Chapter 133: [BONUS] - A New Member Joins

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Yui Hirasawa looked completely confused. She had no idea how she ended up attracting a God like Apollo.

"Who knows... Apollo's methods and personality are terrible, but the guy does have an eye for talent." Hestia replied

Hestia sat and rubbed her chin, trying to think of all the things wrong with Apollo.

"If Apollo singled out Yui and Ui, he must have noticed something special about them. Yeah, that makes sense..." Hestia knew Apollo always chose people based on his strange tastes. That was just the way he did things.

"But this is also a prime opportunity for us. If we crush his Familia, we can take over his estate."

"A brand-new headquarters!"

"With our own private rooms." Hestia's voice rose with excitement.

She didn't mention her real reasons. Talking about the stress of a War Game would just make everyone worry, so she focused on the rewards instead.

A new base!

"RIGHT. Apollo has a terrible personality, but his taste in real estate is top-tier," Lili chimed in, crossing her arms. "If we win, we seize his headquarters and all his assets."

"A massive, luxurious, standalone mansion right in the middle of Orario. With our current income, we can easily afford premium renovations."

"A private, all-natural hot spring bath. A massive private library, and any custom rooms we need."

"With the crafting skills of the Gods, they can build whatever we want."

Divine craftsmanship was no joke. With enough Valis, the gods could make almost anything happen.

"Ooh! A brand-new house..." Yui and Ui's eyes sparkled.

Even Mrs. Hirasawa's eyes lit up.

A private hot spring and custom rooms, all built by real gods. It sounded like a dream, and everyone was immediately excited about it.

"Captain, I almost never ask you for anything," Yui said, dropping to her knees in a sudden bow.

"PLEASE WIN!"

She pleaded with August to win. After all, her dream hot spring was on the line.

"Sure. As long as they don't give us an unfair handicap, we can handle it." August flashed a confident thumbs-up.

"The Denatus is tomorrow."

"If the Denatus doesn't throw some absurd condition at us, we're fine," Hestia said. She wasn't popping the champagne just yet. It was a critical moment, but they were far from losing. "We'll celebrate after we win."

Hestia was itching to throw a huge party. They had enough money, and it felt like a waste not to celebrate a little.

'She really is a gentle Goddess,' Nodoka thought as she watched Hestia act so down-to-earth. She felt relieved that her childhood friend was in good hands.

"Oh, right."

Hestia suddenly remembered something. She turned to Nodoka, studying her closely. "You seem like a good kid."

"Do you want to join our Familia?" Hestia offered the invitation with genuine sincerity.

"Eh?" Nodoka was surprised, not expecting the Goddess to pick her.

Hestia was well aware of Nodoka's talents, immediately recognizing her skill in logistics and management.

The Hestia Familia really needed someone to handle paperwork and organization. Having Nodoka around would help keep everything running smoothly.

"Really?"

"Lady Hestia, you're inviting Nodoka too?" Yui hadn't thought her best friend would get an invite. Her eyes shone brightly.

"She is smart, kind, and clearly knows how to manage things. That's a great talent," Hestia said.

Plenty of people could do paperwork, but finding someone with a truly good heart was much harder.

Managing the Familia and keeping track of everyone's needs... Apart from Hestia, they really needed someone new to handle logistics. Plus, Nodoka was a maiden, which fit perfectly since the Virgin Goddess liked to keep her group pure.

"Me? But I might want to get married in the future," Nodoka hesitated.

If she remembered right, Hestia was a Virgin Goddess. That might mean strict rules, and Nodoka still wanted a normal life.

"You're misunderstanding something."

"I'm no Artemis. Her Familia only accepts maidens, and she expects them to remain pure and avoid romance. Mine is different. If you fall in love with someone, you're free to marry them."

Hestia realized that Nodoka had mistaken her for someone else from the myths.

If her Familia banned romance, they'd just be copying the Artemis Familia, and Hestia didn't want that at all.

"..." Nodoka didn't realize her mistake. She assumed all Virgin Goddesses enforced the same strict vows.

"Then, please take care of me," Nodoka bowed gracefully.

Deep down, Nodoka thought making a contract with a god sounded pretty cool. Her best friend had already joined, so it just felt right to go along too.

"Ooh, good girl." Hestia smiled, thrilled by the ease of recruitment.

It felt like their lucky day. With a new administrator on board, the Familia was getting stronger.

"Come on, let's get you contracted."

"Yui, I'm borrowing your room."

Hestia led Nodoka to the bedroom to bestow her Falna. Nodoka wasn't sure how it all worked, but she trusted the Goddess and followed along.

"This is great. We're all together now," Yui smiled happily.

Mrs. Hirasawa saw how happy her daughter looked. As the adult, she figured it was best to stay quiet. With Lady Hestia there, she trusted things would be fine.

"Speaking of which, Captain."

"I feel like I've been studying really hard lately."

"Even Nodoka praised my studying. Did I unlock some hidden talent?" Yui was honestly curious. Maybe she had awakened a special power or magic.

She looked at August, hoping for an answer.

"We won't know until we update your Status," August replied.

