Loki's voice echoed inside Alice's home.
Hearing her, Alice rose with a resigned sigh and stepped out of the living room to greet the goddess.
"Oohhh~ Alice-chan! Long time no see! I missed you so much!!"
The moment she saw Alice emerge, Loki's narrow eyes lit up instantly. She threw her arms wide open and lunged toward the girl.
The first time they'd met, Alice hadn't known Loki's true nature. Back then, she rarely went out and had little experience dealing with people.
So when Loki pulled that move, Alice had been utterly flustered.
But now, Alice wasn't the same girl she used to be. She'd grown skilled at handling social situations. With a slight shift of her body, she smoothly dodged Loki's flying tackle.
*Thump!*
Loki crashed right into the staircase behind Alice.
"Ooww!! Alice-chan, why'd you have to dodge?"
Loki lay sprawled on the steps for a moment before rolling over and sitting up, rubbing the red mark on her forehead. She pouted at Alice with a whiny tone.
Alice shook her head helplessly. "If I hadn't moved, you definitely would've started groping all over me. I've done my homework on you these past few days—I know how you are."
"Eh?" Loki's face brightened with delight. "Alice-chan, you went out of your way to learn about me? Ara ara~~ If that's true, I'd be absolutely thrilled, you know."
She sprang to her feet and leaned in close, hands behind her back, peering at Alice with a playful grin. "Sooo, Alice-chan, why did you look into little old me? Could it be… you want to join my Familia?"
"You're welcome to join anytime, Alice-chan. My door is always open for you!"
Loki chirped eagerly.
"No thanks..." Alice replied, her expression still weary.
"Eh? Why, why?!" Loki pressed, leaning even closer. "Don't tell me… you've already joined another Familia?!"
"Nooo!! Those other Familias—they're only after your looks, Alice! You mustn't be fooled by them!"
"Wait! Alice-chan, have those scoundrels already tricked you?! No! I have to inspect you myself! Hehehe~"
As she rambled, Loki quickly went off the rails. Her hands reached out toward Alice with grabby intentions.
Without missing a beat, Alice lifted her hand and caught Loki by the face, stopping her in her tracks.
"It's nothing like that. I just don't want to join any Familia. Seems like it'd be more trouble than it's worth. But I do plan to reopen my doll shop soon."
"When that happens, you and your Familia will always be welcome."
Alice smiled gently.
As eccentric as Loki acted, her behavior actually put Alice at ease.
Loki didn't seem to hold any grudge over that fight with the werewolf.
And even though Alice had no intention of joining a Familia, Loki wasn't making a fuss or being dramatic about it. She was still the same as when they first met.
So, rather than hostility, what could grow between Alice and the Loki Familia was something friendly—maybe even close.
For Alice, nothing was more reassuring than having one less problem to worry about.
And though Loki was a bit of a mess, her boyish personality reminded Alice of that monochrome magician from her memories—it felt strangely familiar, even comforting.
Truth be told, Loki scored much higher in Alice's book than most other gods.
Not joining her Familia was a bit of a shame, but for Alice, it was still the best choice. After all, her secrets seemed far bigger than she'd first realized.
A friendly, cooperative relationship was the safest way forward.
"And these two with you?" Alice turned her gaze toward the two elves who had come with Loki.
Recognizing one of them, her face brightened into a warm smile. "Lefiya, it's been a while."
"It has, Alice." Like Tione, Lefiya was a regular at Alice's shop. All her Ais dolls had been bought from there.
When she'd heard Alice might join the Loki Familia, Lefiya had been overjoyed.
But after learning that Bete had driven her away, she'd secretly made a straw doll and cursed him under her breath.
"Then this must be the Nine Hell of the Loki Familia, Riveria, correct?"
Alice turned toward the tall, beautiful elf with green hair and greeted her politely. "I'm Alice. I'm truly sorry about what happened at your Familia's gate that day."
"No, the apology is ours to make. Bete caused you a great deal of trouble—for that, I am truly sorry." Riveria was slightly surprised by Alice's courteous demeanor. In Bete's account, there'd been plenty of bias.
According to him, Alice was someone from another Familia—skilled, but there to pick a fight.
Even after hearing Tione's and Loki's explanations, and Lefiya sticking up for her, Riveria had still held a certain image of Alice: a supremely talented girl, skilled in magic, with godlike craftsmanship, and more than a little pride.
A human learning magic without a Falna?
That was something to be proud of anywhere.
So no matter how highly Loki and Lefiya spoke of her, Riveria expected Alice to carry at least a hint of arrogance.
But now, face to face with her, Riveria didn't detect even a trace of hubris. Instead, Alice felt… familiar.
It reminded her of the feeling she used to get, long ago, living in the Elven Forest.
As elves, their lifespans were long. Riveria had been away from the Elven Forest for over twenty years now.
To her, a royal elf with an even longer lifespan than most, those twenty years felt like the blink of an eye.
But seeing Alice's smile, she truly felt a wave of nostalgia for her homeland—for that forest once again.
Alice was calm by nature; Riveria, dignified and steady; Lefiya, still a little timid. For a moment, the three of them simply stood there quietly, gazing at one another without moving.
Just then, Loki's nose twitched slightly.
"Alice-chan, were you eating?"
"Mhm," Alice replied. "We just finished. Since you're all here, why not come in for a while?"
"Oohhh~ Alice-chan's inner sanctum!!"
Loki's excitement instantly returned.
Alice smiled faintly. "Sorry to disappoint, but my room is upstairs. This is just the living area and kitchen."
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