Danmachi: Strongest Familia

"What exactly do you mean by that?" 

Just as Renata had anticipated, Naaza's expression darkened immediately, and she instinctively turned to shield the right side of her body.

Her prosthetic arm—an unyielding reminder of her past—remained a source of constant shame and sorrow. Every time she looked at the artificial limb, memories of that painful incident resurfaced. The downfall of the Miach Familia could be traced back to that single injury.

The Dian Cecht family had exploited her God Miach's kindness by setting the prosthetic limb's price at an exorbitant level, plunging the familia into massive debt. Most of their pharmacists had since abandoned the Miach Familia, with ten of them even poached by the Dian Cecht family.

Despite God Miach's constant reassurances, Naaza couldn't shake her guilt. If she could turn back time, she'd rather have perished in the dungeon.

Renata's words struck a nerve, rekindling Naaza's suppressed resentment. Her eyes burned with anger at the Dian Cecht family. The vengeance she had long buried flared, and a fierce heat coursed through her, though she attributed it to her own emotions and thought little more of it.

"Are you alright?" Renata interrupted, observing Naaza's sudden fury with satisfaction.

If left unchecked, Renata feared Naaza might storm out immediately to confront the Dian Cecht family. The subtle shift in Naaza's demeanor was precisely the effect Renata intended.

Before coming, Renata had injected a diluted rage potion into the syringe hidden in her arm. As Naaza turned to open the door, Renata had released the vaporized potion into the air. Using such covert tactics didn't bother her if it achieved her aim: stoking the fires of Naaza's anger to make an alliance more appealing.

With her rationality clouded by rage, Naaza would be far less likely to make clear-headed judgments.

"I'm fine—continue," Naaza replied, trying to mask her emotions. But her feigned indifference was no match for Renata's practiced eye.

Renata continued, "I'm targeting the Dian Cecht family. Their pharmacists and resources are of particular interest to me."

"And what does that have to do with me?" Naaza tried to keep her tone steady, though her suppressed anger seeped into her voice.

"As they say, 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend.' I imagine we'd both take pleasure in seeing the Dian Cecht family suffer."

"That's not enough reason. The Miach Familia isn't as big or powerful as yours. We can't afford the risk."

Naaza's reply brought a sly smile to Renata's face. Her hesitation was a tacit agreement, though she wanted a more favorable offer.

"I'm prepared to give you a 20% share of the Dian Cecht family's assets if you help me," Renata offered.

"You think you can just swallow the Dian Cecht family whole? Life potions and magic potions may be impressive, but they alone won't take down the Dian Cecht family." Naaza paused, then added, "As long as Airmid is there, the Dian Cecht family won't fall so easily."

Naaza, despite her enmity, couldn't help but admire Airmid, her rival, and envy the power of Airmid's magic. If only I had her power, she mused, reviving the Miach Familia would be so much easier.

"Airmid is indeed a formidable opponent," Renata acknowledged. "That's why I'm here, seeking an alliance."

"And what exactly do you expect me to do about Airmid?" Naaza asked skeptically. "If there were a way to neutralize her, the Miach Familia wouldn't be in this position."

"Let me explain," Renata said, unhurried. "I've heard that members of the Dian Cecht family stole many of your family's medicinal formulas. Is that true?"

"Indeed. Many of those recipes were crafted by our pharmacists." 

Why is she digging up old wounds? Naaza thought, clenching her fists as the memories surfaced. It was because of those stolen formulas that the Dian Cecht family had gained an advantage, putting the Miach Familia on the back foot.

At one point, Miach's potions had far outclassed the Dian Cecht family's in both quality and cost. But after the leaks and the defection of their pharmacists, the Miach Familia couldn't keep up.

"Do you remember those formulas?" Renata asked.

"Of course—many of them were my own creations," Naaza replied.

"Then write them down for me," Renata instructed, producing a pen and paper from her pocket.

"You expect me to just hand over the Miach Familia's formulas?" Naaza's expression conveyed disbelief.

These recipes were the familia's lifeline, even if the Dian Cecht family now had access to some of them. They were still valuable assets.

"Let's be honest," Renata said calmly. "Even if you refuse, I could analyze your potions' ingredients myself. It'd just take a bit more time."

"Your familia must have a skilled pharmacist," Naaza replied, the envy in her voice evident. It was no wonder the Janna Familia could consistently produce excellent life and magic potions. She couldn't help but think of how advantageous a talented pharmacist could be for the Miach Familia, which hadn't recruited a new one in ages.

"Then why do you need our help at all?" Naaza asked suspiciously. "According to you, you could eliminate the Dian Cecht family without us."

"Time," Renata replied, her tone unwavering. "Researching and analyzing potions is time-consuming, and my time is costly."

Radiating quiet confidence, Renata's words left Naaza struggling for a rebuttal. After a moment, she fell silent, realizing she had no further argument to offer.