"Welcome to the Hostess of Fertility, nya!"
"Ah—huh?"
The other catgirl, Chloe Lolo, was clearly a bit more composed than Anya Fromel—though only just a bit.
She spotted Ryota among the crowd, along with Anya, who had completely frozen beside him, and Ryuu Lion, whose expression remained as emotionless as ever but whose eyes betrayed a faint flicker of anticipation.
Chloe scratched her head and muttered, "Something feels off…" before turning around to lead the group toward a space where three large round tables had been pushed together.
"Whoa, hey! That's the Loki Familia!"
"That's basically their entire main force!"
As one of the liveliest taverns in Orario, the Hostess of Fertility was packed to the brim.
Plenty of adventurers who were eating and drinking instinctively paused and turned their gazes toward the new arrivals.
Especially when they saw the Loki Familia's core members—or more precisely, when they saw Ryota.
The tavern went quiet for just a moment… then erupted into murmurs.
Shock, awe, admiration, envy…
A torrent of emotions rippled through the air:
"That black-haired kid… that's Ryota, right?!"
"I'm looking at the real deal! I put down big money on Loki Familia and made bank—gonna sneak them a drink later."
"The Guild already put out an announcement—Freya Familia's disbanding tomorrow. Looks like Loki Familia's gonna be the undisputed top dog in Orario!"
"…"
Naturally, all of this chatter was picked up loud and clear by Loki.
She turned to Finn beside her, grinning mischievously.
"Hey, gotta say, it's the first time I've ever been the center of attention like this~"
Finn looked up at her and shot her down without mercy.
"Yeah, right. You've been alive for like, what, a billion years?"
"Tch~ No sense of romance at all, you pint-sized prude."
Loki didn't seem bothered. She just shrugged and grinned even wider.
Soon, the group settled into the large central table.
Ais had been trying to quietly sit next to Ryota, but Loki, sharp-eyed and quick-handed, yanked her away before she could.
Before long, drinks and food were brought over by the catgirls.
Ryota wasn't much of a drinker, but Loki kept nudging him to have a few, so he reluctantly sipped some fruit wine here and there.
Next to him, Lefiya was already pink-cheeked and looking like she might pass out at any moment.
Across the table, Bete swirled his wooden mug, his wolf ears twitching as he looked over at Ryota and asked,
"Hey, rookie—Ryota—what are you planning to do next?"
As one of the Loki Familia's veteran Level 6s, Bete didn't want to admit it, but even he knew: these days, everything in their Familia revolved around Ryota.
"Rest for a couple days. Do some forging. I've been going nonstop lately—it's exhausting."
Ryota didn't mention the Flying Raijin Jutsu—he hadn't even tested it yet.
He knew better than to reveal his hand before it was ready.
"Bete wasn't asking about that~"
Loki cut in with a sly grin, her expression pure mischief.
"What he really wanted to know… was whether you're planning to stir up something spicy here in Orario~ Like, say—heh heh heh."
"Oi oi oi! Loki, don't put words in my mouth!"
Bete practically leapt out of his seat, ears twitching violently.
"That's not what I meant at all! Don't make stuff up!"
"Something… spicy?" Ryota blinked and lowered his head in thought.
Suddenly, a certain anime from his past life on Earth came to mind—High School DxD.
The catchphrase echoed in his mind:
I'm gonna be the Harem King.
Hmm… with a troublemaker goddess, you had to use troublemaker logic.
Fight magic with magic!
So Ryota smiled and said:
"Well, I was thinking… maybe I'll start a harem?"
"Gather all the girls I like, help them live together in harmony and happiness."
"It's probably even harder than exploring the deep floors of the Dungeon—but also way more fun, right?"
The moment he finished speaking, the entire tavern fell silent.
Then—
Whaaaa!!!
The room exploded.
"Did I hear that right?! A harem!? He said harem, right?!"
"HAHAHA! Now that's a hero an adventurer can respect!!!"
