Danmachi - Infinite Mana System!

Chapter 100 - Ouranos 02.

[Chapter Size: 2000 Words.]
Third Person POV
Orario.

...

...

Ouranos, seated majestically on his throne, fixed his ancient and penetrating gaze on Lucius, who stood before him.

"I must say..." Ouranos began, pausing for a moment as if choosing his words, "it has been hundreds of years since I have seen an adventurer as intriguing as you. Even for a god who has lived thousands of years, it was a great surprise to learn that a human established peaceful contact with the Xenos, something not even the select members of the Ganesha Family achieved, despite knowing of their existence for 15 years."

Lucius, maintaining his posture, replied sincerely: "I met them by accident. I met a mermaid in the capital of waters, and, without any malicious intent, we ended up forming a friendship." His voice conveyed the genuineness of his words, and Ouranos, listening attentively, nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

"This friendship turned out to be beneficial," Lucius continued. "It was thanks to it that I was fortunate enough for Lyd to save my life when the dungeon generated that damned Juggernaut." His expression hardened as he recalled the danger and intensity of that battle during their first encounter.

Ouranos, with a thoughtful look, added: "And you and the Xenos, joined forces to defeat that monster. It was no small feat. It's remarkable that you, who barely knew them, managed to convince them to fight by your side. An order was issued by the guild to gather the Freya and Loki families, among others specialized in exploration, to try to combat the threat. However, before we even started the emergency meeting, we discovered that the Juggernaut had been destroyed, by none other than you and the Xenos." His voice, calm and controlled, carried a tone of veiled admiration.

Beside Ouranos, Fels remained silent, Lucius, hearing these words, imagined that something like this would happen, Juggernaut always was a quite forbidden existence and almost no one knew it, but as it appeared in the dungeon and was still active, Ouranos was forced to call the main family for that.

"That was necessary, that thing was not only going to harm the adventurers, it was going after the xenos too, so convincing them was easy, and I would never have defeated the juggernaut without help, they themselves almost died several times in our fight," Luffy spoke calmly.

Ouranos, with a sigh that seemed to carry the weight of centuries, continued the conversation. "Your journey and the choices you have made are a sign of potential and change. I am interested to see how this will unfold in the future, I hope it will be positive." There was a tone of admiration in his voice, a suggestion that the first bridge between a world where Xenos and adventurers can coexist peacefully was being built unexpectedly.

"I understand," Ouranos continued, his gaze becoming more serious and penetrating. "Now, let me ask you something. Are you aware that the existence of the Xenos is something that many in Orario have not yet accepted, correct? Any revelation may cause unrest and fear." His voice carried a warning, a clear message for Lucius to understand the importance of maintaining confidentiality about the Xenos.

Lucius, understanding, responded without any negative feeling against this questioning. "Yes, I am aware of that and do not worry. See me more as an ally than a danger to them. After all, we are now friends and I owe my life to some of them." His voice was firm, conveying a promise of protection and secrecy.

Ouranos, observing the sincerity of Lucius, nodded in acknowledgment. "That's good. Our ultimate goal is to bring the Xenos to the surface, to allow them to live in harmony with the inhabitants of Orario. But that is a distant dream, given that many still see them as monsters and a threat. There are groups that know of their existence and hunt them illegally, a reality we need to combat and change."