In the days that followed, the Hephaestus Familia quietly registered a new adventurer with the Guild under the name "Sawada."
No given name. Just a surname.
The arrangement barely drew any attention. Unless someone intentionally dug into the records, no one would notice one more low-profile adventurer joining the ranks.
It hadn't been done overnight—Hephaestus and her Familia had taken their time, carefully minimizing every possible trace and keeping prying eyes away.
And yet, to outsiders, the whole thing looked bizarre.
A member of the Loki Familia—one of their most talked-about rookies—was now registered under the Hephaestus Familia, disguised as an unremarkable level one blacksmith.
Even if some gods suspected collaboration between Hephaestus and Loki, no one would ever imagine that Loki Familia's "special rookie" was hiding right under Hephaestus's name.
Easy to say. Hard to pull off.
Thankfully, Tsuna had one particularly useful skill—he could alter memories. That alone made everything much simpler.
"Thanks for the hard work, Lady Hephaestus."
Tsuna walked into her office, carrying a cup of water.
Hephaestus accepted it and took a sip before exhaling in relief. "You really made that whole process so much easier with your convenient little ability."
Then she frowned. "But… was all that caution really necessary? You changed people's memories and appearances just to handle a registration?"
It was extreme—even for him.
Hephaestus couldn't quite wrap her head around it.
Tsuna nodded slightly. "Some gods investigate from the very beginning. One tiny inconsistency is enough for them to see through everything."
"Everyone in the Loki Familia knows my name and face. But outside, this—" he gestured toward the puppet that appeared beside him, "—is the only one they ever see."
The puppet's half-lidded eyes were striking, with dark circles that deepened the shadows of its expression—haunting, tired, but memorable.
"I also let word of this puppet leak through Raul," Tsuna added. "Information confirmed through a god's own eyes carries weight. Even if Lady Ishtar suspects something, she won't doubt what she's personally verified."
Hephaestus smirked in admiration. "Using the gods' own arrogance against them, huh? Clever."
She leaned back in her chair. "They really do trust what they see, especially when it comes from someone ordinary. A goddess like Ishtar would never believe that a mere mortal could deceive her, not when she can literally see through lies."
"So you used that truth-detection ability against them?"
The goddess chuckled lowly. "Impressive. You really know how to push your power to its limits—even memory manipulation, huh?"
"That's how you tricked their divine sight, fed them false intel, and made them chase the wrong leads… Ishtar and Hermes included."
"...Hermes?"
The name made Tsuna blink.
Hephaestus raised a brow. "What, you didn't realize Hermes was poking around in Loki's business too?"
"I knew about Ishtar," Tsuna admitted, scratching his head. "But Hermes… I only remember what that story told me. Beyond that, I don't know much. It's been… a long time."
He didn't deny it—some memories had gaps, pieces missing between worlds and timelines.
To a god, a decade or two wasn't much.
To a human, it was a lifetime.
"I'm not surprised Hermes got involved, though," he said finally. "If there was information to chase, he'd be there. I figured there were other gods involved besides Ishtar anyway."
"In the end, everything worked out."
Hephaestus nodded slowly.
Tsuna might not have anticipated Hermes's involvement, but the outcome spoke for itself. Even the god most skilled in gathering information had failed to uncover his secret.
That alone said enough about the boy's precision—and caution.
Hephaestus smiled faintly. "You really are better suited for operating behind the scenes."
"No wonder you decided to put one part of your power on display—to strengthen your Puppet while weakening your summoner persona."
"The Labyrinth City is full of adventurers with overwhelming abilities and fragile bodies. One more like that won't stand out."
"And since you're always lurking in the background, every god investigating you will just assume the same thing—that you're another powerful but frail oddball."
She knew the truth, but the others didn't.
If those gods ever learned what he truly was capable of, they wouldn't stay in the shadows watching. They'd storm Loki's home without hesitation.
"The stronger the power, the bigger the flaw they'll imagine you have," Hephaestus continued. "Even the so-called 'prodigy monster' Silence wasn't exempt from that."
"The more brilliant your Puppets seem, the more they'll think something's wrong with the person controlling them."
"That's why you have to stay hidden, not stand in the spotlight."
She gave him a steady look. "Most gods will think that way—but don't assume all of them will. Hermes and Freya will definitely think deeper."
"If Ishtar's investigating you, she's already guessed that what she found is just a piece of the truth—not the whole picture."
"Even if you're hiding in plain sight under my Familia, someone might still catch on. That's why you need to stay careful."
Tsuna nodded, his tone calm but serious. "Don't worry. I made my choice to stay hidden, and I'm not about to ruin it by stepping into the open."
"Outside the Familia, no other god will see me directly."
He smiled faintly. "I won't throw all that effort away."
Hephaestus let out a quiet hum of approval.
For someone so young, his foresight was terrifying.
And for a brief moment, she wondered—just how far could this boy go before the gods themselves started fearing him?