Inside Tet's realm, at the heart of his garden, Hestia hummed softly to herself as she set up rows of tables covered in drinks and food. Steam and aromas drifted lazily into the air, the warmth of her cooking filling the space with homely comfort. She moved with cheerful energy, adjusting plates and pouring drinks preparing for a grand celebration.
Drawn by the commotion, Apollo and Hermes stepped outside, curiosity written on their faces. Artemis, seated calmly at one of the tables, was polishing and inspecting her bow with meticulous care.
Apollo tilted his head, eyes gleaming with amusement. "What's Aunt Hestia doing? Looks like she's setting up a party."
Without looking up from her bow, Artemis replied coolly, "Apparently a new person is joining this little pantheon of ours. And when Aunt Hestia heard they'd never eaten real food before, she started cooking and hasn't stopped since."
Hestia placed down the last dish with a bright smile. "There, everything is ready. They should be here any minute now."
Right on cue, one of Tet's portals shimmered open. Tet strolled out casually, hands laced behind his head, a mischievous grin playing on his lips. Behind him followed Mina, Akira, Wolfgang, and Vera.
Tet spread his arms and said. "Alright everyone, this is Mina, Akira, Wolfgang, and Vera. Mina will be joining our pantheon, and the other three are her guests."
Artemis's sharp gaze flicked toward Tet. "A thought occurs—we let mortals in here far too freely."
Apollo only smirked, his tone light and unconcerned. "Yeah, I like it. Our pantheon's a lot more casual than others. Anyway, nice to meet you all—I'm Apollo."
Hermes flashed a quick grin, leaning on the table with easy confidence. "Name's Hermes. You need anything delivered—or stolen—I'm your guy."
Artemis finally set her bow aside, her piercing silver eyes focusing on the newcomers. "I'm Artemis, goddess of the hunt."
At her words, Akira and Wolfgang instinctively took a cautious step back, tension flickering across their expressions.
Artemis arched a brow. "What did I say?"
Mina gave a nervous chuckle, raising a hand to smooth things over. "Oh, this is just the first time they've met gods. Don't mind them."
Mina tilted her head curiously and asked, "So… how does this work?"
Tet blinked, then smirked. "Oh, right—hang on a second." He raised his hand in front of her and declared in a booming yet playful voice, "I, Tet, God of Games and ruler of this ever-growing multiverse, hereby name Mina Tepes the new Goddess of the Night, of Shadows, of Vampires, of Werewolves, and of Vengeance!"
With Tet's decree, Mina was suddenly wrapped in a golden cocoon of divine energy. When it dispersed, she stood in her adult form, a crimson dress flowing elegantly around her, red heels clicking lightly as she shifted her weight. Her scarlet eyes glowed brighter than ever, and her golden hair shimmered like it had been spun from moonlight.
Tet spread his arms with a grin. "Everyone—a round of applause for our new member!"
The gathered gods broke into claps and cheers. Mina dipped into a graceful bow, her lips curling into a small smile. "Thank you."
Hestia clapped happily and chimed in, "Okay everyone, to the table! I've prepared a lot to eat."
Mina gave a polite smile but admitted, "Oh, that was nice of you… but I can't eat normal food."
All the gods froze and looked at her with raised eyebrows. She blinked at their stares. "What?"
Tet chuckled, crossing his arms. "Did you forget the part where I made you a goddess?"
Mina's eyes widened slightly. "Does that mean… that I can eat?"
"Of course," Tet confirmed with a grin.
Mina's face lit up with joy, her eyes shining like a child's. She hurried to a seat at the table as Hestia eagerly began bringing her plates of food. Mina tasted each dish with unrestrained enthusiasm, delight painting her expression with every bite.
Tet turned back to Akira, Wolfgang, and Vera, who were still frozen in a daze, and said sharply, "Don't just stand there—eat!"
They blinked, snapped out of their stupor, and quickly joined Mina at the table.
"Oh, and Mina," Tet added casually, "you should be able to give Vera the ability to sustain herself off regular food. Give it a shot—I made sure to pass you the knowledge while you were undergoing your transformation."
Mina nodded firmly, her expression glowing with newfound confidence, and did as he instructed.
Tet leaned back in his chair, folding his hands behind his head. "Alright, anyone have questions?"
