The situation in the Dungeon had reached the point where Loki Familia's assault team had already stepped onto the hidden floor, yet the gods gathered atop the Tower of Babel were all staring in confusion at the second screen that suddenly appeared.
The new projection showed none other than the child they had all assumed had already left.
"He didn't leave?"
The kid had vanished in front of everyone, so naturally they thought he was gone. Yet now the screen was telling them he'd never left at all.
"Hermes, did you lend that kid one of the tools your children made?"
The moment that was said, every god turned a suspicious stare toward Hermes.
Hermes looked completely innocent.
"...Don't blame everything on me."
"You can see it yourselves. That kid isn't wearing the 'Helmet of Hades'. And look at the projection—he's standing exactly where he was. He hasn't used any kind of tool."
That did make sense. Pulling a trick like that in front of so many gods would be asking for trouble. If he'd used an item, their eyes weren't decorations.
"Is it Magic?"
"You idiot, even the shortest spell needs a chant. You didn't know that?"
"Then is it a skill?"
"That's wrong too. Skills aren't like Magic. Most are always active, and some don't even follow the user's will. That's nothing like what that kid is doing."
Not a tool, not Magic, not a skill. With each possibility ruled out, the gods only grew more intrigued by the mysterious child.
The unknown was always the strongest lure for gods. And clearly, the mystery and peculiarity surrounding this child were potent enough to hold every god's gaze on him.
"But why is he going deeper into the hidden floor? Hermes, what mission is he on?"
That question gave Hermes a headache. He had no idea.
Bell's actions were usually pragmatic. This time was no different—ensure Loki Familia's assault team gained the most while suffering the least. Beyond that, there was no way to guess.
"Ahem. His situation is a bit unusual. Ganesha and I don't know much about him. Most of the time he's hired by Ouranos to handle certain tasks."
Hired?
Ouranos was hiring people?
The gods' first reaction was disbelief. Ouranos wasn't someone who trusted others easily. A special kid suddenly appearing, and he was actually in a hired relationship with Ouranos? That was a stretch.
"Hermes, are you kidding us? Ouranos and hiring people don't even belong in the same sentence."
"Exactly."
Clearly, the gods weren't idiots. There was no way they'd swallow Hermes' explanation that easily.
"It normally wouldn't make sense, but I know this child seems to have some connection to Zeus and Hera."
"Huh!?"
That statement made every god's eyes widen.
"I think he's the 'Hero's Orphan'. That's what I heard Ouranos call him last time. But I'm certain he's not from Zeus Familia or Hera Familia. I can guarantee that. Otherwise, Ouranos would never have hired him."
Well then.
The gods found themselves instinctively starting to believe it. This child's uniqueness was something almost unheard of in all of Orario. If he came from outside, that would explain why none of them knew him.
'Hero's Orphan'... so his father was probably from Zeus Familia and his mother from Hera Familia… this… this is one hell of a complicated lineage...
The age of Zeus and Hera could truly be called the age of heroes.
In their era, any talent pulled from either familia would easily be considered the pinnacle of Orario.
It was truly an age overflowing with heroes. Hera Familia even had a Level 9, along with a Level 7 who could stand toe-to-toe with that Level 9 without falling behind.
Over in Zeus Familia, there was a Level 8 captain, the one who later became the Level 8 "Gluttony," and a long list of Level 6s and Level 7s.
The era of Zeus and Hera was the time when the lower world produced the most gifted children.
And yet even in that heroic age, Zeus and Hera were wiped out by the Black Dragon during their crusade against it, ultimately fading from the stage.
But now Hermes was claiming that this suddenly appearing child was an orphan of that heroic age and had ties to Zeus and Hera? That wasn't a small joke.
And because it sounded so abrupt, most gods couldn't help doubting him once they snapped out of the initial shock.
"Hermes, you're not lying to us again, are you?"
That instantly made Hermes stiffen. Normally, his words were seventy percent truth and thirty percent nonsense, but this time he was one hundred percent serious.
Hermes raised his hand.
"I, Hermes, swear to Ouranos that what I said about that child's connection to Zeus and Hera is absolutely true. If it's a lie, I willingly accept immediate banishment back to Tenkai."
Well then. Now the gods were sure Hermes wasn't lying.
A divine oath wasn't something spoken lightly. Some words brought real consequences.
And Hermes had just used something as harsh as "banishment to Tenkai" as his vow. That meant everything he said was true.
The gods' eyes practically ignited as they stared at the projection of the child.
"So he really is the orphan left behind by Zeus and Hera. His talent must be extraordinary."
Earlier, they had assumed the child reached the 35th floor purely through his own strength, but now other possibilities surfaced.
Even so, their evaluation of the child did not drop—if anything, their expectations only grew, especially since he hadn't even shown his personal power yet.
"Extraordinary? That's putting it lightly. Anyone who came out of Zeus Familia or Hera Familia was a monster. Especially 'Silence'. Her talent was a monster among monsters."
"Yeah. Back then, she fought the Level 9 Empress as a Level 7 and didn't lose. She even killed Leviathan with a single spell. A monster among monsters."
"If he's the 'Hero's Orphan,' then I can actually see why Ouranos would hire him."