Although tonight's banquet was hosted by a god, it was actually just an event organized by some bored deities to pass the time.
It wasn't nearly as formal or serious as outsiders imagined.
Just like among humans, where social classes exist, the same was true among gods.
In theory, any god could attend.
But those who weren't doing well usually chose not to come.
After all, the gods loved entertainment.
If you showed up while doing poorly, you might easily become the butt of their jokes.
The host of this banquet was Apollo.
In Orario, Apollo Familia was considered second-tier.
They had quite a few members but lacked high-end combat power.
Their strongest member was only Level 3.
Compared to the top-tier familias, the gap was huge.
To put it simply:
Not the best, but still above average.
Tap… tap…
The sound of light footsteps echoed.
Freya, wearing the ink-pattern qipao, walked into the banquet hall.
Many gods had already arrived.
Groups of two or three were chatting together.
After all, banquets like this were meant to kill time.
"Huh? Is that Freya?"
"Freya? Where?"
"She looks stunning tonight."
"What kind of outfit is that? It's beautiful!"
"I've never seen that style before."
"Where did she get it?"
Some people were born to be the center of attention.
Freya was exactly that kind of person.
The moment she entered—
The entire banquet's focus shifted to her.
Freya was already accustomed to such attention.
It had always been like this.
"Yo, Freya! Long time no see!"
A short-haired goddess in a black dress walked over.
She looked like she had a good relationship with Freya.
However—
Her completely flat chest made it impossible for people to feel any particular excitement.
"It's been a while, Loki."
Freya smiled and greeted her.
When Cao Ye heard the name, he looked over.
So this is Loki…
Just like in the anime.
A character who looked like a man but was technically a woman.
"Hm?"
"Kid, what kind of look is that?"
Women—especially goddesses—were extremely sensitive to people's gazes.
Cao Ye's sympathetic look stood out like a candle in the darkness.
Even gods weren't perfect.
"Nothing, Lady Loki."
Cao Ye immediately denied it.
Of course he couldn't admit it.
That would be asking for trouble.
"Hm? Kid, I've never seen you before."
"Don't tell me you're Freya's new lover?"
That comment stabbed straight into Cao Ye's pride.
New lover?
What nonsense!
His relationship with Freya was perfectly innocent.
Well… mostly.
Aside from taking a few advantages here and there.
His imagined "night service" scenario hadn't happened at all.
"Loki."
Before Cao Ye could respond, Freya spoke.
Although the two goddesses had a cooperative relationship and were friendly privately—
Some things shouldn't be said casually.
Especially in the middle of a banquet hall.
"Alright, alright!"
"I won't say anything."
Loki raised her hands in surrender.
But Cao Ye noticed something.
Many gods nearby had already turned their attention toward him.
Clearly—
Freya's "pretty boy" was drawing attention.
After all, receiving the favor of the Goddess of Beauty was no small matter.
"By the way, Freya."
"Where did you get that outfit?"
Loki suddenly changed the topic.
Her eyes focused directly on the qipao.
Obviously, the elegant design from another world was like dimension-level fashion superiority.
For goddesses, the appeal was enormous.
"This?"
"My child gave it to me."
"I don't know where it was made."
Freya smiled slightly.
Then she glanced meaningfully at Cao Ye.
The implication was obvious.
She might as well have said:
Cao Ye gave it to me.
"Oh?"
"You gave it to her?"
Now Loki looked at Cao Ye with understanding.
No wonder Freya brought him everywhere.
He clearly knew how to please a goddess.
At the very least, tonight's banquet—
No goddess could compete with Freya's appearance.
Although that was usually the case anyway.
"Yes, Lady Loki."
"Kid, where was this outfit made?"
"Sorry, Lady Loki."
"This style of clothing comes from my homeland."
"It isn't sold anywhere in Orario."
"Your homeland's clothing?"
"Yes."
"What's it called?"
"Qipao."
"Qipao, huh?"
"Nice name. I'll remember it."
Loki nodded.
But she didn't really believe Cao Ye.
Orario was the center of the world.
People from all regions gathered here.
It was just a piece of clothing.
She refused to believe she couldn't find it somewhere.
Freya watched this scene with a slight smile.
She was both a goddess and a woman.
So she enjoyed the feeling of having something that nobody else had.
Soon, the goddesses continued their conversation.
Cao Ye naturally stepped aside.
This was a banquet, after all.
So he found a place nearby to eat something.
He hadn't even eaten dinner yet.
Just as he grabbed a few pastries—
A man who looked relatively young walked over.
He had short golden hair and a handsome, almost cute face.
Although the word "cute" felt slightly inappropriate for him.
"Hello."
"I'm Finn, captain of the Loki Familia."
"Cao Ye."
"A member of Freya Familia."
Cao Ye looked at him with confusion.
He didn't understand why this person had approached him.
Finn's status within Loki Familia was comparable to Ottar in Freya Familia.
Aside from Loki herself, he held the highest authority.
The true leader.
"I've always wanted to meet you."
"But never had the chance."
"Meet me?"
"Captain Finn, do you need something?"
"Just call me Finn."
"One of my old friends mentions your name quite often."
"Old friend?"
"Edward. From the Hephaestus Familia."
"Edward? You know him?"
"Yes."
"We've been friends for over ten years."
"He's an old friend of Gareth from our familia."
"So I got to know him over time."
"Before I knew it, more than a decade had passed."
Cao Ye was stunned.
What the hell…
The old dwarf he casually befriended actually had connections like this.
Check out Patreon.com/UchihaAce For Early Access of chapters