Denatus

"Noah, hurry up, Denatus is about to start!" Hestia said impatiently, pulling Noah along.

Noah raised an eyebrow, giving a skeptical look. "Hestia, do you really care about Denatus, or do you just want free food?" he said with a teasing tone.

Hestia huffed, her face flushing. "Of course I care! Didn't Asuna and the others just reach level 2?" she replied, trying to defend her argument even though she knew her real reason for attending Denatus was the free food.

Denatus was a gathering of the Gods held every three months. Many things were discussed, and aliases were given to adventurers who ascended the ranks.

An alias is a second name given to all adventurers during Denatus by the Gods after they reach Level 2. An alias has the potential to change every time an adventurer levels up. Certain Gods exploit the naming process to give silly, chuunibyou-type aliases to adventurers from weaker familias for entertainment, but because of the differences in how children perceive them, they find them cool.

"Dad, make sure to pick a cool name for me, or I won't talk to you!" Yui threatened with a cute expression that made Noah's heart flutter.

Noah laughed, responding lightly to Yui's threat. "Hahaha… Of course! If any God dares to give my little girl an ugly name, I'll make sure to teach them a lesson!" he promised while ruffling Yui's hair.

Noah walked alongside Hestia to the Ganesha Familia headquarters, where Denatus was held.

Upon arriving at the grand hall of the Ganesha Familia's main building, the crowd was already visible. Many gods gathered, chatting and laughing, full of anticipation for what silly names they would give.

As soon as they entered the hall, Hestia immediately dashed towards the food laid out on the table. She ate like someone starving, not paying attention to the many gods who found her behavior odd.

"Hestia, could you at least be a bit mindful of your appearance while eating?" A woman in a dark red party dress approached. She had deep red eyes and short red hair, with a somewhat sharp face, a slim body, and an eye patch over her right eye.

"Hephaestus," Hestia greeted upon seeing the woman. She was Hephaestus, the goddess of blacksmithing and fire, and the main deity of the Hephaestus Familia, known as the strongest blacksmith familia in Orario.

After meeting Hephaestus, Hestia immediately babbled on about how she had established her own familia.

Hephaestus looked at Hestia in surprise, not expecting this lazy goddess to set up a familia so quickly.

"Oh, by the way, Hephaestus, this is Noah Vermilion. He has helped me a lot," Hestia said, introducing Noah.

"Noah, this is Hephaestus, my friend."

"Nice to meet you, Hephaestus," Noah greeted the blacksmith goddess who shared his hair color.

"Nice to meet you. So you're Vermilion, huh? Your familia has been making quite a buzz lately," Hephaestus observed Noah closely, curious about him. Unlike Hestia, who always holed up in her room when they were in Tenkai, Hephaestus, though rarely venturing out, knew more about the gods in Tenkai but had never heard of the name Vermilion.

"Why haven't I heard of you before?" Hephaestus asked, implying in Tenkai.

"Haha... I'm just a small god without much fame," Noah replied casually.

"Hephaestus!" Loki called from a distance, approaching them. Loki was dressed in an elegant black evening gown.

"Hephaestus, you rarely wear evening gowns to Denatus," Hephaestus said in surprise, as Loki usually appeared in men's clothing.

"Because I heard a poor little dwarf was coming, so I, who can't afford a gown, decided to come and laugh at the poor goddess who can't buy one," Loki said, glancing mockingly at Hestia.

"How ridiculous. You came to laugh at me while people laugh at you? What is that... a laundry board?" Hestia retorted, mocking Loki.

Instantly, Loki fell silent at the mention of her flat chest.

The other gods enjoyed watching the quarrel; it was no surprise that Loki and Hestia always bickered and teased each other when they met.

"Hey, look, she's coming!" shouted a god, drawing the attention of others. Everyone turned, their gazes focused on a goddess who walked gracefully, showcasing unparalleled beauty. Freya, the Goddess of Beauty, was the embodiment of charm and elegance. Every movement of hers resembled an enchanting dance, mesmerizing the gods.

"There she is, Freya," whispered another god. "Even though she's in Genkai and has sealed her divinity, her beauty remains unmatched."

Noah couldn't help but glance at Freya. His heart raced for a moment as he noticed her long silver hair cascading beautifully against the white evening gown that hugged her figure. Her skin, as clear as crystal, radiated a soft glow that made her look like a goddess from a dream.

Noah soon realized it was Freya's innate charm working passively, without her even trying.

Suddenly, Freya's eyes met Noah's. With a captivating smile, she approached.

"Are you Vermilion? Can we talk?" Her voice was soft, like a gentle melody in Noah's ears.

"Of course," Noah replied briefly, curious about the difference between Freya now and when she was Syr.

They both left the crowd and headed to a quiet balcony. As they walked, Noah felt the envious gazes of the other gods watching them with jealousy.

On the balcony, the atmosphere felt serene. A gentle breeze added to the beauty of the moment. Noah stood next to Freya, feeling her special presence. He couldn't ignore the allure radiating from the goddess.

"This place is beautiful, isn't it?" Freya broke the silence, her gaze directed at the view below.

"Yes, it's very beautiful," Noah replied. "It's so peaceful here."

Freya smiled, a smile that made Noah feel at ease. "Congratulations, I heard your familia members have reached level 2. Do you already have aliases for them?"

"Yes. I already have an idea of what their aliases will be," Noah said.

"Oh? Aren't you worried that the gods will give them silly aliases?" Freya asked curiously.

"If they dare to do that, then they better be ready to be crushed," Noah said dominantly.

"Are you that confident?" Freya looked at Noah with hidden admiration, feeling captivated by his assertiveness.

