After finishing his meal, Charles walked straight to the counter to settle the bill.
Mia was behind the counter polishing a glass. She glanced at him and said, "Be careful around that frivolous god. No one ever knows what he's really plotting."
Charles smiled and replied, "I understand. Thank you for your concern."
Mia looked toward the kitchen door and muttered, "I'm not the one worried about you. Someone else is."
Following her gaze, Charles caught a glimpse of a disappearing hemline vanishing behind the doorframe.
He chuckled softly, then turned and left The Benevolent Mistress. Strangely, Hermes didn't try to stop him—he just watched Charles leave, looking entirely unconcerned that his scheme had seemingly failed.
But as Charles walked back toward his workshop, he suddenly came across two very familiar figures.
Seeing Liliruca supporting an injured and barely conscious Bell, Charles immediately rushed over and caught them just before they collapsed.
"What happened?" he asked urgently as he stuffed recovery potions into both of their mouths.
Bell gripped Charles's arm tightly, his voice weak but urgent. "Brother Charles... please... go save Welf. He's been taken!"
Charles's eyes narrowed. The nearby pedestrians instinctively backed away, as if the air around him had turned heavy and suffocating.
"What exactly happened? Tell me everything," he pressed.
Lili answered, "We were attacked by members of the Ishtar Familia while exploring the dungeon. Their captain, Phryne, personally captured Welf, and Bell-sama was injured by Lijer."
"I see." Charles's voice was low but steady. "Leave this to me—I'll bring Welf back safe and sound."
As soon as he said that, Bell let out a breath and collapsed. He had endured severe wounds and had forced himself to return to the surface just to deliver the message. Now that his task was done, unconsciousness took him.
Charles handed Bell over to Lili. "Take care of him."
Lili bit her lip and nodded. Though she hadn't been hurt during the ambush, having been subdued so easily left a deep sense of powerlessness. She hated that she couldn't protect the person most important to her.
After watching Lili carry Bell back toward the Hestia Familia, Charles turned and headed straight for the Pleasure District.
If one were to weigh things rationally, the best course of action would've been to report the situation to Hephaestus and let her confront Ishtar.
After all, kidnapping a member of another Familia was strictly forbidden by the Guild, and Ishtar's faction had clearly crossed the line.
More importantly, the Hephaestus Familia had no reason to fear Ishtar's forces.
No one knew the exact number of magic swords stockpiled in Hephaestus's vaults. If pushed, they could level not just the Pleasure District—but even the battlefield of the Freya Familia.
But there were some things that couldn't be weighed by logic.
Charles knew full well why the Ishtar Familia had targeted Welf. In other words, Welf had been dragged into this because of him.
What made it worse was who had taken him—the infamous "Man-Killer" herself.
That hideous monster was entirely driven by her desires. If Charles were even a bit late, Welf could be scarred for life—mentally and physically.
More than dealing with Ishtar's people, Charles wanted to plant his fist in the face of a certain god.
Using Welf as bait to lure him in... That plan had required precise information—specifically, knowledge of who Charles's closest associate in the Hephaestus Familia was.
And very few people even knew that.
So who had sniffed out that information and handed it to Ishtar? The answer was obvious.
No wonder Hermes hadn't insisted on dragging Charles to the Pleasure District earlier. He had already known Charles would end up there anyway.
"I've been played."
Charles's face bore a smile, but no one who saw it would've mistaken it for amusement.
If only he'd acted when he took down the spies…
But then, Finn had delivered the book the very next day, and Charles had thrown himself into study, pushing everything else out of mind.
Still, it wasn't too late.
Fiery wings erupted from Charles's back, sending pedestrians scattering in panic.
As he took off, a bystander muttered, "So that's the power of the Dragon Furnace? That's terrifying..."
Another added, "Is now really the time to be gawking? Judging by that look, something big is about to go down in Orario!"
Unrestrained, Charles shot through the sky in a blaze of fire, his flaming trail visible across half the city.
In the upper floors of the Tower of Babel, in the room belonging to the goddess of beauty Freya, a figure stood by the window, watching the sky.
Swirling her wine glass gently, Freya whispered, "How foolish. To touch a dragon's reverse scale... it wouldn't be surprising if they were swallowed whole."
Very little in Orario escaped Freya's notice—including Ishtar's jealousy and her plans to destroy Freya's Familia.
But none of it concerned her. To Freya, Ishtar was nothing more than a foolish clown.
Behind her stood Ottar, his gaze locked on the fiery path in the sky.
Sensing the unrest in her most faithful guard, Freya asked, "What's wrong, Ottar? Feeling restless?"
Clutching his wildly beating heart, Ottar answered, "If you would permit it, I'd like to face him in a true battle."
Freya chuckled softly. "Sorry, Ottar. I can't grant that wish—not yet. I'm not ready to lose you."
Ottar said nothing more, once again retreating into the shadows.
Even if he couldn't cool his blood through combat, receiving Freya's affection was enough for him.
And if Freya believed that he would die in a true battle against Charles, then he wouldn't doubt her judgment. All he could do now was continue growing stronger.
…
Outside The Benevolent Mistress, Hermes stood with one hand on his feathered hat, gazing at the sky with a smile.
Everything was unfolding exactly as he had planned. Now it was time to see what Charles would choose.
"This era… filled with heroes in the making… It's just so exhilarating! Shine brightly, carve your names into legend!"
The god could hardly contain his excitement, murmuring as if reciting an epic poem.
"So Hermes-sama was scheming something all along!"
Hearing that cold remark, Hermes raised both hands innocently. "Now, now. That's unfair—I'm just a spectator, after all!"
"You'd better be," Ryuu said sharply, turning back into the tavern, leaving Hermes alone on the street with a mysterious smile on his face.
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