"Does Lili want to join me?"
Hestia's voice was soft and gentle, filled with warmth as she looked at Lili, who had been staring at the ground with a downcast expression.
The others in the room turned their eyes toward the pallum girl, their curiosity piqued.
Feeling all eyes fall upon her, Lili nodded slowly. "Yes… Hestia-sama, Leon-sama… Belle has always treated Lili with kindness. And Lili… Lili really cherishes that."
Her voice was small, yet sincere.
"But Lili's situation… it's very complicated." She hesitated, gripping the hem of her skirt tightly.
She had long dreamt of joining the Hestia Familia—of growing up under the watchful care of Leon and the warm affection of Hestia, side by side with Belle.
She had imagined a future where her days were filled with camaraderie and peace, not the shadows and pressure she had known under Soma. But every time she awoke, that dream would vanish like mist at dawn.
As for Leon's Familia—Lucifer Familia—she had considered it too. But even that was a fantasy. Everyone knew that Leon's Familia didn't expand. Adventurers from across the city had flocked to him in admiration, but none had succeeded in joining.
It was closed. Inaccessible.
"That's an easy fix." Hestia said, puffing her chest proudly. "I'll bring Leon with me, and we'll go directly to the Soma Familia."
"I'm sure Soma won't mind letting you go."
"R-Really?!" Lili's eyes widened in disbelief, and a hopeful light lit up her face.
"Mhm. It's still early." Leon added, patting her head with a kind smile. "Let's go."
"T-Thank you! Thank you so much, Leon-sama! Hestia-sama!!" Lili said, bowing deeply, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.
Without wasting time, the group left the library and headed toward the base of the Soma Familia. ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝※𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖※𝕟𝕖𝕥
And just as Hestia had predicted, there was no trouble.
With Leon's strength, reputation, and fearsome presence in Orario, none in the Soma Familia dared make things difficult. The name Leon alone was enough to silence any resistance.
When word reached them that both Leon and Hestia had come in person to speak with their god Soma, even the usually aloof and stern captain, Chandra, welcomed them politely. He led them directly to Soma's office without delay.
Inside the office, Soma was in the middle of brewing wine, his expression a mix of surprise and weariness when he looked up and saw her.
"It's a bit late for a visit, don't you think?" He asked, his voice cool, face shaded under his bangs.
"Big brother Soma, I came to talk about something important." Hestia beamed and clasped her hands together.
"Don't call me 'Big brother'! You're not younger than me!" Soma muttered flatly.
"Ehh, don't sweat the small stuff."
Soma sighed. "Fine. What is it?"
"I'm here to ask for someone." Hestia declared confidently, placing a hand on Lili's back and gently guiding her forward. "Please transfer Lili's falna to my Familia."
Soma's eyes fell on Lili. For a moment, he didn't recognize her.
"…You're one of mine?"
"You haven't renewed my falna in a very long time…" Lili said softly, her head lowered.
"…A supporter, huh." Soma was quiet, thoughtful.
He didn't need to hear more. He knew what that meant—how often supporters in his Familia were neglected, invisible, discarded.
"…I understand." He said after a long pause. "Hestia, let's begin."
There was no resistance. No demands. No complications.
The conversion process was quick. With Soma and Hestia both present, Lili's falna was transferred without issue.
And when they stepped back out onto the streets, heading toward the library once more, Lili's footsteps were lighter than ever before. She almost skipped, joyfully hopping across the cobblestones.
"I should've done this much sooner." Leon murmured, watching the girl's delight.
"It needed to come from her." Hestia replied with a gentle smile. "It had to be her choice."
"You're right." Leon nodded. "Anyway, the past is done. It's just a dream now. From here on out… she's one of us."
Lili twirled around happily ahead of them. "From now on, I'm part of the Familia!"
Then Leon turned toward Hestia. "Hey, Hestia. I have something I want to discuss."
"I have a way to help Belle and the others grow stronger. But… it's a little unorthodox."
"Really? Then just go for it!"
"…Don't you want to hear the details first?"
"Ah, right, yeah. Go ahead, tell me!"
Far across Orario, in a hidden underground cave, Dionysus stood in silence, gazing at a massive mural etched into the wall. The dim glow of magic stone lamps cast eerie shadows across the image of a colossal dragon.
For so long, Dionysus had operated from the shadows with Filvis at his side. She had been his sword and shield—handling the dirty work, keeping the wheels of his schemes turning.
But now Filvis was gone. And without her, various factions had begun to whisper.
His position… was no longer secure.
"You've really made things difficult, Leon…" Dionysus muttered, eyes filled with venom.
"With Filvis gone, so many plans have unraveled. I didn't want to move yet but now…"
His voice trailed off. He turned his back on the mural and pulled a dark cloak over his shoulders.
"…Looks like I'll have to risk going deeper into the Dungeon."
With that, Dionysus disappeared into the shadows, the mural of the dragon behind him flickering with ominous light.
The sun had barely risen when Hestia set out.
Today, the temporary assembly of the Gods was to be held in the grand hall on the 30th floor of the Tower of Babel. As one of the involved deities, she had to be there in person.
Leon remained at the library but not for long.
Soon after Hestia left, he created a thought projection, Lucifer and sent it soaring toward Babel.
When Lucifer arrived, the Assembly Hall was already loud with chatter. Gods milled about, gossiping, debating, and speculating.
The meeting had yet to start. But the moment Leon's thought projection stepped into the hall, sharp-eyed gods noticed his arrival.
"Ohhh! Look who's here! Lucifer himself!" One god called out, standing up and waving enthusiastically.
Many heads turned. After all, Lucifer hadn't even bothered to show up at last night's feast. And now here he was.
"Well, well, well… didn't you say the air was too 'dirty' to sit near Apollo?" Loki teased, leaning back with a smirk.
Across the hall, Apollo's face darkened immediately. Others nearby laughed, shooting him amused glances.
Leon just smiled and waved lazily. "Hey, Apollo. Want to come say hi?"
Apollo stiffened. His expression soured even further, but he said nothing. He remembered all too clearly what had happened to Dionysus. He wasn't about to push his luck.
Satisfied with the reaction, Leon strolled over to an empty seat, sat down, and closed his eyes, calmly waiting for the meeting to begin.
One by one, more gods entered. And then, at last, a booming voice declared.
"The assembly begins now!"