Chapter 438

438 Assembling the Powerful #7

Creak-.

The door to the conference room, which had been closed for a while, was now thrown open with considerable force.

In view appeared what looked to be a raccoon.

To be precise, it was a girl wearing a raccoon skin.

She had jet-black hair and delicate limbs.

Her face resembled that of an innocent young high school girl.

However, the gold necklace around her neck gave away her true identity.

“Wh-wh-what?! Hassan, that girl’s here again!”

As soon as Luna spotted Gloria, she began to tremble uncontrollably.

Hippolyte shared the same reaction; it was as though neither of them had even considered that Gloria might show up here.

“I did send an invitation to her, but I never imagined she’d actually come.”

Gloria silently scanned the room, then calmly sat down in whichever chair was available.

She appeared composed, but those around her were wide-eyed in disbelief, blinking repeatedly as though witnessing something unimaginable.

Shilaya spoke first.

“Never would I have guessed that the Iron Maiden herself would grace us with her presence. Is it really you?”

Shilaya doubted the very existence of Gloria, something which indicated that she had not at all anticipated Gloria’s arrival.

Atalante chimed in as well.

“Thought I’d never see your face again after how you left the Argo. It’s good to see you, Gloria.”

“…”

As expected, Gloria did not respond.

“Hmph, ignoring us, are you? She’s not very sociable, I tell you.”

Atalante smirked, as if confirming that she hadn’t really expected a reply. Then, Gloria’s dark eyes met mine.

Startled, I flinched instinctively.

“…!”

More surprisingly, Gloria also flinched, pulling the raccoon skin tighter over her face.

This uncharacteristic behavior left me somewhat baffled.

Why was she acting this way?

Had something upset her?

Still, Gloria’s unexpected arrival had managed to bring a certain calm to the room, which, until a short while ago, had been as noisy as a group of schoolchildren on a break. A sense of interest now hung in the air.

Perhaps, if Gloria had personally decided to come, the story about to come out of my mouth was worth anticipating.

“Ahem.”

I cleared my throat a few times, then began revealing the story I’d been preparing for days.

“Alright, everyone, listen up. This is a story you’ve never heard before.”

I scanned the crowd. Except for Gloria, whose face was hidden beneath the raccoon skin, everyone was fixedly staring at me.

It reminded me of when I had to give a group presentation. My chest tightened and my face flushed as if my heart had suddenly leaped into it, leaving me slightly flustered.

If Paranoi had been here, he could’ve introduced me well. But he was busy founding the Dark Brotherhood’s Order of Knights, or something like that.

Phew.

Thankfully, my experience speaking in front of people as a god in Sodomora helped me steady my trembling.

“I am Hassan from Sodomora.”

“Hassan!” Declaring myself so boldly seemed okay, especially since there was a man about seventy years old who seemed to command respect, making it impossible to lower my tone.

In light of this, I decided to continue as myself.

“You’ve all received my provocatively cheap letters, and I’ve gathered you here, these heroes, because, as you might have guessed, I have an important story to tell. I—”

I paused for dramatic effect.

The ensuing brief silence heightened everyone’s focus.

Then I delivered my knockout punch.

“I intend to set up an expedition.”

There was a snort of derision.

It came from Zetas, the imposing man with a pair of large wings.

“Figured as much. If you gather this many people in one place, it’s bound to be either war or an expedition.”

Shilaya furrowed her brow at Zetas.

“Wings man, the story’s not finished yet. Quiet, please.”

“Is there more to hear? Where we’re fighting and what we gain. That’s all we need to hear, isn’t it? Besides, we’re all here to hear just that.”

Zetas had a point.

These were busy people. If formality and beating around the bush were unnecessary, then we could go straight to the main point.

“Then here’s the main point: I’m heading to hell. Crossing the five rivers of the underworld—Acheron, Styx, and beyond—descending into the depths of Erebores, traversing the plains of Elysion, and conquering the deep abyss of Tartarus.”

That was all I had to say.

Everyone listened intently without even blinking. Even after I finished speaking, they only stared at me, offering no immediate reaction.

Then—

“Hahahaha!”

Zetas burst into a hearty laugh.

“You’re seriously going to send an expedition to the underworld? My goodness, I’ve never laughed so hard at anything! This is insanity!”

The reaction wasn’t good.

“I haven’t heard such madness! Let’s do it right now!”

Well, maybe the reaction was good.

Zetas appeared to be highly belligerent.

Who would have thought someone would respond so positively to the idea of a trip to the underworld?

Maybe I was crazy, but it seemed like he might be.

“An expedition to the underworld! No one could have thought of that! Indeed, such madness is what’s needed to gather heroes like us!”

Anyway, it was good that Zetas reacted favorably.

There were five Gold Tier adventurers present here, or rather six including Gloria. Convincing them would prove quite challenging for me.

Not everyone, however, shared Zetas’s enthusiasm.

Toc, Toc.

Shilaya, lost in thought, tapped the table with her gauntleted hand and finally spoke.

“It’s reckless. What are the chances of survival?”

Shilaya’s question was sharp.

It asked whether this was a s*icide mission. I had to offer a reason for volunteering for something where survival was uncertain.

“I don’t know. But if we survive, everything will be ours. The treasures of the underworld, honor, glory, the secret of nectar—.”

“Hmmph.”

Shilaya’s response was lukewarm, evidently.

At this point, Idas, who had been leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, asked,

“Is our group complete with us?”

Hippolyte provided an answer in his stead.

“The party consists of a minimum of two groups, up to three or four, but beyond that, the Labyrinth of Pluto and the Abyss require greater management.”

“Alright, then who’s confirmed so far?”

