Hunted by Characters I Drew!!

Alexander was savoring the delicious cake in front of him when, from the corner of his eye, he noticed Hyakinthos approaching slowly. 

Ishtar also caught sight of Hyakinthos walking over and chuckled to herself. 

"Interesting. Is that Apollo's lackey making his move already?" 

After a brief moment, Hyakinthos stopped in front of Alexander. 

"Hey, are you Alexander?" 

Hearing this, Alexander looked up, puzzled. He recognized the man immediately—Hyakinthos, the captain of Apollo's Familia, notorious for being part of a rather unsavory group. At best, he was a small-time Level 3 adventurer. Alexander couldn't help but wonder, 'What's this guy doing here?' 

"Yeah, that's me," Alexander replied, still unsure of the reason for the confrontation. He nodded nonchalantly, all the while continuing to enjoy his cake, clearly unimpressed. 

Hyakinthos, already displeased, grew visibly more irritated at Alexander's indifferent attitude. He glared at Alexander, who didn't even bother to take him seriously. 

"Hey, you bastard! Can't you see I'm talking to you?" Hyakinthos snapped, his voice dripping with anger. 

Alexander raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Yeah, I noticed. If you've got something to say, just say it. Don't waste my time while I'm eating." 

Hyakinthos was fuming. He had disliked Alexander from the start, but being ignored so blatantly only fueled his anger. Finally, he sneered and said, "Fine, listen up! From now on, you're a member of the Apollo Familia. Pack your things and report to us tomorrow. Apollo-sama will visit Goddess Hestia to make it official." 

Alexander blinked, dumbfounded. 'What kind of nonsense is this?' 

"Another poacher? What's with today?" Alexander muttered to himself, exasperated. 

He couldn't help but compare Hyakinthos to Ishtar's Familia. 'At least they made a proper attempt—offering enticing terms and sending representatives, from the goddess herself to even their least dignified members. But this guy? He comes in, acts like he owns the place, and makes demands like some second-rate boss?' 

Alexander sighed. He suddenly wondered if he had been keeping too low a profile recently. 

In truth, Alexander hadn't exactly been hiding. He had accomplished quite a bit since arriving in Orario, but his deeds remained largely unknown. 

For example, during the Monster Festival, he had defeated hordes of monsters with his lightning abilities. But since his attacks were so fast, onlookers only saw a flash of light and never knew who was responsible. 

Similarly, during the 59th-floor Dungeon raid, the Loki Familia had kept his involvement quiet to avoid unnecessary attention. And when he rescued the Artemis Familia, the group had never returned to Orario, leaving no one to spread the story. 

As a result, Alexander's name was unfamiliar to most. In their eyes, he was just another newcomer in Hestia's Familia. 

"I feel like I'm being treated like a soft persimmon," Alexander muttered, shaking his head helplessly. He looked at Hyakinthos with an indifferent expression, unfazed by the hostility. 

"Join your Apollo Familia? Keep dreaming." 

Alexander's words left Hyakinthos momentarily stunned. 'What? Did he just insult my Familia?' The remark was an outright rejection of Apollo and a blatant provocation to the entire Apollo Familia. 

'Swish!' 

In the next instant, Hyakinthos leaned in close, his face a mask of cold fury. He whispered into Alexander's ear, his tone menacing. 

"Boy, don't get too cocky. You're not the first person to reject an invitation from the Apollo Familia. Do you know what happened to those who did?" 

It was a clear threat, and his words carried a chilling undertone. 

By now, the surrounding crowd had begun to take notice of the interaction. Whispers rippled through the onlookers as they recognized Hyakinthos and speculated on the unfolding situation. 

"Poor guy… Looks like he's caught Apollo Familia's eye." 

"Yeah, it's bad luck. Those Apollo lunatics never let their targets go once they've decided on someone." 

"Exactly. Remember the little girl from the family next door? She turned down Apollo Familia's invitation, and the next day, her entire family was wiped out! Poor girl…" 

"I just hope that young man's backing is strong. Otherwise… compromise might be his only option." 

Hearing the murmurs around him, Alexander couldn't help but smile. Compromise? With a Familia whose strongest member was only Level 3? That was laughable. How could he hold his head high among his own people if he gave in to such a weak opponent? 

With a calm demeanor, Alexander met Hyakinthos' glare. 

"Sure, I may not be the first person to turn you down," he said coolly, "but I might just be the last."