"Open up! Open the damn door!"
Loki pounded furiously on the Guild's massive doors, her fists echoing through the empty street until the entire building blazed to life from the commotion.
There was always someone on night duty at the Guild.
"Lady Loki? You're here this late… do you need something?"
Tonight's staffer was an elf—poor thing.
"Go get Royman. Now. I'm meeting Ouranos tonight. If he doesn't show, I'll tear this place down myself."
Loki's face was a mask of ice, her tone leaving no room for argument. Behind her, Aki was already preparing to break through by force if necessary.
The elf's complexion drained of color. He immediately bowed his head and stammered,
"P-please calm down, Lady Loki! I'll get the Guild Master right away!"
He spun on his heel and bolted inside.
As soon as his back disappeared, Loki's frosty expression melted into her usual sly grin. She glanced back at Aki, amused.
"See? Sometimes you just gotta lose it a little to make people listen. Otherwise, they'll think you're easy to push around."
Aki actually agreed with that… mostly. But she still couldn't help but whisper cautiously,
"Lady Loki, isn't it possible that you weren't pretending? I mean, I think the staff could feel you really meant to break in."
"How could that be? I was only kidding."
You didn't look like you were kidding at all, Lady Loki.
Of course, Aki only dared to think that silently. Saying it out loud would've been suicide.
The Guild's so-called "efficiency" was put to the test that night. Barely five minutes later, Royman appeared in the main hall, looking like he'd sprinted the whole way.
He was greeted by Loki's icy stare. His body tensed instantly, and he had to silently psych himself up before stepping forward.
"L-Lady Loki, you wish to meet Lord Ouranos… at this hour?"
Loki said nothing. She just looked at him—cold, silent, sharp enough to freeze air. Then, slowly, her lips curved into a smile. But there was nothing warm about it. The smile was full of frost.
"Royman, I believe I've already made myself clear. I'm meeting Ouranos tonight. If I don't, I'll dismantle this Guild brick by brick."
That temper again! Royman's mind screamed in panic. He had no idea who'd angered her this time, but whoever it was had better start praying.
Just as he opened his mouth to try placating her, a voice whispered directly into his mind—the Guild's divine overseer.
Royman exhaled shakily and stepped aside.
"Lady Loki, Lord Ouranos has granted you entry. Please… calm yourself for now."
"Heh~."
Loki gave a short, amused laugh. Told you—sometimes flipping the table gets things done faster. Being too nice never got anyone anywhere.
Once she was gone, Royman all but collapsed onto the floor, drenched in sweat. Whatever dignity a Guild Master was supposed to have—he'd lost it tonight. Wiping his brow, he silently vowed never to cross a goddess again.
Aki wasn't surprised in the slightest. She'd seen this coming a mile away.
Deep beneath the Guild, in the underground sanctum lit by pale magic stones, Loki strolled forward with her hands in her pockets. Her boots echoed against the stone until she stopped before the altar where Ouranos sat in quiet meditation.
"Sorry to intrude, Ouranos."
Her tone was calm now—cool, but composed.
"I think you already know why I'm here, don't you?"
"The Dungeon's anomaly," Ouranos replied evenly.
"Hmph. So you do know. And knowing that, you still forced my children into a 'mandatory expedition'? What's the matter—did you mistake me for one of those pushover gods like Zeus or Hera?"
Loki's composure cracked. Her ponytail snapped loose, crimson hair flaring wildly as her divine aura surged. The air warped around her, a pressure so fierce that even another god would feel dread crawling down their spine.
Ouranos didn't flinch. He merely sighed.
"What do you want, Loki?"
"Stay away from my children. You know exactly who I'm talking about."
She didn't bother with subtlety. Most gods might not understand, but the god of the sky definitely did. He'd been watching—she was sure of it.
"I don't care what games you, Zeus, or Hera are playing. But if you cross my line—" her eyes narrowed dangerously, "—I'll burn your precious future to ashes. Don't test me, old man. I will do it."
Ouranos remained expressionless, though his tone softened slightly.
"Loki, I'm not your enemy."
"I know. If you were, I wouldn't be standing here talking to you instead of turning this place upside down."
The "mandatory expedition" had been ordered half a year ago—back when the Dungeon still behaved normally. Even for Ouranos, foreseeing the current "abnormalities" that far in advance would've been impossible.
That was the only reason Loki hadn't blown up the entire Guild tonight. If she truly thought he'd planned this… Orario would already be missing one god of the sky.
"You knew about the Dungeon's changes," she pressed. "So that means you've got eyes down there too, huh?"
"Ganesha's investigation," Ouranos answered simply.
"That loudmouth…" Loki gritted her teeth. She couldn't even be mad at the reasoning—Ganesha and Astraea were in charge of maintaining peace in Orario. Having Ganesha investigate made perfect sense.
"Fine. I won't dig further. But the Guild's footing the bill for this one. You sent my kids into that mess—you can damn well compensate for it."
She jabbed a finger toward him.
"And while we're at it, remove that 'mandatory expedition' order from my children's records. Also, the note that says they don't need 'safety guarantees' for exploring the lower floors—take it off. I don't want the Guild using it as an excuse later."
Ouranos was silent for a moment, then nodded.
"Those are reasonable demands."
"Tch. At least you're quick about it."
Loki's expression finally eased. The crimson energy faded, her hair settling around her shoulders once more.
"Send the compensation to my home tomorrow. And we'll call it even."
With that, she turned and left the sanctum without another word.
After tonight, Ouranos would think twice before laying a finger on her children again.
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Nia's Note: My sleep schedule has never been this messed up before....
Anyway, I still don't see your support for this book. I was thinking of continuing to upload at this pace until we catch up, but perhaps I should reconsider...
Also, you can read up to chapter 100 on Patreon.com/NiaXD.
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