READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 5: Chapter 5: A Prank of Fate
(This chapter was uploaded on Friday 9/February/2024 8:00 PM, timezone GMT+3)
Special thanks to RikuKage for acting as my beta reader for the opening chapters of this fanfiction.
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('1), ('2), ('3), etc. means that there is some explaining for the thing in the notes at the end of the chapter.
"..." small moment of silence
"Talking"
"He-" Someone was interrupted.
'Thinking'
[Skills' names, chanting, spell keys and spells' names]
(PoV)
(Flashback)
Don't shy from commenting on typos and/or inconsistencies. That and/or suggesting a modification to certain things that didn't make sense to you.
I hope you enjoy reading this chapter.
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(3rd person PoV)
It was a typical day for the Artemis familia. They received a request for assistance from a village where they planned to restock and rest for a few days.
It was the norm for them to ask villages if there was anything they could help with as hunters. Their goddess, Artemis, brought them around to do just that: aid villages they passed through on their travels.
It serves the purpose of giving them a way to make a living and to also help others in various ways.
This time, they came to the village of Preblica. It was a village that overlooked Dragon Valley, one of the lower world's three unexplored regions.
They were tasked with investigating why wyverns, monsters who rarely, if ever, left Dragon Valley, appeared unexpectedly in the forest near Preblica.
They had just returned after hunting a number of wyverns, and the majority of the members headed to the village's exchange house to trade magic stones and drop items for Valis.
They had been living outdoors for a long time, so their equipment was in poor condition, and their supplies were running low. They needed the Valis to repair and restock. And to donate some of it to villages in need, as Artemis wishes.
Artemis overexerted herself and put herself in unnecessary danger by battling a wyvern on her own this time, so the members forced her to stay with Rethusa, the familia's captain, and Lante, a member of the hunting familia. They rested beneath the shade of a tree in the village centre.
While resting quietly in the shade, savouring the colourful atmosphere of the village, a young man approached them with some flowers and looked at Artemis. Rethusa groaned, bracing herself to watch yet another soul's heartbreak.
Lante smiled awkwardly and desired to disappear from sight.
She didn't want to meet him somewhere later and have him recall that she was with the woman who had rejected him. That will get her all the attention she doesn't want at the time. For the time being, she concealed her face behind the hood of her coat.
As predicted, the young man asked Artemis out, and she gently declined. She made certain to reject him in a way that minimised the impact. Even then, she realised that no amount of effort would soften the blow of being publicly rejected. If the young man did not want to face the humiliation of being rejected in front of others, he needed to choose his times and places more carefully.
"Look who we have here? Isn't this Artemis?" Artemis instinctively reached for her quiver, but she stopped herself before pulling out the arrow. She mentally prepared for a headache-inducing divine disaster.
"What do you want, Aphrodite?" Artemis internally rubbed the bridge of her nose. She was already ready for this to be finished.
"Nothing in particular. I just heard of a virgin goddess who didn't learn her lesson and was still playing hunting in the middle of nowhere. Since I was nearby anyway, I decided to check out who it was. And to my surprise, it was you of all deities" Aphrodite said as she approached Artemis. She stopped a short distance from Artemis. She was prepared to flee if the situation required it. And she knew she could make Artemis take the arrow she had put back and fire it at her.
"So, you came searching for me specifically?" Artemis was aware that Hestia had not yet come down. For the time being, Athena remained in Altena. That leaves only her as the virgin goddess Aphrodite mentioned. Not to mention that Aphrodite often used the phrase 'playing hunting' when speaking of her.
"No! Not at all! I absolutely didn't come searching solely for you!" If Artemis wasn't sure before, she was sure now. Aphrodite came looking for her and no one else.
"But, now that I'm here, I must say; you still didn't learn your lesson. When will you learn to try and embrace love, Artemis?" Aphrodite smiled at the young man. In an instant, his interest shifted from Artemis to Aphrodite.
