"This has to be a lie..."
In the middle of the streets of Orario, a girl with rust-red hair and sharp, strong features knelt, clutching her head in her hands.
Her name was Daphne Lauros, a Level 2 adventurer known by the epithet "Laurel Mistress." She belonged to the Apollo Familia, a faction specializing in exploration.
Though her loyalty to her god wasn't particularly deep, her skills and leadership were exceptional—so much so that she was often entrusted with commanding units within the Familia.
But now, she suffered from a splitting headache. Before her eyes lay the ruins of a collapsed old church, once the headquarters for a certain Familia.
That Familia was none other than the Hestia Familia, home to Bell Cranel, the boy whom the lustful god Apollo had set his sights on.
Now, that headquarters was nothing but unsightly rubble. The roof had caved in, the pillars were shattered, and the walls had been blown away. It was impossible to even see what remained inside; the original landmarks of the place had vanished entirely.
Who had destroyed it?
The answer was obvious: the followers of the Apollo Familia.
Apollo and the Goddess Hestia hailed from the same homeland. Although Hestia, known for her mercy, described him as an "eccentric god whose interests exceed the bounds of logic," he wasn't inherently evil.
On the contrary, he possessed a deep love for the humans of the Lower World, to the point where he might even be classified as a benevolent deity.
But his love was far too deep.
He tended to become obsessed with humans he admired, regardless of gender—though he showed a clear preference for males—and once he set his heart on someone, he sought to possess them even if they refused him. Even if the result proved catastrophic for the other party, he would pursue them to the ends of the earth.
In fact, most members of his own Apollo Familia were people he had forcibly taken from other Familias. These actions caused recurring problems and sanctions from the Guild, but because he was fundamentally a "good" god and possessed extensive connections, he had managed to survive until today.
This time, however, was entirely different.
Apollo's current target was the young adventurer Bell Cranel, who had recently leveled up.
Daphne had tried to stop him—she had tried with everything she had. Had Bell been a mere promising rookie, she might have grumbled but followed orders.
But Bell was the pupil of the "Wolf," and more importantly, he was the younger brother of the "Sword Saint."
No one could predict the scale of the retaliation that would fall upon them if they touched a member of the Loki Familia, the largest faction in the city.
Furthermore, Apollo should have learned a harsh lesson years ago when he tried to approach Bell's brother, the "Sword Saint"—Al.
Four years ago, when Al first arrived in the city—already having leveled up—Apollo set his sights on him and tried to force him into his Familia, despite Al belonging to the city's greatest power.
That conflict ended in a bitter struggle that turned into a duel between Al alone and the elite of the Apollo Familia, much like a War Game. It was a literal massacre.
Al swept them away with no-chant lightning magic and incredible physical combat abilities. He decimated the Familia's main force, including Hyakinthos, who was supposed to be of a higher rank. Those who miraculously survived were left with indelible trauma as they watched their comrades crushed before their eyes.
It didn't stop there. After that incident, Apollo and his Familia faced massive debts imposed by Loki.
For this reason, Daphne had desperately tried to persuade Apollo this time, but the result was what she now saw. Fortunately, it seemed Bell and Hestia were unharmed, but destroying their home was a line that should never have been crossed.
Before Daphne or the other members could intervene, some extremist loyalists of Apollo had acted recklessly. This was the result.
Daphne sighed as she looked at the collapsed church. By the time she heard the commotion in the city, it was already too late.
"It seems the civilians weren't harmed..."
Daphne muttered this, looking at the ruined church with an expression as if she had swallowed something bitter, her hand clenched tight.
In truth, Orario's laws forbade street fighting, but as long as civilians weren't harmed, the punishments weren't usually too severe. If the conflict involved rough adventurers, the Guild occasionally turned a blind eye, considering it the responsibility of both parties.
But this time, the opponent was the wrong man.
Bell himself was just a promising youth and wasn't particularly frightening on his own, but behind him stood the Loki Familia.
Of course, Bell belonged to the Hestia Familia, and intervening in conflicts between other factions was forbidden even for the city's largest Familia.
In reality, however, if the "Sword Saint"—Bell's brother—decided to take revenge on the Apollo Familia, who would dare stop him?
Only the strongest adventurers in the city could halt an angry adventurer of his caliber. But Apollo had declared hostility toward the Loki Familia once before; this was the second time. In some contexts, this could be seen as an explicit challenge to the Loki Familia, and no one would intervene to stop them.
If things went too far, the Ganesha Familia, which acted as the city's guard, might step in—but Al could easily overpower them if he wished.
