Chapter 56 - Loki And Freya Familia Reaction
The new product Hephaestus dropped had Orario buzzing in just three days.
At the top of Babel, Freya's fingers lightly tapped the three Runestones in front of her.
Cheap. That's all they were to her. Barely worth a second glance.
And yet, here she was, the goddess of beauty herself, feeling damn curious about who was behind them.
"Ottar, what's the info?"
"There's a lead," Ottar said.
Freya caught the slight twist in his expression and smirked.
"You hit a wall, didn't you?"
Ottar's frown deepened. Yeah, he wasn't used to falling short on a task she'd given him.
Freya found the whole thing amusing. Seeing Ottar, of all people, stuck? Priceless. She had to hold back a laugh.
"What did you find?" she asked.
Ottar hesitated for a second before lowering his head.
"Just as you suspected, the person who made these runestones isn't from the Hephaestus Familia."
"Figures," Freya said, leaning back.
The Hephaestus Familia was good at forging weapons and armor, sure. But this? This was a whole different level.
Her gaze lingered on the runestones. The symbols carved into them weren't like anything she'd seen before—no sacred texts, no known language.
Even with just a sliver of magic, these runes felt like they could blow everything up if they wanted.
"Ottar, who's behind this?"
"It's someone from the Hestia Familia," Ottar answered.
Freya froze for a moment.
Hestia? That runt?
Her mind immediately jumped to Bell. She'd already had a weird feeling about him.
She thought back to their second meeting. The first time, she'd seen his soul shining like a goddamn beacon.
But the second time? Holy hell. His soul was so intense it had left her reeling.
The memory made her chest tighten. It wasn't just curiosity anymore—it was an obsession.
One way or another, she'd make Bell hers.
But Freya wasn't the only one sniffing around these runestones.
The Loki Familia had their eyes on them too.
Right now, the top three of the Loki Familia were holed up in a room, staring at the runestones they'd picked up from the Hephaestus Familia.
Loki was leaning over the table, her chin resting in her hands, looking bored but curious.
"So, do you guys really think these are Hephaestus's work?"
The other two glanced at each other and shook their heads.
Finn, the one who knew the Hephaestus Familia best, spoke up.
"Nope. There's no way they pulled this off."
"Not just them," another added. "Nobody in Orario has ever done something like this before. Not in the history books, not anywhere."
"A magic buff this strong? Temporary stat boosts at this level? People would've lost their senses ages ago if this was a thing."
"That's why I dug deeper," Finn said. "And I found our guy."
Finn let out a sigh, like he was already tired of this mess.
"He's new. From the Hestia Familia."
"Nobody knows his name. He's not in the dungeon. There's zero info on him."
"It's like the guy doesn't even exist."
"And you're thinking what?"
"He's not chasing the usual adventurer routine—fame, power, all that thing."
"Then what the hell is he after?" Loki asked.
"Good question," Finn said, rubbing his temples.
Grace, sitting nearby, tossed out another idea. "Money, maybe?"
Finn shook his head.
"Tsubaki told me the Hestia Familia and Hephaestus Familia are pretty tight now."
"Wait, what?!"
That got everyone's attention.
"Yeah," Finn continued. "They've apparently formed an alliance. And it's not just a handshake deal; it's legit."
"But it's not a merger or anything," he added. "So the guild won't care."
"And because it's between Familias, the guild can't stick their noses in."
"From what I've found, this alliance is tied to these runestones somehow."
"And if this guy was in it for money, he'd be swimming in it by now with the value of these runes."
A rookie adventurer who didn't care about fame, power, or wealth? It made no sense to Finn.
But Loki, who had been quiet, suddenly stood up.
Unlike Finn, she'd already pieced it together.
"Ah, so that's it," she said with a sly grin.
Now it all clicked. That Hestia's brat had stared at her down at the Hostess of Fertility without flinching.
And now Loki knew exactly why.
Why would an adventurer who doesn't care about power, wealth, or fame choose to live a secluded life despite their insane abilities?
There was only one reason: the guy values things beyond material success.
This realization hit Loki harder than she expected.
"Loki, what's on your mind?" Finn asked, watching her with a careful eye, trying to figure out where her thoughts were headed.
"Well... I didn't think that little runt would actually care about that kind of stuff," she replied, her words cryptic.
Finn and Gareth exchanged confused looks. While her words made sense individually, they were a puzzle when strung together.
But Riveria? She got it.
Loki's usual mischievous smirk faded as her eyes narrowed, her tone sharpening.
"Let's be real—there's no way Hestia had the brains to pull off an alliance like this with the Hephaestus Familia. She's not the type."
"And Hephaestus doesn't just hand out partnerships for free."
"It's got to be because of Hestia's kid," she concluded.
From what Loki knew of Hestia, bold, calculated moves weren't her style. This was clearly Bell's doing.
And as much as it annoyed her to admit it, the kid was playing the game well.
Right now, nobody in Orario would dare to pick a fight with the Hestia Familia. Not when the Hephaestus Familia was backing them.
And that was huge.
The Hephaestus Familia was Orario's top forging familia. Pissing them off? It was practically suicide.
No weapons, no gear—your adventurers might as well pack up and go home.
This alliance wasn't just smart; it was genius.
By linking up with Hephaestus, Bell had made Hestia's Familia untouchable. As long as he didn't stir the pot, no one would dare make a move.
What made it worse for the other familias was the silent standoff this alliance created.
If one familia tried to challenge Hestia, the others would intervene to maintain balance.
No one wanted to risk losing access to the game-changing runestones.
Loki leaned back with a sigh.
"Riveria, any luck cracking the text on these runestones?"
Riveria shook her head slightly. "It's not something that can be deciphered. The script is completely unique."
"Figures," Loki muttered. "Whoever made these knew exactly what they were doing. That text? It's a smokescreen, probably meant to throw people off."
She wasn't shocked. A trade secret that easy to crack wouldn't be worth anything.
"We'll need to keep buying gear as usual, but start funneling more funds toward these runestones."
"Finn, you handle the logistics," Loki ordered.
"I'm going to pay Hestia a visit."
Loki's interest in the runestones was growing.
There were only three types, but their effects were insane: one boosted weapon sharpness, another enhanced physical stats, and the third? Just as destructive as some of the best magic swords out there.
She was even debating cutting down on buying regular gear and investing in runestones instead.
A standard magic sword cost a million valis, easy. But a runestone? Only 100,000 valis. The savings were ridiculous.
For smaller and medium-sized familias, the runestones were a godsend, affordable enough to stock up for dungeon runs.
Loki tapped her fingers on the table, already forming her next move.
Hephaestus had gone radio silent since these runestones hit the market.
No one had managed to talk to her—not even Loki, who'd tried for three days straight.
Every attempt to meet had ended the same way: nothing.
Even Hestia wasn't showing her face.
And Bell? That brat? He was nowhere to be found.
It was obvious. They were hiding.
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