Yami spoke frankly, laying his thoughts bare.
The three gods, led by Goddess Hephaestus, didn't intervene. Although Yami's approach might seem a little immoral, it was hardly out of place in Orario. After all, the gods often indulged in playful interactions with mortals, sometimes in much more outrageous ways.
Moreover, Yami had given Kaguya and Hayasaka a genuine opportunity to change their destinies, which, from a certain perspective, could even be considered a kindness.
As the head deity of her familia, Goddess Hephaestus generally didn't meddle too much in her children's personal lives—so long as it didn't violate moral codes or endanger the safety of the familia.
"Alright, as long as you've thought this through," Hephaestus said. "But how do you plan to train these two girls? Are you going to send them to the Navy Headquarters like you did with Ais and Tiona?"
Her question hit upon an important point, one she was genuinely curious about.
As for recruiting the two girls into her own familia, the red-haired goddess had no interest. The Hephaestus Familia had already become Orario's strongest, even surpassing the Loki and Freya familias combined in strength.
It might seem strange for a familia of artisans to claim the title of strongest, but since Yami had joined them, such feats had become possible.
After defeating the Apollo Familia through a war game and driving them out of Orario, Hephaestus had realized that Yami alone was enough to secure their dominance.
Thus, there was no pressing need to expand the familia with random new recruits. As a crafting-focused familia, having too many members specialized in combat or exploration could disrupt their core identity.
And clearly, the two girls before her didn't seem suited to forging or crafting. They were entirely out of sync with the Hephaestus Familia's focus.
However, if Yami insisted, Hephaestus wouldn't object. It all depended on who was doing the recruiting.
Even within the same familia, the degree of closeness between members and their patron god could vary considerably.
"More or less," Yami responded casually. "It would be inefficient to have them train on their own, and I don't want to personally oversee their progress—it's too time-consuming."
"So the best option would be to send them to the Navy Headquarters for training."
"But before that, they'll need to become adventurers, of course."
He didn't need to say it, but "God's Grace" was a remarkable power in its own right. It operated on an idealistic principle—those with stronger inner desires were more likely to unlock powerful magic or skills.
This was something the people of the Pirate World couldn't compare with. From a certain perspective, talent and hard work were essential components: talent defined one's upper limit, while hard work determined whether or not that limit could be reached.
"But which familia will you have them join?" Hephaestus asked, bringing up another practical matter.
As she spoke, the eyes of everyone present instinctively turned toward Goddess Hestia.
Caught off-guard while enjoying her melon, the young-looking goddess blinked in surprise. But once she understood why everyone was looking at her, she exploded in protest.
"Why is everyone staring at me?! Let me tell you now, I won't agree so easily!"
"Sure, I'm looking for promising recruits to strengthen my familia, but that doesn't mean I'm willing to accept just anyone."
"And besides, I'm focusing on quality, not quantity! Don't think you can force this on me!"
Hestia's outburst made her dissatisfaction clear.
Yami, however, looked amused, his expression turning slightly mischievous.
If he remembered correctly, the Hestia Familia wasn't exactly lacking in members at the moment. Previously, he had helped Kagaya bring many members of the Demon Slayer Squad into the world of gods to serve as high-ranking officers in her familia.
That's why the Hestia Familia had been growing steadily stronger by the day. However, they were still missing a few elite members, and despite what Hestia claimed, the familia wasn't exactly selective.
Perhaps the real issue was that Hestia wasn't against recruiting Kaguya and Hayasaka—she just didn't like others making decisions for her.
Yami had already anticipated this.
With a sly smile, he walked over to the still-pouting goddess and whispered something in her ear.
Hestia's disgruntled expression immediately brightened, her entire demeanor shifting.
Even the way she looked at Kaguya changed.
"Yami-kun, are you really not tricking me?" she asked, her voice tinged with excitement.
"Of course not. I wouldn't lie about something like this," Yami replied, his smile growing wider.
It was clear now that the matter was practically settled.
Satisfied with Yami's answer, Hestia quickly changed her tune.
"Well, since it's your request, Yami-kun, I guess I can reluctantly agree!" she said, feigning reluctance.
"Besides, I think these two girls are rather likable. My familia could use more female members anyway—just to balance things out a little."
"Come along with me!"
With that, Hestia beckoned for Kaguya and Hayasaka to follow her. The two girls exchanged a glance but obediently went along, unsure of what to expect.
Once they were gone, Hephaestus and Artemis turned to Yami with curiosity.
"Yami, what did you say to her?" they asked in unison.
Yami shrugged casually.
"Nothing much. I just mentioned that Kaguya's family is very wealthy. If she joins Hestia's familia, they'll never have to worry about money again."
"Heh, that's so like Hestia," Hephaestus muttered, her lips twitching with mild exasperation.