Chapter 199: Pleasure District

In case someone panicked and tried to escape or if a drunk adventurer decided to play the hero, rushing in to "save the beauty," the risks would far outweigh the benefits.

"It's really lively tonight. Such a shame that the Pleasure District will cease to exist after tonight. Where do you think all these people will go?" Sol asked Alfia with a hint of amusement.

He had visited this place a long time ago out of curiosity, but the noisy environment wasn't to his liking—not to mention, the girls in his Familia were far more appealing than anyone here.

As a result, Sol was one of the rare male gods who never indulged in Pleasure District's "pleasures."

"I have no interest in knowing," Alfia replied flatly. "Besides, isn't everything unfolding exactly according to your plan?"

"My plan? You make it sound so deliberate." Sol smirked. "It was Ishtar who couldn't resist the temptation. I just never expected her to take the bait so quickly."

Long before Haruhime's abilities were exposed, Sol had already started planning for this scenario.

Even though Finn and the others had promised to keep it a secret after the initial exposure, he had to prepare for the worst. The key was to stay in control.

Rather than constantly worrying about when this information would leak again, why not expose it on his own terms?

And if he could profit from it, all the better.

Of course, Sol didn't act too overtly. He merely had Renata, through her black market connections, "accidentally" let slip a few hints about Haruhime's abilities into the ears of certain gods with ulterior motives.

Most gods, even if they heard the rumors, wouldn't dare make a move against his Familia.

But if any god was foolish enough to take the bait and provoke him? Then he had the perfect excuse to retaliate—annexing their power, eliminating threats, and strengthening his own position.

A win-win situation.

Ishtar's actions weren't entirely intentional—she simply happened to be the first fool to bite the hook.

Running all of Pleasure District gave her vast access to information, gathered from countless sources.

So, when she learned of Haruhime's potential, she was instantly enamored.

Years ago, she had obtained a "Soul-Stealing Stone" from an adventurer, and it was then that she discovered the connection between fox-people and this rare artifact.

But more than anything, Ishtar had always been obsessed with surpassing Freya, her rival as a fellow goddess of beauty.

That ambition had consumed her, turning into an obsession.

So when an opportunity presented itself, she seized it—without any regard for which Familia Haruhime belonged to.

Any previous fear of the Sol Familia had completely vanished from her mind.

But none of that concerned Sol.

He wasn't about to intervene for something as trivial as that.

"So tell me, why did you drag me along to the Pleasure District? Shouldn't we be heading straight to Ishtar?" Alfia asked, exasperated.

She had initially assumed this was just a quick stroll, but it felt like they had been wandering aimlessly.

Alfia cast a disdainful glance at the men indulging in drunken pleasure around her.

Even though she was fully cloaked in black, her tall, elegant figure still drew plenty of attention.

Some men stared, but with Sol by her side, no one dared approach.

Still, she had the strong urge to gouge out the eyes of those who couldn't control their gaze.

"You won't have the chance to see Pleasure District ever again. Don't you want to take one last look?" Sol teased.

"Oh, should I be thanking you, then?" Alfia shot him an irritated glare.

Did he seriously think she was as shallow as the men here, guided purely by base desires?

She had made it very clear—she just wanted to leave.

"Relax. Even if I want to find Ishtar, we still have to wait for Riveria and the others to act."

Hearing his excuses Alfia teased, glancing at Sol with a knowing smirk.

"Speaking of which, poor Riveria is still in the dark. You really are heartless."

"Don't talk nonsense," Sol scoffed. "I'm not a fortune teller. How was I supposed to know Ishtar would make such a reckless move?"

"Hmph, you should work on your acting skills," Alfia mused, her amusement growing. "Give Riveria a little more time, and she'll figure it out soon enough."

Her expression turned playful. She could hardly wait to see how Sol handled himself when that moment came.

It was going to be fun.

As the two strolled through Pleasure District, a gloved hand landed familiarly on Sol's shoulder.

Since there was no hostility in the gesture, Alfia, acting as his bodyguard, didn't react.

Sol didn't even need to turn around to know who it was.

He had heard that voice far too often lately.

"Well, if it isn't Sol! What a rare sight—you in the Pleasure District of all places."

Sol smirked. "Says the man who's practically a regular here, Hermes."

"You're not afraid of Riveria coming after you?"

"I'm just taking one last nostalgic look at the Pleasure District. Have you ever seen someone bring a member of their Familia along for 'fun'? Shouldn't you be more worried about Asfi hunting you down?"

Hermes chuckled nervously.

"Hey, as your good friend, can't you cut me some slack? I hardly ever come out to enjoy myself!"

He quickly raised his hands in mock surrender.

The truth was, his Familia's financial situation had been rough lately. He had been trying to restrain himself, but temptation finally got the better of him.

Yet, just when he thought he could relax, he ran into Sol—a god who rarely set foot in Pleasure District.

And not just Sol, but also a member of his Familia.

Even if Hermes was blind, he wouldn't have missed the implications of that.

It was like playing a game, wandering through a map, only to suddenly stumble upon a hidden treasure chest. His curiosity had forced him to strike up a conversation.

And what did he hear just now?

"One last look"?

Was Sol leaving, or was it the Pleasure District that would be gone after today?

Between the two possibilities, Hermes instantly concluded it had to be the latter.

But why?

Could it be that Sol was planning to wipe out the Pleasure District?

The realization sent a shiver down his spine.

It wasn't a difficult conclusion to draw. After all, Sol bringing his own Familia to a place like this was out of character.

And there were very few things that could make this man take action.