Chapter 98: Rakia

"L-Lars? What are you doing here?" Hephaestus combed her hair immediately with her hand.

"No need to be anxious, Hephy, I'm here for official business." Lars looked at her seriously and Hephaestus almost sighed.

Tsubaki handed her a towel because she just finished smithing in her personal smithy.

"What do you need? And why is there an arachne with you, hello." Hephaestus cut to the chase. But she still did greet Rachnera.

"Hi~ dearie, you're so anxious. I think you're the type that likes to get tied up." Rachnera pulled on some of her silk like it was some rope.

Hephaestus hugged her body as she shuddered. But then, she imagined Lars tying her up and she thought that was good.

'No! Why am I getting horny? Am I frustrated?' Hephaestus thought, and yes, she is.

"Don't mess with her, she's quite a softie inside when you get to know her. I need more equipment, Hephy." Lars went back on topic.

Lars has been focusing on the elites. Namely, MON and the ANBU. So the others don't have good armor and weapons.

And the xenos has a shortage of humanoid members that can smith. Smithing might look like you're just smacking something, but it is actually a delicate art.

"How much do you need?" Hephaestus was happy to help. And Tsubaki rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, ask how much he'll ask. And you'll surely finish everything that was commissioned to us." Tsubaki said sarcastically.

Hephaestus blushed as she was being a little biased. After all, Lars is number one in her mind.

"Well, I would feel bad if you guys just sideline the ones who came here first. So I just want your smiths to make it. They're good enough." Lars shrugged.

"You bet! And we've been making huge strides towards creating a great magic sword, so thanks!" Tsubaki grinned.

"Where is Welf anyway?" Lars tried to feel for his mana that was different. And Lars chucked it to his bloodline, being a Crozzo.

And his ancestor did create the Argonaut's magic sword. The legendary Mino-tan.

"He's holing up in his smithy, pumping out swords and armor like a factory." Hephaestus sighed.

"Ohh, then we'll take those! Welf is pretty good." Lars smiled and Hephaestus shrugged.

"I guess... If you can create real magic swords, then we can just sell Welf's failed ones to you." Hephaestus didn't see anything wrong with that.

And only the gods of smithing can create magic swords. Lars' stolen techniques from Hephaestus served him well.

Besides, it's not like he would use them to burn down elf forests like the Crozzo magic swords of the past.

"Yeah, so I'm basically bulk buying. That alright with you guys?" Lars asked them and they nodded.

"I mean, we'll be getting cash even by just selling things that we see as junk or are mass produced." Tsubaki shrugged.

"Actually, I wanna give some for free... But Tsubaki would scold me." Hephaestus whispered to him with a wink.

"Aww, thanks Hephy." Lars hugged her and he kissed her forehead, making her freeze in place.

"I-it's all free." Hephaestus beamed at him and Tsubaki interjected immediately.

"It is not! We have to cover the cost and labor!" Tsubaki started scolding Hephaestus and she had a wry expression on her face.

"Fufufu~ I think that one likes to whip people." Rachnera pointed at Tsubaki and Lars rolled his eyes.

"Stop trying to do bondage on everyone, or I'll tie you up real good." Lars huffed.

"Ara~ that's fine with me." Rachnera smiled and Lars has no time for this.

__Dungeon__

Bell was currently diving into the 6th floor onwards.

He was fighting off some war shadows. Notorious newbie killers due to their dark and wispy appearance.

But due to Alfia's education, he never let his guard down.

"Lili, start to retreat. This group has kobolds, war shadows, and frog shooters." Bell brandished his short-sword and dagger.

"Yes, Bell-sama." Lili nodded, agreeing with his decision.

Bell then took care of the kobold first which was faster than the others, running at him like a savage beast.

"Hap!" He sliced off the tongue of the one eyed frog and threw a knife at it.

Bracing himself, he then blocked a war shadow and stabbed it right in the eye after blocking its claws.

"Shit!" A dungeon lizard suddenly dropped from the ceiling. The little buggers were always waiting above the dimly lit halls, looking for an assassination.

"Got you, Bell-sama." Lili shot a crossbow at it and Bell gave her a grateful nod.

"Whew, we make a great team, Lili." Bell smiled.

'I'll make lots of money from this bub, he's quite skillful. And his weapons would give me a pretty penny.' Lili looked at Bell's weapons.

They were of course higher quality. As Alfia asked Lars to make a pair of weapons for him.

"Come on, let's get going." Bell wanted to go deeper. 'I need to catch up to aunt Alfia and Lars.'

"Yes!" Lili picked up the magic stones quickly as she pocketed a few of them for herself to sell later.

__Outside Orario__

"Ares-sama, hear this. Orario seems to be harboring monsters." A blonde middle-aged man kneeled in front of a god with blonde hair.

"What!? Is that true? Then we must go to war with Orario more than ever!" Ares was outraged.

"They've been planning for world domination huh? Then we must go and fight them." Ares squinted his eyes.

"Yes, Ares-sama. This will be our time to topple Orario. I've also heard that the city is in chaos right now." The man was excited.

"Umu! Now come, Martinus! We will ride to battle!" Ares roared.

"Hah, why does my father keeps on indulging that idiot god? He'll doom us all, a level 7 is in Orario." A young, blonde man sighed heavily.

But he cannot refuse. As he is only the crown prince, not the king.

__Orario__

Lars was currently in the hostess of fertility. For he has genuine business there.