"When you grow, your stats increase. If you have a strong desire for a miracle, a new skill can manifest."

"But with you..."

August thought about how Yui was a genius in her own way. She had perfect pitch and could focus on one thing better than anyone.

Thinking about her abilities, the pieces suddenly clicked.

"I think I know why Apollo targeted you." August looked at her. Apollo had definitely sensed her latent talent.

Apollo cared about more than just appearances. He noticed true talent.

"Eh?" Yui tilted her head. She had just been wondering why a God would want her.

"Apollo is the God of Music."

"And you..." August reached out and gently tapped her cheek. "You might act silly, but you learn incredibly fast. It's just focused on certain things."

"More importantly, you have perfect pitch."

"To Apollo—you're a musical prodigy. Of course a God of Music would be interested in someone like you."

Perfect pitch meant being able to tune an instrument perfectly just by listening. Even experienced musicians rarely had that kind of natural talent.

If the older sister was a genius in one area, the younger sister—Ui, who was great at multitasking—was just as important.

Seen from this perspective, both sisters were ideal choices for Apollo.

"Eh, am I really that amazing?"

Yui, Ui, and Mrs. Hirasawa all looked surprised. When explained this way, it was clear why a God would be interested in them.

"In a way, it really does make sense," Lili agreed.

When you considered Yui's unique traits, she really did match what Apollo liked.

"I'd bet Valis on it."

Hestia and Nodoka came back downstairs to the living room after finishing the contract. Hestia heard the last part of August's explanation and nodded in agreement.

Apollo's power over music was serious. As the God of Light and Music, he could easily sense talent like that.

"So, I really am a genius!"

"That's awesome!!"

Yui lit up at the praise. For her, being called a genius was the best compliment possible.

With Nodoka joining them, the mood became lighter. Now that Nodoka was looking out for Yui, it would be harder for anyone to push her around. Yui had pretty much gained another bodyguard for her daily life.

While things were cheerful here, the situation in Orario was getting worse fast...

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Orario. The ruined church serving as the Hestia Familia's base.

"Who are you?"

The Xenos rested quietly. The Siren knew August didn't live at the church, so she stayed behind.

She stared at the masked figure in front of them. The intruder looked human, but the Xenos' instincts said otherwise. This was no surface dweller.

It felt like a Dungeon monster—no, something even stranger.

The weaker Xenos huddled at the back. The stronger ones, like those at Levels 2 and 3 and the Siren, moved to the front to form a defensive line.

They could feel it... the intruder was very strong. Still, walking right into their sanctuary was a bold move.

"I only came to observe you. To see exactly what kind of existences you are." The masked figure stood completely still, watching the Xenos with a cold, analytical look.

"Our existence?"

"Then what does that make you?"

The Siren replied sharply. This being was something out of the ordinary.

"Who knows," the figure replied cryptically.

The figure avoided the question.

"Is that so?" The Siren knew she couldn't wait any longer. The enemy was too strong, so she had to act first.

"WHOOSH!"

She immediately unleashed a sonic screech directly at the masked figure. The destructive soundwave tore across the courtyard.

"Too slow." The figure easily sidestepped the blast. It hadn't expected the Xenos to attack first.

The difference in strength was huge. Now that the Xenos had attacked, the figure had no reason to hold back. It was here to carry out its master's orders and Evilus's mission.

Drawing a slender steel rapier, the figure dashed toward the Xenos. It was time to send these strays back to the Dungeon.

The other Xenos tried to fight back, but the intruder was unbelievably fast. They couldn't keep up with its movements.

A huge Xenos jumped in front of the Siren to protect her. In an instant, both its legs were cut off by a flash of steel.

"BANG!!"

"Shielding your comrade?"

"How amusing..." The figure taunted the fallen monster for protecting someone from another species. The words were mocking, but the tone was icy cold.

It raised its rapier for the killing blow.

Suddenly, a thwip echoed from the rubble.

A bullet tore through the air—

The bullet was too fast. The figure twisted desperately, trying to block the deadly shot with its shoulder, but the heavy round tore through the left side of its chest.

"What the hell?" The intruder stumbled.

There was no mistaking that attack—it was the signature weapon of the Hestia Familia's captain. He had set up hidden sentries all around the area, treating the ruined church like a military base.

Several quadrupedal, canine-like machines crawled out of the debris. The robotic dogs locked their mounted weapon systems onto the target.

Click-clack.

The sound of chambering rounds resounded across the yard. A hail of bullets ripped toward the masked figure.

The intruder scrambled for cover. Its chest was already blown open. Taking another volley of high-caliber rounds would be disastrous.

No matter how tough its body was, modern armor-piercing rounds ignored any fantasy logic. Unless it was hiding behind Top-Grade Orichalcum armor—the force alone would break bones and destroy organs.

"He left backups..."

"Damn it. The Hestia Captain really turned this place into a kill box."

The intruder had thought the church would be an easy target, but it was completely wrong. Now, retreat was the only choice.

A combat drone launched from the roof of the ruined chapel, its targeting laser painting the fleeing figure.

"Fwoosh."

A guided rocket ignited, leaving a trail of smoke as it locked on and dove straight toward the intruder.

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