"Forgive me, Benjamin-sama," Princess Lily clasped her delicate hands together in front of her chest, her voice soft but carrying a clear note of finality as she stood in the middle of her modest private study.

The small room was simple yet elegant, with a polished wooden table, scattered scrolls, and gentle sunlight filtering through some green petals outside the open windows.

She continued; "I have immense official duties today that simply cannot be delayed. M-May we speak some other time?"

Benjamin stood there for a moment, the rejection settling like a stone in his stomach, before he nodded silently and teleported away without another word, the familiar bending of light swallowing him instantly.

He next appeared in front of Silverøse, who was kneeling on a wide wooden platform built around the trunk of a massive oak, carefully tending to a row of flowering herb boxes with small gardening tools in her hands.

"Ah, uhm... you see, I have a lot of ch-chores to finish before the afternoon prayers," she murmured, barely looking up at him as her fingers continued working through the rich soil. "Perhaps later?"

"...At least... look at my face..."

He went to meet Usagi in what turned out to be a strangely dark office hidden deep within one of the administrative buildings of the beast kingdom.

It was a secluded room fit for a villain, with heavy dark curtains blocking most of the natural light, shelves lined with mysterious scrolls and artifacts, and faint glowing runes etched into the wooden walls that pulsed faintly in the dimness.

"Eh?! B... Benjamin Mark-sama?! H-How did you find this secret room? And even bypassed the numerous concealing enchantments!" Usagi yelled in surprise, visibly shocked by his sudden appearance as she nearly dropped the dark artifact she had been examining, her long rabbit ears twitching wildly in alarm.

"I thought... you would be more happier to see me," Benjamin said in a low, quiet tone, his shoulders slumping slightly as he stopped moving towards her. "You know... we haven’t seen each other in some weeks now, due to my new job as an Apostle."

"Usagi-chan is truly sorry, Benjamin Mark-sama," she quickly hopped over to him on light feet, her red eyes desperate and pleading as she clasped her hands together tightly in front of her. "But you cannot be here at all right now. Give Usagi-chan just one hour and she will play with you soon, okay?"

He only glanced around the dimly lit chamber for a little while, taking in the secretive atmosphere.

The he nodded slowly and left without another word, the teleportation warp swallowing him once more.

[Or is it a magic spell caused by Echidna? And maybe it’s only women it affects.]

He teleported next to Kurosawa Ren, who was training alone in the great dojo of the capital city in Shishi-no-su.

The large open-air training hall had wooden floors worn smooth from countless practice sessions, high beams overhead, and one side completely open to the surrounding forest so the breeze could flow freely through.

"Yo, Ren!" Benjamin waved with forced cheer as he stepped inside, but there was no reply.

Ren was extremely focused, holding a single katana with both hands as he faced a sturdy training dummy.

His shirtless body was glistening under the filtered sunlight streaming through the canopy above.

Sweat dripped steadily down his muscular torso and back, even though there was no real oppressive heat in the dojo, and even Ren possessed strong temperature fluctuation resistance. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

His movements were precise and powerful, each swing of the blade cutting through the air with sharp, controlled force that made the dummy shake on its stand.

Benjamin soon realized he wasn’t needed there at all and left quietly, being ignored settling heavier in his chest as he teleported away again.

He went next to the Goliathens territory to meet Dynamis, appearing at the rocky shore where several ogres were gathered.

The sound of gentle waves lapping against the stones mixed with the occasional splash of fishing lines being cast into the water.

"Tigranes!" Benjamin called out to the beautiful ogre prince who stood at the water’s edge, his single long braid swaying in the breeze. "What’s up?"

"People who have actual work to do are working. That is what’s up," Tigranes answered bluntly, continuing his fishing alongside the other ogres without turning around, his reddish-brown eyes fixed on the rippling surface of the lake.

"Tigranes... are we fighting?" Benjamin felt inclined to ask, his voice carrying a note of uncertainty as he stepped closer across the pebbles.

"Huh? Why would you think that?" Tigranes finally turned, his reddish-brown eyes locking onto Benjamin as his single long braid swept with the motion of his head. "Because I told you some reality, you think we are now on bad terms?"

"Hey, that’s not..." Benjamin raised a hand defensively, trying to explain, "Alright, I’m sorry. I’m jobless... Where is Dynamis?"

"You know her chambers," Tigranes replied simply, turning back to his fishing rod without further comment.

"Wh... WHY ARE YOU ALL ACTING WEIRD?!" Benjamin suddenly burst out, yelling at Tigranes with raw frustration as his hands clenched into tight fists at his sides. "WHAT DID I DO?! DUMBASS! SIS-CON! FEMBOY!"

As Tigranes’s eyes widened from the sudden verbal slap, Benjamin burst off.

Then he teleported straight to Dynamis’s chambers, the familiar traditional decoration hitting his sights immediately.

Numerous intricate carvings of goddess Athena adorning the wooden walls and pillars, soft woven tapestries hanging from the ceiling beams, and the faint scent of incense lingering in the air.

"Benjamin? At least a little warning will—" Dynamis was kneeling near a particular statue of Athena in the center of the room, addressing him from there without turning around at first.

But Benjamin suddenly ran forward and hugged her tightly from behind, wrapping his arms around her strong frame as if she were the last anchor keeping him from falling apart completely.

"Please... Please, tell me you are different!" Benjamin whispered desperately as he held her close, his voice cracking with raw emotion.

"What? What do you mean different?" She said gently, pulling him off her slowly and turning to face him with concerned eyes. "Is everything alright?"

"No! Nothing is alright!" Benjamin said, his voice getting more panicked as the words spilled out faster. "Everyone is being mean! It’s like I’m slowly being forgotten. They’re saying they have work, or they want some alone time, or giving one excuse or the like... They just don’t want to see me..."

"Listen to me, Benjamin," Dynamis rubbed his back in slow, soothing circles with one large hand, her voice calm and steady. "You have to stay calm. This must be your head playing tricks on you. Have you been resting properly?"

"I’m a damn demigod! I don’t need rest!"

Benjamin yelled, his voice cracking with frustration as he pulled away from Dynamis’s comforting arms.

He hated the feeling... Feeling suddenly too pampered and babied like a child who couldn’t handle a single bad day.

"Trust me, no one is avoiding you," Dynamis explained gently, her large ogre arms still trying to rub his hair in slow, soothing strokes. "You see... everyone has one duty or the other today, and you must have timed your entrance poorly... I am only sayin—"