Selling cards was a lucrative business, especially with no guaranteed pulls, pure profit.
In the world of Danmachi, entertainment was scarce. The Entertainment District was Orario's liveliest spot, which spoke volumes about how dire things were. Importing some Earth-style entertainment, Altair thought, would be like a dimensional strike.
So, which card game to introduce?
With gods around, Yu-Gi-Oh seemed perfect. The Egyptian pantheon tied in nicely, making it a seamless fit. The problem? Yu-Gi-Oh had countless cards, and Altair couldn't recall them all. It'd take time to piece together. A card game needed a solid base of cards, without enough, it wouldn't work. This was a long-term project, especially with the game's evolving rules and new cards. Sorting it all out would take effort, so for now, Altair couldn't produce most of them. Instead, he'd start with something simpler to rake in money: gaming parlors.
Gaming parlors were a no-brainer. Altair knew the classics, poker and mahjong, gambling staples absent from this world. Then there were board games: high-skill ones like chess and Go, and simpler, fun ones like checkers and Connect Four.
He'd bring over everything from an old-school Earth gaming parlor and market it as a revolutionary new pastime.
The gaming parlors were an instant hit upon opening. To Altair's surprise, the biggest fans weren't adventurers but the gods who led their Familias. These gods, with too much time on their hands, were always looking for something to do. Once the parlors opened, they dove in, hooked on Altair's games. Brainy gods gravitated toward chess and Go, while those seeking light fun played Connect Four or checkers. Groups looking for a crowd gathered for mahjong or poker.
Adventurers needed to grind in the Dungeon to afford the parlors, so they'd head there to earn magic stones. Gods, however, didn't work. They lived off their Familia's offerings, using the money to play carefree. What shocked Altair most was that Hestia got hooked too.
She even formed a regular crew: Hestia, Loki, Freya, and Hephaestus, a quartet that played mahjong for hours daily. The grand opening of the parlor was also when Altair first saw Freya in person. The Goddess of Beauty's arrival caused a stir at the entrance, only calmed by her Level 7 guard, Ottar, the Warlord. Male gods, however, were beyond even Ottar's control, ogling Freya shamelessly.
Hestia took pride in Freya's visit, especially after her "Four Emperors" Title made her sensitive to status. But she worried Freya's charm might sway Altair. In a panic, she even climbed onto him to block his view. Too bad for her, Altair only noticed Freya's revealing outfit and nothing more.
Hestia's pride swelled. "Look at that." She thought. "My beloved Altair isn't fazed by the Goddess of Beauty. Who else could resist her?"
Then she became the charity gambler. Playing mahjong with Freya, Loki, and Hephaestus, Hestia rarely won, two victories in an afternoon, the rest losses. Her simple mind couldn't outsmart Loki's cunning, Freya's calculated moves, or even Hephaestus's sharp strategies. Her only wins were pure luck, self-drawn hands.
Thus, Hestia earned the title of charity gambler. But she was stubborn, refusing to admit defeat despite her losses, dragging her crew back daily to lose more. Altair found it amusing. Hestia's bets were small, so her losses were negligible, easily offset by the parlor's profits. He let her play to her heart's content.
Hestia was disciplined, though. Despite her stubborn streak, she always came home on time, grumbling to Altair about her latest losses. Other gods were less restrained, some practically living in the parlors, playing through the night. With food, drink, lodging, and even bathhouses nearby, thanks to phone-ordered deliveries from the Hostess of Fertility, the service was impeccable.
The cost? Their Familias had to work harder, hitting the Dungeon more frequently to fund their gods' new habits. Wealthier Familias were different: while their gods played cards, their adventurers indulged next door in the Entertainment District's other offerings, a peculiar setup.
Through the Entertainment District's transformation, Altair's efforts put Hestia's Familia in Orario's spotlight. Within a month, Tiona and Tione amassed enough excelia to level up to Level 2. Now, all four members of Hestia's Familia were at least Level 2.
Altair didn't idle either. He and Tanya stormed the Dungeon's 58th Floor, clearing it repeatedly. For half a month, they grinded in the Dragon's Vase, Floors 52 to 58, earning enough excelia for Altair to reach Level 5, a mainstay rank in any Familia, and Tanya to hit Level 4.
Back in Orario, both leveled up. Altair didn't hide it this time, instructing Hestia to announce it. With the captain at Level 5, the vice-captain at Level 4, and two Level 2 members, plus Altair's control over the Entertainment District, Hestia's Familia cemented its place as one of Orario's Four Emperors.
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