Danmachi: Strongest Familia

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On the second day after the pass was issued, Sol brought Riveria to the gates of Orario. 

"I am Ganesha—!" 

Ganesha's thunderous self-introduction echoed from afar. 

In preparation for the monster festival, most of the Ganesha Familia had been assigned duties there. With too few people left to guard the gates, Ganesha himself volunteered to oversee the task. 

As the god of the masses, Ganesha enjoyed a good reputation among adventurers, though his antics often drew laughter. 

"Sol? What brings you here? Are you heading out of town?" 

"I have no choice—I'm going to pick up some friends and bring them to Orario." 

"Pick up friends? Which godly companions have descended to the lower world?" Ganesha asked curiously. 

Being well-liked and well-connected in the divine realm, Ganesha had a long list of acquaintances. Perhaps Sol was picking up someone he knew. 

"Archangel Kyle and Fallen Angel Morgana—two sisters who've been at odds for eternity. Have you heard of them?" 

"Archangels and fallen angels? Hmm, that does sound familiar," Ganesha said confidently. "Bring them here, and I'm sure I'll recognize them once I see them." 

As Sol had anticipated, Ganesha's reaction was predictable. The gods would always assume they had simply forgotten past encounters, especially if Sol acted normal. 

It wasn't about being shy—it was about playing the role convincingly. 

"Alright then, I'll head out. Here's the guild pass." 

Not wanting to linger in unnecessary conversation, Sol handed the pass directly to Ganesha. 

Ganesha barely glanced at it before waving his hand, signaling his subordinates to let them through. 

For Sol, this was his first time leaving Orario since he'd arrived. 

The world outside Orario was strikingly different: vast fields, open spaces, and very few monsters in sight. 

Most of the monsters outside Orario were remnants that had escaped the dungeon before the descent of the gods, or those born under special circumstances. 

Though their numbers were small, there was always the risk of encountering high-level monsters. 

Unlike in the dungeon, these monsters wouldn't politely wait to be challenged in ascending order of difficulty. 

"You haven't been outside for a while. Do you want to visit Alf's Royal Forest?" 

Seeing Riveria gaze nostalgically at the scenery, Sol smiled and made the suggestion. 

This time, he was committed to playing the role to its fullest—there would be no returning to Orario for at least half a month. 

If there was somewhere Riveria wanted to visit, he was more than willing to accompany her. 

After all, hadn't Riveria supported him in building the Sol Familia from scratch to where it stood now? This was the perfect chance for her to relax. 

"You seriously want to accompany me home? There's no ulterior motive?" 

"What are you talking about? Of course, I want to accompany you home! What else could it be for?" 

Sol feigned deep offense at Riveria's skepticism, though her doubtful gaze remained fixed on him. 

It was rare for him to show such genuine kindness, yet he was still met with unwarranted suspicion. 

What could possibly be the reason for this misunderstanding? 

"I wrongly blamed you—please forgive me." Realizing her mistake, Riveria bowed her head apologetically. 

"Since you admit your fault, your punishment will be to wear the outfit I bought the next time we go to the monster festival!" 

"What did you buy?"

Riveria's guard immediately went up. She knew Sol's personality too well. 

Would this guy really let her off the hook so easily? Not unless the sun started rising in the west. 

Whatever this outfit was, it couldn't be good. 

"You don't trust me at all!" Sol protested indignantly. 

Riveria cast him a knowing glance but remained silent. 

"Fine, then I'll compromise. Just show it to me when it's just the two of us." 

"It doesn't sound like it's proper clothing. Sorry, but I must refuse." 

"Eh—why?!" 

The two walked on, "talking and laughing," as Orario gradually faded from their view. 

Even though Sol had left Orario, that didn't mean he wasn't concerned about what was happening there. 

With Riveria accompanying him, there was no one left in his familia capable of making big decisions. 

Recently, the mood in Orario had felt off. It seemed the guild was stirring the pot, pushing a few familias toward launching a joint expedition. 

Of course Sol won't play according to their wishes.

He'd left, and he'd return when the chaos had died down. As for when that would be? Well, it depended entirely on when things calmed. 

He wasn't overly worried, though. After all, he'd left Alfia, a capable presence, back at home to ensure his familia's safety. 

Meanwhile, in Orario, Alfia found herself troubled.

Her current dilemma stemmed from a magic book Sol had recently entrusted to her.

He claimed it was meant for Bell, which had made Alfia excited at first. 

But Sol had insisted she give the magic book to the boy without anyone noticing. 

Now, she was stuck with the headache of figuring out how to do that discreetly. 

For someone like Alfia, who had never done anything remotely sneaky, this was a real challenge. 

Although she hadn't found a good solution yet, she stayed close to Bell every day, keeping an eye on him. 

According to Sol, Bell had become something of a favorite, with many gods taking an interest in him. 

To keep her unlucky nephew from being exploited by some scheming god, Alfia devoted hours daily to watching over him. 

Of course, her supervision was limited to his comings and goings from the dungeon. What happened inside was none of her concern. 

Still, all this back-and-forth was exhausting, and Alfia felt her patience (and energy) wearing thin. 

The real issue was that Alfia didn't view Bell as her entire world. 

She cared for him more out of guilt over her sister than any deep attachment. 

On top of that, Bell was technically the legacy of both the Zeus and Hera familias. 

With all these conflicting feelings, Alfia found her motivation waning. 

One uneventful day, Alfia woke early, as usual. Wearing her black cloak, she didn't head for the dungeon this time. 

Instead, she went straight to the dilapidated church that served as the Hestia familia's base. 

Hestia had already left for work, and Bell had entered the dungeon earlier that morning. 

There was no need to hide. Alfia slipped into the room easily. 

She was familiar with the layout—after all, she'd spent some time here when she was part of the Erebus familia.