An Unlikely Cooperation

Evening, Hestia came to the banquet organized by Ganesha after being invited, "Whoa... Is this the banquet hall named 'I Am Ganesha'? She commented after seeing the building in the shape of the famous God's statue sitting in a cross-legged position.

Walking towards the building, Hestia couldn't help but stop for a moment after seeing where the entrance is, which is on the crotch of the 'statue', 'And this is entrance...? What's the matter with him?'

If it's her from before meeting Kisuke and the rest, she would be desperate to put all the food she can in her mouth, but thanks to Kisuke and Medusa's she became a lot pickier with her food, which by all means, isn't a good sign.

"Thank you for coming everyone! I am Ganesha, host of the 'Banquet of Gods'! I, Ganesha, am super-moved by the number of guests every year! Anyway, this year's Familia festival is only three days away!" Hestia then suddenly heard a very loud voice and looked towards its origin. She then saw a muscular man that wears a red and yellow elephant mask over his face doing weird poses while doing his speech. He wears an orange sash that goes over his right shoulder and wraps around his waist. A gold-rimmed leather plate sits on his stomach, holding the garb together. He also sports white pants with a dark brown under the knee boots - also with gold accents.

A strange thought then entered Hestia's mind while watching him, 'Why do I think that Kisuke-kun would go along with his antics?'

While waiting for a certain someone, she started hearing murmurs from other Gods who didn't bother lowering their voices, "Oh my, The Loli-big-boobs is here."

"What? She's still alive?"

"Speaking of which, I saw her working part-time at a street Kiosk."

"Heard she was patted by a guest on the head."

"As expected of the Loli Goddess~."

"What? Could it be that you guys haven't heard?"

"About what?"

"Seriously? You don't know? Apparently, she was able to establish her own Familia."

"What so strange about it?... Well, maybe it's strange coming from the Shut-in Goddess."

"Not that! There's news floating around that three of her Level 1 Adventurers successfully defeated two Minotaurs"

"What!? How did that happen!? And where did this come from!?"

"Evidently, it's the Loki Familia who announced it. When they're returning from their last expedition, they scared the Minotaurs so much from the 17th floor that they had to chase them until the upper floors. From there, they saw three rookies fighting two Minotaurs and managed to defeat them, albeit, being injured."

"Dang it! I've been busy with something else that I missed it!"

"Do you think they managed to do it because of a rare skill?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Let's go ask her. And maybe, we could take those children from her."

"Ughh..." Hestia felt disgusted after listening to their talk and was about to leave to avoid those Gods. However, before she could do so, someone else called out to her, "What are you doing there?"

"Huh!?" Hestia hurriedly looked towards the familiar voice and beamed after confirming the identity of the other side, "Hephaestus!"

Hephaestus has a crimson eye and red hair reaching to the neck. She has a rather sharp face and slender body with an eyepatch over her right eye. She currently wearing a red dress that matches her own hair.

Hestia then started walking towards her with a big smile on her face, "I knew you'd be here! So, I made the right choice coming here!"

But before she could approach him, Hephaestus suddenly said, "Well, let me make it clear. I won't lend you a single Valis now."

"H-How rude of you!" Hestia froze on her spot, "What kind of Goddess do you think I am!?"

And Hephaestus answered casually, "Eh... You've been leeching from me ever since you came to Orario."

"It's a thing in the past! I'm no longer willing to swallow my friend's purse!"

"Hmm... I guess that's true... If it's the past you, you'd be gouging all that food on the table."

"See! I got great children! I won't be the same!"

"No no no... Hestia... These past few weeks, you've been working hard to feed yourself, and someone feeding you means that you'll return to your previous lifestyle... You changed, but didn't last long."

"Ugh!"

"Fufu, you're still chummy with each other." While they're 'catching-up' another Goddess joined them, "The Goddess of Beauty, Freya..." Hestia muttered in a wary tone.

"I ran into her earlier. We were looking around the hall together." Hephaestus supplemented.

"Am I a bother, Hestia?" With a smile, Freya asked.

