"Are you a god?"
The man pulled down the brim of his hat, and hearing the question, a smug smile involuntarily appeared on his lips.
"Hehehe, my radiance can no longer be hidden! That's right, I am the famous god Hermes!"
The man struck what he considered an incredibly cool pose, stylishly flicked his orange hair, then closed his eyes, preparing to receive the girl's perfectly natural praise and awe.
However, the expected scream did not come.
The girl merely said "Oh" flatly, then continued to ask in a tone as if asking for directions.
"Do you know the way to the City of Sinners, Bergen?"
Hermes stumbled, almost falling. He awkwardly held his wide-brimmed hat, which almost fell off, and sighed with a wry smile.
"Has my style become unpopular these days…?"
"Aside from completely ignoring my reaction! You, a little girl, why would you go to that hell?"
The girl said seriously, in a matter-of-fact tone.
"The young man who rescued me from prison said that I could receive comprehensive training there. I want to become the Queen of Thieves, and then have enough ability to repay him!"
Beneath the brim of his hat, Hermes's orange-yellow eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Oh… did he say his name?"
"No."
This god, famous for his wit and cunning, fell into complete silence.
He could tell that the girl in front of him wasn't lying.
In fact, Hermes appeared here because he had noticed the abnormal behavior of the City of Sinners, which had suddenly become completely isolated from the outside world in the past few days.
He was entrusted by Uranus, the Head God of the Guild's underground, to investigate the situation and ensure that the imprisoned evil gods weren't secretly causing any major trouble.
Could it be that the mysterious young man she mentioned knew the reason for the anomaly in the City of Sinners?
Otherwise, a normal person would never say something like "letting the other person enter the City of Sinners to receive training," which was a hellish joke.
Unless… he hated her so much that he wanted her to die.
"…Didn't you doubt his words?"
The girl held up the exquisitely shaped, complexly structured, peculiar mechanism in her hand.
"He saved me, and I also used this mechanism he gave me to activate Grace without the help of a Head God."
What the hell?!
Hermes was about to retort that it was impossible, but the next moment, he keenly sensed a faint trace of divine blood emanating from the mechanism.
His pupils suddenly constricted, and he subconsciously reached out, only for the girl to warily pull it back.
"What do you want to do?"
"...I am a patron god from a Familia in Orario, and I have a close working relationship with the Guild. I won't harm you. I'm just... curious about this thing."
"Even so, this is a gift he gave me. Without his permission, I can't give it to you!"
Hermes slumped his shoulders in resignation.
This was his first time in the Lower World feeling that communicating with a girl was so troublesome.
Could it be... that my charm has truly faded?
"Alright then, at least can you tell me the name of the goddess you're contracted with?"
"After all, as far as I know, most of the gods in the City of Sinners are twisted evil gods, and you wouldn't want to be associated with them, right?"
The girl hesitated for a moment, then spoke.
"He said it was... Goddess Lavellna."
Hermes was stunned, his expression complex.
"If it's her, then there shouldn't be any big problem."
At the same time, Hermes's suspicion of the young man grew stronger.
He subconsciously looked at the young girl in front of him, pondering that perhaps he could use her to inquire about the current situation of the City of Sinners.
But then, he immediately rejected such a despicable act.
To let an innocent young girl bear the brunt of my schemes... I haven't fallen to that extent yet.
"You can reach the City of Sinners by following that road straight ahead, but no matter what changes happen there, if you want to become stronger, only the center of the world—Orario—is the most suitable place."
"After all, there's a unique Dungeon there."
Hermes ultimately offered his most sincere advice.
"But perhaps, the other party has indeed made arrangements for you in the City of Sinners, and you can receive safer training. Everything depends on your choice."
After deep thought, the girl suddenly looked up and said to Hermes.
"How about we make a deal?"
"Oh?" Hermes raised an eyebrow with interest, "A deal between a human and a god? I'm all ears."
"I want to go to Orario!" The girl clenched her fists, her gaze firm, "Before I meet that person again, I can accept your commissions in the name of your Familia, no matter how dangerous the work, you can entrust it to me!"
It was impossible to operate in an Orario filled with powerful individuals without a reliable Familia to rely on.
The girl's idea was simple: she wanted to leverage the prestige of his Familia to quickly grow stronger.
And the price she would pay was to accept his commissions and undertake various tasks.
