Only 27 Power Stones left to reach the goal. Once it's achieved, I will release an extra chapter.
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"── So, it was destroyed after all."
"It's fine. It wasn't your fault, Cassandra, so don't trouble yourself over it."
Why are you so kind? How can you forgive me so easily?
"No, really, it's alright. In any case, I had no right to feel anything for it. I left it neglected even though I knew it was a precious memento."
Then why do you look so frail? Why that forced smile, as if you are silently accepting your sins?
"── Besides, if my mother saw me acting like a child now, she'd probably just feel disgusted with me."
I had been terrified of going to the Loki Familia headquarters to apologize. I didn't want the only person in this world who truly understands me to hate me; I couldn't bear the thought of your rejection. But this is different. Now, for the first time, I see your fragile side. I feel a sincere desire from the bottom of my heart to stay by your side and comfort you, even if it seems intrusive.
(I don't really understand what's happening, but I'll say something that sounds deep just to set a somber, melancholic mood).
●○●○●
"Based on what has transpired, my Familia proposes a 'War Game'."
A "War Game" is an official, legal duel between two Familias in conflict. The followers of both sides fight under fair rules agreed upon beforehand at the "Denatus" (the assembly of gods). The formats vary—for instance, in a castle siege, one side storms the other's stronghold, and victory goes to whoever topples the opposing leader. The loser is strictly bound to fulfill all the victor's conditions without exception.
Since the current dispute between the Apollo Familia and the Hestia Familia had reached a deadlock, Loki suggested settling it through this confrontation. Although Loki maintained her usual mischievous smirk, her gaze remained sharp, radiating an authority that commanded obedience.
"Loki, this is──"
"Then what do you suggest? Do you want this violent conflict to continue in the streets?"
Loki cut Hermes off with a sharp tone. Random clashes were certainly unacceptable, but this proposal carried immense risk. In the War Game Loki suggested, the probability of the Hestia Familia losing increased, which could lead to Bell Cranel being seized by Apollo. Hermes and the others were stunned that Loki was the one to offer such a difficult choice.
"Wait a minute! What are you planning?! This is a problem between me and Bell; it has nothing to do with you, Loki!"
"Be quiet, Hestia. I'm not trying to hurt you."
"──!"
Loki, the cunning goddess known as the "Trickster" who brings the "Twilight" as an end to all things, wore a rare, serious expression. She always joked, but she was no mere clown; when things turned grim, she handled them with absolute gravity, occasionally reverting to her old, violent ways. Even Hestia, a great goddess respected even by Zeus and Hera, caught her breath before Loki's presence—a tempestuous blend of divinity and malice. Freya, too, looked mesmerized by Loki's current form.
"Listen, Shorty. This matter isn't just your problem, and it doesn't just concern us as outsiders."
"What do you mean?!"
"You're new here, so I won't blame your ignorance, but this moron previously tried to get his hands on our Al."
Loki directed her gaze toward a golden-haired god wearing a laurel wreath, who appeared resigned and indifferent.
This was Apollo, Master of the Apollo Familia. He looked embarrassed, yet his features suggested he felt no remorse. In the past, Apollo had tried to lure Al into his Familia just as he was doing now with Bell. At first, he tried gentle invitations, which Al naturally refused. However, Apollo did not give up, changing his tactics every time.
Eventually, Apollo resorted to coercion and force, enraging the Loki Familia. Since the Loki Familia was the larger faction with complex responsibilities and balances to maintain, the incident ended with Apollo merely being forced to pay massive financial compensation. Loki remembered that event with clear irritation.
A first offense might be forgiven, but a second? To hell with balances and obligations. As if sensing Loki's feelings, Freya, sitting beside her, wore a rare, bitter smile.
Yet Loki's true anger didn't stem from the Familia's pride being slighted twice. It was because Apollo's followers had destroyed the Hestia Familia home. No one knew that the ruined building served as a memento of Al's mother, except for Loki, Freya (due to her connection to Hera), and Hermes (due to his connection to Zeus). To others, the reason for Loki's towering rage was entirely incomprehensible.
Regardless, her fury was so terrifying that everyone realized if Apollo uttered a single wrong word now, Loki would bypass all laws and logic to crush him by force of arms.
"Apollo, I don't care if this happened on your orders or through the idiocy of your followers. The point is, you've declared war on us."
Amidst intense tension, Loki stared at Apollo. Apollo didn't recall issuing such an order, but he realized arguing was futile. He shrugged in surrender. Whether it was his will or not, he was responsible for his failure to control his followers.
"The actions of the children are the responsibility of the parents. I shouldn't need to explain that to you."
"── Yes, that's right. You're absolutely right."
Since Apollo was a god who overflowed with love for his followers, he understood their mistakes fell on him and had no intention of blaming them for acting on his behalf. He acknowledged his fault entirely and accepted Loki's proposal without objection.
However, Hermes wondered: Why a War Game? This option gave Apollo a massive advantage. Since the fault lay entirely with Apollo, he should have been forced to withdraw and pay generous reparations to Hestia. Why was Loki giving him a chance to win?
As Hermes pondered her intentions, Loki surprised them with a cunning smirk reminiscent of Hermes' own.
"I find it strange too── but the suggestion came from Al himself."
"──!!"
Everyone, including Hestia, was shocked at the mention of Al—that violent, natural-born warrior and Bell's older brother, the very reason the gods were handling this situation with extreme caution.
"Al said: 'It isn't my place to decide,' but he added something else── Shorty."
"?"
