Freya was a goddess who presided over numerous divine domains including beauty, love, war, and victory.
Ishtar, while being the goddess of nature and harvest, also governed love, fertility, and war.
Their divine authorities overlapped significantly, and they had been at odds since their days in the heavens.
No, to be more precise, it was Ishtar who had always been unilaterally hostile toward Freya.
As fellow goddesses of beauty, Freya always managed to outshine her.
The number of male gods Freya could attract always surpassed Ishtar's.
In the eyes of the heavenly deities, Freya was far more suited to be the goddess of beauty than Ishtar.
This filled Ishtar with bitter resentment.
After descending to the mortal realm, the Loki Familia became the strongest faction in the city, residing at the very top of the Tower of Babel, while Ishtar's own Familia could only rank among the top five, confined to a corner of the city.
This only deepened Ishtar's indignation, and she made it a point to oppose Freya at every turn.
The reason her Familia's base, the Temple of Sacred Prostitutes, was built so tall was to rival Freya, who resided on the 50th floor of the Tower of Babel. However, the Tower of Babel had been constructed with divine assistance, and without such divine power, the Temple of Sacred Prostitutes could never surpass its height. Once again, Ishtar found herself falling short.
On the other hand, Freya paid Ishtar no mind whatsoever.
Ishtar's provocations were often met with Freya's serene indifference, which Ishtar interpreted as the arrogance of a victor, fueling her fury even further.
Every time the two met, they would exchange barbs.
Winning wasn't the point—what mattered was not losing face!
And besides...
'Honestly, I wouldn't lose anyway!'
Ishtar was brimming with confidence.
Even if Freya had Level 6 and Level 7 adventurers, Ishtar was certain that if a fight broke out, victory would be hers—because she held an incredibly powerful trump card!
The only reason she hadn't made her move yet was that this trump card wasn't fully prepared.
But in other words, once it was ready, it would be time to declare war on Freya!
'It's the Evilus, isn't it?'
Freya mused idly.
She had seen right through Ishtar's shallow scheme.
Even after losing her Familia's only Lv. 5 to that little pervert, Ishtar still hadn't given up on provoking her. The only possible explanation was that the trump card she relied on wasn't her own Familia.
Combined with the intelligence Freya had gathered recently, there was no doubt Ishtar had gotten involved with the Evilus.
As for what Ishtar—or rather, the Evilus—was plotting, she could simply ask that little pervert once the Loki Familia returned from their expedition.
What a tedious woman.
Freya didn't even consider this goddess worthy of being her enemy.
"Hey, are you two even paying attention to me?!"
The other gods had been engrossed in the clash between the two goddesses of beauty, their faces alight with the glee of spectators.
But a sudden roar, like that of a lion, jolted them all.
From the head of the table emanated a dark, tyrannical aura befitting an evil god.
The deities stiffened, then straightened their postures.
Even Freya and Ishtar chose to humor her, taking their seats at opposite ends of the round table.
The one seated at the head of the table was none other than—
Loki.
"Why is Loki the host of this God's Banquet?"
"I heard all the children from her Familia went on an expedition, so she volunteered out of boredom."
The crimson-haired chief god glared at the two whispering deities below, satisfied as the God's Banquet finally quieted down.
"Alright, I hereby declare the Nth God's Banquet officially begun!"
"Ooooh!"
The gods enthusiastically cheered in response.
Only about thirty deities were gathered around the round table.
This was because only the chief gods of Familias with upper-class adventurers were permitted to attend the God's Banquet.
In other words, the gods seated here represented Orario's core factions—each chief god commanded at least one Level 2 adventurer.
"First, news from the kingdom. That God of War just won't give up, will he?"
"Ares again? How many times has he lost already, yet he still attacks Orario?"
"Even with such a massive disparity in strength, he never tires of this?"
The gods engaged in lively discussion.
This was the purpose of God's Banquet.
Bored gods exchanged interesting information, fully exercising their function of entertaining one another.
All sorts of rumors circulated across the divine table, occasionally erupting in bursts of laughter.
The entire assembly was conducted with extreme informality.
"Now, we finally arrive at the most anticipated final segment!"
"Naming Ceremony! I've been waiting for this!"
"Hahaha! This time I'm definitely giving an interesting name!"
Undisguised smirks spread across the gods' faces.
Any adventurer who leveled up within the past three months could have their "title" decided by the God's Banquet—a widely known epithet, often more recognized than their actual name, even sung by bards.
A title bestowed by the gods themselves was a symbol of fame and honor.
"Alright, adventurer Erica Rozalia, your title shall be
"NO—!!!"
A chief god let out a pig-slaughtering scream before collapsing to the ground in agony.
Mortal humans could never comprehend the gods' tastes.
What might seem like a sacred title to ordinary people was, in the gods' eyes, a painfully amusing nickname—purely for their entertainment.
"Next is Takemikazuchi's child, Yamato Mikoto."
"Such a cute kid, and with black hair too—just my type!"
"But we can't forgive Takemikazuchi, that lolicon!"
"Divine Wind of the East!"
"Holy Ninja!"
"Absolute Shadow!"
Ultimately, Yamato Mikoto's title was decided as
Thus, another god joined the ranks of those weeping on the floor.
"Finally, this one!"
Loki flashed a radiant smile as she passed around the last portrait.
Upon seeing the portrait and the achievements recorded on it, the previously cheerful gods fell into stunned silence.
Even Freya and Ishtar were visibly astonished.
Loki Familia, name: Eiji. Reached Level 2 and Level 3 in his first month, Level 4 in his second, and became Level 5 in less than three months!
Unprecedented!
Not even ancient heroes could match this terrifying leveling speed!
Most adventurers would have gone through several titles by the time they reached Level 5. Yet his rapid advancement outpaced even the God's Banquet's schedule. Despite being Orario's most famous first-class adventurer, he still hadn't received a single title!
A legend that made all adventurers in Orario exclaim in disbelief—impossible, absolutely unattainable—like a child of the gods!
Unprecedented in history, and likely never to be surpassed!
"This leveling speed is far too abnormal, Loki?"
At the round table, Ishtar raised her head, her sharp gaze fixed on Loki at the head of the table.
"Normal people can't even gain a single level in three months, yet he soared straight to Level 5. There's no way there isn't something fishy going on with him... You didn't secretly use divine power to alter him, did you?"