Ishtar's question tensed the mood in the room, like a snake tightening its coils around helpless prey. Hermes side-eyed me for a moment before regaining his cool demeanor, like a cornered rat trying to act unfazed in front of its hunter.
"Unfortunately, Ishtar, I haven't been able to find it just yet. But don't worry, I'm working on it as fast as I can!" he said, bowing his head in apology to excuse his failure. Ishtar, displeased, remained silent, exhaling smoke from her pipe as she watched him.
Hermes's appearance was rather pathetic, a sight that overshadowed his usual confident, easygoing manner. My lips stayed sealed, silently waiting for the conversation to continue.
"I want that bitch of a woman down from her throne. She mocks me, insults me, watching from above in her tower. Once I get my hands on the Killing Stone, she and her Familia will pay the price."
Ishtar took another puff from her pipe, tightening her grip around it as her anger became evident. Her reflection in the window revealed only a jealous goddess devoid of morals or empathy.
She was too consumed by her hatred for Freya to see how doomed her plan was. Even with the Killing Stone, the Ishtar Familia could never defeat the Freya Familia, no matter how hard they tried.
I suspected that Hermes knew this, but for his own reasons, he chose to remain silent, likely to avoid provoking the mad goddess. Three years from now, he would find the Killing Stone—that was how the story was meant to unfold in the canon.
An uncomfortable silence filled the room, lingering between the three of us, until Ishtar turned and cast an odd look at Hermes.
"Can you tell me anything else worthy of my ears?" she asked quickly, her tone both seductive and mocking, like a predator toying with its prey. Bell hadn't arrived yet, but she would do whatever she could to extract any bit of information from Hermes, exploiting his spy network.
Before Hermes could respond, Ishtar shifted her gaze to me, her eyes gleaming with arrogant dismissal, and signaled for me to leave.
"Leave us at once. You can spend time with any of my girls if you like or wait for your patron somewhere outside."
With a dismissive wave of her hand, she shooed me away as if I were a stray cat. Hermes, on the other hand, glanced at me with a look of fear—not fear for me, but for the power of Ishtar's charm and its effects.
I gave a slight bow to maintain my role as a loyal follower and left the room. Once I exited, I heard the lock click behind me. The two Amazons stationed outside the door looked at me—not with seduction, but with curiosity.
"And who might you be? But first, can you tell me what you use to maintain your hair? It's magnificent!"
One of the Amazonesses spoke with a smile on her lips. Although the Ishtar Familia was full of dangerous people, not all Amazonesses were ruthless. I turned my head to her and the other Amazon who stood nearby, quiet but clearly curious for my response.
"It's naturally like this, so I don't use anything special to maintain it. Honestly, yours looks pretty fine as it is, so no need to worry," I replied. "But, by the way...is there a couch where I could sit and wait until my god comes out?"
The two Amazonesses exchanged glances before looking back at me, their expressions hinting that Hermes probably wouldn't be leaving until morning.
"Your god probably won't be leaving until tomorrow, so you may as well take a free room to sleep in. Or, if you prefer, you could spend the night with me—or any other girl who catches your interest, hm?"
She winked, and both Amazonesses looked at me with lustful eyes. What had started as a casual conversation had quickly taken a more suggestive turn. But I wasn't interested; I knew I should focus on finding Haruhime.
"Thanks, but I'm not interested. Excuse me, I'll just wander around."
With a wave to them, I turned and headed downstairs, ignoring their reactions. The building was quiet, with most of the Amazonesses either outside or in the dungeon. As I descended, I realized just how large the tower was, enough to house many Familia members and customers overnight.
At the bottom of the stairs, I was met with an unexpected sight.
In front of me sat a striking woman with long black hair, purple eyes that could almost rival Freya's, and a graceful figure. She was lounging on a couch, seemingly resting. It was Aisha. Though she'd only seen me once, I doubted she'd recognize me through my mask. Deciding to approach her, I sat down beside her, catching her by surprise.
"Are you here to pay me for the night or just admiring the view? Either way, I'm fine with some male company," she said, leaning closer and draping an arm over my shoulder. She leaned in, her chest nearly brushing my face, and I caught a unique scent—a faint trace of powerful charm. I recognized it as the same scent I had noticed when Aphrodite tried to charm me. Now that my senses were sharper, it was unmistakable—Ishtar's charm lingered on Aisha.
"I'm here on behalf of my god, Hermes, as his loyal follower," I replied. "Your goddess told me to wait outside, so here I am. Seeing you alone, I thought I'd strike up a conversation—nothing more."
Aisha seemed a little surprised at my forwardness but soon smiled, leaning even closer and placing her hand on my thigh. Her touch was warm, like the cozy heat of a fire on a winter's night.
"Why don't we take off that mask and see how you look?" she suggested with a playful glint in her eyes. "I like strong, ruthless men who live for the fight. But boys like you—well, you catch my interest too, even if you lack that manly edge."
She reached toward my mask, her hand moving slowly as her tongue traced her lips. But before she could remove it, I gently caught her hand, stopping her with a calm but firm grip.
"I'm sorry, but I'm not going to show my face," I said. "As I mentioned, I only wanted a conversation with no other motives. Excuse me; I'll get some fresh air outside while I wait for my god to finish his business."
I stood up, adjusting my clothes, and gave Aisha one last look. She gazed at me with disappointment as I waved goodbye and headed toward the exit. As my footsteps faded, I could hear the sound of heavy steps echoing from somewhere deep within the tower.
I slipped through the doors at a brisk pace, surprising the two Amazon guards stationed there. Ignoring their reactions, I politely closed the door behind me and nodded to them.
"Excuse me, I'll just be wandering around until my god arrives," I said with a courteous smile.
The two Amazon guards exchanged confused glances as I set off, exploring the area surrounding the main tower where Hermes was currently held.