At dawn, Orario was unusually lively.
In front of the Hephaestus Familia, every god in the city seemed to be watching. Not for any ordinary reason—but because a door-tall rift in space had been opened right at their entrance. Hephaestus's craftsmen had been up since early morning, hauling all kinds of materials through the torn seam and into the other side.
"Good grief—Loki isn't even pretending anymore."
Seeing this, the gods instantly understood: Loki was openly parading her child's power. The zippered space led to another domain, and Hephaestus's children were busily moving supplies inside.
The blunt display all but shouted, "My child uses spatial power. I'm laying my cards on the table."
While rumors of Loki's child had long since spread, this was the first time the proof had been shoved right under everyone's noses.
"Pure spatial power, huh? And yet… it doesn't feel like the full picture."
"Puppetry."
A goddess dropped the word, and the nearby gods caught on at once.
"This isn't complete spatial mastery—it's spatial power channeled through a puppet. Which means Loki really has been covering for that kid. Their abilities are probably more than this."
"Mm. If we had a child with such power, we'd hide them, not expose them like this. Loki must be doing it for one reason only: that child has something besides space—most likely related to the puppet control itself."
None of the gods were fools; their minds worked fast.
If Loki was willing to reveal one ability, it was clearly to conceal another. Whatever else the child could do likely exceeded the limits of the Falna's norms and was no less extraordinary than space.
"Given they can create a passage that people and cargo can enter, Loki's expedition may bring back… different kinds of news."
"Spatial power is just too cheating. You can shove all logistics into that space to lighten transport and safeguard supporters. If you can even live inside comfortably, then mishaps on so-called 'safe floors' matter far less."
"No wonder Loki hid the kid. But now I'm more curious—if she's showing off space, what exactly is she trying to cover for?"
Loki's child broadened their horizons. The lower world's variety truly exceeded expectation—even a child wielding space existed. But alongside surprise came curiosity: what, exactly, was this space ability hiding?
They all had the same hunch.
Whatever Loki wanted concealed had to be far more "abnormal" than space.
As for what that abnormal power was—they'd need to investigate.
"Investigate? Heh. With Loki's temperament and skill, you think she'll let us trace it that easily?"
Across the street, on the second floor of a tavern facing the Hephaestus compound, Hermes sipped his drink with a derisive chuckle.
No one knew Loki's nature better. He'd been digging for days, but the entire Loki Familia was tight as a drum—no leaks, no channels, nothing.
"Asfi, how did Loki make her entire Familia like iron plate? No matter what I tried, those kids kept their mouths shut tighter than a first-rate weapon."
Working from within was the best way to pry out Loki's secrets. Hermes had tried exactly that. Once-friendly children now acted as if their lips had been sewn shut.
If it were just one or two, he wouldn't care. But a dozen with the same attitude? That demanded a different look.
"How did Loki pull this off?"
Asfi, watching her god's frustration, offered the findings she'd pieced together.
"Lord Hermes, the answer isn't so hard. You approached many of Loki's adventurers. The moment they realized you were probing for intel, they went silent. You tried all sorts of ways to get close and still gained nothing. I suspect it's because they understand that if they talk, the 'trouble' won't be Loki's."
"Not Loki's?"
"The trouble would be for the very person you're trying to investigate—the hidden super rookie."
Her words made Hermes pause.
Perhaps Loki wasn't the biggest obstacle. Perhaps the subject himself was.
"Asfi, you're saying that child might be even trickier than Loki—that he's the reason the entire Familia keeps quiet and shares nothing outward. Why?"
Why could a child of the lower world achieve what even Loki couldn't? Hermes couldn't quite wrap his head around it.
"I think the reason lies in the part of his power Loki most wants to conceal. If that ability benefits the entire Familia—or even each member individually—then everyone has a direct stake in protecting it."
"People only protect what serves their own interests," Asfi concluded. "That's likely why Loki's Familia speaks with one voice to the outside."
"For the benefit of the Familia… and each member…"
Hermes echoed the thought, and an idea took shape.
"Asfi, from today, investigate every one of Loki's children. If you're right, the real answer will be found in the whole of their ranks."
"I understand, Lord Hermes."
(End of Chapter)
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