By the time the news reached the Demeter Familia, Genichi was sitting on the sofa in the living room with a cup of hot tea in his hand. His fingers slowly traced the rim of the cup, producing faint sounds as he continued calculating when Hestia would descend to the Lower World.
There was still no definite news from Ouranos.
All he could do was wait.
Wait for the Goddess of the Hearth to descend.
Wait until he obtained the Authority over the Sacred Flame.
Wait until he possessed the ability to become immune to charm.
Demeter walked in from outside with a strange expression on her face.
Her brows were slightly furrowed, and her eyes were filled with confusion and surprise.
She walked over to Genichi and sat down beside him.
"Genichi, something happened."
"The Ishtar Familia's Pleasure Quarter was burned to the ground."
"They haven't found the arsonist, but there's a rumor going around that someone from the Freya Familia did it."
The living room fell silent for a moment.
"Freya?"
Artemis's voice carried obvious disbelief.
"Why would she attack Ishtar? Ishtar has always been the one provoking Freya. Freya has never responded directly. She isn't the type to deliberately pick a fight with someone."
Astraea set down the tea in her hand, her brows drawing together slightly.
Of course she knew what kind of person Freya was.
That Goddess of Beauty was proud and aloof, far too indifferent to bother quarreling with others.
Ishtar had provoked her countless times in Orario, both openly and covertly, yet Freya had never responded.
Not because she was afraid.
She simply considered it beneath her.
In Freya's eyes, Ishtar was nothing more than a clown who wasn't worth the effort.
But this time, Freya had acted.
And when she did, she had gone straight for one of Ishtar's foundations, burning the Pleasure Quarter to ashes.
The Pleasure Quarter was one of the Ishtar Familia's most important sources of income and a major part of their influence in Orario.
Without it, Ishtar's power would suffer a severe blow. Her influence in the city would fall dramatically, and morale within her Familia would inevitably become unstable.
"Something about this doesn't feel right."
Astraea spoke softly, deep in thought.
"Freya wouldn't burn down the Pleasure Quarter for no reason. And Ishtar hasn't been provoking her lately. She's been too busy searching for Genichi."
"So when would she have had time to offend Freya?"
Artemis walked over from the window and sat on Genichi's other side, a thoughtful gleam appearing in her green eyes.
"Could it be because Ishtar is targeting Genichi?"
"Maybe Freya burned the Pleasure Quarter as a warning. Perhaps she's buying Genichi time, or even protecting him from the shadows."
The living room fell silent again.
Demeter and Astraea both turned toward Genichi, waiting for his reaction.
Artemis's theory actually made sense.
Freya wasn't someone who acted without reason.
And recently, the only major change had been Ishtar setting her sights on Genichi.
If Freya really was interested in him, then teaching Ishtar a lesson would make perfect sense.
Genichi rolled his eyes.
The gesture carried exasperation, self-mockery, and a trace of helplessness.
"Impossible."
"If Freya could actually become interested in me, pigs would start climbing trees."
His voice was light, carrying a hint of sarcasm, as if Artemis's theory was ridiculous.
But more than anything, he was mocking himself.
Of course he knew what kind of woman Freya was.
That Goddess of Beauty was interested only in brilliant souls.
Her gaze would never linger on something ordinary.
And what color was his soul?
Genichi knew better than anyone.
The people he'd killed.
The people he'd used.
The people whose lives had been ruined because of him.
Their resentment, pain, hatred, and despair had all stained his soul.
His soul was filthy, tainted, and dark.
Like a pool of rotten mud.
Like a garbage dump.
How could Freya possibly be interested in something like that?
"To put it more harshly..."
Genichi's voice lowered, and bitterness flashed through his eyes.
"My soul is probably only a step above a garbage dump. Do you really think Freya would be interested in that?"
Demeter and Astraea moved at the same time.
Demeter pinched him hard at the waist while Astraea grabbed his arm, neither of them using much restraint.
Genichi sucked in a sharp breath.
"If that's how you describe yourself, then what does that make us?"
Astraea's voice carried a mixture of irritation and amusement.
Genichi froze.
Then a strange expression appeared on his face.
That was true.
Demeter, Astraea, Artemis, and Hephaestus were all his women, each of them bound to him in their own way.
If his soul was a garbage dump, then what were they?
Garbage collectors?
He immediately shook his head and threw that ridiculous thought out of his mind.
"Bad comparison."
Genichi gave an awkward cough.
"What I mean is that Freya couldn't possibly be interested in me. Her standards are far too high. I doubt I meet them."
"So if she really did attack Ishtar, it definitely wasn't because of me."
He denied it firmly.
Not out of modesty.
He genuinely didn't believe there was anything attractive about his soul.
"Genichi, stop thinking so little of yourself."
Demeter's voice was soft and gentle.
"Your soul may not be perfectly pure, but it isn't irredeemably filthy either."
"It has stains, but it also has light."
"It contains darkness, but it also contains hope."
"If Freya truly had no interest in you, she wouldn't watch you. She wouldn't observe you. She wouldn't waste even a moment of her time on you."
"She's far too calculating for that."
Genichi fell silent.
He knew Demeter had a point.
Freya certainly wasn't someone who wasted her time.
If she was observing him, then it meant he interested her.
And if he interested her, then she had clearly seen something in him.
But Genichi still found it difficult to believe that his soul could truly catch the eye of that Goddess of Beauty.
"Forget it."
Genichi shook his head and pushed the chaotic thoughts aside.
"Whatever Freya's reason for attacking Ishtar, it's good news for us."
"Ishtar has enough problems of her own now. She won't have time to keep watching me."
"That gives me more breathing room."
"Until Hestia descends, I need to keep a low profile. I can't afford any more unexpected problems."
Astraea nodded.
"You're right. Whatever Freya's motive was, her actions helped us."
"The Pleasure Quarter has been destroyed. Ishtar will need at least several months to rebuild it."
"During that time, she won't have nearly as much energy to devote to searching for you."
Artemis nodded as well.
"And Freya's attack was also a warning."
"She's telling Ishtar that Genichi isn't someone she can touch casually."
"If Ishtar has any sense, she'll restrain herself."
Genichi couldn't help laughing.
The smile was faint and carried obvious mockery.
"Ishtar? Sensible?"
"If she had any sense, she wouldn't have ended up like this in Orario."
"That woman is arrogant, greedy, and self-important."
"She thinks being a Goddess of Beauty means everyone should revolve around her."
"She isn't going to back down."
"If anything, this will only make her more determined."
Demeter sighed.
"Then we need to make even better use of this time."
"Until Hestia descends, don't go anywhere."
"Stay here with the Familia."
"If you need anything, I'll prepare it for you."
"If there's something you want done, I'll arrange it."
"Just don't leave."
Genichi looked at her, warmth flashing through his eyes.
"All right."
(End of Chapter)
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