Chapter 128: Desperate Ishtar (Bonus)

"What a shame."

The play's ending left Hermes somewhat disappointed. It hadn't started out like this—but now, it was closing with that family's name.

"Hermes-sama, should we investigate that person's background more thoroughly?"

Hearing his captain's question, Hermes let out a helpless sigh.

"With the way that child's been acting, gathering intel just by observing won't be easy."

"Now that the child's obtained a special kind of magic, there's no way that Rune Stone only has a single function. If it also has concealment effects, then even tracking him down will be next to impossible."

If the child had merely avoided communication when entering Orario to hide his identity, then after mastering magic, his concealment wouldn't just be about disguising clothing—he might've even changed his entire face.

"To get any concrete information, we'll have to start with Hestia and Hephaestus."

Hermes had already confirmed that Loki was clueless in this matter.

But that only made things more troublesome.

Getting any intel about that child from Hestia would be difficult. Given his personality, he'd probably already warned her to stay quiet.

As for Hephaestus... that one kept a tight mouth too. And this time, the topic was Hestia Familia's own member. With Hephaestus's personality, she'd probably just give him a one-word answer—"Scram!"

"Hm~ I guess I'll have to offer some information Hestia might be interested in as a trade."

At this point, Hermes had no better option.

"If Hestia's going to bite, it'll have to be something related directly to the person in question."

Of course Hermes understood what Asfi was implying.

"I know. But that child's identity is unusually sensitive. If possible, it's better not to reveal it—at least for now."

"But isn't this the most crucial time to gather intel on him? If you don't offer it now, it might lose all its value later."

"..."

Asfi's words only deepened Hermes's dilemma.

She was right—if he didn't put a price on the information now, the value of even the child's identity might plummet in the future.

So, if he wanted to trade information, now was the time.

At least for now, what Hermes knew was something Hestia definitely didn't—and would almost certainly be interested in.

"I'll go see Hephaestus tomorrow."

Even if it wasn't ideal to reveal the child's identity just yet, maybe it'd be acceptable—as long as the child himself remained unaware.

The whole intelligence situation was giving Hermes a serious headache. If it weren't for how cautious and secretive that child was, Hermes wouldn't even be considering trading information for more information.

...

Meanwhile, the Loki Familia was handling cleanup operations.

The Pleasure District's clearing was already underway. While the district couldn't be shut down entirely, the Familia stationed here would definitely no longer be the Ishtar Familia.

Who would take over was a question for another time.

Back at the Guild, Loki waited for the outcome. She watched as her captain and vice-captain escorted Ishtar and the Ishtar Familia's captain into the Guild.

Facing Loki, now just steps away, Ishtar bit her lip hard.

"Loki… I didn't expect it to be you…"

Even if she tried to make excuses, Ishtar had already figured out what this entire fiasco was really about.

Haruhime.

The hidden trump card within her Familia all along.

"How did you know? Why?"

Haruhime's existence was a deeply buried secret. Maybe many in her Familia were aware, but Ishtar was certain none of them would betray her so easily.

Seeing Ishtar looking like a defeated dog, Loki responded with a calm smile.

"Of course, it was special intel."

"But since it's that child, I figured you wouldn't be willing to give her up. So I never planned to negotiate with you."

Ishtar's pupils contracted sharply. She immediately understood the implication behind those words.

"No, no! Loki, let's talk this over—I can give up that child!"

But Loki only answered with a cold, indifferent smile.

"You struck deals with the Evilus, and you still think you have the right to speak?"

"Human trafficking, illegal sales—those are serious violations, Ishtar."

"And on top of that, you collaborated with them to build an underground passage connecting Orario to the outside world, and even to the Dungeon itself. You've got some nerve."

With every word Loki spoke, Ishtar's face darkened further. By the end, only despair remained.

She could tell—this time, Loki was truly going to have her sent back to Tenkai.

Watching Ishtar sink into despair, Loki's grin only grew more radiant.

"No need to look so hopeless, Ishtar."

"It's just a return to the dull, unchanging Tenkai. It's not like you're dying. You should be happy—this means you don't have to keep struggling down here anymore."

"You… You bastard!!!"

Ishtar's bronze-toned skin flushed red with fury. Loki's words nearly made her drop dead on the spot and return to Tenkai right then.

"If you find that ghost town so interesting, why don't you go back yourself?!"

Loki shrugged, resting her hands behind her head and casually shifting her gaze toward an empty corner.

"Who'd want to go back to that boring dump?"

Most gods felt the same way about Tenkai. It was a place for ascetic shut-ins and hermits—far from exciting.

Any Familia God who couldn't suppress their curiosity wouldn't dream of returning to Tenkai—unless they'd already tasted the sweetness of love and no longer wished for more romantic encounters.

But most gods were creatures of passion. They didn't seek just one encounter—they craved many.

That's why gods like Ishtar would never want to go back to Tenkai, no matter what.

To many gods, Tenkai was nothing more than a massive cage—monotonous, stagnant, and devoid of change no matter how many millennia passed.

After experiencing the vibrant world of Genkai, what god would want to return?

But now, Ishtar had no other choice.

"You're the one who got involved with those lunatics. You've got no one to blame but yourself."