This was the pure cooperative relationship the girl wanted to achieve, just like the relationship between a bounty hunter and a client!
Hermes felt a tremor in his heart, dropping all joking pretense, his expression turning serious.
"...The real world can bring death at any time. Have you truly prepared yourself?"
"You don't actually need to push yourself so hard. Following the path he planned for you might be safer."
The girl shook her head and said frankly.
"If I die before I meet him, it means I was nothing special, just a naive girl who spoke big words, and I wouldn't even be worthy of seeing him again."
Hermes took a deep breath, pulling down the brim of his hat, but the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curve into a wild grin.
"This doesn't follow the rules."
"..."
"But what I like most is breaking the rules! A young girl with an unrealistic dream, and a mysterious young man... Heh heh, let me see what kind of future you two will lead to."
Hermes revealed a genuinely excited smile.
"I accept your deal. Your name is..."
The girl also showed a brilliant smile.
"Lydis Cavellna."
-
Deddai.
Rhode gazed at the vast desert before him, eroded by potent toxins and the aura of death. He extended his right hand, feeling the rich and chaotic magical energy in the air.
"...There are no bodies available for summoning, but... it might be possible to cultivate a Behemoth subspecies."
He narrowed his eyes, sensing the subtle changes in the magical energy.
"If left undisturbed, it would probably take eight years."
Rhode was about to catalyze it, but then he suddenly remembered the god who called himself Absolute Evil, and slowly retracted his right hand.
"Now with my existence, if we still follow the original arrangements, the Great Struggle initiated by Erebus probably wouldn't even make a ripple."
Rhode's face showed a pleased smile.
"Excluding the option of completely instigating human civil war, there are probably only a few things he can do."
In the original work, to alleviate the toxins in Chardo's body, Erebus once sent people to search for an un-withered herb near this desert to temporarily restore some of his mobility.
This meant he must have known about the anomalies in this vicinity.
Rhode chuckled faintly, his hands in his pockets, and vanished from the spot.
"Let me see how far you can go to deal with me."
"Don't disappoint me, Erebus~"
Orario was conveniently located between Deddai and the Far East.
Rhode pondered for a moment, intending to meet the top powerhouses of this era.
At this time in Orario, the Zeus and Hera Familias had once again thwarted the siege of the Osiris remnants, reigning over the entire Orario like absolute monarchs, suppressing all other Familias to the point where they dared not even breathe.
People on the streets, all smiles, were eagerly and expectantly discussing when the two great Familias would continue to complete the legendary "Three Great Adventurer Quests."
It was as if even the final Black Dragon was not worth mentioning in the face of the now invincible two great Familias.
The entire city was caught in a blind frenzy and boundless arrogance.
Rhode, wearing a black hood, walked silently through the bustling streets.
"...I was looking for the two great Familias, but I unknowingly ended up here."
Twilight Manor.
Compared to ten years later, its scale was undoubtedly much smaller here.
Rhode couldn't help but recall his first time arriving in the Danmachi World and stepping into the Loki Familia, a situation vastly different from the present.
He gave a wry smile and was about to turn and leave.
"Who... are you?"
In just a moment.
Six powerful adventurers appeared around him like ghosts, surrounding him completely.
They vigilantly watched the mysterious man in the black robe before them.
Although his face was uncovered, they simply couldn't form any impression of his appearance in their minds, unable to discern who the newcomer truly was.
Rhode looked around at the six with interest.
Two sturdy Dwarves.
An Amazon woman who brought to mind a female hero.
A human man dressed in a Far Eastern style with a beard.
A Pallum carrying a long spear, with sharp eyes.
And... Riveria's mother in her youth.
Her exquisite features, perfect as if only seen in sculptures, her emerald hair like a flowing waterfall of green jewels cascaded to her waist, and her skin was as fair and delicate as flawless silk.
The sternness of a warrior, the grace of royalty, the etherealness of a fairy, the tenderness of a mother...
The Elven Queen, who perfectly blended all these temperaments, held her magic staff tightly, watching him warily.
"Please state your purpose. If you are here to visit, why are you so secretive?"
Just then, the system's notification sound echoed in Rhode's mind again.
[Special A-rank Wish has been issued!]
[Issuer: Finn, Riveria, Gareth, Noel, Dain, Balala.]
· · · · · ·
[Content: Crush and overwhelm them, making them strive desperately due to humiliation.]
