Chapter 44: Meeting with Apollo
Moonlight streamed through the Zanis' office's open windows, casting the room in a silvered glow that glinted off the wine cabinet's bottles. A cool evening breeze stirred the loose papers on the desk, while the lit fireplace provided warmth.
"What do you think?" Rex asked as he opened one of Soma's wines from the shelf in Zanis's office. "Should we help the Apollo Familia?" He poured some wine into a glass.
He had just returned after dropping Soma off at his personal brewery near Daedalus Street and handed both letters to Zanis, who had still been busy with paperwork.
Zanis read through the letters and scanned the fraudulent documents before placing them down. "What do you think?"
'I asked you first, but ok.' He finished the glass of wine and let out a slight burp before replying, "I say no, but I want to hear your opinion."
"Yes," Zanis replied. "I believe we should assist the Apollo Familia."
"Really?" Rex turned to the captain. "Why? The money?"
"The money is certainly a factor, yes," Zanis said, adjusting his glasses. "But the true prize is the girl, Arde. I forgot to mention this earlier due to my workload, but her magic holds significant potential for our operations."
"Really now." Rex mumbled as he returned the glass to the shelf.
"Her magic is named Cinder Ella." Zanis continued, "It's a rare transformation ability that allows her to assume the form of any creature or object roughly her size—monsters included."
"So, spy work?" Rex asked, but the captain shook his head.
"Let's start from the beginning," Zanis said, his voice steady as he met Rex's gaze. The moonlight from the window behind him cast sharp shadows across his face. "I'm finalizing an agreement with the Ikelos Familia. We'll provide them with a dozen Soma wines over twelve weeks, and in return, they'll pay us eighty-six point four million valis, distributed over eighty-four days. It's a lucrative arrangement, to say the least."
"Eighty-six million?" Rex mumbled, his eyes widening. "...Damn..."
First, the Ikelos Familia paid 45 million for his powder, and now 86.4 million for Soma wine. That was over 130 million in the span of a week! He couldn't even begin to comprehend where they were getting that kind of money, but then again, it was the black market. Obviously, he wouldn't decline the offer, but—
"Did they tell you why they need so much Soma?" Rex asked, trying to remember who the Ikelos Familia was from the anime, but he couldn't recall any mention of them. "Are they involved in slavery?"
That was the only reasonable conclusion. Enslavement via Soma wine would be extremely effective, and to be honest, he didn't care what the wine was used for. It wouldn't make him lose sleep if they were going to use it for slavery. It was like being a gun seller—he sold the product, and it was up to the buyer to decide how to use it.
"Not enslavement in the traditional sense," Zanis clarified, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "This is about the control of monsters."
'So taming?' Rex thought, and the captain continued.
"According to the Ikelos Familia," Zanis began, his tone measured, "monsters showing signs of heightened intelligence have begun appearing in the dungeon. They refer to them as Xenos. Last night, I had the opportunity to observe one firsthand." He paused, as if recalling the encounter. "It was… an interesting experience."
"Xenos…" Rex trailed off as he remembered something.
He had stopped watching DanMachi after the Rakia invasion at the end of Season 2 because he had to wait for Season 3 and eventually lost interest. However, he had seen spoilers about Season 3 on Reddit—Xenos, intelligent monsters. He only recalled a bit about them, like the level 7 Minotaur and the blue girl bell had saved which led him to get involved with them.
'So Zanis knew about them before the protagonist group did?' Rex thought as the captain continued.
"Each Xenos fetches an average of ten million valis," Zanis explained, his voice calm but calculating. "With Arde's magic, we could have her mimic a monster and act like a Xenos to lure them out. With this new source of income, money will flow in like water—enough to fund grimoires for both of us without straining our resources. A sound investment, wouldn't you agree?"
"It is," Rex agreed. It will be a great investment. "However, that's too much work for so little money."
Zanis's smile froze at the words, his glasses catching the flicker of the fireplace as he stared at Rex who continued. "Think about it. First, we'd have to figure out where these Xenos even live in the dungeon. The place is massive, and we will be searching for something that's actively trying to hide."
