Lucoa looked a little disappointed.
"Uu~~"
She had returned to that naturally dazed and adorable state from before.
She clearly looked like she should be the most mature person here, yet the sound that came from her mouth was a soft, childlike whine.
That contrast made Lucoa seem even cuter.
"You'll see her again soon." Yuto spoke with a faint smile.
Lucoa sighed softly, then returned to normal.
"I didn't expect you to give Wendy your mark, Lucoa."
After Lucoa sat back down in her original seat, Tohru looked at her with some curiosity.
"Wendy-chan is just too pitiful~~~ And I really, really like Wendy-chan too~~~"
Lucoa spoke with a somewhat spoiled tone.
Yuto could not help feeling curious about the effect of that mark.
Tohru then gave him a simple explanation.
Just as Hestia could grant Yuto a blessing, Lucoa's mark also carried a meaning similar to declaring protection.
Aside from the effect Lucoa had mentioned, which allowed Wendy to sense the presence of dragon aura, the mark would also improve Wendy's body in other ways.
At the same time, it could protect her in moments of danger.
In other words, it was an all-purpose protective charm.
Only, compared with Hestia's blessing, its effect was still slightly weaker.
Hestia, with her divine power fully released, was a true main god.
Lucoa was still just a little below Hestia in that state.
After listening to Tohru's explanation, Yuto could not help but feeling emotional.
It was not because he was surprised by Lucoa.
Rather, he was somewhat surprised by Hestia.
'So that idiot was actually that impressive?'
Without realizing it, Yuto had once again committed a small act of blasphemy!
...
After a while, Yuto brought Fafnir's grilled meat out from the kitchen.
He could finally eat.
Not long after the grilled meat was served, Esdeath also prepared to leave.
She still had to go back and check on the condition of her soldiers.
She was currently on campaign, stationed away from home.
The time she could come to the restaurant each night was not very generous.
Once she returned to the Empire, she would have time.
When they parted, she even tried to hug Yuto and "take a bite" of him.
Fortunately, Tohru was there to "protect her boss," so Esdeath did not succeed.
"Hmph, hmph, hmph~~~ Yuto, sooner or later, I will possess you completely."
Esdeath's words were always extremely bold.
Having grown up on the frontier, her personality was simply not something those sheltered flowers in greenhouses could compare with.
"Grrrk, grrrrk, grrrrk—"
The dragon girl ground her teeth.
If Yuto had not been holding her head down, she would have already gone over and torn Esdeath apart.
╮(╯▽╰)╭
"Hehehe... Hahaha..." Esdeath left while laughing.
Yuto shook his head slightly with helplessness.
He really did not know whether he should feel happy or something else.
In any case...
His feelings were quite complicated~~~
"Fuhahahahaha!!! Interesting! Truly interesting! This king has not seen such an amusing scene in a long time!"
"Ahahahahaha! What a fine woman! That domineering personality really makes one feel refreshed! Kamisaka, hurry up and conquer her!"
The two kings on the other side, however, were very cheerful.
Yuto glanced at them.
Then he quietly said, "Do you still want food?"
With one sentence, the two kings instantly became serious.
That speed of changing expressions was definitely king-class as well!
Seeing this, Enkidu and the others all laughed, and for a time, the entire restaurant was filled with a joyful atmosphere.
The kings' sudden change of face had truly amused everyone!
....
Time flowed slowly and invisibly.
The hour hand on the clock had already pointed to eleven.
In another hour, one day would end and the next would begin.
The atmosphere in the restaurant remained relaxed and leisurely.
Reiko had also come by, eaten a little, and then left in a hurry.
No one knew what the girl was busy with.
In any case, judging from her expression, she did not seem to have run into any trouble.
Because Reiko looked rather happy~~~
...
Clatter—
The restaurant door sounded, and Yuto raised his head from his conversation with everyone.
His eyes lit up slightly, and a faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
But before he could speak, the newcomer spoke first.
"Kamisaka, hurry up and make me food~~~ I'm so hungry..."
The goddess looked very tired.
Today, she seemed to lack even the strength to speak loudly.
The force behind her words sounded almost like she was acting spoiled, but the weakness in her voice could also be heard very clearly.
If this had been any other day, the goddess would have already been calling out loudly with great enthusiasm.
Sakura, who stood beside the goddess, did not look tired.
The little girl's eyes were still extremely bright, filled with pure innocence.
"Hestia, you should at least pay a little attention to your identity as a goddess."
Yuto smiled helplessly.
Hestia puffed out her cheeks slightly, looking a little unwilling.
"Hmph, I don't care anymore. I'm really so hungry today that I don't have the strength to think about anything else."
Even Hestia's steps seemed a little unsteady.
She staggered over to the counter, then flopped down against it, and a hard-to-describe expression of happiness immediately appeared on her face.
There was absolutely no nobility in that posture, nothing that one would expect from a goddess.
