The main act was over, and now the grand stage of the Tower of Babel's hall left only a boring epilogue.
Venti rested his chin on one hand, idly twirling the remaining wine in his crystal glass with a lazy stare. Around him, the conspiratorial tension that had once frozen the 30th floor had completely evaporated. The gods and goddesses of Orario had now returned to their purest, original nature: congregating, drinking, and gossiping.
Some were discussing the romantic scandals of their foster children, complaining about the fluctuating prices of monster drop materials, or boasting about their Excelia gains to one another.
For Venti, indulging the theatrics of Hermes and Dionysus—the two most troublesome gods—was enough of a drain on his patience. Now, being forced to sit and listen to the petty gossip of the deities around him felt like a pure waste of time.
The real agenda is finished, Venti thought as he set his glass on the table. There's no point in me wasting time here. Besides, if I go home too late without bringing the negotiation results, Alfia will definitely lock me out of the church tonight.
Venti rose from his chair and straightened his green cloak. Without needing to bother sweeping his gaze across the vast hall, he only needed to take a few steps to his left, passing Hephaestus's chair which was adjacent to his.
There, God Goibniu, the oldest blacksmith and leading architect in Orario, was still sitting in his chair.
Goibniu appeared as an old man with long, straight white hair and a thick silver beard. Although his stature was very short, his old body possessed the sturdy and healthy posture typical of a veteran craftsman. Tonight, he wore a dark formal suit that seemed completely mismatched with his aura. The blacksmith god looked uncomfortable with his shirt collar, and was downing wine from a golden goblet with a face wrinkled in boredom.
"Yo, Goibniu!" greeted Venti casually, immediately pulling up an empty chair next to the blacksmith and sitting down uninvited.
Goibniu wiped the remaining wine from his silver beard. His thick graying eyebrows knitted together, staring at Venti from close range. "You. The bard god who just skinned Hermes's pride. What do you want, coming over here? I'm not in the mood to listen to stories."
"Relax, I won't waste your time with songs tonight," Venti laughed lightly.
Goibniu crossed his arms over his chest. Even though the Barbatos Familia was a new and very small Familia, Goibniu did not underestimate it. All the entities at this table already knew who was sheltering under the banner of the bard god. The presence of Alfia the Silence changed everything.
"Then? Let me guess," grumbled Goibniu. "You came here to order weapons for the new kids in your Familia?"
"Not weapons," Venti slowly shook his index finger. He leaned forward, lowering his voice. "I need builders. The best architects and engineers you have."
Goibniu raised an eyebrow. "A building project? I heard you guys are occupying an old church in the Mid-Western Sector. You want us to patch the roof?"
"This isn't a leaky roof patching project," Venti looked straight at Goibniu with a seriousness that froze the air between them. His cheerful smile vanished for a moment. "I'm talking about a total renovation. Overhauling that historical building to make it habitable, while simultaneously turning it into a defensive fortress. I need a sturdy structure, a foundation resistant to labyrinth earthquake tremors, soundproof basements, and a perfect air circulation system."
Goibniu fell silent. The specifications Venti just mentioned were not those of an ordinary house. Those were the specifications of a high-level military base.
"Secrecy is an absolute requirement," continued Venti softly, his voice flowing as gently as the night breeze. "This work must not attract excessive attention from the surrounding residents. And most importantly... we both know who lives there. She is a strict perfectionist. She hates seeing dust and half-assed work."
Goibniu snorted softly, a faint smile showing a craftsman's interest appearing on his rough face.
"Building a secret fortress for Silence, eh?" Goibniu tapped the table with his thick finger. "Specifications like that require top-tier materials, magic-reinforced bricks, and experts who can keep their mouths shut. The cost will be fantastic. But considering who your financier is, I'm sure valis isn't a problem."
The Hera Familia was known for their illogical wealth from monopolizing the Lower Floors for decades. Goibniu knew exactly that the wealth inherited from that era held by Alfia could buy a district if she wanted to.
"As you suspect," Venti smiled meaningfully. "We are willing to pay whatever price you ask, including extra compensation for secrecy and priority in completion time."
"Client confidentiality is an absolute law in my craftsman's ethics," said Goibniu with a heavy tone filled with professionalism. "If the logistics and valis issues are guaranteed, my Familia will take this project. Coincidentally, my hands have been itching to build something challenging."
"A wonderful deal!" Venti clapped softly, his cheerful smile blooming on his face again.
