The Council of the Gods was as eccentric and chaotic as one would expect from the divinities of Orario. Several small parties were held before the main event, wherein the gods mostly spent their time gorging themselves, getting plastered, and hooking up with one another. Hestia didn’t bother attending any of these festivities, of course, instead waiting until the main event to walk into the large Council Hall. As one would expect, everyone was in a festive, frivolous mood as they filed into the hall after her, with some of the divinities even choosing not to show. Hestia had sat down and waited patiently for Ouranos to call them all to order, which he did with a booming, solid voice, “Order! There will be order in the Council Hall. We can return to the party after business is taken care of.”

  The white-haired old god seemed perfectly sober himself as he took charge of the situation, and most of the divinities were smart enough to shut up and scurry off to their seats at his command. The gods seemed almost dignified as they straightened up and lent their focus to Ouranos, and he continued, “Ishtar, you’re the one who called this Council. Why don’t you explain your purpose in doing so?”

  The Amazon goddess stood up straight, long ebony hair waving as she turned to glare at Hestia. The amber-eyed goddess frowned at the hostility, though she remained calm on the surface as Ishtar launched into her tirade, “The Hestia and Takemikazuchi Familias have taken something very precious from me. I have called this meeting to request that they be sanctioned by all the gods of Orario.”

  The hall broke out into murmurs at the announcement, each divinity gossiping to their neighbor about the situation. Many turned to look at Hestia for her response, which the Hearth goddess gave with a solemn expression, “Your ‘property’ doesn’t want to be yours anymore, Ishtar. I have a written statement right here from Sanjouno Haruhime that indicates she no longer wishes to be a part of your Familia.”

  Hestia waved around a paper before continuing, “Are we gods so cruel that we won’t allow our children to make their own choices? My counter-request is that Ishtar give up all claim on the freedom of Sanjouno Haruhime, swear to offer no reprisals against my Familia or Takemikazuchi’s Familia, and pay reparations to both our Familias for the destruction of our homes.”

  Hestia doubted she’d get that last condition, but it was certainly worth going for. In her estimation, Ishtar had made a mistake in calling this council. Before, it had been a private feud between their Familias. Now that it was a public affair, Hestia was confident that the other gods would take her side. They tended to sympathize with the children of Gekai, especially when it came to topics like freedom and independence. When nothing was at stake for them personally, they would usually vote for whatever caused the most chaos or created the most freedom. To sell the concept, Hestia placed a hand on her chest and adopted a pitying expression, “Or will you force the young renart into a life of prostitution and servitude? She’s clearly said that she wants nothing to do with you. Meanwhile, you have gone around burning down our homes for the crime of granting her safe harbor. You should be forced to pay.”

  There were a few ‘Yeah’s and ‘she should pay’s from the crowd as things grew slightly rowdy once more. Ishtar, remaining strident, gave a strong gesture of denial, “You dare kidnap one of my precious children, then try to turn me into the villain? Perhaps you are the goddess of sophistry as well, Hestia!”

  From somewhere to Hestia’s right, she heard her old friend Hephaestus snort, then comment, “Better a sophist than a lying harlot.”

  That comment sent the room into further disarray, with different gods hurling insults or providing commentary. Oranos banged his gavel impatiently, silencing them all once more, “Enough! There will be order in the hall!”

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  When everyone had quieted down, Oranos looked first to Hestia, then to Ishtar, before letting out a sigh, “Both of you have made your demands known. Do you wish to put this to a vote? Remember that the decisions of this council are binding on all divinities in Orario.”

  Hestia nodded, but she watched as a sly expression suddenly passed over Ishtar’s face. The Hearth goddess suddenly had a bad premonition, but there was nothing she could do to stop the following words that came from Ishtar’s mouth, “Actually, I have a better idea. I suggest we settle this with a War Game.”

  Now that sparked another uproar, one that Oranos didn’t silence immediately, and Hestia felt her heart sink into her stomach. If there was one thing that the gods valued above all else, it was entertainment, and that was exactly what Ishtar was offering them. With a flourish, she puffed up her chest and pointed at Hestia dramatically, “If you win, I will gladly accept your conditions. The fox can fly free, I won’t hold a grudge, and I’ll even pay you back for those shacks you called houses.”

  Hestia gave a smile that didn’t reach her eyes, “And if you win?”

  Ishtar grinned right back, “When I win, you will return Haruhime to me, with an apology. You will pay me reparations for the inconveniences you’ve caused me...”, she paused dramatically, waiting to make sure every single eye was on her, “And you will agree to be my slave for the next century. You and Takemikazuchi.”

  The chaos beforehand was nothing compared to the uproar that followed this announcement, but Ishtar wasn’t done yet. She looked to the rest of the crowd, clearly looking to gin everyone up into a frenzy, “I say we put that proposition to a vote. What say you, gods of Orario? Will there be War?”

  At that, there was a chorus of unanimous ‘Yes’s. Hestia felt the situation spiraling out of her control, and when she caught Oranos’s eye, he simply shook his head. There was little he could do in the face of this unruly crowd. Truth be told, Hestia should’ve seen this coming. But even if she had, there would’ve been little that she could’ve done to avoid this situation. Now, with the council whipped into a frenzy, there was only one course of action left.

  She would have to believe in her children.

  …

  “A War Game!? With Ishtar Familia?”

  Lilli exploded with distress when Hestia told them the news, eyes as wide as saucers. Both Hestia and Take Familia were gathered around a large central table in the inn room that they’d been renting out. Most of the adventurers had grown dour after Hestia announced the news, the weight of their situation suddenly becoming palpable. By all rights, their smaller Familias had no chance of winning a War Game with Ishtar Familia.

  “How long?” Adama questioned, eyes narrowed in thought. He was the only adventurer there not discouraged, and his mind was already working on different ways he might attempt to steal victory from the jaws of certain defeat.

  “Two weeks,” Hestia answered, face growing melancholic as she explained, “I tried to postpone it as best as I could, but the gods are eager to see blood. I could only get us two.”

  Adama nodded once, “It’ll be enough. Don’t fret too much on our account. We’re the ones who put you in this situation.”

  Adama had read Hestia like a book. She clearly regretted giving her Familia members an impossible task, especially with something so dire on the line. A century didn’t mean much to Hestia, but it was longer than any of their natural lines. If Hestia were enslaved, they would have to disband the Familia, and it would never be put back together in their lifetime. Hestia still looked guilty, yet she nodded back in acceptance. In the meantime, Adama continued to stir on their situation. Two weeks wasn’t a lot of time at all. To anyone else, it truly would be impossible. However, Adama did have a few ideas on how they could prepare to fight and win a War Game against a vastly superior force. All eyes were on the swordsman as he learned over the table, carefully considered his words, then spoke, “Here’s what we’re going to need…”

  …

  Ishtar lounged on her throne in her high tower, swirling a glass of wine and grinning triumphantly. It had all gone exactly as she’d hoped. Once she had Hestia as her slave, she would have a significant bargaining chip on Freya. The silver-haired goddess would do almost anything to keep the orange-eyed object of her affection from being sullied or abused. Ishtar would use that leverage to steadily weaken her rival while building up her own strength. In another century or so, she intended to have enough strength to destroy Freya Familia and claim her rightful place at the top of Orario. It may not even take that long. With Haruhime and Alura in her pocket, Ishtar Familia’s military prowess would continue to improve at a rapid clip.

  Everything was going according to plan.