1041. Shirou's Reliability / 1042. The Gods' Meeting and the Imprisoned Girl ...

However, when Wielf and the others were brought here, they discovered that Lili was missing.

Chapter 1041 Shirou's Reliability

Shirou brought Wielf to the cabin, but also brought bad news.

"Lili wanted to go back to the [Soma Familia] herself... no, her expression was strange, she must have been kidnapped by those guys," Wielf said, looking down.

"!?"

At that moment, Wielf was wielding his greatsword to block the pursuers of the Apollo Familia, while Lili was assisting from the rooftop with a crossbow. Suddenly, another group of people came to her side, led by a thin, middle-aged man who wore glasses, appeared refined, but was actually gloomy.

The other person said something to Lili, and Lili, not daring to resist, was taken away by them.

"I couldn't bring her back because the other guys got in my way... I'm sorry," Wielf said.

Hearing this report, which they had never even considered, both Bell and Hestia were shocked.

Why? What's the reason? Is Lili alright now?—A flood of questions and anxieties rushed into Bell's mind. Just then, it dawned on him, "I have to go save her!"

Just as he was about to ask Wielf for details, Hestia grabbed his arm.

"Bell-kun, you need to do what I told you to do."

"But... but!?" Bell tried to retort.

Hestia assured her, "Bell-kun! I will definitely rescue the Supporter, so please—please believe me. God believes in children, and children should believe in God too."

Seeing Hestia's resolute expression, Bell initially wavered... He felt guilty and uneasy about what happened to Lili, and even more ashamed of having gotten away with it, but the situation was extremely urgent.

Hestia looked at Bell, who was standing there hesitant and stunned, and said aggressively:

"Bell-kun, I can only give you one week!"

The loli goddess, looking up at the boy of her clan, continued:

"From now until the Game War begins, I will do everything I can to delay it for a week."

"Huh..."

"Use this week, Bell-kun, to become as strong as possible—stronger than any of the children who attacked us today, stronger than any obstacle in our path! You can do it!!"

Hestia's eyes were filled with all her hopes on Bell's [Unwavering Desire] skill. The stronger her inner emotions, the more pronounced the effect of the trained ability.

While being a level higher offers a significant advantage, if Bell has a base stat that is several hundred points higher than the opponent's, coupled with unique skills, then there is a glimmer of hope for victory.

However, Hestia believed that the boy could do it; no, she should say that from the first day she met him, she had never doubted him!

Seeing the unwavering look in the God's eyes, a surge of heat welled up in Bell's chest.

"Bell, Lady Hestia!"

Just as the Goddess said, if he cannot raise his strength to level 3 within a week and defeat the ponytail youth he met at the tavern, then all his efforts will be in vain.

The disparity in the number of members and strength between the two factions was obvious. For a match that could hardly be called a competition, Bell could not suppress his pessimistic thoughts, which could only lead to a dead end.

You must believe in the Goddess, just as you believe in your own ability to succeed!

Bell transferred all the surging emotions within him to Hestia and nodded heavily to the goddess.

"Alright then, here's your dagger, lend it to me, I'll definitely rescue the supporter." Hestia clenched her fist, looking like she was about to fight Soma with the knife. But no matter how strong her aura was, she still looked like a child waving a knife around randomly.

"While your resolve is commendable,... let me go. I'm enough on my own," Shirou said.

"Shirou-kun!"

"Big brother!"

Hestia and Bell both looked at Shirou with emotion.

'How reliable he is!'

'If it's the eldest brother, there's absolutely no problem!'

"Don't worry about it. Anyway, I have something I want to talk to that god of wine about," Shirou said calmly.

"Thank you, brother!"

"Leave everything else to us, Bell, you go now," Shirou said.

"OK!"

Bell shouted his agreement and then ran out as fast as he could.

The deadline is one week.

Before that, I must become someone who can surpass my enemy, Hyacinthus.

The back engraved with Grace (ability value) felt hot. At this moment, Bell had cast all distracting thoughts to the winds. His only goal was to become stronger. He ran towards the tower at the northern end of the city where the blonde girl he admired, the Sword Princess, lived.

The Game War between Hestia and Apollo passed the guild's review in a short time.

As a result, the entire city became bustling with activity.

The guild, as the city's management body, was extremely busy: to organize the all-out war between factions—a grand and spectacular festival—and at the same time ensure that Orario was not affected by the war, a series of tasks, including the allocation of resources and personnel, propaganda, delineation of the battlefield area to serve as a substitute stage for the Game War, and informing neighboring regions, were all urgent. Moreover, the capricious demands made by the gods only made matters worse.

Whether the targets of this war were adventurers or ordinary citizens, it became a topic of conversation among people. Amidst the eager anticipation of people both inside and outside the city, preparations for the Game War proceeded smoothly.

"--Hestia didn't come today either!?" the gods complained.

Orario Central, the 30th floor of the skyscraper facility.

