Loki was grinning all over her face.
Haimer, meanwhile, sat in his chair, propping his chin on one hand, and quietly listened to all the intelligence Loki had brought.
The little maneuvers the gods of Orario were pulling behind the scenes had long since been within his expectations.
Since he intended to establish an entirely new order upon this land—and even to settle those cursed children—he was bound to shake up the existing structure of vested interests.
Afterward, Haimer gave a slight nod, indicating that he now understood the current situation.
Then his gaze came to rest calmly on Loki's face, which was brimming with smugness. One second. Two seconds. Gradually—
Loki, who had still been calculating in her head how to keep enjoying the spectacle of Apollo and the others making fools of themselves, now found herself fixed under Haimer's stare. The smile on her face slowly began to fade.
She squirmed uncomfortably, getting a little spooked under that gaze. "What?" Loki finally couldn't help but speak up, warily shrinking back half an inch.
"What are you staring at me like that for? Sure, I pulled off a major feat tonight, but you don't have to worship me this much, do you?"
In response, Haimer unfolded his crossed legs, rose to his feet, and looked down at Loki from above.
"Since you've already said everything you wanted to say, and the intelligence has been exchanged."
"Then shouldn't you be leaving now?"
The moment those words were out—
Once she came to her senses, Loki immediately bounced up off the carpet, one finger jabbing at her own nose, the other pointing at Haimer. "Haaah?!!!"
"Do you even have a heart, you bastard?!!"
"I came all this way in the dead of night to tip you off—sneaking around outside like a thief, dodging the Ganesha Familia's military police, climbing over walls and scrambling up slopes—I nearly tore my skirt!"
"And now I've barely sat down and drunk half a cup of plain water, haven't even caught my breath, and you're already trying to throw me out?!"
"What else?" Haimer countered. "You expect me to let you spend the night here?"
"I don't care anymore!"
Loki plopped right back down onto the carpet, both hands gripping the leg of a nearby chair for dear life.
"Tonight I'm bedding down on your floor! And I am absolutely not leaving!"
Loki ranted through gritted teeth, her whole face an indictment of Haimer's ungrateful, burn-the-bridge behavior.
Faced with Loki's bristling, shameless, nothing-can-faze-me display—
Haimer shook his head, somewhat at a loss for words.
Thankfully, no corners had been cut when the [Ganesha Familia] base was built, and this high-grade guest room reserved for visiting patron deities had quite excellent soundproofing.
On top of that, the male gods, wary of his fearsome reputation in the Heavens, hadn't dared take any of the rooms nearby, leaving a wide buffer zone of empty space around him.
Otherwise, with the volume Loki had just been shouting at, she would absolutely have drawn a whole crowd of attention.
"I honestly don't mind letting you stay the night here."
Haimer pressed a hand to his forehead helplessly.
"But you need to understand." "The Ganesha Familia's patrol units conduct a full changing of the guard before dawn."
"By then the defenses will be three times tighter than they are now. You won't be able to leave even if you want to."
Loki pursed her lips and gave a dismissive snort, clearly not taking the warning to heart.
Haimer continued.
"And besides, if you insist on dragging this out until the sun comes up."
"Then once the other gods and Familias wake up one after another."
"How exactly do you plan to walk out of this room of mine?"
"All the gods and Familias will be up and about. By then, the corridors and the courtyard will be full of eyes everywhere."
"You, sneaking out of my room first thing in the morning."
"Have you considered what kind of rumors that would turn into?"
Loki opened her mouth, about to fire off a "What do I care about rumors?"
But Haimer gave her no chance to speak, instead delivering the killing blow outright. "I imagine."
"Even if you, Loki, don't care about your own face."
"You wouldn't want that Miss Ais of yours—the one bearing the title of Sword Princess—hearing the gossip that her own patron deity came strolling out of a male god's room first thing in the morning, now would you?"
"Ssss—"
At the mention of the name "Ais," Loki's stubbornly hardened attitude instantly went soft.
After all, Haimer wasn't wrong. If word really got out. It probably wouldn't just be Ais.
Once Riveria caught wind of this affair of hers spreading around.
She'd very likely have her hide flayed clean off.
Just imagining that scene, Loki's face went green.
But then she recalled all the effort she'd spent sneaking over here like a thief, and took another look at the pitch-black night outside the window. Loki ground her teeth again. "Tch." "You win this one..." "Fine, I'll go."
Loki released her grip on the chair leg, slowly crawled up off the carpet, and brushed the dust off the hem of her skirt.
