Chapter 265: Shifting Blame for the Xenos Problem

"Do children raised by Zeus really possess such potential?"

Ganesha still believed what Hermes had said. Although that old neutral god was often unreliable, he used "Silence" as a comparison and pointed out their familial connection. In that light, inheriting the "Incarnation of Talent" from his aunt didn't seem far-fetched at all.

"Ouranos, was that request also completed by the child raised by Zeus?"

"That's right."

Hearing the answer, Ganesha felt a bit more at ease.

He had already heard the news three days ago—that his child had been killed while carrying out a mission. Because of that, he had issued a request through the Guild, targeting the woman responsible for his child's death.

Now that he knew the fetus had been safely brought out of the Dungeon and delivered to Orario, Ganesha felt somewhat comforted.

At the very least, he could be certain that his child's death had not been in vain.

"The matter concerning Bell Cranel ends here. For now, there's no need to make any public announcements."

With those words, Ouranos finalized the matter.

Zeus's child had enough potential, and now that he had chosen to quietly work on bettering himself, Ouranos would grant him the time and opportunity to do so.

"Next is the matter of the Corrupted Spirit's fetus and its guardian—this is the third-party force within the Dungeon. The Xenos have confirmed that this group has come into contact with the Evilus. They share the same goal and need to cooperate, so we can assume a collaboration has already been established."

"According to Bell Cranel's investigation and analysis, the Corrupted Spirit's fetus doesn't have enough energy to evolve into Lv. 7. Even so, future expeditions into the deeper levels will face increasing difficulty."

The alliance between the Evilus and the Corrupted Spirit was bound to be a troubling one in the Dungeon.

The Corrupted Spirit could command large numbers of threatening New Variants, and these creatures constantly scoured the Dungeon for energy to feed the fetus. If the fetus absorbed enough energy to reach Lv. 7, it would deal a massive blow to the Loki Familia's deep-level expedition.

"While this is a crisis, it's also an opportunity."

Loki picked up the thread of the conversation.

"We can't halt our exploration of the unknown parts of the Dungeon just because it's dangerous."

"If we let fear stop us from exploring the unknown, then once they've gathered enough power, Orario will be finished."

"For now, the Corrupted Spirit's fetus can't directly assault Orario due to the deterrence of the 'King'. That makes this the perfect trial for my children."

Ouranos fell silent. He understood that Loki was right. If they didn't act now and allowed the Corrupted Spirit's fetus to gain the upper hand, there would be no future for Orario.

At this moment, the unexplored regions of the Dungeon represented both danger and opportunity for Orario's Familias.

The three Level 6 adventurers of the Loki Familia had been stuck at that level for years. If this crisis gave them a chance to break through, it would be a huge benefit for Orario.

But it was a high-stakes gamble—losing meant losing everything.

"...Understood. If you run into trouble during the expedition, the Guild will provide you with the maximum support."

That was the best assistance Ouranos could offer Loki.

Loki nodded slightly. The Guild couldn't give her much, but something was better than nothing.

"Ganesha, continue searching Orario for any hidden Violas."

"Hermes, keep an eye on the other gods."

Ouranos gave the two of them different assignments.

Hermes was smooth and sociable, frequently acting as a messenger and building good relationships across the board. He was clearly the best choice for monitoring the gods.

Ganesha, on the other hand, lacked interpersonal skills and was disliked by most of the gods. It was more suitable for him to search Orario for other concealed carnivorous plants.

"Loki, your Familia needs to take over the matter of the 'Xenos'."

"Huh!?"

Loki's eyes widened in disbelief.

Weren't they just calmly discussing everything together? How did she suddenly get saddled with the problem of the "Xenos"?

"You mean the rational monsters in the Dungeon?"

"Yes."

"And you're dumping that on me?"

"You haven't forgotten about Ishtar, have you?"

Ouranos had known Loki would try to wriggle out of trouble, but from the start, he hadn't given her the option.

He made his stance clear, immediately bringing up the Ishtar incident.

The moment he mentioned "Ishtar," Loki's expression collapsed.

She hadn't forgotten about that.

Back then, she had approached Ouranos specifically to deal with Ishtar in order to secure Haruhime and Aisha, and in the end, Ouranos had handed Ishtar over on a silver platter.

It had almost made Loki forget she owed him a massive favor.

Which meant—there was no escaping the "Xenos" situation now.

"Need me to remind you again?"

"No... I remember."

When Ouranos repeated the question, Loki realized there was no way out. Face stiff, she could only give in.

But the moment she agreed, a headache came crashing in.

After all, among her children, Ais was not someone who could easily accept monsters.

And now she had no choice but to face the "Xenos"—and not treat them like ordinary monsters.

Just imagining that scenario made Loki's temples pulse like crazy.

"Fels, arrange a meeting between the 'Xenos' and Loki's Familia."

Fels glanced at the visibly distressed Loki-sama.

"I can arrange it. But the 'Sword Princess' in Loki-sama's Familia harbors deep hatred toward monsters. Can you guarantee she won't attack the 'Xenos'?"

In response, Ouranos simply fixed his gaze on Loki—clearly passing the responsibility to her.

With a bitter taste in her mouth, Loki could only force a smile.

"No problem... I'll have a good talk with Ais."

But inside, she was already weeping.

She had no idea how she'd explain this to Ais once Finn and the others returned. She was sure Ais would scold her fiercely.

But there was nothing she could do.

She had made her choice with Ishtar, and now it was time to pay the price with the "Xenos."

So, for now, all she could do was grit her teeth and press forward.

...

(100 Chapters Ahead)

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