Danmachi: The Focalors Familia Starting from the Dungeon

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”Understood.” Aiden stared at the invitation in his hand. His deep gaze seemed to pierce straight through the thin parchment, seeing the true scheme hidden behind it. He gave a calm nod of assent.

”Let’s go, Cassandra.” Daphne called out to her companion. Just before turning away, she tilted her head and whispered something only Aiden could hear. ”Resign yourself to your fate.”

With that, she left without a backwards glance. Cassandra offered a hasty bow to Aiden’s group before rushing off to catch up with Daphne.

.....

That evening, upon returning to their headquarters from the Dungeon, Aiden handed the exquisite envelope over to Furina.

”An invitation to a Banquet of the Gods...” They had just finished dinner. Small cakes and drinks still sat on the dining table for dessert.

Furina sat at the table, swinging her pale, bare legs as she stared at the opened letter and muttered softly.

A Banquet of the Gods was very different from a Denatus. While the latter was an official summit meant to decide on Orario’s important affairs, the former was purely an autonomous party hosted by a deity.

In Orario, deities threw these banquets almost every month. On one hand, it was an excuse to flaunt their Familia’s wealth and influence by proving they could afford to host one. But at its core, it was simply an opportunity for the bored gods who had descended from Heaven to mingle and party to their hearts’ content.

Naturally, as a newly arrived ”fresh deity” whose Familia was still relatively unknown, Furina had never attended one.

And this time, the faction hosting the Banquet of the Gods in two days was none other than the Apollo Familia.

”Are we going?” Furina looked up, turning an inquiring gaze toward Aiden.

When it came to Familia matters, she was practically completely hands-off. Ultimately, Aiden was the one who made all the decisions.

In any other Orario Familia, this dynamic would be virtually impossible. Even the most powerful and influential captains were required to obey their patron deity’s divine will.

But in the Focalors Familia, Aiden’s will superseded that of the Goddess.

”We’re going. Why wouldn’t we?” Aiden narrowed his eyes, a meaningful smile curling his lips. ”It’s the perfect opportunity to broaden our horizons and see what these divine banquets are all about.”

In the past, he would have refused point-blank to attend something that sounded like such a massive headache. But since this invitation came from the Apollo Familia, he had a pretty good guess as to what that perverted sun god was planning.

Add to that the presence of that notorious shit-stirrer, Hermes, and Aiden was destined to be thrust into the spotlight regardless. Since that was the case, there was no point in hesitating.

.....

Orario was currently welcoming the arrival of spring.

As the season turned, the heavy, low-hanging clouds of winter vanished without a trace. In their place came a bright, vibrant landscape where all life revived and countless flowers bloomed, bringing stable, pleasant weather.

It was said that the number of travelers visiting the city always spiked around this time of year. The chill had long since faded, and the temperatures climbed higher with each passing day.

Accompanied by the steady clack-clack of wheels on cobblestone, Aiden’s body swayed rhythmically inside the carriage.

He gazed out the window at the rapidly retreating streetscape bathed in the sunset’s glow, his eyes deep with unknowable thoughts.

Finally, the carriage rolled to a stop. The horses let out a whinny, and an attendant opened the intricately carved door from the outside. Aiden stepped out first, alone.

Today, Aiden wore a perfectly tailored, pure black suit and expensive leather shoes polished to a mirror shine. His upright posture, enhanced by the formal attire, made him look exceptionally handsome and radiant, exuding a striking aura.

If not for his utter lack of divine aura, anyone might have mistaken him for a deity who had descended to the lower world.

Turning gracefully, he extended a hand into the carriage to assist the young woman inside.

A slender, porcelain-white hand rested on his palm. A moment later, Furina stepped into full view.

She had discarded her signature daily attire in favor of a pure white dress meticulously prepared for the banquet.

The fabric was far from mundane; it looked as if it had been woven from moonlight and dyed with morning dew. The dress was airy yet possessed a profound weight to its drape, every inch rippling with a soft luminescence like the shimmering surface of a tranquil lake.

The design was simple but exquisite. A strapless neckline perfectly showcased her delicate collarbones and ivory shoulders. A thin choker of chained diamonds sparkled around her neck, mirroring a miniature galaxy.

The skirt featured a high-low hem—grazing her knees in the front while sweeping backward in an elegant arc resembling cascading waves. As she moved, the fabric fluttered weightlessly, like a living, breathing ocean tide.

Most stunning of all, the skirt’s hem was embroidered with intricate, abstract swirling patterns in ultra-fine silver thread. Scattered throughout were countless tiny, teardrop-shaped clear crystals that caught the twilight glow, refracting it into a dreamy, iridescent halo.

Her feet were clad in white, strappy heels. The laces wrapped elegantly up her calves like climbing vines, further accentuating the long, graceful lines of her legs.

Barely visible on her pale left thigh was a delicate silver garter. Nestled in its center sat a teardrop-shaped, deep ocean-blue sapphire, adding a touch of alluring mystery to her divine, noble elegance.

Her iconic white hair, streaked with pale blue, had been immaculately styled. An ethereal mist seemed to flow between the strands, radiating a holy, untouchable aura.

Framed by the pure, divine ensemble, her heterochromatic eyes appeared even more profoundly mesmerizing, as if they held the secrets of the entire ocean.

In this moment, she was beautiful and regal, a Goddess of Water stepping straight out of a myth. Every movement she made exuded a radiant holiness that made others hesitate to look directly at her.

”Let’s go. Let’s see what kind of scheme Apollo has cooked up.” Furina slipped her hand from Aiden’s grip and naturally looped her arm through his. She whispered into his ear, a playful, knowing smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth.

Aiden’s expression turned slightly peculiar. He glanced sideways at the goddess clinging to his arm, practically overflowing with divine grace.

It was hard to imagine that this breathtakingly beautiful, aristocratic woman—who oozed intellect and elegance with her every gesture—was the same loud, boastful, and occasionally downright silly Furina he dealt with every day. And, in fact, it was true. This ”Furina” wasn’t that ”Furina” at all.

She wasn’t the usual Furina who acted more like an ordinary human girl than a deity. She was the true Goddess of Water, Focalors—the divine aspect of Furina’s existence.

While Focalors and Furina were technically the same person, they simultaneously represented two completely distinct existences: ”divinity” and ”humanity.”

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