The hivemind is conquering for me? Chapter 976: Slanderer

Milanna seemed momentarily perplexed by my stance and tone, but swiftly recovered. "Problem? of course not. I just wanted to ask your permission for when the music starts, if I could steal your girlfriend for a single dance? If you like, I am willing to dance with you as well?"

If Hailey hadn’t told me what she just told me, I would have seen her request as fair and reasonable, however, "Sorry, I don’t speak on behalf of my partner. You should ask her if she wants to dance, not me. As for dancing with me? Ask me after a few more drinks. My social anxiety might be gone by then."

"I see..." Milanna mused, looking between the two of us. She then smirked at Hailey. "I see what you mean about him being different, Hailey. I’m starting to come around to him. Anyways, I’ll try again later, I have to mingle."

Milanna then walked away and the second she did, Hailey hugged me tight. "You handled that so well, Apollo. Whenever she talks to me I just get annoyed and can’t reply correctly."

I began to softly stroke her back. "I was just doing what I am supposed to do. Now tell me what she meant about me being different?" I asked, smirking as Hailey pulled away from me.

She instantly began to slowly play with a strand of her hair and averted eye contact. "Oh, that... Ok, this was back when I was crushing on you super hard, so no judging me. Basically-"

"-Apollo!"

A voice suddenly called out behind me, cutting Hailey off.

Turning around a woman with long, flowing purple hair and intense purple eyes was briskly making their way across the room towards me. I gulped hard. The memory of the last time I saw her was etched in my mind.

A massive war hammer had struck her body, sending her hurdling into the distance.

I took a step forward. She was here now, smiling at me. Her eyes, full of life and happiness.

I took another step and another. I kept going until we met each other. She then stopped before me, looking like she wanted to say something. But I didn’t stop. I reached down, picked her up in a hug and squeezed hard.

Instantly I felt that overwhelming feeling of goodness as I hugged her, but I ignored it as I said, "Gabrielle. I am so, so sorry. When I saw you... When you... I thought you... I’m sorry I wasn’t strong enough."

"Shhh." I heard her shush in my ear as she began to run a hand through my hair and began rubbing my back. "Hey, It’s ok, Apollo. It’s alright. Don’t hold any guilt. Don’t hold any burden for little old me."

"But you nearly-" I tried to speak, but she cut me off.

"I know... I know. But I was doing my duty. And I would do it again. And again and again. So please, let go of the guilt and let me have a look at your face, I have missed it a lot while I have been recovering."

Hearing her mention recovery, my body suddenly tensed up. I was squeezing pretty hard. I instantly let her down with great care and looked her up and down. "Shit, I didn’t hurt you, did I?"

Gabrielle giggled as I put her down and kept her hand connected to my arm. "No, I had the best medical care. That hug fixed everything else wrong with me. I feel back at my peak, so thank you."

She then got closer and whispered. "Plus, a little bird told me that you avenged me, isn’t that right?"

I nodded my head. It was best not to say it out loud in the venue when Sigismund had said he killed the Warlord.

Gabrielle smiled hearing that before swatting my chest with a great amount of force. "Don’t do something that stupid again for me! You stay with the others and be careful! You do not go AWOL and come back to the defensive line a broken mess! Do you understand me? I am not worth it!"

I wanted to counter that she was worth it. That I thought of her in a weird way like a daughter, even though she was older than me. But her eyes were not willing to have a debate about this.

"I understand..." I said, trying not to sound too dejected.

"Good boy. Now, catch me up on everything that happened after my forced departure. I want to hear your version, my Sentinels version, not the retelling of others. Come, let’s sit over there and get into the details."

...

For about an hour I sat with Gabrielle, Hailey and Adia. Talking about the war, mostly what occurred after Gabrielle was forced to leave. As I continued on, nobles nearby began to linger, listening to the story so I had to get more vague with what happened.

I personally didn’t find what occurred to be that interesting. It was war. It was brutal. But the nobles found my retelling quite compelling if their reactions to the story were anything to go by.

However, as I mentioned one part of the story, a nearby noble decided to chime in. "Preposterous!"

