It was just that Ishtar held a golden smoking pipe in her hand, her expression looking unusually anxious. Beyond that.
There was also someone standing not far off.
The patron deity of the [Apollo Familia], Apollo—who styled himself the favored darling of the sun and most loved to collect beautiful mortals—wore a face just as tightly drawn, as though he'd just swallowed a dead fly.
Even Hermes, the god who normally loved a lively crowd and never had a proper bone in his body, had at this moment reined in all his frivolity, pressing a slightly worn travel cap down very, very low so that most of his face was steeped in the shadow of the brim.
And Asfi, the captain of the [Hermes Familia] standing behind him, was murmuring something in a lowered voice—who knew what—using the pretense of straightening his clothes as cover.
Even after she'd finished speaking.
Hermes only gave a slight shake of his head, observing all of this from the sidelines.
The gods had clustered together in such numbers that the two rows of guards standing watch before the main gate of the [Ganesha Familia] base were nearly suffocating under the pressure.
"This... what on earth is going on..." The [Ganesha Familia] guard charged with standing watch at the gate of the base stood there until his legs were cramping up.
This show of force was far too terrifying!
Normally, just spotting the patron deity of a single major Familia on the street required a deep bow.
Yet today, these gods who usually steered well clear of one another were all jammed up in front of his own gate, every one of them with an iron-grey expression.
Even Shakti had been sent over ahead of time by Ganesha to maintain order, and now, standing atop the Ganesha statue and looking down at the dark, dense mass of gods below, she too was struck with astonishment.
Gods who normally couldn't be summoned no matter how hard you tried had, today, all gathered together in one place.
It really was inconceivable.
But the thing hidden behind it all sent a wave of cold dread rushing straight at Shakti.
"How lively it is... so this time, everyone really did come..."
Within the crowd.
An old man with a conspicuous white beard, dressed in a loose-fitting robe of exceedingly fine material, was stroking his beard, his gaze sweeping over the colleagues around him whose faces were all, to varying degrees, somewhat grave.
—This was none other than one of the giants of the commercial and medical factions, the patron deity of the [Dian Cecht Familia], Dian Cecht.
Standing beside the white-bearded old man.
Was a human girl with a head of long silver hair, purple eyes as clear as water, and features so exquisite she looked just like a porcelain doll.
She was frowning faintly, opening her mouth with a touch of helplessness.
"Lord Dian Cecht..."
"Why have you suddenly insisted on bringing me along to the Denatus this time? There's still so much waiting for me to handle over at the headquarters pharmacy."
Amid gave her patron deity's sleeve a gentle tug, complaining in a voice that only the two of them could hear.
—As the captain of the [Dian Cecht Familia], Lv.2.
—"The Saint of the Battlefield," Amid Teasanare.
Amid's voice was soft and gentle, but the bewilderment in her tone was unmistakable.
After all, as the one who truly ran the medical faction's [Dian Cecht Familia].
Amid's daily routine was practically measured by the second.
Because of the special nature of her Familia, she was responsible not only for the entire Familia's daily operations, but also had to personally compound those special medicines that ordinary apothecaries couldn't even begin to attempt.
She had originally been at the pharmacy, fretting over a mountain of patients' medical records, only to be forcibly dragged out here by her own patron deity.
Amid... similar to one another...?
The crucial point was that the rule of the Lower World had always been: the Denatus is for gods, mortals are for mortals.
Save for a very few special circumstances, the gods were absolutely forbidden from bringing their own children into the Denatus venue.
This behavior of her patron deity's left Amid feeling deeply helpless, as though it were nothing but a waste of time.
Furthermore.
Just why her god was doing this, Amid likewise could not understand.
Hearing his most prized child complain, Dian Cecht did not answer right away.
He merely went on stroking his white beard, stroke after stroke, shot Amid a sidelong glance, and the tone in his mouth grew rare and heavy.
"You don't understand, Amid."
"Bringing you today—I want you to come and see something else."
"?" Amid was thrown into utter confusion, her exquisite brows knitting even deeper.
Seeing that she still hadn't caught on, Dian Cecht couldn't be bothered to waste more words, and simply jerked his chin toward the crowd at the other edge.
"See for yourself—I'm not the only one who brought you children along."
Helpless, Amid followed Dian Cecht's line of sight and raised her eyes, her gaze passing through several tall mid-tier adventurers to land on a comparatively quiet corner on the other side.