Instead, she looked exactly like a female laborer after a long day of work.
Yuto could not help shaking his head slightly when he saw this.
While Hestia was lying on the counter, his gaze turned toward Sakura beside her.
The little girl's eyes shone with bright, expectant light as she met Yuto's gaze.
Yuto then nodded lightly.
The meaning behind that needed no explanation.
Sakura's eyes instantly filled with joy because of Yuto's nod.
Only, that happiness appeared for just a moment before Sakura carefully hid it away.
She could not show any clues right now~~~
If Hestia noticed... that would be bad!
Duang! Duang!
Hestia, still lying on the counter, hammered the table somewhat unwillingly.
Her action made Yuto shift his gaze from Sakura back to her.
"What's wrong, Goddess-sama?" Yuto asked with a teasing smile.
Hestia did not sit up. She remained lying on the counter, merely tilting her head to change to a more comfortable angle.
"Why don't I have any money? If I had money, would I still need to work? I want to become the kind of god who just sits there and gives orders too~~~"
"Ah... I'm so tired... Ah... I'm so jealous..."
Because the goddess was lying down, her words sounded a little muffled.
It was like someone "muttering loudly."
Her words, filled with envy, jealousy, and resentment, made Yuto and everyone else in the restaurant laugh.
Yuto sighed inwardly with amusement.
What a helpless goddess~~~
"Because Denatus is coming up, the adventurers from each Familia have been entering the Dungeon much more frequently. As a result, there are also more adventurers coming to the tavern to drink and rest."
"Today's workload was almost equal to two normal days. Hestia-onee-san didn't rest for even a moment and was busy the whole time."
"And because Hestia-onee-san and I aren't as capable as Syr-onee-san and the others, Mama Mia let Hestia-onee-san and me rest first."
Sakura obediently explained from the side with a smile.
After listening, Yuto understood.
Since Denatus was an occasion where the gods compared strength, the members of each Familia would naturally make a last-minute push so their gods would not lose face during the gathering.
It was just like cramming before an exam.
Although the effect was not especially obvious, it would still show a little result~~~
"Sigh... I really don't get it. It's just a regular Denatus. What is there to show off about?"
Hestia finally changed her posture from lying flat.
She rested her elbow against the table, supported her cheek with her palm, and let her hair fall loosely to one side, making her look completely lazy.
She did not have any expectations for Denatus at all.
After all, every time Denatus happened, she was always the one everyone mocked.
Regarding this, Hestia's stance was—
She was used to it. ╮(╯▽╰)╭
Listening to her words, Yuto could not help sighing quietly.
He secretly glanced at Sakura.
The expression on the little girl's face was completely different from her goddess's attitude.
It was clearly a young, tender, and adorable face, yet it was filled with a firmness that even adults might not possess.
Sakura had already made her decision.
She would definitely let Hestia shine at this Denatus!
She had to become stronger.
She absolutely had to become stronger!
The little girl secretly strengthened her resolve in her heart.
"All right, stop complaining and quickly tell me what you want to eat. Since you're hungry, just eat properly."
Yuto gently knocked on the table, interrupting Hestia's muttering.
"Uu... Is there anything quick and filling?"
"Would yakisoba be fine?"
Yuto thought for a moment before answering.
Hestia nodded with a serious expression.
"Good. Then give me yakisoba!"
Seeing her putting on that deliberately dignified appearance, Yuto could not help smiling.
Then he looked toward Sakura beside her.
"What about Sakura?"
"Taiyaki!"
The little girl was still very loyal to her favorite.
"Oh! Right, right, I want taiyaki too!"
Sakura's words seemed to remind Hestia, and the young goddess immediately spoke up as well.
Yuto smiled faintly and nodded.
Just as he was about to turn around, Sakura called out to him again.
"Yuto-nii-san, I want fruit juice too."
"Sure."
When Yuto went to get the juice, Sakura turned her head and looked at Hestia.
Her bright eyes were as cute as little stars twinkling in the sky.
"Hestia-onee-san, don't you want something to drink too?"
Hearing Sakura's words, Hestia paused slightly, and then a bright light suddenly appeared in her eyes.
"That's right! Sakura, if you hadn't said it, I would've forgotten! After working hard all day, how could I not drink some alcohol?!"
Hestia slapped the table and immediately shouted toward Yuto.
"Kamisaka! I want alcohol!"
"Got it!"
Sakura watched quietly from the side, a pure smile still on her face.
She looked extremely adorable!
But, a strange look flickered through the little girl's eyes.
After Yuto brought the alcohol over, Hestia immediately gulped it down.
"Hiss—haa—refreshing!"
The goddess, who was focused only on sighing over how refreshing it felt, completely failed to notice the expression on Sakura's face beside her.
The smile on the little girl's face...
Looked very much like the smile of someone whose plan had succeeded!