"Do I look like the kind of idiot who'd throw away a watermelon to pick up a fallen stone? Of course I wouldn't dig my own grave like that."
---------------------------
Aisha froze for half a moment, then upon seeing Fron's smiling face, she reacted quickly.
In an instant, the crushing pressure brought on by this man's overwhelming strength vanished, replaced even with a deep sense of safety.
The Renard Haruhime, sharing the same feelings, had her little face filled with joy.
"I, I really don't have to be sacrificed? Could it be… could it be that, my lord, you are my hero!?"
"Hero, huh? Hardly. I just can't stand certain things, that's all."
Saying that, Fron took a few steps forward and, with lightning speed, stabbed several times, easily shattering the shackles that bound the girl. Then he turned and looked toward the distant high tower nearby.
There, a battle was raging, not between goddesses, no, but between two women.
"I've never thought of myself as a good person. If I were to choose a camp… maybe 'Neutral-Evil' would best represent my stance? After all, besides monsters, I've also stained my hands with the blood of many of my own kind."
"..."
Silence.
Yes, adventurers like them… though they kill monsters in the Dungeon and live off it, the truth is, between factions, how many can claim their hands are truly clean of human blood?
"No, to me, the one who saved me from hell is my hero! But… but I'm just a courtesan. In fairy tales…"
Fron, watching the standoff between the two goddesses, raised a hand and cut off the girl's next words.
"I am no hero, nor do I want to be one. So things like reputation and glory, the shackles of heroes, don't exist for me."
"..." The girl slowly stood up, her eyes shining as she gazed firmly at the man before her.
For reasons unknown, her face flushed red from her neck all the way to her ears.
"Hehe, Haruhime, you little thing. Your heart is already stirring… But I should warn you, this 'Night Weaver' Fron Argon has no shortage of companions. Not to mention others, the famed 'Sword Princess' herself is already an insurmountable mountain."
"And besides her, there are plenty of other girls with status, strength, and charm circling around him. To stand out among them… your path will be full of thorns."
"No… just being able to remain by my hero's side is enough. Haruhime won't ask for more…"
"..." Aisha looked deeply at Haruhime's resolute expression, and knew, persuading her otherwise was impossible.
But… with the little renard's magic, once it was revealed, it would surely shake all of Orario. At that time, countless factions and powers would fight over her, whether openly or from the shadows.
Except for the very top-tier factions, the rest would likely tear each other apart.
And as one of the city's largest familias, the Loki Familia clearly had the power to protect Haruhime.
For this reason, Aisha could not refuse Fron's invitation, after all, there was no better place than joining the Loki Familia.
While she was deep in thought, suddenly, a golden pillar of light pierced the heavens, breaking apart the tense, warlike atmosphere that had gripped Orario due to the conflict of the familias.
Countless adventurers, merchants, and normal people alike instinctively turned their eyes toward it.
That golden pillar that connected heaven and earth carried such an overwhelming aura of majesty that the mortals of the lower world instinctively understood… this was not something they could ever hope to touch.
The aura of a god!
This world was mysterious indeed.
Even if gods mingled among mortals in the city, they could still be recognized at a glance, because they carried something from a higher plane of existence.
And now, that overflowing aura of divinity from a god's return… it was stronger than the most potent rum. No one could mistake it.
Especially the veteran adventurers and long-lived citizens.
"That is… a god's return. After so many years, has another deity been sent back to heaven…?"
On the nighttime streets, people stopped walking, turned, and gazed at the golden pillar piercing the sky, murmuring in awe.
Atop the city wall near the Pleasure Quarter, the god Hermes pressed down his hat and chuckled.
"I thought that Freya would at most hand out some punishment. Never thought Ishtar would actually be sent back to Tenkai… truly beyond expectations."
The girl beside him glanced once at her carefree god, then silently watched the golden pillar for a long time.
...
North District, Twilight Manor…
Loki, Finn, Riveria, and Gareth, three executives and one god, gazed at the blinding golden light at the far edge of the city.
"Interesting. So very interesting, fufufufu… Care to guess whether it's Ishtar being sent back, or Freya?"
Finn gave a wry smile.
"Both are goddesses with charm abilities, both lead major familias in Orario… but if you ask me, I'd say the one being sent back is Lady Ishtar."
"You have that much faith in Freya?" Riveria's expression was grim.
"She's the head of the Freya Familia, one of the strongest factions in Orario alongside us. I can't imagine the Ishtar Familia ever being able to defeat them."
"Hahaha, I think the same. Ottar must have acted. That Phryne woman? She'd never be enough to take on Ottar."
"..." Loki said nothing, but the look on her face already revealed she had her answer.
…
Loki Familia, Ganesha Familia, Hestia Familia, Hephaistos Familia, and many others, at the moment the pillar pierced the sky, all their gods and executives already knew the truth.
Ishtar, the goddess who ran one of Orario's largest factions, had in the end been sent back to heaven.
Some gods cheered and danced, some forced a smile, some rejoiced, some lamented, others grew wary and fearful.
"Ishtar, that useless woman, in the end she was finished. Always ruining things. I told her not to provoke Freya, but now look, we've lost an ally, and worse, our benefactor."
In the man-made dungeon Knossos, Thanatos, god of death, stood with another man with dark circles under his eyes, dressed in sportswear. Together they gazed at the golden light piercing the heavens from the entrance to the underground waterways.
"Heh, I don't really care. That child of ours has already gone mad. Plans or no plans, he's long stopped caring. Still… up till now, the show he's put on has been plenty entertaining for me. Heheheh."
"You're as boring as ever, Ikeros."