Mortals of all ages, both men and women, were drawn to her smile. Most were enchanted despite the fact that Aphrodite did not employ her charm as a goddess of beauty.
"Stop it, Aphrodite!" Artemis objected to Aphrodite's purposely charming smile, saying, "You should know when things like this are inappropriate!"
"I was just playing around a little, Artemis" Aphrodite saw nothing wrong with using her body's inherent attractiveness. She did nothing but smile; no divine intervention happened.
"Moving from that, is there even a thing you are okay with?" Aphrodite questioned Artemis. She intended to take advantage of a loophole in Artemis's logic and push her to try love using it.
"I am fine with anything that does not involve physical desire" Artemis said, feeling uneasy as she spoke with Aphrodite. She just wanted the conversation to finish.
"And what about men? Are you disgusted by them?" Aphrodite rudely inquired. She did not consider the feelings of the unfortunate man whom Artemis had just rejected.
"I don't particularly hate or like them. But I respect hunters and those that could teach others a thing or two about chastity" Artemis gave her concrete answer. She was not going to change that aspect of herself.
"Artemis, you're contradicting yourself. This young man over here only asked you to go out with him, not mentioning a physical relationship at any point. You... You already made up your mind before hearing his words. Didn't you, Artemis?" Aphrodite spoke and watched as Artemis did not move.
Artemis felt some guilt for making the decision before the young man spoke out, but she was the one who told her familia members that if they wanted to be in a relationship, they should consider leaving the familia.
To top it all off, Artemis had no intention of engaging in any form of romance. She would have refused the young man, regardless of the type of relationship he sought.
"You're being manipulated by that word, 'chastity' that is. If it were Hestia, she would fully express her love if she met her special someone. That is why she is still lovable compared to an obstinate person like you" Aphrodite noticed Artemis's face twitch in irritation, but she resumed her march, her rant going strong.
"I had to protect my chastity as a virgin goddess. That is all" Artemis had nothing better to say. And, while knowing that her words meant little to others, she was resolute about not getting into a romantic relationship. She was aware that a romantic relationship would eventually lead to a point where she did not want to be with anyone.
"Artemis, you are acting like an immature child who is afraid their little bubble will burst. You're terrified of trying new things because you let yourself be controlled by that single word. Chastity became your binding curse, Artemis. You could sta-" Aphrodite sported a transparent goddess smile while attempting to say something. It was different from her typical triumphal face.
While it had originally planned for something, fate changed its mind once it discovered a way to aid Aphrodite with her plans, albeit irritating her to no end.
"Excuse me, can I have a bit of your precious time?" A young man's voice interrupted Aphrodite's speech.
Everyone stopped thinking for a moment to process this.
They did not expect anyone to rudely interrupt a goddess like her, with the exception of Artemis, another goddess.
When they glanced at him, they observed a taller-than-usual man who, despite his height, appeared and spoke like a young.
The young man's hair was short, messy and earth-brown, with fringes long enough to hide his eyes if he didn't move them to the side. His eyes were dark green. Their shape and angle gave the impression that they could swallow you if you stared into them long enough.
Although he was not the most attractive man to have ever lived, he was well above average. He was taller than most mortals and deities alike, towering even. ('1)
The identity of the person is a secret, but that person thought that it was a loss to not have a full beard to accompany that face.
He had broad shoulders. His muscles were concealed by his garments, but Aphrodite was confident that he had strong muscles to match his shoulders.
The space under his arms and the tears in his shirt revealed traces of various claws, fangs, and more.
The young man exuded a hunter's aura, holding a bow, quiver and arrows, a couple of large knives and wearing heavy trousers and boots. ('2)
The colour of his garments appeared unimportant, as blood remained on them even after being washed, most likely from his last hunt.