Wolfgang looked up and spoke. "Yes, actually. You said you were the God of an ever-growing multiverse. How is that possible? Do you… create new worlds?"
Tet laughed lightly and waved his hand dismissively. "What? Oh no. I take them from evil gods or claim worlds that have no gods whatsoever."
Wolfgang's gaze drifted toward the massive stuffed creature beside them, and he pointed at it. "I see… another question. What the hell is that?"
Artemis smirked, crossing her arms proudly. "That's a basilisk I slew recently. It was fun, but not very challenging."
Mina tilted her head and asked with genuine curiosity, "Why did you pick me to be a goddess?"
Tet gave her a knowing smile. "There are more vampire-ruled worlds than you'd think. Having a responsible vampire queen in our ranks seemed like a smart idea, considering how dangerous some of them are. And before you ask—yes, I can interfere in worlds. However, that's super boring. I won't do things myself unless I either really don't like someone, or I don't have someone strong enough to handle the situation."
Apollo leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand. "What about those four kids you just reincarnated not too long ago?"
Tet shrugged. "They aren't strong enough yet. Also—" his eyes narrowed mischievously "—that reminds me. I need to punish Zeus soon. He's becoming too much trouble to keep around."
Artemis leaned in with interest. "By the way, since you're gathering subordinates from other worlds, does that mean I can open recruitment for the Hunt on other worlds?"
Tet arched a brow. "I never said you couldn't."
Artemis's lips curved into a satisfied smile. "Wonderful. I'll start as soon as possible. Also, my Huntresses have grown very fond of Astera—the town in Monster Hunter. I was hoping you could build one here for them to stay in during downtime."
Tet grinned. "Yeah, no problem."
He leaned forward, voice carrying across the table. "And I'm getting more subordinates for a multitude of things. For example, the world I sent Ares and Castiel to. I've got a few other new worlds in mind, and I'm in the process of negotiating with the Presence and the One Above All about borrowing some of their people. The Presence basically wants me to get Lucifer out of the house for a bit, and the One Above All asked me for something super crazy."
Hermes perked up with a sly grin. "Oh yeah? Like what?"
Tet smirked but shook his head. "I'm not sure if I'm gonna say yes, so we'll worry about that later. For now—" he clapped his hands together with a bright smile "—everyone, enjoy the feast!"
Vera finally spoke up, her voice soft but filled with a fragile sort of wonder. "I haven't had real food in so very long… I'd almost forgotten what it tastes like."
Then Surprisingly, Artemis slid her chair closer, silver eyes narrowing as she studied Wolfgang. "So—you're the leader of the werewolves, yes?"
Wolfgang stiffened under her gaze and answered nervously, "Well… not entirely, Lady Artemis. I lead the Earth Clan—a faction of werewolves that serve Her Highness."
Artemis leaned in, her tone sharp and predatory. "Surely there are members of your race that you wouldn't miss, right?"
Wolfgang cleared his throat, struggling to maintain composure. "There are criminals among my race, just like any other. I'll compile a list for you."
Artemis gave a satisfied smile. "Wonderful. But only the ones who haven't been caught yet. I take no pleasure in hunting caged prey."
Before Wolfgang could respond further, Apollo suddenly grabbed Artemis by the shirt and tugged her back. His eyes flashed with annoyance. "Down, girl. Can't you see the guy's uncomfortable with you in his face?"
He turned quickly to Wolfgang, his tone softening. "Sorry about that." With that, Apollo dragged his sister away, Artemis looking more annoyed than apologetic.
Mina, watching the exchange, turned to Tet with a composed expression. "Lord Tet, do I have any official duties?"
Tet leaned back lazily, a grin tugging at his lips. "Mostly just managing your domains across the worlds our pantheon owns. Other than that—you can do what you want. I mean, all these people do."
Hestia let out a small laugh, shaking her head as she folded her arms. "Says the person who acts more freely than all of us combined. Speaking of freedom—when are you doing away with the Threads of Fate?"
Tet sighed, waving a hand dismissively though his eyes carried a flicker of seriousness. "I've got a lead, okay? I'm working on it."
Artemis, still being tugged back by Apollo, shot Tet a sharp look. "Please hurry. I'd rather not have to bury my lieutenant in a year."
Tet groaned, tilting his head back with mock exasperation. "Alright, alright—I'll go to the world that has what I need next. Twist my arm, why don't you?"