"It's just that it took me ages of effort to sneak in here."
"And now there's twice as many military police outside as when I first arrived. I figure going back the way I came would be even more of a hassle."
Having said that, Loki pursed her lips and let her gaze make a circuit over Haimer. Then she immediately sidled up to him, thick-skinned as ever.
After all, when it came to sheer perceptive ability—in the entire Lower World, if Haimer claimed second place, no god or adventurer would dare claim first.
Even with his Divine Power sealed, this fellow's instincts, honed through countless slaughters, were terrifying enough to scare anyone.
"So, in this area, you've definitely got way more expertise than me. Since you're kicking me out, the least you can do is point me down a clear path, right?"
With that thought, Loki sidled up beside Haimer and nudged his arm with her elbow.
Hearing Loki say all this, Haimer didn't refuse.
For now, Loki was genuinely an ally standing solidly on his side, and the intelligence she'd just delivered was indeed valuable. He couldn't very well stand by and watch her get caught red-handed by Ganesha's military police.
So Haimer let out a sigh, went along with Loki, and walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window.
With one hand he drew aside the heavy velvet curtain.
Moonlight poured in through the gap, casting its glow upon the courtyard below.
His gaze pierced through the interlacing shadows of the trees, taking in the entire defensive layout of the eastern side of the Ganesha base in a single sweep.
The crisp clinking of armor, the deliberately hushed conversation of the patrolling guards, even the faint stirring of the wind through the distant shrubbery—all of it, in that moment, registered clearly in his mind.
"Behind that row of shrubs to the lower left, there's a drainage ditch leading to the southern courtyard. That spot happens to be a blind spot."
"Two minutes from now, the patrolling military police should turn right down that path on their rounds. There'll be a window of about fifteen seconds in between."
"You can follow that ditch forward for thirty meters. There's a small unlocked storeroom door. Go through it, and you'll be in the western district where the goddesses are housed."
"At this hour, most people should already be asleep."
"But Hephaestus has a habit of sleeping with a lamp on."
"Just head toward the window with the light, slip into her room, and explain the situation to her—that'll do it."
Loki listened, dumbstruck.
Following the direction Haimer indicated, she looked down and, sure enough, saw a fully armed squad of military police about to make their turn.
"As expected of you..." At that, Loki was convinced. She smacked her lips and threw Haimer a thumbs-up. Then—
She walked over to the windowsill, braced both hands, and vaulted up with incredible nimbleness, crouching atop the sill. Then—
Before leaving, Loki didn't forget to turn her head back and flash Haimer a wide grin. "Oh, right!"
"I took a pretty big risk for you tonight, so if you ever land some juicy, lucrative deal down the line, don't you dare forget to bring me in on it! I've got a household to feed too!"
With that. Loki's figure leaped lightly out the window, and in a few bounds she melted into the deep shadows of the northeast corner, vanishing without a trace.
Haimer stood before the window, gazing in the direction Loki had disappeared, and stood quietly for a while. Two minutes later, the patrol squad passed by right on schedule, noticing nothing out of the ordinary.
Only then did he casually draw the curtains shut, cutting off the moonlight outside.
The room sank back into dimness.
Haimer turned and walked back to the bedside, glancing at the empty water cup on the table.
These days in the Lower World were a good deal more interesting than the endless, unbroken boredom of the Heavens.
The scheming of the various factions, the tug-of-war between the gods. The Lower World truly was a vast stage.
After confirming that he really hadn't brought with him that sort of terrifying authority capable of annihilating everything, and that he might truly never use his Divine Power—
This flock of gods, whose bones had gone soft from too many days of comfort, had finally picked up the courage they'd dropped on the ground and dared to start playing their little games.
Good. If all they could do was kneel on the floor and kowtow, then there'd be no fun in it at all.
And so. Haimer drifted off to sleep.
The next morning. The sky brightened fully.
Sunlight streamed through the gap in the curtains, scattering golden spots across the carpet. "Knock, knock, knock."
A steady, even knocking sounded outside the room. Haimer had already woken early.
Having changed out of last night's bathrobe and dressed himself neatly, he walked unhurriedly to the door, reached out to grip the handle, and pulled it open.
What met his eyes—
Was none other than the captain of the [Ganesha Familia], Shakti, clad in a crisp, trim uniform.
Today she once again wore that meticulously crafted, highly mobile light armor, a longsword at her waist, her long hair bound up high, looking sharp and spirited.