Though the Ganesha Familia had the highest number of first-tier adventurers, their captain, Shakti, was only Level 5. They couldn't stop him. More importantly, that hero was capable of destroying the city itself if he desired.
(As for the Freya Familia, they were entirely out of the equation).
In any case, there was no force in Orario capable of stopping Al once he set his mind to something.
No matter how much the Guild tried to restrain him, if he ignored the sanctions and moved forward, no one could prevent him from annihilating the members of the Apollo Familia.
If Al destroyed the Apollo Familia, he would certainly face Guild sanctions, but he could simply ignore them with his strength.
Even if it wasn't obvious on the surface, human lives had varying values in reality. Just as small Familias were forced to waive their rights when targeted by the Apollo Familia, the Apollo Familia stood no chance of winning once Al set them in his crosshairs.
If the Guild said they would punish Al, and Al replied, "Then I'll leave the city," that would be the end.
Everyone understood what the departure of the city's strongest adventurer would mean.
Beyond the impossibility of stopping him by force, his actual departure would cripple the city's management. In the worst-case scenario, it could evolve into a crisis threatening the very existence of Orario.
There was no one in Orario who hadn't heard the news of Al Cranel leveling up a few days ago.
A Level 8 promotion.
This was an achievement that hadn't occurred since the Zeus and Hera Familias left the city fifteen years ago. The time he took since receiving his "Blessing" was only four years—the fastest record in Orario's thousand-year history.
Just as there was a vast difference between Level 1 and 2, or Level 6 and 7, the gap between Levels 7 and 8 was far greater. Up until Level 7, there were a fair number throughout Orario's history, but those who reached Level 8 and above could be counted on one hand.
Even in the Zeus and Hera Familias, considered the icons of the Age of Gods and the peak of followers, only one person in each had reached Level 8. Now, that talented sixteen-year-old boy had reached that realm, and he hadn't even hit his prime yet.
What would happen if a being who achieved such a miracle decided to leave the city?
Orario's adventurers have two ultimate missions.
The first is the conquest of the deepest floors of the Dungeon.
The second is the annihilation of the black catastrophe that could destroy the world—the one before which even Zeus and Hera were defeated: the One-Eyed Black Dragon.
Al wasn't just an adventurer; he had become humanity's trump card, potentially filling the void left by Zeus and Hera.
Such a person could not be allowed to leave the city, nor should he.
It wasn't just the Guild; even Familias that held no love for the Loki Familia would want him to stay in the city, considering the risk of new Dark Sects appearing if he vanished.
Many people hated discrimination based on status or power, but when considering what might be lost without such distinction, the Guild was forced to give the "Sword Saint" and the city's strongest adventurer preferential treatment in all aspects. No one in Orario, at least, could blame them for that.
In contrast, if we asked whether the Apollo Familia had value equal to Al's, the answer was an emphatic no.
While they possessed a fair number of first-tier adventurers, they were nothing more than a mid-tier force.
On top of that, the fault in this case clearly lay with Apollo. If Al decided on serious revenge, the Guild wouldn't even try to stop him.
Since the Apollo Familia's methods had been criticized for a long time, regardless of the law, public sentiment would certainly support Al and the Hestia Familia.
City residents and small Familias harbored resentment toward the Apollo Familia, but because they were a mid-strength group, people had watched from a distance without voicing complaints.
But this time, Apollo and his followers had dared to touch a "Hero's Egg" like Bell Cranel.
Most importantly, Apollo had already incurred the Loki Familia's wrath before. Consequently, there was not a single reason to side with Apollo.
"(─── This is impossible.)"
No matter how much Daphne thought, the Apollo Familia was now in a state of "checkmate."
Because she knew things would reach this point, Daphne and the regular members had tried hard to calm Apollo and settle matters amicably. However, some members consumed by anger and excessive loyalty ignored everything and took forced actions, making the situation far worse.
Even so, she couldn't sympathize with Apollo; he was the one who first set his sights on Bell.
Now, regret flooded her, and she wondered how things had gone so far.
If she had stopped Apollo early, even if she had to strike him, would anything have changed? But regret is useless after a catastrophe has struck.
If the conflict were purely personal, perhaps the usually indifferent Al wouldn't have intervened. But attacking his brother's Familia headquarters was something he would certainly not let slide.
Daphne knew Al's character well thanks to her relationship with Cassandra.
