Chapter 337
Anya quieted down very quickly.
After all, not everyone could keep gossiping after getting their cheeks swollen into two little buns. That hurt.
With the catgirl finally silenced, Ryuu should theoretically have been able to relax.
Unfortunately, she had overlooked one small problem.
Anya was hardly her only close friend working at the Hostess of Fertility.
Before long, Kiriya found himself surrounded all over again by a lively flock of young women.
Some crowded around asking questions, while a few bolder ones even took advantage of their superior numbers to poke and prod at him wherever they could get away with it.
Those who could not squeeze close to Kiriya instead shifted their attention toward Jeanne.
The Saint was famously broad-minded and gentle by nature, so quite a few girls immediately decided she looked like the easier point of attack.
However, after witnessing what had happened to Anya, nobody dared ask their questions too directly. They were afraid of embarrassing the easily flustered elf again.
So instead, they began circling around the subject and asking Jeanne whether she knew any secret "methods for promoting development."
"Ahem. If you want secret methods, you can just ask me."
Esdeath spoke from nearby with an amused smile, deliberately straightening herself slightly as she did.
The difference in presence was immediately overwhelming.
Compared with these still somewhat youthful girls, Esdeath’s mature figure possessed an almost unfair level of dominance.
The surrounding girls went completely silent.
"Uh... who are you?"
Chloe finally asked cautiously.
"Esdeath. A new member of the Hestia Familia."
Esdeath pointed casually toward Kiriya.
"And, of course, the woman who intends to dominate Kiriya."
The sheer confidence of that declaration stunned the girls all over again.
"Whoa... dominate?"
"Do you mean the kind of domination I think you mean?"
"T-That’s bold!"
"Wait... does Kiriya have that kind of preference? Why does that suddenly sound kind of exciting?"
"Onee-san, you’re amazing! You’re my idol!"
The girls immediately erupted into excited chatter.
This was Kiriya they were talking about.
Sylvan, one of the most famous adventurers in all of Orario, a man powerful enough to suppress entire Familias by himself.
And now this blue-haired woman was openly declaring that she intended to put him beneath her and do whatever she pleased.
How could that possibly fail to excite a group of professional gossips?
The male adventurers quietly watching nearby had an entirely different reaction.
’Getting dominated by a woman like that... honestly doesn’t sound so bad.’
That bastard Sylvan really was living the dream.
"So how far have you gotten?" Syr asked the question she cared about most.
"At the moment?"
Esdeath gave a casual shrug.
"I’m still working on it."
"That man is too strong. I need to become stronger first."
The bright curiosity in everyone’s eyes immediately dimmed.
So after all that boasting, she still hadn’t actually succeeded.
Syr, meanwhile, quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
Then she looked toward Kiriya with a faintly aggrieved expression.
There were more and more girls around him.
Just when was it finally going to be her turn?
Naturally, Kiriya noticed.
He gave Syr a subtle look telling her not to worry and hinted that he had a surprise for her later.
Only then did her displeasure turn back into a smile.
"You bunch of idiots! Get back to work!"
Mama Mia’s thunderous voice rang out once again.
The girls scattered instantly and returned to their duties.
"Heh. You really are popular."
Esdeath rested her cheek against one hand while looking at Kiriya.
"Of course he is."
Before Kiriya could answer, Hestia puffed out her chest proudly.
"I’m not exaggerating when I say that Kiriya is probably the most talented adventurer Orario has seen in the last thousand years."
"You wouldn’t believe how many shameless gods and goddesses have tried to steal him away from me."
"Aren’t you worried he’ll actually leave someday?" Esdeath asked.
"Hmph."
Hestia planted both hands on her hips.
"Kiriya is my most important family."
"As for those gods... they just want a powerful toy they can show off."
Her confidence was absolute.
Why should a goddess who already stood at the summit worry about people still climbing the mountain?
This was what one might call the composure of the established first wife.
Esdeath had to admit that Hestia’s sincerity and open-hearted way of treating people possessed a charm of its own.
