After spending a few days in the Pirate World, Goddess Artemis, with Yami's help, successfully transported some female warriors from Nine Snake Island to Orario, where they settled peacefully.
During this time, both Hephaestus and Hestia provided their assistance, ensuring that Artemis's Familia was comfortably established in the labyrinth city.
It's worth mentioning that Loki, the "God of Trickery," was eager to stir up some trouble.
Seeing the incredible power within the Pirate World, especially those formidable figures in the Navy, naturally piqued her interest.
She wanted them all in her Familia.
But, of course, that was far from realistic.
Without Yami's approval, neither individuals from the Pirate World nor from any other world could pass through the World Gate and travel between realms.
Even if Loki were to bestow her divine blessings upon them, there would be no way to update them regularly.
Thus, the ultimate goal of becoming an adventurer under her command couldn't be fulfilled.
The people of the Pirate World weren't fools.
Driven by desires for power, they were willing to go to great lengths, sometimes even paying steep prices. Just look at Blackbeard, who infiltrated the Whitebeard Pirates as a spy for years.
Without the promise of power, even the allegiance to a god wouldn't guarantee followers. Not everyone would choose to join her Familia just for the sake of it.
That's the reality.
Loki initially planned to pester Yami into agreeing, but unfortunately for her, Yami wasn't having any of it.
While Yami shared a bond with the Loki Familia, it was mostly limited to Aiz and the others. His relationship with Loki herself wasn't strong.
As for Hephaestus and Loki, they were hardly close.
Yami wasn't the type to jeopardize his own interests for someone else without something in return.
So, despite Loki's best efforts, Yami remained unmoved.
Having accomplished the primary goal of ensuring Aiz and her friends' safety, the four girls decided to stay behind to complete their training, while Yami sent Loki and Riveria back to Orario.
Loki wasn't exactly thrilled to return to the labyrinth city so soon, but under Riveria's firm insistence, the unreliable goddess finally took responsibility for her Familia and reluctantly agreed to go back.
It seemed like she wouldn't get another chance to witness the wonders of the Pirate World anytime soon.
"Well then, Yami, we'll take our leave," Riveria said politely. "Thank you, Hephaestus-sama, Hestia-sama, and Artemis-sama, for your hospitality. You've shown us so much today."
"Please continue to take care of Aiz and the others," she added before bowing solemnly.
Riveria then pulled the still-protesting Loki away, leaving the Tower of Babel. They disappeared into the crowd soon after.
—I am the dividing line of allure—
On the way back to the Twilight Manor, Loki had her hands stuffed in her pockets, kicking pebbles along the road in frustration.
It seemed she was using this childish act to vent her dissatisfaction.
At first, Riveria bore it patiently.
But as Loki's kicks became more forceful and frequent, the usually composed royal elf mage frowned slightly.
"Loki, stop doing such rude things on the street. If you hit a passerby and cause trouble, it'll only create unnecessary conflict," Riveria admonished.
"Ugh! Mom, I'm just so upset!" Loki burst out, seizing the opportunity to unload her frustrations.
The red-haired goddess began ranting to Riveria.
"It's a whole other world! You've seen how powerful those humans are! Their strength far surpasses most adventurers here."
"Even their blood carries a power beyond what we've seen in Orario."
"To have such promising talents right in front of us but not be able to recruit them—it's heartbreaking!"
Loki waved her arms dramatically, trying to express just how vexed she was.
Riveria, though more composed, shared Loki's concerns. Recruiting strong individuals from the Pirate World would greatly boost the overall strength of the Loki Familia, potentially helping them reach deeper levels of the Dungeon.
But alas, they didn't have the means to bring them over.
How to successfully transport people between worlds remained an incredibly difficult task, even for someone like Loki.
Everything depended on Yami.
"And I'm 'not' your mother," Riveria corrected as usual. "Yami-kun won't agree to something like this, so give up on that unrealistic idea."
"Besides, the fact that he's helping train Aiz and Tiona is already a huge favor."
"Yeah, but it's still another world!" Loki lamented. "We didn't even get to explore it properly. And we only got there because of Aiz's invitation. Who knows if we'll get another chance?"
Riveria rolled her eyes at Loki's whining.
'Is that really the reason for your depression? Typical Loki.'
She didn't even want to engage in the conversation anymore.
However, as they continued walking, Loki's expression shifted as if she'd just thought of something. Her eyes fell on Riveria, filled with a mixture of excitement and hesitation.
But, when she considered the possibility of being able to travel freely between worlds in the future, her hesitation vanished completely.
"Mom! I just came up with a brilliant idea!" Loki exclaimed, her eyes gleaming.
"Why don't you seduce that kid, Yami?"
"With your beauty, you'd have him wrapped around your finger in no time. He's just a naïve boy. Once you've got him hooked, we'll be able to go to other worlds whenever we want!"
"And the rest of our Familia will be able to travel and grow stronger too!"
"Of course, don't let him take advantage of you! Just keep him hanging... Ow!"
Before Loki could finish, she was smacked hard on the head.
Riveria calmly retracted her staff, her expression unreadable.
However, the faint blush coloring her ears betrayed her flustered thoughts