What's the most profitable business? The answer is a monopoly.
The Ishtar Familia, one of Orario's largest, dominated the city's pleasure district. Its core mbers were primarily Amazons, battle courtesans who fought in the dungeon by day and in private rooms by night. They controlled nearly the entire pleasure district, and anyone looking to enter that trade needed Ishtar's approval.
But Ishtar wasn't satisfied. Her wealth from the pleasure district wasn't enough, she craved the lofty status held by Freya, another goddess of beauty. We're both goddesses of allure, so why does she outshine ? Ishtar fud. To that end, she built her Familia by collecting unique talents, like Cassandra, who could foresee the future, and Haruhi, hailing from the Far East, who possessed a rare magic called "Uchide no Kozuchi." This spell could instantly raise a target's level by one.
For example, a Level 5 could beco Level 6, or a Level 6 could jump to Level 7. The higher the level, the harder it was to advance, and the greater the power gap between levels. While Haruhi's magic might seem modest early on, for high-level adventurers, it was a ga-changer. Unlike Bert's "Shura Kick," a limit-breaking skill that left him drained after a minute, Haruhi's magic had no drawbacks. Its only limitation was that it could only affect one person at a ti, with a long cooldown between uses.
Though powerful, it wasn't versatile enough for widespread use, but it remained a trump card. Ishtar kept Haruhi hidden, searching for a way to mass-produce her magic's effects.
Patient and calculating, Ishtar bided her ti in the pleasure district, gathering useful assets until she held a decisive advantage. Now, her target was Altair, Orario's fastest-rising Level 3 adventurer.
The Hestia Familia's leader, a newcor who arrived in Orario re months ago, had reached Level 2 and then Level 3 at record speed. Even more baffling, the Familia's second mber, Saeko, had hit Level 2 almost as quickly and was likely nearing Level 3. Two prodigies with such rapid growth? Ishtar refused to believe it was re talent. There had to be a thod behind their swift level-ups.
What that thod was, she didn't know, but capturing Altair would reveal it. His secrets lay in his falna, the divine blessing on his back, locked by his goddess. A status-unlocking potion could expose it, revealing why Altair and his teammates leveled so quickly.
If Ishtar could harness this thod, her Amazon battle courtesans could rapidly reach Level 3, 4, or even 5. Combined with a mass-produced version of Haruhi's "Uchide no Kozuchi," she could build an army of high-level adventurers. Then, she would challenge the Freya Familia, crush that "hypocritical vixen," and claim the throne of Orario's queen.
"All secrets will be unveiled tonight," Ishtar declared.
At her command, the Ishtar Familia's elite adventurers mobilized, heading toward the Hestia Familia's residence.
Back at the City of Ideals, Hestia returned from the Denatus with Altair's new title, "Demon Sword Knight." The Familia celebrated modestly, though Hestia and Est's rivalry over Altair's lap led to a playful standoff. In the end, both lolis claid a spot, one on each leg, their light weight making it no issue.
After the celebration, the Hestia Familia washed up and retired for the night.
As their lights went out, shadowy figures gathered in the darkened streets outside.
"Aisha-sama," two figures knelt before their leader.
"Rise," commanded Aisha, a woman with long black hair, sun-kissed skin, and an outfit so revealing it barely qualified, little more than undergarnts and sheer, translucent pants that hid nothing.
"Where's the target?"
"We observed the lights as we approached. Their bedrooms are on the third floor, the first and second rooms on the left. The first room's lights went out first, then the second, so Altair's room is likely the second," one of the figures reported.
"Got it," Aisha nodded, stepping out of the shadows.
"I'll bring him out. Stay here and don't move without my orders."
"Yes!" the two battle courtesans replied, remaining in the darkness.
Aisha erged onto the street, gazing at the Hestia Familia's residence. "City of Ideals, a nice na. Sha you've caught Ishtar-sama's eye," she said with a smirk.
As Ishtar's second-in-command, Aisha was a Level 3 adventurer nearing Level 4, making her the Familia's second-strongest mber. The leader's imposing presence made her too conspicuous for covert tasks, so Aisha handled the dirty work. As a high-level adventurer, she could manage most missions single-handedly. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novel·fire
Approaching the compound's wall, marked with a "High Voltage" sign, she looked up to see a few coils of wire. "Such a pathetic defense. This Familia really is full of naive kids," she scoffed, reaching for the wires.
***
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