"Antares has been defeated by the 'Sword Princess' and personally slain by Bell. My child has confirmed that the ruins where Antares was sealed have been completely cleared. Would you like to see the aerial photographs?"
"Hmm."
Since Ouranos seemed interested, Hermes took out the photographs his child had taken upon returning to the site. The image, shot from above, showed only a massive crater where the ruins once stood—nothing more.
Fels was the first to examine the photo, his tone puzzled.
"These were the ruins that sealed Antares?"
That gaping void looked nothing like ruins at all.
"This is the aftermath of the battle—the only trace left on the map of where the ruins once existed."
"The aftermath…?"
Fels could hardly believe it. A hole of that size was supposed to be what remained of the battle site?
"Antares could use Artemis's Authority and divine power," Fels murmured, "but Artemis's arrow never struck the ground, did it, Hermes?"
If it had been Artemis's arrow, such destruction was possible—but it shouldn't have fallen upon the ruins. Its target would've been Orario itself. And besides, Artemis's arrow hadn't descended from the sky in the first place.
Ouranos gave the photo a brief glance, then turned his sharp eyes on Hermes.
Hermes adjusted his feathered cap slightly and spoke in a subdued voice.
"This wasn't caused by Artemis, nor by Antares. The destruction came from an adventurer."
"!?"
An adventurer caused that?
Bell Cranel?
Fels's mind immediately went to him. Aside from the 'Sword Princess,' Bell was the only other adventurer present during the Antares subjugation.
But Fels had never been able to properly measure Bell's strength. Now, however, the evidence before him made it clear—though the scale of that devastation was still almost impossible to comprehend coming from a single adventurer.
"What about Artemis?"
"She's remained within Hestia's Familia ever since. It seems she has no plans to leave—or to rebuild her own familia. From the looks of it, she'll probably become part of Hestia's Familia permanently."
For one god to join another's familia was practically the same as giving up completely.
Still, considering all that Artemis had gone through, it wasn't hard to understand why she'd chosen that path.
Even Ouranos found little to criticize. Though Artemis had lost her former resolve, perhaps this really was the best choice for her.
"What about Loki and Freya?"
"You don't know?" Hermes replied lightly. "All three of Loki's top children are rapidly adapting to their newly ascended Level 7 bodies. That joint expedition's mass level-up filled the entire Loki Familia with new vitality."
Right now, the Loki Familia was buzzing with life. Nearly all of its senior members had advanced by one level, giving the entire group a massive boost in strength. It was no exaggeration to say that the Loki Familia had become the most active force in all of Orario.
"As for Freya's Familia—they've started preparing for an expedition as well."
That bit of inside information drew a flicker of surprise from Ouranos's otherwise calm expression.
"Although Freya Familia doesn't possess the same advantages as Loki Familia, as a long-standing familia at the top, they too don't want to embarrass Freya-sama. Of course, another factor is that Freya-sama has now taken residence within Hestia Familia."
"Jealousy?"
Fels went straight to the point.
Hermes smiled lightly.
"I'd say that's about right."
"Bell already carried great importance in Freya's eyes. That banquet, when Bell exposed Freya's 'trial,' must have been a heavy blow to every member of her familia. And now, with Freya herself living under Hestia's roof, it's only driven her followers to push themselves harder."
Fels couldn't help but voice the cruelest truth.
"No matter how hard they try, they'll never change Freya's view of Bell Cranel. Once she confirmed Bell Cranel as the one she had been searching for, nothing her familia does can draw more of her attention."
Fels understood Freya far too well.
Perhaps she wouldn't abandon her own children entirely—she would still appear among them from time to time—but the fact that she had moved into Hestia Familia said everything that needed to be said.
For the members of Freya Familia, there was simply no hope left.
Fels didn't know whether they realized that, but he could only hope they did. Hermes, too, knew Freya's temperament well—and even more so, he knew that every one of Freya's children had been deemed unworthy from the moment they entered her familia. The minimum requirement was whether they could perceive the true self Freya concealed beneath her divine facade.
Ouranos, however, had no interest in the petty rivalries within Freya's household.
"Hermes, what's the next matter I've tasked you with investigating?"
At once, Hermes's expression turned serious.
"This time, they appeared on the 35th floor. According to Xenos witnesses, they carried numerous human-sized eggs into the 'White Palace.' They arrived in groups—fifteen shipments in total. If our assumptions are correct, those eggs are the products of their research: the Spirit Soldiers."
"If we continue digging, we might learn more, but getting closer would be dangerous. Asfi's devices aren't advanced enough for that yet—we can't approach further without drawing attention."
"Furthermore, if our movements are discovered, the Xenos will be the first targets. Though Bell has made extensive preparations around the 'Artificial Floors,' they're not invulnerable—especially against those who already know their structure."
Taking all factors into account, it wasn't impossible to continue the investigation, but the cost of discovery would be far too high.
Rather than risk exposing a greater flaw, it was wiser to temporarily halt the investigation into the 'Spirit Soldiers.' A necessary compromise.
Ouranos was silent for a long moment before weighing the decision.
"Hermes, pass this information on to Loki."
"Total war is about to begin."
...