Chapter 140: Confidence

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When they reached the Hestia Familia's base, the group saw their friends stretched out on the ground, enjoying the afternoon sun.

"Lord August!"

Lili showed up first. She ran over, gave August a quick hug, and then looked at the newcomers.

She already knew where the Xenos came from and had met the Siren before, but seeing so many intelligent monsters together was still surprising. There were forty of them. Some were the same species, while others were completely unique.

Lyd soaked up the sunlight. The warmth on his scales felt completely different from the cold, fake light of the crystal ceiling on the eighteenth floor.

"So this is sunlight? It's so warm."

This was the first time he really felt the sun's heat, something the Dungeon could never copy. The other Xenos found places to sit in the ruined courtyard and closed their eyes.

For the first time, they were experiencing the bright surface world they had only known from memories. Now they understood why those memories were so dazzling.

Fear the Harpy flew up with the other bird-like and insect monsters. As soon as the breeze touched their wings, their natural love for the outdoors took over and they became excited.

"August, Thanks." Lyd looked at him with real gratitude.

Without August, he never could have brought his people safely to the surface. This was their lifelong dream, the biggest hope for monsters who wanted to see the sky.

"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaah! Hiyah!!!"

Fear cheered as she flew around the yard. Since this was Hestia Familia territory, as long as she stayed inside the walls, no Adventurer would come after her.

Fels, who had followed the group to the surface, stepped out of hiding. The Sage watched the fierce monsters running around the courtyard like excited kids. Their happiness might not last, but this was the life they had always wanted.

"It seems you all get to live on the surface for a while," Fels noted.

He understood the politics. Right now, no one in Orario would dare attack the Xenos. They were under the strong protection of the Hestia Familia—and anyone foolish enough to try would face modern weapons.

It showed that this unusual human really didn't care about the city's usual rules.

"Oh, Fels. I didn't see you earlier." Lyd turned to the robed mage.

He remembered Fels hiding himself with magic and blending into the crowd on the second floor. Now the Sage had joined them at the base.

"I am the Ghost of the Adventurer's Guild," Fels explained smoothly. "The Guild represents absolute neutrality. I cannot expose my identity so carelessly..."

Fels knew that showing himself openly to the city's Gods was very risky. He couldn't let them see he was undead without raising questions.

"I see."

Lyd, Ray, and Gros understood the situation. If the neutral Guild openly supported monsters, the Adventurers would revolt. Ouranos had secretly sent Fels to help them, giving them a safe place out of the public eye.

"But is it really safe for us to stay here?"

Ranye the Arachne hadn't relaxed like the others. She still liked dark, damp places. She didn't hate the sun, but the situation felt very unstable to her.

Fels noticed her anxiety.

"It's alright. In some ways, you were always targets. The Dungeon is deadly, but the surface has its own dangers. Last night, Evilus sent a Level 7 artificial monster to kill your friends here."

He spoke plainly. "Your being here gives them important backup."

"Is that so?" Lyd frowned.

He had heard rumors about artificial hybrids, but never thought they would be used as assassins against his own people.

A Level 7 killer.

"A Level 7 is no joke..." Gros crossed his arms.

The Gargoyle had survived fifteen years in the Dungeon, making him one of their strongest fighters, but he was still only Level 5. Being two levels lower was a death sentence.

Even worse, they knew nothing about the assassin's skills or magic.

"Then we made the right choice coming up here," Lyd noted.

He looked at the younger Xenos, who were only a few months old. Without protection, a Level 7 enemy could destroy them in minutes.

Ray fluttered down to the ground, keeping a level head.

"The edge of this base is set up with heavy weapons," Lili said, pointing to the ruins. "We moved the whole defense system this morning. We thought some angry Adventurers might attack, but instead, we got an artificial monster."

"Thank you."

When Gros heard that the Hestia Familia's defenses had saved their people from being killed, he walked over to August.

For the first time, the usually grumpy Gargoyle showed real gratitude.

"Don't worry about it. Just focus on staying alive," August said. "Like Fels said, no Adventurers will bother you for now. If you want to fight for your place here, the Hestia Familia won't stop you. Fighting to survive just makes sense."

August didn't look down on Lyd and the others. In fact, he respected them. Surviving the Dungeon without losing hope and always searching for others like themselves took real strength.

They chased their goals without hesitation, even if it meant risking their lives. Gros's honest attitude earlier had impressed him.

"Is that so? I thought you hated us, August. Guess I was wrong!" Lyd grinned widely and threw an arm around August's shoulders.

This human's attitude was just like his own. August was always open about what he did. He might be shameless, but he stuck to his beliefs and never regretted his choices.

Lyd respected someone like that.

"Do whatever you want," August waved him off.

He wasn't going to waste the whole day hanging out with monsters. His plans were moving along just as he wanted. If he didn't put some real pressure on the locals, they'd never realize who was really in control.

He was from another world. Did these people really think they could hold him back with old-fashioned morals? Trying to make him feel guilty was pointless.

He hadn't spent years learning in the modern world just to get fooled by fantasy politics.

"Fels. Daedalus belonged to Lord Ouranos's Familia. What is his stance on this?" August brought the conversation back to business.