There stood the [Miach Familia].
The patron deity Miach, dressed in a black robe, still wore that same gentle, refined, faultlessly good-natured air.
Only, the corners of his mouth, which normally always carried a tender smile, were at this moment pressed tightly into a hard, straight line.
Standing beside Miach was an old acquaintance of Amid's.
—The captain of the [Miach Familia].
——Lv.2, Naza Erisuis.
Even now.
Naza Erisuis still wore the prosthetic limb that Amid had crafted for her with her own hands, expending countless precious materials.
Even Naza had been brought along by Lord Miach?
Amid's brows furrowed slightly.
Now Amid truly sensed that something was wrong.
The [Miach Familia]'s dire financial situation was known to all of Orario.
On any ordinary day, Naza wished she could split herself in two just to sell a couple more bottles of potions to pay off their debts—yet today she had actually closed up shop and come running over here?
And what's more, today this plaza wasn't just packed with gods; the high-ranking adventurers who'd come along with them were unusually numerous as well.
Even a fringe god like Miach—mild-tempered and never one to involve himself in any dispute over interests—had today, against all his habits, brought his sole captain and shown up right on time.
This was far too strange.
Not only that.
Ishtar and Apollo were normally the worst of enemies.
Yet now the two of them seemed to have reached a sort of tacit understanding, keeping a distance of two steps between them while, together with the several minor gods clinging to them, clustering tightly into a single group.
And from time to time, adventurers scattered along the plaza's outer ring—those tasked with gathering intelligence—would stride briskly over.
Those people didn't even spare the time to bow to the other gods along their path.
One after another they squeezed hurriedly into the core circle, speaking softly into Ishtar's or Apollo's ear—by the look of it, as though reporting something.
As for the reactions after the reports were heard.
Apollo, whose face was already grim, went instantly ashen after hearing the whisper, his body even swaying uncontrollably; Ishtar, meanwhile, directly kicked a chip of stone by her foot flying, cursing something low under her breath, the smoking pipe nearly snapped in two in her grip.
This scene deeply caught Amid's attention.
She tilted her head slightly, wanting to make out what was being said over there, but there was far too much noise on the scene, mingled with the whispered murmurs of the assembled gods, and she couldn't hear a thing.
At this moment.
Several [Ganesha Familia] members who had just returned strode swiftly across the plaza, lifted their heads, and gave a firm nod toward Shakti standing up high.
Shakti, receiving the signal, nodded, raised her arm, and gestured downward.
The guards standing before the two heavy brass doors of the base immediately understood.
Gritting their teeth, they gripped the door rings with both hands and pushed the doors open with all the strength in their bodies.
"Creeeeak——"
The great doors slowly swung open to both sides, revealing the broad passage leading to the inner grounds of the Denatus.
And yet.
Though the doors had opened.
Of all the gods crammed into the plaza, not a single one took a step forward.
The air seemed to have frozen.
Instead, waves of whispered murmurs spread through the crowd like ripples across water.
"Why isn't anyone moving?"
"What in the world is going on?"
Over in the corner of the [Takemikazuchi Familia].
Mikoto, dressed in a purple kimono, her hand resting on the hilt of the blade at her waist, glanced around with a face full of confusion.
She lowered her voice and asked the patron deity standing before her, Takemikazuchi.
Takemikazuchi, dressed in plain, simple garments, arms folded across his chest, looked at the gods ahead who were normally so haughty and arrogant but at this moment stood rooted to the spot as though their feet had grown roots, and let out a helpless sigh.
"Everyone's waiting for someone." "Waiting for someone?"
Mikoto was taken aback for a moment.
She looked at Apollo, his face taut not far off, then at Ishtar, biting her pipe and saying nothing, and her eyes went wide in astonishment, her voice carrying disbelief.
"Could it be... everyone is waiting for Lord Haimer?"
Takemikazuchi nodded with a bitter smile.
"Besides him, who do you think could make this lot willingly stand out here eating cold wind, not even daring to be the first through the doors of the Denatus?"
Mikoto drew in a sharp, cold breath.
Just then.
A commotion came from the plaza's outer ring.
"Heeey——!" "Wait up for us!" The voices sounded awfully familiar.
The gods turned toward the direction the voices came from.
And saw.