It was just that—
Even though she was the famed, battle-hardened Lv.5 first-tier adventurer renowned throughout Orario.
At this moment, facing Haimer alone, her tall frame still couldn't help going somewhat stiff.
After all, that bloodless confrontation at the doors of the Denatus last night remained vivid in her memory.
The gods had each harbored their own schemes.
And in the end, the simultaneous, unambiguous show of support that Loki and Freya—patron deities of the two top-tier Familias—had put on for Haimer had only made the whole situation all the more bewildering and murky.
So much so that Shakti, as the military police captain responsible for keeping the peace in the city, felt the burden on her shoulders weighed a thousand pounds, and felt enormous pressure.
"Lord Haimer." Upon seeing Haimer, Shakti hastily bowed her head, her voice respectful. "Breakfast has been prepared. Lord Ganesha sent me to guide you to the banquet hall."
Looking at Shakti standing outside the door, stiff as a stone slab, Haimer couldn't help letting out a soft sigh. He stepped out of the room and pulled the door shut behind him.
"Miss Shakti."
Haimer spoke softly.
"Yes! Do you have some instruction for me?"
As it turned out, Shakti only tensed up further upon hearing him.
Seeing this, Haimer was at a loss.
Toward the mortals of the Lower World, he genuinely put on none of the lofty, condescending airs of a god. "There's no need to be so nervous."
"Ever since I first came to Orario and founded my Familia, you and Ganesha have helped me out a great deal—whether it was purchasing a residence or handling all sorts of tedious arrangements, you were always conscientious."
"For that reason, in my eyes, I have always regarded Miss Shakti as a friend."
"And since we're friends, there's no need to be so formal. Relax a little."
Haimer's tone was gentle and even.
But once these words were spoken and fell upon Shakti's ears, they stirred up a wave of bewilderment. A friend?
Even after hearing these warm words.
Her long experience maneuvering among the gods still made it impossible for Shakti to immediately let down the guard in her heart. Especially when she thought of her own little sister, Shakti found it even harder to set things aside.
"Th-thank you very much for thinking so highly of me..."
So Shakti replied haltingly, her voice even trembling a little.
Her heart grew all the more flustered, worried that her extremely unnatural manner right now might cause some offense.
After taking in the panic at the bottom of Shakti's eyes, Haimer chose not to continue trying to talk her around.
Besides, the commotion he'd stirred up recently in Orario really had been too great—bringing monsters straight out of the Dungeon, and launching large-scale construction on the outer ring.
It was hard for anyone to fully let down their guard against him in so short a time.
It was like how a habit can't be formed in a day or two, and deeply rooted fear couldn't be lightly brushed away with a sentence or two.
"To expect Miss Shakti to grow accustomed to it at once is indeed asking too much of you."
"But I will give Miss Shakti a little time to adjust."
"And likewise, I ask that Miss Shakti give me a little time as well."
"Let me prove to Miss Shakti that I am no calamity come to bring ruin upon the Lower World."
Haimer said this helplessly.
Then he turned and walked away.
Hearing this, Shakti raised her head in astonishment, her gaze falling upon Haimer's retreating back.
In the Lower World, it had always been mortals who strove with all their might to prove their worth to the gods, beseeching the gods for their blessings.
Since when did it fall to a god to prove himself to a mortal? And yet. Before Shakti could even come back to herself.
Haimer's voice came again, interrupting her thoughts.
"Alright, it's getting late."
"Let's get going, Miss Shakti." "Ah... Yes! Lord Haimer!"
Watching Haimer's receding figure, Shakti stood blank for a full two seconds before abruptly snapping to. She hurriedly quickened her pace and followed along.
And so. Passing through that long corridor laid with its gorgeous carpet, the two arrived at the luxurious dining hall within the [Ganesha Familia] base, reserved for the gods to dine during the Denatus.
Compared to last night's tense, scheming, oppressive atmosphere—
This morning's breakfast hour seemed relatively relaxed.
The gods gathered in twos and threes around the long tables draped with spotless white cloths, enjoying the sumptuous spread the [Ganesha Familia] had carefully prepared, with the occasional sound of light conversation here and there.
But the moment Haimer stepped through the doors of the banquet hall.
The originally bustling chatter inevitably died down.
Countless covert gazes shot over from all directions, carrying curiosity, wariness, and awe.
Shakti naturally noticed the shift in the mood of the room, and bit her lower lip, saying nothing.
