I hated silence. Because the silence that descended suddenly always brought forgotten loneliness with it.
Loneliness—the feeling of being left behind in the world all alone—always tore at me and dragged me down.
It's okay. I can endure it. How fragile that resolve had been back then. How heavy the responsibility behind those words had turned out to be. Once I realized that, I would curl up alone in the depths of darkness and sob quietly.
I hated my own recklessness so much.
I don't regret it. But if the moment of choice came again, could I make the same decision?
The answer still hadn't come, and it tormented me.
Only the moonlight spilling through the window kept me company as I lay buried in silence and darkness.
...That was how it should have been.
"You've got a guest, and you're not even offering him tea?"
"???"
Why is Grandpa here?
"Hm. So you're not his private soldier?"
"That's right."
In the basement of the Guild, deep in its lowest depths, two old gods faced each other.
One was Zeus, the chief god of the Zeus Familia, known as the strongest in Orario.
The other was Ouranos, the god who oversaw the Guild and the most influential figure in Orario.
Two deities who wielded the greatest power over the city.
And the reason these old gods were meeting in secret was...
"Then what is he? Don't tell me you still haven't found him?"
It was because of the man in the black robe who had interrupted the tense standoff with the Hera Familia not long ago.
The intruder who had blocked Arphia, who had been sharpening her blade to find her younger brother.
The mysterious figure who had fought Arphia to a standstill in a magical duel.
That alone would not have been enough to pique Zeus's interest, much less drive him to visit the Guild in person. So why had Zeus come himself?
"-What are you scheming now?"
"-You old bastard. You've cooked up something strange."
"-Old man. Why not just be honest and apologize?"
Zeus felt wronged. Suddenly, everyone was questioning him about some guy who had appeared out of nowhere.
And over a man, of all things! Because the intruder was a man, Hera had been spared a fit of rage, but because he was a man, Zeus's pride had been wounded.
"No, why the hell are you always taking it out on me?!"
He wasn't a woman, so why would Zeus hide a problem involving another man? What reason would he have to conceal information about some filthy bastard?
Besides, Hera, Arphia, and even Maxim were all suspicious of him.
For once, Zeus was genuinely the victim of circumstance.
That was why he had come to Ouranos. He had hoped Ouranos would know something.
After all, hiding someone of that caliber would be impossible unless you had the resources of the Guild.
That was his theory when he arrived, but...
"I don't know."
"No, what am I supposed to do if you don't know?!"
Ouranos maintained his unwavering act of ignorance.
In truth, while Ouranos remained composed on the outside, he was far from calm within.
A being of Level 7 or higher had suddenly appeared. That alone was shocking, but the timing was far too coincidental.
A strong one who can contend with Silence through magic. For someone who appeared out of nowhere, he's too large a variable.
According to reports, the man had also moved at tremendous speed in an instant. A frontliner using magic that wasn't specialized for casting. In other words, an all-rounder rather than a specialist. If that were true, his actual level might be 8 or higher, rather than 7. Silence possessed power that transcended his level.
What would happen if such a man were an enemy?
The greatest weakness of magic was chanting. The price of a decisive spell that could reverse the tide of battle was time and concentration. Naturally, Mind would build up, and the moment a powerful spell was cast, it would be sensed and suppressed in an instant.
But if it's that man, the story changes.
From what he had heard, the man used complete no-chanting. No buildup of Mind could be felt right up until the moment the magic activated. In other words, it was magic optimized for ambushes.
What did that imply?
If guerrilla warfare breaks out, the damage will be enormous.
The enemy could destroy the city unilaterally, while the defenders would be toyed with by an elusive foe moving at terrifying speed.
Of course, with the help of the Zeus or Hera Familia, they could probably bring him down, but the collateral damage would be immense, especially for the ordinary citizens.
Beyond that, just the thought of being ambushed at a crucial moment made his spine go cold. If the man simply rained down magic from the rear during a quest, annihilation would be inevitable.
That was why Ouranos had immediately begun investigating his whereabouts.
