Chapter 774: The Informer

"At the time, Kashima and I were eating at the Horned Bird Restaurant when we ran into members of the Apollo Familia. Kashima merely said that I might be able to reach Level 3 before long, and for some reason that offended them, so they started spouting nonsense about us bragging."

"Of course, they said it didn't matter regarding me, but they specifically brought up Broly-san, mocking you as a freeloader pretty boy, saying that being able to go to the Deep Floors is entirely thanks to riding Lady Ais's coattails and tagging along behind the Loki Familia."

"Kashima and I couldn't swallow that, so we argued with that bunch, and in the end we came to blows right there in the restaurant tavern."

"Didn't fight?"

"The two of us took down four of them, but then we were beaten by the Apollo Familia's Level 3 captain. I'm sorry, Broly-san, I've disgraced you."

Bell, with gauze stuck to his right cheek, lowered his head; this youth felt shame for failing to defeat an opponent of a higher level.

"Bell, you don't have to be like this. Two versus four, managing to beat four opponents of the same level is already remarkable. Not everyone can defeat higher-level opponents as easily as eating and drinking, like Broly."

Hestia comforted the apologizing white-haired youth.

"Lili, do you know where the Apollo Familia residence is?"

Broly, for his part, asked the Pallum girl.

"Ah, I know, but Broly-san, what are you preparing to do?"

"No need to ask. Since the opposing captain beat Bell for the sake of his own Familia members, I, as a fellow captain, naturally have to hit back for Bell's sake."

Broly said as a matter of course. Never mind that this brawl was picked by the Apollo Familia people; even if Bell had started it, he would still favor his own and not reason.

"Do you need me to come along and help beat them up?"

Tiona raised her hand and asked.

Naturally, she didn't think Broly needed her help to beat people up.

Rather, Bell knew many heroic tales and had always shared them with her, making him a good friend of hers.

A good friend got beaten, so naturally she had to help get payback; this is the heart of the fist.

"Fine, we'll go together and give those bastards a beating."

Just as Broly, having returned to Orario, was preparing to take people to the Apollo Familia residence to give the bunch that beat Bell a thorough thrashing.

"Ding-dong~"

The Hearth Manor's Magic Stone Doorbell was pressed by someone.

Opening the door, two girls stood outside, one with red hair, one with blue.

Judging from the sun-pattern emblems on their uniforms, they were clearly Apollo Familia people.

"Two Apollo Familia guys, you came to our door yourselves; what are you here for?"

Liliruca, who came out to open the door, looked at the two outside with a somewhat hostile gaze.

"We are here as representatives of Lord Apollo to deliver a Banquet Invitation to Lady Hestia."

Daphne began to explain.

And her attempt to delay her own Main God and scheme against the other Familia's children did not succeed.

The reason was simple...

"If the Hestia Familia's captain truly had ability, then at the last Gods' Conference, it wouldn't have been only that cute child Bell who received a title."

The title-granting at the Gods' Conference only targets children who have reached Level 2. Broly, due to being special, is currently Level 1, so he cannot have a title; and a person without a title is naturally not taken seriously.

Added to that, after Broly and the Loki Familia returned from the expedition, the Hestia Familia side adopted a secretive 'silent fortune-making' approach, directly letting his reputation drift toward that of a freeloader hanger-on.

"However, since you two are so worried, how about I just send you to scout out the Hestia Familia's reality?"

Apollo put it that way, handing the matter of inviting Hestia to his own Familia's banquet to Daphne and Cassandra.

"An invitation? Could it be to apologize for the fight?"

Hestia accepted the gilded invitation, frowned, and asked.

"Lord Apollo did send the invitation because of the fight, but he didn't explain the specific circumstances to us."

Daphne glanced at the tail wrapped around Broly's waist and didn't say more about what she clearly knew.

"Although Apollo is a hateful guy, what if the other party is actually prepared to make amends and apologize to us?"

Hestia voiced this possibility; the Apollo Familia's sudden invitation interrupted Broly's original plan to directly take people over and beat them up.

"Cassandra, that Hestia Familia captain, could he be the green gorilla from your prophetic dream?"

