Chapter 211: SFDI: Chapter 211
After Drake saw Bell and the others off, he returned to the Hephaestus Familia headquarters. Upon entering, he immediately saw Sanjouno Haru
After Drake saw Bell and the others off, he returned to the Hephaestus Familia headquarters.
Upon entering, he immediately saw Sanjouno Haruhime, dressed in a maid’s uniform.
Following the Hephaestus Familia’s decisive victory over the Ishtar Familia, the Ishtar Familia’s members scattered to the winds.
Some joined other Familias and continued their careers as adventurers; Aisha, for instance, had chosen to join the Hermes Familia.
Others, weary of their previous lives, had simply left Orario entirely, while a certain number remained in the red-light district, continuing their work as prostitutes.
Sanjouno Haruhime, however, had been taken in by Hephaestus and was now residing within her Familia.
Drake was genuinely perplexed by Hephaestus’s decision. While Sanjouno Haruhime’s magic was undeniably powerful, it was utterly unsuitable for the Hephaestus Familia, which was primarily focused on crafting and smithing.
Furthermore, Sanjouno Haruhime herself possessed neither the interest nor the aptitude to become a blacksmith; allowing her to join the Hephaestus Familia felt like a colossal waste of her incredibly overpowered magical abilities.
When Drake had attempted to discuss this matter with Hephaestus, she had simply stared at him with an expression that could only be described as "this child is beyond saving," leaving Drake utterly baffled.
The moment Sanjouno Haruhime saw Drake, she approached him, broom in hand.
"Welcome back, Drake-sama!"
Drake responded, "Didn’t I already tell you? We’re companions in the same Familia now; there’s no need for such formalities!"
Sanjouno Haruhime blushed deeply, unable to bring herself to explain the true reason for her continued use of formal address to Drake.
Drake inquired, "By the way, is Hephaestus-sama around?"
Sanjouno Haruhime nodded. "Yes, she’s currently in her study."
Drake replied, "Very well, then. I shall go and see her."
With that, Drake proceeded directly to Hephaestus’s study, knocked politely on the door, and then entered.
Hephaestus looked up from her book, her gaze briefly resting upon Drake before returning to her reading material. "Ah, it’s you, you little rascal. What kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into this time?"
Drake approached her. "I’m not the type to go around causing trouble, you know!"
Hephaestus merely glanced at him, the unspoken message hanging heavy in the air: Are you sure about that?
Letting out a long sigh, Hephaestus said, "Since you claim that you haven’t gotten yourself into any trouble, then what is the reason for your visit?"
Drake stated his purpose, "Haruhime and the Loki Familia expedition team should be returning to Orario very soon, shouldn’t they?"
Hephaestus’s expression shifted to one of heightened alertness as she looked at Drake.
"Why do you ask?"
Drake responded with a serious tone, "Have you perhaps forgotten that the matter of the Ishtar Familia is far from over?"
Hephaestus fell silent, her own expression becoming equally serious.
While it was true that the Ishtar Familia had been decisively defeated, and their goddess had been forcibly returned to the heavens, the repercussions of their actions had yet to fully subside.
The reason why the Guild had been relatively lenient in its response to the Hephaestus Familia’s proactive and decisive defeat of the Ishtar Familia was due to the fact that Ishtar’s collusion with the Dark Faction had been fully exposed.
It was rumored that Loki herself had personally participated in the interrogation of Ishtar, extracting a significant amount of intelligence regarding the Dark Faction’s operations.
Most importantly, the location of the Dark Faction’s lair and the precise location of its entrance had been definitively ascertained.
If Drake’s assessment was correct, then the moment the Loki Familia’s expedition team returned to Orario, the Guild would launch a full-scale assault on the Dark Faction.
Due to the involvement of the Fallen Sprite and the still-unidentified evil god Enyo, this upcoming campaign would undoubtedly be the largest military operation undertaken since the Great War.
It was not only the Loki Familia that would be involved; it was highly likely that Freya, Ganesha, and several other powerful Familias would also participate in the campaign.
Although the Hephaestus Familia was not primarily a combat-oriented Familia, they had also received notification from the Guild to prepare for the possibility of war.
However, given the scale of this upcoming operation, it was almost certain that Enyo, otherwise known as Dionysus, would have already learned of it.
As the mastermind behind the plot to bring about the complete collapse of Orario, Dionysus would almost certainly not sit idly by and await his fate; the question was what course of action he would choose to pursue.
Of course, it was entirely possible that he would follow the same path as in the original storyline, feigning his death and subsequently manipulating events from behind the scenes.
Alternatively, he might utilize the artificial labyrinth Ouranos as the foundation for an elaborate trap, designed to ensnare and eliminate all of the elite adventurers who dared to enter.
After all, Dionysus was fully aware that the true key to Orario’s destruction was not simply the obliteration of the city itself, but rather, the systematic elimination of all adventurers who possessed the potential to become heroes.
