Goddess of Beauty

"You've shown something impressive, mortal."

With her hand on her waist, the mysterious goddess praised as Charlie approached.

"..."

'Is the fashion for women in this world really that vulgar?'

Because of the earlier situation, Charlie hadn't paid much attention to her appearance. Now that things had settled down, he was speechless when he saw the look of the mysterious goddess he had saved.

The goddess had long, golden hair reaching her waist. Each strand seemed to shimmer in the light, as if made of pure gold. Her green eyes sparkled, mesmerizing anyone brave enough to gaze directly at them.

Her beauty even surpassed Hera's in some ways. However, her outfit left a bad impression on Charlie.

The mysterious goddess's attire was a mix of elegance and sensuality. She wore a white bra-like top adorned with golden ribbons, accentuating her perfect curves. Below, a long, pink silk cloth wrapped beautifully around her body, revealing her skin. Green gems decorated her waist and chest, reflecting light and emphasizing her status as a goddess who radiated wherever she went.

Around her neck hung a necklace with a mesmerizing blue gemstone, while fan-shaped earrings in soft blue swayed gently at her ears.

Her fashion reminded Charlie of Middle Eastern dancers from ancient times.

"What's wrong, mortal? You're speechless because you're captivated by my beauty, right? That's a normal reaction. Before you stands one of the three Goddesses of Beauty, Aphrodite."

Flicking her golden hair, Aphrodite smiled proudly.

"Goddess of Beauty? Isn't the Goddess of Beauty Freya?" Charlie asked in confusion.

"Ridiculous! Freya isn't the only Goddess of Beauty. I and Ishtar are also Goddesses of Beauty!" Aphrodite pouted.

"Forgive my rudeness, Goddess Aphrodite."

Women are the most unpredictable beings in the world. They might smile one moment and be angry the next.

Not wanting to argue with her over something trivial, Charlie apologized without hesitation.

"You're forgiven. By the way, you haven't told me your name, mortal."

His sincerity softened Aphrodite's irritation.

"My name is Charlie Avalon, a member of the Hera Familia."

"Hera Familia?! Not Hermes Familia?! You're not lying, are you?" Aphrodite exclaimed in shock.

Seeing Charlie flying, she had assumed he was a secret weapon developed by Hermes. After all, Hermes's cunning was only second to Loki's trickery.

So far, only one person was known to be able to fly, the captain of Hermes Familia, Asfi Al Andromeda, a Level 4 adventurer with the alias Perseus.

Of course, the gods in Orario didn't believe that only Asfi had the ability to fly. That's why Aphrodite immediately assumed Charlie was a member of Hermes Familia.

"Goddess Aphrodite, don't you know better whether I'm lying or not?" Charlie shrugged.

Beings of the lower world cannot lie before gods.

Did Aphrodite forget this basic fact?

"Ah, right. You're not lying."

After being reminded, Aphrodite felt a bit embarrassed. Hiding her embarrassment, she realized something important.

"Something's wrong... There shouldn't be any surviving First or Second Class adventurers from the Hera Familia after the expedition fifteen years ago. I knew all the main members of Hera Familia, but I've never seen you before."

Adventurers are typically grouped into two main classes.

Low-class adventurers are Level 1, and High-class adventurers are Level 2+.

Starting from Level 2, adventurers are categorized into three classes:

—Third-Class Adventurers are Level 2.

—Second-Class Adventurers are Level 3-4.

—First-Class Adventurers are Level 5+.

"Currently, there are fewer than forty First-Class Adventurers in Orario, and they are all well-known. No god is unaware of them."

Aphrodite eyed Charlie with skepticism.

"Even if Hera took in new members outside Orario after she and Zeus were exiled, it's impossible to become a First-Class Adventurer within fifteen years."

"..."

Seeing her begin to speculate wildly without asking him, Charlie felt that Aphrodite was very different from the mythology he knew.

"Ahem. The answer is simple. It's because I'm not a First-Class Adventurer."

"No way! A Griffin is a monster from the Deep Floors. Even if a Griffin outside the Dungeon isn't as strong as the ones inside, only a First-Class Adventurer could defeat it."

"I'm not lying."

"..."

Charlie's simple answer left Aphrodite speechless.

Of course, Aphrodite realized everything he said was true. It's just that her common sense found it hard to accept the illogical reality.

"By the way, what's your Level?"

"Level 1. Eight days ago, I received Falna's blessing from Goddess Hera."

"!!!"

Aphrodite's eyes widened. Stepping forward, she placed her hand on Charlie's shoulder.

"Join my Familia! The declining Hera Familia isn't worthy of housing a talent like you."

"You're too close..."

Charlie pushed back Aphrodite's face, which was only a few centimeters away, close enough that he could smell her scent.

"Ahem, I got a little excited. So, Charlie Avalon, what's your answer?"

"Thank you for your offer, Goddess Aphrodite, but I'm sorry. Goddess Hera accepted me when I had nothing. I won't betray her trust."

Without hesitation, he declined the olive branch offered by Aphrodite.

"You... Refuse...?"

Not hearing the answer she wanted, Aphrodite took a few steps back in shock, nearly falling off the branch if Charlie hadn't grabbed her hand.

"Hmm... Wait a minute... Charlie, are you alright?"

"Other than being exhausted from fighting the Griffin, I'm fine."

Thanks to the Aegis Eclipse cloak's protection, Charlie hadn't taken any damage. He was confused as to why she would ask such a strange question.

He vaguely recalled the personality of the Goddess of Beauty Freya—obsessive, flirtatious, seductive, with an insatiable lust for talented adventurers.

Meanwhile, the Goddess of Beauty Ishtar had a calm, mature, composed, cold-hearted personality, confident in being the most beautiful woman in the world.

Compared to the other two Goddesses of Beauty, Aphrodite seemed childish.

That was the impression Aphrodite gave Charlie from their brief interaction.

"Why am I only realizing something important now... I was so focused on your strength that I didn't notice you don't seem affected by my charm."

"Your tone is calm, your eyes clear of desire, and your words don't flatter me. Are you truly human? This is the first time I've met a mortal who resists my charm."

Aphrodite looked Charlie up and down, trying to figure out his secret.

It's worth noting that even though gods and goddesses seal their Arcanum, some of their passive abilities remain.

For example, the Goddesses of Beauty will always exude a charm that captivates anyone who sees them.

Whether male or female, people lose much of their rationality upon seeing a Goddess of Beauty. Because of this, the three Goddesses of Beauty rarely appear in public.

Freya, in particular, uses her charm to seduce talented individuals into joining her Familia. Even if someone is part of another Familia, if they catch her eye, she can easily allure them to leave their original Familia and join hers.

Such precedents show how terrifying the charm of a Goddess of Beauty is!

Only now did Aphrodite realize that Charlie seemed immune to her charm.

In her view, among the three Goddesses of Beauty, she was only second to Freya, and surpassing Ishtar.

Had her charm failed to work?

Normally, Charlie would have agreed to her invitation without hesitation!