Night fell, and Hearthstone Manor was brightly lit.
When the three leaders of the Loki Familia stood at the main gate, Ying Ping personally came out to greet them.
"Welcome."
Ying Ping smiled and made a welcoming gesture, "Hestia is waiting for you."
Finn straightened his collar, feigning composure: "Excuse our intrusion."
Riveria elegantly performed an elven bow: "We apologize for our unannounced visit."
Gareth scratched his beard and grumbled: "I thought you weren't going to see us!"
"Haha, please come in."
Ying Ping stepped aside to clear the path, "Kokkoro and Chisato are preparing dinner. Please have a seat for a moment; dinner will be served shortly."
Walking into the hall, Hestia was seated at the head of the table. Upon seeing the newcomers, she merely nodded slightly: "You're here? Have a seat, everyone."
Her attitude wasn't exactly warm, but it also wasn't as hostile as they had imagined.
"We are very sorry, Lady Hestia..."
Riveria took a deep breath and spoke first: "We are here on behalf of Lady Loki to apologize to you and Mr. Ying Ping."
Finn took over: "Lady Loki's past teasing of you was indeed inappropriate, but she truly meant no harm..."
"Hmph."
Hestia snorted softly, crossing her arms: "Apologizing by only sending her Familia members? This Loki really likes to act superior."
She pouted, a hint of dissatisfaction flashing in her large blue eyes: "Not a shred of sincerity."
The three leaders immediately looked embarrassed.
"This..."
Gareth rubbed his hands, a rare look of discomfort on his rugged face: "We did try to persuade Lady Loki to come along, but she..."
"She kept spouting nonsense like 'you go, it has nothing to do with me,' I apologize."
Finn added with a bitter smile, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
The atmosphere became somewhat stagnant.
Riveria immediately offered a wry smile to smooth things over: "Loki might be clueless, but are we? That's why we came."
Just then, Kokkoro poked her head out from the kitchen: "Everyone, dinner is ready!"
She scurried over and warmly took Riveria's hand: "Lady Riveria, the potato pancakes I told you about last time are baked. Come and try them!"
Riveria was momentarily stunned, her long elven ears twitching slightly.
She looked down at the innocent and cheerful girl, her expression involuntarily softening: "Alright... alright."
Ying Ping enthusiastically called out: "Since you're already here, let's all have dinner together."
He patted Finn's shoulder: "Whatever you have to say, we can talk while we eat."
In the dining room, the long table was laden with a lavish spread.
Chisato, Takina, and Elaina were setting the table, and when they saw the guests enter, they all offered friendly smiles.
"Miss Riveria, please sit here."
Ying Ping gallantly pulled out a chair for Riveria.
"Thank you."
The Elf Royal bowed her head slightly in thanks, but her ear tips were secretly flushed, and she looked very uncomfortable.
After several rounds of drinks, the atmosphere gradually became livelier.
"Honestly..."
Finn put down his wine glass, his expression turning serious: "We all know very well that once the War Game with you begins, our Loki Familia is bound to lose."
Gareth sighed heavily: "At that time, Lady Loki's Familia, which she worked so hard to build, will fall apart..."
"So..."
Riveria continued, her emerald eyes looking directly at Hestia and Ying Ping: "Could you please be lenient and cancel this War Game?"
Hestia swirled her wine glass, not answering immediately.
Finn's fingertips tapped gently on the table, carefully choosing his words: "How about we offer Ais to the Hestia Familia and pay an additional 500 million Valis as compensation?"
"500 million?"
Hestia raised an eyebrow, a flicker of surprise in her large blue eyes.
Gareth quickly added: "If that's not enough, we can discuss it further."
Ying Ping gently swirled his red wine glass, a faint smile on his face: "Mr. Finn, do you think we are still short of money at this point?"
He put down his wine glass, making a crisp sound: "The War Game must proceed. This is a matter of principle, and the Guild has already approved it."
Riveria sighed softly, she keenly noticed Kokkoro looking at her with a worried expression.
"Lady Riveria."
Kokkoro suddenly spoke, her voice clear: "Actually, if you're willing... you can also join our Hestia Familia after the War Game, just like Miss Ais."
Upon hearing this, the Elf Royal's pupils suddenly contracted.
"What?!"