(An image of how Henryk looks... without all his scars and with the wrong eyes and hair colour)
"Can I get directions for the exchange house?" The young man, who was obviously Henryk, questioned Artemis, entirely disregarding Aphrodite. He did not even look at her.
'Is he that smitten by Artemis?' Aphrodite felt offended by Henryk's behaviour since he ignored her. She did not take it to heart, though, because she had just discovered the perfect way to deal with Artemis, the immovable brick wall.
'I will leave this human man alone. Artemis just said that she respects hunters and those that are a model for chastity. And then? This man came into the conversation. He seems like a hunter and has ignored me even after he was charmed. I remember seeing him become dazed' Aphrodite made up her mind. She would help Artemis not to mess on "2000% of her life". ('3)
"Go down that road. Take the third turn to the right and it should be the fourth door to your left. You may also recognize it since it is bigger than the buildings surrounding it" Artemis was stunned. She was so stunned that she subconsciously directed Henryk to the exchange house before realising it.
Artemis hated to admit it, but she was astounded that someone could just overlook Aphrodite, a goddess of beauty. Artemis felt as if some of her colleagues up there in the upper realm, those in charge of fate, were playing a prank on her.
She wanted to go over there and reprimand them. They should not alter a mortal's fate just to play a prank on her. They sent her a man who resembled the image of an experienced hunter and did not gaze at her with expectant eyes like the man who confessed to her only moments ago. ('4)
"Thank you, lady. I'll be on my way, then. Have a good day" Henryk thanked her and walked away as if he did nothing wrong.
He did nothing wrong, yet it seemed like he did. That's what they thought. They were all unaware that he had intentionally interrupted Aphrodite.
'I will leave him to Artemis, but he still needs to be taught a lesson on how to show respect for me' Aphrodite said, allowing her ungodly hubris to take over her thoughts. It would come back to bite her in a moment.
"The young man over there!" she yelled out, and he came to a halt but never turned around to face her.
"Yes?" Henryk responded without turning around to face her. It gave the impression that she should hurry since she was not worth the time he would spend talking to her.
"Don't you think you should show some respect to us goddesses?" Aphrodite questioned Henryk, one hand on her hip and the other pointing to herself.
'So, the huntress's the real Artemis? And you tell me that this brat's also one? Yeah, no! I ain't paying this brat not a spec of respect!' Henryk thought to himself.
"Brat, respect isn't given. It's earned. And you didn't earn mine" Henryk muttered, ignoring her and walking away.
'How aggravating! But getting Artemis to finally start falling in love is more important than teaching him a lesson. And I can also use this against her. If he could go as far as to argue against me, then he can also refuse me to some extent. He could be the one Artemis is searching for while trying to hide it behind the mask of her familia being a hunting one' Aphrodite was irritated, but she gave in for the greater good.
She signalled to her familia members to put the topic off of their minds. She did not want them to pursue it and jeopardise Artemis' chances of finding love. Artemis falling in love was Aphrodite's priority. Regarding this disrespectful man, Aphrodite decided to ignore him for now. She was planning to get her revenge another time.
"Pfftt!-" Aphrodite heard stifled laughter. When she turned around to find the source of the noise, she discovered nothing unusual except for Artemis' arm, which came down as if she was raising it near her face.
"Were you laughing, Artemis?" Aphrodite squinted her eyes as she questioned Artemis.
'She must not know that I laughed. I saw someone teaching her a lesson on manners for the first time in a while' Artemis' definition of 'a while' meant something that happened back in the upper realm. Back then, she frequently came across Aphrodite and taught her a lesson using her bow and arrows. There is no escaping Artemis' arrows.
"No. I did not" Artemis recollected herself and concealed her expression beneath a mask of calmness. Artemis' face being in its normal state managed to have Aphrodite brush the matter aside for now.
"Anyway! Artemis, look at him! Even the world itself is telling you to try experiencing love! The world threw your way a man that fits your description to a T! One that is both a hunter and someone who doesn't lust after a beautiful woman like me when she's in his direct vicinity! Just accept it!" Aphrodite smugly said with a hand raised to her mouth teasingly.
