WebNovels

Chapter 124 - Chapter 124: Managing the Hestia Familia, Future Arrangements

Having successfully defeated the Apollo Familia and taken over all of their assets, this was a scene Liang Yue Tsukihime had long anticipated.

If there was anything unexpected—

It was just that it all happened far too quickly.

Right after leaving the Colosseum, he and Hestia were immediately surrounded by countless adventurers eager to join the Hestia Familia.

Normally, if one wanted to join a powerful Familia, the only way was to display talent, or to have a personality admired by the deity. But even then, only a very few lucky ones could succeed.

Most ordinary people struggled within minor Familias, and even reaching the threshold of a mid-tier Familia like Apollo's was already extremely difficult.

Their own talent, the distribution of resources—everything limited them.

And now—

The best opportunity was right before their eyes: a Familia stronger than Apollo's, one that had completely inherited Apollo's wealth, and yet still had very few members.

The Hestia Familia was like a freshly baked cake, straight out of the oven.

Joining early, while the Familia still lacked numbers, meant a far better chance of gaining resources.

Of course, the adventurers all knew this, and naturally, Liang Yue knew as well. What truly surprised him, however, was Hestia's attitude—she had handed all authority completely over to him.

Soma had done the same, but only out of despair toward his Familia. Hestia's decision, however, came from absolute trust.

And so, Liang Yue did not refuse.

But if all these adventurers really managed to persuade their way into the Familia right now, the delicate balance they had would be broken. That was something Liang Yue absolutely did not want. His gaze swept across the crowd.

"…This is really quite a problem."

Recruiting members was inevitable. To explore the deeper floors of the Dungeon, proper team composition was essential. Both ability growth and his Sword Soul class advancement required venturing deeper.

For Liang Yue alone, clearing monsters was not difficult. But ensuring his companions' safety at the same time—that was another matter.

He needed to carefully consider how to choose.

Soon, though, he spotted two familiar faces in the crowd—Daphne and Cassandra, both of whom he had met briefly before.

Now that the Apollo Familia was disbanded, they had become free adventurers.

Daphne was a commander, and in terms of tactical ability, she far outshone Lili at her current stage. Cassandra, on the other hand, was the timid, gloomy blue-haired girl—yet unforgettable for her ability to see the future in dreams.

That ability could prove invaluable at critical moments, allowing them to avoid disaster before it struck. And in terms of strength, both were adventurers at Level 2—quite decent candidates.

"As for recruiting new members… of course, it must be done. There are many things that need to be settled. Let's set the time for this afternoon, at the former Apollo Familia estate. That will now be the Hestia Familia's base."

With so much left to deal with, Liang Yue couldn't waste time lingering. His expression hardened as he swept his gaze over the crowd, pausing only briefly on Daphne and Cassandra.

The surrounding adventurers could all feel the shift in his presence. Suddenly, they realized blocking the Hestia Familia here was an extremely unwise decision.

The overwhelming gap in strength, coupled with the aura of the "Strongest Rookie," who had just displayed power beyond even Level 3 adventurers—Liang Yue only needed to glance at them for them to feel crushing pressure.

Without any reminders from the Ganesha Familia guards, the adventurers instinctively parted, clearing the path.

Even so, hushed murmurs rippled through the crowd:

"Is this guy really just a rookie?"

"Why does it feel like he's carrying the blood of countless lives… that killing intent was terrifying."

"…This is going to be tricky. Hestia even invited me once to join when she first founded her Familia… I only considered it because she seemed easygoing."

"But didn't you hear? Even if the Hestia Familia recruits now, it's Liang Yue Tsukihime making the decisions. For us Level 1 adventurers, even if we get in, we'd just be grunts."

"…Let's leave."

Meanwhile, Daphne stood silently with her short crimson hair, still wearing Apollo Familia's uniform. Her strong, upright features gave an air of authority.

When Liang Yue's gaze lingered on her briefly, she did not ignore it. Instead, she seriously weighed the feasibility of joining the Hestia Familia. His strength was undeniable. Even without the War Game, had Apollo Familia faced him at his peak, they still would have been slaughtered.

Joining now, while the Familia was small, meant she might gradually rise to a core position.

Most importantly—

Unlike her instinctive rejection toward most men, she did not feel any strong aversion from Liang Yue's gaze.

"Cassandra, let's change out of these Apollo uniforms. As for which Familia to join—I already have an idea."

"…Huh?"

Cassandra lifted her head slightly, her timid voice uncertain. Only then did she recall Apollo Familia no longer existed.

"But… are you sure? What if Liang Yue refuses us, just because we were once Apollo's members?"

