There's a saying: Even the wisest may make a mistake.
Syr (Frigg), for her part, had planned to temporarily keep Bell's Liaris Freese skill a secret—half out of curiosity for future fun, half out of concern for the familia.
But…
"Hmm?"
She forgot that Renjiro's Crown of Insight skill comes with a built-in True Name Revelation effect.
Today, by coincidence, the rabbit boy had been rescued by Renjiro, and after joining the familia, his favorability rating shot up quickly…
"Meow meow meow?"
When Liliruca's favorability reached 3 and Bell's reached 5, a certain black-haired youth, having nothing to do after the meal, casually checked the records—and witnessed the glaringly obvious Liaris Freese skill, which normally required favorability 7 to decode.
"Hoho?"
His expression immediately twisted.
Because at that moment, Ais was present.
Previously, Renjiro had never checked these details, so he hadn't realized that Bell's Liaris Freese had already manifested.
And so, at first sight…
"Tsk tsk~ Bell's got something special, huh."
Sitting at the side of the table, watching the white-haired boy gradually snap out of his "sleepy-eyed" state, Renjiro's face broke into a mischievous, watching-the-show smile.
So all this talk about hoping for a fateful encounter in the dungeon… just an excuse, huh?
He recalled some commentary from his time on Earth before the crossing:
"This lad's XP system: blonde, older, elf… and 'rabbits don't eat the grass by their nest.' So he just fell in love at first sight here?"
Ah, so Liaris Freese essentially reads as love at first sight.
No rescue needed at all?
"Hehehe~"
Renjiro suddenly had some rather "fun" ideas.
Later… when we return to the familia base (Maria Orphanage), I'll have to 'interrogate' this mischievous young lad properly.
People often say: mischievous girls love teasing pure-hearted boys and watching them blush.
Wrong!
'Troublemakers' and 'shameless seniors' enjoy it too.
Only, one never expects… sometimes, the prankster ends up eating the watermelon themselves.
========
That night.
While Renjiro and the others were enjoying a lively little gathering, elsewhere…
"Soma-sama, forgive my ignorance, but I don't understand… why did you casually initiate a 'war game' against the Frigg familia?"
In the Soma familia headquarters, the current captain, Zanis Lustra, was questioning—well, interrogating—his own god.
He didn't understand why this useless deity, who never meddled in familia affairs, suddenly felt "inspired" today.
"That familia has a Lv.3 adventurer. Even a small familia shouldn't be provoked lightly…"
"Do not question my decision, Zanis."
The disheveled, plain-clothed god didn't even turn his head to look at the bespectacled man with the middle-part hairstyle, who was considered "his child" (captain). He merely said flatly:
"The Frigg familia once had only a single Lv.3 adventurer. Now they have two Lv.1s at most."
"If you cannot even defeat such a minor familia… in other words, if you lose the upcoming war game, it will only prove your incompetence, and that you are unworthy of leading my familia forward."
"Do you understand what I mean?"
With that, Soma returned to his brewing work, ignoring Zanis completely.
Zanis…
The bespectacled man broke into a cold sweat.
He had forgotten.
Yes—after holding a high position for so long, he subconsciously ignored one crucial fact:
Soma, the God of Wine, ignores affairs, but he is not powerless.
For most familias, the familia god is absolute authority.
Divine Permission is supreme.
In other words: everything Zanis currently possesses, Soma could revoke with a single word.
Including any ascension powers granted through the God's Falna, leaving him instantly with nothing.
Thinking of that consequence…
"I-I absolutely cannot allow that."
"Money, women… power… mine, all mine!"
Seeing that Soma wasn't responding further, Zanis left the divine chamber, his expression suddenly turning twisted and frenzied.
He vaguely sensed something amiss.
Why, though his god declared war and the atmosphere was tense, did everyone cooperate to "reassign" Liliruca?
And why, during Liliruca's reassignment, wasn't he, the familia captain, allowed to attend?
Instead, the new Frigg familia captain, who had suddenly appeared today, could stay inside?
Could it be that his own god trusted the "enemy" more than him?
Something was clearly off.
Or perhaps Soma was hiding something from him?
"Something is definitely wrong."
Zanis grew more and more uneasy the more he thought about it.
And now, he had no leads whatsoever.
So there was only one solution…
"In the upcoming war game, I must win."
Yes, that was the only way.
If the Frigg familia were defeated, his familia could demand they never set foot in Orario again.
That annoying familia would disappear completely.
From then on, whether to ignore them or take some "afterhand measures," it would be up to him.
"Heh~ It's just a Lv.3. How could they possibly stand against nearly two hundred adventurers on my side?"
The middle-parted man gradually regained his composure…
"No, I heard that guy (Higashikata Renjiro) demonstrated extraordinary magical talent today. To be safe, better call in some 'helpers.'"
Zanis smiled cruelly.
"I've not been sitting in this captain's seat all these years for nothing."
"The power of Orario's 'upper connections'… a fledgling Frigg familia cannot possibly resist."
"Just a country bumpkin Lv.3… once you and your god are exiled from Orario, you'll regret… regret interfering in my affairs."
The ridiculous clown was mentally self-reassuring, "No one shall take what is mine."
"Never!"