In his own room, the god, who was struggling with the headache of accumulated paperwork, suddenly shivered. "Hiss… what was that!?"
The quill pen slipped from his hand, staining the document with a splash of ink. Hermes stiffly straightened his back, his gaze wandering blankly around the quiet yet messy office, before finally slumping back into his chair with a sigh.
Drooping his arms, he stared out the window at the gloomy sky, lost in thought.
"Even though I'm not good at predicting this sort of thing… this ominous feeling is too strong to ignore. Someone must be plotting against me…"
While the god muttered to himself nervously like a paranoid fool, Asfi stood just outside the door, her eyes full of suspicion.
Knock, knock, knock.
After politely knocking three times on the wooden door to announce her presence, she stepped inside, and walked straight to his desk, looking down at him.
"Lord Hermes, could you not overreact like this? Feeling guilty about something?"
The subordinate's slightly mocking words fell into his ears. The handsome (though pale-faced) god casually brushed back a strand of golden hair and, with a smiling yet dismissive tone, admitted his paranoia.
"...Ahem, listen to yourself. In our line of work, it's only natural for someone to be remembering you."
Asfi noticed the flicker in his eyes. She knew exactly what he was thinking and raised her voice in mild reproach.
"So you can feel guilty. I still clearly remember how ecstatic you were back then, when that certain someone attacked the Pleasure District, you laughed, even cheered! That image is stuck in my head. I just can't forget it."
"..." Hermes choked like a duck caught in the throat, coughing and sputtering, unable to reply.
"Fine, I'll admit it. I am afraid that that person will come after me. But it's not entirely my fault! That little boy, cough, your friend, was the one who leaked the news before I did. You remember the incident in Melen, right? He was already laying the groundwork back then."
Asfi fell silent, but her mind was far from still.
There's a saying: "Marry a chicken, follow the chicken; marry a dog, follow the dog."
This girl had long since considered herself Fron's person, and her way of thinking had subtly shifted.
Fron's goal was to wipe out the Ishtar Familia, but… even if they clashed in Melen, did it really have to escalate this far? For such a massive faction to be completely destroyed, with even the goddess sent back to the heavens, it weakened Orario's overall strength.
A level 6 adventurer like him couldn't have failed to see the bigger picture.
So, in reverse: what exactly had that powerful goddess done to anger the mild-mannered Fron to the point of seeking her utter destruction? And even using tactics like "killing with a borrowed knife" to stay hidden?
Her thoughts connected: the Violas invasion of Rivira on the 18th floor, the 24th floor's food stores turning into a den of monsters, those strange individuals… the Evilus…
Evilus? A sharp glint flashed through Asfi's eyes as she suddenly connected it to the recent large-scale mobilization of the Loki Familia.
Yes. The Loki Familia had directly clashed with Evilus, and among them… the Ishtar Familia's hand was definitely present. They had even gone as far as trying to kill the Loki Familia.
The mist cleared, and Asfi finally saw the hidden truth.
"Lord Hermes, regarding your joint investigation with Lady Loki, I think I can finally give you an answer."
"Oh?" Hermes raised his brows, stood, and walked from behind his desk to the window. With his back to her, he spoke after a moment of silence.
"Go on. What have you discovered in all this investigating?" Asfi paused, then dropped a bombshell with her very first words.
"Although the Loki Familia sealed the entrances to the underground waterways, I used the 'Helm of Invisibility' to slip inside."
"At the deepest part of the sewers, near Daedalus Street, I found a hidden passage. From overhearing Loki Familia members, I learned that passage leads to a man-made dungeon, named Knossos."
"...A man-made dungeon!?" Hermes spun around in shock, completely stunned.
Asfi wasn't surprised, she had expected this reaction. She herself had been just as shaken upon first hearing the news.
"Yes, a man-made dungeon. The Loki Familia already attempted a probing assault on it, but it seems they failed. Remember the intel from Dian Cecht's medical facilities, the one about Loki Familia executives being gravely injured? That must have been the price they paid inside."
"Heh, interesting, far too interesting! Hahahaha! A man-made dungeon, Knossos… No wonder Ishtar lost. She had it coming!"
As a shrewd old fox who had lived countless years, Hermes instantly pieced the whole situation together the moment Asfi gave him the intel.
The Loki Familia, Evilus, the Ishtar Familia, the Freya Familia…
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. I'm starting to like your little boyfriend. Not only strong, but also incredibly cunning. Ruthless too, cutting the weed down to its roots. Impressive."
"By the way, Lord Hermes, there's one more piece of intel."
"Oh? What is it?"
"Using the war launched by the Kingdom of Rakia as cover, some spies have infiltrated the city. Their target… is the little Familia led by Hestia."
A smirk tugged at Hermes's lips.
"That idiot Ares. Does he think all the gods of Orario are as brain-dead as he is? Forget him, tell me the details about the chaos being stirred up."
After Asfi gave her detailed report, Hermes had even more information at hand.
"Their combat style doesn't match adventurers. But why does it feel so familiar…?"
Asfi reminded him: "Remember that assassin organization we encountered while traveling the continent?."
"Ohh, I see. So Evilus is desperate enough to hire assassins and mercenaries. They must be searching for something, hahaha."
"I think so too. The Loki Familia's response was far too quick. Less than five minutes after the first outbreak of chaos, they were already there."
"What could they be fighting over? Don't tell me… Is it Ishtar's money and treasure?"
If Fron had been present, he would've given Hermes a perfect score. Truly worthy of a god who had lived for who knows how long, his insight and analytical skill were terrifying.
"Deploy our people. Keep a close eye on them and report to me immediately if anything happens. I need to visit the Guild Headquarters and have a proper talk with Ouranos. The waters in this city have gotten far too muddy."