After leaving Hearth Manor, Daphne directly asked the blue-haired girl beside her.

"I don't know, but he definitely has a dangerous feeling about him."

"Eh, how come I didn't sense that?"

"This is a prophetic intuition given to me by the dream — a feeling that I might die if I clash with him."

Cassandra answered.

"Ah, I knew it — a foretold fate fundamentally cannot be changed; we're doomed sooner or later."

Apollo's attitude gave this girl pessimistic thoughts; she was now exuding low pressure all over.

"Even if we hit a hard nut, the one who'll be unlucky is just Lord Apollo; what does that have to do with us?"

As members forced into the Apollo Familia, Daphne held no loyalty toward her own Familia.

Of course, because the treatment in the Apollo Familia was better than the Familia she'd been in before — Lord Apollo gave ample money for her to buy all kinds of high-grade Equipment — she did have some complex Emotions toward this Main God.

Only, hate definitely outweighed gratitude.

After all, a forcibly twisted melon isn't sweet.

If the Apollo Familia would meet misfortune, she'd actually be glad to see it.

"Daphne, it's not that simple. In my prophetic dream, the unlucky ones include not just the Sun, but us too.

When the nest is overturned, how can any eggs remain intact? We are Apollo Familia members; we'll definitely be dragged down into misfortune together.

Right now I just want to go back and sleep a while longer before the bad luck — possibly even death — arrives.

Otherwise, I'm afraid I won't have the chance later..."

Her friend's pessimistic attitude left Daphne somewhat speechless.

"Cassandra, are you sure that if we keep going like this, we'll both end up unlucky?"

"My prophetic dreams are never baseless; it's just that sometimes I misinterpret the direction when interpreting dreams. But this time, I shouldn't have misinterpreted the direction. If we keep going like this, we'll definitely be unlucky."

"Since that's the case..."

Daphne grabbed Cassandra's hand, and under her friend's puzzled gaze, pulled her back toward the Hestia Familia Headquarters.

"Why don't we go inform on them? Let the people of Hestia Familia know Lord Apollo's true purpose, tell them we're not accomplices of Lord Apollo, and when they make Lord Apollo unlucky, don't vent their anger on us."

"Ah, Daphne, do you believe my prophecy?"

Cassandra stared at her with wide eyes.

"No, not that. I just don't want to be Lord Apollo's accomplice."

"Why are you two back again?"

The Magic Stone Doorbell rang again. This time Broly came to open the door. Seeing the two girls of Apollo Familia returning, he couldn't help but ask in confusion.

"We want to tell you Lord Apollo's purpose for inviting Lady Hestia, and the reason he had someone clash with your Familia's Bell boy."

Daphne said straightforwardly.

"Eh, isn't that just a pointless fight picking a fight for no reason?"

Broly looked at Daphne in confusion.

"Obviously not. Won't you let us in to talk?"

Daphne asked.

"Uh, please."

Broly stepped aside.

Daphne pulled Cassandra into Hearth Manor, and upon seeing Sword Princess, Great Severing, and Thousand Elf inside Hearth Manor, she subconsciously tightened her grip on Cassandra's hand behind her.

Originally she just didn't want to be Lord Apollo's accomplice, but now seeing that people of Loki Familia were actually guests here, Daphne suddenly gained confidence.

Facing everyone's scrutinizing gaze, Daphne directly began explaining that her own deity would use various means to force children she fancied to join her own Familia.

Bell originally thought fighting with Apollo Familia members was a very sudden unexpected event, but after hearing Daphne's explanation, he was startled and realized he had been targeted by a male deity with abnormal preferences.

"Bell is indeed a child with a very clean soul. If it's that guy Apollo, it's entirely possible he'd do this kind of thing."

After hearing this, Hestia actually didn't find it too surprising.

"At tomorrow's banquet, Lord Apollo will invite many gods. At that time, he'll call out our injured people and ask Lady Hestia for an explanation."

"And if no explanation is given, he'll force Lady Hestia's Familia to have a 【War Game】 with our Familia, using the 【War Game】 to take away the children who originally belong to Lady Hestia."

"Uh, can I ask what a 【War Game】 is?"

