A thousand years ago, when the gods first descended to the lower world, Zeus Familia and Hera Familia were the strongest Familias in Orario and the world itself. Each boasted a Level 8 and Level 9 Captain, respectively, and most of their executives wielded power nearly comparable to the legendary Mercenaries of old.

They shared a close relationship, often embarking on joint expeditions, and unlike other Familias, they were open to sharing their findings with the Guild, despite finding it cumbersome. Their contributions laid the foundation for modern Orario.

It was customary for them to clash with other Familias. The Sobek, Set, Horus, Osiris, Loki, and Freya Familias were confirmed to have fierce rivalries with them. Zeus Familia and Hera Familia had even defeated the first three in the past.

However, their glory crumbled. Fifteen years ago, Zeus Familia and Hera Familia were decimated by the One-Eyed Black Dragon. More precisely, their main forces were defeated, leaving a massive void in Orario's history.

No veteran adventurer could ever forget the dominance of those two mightiest Familias.

Now, with Charlie openly declaring himself a member of Hera Familia, his reputation would undoubtedly spread throughout Orario. After all, he had previously kept a low profile, avoiding attention.

"So, you're Charlie?"

"Hm?"

Charlie looked at Roy, sensing something odd in his tone.

Knowing the young man before him was from Hera Familia, Roy swallowed hard, trying to suppress his nervousness. He glanced at his colleagues, who were staring at Charlie with similar expressions.

"Here's the thing, sir… There's… there's a special instruction for us, the staff at Babel Tower. If an adventurer named Charlie emerges from the Dungeon, we're ordered to immediately report it to the Guild. There's an important individual who's eager to meet you."

It was common knowledge that Hera Familia members shared traits similar to their goddess. They were known to be unusually jealous and possessive, but they deeply despised infidelity. In short, they were temperamental when it came to loyalty.

That was the reason behind Roy's unease. After all, he was exactly the type of person Hera Familia would despise.

He had heard rumors that Hera Familia members possessed strange abilities, like being able to tell if someone had cheated.

(I hope those rumors aren't true,) Roy prayed silently, cold sweat trickling down his back.

"Understood. I'll head to the Guild now." Charlie said, unaware of the fear gripping Roy. He turned and left with Aishia and Est, leaving Roy still haunted by the Hera Familia's reputation.

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Arriving at the Guild, Charlie headed straight to the counter he usually visited. As always, it was less crowded than the others. Behind it stood a receptionist with red hair and a sour expression, waiting for him.

"Good afternoon, Rose. Your counter's still quiet, huh…" Charlie greeted casually, a faint smile on his lips.

"Hmph, that's none of your business." Rose scoffed, turning her face away. But inwardly, she felt relief knowing he was alive.

Don't misunderstand Rose's harsh and abrasive attitude toward adventurers; she genuinely cared for every adventurer she served. However, the bitter experience of facing death after death of the adventurers assigned to her had left her traumatized.

Rose had built walls around her heart to shield herself from the pain of loss.

"What do you want?" she asked indifferently, avoiding his gaze.

"Let me touch your tail and ears." Charlie said lightly.

Rose was a Werewolf, a sub-species of Beastman. Animal ears and tails were distinctive traits of the Beastman race.

"What nonsense are you spouting?!" Rose snapped, her face flushing with embarrassment and anger.

It was the first time anyone had made such a shameless request of her.

"Watch your words, or I'll report you for sexual harassment!"

"Sorry, I was just joking. Don't take it too seriously, okay?" Charlie gave an apologetic smile, raising both hands in surrender. He got to the point. "A receptionist at Babel Tower told me to come to the Guild. Said there's someone important here who wants to meet me."

Rose was still pouting, but the information was serious enough to shift her focus. She nodded lightly.

"I'll check on it. Wait a moment."

Rose turned and walked toward a door behind her counter.

Est tugged at the hem of Charlie's shirt, her large eyes looking up at him innocently.

"What's up, Est?" Charlie bent down and asked gently.

"Does Onii-chan like beast girls? You kept glancing at that wolf girl's ears."

"Cough, cough…"

Charlie choked, coughing hard at Est's unexpected statement. Sure enough, nearby receptionists stared at him as if he were irredeemable trash, their gazes dripping with disgust and judgment.

Before Charlie could defend himself against the baseless accusation, Aishia innocently joined in, further tarnishing his reputation among the Guild's receptionists.

"If Charlie's really interested, I can grow animal ears and a tail using Spirit Arts. What animal does Charlie like? Rabbit, fox, cat, dog? As long as it's your wish, I'll do it."

Aishia spoke words that could arouse any man's desires with complete innocence, unaware of their implications.

She had seen memories of Charlie's life on Earth, so she was familiar with ACG culture, including the hentai side Charlie kept hidden.

"Haiz…"

Charlie sighed, covering his face. Though embarrassed by the misunderstanding Est and Aishia caused, he wasn't angry. He knew Aishia only cared about him, nothing more.

"I—"

Just as Charlie was about to clarify that he had no furry fetish or anything like that, he was interrupted again.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Mr. Charlie. I am Royman Mardeel. Please follow me."

A stout, white-haired Elf, who appeared short due to his rotund build, stood before Charlie. Royman wore a black suit of far higher quality than the other Guild workers' attire, exuding an air of authority.

"Lead the way." Charlie said curtly, unaware that Royman was the Guild Master.

He didn't act overly polite, simply following along. With Est and Aishia at his left and right, he trailed Royman down the Guild's corridor.

After the four figures disappeared from sight, Rose was immediately surrounded by other receptionists.

"Rose! What was that about?" one of them exclaimed, her voice brimming with curiosity. "Why did the Guild Master himself come to meet that adventurer?!"

Rose shrugged, her cheeks still slightly flushed from the earlier incident. "How should I know?! I have no idea why the Guild Master showed up out of nowhere."

(I hope that guy doesn't cause trouble.)

In her heart, Rose hoped Charlie hadn't committed some crime that required the Guild Master's direct intervention.