"Ah, indeed."
"I didn't expect that after you let those two reincarnate as angels, their strength would actually increase so much."
"Fortunately, this wasn't done by your god Lucifer, or those gods would've definitely accused me of cheating."
Hestia nodded in agreement at Leon's words.
"What are you afraid of? If they really doubt it, the gods will just judge it directly."
"Besides, from what you said before, the gods are scared of Lucifer—they probably don't dare act recklessly anymore."
"That's fine." Leon smiled faintly, not worried about the potential threat of the gods.
It wasn't his fault. He hadn't realized how powerful his divinity was before—that he could suppress even the gods, and that's why they feared him.
But now, he could easily keep the gods in check by himself.
Still, if the gods didn't provoke him, he wouldn't attack first.
"That's right."
"Your god Lucifer really is something else. He suppressed so many gods that you wouldn't believe how fast they changed their tune at the Denatus."
"After being crushed by Lucifer's divinity, those guys instantly became obedient."
Hestia laughed as she recalled the recent events at the Denatus.
"Yeah."
The day flew by, and finally, the day of the war game arrived.
Orario was buzzing with excitement—cheers and boisterous voices echoed through every street.
Adventurers who rarely took a day off returned from the dungeon one by one, gathering at their familia residences, taverns, or the central square, all waiting for the gods to broadcast the war game.
Leon accompanied Hestia to the assembly hall, where many gods had already gathered.
The gods had no objections to Leon, a human, being there.
Before Leon even arrived, another human was present.
Seconds after Leon entered, a figure appeared beside him.
"Hey, Asfi, Hermes brought you here?"
Hestia was startled at first but smiled warmly upon seeing the newcomer.
She and Asfi had been companions before—sharing dungeon adventures, chatting by the lake and they had a good relationship.
Asfi still felt nervous and out of place despite Hermes's assurances that gods wouldn't mind a human presence here.
Now that Leon was here, she breathed easier and hurried toward him.
"Hestia-sama, Leon." Asfi nodded politely, and Leon returned the greeting.
"Leon, Asfi's quite nervous. Please help her relax."
Hermes approached, tipping his hat with a smile.
"I really don't know why you'd bring Asfi here knowing she'd be embarrassed." Leon rolled his eyes in response.
"Well, I'm just helping her gain courage." Hermes chuckled.
"Hey, Hestia, Leon, you're here!"
Soon after, Hephaestus, Miach, Takemikazuchi, and others arrived, greeting the pair warmly.
"Good morning, Hephaestus, Miach, Takemikazuchi." Hestia waved cheerfully, and Leon nodded in response.
"By the way, where is Lucifer?"
"Why hasn't he shown up yet?" Hephaestus asked, glancing behind Leon.
"Oh, him? He said he couldn't get be satisfied by watching through the magical mirror, so he ran to a high vantage point near the battlefield to watch the game." Leon smiled.
At these words, many gods twitched their lips in amusement, Hestia included.
That guy was weird—actually running to the scene to watch the war game. What kind of brain did he have?
"He's unique, I can accept that."
"Alright, enough talk. Time's almost up. Let's get ready to start."
Hermes shook his head and then raised his voice toward the sky.
"Please grant us permission to use divine power, Ouranos!!!"
Hermes' call echoed through the air, reaching the underground altar of the guild.
Soon, Ouranos responded with a deep, steady voice that reverberated throughout Orario and filled the ears of the gods.
"Permission granted!"
As the voice faded, all the gods stretched out their hands and snapped their fingers in unison.
At once, a massivemirror appeared above the assembly hall.
Mirrors also materialized over taverns, familia residences, squares, and even street corners across Orario.
The mirrors shimmered for a moment before a scene appeared: the ruins outside Orario.
Upon seeing this, gods, adventurers, residents, and merchants alike displayed eager anticipation in their eyes and hearts.
Everyone silently hoped this grand feast would live up to their expectations.
In the assembly hall, the gods' eyes flickered between the mirror and Leon, who watched intently as well.
This war game meant the Hestia Familia needed external assistance. But Hestia herself lacked the connections to recruit outside adventurers.
So, naturally, the task of bringing in outside help fell to Lucifer.
After all, Lucifer had wandered the lower world for centuries before arriving in Orario, and surely had unknown contacts beyond the city.
The gods were curious to see what external aid Hestia's familia would bring.
Time crept by, and the mirror remained static, only showing Apollo Familia's patrols near the fortress ruins as described.
The long wait began to disappoint some spectators.
But suddenly, excitement broke out.
"Here they come! The Hestia Familia is attacking!!!"
Someone shouted, drawing everyone's gaze to the mirror, their eyes shining with anticipation.
On the mirror, a figure slowly approached the ruins.
"I haven't seen that person before—is this the foreign aid Hestia Familia invited this time?!"
Everyone held their breath, silently questioning what this newcomer might mean for the battle to come.