Haimer, however, paid these gazes no mind and walked straight toward a long table in the center of the hall.
There. Hephaestus, holding a cup of hot tea, was discussing something with Loki. Loki had rather heavy dark circles under her eyes—clearly she hadn't slept well after sneaking back the night before.
Hestia, meanwhile, was clutching two slices of bread slathered with bright-red jam in both hands, eating until her whole mouth was a mess, her cheeks puffed out plump like a hamster's.
"Haimer! You're here!"
Seeing Haimer approach, Hestia immediately swallowed the food in her mouth, stood up excitedly, and waved the little hand still holding the bread, about to call out a loud greeting. And yet. The very next second—
"Come—" Before that word "over" could even leave her mouth.
The smile on Hestia's face instantly froze, and her raised arm stiffened in midair.
Because she saw—
Demeter, dressed in a bright-yellow gown, a brilliant smile all over her face, came striding from the other side of the hall with cheerful, bouncing steps, heading straight for Haimer.
If it had been just Demeter alone, that would have been one thing—Hestia would have done no more than glare at her a couple of times. But the problem was—
Behind Demeter trailed a whole dense swarm of goddesses!
At a rough glance, there were at least a dozen!
What's more. Under Demeter's lead.
These goddesses, surrounding Demeter, intercepted Haimer right there in the middle of the floor, hemming him in layer upon layer, completely cutting off any escape!
"Good morning, Haimer."
Demeter took the lead, that fervent smile still on her face, warm enough to seemingly melt ice and snow.
She very naturally drew close in front of Haimer, greeting him with easy familiarity, and even took the opportunity to lean in toward him a little, her full curves faintly hinted at.
The goddesses trailing behind her were not to be outdone either.
Every one of them with beautiful eyes darting about and faces full of eagerness, they crowded forward, all chiming in at once, terrified of falling behind.
"Now that I think of it, it's been a long time, Lord Haimer!"
"How nostalgic—you look exactly the same as you did back in the Heavens!"
"I hear the new stronghold you're building on the outer ring is especially vast. Once it's finished, could I bring the good-for-nothing children of my Familia along for a tour?"
"Hey, stop pushing me..."
In an instant. Haimer's ears were flooded with their respective greetings and their utterly unabashed displays of intimacy, and he was simply drowned in the throng of goddesses. Fortunately, most of these faces he had some recollection of.
But the question was—
Why had these goddesses suddenly become so chummy with Lord Haimer all at once?
Watching this scene, Shakti, Amid, Naza, and Mikoto wore faces full of astonishment.
As for what exactly was going on—
That had to be traced back to before the gods descended to the Lower World. The truth was.
Before the gods descended to the Lower World—
The circles of the Heavens had, over the long ages and owing to the gods' eternally unchanging nature, already spontaneously formed their respective cliques.
And especially after coming down to the Lower World.
This division into factions became all the more pronounced, even directly tied to material interests.
And the goddesses Demeter had brought along today, without exception—
Were all lowly gods struggling to scrape by in Orario, running small or even minuscule Familias.
In the Lower World, the lives these goddesses led were, frankly, not very good—one could even say they were beset with difficulty at every step. After all.
They weren't like Hestia, who had Hephaestus—the magnate of all Orario's most powerful smithing industry—as a dear friend secretly slipping her money to help out behind the scenes, so that even drowning in debt she could still eat her fill.
Because their own Familias' adventurers were low-level and weak, unable to take on high-tier commissions and thus unable to earn any real money.
Their Familias were no strangers to being bullied and oppressed by the mid- to large-sized Familias in everyday Orario life.
In particular—whether it was the scramble over Dungeon resources, the jostling for shop locations on the commercial streets, or the promising young talents their own Familias had painstakingly cultivated—
These would often be forcibly poached away by stronger gods using money and resources.
Some would even engineer accidents in the Dungeon to forcibly kill them off.
Take Apollo, for instance: when he took a fancy to some beautiful child of a small Familia, he'd simply use force to compel the other party to convert—the sort of thing that was a common sight in Orario.
For the sake of maintaining surface-level harmony, the Guild would usually turn a blind eye to such matters; so long as it didn't blow up out in the open, they basically wouldn't intervene.
After all, in the Lower World. Without strength, all you could do was swallow your grievances in silence.
So why, then, had they suddenly banded together and come to surround Haimer today?
—The reason was actually very simple.
It was all thanks to last night's banquet.