Finn's chopsticks hovered in mid-air.
"My master has already agreed."
"Our Familia is in dire need of talents like you. We can offer you the position of vice-captain and guarantee that your treatment will only be better than when you were in the Loki Familia."
Kokkoro continued, "And my master has a way to significantly boost your strength in a short period of time..."
"Kokkoro, watch your words!"
"You should be saying these things to Miss Riveria in private!"
Hestia feigned anger, but her eyes held approval.
"I'm very sorry!"
Kokkoro immediately lowered her head, pretending to be wronged.
Finn and Gareth's expressions instantly turned grim.
Riveria's hand clenched her napkin.
Her elf ears, characteristic of her race, turned visibly red, and her emerald eyes wavered intensely.
"What... what are you saying..."
For the first time, Riveria showed a flustered expression.
Finn slammed his hand on the table and stood up: "This is blatant poaching!"
"Mr. Finn, and Mr. Gareth, I actually admire you both as well."
Ying Ping decided to be direct: "But I'm just offering a choice."
"Think about it, how long has Miss Riveria been in the Loki Familia? How much has her strength improved over the years?"
"Are you helping her, or are you a burden to her?"
These words were like a sharp sword, precisely piercing the Elf Royal's soft spot.
Riveria's lips trembled slightly. She recalled the anxiety of her strength stagnating for decades, and the feeling of powerlessness when facing powerful monsters during each expedition.
Yet, at such times, she still had to act as vice-captain and protect others.
"Enough!"
Gareth roared, his burly figure blocking Riveria: "I thought you were good people, hmph! I misjudged you, let's go!"
Though his roar was loud, his words lacked conviction.
Elaina and the others immediately cast unfriendly glances.
Ying Ping added fuel to the fire at the opportune moment: "Miss Riveria, you should be well aware of what the Loki Familia will face once the War Game begins."
He stood up, looking down at the three leaders: "To be buried with a cruise ship destined to sink, or to board a new battleship and set sail... that choice shouldn't be difficult to make."
The dining room fell into a deathly silence.
Cold sweat beaded on Finn's forehead; he realized things were heading in the worst possible direction.
"It's getting late."
Ying Ping suddenly changed the subject, offering a formal smile, "Let's end it here for today. Miss Riveria can go back and carefully consider my proposal."
The intention to dismiss them was more than obvious.
The three leaders stood up with grim expressions, Riveria's face looking particularly troubled.
"Farewell."
Finn barely maintained his politeness, but his voice had lost its usual composure.
When the door closed behind the three leaders, Hestia finally couldn't help but laugh: "Ying Ping-kun, did you see Riveria's expression? She's clearly wavering!"
Ying Ping nodded slightly: "Elves are smart people; she won't be buried with Loki."
Meanwhile, the three walking back were each lost in their own thoughts.
Finn suddenly stopped: "Riveria, you're not actually considering..."
The Elf Royal did not answer immediately. Her gaze turned towards the brightly lit Babel Tower in the distance, and she said softly: "Finn, we must consider the future of the Familia..."
Gareth sighed heavily: "This is bad..."
And on the rooftop of Hearthstone Manor, Chisato and Takina sat side by side, watching the three figures disappear into the distance.
"Master's move is truly brilliant."
Chisato stretched and yawned: "To dismantle the opponent's morale without firing a single shot."
Takina calmly analyzed: "Riveria is the Loki Familia's foremost mage and strategist. If she defects..."
"Then there's no need to even fight the War Game!"
Chisato clapped her hands happily: "The expression on that god named Loki's face will surely be priceless!"
Finally, not long after, the War Game between the Hestia Familia and the Loki Familia officially began.
The entire city of Orario completely erupted.
On the giant magic screen in the Central Plaza, Ganesha's iconic elephant mask appeared on the screen:
"Greetings, everyone! I am Ganesha!"
"Today, we have the honor of witnessing the grandest War Game in Orario's history!"
"The Loki Familia will unite with the Freya Familia to jointly oppose the Hestia Familia!"
"Oh my, who would have thought that the two strongest Familias in Orario would one day cooperate and join forces!"
The screen switched, displaying the opposing sides—
On one side was the banner of the Hestia Familia, and on the other was the combined banner of the Loki Familia and the Freya Familia!
