A couple of days had passed, and the stir surrounding the Apollo Familia's sudden departure had finally begun to quiet down.
Despite the exile of a mid-tier faction, the rhythm of daily life in Orario went on as usual.
In time, the city would forget the Apollo Familia had ever existed at all... their overall impact on Orario's history was a mere drop in the ocean.
On another note, Alfia had taken it upon herself to buy the land that Apollo had sold to the Guild and hired several construction-type Familias to begin building a mansion that was even bigger than the original Hearth Manor.
The budget ran well into the billions of valis, an astronomical fortune that some foreign kingdoms could only dream of possessing.
For Alfia, however, it was a drop in the bucket.
With nearly 40 billion valis to her name... the accumulated wealth of her glory days as an adventurer... she didn't hesitate to spend whatever it took.
Where the shattered ruins of the Apollo estate had stood just days prior, a loud, bustling construction site had taken its place.
Hundreds of sweat-drenched workers, mostly dwarves, laboured beneath the sun.
"Keep working! We've got a big customer on our hands. I want everything to be perfect! No room for mistakes!"
Goibniu and several other artisan deities barked orders, their booming voices cutting clearly through the din of hammers and stone-cutting.
"Is this really going to be our new home?"
Today, Belle and Hestia were visiting the site to take a look for themselves.
But what they saw surprised them.
"Wh-What?! They've built this much already?!"
Belle gasped, her crimson eyes wide as she realized nearly half the framework was already completed.
"I-I can't believe it… This is going to be our house? It's not even finished, and it's already huge!"
Hestia craned her neck upward, taking in the towering scaffoldings.
"Excuse me, comin' through!"
A dwarf called out, striding past while balancing a towering stack of timber easily ten times his size over his shoulders.
"Ah, sorry!"
Belle squeaked, quickly stepping out of his path.
"Belle, I'm so excited! To think we're going to have a place like this all to ourselves!"
Hestia said in a giddy voice, jumping from behind and latching herself onto Belle's back.
"Yeah… it really is amazing."
Belle agreed, smiling softly.
They spent the next half-hour exploring the perimeter, taking care to stay out of the workers' way before finally taking their leave.
...
"Looks like my shift starts in thirty minutes… Are you heading straight to the Dungeon, Belle?"
Hestia muttered after checking the time.
"Yeah. Me, Welf, and Lili haven't gone diving in days because of everything that happened with the Apollo Familia."
Belle said as she walked side by side with Hestia along the road, handing her a snack they had just bought.
"By the way, Belle, I heard that Lili has been taking Alfia's training recently. I wonder how that's going?"
Hestia asked before taking a bite of a skewered piece of meat.
"Ah... that..."
Belle let out a wry, nervous laugh, scratching her cheek with a finger.
"I think it's good that she finally found the drive to grow stronger."
...
Ever since the incident with the Apollo Familia, Lili had taken the initiative to approach Alfia herself.
Being hunted through the streets had laid bare her powerlessness, leaving her deeply shaken.
Belle vividly remembered the day Lili had bowed her head to the floor, pleading while Alfia looked down on her with cool indifference.
"I used to think that because I was just a lowly supporter, there was no point in me getting stronger."
Lili had choked out, her palms pressed flat against the floorboards.
"But when our Familia was in danger, I couldn't do a single thing. I was nothing more than a burden!"
"Lili..."
Belle spoke quietly, watching the entire scene with a worried expression.
"Please, make me stronger!"
At first, her voice was soft and quiet, but toward the end, her voice grew louder.
"How noisy."
Alfia's cold, sharp voice cut through the air.
Lili flinched, cold sweat breaking out across her brow.
'Ah crap, I think I was too loud.'
She knew Alfia's temperament very well, as well as her strange dislike of noise.
Just as she braced herself for a beating... but Alfia merely stared down at her with disdain.
"To be honest, I have misgivings about letting you join my niece's Familia."
Alfia stated plainly, never one to sugarcoat her words.
"I took a look at your background, and what I found only confirms my suspicion."
