At the moment, the Loki Familia, host of the celebration banquet, was more lively than ever before.
Preparations had begun well before nightfall, and Twilight Manor was already welcoming the invited gods and Familia members.
Hermes had arrived early with his captain and a few children in tow.
"It's really lively here."
Looking around at the bustling interior of Twilight Manor, Hermes couldn't help but remark on the festive atmosphere.
"Hermes-sama, today marks a major promotion for the Loki Familia. Of course Loki-sama would want to make it grand."
Asfi fully understood Loki's desire to show off.
That said, she tugged uncomfortably at the hem of her dress. Truth be told, she wasn't at all used to wearing something like this.
'Seriously, why is my Familia God always so unreasonable?' Asfi couldn't help but wish she could switch to a more sensible god—at least one who didn't make her life difficult.
But knowing her Familia God's personality all too well, Asfi understood those hopes would remain just that—fantasies in her head.
Seeing Asfi fidget awkwardly, Hermes chuckled. He brought his palms together and summoned a soft gust of wind with a flick of his fingers.
"*!?"
Asfi quickly pressed down her skirt with both hands, face flushing red, and shot a glare at the pervert responsible.
"Please show some restraint."
But Hermes, clearly unbothered by his captain's embarrassed expression, just kept smiling.
"Asfi, it's a banquet. You should try to enjoy yourself a little more like everyone else."
"..."
Rolling her eyes, Asfi held down her skirt and—with all the force she could manage—kicked the pervert god flying.
"Pervert!"
She could normally tolerate a little shamelessness from this lecherous god, but to pull this kind of stunt at a formal event—did he really think she wouldn't get mad?
Even if she was angry, Asfi still held back. After all, a single kick from a Level 4 adventurer—especially when fired off in a flustered rage—would've been enough to send a sealed god straight back to Tenkai.
Even so, Hermes slammed hard into the wall.
"Hermes-sama, are you okay?"
"Ugh... Asfi's temper just keeps getting worse."
Grimacing, Hermes clutched his face while Lulune helped him up. That collision with the wall definitely hadn't felt good.
Lulune gave him a disapproving look.
"You brought that on yourself. Trying to lift the captain's skirt at an event like this?"
Hermes straightened up with mock seriousness.
"Exactly because it's an event like this that I had to do it."
"Asfi's always been a bit stiff. She needs to open up and show more emotion."
He made it sound so noble—like he was doing it for her sake—but Lulune could tell only that last line held any real truth.
"Hermes-sama, you just wanted to see the captain's embarrassed face, didn't you?"
Hermes stayed silent for a couple of seconds, then looked away.
"Oh! Hephaestus is here too."
So that was what he really meant. Lulune wasn't usually the sharpest, but moments like this made her surprisingly perceptive—she understood exactly what Hermes was trying to hide.
She still chose to show him some respect as a god of a Familia.
"Where?"
She quickly changed the subject and started scanning for Hephaestus.
Following Hermes' gaze, Lulune soon spotted the famous blacksmith god of Orario—Hephaestus.
Today, Hephaestus was dressed in a red ceremonial gown. It matched perfectly with her crimson hair and eyes, and made her snow-white skin look even more flawless.
The half-mask covering one side of her face might have dulled her beauty a little—but it gave her a distinct charm, adding a cool and stoic edge to her presence.
Lulune's attention was quickly drawn to the people standing beside Hephaestus.
As one of the main stars of tonight's banquet and someone who had just advanced from Level 5 to Level 6, Tsubaki Collbrande was far from her usual self.
Today, she wasn't wearing her typical chest wrap. Instead, she was dressed in a formal white gown.
Her wheat-colored skin contrasted with the white fabric in a way that suited her surprisingly well—though Tsubaki herself wasn't quite convinced.
"Ugh… Hephaestus-dono, I'm really not used to wearing something like this."
She shifted uncomfortably, watching the flowy material swish as she moved, and sighed.
"Stop complaining. This is your celebration banquet too."
"Sigh…"
Hearing Hephaestus say that only made her feel more powerless.
She had never liked banquets or social events like this. She was clearly more at home in the forge—so why did getting a level-up mean she had to attend something like this?
"Hephaestus-dono, can't I just stay home and work?"
"No. At least not today."
Her request was flatly denied, and Tsubaki slumped her shoulders in defeat.
This light, fluttering dress felt more like a constraint than anything festive—but it wasn't like she could just leave the scene now.
She could only try to distract herself with idle thoughts and hope the evening passed quickly.
"Oh right, Hephaestus-dono, is Bell... still hiding in the back?"
Tsubaki had already started to doubt Bell's abilities. At the very least, she didn't believe a Level 1 adventurer could create something as absurd as that "Straw Doll Substitute" using only his own skills and magic.
"That's just how he is. Hestia only has him in her Familia, and if he showed up now, it would just cause a commotion. With everything going on, it's safer for him to keep a low profile."
This time, Hephaestus didn't bother with the usual cover-ups—she simply laid it out plainly.
Fair enough. Tsubaki agreed Bell shouldn't step forward right now.
It was still too soon.
After all, the fastest level-up in Orario's history was the "Sword Princess" from the Loki Familia. If someone were to break that record by leveling up in just half a year, they'd instantly become the gods' next obsession.
Beyond the issue of timing, there was also the matter of opportunity.
Right now, Orario was riddled with danger. The problems with Evilus were no longer hiding in the shadows—they were out in the open.
And at a time like this, if someone with talent stood out too much, they'd immediately become a target for Evilus.