"Do you have nothing better to say? Then, I bid you farewell" Artemis returned to her senses. Her fellow deities in the upper realm could hardly have intervened in this world's fate solely for the fun of it. They were degenerate hedonists, but they knew better than to do that. The young man was most likely around by chance.
Artemis had had enough of Aphrodite's games. Artemis turned away from Aphrodite. Artemis packed her belongings and instructed Lante to join her. She then told Rethusa to stay and tell the others before Artemis left with Lante.
"Fey, shoulders" they heard the young man say.
Hearing the young man shout a feminine-sounding name, they wondered if he had a sweetheart nearby, as this could explain why he could glance away from Aphrodite. They did, however, wonder what he meant when he said "shoulders".
"PIE!" What they witnessed led Aphrodite to believe that this was some divine intervention, until she realised that her colleagues would not tamper with the lower world only to do this, even if they were fools.
They were aware that it would either mess up fate and result in a scolding, or it would result in a scolding even if fate was not ruined.
The one the young man called was not a human, but a bird of prey, a beautiful and exceptionally gigantic eagle.
'Just how big is it?... I mean, we made it possible with the right genetic combinations and a bit of selective breeding... But even then, it's still too massive... No! That's not what I should focus on right now!' Aphrodite felt uneasy while looking at the eagle. She could not understand why someone would breed such a large eagle. However, such sentiments were not appropriate at the time. She needed to strike while the iron was hot.
She stared at Artemis and was taken aback by the way Artemis was staring at the young man on whom she intended to exact revenge.
'Knowing Artemis, she is probably marveling at the eagle's beauty, rather than being interested in the man accompanied by said eagle. But that works for my advantage. It nailed her down long enough for me to say what I wanted to. I could also find a way to force encounters between the two to increase. That's bound to bring them closer over the many times they meet again and again' Aphrodite discovered Artemis staring at Fey with sparkling eyes. She was clearly looking at Fey and nothing else. Aphrodite discovered a means for her to penetrate Artemis' defences. She will make Artemis fall in love with that young man, sooner or later.
When Aphrodite spotted Artemis nocking an arrow in her bow, she fled with her family members. Artemis' arrows hurt, and no one could avoid them, even with Arcanum's help. Aphrodite's buttocks know the feeling of Artemis's arrows very well. ('3, and yes, I know that we already went past that. It just means that this one will join the first '3 later)
In her exaggerated fear, Aphrodite resembled a cat scrambling in an attempt to run over a smooth marble floor.
Rethusa remained in the shade of the great tree in the heart of Preblica, while Lante followed their goddess to her destination. She headed towards the gates, preparing to return to the familia's camp.
Rethusa was waiting for the 17 other members of their familia to tell them that their goddess had returned, accompanied by Lante.
(Henryk's PoV)
That felt great! I soooo want to laugh at the brat's ridiculous face! I don't know what prompted her to have it, but 'twas a marvel for the ages!
However, I believe I'll just ignore that shrimp telling Artemis to try falling in love when it was clearly pointing at me.
Artemis was uncomfortable with the notion, and we didn't know each other. Not to mention that Artemis is part of the Greek pantheon. You never want to fall in love with a Grecian goddess. Simply don't ask why.
What Artemis directed me to was one of the village's main pathways. I went down that pathway and came across a building with ladies from the river coming out of it.
"Ah! The gentleman from before!" One of them pointed at me, recognising me.
"Umm... Hello?" I wasn't sure if I should be considered a gentleman. It prompted me to express my greetings as a question. How embarrassing.
"Hello!" She answered my greetings, and they moved away. They didn't mind my odd greetings, hopefully.
"Fey, calm" I patted her again before entering the building. I had to duck down so that I didn't smack my face on the doorframe, and even lower to avoid doing the same to Fey.