Ornate pillars support a high ceiling in a spacious room with a Round Table, where numerous gods are gathered. The rules and format of the Game War will be negotiated and drafted by the chief gods of the opposing factions at this meeting known as the Divine Assembly. Of course, in order to make it the most prestigious entertainment feast, the opinions of other gods will also be taken into consideration.

Meanwhile, three days have passed since the attack on the [Hestia Familia] that shocked the entire city.

Hestia employed all her skills as a reclusive goddess, essentially hiding away behind closed doors. Even when gods came to urge her to leave, she would refuse them entry by claiming she was ill and unable to go out.

She had been absent from the divine assembly for several days in a row, which had bored the surrounding gods to the point of sighing. Everyone knew that she was obviously faking illness, and it was equally obvious that she was stalling for time.

However, Hestia ignored the gossip of the other gods and didn't even bother to put on an act. She had said that she would do anything for victory, and no matter how harshly Apollo criticized her, she hadn't shown herself until now.

Chapter 1042 Divine Encounter and Imprisoned Girl

Shirou begins investigating the Soma Familia, searching for Lili's whereabouts, while Bell finds the Sword Princess and asks her to accompany him through the most rigorous training, striving to make the most of every minute to enhance his strength.

Today is the fourth day, and the Loli God is still nowhere to be seen in the hall of the council of gods on the thirtieth floor of the Tower of Babel.

"Is she planning to run away?" Apollo said, his blood boiling at the thought of being stood up for days. He recalled unpleasant memories: back in the heavens, he had pursued Hestia and had been stood up like a fool.

This action was naturally motivated by the rising star, the young Bell, who suited his interests. However, it cannot be ruled out that it was also a form of revenge against Hestia.

But so be it. This is the human realm, where everything depends on one's family for movement. No matter how you run, you can't escape my grasp, Apollo. Just wait to watch with regret as your beloved child is taken away by me.

Apollo, upon realizing this, revealed a sinister grin once more.

At that moment, the door to the large room opened with a click.

"I'm late, I'm so sorry to have kept you all waiting." It was Hestia, who walked in as usual, wearing a white dress held up by only one strap.

Contrary to her words, Hestia showed no embarrassment upon entering; instead, she appeared somewhat nonchalant, with the noble young master, the Medicine God Miher, following her in.

Seeing her calm and composed demeanor, Apollo glared at her and angrily questioned, "Too slow, Hestia! What are you trying to do, dragging out this important divine assembly until now? Wasting the gods' precious time, how do you plan to take responsibility?"

"I was chased all over the streets by your group members, and that's how I got a fever. Oh dear, I almost died," Hestia said as she walked in, wiping away nonexistent sweat from her forehead.

"Yes, she is indeed quite ill," said Miher, the Medicine God at Azure Pharmacy, a noble-looking deity, without a trace of lying.

As for taking responsibility? She couldn't see any importance in the time of these gods who were so idle they were practically salting their fish.

Hestia and Miher, who claimed to be treating her, answered Apollo's questions nonchalantly, shifting all the blame onto Apollo.

"Always trying to be clever!" Hestia, helpless, scrunched up her face.

However, it was he who first used underhanded tactics and then rallied other gods at the ball to coerce Hestia into agreeing to the Game War. Hestia was simply giving him a taste of his own medicine.

"Little brat, you're so annoying. Time is precious, let's get started!" Loki, with the back of his head resting on his hands behind his back, said impatiently from his seat at the conference.

In response to her words, negotiations for the Game War began.

First, Hestia, the goddess of the hearth and home, and Apollo, the god of light, music, prophecy, and medicine, signed the necessary documents, and the relevant procedures were carried out under the supervision of those around them.

"If we win, I'll take Bell Krune," Apollo said with a sly smile.

"..." Hestia glared at Apollo with displeasure.

"I need to make this clear beforehand, because I can't handle it if you come crying to me afterwards. If you win, then you can ask for whatever you want," Apollo said to Hestia, suppressing a chuckle and feigning generosity.

Apollo, absolutely certain of his victory, only emphasized the issue of Bell's ownership—that is, the legal transfer of members between factions. Hestia remained silent, while Apollo asked the god responsible for recording the meeting to write down his words in black and white.

Soon, the meeting moved on to the topic of how Game War would determine the winner.

"Why don't we let the representatives of the 'Family' settle this with one-on-one duels!" Hestia, sitting at one corner of the Round Table, propped her elbows on the table, buried her face in her hands, struck the signature pose of Commander Yodo, and stared at Apollo opposite her as she spoke.

"Use the arena, and find more spectators, that would be the most exciting way to do it, wouldn't it?" Hestia had clearly grasped the gods' desire for a spectacle.

"I agree, after all... it's boring for the Apollo kids to swarm and gang up on Bell," Takemikazuchi added.

"I agree," Miher said.

Hestia stared intently at Apollo with a sharp gaze, and following her, Miher and Take Mikazuchi, who were on the same side as her, also voiced their support.

