"It seems Loki really did dig up quite the talented kid."
Through Ishtar's little stunt, Hermes had confirmed it for himself.
"The ability to summon Puppets… how fascinating."
He glanced at the woman beside him. "Asfi, do you think that kind of power is a Skill or Magic?"
Asfi replayed Raul's earlier words and the explanation about those Puppets in her mind, then replied thoughtfully,
"Lord Hermes, it could be either a Skill or Magic—but if I had to choose, I'd say it's more likely to be Magic."
Hermes raised a brow. "Oh? And why's that?"
"Because, Lord Hermes, you heard what that 'Extraordinary Man' said earlier—the Puppets themselves have their own Skills. That means the user can summon different kinds of Puppets. A single Skill couldn't accurately define so many variations, but a Magic with distinct chants and summoning circles absolutely could."
"I believe this newcomer uses a highly specialized form of Summoning Magic—one that allows him to call forth different types of Puppets based on the situation, maximizing each one's unique abilities. It's kind of like a different version of the 'Nine Hell.'"
Even with only fragmented information, Asfi managed to piece together a fairly reasonable theory.
"This new adventurer's Magic likely has a detailed classification system, all unified under the umbrella of 'Puppet Summoning.'"
"We can't be sure how many types of Puppets he can summon, but even just the Puppet that could store items, as described by that 'Extraordinary Man,' is anything but ordinary."
"That's clearly a spatial-type Puppet."
"And if he can summon one with that kind of ability, then it's hard not to suspect he's got other varieties as well."
"Of course, if Loki's putting that newcomer on the same level as the Sword Princess, then I'd bet that Summoning Magic of his can call at least two different types of Puppets."
Hermes listened quietly, and as Asfi spoke, he could tell she was comparing Loki's new recruit to another "Nine Hell." But honestly, given what they knew, it wasn't a bad assumption.
Only someone on that level could possibly be placed alongside Ais Wallenstein, a confirmed Level 5.
And from what that "Extraordinary Man" had said, the Puppets' abilities were clearly the key to understanding this Summoning Magic.
Each Puppet had its own unique power—and one of them had already been confirmed to have spatial properties.
That alone was enough to suggest that the others might possess equally unorthodox abilities.
Hermes' inner scale began to tip, swayed by Asfi's analysis.
"Looks like you might be right. That might be exactly why Loki holds that new kid in such high regard."
"Lord Hermes, should we increase surveillance on the Loki Familia?" Asfi asked cautiously.
She could feel that her god wanted to uncover the truth about this mysterious newcomer—but Hermes only shook his head with a wry smile.
"No need to tighten the leash on Loki's brats."
"After all, that 'Extraordinary Man' entered the Pleasure Quarter today. Once he returns tomorrow, Loki will definitely find out. And once she does, she'll investigate. With how shrewd she is, she'll realize we've been moving pieces behind the scenes."
"That'll just make her hide that kid even better."
"Of course, if Loki predicts that and decides to do the opposite, well… then I'll just have to rely on Ishtar's efforts."
Hermes didn't mind losing a round or two.
What he wanted was to see what kind of storm this newcomer would stir up in the Labyrinth City.
If that boy truly was extraordinary, then sooner or later, he'd step into Orario's spotlight.
Or maybe Ishtar would drag him out first.
Either way, Hermes wasn't going to tempt fate.
He preferred to stay neutral.
Inside Loki's quarters, the goddess lounged lazily on her bed, legs draped across Tsuna's lap.
"The bait's been dropped, and Raul's already spilled the intel. Now all that's left is to let the other gods fill in the blanks with their own imaginations."
Tsuna gently massaged her foot, his voice calm. "When Raul returns tomorrow, we'll give him a token punishment—just enough to wrap up this little information leak neatly. After that, we'll keep using him as a messenger. The rest… I'll leave to you, Miss Loki."
"Of course, of course."
Just thinking about Ishtar flaunting her supposed victory made Loki grin like a fox.
"When the truth finally hits her in the face, when she realizes she's been dancing to my tune the whole time... ah, I can't wait to see her expression."
"Let her gloat for now. When the truth comes out, I wanna see if she's still laughing then."
I doubt it.
When she realizes every move she made was anticipated—and that every little scheme of hers was under Loki's gaze from the start—no god could keep smiling through that.
Except Loki herself, of course.
At this point, Tsuna had fully settled into his rhythm in this world.
He'd survived the initial adjustment phase. Now came the growth arc.
"The next half-year will be all about development for you guys," Loki said, her tone shifting slightly.
"The next Expedition's at least six months away, maybe even a year. After the Dark Faction's exposure, every Familia heading into the Dungeon will be on high alert. They won't be easy to ambush again."
"Those remnants will keep hiding down there—but they won't be acting as recklessly as before."
"By the way, any idea if those stragglers are still alive?"
"They are," Tsuna replied confidently.
"The ringleader's a beast tamer, and he's got Lambton. Escaping alone wouldn't be hard for someone like him."
"Tch. What a waste."
Loki clicked her tongue, irritation flickering in her eyes.
"Still, dragging out that damn Juggernaut… ugh, that was disgusting."
She grimaced just thinking about it. The very idea of that thing crawling around made her skin crawl.
"If the Dark Faction pulls that stunt again, I swear I'll puke."
Then, with a sudden burst of energy, Loki sat up, her crimson eyes gleaming.
"So, I'm leaving the next part to you."
"Make sure Finn and the others get strong enough to deal with that bastard."
"Don't worry," Tsuna said with an easy smile. "I'll give them plenty of opportunities to encounter the Juggernaut firsthand. I imagine Riveria will be the first to really hate it."
"Pfft—!"
Loki couldn't help bursting out laughing at the thought.
"Riveria and Juggernaut, huh? What a terrible matchup."
"Her strongest magic getting completely countered—oh, she's gonna be livid."
The image of the ever-composed Riveria losing her cool was enough to make Loki snicker even harder.
Honestly, watching her vice-captain's misfortune might've been Loki's favorite form of entertainment.