Loki's figure appeared.
Not only that.
Several other figures likewise entered everyone's field of vision.
Haimer, in a finely tailored pure-black formal suit.
His manner relaxed, tossing a glittering Valis coin idly in his hand, his pace leisurely.
Walking on his left was Hephaestus, who had changed into a deep-blue, dark-patterned rose-motif off-the-shoulder gown that hugged her figure, one hand holding her skirt, walking a little awkwardly since it was her first time wearing such clothing.
Walking on his right was Hestia, dressed in a gorgeous starlight evening gown.
Both hands clutched a small carved wooden bear tightly, as she bared her teeth and pulled a face at the person beside her.
As for that someone constantly shoving back and forth with Hestia, grinding her teeth.
It was none other than Loki, dressed in a black silk-blend formal gown.
"You little runt, you stepped on my foot!"
"It's your feet that are too wide! And that's my fault?"
"Ha? Say that again?!"
"Ha? Fine, I'll say it!"
The two of them bickered as they walked, utterly ignoring the several hundred stares fixed dead-on upon them from the plaza ahead.
Listening to the squabbling on both sides, Haimer, walking in the middle, let out a helpless sigh, then raised his head, his gaze sweeping across the plaza.
In that very instant.
The plaza that had been whispering moments before fell completely silent.
You could have heard a pin drop.
Ishtar's fingers holding the pipe went slack, and she didn't even notice the ash falling onto the top of her foot.
Apollo's eyes twitched at the corners, and he instinctively took half a step back, hiding behind several of his Familia members.
Hermes pressed his cap brim lower and held his breath.
Even Shakti, standing up high, stiffened slightly.
All gazes—of awe, of scrutiny, of wariness—converged together.
Haimer, looking at the faces across the whole plaza braced as if facing a powerful enemy, also came to a stop, steadily caught the Valis coin he had just tossed into the air, and tucked it into the pocket of his suit.
He raised an eyebrow.
"What's this?"
"None of you going in—are you all waiting out here for me?"
Haimer's tone was easy.
Before the gods across from him could make any response.
The next second.
At the edge of the crowd.
Demeter, who had already met with Haimer beforehand, came walking out from among the gods, dressed in a wheat-yellow gown, her face wreathed in smiles.
Stepping in her high heels, her stride steady, she walked straight up to Haimer's side.
Then.
Without the slightest reservation, she reached out both hands and wrapped them firmly around Haimer's right arm.
Her ample assets even rubbed against his arm, whether intentionally or not.
"Oh my, Haimer, you've finally arrived."
Demeter laughed coquettishly, her voice neither loud nor soft—just enough for the few gods in the front row to hear.
Though her mouth was warmly greeting Haimer.
The corner of Demeter's eye.
Was swiftly sweeping past the crowd ahead.
Her gaze, as if casually, glanced toward that blond-haired, green-eyed male god in the crowd.
——Dionysus.
Dionysus had originally been maintaining that ever-unchanging gentle and refined smile.
But.
When he saw that Haimer not only did not push Demeter away.
But instead tacitly permitted Demeter's act of clinging tightly to his arm.
Dionysus seemed to realize something—the arc of his smile turned stiff, and a shadow of gloom flashed at once through the eyes gazing at Demeter.
Haimer lowered his head and glanced at Demeter, who was clutching his arm tightly.
And naturally he saw through the clues within all of this.
Combined with the verbal deal the two of them had struck that day inside the [Starlight Weave] clothing store.
This act of Demeter's was, without a doubt, an attempt to borrow his name in advance.
To directly issue a blatant show of force against Dionysus, who was suspected of attacking her Familia members.
Still, it was merely each taking what they needed.
As long as Demeter was willing to unconditionally support him at the Denatus.
This small bit of pretext was the reward she deserved.
Haimer thought it over, his tone easy, and let Demeter wave his banner about and play the fox borrowing the tiger's might right here.
"You're here early."
Haimer replied offhandedly.
But this time.
Hestia, over on the other side, was having none of it.
"Hey! Demeter! Just what do you think you're doing?!"
"Hugging and clinging in front of everyone—what kind of behavior is that!"
Faced with Hestia's protest, hopping with impatience.
Demeter merely covered her mouth and laughed softly; far from letting go, she pressed in even closer.
"Aiya, little Hestia, don't be so stingy."