"Of course. Besides, I know you'll help, right Freya? I mean, Syr?" Noah said, his gaze meaningful.

"What do you mean?" Freya pretended to be confused, even though her heart raced at Noah recognizing her.

"No need to hide it; I knew it was you from the start, Freya," Noah said, moving closer to Freya and taking her soft, silky hand in his.

"You knew it was me from the start; why didn't you reveal it? And don't you mind me? You know, I'm the goddess of beauty, and many gods consider me a goddess of sex," Freya said, lowering her head, fearing Noah's response, yet hoping to hear how he viewed her.

"Because I wanted to see what you wanted to do, to know what kind of person you are, and I ultimately realized that even though you are the goddess of beauty, you are different from Ishtar; you are not a goddess of sex at all," Noah said softly, holding Freya's hands gently.

"Don't you like Syr's innocence and cheerfulness?" Freya asked.

"In my eyes, you are special; innocence, cheerfulness, grace, majesty, and charm—those all belong to you. Syr is a part of you," Noah said sincerely.

...

"I am Ganesha!" Ganesha, as the host of this Denatus, stood at the podium and announced that the event had begun.

Ganesha was a muscular man wearing a red and yellow elephant mask on his face. He wore an orange sash draped over his right shoulder that wrapped around his waist. A gold-framed leather plate covered his abdomen, holding up his outfit. He also wore white trousers and dark brown boots that reached below his knees.

"The adventurers have shown their bravery in the Dungeon. Some of them have achieved remarkable accomplishments worthy of praise and have successfully leveled up after hard-fought battles. As gods, it is our duty to give them aliases as a sign of recognition for their bravery," Ganesha said passionately.

The gods waiting for this moment cheered eagerly.

"Alright, first up is Scott Olds from the Ogma Familia... Let's give him an alias as recognition of his bravery!"

"The Knight with the Great Sword!"

"The Brave Wanderer Who Fears the Darkness!"

"The Demon Knight from the Land of Darkness!"

"...."

Various random and embarrassing chuunibyou names continued to be thrown out by the gods, who were enjoying the entertainment. For them, giving silly aliases was pure amusement.

"The Wizard Who Can Only Cast Fireworks Magic."

"Alright, according to the majority vote, Scott Olds' alias is 'The Knight with the Great Sword,'" Ganesha announced the final decision.

"No!!!!" the god of Ogma cried out as he heard the final alias for his familia member.

"Hahaha!" the other gods were entertained and satisfied with the names they had given.

"Next, Sekmet Familia..."

The naming continued joyfully.

"Alright, now for the last and most awaited of all. This is a new familia that was formed not long ago, with three members. In just one month, they have reached level 2 with remarkable achievements, defeating the Rex monster, Goliath. This is the Vermilion Familia," Ganesha announced.

The gods were already starting to get curious about this familia.

"Wait a moment, Ganesha, I have something to say," Noah interjected before Ganesha could continue.

"Oh? Vermilion, go ahead," Ganesha said, also curious about what Noah wanted to convey.

"Does he want to plead for no embarrassing aliases to be given?"

"Perhaps."

"Hahahaha... Then I'll give them something even more embarrassing."

The gods discussed and speculated about what Noah would say.

"Everyone, I already have the perfect aliases for my familia. Flash Asuna, Absolute Sword Yuuki, Yuuki, I hope you all agree. Life Shield Yui. If anyone disagrees or gives embarrassing aliases, prepare to receive a challenge letter for a war game from the Vermilion Familia," Noah declared dominantly.

"Ara... So dominating," Demeter said, looking at Noah with an intrigued gaze. She was impressed with his assertiveness and courage.

"Interesting..." Loki murmured, her expression thoughtful.

The gods were taken aback, not expecting Noah's words to be a threat and a challenge, but then they grew excited, knowing that some gods would surely be displeased with Noah's arrogance.

"Hahahaha!" they laughed as if they had heard something amusing, because while the Vermilion Familia might be strong, just having three level 2 members and wanting to challenge them was merely a joke.

"I agree," a soft and melodious voice suddenly silenced their laughter. They turned their gaze towards Freya, who stood next to Noah without them noticing.

Hearing Freya, the strongest familia's agreement, they did not dare voice any opposition, thus Asuna and the others' aliases were essentially decided by default.

Loki looked at Freya and Noah, frowning. She didn't know what was happening between them, but she couldn't let Freya's familia be stronger than hers.

Although they appeared harmonious on the surface, they were actually competing for control over Orario. If the strength of Freya's Familia surpassed Loki's by a significant margin, Loki worried that her familia would follow in the footsteps of the Zeus Familia and Hera Familia, who had been expelled from Orario previously, making both of their familias the twin kings of Orario.

Loki whispered something to Apollo beside her, causing Apollo's eyes to shine.

"I disagree!" Apollo said loudly, drawing the attention of the other gods; no one expected Apollo to dare oppose Freya.

"Are you challenging me?" Freya asked calmly, though anger flickered in her eyes.

"Freya, let me handle this," Noah said, pulling Freya's arm back.

The gods were stunned by their interaction and began to discuss in hushed tones.

"Apollo, right? That means you're ready to face my familia in a war game?" Noah said, not showing any weakness in front of Apollo.

"So what? Just a small familia daring to be so arrogant," Apollo scoffed.

"Good. Then accept my declaration of war. Don't run away, and be ready to surrender all your riches," Noah said with a smile, unfazed by Apollo's challenge. In fact, he was pleased because it meant he could gain treasures worth hundreds of millions of Valis in an instant. He wasn't worried about losing; after all, he had plenty of ways to deal with Apollo's Familia.