Far away from the Hephaestus Familia's home, Revinas sat biting her nails. Her eyes were fixed intensely on the wall as she thought about what to do next.
The forge she had established had been destroyed.
She had asked Alecto for permission to create that forge exactly four months ago. She had thought it would be a good idea—a reliable source of income and a way to discover talented blacksmiths.
But in the end, none of that happened.
The place had become practically useless after the very first month.
At first, the blacksmiths were treated reasonably well, but after a while Revinas lost interest and left the forge under the supervision of Familia members she trusted.
She told them they could do whatever they wanted.
That was when everything started to go wrong.
People were forced to work for hours on end, given poor food, and crammed into filthy, tiny rooms. Those who worked there had become nothing more than slaves and prisoners.
And what did Revinas and the Dis sisters do when they learned what was happening inside that forge?
They completely ignored it.
They were sadists, and they never denied it.
They could have freed everyone there and simply told Alecto that the "project" had failed, but they chose not to.
Time passed.
The number of "slaves" neither increased nor decreased.
Then, it happened.
After months, someone finally began to stand out.
Revinas had heard many things about Ethan, but she had never met him in person. She had the chance to use one of his swords, and afterward she gave an order.
"Give him a private room. He needs to be treated better than the others. I'll meet with him soon."
But that meeting never happened.
A few days after issuing that order, Ethan destroyed the entire forge.
When Revinas heard those words from Dina, she froze for a few seconds before clicking her tongue in irritation.
The first person she thought about was Alecto.
She didn't care about Ethan or his "talent."
If Alecto found out everything that had happened inside that place, she would undoubtedly become furious. She would certainly turn against Revinas and the two sisters.
No matter how ruthless Alecto was, she would never tolerate members of her Familia being enslaved.
'I can't let her find out what was really happening in that place. Dina and Vena won't say anything... right? I need to find that guy before Alecto gets her hands on him.'
####
Revinas left the room and went looking for Dina.
When she found her, she called her over and asked whether Ethan had been found.
Dina replied,
"The two men we sent after him disappeared."
Revinas frowned.
"Were they Familia members?"
"No."
"Do you have any idea where they disappeared?"
"They said they were going to check a shop in the district where the workshops are. They didn't specify which one. There are a lot of Hephaestus Familia workshops in that area..."
Revinas quickly reached a conclusion.
"Is someone from the Hephaestus Familia helping him?"
Dina, who knew Ethan's swords had been gaining some attention over the past few days, answered,
"I don't know, but he's probably hiding in one of those workshops and selling swords."
"I see. But we have no way of knowing exactly which workshop he's in."
Revinas ground her teeth impatiently.
"I've already sent more men to that area. They should return with information soon. They're stronger than the previous ones. I trust them."
"That man killed every Familia guard inside the forge. He's stronger than you think," Revinas said.
"Those guards were weak. The men I sent are all Level Three."
"And what if he isn't in one of those workshops anymore?"
"Well... maybe he fled somewhere else after realizing he'd been discovered," Dina replied with a sigh.
But Ethan fleeing to another part of the city wasn't what worried Revinas.
Something else was.
"What if Hephaestus has already taken an interest in him? He might be under the protection of the Hephaestus Familia. That goddess has a weakness for talented blacksmiths."
Dina, whose intelligence left much to be desired, widened her eyes.
"I... I didn't even think of that."
"You idiot."
Revinas let out a sigh.
"If the Hephaestus Familia is protecting him, we won't be able to get our hands on him easily. Actually... I don't think we should do anything for now."
"Hm? Why?"
"If he really is with the Hephaestus Familia, it won't be easy for Goddess Alecto to get to him either."
"Well... you're right."
Dina paused before asking,
"But why are you so worried about this? If the Goddess finds out everything that happened inside the forge, will it really be that bad? Are we going to be punished?"
Looking directly at Dina, Revinas replied,
"Dina, more than thirty Familia members died because of what happened."
"But did anyone actually care about them? They were weak. They weren't important. The guards in that place couldn't even handle dirty work properly. They were completely useless."
"They were still members of the Alecto Familia. You know very well that she cares deeply about her members, despite the way she is."
"You're right..."
Dina puffed out her cheeks.
"But I'm not going to stop looking for him. Maybe the Hephaestus Familia isn't protecting him after all."
"Fine. But if he really is under the Hephaestus Familia's protection, don't do anything yet. Wait for the right opportunity."
"I know."
"Good."
The two then went their separate ways.
Revinas left the Familia's residence and headed toward the Dungeon to clear her mind.
As for Dina, she went to meet a group that had just returned with important information.
She met them in a secluded area away from the Familia's home.
The moment she lowered her hood, the visibly nervous men bowed their heads slightly in respect.
Then the man standing in the center spoke.
"We found out where he is."