He has scavenger so finding them will not be that hard, but Zanis didn't need to know that. "Then, we'd have to use Arde to lure them out, and after that, we will need to smuggle them out of the dungeon without the Guild noticing—no easy feat."
He shook his head. "And for what? Ten million per Xenos? That's pocket change compared to the risks."
Zanis frowned, his fingers tapping lightly on the desk. "Ten million per Xenos is hardly 'pocket change.' And with Arde's magic, the risks are manageable."
"Manageable, but also unnecessary," Rex countered with a sigh. "We're already making bank from our legal businesses, so why dip our hands into something as risky as smuggling monsters out of the dungeon?"
He became serious. "Right now, if the Guild catches us with our black market deals, at worst, we get fined. We're just evading taxes by selling outside their jurisdiction. But smuggling monsters?" He chuckled. "That's a one-way ticket to getting locked up, our Falna sealed, and our Familia ruined. All for a few extra million? Not worth it."
Zanis sat back in his chair, removing his glasses and pinching the bridge of his nose as he thought. After a moment, he pulled a cloth from his pocket and began cleaning his glasses, the firelight reflecting off the lenses as he worked.
"You raise a valid point," Zanis conceded, his voice quieter now as he polished his glasses methodically. "I may have overlooked the risks in favor of the potential gains. You're right—our current businesses are more than sufficient. There's no need to overextend ourselves for the sake of greed."
"Exactly." Rex snapped with a nod. "I am glad you understand."
Zanis wore his glasses as he said, "That said, we should still assist the Apollo Familia." He looked down at the letter. "Thirty million valis is a substantial sum, and the attack itself is a straightforward operation. Beyond the money, there's the matter of principle."
He met Rex's eyes again. "The girl betrayed her Familia for another. She deserves to face consequences for her actions."
"Indeed," Rex said. If he were in Zanis's shoes, he'd agree too. The deal had no obvious downsides. "But I met Hestia at the party, and let me tell you, she's got connections."
"Hephaestus is her best friend. Loki's close with her, even if they bicker like enemies. Freya and Hermes are tight with her too." He shook his head while folding his arm. "Making an enemy of Hestia means indirectly pissing off giants. That'll wreck our mojo."
Zanis was silent for a moment, his gaze fixed on Rex. "If you've already made up your mind about not helping Apollo, why bother asking for my opinion?"
"Because I wanted to hear your opinion," Rex replied.
"My opinion clearly didn't matter," Zanis said, leaning back in his chair, clearly irritated, though his expression remained composed.
"Never said it would."
The two stared in silence before Rex continued, "Well, that's all." Rex waved as he turned to leave. "I'll meet Apollo tomorrow, so if you can finish writing the refusal letter by morning, that'll be great." He pointed at the coffee table. "Just leave it on that table when you're done."
As he opened the door, Zanis's voice came, "Take the glass you used and wash it."
"…Right." Rex went to the shelf and took the wine glass he had used to drink some Soma wine earlier, but as he was about to leave the room, he stopped.
"I can't believe I almost forgot the main reason I came here."
"???" The captain looked up from the paperwork he was about to work on. "What now? Is there something else important you need to discuss?"
"I am really sorry, Zanis. Trust me when I say this will hurt me more than it hurts you but it's Soma's orders." Rex closed the door as he stepped back into the room.
"Wait—what are you talking about?" Zanis said, his voice tightening with a hint of unease.
"Let's get this over with quickly" He smiled while cracking his knuckles, "Now, please clench your teeth." He said as he threw a punch.
Zanis screamed for over thirty minutes straight, and if not because of the sound proof walls he would have woken the whole familia. That night his endurance stats increased by three whole points.
After finishing his midnight exercise, Rex made his way downstairs, only then remembering he hadn't gotten the chance to ask Zanis how they should steal members from the Apollo Familia if they lost the war game. But he decided to save it for tomorrow, since he was too lazy to return and ask and wanted to sleep.