"Brothers!! Raise your glasses for that line!!!"
"…"
Cheers, whistles, and the clinking of mugs rang out through the tavern.
Adventurers lifted their drinks and shouted slogans like "Long live Lord Ryota!" and "The ultimate manly dream!" as the atmosphere hit a fever pitch.
But in the middle of all that noise—
Crack.
A sharp sound cut through the chaos.
The glass in the hand of a certain blonde girl had developed a clear fracture.
A visible flame—yes, a flame—seemed to burn behind Ais's back.
"A-Ais, you… you need to calm down!" Loki's face went pale.
"Which bastard gave my Ais booze?!"
Riveria calmly set down her cup and said coolly,
"Ais didn't drink anything."
"…Huh?"
"Someone just said something incredibly stupid."
Ryota opened his mouth to explain—that it was just a joke! He was just trying to liven up the mood!
Before he could say a word, though, he felt an even hotter flame from the other side.
He turned his head slowly—
And saw magical energy behind Lefiya practically take shape—towering like an inferno.
She was smiling ever so "gracefully," her lips curved in a "gentle yet deadly" arc.
Ryota: …
Something's wrong. That's killing intent!
"I… I need some fresh air."
And just like that, he shot toward the exit like his feet were greased lightning—even Bete raised an eyebrow at his speed.
Outside the tavern, the night was deep.
Ryota had barely stepped through the door when he heard a voice behind him:
"A harem, huh… Bold idea."
"…"
Okay then! Another wave of killing intent.
This tavern was terrifying!
Ryota scratched his head awkwardly.
"It was a joke. I swear it was just a joke… Miss Ryuu, don't misunderstand."
Ryuu didn't say anything. Instead, she held out a drink.
The same drink she'd bought him the very first time they met.
Ryota stared at the cup, then glanced at Ryuu's calm face.
"…Weren't I the one who was supposed to buy you a drink?"
"Now you're the one buying?"
Ryuu didn't reply. She just tilted her head slightly, gesturing with her eyes.
Unable to refuse the elf girl's kindness, Ryota took the cup.
"…Put it on Lady Loki's tab."
The drink tasted the same as ever—light, fruity, and sweet. Just like he remembered.
"Still the same flavor."
He said softly, maybe to Ryuu, maybe to himself.
The night wind blew gently. The bustle of Orario felt far away, cut off at the end of the street.
The two of them stood there outside the tavern, side by side, saying nothing.
As Ryota drained his cup, Ryuu finally broke the silence.
"…Thank you."
Ryota chuckled, half-jokingly,
"If you're ever thinking about joining a Familia… Loki Familia's not a bad option."
Ryuu didn't answer right away. She looked down, was quiet for a few seconds, then slowly shook her head—and then nodded.
"…So is that a no, or a yes?"
A faint smile curved Ryuu's lips—a rare sight.
"…We'll see."
Ryota didn't press further. He just stared out into the night, lost in thought.
…
City of Night.
Inside a dim and luxurious room, the air was thick with the cloying blend of incense and cigarette smoke—sweet, decadent, and a little suffocating.
Under the golden glow of a hanging lamp, Ishtar lounged lazily on the sofa, her long legs draped casually over the edge.
Behind her on the bed, a man lay sprawled out, face pale and froth clinging to the corners of his mouth. Clearly unconscious.
The lingering energy in the room made it clear just how brutal this "trial" had been.
Just then, the door creaked open.
A tall—no, burly—woman walked in.
Despite her female clothing, her grotesquely distorted proportions made her utterly incompatible with the word "beauty."
Her broad face was lined with coarse wrinkles, and the only thing that glittered in it was a pair of predatory eyes.
Phryne Jamil—the infamous man-killer.
"Lady Ishtar."
Her raspy voice rumbled.
"Lady Kali replied… she agreed to join us… in attacking—"
Phryne cut herself off.
She honestly didn't know how to explain the absurdity of this belated response.
"Hmph."
