A day had passed since the incident with the plant monsters.
It was sometime in the afternoon, and Judas, Ais, and the others were having lunch when a gate guard approached them and snapped into a salute.
"Everyone... pardon my intrusion. More sacks of valis are being delivered at the gates."
The guard spoke with a respectful tone... being in the presence of multiple first-class adventurers and executives warranted such an attitude.
"There's still more? I thought the last batch was the end."
Tiona exclaimed in disbelief.
Of course, the money being delivered was the compensation Judas had managed to squeeze out of the Freya Familia.
It seemed that even for Freya, transferring such an enormous sum took time.
Freya could have written a check and transferred all those assets to another account; after all, Orario has a banking system designed to handle such matters.
But Freya refused to do so, and there was a reason why.
Hearing the guard's words, Finn raised his head, stared at the guard, and nodded.
"Raul... like always, gather everyone and help out with the haul."
"Yes, Captain!"
Raul replied with a salute.
Amidst all of this, Judas grabbed a cup filled with water and drank it.
After setting the cup down and finishing his meal, Judas rose from his seat.
"Excuse me," he said calmly.
His nonchalant attitude toward receiving such a large sum of money made the others sitting at the table shake their heads.
"I'll come with you,"
Ais said almost immediately, standing up as well.
"Hwe... hey! Don't fworget to give us our shplit!"
Loki shouted with her mouth still full of food, bits flying out and causing Riveria to furrow her brow in disgust.
"Yeah... yeah..."
That was all Judas said before walking out.
There was an agreement between them to split the money being delivered.
Sixty percent would go to Judas, while the other forty percent would be deposited into the Loki Familia's shared account.
Of course, Loki tried to bargain for a higher percentage, but when she did, the only response she received was a quiet stare from Judas, as if he were saying, 'You already got enough. This is my money.'
Loki responded with a stare of her own, as if saying, 'Come on! We're a familia, aren't we? Sharing is caring!'
Judas replied with yet another stare that clearly said, 'I've already shared enough. Don't be greedy.'
In the end, it turned into a silent staring contest between the two until Loki's eyes turned red and she finally gave up.
They reached the gates shortly after.
Several dozen large sacks sat neatly stacked atop a couple of carts, each sealed and reinforced... the unmistakable weight of valis evident at a glance.
A few Freya Familia members stood nearby, their expressions tight and visibly restrained.
Except for the person at the front, who wore a hood that covered her face... though Judas could still see the faint smile beneath it.
Judas shifted his gaze and saw Raul and a few lower-level members already hauling the sacks from the carts and transferring them into the mansion.
As they passed each other, Raul... carrying several bags of valis over his shoulder... gave a nod of acknowledgment to Judas and Ais.
Judas returned the gesture before turning his attention back to the Freya Familia at the gates, particularly the hooded woman at the front.
"Freya... you know, you don't have to come each time you deliver the money."
"It's become pretty obvious at this point that you're using this as an excuse to visit the Twilight Manor."
Judas said to the hooded person, already aware of her identity.
For some reason, Ais took a step forward, her eyes showing a wary expression, but she didn't say anything.
"Oh dear, you're mistaken. I simply want to make sure the money is delivered safely and without a hitch."
Freya replied as she removed the hood from her head, staring directly into Judas' eyes.
"I'm pretty sure that anyone with a brain wouldn't even attempt to rob the Freya Familia in the middle of the city."
"Unless they have a death wish, that is."
Judas said with a neutral expression, crossing his arms.
"Hmm? I suppose so."
Freya said with a light giggle.
As they conversed, Judas noticed that the carts were almost empty.
Raul and the others were remarkably efficient with their work.
"Unfortunately, your business here is finished, Freya."
Judas said, signaling the end of their interaction.
"Yes, see you tomorrow... my Odr."
Surprisingly, Freya didn't press the matter and merely smiled.
From her words, it seemed there was more money to be sent tomorrow... and that Freya would pay another visit.
'The amount she sent is much lower than last time.'
Which meant one thing.
'She's doing this on purpose to visit more often.'
Judas sighed but didn't speak up about it.
As long as Freya kept her end of the deal, there were no grounds for him to complain.
With a snap of her fingers, a fancy carriage appeared out of nowhere.
Judas watched as Freya turned around and entered the carriage with graceful steps... but not before deliberately swaying her hips as she glanced back to gauge his reaction with mischievous eyes.
When she saw that his expression remained unchanged, Freya wasn't the least bit disheartened.
Instead, she blew him a kiss with a wink before taking her seat inside the carriage.
Judas then shifted his gaze to the gray-haired woman who always seemed to be by Freya's side.
From the start, her gaze had been locked onto him with deadly precision, never leaving his figure from beginning to end.
Her name was Horn, and he later found out that she possessed an ability that allowed her to change her appearance into Freya's... and even granted her access to some of Freya's abilities, such as her divine charm.
A unique transformation magic that could fool even the Gods, and for a time, had fooled Judas himself.
And that wasn't all.
It also allowed her to share her thoughts and emotions with her Goddess, which for most would be considered a drawback... but for Horn, it was a blessing.
"Judas Spade..."
Horn said in a voice that carried both coldness and warmth.
"I hate you."
That was all she said before turning around and following Freya into the carriage.
'Is this the fourth time?'
Judas mused as he tapped his chin.
'An extremely loyal fanatic.'
He analyzed what kind of person Horn was, a conclusion drawn from their frequent encounters.
Her reverence for Freya had led her to develop deep hatred toward Judas, sensing how much his presence had changed her Goddess.
However, due to their shared connection, she had also begun to develop affection for him, as Freya's feelings inevitably spilled over.
Which led to her hating and loving him at the same time.
Judas Spade heard her declaration and merely shrugged.
It wasn't the first time she had said those words, and honestly, he found Horn's character peculiar.
'Well... whatever.'
He didn't dwell on it.
Later in the day, Tiona... who had just visited the Goibniu Familia's smithy... approached him with her giant double-bladed sword, Urga, in hand.
"Hey, Judas... want to spar?"
"Sure, why not?"
He accepted without hesitation.
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