Let's rewind time to just after the divine assembly had concluded.
When the meeting dispersed, many gods enthusiastically approached Hephaestus.
Unlike Hestia Familia's "Little Rookie," the "Dragon Furnace" from Hephaestus Familia possessed genuine first-class strength in Orario.
And Hephaestus Familia was already one of the most influential factions in the city. It was definitely worthwhile to build good relations with them.
After brushing off a crowd of clingy deities with visible irritation, Hephaestus stepped outside—and immediately ran into a certain blond-haired god.
"Congratulations, Hephaestus. Your familia has gained yet another remarkable child."
Hephaestus looked at Dionysus with a face full of annoyance and replied, "Is that all you wanted to say? I've heard enough of this crap for one day. I don't have time for pleasantries."
With that, she strode right past him without a second thought.
Dionysus remained as poised and refined as ever, his smile unwavering.
But Hephaestus, with her back to him, wore a much colder, more indifferent expression.
She and Hestia were close friends. And long ago, back in the heavens, Hestia had once told her about Dionysus.
Perhaps it was her status as a virgin goddess that made her more perceptive… or perhaps it was simply her divine intuition, but Hestia had sensed the twisted nature hiding beneath Dionysus's elegant exterior.
And Hephaestus trusted her friend's instincts completely. That's why she remained deeply wary of the supposedly noble god before her.
Dionysus, still smiling, returned to his familia's headquarters.
But as soon as he stepped through the door, that smile vanished, replaced with a cold, indifferent expression.
He was indeed interested in Hephaestus Familia—especially in the mysterious newcomer, Charles.
But Hephaestus was impossible to manipulate, showing open hostility and caution. She wasn't like Loki.
Loki, though clever, was still human—overthinkers could always be outmaneuvered with clever enough schemes.
Dionysus walked to a certain room and pushed the door open.
The first thing he saw was an elven girl seated on the ground, leaning against the wall.
"Filvis, did you hear its voice again?" he asked gently, crouching in front of her.
The girl's name was Filvis. She was the captain of Dionysus Familia, officially registered at Level 3, and known by the title White Priestess.
But among adventurers, she was more commonly called the Funeral Elf.
Six years ago, she had been the sole survivor of the nightmare on the 27th floor.
What no one knew was that she had actually died during that incident. The girl now alive was nothing more than a resurrected corpse—revived through the power of the corrupted fairy, now a defiled creature.
That's what made her the perfect link between Enyo and the corrupted fairy. The cost, however, was living with the unending whisper of demonic voices in her mind.
Filvis looked up, her face twisted in pain. "It keeps saying we have to bring it Aria and the Fire Dragon… It won't stop."
Dionysus gently patted her head, his voice soft and understanding. "Is that so? You've done well. I'll take care of everything."
"Lord Dionysus…!" Filvis looked up at her god with deep emotion in her eyes.
Dionysus stood and narrowed his eyes grimly.
Enyo's plan couldn't proceed without the power of the corrupted fairy.
But too many variables had emerged—like the corrupted fairy clone disappearing from the 59th floor, and Loki Familia continuing to gather critical intelligence, including a fetal mana crystal that was supposed to be transported to the surface.
The ambush by the dark faction had also failed, and now Loki Familia had discovered even more than Dionysus ever wanted them to.
He had never intended to provoke Loki Familia. The demand to bring "Aria" to the fairy had come directly from the corrupted entity.
And the "Aria" it referred to was none other than the Sword Princess, Ais.
That had forced Dionysus to include deception and interference with Loki Familia in his plans.
Now, the corrupted fairy had added another demand: the Dragon Furnace.
Pulling Hephaestus Familia into the mess increased the risk significantly.
But Dionysus's troubled expression slowly twisted into a crooked smile.
"Well… doesn't that just make things more interesting?" he murmured, letting his true nature briefly surface.
…
Even in the daytime, Orario's Pleasure Quarter was bustling. And at the heart of it all stood the most opulent structure—a grand palace.
Perhaps in defiance of another goddess of beauty who lived high in Babel Tower, looking down on Orario like a queen receiving worship from below, this palace was built to rival it.
Its style echoed the grandeur of Babel, and in terms of gaudy luxury, it arguably surpassed even the tower itself.
Of course, the craftsmen who built it weren't on Daedalus's level, so while lavish, it lacked the sheer majesty of Babel.
This was the Goddess Brothel, the headquarters of Ishtar Familia.
In name, a palace. In truth, a high-class brothel—more elite lounge than corner barbershop.
Walking its halls was none other than the goddess Ishtar herself.
She was undeniably a captivating goddess, with nothing but a few pieces of cloth draped around her hips and a sheer sash covering her chest—boldly flaunting her figure.
Golden and silver jewelry—headbands, earrings, necklaces, bangles, anklets—adorned her from head to toe, adding to her exotic queenly aura.
Puffing from her long-stemmed pipe, Ishtar spoke bluntly to the gathered elites of her familia.
"Today's divine assembly mentioned a new adventurer. That man-hating blacksmith Hephaestus has picked up quite the monster of a child."
"The kid fought the 'Juggernaut' to a draw—pretty damn impressive! If I could get my hands on him…"
Her meaning was obvious, and one shadowed figure stepped forward.
"Don't worry, Lady Ishtar. As long as he's a man, I'll handle him—no one can resist this beauty!"
Ishtar's expression darkened.
Yes, seducing men was the specialty of a courtesan familia—but not this one.
The speaker was Phryne, captain of Ishtar Familia—an overconfident… grotesque creature.
Her name meant toad, and she resembled nothing less than a bloated toad wallowing in filth.
Despite her hideous appearance, Phryne was convinced she was more beautiful than the gods themselves.
She even claimed, to Ottar's face, that her looks surpassed Freya's. The woman was completely unhinged.
Worst of all, Phryne's favorite activity involved drugging men, then doing unspeakable things to them—many of whom were left permanently broken afterward.
Hence her infamous title: Man-Slayer.
Ishtar had a strong suspicion that Phryne planned to use the same approach on Charles.
But Ishtar had a different plan entirely. She wanted to recruit Charles—bring him into her fold and set him up as a rival to Ottar in her upcoming war with Freya.
If she could secure the Killing Stone, she might not need to strike any under-the-table deals to destroy Freya Familia.
If Phryne were let loose, however, things might spiral in an entirely different direction.
Thus, Ishtar gave her a strict warning not to act on her own.
Whether Phryne would actually listen was another matter altogether.
So now, for entirely different reasons, both Dionysus and Ishtar had set their sights on Charles—
And the people they had dispatched… were now lying unconscious at Charles's feet.
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