Chapter 188

The next day…

"What did you just say?" a voice echoed down the street.

A new day had dawned, and it was a little past noon when Hermes received the news about what had happened at the factory.

"It's just like I said; they destroyed an adamantite wall," Asfi repeated in a tired tone.

Her eyes were heavy, and her blue hair was disheveled from the stress of recent events.

Although she was only 15 years old, she was exceptionally smart and remarkably talented, already on the cusp of her next level-up.

This was why Hermes felt comfortable placing so much responsibility on her shoulders.

"Sigh, things are getting complicated now. I don't even want to imagine how strong the suspects must be," Hermes muttered.

As always, the mood on the street matched the gloomy skies above, thick with dark clouds as a light drizzle fell.

People walked with their heads down, grim expressions etched on their faces.

Women and children cast paranoid glances over their shoulders as they went about their business.

As Hermes strolled through the streets, he listened to reports from his followers, searching for any sign of unusual activity within the city.

This had always been Hermes's way: a messenger, an arbitrator, a neutral observer—at least most of the time.

To maintain his reputation as a purveyor of information, he needed to keep in touch with many different streams of intelligence.

Right now, the information he sought couldn't be found in reports or documentation but in the subtle fluctuations of the atmosphere around him.

Asfi was currently acting as his escort for this excursion; even gods weren't immune to the dangers lurking in the current Orario.

"Also," Asfi continued, "the Astraea Familia reported contact with what they believe may be a high-ranking Evilus commander during their defence alongside the Bahamut Familia on the 18th floor."

"The Astraea Familia, huh? Our rising stars," Hermes said with a smile.

"They're well on their way to rivaling the likes of the Freya and Loki Families. Haven't you made friends with one of their members lately, Asfi? The wind something…"

"I wouldn't say friends—more like kindred spirits," Asfi replied.

It was by chance that Asfi had met Ryuu during a recent Evilus attack. Asfi had been sent to provide aid using her magic items.

When she arrived at the scene, she encountered a rather unusual group of girls, who, of course, were members of the Astraea Familia.

Three beautiful girls—Alise, Kaguya, and Lyra—were teasing a fourth member, who turned out to be Ryuu.

When Asfi approached, Ryuu glared up at her with tears in her eyes and asked, 'Have you come here to look down on me too?'

But Asfi could only comfort her with a merciful smile, having endured something similar when she first joined the Hermes Familia.

'It must be hard,' she had thought then.

Not a day went by when Asfi wasn't pushed around by Hermes or the captain, Hermes, again and again. Ryuu sensed a kinship in Asfi's merciful smile.

So, despite Ryuu's unwelcoming demeanor, she and Asfi quickly warmed up to each other.

While they weren't as close as Asfi was with her friend Adi, Ryuu could be considered a fellow sufferer. Recently, they had even begun sharing information freely.

"It does feel like you both share the same mood. I wonder why?" Hermes said flippantly, earning himself a jab from Asfi.

"Guuh! Why?" Hermes gasped, clutching his side, but Asfi merely scoffed.

'Why is she so touchy lately?' Hermes wondered.

"Speaking of rising familias, the Bahamut Familia has done it again," Asfi said.

"What happened?" Hermes asked, intrigued.

"Apparently, their captain is now a level 4, and the other members are level 3," Asfi reported, having obtained this information from Ryuu.

Hermes fell silent, unable to process this new development.

"So the secret activity on the 19th floor was to level up his familia. As expected, it must be a special skill," Hermes muttered, nodding in understanding.

"If that's true, shouldn't we conceal this information? The last thing we need is conflict between familias," Asfi suggested.

"It's impossible to hide; the other gods aren't foolish. They can piece things together with enough information," Hermes replied.

The existence of an ability that could increase a person's excelia accumulation speed was troubling enough to tempt any familia, even one protected by a powerful dragon gods.

"Well, I don't think Loki will make a move; it's too risky. Freya and Ishtar, on the other hand…" Hermes's words trailed off.

"What about the Evilus? They may be crazy enough to make a move, especially with their new powerful recruits," Asfi speculated.

