In the days that followed, the Hephaestus Familia registered a new adventurer with the Guild under the single name "Tsunayoshi."
No given name—just a simple surname-like marker.
Within Hephaestus's ranks, the arrangement drew little attention. Unless someone was determined to dig, one more body on the rolls wasn't worth a second glance. It wasn't something that could be done in a few days, either. The point was to dodge as many eyes as possible and reduce notice to the bare minimum.
Even so, the whole maneuver was baffling on its face.
A member of the Loki Familia was now listed under Hephaestus, transformed from Loki's "special rookie" into a nameless Level 1 smith. Even if some gods suspected cooperation between Hephaestus and Loki, none of them would imagine that Loki's prized newcomer was now "parked" under Hephaestus as a rookie blacksmith.
Easy to say—hard to pull off.
Fortunately, Tsunayoshi's ability to tidy up memories made everything far simpler.
"Thank you for the trouble, Hephaestus-sama."
Carrying a cup of water, Tsunayoshi stepped into Hephaestus's rest office. She accepted the cup, took a sip, and felt some tension ease from her shoulders.
"It helped that you had such a convenient way to streamline the registration," she said. "But did we need to be this cautious? Even for the registry, you changed faces and adjusted memories to have someone stand in for you?"
It did seem excessive. Hephaestus couldn't quite see why such an arrangement was necessary.
Tsunayoshi nodded. "Once certain gods start investigating, they never stop. The first crack is all it takes for them to split everything wide open. Everyone knows the 'public' intel about me in the Loki Familia—but the face they see out there is this one."
A puppet stepped forward.
The drooping, foxlike eyes stood out, and the heavy shadowed rings beneath them etched an unforgettable impression at a glance.
"That rumor about the puppet was spread through Raul's mouth," Tsunayoshi added. "If a god confirms a piece of information with their own eyes, then even Ishtar-sama—no matter how suspicious—won't doubt intel she personally verified."
Gods were proud of their sight. Especially when intel came from an adventurer who wasn't particularly special, a god like Ishtar would not believe that a mere "mortal" could smuggle falsehoods right under a divine gaze—certainly not when gods could pierce the lies of those below.
"So you exploited the divine knack for sensing lies," Hephaestus said, impressed despite herself. "You've pushed your abilities far—far enough to manipulate memory itself. That's how you slipped past a god's eyes and fed the wrong leads to Ishtar and Hermes."
Hermes…
The name made Tsunayoshi pause for a heartbeat.
"You didn't expect Hermes to be digging into Loki as well?" Hephaestus asked, mildly surprised.
"I only know what the story let me know," Tsunayoshi admitted. "Beyond that, my knowledge isn't complete—and it's been a long time besides."
For gods, a decade or two wasn't much. For ordinary people, it was an age.
"Even so, Hermes-sama dabbling in information games isn't surprising," Tsunayoshi went on. "From the start I assumed there would be others involved besides Ishtar-sama. And in the end… nothing went wrong."
"Indeed," Hephaestus agreed.
Tsunayoshi hadn't anticipated Hermes's involvement, but ultimately it hadn't changed the outcome. Even the god most adept at sniffing out secrets had failed to catch the boy out. That said enough about his caution.
"Your skillset fits the backroom far better," Hephaestus said. "No wonder you put a slice of your power out front—buff the puppet and downplay the summoner. Orario has plenty of adventurers whose strength far outstrips their personal durability. One more won't raise eyebrows."
"And the more you stay hidden, the more any god investigating you will assume the same thing," she continued. Hephaestus knew the truth; others did not. "If they knew, they wouldn't be lurking and watching—they'd storm Loki's home outright."
"The stronger the power, the bigger the 'flaw' everyone expects to find," she said. "Even the 'Silent'—that monster of talent—was no exception. The more dazzling your puppet looks, the more severe people will judge your personal shortcomings to be. That's why you must keep to the shadows instead of the spotlight."
"Just don't assume every god thinks at the same level," Hephaestus warned. "Hermes and Freya will always reach further. If Ishtar is prying into you, she'll at least conclude what she found is only a part—and not the whole."
"And even if you're hiding now," she added, "no one will imagine a Loki child is 'borrowed' into my familia. Which is exactly why we have to be more careful."
Tsunayoshi inclined his head. He wouldn't take the reminder lightly. Gods hungry for the unknown had to be treated with perpetual caution. Underestimate them, and he'd be the one to pay.
"Rest assured," he said. "Since I chose to disappear, I won't step forward lightly. Outside our familia, I won't show myself to other gods."
He had no intention of wasting all their groundwork.
(End of Chapter)
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