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A beastman community leader who had been in the middle of negotiations with a trade partner glanced toward the entrance of the hall.
The moment he saw the blonde goddess wearing an olive wreath, his expression froze.
"That is…"
"Lady Athena… why is she here?"
"You're kidding, right? A Greek chief god actually showed up. Is she here to settle accounts with Arcadia?"
"Wait, the one beside Lady Athena… that's the Aristocrat of Little Garden? Arcadia's Moon Rabbit?"
After the initial shock passed, everyone's attention quickly shifted to the two people Athena was leading in, Black Rabbit and Ryo.
A Moon Rabbit was one thing, but a man being personally led by Athena was another matter entirely. It was impossible not to let one's imagination run wild.
"Is that Arcadia's leader?"
"Not sure, but probably. His aura feels very close to the power released yesterday."
"He's so young. He can't even be fifty. A four-digit at under fifty… is he a natural-born top-tier Gifted?"
"I heard Arcadia's leader is Lady Shiroyasha's lover…"
"Shiroyasha's lover? But the one holding his hand is clearly Athena!"
"Wait, what? Does this mean Greece and Thousand Eyes are at odds now… over a man?"
"Not necessarily. Looks more like a personal clash between Athena and Shiroyasha."
"Careful. These are people far beyond our level. This isn't something we should be discussing."
The leaders of the smaller communities immediately fell silent, their expressions turning strange. No one dared to speak openly anymore, switching instead to private communications.
At the same time, the looks in their eyes grew more and more bizarre.
Only ten hours had passed since Hermes's incarnation had been killed by Arcadia's leader. And now Athena had appeared at the banquet, openly interacting with Arcadia's members.
No matter how one looked at it, this was bizarre.
Could it be… that killing Hermes had been Athena's order?
If so, things got interesting.
Was Arcadia being dragged into a conflict between Athena and Hermes? No, that didn't sound quite right. More likely, it was a struggle between Athena and Zeus.
Just thinking about it made people shudder.
As expected of the once-great alliance that ruled the lower layers. Even reduced to remnants, they could still involve themselves in internal disputes among such gods, to the point that Athena herself came to recruit them.
Those quick on the uptake quietly sucked in a breath of cold air and became even more cautious.
...
"The atmosphere feels… off."
Black Rabbit sensed it the moment they entered the main banquet hall.
Normally, when the host arrived, the mood should have heated up. But reality was nothing like what she had imagined.
Arcadia's arrival didn't liven things up at all. If anything, the atmosphere grew heavier.
Was it because of Athena's sudden appearance?
That didn't make sense either. A rare goddess personally descending should have made the place explode with excitement.
'This is awkward…' Black Rabbit thought, her expression turning subtle.
As the host, she should have stepped up immediately to smooth things over. Unfortunately, Athena was still holding her hand, making it hard for her to pull away.
Thinking of this, Black Rabbit shot a pleading look at Ryo.
What she saw instead was Ryo whispering closely with Athena, clearly in the middle of a private transmission.
As the leader, what exactly are you doing?!
Watching the two of them leaning in close, Black Rabbit's face twisted as if she'd just bitten into a lemon.
So sour.
'Thanks to you, the place is completely frozen,' Ryo said with a smile, glancing around as he spoke lightly.
'Still not letting go? At this point, the audience is probably guessing what our relationship is.'
'Do we have a relationship?' Athena asked back, smiling.
'…' Ryo fell silent for a moment, then sighed. 'Forced melons aren't sweet, Goddess.'
'I haven't tasted one before. How would I know if it's sweet?' Athena replied cheerfully. 'Why don't you let me try? Then I can judge.'
'I still have things to—'
Before he could finish, Athena cut in. 'Oh? And what important things might those be?'
Her eyes curved like crescents as she smiled.
'Don't tell me you're planning to cooperate with the communities here. Do you really think lions and mice can live together?'
That shut Ryo up instantly.
What Arcadia desperately needed right now was talent and credibility.
Partners mattered, but Arcadia's foundation was still there. Even though the former ruling alliance had been shattered, plenty of communities survived.
Old four-digit allies like Draco Greif Alliance, Avalon, and the Great Sage Equal to Heaven wouldn't mind forming alliances again.
If four-digits were willing, five-digit communities were even less of an issue.
What Arcadia needed now was to let the lower layers of Little Garden understand that the flag of the Ruling Alliance had not yet fallen.
'They're still useful,' Ryo replied, his tone lacking conviction.
'But once I show up, they're not,' Athena answered with a smile.
That left Ryo with no rebuttal.
Just the gimmick of being a man favored by the goddess of war and wisdom was enough to make the communities present turn into enthusiastic promoters, hyping Arcadia nonstop.
And that was about all those communities were good for anyway.
With Athena and Ryo appearing together, anyone with half a brain could tell that the real targets of this banquet were the four-digit big shots.
And those people were mostly in the inner hall, separated from this one by just a single door.
'Me coming personally didn't get in your way, did it?' Athena asked with a teasing smile, her gaze fixed on Ryo.
Faced with her blunt question, even though Ryo found her extremely troublesome, he still had to answer politely.
'…Your presence honors me greatly.'
'That sounded completely insincere,' Athena said, clicking her tongue.
She then turned to Black Rabbit and let go of her hand. "Black Rabbit, you handle entertaining the guests here."
"Eh? But, Lady Athena—"
Before Black Rabbit could finish, Athena interrupted her. "I'll take care of promoting your little lover in the inner hall, so relax and do your job."
"My little lover… it's not like that yet," Black Rabbit protested shyly, her face turning red. "But I'll make sure the main hall is managed properly."
Behind them, Leticia couldn't help covering her face.
Ryo's mouth twitched as well.
Bunny, use that walnut-sized brain of yours. Athena is deliberately sending you away!
But by then, Black Rabbit had already walked toward the center of the hall, leaving Ryo without a chance to stop her.
Athena smiled as she watched Black Rabbit pick up the microphone and step onto the host's platform, beaming brightly.
"What a cute child~"
"You're truly amazing," Ryo muttered, sighing faintly.
"I'll act as your secretary and negotiator. Any objections?" Athena asked with a smile.
"None!" Ryo answered instantly, following his survival instincts.
"Then let's go."
Athena tugged lightly at Ryo's arm, urging him along.
"Yes, yes," Ryo replied perfunctorily, casting a subtle glance toward a corner of the hall.
Then, accompanying Athena, he headed toward the inner venue.
.
.
.