Chapter 405: Council

Leaving Amanda to rest in the bedroom, Kyle made his way to the dining area.

Despite her enhanced stats, the two-hour sessions had evidently taken their toll on her, and she had fallen asleep almost as soon as they were done.

He had decided against disturbing her, even though he knew she would be upset about it later. Leaving her to enjoy some much-needed rest, he attended to the preparations for the day.

And so, here he was, sitting at the dining table with his upper body bare, leisurely sipping a cup of coffee he had prepared himself.

"Mm..." His face twisted into a grimace as the bitter taste of the powdered coffee settled on his tongue.

No matter how many times he tried, he simply couldn’t get used to it. His thoughts inevitably drifted toward Veronica and the tea she made, whose rich aroma and delicate flavor put this miserable excuse for coffee to shame. "I’ll make sure to have some today."

It was already approaching two in the afternoon, which meant there wasn’t much time left before the feast he had organized was supposed to begin.

He had made the arrangements, extended the invitations, and set everything in motion, but there was still one important matter to settle.

He needed to confirm whether his guests would actually show up.

"Aleda, start the stream."

[Command accepted.]

Kyle leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, allowing the system to establish the connection. In an instant, his consciousness linked to the council he had requested, and his projected presence materialized before the gathered deities.

"Ah..."

The first reaction came from the woman seated directly across from him.

Spill!

A crimson trail trickled from her nose, and her lips parted slightly as she stared at Kyle’s appearance.

For several seconds, she seemed utterly incapable of looking away.

"Look at this vulgar Goddess," Artemis remarked, though the faint crimson spreading across her own cheeks rather betrayed her words.

"Hello, Kyle. It’s been a while since you last appeared before us like this," Odin greeted him, seemingly unbothered by the commotion.

"More like this is only the second time," Tyr corrected before turning his attention to Kyle. "How have you been, pal? You haven’t been showing us any of your great fights lately."

Kyle was about to respond when the chair beneath him suddenly shifted.

He lowered his gaze and found a little girl with enormous black eyes staring up at him.

She had managed to claim the seat he had been occupying, apparently without the slightest concern for the fact that he was already there.

"Tear... You know you can’t sit on my lap, no matter how many times you try, right?" He shook his head, a weary sigh escaping his lips.

Of course, there was a rather important detail she seemed determined to ignore. He was nothing more than a projection at the council, while his actual body remained back on Earth, seated in his apartment. There was no physical lap for her to sit on in the first place.

"I get the feeling," Tear replied.

Apparently satisfied with that explanation, she finally settled into the chair and leaned back, closing her eyes as though she had every right to be there.

"So jealous..." Freya murmured.

Kyle chose to ignore her grumbling and chose to get on the topic.

"I believe you’ve all contacted your apostles by now, correct?"

Tyr hummed in acknowledgment. "I’ve already instructed them to attend. I believe they’ll all heed my command."

"My children will be there as well," Freya assured him with a bright smile. "They’ll gladly comply with any command you give them. Every single one of them will be just as loyal to you as I am."

She finished speaking with a cheerful sway from side to side, looking rather pleased with herself.

"While I don’t have many apostles, and convincing them to cooperate was somewhat difficult, they’ll be there," Artemis added.

Her choice of words, however, suggested that getting her apostles to attend had been a rather troublesome affair. Unlike Freya, who seemed confident that her followers would fall in line without hesitation, Artemis appeared less certain about how obedient her representatives would be once they arrived.

Kyle accepted the explanation without complaint. After all, apostles tended to reflect certain qualities of the deities who had blessed them. Given Artemis’s own unyielding temperament, it was hardly surprising that her apostles possessed equally stubborn wills and the souls of warriors who would rather die than bend their knees to someone they didn’t respect.

He could only hope they wouldn’t turn his feast into an unnecessary contest of pride.

"I’ve contacted the individual who will represent all my other apostles," Odin informed him.

Kyle had expected as much. In fact, he had already assumed that none of Odin’s Sons would be willing to attend personally, let alone send representatives from among their apostles.

Their role in the realm was far too important and delicate than even to think of attending a meeting.

Still, a small part of him had entertained the possibility that the God King might somehow persuade at least one of them to make an appearance.

Apparently, Odin had managed to find someone suitable for the task.

"He might be eccentric, but he’s certainly useful," Odin added, his expression carrying a trace of uncertainty.

Kyle regarded him for a moment, wondering just how eccentric this particular individual could be to earn such a description from Odin himself.

Whatever the case, he could only hope the man wouldn’t cause too much trouble. After all, the future of that realm depends on what was decided during the discussion.

"Understood. Then I believe I’ve received confirmation from all the Watchers. Each of you will be sending representatives to participate in what I intend to establish."

Kyle leaned back in his chair, satisfied that the arrangements were finally coming together. With the various deities agreeing to send their apostles, the gathering would be far more significant than an ordinary feast.

However, just as he was about to continue, the atmosphere within the council chamber changed.

The subtle shift was enough to draw everyone’s attention.

Two figures had appeared without warning.

Apollo and Athena.

Kyle’s eyes narrowed as he regarded the unexpected guests. He hadn’t invited them nor considered their arrival, especially Apollo’s.

This is going to be complicated.