The Hephaestus Familia's high-profile actions spread through the Labyrinth City in an instant.
All across Orario, Gods and Adventurers alike were caught up in wild speculation about the Loki Familia's mysterious prodigy.
But no matter how vivid their imaginations, none of them could possibly fathom the power Tsuna truly possessed—something far beyond imagination itself.
"Your choice was a bit much, don't you think? You didn't just blatantly display that child's power—you practically announced to every God that he's hiding even more. You've shoved that kid right back into the spotlight."
Astraea's tone carried clear concern. There was no question that the boy was talented—if it were her decision, she would have kept him shrouded in the dark a while longer, at least until he was strong enough to protect himself.
"I know," Loki replied. "No one wants Tsuna to stay in the shadows and grow stronger more than I do. But this Joint Expedition will inevitably expose his strength. Rather than let it leak out piece by piece, I'd rather use this chance to let his power surpass all the floors we've conquered before."
Loki understood Astraea's worries perfectly. Yet during this Expedition, there was no avoiding it—Tsuna's ability would be revealed in some form. She could keep the Loki Familia's mouths sealed, yes, but what about the Hephaestus side?
That was why the power displayed by Hephaestus's children would be limited strictly to Tsuna's spatial ability. Everything else would be carefully controlled to prevent too much attention once the Joint Expedition concluded.
It was necessary to emphasize Tsuna's "space" and "Puppet" abilities above all else. Let the curious Gods speculate as much as they wanted—as long as Tsuna kept the rest hidden and Loki's children stayed silent, the truth would remain buried until Tsuna had grown strong enough to protect himself.
"This time, Tsuna will make his spatial power known," Loki said. "Let the Gods guess all they want—they'll never get it right. The only one who worries me is Freya."
"Freya…"
Astraea fell silent for a moment after speaking the name. Indeed, Freya was the one Loki needed to fear most. What made her dangerous wasn't just her cunning or ruthlessness, but the divine authority of Charm that far surpassed Ishtar's.
If Freya's interest was piqued, her actions alone could alter the entire outcome.
The key was to make sure she never became too interested.
"Loki, are you sure this won't catch Freya's attention?"
"Oh, it absolutely will. You and I both know what kind of creatures we Gods are. If you or I were in her shoes—learning about this kind of hidden power secondhand—wouldn't you be curious too?"
Astraea had no answer to that.
It wasn't a difficult question, and the answer was obvious. Gods were beings driven by curiosity for the unknown. Whenever something mysterious appeared before them, they could never resist the urge to uncover it. It was their nature.
"Do you and Hephaestus… have some sort of understanding?"
Astraea chose not to press further about Tsuna's exposed powers. Loki clearly had everything under control. What caught her attention instead was the bond between Loki and Hephaestus.
Astraea's Familia numbered only a handful, but the Loki and Hephaestus Familias were much larger. Even if Loki had succeeded in pulling Hephaestus into this expedition team, the way things stood now made it clear—they had some kind of unspoken agreement.
After all, even joining the same expedition didn't erase the fact that each Familia still had its own interests to protect. Yet Hephaestus had gone so far as to stake her own Familia's safety on Loki and Tsuna's success. She wouldn't do that unless there was a powerful reason.
"…"
Loki's lips curled into a knowing smile. There was an understanding between her and Hephaestus—an inevitable one. Even though Hephaestus had been pulled into the plan, it wasn't the same as Astraea. She hadn't joined as part of a merged Familia, but rather because she'd been forcibly drawn in by a secret of the world itself.
Their alliance wasn't particularly formal—but another kind of connection bound them far closer.
They had both fallen for the same mortal boy. They had both accepted his proposal.
They were no longer just partners. They were sisters.
And there was no need to hide that from Astraea.
Loki raised her left hand and pointed at the ring on her finger.
"Hephaestus wears one too. Hers is a different design—but it means exactly the same thing."
"…A ring…"
Astraea's eyes widened slightly as the realization hit her. She recalled seeing Hephaestus recently—on her left hand, a ring of a different make but similar significance. The meaning between them was unmistakable.
"Loki… don't tell me you both received those rings from that boy?"
Loki's smile bloomed into a brilliant grin.
"What do you think?"
Meanwhile, outside the Hephaestus Familia, the transport work was finally complete. The craftsmen taking part in the Joint Expedition had entered the alternate space prepared for them.
Once the loading was done, the rift in the wall began to close, folding in on itself until it vanished completely from sight before the Gods.
Inside her residence, Hephaestus watched the scene unfold and smiled faintly.
"Perfect. Tsuna's ability has been fully displayed, and the Gods now believe he's hiding something even greater. Soon enough, some of them—especially those nosey ones—will turn their attention to me, hoping to dig up more about him."
"But none of my children have ever interacted with Tsuna directly. Only Tsubaki and I have. And the two of us are the last people who'd ever talk."
Everything had been carefully planned—every step meant to buy Tsuna more time to grow, to divert the Gods' investigations elsewhere, to prevent too many of them from focusing on Loki's child.
Everything was to delay the inevitable pursuit of Tsuna's secret.
Hephaestus lowered her gaze to the ring on her hand, her smile softening, before she rose from her seat.
"Well then… it's time I found a new place to stay."
She couldn't remain in her Familia for now—not unless she wanted to be swarmed by curious deities.
Until the Joint Expedition returned, she would be taking refuge with Loki.