I attempted to ignore him. "So, anyway. The spear was light weight and easy to-"

"Sentinel! I must declare your story fake." The noble spoke again, prompting me to roll my eyes and turn towards him.

"What’s fake about it? In fact, why are you here if you don’t believe me? I’m trying to tell my friend what happened. I’m not here for story time with Apollo." I said, getting a few chuckles unintentionally.

The noble seemed angered by my remark and replied. "You may be a Sentinel and I understand the honour of the title, but lying about participating in a battle formation with the Praetorian guards? As a life long admirer of the order, I will not take slander to their name lightly!"

I shrugged my shoulders, I was not as invested in this argument as he was and I could feel the anger radiating off Gabrielle and did not want an ’incident’ to occur.

"Ok, man. You do you. I’m going to get back to my recounting, if you don’t mind." I then turned away from the man. Possibly a mistake as he clearly didn’t take well to that and shrieked.

"Your word means nothing, you have proved that now, do not listen to this story teller you should all-"

"And how about my word? Does my word mean nothing?" A voice that suddenly caused half of the individuals present to shit a brick spoke.

King Sigismund suddenly looked around the gathering of individuals. He noticed at least two nobles he could say he respected surrounding Apollo and his group. He then turned to the noble who was causing his ears to ring with his girly screaming and asked.

"So what is it, the Sentinel that I have personally endorsed has said, that is causing you, Archon Regibald, to act like you are?"

"It’s Reginald.... Your grace." The man tried to correct the king, but received a stern glare in return so he just replied with what the king answered. "The Sentinel... He had the nerve to say he participated in a battleline with the Praetorians... I called out his slander of the order."

"I see..." Sigismund spoke and walked up to Apollo. "Apollo, you were there during the final battle, so tell me, how big was I roughly?"

"Bigger than a warlord." I spoke.

Sigismund nodded. "Thats right. Now that is very big. I would be hitting the ceiling of this vaulted room if I was in my war gear size right now. At that size, I could see quite a bit. Including Sentinel Lambdason here in a Hoplite wall with the Praetorians."

That caused a series of murmurs and Reginald began to pour with cold sweats.

"Now does anyone object to my word? Does anyone not believe me?" Sigismund spoke, his voice was sharp. The nobles were silent.

"Good. Now, why don’t you useless civil nobles leave our good sentinel here alone, hmm? LEAVE!"

The rats began to scurry away, all but one whose shoulder was now at risk of turning into bone powder.

Sigismund then leant down and whispered. "I suggest you take advantage of my good mood and leave for another event room. Don’t let me see you again, Regibald. Ever."

"Y-Yes your majesty." The noble said and was released, falling to the floor before running away.

Sigismund then looked at the man running away with disgust before turning towards me.

"I know you didn’t need my intervention, but the man’s voice was going through me. I had to step in before I murdered him."

I shrugged my shoulders. "He didn’t need to listen. He was his own worst enemy, I was just trying to catch Gabrielle up on what happened. Apparently the civil nobles like war stories?"

"Ha!" Sigismund laughed mockingly. "They want to vicariously live in your glory as they are too scared to leave their luxury lifestyles to get in the thick of it themselves." He then glanced around the room and frowned.

"Anyway, I will let you get back to it, I still have a few rounds of individuals I need to speak with. Gabrielle. I am glad to see you are well. Your loss would have been felt by the empire."

"Thank you, your grace." Gabrielle said, while thinking. ’Now leave! I am bonding with my baby!’

Sigismund then nodded at Gabrielle before looking back at me. "Once I am done with my obligations, do you still fancy a drink with me, son?"

I nodded my head. "Sure. Though speaking of drinks, I was planning on starting with Valerica and Serena. It’s been a while since I have seen them, have you seen them?"

Sigismund shook his head. "No, but I will keep an eye out." He said and then walked away.

Gabrielle then asked me to continue with the story and I did so, but while I was recounting the final day of the war, I couldn’t help thinking about the two Hyllus’

’I hope they haven’t gotten into another fight.’