Danmachi: The Focalors Familia — Chapter 78

Chapter 78: Gacha Failure

“Oh, right. The Goddess of Beauty’s charm should not have any effect on you anyway.”

Furina suddenly recalled the unique nature of Noah’s Descender skill, and the lingering tension in her shoulders finally melted away.

Noah kept his silence on one crucial detail. He had actually been in Freya’s line of sight for quite some time now. Syr, the cheerful waitress working at the Hostess of Fertility, was none other than the Goddess of Beauty in disguise. Since Syr had never made a move on him during their brief interactions, it was glaringly obvious that she simply had not taken a fancy to his Soul. He certainly did not possess the kind of blindingly brilliant essence required to ensnare the absolute pinnacle of divine obsession.

Furina blinked her striking heterochromatic eyes. The dark clouds of anxiety that had plagued her features instantly evaporated, replaced by a smug, radiant delight. She cleared her throat with exaggerated importance and forcefully pulled her hand back from his grasp. Planting both hands firmly on her hips, she puffed out her chest, lifted her chin to a haughty angle, and declared her absolute victory.

“Hmph. I almost forgot that you literally cannot leave me.”

Her sudden transformation from a trembling wreck to a fearless aristocrat was so jarring that Robin, Tifa, and Hyacine could not hold back their soft laughter. How could anyone steal away a person who was fundamentally immune to being stolen?

Having reasoned her way back to supreme confidence, Furina felt entirely restored. She elegantly settled back onto the plush cushions of the sofa, picked up a delicate pastry Tifa had baked earlier, and began to nibble on it with unhurried grace. It was as if the girl who had been frantically plotting to flee Orario in the dead of night had never existed.

“What is done is done, and dwelling on it will serve no purpose.” Robin let out a soft, melodic sigh, her calm voice grounding the room. “Even if the Freya Familia truly harbors some ulterior motives toward us, we can only face whatever comes our way when the time arrives.”

Her pragmatic words officially brought the minor disturbance to a close. Paranoia would not forge a path forward.

Noah took a slow, measured breath, forcing the lingering gloom brought on by Heith to the back of his mind. He needed to pivot his attention to something far more rewarding. Rubbing his palms together to generate a bit of heat, his expression shifted into a blend of intense anticipation and borderline religious piety. He silently commanded the System interface to materialize before his eyes.

Floating in the digital void, the Intertwined Fate had finally reached maximum capacity. Having devoured the raw energy from a massive hoard of Dungeon Magic Stones, the crystalline token now pulsed with an alluring, iridescent halo. It was a single summoning opportunity, ripe and ready.

“Alright. Let us see which new family member we will be welcoming into our ranks today.”

Noah smiled, using the sheer thrill of the unknown to completely wash away the residual tension in the room. He also hoped that speaking with confidence might coax the Goddess of Luck into his favor.

Hearing his announcement, the atmosphere in the living room shifted instantly. Robin, Tifa, Hyacine, and even the newly relaxed Furina all leaned forward, their eyes locking onto the empty space in the center of the floor. They were all burning with curiosity, wondering what kind of formidable, extraordinary companion would shatter the boundaries of reality to join their Familia next.

Driven by a rush of adrenaline, Noah mentally pressed the [Summon] command on the glowing interface.

He braced himself for the blinding, triumphant golden light.

But the gold never came.

Noah felt his blood run cold. His complexion darkened, turning as grim and black as the bottom of an iron pot. Instead of a brilliant starburst, a painfully dull, blue magic circle slowly etched itself onto the floorboards.

“Eh? Why is it not golden?” Furina tilted her head, voicing her confusion in a soft mutter.

Every single time she had witnessed this miracle before, whether it was pulling Robin, Tifa, or Hyacine, the room had been bathed in a gorgeous, heavy golden radiance that pulsed with sacred authority. This pathetic blue circle looked like it had been watered down with dishwater. It was entirely unmatched.