"That's right," the surrounding gods chimed in, all agreeing.

For them, a close battle between evenly matched opponents was far more interesting than a one-sided crushing defeat. Even the gods who were usually on good terms with Apollo cast their votes for Hestia at this moment.

The twin-tailed loli goddess revealed a smug smile.

Meanwhile, on the other side, in the Soma Familia's wine cellar, a poor girl was imprisoned in a makeshift jail. This was solely because she had pleaded with the Familia's leader, Sannes Lustra, to allow her to leave the Soma Familia.

Generally speaking, members of a clan have the right to choose whether to stay or leave. Most gods are quite lenient in this regard, and with the supervision of guilds, adventurers' choices are given a certain degree of respect.

However, things were different among the Soma Familia, Sannes said with a smile:

"You know we can't just let you leave the group for nothing. To repay Lord Soma for nurturing you all this time, shouldn't you just give me about ten million Fali?"

"Ten million...? How could Lili possibly come up with such a large sum of money!" Lili shouted. She was just a supporter, responsible for collecting and carrying Magic Stone and materials. Before meeting Bell, she barely earned enough to make ends meet. Sometimes, not only did she not get paid, but she would also be beaten up by brutal adventurers.

"Is that so? Then there's no way to quit. You'd better use your rare transformation ability to make money for me, shall you? Hahahaha!!!" Sannis said with a wicked grin.

Sannis, the leader of the clan, used the name of the god Soma to amass wealth for himself.

Originally, the Soma Familia that sold Divine Wine, but he turned them into a criminal gang. Every month, all members had to pay a large sum of money as tribute. Lili was forced to become a thief, and if she couldn't complete her tasks, she would be beaten up by the members. Last time, she was even thrown into a labyrinth, and she would have been killed by monsters if it weren't for Bell.

Lili's life only settled down after she met Bell. Living there made her feel like she was still human.

But... now she's been brought back, and returned to hell...

Chapter 1403 Forcing a Girl, the Wine of Depravity

Soma, the chief deity of the Soma Familia and the god of wine, is known for his eccentricity and reclusiveness even within the highly individualistic world of gods. He didn't interact much with other gods in the celestial realm, and this continued even after he descended to the mortal world.

He had no interest in anything other than brewing. He only established a familia to have someone help him purchase brewing materials. To him, the familia was nothing more than a dispensable existence, and he would never listen to the girl's request.

As for everything else, he cared nothing for it. He was utterly disillusioned with his clan, and the sake he brewed out of love...

When Soma first arrived in the human world, he may have had some expectations, like those heroes loved by the gods, but the real humans disappointed him.

No adventurer of level 1 can withstand his Divine Wine; he has neither a pure soul nor a strong will.

Once you drink alcohol, you become addicted. When the craving hits, it's like a painful withdrawal reaction. Your mind goes blank, and you're capable of anything and completely at the mercy of others just to have a drink.

The Soma Familia is a group of decadent people who have gathered together under the control of the Divine Wine, indulging in a life of debauchery.

Only after upgrading, with their bodies gaining increased resistance due to the blessing, can they maintain a certain degree of self-control. However, that doesn't mean they've gotten rid of their alcohol addiction; they've simply become alcoholics with more self-control.

If a person cannot control their desires, then no matter how high their rank, Soma will not even glance at them, because they are just a bunch of empty wine jugs, and desires cannot be filled. So they are not even as good as wine jugs.

At this moment, the male god, who was left alone in the room, gradually stopped muttering something unintelligible.

The plants around him, bathed in moonlight, were tinged with blue. He took a bottle of wine from the cabinet and uncorked it.

Then, he drank the full glass of wine in one gulp.

Meanwhile, inside the prison, a bespectacled man named Sunnis, carrying a flask, filled a glass and handed it to a girl in the cell. He used this simple method to force his disobedient subordinates to submit.

Even the most stubborn and obstinate guy will become inseparable from you after a few drinks, and he'll be begging and crying to do things for you.

"Lili, no!" The girl swung her bound arms and pushed Sunny's hands away. The wine glass she was holding was knocked to the ground, the pinkish-red liquid emitting a captivating aroma.

She knew what that felt like; after drinking it, she would become completely disoriented, unable to think clearly, and would only degenerate into someone else's puppet, doing things she would deeply regret.

"Hmph!!!" Sunnis's eyes changed, revealing his ferocious nature. He kicked the railing, causing it to cave in, and forcefully knocked Lili was locked inside, to the ground.

"What an ungrateful fellow! This drink is quite expensive, but even if you spill it, I'll put it on your tab. A little adventurer like you can't pay it back anyway. So work hard for me, for the rest of your life, hahahahahaha!!!" Sunnis laughed wildly.

"Lili... Lili... I don't want to become like that anymore... Please let me see Lord Soma..." The girl clutched her sore spot, collapsed to the ground, and said through tears.

"Do you still want to see Lord Soma? It's useless, it's useless!!"