"Night Weaver's ruthless, huh?"
----------------
Very soon, the incident at Flame Bee Pavilion Tavern fermented overnight, and by the next morning, it had spread through every street and alley.
This matter, well, was not exactly huge, but not small either.
But for the Apollo Familia, it was pure bad luck.
Conversely, for the Hestia Familia,
"Bell! Bell-kun! Have you heard? The main force of the Apollo Familia got taken down by two kids last night at the tavern! Hahahahahahaha! What do you call this? Winning without even fighting!?"
"What!? Mr. Hyakinthos and the others got beaten up?"
Bell Cranel, Welf, and Lili all cried out in shock when they heard the news.
Standing on the tea table with her hands on her hips, Hestia laughed loudly with her head thrown back, only calming down after a long fit of laughter.
"Hmph! That arrogant Apollo finally kicked an iron plate, didn't he? Totally flipped over this time!"
"Lady Hestia, who in the world would have the guts to attack the Apollo Familia? That's a large faction! In all of Orario, they're a middle-ranked familia , our strength compared to theirs is heaven and earth apart!"
"The ones who did it were…"
Remembering who Fron and Bete were, Hestia's good mood instantly dropped by half, and she said irritably:
"The ones who made the move were 'Night Weaver' Fron Argon and 'Vanargand' Bete Loga."
"Hisss… the Loki Familia!?" Lili gasped, face full of shock!
Unlike her, Bell and Welf both looked stunned, especially Welf, whose expression turned odd as he recalled something.
"Ah, Fron that guy… I get it now. That kid sure holds grudges, tsk tsk tsk… what a schemer. He could've taken revenge anytime, but he waited till now, picking this exact timing to strike. The Apollo Familia must be seeing stars right now."
Recalling what happened in the Dungeon before, Welf said with a smirk full of schadenfreude.
"Welf, you know why they fought?" Lili, Bell, and Hestia all looked at him, eyes full of curiosity.
The red-haired young man rubbed his nose and chuckled awkwardly.
"Well, that's a long story. Back then…"
...
In stark contrast to the joyful mood of the Hestia Familia, the luxurious mansion of the Apollo Familia was filled with suffocating tension.
Looking at his beloved children lying in bed, wrapped in bandages like mummies, Apollo's face twisted hideously.
"Bastards! Those damned bastards! To attack me while I wasn't looking! And… it's that hateful Loki again!"
As the furious Apollo said Loki's name, the faint throbbing pain between his legs reminded him, he must stay rational, and absolutely must not seek revenge.
"Huff… huff… fortunately, Hestia's familia is weak. Heh, once I get that Bell boy into my hands, when he grows strong enough, I might even have the power to challenge the Loki Familia."
As Apollo dreamed of his glorious future, he didn't even realize that the outcome of the upcoming War Game might go far beyond his expectations.
He might even… lose his mansion and all his savings.
...
"My head hurts." Tione frowned, rubbing her forehead as she looked down the street ahead, her eyes full of disdain.
Beside her, her sister Tiona stood on tiptoes with her hands behind her back, looking left and right nonstop, grumbling aloud.
"Ughhh, every time we come here it's always such a pain! How are we supposed to search in such a complicated place? If we get lost, we're done for."
Fron and Ais stood behind them, one expressionless, the other amused.
This place wasn't just anywhere, it was the infamous Daedalus Street.
After the executives discussed things last night, they had immediately put plans into action.
So by the time the sun rose the next morning, aside from a few left behind on guard duty, almost the entire familia, including their goddess Loki herself, had mobilized.
And thus, this scene unfolded.
Before them stretched rows of uneven, mismatched buildings; laundry hanging from poles; plainly dressed pedestrians; old men playing chess and cards in doorways; women carrying fresh food, every corner of the bustling streets radiated with the warmth of daily life.
The contrast between this vibrant, lively atmosphere and the ancient ruins-like architecture was striking, the vitality almost made Finn recall scenes from deep in his memory.
"Good grief, so we're just going to charge straight into Daedalus Street like idiots and try to find a man whose only clue is a portrait?"
Tione and Tiona both stared blankly, groaning as headaches set in.
Everyone knew Evilus members were elusive, and to find one based on a single sketch? Even if the Guild posted that as a quest, few adventurers would dare accept it.
"So, what's the plan?"
Loki waved the portrait with a grin. "Isn't it obvious? We split into pairs, scatter in all directions, and search inward from the outer edge, simple, right? The more complex the terrain, the simpler the strategy should be."
"…"
"…"
Everyone sighed and nodded weakly.
"Fine, we'll go with that. The rally point will be… here, okay?"
Before they could finish, everyone was stunned by Loki's next move.
"Hey, what are you running for?"
"Hurry up! Let's not linger around here!"
Something ahead had made Loki bolt, following her gaze, they saw a small plaza up ahead where a group of ragged-looking people were gathered, surrounding an elderly, goddess-like woman.
It looked like worship, or maybe a sermon.
In short, it had a strong "street preacher" vibe.
Fron narrowed his eyes, a name surfaced in his mind immediately.
"Fron?"
"The Goddess Penia… no wonder Loki ran off."
Even from afar, the goddess's passionate preaching reached their ears:
"Mortals! Abandon your filthy, corrupted wealth! Only through the poverty that cleanses both body and soul can your spirit truly shine bright!"
Well, that was… quite the rhetoric.
Then, the next scene made everyone's jaws drop.
"Ohhh! Lady Penia! This is all my remaining wealth, please, accept it! Purify my soul and prove my faith!"
"I repent! I was blinded by this world's filthy desires! After hearing your words, I finally realized how wrong I was!"