As the one who held the lifeline of all Orario's agriculture, possessed deep reserves, wielded enormous clout within the circle of goddesses, and ordinarily looked after these minor gods a great deal—Demeter.
At the banquet, she had chosen to attend alone, without bringing her Familia.
Directly casting off the exclusionary little clique that Apollo and Ishtar had taken the lead in forming.
And she had acted on extremely intimate terms with Haimer.
This kind of unambiguous taking of sides stirred up enormous ripples in the eyes of those gods constantly keeping watch on the situation.
Likewise, the close-knit circle of goddesses was naturally no different.
And so, after last night's banquet ended.
No sooner had Demeter set foot in the western rest area belonging to the goddesses—
Than she was immediately cornered in her room by this group of small-Familia goddesses, with whom she had long huddled together for warmth in Orario and shared no shallow friendship.
Faced with her sisters' curiosity, worry, and panic over the future state of affairs—
Demeter, for her part, made no deliberate effort to conceal things.
She frankly admitted that Haimer had just helped her resolve a colossal crisis that had threatened the very foundation of her Familia.
Although, well-versed in the art of negotiation, she did not openly state that the trouble was the resource plunder Dionysus had been secretly orchestrating. But.
The resolute sense, woven through every line of her words, that she was utterly devoted to and had completely fallen in behind Haimer, was conveyed solidly to every goddess present. Above all—
Demeter had directly spelled out one clear signal—and that was: in the Lower World, Haimer was still dependable!
After all, these minor goddesses weren't fools either.
Combining the various signs from last night's banquet.
Everyone had seen with their own eyes.
Orario's two mightiest giants—Loki and Freya, who commanded countless elites—had both unreservedly released signals of goodwill favoring Haimer.
Add to that Guild Master Royman's recently abnormal, fawning attitude toward Haimer.
And the Guild's all-out assistance in the various efforts to help the [Haimer Familia] carry out large-scale construction on the ruins of Orario's outer ring, establishing a vast stronghold—all of it indicated one thing.
Haimer had already become an unshakable third pole of power in Orario.
For these goddesses—who struggled daily at the very bottom of Orario, who had to count every coin just to eat a decent meal, and who had to be on guard at all times against their children being snatched away—
This was, without a doubt, a heaven-sent, golden opportunity to turn their fortunes around. After all. As they well knew.
If one really traced it back.
Even back in the Heavens.
They had in fact received no small amount of Haimer's protection.
Although Haimer's fearsome reputation in the Heavens—his readiness to slaughter gods at the slightest provocation—made countless proper deities dread him.
Still, for these marginal goddesses with no combat power to speak of, who held only domestic, life-related authorities, Haimer's temple was a rare safe harbor.
After all, whenever they were harassed by those ill-natured male gods who delighted in bullying the weak.
The thing they most often did.
Was to all pile in and hide inside Haimer's temple.
In the Heavens, Haimer's temple was regarded by all gods as forbidden ground.
Even the great gods didn't dare set so much as half a step across that threshold.
But so long as one hid inside that temple.
Those annoying troubles of the Heavens would automatically retreat.
This could be considered, in a sense, an old tradition.
Even though, ever since that great incident, Haimer had grown rather indifferent to them. He still never drove them away, and never lorded over them or made any excessive demands of them.
Now, seeing how turbulent the situation in the Lower World had become—how, for the sake of their ambitions, Apollo and Ishtar were once again applying frenzied pressure, forcing everyone to take sides and join the alliance against Haimer, on pain of facing even harsher suppression—
So, under Demeter's persuasion last night.
The marginal goddesses, who already resented Apollo and Ishtar, suddenly had their minds set astir.
After a night of discussion, they immediately reached a consensus. A big tree gives good shade—that principle held true anywhere.
With Demeter charging at the front, then it was new grudges and old, plus the bonds of the past, all settled together!
The whole company of goddesses held their little meeting overnight and made up their minds right then and there!
A collective defection!
To hell with the exclusionary little clique!
To hell with Apollo and Ishtar!
In any case, they were all but invisible nobodies in the Lower World's circle of gods anyway—how much worse could things possibly get?
Better, then, with Demeter actively stepping in to broker the connection, to take the initiative and put on this very performance! To pledge their loyalty to Haimer, and—bringing their own adorable Lower World children along—to clutch tight to this thick thigh!
"Come to think of it, Lord Haimer, we were just talking about you last night."
A goddess with a strip of white cloth over her eyes struggled to squeeze her way to the front through the crowd.