"There's... no information?"
"That is correct."
"What the hell do you mean, there's no information at all?"
"There is none."
"Grrr..."
It was the outcome Zeus had expected, yet still hoped was wrong.
The familiar aura he had felt from the sudden intruder—it was definitely the unique presence of gods from the same homeland.
There were currently four gods from Olympus in Orario.
Zeus, Hera, Hermes, and Ouranos.
He himself was not the source, and Hera did not deal with men. Hermes was absent, leaving only Ouranos.
If it were Ouranos, then perhaps. Since Zeus hated troublesome matters, he had come here hoping for exactly that...
"So this is a bust too..."
In truth, he had expected as much. Ouranos had no one who could be called a private soldier.
At best, the only soldier he had was a skeleton that had been around for centuries. Zeus knew Ouranos was a possibility, but a very slim one.
"...Then who is it?"
Aside from the four gods in Orario, there were other gods from their homeland. Perhaps the man was one of their followers.
But for some reason, Zeus felt that wasn't it. That intruder was not something so trivial.
"Vesta..."
What came to mind was a shut-in goddess. The guardian of the hearth, so benevolent and pure that even Hera respected her.
Why had the name of that goddess—who was beautiful but utterly unappealing to Zeus—come out of that man's mouth?
"Is he one of her followers?"
But it was too early for her to descend, wasn't it? As the king of Olympus, Zeus knew roughly when the gods from his homeland would descend. At least for the women.
Hestia was scheduled to descend in about fifteen years. That was still a very long way off.
"Hmm..."
His thoughts stalled. There were too few clues to reach a conclusion.
It was extremely unpleasant to waste more time on a man, but there was no other way.
"Then I'll check for myself."
"Do you know where he is?"
"I do."
He had shaken Cranel down that day and heard everything that had happened. The man who had been with Materia when he went to see her. The one who had to hold Arphia back at Materia's request.
That was probably why Hera hadn't moved yet. She must have thought there was no need to act immediately since someone else had already been asked to intervene.
She was likely expecting, as he had, that Ouranos might uncover some information. He would have to move soon, or it would be too late.
Just as Zeus was about to head outside,
"Zeus. Has your mind still not changed?"
"..."
At the old god's voice, Zeus stopped in his tracks.
Silently, he turned back around. The lightness that had been in his eyes just moments ago vanished without a trace.
"Not at all."
At the answer, given without the slightest hesitation, Ouranos fell silent.
"...Do you truly think it is impossible?"
Even knowing he would not be persuaded, Ouranos tried one last time.
"It is impossible. Any exchange with monsters."
Zeus cut him off again. As a chief god, as a father, he could not accept Ouranos's words.
"They possess wisdom. If given time, surely—"
"Tch."
A sharp click of the tongue. That alone was answer enough.
Turning away, Zeus headed for the exit, and this time Ouranos did not stop him.
"You've got a guest, and you can't even bring out a cup of tea?"
Zeus spoke flatly as he looked at the flustered man.
He had no consideration to spare for a man. If it had been a woman, that would have been different.
On the contrary, this was probably him being unusually restrained.
Strangely, I don't feel like pressing him down.
No matter how you looked at him, the man was a powerhouse who could not be ignored, and yet Zeus had come to the church without the slightest caution.
If you asked whether he had been in a hurry, the answer was no. There was still time, and if he wanted to be certain, bringing his followers would have been the safest choice.
So why had he stormed into this church alone? Looking back, it felt a little strange.
Was I looking forward to it? Me?
Had he been looking forward to meeting this man? A man, not a woman?
Strange. Very strange.
Zeus couldn't understand it. Why he had rushed all the way here to meet a man wrapped up so tightly, rather than a woman.
A curious fellow.
And yet, he didn't feel displeased. Gods always loved the unknown.
All gods were obsessed with the unknown. Zeus especially so.
And now, right in front of him, stood the very mystery he had been so obsessed with.
Looks like I might get some fun out of today after all.
With a grin, Zeus's lips split wide.