[Chapter Size: 1900 Words.]
Third Person POV
Orario.
...
...
"Lu...!" Haruhime exclaimed upon seeing him there, as everyone else reacted similarly to his sudden appearance among them.
"Lu-Chi!" Lyd said, approaching him with a broad smile.
"Man, you're here! What happened? We were worried!" Welf commented.
The others also approached, both the Hestia Familia and the Xenos, making comments about how happy they were to see him and asking questions.
"It seems like you're alive and well, considering Orario didn't seem too happy after what happened during the fight in the slums..." Aisha remarked as Lucius scratched his head.
"You could say that..." Lucius replied, looking at each of them. Only the strongest had advanced, while the weaker ones had stayed behind, but Lucius could see that some were no longer among them, which was a shame.
"I was arrested and brought to trial," Lucius began seriously. "But I managed to turn things around, though I have to face some punishments..." he added.
"What do you mean by that, Lucius?" Bell stepped forward, looking at him with concern, while the others also gazed at him.
"Let's just say... I'm temporarily exiled from Orario," he replied with a small, closed smile.
"What?!" Everyone exclaimed upon hearing this, unable to imagine such a thing.
"Wait! Just you?! What about us?" Lily asked.
"I'm the only one included in this... You're not part of the punishment," Lucius clarified.
"Why just you? That's not fair!" Bell exclaimed.
"Lucius..." Cassandra murmured with a worried look, standing beside Daphne, who wore a serious expression.
"Someone had to be blamed. After all, I ended up destroying the entire slum... Not to mention Uranus slapped me with an enormous debt. Anyway, it's fine, I'm okay with it, and I'll have someone to help me on this journey," Lucius explained.
"Even so, Lu-Chi... this is unfair!" Lyd began to cry, unable to accept the situation.
"This will delay the plans I had for Orario, but there are positives from this mess. First, the gods now know about you, one way or another..." Lucius said.
"What do they plan for us?" Erebus's voice was heard from the other side, wondering how Orario's inhabitants would deal with them now.
"Most of the gods seem to be starting to understand. Of course, there are people and gods who view you as a threat, but I said some things that seem to have made them cautious. Even so..." Lucius said, looking mainly at the Xenos.
"We should move this hideout and choose another where you can be safer. I believe we can find something in the deeper floors..." Lucius suggested, as the Xenos exchanged glances before nodding in agreement.
"I think you're right, Lucius," Gross agreed, while Ray flapped her wings beside him, seemingly confirming as well.
"Alright, Lu-Chi. But let me ask about your temporary expulsion from Orario," Lyd said, still worried.
"I'll be on a mission, one of those long-term ones that no one has done for years. So, I'll complete it and return to Orario afterward," Lucius informed them.
"I'm going with you," someone who had been silent until now spoke up. It was Ryuu, stepping forward to offer her help.
"You don't need to worry about that. Anyway, Evilus is dead in Orario. I believe your revenge is complete, even though the gods themselves met their end in pain. After all, that Juggernaut tore them apart entirely," Lucius said, as the girl nodded in agreement.
"Even so..." she murmured, still struggling to believe that everything had ended in just one night.
"Don't worry," Lucius reassured her, stepping away from Ryuu before addressing everyone again. "In any case, it's time we start moving. I need to return to Orario with my familia as soon as possible, but I want to help you with this," Lucius said, as the Xenos nodded.
"Wait, Lucius! We should have a feast! We must celebrate!" Marie, clinging to his neck, exclaimed.
"That..." Lucius murmured.
"I think this meeting calls for a celebration!" Erebus suggested, and everyone looked at him. Lucius eventually nodded in agreement.
"Alright, let's celebrate a little for the victory. After all, you no longer have to worry about the hunters..." Lucius said, and everyone agreed. He began retrieving some items from his inventory and summoned Riekling again, who had previously been slain.
In the end, a celebration began as they ate and drank for a few hours, finally trying to breathe after everything that had happened.
"We're free from those guys now... But what's the next step, Lucius?" Erebus approached the adventurer who had killed him a few months before he became a Xenos.
"I'm not sure yet... but I'll help you. However, I'll need to return to Orario as soon as I finish my mission," Lucius replied, drinking before his gaze shifted behind him to the crosses planted in the ground.
"How many did we lose?" Lucius asked, as Lyd, who was also part of the conversation, glanced at them with a slightly sorrowful expression.
"Six Xenos were killed..." Lyd answered, and Lucius nodded, seeming to share Lyd's pain in that moment.
"They may have fallen, but they fought for us and will always be remembered," Lyd said solemnly.
"We'll make sure their deaths weren't in vain... We've gotten rid of the hunters, but there's still more to face in the future. After all, you still want to reach the surface, don't you?" Lucius asked, his tone and expression serious.
"That... of course. Do you think we can do it?" Lyd murmured, slightly uncertain upon hearing this, while the others also looked at Lucius with surprised expressions.
