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Another old relic. Another ancient god.
Saria had long grown accustomed to hearing the higher-ups in Orario curse and insult each other, but standing in the presence of these powerful deities, she knew better than to utter a single word.
She was just an ordinary guild advisor trying to make a living.
She had no business interfering in matters between gods.
Her task was simple: deliver Sol to the guild. Whatever happened next was for the higher-ups to deal with.
With Riveria accompanying him, Sol made his way toward the guild.
Of course, once they arrived, Riveria was no longer allowed to follow.
A private meeting between Sol and Ouranos was no place for an outsider, even one as esteemed as her.
Left with no other choice, Riveria waited in the guild's lounge, quietly hoping for a favorable outcome.
Sol, on the other hand, showed no concern whatsoever.
When they reached the entrance of a dimly lit corridor, the guild representative who had guided him stopped in his tracks.
"Ouranos-sama is waiting below," he said. "I'm afraid I cannot accompany you any further."
The passage ahead was shrouded in darkness, its only illumination coming from scattered magic stones embedded in the walls at regular intervals.
A guild as wealthy as this, and they can't even afford proper lighting? Who are they trying to fool?
Sol wasn't fond of dark, claustrophobic places. Unconsciously, his pace quickened.
The passage felt unnervingly long—both figuratively and literally.
Seriously, what the hell is wrong with that old man?
Why build a hallway this absurdly long? Just to mess with people?
With no choice but to continue walking, he pressed forward.
Eventually, the corridor gave way to an expansive chamber.
The space was vast—so large, in fact, that Sol couldn't even make out the ceiling above.
The dim lighting barely illuminated the edges of the room, making it feel even more cavernous.
At its center, a high platform loomed, stark against the emptiness.
And there, seated atop a grand throne at the platform's peak, was Ouranos.
He sat with an air of absolute authority, his hands resting lazily on the armrests, his gaze impassive.
But to Sol, the display was meaningless.
A god playing at being superior to another god? Please.
Wouldn't it be better to save the theatrics for the mortals?
Did he build this ridiculous platform just to look down on people?
And what's with the height? He better not expect me to climb all the way up there.
Ouranos finally broke the silence.
"It's been a long time, Sol. I didn't expect our reunion to happen in a place like this."
Sol, utterly unimpressed, responded with a half-hearted tone.
"What can I say? When Lord Ouranos graciously invites someone, how could I possibly refuse?"
His voice dripped with disinterest, his words laced with barely concealed sarcasm.
It was clear that Sol had no intention of showing even a shred of reverence.
But Ouranos didn't seem to mind.
He had long grown used to dealing with unruly gods.
And he hadn't summoned Sol here to lecture him.
"You should already know why I called you here. Don't you have anything to say about what happened last night?" Ouranos spoke in a deep, measured tone.
However, he didn't elaborate, clearly intending to control the flow of the conversation.
Sol, on the other hand, had no intention of playing along.
"Hmph. Hasn't the guild already figured out what that Ishtar woman was up to? What exactly do you expect me to explain?"
Unlike Ouranos, Sol was blunt and direct, immediately throwing the question back at him.
As far as he was concerned, he was in the right. Ishtar Familia's attempted kidnapping of his people in the dungeon was already an established fact.
Under his orders—and with Renata's strategic push—the news was already spreading rapidly through Orario.
His response may have been extreme, but no one could claim it was unjustified.
No matter how much influence the guild had, it couldn't dictate his right to seek retribution.
At worst, they'd fine him.
But with the wealth his familia had accumulated, a fine was barely an inconvenience.
Besides, the Pleasure District now belonged to him.
No amount of fines could change that.
"If all you want to talk about is Ishtar, then there's nothing more to discuss. I already sent her back to heaven." Sol smirked, his tone turning mocking. "Or… is there another reason an old man like you is so invested in this?"
He slowly curled his right hand into a fist, then used the index finger of his left hand to slide in and out of his palm—twice.
The meaning was unmistakable.
Anyone with a discerning eye could understand his implication.
Ishtar, much like Freya, was a goddess of beauty.
Unlike Freya, however, she wasn't particularly selective.
No one was off-limits.
So, the idea that even Ouranos might have once indulged in her… wasn't all that far-fetched.
After all, Ouranos wasn't just the guild's shadowy puppet master—he was also ancient. Wouldn't be surprising if he had a few questionable stories buried in the past.
But if Sol expected a reaction, he was disappointed.
Ouranos remained unfazed, his voice steady as he cut through the provocation.
"I want Orario's familias to focus on external threats. Right now, our priority should be dealing with the Ares Familia—not wasting our strength on internal strife. The more we fight among ourselves, the weaker Orario becomes."
Ah.
So in the end, it all came back to Orario.
No surprise there.
Ouranos had witnessed the founding and growth of this labyrinth city firsthand. Of all the gods in Orario, he was probably the one who loved this place the most.
Too bad Sol couldn't relate.
As long as his familia flourished, what happened to Orario was of little concern to him.
The only reason he remained in this city was not the abundance of goddesses (crossed out).
No, the real reason was simple—Orario was the heart of this world.
And a place like this was far more convenient for his ambitions.
Besides, all they did was remove a LV5 toad.
How exactly did that weaken Orario?
Or wait… does Ouranos actually consider scum-tier adventurers part of Orario's strength?
Sol scoffed. "Just Ares? Since when do you lose sleep over that muscle-headed fool?"
"It's not just Ares I'm worried about," Ouranos replied, his tone grave. "According to reports from my informants, the Ares Familia has mobilized in force. And this time… they've acquired some kind of new weapon."
At that, Sol fell silent.
Because he knew exactly what those "new weapons" were.
No one understood it better than him.
The so-called advanced technology Ares had was none other than explosives he had supplied to Renata.
Most of them were discarded leftovers from Ziggs' old experiments.
After some simple refinements, they had been quietly funneled back into the market.
And now, they were in Ares' hands.