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Chapter 19: Negotiate
Tsuna officially accepted Finn's request.
"I am incredibly grateful that you've agreed to help us," Finn said warmly. "However, we still need to inform your Goddess about this. We obviously can't keep something this massive a secret from her. Do you know where she is right now?"
"Umm... Goddess Hestia is working her part-time jobs right now, so she won't be back until tonight," Bell answered.
"I see. That's unfortunate, then."
Knowing he couldn't possibly discuss a highly dangerous, deep-floor expedition with her while she was working, Finn abandoned the idea of an immediate meeting.
"In that case, would it be alright if I visited your home base tonight?"
"That's fine with me, but I have no idea how Goddess Hestia is going to react..."
"I'll swing by her workplace today and let her know I'll be visiting tonight, so she won't be caught off guard. Could you tell me where she works and the location of your home base? It would be a great help."
"R-Right..."
Bell quickly gave Finn the address of Hestia's food stall and the location of the ruined church.
"Understood. I'll see you both tonight."
.....
That night, at the ruined church (the Hestia Familia's home base).
"It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Finn Deimne, the Captain of the Loki Familia. Thank you for making time for me despite the sudden notice."
Sitting politely on the worn-out sofa, Finn offered a flawless, respectful introduction.
"I brought a small token of my appreciation."
He picked up a beautifully wrapped box of high-end pastries he had brought with him and placed it gently on the table.
"You... are you sure you're actually a member of that vulgar, scheming Loki's Familia? You're far too polite and well-mannered..."
"G-Goddess!!"
Just what kind of person—er, Goddess—is this Loki if Hestia hates her this much?
Because Finn was so incredibly polite and respectful, Hestia genuinely suspected he couldn't possibly belong to her hated rival's faction. Her blunt insult caused Bell to panic, while Tsuna couldn't help but wonder just how terrible Loki actually was.
Finn, entirely unfazed by the insult directed at his patron deity, merely offered a wry, practiced smile.
"So? What business does the famous 'Braver' have with a dirt-poor Familia like mine?"
"I have a very important matter to discuss with you."
"Important matter?"
"Yes. The truth is, I would like to borrow his strength." Finn nodded toward Tsuna.
"Tsunayoshi-kun's strength? I'm afraid you've got the wrong guy. He just arrived in Orario recently and only received my Falna a few days ago. He's a complete rookie. Are you sure you aren't mistaken?"
Realizing that Finn knew about Tsuna's power, Hestia deliberately played dumb, attempting to deflect the request.
"There is no need to hide it, Goddess Hestia. I am fully aware that he possesses an incredible amount of power. I also know that he is significantly stronger than our Ais."
"...!?"
Hestia's face paled, realizing that Finn knew about the secret training sessions.
"Please, rest assured," Finn continued smoothly, raising a placating hand. "I have no intention of interrogating you about the secret training, nor do I plan to use this information as leverage to force his cooperation. In fact, my primary reason for being here is to apologize to you."
"Apologize? What for?"
"To put it bluntly, members of my Familia caused your Bell Cranel a great deal of emotional distress recently. Ais was secretly training him as a way to make amends for our misconduct. Therefore, I have decided to completely overlook the fact that you broke the non-fraternization rule."
"A-Are you sure about that? You're the Captain of the largest faction in the city. If people find out you turned a blind eye to this, it could cause a massive scandal for you."
"I do not mind. Willfully ignoring the harm my subordinates caused simply because of a guild rule is a fundamental failing of basic human decency. Therefore, Goddess Hestia, please accept my deepest apologies for the trouble we caused you and your children."
Finn stood up from the sofa and bowed deeply at the waist.
"Raise your head, Braver-kun. I understand your sincerity."
Realizing that Finn's apology was entirely genuine and lacked any ulterior motives, Hestia permitted him to stand. Finn straightened up and sat back down.
"So, what exactly do you mean by borrowing Tsunayoshi-kun's strength?"
"As I mentioned, the Loki Familia is scheduled to depart on a major expedition in two days. I want him to accompany us."
"An expedition... Don't tell me...!"
"Yes. We are heading into the Deep Floors. Our absolute objective is to reach the 59th Floor, a depth our Familia has never achieved before."
"The 59th Floor!?"
The sheer absurdity of the depth caused Hestia to shoot up from the sofa in shock.
"Are you seriously planning to take Tsunayoshi-kun down there!?"
"His power is an asset I want so badly I can practically taste it. Therefore, I am formally requesting your permission to borrow him for this mission. Of course, you have every right to refuse. However... he has already given his personal consent to join us."
"What!? Is that true, Tsunayoshi-kun!?"
"Y-Yeah..."
"What are you thinking!? You have a home you need to return to! You have people waiting for you! Do you even understand how dangerous this is!?"
"I know it's dangerous. But I've already made up my mind to go."
"...!?"
Seeing the absolute, unwavering resolve in Tsuna's eyes, Hestia realized she couldn't simply yell at him to change his mind.
"Goddess Hestia," Finn said gently. "If you refuse, I will not take him with us. As a God, I know you cherish your Familia members as your own beloved children. However, if you grant us permission, I promise to pay a substantial commission for his services, regardless of whether the expedition succeeds or fails."
"..."
"Furthermore, he laid out a specific condition for his cooperation: if he ever feels he is no longer an asset and is in danger of becoming a liability, he will retreat immediately. I have sworn to honor this condition. We will not force him into any suicidal situations. I know this is incredibly sudden, but I must ask for your answer."
"..."
Faced with a massive decision that could dictate Tsuna's life, Hestia fell silent, agonizing over the choice.
"I've made my decision."
After several long minutes of silence, Hestia finally spoke.
"Since Tsunayoshi-kun has already made up his mind, I will respect his will. That is my answer."
"Are you truly certain? As his Goddess, you have every right to prioritize your own feelings and forbid him from going."
"If I'm being completely honest, I absolutely do not want him to go. Tsunayoshi-kun is my precious child. But I refuse to trample on his resolve. So I will grant my permission."
"I see..."
"But you must promise me one thing. You must ensure that Tsunayoshi-kun—and all of you—return alive. Even if we belong to different Familias, all the children of the lower world are precious to us Gods."
"I swear it upon the name of Braver."
Finn placed his right hand over his heart and offered a deep, respectful bow.
"Tsunayoshi-kun, you have to promise me you'll come back alive too. Understood?"
"Yeah. I promise."
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