There was no way to avoid involving Ouranos, and August was willing to show the Guild's God a basic level of respect. After all, he was the city's top God.

"Ouranos does not care."

Fels shook his head. "Daedalus died centuries ago. A millennium has passed, and time has long washed away his true legacy. No matter how grand the bloodline, it has decayed into rot. The current generation are not Daedalus. The genius architect who gazed upon the Dungeon and went mad with inspiration abandoned Lord Ouranos long ago."

Fels had looked into the family in detail.

The first architect became obsessed with building the Knossos and lost his mind, and even Ouranos had given up on the bloodline.

When a mortal leaves their God—the God must consider their other followers.

No neutral God would risk the whole Guild for one family's madness.

"Furthermore, the remaining members of the Daedalus family have pledged themselves to other Gods. Most notably, to the Gods of Evilus. Their actions have nothing to do with Ouranos," Fels stated flatly.

If the Daedalus family disappeared, so be it. Fels actually preferred that they go quietly rather than drag the city into chaos.

"Good to know." August was a bit surprised.

He thought the bloodline might be protected by divine favoritism, but Ouranos had already let them go.

August mainly wanted to hunt them because they led Evilus, so he already felt justified.

Now that Ouranos had stepped back, he had political approval to move forward.

Fels nodded, then looked back at the Xenos.

"However, this peace is only temporary. The Hestia Familia is currently locked into a War Game with the Apollo Familia, and Apollo actively maneuvered the rules to ban your primary methods. A strict sword-and-magic format renders your heavy weaponry useless. I believe you are going to lose."

Fels had figured out August's weakness.

August depended on modern firepower to compensate for level differences and achieve quick kills. Without his heavy weapons, he wasn't unbeatable.

Apollo had gone after that weakness. Did August even know how to use a sword? From his stance, it was clear he had no real training. The strict rules gave Apollo Familia a big advantage.

"Is that so? I wouldn't be too sure about that."

Sword and magic... Honestly, August wasn't concerned. With his Nirvana resurrection skill, he could fight them without much trouble.

Once he beat them, he could set his own terms in Orario.

"You've offended half the city," Fels pointed out. "Given your reputation, I doubt any of Orario's master swordsmen will be willing to train you."

He made it clear August had no chance to prepare before the match. August had upset too many people to find a local teacher.

"Don't worry about it. I have plenty of teachers." August almost laughed.

He didn't know classic fantasy sword fighting, but in his world, martial arts and blade combat were well-studied and documented.

All he needed was to return to Earth, get top military instructors to teach him the basics quickly, and then practice.

To him, a sword was just a tool—winning was what mattered.

"Oh? You seem remarkably confident."

Fels was honestly surprised by how confident August was. He thought August would need to ask a friendly God for a blessing or a weapon skill.

But it seemed like August's world had its own master swordsmen. If August could learn the basics quickly, maybe facing the Apollo Familia wasn't impossible.

"Hmph. Just watch. I already wrote the script for my victory." August knew exactly how he was going to play this.

"Of course Lord August is going to win. The Hestia Familia is the best. We aren't going to lose to the likes of the Apollo Familia," Lili said proudly.

"Oho, confidence certainly isn't your problem." Lyd was impressed by their swagger. "If you need to prep for a melee brawl, I don't mind acting as your sparring partner."

The offer was real.

The lizardman was a true master of weapons. With two blades, he could fight on par with a Level 5 adventurer. The other Xenos, even the rabbit-like ones, were powerful monsters around Level 3 or 4.

"Thanks." August didn't expect Lyd to offer help so soon.

These Xenos were loyal to anyone who treated them with respect.

When August thanked them, Lyd, Gros, and Ray's faces softened. They didn't think the practical human would ever say thanks. It showed he had a heart, so they chose to stay and watch him a bit longer.

"I'M BACK!"

Hestia's voice rang out from down the street. She ran up to the church and quickly saw that her base was full of monsters.

"Ooh, what a fine group of Xenos."

Seeing them up close, Hestia was impressed. Her acute senses—trained by using her divine power on Earth—let her spot the special skills these Xenos had gained from years of hard fighting.

They weren't just random monsters. Veterans who survived over ten years in the Dungeon were top fighters. They might not have the teamwork of the Loki or Freya Familias, but their basic strength was excellent.

"Lady Hestia."

The first group of Xenos bowed with respect. They knew this Goddess had given them sanctuary and was the heart of the Hestia Familia.

"Hey everyone, I'm home!" Hestia greeted them with a warm smile.

It was the first time Ray, Lyd, and Gros had met a real God in person, and they were stunned by the overwhelming feeling of her divine aura. Even with her power sealed by Orario's laws, the pressure she gave off was enough to shake their instincts.

"Greetings, Goddess Hestia."

The three Xenos leaders bowed.

This was the Goddess August followed and the one protecting their people. They felt no anger toward her—only respect.

"Oh, hello! You guys are full of energy. I already know everything about your situation. Don't worry. As long as you don't start a massive turf war, you're free to roam the grounds here."

Hestia was very generous, easily giving them full access to her sanctuary.

"Thank you."

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