Chapter 30: Expanding the Familia & Setting the Plan in Motion (Updated)

Once back in front of the mansion, I decide to enter through the front.

Suddenly appearing inside with seven strangers might be too much for Hestia to handle.

For now, I'll introduce only Igris, Shiro, and Merlin.

Igris will be presented as a sword trainer and mansion guard.

Shiro will be introduced as a blacksmith hired for the Familia.

Merlin will be framed as a magic trainer and an old friend of mine.

The rest of the shadows will remain hidden, concealed within my own shadow.

Even with their new vessels, they can still use their shadow abilities.

I'll bring them into the picture later, once the timing is right.

I enter the mansion, followed by Igris, Shiro, and Merlin, and call out:

"Hestia-san, I'm back! I brought some friends—come down to meet them."

I hear movement upstairs, followed by the sound of Hestia descending the stairs.

"Sora, where have you been?!"

"I went to your room and didn't find you—why didn't you tell me you were leaving?"

"Sorry about that," I reply.

"An old friend of mine came to Orario, and I went to receive him."

I gesture toward Merlin.

"Merlin, meet Hestia-san. She's the goddess of the hearth and the head of my Familia."

Merlin bows politely.

Hestia mirrors the gesture, though her eyes narrow slightly as she sizes him up.

"And what about the other two gentlemen?" she asks, turning back to me.

"The first is Igris," I explain.

"He's a retired adventurer, highly skilled with a two-handed sword. He'll guard the mansion and act as a trainer for any new Familia members we recruit."

"As for Shiro, he's a master blacksmith. I can personally vouch for his skills, so I've hired him as our Familia's exclusive blacksmith."

Hestia's smile falters slightly.

She pulls me aside, whispering:

"What do you mean, a guard and a blacksmith? Our Familia doesn't have enough money to hire people!"

I smile warmly, handing her a storage pouch I prepared earlier.

"Don't worry—I've got it covered."

"Here, take this. There's 4.5 million valis inside. Use it to stock up on food and materials, and buy yourself some clothes that fit your position as the soon-to-be strongest Familia."

She opens the pouch, her eyes lighting up.

For the first time, I see a glimmer of hope—her dream Familia is finally taking shape.

Her revenge doesn't seem so far away anymore.

"Oh, and don't forget to take Igris with you," I add.

"He'll handle the heavy lifting. You can take Shiro too, if he's not busy."

She nods, smiling.

I instruct Igris to survey the mansion and accompany Hestia.

Then, I take Shiro and Merlin to the basement to set up the forge.

The basement is massive, spanning the entire width of the mansion.

I decide to split the space into two sections:

Storage Room – Reinforced with temperature-stabilizing runes, complete with shelves and sections for organization.

Forge Room – Reinforced to withstand heat, with walls and doors designed for maximum durability.

Using magic, I create the partitions and reinforce the rooms.

Once the forge is ready, I purchase everything Shiro requested and add all the materials we collected from the dungeon.

"Your first task," I tell Shiro, "is to forge me a weapon and armor set to present to Hephaestus."

Leaving him to his work, I head back upstairs.

Hestia has already left with Igris, so I show Merlin to his room.

He chooses the one closest to mine.

Afterward, I sit down and begin drawing four pictures from memory—portraits of Haruhime and Aisha.

My painting knowledge from my past life activates, granting me a new skill.

I summon Hanzo and Subzero, handing them two pictures each.

"These two are new members I plan to recruit into our Familia."

"Both are part of the Ishtar Familia—Aisha is an Executive, while Haruhime is a prostitute/supporter."

"Find them for me. Leave this rune in Haruhime's location so I can teleport there. Then report back to me."

"By your command, my lord," they reply, vanishing into the shadows.

Next, I draw a portrait of Liliruca Arde and summon Kenshi.

Handing him the picture, I explain:

"Find this girl, but don't approach her immediately."

"She's wary of others due to the constant abuse from her Familia."

"When you find her, just watch. If someone tries to harm her, intervene and bring her to me."

"You'll find her in or around the dungeon."

"At once, my lord," Kenshi replies, disappearing.

I walk to the window, gazing out at the city.

"Let the games begin."