The Guild’s intention was to launch a full-scale assault on the Dark Faction, which was known to be based within the artificial labyrinth, but Dionysus, having already obtained advance knowledge of this plan, would have ample opportunity to implement his own scheme.
However, Drake had already uncovered Dionysus’s true identity.
Regardless of the specific nature of Dionysus’s plan, it would almost certainly be implemented after the return of the Loki Familia’s elite expedition team.
After all, without an audience to witness his machinations, what would be the point of staging his elaborate performance?
And Drake intended to seize this opportunity to strike a decisive blow, catching Dionysus completely off guard.
While Hephaestus was unaware of the precise details of Drake’s plan, she could readily deduce from his demeanor that he had already formulated a comprehensive strategy.
Hephaestus slapped her forehead in exasperation. "And you claim that you don’t enjoy causing trouble? Very well, then, spill it! What kind of grand scheme are you concocting this time?"
Drake began to explain, "Let me preface this by stating that I did not initiate this conflict. I failed to inform you earlier, but I have been under surveillance by two separate groups for quite some time now; one of these groups was the Ishtar Familia.
We now have a clear understanding of their objectives. The other group, however, was far more unexpected; they were members of the Penia Familia."
"Penia?" Hephaestus exclaimed in surprise. "I haven’t heard of that goddess having formed a Familia."
Drake replied, "I used an Unlocker Potion; their divine grace is indeed affiliated with Penia.
Furthermore, my subsequent investigations have revealed that these individuals were actually affiliated with the Dionysus Familia. While the Dionysus Familia is not considered to be a particularly large Familia, it would seem illogical for them to transfer their allegiance to Penia’s Familia under any circumstances."
Hephaestus nodded in agreement. Regardless of whether Penia, the impoverished goddess, had genuinely established a Familia, it was highly improbable that any adventurer would willingly choose to transfer their allegiance to her.
Drake continued, "And then I made a truly shocking discovery: the leader of the Dionysus Familia, the 〈Banshee〉 Filvis Challia, is actually a monster transformed from a Fallen Sprite!"
Hephaestus rose to her feet. "This matter... has it been confirmed?"
Drake nodded. "Confirmed. She is no longer human.
And it all makes perfect sense now. The foundation of the evil god Enyo’s plan is based on cooperation with the Fallen Sprite.
It is highly improbable that a god would be able to secretly enter the Dungeon without the knowledge of Ouranos, who resides within the Babel Tower; even if they were to utilize the artificial labyrinth Ouranos, their entry into the Dungeon would inevitably be detected.
So, how did Enyo manage to establish contact with the Fallen Sprite? The only logical conclusion is that it was through an adventurer.
The White-Haired Ghost was transformed into a monster during the nightmare incident on Level 27, and the White Priestess was the sole survivor of that event.
But what if she didn’t actually survive, but was instead transformed into a monster?
Then the true identity of Enyo becomes self-evident; it is Dionysus."
Hephaestus began pacing back and forth, her brow furrowed in thought.
Hephaestus harbored no doubts regarding the veracity of Drake’s claims, for gods possess an innate ability to discern falsehoods.
While she sensed that Drake was indeed withholding certain pieces of information, she had no reason to question the authenticity of the intelligence he had already provided.
Considering Hestia’s assessment of Dionysus’s character, Hephaestus was inclined to agree that he was the most likely candidate to be the evil god Enyo, the mastermind behind the entire plot.
Hephaestus turned her gaze towards Drake. "And what do you intend to do about all of this?"
Drake looked at Hephaestus. "It’s quite simple, really. We need to crush them before Dionysus and the Dark Faction can launch their next attack.
I intend to head down into the Dungeon first, rendezvousing with the Loki Familia expedition team on Level 18, and then launching a surprise attack on the Dionysus Familia."
Hephaestus looked at Drake, a thoughtful expression on her face. "Very well, then. Do as you see fit. I will handle the necessary communication with Loki."
Drake expressed his gratitude. "Thank you for your assistance."
The situation was undeniably complex. In addition to Dionysus, the mastermind behind the entire conspiracy, the Fallen Sprite, the Dark Faction, and the descendants of Daedalus were all intricately intertwined.
Even with Drake’s considerable abilities, it would be impossible for him to resolve everything single-handedly. Consider Dionysus’s protector, Filvis Challia; her strength after her transformation into a monster should not be underestimated; she is likely to be at the upper echelon of Level 7 adventurers.
In the original storyline, it had been a yellow-haired elf who had managed to subdue her, exploiting her pre-existing suicidal tendencies.
If Drake were to directly confront Dionysus, Filvis Challia would almost certainly not show any mercy. Under such circumstances, Drake could not guarantee his ability to defeat this mastermind single-handedly.
Therefore, Drake would require assistance; the Loki Familia would be an incredibly reliable ally.
With the Loki Familia’s participation, Drake was confident that he could eliminate these individuals who posed a potential threat to his friends, allowing him to depart from Orario with peace of mind.
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