New Familia Member (Please Read~)

The second floor of the house.

The light was filtered into a dim gloom by the heavy curtains, and the air hung stagnant.

Syr stood with her back to the stairs, facing the two goddesses.

That gentle smile remained on her face, but the warmth in her eyes had vanished, replaced by a cold, piercing clarity.

"The one billion Valis that Thor owes," her voice was so steady it didn't ripple, "I will repay. Double—two billion Valis, to be paid in full within two years."

Double the repayment of that one billion Valis?

The astronomical figure rolled off her tongue as if it were nothing.

To her, being able to sever unnecessary entanglements with money was for the best.

Thor did not need these troubles.

Her gaze shifted to Hestia: "I heard, Hestia, that you have been looking for familia members lately?"

Hestia nodded instinctively.

Syr said: "Within my familia, there are many children whose souls are still quite pure. If there are any you fancy, I can take it upon myself to have them convert and become your followers."

Hestia felt a jolt of shock.

To go directly into the strongest familia to pick children?

Was she really willing to go that far?

"In exchange," Syr's voice turned abruptly cold, her gaze sweeping slowly over the faces of Hestia and Hephaestus, the invisible pressure making the air feel several degrees heavier, "please grant me a small request."

She took half a step forward, her slender figure appearing like an insurmountable barrier before the two goddesses.

"From this day forward, please do not appear before Thor again."

"And," she enunciated each word, clear and icy, "everything regarding my becoming a familia member, please forget it entirely and do not reveal a single word to any existence."

The air remained stagnant.

The perfect smile never faded from Syr's face, yet it sent a bone-chilling cold through Hestia.

This was not a negotiation; it was an ultimatum that brooked no dissent.

Hephaestus had been watching in silence, and at this moment, she let out a deep, weary sigh.

She understood Syr's vigilance, but this was not what she sought.

"Syr, please calm down first." She offered a word of comfort before continuing, "My joining might not be a bad thing for you; on the contrary... it is good news."

"Good news?" Syr frowned, not understanding why the other would say such a thing.

To her, the only good news would be their voluntary departure.

Hephaestus took a deep breath and explained patiently: "Think about it calmly. If the gods were to learn that Thor possesses the power to take deities as familia members... what would happen?"

Syr's cold gray eyes flickered slightly.

What would happen?

She knew those "compatriots" in Heaven all too well.

Their millennium in the lower world was merely to stave off eternal boredom.

Once they caught the scent of such a "novel" "game" opportunity...

Those fellows... would surely swarm like flies to honey, stopping at nothing, using every form of flattery, calculation, and even coercion, just to beg for a shred of Thor's favor and become a member of his familia.

For her, that would be the beginning of an endless nightmare.

"So what?" Syr remained calm, yet her words revealed a resolve as firm as bedrock, "I will use all the power of the Freya Familia to isolate any potential threats. I will protect Thor."

Hephaestus let out a long sigh.

"I do not doubt that the Freya Familia is the sharpest spear and the sturdiest shield in Orario. But..."

A sharp glint flashed in her single eye.

"Can you block the combined hostility of every familia in Orario? When they realize the temptation of this 'grace' is enough to make them set aside their prejudices and form a temporary alliance, can you stop them?"

Hephaestus revealed the naked reality.

"Think about it. Once they unite to launch a War Game against you. Worse yet, if they manage to persuade Loki to join... even if your familia were three times its current size, how much of a chance would you have?"

War Game is a special set of rules that exists in Orario.

It is intended to resolve conflicts and issues between deities, and even between familia.

A War Game is fought by the familia of one god against the familia of another; the winner can demand the loser do anything, provided the conditions are agreed upon before the War Game begins.

Syr fell silent.

What Hephaestus said was indeed the truth.

No matter how strong her familia was, it was impossible to block the combined hostility of all other familia.

Even that woman Loki, if she were to learn the truth.

She would surely join without hesitation; for the gods, an opportunity to grow is far more enticing than any treasure.

Hephaestus seized the moment, her voice softening, yet becoming all the more persuasive.

"But what if we joined forces? The Freya Familia combined with my Hephaestus Familia. If the gods ever discover the truth in the future and the situation spirals out of control, you and I would be the most steadfast of allies."

"At that point, we could attempt to win over Loki, or at least keep her steady, and then integrate other formidable neutral familias. By then, the pressure of opposing the remaining divine factions would be far less, and we might even... have room to spare."

She paused, delivering her final and most lethal blow.

Hephaestus continued, "Besides, I imagine you are currently struggling with how to descend into the Dungeon alongside Thor, aren't you?"

