The biting cold wind cut through the air. Outside the enormous mansion, a heavy silence pressed down on everyone's nerves.
"War Game… Has Hestia approved it?"
Apollo forced down the joy rising in his chest as he asked.
"Yes. Goddess-sama entrusted the decision to me," Bell answered without hesitation.
Hestia had been worried when the topic came up, but she could see the boy's determination.
"You have to win, okay?"
"No matter what happens, I'll support Bell's decisions."
"Go give that pervert a good beating!"
Hestia said this with conviction.
"I see… so Hestia Familia intends to fight us in a War Game."
Apollo stared hard at Bell, an unpleasant smile twisting his lips.
"No. To be precise, it's me and my lovers."
Bell shot back.
"..."
Apollo glanced at Lefiya, his smile weakening.
"What's wrong? Didn't you claim your love burns like the sun? And yet you're afraid of us?"
Bell caught Apollo's hesitation and provoked him.
"Fine… have it your way. They can join. But I have one condition: Only the Thousand Elf may participate at Lv3 and above."
Apollo was eliminating any unsettling variables. An adventurer strong enough could rival an entire army. There was a chance the boy had taken some first-class adventurer as a lover. As long as that possibility was removed, Lefiya alone wouldn't cause much trouble.
Besides, Apollo still had his [trump card].
"And if we win, Bell Cranel must join Apollo Familia."
The god added calmly.
"Then if you lose—"
"I'll withdraw from the stage of Orario entirely, and Apollo Familia's assets will be left for Hestia Familia to distribute as they see fit."
Before Bell could respond, Apollo stated the rest of the terms himself.
"No problem. We'll decide the time and place when the gods gather."
Bell accepted and turned away with Lefiya.
Under the sunlight, Apollo watched the boy's retreating figure, unmoving for a long time.
...
News of the War Game spread across Orario in an instant.
"The Guild approved the application!"
"Quick, hold an emergency Denatus! Call all those bored gods over!"
"Hestia Familia going up against Apollo Familia?! That's insane!"
"No, there's also the Thousand Elf and a mysterious participant!"
"Ohhh, it's harem vs. harem!!"
"The long-awaited carnival is finally here!"
The excitement, led by the gods, erupted immediately. The entertainment-seeking gods dove enthusiastically into the topic.
A War Game was already a rare spectacle, and now it came with the added flair of harem versus harem. The gods—especially the male ones—were all eager to see how things would play out.
The discussions grew louder and more frenzied, surpassing even the liveliness of a festival, and swept through the entire city.
"The odds are a staggering twenty to one?!"
Inside a casino, onlookers gasped in astonishment.
"No way around it. Even with the [Thousand Elf] present, the disparity in combat strength is simply too great.
On one side stands a core familia of over a hundred members; their coordination alone could crush a seventeenth-floor Floor Boss.
The other is Hestia's newly emerging familia, with only one member.
The Lvl.3 mage has no room to maneuver without cover.
Thus, few are backing Hestia's familia."
"I believe in the World's Fastest Rabbit!"
"Me too!"
Unlike the rational adventurers, the gods who love high-stakes gambling were placing their bets on Bell.
"Bell Cranel, one hundred thousand gold."
"Hey… Mord, are you serious?"
"Cut the nonsense. Just place the bet."
Mord had witnessed the youth's luck and wit at the Golden Casino. He tossed a bag of gold coins onto the table and walked away with nonchalant ease, completely unfazed by the surrounding jeers.
"I am betting on that kid too. Gotcha, nya."
Ignoring Lunoire's pleas to stop gambling, Chloe staked her savings on Bell.
"Ooh, another sucker's here!!"
Amid the crowd's jeers, Chloe pulled her hat brim low and walked away with a smile.
"Looks like a big payday, nya~"
…
Orario Center, Tower of Babel, 30th Floor.
Apollo's face was ashen.
With the War Game confirmed, an emergency council of the gods had been convened. Yet Hestia, the central figure of the entire matter, had taken three consecutive sick days under the pretext of feeling unwell. Without her, none of the War Game's arrangements could be finalized.
Apollo's teeth itched with rage.
But the God of Medicine, Miach, declared that Hestia, unable to bear such immense pressure, needed several days of rest. Even as Apollo fumed, the other gods accepted the explanation.
"Finally! I almost thought you were going to run away!"
The moment Apollo saw Hestia, his fury surged.
"Who's running away? You pervert."
Hestia shot back without mercy. She was buying time for Bell. Even in just a few short days, under the training of [those two girls], Bell's Status would surely skyrocket.
"You're deliberately stalling, wasting the time of all the gods present here. How do you intend to take responsibility?"
Apollo latched onto the accusation, refusing to let go.
"Enough, I'm sick of hearing this. You and shorty arguing is the real waste of time."
Loki yawned, reluctantly coming to Hestia's aid. Since it concerned Bell and Lefiya, she naturally took their side.
"Agreed. Both sides' conditions are set. Let's finalize the battle format already."
Hephaestus took over the discussion.
The requirements of the two familia, as well as the participants for the War Game, had already been settled. The only thing left was determining the rules. Once decided, the Guild could start preparing the appropriate battlefield.
"How about a round-robin tournament?"
"Dionysus, do you really want to watch the Thousand Elf dueling warriors one-on-one? That would be one-sided no matter how you look at it."
"No, I just think it'd be more entertaining."
"You really are cruel…"
"I think hide-and-seek would be great! After all, he is the world's fastest rabbit."
"I'm in!"
"But with so few participants, hide-and-seek would just turn into demon-tag…"
The gods chattered endlessly, unable to reach a conclusion.
"Perhaps we should just draw lots."
One god produced a box and made the proposal.
After unanimous agreement, the gods wrote the War Game's format on parchment and passed it to Freya.
"Shall I draw the lots?"
The Goddess of Beauty spoke coldly.
"Yes, since Freya is the most impartial."
A goddess replied.
Normally this would have fallen to Hermes, but his Familia member, Laurier, was also connected to the War Game. Thus the gods entrusted the task to the aloof Freya.
"Hmm…"
Freya murmured softly as she slowly drew out a parchment.
"Please, Freya…"
Hestia watched the Goddess of Beauty with nervous anticipation.
Under that stunning, aloof gaze, the parchment unfurled bit by bit, revealing several bold characters written upon it.
Siege Battle