"Wait, did I see that right?"
"Loki and Freya actually teamed up?!"
"These are the two strongest Familias in Orario!"
The crowds on the streets gasped in astonishment, and the adventurers exchanged bewildered glances, none of them expecting such a turn of events.
However, some well-informed individuals were not surprised by this outcome and simply waited for the situation to unfold.
Ganesha's voice, amplified by a magic loudspeaker, echoed across the entire arena:
"The rules for this War Game are called Treasure Hunter!"
"There are a total of 59 treasures buried throughout the battlefield area!"
"You just need to dig up a hidden treasure and hold it in your hand to count as 1 point!"
"The game will last for 3 hours, and the side with the most treasures wins!"
"But!"
"The number of treasures acquired by the Freya Familia and the Loki Familia will be counted together!"
"This means that as long as they collect more than half, 30 treasures, in advance, they will directly win this game!"
"In this match, physical 搶奪 is allowed, but harming another's life is strictly forbidden! Once someone surrenders, further attacks are prohibited!"
"Finally, there's one special rule!"
"That is, Goddess Hestia must be present in person!"
"If she is captured by either the Freya Familia or the Loki Familia, the Hestia Familia will be directly disqualified!"
Upon hearing this last rule, Hestia's small face immediately crumpled:
"Waaah, that's really unfair!"
She pitifully tugged at Ying Ping's arm: "Ying Ping-kun, I… I'll just be a burden…"
Ying Ping gently stroked her head: "It's fine, I will absolutely protect you. No one will ever get a step closer to you."
The entire game was broadcast live by the gods using their divine power, with no blind spots in the surveillance.
Everyone in Orario could watch it in taverns or various other places.
Within the competition area.
The members of the Hestia Familia were already making their final preparations before the battle.
Ying Ping stood at the front of the team, his black trench coat flapping in the morning breeze.
Behind him stood Chisato, Takina, Kokoro, and Elaina, each fully armed.
"Master, if it's a treasure hunt, these rules are very disadvantageous for us."
Kokoro said with some concern: "We only have 5 people here, and we still need to spare manpower to protect Lady Hestia, while the enemy has too many people…"
Ying Ping smiled slightly: "Do you think I care about their numbers?"
"Don't worry, it's going to be quite a show."
On the other side, the combined forces of Loki and Freya presented an astonishing formation.
All the main forces of the Loki Familia were present: the hero Finn, the Nine-Tailed Mage Riveria, the heavy warrior Gareth, the Sword Princess Ais, and the Hellhound Bete.
The Freya Familia had also deployed all their elites.
The mighty Ottar, the Goddess's Chariot Allen, the black and white elf Hedin, and other powerful individuals lined up.
Even all the peripheral members and followers were present, and they had also recruited many other powerful external allies.
The total number of forces from both the Freya Familia and the Loki Familia combined was approximately 8,000 people!
It could be said that their momentum was incredibly grand!
However, Ying Ping's side consisted of only 5 people!
"Hmph, shorty, if it's a treasure hunt, you're definitely going to lose this time!"
"This time I'm cooperating with Freya, no matter how strong your Familia members are, what can you do against so many of us?"
Loki was so excited she hadn't slept all night, mumbling to herself.
Her eyes were bloodshot and red from staying up, and she was in an extremely hyped state.
Freya stood by, subtly observing Loki.
Her beautiful purple eyes constantly flickered, as if she was calculating something.
As the horn sounded, the War Game officially began!
The teams of the Loki Familia and the Freya Familia, like arrows shot from a bow, quickly dispersed into the vast battlefield area.
"According to the plan, split up!"
Finn quickly deployed: "Ais, Bete, you two are responsible for the East Sector!"
"Riveria, Gareth, the West Sector is yours! I'll go to the Central Sector with the others!"
On the Freya Familia's side, Ottar ordered in a deep voice: "Divide into three groups, focus on searching the Southern Sector!"
And on the Hestia Familia's side—
"Chisato, Elaina, one of you on the ground, one in the air, responsible for quickly collecting treasures."
Ying Ping calmly commanded: "Kokoro and Takina are responsible for protecting Hestia, absolutely no one must get close to her. I'll go and defeat all of them by myself."
"Understood!"
Everyone responded in unison, then quickly sprang into action.