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"Recruiting a familia member… could I just take one by force?"
That was the first idea that came to Anos's mind.
Simple. Direct. Effective.
And immediately rejected.
A Level 5 adventurer wasn't something any familia would just let go of.
They were built through massive investment and time, deeply tied to their familia. No one at that level would be easily persuaded, let alone stolen.
"Forget it, no rush."
"If it can be done, I'll make it happen, If not… I'll get there eventually."
For now, his goal was to make the Hestia Familia the strongest in Orario. And if that actually happened, absorbing the Loki Familia or Freya Familia wouldn't be out of the question.
At that point, the condition would solve itself.
…
"Anos, what are you thinking about? Don't you like this outfit?"
Syr held up a set of clothes, tilting her head.
She knew today was the Denatus. There would be a banquet tonight, and Hestia could only bring one member.
That was exactly why she had been waiting here.
With Hestia tied up during the day, this was her perfect window.
She had even dragged Ryuu along as backup. If things went perfectly… she wouldn't mind taking things much further. Still, she kept reminding herself.
Not yet.
Seeing Anos distracted, she assumed he was unhappy and asked directly.
Her charm wasn't on the level of a true goddess, but it definitely wasn't weak enough to be ignored like this.
"Oh, I'm just worried about my title."
Anos smiled lightly.
He didn't expect anything terrible… but you never really knew.
If he ended up with something like "Tiny Rookie," he might actually lose it.
Still, with Freya, Hephaestus, Soma, and Hestia likely backing him, and maybe even Loki if luck was on his side, he had a good chance at getting something decent.
"A title, huh…"
Syr's eyes flickered thoughtfully.
"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll get something great, My intuition is always spot on."
"I'll take your word for it."
Anos chuckled, That… probably counted as Freya's promise, didn't it?
"How about this one?"
Ryuu stepped in, offering another outfit she had picked out.
Even if his distraction had nothing to do with the clothes, she had still been choosing seriously.
"I think this one's better!"
A familiar voice rang out from the entrance.
An Amazoness walked in, slightly different from the usual image most people had in mind.
Tiona.
"You're not out adventuring today?"
Anos frowned slightly.
That wasn't great news. If the Loki Familia wasn't active, selling maps to weaker familias wouldn't bring in nearly as much profit.
"Nope, I'm just here with her."
Tiona stuffed the clothes into his hands, then dashed back outside.
Moments later, she returned, dragging along a golden-haired girl who looked slightly flustered.
"Ta-da! I'm here to help Ais pick out a dress. She's attending the banquet with our captain tonight."
Tiona grinned.
That was the official reason.
The real one was simpler.
She had noticed Ais had been acting a little different lately and wanted to find out why.
If others were around, they might stop her from digging. Alone, she could ask whatever she wanted.
But then she noticed something even more interesting.
Ais kept glancing toward the men's clothing section.
After asking around, she found out Ais had overheard staff from the Hostess of Fertility mentioning they were going to see Anos today.
And just like that, everything clicked.
Without hesitation, Tiona dragged Ais straight here.
What better way to confirm things than going straight to the source?
And so, Ais ended up here, completely unaware of what was going on.
Her gaze landed on Anos.
The white-trimmed outfit fit his still-youthful frame perfectly. When he smiled, there was a quiet, almost untouchable aura about him.
Ais lowered her head slightly.
That… was exactly why Ryuu enjoyed picking out clothes for him so much.
Definitely not because she was staring.
Just appreciating beauty. Purely that.
"Want to join us, Ais?"
Anos asked with a smile.
He had already noticed Tiona's gaze bouncing between them, but he didn't mind. At most, she'd just tell Ais to be careful.
"Mm…"
Ais nodded, following her instincts.
"Heh… there's definitely something going on between these two. I'm digging this up later."
Tiona rubbed her chin, clearly pleased with herself.
…
Elsewhere, at the Denatus.
Freya slowly opened her eyes.
"Next, we will decide the titles for adventurers who have advanced to Level 2. These are the candidates."
With a gesture, their names and profiles appeared on a massive display.
"Wait, what? Why is there a Level 3 here?!"
The gods quickly noticed something was off.
Titles were normally given when someone advanced from Level 1 to Level 2.
So why was there someone at Level 3 without one?
"Hehe."
Hestia puffed out her chest proudly.
All eyes were on her Anos.
Of course they were.
He deserved it.
"Everyone, settle down. In the name of the Freya Familia, I assure you all information here is accurate."
Freya spoke calmly, her authority silencing much of the noise.
"So it's real… then there's only one explanation."
Hermes stroked his chin.
"That kid already reached Level 3? But… can he really meet that condition?"
Hephaestus recognized him as well. The boy who had boldly made a promise and signed a contract in front of her.
"As you've guessed, there is only one possibility."
Freya raised her hand slightly, drawing attention back to herself.
"He advanced from Level 2 to Level 3 between two Denatus meetings."
She displayed Anos's full profile.
"Oh?"
The male gods reacted in different ways. Surprise. Interest. Curiosity. Even obsession.
"Wow…"
The female gods, on the other hand, were far more unified.
"That boy… I like him, Which familia is he from? Think we can poach him?"
"He's from Hestia Familia, but if you want him, you'll have to go through me first."
"Hmph! By my honor as a goddess, I'll make him mine."
Their reactions were simple.
Talent.
And looks.
Reaching Level 3 in such a short time… he had already surpassed even the famed Sword Princess.
"Enough."
Freya raised her hand again, signaling them to compose themselves.
She wasn't worried.
No one here could take him from her.
He… belonged to her.
"Now then, let us begin assigning titles."
Freya continued the proceedings.
Once, this role had belonged to Zeus.
Now, it was hers.
Because the Zeus and Hera Familias had fallen, their gods had gone from Orario.
Standing here meant one thing.
She represented the strongest familia.
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