The Familia stronghold, resembling a grand palace, boasted an interior just as magnificent as its exterior.
Upon stepping through the entrance, a spacious first-floor hall came into view. The floor, paved with white marble, was covered with thick red velvet carpets. Exquisite porcelain artworks, exuding an air of luxury, were displayed throughout the hall.
The most striking feature was the towering stairwells on both sides of the hall, extending upward in a manner reminiscent of the Tower of Babel.
Furthermore, from the outside, the palace stood an impressive thirty stories tall, making it one of Orario's landmark buildings.
One might even think that the goddess residing here was deliberately competing with the Tower of Babel, constructing the Familia stronghold in such a luxurious and similar fashion.
"We asked for too little."
Standing in the grand hall, Eiji suddenly realized.
For a large Familia like the Ishtar Familia, which raked in massive wealth daily, its cash flow likely far surpassed that of the Loki Familia, which focused purely on dungeon exploration. Back then, Finn and the others had only demanded a billion—far too little in hindsight.
"Is this your first time here, guest? Why are you just standing there? Don't you have any familiar sisters?"
An Amazoness approached Eiji, her upper body covered only by a strapless top while her lower body was draped in a dancer's purple gauzy skirt, exuding an enticing charm. Her slender eyes gleamed with a seductive allure.
"It is indeed my first time here."
Eiji tightened his cloak and glanced around.
The hall was bustling with people—at least dozens of scantily clad Amazoness and muscular adventurers.
"I'll pick you. Let's go to your room."
After a brief moment of thought, Eiji stepped forward and wrapped his arm around the Amazoness's waist.
The Amazoness smiled seductively, seemingly pleased, and nestled into Eiji's embrace before leading him toward the stairwell and up to the third floor.
Below the third floor, each level had over a dozen rooms, from which faint and ambiguous noises constantly emanated. Business was clearly booming.
"This room is empty. Let's use this one."
The Amazoness looked around and found a relatively secluded room, as the others were already occupied.
"Are you the type who likes it with or without clothes?"
Inside the room, the Amazoness fell into his arms.
One hand tugged at the strap of her top, ready to remove it at any moment, while the other reached toward Eiji's hood.
Then, she pulled it back.
In an instant, her breath hitched, and her body trembled as if in a spasm.
The scent from his presence overwhelmed her senses, clouding her mind with dizziness. The heat in her gaze was enough to dull all five senses—she was completely ensnared by an irresistible charm in a single breath.
"I have something to ask you."
The cloaked boy leaned close to her ear, his deep voice questioning.
"Where is Phryne?"
"…In the underground prison."
Her mind went blank, and she answered instinctively.
The absolute charm left her incapable of resistance, rendering her thoughtless and stripping her of all bodily, mental, and spiritual autonomy.
After getting his answer, Eiji let her go and left the room.
Like a puppet with its strings severed, the Amazoness collapsed weakly to the ground. Her face was flushed red, her body convulsing slightly, her eyes blank with a dazed expression.
What… happened?
She no longer remembered.
With her cognition and thought process completely shattered, she had entirely lost the memory of removing his hood.
Eiji was not skilled at stealth.
With his usual luck, attempting stealth would inevitably result in stepping on twigs or other such blunders.
But the highest level of assassination required no stealth at all.
If he simply charmed everyone, then no one would even know he was there for an assassination.
Eiji left the room and descended toward the underground prison.
Along the way, every Amazoness and adventurer—regardless of gender—collapsed instantly upon meeting his gaze, their rationality eroded, leaving them completely dazed and defenseless.
Underground.
In the pitch-black corridor, only the dim glow of magic stone lamps illuminated the damp passageways, where chilling winds howled erratically.
Eiji advanced unimpeded into the depths of the underground prison, stopping before a cell.
Then, he deactivated his charm.
He had absolutely no desire to charm a grotesquely ugly frog woman—that would haunt his nightmares.
Bang!
Before Eiji could even retrieve the key from the guard's body, an ear-shattering crash erupted from within the cell.
"I smell a beautiful young man!!"
A rough, booming voice rang out impatiently from inside.
With the thunderous impact, a deep fist imprint suddenly appeared on the sturdy iron door, as if the metal had turned to mere cotton.
Boom!
Another loud crash.
The iron door was blasted off its hinges, smashing against the marble walls with a deafening clang, causing the entire structure to tremble.
"Hahahaha! Have you brought me an offering?!"
Then, a burly toad woman hunched forward, stepping out of the cell. Her horizontally split mouth stretched to her ears in an expression of uncontrollable delight.
"Who the hell was this cell meant to hold?"
Eiji sneered internally before casually discarding the key.
Ishtar, the Familia's goddess, was likely just as exasperated. She probably knew that the dungeon couldn't contain Phryne, but had to go through the motions—otherwise, her divine authority would be undermined.
"So it really is you!"
The massive figure of the toad woman cast a long shadow under the dim magic stone light, making her grotesque appearance even more horrifying.
Yet, upon seeing Eiji, her face lit up with joy. She burst into hearty laughter, looking as ecstatic as a demon from hell.
"I knew you couldn't resist my beauty! Ever since you left, I've been waiting for your return! And finally, you've come back! No more waiting—let's get right to it!"
Cackling, she took large strides toward Eiji.
What the fuck, is she insane?!
"Yes, I did come to take care of business."
Faced with Phryne's relentless, obliviously narcissistic advances, Eiji couldn't help but feel disgusted, his face openly displaying his revulsion.
As particles of light gathered, a dazzling silver katana, shimmering like rippling water, materialized in his grasp.
"However, my business is not quite the same as yours…!"
Eiji closed his eyes momentarily.
When he reopened them, only an unrelenting battle spirit burned within.
Swish!
In an instant, a fierce gust kicked up a thick cloud of dust.
Amid the piercing sound of slicing wind, breathtaking sword flashes flickered through the darkness, dozens of slashes weaving together in the blink of an eye, like twinkling stars.
"So fast!"
Phryne flinched in shock.
"I'm fast as fuck!"
Eiji's gaze turned razor-sharp as he finally let loose a furious outburst.
At the same time, his blade moved even faster, mercilessly slashing toward Phryne.
***
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