"First thing tomorrow morning," Goibniu downed the rest of his wine completely and stood up. Even though his old body was shorter and he had to look up slightly at Venti's face, his aura of authority as a legendary blacksmith god made his presence feel massive and not to be underestimated. "I will send my trusted children—my best architects and foremen—to go to that abandoned church. Have your blueprints ready, and make sure Alfia doesn't incinerate my children if they make a little noise."
"I will make sure of it! We will welcome them with very warm tea," Venti replied cheerfully.
Without further ado, Goibniu turned and walked away, leaving the hall. The transaction had been agreed upon. Venti sighed in relief. One very important domestic matter had been resolved.
Leaving the crowd in the Tower of Babel, Venti descended the stairs and stepped out into the night streets of Orario. The cold wind swept his face. His footsteps moved quickly toward the city's administrative center, a magnificent marble-domed building that was always brightly lit.
The Guild Headquarters.
As the heart of Orario's bureaucracy, the Guild had several special counters serving property transactions and Familia licensing operating 24 hours. Venti stepped inside through the doors, ignoring the tired stares of the few adventurers around him.
Venti walked straight to the property section counter. An exhausted-looking female staff member greeted him with a professional smile.
"Good evening. Is there anything the Guild can help you with?" greeted the staff member.
"A beautiful evening!" Venti replied cheerfully. "I am Venti, from the Barbatos Familia. I would like to finalize the property documents for the abandoned church in the Mid-Western Sector. I want the land and building title transferred completely under the ownership of the Barbatos Familia tonight."
The staff member nodded, pulling several thick document folders from the shelf behind her and opening the city's large administrative ledger on the desk. She flipped through the pages of the archives until she found the record of the area in question.
"The old church in the Mid-Western Sector," murmured the staff member while tracing the rows of numbers. "Its current status is confiscated by the Guild. Considering its severely damaged condition and its somewhat secluded location, the price has been adjusted to the current market valuation."
The staff member took a sheet of calculation paper and began writing with her ink pen.
"Let's look at the summary of the total estimate, Venti-sama," said the staff member, pushing the paper toward Venti.
Summary of Total Estimate:
Building & Land: 1,200,000 Valis
Tax & Legalities: 100,000 Valis
Total: 1,300,000 Valis
For a small Familia, a nominal amount of 1.3 million Valis was a choking figure. However, Venti didn't blink at all.
He calmly reached into his cloak pocket and pulled out a pitch-black VIP Guild banking access card with gold engravings. That was the item Alfia had handed over to him; Venti knew better to settle this matter immediately.
Venti placed the black card on the counter. "Please deduct the fee directly from the treasury registered here."
The female staff member's eyes instantly widened upon recognizing the design of the exclusive item. She knew exactly that it was an elite-tier treasury access card possessed only by conglomerate gods or major Familia executives. However, Guild rules forbade staff from prying too much into financial privacy.
With slightly trembling hands, she took the card and matched its identity seal with the special treasury ledger kept in a locked drawer beneath her desk. Her index finger traced the rows of archives until she found a data match.
Seeing the string of balance figures registered under the name of the Barbatos Familia, the staff member almost held her breath. She quickly pulled out several fund transfer documents.
"P-please affix your signature and authority seal on these fund transfer documents, Venti-sama," said the staff member, offering the ink pen with a tone that had now become far more respectful and cautious.
Venti scribbled his signature cheerfully. After ensuring the authorization was complete, the staff member immediately processed the documents and stamped them with the Guild's official seal. The transfer of 1,300,000 Valis to the Guild's treasury was legally valid.
The staff member then returned the black card along with a thick certificate to Venti. "This is the official title certificate. From this second onward, the church property and its surroundings in the Mid-Western Sector are absolutely recognized by Orario law as the sovereign territory of the Barbatos Familia."
Venti accepted the certificate, rolled it up carefully, and stored it inside his cloak.
"Thank you for your hard work late this night!" Venti gave a parting wave before turning and leaving the Guild building.
As Venti stepped back under the Orario night sky, a cool breeze greeted him, bringing a tremendous feeling of relief. The administrative burden was finally over.
The church was now officially their territory. Tomorrow, Goibniu would begin transforming that dull building into a fortress. A permanent home had been prepared. A place where Meteria could safely give birth to her baby, and a place for the future of his familia to shelter.
Venti looked up, staring at the brightly shining full moon.
Perhaps in about a week, the elves he saved from the Far East, Dina and Vena, along with two talented elves with terrifying murderous instincts, Hedin and Hogni, would soon arrive at the city gates.
The Barbatos Familia was ready to carve a new history in Orario.
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