Concerned about his own chastity safety, Bell quickly raised his hand to ask.

"It's a means of resolving conflicts that occurs between Familias in Orario when conflicts arise."

Establish rules, conduct a competition that abides by the established rules."

"It's just that most competitions involve martial combat, so they're called war."

"And the winner can obtain the wager that both parties agreed upon before the War Game began."

"It's considered a controllable war, which is the reason for the name 'game' afterward."

Lefiya helped explain.

"But this kind of War Game must require both parties to agree to proceed, right? What if one party doesn't agree?"

The elf girl asked.

"I don't know about others, but Lord Apollo would have people use underhanded means, such as constantly harassing the child he fancies and the small Familia they originally belong to."

"Until the harassed small Familia can't bear it and actively proposes a War Game, or directly surrenders and hands over the child Lord Apollo fancies, or the child fancied is willing to sacrifice for the Familia they originally belonged to."

"Then may I ask, as members of Apollo Familia, why are you telling us these things?"

"Because we were also forced to join Apollo Familia like this. We don't want to be accomplices in Lord Apollo forcing others to join."

Daphne answered very decisively, not mentioning Cassandra's prophetic dream at all.

Of course, the prophetic dream was just the opportunity for her to inform on them.

And it was because Ais and the others appeared in Hearth Manor that made her firm in saying these words.

As the saying goes, those who know the times are outstanding talents. Not after clarifying the situation, quickly surrender to be a guide.

Surely not live and die together with the Familia that once used underhanded means to force herself to join?

"Very good. I'll help you get free. You lead the way for me now, and I'll go deal with the deity who's forcing you."

Originally being entangled by Kali Familia's Amazons was already somewhat annoying for Broly. Unexpectedly, after returning to Orario, someone actively rushed onto his muzzle.

"Calm down, Broly. If you just go smash Apollo Familia like this, it will worsen other Familias' opinion of us. Compared to directly going to fight, I have a better solution."

Hestia persuaded the Saiyan boy.

"What solution?"

"Doesn't that guy Apollo want to play War Game with us? Then we'll play with him."

Hestia puffed out her chest, looking confident.

War Game is a betting game. Only weak Familias fear War Game because their chips aren't enough.

But for powerful Familias, they only need to consider how to make the opponent agree to the bet, and bet more chips.

Obviously, that guy Apollo's understanding of her Familia's strength might have some deviation, but he placed himself in the position of a powerful Familia.

And in this situation, rather than letting Broly directly go smash the place, it's better to lure that fool Apollo in, and let that narcissistic guy directly lose terribly.

Daphne and Cassandra's informing let Hestia's side prepare. Just as a plan to counter Apollo Familia was being discussed and perfected by Hestia and them, on Freya Familia's side...

"Say, Helen, how about I wear this dress to attend the banquet Apollo is holding tomorrow?"

The Beauty Goddess Freya was in her massive Goddess's Wardrobe, selecting the formal dress she would wear to tomorrow's banquet.

"Lady Freya, your beauty is beyond question; no matter what clothes you wear, you are full of charm."

Helen already held two formal dresses in her hands, yet she gave her answer seriously.

"That I naturally know, but wearing different clothes gives others a different first impression; what kind of clothes do you think that child Broly would like me to wear?"

A scholar dies for a confidant, a woman beautifies herself for one who pleases her; Helen watched her own Goddess looking like a young girl facing her first date, struck by choice paralysis over what clothes to choose, and couldn't help but sigh.

"If it's about first impression, I feel a plain-colored formal dress would be better."

As someone who also plays the role of Xier and associates with a Saiyan, Helen gave her own advice.

"Plain colors, huh, that's not bad advice; then let's go with this pure white formal dress."

Freya, who knew what had happened at Hearth Manor through the Amulet, had her close attendant help her change into a white formal skirt.

Before the full-length mirror, she was full of expectation for tomorrow's Apollo Familia banquet: "Helen, you say, when Broly sees me like this, will he show an infatuated expression?"

"Lady Freya, any male, uh, normal male, upon seeing you, their gaze definitely will be drawn to you."

(Chapter End)