Hermes's headache had reached its limit.
Asfi's reminder snapped him back to reality—Bell really was like a hedgehog, impossible to approach. The goddesses connected to him hadn't appeared in a long time, and it was obvious why.
Ever since arriving in Orario, Bell had been extremely cautious, never once revealing his identity. Even tracking his movements was difficult.
At this point, Hermes didn't even have a way to approach Hestia or Bell anymore. It was as if they'd vanished into thin air.
'This kid is definitely not someone raised by Zeus. Even his old man wouldn't be this wary.'
Hermes had completely run out of options.
"It's over, it's over, it's over..."
He paced back and forth like an ant on a hot pan, but nothing he did could change what was coming.
Asfi sat quietly beside him, not bothering to watch Hermes scratch his head in frustration. She simply sat in silence, guarding the fragile peace of the moment.
There was hardly any way to solve this problem other than blocking a door—and that was practically suicidal. It wasn't just anyone's door they'd be blocking.
The two most powerful Familia Gods in Orario: Loki and Freya.
Could anyone block those doors and expect to live?
The Loki Familia might take it better, but the Freya Familia would no doubt crush them into dust.
The Hephaestus Familia was a slightly safer option, but ever since they began selling Rune Stones, their influence had skyrocketed. Now, anyone disrespecting them risked losing their Rune Stone supply—and every adventurer with promotion ambitions would unite to tear the offenders apart.
No matter how you looked at it, none of these were viable options.
"Hermes-sama, I think you should give up."
"Based on my analysis of Bell Cranel, he won't reveal himself unless absolutely necessary. The situation you're hoping for simply won't happen. Even if Hestia appears tomorrow for the Holy Moon Festival, the moment she sees you, she'll probably turn and walk away."
Asfi added bluntly, 'Hermes-sama, you really have no sense of awareness.'
Every adventurer in Orario knew Hermes had a reputation for scheming, and he was petty and vindictive to boot. Even though he stayed neutral, few ever wanted to deal with him voluntarily.
"Ah..."
A pained groan escaped Hermes before his whole body went limp, collapsing to the floor as the world around him seemed to fade into black and white.
This time, things might truly have become troublesome.
Even Hermes could feel the situation slipping beyond his control.
If Artemis's commission remained unfinished, then who among the mortals could possibly face the Monster that had devoured the Moon Goddess?
His tired eyes settled on the bow and arrow before him, its arrowhead sealed within a transparent crystal.
That bow was the only means of defeating the Monster. But if no one could draw it, it meant there was no one capable of confronting the creature that had absorbed divine power.
'What should I do?'
Cold sweat trickled down Hermes's forehead.
Seeing Hermes-sama on the verge of losing his composure, Asfi knew it was time to step in. If she didn't provide a plan, there was no telling what Hermes-sama might do next.
"Hermes-sama, the best course of action now would be to have the Goddess Hephaestus intervene."
"Hephaestus? I'd love to see her step in, but she's been holed up inside and won't show herself. How am I supposed to meet her?"
Of course Hermes understood what Asfi meant. He wanted Hephaestus's help as much as anyone—but her name was among the missing gods.
Naturally, Asfi had already anticipated this and made thorough arrangements behind the scenes.
"Hermes-sama, if the request came from the Guild, do you the Hephaestus-sama would refuse?"
"That's... unlikely."
"Exactly. Two days ago, when you returned, I contacted the 'Sage'. I explained your situation and asked her to personally invite Hephaestus-sama."
"???"
Hermes stared blankly at the calm and composed Asfi. He hadn't expected her to have everything prepared so far in advance.
"Asfi, you're acting fast this time."
Having long grown accustomed to dealing with her troublesome god, Asfi could only sigh with quiet resignation.
"If I didn't act quickly, you'd probably find a way to blame all this on me. And with everything involving the Hestia Familia lately, I couldn't help but think ahead."
The Hestia Familia was notorious for being difficult to deal with.
Of course, Hermes was no easier to handle either.
That thought brought a pang of sorrow to Asfi's heart, and she inwardly lamented, 'Why does my Familia God have to be such a headache?'
Despite her inward frustration, she didn't neglect her duties.
She pressed down the hem of her skirt as she stood.
"Hermes-sama, the meeting time with the 'Sage' is approaching. Today's the day you'll meet with Hephaestus-sama at the Guild. Please make sure you explain everything clearly this time."
"Also, since this matter involved the 'Sage's' connections, I ask that you be honest about your agreement with Artemis."
Hermes looked at Asfi with surprise, genuinely impressed. He hadn't expected his captain to handle his mess so neatly.
Though having to share details about Artemis with the Guild dampened his amusement, Hermes knew this wasn't the time to seek fun. If he kept fooling around, he'd fail Artemis's request—and if that happened, he could forget about ever finding amusement again.
...
Inside the Guild's reception room, Hephaestus and Tsubaki were already seated.
As the one who had arranged this meeting, the "Sage" Fels was, of course, waiting inside.
Hephaestus, however, was already starting to lose her patience.
"Can't that guy have any sense of time?"