With the gods meeting having come to a close
The assembled gods began to disperse being accompanied by their various adventurer groups acting as diligent bodyguards seeking to maintain their gods and goddesses presence here on earth.
As for some they felt safer to remain in the halls of the divine chamber on the thirtieth floor of the tower of babel.
This entire structure was protected by the guild and by proxy Oranos himself.
But there were those scant few, who like Hephaestus bolted the minute the meeting was completed.
Their reason?
Inform the other gods and goddesses who hadn't answered the summons.
Hephaestus herself was racing through the streets of Orario, her children running alongside her without an real idea why.
The gods children hadn't yet been informed of what had transpired the night before, but the look of fear painted on their goddesses face mixed with the developing tears of care and worry had their minds racing.
Just what could put their stubborn boss into such a state as this.
Hephaestus didn't bother to inform her familia, with her divine powers sealed she was nothing more than a regular human and even being more fit than the typical gods and goddesses, she still didn't have the room to spare for talking when mixed with the intense breathing brought about by her full on sprint through the streets.
Minutes passed until they reached their intended destination.
Property that technically fell under the ownership of Hephaestus herself, though it remained as the private dwelling of another goddess entirely.
Without any hesitation and tact Hephaestus quickly kicked down the door to the dilapatated church, the wooden splinters flying this way and that as if the door itself had exploded.
Once inside her Familia members weapons ready spread out surveying the entire interior.
But sensing and finding nothing wrong many began to look once more at their goddess with question marks above their heads.
"We're going downstairs."
After huffing a few time these were the word the goddess spoke.
This being her property afterall she was well aware the main floor, the hall previously in ages passed used for worhip was to conspicuous, meanwhile the basement was more of an acceptable living situation.
Finding the door in no time, the seven persons descended into the darkness of the churches undercroft.
The space itself was limited only about the size of roughly 500sqft.
Containing only three rooms in total.
The mainroom containing nothing more than a beat up old couch, and a barely held together coffee table, with a simple set of countertop and cabinets serving the purpose of a kitchenette.
Then there was a small bathroom containing nothing more than a toilet, and sink.
And lastly could be considered as the goddesses room itself.
A small bedroom containing a queen sized bed that looked fairly new though the blanket atop it while bunched up looked well worn.
But for all their searching Hephaestus herself could only slump her shoulders in defeat.
Her closest friend.
A goddess who'd descended for only a few months now, and recently kicked out from leeching off of herself, was not here.
The one good thing of note was that aside from their own presence it appeared no other intruder had come to this place, nor any confrontation held within.
But even still the Goddess of Smithing couldn't ease the ache In her heart.
The fear she didn't even know she could have caused that heart to race.
"Lady Goddess?"
One of her family members finishing their investigation returned to Hephaestus's side only to raise a questioning probe.
"Shes… shes not here."
The goddess couldn't articulate her words only managing to repeat the same thing over and over.
Tsubaki, Captain of the Hephaestus familia had never seen her lady goddess in such a state before, but with reverence in her heart, she consigned herself to conducting something she had done to many of their familia members before though never having considered doing so to a goddess.
SMACK
A resounding crack echoed through the basement.
The Goddesses head snapping to one side as the palm of her Captain contacted her cheek.
A subtle tinge of pink spreading across her cheek.
But the slap itself was grounding, bringing the goddesses thoughts back on track.
As much as she wanted to punish Tsubaki for her actions she couldn't help but realize this was not done in malice but out of care.
Turning away from her captain, she looked to another member of her familia all of whom had turned to look at their goddess after hearing what their captain had just done.
"Spread the word to the children… Find Goddess Hestia and bring her to me."
Upon this command the familia members sprang into action two racing out from the church basement to carry out the order and spread their goddesses decree with haste.
Meanwhile in the basement Hephaestus herself took a seat upon the raggedy couch with her remaining four familia members remaining alert.
"Lady Goddess, just what happened?"
Tsubaki biting her lip finally broke the silence to ask this question.
Sigh
Knowing this would have to be done even if the news itself was not something the gods would want spread around.
"It's like this…"
Over the next few minutes she disemminated all she knew about the case, causing the girls before her to all recoil in shock to hear that a divine being, a God had been slain, not just sent back to heaven but their life actually ended.
Each didn't look at their goddess with pity but instead steeled their focus and peered at the windows and entryway, preparing for a possible assault to fight to the death protecting their own goddess from such a transgressor.
"We don't yet know why this was done, or if the one responsible means to do it again, so for the time being we'll be setting up a curfew to keep the familia members inside the base as much as we can."
"What about the upcoming expedition thought"
The expedition… right, Loki Familia had already for week now been spending valis like it was endless, buying up weapons, rations, even securing her own familia cooperation to have a smithing team accompany them down into the deep layers as they attempt to break through the 51st floor and possibly continue to advance from there.
Even admist this crisis, their familia couldn't postpone this expedition, to do so would result in the collapse of their famila due to financial burden and insurmountable debt.
"We'll need to continue with the planned execution, but for security Loki's crew along with Hestia might need to reside at our forge base until the high levels return, or the culprit themselves is caught."
~End Of Volume 1~