CHAPTER 404: CHAPTER 404: HERMES’ BAD PREMONITION

Bell’s blunt response hit Loki hard.

"After all, we were the ones who orchestrated this entire operation to defeat the Spirit. If Captain Finn and the others manage to bring it down, they’ll break into the ranks of Level 7, and the Loki Familia will gain a huge advantage. After getting that much out of it, are you really not willing to step forward, Loki-sama?"

It was a fair point. Loki wanted to retort with something like "It’s just an opportunity," but the words wouldn’t come out. This expedition wasn’t exactly clean—there had been a lot of shady maneuvering behind the scenes.

Finn and the others might still be in the dark, but Loki, as one of the key players, certainly wasn’t.

There was no room to argue, and no way to deny it.

This operation, which bordered on cheating, opened up new opportunities for the Loki Familia. And even if it was underhanded, this kind of benefit wasn’t something just any Familia could get.

Since they’d received this special treatment, it was only fair that they should shoulder some responsibility in return.

"Sigh... Fine, fine, just my luck."

Loki understood well enough. She’d gotten such a huge advantage that she had no grounds to complain. Being asked to step up was perfectly reasonable. So she accepted it.

Sure, being in the front meant more risk, but as long as Finn and the others reached that next level, a little risk was worth it.

While reassuring herself, Loki walked toward her room.

Through the space tunnel, she returned.

This time, she wasn’t back to relax—she needed to find Hermes’ messenger quickly. There was no point in heading to the Pleasure District, even if she was sure that guy was still hanging around there.

"Line! Line!"

Loki stepped out of her room and shouted loudly into the empty house. Soon, a human girl emerged from one of the nearby rooms.

"Loki-sama."

Line Arshe, one of the rare healing magicians in the Loki Familia, was also known as the "Locolyte."

"Line, send someone to the Hermes Familia right away. Tell ’Perseus’ to bring Hermes here immediately—something big’s come up."

The moment Line heard that, she straightened up. Seeing that Loki-sama wasn’t in one of her usual moods today, she instantly knew this was something serious. Otherwise, with Loki-sama’s typical behavior, she would’ve already leapt at her.

"Yes, I’ll contact the ’Perseus’ right away."

As one of Orario’s more powerful Familias, the Hermes Familia wasn’t focused on exploration—it was a production-type Familia. But instead of producing equipment or weapons, they specialized in intelligence gathering, deliveries, and occasionally small gadgets crafted by the "Perseus."

In Orario, Adventurers with the Development Ability "Mystery" were known for crafting items that often exceeded standard specs, making anything made by the "Perseus" highly sought after.

Naturally, such Familias were always open for business. They didn’t close early or turn away customers.

Today, however, Hermes Familia received a very unexpected guest.

The person handling the request was none other than the "Perseus" herself, Asfi Al Andromeda. Of course, that was because the request involved their Familia God.

Asfi pushed up her glasses.

"So, Loki-sama wants Hermes-sama to make a trip? And it’s supposed to be something serious?"

She couldn’t shake the feeling that Loki-sama’s request sounded a little strange. But for the moment, she couldn’t figure out why Loki-sama would reach out to her God at a time like this.

"Yes, ’Perseus,’ this time, Loki-sama seems genuinely serious. It should be something important."

"I understand."

Although she didn’t grasp the full picture, Asfi accepted the request. After all, it involved Loki—she couldn’t just turn it down. Especially since the request was for their Familia God himself.

"I’ll go find Hermes-sama right away. Please go back and inform Loki-sama that I’ll bring Hermes-sama over as soon as possible."

"I understand."

Line gave a small nod and turned to head back and report to Loki.

Once she was gone, Asfi turned her gaze toward an empty seat two meters away.

"Do you really think Loki-sama is coming to you about something serious right now?"

Suddenly, a corner of the cloak covering the seat lifted, revealing the man Loki had asked to see—Hermes.

"Hmm... Loki asking to see me—that doesn’t happen often. But if one of her kids says she’s serious, then she probably is. Still... I really don’t want to go..."

Hermes had a bad feeling in his gut. Whenever Loki reached out, it was never for anything good.

Looking for him now, during his Familia’s expedition? And she’s serious about it? It was hard to imagine what kind of situation would make Loki come find him now.

"You think there’s something wrong with Loki-sama?"

"No. Other gods might be a problem, but Loki definitely isn’t. It’s just that whenever she comes looking for me, it’s always bad news."

Thinking back to those cursed past experiences, Hermes felt a dull pain in his forehead. The memories felt like they were stabbing into his nerves, making him even more reluctant to go see her.

But he also knew there was no getting out of it now.

If Loki was bold enough to send one of her children to openly come find him, this clearly wasn’t a small matter. And it was exactly because he realized that, that he didn’t want to go all the more.

"At a time like this, the gods are all being cautious. Orario still has its eyes locked on the Evilus. None of the gods want to step into the spotlight easily. If we push those guys too far, we might be the ones who get hurt. All the gods agree on that."

"So... you’re still going?"

"..."

Hermes rested his chin on his palm with a weary sigh. He really wished he hadn’t been holed up in his own Familia right now. If he hadn’t heard about this, maybe he could’ve found a way to dodge it. But now that he had, how could he?

"Fine, I’ll go. Let’s see what kind of mess Loki’s gotten herself into this time, asking for me at a time like this..."

...

(100 Chapters Ahead)

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