According to the canon, the original protagonist—Bell Cranel—should have been targeted by the Goddess of Beauty the second he arrived in the city.
So why did Freya let him slip into Hestia's hands?
The answer was simple. It was a twisted fetish. She wanted the visceral thrill of stealing him away from a Goddess.
Speaking of that fated hero, Hephaestus's ears perked up.
Yes, this was exactly what she wanted to hear.
"The hero," Hephaestus pressed. "Spit it out. Who is he?"
She had waited long enough. She needed a na.
"Hold on a second. We had a deal," Hestia interjected, realizing the massive value of this intel. "Information this crucial isn't free."
"I have plenty of money. As long as the intel is accurate, I will pay." Hephaestus waved a hand dismissively.
If the information was genuine, the Goddess of Forging wouldn't pinch pennies.
The two Goddesses struck a deal.
August t her gaze. "Bell Cranel. The descendant of Zeus and Hera Familias."
"I imagine you have the ans to verify that. Zeus took him out of Orario a long ti ago."
Hearing this, the gears in Hephaestus's head imdiately started turning.
'Is it that kid?' Hephaestus connected the dots. Still, she didn't care much about his lineage—she was a blacksmith first and foremost.
"He is the reincarnation of Argonaut from a thousand years ago," August continued. "Known as the Last Hero. Zeus specifically entrusted Hers to watch over him."
August laid out the facts without holding back.
"Wait, that doesn't make sense," Hestia frowned. "If Hers is watching him, and Freya has her eyes on him too, why didn't she just take him in directly?"
Now that she had chosen August, Hestia viewed Bell Cranel from the perspective of an outsider. He was a hero grood by other Gods. Since she had her own Familia mber now, she was out of that ga.
"Because you are a benevolent Goddess. And benevolent Gods love their children with everything they have," August explained.
"More importantly, it satisfies a sick fetish."
"If you took Bell in, you would cherish him. To Freya, stealing a beloved hero away from a virgin Goddess delivers the ultimate thrill. She wants to make you feel powerless."
August laid out his theory.
"And why do you think he got rejected by every other Familia? Aside from looking scrawny, Freya was likely pulling strings in the shadows to isolate him."
"After all, a hero isn't a hero until they've suffered."
"Watching a boy maintain his pure heart while dragging himself through the mud... that kind of untainted soul is an intoxicating drug to a God."
A genuinely twisted hobby.
"THAT BITCH!" Hestia ground her teeth, fuming.
If she had taken Bell in, she would have been nothing but a prop in Freya's sick ga. Give the suffering hero a brief mont of warmth, polish his soul until it shines, and then rip him away. The psychological damage to Hestia would have been devastating.
"That does sound exactly like sothing Freya would do," Hephaestus mused.
A Goddess of Beauty was arrogant by nature. With a personality like hers, there was no sche too twisted for her to play. Now that Hephaestus knew who the hero was and what burdens ca with him, she began considering how to use that knowledge to her advantage.
"Bell Cranel... Interesting."
"If this intel is solid, I'll gladly take him off the board."
Hephaestus nodded, ready to pay up. "August, what do you want?"
She figured the kid deserved a proper reward. Honest work earned honest pay.
"Just money," August replied after a brief thought.
He didn't need anything specific right now. Even if he did, there was still a lot he had to set up first. Cash was the most practical option.
In Orario, healing potions were practically magic. They couldn't cure curses or fatal illnesses, but they could treat normal wounds. August had no intention of risking his life in the Dungeon unless he absolutely had to.
"Money?" Hephaestus raised an eyebrow. "I figured you would ask for a weapon. If you are going into the Dungeon, you need proper gear. A Magic Sword, or a custom weapon at least."
She assud he would want a shortcut to power. Instead, he was being shockingly practical.
August rubbed the back of his neck. "My original plan was to keep my head down and slowly grind my way up."
"But after the Falna mutated my abilities, my plans changed. I need to make preparations first."
"If I can adventure safely, I will. I value my life."
August made no secret of his cautious nature. His initial plan to stay under the radar was blown when his abilities evolved way faster than anticipated. He needed a new combat doctrine.
"I see." Hephaestus appraised him with newfound respect.
He didn't let his sudden power trip go to his head. He wasn't rushing into danger out of blind greed. He was steady. Rational.
A proper adult.
"Here." Hephaestus walked over to her desk.
Opening a drawer, she pulled out two sleek cards.
"These are deposit cards backed by the Dwarven banking guild, loaded with Valis."
"You can withdraw funds whenever you need. Consider it paynt for the intel."
She tossed the cards to him. In Orario, the banking system was largely run by Dwarves and Gnos, boasting ironclad credibility.
"Got it. Thanks."
August caught the cards and smoothly deposited them into his [Spatial Backpack].
He had just secured his first pot of gold in the Labyrinth City.
'In a way, that information was definitely worth the price.'
Having cash on hand gave him a solid boost of confidence.
Now it was ti to arm himself.
He wasn't going to let his spatial inventory go to waste.
August decided he needed to make a quick trip back to Earth. It was ti to stock up on suicide drones, heavy munitions, and a mobile rocket launcher.
—•——•——•——•——•——•—
For every 100 Power Stones = I'll drop an extra chapter!
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