Immediately, Kali turned on her heel with a sharp command, summoning the rest of her Amazonian warriors.
With a final glance at Leon, she gave a loud roar and left the scene without even acknowledging Loki. No parting words. No pleasantries. Just raw pride and unshakable purpose.
As the members of the Kali Familia retreated into the distance, the air seemed to loosen. Loki and her group quickly moved in.
"Heh, came storming in with such gusto, and now look at them—tail between their legs." Loki stood beside Leon, snickering with undisguised amusement, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
"I really hope I never have to see those maniacs again." Tione muttered under her breath, her arms crossed and brows tightly furrowed.
Her sharp gaze followed the backs of the departing Kali Familia, still filled with lingering distaste and unresolved tension.
But Riveria's voice cut through the idle chatter like a cold wind.
"Loki, you heard it too—what Kali said just before leaving."
Loki's expression shifted subtly.
"Ishtar was planning to collaborate with Kali Familia to move against Freya. From what I gathered, the Kali Familia isn't planning to march into Orario openly. Ishtar must have a way to bring them in covertly."
The seriousness in Riveria's voice pulled everyone's attention.
"Yeah... I caught that." Loki responded, her eyes narrowing slightly as she turned toward a nearby figure.
A familiar group of women approached—Aisha and the remaining ex-members of the now-defunct Ishtar Familia.
"Aisha." Loki called out with a grin that masked her sharp interest. "Now that your goddess is gone, maybe you wouldn't mind sharing Ishtar's plans with us?" Official source ıs 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭•𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢•𝓷𝓮𝓽
Aisha frowned, the faintest hesitation flickering across her face before she answered.
"I don't know much myself." She said honestly. "But… yes, Ishtar-sama did have a way to sneak those maniacs in."
"I see. That's enough." Loki nodded, seemingly satisfied for the moment.
She could tell Aisha wasn't privy to the deeper schemes, and pushing her further would only waste time.
"Let's call it for tonight." Loki announced as she turned back toward her own people. "Everyone get some rest. We'll pick this up again tomorrow."
No one objected. After all, the long night's chaos had left them weary and groggy. They'd been roused from sleep by the violent return of a god and dragged into confrontation before the stars had even started to fade.
There was no more business left to attend to. For now, rest was well-earned.
Even the members of the former Ishtar Familia lingered nearby, falling in line with the group's pace as they returned to the inn.
"Hey, Leon, your room got wrecked earlier. Why don't you sleep with me tonight?" Tione suddenly appeared at Leon's side, grabbing his arm and smiling sweetly—but there was a sly gleam in her eye.
After all, the divine attack from earlier had blown a gaping hole in the ceiling of Leon's room and even the floor above. It was obviously uninhabitable.
Tiona, walking ahead with her hands behind her head, turned slightly and commented lazily, "Aren't there still empty rooms in the inn? Just grab another one."
"Shut it, Tiona!" Tione snapped, glaring daggers at her twin.
"Don't forget. Tiona lives with you," Riveria chimed in, arms folded as she gave Tione a pointed look that could freeze lava.
Tione stiffened. "Right… right, of course," she mumbled awkwardly, retreating from the conversation with an embarrassed smile.
'If I can't share a room, I'll just drop by later,' she muttered inwardly with a touch of stubbornness, still not giving up.
Leon, watching the whole interaction unfold, let out a soft chuckle. He didn't interrupt.
Soon, the group arrived back at the hotel.
Though some chaos remained from the earlier incident, the staff had done their best to stabilize things. With admirable efficiency, they rearranged room assignments for guests affected by the divine destruction.
Leon re-registered at the front desk and received a replacement room.
As for Haruhime, he handed the child over to Aisha for the night.
Upon entering his new room, Leon went straight to the bathroom. His body still held the warmth and fatigue of his earlier fight with Argana and Bache. A shower was a necessity before sleep.
Over ten minutes passed before he emerged from the bathroom, steam clinging to his bare shoulders. Feeling refreshed, Leon moved to the table, pulled out parchment and ink, and began the ritual to update his Falna.
It was time to see what progress the clash had brought.
Development Abilities: Mage F, Luck I, Healing I
Divine Protection of the War God
"Ugh... that's it?" Leon muttered aloud, looking at the updated stats with mild disappointment.
Any other adventurer would have wept with joy to see such leaps in a matter of days. But for Leon, it didn't feel like enough.
To outsiders, his grumbling would've sounded like the epitome of a Versailles boast—complaining about blessings others could only dream of.
Still, Leon fell into deep thought as he stared at the numbers.
'At this point, even fighting in my normal state, I'd have to face multiple Level 6 adventurers just to maintain this pace of growth. Fighting groups of Level 5s barely does anything now.'
Two clear options formed in his mind.
'First… I could spar with Ais and the others. Have them all come at me at once.'
'Second… I could go back to the Dragon's Vase and fight the entire zone solo.'
'No, not yet. The Dragon's Vase takes days to reach, even at top speed. And I'd need at least ten days for a proper round trip.'
'I have a bad feeling... things on the surface are about to heat up.'
Leon let out a soft sigh and murmured to himself, "For now, I'll stay put. Sparring with Ais and the others should be enough to keep pushing forward."
Meanwhile, back at the docks, the Kali Familia returned to their ship. The dim glow of dawn kissed the sea as the warriors boarded.
In the captain's cabin, Argana and Bache had already awakened. They knelt before their goddess, who leaned her cheek against her palm with casual grace.
"Feeling good?" Kali asked, her tone curious, though her eyes glinted with satisfaction.
A sharp grin spread across Argana's lips. "Very. If I could, I'd fight Leon again right now."
Bache nodded in agreement, her blood singing with battlelust.
"Hmph, in that case, go ahead and keep challenging him." Kali replied, her voice laced with a sinister amusement.
"If you two want to grow stronger, he's your only option now."
Both sisters looked at her in surprise.
"But… didn't you say you wouldn't keep bothering him?" Argana asked hesitantly, eyes narrowing with confusion. Bache mirrored her expression.
"I said I wouldn't pursue him," Kali said with a chuckle. "Never said you two couldn't."
It was a sly little word game—and she played it with skill.
The sisters blinked. And then their eyes lit up like torches.
"I understand, Kali-sama!" They exclaimed in unison, their voices full of reverence and excitement.
"Good." Kali straightened up, the lightness gone from her voice. She was all business now.
"Get ready. Once we return, we'll officially submit the documents to gain entry into Orario."
"It's time we made our move."
"Yes, Kali-sama!" The warriors chorused, their war cries echoing across the deck as the ship set sail into the dawn.