Danmachi: Strongest Familia

"Is this your plan? With daily sales of recovery potions so low, shouldn't we reassign manpower to produce magic potions instead?" Naaza asked, her tone serious as she looked at Renata.

The decline in healing potion sales had impacted the Miach family's revenue, which frustrated Naaza. She had grown used to the family's recent financial success and was dissatisfied with the current downturn. However, the goodwill she'd earned from past transactions held strong, preventing her from directly challenging Renata's decisions.

After all, they were in this together, bound like two grasshoppers tied to the same rope.

"Relax," Renata said, reclining in her chair with an air of calm. "Store the recovery potions carefully—the opportunity to make money is coming soon."

Several days later, Renata and her companion, Sol, wandered aimlessly down a secluded road outside of Orario, though Sol did carry a map for guidance. He squinted at it, trying to follow its rough, abstract directions. Their destination was Rakia, the kingdom ruled by Ares, a war god with an entire nation under his command. Every citizen in Rakia was part of Ares' familia, giving him a vast number of followers and a comfortable lifestyle, unlike most of the gods in Orario.

But Ares was hardly content to sit idle. Each year, in an attempt to assert his divine might, he led his troops to invade Orario. These campaigns typically ended in failure, however, with Ares and his forces essentially paying tribute to Orario's powerful adventurers.

"It should be just up ahead. This is the right direction," Sol announced confidently after comparing the map again.

This journey to Rakia was Renata's idea. Knowing the kingdom would inevitably wage war with Orario, she hoped to see Ares in person. Orario's adventurers, it seemed, were consuming healing potions at too slow a rate to yield substantial profits. To expedite their consumption, Renata concluded that combat was the best solution. Apart from dungeon expeditions, the only large-scale conflict available to adventurers was the yearly war between Rakia and Orario.

These wars had become like festivals for Orario's adventurers, though Rakia's forces were consistently overmatched by the adventurers' superior strength and abilities. Without high-level adventurers of its own, Rakia never stood a chance. While Renata couldn't enhance their skill levels, she believed Singed's potions could boost Rakia's soldiers' combat effectiveness—something Ares would likely appreciate.

Renata didn't expect Rakia to defeat Orario, nor was it in her interest. Her ideal outcome was a prolonged and intense conflict with many wounded on both sides. Only in such conditions would the demand for Janna Familia's potions soar.

Renata, a pragmatic businesswoman, felt no qualms about igniting a war to increase potion sales. Sol, understanding her motives, readily agreed to accompany her on this venture. By now, the family's potion production was stable enough that Renata's constant supervision was unnecessary.

"There should be a town up ahead. Good luck," Sol said.

The next steps required discretion. Sol would remain behind, while Renata would need to disguise herself to approach Ares without drawing suspicion. After all, she didn't want the Janna family to become outcast in Orario due to one business transaction.

"Kayn will protect you while you're here. If you're in danger, prioritize your own safety above all," Sol instructed. A shadow by Renata's side shifted subtly. Kayn, a level 5 adventurer, had been concealed in Renata's shadow to safeguard her in Rakia should anything go awry.

"Thank you," Renata replied with a graceful bow. "I'll return with good news."

"Then go confidently," Sol said, giving her a final word of encouragement before setting off in the opposite direction with Alfia, his companion. Taking the opportunity to explore, he decided not to linger for Renata's negotiations with Ares, which could take an unpredictable amount of time.

"So, where are we headed?" Alfia asked curiously.

"I'm not sure—just following wherever the road takes us," Sol answered.

Back in Rakia, Ares held a status higher than that of a king and resided in the royal palace. Meeting him was Renata's first hurdle. Using Sol's name might have facilitated a meeting, but in Rakia, Renata was on her own. Fortunately, Janna had equipped her with plenty of Valis for the journey.

Her initial plan was to bribe the palace guards to gain an audience with Ares. However, her attempts at persuasion fell flat. The guards were surprisingly upright and nearly detained her when she tried to offer them money. This small setback hardly fazed Renata, though; her entrepreneurial determination was not so easily thwarted.

Since approaching Ares directly was impossible, she resolved to find a way to draw his attention instead. As she wandered the streets, considering her options, she picked up snippets of gossip from locals bustling about. While these conversations might seem trivial, Renata knew that valuable information often lurked in idle chatter.