Daphne's honest assessment of him was that he was a sensible young man; he wasn't evil, nor did he carry the ego or arrogance common among the powerful, except for being strangely indifferent to his own safety.
Though Al was often spontaneous and didn't seem to care much about his fellow Familia members—the Loki Familia—it was impossible for him not to be angry at his brother being harmed.
Perhaps it wouldn't come to killing, but it was highly likely that Al would use his power to destroy the Apollo Familia without anyone stopping him.
Daphne wanted to avoid that.
Personally, she hated and even loathed Apollo, but that didn't change the fact that the Apollo Familia was where she belonged, home to close friends.
If Al's anger only led to the Familia's disbandment, that was the lesser of two evils.
But there were two catastrophic possibilities.
The first was death and injury at Al's hands.
Daphne, however, believed this wouldn't happen. Although she had feared his revenge moments ago, she realized he wasn't reckless enough to lose control of his power.
Even if Al erupted in rage, he would move in a way that avoided casualties. It was also unlikely that a leader of the Loki Familia, who should serve as an example for the city, would act so extremely, even if he was in the right.
Daphne thought the most he would do was beat the culprits, then pressure the Guild to exile them from Orario or impose heavy fines and compensation for the Hestia Familia.
The second possibility was the social ostracization of the Apollo Familia in Orario.
This was more terrifying than exile, and its likelihood was very high.
Even if Al didn't intend it, the moment he directed his hostility toward the Apollo Familia, all of Orario would become their enemy even before Al or the Loki Familia did anything.
It could be called public pressure or sycophancy toward the powerful.
To put it more clearly: social death.
First-tier adventurers aren't just an indispensable force for Orario; they are the city's stars and the objects of admiration for all adventurers.
Even if Al and the Loki Familia acted maturely and didn't intervene or settled things amicably, the fact that the Apollo Familia had harassed them twice would not change. The more mature Al was in his reaction, the greater the hatred toward Apollo would grow.
Bell himself was popular as a promising youth, and since the 18th-floor incident, many mid-tier adventurers from various Familias had supported him.
The worst result for the Apollo Familia would be obtaining Bell, or the matter ending without a clear resolution.
It was better to be "punished" by Al, because if that didn't happen, a dissatisfied Orario public would crush the Apollo Familia without any guilt.
After all, the Apollo Familia were the ones who started making excuses and destroyed the Hestia Familia's headquarters.
It was easy to imagine how everyone in the city, whether from the Guild or other Familias, would blame Apollo's followers. If that happened, they were finished.
The first thing that came to mind was the extreme difficulty of exchanging magic stones and drop items for money, or obtaining necessary supplies.
Of course, the Guild, as a neutral party, would exchange money for them with cold looks, but commercial Familias and merchants might refuse to deal with them entirely. Even if merchants had no personal grievance, they might fear criticism for dealing with an Apollo Familia that the entire city opposed.
Additionally, quest requests for the Familia would stop, and joint expeditions with other Familias would become impossible.
In the worst case, they might be ambushed inside the Dungeon by extremists.
If Daphne and her companions asked for help, everyone would simply say, "This is the price of your own actions," and they would be right.
Escaping Orario was also difficult for a Familia containing several first-tier adventurers unless they were officially exiled.
They might be able to leave if the whole city turned against them, but Guild employees were human and had feelings; they might prevent them from leaving just to prolong their suffering.
"(As I thought, no matter how I look at it, the path is blocked.)"
For the members of the Apollo Familia to survive, Daphne saw only two solutions: either Al intervened as a mediator and a penalty was imposed that satisfied the public, or Bell himself defeated the Apollo Familia clearly in a "War Game," as had happened before.
As for the second solution, if Bell complained to those around him, it would be over. In either case, the disbandment of the Familia was unavoidable.
Honestly, Daphne didn't care what happened to Apollo, but since the matter had evolved to affect her, she hoped it would end peacefully.
"────── There is no choice but to beg for forgiveness, even if I have to prostrate myself."
As a first step, the extremist members must be restrained immediately and an apology made to Bell. Then she would go to Al and beg him to put an end to this matter.
Fortunately, Daphne had a decent relationship with Al. That man would yield a little if she lowered her head before him.
"Cassandra, now we—"
Daphne decided to head to Al immediately, taking Cassandra—who was closer to him than she was—but the words died in her throat.
She saw the girl, whose face was even paler than Daphne's own. Cassandra was deeply unsettled, despite usually being sensible.
Seeing her trembling body and sallow face, a chill swept through Daphne's thoughts along with an ominous feeling.
