The scent of tea had faded from the Demeter Familia's living room, and the tea left in the cups had gone cold.
Genichi leaned back on the sofa, staring at the ceiling. The chandelier's light flickered in his eyes like a swarm of restless fireflies.
Demeter sat beside him, holding a freshly brewed cup of black tea. She hadn't taken a sip, merely brushing her fingers against the cup with a faint rustling sound.
Across from them, Astraea rested her folded hands in her lap. Her expression was calm, but her eyes were searching.
Artemis left the window and sat on Genichi's other side. Her aqua hair slipped over her shoulder, falling across her chest and gleaming softly beneath the light.
"You could have asked Ouranos for much more. Why did you only ask him to bring Hestia to the Lower World?"
Demeter spoke softly, her voice carrying confusion, curiosity, and an unease she couldn't quite explain.
She knew Genichi too well. He wasn't someone who let opportunities slip through his fingers.
He was calculating, knew how to use every bargaining chip, and never accepted a losing deal.
Yet this time, despite having something to hold over Ouranos, he had made only one seemingly simple request.
It wasn't like him.
Genichi lowered the arm he had draped over the back of the sofa and sat up to face her.
"Even if I wouldn't let it slide for anyone else, I had to show Ouranos some consideration. He stepped in personally. Could I really refuse to give him that much?"
His quiet words came with a sigh. He sounded as though he were trying to convince himself as much as Demeter.
Her brow creased.
Of course she understood what Ouranos's personal intervention meant. That great god, the overseer of the Dungeon and guardian deity of Orario, had offered an explanation, an apology, and compensation himself.
Such a thing was exceedingly rare in Orario's history.
If Genichi had kept pressing, he would have been openly disrespecting Ouranos, disregarding the accepted courtesies, and refusing to recognize a generous concession.
But would that alone make him drop the matter?
She didn't believe it.
A glimmer of understanding appeared in Astraea's eyes as she studied him.
She understood his thinking even better than Demeter did. He wouldn't sacrifice his interests merely to spare someone's pride. Every move had a purpose, and every decision was carefully considered.
If he had chosen to let the matter rest, he must have had a reason.
"Ouranos said Ishtar charmed Royman into leaking information about you."
Astraea spoke quietly, but every word was clear.
"But why did Ishtar choose to charm Royman in the first place? Why was she specifically looking for information about you? There are too many unanswered questions. If we kept digging, who knows what we might uncover?"
The corners of Genichi's mouth lifted.
Astraea truly lived up to her title as the Goddess of Justice. Her insight was exceptional.
She had identified the heart of the problem. The question wasn't who had leaked the information, but why.
Why had Ishtar targeted him?
Was she simply coveting his power, or had someone been pulling strings behind the scenes?
What role had Ouranos played?
Was he truly innocent, or was he taking the opportunity to shift the blame?
Every question was another tangled knot. The more he pulled at it, the more complicated the situation became, and the deeper it drew him in.
"That's why I decided to leave it there," Genichi said evenly, with a trace of resignation.
"I'll count it as repaying a favor. Ouranos has looked out for me quite a bit."
He paused, a glint passing through his eyes.
"More importantly, the information is already out. What would settling scores with him accomplish now? What could it undo? Could he take the rumor back? Make Ishtar forget? No. None of it can be undone."
Demeter fell silent.
He was right. The information had been leaked, and word had already spread. There was no taking it back.
Arguing over who was responsible would accomplish nothing now.
Instead of falling out with Ouranos, it was better to use this chance to repay an old favor while putting the god in his debt.
"Ouranos is a great god, and he's the one in charge of the Guild," Genichi continued, his tone growing more serious. "Keeping a good relationship with him can only help. Having him look out for us will make things much easier in Orario."
He paused, his eyes turning cold.
"Of course, that doesn't mean we can trust him unconditionally. We still need to keep our guard up."
Astraea nodded in approval.
Genichi had made a wise choice. He hadn't burned a bridge, dragged up old grievances, or become bogged down in the details.
He had taken a practical approach: repay a favor, gain one in return, and leave his options open.
It showed maturity rather than weakness. He was thinking strategically, not backing down.
"I have a fairly good idea of what happened this time."
His voice deepened, his gaze sharpening.
"But aside from Ouranos, there's another god who may have been involved."
Demeter's eyes narrowed.
"Who?"
"Hermes."
His voice was calm, but cold.
"That shit-stirrer is always up to something."
Astraea frowned.
Hermes. The god of travel, commerce, and thieves, and one of the most inscrutable deities in Orario.
He presented himself as carefree and frivolous, always smiling, apparently taking nothing seriously.
But Astraea knew it was a facade.
Hermes was a deeply calculating god. Everything he did served a purpose. Behind every smile was a scheme, and every move came with a contingency.
If he had played a part in this, Genichi's situation was even more dangerous.
"But why would Hermes do that?"
Artemis's voice came from beside him, tinged with confusion.
She didn't know Hermes particularly well. Her impression was of a god who enjoyed watching events unfold and occasionally meddling in them.
She didn't understand why he would target Genichi.
He looked at her, something complicated flickering in his eyes.
"Because he's bored."
His quiet voice carried a trace of scorn.
"That's Hermes's biggest problem. He's too bored. He's lived for so long, seen so much, and been through so many upheavals that ordinary things stopped interesting him a long time ago. He needs excitement, danger, uncertainty. He doesn't do things for profit or out of responsibility. He does them because they're fun."
Artemis's frown deepened.
"Fun? He's willing to hurt you just for that?"
Genichi shook his head.
"He's not trying to hurt me. He's trying to give me a push. That's what Hermes loves most: pushing someone off a cliff to see whether they fall to their death or learn to fly. If they die, so be it. He's not the one dying. And if they learn to fly, he gets an interesting new toy."
He paused, his lips curling into a self-mocking smile.
"Unfortunately, I'm his toy now."
Silence settled over the living room.
Demeter brushed her fingers against her teacup. Astraea's brow remained tightly furrowed, while Artemis looked increasingly troubled.
They all understood now what sort of god Hermes was, how he operated, and how dangerous he could be.
If he had set his sights on Genichi too, the situation was even worse than they had thought.
"What are you going to do?" Demeter asked, concern in her voice.
Genichi considered the question for a moment before answering.
"First, I'll get Hestia's authority over the sacred flame so Ishtar's charm can't affect me. Then I'll take my time settling things with Hermes."
His voice remained calm, but there was no mistaking his resolve.
"He thinks he's the player, free to move the pieces however he likes. I'll show him that a pawn can turn on him."
A light flickered in Demeter's eyes as she watched him.
She knew he would follow through. Genichi wasn't someone who made empty threats.
(End of Chapter)
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