Hermes's expression darkened at this, and he quickened his pace as his mind raced with worst-case scenarios.

'I can't let our budding heroes fall into their hands. It must not happen,' he thought.

He knew the Evilus would use any means necessary to achieve their objectives; they were frightening in that way.

.........…

Meanwhile, in another part of the city, an incredibly beautiful goddess hurried through the streets.

She finally arrived at her destination: the terrace of a cozy-looking tea house.

"Sorry I'm late!" she exclaimed, out of breath, as she joined the three other goddesses waiting there.

"What time do you think it is? Something tells me you're getting a little too big for your boots," the first goddess said, smirking.

This was Loki, the goddess of the Loki Familia.

"Is being a hooligan in fashion these days, Loki?" the second goddess remarked, her scaly tail lightly smacking Loki for teasing her friend.

This was Bahamut, the goddess of the Bahamut Familia.

The two goddesses began to bicker, drawing the attention of passing pedestrians.

"Sigh, why are you two still so barbaric? At least have some sense of elegance; you're goddesses, right?" the third goddess interjected, her silver hair swaying gently as she took a graceful sip from her teacup. This was Freya, the goddess of the Freya Familia.

She was dressed head to toe in a robe to avoid enchanting the people on the street with her beauty.

Ignoring the bickering between the trickster and dragon goddesses, Freya turned her attention to Astraea.

"Were you looking after the children again?" Freya inquired.

"Yes," Astraea replied, taking a seat next to Bahamut. "I was just at the orphanage and then went all over the market to hand out soup."

"You're doing a good job. Sadly, all I can contribute is some supplies to the orphanage. My kids are my priority—making their meals, cleaning the house, and doing several other chores is enough work. I also have to keep them away from predators," Bahamut said, glancing at Loki and Freya.

'Who would image a dragon goddess acting as a maid for her children. They must really be extremely likable. Aaaaah, I want one of them' Freya thought.

"You are already doing enough," Astraea said to Bahamut.

"Ugh, here we go again," Loki groaned, leaning back in her chair.

"Is that what you all call justice these days? Humble bragging? Not that we're exactly perfect role models, but you should really try acting more like a goddess," she said, pointing at Freya, herself, and Bahamut.

Astraea gave a strained smile.

"Everybody needs a hobby, don't they? Just like how you enjoy getting drunk and complaining," Astraea replied.

"Pfhahahaha!" Bahamut burst out laughing, and Freya gave a seductive chuckle at the remark.

"Guh!" Loki groaned, glaring at Astraea with an intensity that was hard to ignore.

"Besides," Astraea continued, "my children are out there fighting for the good of this city. I can't just stand by and do nothing."

"Hmm, Its hard to restrain yourself when your children are working hard" Bahamut said, nodding in agreement.

"That's exactly what I hate about you, Astraea. You're too sweet. You remind me of Artemis, except at least she had the decency to get violent once in a while," Loki replied, her expression unusually serious.

The three goddesses sensed the venom in her words was genuine.

"How are we supposed to be fair to everybody when we aren't omniscient anymore? That isn't justice; it's just self-satisfaction," Loki scorned.

Astraea didn't reply, continuing to smile, while Bahamut remained silent.

Astraea was accustomed to being scorned; as a goddess of justice, she understood what constituted true justice very well.

Therefore, Loki's venomous words didn't bother her.

Bahamut refrained from speaking because, although she and Astraea were both goddesses of justice, their perspectives differed significantly.

"Well, I think it's rather romantic," Freya said. "Struggling endlessly for an ideal that can't be attained. Perhaps I should try it for myself and see what all the fuss is about."

"I don't think it will work for you like it does for Astraea. Your charm is a bit too potent," Bahamut warned.

"I will find a way!, I always do!" Freya replied confidently.

"Ugh, why am I surrounded by idiots?" Loki lamented.

"What is the world coming to when those poor children have to look up to a goody-two-shoes, a nymphomaniac, and… I don't even know what to classify you as," Loki wailed, staring at the three goddesses…..