Chapter 128 No One Can Make Money From Me!

"Who's involved?" 

"Hmph, this is valuable information I gathered with great effort! If you want to know..." 

"Forget it, then. I'll wait for them to make a move. A little mystery can be fun." 

Sol didn't give Hermes any chance to extort him. 

No matter how significant this situation might seem, it was unlikely to involve anyone powerful enough to pose a real threat to the newcomers. 

At most, they were probably mid-level familia members. 

"Don't! Let's discuss this," Hermes said quickly. 

"I suggest you sell the information directly to Kyle and Morgana. They might even pay you well for it," Sol replied, completely unfazed, and turned to leave. 

"Wait, wait! Don't be so hasty!" Hermes moved to block Sol's path. 

After all, Hermes wasn't personally acquainted with Kyle and Morgana, and there weren't exactly many wealthy targets among the newcomers in Orario's familias. 

He was stuck. 

The last time Hermes had spent 100 million valis helping Bell acquire a magic guide book, it had drained his familia's working capital completely. 

Now, his familia was barely scraping by. He desperately needed funds to stabilize their finances. 

If anyone could help him recoup some of his losses, it was Sol and his well-funded familia. 

Hermes knew that Kyle and Morgana had been staying at Sol's estate since their arrival in Orario. 

That connection was certainly no ordinary one. 

Even Hermes didn't know the full extent of it, like how Morgana and Kyle had purchased a significant piece of land on their first day in Orario. 

The two of them had been in the city for such a short time that most gods were still in the dark about their activities. Without updates from the guild, the news wouldn't spread. 

"Fine, tell me. Do you even realize how much of my time you've wasted?" Sol's tone grew sharper with irritation. 

Learning that someone had their sights set on Kyle and Morgana was enough for him to remain wary. Everything else was secondary. 

Let them show themselves. Anyone with malicious intent would eventually reveal their hand. 

As for trying to get money from me? Dream on. 

"You're so stubborn. Fine, I'll let it slide as a good deed this time. Right now, the main target seems to be the girl with the harmony from Morgana's familia." 

"And?" Sol crossed his arms, his expression calm but uninterested, as if he were merely listening to idle gossip. 

Seeing this reaction, Hermes abandoned any hope of squeezing money out of Sol. 

Might as well use this opportunity to strengthen their relationship, Hermes thought. 

"Apollo," Hermes finally revealed. 

"Apollo? He's gotten this bold now?" Sol raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised. He hadn't gone looking for trouble with Apollo yet, and now Apollo was coming after him. 

Then again, it wasn't shocking. Apollo had always been the type to pursue someone he fancied with reckless abandon. 

But unlike Freya, Apollo lacked the power to back up his ambitions. 

As far as Sol was concerned, there was no need for him to intervene. Morgana's familia, even as they stood now, could easily deal with Apollo. 

What a joke. Apollo's familia only had a single Level 3 adventurer and no other strengths beyond sheer numbers. Yet, he still had the audacity to make the first move?

"Just wait and enjoy the show. Thanks for the intel." 

Seeing that Hermes had nothing more useful to offer, Sol decisively left him behind. 

Astraea was still waiting for him, and it already felt like a huge favor to have spent so much time indulging Hermes. 

Sol quickly rejoined Astraea. Neither of them brought up Hermes again as they strolled along, laughing and talking, gradually blending into the crowd. 

Back at the scene, Asfi walked up to her main god. 

"Did it work?" Asfi asked with a hopeful tone. 

She was utterly fed up with their impoverished lifestyle. The fall from extravagance to frugality had been excruciating. 

The once-prosperous familia was on the verge of bankruptcy due to Hermes' impulsive decisions. Recently, the familia members had been working themselves to the bone on missions just to keep afloat. 

Even the current expenses were largely sustained by Asfi's personal savings. 

"It's a shame. That guy Sol isn't biting. He must have a solid relationship with those goddesses," Hermes responded with a sigh. 

However, he failed to notice Asfi's face growing darker and darker with displeasure. 

Before they arrived, he had confidently boasted about his ability to handle Sol, giving her false hope. 

"Well, no matter. I'll figure something out eventually." 

Hermes remained optimistic. If Sol couldn't be leveraged, then he'd turn his attention to Apollo instead. 

Despite their familia's lack of strength, Apollo's group was quite wealthy. 

More importantly, Apollo was far easier to deceive. 

"A monster has appeared!" 

Not long after Sol had left, a sudden, shrill scream came from the direction of the monster festival. 

Sol and Astraea exchanged a glance, their expressions instantly serious. 

"I'll go check it out!" declared the Lady Justice, as she spring into action. 

But what good was it for a god, unable to use divine power, to confront a monster? She wasn't Artemis, capable of feats like that. 

Sol quickly grabbed Astraea's wrist, stopping her in her tracks. 

"Find your familia's children first. They should still be nearby." 

"That makes sense. Let's do it!" 

At this point, Astraea didn't hesitate. She grabbed Sol's wrist in return, and the two of them ran in the direction Alise and the others had gone. 

"Did we go the wrong way? If your familia's children heard the commotion, they'd likely be heading toward the source." 

"You're right. Let's split up. You take the left, and I'll head toward the venue." 

Astraea, without a moment's hesitation, assigned herself the more dangerous path. Before Sol could object, she sprinted away. 

Left with no choice, Sol followed her instructions and ran to the other side. 

"Dad?! Are you okay—?" 

As Sol searched for Astraea's familia members, a familiar voice broke through the silence. 

There was only one person who could call him "Dad." 

Turning toward the sound, he saw Eina, with Shyvana close behind. 

"Eina—and Shyvana! You two came to the monster festival together?" 

"Yes. Sol-sama, do you know what's happening over there?" 

"I heard some shouts about monsters escaping the festival venue, but it shouldn't be anything too serious."