Even if the War Game were refused, Apollo still had ways to forcibly take Ron. As for the gazes cast at him by the other gods, he chose to ignore them outright.
In their eyes, what he was doing was no different from bullying the weak with strength.
But having come to Orario and, after much difficulty, grown his familia to its current scale, if he did not rely on certain means to seize what he wanted, would that development not have been in vain?
Most importantly, if the talent Ron possessed were to become known to other gods through the Denatus, the resulting competition, Apollo believed, would only be even fiercer than it was now.
"Hestia, you have no other choice. Even if you refuse me here, you should consider your own children—whether they can continue to explore the Dungeon smoothly..."
"..."
"I hope you will think it over carefully, Hestia."
She truly was not particularly worried.
And the current course of events happened to align with their expectations. When Hestia noticed the resolute look in Ron's eyes beside her, her expression became extremely conflicted.
Finally, amid the sword-drawn, bow-bent tension in the manor, the girl raised her head with difficulty: "What you're doing is a violation of Orario's rules..."
Apollo sneered. "The Adventurers Guild will only tacitly permit my actions. They surely understand that whichever familia Ron develops in is what benefits Orario the most."
"..."
Noticing Hestia's increasingly unsightly expression, Apollo thoroughly enjoyed this sense of "domination"; even his smile carried unrestrained arrogance.
He emphasized once more, "You have no other choice."
It was not that Hestia had poor relations. As the "Goddess of Agriculture," Demeter could not bear it and tugged at Hephaestus's arm beside her.
But what she received in return was only the other's firm gaze.
They could not simply stand by and watch their close friend be placed over an open flame. Hephaestus frowned slightly and reminded him, "...This is an unfair War Game."
"There is no suspense."
"So what?"
Apollo retorted without hesitation. Yet when he realized it was Hephaestus speaking, the smug expression on his face gradually turned unpleasant.
After all—the strength possessed by her familia was absolutely not something he could contend with.
And the appearance of a "mediator" instead placed Apollo in a difficult position. After hesitating for a moment, he forced out a smile and added: "Then..."
"To make this War Game suspenseful, I can agree to the Hestia Familia seeking outside assistance—but the helper they find must not belong to any familia."
"What do you think?"
"And the time frame?"
She was well aware of Ron's plan.
It could also be considered securing some conditions for that guy. Hephaestus's expression eased considerably as she stated calmly, "Finding outside assistance will also require time."
"The War Game will begin seven days from now."
"No problem."
She could sense Hephaestus's aggressive attitude.
But Apollo knew—if he rejected her proposal, even if he defeated the Hestia Familia first, another War Game would likely be waiting for him right afterward.
Thus, in front of the many gods of Orario, he once again announced: "Seven days from now, the Apollo Familia will initiate a War Game against the Hestia Familia. Considering that this War Game would otherwise lack suspense, I agree…"
"The Hestia Familia may seek outside assistance not affiliated with any familia, limited to one person only."
"As the victor of the War Game, the winner shall have the right to dispose of all the opposing familia's assets, including its members. The loser shall disband their familia of their own accord."
"Leave Orario!"
Before Apollo had even finished speaking, the girl's previously troubled expression vanished in an instant; even the tone of her reply was filled with certainty.
"I accept the above terms."
"?"
Hestia's decisive demeanor was difficult to reconcile with her earlier hesitation.
As a result, the many gods present cast incredulous gazes toward the center of the banquet hall—at the god-and-child pair who appeared remarkably well-matched.
Including Demeter, Loki…
But without exception, the additional clause Apollo had conceded created the possibility of victory for the Hestia Familia in what had seemed a foregone conclusion.
That was precisely what they wanted to see.
"I am Ganesha!"
"In the capacity of Orario's guardian of public order, I shall supervise this War Game."
At some unknown moment, the dark-skinned, athletic god—bare-chested with a muscular upper body and wearing an elephant-trunk mask—Ganesha had already taken his position at the highest point of the banquet stage.
His loud, full-throated shout formally established the rules of the "War Game"!
"Will the long-established Apollo Familia win this War Game, or will the rising force, the Hestia Familia, create a miracle?"
"Stay tuned!!"
...
After securing Apollo's concession, Hephaestus left together with Demeter—whose figure rivaled Hestia's, dressed in a floral dress, with long wavy hair.
They moved to the center of the banquet hall.
With the start of the "War Game" and Ganesha's stirring atmosphere, the ballroom had already become extraordinarily lively, filled with discussions about how the battle would unfold.
'Should we stir things up a bit...'
This thought arose in her mind.
When Hephaestus fixed her gaze on Ron's delicate features, there was no excessive exchange. She merely lowered her voice and asked casually: "Can you win?"
"We will win."
Without Hephaestus's intervention, he would have had to dig a pit for Apollo to jump into in order to create favorable conditions for himself. Facing her question, Ron's reply carried not the slightest hesitation.
The War Game was set for seven days later.
They could also recruit one helper not affiliated with any familia—and Senior Ryuu happened to meet the requirement, since her goddess Astraea had already left Orario.
To be honest, he truly could not imagine how he could possibly lose!
Receiving such an unequivocal answer, Hephaestus's smile became meaningful. Although to her, money could only be regarded as a string of numbers without value, when placed in Loki's hands, she saw another possibility—the possibility of helping Ron obtain the "Great Sacred Tree Branch." It could also serve to add another flame to this War Game!
Dressed in a wine-red evening gown, the woman's movements were exceedingly elegant.
After arriving at the banquet stage, though she wore a black eyepatch over her right eye, it still could not conceal the uniquely mature charm that belonged to Hephaestus alone.
Lightly lifting her skirt, she swept her gaze across the gods present: "I feel that..."
"Simply discussing the outcome of the War Game is rather dull. In the name of Hephaestus, I am establishing a wager here and invite everyone to participate."
"I wonder if any of you are interested?"
"..."
As the wealthiest goddess in Orario, Hephaestus's words undoubtedly shifted the already heated discussion in a different direction.
Objectively speaking, this was absolutely a sure-profit situation. From the standpoint of strength alone, the recently formed Hestia Familia had no hope of victory!
However, watching the many gods eagerly sign up for the wager and place bets on their own familias, Apollo did not feel the slightest bit pleased. He certainly had opinions about Hephaestus, who had come out twice in a row to disrupt matters, but he did not dare voice them.
Until he saw—
Hestia step onto the stage holding an Adventurers Guild deposit certificate, choosing a betting line completely opposite to that of the other gods, wagering that Ron would win.
His facial expression froze instantly.
'This is bad...'
'Why do I feel like I've been set up by capital?!'
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