He washed the cup, made himself something quick to eat. After eating and cleaning the kitchen, he brushed his teeth, showered, and entered Reverie.
Night passed and morning came quickly.
Waking up, he brushed his teeth, took another shower, and changed into the same white dress shirt he wore yesterday. He tucked into his black dress pants, the burgundy tie around his neck, and the black dress shoes on his feet. He was going to meet a god—the least he could do was look presentable.
"I should probably get more formal clothes," he mumbled as he looked through his closet, which was filled with unimpressive outfits that wouldn't work at all in a formal setting. With how things are going, he would most likely be attending more formal meetings, and wearing the same suit to all of them didn't sit right with him. Especially now that he was rich.
"Alright, my next day off will be a wardrobe remake," he decided.
Leaving his room, Rex made his way to Zanis's office and found the captain still sitting in the same spot behind his desk, looking down at a paper in front of him. The light bags under his eyes and the obvious signs of fatigue made it clear he had stayed up all night.
"You should probably get someone to work with you," Rex said as he entered the room. "With how tired you are, you might make a mistake—"
"No," Zanis cut him off with a sharp reply, not even looking up from his work.
"Suit yourself." Rex walked to the coffee table and picked up the two letters resting on it. One was Apollo's invitation letter, and the other had the seal of the Soma Familia Captain—a golden wine glass with a half-moon. "I'll be off, then."
Before leaving the room, he paused, looking back and saying, "Treat yourself with ten million for that beating you received last night."
With both letters in hand, Rex left the office and Cupidinem altogether, making his way to 'Ephebe Palace,' the current home of the Apollo Familia. He wasn't in a hurry, so he walked leisurely through the city, enjoying the morning breeze, before reaching the massive mansion of the Apollo Familia.
It was a grand three-story building surrounded by a large iron fence, with flowers and vines growing on it, hiding most of the structure from view and making it look like a wall of trees and blossoms.
There was no one guarding the gate, so he walked toward it, and as he was about to knock, Hyakinthos suddenly appeared from behind the 'tree walls' to the left. He wore the usual Apollo Familia black uniform, with a high collar, white gloves, and a white cloak draped from his shoulders. Various gold earrings adorned his ears.
'I wonder how long he has been standing there, waiting.' It wasn't hard to get the answer by using scavenger. 'Only four minutes? Lucky. I should have walked slower.'
"We've been expecting you," Hyakinthos said, his eyes locking onto Rex with a hostility he didn't even try to hide. "Rex Magnus."
'Huh. His voice is rather high-pitched for a guy.' Rex gave a slight smile at the man. "Good morning, Hyakinthos Clio."
"Yes, good morning," Hyakinthos curtly replied, gesturing to the separate gate to the side for humans to walk through. "It's open," he said simply.
"Alright," Rex said, walking toward the gate. As he did, he couldn't help but think, 'Does this guy think I want to steal Apollo from him?'
He remembered that Hyakinthos had shown the same unnecessary hostility toward Bell in the show for the same reason—Apollo had taken an interest in the young boy. He almost wanted to say, 'Don't worry, lil bro, I don't swing that way,' but he held his tongue and pushed open the gate to enter the compound.
"This is a letter from Captain Zanis," Rex held out Zanis's letter. "He said I should hand it to you."
"Right." Hyakinthos practically snatched the letter from Rex's hand. "Follow me," he said, turning around and immediately opening the letter. As they walked, Hyakinthos quickly scanned the contents before scoffing.
"Coward," he mumbled under his breath before folding the letter. He returned it to the envelope, ripping it apart and tossing it into a garbage can they walked past.
Rex hadn't read the letter, so he didn't know its contents, but he guessed Zanis had declined in a 'non-courageous' way. 'But damn,' he thought as he looked around the manor.
Pristine white walls adorned with golden accents that shimmered under the sunlight streaming through tall, arched windows. High ceilings stretched overhead, their golden beams catching the light and casting a warm, radiant glow across the marble-tiled floors.
