"Hey, has that kid arrived yet?" A male god who hadn't attended the banquet asked another who'd been at the divine meeting.
"Nah, seems like she didn't come," the banquet-attending god replied.
"Speaking of which, is that child really as stunning as Dionysus's painting suggests?" the first god inquired, curiosity evident.
"Well, when I saw her confronting Apollo yesterday, she was even more beautiful than the portrait," the second god answered.
"Really? Even more than Freya?" the first god's curiosity grew.
"Idiot, how can you compare a mortal to a deity? There's no comparison at all," the second god shot him a disdainful look.
"Eh? Then why were you praising her so much?" The first god seemed surprised.
"Of course! She's made it clear she prefers women, gets along well with Hestia and Loki, and isn't particularly fond of Freya. Her tastes are pretty obvious, aren't they? We male gods stand no chance. And isn't the thing you can't have always the most desirable?"
The second god gave the first a knowing glance.
"...So that's your take? I misjudged you. Aren't we both in the Freya fan club?" This time, it was the first god's turn to look disdainful.
"Hmph! Naive! I've already joined the Alice-chan support group! Behold! My membership number is 48!" The second god snorted proudly, pulling a strangely textured card from his pocket.
The card featured Dionysus's painting of Alice, with the membership number in the bottom right corner.
"Whoa, impressive!"
"Darn it! My number is past one hundred!"
"You bastard! I heard members within the top fifty get rights to Alice's personal items from Loki! I challenge you to a duel!"
"Scoundrel! Stop it! This card is registered to my name! It's useless to any of you! And you, pulling my underwear, let go right now!"
The moment the second god produced his membership card, it drew the attention of all the surrounding male gods, and chaos promptly erupted.
Around the Apollo Familia area, it wasn't just male gods lurking.
There were plenty of goddesses too.
The goddesses could easily overhear the male gods' discussion, including their opinion that Alice might be preferable to Freya.
Being overheard by goddesses wasn't a big deal in itself.
But among them was Freya.
"So, Freya, you heard what those guys said. Don't you have any thoughts about it?" asked Demeter, goddess of agriculture, grain, and maternal love. Her Familia's territory was the vast farmlands outside Orario.
Her Familia grew many crops that were in high demand throughout the city.
Though her Familia had many members, as an agricultural-type Familia, their combat strength was relatively average. She'd come today hoping to scout a child or two with decent potential for her Familia.
Freya had come too. Given the strength of the Freya Familia, she didn't need to recruit from Apollo's ranks. Her purpose here was simple.
To see more of Alice.
So, regarding the male gods' discussion, the goddess of beauty, for once, felt no jealousy. After all, how could she be jealous of a girl she herself adored?
"Alice is truly very lovely. In terms of pure cuteness, I certainly can't compare to her," Freya said with a smile, admitting it gracefully.
Demeter was quite surprised, but she quickly grasped Freya's meaning. "So you're saying that when it comes to mature, adult charm, that child Alice can't match you, right?"
Freya merely smiled in response to Demeter's words, offering no direct answer.
"Really, and here I thought you might actually admit someone was better than you," Demeter shook her head. "As expected of the goddess of beauty, you can't admit another woman surpasses you. But that child is still young, right? If she grows up and exceeds you, I wonder if you'll go mad."
"I won't~~"
"You won't go mad?" Demeter raised an eyebrow.
"No~~ Alice won't grow up. That child isn't human," Freya said with a laugh.
"Not human?" Demeter frowned.
"Well, you'll understand if you observe her carefully once she arrives."
As she spoke, Freya pulled a card from her cleavage.
"Speaking of which, Demeter, why not join the adorable Alice's support group? As the group's president, I have the authority to issue you a membership card~~"
The corners of Freya's eyes lifted in delight.
Demeter's jaw dropped at the sight of the card in Freya's hand, clearly marked with the membership number '1'.
"Ara, it looks like Alice is here. We can discuss membership later," Freya, with her sharp eyes, had spotted Alice and Eina following behind her.
She hurriedly put away her number one membership card.
And walked towards Alice.
--+--
When Alice arrived at the Apollo Familia estate again, the first thing she saw was a chaotic scrum of male gods emitting a distinctly troublesome aura.
The second was Freya, all smiles, walking towards her, accompanied by another, less familiar goddess.
To be honest.
She wanted to avoid both groups.
But Freya was clearly heading straight for her; dodging was impossible.
'Alas...'
Alice sighed inwardly, then put on a smile and moved to meet Freya.
"Lady Freya, and this other goddess," Alice lifted the hem of her dress slightly, offering a ladylike curtsy to both.
"Alice, this is Demeter. Her Familia is agricultural. They produce not just grains, but many delicious fruits as well. If there's any fruit you particularly like, Alice, you can ask Demeter directly."
Freya introduced Demeter to Alice.
Hearing the introduction, Demeter took the opportunity to study Alice carefully.
"Hello, Lady Demeter," Alice gave Demeter a slight, polite smile.
Compared to Freya, Demeter gave off a much more comfortable feeling.
"Indeed, just as Freya said, you are truly very lovely, Alice. What should I do? I think I'm falling for you too."
As a goddess presiding over crops, Demeter greatly appreciated the aura Alice carried.
That feeling brimming with vitality.
It was truly wonderful.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
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