She tilted her head up, and though her eyes were covered by the cloth, the eagerness on her face was plain to see.
"I hear your Familia's new stronghold is under construction."
"With such a vast area, surely it'll need a huge quantity of daily necessities in the future, won't it?"
"Our weaving craft is the finest in all of Orario! Whether it's everyday clothing or combat undergarments, no problem at all!"
"And I—and my Familia—absolutely guarantee that we can supply you and your Familia at the most suitable prices and the best quality in all of Orario!"
"And there's more! There's me too!"
Another goddess with her hair in braids promptly raised her hand.
"My Familia can't offer too much help, but we can provide free medical support!"
"No matter how grave the injury, the herbal remedies my children and I prepare will come in handy! Absolutely a better bargain than those ridiculously expensive potions the [Dian Cecht Familia] sells!"
"That's right! I can help too! My children's farm can supply the highest-quality meat..."
For a moment, sales pitches of this sort rose and fell one after another.
Listening to these chaotic yet enthusiasm-filled assurances.
Haimer's thoughts began to drift upward as well.
This too, one might say, was a case of an idle willow taking root and giving shade.
Originally he had only meant to win Demeter over, to solve the problem of agricultural resources for his outer-ring stronghold, and incidentally to gain one more vote of support at the Denatus.
He never expected that Demeter's socialite attribute would erupt like this.
Even though these goddesses' Familias all stood at the very bottom of Orario, their combat power all but negligible.
Still, one mustn't forget the most crucial point.
A goddess who has descended to the Lower World, even with her Divine Power sealed—
Is, in the end, still a goddess.
Every goddess holds within her an authority that belongs to her.
For example, the goddess of medicine, the goddess of weaving, the goddess of food.
And his own Familia was composed of pure combatants—which dovetailed with them perfectly, each complementing the other.
Take Loki's Familia, for instance: when Finn and the others conquer the Dungeon, the moment their logistics get bottlenecked, no matter how strong their combat power, they'll find themselves stretched thin.
Every expedition has to spend a great deal of time shuttling back and forth on the surface to adjust supplies, and the various logistical and resupply expenses have always been an astronomical figure.
If his own Familia ended up the same way, relying solely on Guild allocations, it would be all too easy to have its neck wrung by Orario's existing commercial alliances. But.
This band of defected bottom-tier goddesses, together with Demeter, who controlled Orario's agricultural lifeline, could perfectly fill this enormous gap.
At this thought, Haimer's mind gradually grew clearer.
It was just that. At that very moment—
"Waaaaah!!!"
Hestia, too, had at last come back to her senses!
Like a lioness!
Still holding that half-bitten slice of bread in her hand, she charged headlong into the fray.
"Move! Move! Move aside!"
In the end, relying on the advantage of her petite build.
Hestia managed to forcibly squeeze out a path through this pile of goddesses.
Weaving left and right, she expended a tremendous amount of effort and successfully burst through to stand before Haimer.
There she was, brandishing the half slice of bread in her hand like a weapon, a thoroughly displeased look on her face, fiercely guarding the space in front of Haimer.
Seeing Hestia in her usual food-guarding posture.
Demeter and the other goddesses were all tickled into laughter. "Hestia, don't worry."
"Everyone just wants to come and talk a little business, that's all."
Demeter teased, covering her mouth, her eyes brimming with mirth.
The other goddesses, seeing this, joined in the ribbing one after another. "Exactly, exactly! Hestia's being too overbearing!"
"Lord Haimer hasn't even said anything yet, and Hestia's already getting all worked up..."
Watching this little farce.
Haimer let out a helpless sigh too, reached out to press a hand on Hestia's head, and after soothing her—
He looked at Demeter and the cluster of little goddesses gazing at him with longing eyes, his voice returning to its calm.
"I gratefully accept everyone's kind intentions."
"But indeed." "Once my new stronghold is complete, I will genuinely need a great deal of supplies and logistical support." "After the Denatus concludes."
"I'll have my Familia's dedicated Guild advisor, Miss Eina, get in touch with each of your Familias to work out the specifics."
Although nothing concrete could be hammered out during the Denatus itself.
Haimer's declaration at least set all the goddesses' hearts at ease.
Conversely, Ishtar, who had witnessed this scene from a table over in a corner of the hall, naturally wore an utterly grim expression.
Her nails, painted with gorgeous lacquer, dug forcefully into the table. "Damn it..."
"This useless bunch of fence-sitters! How dare they betray me!"
____
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