A Gathering of Gods.
Though Apollo had invited many deities, the sheer number of gods in Orario was simply uncountable.
Had every single one decided to attend, even the Apollo Familia's estate might have struggled to hold them all.
Naturally, not every god could make it. Many had their own affairs to attend to. For instance, Ganesha, the chief god of the Ganesha Familia, was busy preparing for next month's Monster Feria and hadn't come.
The chief goddess of the Ishtar Familia never attended such banquets, not even once. Countless other gods were similarly occupied with their own matters, too busy to appear.
So, by now, the stream of arriving deities had pretty much dried up.
Of course, the most dazzling presence among all the gods present was the goddess of beauty, Freya.
After Freya made her entrance with her children in tow, the gods who had been whispering and stealing glances at Alice abruptly ceased their discussions about her.
All eyes turned to Freya instead, and one by one, they stepped forward to greet her.
Being the famous beauty she was, Freya handled the attention and the social niceties with her usual flawless grace.
"Tch... That Freya. Same as always," Loki, standing beside Alice, clicked her tongue softly, watching Freya being fawned over like the moon surrounded by stars.
She then suddenly noticed the odd look in Alice's eyes as the girl watched Freya, her brow slightly furrowed.
"What's up, Alice? Don't tell me you've fallen under that woman's spell?" Loki asked, puzzled. Both Freya and Apollo possessed a natural charm, an alluring aura that could captivate any mortal—man or woman—who lacked a firm will. Freya's power of enchantment, however, far surpassed Apollo's.
"But that shouldn't be possible. You're special, Alice. No charm or allure should have any effect on you."
A god's enchantment could drive the children of the lower world to pursue them madly, losing all reason.
But Alice was different. She was a witch who could charm even the gods themselves. She should be completely immune to Freya's allure.
"It's just... that goddess feels somewhat familiar," Alice murmured, her gaze fixed on Freya not far away. She sensed a familiar aura. "It's like I've seen her somewhere before."
"Seen her somewhere?" Loki was even more confused now.
She had been able to see Alice's unique nature at a glance, a skill honed by her treasure-hoarding obsession and sharpened perception.
Freya, on the other hand, possessed a ridiculously cheat-like ability.
Apollo could sense the souls of living beings. In his perception, Alice's soul shone with a dazzling brilliance, which was why he was so determined to have her.
Bell, meanwhile, still seemed lacking in some way, so Apollo hadn't paid him much mind.
But compared to Apollo, Freya could see directly into the very essence of a soul, perceive its radiance. So if Alice had indeed met Freya before...
That obsessed freak Freya would have gone even crazier than Apollo. While Freya wasn't like Apollo, that 'switch-hitter', Alice was just too special. Who knew what that woman might try?
"Alice, if you can, stay away from that woman from now on," Loki leaned in and whispered close to Alice's ear. "She's been with every single god here. A little witch like you, who hasn't even fully grown her feathers yet, is no match for someone like her."
"My, oh my, Loki. Hearing you say that truly wounds me," a mature, mellifluous voice suddenly chimed in.
Somehow, Freya, who had just been mingling with a crowd of male gods, had suddenly appeared right beside Loki.
"Gah!" Loki jumped, startled by Freya's sudden appearance, and clutched her chest. "Freya! Don't just pop up next to people like that! It's terrifying!"
"Hehe, my apologies," Freya chuckled lightly, then turned her gaze to Alice standing beside Loki. "And this must be the star of tonight's banquet.
She is indeed a remarkable child. It seems she hasn't joined a Familia yet, has she? How about joining mine?"
"If you join my Familia, I promise you can do whatever you wish. No matter what trouble you stir up, the Freya Familia will handle it for you."
"What do you say? Will you consider it?"
Freya's expression was perfectly serene, her smile gentle and kind, the kind that easily won people over.
But Alice could feel the searing heat hidden deep within Freya's heart, even though the goddess showed no outward sign of it.
Alice offered a small smile and gave a slight bow. "My apologies, Lady Freya. I will not be joining any Familia."
"...As I expected," Freya replied, not appearing angered by the refusal. "My invitation remains open. If you ever decide to join a Familia one day, please do consider my offer."
"I will keep it in mind," Alice said, her smile still in place.
The atmosphere between the two seemed quite amicable.
"Like hell she will!" Loki hastily cut in, scowling at Freya. "I already talked with Alice-chan long ago! If she ever joins a Familia, it'll definitely be the Loki Familia!"
The smile never left Freya's face. "My, oh my. The information I received suggested that Alice intended to join the Loki Familia, but was apparently driven away by one of your own children, Loki."
"Dammit!! Bete!!" Loki wailed in frustration.
"Alright, that was just a polite response, Loki. You can tell that, can't you?" Alice said, looking helplessly at the trickster god. "I told you from the very beginning, I have no intention of joining any Familia."
"I don't care!" Loki retorted, crossing her arms and putting on a thoroughly unreasonable expression. She then grabbed Alice's hand. "Come on! Let's get away from this woman. I think I just spotted a familiar face."
"I heard that someone has been using the excuse of teaching you Divine Script to freeload meals at your place lately. If you want to learn Divine Script, Alice-chan, you can always come to me. Not just me, Riveria is also very knowledgeable about it."
"There's absolutely no need for that little runt Hestia to teach you. I'm going to go give her a proper piece of my mind right now!"
"She already has her own Familia member, yet she still goes to other people's homes to eat and drink for free? It's downright shameful!"
With that, Loki stomped off towards a figure who had just appeared not far away.
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