Denatus.
In Orario, this term, as the name suggests, refers to a meeting of the gods.
Aside from temporary Denatus held for special circumstances, the gods also hold regular Denatus in the Babel every three months of their stay in the Lower World, to collectively discuss events occurring in Orario, directions for action, and… the titles of upgraded adventurers.
For the gods who had been bored for a long time and those who were overly lax, only the latter could pique their interest, because in this meeting, they could freely impose their "malicious fun" on those children.
"Good morning, Hestia."
Early in the morning, after seeing off the Guild's envoy, Hestia hurried to the Babel. Just as she arrived at the meeting floor, a familiar voice sounded from behind her.
"It's Take."
Takemikazuchi, a War God from the Far East, and one of Hestia's divine friends, also a former colleague at the fried potato ball shop.
Although Takemikazuchi has the appearance of an adult male around thirty, and Hestia looks completely like a little girl except for certain aspects, Hestia always carries a sense of being an elder in her address.
In the DanMachi universe, the relationships and personalities of the gods differ greatly from conventional mythology. Although Hestia may seem unreliable and acts like a child, her status in Heaven is actually not low; she can even be considered one of the ancient gods. Although she is called the Goddess of the Hearth Fire, she actually wields a sacred flame with the concept of immortality.
Therefore, most gods still hold a basic level of respect for her.
"Yahoo! Shorty!"
Upon just arriving at the Denatus hall with Takemikazuchi, Hestia saw a detestable person, and a vein immediately popped out on her forehead.
Loki…
Their relationship, to say it's good, isn't good; to say it's bad, it's not bad either.
Although they often compete with each other in daily life, they rarely trip each other up on important matters.
"Oh, Hestia, I heard three of your children are getting titles this time."
"Don't worry! We will definitely give them an unforgettable title!"
The other gods also noticed Hestia entering the hall due to Loki's voice, and one after another, they offered Hestia their "blessings." However, everyone understood what these "blessings" truly meant.
"You guys!"
But there was nothing she could do. Even the two strongest Familias couldn't openly threaten other gods, as that would violate the overt rules.
However…
Secretly tripping someone up in the dark, such an unwritten rule was still possible. If it were Loki or Freya, they wouldn't need to utter any overt threats; merely a glance or an expression could make some overly excited individuals calm down and consider who they were facing.
But Hestia was not among them, neither in the level of her Familia nor in her own personality.
The Denatus was presided over by Hermes, the fleet-footed god and Ouranos's temporary spokesperson. After some simple pleasantries and announcements, the most anticipated naming session began.
Among acquaintances, Yamato Mikoto of the Takemikazuchi Familia had risen to LV2 and received the title of Absolute Shadow.
Ais of the Loki Familia had risen to LV6, and according to regulations, her title could be changed. Although some gods wanted to change her title to Bride of the Gods, they all retreated under Loki's "Do you want to die?" gaze, and she continued to maintain the title of Sword Princess.
Then came the most anticipated the Hestia Familia.
The first half of the title naming was still normal, but when it came to Hestia, things started to go awry.
"Next are the three children of the Hestia Familia, namely Bell, who has risen to LV2, Takatsuki to LV3, and Fu Hua to LV5. The time taken is… one month."
As Hermes's words fell, the gods immediately erupted in an uproar.
The fastest leveling speed in Orario to date was Ais, who had just risen to LV6; it took her a full year to reach LV1. Loki knew that in the battle on the 59th floor, although Ais was not the one who ultimately defeated the Corrupted Spirit, Ais also gained a lot of experience from it, which allowed her to rise to LV6. It is easy to imagine how difficult leveling up is.
And the Hestia Familia…
"Shorty, I think you should know what kind of thing the blessings we gods bestow upon the people of the Lower World are."
Going from LV1 to LV5 in one month, such a thing was unimaginable even for the gods.
In fact, it wasn't that the gods had no way to quickly improve the blessings of the children in the Lower World, but every method was a violation.
Exploiting the potential of children through dark faction methods, illegal modifications, or forcibly enhancing children's abilities with divine power—all of these were possible.
The former is exploiting children's potential, needless to say, while the latter is the illegal use of divine power.
The gods chose to descend to the Lower World by following the rules of the game. After using divine power, they would be sent back, but there were loopholes in this.
Because whether it was suppressing the Dungeon, using divine power to facilitate festivals, or repairing widespread damage in Orario caused by accidents, divine power was required. Therefore, the authority to use divine power was actually held by Ouranos, and other gods would be automatically sent back after using it.
However, if a certain illegal method was used, divine power could still be extracted and used, because divine power was sealed, not disappeared, but hidden within the gods' bodies.
The unimaginable leveling speed of the three children could be said to be completely beyond the normal scope.
The gods looked at the sweating Hestia and questioned her.
"Hestia, please explain. Our blessings merely uncover potential, they are not convenient leveling tools."
Although Loki didn't think Hestia was the type to do illegal things, in order to maintain the stability of Orario, there were some matters she had to take the lead in expressing her stance.
"Loki, regarding this matter, I can explain something."
At this moment, Miach suddenly stood up. As Hestia's divine friend, he felt he should help Hestia: "As for that child Fu Hua, she's a special case. She had very severe injuries inside her body, and her original abilities were less than one-tenth. However, after consuming a large amount of materials, she recovered. Reaching LV5 can only be said to be a return to her original strength. The purpose of the blessing is to uncover a child's experiences, and that child's experiences are far more extensive than other children's. Dian Cecht can also vouch for Hestia on this point."
Loki's gaze fell upon Dian Cecht, who had been sitting quietly. This God of Medicine also nodded: "That child named Fu Hua did receive treatment in our Familia. Her injuries would have killed anyone else dozens of times over."
"Well, even so, what about Bell and that Takatsuki?"
Although Miach's help cleared Fu Hua of suspicion, there were still two others.
"If it didn't happen before, it's because the previous people couldn't do it. You know, before we gods descended, among the children in this Lower World, without blessings, they achieved things that even we gods couldn't imagine."
An unexpected person suddenly spoke up.
It was Freya, the chief goddess of the Freya Familia, one of Orario's two major Familias, who had remained silent throughout the Denatus.
"Perhaps, they are born heroes…"