(Congratulations to 'Qu Meifeng' for becoming this book's Alliance Leader!)
(Many thanks to 'Qu Meifeng' for the 50,000 reward, as well as rewards from 'Fallen Wing Tears,' 'True Dragon Tiger King,' 'Flying Shadow Flash—Tianyu,' 'Qiqi's F,' 'Against Reincarnation,' 'Wufeng Haotian,' 'Ji Danzhu,' 'Qin,' 'Book of Universal Truth,' 'Unmei no Kukou,' and 'Just Picking a Name'!)
At the same time, on the open-air balcony atop the Ishtar Familia's headquarters, Ishtar lay on a lounge chair and listened to the young man's report. She raised her hand, took a puff from her long pipe, and began muttering to herself as though she had expected it.
"So he refused after all. But that makes sense. Such an outstanding child would be treasured even by the best and strongest Familia. Since a bottom-tier faction like the Hestia Familia was lucky enough to obtain him, how could they possibly let go so easily?"
"Then, Lady Ishtar, what should we do?" the young man asked with utmost respect.
"Should we launch an attack on the Hestia Familia?"
"Launch an attack on the Hestia Familia?" Ishtar looked at the young man with an ambiguous smile. Rather than answering, she asked in return.
"In other words, are you confident you can defeat the Tyrant?"
"I... I'm not..." the young man said, somewhat speechless.
"But no matter what, there's only one opponent. If we mobilize the entire Ishtar Familia, and with that one present as well, taking down a single adventurer should be easy enough, shouldn't it?"
At those words, the beautiful Goddess merely sat there smoking, exhaling clouds that made the surrounding air feel heavy.
Unable to understand what his Goddess was thinking, the young man could only lower his head and remain silent.
Under such circumstances, time passed bit by bit at an almost unbearable pace.
"Hmm?"