At the very least, the inside of the exchange house was more roomy, with a high enough roof not to force Fey down my shoulders.
"Hello" A middle-aged man said with a cheerful smile.
"Hello" I replied.
His smile gained a hint of amusement as he observed Fey perched over my shoulder, peering about curiously.
"How can I help you?" He still maintained his professional demeanour. I appreciate that.
"I want you to exchange these for me" I say, placing the magic stones on the table.
"PIE!" Fey was prepared to jump on the counter and consume a couple, if not all, of the magic stones.
"Calm down, girl! Those aren't for eating!" I kept her from them.
The man quickly gathered the magic stones into a tray and carried them away.
"Pie! Piie! Piee!" Fey pecked the top of my head several times. She was mighty irritated because I didn't let her eat them.
"Easy! Girl!" I tried to shield my head from her pecks till she calmed down. I had a sore area on my head after that.
The man returned with a sack of coins.
Isn't paper currency invented in this world?
"The total is 1175 Valis ('4)" I wasn't feeling this number.
"If it doesn't upset you, could you tell me what I can acquire for this money?" I need to know how long I can last off this.
The middle-aged man gave me a brief glance before thinking about it.
I'm sure you thought I was weird, didn't 'cha?
"With 1175 Valis, you can get a day's worth of food. Maybe for 2 days, if you were desperate. Not much else can be bought with so little. Maybe a set of normal quality clothes?" He mentioned the garments while staring at my worn-out shirt.
It was meant to be spotless yesterday morning, but the red spots that couldn't be entirely cleaned, the tears from going by bushes, and the tear from the stab to my side made it appear worn.
Just two days of fighting monsters for such little money left me injured. If I continue in this manner, I will collapse one day. Perhaps I should simply hunt some normal animals for their stuff and sell them to the village? That would work.
"You look like a hunter with your equipment. Perhaps you can sell the game you hunt to cover your living expenses. You can expect to see a wide range of creatures, including deer, rodents, rabbits and hares, among others. Birds are also another option if you can capture them" He confirmed what I thought. It was possible.
Starting tomorrow, I'd avoid monsters wherever possible.
"You didn't find a home yet, no? If what I gave you is all you have, there is no place that will rent you a room. But, I am willing to lend you one of my house's empty rooms and daily breakfast if you give me half of your earnings from hunting" He offered me a commodity. Although I appreciate the gesture, taking away half of my hunt's winnings is a bit much. There're other difficulties to consider as well.
"Thank you, but I must refuse. I don't want to be rude but it's just that I lived mostly alone for years. I don't really feel safe in another's home. Maybe an inn's room, where the key's in my hands. Again, thank you for the generous offer" I awkwardly declined him. I really need to blend into society and settle down somewhere.
Perhaps research magic? That may help me return home or drag Norman along with me. And between the two of us, he'd be content to share the same reality as his favourite waifu.
I don't understand why he wants someone over a decade older than him. But, ah well. My parents had a significant age gap and were happily married. I suppose it's all a matter of preference.
"Call me Ferdinand. And make sure to make it back alive. Not many become hunters and stay alive for long" Ferdinand raised the magic stones with a notable grin. 'Tis a dare!
Dammit! Giving names to things, or a person in this case, allows a person to form a much stronger attachment to the named thing or person.
"And you could call me Henryk W-... No, just Henryk" I at least had the courtesy of telling him my first name.
I didn't provide my full name because there was no reason for it. Hey, forget about my surname. I don't want to be called Williams as if I didn't have a name of my own. My parents chose one for me, which I gladly wear.
Ferdinand seemed a little perplexed, but he remained mute, without demanding to know my surname.
"By the way, can I buy a potion with this money?" I asked him. Since I now intend to hunt as a profession, I'll save the potion for more critical wounds when I purchase one.
"With what you have now, that's enough for 2 potions" I purchased both of the potions and was left with only 175 Valis.