The air was fresh, carrying the faint scent of blooming flowers from the gardens outside, while the open windows allowed the gentle breeze to weave through the halls. Every detail, from the intricate sun motifs etched into the walls to the golden chandeliers hanging above, reflected Apollo's divine theme—bright, bold, and unapologetically radiant.
'This place is beautiful…' The Soma Familia's main mansion didn't hold a candle to this. 'Well, the Soma Familia is way below these guys in terms of wealth, but that should change soon.' He thought, noticing members of the Apollo Familia moving through the halls in their uniforms, each one looking ready for battle.
He even saw Cassandra, who locked eyes with him then quickly looked away to rush after the Daphne she was following behind like a duckling. That's when it hit him. Since they would soon be getting more than 50 new members, wouldn't that mean they'd have to expand their home to accommodate everyone?
'Yeah, I should talk to Zanis about this after this meeting before heading to the dungeon—'
"Enter," Hyakinthos's voice cut off his train of thought. "Lord Apollo is waiting for you." He gestured towards a massive yellow double door with a sun in the center, each halves of the sun on each door.
Rex walked toward the door, pushing one open to reveal a massive chamber bathed in morning sunlight. Entering the room, the door closed behind him as Hyakinthos entered with him, and Rex took in the throne room with a ceiling soaring so high it seemed to encompass all three floors of the mansion.
At the ceiling's center, a massive glass window shaped like the sun bathed the room in a warm, golden light, casting patterns across the polished marble floor. Towering pillars, stretched upward to support the ceiling, and tall, wide windows lined the walls, their golden frames allowing streams of natural light and fresh air to flood the space, eliminating the need for artificial magic stone lamps.
Littered around the chamber were marble statues, all depicting a naked Apollo, each striking a different pose. They were all unique, never repeating the same stance—like the Thinker Apollo—but what they all had in common was their hard-ons.
Every single statue had a boner, and the sizes were all symmetrical and rather large. Either it was Apollo's real size, or he was just ego-boosting.
'Scavenger…' Rex's eyes widened. Well damn. Apollo's an eight-incher.
"Like what you see~?" Apollo's flirty voice rang out.
Rex turned to see the god sitting on the throne at the head of the room, his elbow resting on the armrest and his jaw propped on his fist, his glowing scarlet eyes locked on Rex. He was dressed in a red Greek chiton, and on the wall behind his throne was a stained-glass window shaped like the sun. The sunlight shining through the glass cast a radiant glow on him, making him look extra handsome.
"Good morning, Lord Apollo," Rex greeted with a bow, ignoring the earlier question. "To what do I owe this visit?" He wasn't sure if that was the correct phrasing, but it didn't matter.
"Hyakinthos," Apollo called out, drawing the bowing captain's attention. "Why don't you get the operation started?"
"Of course, my lord," Hyakinthos said reluctantly, glaring at Rex before leaving the throne room.
There was a long, drawn-out silence as Apollo stared down at Rex from his elevated throne, maintaining his pose before smirking. "I knew my eyes weren't deceiving me when I saw you," he said. "You have the aura of the sun, Rex!"
"???" Rex tilted his head. "I do?"
"I am sure of it." Apollo said, leaning forward. "You must have a skill that resonates well with my divinity over the sun, my child."
'My child?' Rex thought. 'Already?' As for the divinity thing, Rex assumed it was because of Body Furnace. Scavenger confirmed this true. 'I guess that's nice.'
Apollo grinned as he stood. "Now, I'll tell you what…" He started walking down the stairs. "I like you, and I want you." He spoke slowly, making sure he said each syllable. "We can do this the easy way, or we can do it the hard way. The choice is yours, Rex."
He was now at the bottom of the stairs. "But I'll let you know this," he spread his arms wide, "Apollo always gets what he wants!"
'Did bro just quotes Boondocks???' Rex was actually stunned by his choice of words, and Apollo noticed his surprise.