"I have a feeling he won't." Daphne shook her head with a confident smile. "And even if he does, that's perfectly reasonable, isn't it? Joining a Familia is a two-way choice."

"Besides, if Hestia's Familia doesn't work out, with our Level 2 strength, it's not like we'd have trouble finding another place."

"…Alright."

The abandoned church basement no longer served as their base. Their destination was clear: the Apollo Familia estate.

Contrary to what one might expect, the place hadn't been looted. The Ganesha Familia guards had stationed themselves there.

And the one leading them was a familiar face: Shakti, the beautiful, sharp blue-haired captain of the "Ganesha Familia."

"…It's her."

Liang Yue remembered briefly meeting her back when he left with Lili. He hadn't expected to run into her again here.

Noticing Liang Yue's arrival, Shakti's usual stern demeanor softened. Though complicated emotions flickered in her eyes, she smiled faintly and congratulated him:

"Liang Yue Tsukihime. I expected to hear of your miracles again, but I didn't think it would be so soon. Sweeping aside Apollo's Familia with your own strength… thank you for respecting Orario's rules, and not turning it into a massacre."

The latter words came from the heart—had Liang Yue slaughtered Apollo's members, the fragile order of Orario would have collapsed into deeper chaos.

"If my companions had stepped in, it would have been even easier." Liang Yue smiled lightly. And it was true—had Mikoto used Futsunomitama to create a gravity field, he could have picked off Apollo's challengers one by one with ease.

Shakti did not deny it. She handed him a heavy chain of keys from Apollo, before her gaze shifted briefly toward Lili.

The girl who once suffered under oppression… now standing safe under Liang Yue's banner. Shakti had failed her before, but at least now she was in good hands.

And Liang Yue himself—already displaying power rivaling Level 4 despite being only Level 2—was closing in on her. In a true deathmatch, even she wasn't sure she could beat him.

Before leaving, Shakti reminded him: "If you encounter trouble that's hard to handle, don't hesitate to call the Ganesha Familia. They'll support you."

"…Of course."

It was clear she was hinting at possible unrest from Apollo's former members, and wanted to prevent Liang Yue from taking drastic measures.

Liang Yue, however, wasn't worried. Standing before the grand estate in the heart of Orario, he recalled the last time he had been here—Apollo's banquet.

Now he was returning as the master. After more than a month in Orario, he finally had a true home.

"Well then… this is the start of a brand-new chapter."

The Apollo estate—now renamed the "Hearth Manor"—was a luxurious residence, rivaling even those of the top Familias, despite Apollo himself only leading a mid-tier Familia.

Hestia, Lili, and Mikoto were responsible for handling the inventory.

The final numbers were somewhat unexpected. Their liquid funds were only about 20 million valis. Much of Apollo's wealth had gone into outfitting his adventurers and indulging in his obsessions.

"…That's all?" Liang Yue muttered. "A bit poorer than I thought. Still, the estate itself is large enough. Even if we expand, there's plenty of room."

Hestia, however, was overjoyed. Compared to her life of eating fried potatoes for sustenance and sleeping in a ruined church basement, this felt like a dream.

"This is already more than enough," she beamed. "Liang Yue-kun, this is all thanks to you. Without you, I never would have imagined having a Familia like this."

She had no complaints about money. Her living environment was already perfect, meals were covered by Hephaestus, and she intended to keep working part-time at the weapon shop anyway.

What she truly cared about—was the possibility of acquiring an indestructible weapon crafted by the Goibniu Familia.

Looking around the lavish mansion again, she still felt it surreal, yet undeniably wonderful.

She turned back to Liang Yue with a bright smile. "Shall we update your status now? The War Game against Apollo should have raised your abilities. Who knows—you might even be ready to level up!"

"…We can wait a little."

Liang Yue doubted such a low-intensity fight could have pushed his abilities to the theoretical limit. Even now, his total attributes were only just brushing SS rank.

Reaching the cap should only take two more days of immersive Dungeon training—or perhaps sparring against Takemikazuchi, who could fight at Level 5 strength without divine power.

With the assets settled, the next matter was clear—recruiting new Familia members.

"First, let's have a good meal to celebrate. Consider it an internal victory feast. This afternoon, we'll see if there are adventurers worth recruiting."

Before leaving for a restaurant, Liang Yue glanced at Lili. Earlier, she had placed the highest-stakes bet on him at the casino. With the War Game now over, the payout should be close to 200 million valis.

That kind of money could fund the forging of new weapons.

With a relaxed grin, Liang Yue asked, "So, when will the casino pay out the winnings?"

"Tonight," Lili replied cautiously. Considering the amount, it was risky for her to go alone.

"Alright then. I'll go with you," Liang Yue decided firmly.

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