“Hippolyte and Hassan. There’s also the sorcerer from Ideope who’s seated here, two elves and a nymph who’re absent, and one paladin borrowed from the goddess Venus. That makes seven members confirmed.”

“Seven, huh? Not many. Including Zetas, that makes eight. So we can form two teams of four.”

Idas seemed to enjoy meticulously calculating and considering various things. He questioned again,

“I know Zetas’s strength, and I know mine well. I’ve also heard of Hippolyte’s martial prowess, but the others are variables.”

“Variables?”

“Hotan, the two elves, the nymph, and that pink-haired girl—there’s not much known about their skills. If we’re going to rely on them, we need to understand their capabilities.”

“Capabilities?”

Hippolyte looked somewhat uncertainly and glanced at me.

Idas’s eyes, belonging to a man who supposedly once stood against the Sun God, continued to assess me as if he wanted to fight and get a firsthand feel of my strength.

His desire to gauge my power seemed more like an excuse.

“Hassan, you’re called a god in Sodomora, aren’t you? I’d like to challenge you. I’ve fought countless demigods and even the God of Light, but your kind of mysterious karma is new to me.”

He looked quite aggressive for someone who outwardly resembled a cold, disciplined soldier.

Indeed, how else would you expect someone who’s crazy enough to fight the God of Light to behave?

However, this battle never happened, all thanks to an old man named Nestor who’d been dozing off with his head resting on the table but now woke up just in time to speak a single sentence.

“Back off, boy. It’s best to avoid fighting gods. Even if you defeat or survive a battle against one, the odds are high that it won’t end well.”

“….”

Listening to this, Idas fell silent, closing his eyes thoughtfully.

He seemed to be trying to contain his combat spirit—an unexpectedly composed attitude. He would certainly serve as an excellent asset for our expedition.

Click, crackle.

Nestor, the old man, took out a pipe from his pocket and lit it, exhaling a long puff of smoke moments later as he spoke.

“So, you’re Hassan, is that it? Son of Pluto.”

“That’s right.”

“When I first heard that, I thought it was a lie—someone claiming to be Pluto’s son. I wondered what kind of guy you were and came here to see you.”

Suss.

Nestor, a seasoned veteran, scrutinized me closely. I instinctively realized he was evaluating me from head to toe.

“I have never told anyone this, but in my youth, I once came face to face with Pluto. He’s cold and ruthless, embodying the underworld itself. The underworld belongs to the dead. Nothing can be born from it.”

Huff.

Nestor continued smoking.

“What was I talking about again?”

At this, Atalante sighed softly.

“Old man, you mentioned encountering Pluto during your youth—”

“Ah, that’s right! I’ve seen Pluto. He was the underworld incarnate. So, it’s impossible for him to father a living being or know love. Pluto’s son cannot exist—”

“Then are you saying I’m not Pluto’s son?”

“—I thought that until now. But when I look at you, it’s clear. You have his likeness. Your face has a certain innocence, you’re a bit short for your build, but still, young man—”

“I’m Hassan.”

“Hassan, young man. Why you, as Pluto’s son, would want to set out on an expedition to your father’s domain, the underworld, is beyond me. Clearly, there are reasons you can’t easily discuss.”

Contrary to his first impression as someone afflicted with dementia, the old man Nestor possessed a wise and perceptive eye.

Perhaps this was the foresight of an elder.

“I now understand why the God of d*ath, Moros, kept postponing my d*ath. I have lived this long to witness this expedition. I, Nestor, will participate.”

At this, Zetas grinned.

“Great, figured Grandpa would say that! Truly worthy of the man who’s attended every battlefield—Now, ladies, what do you think?”

With Zetas’s question, the ball now passed to the women present—Shilaya, Atalante, and Gloria. Shilaya hummed thoughtfully.

“Give me a moment to think. Ten minutes should be enough.”

Summarizing, Hippolyte added,

“Then let’s take a quick break.”

*

“Wow, these people are just radiating power! Everyone here seems incredibly strong! I wondered if I should ask for autographs.”

During the break.

Seated on a bench in the park of Mars Guild, Luna wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand.

True to Luna’s words, everyone seemed to exude a powerful presence that an average person might find overwhelming and impossible to maintain their sanity around.

Luna, who would certainly have fainted while cleaning the shrine, had impressively endured this situation.

Thinking about it, I clearly felt that Luna had progressed beyond an ordinary person.

In fact, among those gathered, Luna Noxdotty could be considered the wildest card.

Given her extraordinary heritage, she was destined to become something incredible when she eventually evolved into her ultimate form.

Although she might not be aware of it yet.

Luna spoke,

“Maybe I’ll ask that flying human for one of those feathers. Would he give it, though?”

“Was that what you were thinking about the whole time? You were so quiet.”

“Those feathers seem interesting. I could definitely craft a fantastic fan with them! I was making a fan as a present for Paranoi—”

“Ah, I see.”

Anyway, this pause to catch our breath was fortunate. In there, they were surely brainstorming with great thoughtfulness about what would be the best course of action.

Hippolyte better manages to convince them well.

Then, Luna said,

“Still, I didn’t expect Gloria to come. I know she’s super strong, but—will she even listen to us? She seems so uncontrollable.”

Luna’s observation was correct.

Gloria resembles a wild beast that can’t be tamed.

Nevertheless, she is undoubtedly one of the strongest powers we could hope for. Simply showing up was already quite surprising.

I still wonder about her reaction earlier when our eyes met, pulling the raccoon skin tighter over her head.

At that moment, there was a startle—”Gasp!”—from Luna.

It turned out that Luna’s gaze was fixed on one of the marble pillars of the Mars Guild.

More precisely, behind the pillar was the unmistakable figure of Gloria, who was peeking at us.

The girl.

“Hey, there—”

She slowly approached us.