"Are you surprised by the fact that the great Apollo finds you appealing?" he asked as he strolled forward barefoot. "Well, you shouldn't be. You have a magic that piqued my interest. You have an aura that resonates with me, and…" H
e stopped directly in front of Rex, his 5'11" frame forcing him to tilt his head up slightly, scarlet eyes meeting amber. "…You're quite the specimen," he purred.
"Thank you, Lord Apollo," Rex said, genuinely thankful for the compliment. A compliment was a compliment, even if it was from a god who was obviously after his butt.
'Am I a narcissist?' He doubted it. Any sane human would be thankful for a compliment. And by a god, at that.
"Now, what do you say, Rex?" Apollo reached up and grabbed Rex's tie. "Will you become mine?" He pulled the tie down, bringing the taller man's face closer to his blushing one.
They were so close Rex could feel Apollo's breath on his face. He shivered.
"I apologize, Lord Apollo," Rex slowly placed his palm on Apollo's hand, moving it down. "But I'm not into men."
"Ah, I understand," Apollo released Rex's tie. "But if you become mine, I won't force myself on you. I'm not that kind of god." He started walking around Rex, inspecting him like a predator eyeing its prey. "All you have to do is join my Familia and lay with me when I need you to."
He spanked Rex's butt.
At that moment, Rex almost committed a sin worthy of death—he almost punched Apollo.
But he stepped aside, holding his hand up. "I apologize, but I'll have to refuse."
"Okay, I see you're choosing the hard way, just like Bell and my lovely Daphne did," Apollo grinned, his handsome face turning ugly. "But I like it when you make it harder for me."
He extended his right hand. "It makes the feeling when I finally catch you," he clenched his fist and his voice dropped low,
"so much better."
Rex forced a smile. "Lord Apollo, may I leave now?"
"Oh, you may," Apollo smiled, his grin so beautiful it could make a straight man's heart skip a beat.
And it did.
'Damn,' Rex sighed internally. 'I'm not that handsome.' He realized how plain he was in comparison. 'I shouldn't compare myself with a God.' Especially Apollo.
Afterall, Apollo is considered to be the most beautiful god and is represented as the ideal of the 'kouros.' He is for gods what Freya is for goddesses. Even without charm, he could absolutely force many to do his bidding with his looks alone. That's not someone he should be comparing himself to.
As Rex walked past Apollo, the god called out, "I heard one of your Familia members is now helping Bell." Rex stopped walking. "I guess she'll help him fight off my members,"
Apollo grinned. "I wonder what would happen if she hurt one of my babies~."
'!!!' Rex realized he had made a blunder. 'SHIT!' He instantly ran off, pulling open the door and sprinting without closing it.
Apollo watched his butt disappear. "Ahh, how patient must I be…" The deity's eyes slowly closed while licking his lips.
As for Rex, he instantly understood what Apollo was talking about. If Liliruca attacked or hurt one of the Apollo Familia members, Apollo could pull the same trick he did before. Unlike the previous War Game, he would likely just ask for a replacement for his damaged Familia member and outright demand Rex.
And unlike Hestia, Apollo would 100% be able to pressure Soma into giving Rex up.
'Stupid girl!' He thought as he ran through the now-empty halls, following the path he remembered taking. 'Fuck! We should have just accepted the money and attacked the Hestia Familia.'
Now he'd still have to attack them to kidnap the stupid little girl to stop her from doing something—for free!
'I just want to go back to the dungeon.' A single tears flowed down his eyes. 'Why I got to do all these shit? I just want to grind...'
He almost felt like just letting Apollo get him.
[Authors note: At the end of the day, attacking the Hestia is inevitable. What a shame. Will Rex be forced to join the Apollo Familia or will he manage to capture the Pallum, Liliruca Arde, before she attacks any member of the Apollo Familia? Find out next time on Dragon Ball—wait, no—Danmachi: Scavenger!
Thanks for reading and if you enjoyed it, shower me with your love and throw those stones at me~♡＼(￣▽￣)／♡]