Ishtar snorted, eyes flashing with disdain.
She'd been planning this for a year now.
As a fellow goddess of beauty, she knew full well:
If she wanted to shake Freya's standing in Orario, her own Familia alone wasn't nearly enough.
So she'd set her sights further—on another god known for bloodshed and battle: Kali.
One secret letter after another, hidden in offerings alongside Magic Stones and mountains of Valis, had been smuggled southeast.
Each envoy she sent was a powerful warrior from the Ishtar Familia.
Every one of them made their request as a warrior would, swearing by their Familia to ask Kali to strike together.
At first, the Kali Familia had been suspicious.
They'd received "alliances" before—usually weaklings pretending to be strong, trying to bait them into traps.
Ishtar's letters had seemed like more of the same. They were tossed into the fire unread.
But then, one envoy came with no letter.
She came bearing high-level gear.
The kind of weapon even a Level 5 would envy.
And after that, every offering became more lavish, each message more sincere, each envoy stronger than the last.
These women weren't begging for help—they were warriors offering their strength to other warriors.
Eventually, Kali understood.
Ishtar wasn't just writing letters—she was proving her resolve through action and sacrifice.
The desire to fight worthy enemies was in Kali Familia's very blood.
And Freya Familia? The pinnacle of strength.
So Kali agreed.
But now—
"After all those letters, begging her to join us against Freya… she finally replies—after Freya Familia's already disbanded?!"
"What the hell is going on in that woman's head?!"
Ishtar spat on the ground, eyes burning with frustration.
The room's pressure dropped.
Still, despite her curses, a flicker of unease crept into her eyes.
She remembered the War Game. That "monster" who had silenced all of Orario.
Ryota.
That name had become one of Orario's most taboo topics.
Ishtar sat up straighter on the sofa, crossing her legs. The flirtatious gleam was gone from her face—replaced by wariness and gravity.
If they'd ambushed Freya with Kali's help, maybe they could've taken a bite.
But now?
"Pick a fight with Loki Familia?"
"Or worse… with Ryota?"
Ishtar let out a bitter laugh—only to feel a chill run down her spine.
"That wouldn't be an ambush. That'd be suicide—marching my head straight into his blade."
"I'm not that stupid."
She waved Phryne off impatiently.
"Tell that crazy woman to go back. I don't want the gifts either. Just stay out of Orario."
"I'll stick to my little corner and enjoy my pleasures."
Phryne hesitated for a few seconds, then muttered,
"…Uh, Lady Ishtar."
"Kali Familia's already here."
"And it's not an envoy. Not even just her Familia."
"Kali herself came in person."
"W-What?!"
Ishtar shot off the sofa like a spring, her abundant chest bouncing dramatically.
She gripped the armrest.
"Who did you say came?!"
Phryne licked her cracked lips and repeated,
"Kali. With two Familia members—both Level 6. They're probably already in Orario."
Ishtar froze for a beat. Then exploded.
"She's out of her damn mind! What is she doing, showing up now of all times?!"
"Don't tell me—she's planning to mess with Loki Familia?!"
Phryne said nothing. Which was basically a yes.
It was in their nature.
Ishtar's temple bulged. She screeched,
"Damn it! She's not helping—she's throwing me into the fire!"
"Freya's barely gone, and my ties with Loki are already on thin ice. If people think I sent this gang of maniacs to cause trouble—"
"Ryota's gonna summon some colossal skeleton monster and flatten the red-light district!!"
"Shit!!"
She stormed around the room in a frenzy, her robe slipping off her shoulders, completely forgotten.
"Quick! Put someone on them! Don't let them get within a block of Loki Familia!"
"If all else fails, lure them to the ity of Night—throw some hot guys at them!"
"I swear to you, Phryne—if Ryota so much as glances our way over this—"
"Even if Aisha strips down and begs on her knees, she won't be able to save the damn brothel from getting leveled!!"
----
Join my Patreon for early access to chapters: Patreon.com/rivyura