Inside the Hostess of Fertility, Astraea suddenly dropped out of empty space.
The way a Portkey transported someone was indeed nowhere near as smooth as Genichi's portal. Even for a goddess, crossing such a great distance made it hard to keep any sense of elegance.
Astraea staggered a few steps and had to brace herself against a nearby table before she could steady her footing.
The staff in the tavern froze for a moment, unable to process what had just happened.
Behind the bar, Ryuu Lion looked up from the wineglass she had been wiping, and her gaze landed on the suddenly appeared figure.
For an instant, she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her.
But that face, that presence, that feeling she had missed countless times in her dreams - there was no way she could mistake it.
"Lady Astraea!"
Ryuu's voice trembled with disbelief and deep, overwhelming joy.
She set down the cloth in her hand and nearly rushed straight to Astraea's side.
"Ryuu!"
The moment Astraea saw that Ryuu was safe, the tightness in her heart finally eased.
Thank goodness.
The worst-case scenario she had imagined had not come to pass.
Her child was still alive, still standing right here in front of her.
Ryuu, meanwhile, was utterly confused.
She did not understand why Astraea had suddenly appeared here, and in such an abrupt fashion.
She understood even less why Astraea's eyes were glistening with tears, as though she had just recovered something precious she thought she had lost forever.
"Lady Astraea, why are you...?"
Ryuu asked in confusion.
Astraea took a deep breath and steadied the surge of emotion inside her.
This was not the time for a reunion.
There were more urgent things to discuss.
"Let's talk somewhere else first."
Astraea lowered her voice. "About that place, and about the divine returns just now."
Divine returns.
Ryuu's pupils tightened slightly.
Of course she knew what that meant.
It was the process of a god voluntarily returning to Heaven, something that would trigger a massive wave of divine power.
And just moments ago, she really had seen three pillars of light shoot into the sky, shaking all of Orario.
So that had been a divine return?
And three gods at once?
What exactly had happened?
Ryuu was just about to nod and lead Astraea somewhere quiet to talk.
But at that moment, the air rippled again.
Genichi stepped out from the distortion.
"Lady Astraea."
His gaze swept across the room before settling on Astraea. "Demeter sent me. I'm here to bring you, Ryuu Lion, and Lunoire back."
His tone was flat, as though he were merely stating something ordinary.
But the meaning of his words left everyone in the tavern stunned.
After hearing him, Astraea shook her head.
"I can't go back with you yet."
Her answer was firm, leaving no room for discussion.
Genichi frowned slightly, but said nothing more.
If Astraea refused, he was not going to force her.
His gaze shifted to Lunoire, who was standing nearby in equal shock.
She was still by the bar, a tray in her hand, clearly in the middle of working.
Her face was full of surprise and confusion, as though she could not make sense of any of this.
"Lunoire, are you coming or not?"
Genichi asked directly. "Orario isn't going to be safe from here on out."
At his words, Lunoire instinctively turned to look at the owner of the Hostess of Fertility, Mama Mia.
The retired adventurer once known as the Little Giant was now the mistress of this tavern, and the pillar everyone here relied on.
Mama Mia frowned, lowered the pipe in her hand, and fixed Genichi with a sharp look.
"Boy, what exactly do you mean by that?"
Genichi did not answer.
He only looked at Lunoire quietly, waiting for her decision.
At that moment, Syr suddenly spoke from the side.
"May I ask what exactly happened?"
Her voice was soft and gentle, but her eyes were unusually serious.
They were fixed straight on Genichi, as though trying to see right through him.
Genichi glanced at her.
Syr Flova. On the surface, she was just an ordinary waitress at the Hostess of Fertility.
But Genichi knew her true identity.
She was Freya in disguise.
"It's nothing much," Genichi said lightly. "Just that Orario might get blown sky-high by the Six Spirit Circles at any moment."
His tone was casual, as though he were commenting on the weather.
But those words landed like thunder inside the tavern.
The Six Spirit Circles.
Most people here would not know what that was.
But how could Syr, with Freya behind her eyes, possibly not know?
That was a grand magic requiring six spirits working together, powerful enough to destroy an entire city.
Syr's face turned pale at once.
She parted her lips, wanting to ask something, but for a moment found herself unable to even decide where to begin.
"What exactly is going on?"
She did her best to keep her voice steady, but the faint tremor at the end gave away the shock inside her.
Genichi looked at her, and a slight curve appeared at the corner of his mouth.
"My apologies, but I don't have time to explain it all to you right now."
He shifted his gaze away and looked back at Astraea.
"Lady Astraea, are you sure you and Ryuu Lion don't intend to come back with me?"
Astraea met his eyes and nodded firmly.
"I'm sorry, but I can't leave right now."
She was the goddess of justice.
With Orario facing a crisis on this scale, how could she possibly flee on her own?
And with Ryuu still here, there was no way she could abandon her child and leave.
Genichi did not press the matter further. Instead, he turned back to Lunoire.
"And you?"
Lunoire bit her lip.
She looked at Mama Mia, then at Syr, then at the other girls in the tavern - Anya, Chloe, and the rest of her companions.
These were her friends.
The bonds she cared about most in this city.
"As for me..."
Lunoire took a deep breath and made up her mind.
"I can't go either. Running away by myself while leaving everyone else behind would be way too pathetic."
She gave a somewhat helpless smile, but her eyes were firm.
Hearing that, Genichi clicked his tongue softly.
"All right, then."
He let out a sigh. "Looks like I have no choice but to stay too. Demeter wanted me to bring you all back, after all."
Astraea blinked slightly.
"You don't need to stay. This is our choice. It has nothing to do with you."
"Of course it has nothing to do with me," Genichi said. "But since it was Demeter's request, I can't exactly refuse. That said, if things turn truly dangerous, I'll be choosing to retreat first."
(End of Chapter)
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