"... I-I knew, I knew, and yet I couldn't stop them."
"If you mean that, then I also—"
"It's different!!"
"?!"
It was a shout Daphne hadn't imagined from the girl who always acted shyly and lacked confidence. When she saw tears streaming from her eyes, Daphne's confusion grew.
Cassandra wasn't the only one who knew Apollo and Hyakinthos were targeting Bell; Daphne and the rest of the members knew as well.
Failing to stop them was everyone's responsibility; there was no need for Cassandra to blame herself to this extent, as she wasn't even in a command position like Daphne.
But Cassandra clearly didn't see it that way. She continued through her tears:
"It's different, Daphne."
"It's not Apollo-sama's ideas, or the prophetic dreams, or any of that."
"I knew that church..."
"Was a place very dear to his heart!!!"
●○●○●
"Al's little brother is being attacked!!"
The sound of an explosion and a building collapsing echoed through the city. Smoke rose from the direction of the noise, and the screams of civilians and magical explosions could be heard.
The din reached even Twilight Manor, the headquarters of the Loki Familia in the north of the city.
Members waiting inside stood up, wondering what was happening. Tiona, who had gone into the city and returned quickly to assess the situation, burst into the reception room and shouted at Finn and the others.
"Tiona, is this true?"
"Yes, it seems the Apollo Familia is pursuing that boy with all their strength!!"
Ais also stood up and questioned the Amazon girl who had rushed in. Tiona replied, catching her breath.
It was well known that Apollo was a perverted god who liked beautiful boys. It seemed his followers had attacked on his orders after he had set his sights on Bell.
Ais and her companions knew how persistent that god could be. He would likely search the entire city to find and take him.
The problem was that the Apollo Familia, while not on the level of Ais and her companions, contained many highly skilled first-tier adventurers. It was almost impossible for Bell to escape them alone.
"It's been a long time since an open conflict like this occurred."
Gareth muttered, stroking his beard as he sat on the reception room sofa. The noise hadn't quieted yet; the fighting was still ongoing.
"Clearly, the Apollo Familia is prepared to endure Guild sanctions."
Riveria said this, her brow furrowed in annoyance. This act was a blatant violation of the laws, and Apollo would be punished regardless of the reason.
Did his obsession with Bell really go that far?
No, that wasn't the point.
The problem was ──────
"This is the second time, then."
"... We can't remain silent about this, can we?"
The first time was four years ago, when Apollo targeted Al—who had just arrived in the city—and tried to forcibly add him to his Familia despite him belonging to the greatest faction.
Back then, Loki had retaliated through the Guild, but due to overlapping interests between factions, the matter hadn't resulted in the Familia's disbandment.
This time, things were different. While Bell Cranel belonged to the Hestia Familia, few adventurers didn't know he was Al's brother and Bete's pupil.
In other words, they had attacked him knowing full well he was "family" to the Loki Familia.
And this was the second time.
One might forgive once, but remaining silent a second time would damage their prestige.
The Loki Familia didn't like extremism as much as the Freya Familia, but they had prestige to maintain as the city's largest faction.
If it were just an adventurer they knew, they might have watched as a conflict between other Familias, but beyond personal feelings, if they did nothing in this situation, the Loki Familia itself would be held in contempt.
"On top of that, it seems Apollo's men destroyed the Hestia Familia headquarters!!"
For an adventurer—or rather, for anyone who takes combat as a profession—being "held in contempt" can sometimes become a matter of life and death.
Even as the city's largest faction, they were no exception. Especially since Orario had seen many incidents recently. There was no guarantee that other forces wouldn't exploit this disturbance to move in the shadows, so there was no time for complacency.
Rather, because they were the largest faction and the backbone of the city, if they were underestimated, groups thinking like the Dark Sects might emerge. If the leaders showed a hesitant stance, the tough adventurers in their Familia would certainly not be satisfied.
There is a difference between disregarding an individual and disregarding an organization. In the first case, only that individual's honor is damaged; in the second, the entire organization's credibility is affected.
If they were underestimated even once, they would be sidelined in every situation, and those around them would begin to treat them improperly.
"Let's try harassing them first."
"Next time, let's ask Ganesha for help instead of Loki."
"Even if we pressure them, they won't strike back."
"It's fine even if it's Freya (No, that's unlikely)."
If anyone began to think this way, it was over.
This wasn't just a problem for current members. It was an insult to the trust and achievements built over years since the Familia was just an unknown fledgling faction, and an insult to the dignity of fallen comrades who supported those achievements.
