Chapter 1010: Chapter 768: Cleaning Up the Aftermath
"Captured?"
At this moment, Ais and Rephia both looked surprised.
Only Reiger slightly squinted his eyes and actually started to smile.
"Is it really like this?"
Reiger wasn’t surprised by this result at all.
Unlike him, Ais and the others were furrowing their brows and began to discuss.
"It’s normal for the Hestia Familia to be unable to defeat the Istar Familia."
"The problem is, knowing they can’t win, why would the Hestia Familia still choose to hide a member of the Istar Familia?"
"..."
Raul, Rephia, and Ais all expressed confusion, unable to understand Bell Crowney’s actions.
"Could it be he’s taken a liking to a prostitute?"
Rephia began to show some contempt.
"Don’t say such things." Reiger tapped Rephia on the forehead, saying, "It’s not as bad as you think."
Upon hearing this, the somewhat silent Ais seemed to have keenly sensed something.
"... Do you know something?"
Ais looked at Reiger and asked.
Rephia and Raul also paused slightly and looked at Reiger.
"Well, sort of."
Reiger didn’t deny it.
He naturally understood the reason behind all this.
The reason, of course, was related to Haruhime.
Sanjono Haruhime, this fox girl, like her kin, hailed from the Extreme East Region as part of a magical race, and was even a noble.
The reason she ended up as a prostitute for the Istar Familia was because she was framed as a child for violating clan rules, and was expelled from her home by her father.
After being expelled, Sanjono Haruhime was first kidnapped by a scheming small-person clan member who took a fancy to her, then fell into the hands of thieves, before being sold to Fengyue Street in Orario, becoming a prostitute.
It’s safe to say that the life of this fox girl was a tragedy, filled with many misfortunes.
Yet, her misfortune officially began when she became a prostitute and joined the Istar Familia.
Upon joining the Istar Familia, with the blessing of Ishtar engraved on her back, Haruhime’s greatest talent was discovered.
The emergence of the strongest demon art in history delighted Ishtar, and inspired dark intentions.
To defeat Frey and crush the Freyja Clan, Ishtar devised a sinister plan.
Haruhime was meant to be the sacrifice in this plan.
That’s why Reiger caused such a scene in Fengyue Street yesterday, to liberate this girl from her cage.
He teleported Haruhime away, but didn’t directly rescue her.
Firstly, since Haruhime was indeed a member of the Istar Familia, with Ishtar’s blessing engraved on her back, if Reiger brought her back, the Loki Familia would find it difficult to protect Haruhime under circumstances that aren’t legitimate.
Secondly, Reiger knew very well that Haruhime could only find the meaning of her life by going to the Hestia Familia.
The fox girl longed for a hero to save her.
The fox girl perceived herself as a demon girl bringing calamity.
Within the Hestia Familia was a member from the Extreme East Region, familiar with Haruhime since childhood, able to accept the self-denying fox girl; Bell Crowney also had the potential to become Haruhime’s hero, and even faced with the challenge of the Istar Familia, a major faction in the city, he would certainly step forward to protect that girl.
In the original story, Bell Crowney, due to that member from the Extreme East Region, quickly entered Fengyue Street soon after advancing to Lv.3 and found Haruhime.
Therefore, Reiger caused a commotion in the entertainment district, exacting revenge on the Istar Familia while sending Haruhime away.
Though he randomly teleported Haruhime, he believed Bell Crowney would surely find the fox girl before the Istar Familia’s people in that situation.
The reason is simple.
When advancing to Lv.2, Bell Crowney acquired a development ability — "Luck."
As the name suggests, it’s a development ability akin to a blessing that brings good fortune.
With this development ability, the probability of Bell Crowney overcoming dangers and achieving his goals was undoubtedly far higher than normal people.
With "Luck" on his side, as long as Bell Crowney was determined to find his childhood friend for his companion, he would undoubtedly find Haruhime ahead of everyone else, under various coincidences.
Once he finds Haruhime and learns of her plight, he will surely choose to shelter her, especially since Haruhime’s childhood friend is within the Hestia Familia.
Of course, this isn’t necessarily a good thing.
No matter what, Haruhime is still a member of the Istar Familia, with Ishtar’s blessing engraved on her back.
With Ishtar’s Divine Blood as a connection, the Istar Familia finding Haruhime and confronting the Hestia Familia is just a matter of time.
When the time comes, one side wants to protect Haruhime at all costs, while the other wants to reclaim Haruhime, leading to conflict or even direct warfare between the two familial factions, which is entirely foreseeable.
Reiger foresaw all of this.
He also anticipated that facing the Istar Familia, the Hestia Familia would definitely be defeated.
Bell Crowney, as the captain of the Hestia Familia, even if he was the protagonist of the original story, was ultimately just a Level 3 second-tier adventurer at this point.
The other members of the Hestia Familia were either Level 2 or even Level 1; how could they possibly be opponents of the Istar Familia?
The Istar Familia wouldn’t even need to send Fulini; as long as Aisha and other combat prostitutes step in, they could easily take down the Hestia Familia.