Robin and Tifa, however, possessed a deeper understanding of the cruel mechanics of the universe. The moment that dismal blue hue painted the walls, they exchanged a knowing glance. A silent realization passed between them, and they simultaneously turned their deeply sympathetic gazes upon Noah, whose soul appeared to be leaving his body.

The blue light gave one final, pathetic flicker and vanished.

There was no legendary companion standing in the center of the room. There was only a spear.

It possessed a shaft carved from basic white wax wood, a plain steel lead that offered only the most ordinary metallic luster, and a design devoid of any artistic merit. It hovered quietly in mid-air for a fraction of a second, emitting a pitifully weak magical fluctuation, before dropping to the floorboards with a hollow, depressing clatter.

It was a White Tassel.

Noah stared blankly at his empty hands. He slowly lowered his gaze to the deeply mediocre weapon resting on his floor.

“Could it be because I forgot to wash my hands before pulling…” he muttered to himself, his voice hollow. “Or has the Goddess of Luck simply decided that she no longer loves me?”

Furina finally connected the dots. She looked at the lonely, unremarkable White Tassel, and then back to Noah, who looked as though his very life force had been drained away. She joined the others in offering him a look of deep pity.

It was a gacha failure. A total wash.

“It is alright. The whims of the draw are notoriously cruel. This is very normal.” Robin closed the distance between them, her voice so incredibly gentle and soothing that it felt like a warm spring rain. “You have already been blessed with extraordinary luck thus far. You cannot expect to strike gold every single time.”

“The pain is unbearable. My heart is shattered into pieces. I desperately need a lap pillow to recover from this trauma.”

Noah clutched his chest, contorting his face into a mask of dramatic, theatrical sorrow. He shamelessly used the excuse to lean his weight toward Robin’s inviting figure.

Robin merely offered a helpless, elegant smile, smoothly stepping aside to dodge his blatant attempt to take advantage of her sympathy.

“A lap pillow? That is no problem at all. Come here, Baby Noah.”

A light, incredibly sweet voice chimed through the living room.

Furina, Robin, and Tifa all let out simultaneous gasps of utter disbelief. Their heads snapped around in perfect unison to locate the source of the treasonous offer.

They saw that Hyacine had slipped off her shoes at some point during the commotion. She was currently kneeling upright on the plush cushions of the sofa, her posture impeccable. With a bright, inviting smile, she gently patted her own thigh, the smooth curve perfectly accentuated by pure white stockings. Her pink twin tails swayed with a cheerful rhythm as she beckoned him over.

The sheer absurdity of the scene struck the other three women with a heavy dose of cognitive dissonance. In their collective estimation, Hyacine was certainly lively and adorable, but she was absolutely not a naive airhead. Noah was clearly putting on a theatrical performance to scam some affection. How on earth had the brilliant healer fallen for such an obvious trap?

While they were still frozen in shock, Hyacine spoke up again to justify her actions.

“Baby Noah has worked incredibly hard in the Dungeon today. His body and mind have been pushed to their absolute limits, so I am just going to help him recuperate a little bit. Baby Tifa, I will help you with a full relaxation massage later tonight.”

Hyacine offered a playful, knowing wink. As the dedicated healer of the Familia, it was her solemn duty to ensure that every single companion remained in peak physical and mental condition.

Before Robin or Furina could even begin to process the sheer audacity of the situation, Noah moved. With the explosive speed of a seasoned adventurer, he cleanly and neatly dropped onto the sofa, resting his head directly onto Hyacine’s lap.

“So fast!” Robin, Tifa, and Furina shouted in perfect, exasperated unison.

Noah let out a long breath of pure contentment, nestling his head against the soft, elastic warmth of her thighs and closing his eyes.

Hyacine smiled down at him. Her slender, delicate fingers moved to his temples, the tips glowing with a soft, warm magical radiance. As she began to massage his scalp with expert precision, an indescribable wave of comfort washed through his entire nervous system.

The soothing magic carried Hyacine’s unique, fresh scent, smelling faintly of morning dew and blooming petals. It permeated deep into his mental landscape, effortlessly smoothing away the heavy, lingering fatigue of the day’s battles.