Syr froze.

Hephaestus had indeed struck a nerve.

Syr fell silent, while Hestia, conversely, failed to understand why the other's expression had shifted so abruptly.

Like a curious child, she asked, "Hephaestus, what do you mean by that?"

Hephaestus turned to her and explained.

"The Dungeon hates the gods. Thor's entry into the Dungeon has already triggered monster riots. If more gods, such as Syr, or even others were to follow him inside, what kind of upheaval would that cause? No one can predict."

"Uranus suppresses the Dungeon. He might... be inclined to allow Syr to enter in order to observe how the gods grow under Thor's influence."

Hephaestus's gaze swept over Syr.

"But he needs to provide an explanation and a guarantee to all the gods. If the entry of gods leads to the Dungeon spiraling completely out of control, or even threatens Orario itself, who would take responsibility? Who would handle the final aftermath?"

Syr's heart sank slightly.

This was precisely the greatest obstacle she had faced during her days of negotiation with Uranus.

Her familia, while powerful, still lacked sufficient weight when faced with the scrutiny of the entire Heaven.

Hephaestus spoke in a steady tone: "The Freya Familia might not carry enough weight to serve as the sole guarantor. But..."

She pointed to herself, then to Hestia: "If my familia were added, and Hestia herself joined in guaranteeing it with her divinity, the possibility of Uranus relenting... would be much higher."

A guarantee...

The wealth and influence of the Hephaestus Familia, combined with Hestia's status as a goddess...

A flicker of calculation crossed the depths of Syr's gray eyes.

This was indeed the assistance she desperately needed right now.

The bottleneck she had hit with Uranus might truly be cleared with this.

She slowly raised her eyes, her gaze landing on Hestia with a hint of subtle scrutiny: "Must we also include... Hestia?"

Hestia had no familia to speak of.

She had no money.

Her only advantage was perhaps the excess flesh on her chest that might catch Thor's eye.

This was practically a hindrance...

"Hey! What kind of talk is that!" Hestia bristled instantly, her cheeks puffing out as if stuffed with pinecones. "That's too much! How could you even think of leaving me out of something like this!"

Hephaestus let out a heavy, helpless sigh: "At this point... there really is no way to leave her out entirely."

She knew Hestia too well.

"Otherwise, given her personality, she would likely threaten us by 'telling the news to all the other gods' just to force her way in."

Syr looked at Hestia.

Hestia's body stiffened, and feeling guilty, she abruptly turned her head away, her eyes darting around as she subconsciously whistled an off-key tune.

Ugh... she guessed it!

She really had thought about doing exactly that...

She felt her cheeks burning.

Watching Hestia's self-incriminating display, Syr could only let a sigh of compromise escape her lips.

Fine...

"Hestia," Syr's voice returned to its usual gentle beauty, yet carried an unquestionable sense of pressure, "Everything you have heard here tonight, especially regarding Thor's familia, you must swear upon your divinity to never reveal to any existence! Remember, I mean 'any'."

She stared intently into the other's eyes, fearing that this twin-tailed fool might do something irreversibly stupid in a moment of excitement.

To add an extra layer of insurance, Syr's gray eyes shifted, and she tossed out a highly tempting bargaining chip, her voice as soft as a whisper.

"Think about it, if you successfully join Thor's familia now... you will be one of the original, core 'players'. In the future, even if Thor truly recruits many gods into his familia, for instance... bringing Loki into the fold..."

She paused deliberately, watching with satisfaction as Hestia's eyes instantly lit up.

"Then within the familia, you would be Loki's 'senior'. When that time comes, even Loki would have to bow and salute you, respectfully calling you 'Senior Lady', wouldn't she?"

The scene painted was like a sugar-coated shell, striking Hestia's "absolute territory" with precision.

She puffed out her chest, and her small hand "slapped" against her ample bosom, causing her twin tails to sway. Her face was filled with unprecedented solemnity and determination.

"Don't worry! I swear on my divinity! I will take this secret to my grave... no, into my eternal divine life! My lips are absolutely sealed!"

Loki bowing to me... hehe... Senior Lady...

She could already imagine that detestable woman kneeling before her, begging for mercy!

Meanwhile, in the living room downstairs.

Thor lifted his teacup, took a shallow sip of the warm tea, and let out a helpless sigh.

The three of them... they couldn't possibly actually believe that the second floor of this house had good soundproofing, could they?

Besides...

I truly hope they don't mistake my Blessing for some video game where they can just "grind monsters to level up" at will.