Chapter 270

Chapter 273: Is it too late to go look for a time machine now? (Please subscribe!)

The so-called “Feast of the Gods,” when you get down to it, is just a gathering held by the various deities who have descended to the mortal realm in order to meet up.

This kind of banquet, which has no set host deity or schedule, often has no specific purpose other than pure revelry.

Though the gods are completely untouched by feelings like nostalgia, they still gather their celestial compatriots and chat idly as an accompaniment to their drinking, getting together to sip wine and reminisce about old times.

Or they talk about the current state of their own Familial Groups, exchanging information with each other.

From this perspective, it can also be considered a social event. It’s quite important when you want to inquire about the situation inside and outside the city, or get closer to a specific faction.

In the center of the spacious hall, on the grand stage, Ganesha, wearing an elephant mask and dressed exactly like the buildings outside, was giving a speech in a thunderous voice.

But no one was listening to him, the surrounding gods were completely unfazed by Ganesha’s loud voice, treating his speech as background noise and chatting merrily among themselves.

Artemis and the others were also among them.

After all, compared to enduring Ganesha’s long-winded and boring speech, chatting with their divine friends was much more to the goddesses’ liking.

“Listen, Fifi~ Artemis must have someone she likes! Since she returned to Orario, her behavior has changed greatly from before~”

Raising her face with a serious expression, Demeter pointed a delicate finger and earnestly gossiped with Hephaestus.

Of course, it wasn’t entirely gossip.

As longtime divine friends, Artemis had indeed changed, and Demeter could recognize and confirm that.

What seemed like gossip was actually already a fact in Demeter’s mind. She just didn’t know who had caused Artemis to change.

Isn’t that why she’s sharing intelligence with Hephaestus~? The two of them will guess together.

“Eh… Now that you mention it, I feel the same way. Artemis has become much gentler in character recently.”

Hephaestus, with a large eye patch over her right eye, stroked her chin, her left eye showing surprise as she carefully scrutinized Artemis several times.

“Gentle? No no no, I feel ‘tame.’ You get what I mean, Fifi? I’ve been lucky enough to see Artemis’s adorable blushing face~”

“Is that so? Seems like my consideration was too one-sided. Can you tell me more about this incident?”

“You two have had enough—! I’m still standing here!”

Artemis, being discussed right in front of her, finally couldn’t help but issue a warning.

Do you not respect me at all? Do you believe I won’t make you experience Aphrodite’s fate back then!?

Noticing Artemis’s increasingly dangerous gaze, Demeter and Hephaestus coughed dryly twice and stopped their previous discussion.

Just at that moment, a voice calling out to the three of them came from beside.

Turning around, they saw a goddess waving her hand vigorously coming towards them.

Crimson hair and crimson eyes. Always tied up in a simple style with a headband, along with a narrow-fitting black dress.

“Loki…”

Seeing the person approaching, Artemis let out a slight groan in her heart.

Didn’t she say she wouldn’t come to this banquet today? Why did she suddenly change her mind?

To be honest, Artemis didn’t really want to face Loki right now.

Although she met Izay before Loki.

Now Izay is undeniably Loki’s Familia child.

And her relationship with Izay…

Somehow she feels a rank lower than Loki?

Moreover, Loki herself has a mischievous personality. If she catches onto something, who knows how she’ll tease her.

All these factors combined made Artemis feel an impulse to run away right now.

“Ah, Loki.”

“It’s been a while, are you doing well?”

“Ugh… Not so well. Recently, I’ve run out of money again. Finn and the others keep breaking their weapons, and the cost to remake them is astronomical.”

Showing some signs of surprise, Demeter was somewhat astonished.

The details of Loki Familia’s expedition were unknown to those without direct connections to the factions involved.

Demeter was such an example. She was hearing about it for the first time today.

Hephaestus, however, was somewhat informed and didn’t seem very surprised, greeting Loki gracefully.

“It’s been such a long time since we last met, Loki. Meeting Artemis and Demeter today truly is a bundle of strange occurrences.”

Even in the same city, the frequency of meetings between deities isn’t actually very high.

Considering the unique perception of time that deities possess… and also having to take care of their Familias.

Examples like Artemis and Demeter meeting every day for afternoon tea are actually quite rare.

“Hmm, it has been a long time. Isn’t that right? Artemis~~”

Mentioning this, Loki flashed a radiant smile at the blue-haired goddess.

A kind of smile that immediately reveals her ill intentions.

Having been mentally prepared, Artemis ignored the mischievous expression and responded with a composed smile.

“We should have just seen each other at the last festival, though we didn’t get to talk.”

Last time…?

Oh, she must be referring to the time she secretly watched Loki and Izay at the festival and got dazzled until she collapsed bleeding!

“When did you notice me!?” Loki was utterly shocked.

She thought she had hidden perfectly!

(Just thinking aloud to change the subject, and you actually fell for it…)

Thinking this, Artemis still maintained her smile on the surface and went along with her words, “It would be strange not to notice. The situation was so obvious.”

“Pfft—!”

Accompanied by a barely audible sound effect of spitting blood, Loki suffered a critical hit.

Originally, she thought only her family had noticed her embarrassing situation, but it turns out the person she was spying on had caught her.

Loki’s spirit was heavily wounded!

Moreover, she had planned to use that incident to tease Artemis when she arrived, but was caught off guard by the other party.

Instead, it felt like she had come looking for trouble herself. Nothing says self-digging a grave more than this.

This contrast between ideal and reality dealt Loki a second blow—nearly breaking her.

“Something feels… like there’s some sort of rivalry going on between them. What are they doing?”

“I don’t know…”

Seeing Loki suddenly looking like she’d been struck speechless, and glancing at Artemis whose smile carried deep meaning (actually sighing in relief), the nearby Hephaestus and Demeter felt completely lost, unable to understand the situation.

“Ahh—! It’s Hephaestus!! I’ve finally found you!”

Just then, a petite goddess with her jet-black hair tied into twin tails noticed her target amidst the crowd and rushed over without hesitation.

“—!?”

Still immersed in her sorrow, Loki suddenly opened her divine eyes, and Artemis, who had sighed in relief, also noticed the newcomer.

Including Hephaestus and Demeter, who turned their heads at the call, four pairs of eyes instantly focused on the small goddess.

“Uh……”

Hestia paused.

Hestia couldn’t help but take a step back.

Hestia began sweating profusely…

Is it still possible to find a time machine in the trash can at the corner of the banquet and go back to kill the excited version of myself who just couldn’t hold back earlier? —by Goddess Hestia.