuts.

Azathoth is just better, to be honest.

But it's not like I would let her kiss me again.

I guess...

"Since you know exactly who I am, you may know that my family is number one in Orario and the whole world. I wanted to invite you to join my family as I see great potential and beauty inside and outside you."

She leaned in closer, only to hold my hand like a lovely bird. I noticed her hand shaking a little, which reminded me of our previous encounter inside the Hostess of Fertility.

Little did she know that I knew about her alter ego, Syr Flova, a pretty waitress from the Hostess of Fertility.

"I am not interested, as your family is known for being fanatical; you know this, yet you refuse to do anything about it."

My response seemed to hurt her a little, but she started holding my hand even more tightly; it reminded me of Aphrodite's aggressiveness, sort of.

Aphrodite is just better, honestly.

"That's a shame, but let me at least show you my family home, or the training grounds, to be precise, since you're an adventurer. A lot of people would pay to see the combatants among my children in their path for greater strength."

"More like a part for a chance to get your pussycat."

The amused smile on her face dropped as I spoke about such a violation. Freya seemed angry for a moment but quickly returned to her previous smile.

I could feel the murderous gaze from the shadows around the cave. She had her loyal dogs follow her around the town, despite her wearing a cloak to cover her presence.

If someone from her family attacked me, I would be overpowered or killed in the worst case, but I know that Freya is reasonable enough not to allow that.

"It's not nice to speak to women that way, especially a woman like me who paid for your drink and even called you on a date."

She grabbed me by the cheek, and I couldn't process it since the Danmachi women had so much dominant energy. I don't remember it being this extreme back in the anime or novel, but it may just be my imagination.

"So what do you want from me exactly? I'm not going anywhere near your family, especially not inside your family home, where your children can attack me just for looking your way. I have other plans, so I would appreciate it if you did not waste my time any further."

The second I finished my sentence, I could feel the murderous gaze grow even worse, like I was seconds away from possible death.

Of course, this gaze could only be just that since Freya is the ultimate ruler of her children and her family. She withdrew her hand and just smiled, still looking at me with mixed emotions in her eyes.

"I just wanted to meet someone like you in person, a goddess such as me who has a wild passion for interesting mortals and the wonders of this lower world. My offer still stands, and if you ever wish to join my family, my door is open to you."

I hummed for a second while finishing my delicious hot chocolate. It was a mix of both normal brown and white chocolate, making it a perfect blend.

"Ahhhh, just the way I like it." I released a pleasant sound after I finally emptied my favorite hot chocolate. Upon releasing a moan, Freya stared at me with a weird look on her face for a moment before switching back.

"And to answer your kind offer... I apologize, but I'll have to refuse. I don't see myself in a familia where I'm surrounded by fanatical, higher-level simps who are willing to kill me just because you looked at me once."

Freya listened to my answer with all her heart; she seemed disappointed, but accepted it nonetheless. The one thing I respected about her was her elegance, which made her stand out from other beauty goddesses.

"Shame on that, as I wanted to expand your true potential beyond its limits, but I'll respect your decision. If you ever wish to join my Familia, you know where to find me."

Freya stood up from the table, but before she could leave, I held her hand, catching her by surprise for a moment.

"Just tell me, why did your hands shake during our whole little date? I would by no means harm you, and even if I wanted to, those monsters you call adventurers are watching my every move from hidden places."

Freya's eyes widened; I didn't know if it was because she thought she could hide her fear from me or because I noticed her children watching me, or both.

"Forget about it, thanks for paying my tab." I released her hand from mine and bid her goodbye as she continued staring at me until I could feel the murderous gaze disappear.

There's no doubt that her familia will be watching me constantly from now on. Once she picks up an interest in someone, that person will be followed until her hunger is satisfied.

Being her main target will be troublesome, which is why I need to complete these quests and grind the dungeon to get stronger. I can only hope that Azathoth's mood is bright enough for her to give me some overpowered skills.

Now, to the dungeon I go!