"What's wrong with me catching up with Haimer? Isn't that right, Haimer?"
Loki, watching this scene from the side, was also delighted to enjoy the show and gave a whistle.
"Heh heh, this is what they mean by 'the dry die of drought while the flooded drown in flood'—a certain little shorty's about to blow her top."
"You dead beanpole, shut your mouth!"
Over on the other side.
Amid, through the gaps in the crowd, silently watched Haimer's appearance.
Her exquisite brows furrowed slightly.
The gods gathered all at once, and even breaking precedent to bring along their own adventurers.
This was clearly a meticulously arranged banquet at Hongmen—a trap laid out as a feast.
After all.
A few days ago, this Lord Haimer had brazenly brought those monsters up to the surface and declared them to be members of his own Familia.
It was no different from grinding the iron law that had held between the Dungeon and the surface for several hundred years beneath his heel.
After all, one must understand that even the Monsterphilia regularly organized by the [Ganesha Familia]—the "military police of the Labyrinth City"—was merely a display of monster duels to provide entertainment.
Where had there ever been a god who regarded monsters as his own Familia?
And moreover.
Even more absurd.
Not only did the Guild fail to impose sanctions.
It instead made an unprecedented, enormous concession, even ostentatiously constructing a massive base out in the Outer Ring.
This kind of act, severely disrupting the balance of power among all the factions.
Would inevitably provoke a bottom-line backlash from the entire community of gods in Orario.
Look at this show of force.
As far as the eye could see, the patron deities of Orario's factions, great and small, had nearly all gathered here.
Like two armies arrayed against each other, blades drawn from their sheaths.
This was obviously an attempt to use the name of the Denatus to assemble the strength of all Orario and confront Haimer and the Guild.
After all, rules are rules; whoever oversteps the line must bear the consequences.
Combined with the reason Lord Dian Cecht had brought her along.
This had to be it.
Thinking this far, Amid gripped her skirt tightly, bracing herself for a possible large-scale outbreak of conflict.
And yet.
It was precisely at this moment.
The mass assault Amid had anticipated did not happen.
Instead.
"I AM GANESHA!"
An extraordinarily resounding voice instantly thundered out across the entire plaza!
The gods in the plaza all lifted their heads to look.
And saw.
Ganesha, standing atop his own towering statue, lowering his head, gazing down from behind his mask at the gods below with their varied expressions.
"Alright!" "Since all the gods of Orario have arrived, there's no need to waste time out here."
Ganesha's booming voice pressed down all the noise.
"The Denatus banquet—now officially begins!"
"Furthermore, taking into account that everyone's spirits run rather high for participating in this Denatus, then this Denatus shall, as a special exception, permit each god to bring one Familia member along to attend together!"
Having said this.
Ganesha gave a grand sweep of his hand, pointing straight at the two fully opened brass doors of the base.
And so.
When Haimer's figure walked into the [Ganesha Familia] base—I AM GANESHA—the gods still made no move for the longest while.
Amid, standing toward the back, found her originally taut nerves suddenly thrown into some disarray.
With a face full of confusion, watching the surrounding gods not only fail to attack but instead look as though they'd let out a breath of relief, she couldn't help but turn her head and ask Dian Cecht in a lowered voice.
"Lord Dian Cecht..." "How is it that no one is besieging Lord Haimer?" "????"
The moment these words left Amid's mouth.
Before Dian Cecht could even finish hearing them and reply with a twitch at the corner of his eye.
Ishtar, walking ahead on the steps, happened to hear these words crystal clear, twisted her high heel, and nearly took a face-plant right there on the steps.
Fortunately, the vice-captain Aisha, whom she had summoned to her side, was quick of eye and hand, and caught hold of her, steadying her firmly.
As a result, the instant Ishtar steadied herself, she promptly shoved Aisha's supporting hand away with a backhand thrust, turned her head, and glared fiercely at Amid.
"When we go in later, keep that mouth of yours shut tight, and don't go spouting nonsense—you hear me?!"
Seeing that it was the captain of the [Dian Cecht Familia]—Amid Teasanare.
The venom in Ishtar's gaze did not change; she lowered her voice and flung a vicious line at Aisha.
Then she shot a ferocious glare at Amid, gave a cold snort, twisted her taut waist, and strode briskly onward toward the doors of the Denatus.
____
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