The Fukaros Familia, starting from DanMachi.

Chapter 142 Taking a Gamble, From Bicycle to Motorcycle

"Lord Hermes—is it really alright for me to stay here?"

She was forcibly taken to the Babel Tower assembly hall, where she was the only mortal among a room full of gods and goddesses. This made Asphie uneasy and her whole body stiff.

"Hmm, it's alright, no one here is that picky."

Hermes just smiled and didn't take it seriously.

He had Asfi stand beside him, then slowly slipped his hand inside his clothes.

"—It's about time."

The pocket watch that was taken out showed that noon was approaching.

Hermes raised his chin and said to the empty sky, "Then, Uranus, please allow us to exercise our 'power'."

His words, which vibrated the space, received a response a few seconds later.

【-license.】

From the direction of the guild headquarters, it seemed as if one could indeed hear that steady, resounding declaration, imbued with supreme divine power.

All the gods in Orario snapped their fingers in unison.

In an instant, "mirrors" shimmering with light appeared out of thin air in taverns, street corners, central squares, and even in the rooms of countless families.

"Woohoo ...

The countless round mirrors that appeared in every corner of the city instantly caused a huge uproar among the crowd.

This is the "divine power" that can be used in the lower realms—the "divine mirror".

It possesses the ability to see a thousand miles, and even if they are separated by two places, it can see everything that passes by at a glance.

This is the only approved exception, allowing the gods to enjoy the activities planned for the mortal realm.

"The Divine Mirror is now set up. Let me explain again: this war game will pit the [Fucarus Familia] against the [Apollo Familia] in a siege battle format! Warriors from both sides are already on the battlefield, awaiting the noon bell to signal the start of the war!"

In conjunction with locations such as taverns and main streets, circular mirrors of varying sizes clearly reflect the ancient city that has raised the sun flag, as well as the five tiny figures on the plain outside the city.

Amidst the electrifying atmosphere of the entire city, broadcaster Ibrahim begins explaining the basics of the war game through a megaphone.

"Is it ready yet?! Betting is about to close!"

Just as the sound of live news reports rang out outside, in many taverns along the street, adventurers colluding with merchants were enthusiastically setting up gambling dens.

Everyone is betting on whether the [Fukaros Familia] or the [Apollo Familia] will be the final winner of the war game.

People who had placed large bets clutched their betting tickets tightly at the table, their eyes fixed on the "mirror" in mid-air.

"The odds for the Apollo Familia against the Fucarus Familia are roughly 25 to 1."

"The expected odds for the [Fukaros Familia] are over twenty times—lower than I expected! What genius would bet on a family of only five to win?"

The adventurer acting as the dealer tallied the bets and tickets, and checked the casino's status.

In terms of power dynamics, no matter how you look at it, the bets should be overwhelmingly placed on the Apollo Familia, but surprisingly, quite a few people are also betting on the Fukaros Familia.

"It's definitely those gods again—"

Those eccentric geniuses with bizarre thought processes always like to bet on these incredibly unexpected outcomes.

Before the adventurous banker's eyes, shouts of "Whoa—!", "Come on, come on—!", and "All in! All in!" rang out.

"Take a gamble, and you might win big!" The gods clutched their betting tickets, praying for a big win.

As for the other tavern, the atmosphere was somewhat subtle.

"What's going on? Everyone's betting on Apollo to win, this is so boring."

One of the dealers looked around at everyone in the tavern and sighed loudly.

Then Bert slammed a heavy bag of farries down in front of him.

"Bet on the Fukalos Familia, one million."

"Hey hey hey hey!"

"Really?! [The Fierce Wolf] bets on the Fukaros Familia to win!?"

"What a joke! Is there some inside story we don't know?" The entire tavern erupted in chaos.

"Hahaha, who else wants to bet on the Fukaros Familia? Place your bets now!" the bookmaker shouted excitedly.

"Here, three million."

Suddenly, a tall figure dressed in Far Eastern samurai attire—Sakura—dropped an even larger money bag in front of the dealer.

"Hey, isn't that the leader of the Takemikazuchi Familia? When did they become so rich?"

Someone recognized Sakura; she was a member of Orario's notoriously poor clan.

Sakura ignored the gamblers' chatter, looked up at the mirror, and prayed silently.

Of these three million, two million were bets that Fenyu had entrusted him to place before his departure, and the remaining one million was all the savings that the Takemikazuchi clan had accumulated through frugality, which they originally intended to send back to their hometown shrine.

But he chose to believe in Fenyu and take the gamble.

"Hey, are they out of their minds? Or is there some information we don't know about?"

"Never mind, both [Fierce Wolf] and [Takemikazuchi] have been bet, this is definitely not a coincidence, I'll go for it too, and gamble big."

Some people saw through the scheme and immediately chose to follow suit, but most people still chose to trust their own judgment.

Five people attacking a castle defended by more than a hundred people? Even a picture book wouldn't dare to write something like that.

Every corner of the street was bustling with activity and full of vitality.

Everyone's emotions were reaching their peak as they awaited the moment the noon bell rang.

"Have you said goodbye to your child?"

Apollo walked gracefully to Fucarus's side, a sophisticated smile on his face as if he had everything under control, his tone full of altruistic pity.

"Apollo, do you know what a hero is?"

Fucarus did not answer, nor did he even look at him. He simply stared at the image in the mirror and asked a question in return.

"Huh? Now that things have come to this, what do you want to say?"

Apollo's heart skipped a beat.

Fukalos's performance was completely different from what he had expected—no worry, no anxiety, and no resentment.

It was a kind of calm and indifference that made him uneasy.

"A hero is someone who carries the hopes of others to accomplish what ordinary people consider impossible, ultimately achieving a great feat known as a 'miracle.'"

After speaking in a strange tone, Fucarus ignored Apollo and focused all his attention on the mirror.

Those heterochromatic eyes reflected the five tiny figures on the plain.

"Utterly absurd—this is just a charade!"

Apollo's teeth clenched so hard they clicked, and a twist appeared on his handsome face.

He wanted to see if Fucarus could maintain this damned calm when his kin achieved victory.

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