Chapter 97: The One Who Gives Loki a Headache

Today, Loki once again arrived at the entrance of Hephaestus's shop.

For the past three days, Hephaestus hadn't returned to her Familia's headquarters. She had stayed inside the shop the entire time, not setting foot outside.

Still, Loki could understand that. In fact, she understood Hephaestus all too well right now.

The emergence of Rune Stones had completely stirred up the stagnant waters of Orario.

First, everyone was already aware of just how astonishing the Rune Stones were.

At the same time, they all realized how rare and valuable their creator was—and it wasn't hard to guess that there were still plenty of hidden functions those stones hadn't revealed yet.

In a situation like this, it was no surprise that Hephaestus, caught in the eye of the storm, would choose to shut herself away.

Anyone who made the mistake of stepping out into the chaos would likely be swept up and crushed.

"Loki-sama."

"Hm? Phae-Phae still doesn't want to see anyone?"

Interrupted from her thoughts, Loki glanced at the receptionist and voiced what she'd assumed from the start.

And she wasn't wrong—under the current stormy circumstances, it was hard to believe Hephaestus would agree to meet with any other gods.

"Hephaestus-sama has asked that you come upstairs."

Loki, who had just been about to stand and leave, froze in place.

She turned to the receptionist, even wondering for a moment if she had misheard.

"Phae-Phae wants to meet with me?"

"Yes, Hephaestus-sama is waiting for you upstairs."

...

Loki was clearly caught off guard. She had just convinced herself that Hephaestus wouldn't see anyone until this whole situation blew over—yet the moment she turned around, Hephaestus was already calling her up.

She paused, then quickly regained her composure.

There was no way this was just a casual invitation. Not at a time like this. Hephaestus's actions were speaking for her—directly and unmistakably.

'It's that shorty, isn't it!'

And just like that, Loki immediately thought of Hestia.

Her thoughts sharpened in an instant. The lazy gleam in her half-open eyes narrowed to focused slits.

"All right. Let's go."

She could already guess what Hephaestus and the shorty were planning.

Even though this storm was raging across all of Orario, there was still a way to calm it down.

You just needed someone powerful enough to stop it.

And right now, there were only two Familia in Orario capable of doing that—Freya Familia, and her own.

Wasn't the reason behind this meeting obvious?

As she climbed to the second floor of Hephaestus's shop, Loki immediately noticed Hestia—dressed in a waitress uniform.

The black-and-white maid outfit showed off her pale shoulders. She wasn't tall, but her chest was… annoyingly prominent.

Loki found her figure infuriating to look at.

Every time she saw that ridiculous body, it reminded her of how that damn shorty never missed a chance to mock her own figure whenever they met.

'Cut it out! They're so big, they're bound to sag sooner or later!'

Loki couldn't help but curse viciously in her heart, but deep down, envy and jealousy still burned in her eyes.

Even as she threw out that spiteful curse, she secretly wished someone would envy her the same way.

Still, she casually plopped down on the sofa without the slightest courtesy.

But the moment she sat, something felt off.

'Weird, why does the sofa feel warm?'

She glanced around, saw nothing unusual, and subconsciously shrugged it off.

"Phae-Phae, and... Shorty, you two know why I'm here, right?"

"Of course."

Seeing Loki get straight to the point, Hephaestus didn't bother with pleasantries either.

"It's about the Rune Stones—and Hestia's affiliated child too, isn't it?"

"Exactly."

Loki shot a glance at the smug little shorty and pursed her lips in annoyance. Watching that shorty so full of herself over something not related to her size was seriously irritating.

"I hate to admit it, but this shorty really got lucky this time."

Loki had full confidence in the talents of her own children, but she had to admit—this shorty's children were just as capable.

If managed properly, Hestia Familia could easily become Orario's top production Familia.

After all, Rune Stones were incredibly useful. Any serious Adventurer would make sure to carry some.

And judging by the range of effects, there were likely plenty more hidden types with powerful uses behind the scenes.

What Loki wanted was the hidden catalog.

Everyone knew the stuff on open sale was just fluff.

The real treasures were buried in the hidden listings—top-tier items that wouldn't be sold to just anyone.

"Hmph! What do you mean lucky? My encounter with Bell-kun was fated!"

Hestia was beaming with pride. It was rare for her to have the upper hand in front of Loki, and she wasn't about to waste the opportunity to show off.

"Bell…-kun?"

This unfamiliar name clearly belonged to Hestia's child.

"Huh? Loki, don't tell me you didn't even find out his name?"

Hephaestus gave her a curious look. With Loki Familia's intel network, not knowing a name was almost unbelievable.

Even Hestia looked at the dark-faced Loki in surprise.

"Argh! What was I supposed to do if I couldn't find out anything?!"

"That kid always wears a trench coat with a hood, never talks to anyone, and keeps all contact to a minimum. Even the Guild staff barely remember him. How am I supposed to get his name?"

Frustrated, Loki couldn't hold back and exploded—but once she let it out, she slumped in defeat.

"I've never seen such a bizarre Adventurer. There's practically no intel on him in Orario—not even in the Dungeon. No one has ever seen him down there."

If she hadn't personally seen Hestia's child at the Hostess of Fertility, she wouldn't even know where to begin.

That complete lack of leads was driving Loki crazy.

And knowing Hestia's child didn't care about fame, power, or money only made things worse.

'If it weren't for the fact that he clearly had his eyes on Hestia, I wouldn't even be sure this kind of person would ever step out of the shadows...'