Gareth and Finn exchanged a glance, both immediately understanding what that meant.
"Have you settled things on your end?"
"Yeah. I've already located the exact coordinates. During this Joint Expedition, I'm planning to advance to Level 3. Once the Expedition ends, I'll probably be gone for a while—with Miss Loki and Lady Hephaestus."
"You're taking both of them with you?"
"Yeah. Gods can't suppress their curiosity about the unknown, and another world holds too much allure for them."
Reminded by Tsuna, Gareth and Finn realized that the Gods' obsession with the "unknown" was nothing new. Otherwise, they wouldn't have descended from the heavens to the lower world in the first place—forming Familias just to explore the world's mysteries and changes.
Now, with Tsuna's home existing in a completely different world, the temptation for the Gods was undeniable.
"Curiosity about the unknown is only part of it. The other reason, of course, is that I want to take Miss Loki and Lady Hephaestus to meet my mother."
Finn and Gareth both nodded instinctively, then froze mid-motion.
Feeling a mix of confusion and disbelief, Finn couldn't help but ask,
"We understand things between you and Loki, so taking her home to meet your mother makes sense. But Lady Hephaestus? Why her too?"
"Ah… you didn't know about that."
Tsuna scratched his head awkwardly as he realized he hadn't told them about proposing to Hephaestus.
"Actually, I've already proposed to Lady Hephaestus."
The two of them went completely petrified on the spot.
When they finally recovered, Finn patted Tsuna's shoulder with a twitching expression.
"You've got some real guts. One Goddess wasn't enough—you had to go after Lady Hephaestus too."
"And you already have Tiona and Tione in your Familia. Add two Goddesses on top of that, and you…"
"Uh… actually, there's also Tsubaki."
Finn's hand froze mid-pat. Then his face twisted into open disbelief.
"The only person in the Hephaestus Familia whose craftsmanship rivals Lady Hephaestus herself is Tsubaki. And you—not only proposed to the Goddess, but also got involved with Tsubaki? At this point, you've basically emptied the entire Hephaestus Familia!"
Everyone knew that most of the top-tier weapons from the Hephaestus Familia came from Tsubaki's forge—about sixty percent, to be precise.
The remaining forty percent came from the combined work of the Familia's other smiths.
And now Tsuna had proposed to the Goddess herself—and even had something going on with Tsubaki. That was essentially hollowing out the core of the Hephaestus Familia.
"I didn't steal anyone away!"
Tsuna waved his hands quickly, trying to explain.
"Miss Loki was the one who first used Hephaestus's curiosity to bring her into our circle."
"And my relationship with Lady Hephaestus isn't going to empty her Familia or anything like that. It's just… some things are different now. Aside from a few changes, nothing's really that different."
Finn and Gareth exchanged helpless looks.
This doesn't look like 'nothing's changed' at all. The difference couldn't have been bigger.
Still, matters involving Loki and Hephaestus weren't things they could talk about publicly. If word spread, it would cause endless trouble.
Their two Familias already had close ties, and making that relationship too visible would only create problems.
"We'll set aside your situation with the two Goddesses for now."
Finn honestly couldn't imagine how this kid had managed to successfully "board two divine ships," but that was a question for another time. Regardless, this was a major development that would definitely affect them going forward.
If anything, having both Hephaestus and Tsubaki on their side wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Ordering weapons in the future might become easier—and cheaper, too.
"So, your trip home is decided, then?"
"Yeah. No matter what, I can't let the rings I've forged become weapon materials themselves. The issue of materials still needs to be solved…"
As he spoke, Tsuna gestured toward Bete, still half-buried in the stone wall and unconscious.
"Otherwise, not only Bete, but even you guys won't have weapons suitable for channeling the Dying Will Flame."
Finn and Gareth nodded in agreement.
As their mastery of the Dying Will Flame deepened, they became increasingly aware of just how powerful it truly was—and how much potential it could unlock.
Which made it all the more crucial to have weapons capable of igniting and enduring the Dying Will Flame.
"Are you sure your world will be fine?"
"Even with your position over there, you probably don't want to reveal your identity too soon, right?"
Knowing Tsuna's nature, Finn couldn't help but worry that this trip might expose who he really was.
"Don't worry, I've already planned for that."
"I'll be fully prepared when I go back. Once I secure the materials I need, I'll make sure my identity stays hidden."
Tsuna had already figured out exactly how to handle his return.
He wasn't the type to carelessly expose himself.
To stay concealed, he'd need to prepare everything carefully in advance.
"When that time comes, I'll need you two to cover for me here."
Once he left, the disappearance of two Goddesses from this world would definitely cause a stir. Someone would have to keep things quiet.
"You don't have to worry about that," Finn said easily. "Loki's only gone out once in the past half-year—and that was to visit Lady Hephaestus. Even if she holes up at home for another six months, no one in Orario would find it strange."
"As for Lady Hephaestus, you needn't worry either. She's the very definition of a shut-in. Don't forget, she's the Goddess of the Forge. Locking herself away to hone her craft is completely normal."
"Just have Tsubaki help cover for her, and everything will be fine."