"I hope you can help me establish a connection with the Loki Familia."
Takumi slowly stated his hidden purpose for coming here today.
"The Loki Familia?"
Hephaestus was stunned when she heard this.
She didn't expect Takumi's request to be this.
But then she thought of Hestia and Loki's relationship as bickering frenemies.
Suddenly, she was no longer surprised.
Because if Takumi asked Hestia for help, she really wouldn't be able to handle this matter.
It's just that...
"Why are you looking for the Loki Familia? What is the specific situation? If you don't explain it clearly, it's hard for me to introduce you."
She cooperates with the Loki Familia, and she can talk to them.
But she doesn't have a deep friendship; it's strictly professional.
If Takumi's business is too important, she might not be able to help much.
Takumi waved his hand: "It's not a big deal; it should be quite convenient for you."
"As far as I know, doesn't your Captain Tsubaki sometimes participate in the Loki Familia's expeditions?"
"So I thought, could you please take me with you this time? I want to go to the deeper floors."
Hephaestus raised an eyebrow: "That's it?"
It was indeed a matter of convenience, but was it really that simple?
Since she was being asked to act as a mediator, she needed to understand the motives.
"Why do you want to go so deep?"
Of course, Takumi couldn't say it was a system task, so he found an excuse.
"The main reason is that I am quite strong, but I still don't know exactly what level I am at."
"Yesterday, I went to the 18th floor. The monsters I encountered along the way were too weak, and I didn't feel challenged at all, so I wanted to try the deeper floors."
"In addition, I want to find opponents to hone my fighting skills."
"Although I could go there by myself, I don't have the relevant information. I have no maps or monster data. It would be too time-consuming, so I thought if I could hitch a ride, it would be much more convenient to have someone lead the way."
The last part was the truth.
Hephaestus nodded after hearing this. She also knew Takumi's situation.
He was indeed powerful, but he had little combat experience and few opportunities to truly fight.
Coming to Orario was the perfect chance to make up for this shortcoming.
However, he had to go deep, because the monsters on the upper floors weren't strong enough for him to even use a sword properly.
"Okay, leave this to me."
Thinking this over, Hephaestus agreed.
As Takumi said, this was a matter of convenience.
The next time the Loki Familia came to borrow manpower, she would just have Tsubaki take Takumi along.
But Hephaestus still offered a reminder.
"But I'm afraid it won't be possible immediately. After all, whether or not to go on an expedition is a decision for the Loki Familia."
Takumi nodded: "I understand, just bring me with you next time. I have plenty of time, so I can wait."
"Yeah, but it should be soon. It's been a while since they last returned from an expedition."
"Then I will wait for your good news."
After confirming the details and exchanging a few more pleasantries, Takumi took Haruhime back.
After watching the two leave, Tsubaki couldn't help but ask Hephaestus.
"Lord God, what is the situation with this Hestia Familia?"
They clearly had no members before, so how had they suddenly grown to this scale?
And they had a powerhouse like Takumi.
Although Takumi hadn't released his aura, Tsubaki was a high-level Level 5 adventurer. Her senses were much sharper than those of lower-level adventurers.
She could feel a terrifying energy hidden within Takumi.
Even she felt a sense of danger from that energy.
Usually, high-level monsters—even the Floor Boss Goliath—wouldn't make her feel this way, but Takumi did.
This showed how strong Takumi was.
For such a strong man to suddenly appear in Orario and join a fledgling Familia like Hestia's was suspicious no matter how you looked at it.
But it seemed her own goddess knew the inside story.
Hephaestus glanced at Tsubaki and said lightly:
"There is no need to gossip. I will let you know what you need to know."
The Dimensional City behind Takumi was of great importance. It was the greatest secret of the Hestia Familia. It was only because of Hestia's trust that Hephaestus knew the truth and had visited it once.
She naturally could not betray her friend's trust by revealing this secret to anyone.
So, even though Tsubaki was the captain of her Familia and her closest confidant, she wouldn't tell her Takumi's secret without his consent.
Moreover, knowing this secret might put Tsubaki in danger. Mortals cannot keep secrets effectively from gods.
Takumi would be fine; he could return to the Dimensional City at any time.
But what about Tsubaki?
If something happened and the Hestia Familia had to retreat, there might not be time to take Tsubaki with them.
Then her situation would be precarious.
Because of her close ties to the Hestia Familia, she would inevitably be implicated and targeted.
It was fine if only Hephaestus knew the secret, as other gods could not easily force a goddess like her.
But if Tsubaki knew... the consequences would be unimaginable.
Gods who have lost their minds can do anything.
Therefore, Tsubaki must not know.
For her, ignorance was a form of protection.
Hearing the warning tone in her goddess's voice, Tsubaki felt a jolt.
She nodded and said seriously: "I understand."
"Well, let's get to work. I'm going to experiment with that wand craftsmanship."
Hephaestus waved her hand and ignored Tsubaki, picking up materials and leaving.
Tsubaki also left the storage room immediately.
Although she was still curious about Takumi and the others, she suppressed it after Hephaestus's warning.
She called a member of her Familia to watch the store and rushed to the Guild.
Once there, with the help of the staff, she posted an announcement on the Familia bulletin board.
The content was exactly what Hephaestus had ordered: a public declaration of a comprehensive alliance with the Hestia Familia.
After doing this, Tsubaki ignored the uproar among the adventurers and walked back silently.
She left behind a group of confused Guild staff and stunned adventurers.