They cost 500 Valis each. I used one to treat the wound on my side that had left a scar, as well as the bruise that had formed earlier. They only took roughly a fourth of the potion jointly. I now had one potion and three-quarters of a potion.
I really pity the idiots who believe that potions should be taken full to function. Look at this. It was effective on two injuries, but only a quarter was used. This affects things. I can save potions by not consuming a complete one to treat a small injury. The only disadvantages are the aches that persist in the treated area and the flavour.
I'll just have to cope with their terrible taste.
If they tasted like anything, it would be somewhat spoiled apples.
Trust me. I had the misfortune of biting a rotting apple. Fortunately, I spat it and the juices out. I'm glad I didn't get an upset stomach from that.
I requested the guards for something very important before leaving the village.
I found the same tree where I slept last night. I helped Fey construct a makeshift nest. Sleeping while standing on a branch for an extended period of time may cause her discomfort.
We collected some little twigs and fallen branches. We filled the gaps with leaves and grass mixed with dirt to keep them together.
"Pie!" Fey flapped her wings cheerfully. She cuddled inside her makeshift nest for the night.
I slept precisely like yesterday. It was very painful in the morning. But it will suffice for now.
I'll set a short-term objective of securing accommodation at an inn by selling my game. If normal animals become scarce, perhaps monsters will be my only option.
That night, I slept with my thoughts drifting to what I hope to accomplish in the future.
(End of Chapter)
'1:
Thanks to RikuKage for pointing this out in one of our discussions. Mortals are generally shorter than gods.
In the world of DanMachi, mortals, except special cases like Ottar's 210cm, nearly 6'10.68', are generally 150-170 cm in height, nearly 5'2.99''-5'6.93''.
As for deities, except special cases like Hestia's, are generally 170-190 cm, nearly 5'8.90'', with good ol' Ouranos measuring at 210cm in height, nearly 6'10.68''.
And here comes Henryk strolling in with his height of 2.03 cm, nearly 6'7.92''.
'2:
I did not write it, but Henryk has another bowie knife as a spare and for when the situation calls for him dual-wielding them. He usually either forgets or ignores it since he puts its sheath behind his main knife in such a way that he does not always notice it.
'3:
From the story released with the name of "One Love", it features, in a part of it, a time in heaven where Artemis and Aphrodite argued about this same topic. It ended as you would expect, with Artemis shooting Aphrodite point-blank. Aphrodite, fearing for her life, uses arcanum to teleport away. But since Artemis never misses her shots, the arrow somehow ended up hitting Aphrodite. And wouldn't you know it, it landed in Aphrodite's butt.
During that same encounter back then, Aphrodite told Artemis that she was 2000% missing out in life for not knowing love, referring to love more on the romantic side of the spectrum.
'4:
Do not ask about this. I calculated it using what little info I found in episode#1 of the first season of the anime.
I also somehow lost the calculation by now; meaning that you do not get to see it. Just my luck.
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What are your opinions?
As I said, this is an AU with the dates of unofficial events or ones with vague dates shuffled around for my plot's convenience.
What do you have to say about how the interaction happened? Is there an aspect you see room for improvement in? Tell me so I can write a better story in the coming chapters.
And for those who think they understand how Artemis acted before the events of the movie, tell me if this is close enough to that.
How do you rate Henryk's actions towards Aphrodite?
Did Aphrodite act the same way you expected her to?
Tell me, what do you think the quest/s is/are? If I saw a good idea, I might just include it in a chapter and give you the credit you deserve for it, including ones that Henryk takes in Orario, as the story had long since reached that chapter by now.
Last thing, I want your opinion. Which is scarier between the 2 pics? The winner by the time Henryk tames a moss huge will be its appearance. As for how it will transform, you will have to wait and see when the details come out with their appropriate chapters.
Now then, have a nice time, ladies and gentlemen.