Just as Takumi was busy preparing, the scene shifted to another conference room in the Twilight Manor.
Finn and Tione, who had just returned, gathered here along with Gareth and Loki. In front of them sat several representatives secretly dispatched by the major top-tier familias in Orario after receiving the summons.
Among them were: Allen Fromel, the representative of the Freya Familia known as Vana Freya; the representative of the Ganesha Familia, which holds law enforcement authority in Orario; and the representative of the Goibniu Familia, a large forging clan with close ties to the Loki Familia. There were also representatives from the Guild and other familias that appeared in the original history, such as the Dian Cecht Familia. In total, more than ten people were present.
It could be said that almost all familias in Orario that had reached a certain scale, possessed significant strength, held a clear position, and were considered trustworthy had been notified and sent representatives.
"Is everyone here yet?"
Allen Fromel, who was clearly impatient, took the lead in questioning Finn.
"You can speak now. What is the reason for calling so many of us here in such a hurry? Do not tell me you simply invited us to a banquet. My time is too valuable to waste."
Allen had been the first to arrive among all the representatives and had waited the longest. If Loki had not been present, he would not have dared to disrespect a goddess, especially since Lady Freya had asked him to find out the whereabouts of the Loki Familia members. He had already been on the verge of ignoring Finn and leaving in anger.
"Yes, calling so many of us here is no small matter. Captain Finn, please get straight to the point," the Guild representative added, wiping sweat from his bald head as he urged Finn to continue.
His expression was not one of impatience, but rather deep worry. Anyone could guess that a major event was about to unfold. He just did not know if it would be a good or bad thing. If it was the latter, it would be a disaster. As the organization that maintained Orario's operations, the Guild had the responsibility to deal with whatever happened. They would be the busiest. Thinking of this, the representative silently took out a bottle of heart-relief medicine just in case of emergency.
The others also looked at Finn. Though they remained silent, their eyes were fixed on him, eager for an answer. Finn sat behind his desk, resting his elbows on the table and clasping his hands to cover half of his face. He said seriously:
"I called everyone here today because I have something very important to announce. The lair of the Dark Faction was discovered this morning."
"What?!" everyone exclaimed.
"The Dark Faction?! They still have remnants left?!"
"You found the nest?! That is incredible news!"
"Finally, a chance to get rid of those bastards."
As soon as the news broke, the representatives in the room erupted. Some knew the Dark Faction still had remnants, while others were completely unaware, leading to a variety of reactions. Without waiting for the discussion to continue, Finn spoke again:
"The ones who discovered the lair are the Hestia Familia, and they are already preparing to launch an encirclement and annihilation operation starting tomorrow. We, the Loki Familia, have agreed to participate in this action led by the Hestia Familia. We are now inviting all of you here for tomorrow's operation. We hope the familias you represent can also participate."
The representatives, who were still processing the first shock, were once again stunned.
"What?! Tomorrow?! Is that not too sudden?"
"Yes, moving tomorrow leaves us no time to prepare."
"And for such a massive undertaking, how can the Hestia Familia make decisions on their own? Even if they are reckless, why is the Loki Familia going along with them? Our Guild needs an explanation!" the Guild representative said, swallowing his medicine and suppressing the urge to shout.
An operation tomorrow? What a joke! Do they know how much effort it takes to mobilize a large number of people? Now they were being asked to complete preparations in less than a day, or even a single evening? Were they trying to work everyone to death?
"Yes! We cannot agree to act like this without a reasonable explanation!"
"That is right. We cannot rush such a major matter; we need a long-term plan."
Even Allen Fromel, usually the most impatient person there, could not help but frown. Though he said nothing, he felt the timing was too abrupt.
While the room was noisy, Loki, who was sitting nearby, slammed her hand on the table. The conference room fell silent as everyone looked at her.
Loki spoke with an unhappy expression, "An explanation? Is my personal guarantee not enough? By my judgment, this operation could be resolved by the strength of the Hestia Familia alone. We would not even need to join the battle. They are notifying us now simply to ensure nothing goes wrong. We want to organize a city-wide investigation of Orario to avoid anything slipping through the cracks like last time. Therefore, the leadership of this operation is not for you or me to decide. Even without our participation, they will still take action. I am calling you here now to inform you and organize manpower to cooperate with the investigation, not to negotiate. Do you understand?"
Although Loki's words were harsh, she succeeded in making the representatives listen. Their first thoughts shifted immediately.
"Is the Hestia Familia really that powerful now? I have not heard any news about this at all."
"Indeed. Although I do not know the current strength of the Dark Faction, if she guarantees they can be defeated, then the Hestia Familia must be significantly stronger than the Loki Familia."
Their next realization followed.
"So, calling us to help actually means this."
"In other words, you just need our manpower to handle the odd jobs?"
Helping with the investigation was essentially doing grunt work. Although a large-scale investigation of Orario sounded impressive, it was basically routine work: checking homes, setting up checkpoints, and patrolling streets. It required a lot of people and was labor-intensive.
Furthermore, Loki was right. If the Hestia Familia truly possessed that kind of strength, they did not need permission from anyone else; they would act regardless. All the other familias could do was cooperate and strive for a perfect outcome.
At this point, Finn took over the conversation again.
"Loki's wording may have been uncomfortable, but this is the reality. The Hestia Familia is determined to act, so we can only cooperate. But have you considered this? Giving ourselves more time to prepare also gives the Dark Faction time to prepare or escape. Therefore, the sooner we move, the better. On behalf of the Loki Familia, I agree to participate. What about all of you? Who agrees, and who objects?"