The gods watching from the sidelines mercifully closed their eyes, though the schadenfreude plastered across their faces was impossible to hide. Some of them were grinning so wide their mouths had practically split open.
"Tsk tsk tsk, talking trash about Loki right to her face. This guy's got balls the size of watermelons."
"Clearly hasn't been beaten enough times. If Hermes were here, he'd definitely feel a kinship with this poor bastard."
"It's weird, honestly. How has an idiot god like him not been taken out by some rogue deity yet? The fact that he's survived this long in the mortal world is a miracle."
"Maybe even the evil gods think he's too embarrassing to bother with. Keep him over here and he'll drag our side down for free?"
"Good point..."
Not far away, Demeter, Astraea, and Hephaestus sat side by side, three goddesses with three different hair colors, watching the farce unfold from a distance. Their expressions said it all.
"Ugh..."
Hephaestus crossed her legs, pressed a hand to her forehead, and looked away in exasperation. She couldn't even watch.
"These idiots are never serious for a single second. I don't know why I ever expected anything from them."
Astraea smiled gently, her voice warm and composed.
"Most of our fellow gods here are perfectly reasonable. Fools like him are the minority. Just don't pay them any attention, Hephaestus. What's the saying? Out of sight, out of mind."
Beside them, Demeter maintained her signature goddess smile, watching as though she were an audience member enjoying a clown act on stage. And those gods who knew her well understood exactly what that meant: Demeter was keeping her distance.
She clearly had no desire to be infected by their collective stupidity.
Glancing at the unnamed male god still getting pummeled by Loki, Astraea seemed to remember something. She narrowed her eyes slightly, lips curving upward as she asked softly:
"Demeter, I heard... your children went on a Dungeon Expedition? Alise told me that even your Persephone went down there herself? Is that true? If I'm not mistaken, that girl hasn't gone exploring the Dungeon in years. Aren't you worried about her going so suddenly...?"
The goddess of justice left the rest unsaid, but both Demeter and Hephaestus knew what she meant.
Combat wasn't child's play. Having the Basic Abilities, the technique, and the experience didn't make you invincible or let you tear through the Dungeon unopposed.
Thinking otherwise would be a grave mistake.
Being an Adventurer, especially one who explored the Dungeon, was a demanding profession that required high proficiency, massive accumulated experience, a strong mind and iron will, and the ability to adapt to shifting conditions on the fly.
Forget that Persephone was only a Lv. 3 Second-Class Adventurer. Even First-Class Adventurers at Lv. 5 or Lv. 6, the ones who fought on the Dungeon's front lines, could easily get themselves killed if they went back in rusty after a few years away.
No, they almost certainly would get themselves killed.
If the Dungeon were some preset, scripted instance you could follow step by step, sure, you'd probably survive.
But the Dungeon was alive, and it never played by the rules.
That was what made it truly lethal.
...
...
The name Persephone carried considerable weight among Orario's gods and Familias alike.
As captain of Demeter Familia, the city's agricultural superpower, and Goddess Demeter's right hand, she was more than a simple Lv. 3 High-Class Adventurer. She was a top-tier breeding master who bore the title Priestess of Desolation.
The high-yield, disease-resistant, nutrient-rich seed varieties she'd developed had raised Orario's standard of living by leaps and bounds, both directly and indirectly, and made an enormous contribution to the city's stability.
As a result, among the major Familias and the divine community, Persephone's reputation, achievements, prestige, influence, and personal strength all placed her firmly among Orario's elite. She stood shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Braver, Nine Hell, King, Hildr, Scarlet Harnel, and Ankusha.
Up on the tiered seating.
Faced with Astraea's question, Goddess Demeter gave a small shake of her head.
"If I said I wasn't worried at all, I'd be lying. But... you both understand. As their patron goddess, as their parent, I don't want to interfere too much with my children's wishes. Since Persephone decided to go back down, all I can do is give her my blessing, not stand in her way."
"Besides... Leon is with them. With how cautious that boy is, even if they do run into real danger, I trust he can handle it and make the right call."
"Leon Hart?"
Astraea and Hephaestus turned to Demeter in unison, surprise written all over their faces. Hephaestus, goddess of the forge, furrowed her brow and spoke first, her tone a mix of confusion and concern.
"Leon Hart. I remember that kid. It was about half a year ago, I think. I closed a 40-million-Valis deal with him. And if I'm not mistaken, the aura he was giving off at the time was... Lv. 1?"
She paused, her voice growing more serious.
"You're telling me he went to the Lower Floors with Persephone? Demeter, I don't mean to be harsh, but aren't you sending your own child to his death?"
Beside her, Astraea frowned gently, her tone soft but unable to mask her worry.
"Demeter, this isn't like you. We all know... you care about your Familia's children more than anyone. So what are you thinking this time?"
Facing the faintly reproachful gazes of her two close friends, Demeter didn't take offense.
She calmly tucked a strand of honey-colored hair behind her ear, rested her chin in her palm, and tilted her head toward them. That warm, enigmatic smile still played at her lips.
"How could I ever send them to their deaths? If they didn't have the strength and were just being reckless, I'd be the first to stop them."
"But you still let them go... wait, are you saying...?"
Something clicked. Hephaestus and Astraea exchanged a quick glance. They carefully scanned their surroundings, noting only a few creepy male gods sneaking peeks their way from time to time, plus the crowd of spectators still cheering on Loki's beatdown of the idiot god. Satisfied no one was paying attention, the two goddesses leaned in close to Demeter and lowered their voices.
"Are you saying your kid leveled up? And the reason you showed up to this meeting for once is to fight for a good alias for him?"
The moment Hephaestus finished, that perpetually composed smile on Demeter's face turned just a touch more genuine.
She gave her two closest friends a slow, deliberate wink, and said nothing.
"That look on your face tells me I'm right."
...
...
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