"To be honest, that fool from the Apollo Familia may be stupid and vain, but he's far more capable and determined than you are.
He only lost the War Game because he didn't have a child as exceptional as the Great Sage.
By the same token, I know perfectly well that with the strength of our Familia, we have little chance of beating the Freya Familia. So naturally, we have no choice but to stake everything on one gamble.
Given Freya's personality, I know exactly what punishment awaits me if I lose. After all, if I were the one who won, I'd treat her the same way.
This time, we either lose everything or walk away with the grand prize. If the Ishtar Familia wins, Freya's Familia has far more wealth to offer than what I'm putting up now."
After discussing Ishtar's fifteen-hundred-million-fali commission with Hestia, Wood ultimately decided to accept it.
The reason was simple: Wood had wanted to use the Ishtar Familia as a weapon against the Freya Familia from the start. If they could destroy the Freya Familia in the process, all the better.
Even if they couldn't, weakening their forces would still be worthwhile.
The Ishtar Familia as it stood had no chance of defeating the Freya Familia, so Wood had no objection to giving Ishtar some help.
He'd already planned to do it, and now he was being offered another fifteen hundred million fali on top of that. Honestly, Wood couldn't think of a reason to refuse.
When Ishtar heard that Wood had agreed, she gave him a captivating smile. As she sauntered away, she turned her back to Hestia and said, "Hestia, you may think that paying fifteen hundred million fali is costing me a fortune.
"But that money will find its way back