"You are a thief, a liar, and a rat that scurried around in the dark corners of the streets."
"Not only that, you are complacent and unmotivated."
"How long have you been stuck at Level 1? Even with the excuse of being a non-combat supporter, anyone can see you lack raw talent as an adventurer."
With every brutal truth Alfia laid bare, Lili's hands clenched tighter, her small frame trembling violently.
She opened her mouth to defend herself, but no words came out.
There wasn't a single lie in anything Alfia had said.
Looking at Lili, who had remained quiet, a look of disappointment appeared on Alfia's face before she turned around to leave.
But then, Lili made a bold move and quickly reached out, grabbing the edge of Alfia's dress.
Belle watched nervously, biting her nails, but then Lili finally gathered the courage to speak.
"I know…!"
Lili choked back a sob, finally squeezing the words out.
"I know I'm a piece of trash! Compared to someone like Belle, who shines like a diamond, I'm just a worthless pebble on the sidewalk that no one cares to look at!"
"I could make excuses all day about how my circumstances forced my hand, but to the people I hurt, it's all just cheap talk. But… I refuse to let that define me forever!"
"Even if I am a rat, then I'll become the absolute best rat there is! If I don't push forward right now, I know I'll regret it for the rest of my life! So please… give me a chance! I want to change!"
After saying what was in her heart, Lili looked up, no longer afraid.
Alfia slowly turned back toward her, meeting her gaze.
Looking at the resolve shining in those tear-streaked eyes, Alfia's expression remained unchanged.
But if one looked closely, there was a hint of approval at the corners of her lips.
"Very well... but let me remind you that once you start, I will be the one who decides when it ends, even if you beg for mercy and weep pathetically on the ground."
Hearing this, a look of surprise appeared on Lili's face before turning into a smile.
"Y-Yes!"
She stammered as she used the back of her hand to wipe away her tears.
"Lili, you did it."
Belle said with a proud smile.
"Don't get ahead of yourself. Even with my instruction, your lack of talent means you won't progress far as a frontline fighter."
"Even if you push yourself to your absolute limits for the rest of your life, Level 3 will be your ceiling."
"If you're lucky, maybe you can reach level 4."
Alfia said harshly, causing Lili to stiffen.
"However, I can see that you have the potential to be a commander."
Alfia added, shifting her gaze toward Belle.
"Although, as the captain, my dull niece should be the one to take such a position, but as the Familia expands, a secondary strategist will become vital."
"First thing tomorrow, we will head to the town library to study tactics and strategies. The day after, we will work on your combat ability and overall fitness."
"Even if a commander stays in the rear most of the time, an adventurer who lacks basic combat capability is nothing more than liability."
Since that day, Lili had been pushed through a hellish training regime that routinely left her weeping from sheer exhaustion.
…
Back to the present.
Belle and Lili arrived at the central plaza, where Welf was waiting, leaning casually against a stone pillar.
When Welf caught sight of Lili dragging her feet toward them, his eyebrows nearly shot off his forehead.
"Little Lili?! What in the world happened to you? You look like you just crawled out of a warzone!"
Welf asked, thoroughly bewildered.
"I'm fine… Mister Welf… Let's just go…"
Lili rasped, her voice completely hoarse.
Belle and Welf looked at each other, the latter asking with his eyes, 'You sure she'll be fine?'
In response, Belle let out a helpless sigh.
"I told her she could rest if she wanted to, but she kept insisting on coming."
"Ah. I see."
Welf nodded in understanding, and the trio turned to head toward the dungeon entrance.
Just as Belle was about to step through, she sensed a pair of eyes staring at the back of her head.
"Hmm?"
She turned around but couldn't see anyone.
…
Hiding behind a column, Hyakinthos could be seen pulling his hood up, a mask covering the upper half of his face.
His lips twisted into a sinister grin.
People nearby avoided him, staring at him strangely because of the bloodlust he was emitting.
'Finally... hunting season has come. Hehe... your days are done, you damn rabbit!'
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