It was not difficult to understand why Kiriya cared so much about her.
Soon, the dishes arrived.
Esdeath tried several and immediately began praising the food, which put Mama Mia in such a good mood that she even sent over several complimentary dishes.
"So what are you planning to do next?"
Esdeath asked.
"Rest for a couple of days."
Kiriya continued eating as he answered.
"If I feel like it, I’ll wander around and enjoy myself."
A person could not keep their nerves taut forever.
There had to be periods of relaxation between periods of intense training.
That was the only way to keep going in the long term.
Besides, there were still a few dates he owed people.
"Same."
Hestia nodded enthusiastically.
Kiriya was finally taking a proper break, so of course she intended to spend it with him.
"As for me, I think I’ll just walk around the city."
Jeanne smiled peacefully.
She enjoyed markets and busy streets filled with the ordinary warmth of everyday life.
"That sounds good."
Esdeath nodded.
"I happen to have something I need to deal with as well."
"You?"
Kiriya, Jeanne, and Hestia all stared at her.
"You only just arrived in Orario. What could you possibly have to do?"
"Well..."
Esdeath smiled mysteriously.
"You’ll find out when the time comes."
"For now, it’s a secret."
Kiriya’s eyes narrowed slightly.
He had a strong feeling this woman was preparing something dramatic.
He considered warning her, but after thinking about it, there were very few people in Orario currently capable of genuinely threatening her.
So he simply let her do whatever she wanted.
And thus, the welcoming feast ended happily.
Once everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, they returned together to Hearthstone Manor.
As expected, Hestia immediately claimed Kiriya for the night with overwhelming authority.
Neither Jeanne nor Esdeath objected.
After all, they had spent nearly an entire year traveling alongside Kiriya.
It was only fair that Hestia finally got him back.
The only issue was that the noises during the night were rather loud.
For two women with exceptionally sharp senses, sleeping nearby was somewhat difficult.
...
The next morning, Esdeath woke very early.
After washing up and dressing, she left the manor alone.
She had spent half the night listening to someone else enjoying a feast while she hadn’t even gotten a sip of the soup.
There had been understandable reasons for it, certainly.
But that did not make the Ice Queen any less annoyed.
Naturally, when Esdeath was annoyed—someone was going to have a bad day.
She crossed most of the district before finally arriving in front of an enormous complex of silver buildings.
This was the headquarters of the Freya Familia—the Silver Mansion.
"I’m in a terrible mood today."
Esdeath stared toward the entrance with a dangerous smile.
"So you people had better be as strong as everyone claims."
With that, she walked straight toward the gate.
"Stop!"
Two guards armed with long spears immediately blocked her path.
Their voices were cold.
"This is restricted Familia territory. Outsiders are forbidden from entering."
"Oh?"
Esdeath examined their presence.
They were indeed impressive.
By this world’s standards, both were already Level 3 adventurers.
In most ordinary Familias, someone at Level 3 could already serve as captain.
Yet in the Freya Familia, they were merely gate guards.
That alone demonstrated the foundation of what had once been Orario’s strongest Familia.
"And what if I insist on going inside?" Esdeath asked.
𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚
"Forcing your way in?"
The two Level 3 adventurers sneered.
"Are you tired of living?"
The words had barely left their mouths when their vision blurred.
A tremendous force struck them almost simultaneously.
BOOM—!
Both guards were sent flying backward, crashing through the gates of the Silver Mansion before slamming heavily into the ground.
The explosion of shattered doors immediately attracted the attention of numerous Familia members.
They stared at their companions coughing blood on the ground.
Then they looked toward Esdeath, who calmly walked through the ruined entrance alone.
For a moment, nobody quite understood what they were seeing.
Esdeath smiled.
"Morning."
"I came to bring all of you a little warmth."
A shrill alarm suddenly tore through the compound.
"ENEMY ATTACK—!"
In an instant, the atmosphere throughout the entire Freya Familia changed.
Every gaze became dangerously sharp.