Chapter 407: Arrival(1)

"Hey!" Amanda waved at the woman hurrying toward them from the entrance.

The redhead glanced around briefly before asking, "Is he not here yet?"

Veronica rolled her eyes. "Stop being so thirsty, cadet. Kyle has several other duties to take care of."

Elena grumbled under her breath. "That’s a rather rude way to put it. Anyway, isn’t this place a little small for the gathering? And is it secure?"

Her concern was understandable, considering she lived in a mansion that covered an area roughly the size of a soccer field. Compared to her home, this villa seemed rather small, especially for the number of guests Kyle had invited.

Before either Amanda or Veronica could respond, another voice answered her question.

"It’s spacious enough to accommodate everyone." Ethan approached them with a composed expression. "If it weren’t, my Lord wouldn’t have entrusted me with this responsibility in the first place."

Elena felt a little awkward knowing that the owner of the villa had overheard her criticism. However, she made no attempt to apologize. Instead, she simply asked, "Have any of the others arrived yet?"

"Yes, here I am~!" a cheerful voice boomed from the left.

Everyone turned to find two women approaching them. The first had bright green hair tied into twin tails, a pair of yellow glasses perched on her nose, and an almost boundless energy that made her practically bounce toward the group.

Behind her walked a woman whose appearance immediately caught Amanda’s attention, causing her expression to tighten.

"Maya," she murmured. "It’s been a long time."

She recognized the woman as the girlfriend of Kyle’s cousin, the same one he had introduced to them before. Although Amanda and Maya had never really spoken, she remembered her well enough.

Maya approached with an air of quiet elegance, dressed in a simple blue dress that reached her ankles. Her silky greenish-black hair fell gracefully over her shoulders, complementing the composed expression on her face.

For some reason, Veronica felt as though she were standing before a noblewoman. There was something about the way Maya carried herself, a natural grace that made even her simplest movements appear refined.

Once the two women reached them, Maya offered a polite introduction. "My name is Maya, and this is Alya. We are both under Lady Artemis’s guidance."

Ethan nodded in acknowledgment. "Thank you for accepting my Lord’s invitation."

Alya groaned at his words. "You really call another human your lord?"

Every person present, Maya included, turned to glare at the young girl. Under the weight of their collective disapproval, Alya suddenly found herself feeling rather cornered. Her shoulders slumped as she looked from one face to another, confusion slowly replacing her earlier confidence.

"D-Did I say something that wrong?"

Amanda nodded without hesitation. "Yes, you did."

Alya groaned again. "How mean! You could at least comfort your guest a little, you know."

"Not when it concerns the man I serve," Ethan replied with a small shake of his head.

Seeing that the situation was only getting worse, Maya gently pulled Alya back to her side before offering an apologetic smile.

"I apologize on her behalf. She’s only fifteen, so she sometimes speaks before thinking."

Veronica was the first to break the tension.

"That’s fine. Now, why don’t you settle down and have something to drink while we wait for the others to arrive?"

Maya nodded gratefully and began leading Alya away.

However, before the two disappeared into the gathering, Maya spared one last glance at Amanda.

And found the other woman already staring back at her.

Amanda remained silent as the two women walked away, her gaze lingering on them for a moment before she finally looked elsewhere.

"Where is Arthur?" Veronica asked curiously. Given the man’s position, she wondered if something had come up that might prevent him from arriving on time.

"He has gone to bring some guests over. He should be here any..."

Ethan’s words trailed off as he sensed a subtle shift in the air, signaling someone’s arrival. A moment later, two figures appeared in the middle of the hall alongside Arthur.

"Ah! Haah..."

One was an elderly man with a round belly and a face smeared with black soot. His round glasses nearly concealed his brown eyes, while the large hat perched on his head made it difficult to tell whether he had any hair left.

"Hello, I am Medesto. I work at a smithy, and I am glad to meet you."

The man spoke with a peculiar accent, looking so flustered that he could barely bring himself to meet anyone’s eyes.

"Oh my! So many beauties gathered in one place."

The other newcomer was a young man who appeared to be in his mid-twenties. Stepping forward with a charming smile, he bowed slightly before introducing himself.

"Myself, Gallard. I work as a musician, though I have a keen interest in getting to know more people. Much like you, lovely lady."

With that, he extended his hand toward Veronica, only for the silver-haired woman to respond without the slightest change in her expression.

"I just butchered a monster with my bare hands and forgot to wash them. But if you still want to..."

"Ah, ahaha..."

Gallard immediately withdrew his hand, his charming smile turning somewhat stiff. After clearing his throat, he shifted his attention to the others.

"Very well, then. I must ask why I was summoned here. You see, I have a show to attend to..."

"You will find out soon enough."

Arthur’s blunt response cut him off completely.

Gallard glanced at Arthur, his expression growing wary. Or perhaps fearful would have been a more accurate description. Whatever the case, he seemed to decide that asking any further questions was a terrible idea and promptly fell silent.

Ethan stepped in to ease the awkwardness. "Make yourselves comfortable until the event begins. If you want something to eat or drink, simply ask one of the maids."

Gallard’s eyes immediately lit up when he spotted a passing maid. Wasting no time, he excused himself and headed away from the unfriendly group, apparently far more interested in finding pleasant company elsewhere.

Medesto, meanwhile, hesitated for a moment before quietly accepting a glass of water. He then retreated to a corner of the hall, choosing a spot where he could remain unnoticed by the others.

Amanda sighed and shook her head. "just four of them and I am already tired."

Veronica snickered. "Just imagine what will happen when the apostles of the higher gods arrive."