Chapter 81

Chapter 82: The Goddess is Here to Steal a Man~ (Second Update)

What?

Who’s got a thing going on with who?

In an instant, the sudden voice that appeared within “The Bountiful Mistress” tavern drew everyone’s attention.

People from all corners glanced towards the window-side seats, each glance followed by some hushed whispers.

When it comes to gossip, adventurers are no less nosy than teenage girls.

Originally, those adventurers were envious of Izay for sitting among a group of young maidens and getting along so well with a goddess, turning them all into sourpusses.

But now, seeing Goddess Loki storming in with the Nine Demon Princess, they couldn’t be happier.

“Tsk, this looks like a man-stealing situation!”

“Shh… If you don’t want to die, keep quiet and enjoy the show.”

“This drink tastes amazing!”

“Jealousy overload… Why isn’t that guy me?”

Amidst the murmurs of the adventurers, Ryu held a serving tray and looked toward where Izay was seated, her expression seemingly calm.

Still, she was curious about how things would unfold.

Come to think of it, will Mr. Izay have nowhere to stay tonight?

Should I offer him help?

Yes, I’ll help him~

Hiel sneakily observed Ryu’s reaction.

Unexpectedly calm.

But maybe it’s just an illusion?

Why does it seem like Ryu is pondering something?

Could she also be planning to join in? Will there soon be a battlefield of three fierce rivals?

Goodness, if it really turns out like that, I’d definitely side with Ryu—it seems fun~

“I was just having dinner with Lady Artemis; how did it become ‘having a thing’ already? Loki, must you be so neurotic?”

Izay, who was originally holding a reflection session with Letsha, didn’t panic at all when he noticed Loki approaching, acting as if it were completely justified.

If one’s actions are upright, there’s nothing to fear from shadows.

It’s true he has feelings for Artemis, but they haven’t reached that point yet, right?

Besides, apart from hand-holding and hugging, everything between them has been pure—what’s there to be afraid of?

However, the goddess beside him wasn’t as composed.

“L-Loki? Why are you here?”

Startled by Loki’s sudden shout, Artemis felt inexplicably flustered.

But after a moment, she regained her composure.

Wait, why should she feel flustered?

She was merely interacting normally with Izay—why should she feel uneasy?

She wasn’t planning to poach Loki’s territory or convert Izay into her faction.

Why panic?

There’s absolutely no need!

With that, Artemis reverted to her usual cool demeanor, looking at Loki with anticipation.

Loki blinked, a sly smile tugging at her lips.

She had seen Artemis’s reaction clearly—something was off!

Something fishy is going on here…

Hehehehe, things are starting to get interesting.

Loki placed her right hand behind her neck and chuckled.

“Isn’t it just that I happened to see you here, Artemis, and that you’re with this little guy Izay, so I came over to say hi.”

“Saying hi?”

Artemis gave her a seductive glare.

Pfft, does she really believe that nonsense?

“Does saying hi look like catching someone in the act?”

“What’s this about catching someone? Who’s talking behind my back so rudely? Oh, it’s Hiel, never mind then~”

Feeling her reputation tarnished, Loki turned around ready to teach whoever was badmouthing her a lesson.

But upon seeing Hiel, the tavern’s poster girl, she instantly lost her fire and quietly let the matter slide.

Seeing Loki’s behavior, Hiel stuck out her tongue cutely and dragged over a few chairs before looking at Artemis.

“Can we sit here?”

She meant herself and Ryu, plus Loki and Riviria.

“Please do.”

Artemis nodded lightly.

“Oh, then I won’t hesitate. Might as well drink here!”

“Excuse us.”

“Come on, Ryu, let’s sit down.”

“This doesn’t seem right, Hiel… We still have work to do.”

“It’s fine. Mama Mia won’t mind, as long as we can squeeze more money out of Mr. Izay later~”

As Loki and Riviria sat down, Ryu smiled bitterly at Hiel’s playful response.

She glanced at the bar and noticed Mama Mia laughing heartily behind the counter, waving her hands casually.

Is she showing support?

Whether it’s supporting their seating or supporting their plan to extort more coins from Izay, it remains unclear.

At this moment, Letsha astutely pulled Lanti, who was still pretending to be dead nearby, away to make space for the group.

Izay looked at the two goddesses beside him, the elven royalty, Hiel, and Ryu, and fell into deep thought.

Strange… How did things turn out like this?

Why does it feel like something terrifying is brewing in the shadows?

“Hey hey, Artemis, earlier one of the kids in my faction said a blue-haired goddess dragged Izay off to the pleasure district. That goddess was you, right? Tell me, how did you meet Izay?”

Loki, holding a drink in one hand, filled her glass with the other without any decorum.

She gulped down the alcohol, enjoying it immensely as she exhaled with a “phew,” her slightly flushed face turning to Artemis.

Now she was extremely interested in the relationship between Izay and Artemis.

“You mean that spiky-haired kid with thick eyebrows?”

Just mentioning this made Artemis’s gaze sharp.

Surprisingly, even Loki was taken aback.

“Oh my? Did Raul do something?”

“Hmph, when I met Izay, I found that spiky-haired kid trying to drag him toward the pleasure district.”

With a light scoff, Artemis replied. Then, she recounted in detail how and where she met Izay today.

“Pleasure…pleasure district!?”

“Oh my oh my…”

Upon hearing this, Hiel covered her mouth in surprise, while Ryu immediately looked at Izay, her eyes seeming to say: So this is what you’re really like, Mr. Izay.

Even Riviria, calmly sipping her juice nearby, perked up her pointed ears.

“Don’t look at me like that, Ryu. I didn’t go in. It was all that thick-eyebrowed Raul’s fault.”

Seemingly understanding Ryu’s unspoken meaning, Izay explained himself briefly.

This has nothing to do with him; it’s entirely Raul’s fault.

Yeah, that’s it!

“Uh… That boy Raul, he’s still scheming, huh… I’ll tell Finn to give that kid a proper scolding later.”

Saying this, Loki poured herself another drink.

“I have no objections.” Riviria added her support effortlessly.

“Let’s not talk about this now. Artemis, you haven’t told me how you met Izay yet, and why you’ve gotten so close to him. This doesn’t seem like you. You used to…”

“Used to what? Can’t I have a male friend!?”

Before Loki could finish, Artemis interrupted her forcefully, giving off an impression of trying to hide something.

“Eeeehhh…”

Loki deliberately stretched out her tone, her teasing smile making Artemis want to punch her.

“What’s with that ‘Eeeehhh’?”

Artemis raised her chin, glaring at her with a hint of pique.

“Nothing, nothing at all. Or maybe you, Izay, could explain instead? Look at this goddess, acting so fierce.”

Fierce?

Izay glanced at the slightly sulking Artemis.

She’s actually quite cute.

And stop pushing your flat chest over here; no amount of squeezing will produce anything.

Izay silently critiqued, thinking it was now a divine quarrel that had nothing to do with mortals.

Nevertheless, he responded earnestly to Loki’s question.

There was nothing scandalous about it, so Izay quickly recounted how he was saved by Artemis and then came to Orario with her.

“You were brought here by her? Why didn’t I know about this!?”

“You didn’t ask, did you?”

Dealing with the increasingly erratic Loki, Izay’s teeth started to ache.