"You cannot do this to us! This is unbelievable!" Apollo shouted, his voice cracking as he pointed at Damien, his Familia gathered behind him. "I will take this to the Guild!"
"Go ahead," Damien replied calmly, a crooked grin forming. "Tell them you're filing a complaint against your property owner for raising rent."
"No single Familia in Orario can afford this!" Apollo snapped.
"And I couldn't care less," Damien said flatly. He gestured toward the documents in the Guild brokers' hands. "As you've just seen, the ownership transfer is official. This building is mine now, and I am free to do with it as I please."
Apollo clenched his fists.
"Legally speaking," Damien continued, unbothered, "I cannot evict you outright. You're still within your three year lease signed with the previous owner. However, there is no law that prevents me from raising the rent."
He leaned forward slightly, eyes cold.
"So your options are simple. Pay ten million valis a month… or get the fuck out of my property."
"This is ridiculous!" Apollo shouted. "You did the same thing to Set! I should have prepared for this. You're the reason he left Orario! No one will lease to him now, fearing the wrath of Loki and Hestia Familias! This is blatant abuse of power!"
Damien sighed, rubbing his temple.
"You're accusing me of things I haven't done," he said. "I'll give you three days. If you haven't vacated by then, I'll handle it by force."
Before Apollo could respond, Damien grabbed him by the collar and pulled him close, his voice dropping to a whisper.
"Off the record," Damien murmured, "leave like Set did… or go back to heaven. I don't care which. But release every single member of your Familia."
His grip tightened.
"If you don't, I will find a reason to declare war on you… and I will end you."
Damien released him and turned away without another glance. The Guild brokers, present to formalize the orders, followed silently.
…
"I really wouldn't want to be your enemy right now," Welf said as he walked beside Damien. "Almost feel bad for them."
"Don't," Damien replied. "Gods are gods, yes. We respect their power, their hierarchy, and their role in shaping the world. But that doesn't exempt them from being evil."
He continued walking, voice steady.
"You've seen it with Evilus and other Familias. Gods are no different from humans, except they wield far greater power. They can be righteous, noble, and kind… or cruel and monstrous."
"Apollo. Set. Ishtar," Damien said. "None of them respected my wishes or my existence. Each tried to destroy me or claim me for my power."
His gaze hardened.
"And I wasn't even part of their Familias. Imagine what they did to their own members. Adventurers who joined seeking family, purpose, or safety."
He shook his head.
"They don't deserve that."
Welf nodded slowly. "Yeah… I hadn't thought about it that way."
Damien smiled, the tension easing. "Enough of that. We're heading to your future workplace."
Welf blinked. "Yeah… I guess we are." He chuckled softly. "Never thought I'd be working again. But here I am."
"The future greatest blacksmith in Orario," Damien said proudly, "working in my district and supplying my Familia. I'd say that's worth being proud of."
Welf looked away, scratching the back of his head. "Thanks, Damien. Not just for the building or the money. But for pushing me forward. Helping me realize my talent shouldn't go to waste."
Damien nodded. "Then don't just thank me. Thank Hephaestus too. She's been fighting for you since day one."
His eyes narrowed playfully. "And don't you dare disappoint her."
Welf straightened. "Never."
...
Inside Hestia Manor, Apollo pressed his forehead to the floor, his body folded in a full dogeza. His voice trembled as he begged.
"Hestia, please! I beg your forgiveness! I am sorry for my actions and for what I tried to do to you. We are from Olympia. We are family. Please… forgive me."
Hestia sat behind her desk, hands clenched so tightly they trembled. In her heart, she wanted to forgive him. That was simply who she was. Hot tempered, childish at times, but never cruel. Hatred and vengeance had no home in her soul.
But Damien stood beside her.
And Damien was different.
He allowed Hestia to be the heart of the Familia. The warmth. The mercy. But someone had to be the law. Someone had to decide where mercy ended.
He tightened his grip on Hestia's hand, steadying both her and himself, then spoke.
"We refuse your apology, Apollo."
Apollo froze.
"You have two choices," Damien continued, his voice calm and unyielding. "Leave Orario with only those who willingly follow you. Or return to heaven. You lack the qualities of a true Familia god."
He looked down at Apollo.
"The choice is yours."
Apollo's eyes widened in shock as he turned toward Damien. "Can you not find it in your heart to forgive me? I swear it. I will never cross you again. If I see you, I will walk away. Please, Damien Ardent."
Damien did not flinch.
"Do not embarrass yourself," he said. "You are a god. Leave with what little pride you have left."
His gaze hardened.
"My decision is final. So is Hestia's. Leave my home. Now."
Apollo's shoulders sagged. In that moment, he understood there was no bargaining left, no charm, no tears that could save him.
He had lost.
…
Days turned into weeks, and all of Orario came to understand a new truth.
Hestia Familia had risen.
They were now the third great power of the city, and crossing them came with consequences no one wished to face.
Apollo chose exile.
As expected, most of his Familia refused to follow him, choosing freedom over a fallen god.
But Orario's attention was already shifting elsewhere.
The expedition.
A joint operation between Loki and Hestia Familia. A descent into the depths of the Dungeon that promised discoveries unseen and dangers unmatched.
Adventurers across the city held their breath.
Because every soul that lived for adventure knew one thing.
This expedition would not be like the others.
This one would be special.
/*\
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