"Huh!?"
In the cleared-out section of Loki's home, Hestia's eyes widened, her face practically spelling out 'Impossible.'
"So, the Guild's final decision will be to make Ikelos's death public."
Thinking Hestia hadn't heard, Loki repeated herself, only for Hestia to suddenly flare up.
"Make Ikelos's death public? That'll blow up the whole city of Orario! What the hell is that old geezer thinking!?"
Hestia nearly shouted in rage.
"Hey, how about toning down that temper of yours?"
Watching Hestia about to explode made Loki feel awkward. That 'old geezer' had come out so naturally it hardly felt like a slip of the tongue.
"...."
Hestia knew she had to keep her temper in check. But whenever it involved Bell, her worry and anger refused to settle.
"Uranos didn't make this decision to throw Bell into danger. Right now, Uranos knows better than anyone how important it is that kid grows."
Loki's words of truth calmed Hestia down.
Thinking it over carefully, it did make sense.
Bell had a definite connection to the Black Dragon—even being called its 'arch-enemy,' something unheard of before.
The hope of defeating the Black Dragon rested on Bell's shoulders.
So even if Uranos were senile, he wouldn't do something so foolish.
"Then why bring up Ikelos's death now?"
"To protect Hermes."
Loki cut straight to the point.
"Ikelos's so-called 'disappearance' was exposed by the children he left behind. It proved he didn't just vanish—he's dead."
"The last person to have contact with Ikelos was Hermes. Of course those bastards would target him. Even knowing Hermes isn't capable of godslaying, they still won't pass up a chance to throw mud at him."
At that, Loki couldn't suppress a cold smile.
"Hermes may still stand neutral, but they're worried that neutrality won't last."
"And as for the other reason... those guys have been accused of too much already. They've noticed something's wrong, so now they're wondering if the same person who's screwed them over so many times is behind this too."
Loki was certain they'd never uncover the truth.
But Hestia still couldn't shake her worry.
"But isn't this just shifting the attention toward Bell-kun?"
"...Are you seriously being overprotective, you idiot?"
Loki looked at the worried Hestia with exasperation, completely baffled by what this fool was even afraid of.
"With that kid's sharp mind, you really think the Evilus can sniff him out? And don't tell me you're treating him like some kind of saint?"
That kid was no innocent.
He'd schemed against her Familia without hesitation, even considering their destruction.
And yet, Loki didn't feel particularly angry about it.
Such schemes were nothing more than mutual games. If her children couldn't seize even these face-to-face chances, then they'd never seize greater ones either.
If they couldn't keep moving forward, destruction was only a matter of time.
That was why Loki supported throwing her children into trials—to give them opportunities to advance.
"That kid isn't trash. The real trash are the Evilus. All they're good for is rat work. If they really had ability, why didn't they show themselves back in the days of Zeus and Hera?"
In the end, they were just cowards who preyed on the weak.
Loki didn't fear them at all. But what they did in the shadows was revolting. Sometimes she wanted to ignore them, yet those filthy pests always had a way of sticking to her.
"And you don't actually think the Guild just tossed out news of Ikelos's death, do you?"
"Isn't that what they did?"
"...Are you really that stupid?"
Seeing Hestia's blank, confused face, Loki couldn't help but think Bell must really have it tough. How did that kid end up stuck with such an airhead?
"The Guild released news of Ikelos's death to put the fact of 'godslaying' on the table. It's not just for the Evilus to know—it's to let all the gods of Orario know."
"And do you think the Guild will admit Ikelos's death had anything to do with them? Of course not. They'll say 'Ikelos was killed by an outside party during his detention.' In short, they're making Evilus take the blame again."
...That's way too dirty.
Hestia felt that was exactly the sort of thing Uranos might pull off, but soon another doubt surfaced.
"Would anyone actually believe such nonsense?"
"They won't want to, but Ikelos's death is undeniable. As long as the Guild displays his corpse, those bastards will have no choice but to accept it."
Loki was certain the Guild would do just that.
"But we gods can't kill other gods."
"Right, we can't. So how did Ikelos die?"
"Well..."
Hestia knew exactly how Ikelos had died, but if others didn't, his death became a serious problem.
"We gods can't kill each other to that degree."
"And mortals of the lower world awakening the power to slay gods? That chance is practically zero."
Loki spread her hands. The whole thing was a paradox.
"So if both possibilities are nearly impossible, do you really think the Guild's claim—that someone snuck in and killed Ikelos—sounds credible?"
"...No."
Hestia thought it over. Under those circumstances, the Guild's story carried no weight.
But the truth of it was still a massive headache.
Especially when godly rebirth in Tenkai could be confirmed.