Hermes shrugged helplessly, looking like he had been personally offended.
Then…
"Fine. My safety is Asfi's responsibility. You don't need to worry about it."
He draped an arm around the shoulder of the blue-haired woman beside him and smiled.
"Even if I run into trouble halfway and get sent back to the heavens, it won't concern you… How about that?"
How about that?
Aside from feeling a pang of sympathy for Asfi, what else could they do?
Lumine knew this mischievous god: even if she didn't allow him to come along, he would inevitably tag along on his own.
In that case, it was better to bind this unstable factor within the team.
I really want to just deal with him directly.
At this moment, both Renjiro (Aether), observing from afar in Oraria, and Lumine, present on site, shared that "Fourth Disaster" kind of violent impulse.
Unfortunately, on the larger scale, they really couldn't do that.
Not just because killing a god in this world is taboo…
Even ignoring the difficulty of slaying a god, consider the aftermath.
How would the other beings of the Lower Realm perceive them?
Fine, even if Paimon carried out the assassination covertly…
If Hermes, that slippery snake, returned to the heavens, who knew what he'd do once his divine power was unleashed?
Yes, gods of the heavens are forbidden from interfering too much in the mortal realm's operations, and once in the mortal realm, they can't freely wield omnipotent "divine power."
These rules have existed publicly for many years.
But rules are rules… Just look at Prometheus, who stole fire for the mortals. She once saw suffering in the Lower Realm and casually rained down heavenly fire.
If Zeus hadn't been a bit of a lecherous god and noticed that the current Prometheus was actually a cute girl, the legend might have gone exactly as Earth's Greek myths tell it: bound to a mountain and constantly pecked at by eagles.
Sweat~
In short, the older, sly types like Hermes could never be allowed to casually return to the heavens.
So…
"Let it be."
Renjiro (Aether) sent a remote suggestion to Lumine, who then addressed everyone at the meeting:
"The situation is urgent. We won't divert our focus on Hermes' safety."
She looked at that annoyingly insistent god.
"If you insist on coming, you bear the consequences yourself."
Upon hearing this…
"No problem, no problem,"
Hermes said casually.
"I've even brought a 'bodyguard', all taken care of."
Hearing this, Asfi standing beside him could only sigh in helpless exasperation.
When we get back, he's going to pay.
The poor tool-girl thought bitterly, also feeling for herself… and for her close friend (another tool-girl elf).
With personnel arrangements set…
"Next, everyone should complete their final preparations for departure as quickly as possible,"
Lumine said seriously.
"Once everyone is assembled, we will depart immediately…"
BOOM~
A sudden, unanticipated roar, accompanied by the shaking of the ground, reached everyone present.
"What's happening, "
BOOM~
Another tremendous explosion… This time, people inside the dark-gold hall almost lost their footing. Several members, such as Lefiya, ended up plopping onto the floor in shock.
Sensing this, Lumine immediately followed Renjiro's remote instructions, using Paimon Time to summon Paimon.
Then, as Paimon flew into the sky…
The shared sensory link between Renjiro and Lumine caused them both to freeze.
From the Large Tree Labyrinth Frontier Line camp's side, near the Large Tree Labyrinth…
CLANG~
A massive black tide, no, a monster army composed of countless Scorpion Splinter Units, rushed forward like a tidal wave.
Among the surging forces, several colossal beasts were visible.
These were clearly Scorpion Splinter Units magnified dozens of times.
They stared with their single glaring eyes, firing death rays akin to purple lasers.
A mere sidestep would not evade…
BOOM~
"Uwaaahhh~!"
The defensive fortifications on the camp's Large Tree Labyrinth side were utterly useless.
The ground shook violently, and screams filled the air.
Many tents were instantly engulfed in flames.
Even the tamed wyverns struggled against their reins, trying desperately to flee the disaster zone.
There was no doubt…
Before we even set out…
"Antares is attacking first?"
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