"Enyo, Ishtar, and the Stakes" Let's rewind to immediately after the conclusion of the God's Assembly. Following the dispersal of the God's
"Enyo, Ishtar, and the Stakes"
Let's rewind to immediately after the conclusion of the God's Assembly.
Following the dispersal of the God's Assembly, numerous deities enthusiastically approached Hephaestus to engage in conversation.
Unlike Hestia Familia's Little Rookie, Hephaestus Familia's Dragon Crucible possessed genuine top-tier strength in Orario.
Furthermore, Hephaestus Familia was one of the most influential factions in Orario, making maintaining good relations with them highly advantageous.
After impatiently brushing aside a throng of deities who had flocked to her, Hephaestus exited the assembly hall and immediately encountered the blond male god.
"Congratulations, Hephaestus. Your Familia has gained another outstanding member."
Hephaestus looked at Dionysus, her expression one of utter impatience. "Is that all you've come to say? I've heard enough of those same words today. I don't have time for pleasantries!"
With that, Hephaestus unceremoniously walked past Dionysus.
Dionysus, however, maintained his air of refined composure, his smile unwavering.
Hephaestus, her back turned to him, displayed not only impatience but also a particularly cold expression.
Hephaestus and Hestia were close friends, and during their time in the heavens, Hestia had spoken to her about Dionysus.
Perhaps due to her heightened sensitivity as a virgin goddess, or perhaps because of her high divine status, Hestia had sensed the twisted nature hidden beneath Dionysus's outwardly refined demeanor.
Hephaestus trusted her friend's intuition and remained highly wary of this seemingly elegant and noble male god.
Dionysus, with his usual composure, returned to his own Familia headquarters.
The moment he stepped inside, the smile vanished from his face, replaced by a cold, calculating expression.
He did indeed harbor ambitions toward Hephaestus Familia, particularly regarding the mysterious newcomer, Drake.
However, Hephaestus was proving to be unyielding, her wariness of him completely unconcealed, unlike Loki.
Loki, while intelligent, was also prone to overthinking, making her easily manipulated with the right tactics.
Dionysus approached a particular room and pushed open the door without hesitation.
The first thing he saw was a young elf girl sitting on the floor, her back against the wall.
"Filvis, have you heard its voice again?"
Dionysus approached the elf girl, squatting down and speaking to her in a gentle tone.
The girl's name was Filvis, the leader of Dionysus's Familia, registered with the Guild as Level 3, and bearing the title of Maenads.
However, she was better known among adventurers by the Banshee.
Six years ago, during the nightmare on Level 27, she was the sole survivor.
What no one knew was that the girl had actually perished in that incident; the current Filvis was merely a defiled monster resurrected by the power of the Fallen Sprite.
Because of this, she served as a bridge connecting Enyo and the Fallen Sprite. The price she paid was enduring the incessant demonic whispers echoing within her mind.
Filvis raised her head, revealing a face contorted in pain. "It's telling us to bring Aria and the Fire Dragon to it again; it won't stop."
Dionysus stroked the girl's head, feigning empathy for her plight of having voices constantly speaking in her head. "Is that so? You've suffered greatly. I will make the necessary arrangements."
"Dionysus-sama…!" Filvis looked at her master god with gratitude for his constant care.
Dionysus stood up, his brow furrowed in thought.
For Enyo's plan to succeed, the power of the Fallen Sprite was indispensable.
Recently, several unforeseen events had occurred, including the disappearance of the Fallen Sprite on Level 59, the Loki Familia's investigation making steady progress, and their acquisition of a Fallen Sprite fragment that should have been transported to the surface.
The Dark Faction's ambush had also failed, leading the Loki Familia to uncover even more clues and information that Dionysus didn't want them to know.
Dionysus had initially preferred not to provoke the Loki Familia; it was the Fallen Sprite that had demanded the retrieval of "Aria."
The Fallen Sprite's "Aria" was, unfortunately, the Sword Princess, forcing Dionysus to incorporate deception into his plans.
Now, the Fallen Sprite's demands included the Dragon's Crucible, further increasing the risk by involving Hephaestus Familia.
The troubled expression on Dionysus's face vanished, quickly replaced by a twisted smile.
"This… makes things even more interesting, doesn't it?"
The god, momentarily revealing his true nature, muttered to himself.
…
Even during the daytime, the red-light district was bustling with activity. However, the most striking structure in the entire district was a building that resembled a palace.
Perhaps it was out of a desire to rival the other goddess of beauty, who resided in the upper levels of the Babel Tower, looking down upon all of Orario like a queen, receiving the respect and adoration of the entire city.
Therefore, this building was designed in a style similar to the Babel Tower, its opulence even surpassing it in certain aspects.
Of course, the craftsmen who constructed this palace couldn't match the skill of Daedalus. While this building was undeniably luxurious, it still lacked the imposing grandeur of the Babel Tower.
The Main Goddess Brothel, the headquarters of the Ishtar Familia. Despite its name, this palace was also a brothel, differing from the establishments outside only in terms of its class—perhaps the equivalent of a high-class club versus a simple bathhouse.
The goddess walking through the interior of the palace was none other than Ishtar, its owner.
She was a goddess of undeniable charm, clad only in a minimal amount of fabric around her waist, her chest barely concealed by a diaphanous sash, boldly showcasing her impressive physique.
The golden and silver ornaments adorning her—headbands, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and anklets—further enhanced her allure, making her resemble an exotic queen.
Ishtar held a long pipe, taking a deep drag. Before her were gathered the elite members of the Ishtar Familia, and she spoke frankly, without mincing words.
"Today's God's Assembly mentioned an adventurer. Hephaestus, that utterly devoid-of-feminine-charm woman, apparently has a remarkable newcomer in her Familia.
Most importantly, this child apparently fought The Strong One to a standstill. Remarkable! If we could only get our hands on this child…!"
Ishtar's meaning was clear to everyone present, and a figure emerged from the shadows.
"Ishtar-sama, you needn't worry. I can handle any man! Rely on my unparalleled beauty!"
Ishtar's expression soured. Dealing with men was indeed the forte of the Familia's prostitutes. However, she had absolutely no trust in the individual who had just spoken.
The leader of the Ishtar Familia was Phryne, an overly confident… and incredibly ugly woman. The name Phryne means "toad," and she truly resembled a toad wallowing in the mud.
Despite her indescribable ugliness, she believed herself to be more beautiful than the goddess herself, which was quite troublesome.
In the future, she would even claim to be more beautiful than Freya in front of Ottar, demonstrating just how delusional she truly was.
Most importantly, Phryne's favorite pastime was to drug men, then… well, let's just say she leaves them quite incapacitated.
This is why the gods bestowed upon her the title of Androctonus.
Ishtar strongly suspected that Phryne intended to use the same methods on Drake.
Ishtar's plan was to recruit Drake to her side, using him as a counterweight against Ottar when she clashed with Freya.
With the Shikisōseki she was about to acquire, she might be able to defeat Freya's Familia without needing to make deals with others.
If she allowed Phryne to act on her own, the outcome could easily veer in a completely different direction.
Therefore, Ishtar sternly warned Phryne against acting without authorization, but whether Phryne would actually heed her warning was another matter entirely.
With different objectives in mind, both Dionysus and Ishtar sent individuals to observe Drake. And those individuals now lay unconscious before him.
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