"I'm fine, Hestia-sama."
Though her face was bruised and swollen, Belle still raised her head with a determined smile as she reassured Hestia.
However, just that small movement pulled at her injuries. She winced, sucking in a sharp breath as pain flared through her cheek.
"Hestia-sama, this happened because Belle had a conflict with the Apollo Familia." Lili quickly explained. Her expression was calm, but the slight tremble in her voice betrayed her worry.
"It was one of their elites... Hyakinthos Clio. He's the one who injured her."
"Damn that Apollo!!!" Hestia exploded with fury the moment she heard Lili's words.
That guy was already a headache in heaven, always harassing her at every turn. Now that they were in the Lower World, his child had dared to lay a hand on her Belle?!
Unforgivable! Absolutely unforgivable!
Leon's expression darkened.
Now that most of the gods knew of the relationship between him and Hestia, Apollo's boldness in provoking the Hestia Familia was practically suicidal.
Did that guy really think he'd get away with this?
Then Leon recalled the divine will from Ouranos, relayed by Royman, not too long ago: a warning to avoid forcing gods back to heaven or making enemies among the other familias.
His brow furrowed deeply.
Could it be... Apollo did this precisely because he knew he couldn't act freely now?
If that was the case, Apollo was sorely mistaken.
Even if Leon couldn't act personally, that didn't mean he couldn't help the Hestia Familia grind Apollo into the dirt.
Without another word, Leon approached Belle and gently cast a healing magic. Warm light enveloped her, and the swelling on her face quickly receded.
"Thank you, Leon-sama!" Belle blinked in surprise and smiled sweetly.
Leon gave her a light nod before turning to Hestia.
"Hestia. Start preparing for a war game against Apollo. If you can, force him to initiate it. And when the time comes..."
Leon's tone chilled, "...send that bastard back to heaven."
Everyone—Lili, Welf, Haruhime, even Belle—went quiet.
They remembered. Not too long ago, Leon had joined forces with Loki and forced Ishtar back to heaven.
Haruhime had been part of the Ishtar Familia once. Now, he was talking about doing the same thing to Apollo.
Leon-sama... really doesn't hold back, does he? He just keeps sending gods back to heaven...
"Yes! That's exactly what we should do!" Hestia's eyes gleamed. She stood tall with renewed vigor.
"Force that disgusting bastard to hold a war game, and we'll send him packing!"
"Hestia-sama, p-please wait a second!" Belle panicked.
Leon's words might've been half-serious, but if Hestia truly latched onto them, it would be trouble.
"It's just a small conflict... we don't need to escalate it into something so huge..." She tried to reason.
But Leon's gaze was calm and unwavering. "Belle, you've never had any connection with the Apollo Familia. Yet they provoked you, knowing your connection to Hestia."
"And from what I know of Apollo's behavior... this isn't just some isolated incident. He's targeting you. That's why he had his people attack."
"From the moment this happened, there was no turning back. The Hestia Familia and the Apollo Familia are on a collision course. Whether you want it or not, the next wave of aggression will come soon."
"No way... but with Leon-sama here, who would even dare to challenge us?" Lili interjected with disbelief.
Leon sighed. "Before, Loki and I sent Ishtar back to heaven. That act alone enraged many gods. They filed a formal complaint to Ouranos, demanding I stay out of future conflicts between familias."
"So right now, I'm not allowed to interfere... not directly."
He added with narrowed eyes, "This is why Apollo thinks he can get away with this." Thıs text ıs hosted at 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩·𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢·𝔫𝔢𝔱
"...In that case, shouldn't we not provoke him back?" Lily asked, confused.
"If Leon-sama can't help, and we're weak—shouldn't we avoid fighting?"
"Lili, didn't you hear what Leon just said?" Welf crossed his arms.
"Even if we don't fight, Apollo will just keep coming. Avoiding the battle won't stop him."
"I... I know, but..." Lili's lips trembled. She was stuck between fear and reason.
"What do we do now...?" Haruhime whispered.
She had only just joined the Familia, and already things were escalating far beyond her expectations. She loved the warmth and peace of the Hestia Familia—she didn't want it to break apart.
Hestia looked at both of them and gently patted their shoulders with a smile.
"Don't worry. I have a plan."
"Really? Hestia-sama?" Lili still looked uncertain.
Hestia turned toward Leon and grinned. "Do you really think Leon would sit back and watch the Hestia Familia fall into trouble?"
Leon blinked, then sighed with a helpless smile. "Okay, just relax. I'll tell you how to handle Apollo... when the time is right."
Though they didn't fully understand what he meant, the conviction in his tone left no room for doubt.
Everyone present knew one thing for sure—Leon wouldn't let Apollo go unchecked. Even if he couldn't strike directly, there were a dozen other ways he could lend a hand.
That night, in Leon's room, Hestia snuggled in his arms, looking up at him with a soft expression.
"Hey, Leon... when the time comes, can we let Ellie possess Belle? Would that be alright?"
Leon raised an eyebrow at the question. "Well... it's not a bad plan. It'd certainly be effective."
He murmured while stroking her silky hair, "But I think it might be better to let Belle toughen up on her own. Let her train, get stronger, and face the Apollo Familia's champion head-on."
"If she manages to defeat him in a war game... the achievement would be more than enough for her to reach Level Three."
Hestia frowned slightly. "But without Ellie's help, Belle and the others don't stand a chance against the Apollo Familia."
Leon chuckled. "You're overthinking it."
"But aren't you forbidden from interfering?" She asked, puzzled.
"I said I won't interfere directly." Leon replied with a sly smile. "Doesn't mean I can't lend a helping hand in other ways."
"...Fine. I trust you." Hestia whispered, closing her eyes in peace.