Chapter 253 - 253: Welcome Greeting
"Do you think she will be alright?"
"Who, Angie?"
Van, Charlotte, as well as Artemis, were currently on top of the colossal Stymphalian's head. And due to his small size, Van had to be extra careful not to be blown off due to the air current that was currently threatening to blow their face off.
"You don't know her like I do. She's one tough fucker," Charlotte said as she looked towards the horizon of nothing but clouds and blue, "If anything, you should worry about us. We're literally on our way to face more of her kind."
"Most of my kin are easy to talk to once you get to know them, old mortal," Artemis squinted her eyes as she looked at Charlotte, "They wouldn't leave so many bastards if they weren't."
"You must have one intriguing family tree."
"We do," Artemis smirked, "That is why I do not want to add any more to the branches. I take pride in my chastity, unlike the rest of my kin. What about you, Evans? Has your seed been planted to anyone in this mortal realm?"
"...Once," Van said.
"Wait, what? With who!?" Charlotte raised an eyebrow as she scooched closer towards Van, "I know, is it that big-tittied monster? It is her, right?"
"No," Van shook his head, "It was when I was in the Relic Graveyard. There was a woman there… and I had nothing to eat so I--"
"We don't need to hear any more, kid," Charlotte could only let out a loud and deep breath as she prevented Van from speaking any further.
"It would seem you really had a hard life before you, Evans," Artemis said as she patted the colossal stymphalian's case, "Such is always the case for the Olympians' children. Even the one you met before, Hercules… his fate is not something I would wish even to my worst enemies."
"...What happened to him?"
"The Queen of Olympus happened."
"Queen of Olympus?"
"Lady Hera, the wife of Hercules's father, Zeus. As with Zeus's other children, Hera was determined to make them suffer. She got into Hercules's head, causing him to go in a fit of rage and kill his own wife and children."
"W… what?"
"Fuck," Charlotte let out another long and deep breath, "That's some family you got there. You sure you still want to meet them, Evans?"
"It's not like I have a choice," Van sighed, "Destiny and all of that, right?"
Hearing the sarcastic tone in Van's voice, Charlotte could not help but let out a slight chuckle, "Good to see you finally learning to treat some things as a joke."
"I guess Harvey really rubbed off on me."
"Or maybe you're just starting to get a personality of your own, boy," Charlotte said as she slightly nudged Van, almost causing him to fall off the colossal bird.
"What do you mean? I have a personality."
"If you think following people around and being clueless all the time is a personality, then I don't know what to say."
"That's--"
"The two of you seem close."
Before Van could rebuke, Artemis joined in on the conversation.
"Of course. This boy here was supposed to marry my granddaughter," Charlotte crossed her arms.
"Really? As expected of Hermes's son," Artemis looked at Van with her eyebrows slightly raised, "But it is to be expected. We Olympians have a certain allure to mortals."
"...Allure?"
"Yes. It is innate," Artemis let out a sigh, "Perhaps a twisted design by one of the Primordial Gods, Eros. Any mortal that will have even just an inkling of interest towards us will always lead to them falling in love."
"That…" Van could not help but let out a slight gasp, "...Does that mean that anyone that will love me… will only end up an illusion?"
"I… don't quite see it that way," Artemis slightly tilted her head to the side, "Love has always been an illusion, Evans. It is when the two parties act upon it does it become a reality."
"..." Whatever Artemis meant, it did nothing to reassure Van. He was sure that Victoria had feelings for her, and maybe even Latanya… does that mean it was because he was part-Olympian? Did it have anything to do with him actually being… likable?
Van then looked towards Charlotte with a complicated expression on his face. Charlotte, however, only snarled in disgust.
"You really think I would fall in love with a small boy like you?"
"...That's not what I… Never mind," Van shook his head off the thoughts he was having. It was not really the right time, to think of such… trivial things, "We have been flying for almost an hour now, which direction are we flying to, Miss Charlotte?"
"Egypt. We are actually quite near to it already."
"...Already?"
"It is not that far from Africa, but it is its own little island," Charlotte let out a slight scoff, "Hopefully, they are not as tight as before when I visited."
"...Is it really okay for us to fly in there… with a giant monster?"
"It's fine, it's fine," Charlotte waved her hand nonchalantly, "I am sure Salim won't mind."
"Salim?"
"Oh, he… well she… Actually, I don't really know. But she is the strongest Mage-type System Holder I know of, and also a Platinum-rank Explorer."
"...Like you?"
"Pft. There's no one like me, brat."
"Huh…"
The two got quiet. But after a few seconds, Artemis broke the awkward silence, "Forgive me for asking, Evans. But this woman that you said you left your seed with, who is she?"
"...I don't think it's right for us to know, Artemis," Charlotte could not help but widen her eyes from Artemis's blunt question.
"It's okay, Miss Charlotte," Van waved let out a slight chuckle, "It… is in the past. I'm not proud of what I did, but I did what I had to to survive, and I won't shy away from it."
"Ho… you're really starting to grow."
"It was… an old woman," Van continued, "I think she was as old as you, Miss Charlotte."
"Who you calling ol--"
"But she wasn't as beautiful as you," Van did not let Charlotte interrupt him, "She said she would feed me, so I stayed with her for a week as she… used me however she wanted to."
"..." Charlotte could only keep quiet as she heard the slight pause in Van's words.
"How old were you then, Evans?" Artemis, however, was unperturbed.
"I don't really remember. I was 12, maybe?" Van said as a slight chuckle came out of his mouth.
"Did you really put your seed in her?"
"I think so, my memory is clouded because I'd rather not… remember it."
"I see. I apologize for bringing it up."
"Why did you bring it up?" Charlotte muttered.
"Because there might be someone of your blood roaming this world. Our… fertility is strong."
"Oh, you don't have to worry," Van shook his head, "She's dead."
"..."
"I… see."
"Come to think of it, a lot of old ladies seemed to like me then. I guess it was because of the Olympian blood in me?"
"Perhaps."
"Is that also why I feel like I am falling in love with you now, Artemis?" Van then said as he let out a slight sigh, "I really thought it was something as cheesy as love at first sight or something," Van then chuckled awkwardly.
"W… what?" The stymphalian slightly lost flight as Artemis stuttered. Her face, slightly turning red from Van's statement.
"...Is something wrong?"
"...You're not human, Evans," Artemis said in a low voice as she could not look Evans in the eye, "...It doesn't work on you."
"...Oh."
"You did that on purpose, didn't you, brat?" Charlotte raised an eyebrow, "You sure he isn't the Devourer of Hearts instead?"
"I didn--"
"Incoming!"
Before Van could rebuke, Artemis quickly raised both her arms; and as soon as she did so, a bow appeared in front of her. Van quickly but carefully looked as to where Artemis's bow was pointing to, only to see a huge… comet shooting towards them from below.
Although it wasn't as large as the Resistance's base that fell on the New Wall, it was still large enough to fill Van's whole view.
"Don't!" Charlotte blocked Artemis's view.
"...What are you doing, old mortal?" Artemis furrowed her eyebrows.
"Let me do it," Charlotte then stood up on the bird's head, "This...
...is a welcome greeting."