This was something that must be avoided at all costs.
The higher an adventurer's status, the heavier the weight of being "held in contempt." In some cases, the loss could be far greater than the death of a single individual.
"... Perhaps we should say it's good that Bete is in the Dungeon right now."
There were many members, like Bete and Tione, who would rather die than be held in contempt. If they didn't move here, the Familia might be endangered by member dissatisfaction even before the issue of prestige.
Of course, Finn and Riveria felt deep resentment within themselves as well.
"The problem is the timing and nature of the intervention, isn't it?"
It was no longer possible to say this was a conflict between other Familias. Everyone in Orario knew Bell was family to Al.
If the score wasn't settled, relationships with other Familias would sour in the future. This would undoubtedly hinder future activities and affect the city's security.
And most importantly .....
"Al, what do you want to do?"
"Huh?"
Al, Bell's brother, was here. Finn directed his question at him with piercing eyes.
He knew the answer, yet he asked.
In the worst-case scenario, Al might have rushed out of the manor the moment he discovered the news to take revenge on the Apollo Familia. Had he done so, Finn and the others couldn't have stopped him—and they wouldn't have wanted to anyway.
Since he hadn't, it meant Al fully understood the limits of his responsibilities as a member of the organization.
Consequently, the consensus of all the leaders present, even without exchanging words, was to leave the method of settling the score with the Apollo Familia to Al.
Even if he said he would wipe out the Apollo Familia, neither Finn nor Loki, nor even Riveria, would stop him.
However, contrary to what Finn expected, Al thought for a moment with a puzzled look, then opened his mouth to say:
".... No, can't we just leave it?"
"Whaaaaaat?"
Unexpected words came out, with a face that said, "No, actually, I have nothing to do with it."
Finn and the others shouted unintentionally. True, this matter didn't technically touch Al directly.
But since he was Bell's brother, he couldn't be entirely unrelated. On top of that, Al himself had endured something similar from Apollo in the past.
He couldn't remain silent while this repeated with his brother. Especially since his brother's Familia headquarters, small as it was, had been attacked and destroyed.
If Finn were in his place, he wouldn't have forgiven them.
Nevertheless ─────
"Bell didn't die just because his headquarters was destroyed, right?"
"Well, I understand the prestige issue, but Apollo isn't that much. Let's let Bell and the others try for themselves for a while. If they can't handle it, we'll step in."
──── His words weren't wrong.
The best outcome in this case was for Bell and his companions to repel the Apollo Familia themselves before the Loki Familia intervened.
But, beyond ability or inability, they didn't understand Al's reason for refraining from intervention on an emotional level.
Since the motive, legitimacy, and necessity were all present, it was strange that Al wouldn't move even if it wasn't the "best" solution—if only to settle his personal score. Everyone knew Al was someone who favored his family over himself.
And if it concerned his brother, that was even more certain.
"Even setting aside your brother, can you forgive the destruction of the Hestia Familia headquarters—that church?"
Asked Riveria, who had been silent until now. The meaning of this question was understood only by the Familia leaders—who had once heard Al mutter that the old church reminded him of a memory of his mother.
Al, who never spoke of his past—to the point they didn't even know he had a brother until Bell arrived in Orario—had disclosed that piece of family memory.
When Riveria learned that the headquarters of Al's brother's Familia was that very church, she was secretly touched by this coincidence that felt like fate.
True, he hadn't bought or restored it, and had said it was fine if it decayed naturally—but it hadn't decayed; it was destroyed intentionally.
And with the goal of targeting his brother, Bell, as well.
Honestly, even if Al had killed the culprits in a fit of rage, no one would have blamed him emotionally, and Riveria and her companions would have protected him. Those people had committed a heinous act.
In fact, Finn and the others' anger stemmed from their knowledge of that church's significance. Yet, Al's response did not change.
There was no air of his usual laziness; instead, his eyes looked like the color of pure boredom.
With a puzzled look, he said:
".... No, didn't that property belong to Hephaestus, if I recall correctly?"
He spoke as if to say, "So, there's no reason for me to be angry," and that was that.
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If we reach 100 Power Stones, I will post an extra chapter today. If this commitment continues, I will make the updates daily, and every time the goal is met, there will be an additional chapter. If you love the story and want more chapters, it's simple.
Honestly, the situation is frustrating. It's strange how stories that actually deserve it stay buried, while other stories take the lead. Should I just translate a Chinese (+18) novel? If things keep going this way, I might stop updating this novel and look for another one.