The War Game was over.
With the sound of a new round of bells, the divine mirrors distributed across various areas of Orario vanished.
Although this War Game was not as intense or exciting as previous ones, it still generated huge buzz within Orario.
The story of Cain single-handedly challenging the Soma Familia and one-shotting Zanis under heavy siege spread through every street and alley, becoming a popular topic of conversation.
Until the moment the War Game concluded, many people were still discussing how strong Cain's power truly was.
On the other side, after the War Game ended, Cain and Lili boarded a pre-prepared carriage and spent nearly half a day returning to Orario.
Entering the city through the main gate, the two proceeded to the Soma Familia headquarters as previously arranged.
"Cain! Lili! Over here, over here!"
Hestia, who had arrived at the Soma Familia headquarters earlier, stood at the entrance, waving her small hands at the pair.
When the two approached, she reached out and patted Lili's shoulder, a smile on her face.
"You did well! Lili!"
"Lili didn't really do much, I just helped delay some time."
Lili looked to the side: "This time went so smoothly, it's all thanks to Lord Cain."
"Don't be modest. You contributed just as much as Cain to winning so easily."
"Hestia is right about that. If you hadn't helped stall the Soma Familia, I wouldn't be standing here so comfortably right now."
Cain nodded slightly, adding his agreement.
To win this War Game, Cain had prepared four plans in total.
And among these four plans, the most effective was the time-delaying plan.
If Lili hadn't successfully stalled Zanis, he would have needed to invest much more time and effort to win this War Game.
Even if he had won the War Game then, he wouldn't be as relaxed and at ease as he was now.
"Oh right, Hestia."
"Lili applied to join the Hestia Familia. You should know about this, right?"
"Yes, I saw it on the divine mirror."
Hestia nodded: "Once Lili's business here is concluded, we will hold the transfer ceremony."
"..."
Lili's body stiffened.
Although Hestia didn't explicitly say it, she knew exactly what the other party was referring to.
At that moment, a gaze fell upon her.
Lili seemed to sense something and looked up towards the figure not far away.
"God Soma..."
"Let's begin."
Soma didn't say much; he just walked over and handed Lili a cup filled with divine wine.
An intoxicatingly cool fragrance washed over her, and Lili's complexion instantly turned pale.
Although she had mentally prepared herself on the way back, many things couldn't be resolved just by being mentally prepared.
Facing the divine wine again, Lili felt unprecedented pressure, and her body began to tremble.
"Don't be nervous, Lili."
Just then, Hestia's gentle voice came from beside her.
"It's okay even if you fail."
"As long as you muster the courage to stand up again, you won't be inferior to anyone."
"Lady Hestia..."
"Although Hestia said that, don't get too relaxed either."
Cain held a sealed box in his hand from who knows when.
"This is a new bait I've researched. Its effect is even stronger than the previous version."
"If you fail the challenge against the divine wine, next time you go monster-pulling with the Takemikazuchi Familia."
"..."
Are you sure that thing is bait?
Lili wanted to speak but stopped, looking at Cain, unsure where to even begin her complaints.
As a supporter, Lili also knew how to make bait.
But the bait she made and the bait Cain made were completely different things.
That soul-piercing stench was more like a biochemical weapon than bait.
What Lili hadn't expected was that the bait used previously wasn't even Cain's limit.
Without anyone noticing, he had actually improved the bait.
"Lord Cain, may Lili ask one question?"
"Ask away."
"Is there a change in the taste of the new bait?"
"(Yes, because) the new bait is an interrogation tool I prepared for Zanis, so the taste is 11.4514 times that of the original version."
"..."
So, this really is a biochemical weapon.
Taking the wine cup from Soma, Lili's body stopped trembling at some point.
"Don't worry, Lord Cain."
Like a warrior about to step onto the battlefield, the Palum Girl's eyes were filled with determination.
"Lili won't lose again!"
As the words fell, the divine wine, emitting a sweet fragrance, flowed down her throat into her belly.
Without using divine power, nor any mystery, the divine wine brewed purely by technique transformed into a massive army, launching an attack on the girl.
Under the power of the divine wine, the world in Lili's eyes began to distort as if collapsing.
Everything lost its original color, and a colorful black filled every corner.
And along with the distorted world came a continuous sense of desire in her mind.
It was as if she had finally broken a vow after enduring for several months; the indescribable sense of desire surged like a tide, crashing against Lili's brain wave after wave.
But amidst this continuous impact, the image of Cain's face constantly surfaced in Lili's mind.
He stood before her, holding a box, a faint smile on his face.
"If you fail the divine wine challenge, next time you'll sit at the same table as the Takemikazuchi Familia."
No, that doesn't seem right.
"This is the torture device I use to interrogate you, 11.4514 times the effect of the original."
That doesn't seem right either. What were the exact words?
Drifting in the tide of desire, Lili tried hard to recall Cain's words.
Finally, at a certain moment, a flash of light appeared before her, and the distorted world began to collapse.
Looking at the familiar figure appearing before her, Lili unconsciously let out a call.
"...Lord Cain..."
"!!!"
Soma, who was nearby, suddenly widened his eyes.
"Lili... succeeded...?"
Seemingly realizing what had happened, Lili's voice began to tremble.
"Lili succeeded! Lord Cain!"
"Yes, you succeeded."
Cain silently put away the box in his hand.
Although this bait couldn't be used on the Soma Familia, it seemed it worked on Lili.
"Wow! Lili, you're amazing!"
Hestia let out a cheer.
She clenched both fists above her head, a triumphant smile on her face.
"Did you see that, Soma!"
"I told you Lili would succeed!"
"...I lost."
Soma was silent for a moment before speaking slowly.
If losing the War Game meant the Soma Familia was inferior to the Hestia Familia, then losing this divine wine bet meant he, the main god, had lost to Hestia.
The other party was right.
The characteristic of children from the lower world is their unpredictability.
As a main god, he should be digging out the children's potential, not blindly expecting miracles.
"God Soma, it is over."
On the other side, after a short rest, Lili stood up from the ground.
Looking at the god of wine before her, she handed back the wine cup she hadn't let go of.
"This time, Lili won."
...
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