[Reward: A random ability for each of them, and corresponding Wish Points based on completion.]
Huh?
Issuing a wish to abuse myself?
I've never heard of such an outrageous request in my life.
However... I like it.
Rhode's hands, which were originally in his pockets, naturally dropped to his sides.
He suddenly let out a soft chuckle, the sound exceptionally clear in the silent air.
"It seems there are still some clear-headed fellows who haven't become complacent."
Finn's thumb suddenly felt a sharp pain, like a needle prick.
His expression instantly changed, and he immediately shouted with all his might!
"Riveria!"
"Gather, breath of the earth—my name is Alf!"
Riveria completed the rapid chant almost instantly!
A translucent, shimmering light-cloak instantly appeared on the other five.
—Defensive Support Magic [Life-Binding Phantasm].
The light-cloak bestowed upon the protected target enhances resistance to both physical and magical attributes, and can slightly heal bodily injuries!
The veins on Gareth's arms instantly bulged. He roared and raised his massive shield, instantly blocking Riveria's front.
"Hah!!!"
But the next moment, Rhode simply took a step, and his figure appeared before him without warning, as if teleporting.
He extended his right hand and gently pressed it onto the shield, which was strong enough to withstand the charge of a giant beast.
"You're still too slow to react."
"!!!"
The calm tone reached his ears, and Gareth's pupils suddenly constricted.
.....
Crack—
His specially customized, indestructible shield, with that casual press, instantly became covered in cracks, then completely shattered into a shower of debris!
The Dwarf warrior was plunged into a state of disbelieving shock in an instant.
The next second.
"Ugh—!"
Rhode delivered a fierce, merciless side kick directly to his chest.
Gareth flew backward like a cannonball, smashing through several solid walls before crashing into the Loki Familia's courtyard in disarray!
"Gareth!"
Another sturdy Dwarf, Dain, roared, swinging his massive battle-axe down from behind Rhode!
Unlike Gareth, he was a powerful adventurer who had transferred from another Familia, possessing far more combat experience than Gareth.
However, Rhode stood still, not moving an inch.
Clang—!!!
A deafening crash!
The ground beneath Rhode's feet instantly cracked and crumbled like a spiderweb!
The violent impact kicked up a cloud of dust!
"...."
There was no hint of joy on Dain's face from having succeeded.
Instead, his expression was subtly distorted, as if he had witnessed something utterly incomprehensible and beyond all reason.
He gritted his teeth and squeezed out a sentence from between them.
"Are you... really human?!"
A breeze blew, and the dust slowly dispersed.
The massive battle-axe had indeed struck Rhode's shoulder squarely.
But he himself was completely unharmed.
On the contrary, the blade of the great axe, custom-made by the Goibniu Familia, now had a distinct chip!
Finn's eyelids twitched wildly at this sight.
"Hehehe... If I didn't know the stubborn temperament of their blacksmiths, I would almost think that old man Goibniu deliberately scammed us with a fake product."
Rhode tilted his head slightly.
"Only Lv.3 strength, huh? It's really... far from enough."
As his voice fell, his punch arrived.
Rhode casually punched Dain in the abdomen.
Dain's eyes instantly widened, and he painfully coughed up a large mouthful of fresh blood.
Bara, an Amazon warrior in her late twenties, wielded her powerful fists and feet, attempting to counterattack from the side.
However, Rhode casually grabbed Dain by the collar, swung his burly body like a weapon, and hurled both of them flying!
Noel, a human elder over sixty, stood firm like a resilient willow in the wind.
He wielded an Eastern-style single-edged sword, striking at Rhode's vital points with incredibly sharp angles.
Rhode made a gesture with his right hand, casually retrieved an ordinary katana from Kamui Space, and with a casual swing, effortlessly blocked the opponent's full-power strike, which embodied a lifetime of skill.
"You, you're still somewhat decent."
Noel curved his lips.
"After all, I'm not like you promising youngsters. My potential has long been exhausted; what I rely on to survive are merely the skills honed over many years."
Rhode did not deny his youth; he simply slowly sheathed his sword, then silently turned and walked towards Finn.
"If you're old, retire early. The front lines are no longer suitable for you."
[Lydis was the captain of the Hermes Familia during the Great Strife and died during that period. As this might involve Asfi's side story, I'll arrange it this way for now after taking over.]