"Chloe, I've got a favor to ask." Lars called for her and he deadened the sound on their table.

"Nya? Nya! Are you finyally going to let me squeeze that cute butt of yours?" Chloe's tail swayed.

"No, you perverted cat. But if that's what it takes." Lars sighed.

"Huh, must be pretty serious." Chloe raised a brow and he looked at her dead in the eye.

"You're an assassin, aren't you?" Lars asked and she flinched.

"What gave it away?" Chloe squinted her eyes at him.

"Well, who would walk like that for their day to day life unconsciously? Your footwork is too floaty. Made for quick movements. And your steps are dead silent." Lars explained.

Chloe sighed and she sat down in front of him.

"Who's the target?" Chloe asked and Lars was pleasantly surprised that she would just accept it like that.

"I thought you'd be like, no way." Lars was actually not optimistic about this.

He could've asked the ANBU, but they were guarding Monstro and the xenos that are trickling in the city.

And Orario was in high alert. Spotting one of the ANBU can be seen as a declaration of war for snooping around.

"Well, you look like you really need this." Chloe shrugged and he smiled.

"Thanks, Chloe. I'll give you a nice belly rub later." Lars laughed and she pouted at him.

"Let me grope that tight and young butt at least. And have you forgotten nya!? Cats don't like their belly being rubbed." Chloe huffed at him.

"Okay, fine. Ryuu or Kaguya won't be able to help you with this though. I want you to find any kind of dirt against Dionysus and his captain." Lars gave her a camera.

"What is this nya?" She looked at it curiously and he smirked.

He walked up to her and put an arm around her. "Say cheese!" Lars clicked and Chloe was suddenly startled by the flash.

"Nyaa! My eyes! My eyes!" Her pupils didn't constrict fast enough.

"Oh, don't be such a baby. It's just a little flash." Lars rolled his eyes.

"Heh, you're too observant. Though it did startle me. And that flash is just on permanently? Then you're putting me on the spot here." Chloe sighed.

"Of course not, it doesn't have to flash all the time." Lars then gave her their picture and she smiled when she saw it.

But when she looked at the photo more carefully, she wasn't cute in it at all.

"Nya, can you take one again?" Chloe requested.

"No, it's much more fun that way." He chuckled and Chloe bristled.

"Fine nya! Want me to kill the captain of Dionysus too?" Chloe squinted her eyes and he shook his head.

"That girl will kill you, I'm pretty sure of it." Lars frowned.

"What!? She's just a level 3 as far as I can remember." Chloe raised a brow in disbelief.

"She's not. Let me tell you a little secret. That girl has a monster core as a heart. People call the xenos monsters? They are at birth, but Filvis is one who is made." Lars clicked his tongue.

He is pretty sure that Filvis didn't choose that too. So he needs some kind of dirt on the fucker.

Gods can lie all they want after all. "Aye, I'll find anything I can against them." Chloe nodded.

She now understands how deep this is. "Thanks, Chloe." Lars rubbed her ears and she melted.

"Nya~ nya! Nya!" Chloe sobered up suddenly. And when she looked around, Lars was already gone.

"I guess I'll dip into my old work." Chloe squinted her eyes and her cold-blooded nature resurfaced.

__Twilight Manor__

"Yo, I bet you have a lot of questions?" Lars broke through the door again and he was met with glares.

"Hey, hey, what's with the unwelcome atmosphere?" He chuckled through their hostility.

"Lars..." Ais noticed the wind change when he arrived and she immediately ran to him.

She tackled him with a hug and he definitely felt that.

"Oof, why are you so worried?" He saw that she had tears in her eyes so he ruffled her hair softly.

"Lars... What are you doing here?" Finn grimaced. He wasn't sure if the Demeter familia was an ally.

And his status as the light of the Pallum race would take a hit if the world knew they supported monsters.

So in all honesty, he didn't want anything to do with them.

"Hmmm, I bet Loki has some questions for me yeah? So I wanted to answer them." Lars shrugged.

"I'm sorry, Lars. They made me talk." Ais apologized and he caressed her head.

"Don't worry, it was bound to happen." Lars whispered to her and she felt a bit better.

"Your balls sure are big, lad. The Loki familia isn't lauded as the strongest familia for nothing." Gareth pointed around.

"Hmph, stop the crap Gareth. You can't even put a scratch on Ley." Lars scoffed and the executives winced.

Ley absolutely thrashed them. Finn and Gareth were like pebbles on the ground in front of her. And they know that really well.

"Yeah, Lars is the strongest." Ais nodded with a huff.

"Hah, I'll call Loki. Walk with me?" Riveria offered and Lars left Ais for a moment.

"I'll be back, okay?" He treated her like a puppy that wanted their human to not leave them.

While they walked to Loki's office, Riveria's mana was awry. And he noticed it.

"Something you wanna say?" Lars smiled at her and Riveria frowned.

"Was it all a ruse? A trick?" Riveria looked at him and her eyes were full of emotion.

Uncertainty, betrayal, sadness. "Hah, what do you think?"

"I... I think not." Riveria thought of it logically. If the xenos were being raised for evil intent, then Orario would've fallen in a day.

"Then stick with that. After all, I can't convince you to change what you think. Only provide the evidence." Lars shrugged.

He then patted her head. "And thanks for believing in me."

Riveria blushed like a tomato. 'So unfair... He's just a child. But why does he make me feel like this?'

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Thanks for reading everyone, ciao.