"I don't know what might happen... but we can try everything to make it work. It won't be easy, but we can't keep hiding down here forever, can we?" he said calmly.
"Lu-Chi..." Lyd started to cry again, moved by his words, while other Xenos looked at Lucius with admiration.
"Incredible..." Bell couldn't help but admire the scene, looking at Lucius as a true hero, even though Lucius didn't see himself that way.
Lucius could be arrogant and often proclaimed himself the Magic King and the greatest talent in the world, yet he didn't consider himself a hero. He believed he was too selfish, so much so that his statement about doing everything to help the Xenos coexist was purely selfish. Even if this could spark another war between Xenos and adventurers, Lucius would still stand by his friends, even if the rest of the world saw it as a questionable stance.
"Hey, cut it out with the strange atmosphere. We're at a banquet! Let's celebrate for ourselves and those who fell to secure our victory!" Lucius complained, as everyone nodded, some laughing.
"Hahaha. I think Lucius is right," Erebus commented.
Lucius nodded at this and looked around as Marie handed him some food. "Where's Asterius?" Lucius asked, not seeing the Minotaur.
"That..." Bell answered cautiously.
"He challenged Bell-Chi to a fight and went to train for the confrontation..." Lyd explained.
"Really? And when is the fight scheduled?" Lucius asked.
"In two weeks..." Lily murmured softly.
"It's a shame I won't be there, but good luck," Lucius said to Bell, who nodded timidly. He seemed nervous about the Xenos declaring him his rival and looking forward to the fight.
"Hm... excuse me..." Lucius was talking to Bell when someone approached him. His gaze fell on a girl with dark blue hair, almost matching her bluish skin, though it was a lighter shade. It was Wiene.
"Are you alright?" Lucius asked, raising his eyes to meet hers.
"I am... I woke up a few hours ago... They told me you went to the city to save me," she said, looking at him with a mix of gratitude and shyness.
"I'd say everyone helped with that..." he replied in a calm tone, not wanting to take all the credit.
"Even so... thank you!" She bowed as everyone smiled at her gesture of thanks.
"It's alright. Come and join us; we're still celebrating," Lucius invited. She nodded shyly, and the Xenos quickly welcomed her.
The banquet continued as the Hestia Familia, the Xenos, and even Ryuu, who stayed in a corner, ate, drank, and talked, happy to have found a group of humans who no longer rejected them, beyond just Lucius. Especially because they were part of his familia. Everyone laughed and conversed, while many Xenos clung to the humans, particularly the children.
It didn't take long for the banquet to finally come to an end, with Lucius discussing with the Xenos about starting their relocation. He began storing everything he could in his inventory while the others carried backpacks he had also prepared for them.
Thus, the group began their descent. The dungeon was fairly empty due to the recent chaos, so it wasn't difficult to proceed. Lucius chose the best paths using his clairvoyance and life detection ability to avoid adventurers or large groups of monsters. All the Xenos moved together in a large group, making the pace slow, but with the strongest among them protecting the rear along with the Hestia Familia as they descended.
Bell and the others had never gone this far before, but with the Xenos, it was easier to enter the deeper floors and continue moving forward through the darkness.
"I know a place," said Lucius, leading the group to the Coliseum floor. The grand structure loomed before them as he responded to the curious questions from his familia.
He guided them to a corner where they found a secret passage with a river running through it. "I believe this will be a good place for you to hide."
They were familiar with many hideouts, but not all. This one, in the deep floors, had access to clean water, making it perfect for them—especially for Marie, who could live in her natural habitat and float around freely with the bubble on her waist.
They followed the corridors alongside the current until they found a large room with a small lake and crystals that illuminated the area. No adventurer had set foot there yet, making it the ideal location, provided they could keep it hidden.
"I think this place is perfect for you," Lucius commented as the Xenos began to settle in.
"It's perfect, much better than the other hideout we had in mind," said Ray, flapping her wings.
"Indeed, this will be our home," Lyd affirmed, visibly moved, as the other Xenos unpacked their belongings, and the children eagerly explored the area.
After finishing the organization of their belongings, Lucius returned to his companions. Surveying the location, he spoke, "I believe with this, it's time for us to leave. There's nothing more for us to do here."
Everyone nodded in agreement. Finally, after all the madness of dealing with villains and fighting alongside the Xenos, Lucius felt it was time to go.
"So, you're leaving already?" Erebus approached at that moment, and as the other Xenos overheard, they quickly came to bid farewell. Lucius and his familia reciprocated the goodbyes.
"Until next time, Lyd, Erebus, Gross, Ray, and everyone else. When I return, I hope to see you all stronger. Especially you, Erebus. As my rival, I expect you to be stronger so we can fight," Lucius said with a smile.
"You know I'm not one for violence, but fine. I'll accept your challenge and grow stronger to face you, Lucius Drakenar," Erebus replied.
"That's good. Then, until we meet again. Farewell, everyone," said Lucius, turning to his familia and Ryuu. "Now, let's head back to Orario," he said.
And so, they began their journey back to the surface.
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