And without hesitation, she answered, "Not really... But I'm uncomfortable with you around."

In response, however, Freya just giggled, "Ara~. That's what I like about you, though."

But before they could talk properly, another voice came, intending to join them, "Oi! Phae-tan! Freya! Itty-Bitty!"

"Then again, there's someone else I hate even more than you," Hestia replied to Freya before acknowledging Loki's presence, "Loki... What brings you here...?"

"What? I can't come without some sort of reason? Isn't it senseless of you to ask that? Haha, this little brat is a true party pooper."

"Hnngh~!?"

"...What a scary face you're making." Before they could devolve into their usual fight Hephaestus changed the topic, "It's really been a while, Loki. I hear a lot about your Familia's reputation these days. Seems it's going well."

Loki smiled happily and gently after she heard her children being praised, "That's flattering coming from someone who has been as successful as you are, Phae-tan. But, certainly, I'm proud of my children."

"Speaking of which, now wherein the topic of children, I also heard a lot about Hestia's children." Freya suddenly voiced out.

"Right... I'm also curious about that. I heard Loki's children saved your children." Hephaestus followed up.

Hearing them, Hestia suddenly pouted, "I'm not really sure of what's going on too! Loki probably knows more than me!"

Freya and Hephaestu's faces were colored by surprise and looked towards Loki, "Oh, you can't get anything from me either~. I'm promised not to tell anything beyond what's circulating through the rumors, after all~."

Loki's response, however, gave even more shock to the two, 'They're cooperating!?'

Guessing what they are thinking, Loki immediately followed up, "Nope~. I just got something from her children so that I could cover their tracks~."

Thanks to Loki's wording, both Hephaestus and Freya thought that Hestia's children are only looking for fame and they managed to convince Loki to go along with it. Although they don't like it, something like this is pretty normal and usually doesn't last long as the lie itself reveals as time goes on.

'Figures... Their souls are too normal for them to achieve something that big...' Freya thought as she recalls seeing Hestia's children from the top of the tower.

Freya sighed and said her farewells, "Now, if you'll excuse me."

"Oh? You're leaving now?" Hephaestus asked.

"Yep~. It'll be too much for me to stay here. After all, I already devoured every man here more than enough." Chuckling, Freya started walking away.

"As expected, all 'Goddesses of Beauty' act like sluts," Hestia muttered.

"Well, who would govern love and desire if Freya and her counterparts didn't...?" Hephaestus smiled wryly, "So, what about you? If you're staying, why don't we drink together like the old times?"

Hestia was about to agree when suddenly, her inchor activated on its own, "!?"

"Oi, Itty-Bitty... What are you doing?" Loki immediately asked. And not just her, everyone near them was suddenly attracted to Hestia's actions, including the leaving Freya.

"Eh? Eh!? What's going on!? What's this?" Even Hestia herself doesn't know what's going on, until she heard a familiar voice inside her head, 'Hestia-sama?'

"Eh? This voice... Kisuke-kun?" Hestia suddenly muttered which immediately caught Loki's attention. After hesitating for a bit, Loki suddenly used her own divinity to mask Hestia's inchor.

"Geez~. What are you doing~? Trying to attract other's attention? I didn't know you had that kind of fetish~." As the Goddess of Trickery, Loki was able to mask any trace of her Inchor, making it look like it's just an accidental activation.

Everyone around immediately believed her and started talking about how Hestia lacks some manners, except for one, Hephaestus, who's in close proximity of the two and knew that Loki is currently using her own divinity to help Hestia.

However, she's helpful enough not to say anything and play along with Loki. Freya looked at them for a moment before she continued walking away, losing interest.

Loki and Hephaestus sighed when the most problematic eyes finally left them and looked towards Hestia, who's apparently talking with Kisuke through her Inchor, "Uhhm... Could you please help me cover this up?" Due to her panic, Hestia didn't notice that Loki is already helping her out.

"Shut it, and do it immediately! I don't know what you're trying to do, but hurry it up before someone else notices something amiss!" Loki scolded and urged Hestia.