"Normally, in cases like this, we would force Apollo to apologize without a War Game. For Al's sake, I won't interfere further."
"Ultimately, the decision is yours. I've said my piece, but you two are the parties involved and will bear the consequences."
Then Loki continued with an even wider, more malicious grin—an expression neither Hermes nor Hestia had ever seen—and said:
"I'll pass on the words Al said to Riveria when she tried to intervene to stop the conflict. Tell your followers or keep it to yourself; that's up to you."
"Al said: 'Do you really think Bell could be defeated by trash like the Apollo Familia? They are nothing but Experience Points for Bell, so don't stand in the way of his growth'."
To Riveria Ljos Alf, Al Cranel was a troublesome child, even if he didn't require direct care. She first met him four years ago when he was twelve. Loki had brought him to the headquarters as if she had found a stray cat, which initially puzzled Riveria.
Her first impression of him was "danger." Pale skin, hair as white as snow, and most importantly, red eyes that shone with a brilliance suggesting a hatred for the world and a rejection of everything.
His features were as beautiful as a finely crafted yet fragile doll, giving the impression he might shatter if touched. He reminded her of Ais's past self. But contrary to that impression, Al possessed an unnaturally solid will. He was an unbreakable soul backed by iron determination.
Every movement he made hinted at a talent beyond description, making him worthy of the title "genius." At the same time, he seemed to carry a heavy burden within. He sought power just like Ais, perhaps even more so, in a way that was painful to behold.
Not a day passed without him going to the Dungeon, and he spent his nights practicing the sword until Riveria was forced to make him rest. Neither Riveria's nor Loki's attempts to restrain him succeeded; his yearning for strength never wavered, even in the face of death.
With a frail body supported by emotions bordering on madness, he pushed forward without complaining or shedding a single tear, always looking upward. Riveria's feelings toward him shifted from respect to a kind of awe. She feared this child might one day break, and since "Familia" means support, she took it upon her to train and educate him without being asked.
── But it didn't go well.
Riveria treated him with more severity than she had shown Ais, but to Al, it was still too lenient. He possessed an astonishing learning speed; he never forgot anything he was taught. His talent for learning was terrifying and monstrous.
He was a mixture of madness and diligence, but his expressions were very sparse. He didn't lack the ability to express himself like Ais; rather, he seemed as if he didn't know how to express his feelings at all. Perhaps for that reason, the sorrow that occasionally appeared on his face looked excruciatingly painful.
A lonely boy who relied on no one. That was her assessment of him then. Thus, her shock was great that day.
Three weeks after he joined the Familia, Riveria forced him to join a team because he was overdoing his solo work. In the upper floors, the team was attacked by an Infant Dragon, an evolved and very powerful monster. Riveria wasn't there, but she later learned that Al had put himself in danger to act as a shield, protecting his comrades and securing their escape.
He used the weapons of his fleeing comrades as throwing tools and fought the dragon, which far outmatched him in strength. He ended up killing the dragon but sustained fatal wounds. Riveria couldn't believe a boy who had just received his "Falna" had defeated a dragon that Level 2 adventurers would run from.
Al returned to the surface soaked in blood like a tattered rag. He was rushed to the Dian Cecht Familia clinic and miraculously survived. Afterward, Loki forced him into total rest.
He had prioritized the lives of his comrades over his own. That is the path of heroes, but it is a very dangerous one. Riveria saw in him a hero carrying both light and darkness, and she realized this boy was hiding a great secret.
Al achieved the fastest "Rank Up" in history. Within a few years, he achieved legendary feats to become one of the strongest adventurers in Orario. He possessed the aura of a hero despite his youthful features, becoming the focus of everyone's attention and admiration.
But Riveria couldn't see him only as a hero the way Finn or Ais did. She knew he had been a lonely boy. She knew his suffering in seeking power. She knew he was still just a sixteen-year-old child.
"I have never seen you complain of weakness."
He fought battles that consumed his life, and not a day passed without his body being stained with blood. He was the "Sword Saint" who exhausted her thoughts; even Ais was not this hard on herself. What distinguished Al from Ais was his passion for learning and his violent talent. Ais hated studying and only loved fighting; Al, however, would pick up a pen the moment she asked, as if he were learning things he already knew.
As for his talent: as soon as he received the "Falna," multiple skills and magic exploded within him, and his stats made massive leaps rather than gradual growth. His growth rate surpassed Ais, who held the world record, yet he controlled his combat skills with total mastery.
But the biggest difference was the "reason." Ais has a past and a clear reason for hating monsters and seeking power. Al, on the other hand, didn't seem to have a logical reason for all this persistence. Yet, such heat cannot exist without a cause.
Al's rationality prevents him from showing his true feelings. He is an "anomaly," someone Riveria could not understand despite her long experience. Still, he remains sixteen, carrying weights those his age shouldn't have to bear, which makes Riveria's heart ache.
Why does he seek power even if he sacrifices himself? The answer lies with Al alone.
"── It seems I am not worthy of being relied upon by a child like you."
Was it selfish to want him to rely on her as a member of the Familia or as an elder? Perhaps. After all, as happened in the battle on the 59th floor, he was the one protecting them. He is always the one saving them, and they are the ones who rely on him.
Heroes in legends were always lonely at their peak, but "transcendence" does not necessarily mean "solitude." Will a day come when Al finds someone to rely on?
Even if that happens ──
"I likely won't be that person."
For in truth, she could do nothing for a child who prioritized his status as a "hero" over his personal feelings for the shattered memory of his mother.
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