"Ha~ I still can't believe Finn and the others actually managed to defeat the Spirit."
Even after witnessing it with her own eyes, Loki still felt like she was dreaming.
"...You've said that over a dozen times now."
"Huh? That many?"
"You seriously haven't noticed?"
Hestia could understand Loki's excitement. She had gone through the same thing after learning about Bell's special skill. For several days, she had been absolutely ecstatic.
But even so, hearing the same line repeated endlessly was getting on Hestia's nerves.
She'd stayed up several nights in a row monitoring the Dungeon's situation, and the lack of sleep had taken its toll. She'd only been able to relax a little once she could see Bell with her own eyes.
Now that the expedition had ended safely, all she wanted was a proper rest to unwind the nerves she'd kept taut for days.
Even though she had full confidence in Bell's abilities, she'd still mentally prepared herself for the worst—possibly even a falling out with Loki.
Worry and relief had drained her both physically and mentally. Right now, all she wanted was to lie down and get some proper sleep, so she could greet Bell when he returned—at her best.
"Ha~ I get that you're excited, but I'm exhausted. Can you please just go to sleep already?"
"How am I supposed to sleep at a time like this!?"
"That's your problem! I want to sleep!"
Without waiting for another word, Hestia grabbed Hephaestus beside her.
"Hephaestus, let's ignore this idiot. I'm seriously about to pass out."
"Perfect, I'm tired too."
Hephaestus stood up and stretched. After sitting for so long, her shoulders were starting to ache. She rubbed them lightly but decided to save the request for a massage until after Bell came back.
Loki stared at the two casually flaunting their figures, speechless, her eye twitching uncontrollably.
She looked down at her own chest, then without thinking, tears of frustration welled up in her eyes. She grumbled with envy, "Tch, it's not like I don't have one..."
That moment brought back memories of Hephaestus and Hestia's... previous proportions. Loki frowned.
"Did they grow again?"
But she quickly shook the thought away.
"I'm overthinking it. We're gods—we've long since lost the ability to grow. No way those two have any room left for growth."
Among the goddesses, Hestia and Hephaestus were definitely well-endowed. But as divine beings, they weren't supposed to grow anymore. She had to be imagining it.
"Ha~~~"
Just thinking about it made Loki feel sleepy too. She let out a huge yawn, her eyes misting up, and her vision started to blur.
'I'm done... After days of staying up, I need some proper rest too.'
Her previously energized face now showed nothing but fatigue.
Even gods needed rest—especially those who had descended from Tenkai and sealed away their divine powers, reducing themselves to the level of ordinary mortals.
Days of sleeplessness would wear out even a god.
As the excitement faded, exhaustion crept in.
And with that, Loki finally surrendered to sleep and returned to her room.
When she woke up, it was already the next morning.
The soft bed, the fragrant blankets, and the lingering sweet dreams had kept Loki sound asleep for a long time.
She had slept so deeply that she couldn't wake up early like usual.
It wasn't until noon that the drowsiness finally wore off and she sat up in bed.
"Mmm~"
Stretching both arms overhead and arching her back, she let out a long breath before flopping limply onto the bed again.
"Ah~ I might never get to enjoy a day this relaxing again."
They say a golden nest can't beat one's own doghouse—but that only applies to ordinary nests.
This place? This was no ordinary luxury. The design exuded opulence in every detail, the kind that could charm even a god.
And right now, wasn't Loki the most thoroughly charmed one of all?
"No, I can't just keep sleeping today."
As much as she wanted to stay in bed a little longer, Loki knew today wasn't the day for that. She had to return to her Familia and get the welcome ceremony in order.
"There's a lot to prepare."
The Lv.7 promotion and her kids' victory over the "Spirit" in the Dungeon would need to be publicized—but that would have to wait until they actually got back.
It'd be premature to spread the word too soon.
For now, she just needed to get the welcome ceremony ready for Finn and the others. This expedition had been a big deal for her kids. At the very least, they wouldn't be going out to eat—they'd celebrate at home.
After all, the welcome would be followed immediately by the official level-up ceremony. Loki couldn't wait to see her children one by one break through to Lv.7 on their Status Boards.
With excitement building, Loki changed clothes and used the space tunnel to return straight to her doghouse.
And the moment she stepped into her room, brimming with hope—she ran into the one person she didn't want to see.
"Hermes... why are you in my house?"
Loki's expression twisted into one of pure annoyance at the uninvited guest.
The worst part wasn't even that he'd shown up uninvited—it was that he'd actually wandered into her private room. Who the hell had the guts to let this guy in?
"You don't have to be so blunt about it."
The look of disdain on Loki's face clearly embarrassed Hermes.
"Tch. Maybe I wouldn't be like this with someone else. But with you? A little disgust is just right."
Loki didn't hold back, wearing her contempt for Hermes openly.
The corner of her mouth twitched upward, and on her otherwise beautiful, goddess-like face, a theatrical expression of "disgust" took over. She might as well have been performing facial artistry.
Loki didn't even treat Hermes like a man. She plopped down on the bed, crossing her long, slender legs without a care.
"Spill it. What do you want?"
"Uh, actually... this isn't about the Loki Familia. We already know your children defeated the Spirit—we saw it happen yesterday."
"If you saw it, then why are you here?"
Loki frowned. So it wasn't about her children. Judging from the troubled look plastered on the messenger's face, Ouranos must've handed him another weird assignment.
'Poor guy. When Zeus was around, he worked for Zeus. Now that Zeus is gone, he's stuck being Ouranos's errand boy.'
That thought earned him a slight reduction in her usual scorn.
"Did Ouranos stick you with something troublesome?"
"Go on, tell me. If I like what I hear, maybe I'll help you out."
She leaned forward with that unmistakable 'here for the drama' look on her face.