Chapter 200
In one corner of Orario stood a palace so extravagant that even the entrance looked fit for royalty.
Guests in elegant formalwear arrived from every direction. S
ome were gods, but most were adventurers—humans, elves, dwarves, beast people, Amazons, and Pallums.
Elite members from Familias across the city had gathered in one place, turning the evening into a showcase of Orario’s finest.
Amid the growing crowd, a carriage approached and stopped before the palace.
A young man in a black tailcoat stepped down first.
He was handsome, tall, and poised. Countless battles had stripped away the last traces of boyish uncertainty, leaving him calm and effortlessly confident.
His dark eyes shone like stars against the night sky, drawing people’s attention before they even realized they were staring.
It was Kiriya.
A slender hand emerged from the carriage and settled into his.
Hestia stepped down after him in an elegant white gown.
Its off-the-shoulder design added a playful touch, while the layered skirt spread around her like flower petals.
Dressed in white, she resembled a snow lotus in full bloom—delicate and charming, yet still carrying the grace expected of a goddess.
Clothing could transform anyone.
Apparently, that included gods.
Every deity possessed extraordinary beauty, but personality and presentation greatly influenced how that beauty appeared to others.
Loki, for example, normally dressed in masculine clothing, which did little to emphasize her feminine appeal.
Hestia was similar in her own way.
Her easygoing nature, casual clothes, and youthful features usually made her seem more like an adorable, energetic girl than an ancient goddess.
Tonight was different.
Dressed for the occasion, Hestia displayed the full beauty of a divine being. Several goddesses nearby seemed almost ordinary in comparison.
"Is that really the same clumsy Hestia?"
"She looks completely different."
"Wow. I think I’m in love again."
"Let’s go."
Feeling every admiring gaze upon her, Hestia wrapped both hands around Kiriya’s arm and held her head high as she entered the banquet hall like a victorious queen.
Kiriya calmly observed the surroundings while using the sole of his shoe to leave an almost imperceptible Flying Thunder God mark on the floor.
It had become a habit.
Whenever he entered an unfamiliar place, he first created an escape point in case something unexpected happened.
The movement was hidden beneath his shoe, so no one noticed.
"Hey, Hestia. That dress looks wonderful on you."
Hephaistos was the first to approach and greet her.
"Good evening, Lady Hephaistos."
Kiriya offered a polite greeting, then quietly stepped aside and allowed the two goddesses to talk.
Hestia was delighted to see her closest friend and immediately began chattering away.
Hephaistos listened with the patience of a dependable older sister, occasionally responding with a few words that only encouraged Hestia to speak more enthusiastically.
Miach and Takemikazuchi soon joined them.
The gods formed a small circle and began discussing their children, though the conversation repeatedly returned to Kiriya.
Compliments poured out freely.
Hestia became prouder with each one, looking as though she might begin floating from sheer satisfaction.
Her divine friends struggled not to laugh.
"Well, look at you, Shorty. A few days apart, and you’ve suddenly learned how to dress."
A mocking voice interrupted the cheerful conversation.
Everyone turned.
Loki approached in a black off-the-shoulder evening gown, amusement filling her narrow eyes as she looked Hestia over.
"Oh, it’s you, Washboard."
Hestia’s entire demeanor changed instantly as she struck directly at Loki’s greatest weakness.
"That poor dress must be working incredibly hard to keep itself from sliding off."
Snap!
A vein appeared on Loki’s forehead.
She glared at Hestia through clenched teeth.
"You’re feeling awfully brave tonight, Shorty."
"So what if I am? Is confidence illegal now?"
Hestia refused to yield even an inch.
"Don’t get carried away just because you found one powerful child," Loki sneered.
"Hahaha! You could have brought one of yours too."
Hestia smiled innocently.
"Oh, right. They’re all away on an expedition."
She placed one hand over her heart in exaggerated sympathy.
"Poor Loki. All alone at the party."
Loki’s smile became far more sinister.
"Keep laughing. You won’t be enjoying yourself for long."
"Hm?"
Hestia immediately sensed something strange.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Hehehe. You’ll find out soon enough."
Loki looked far too delighted, like someone who already knew exactly how the coming disaster would unfold.
Hestia was about to question her further when every conversation in the hall suddenly stopped.
She turned.
A woman was slowly descending the staircase from the second floor.
A silver gown followed every breathtaking curve of her body, while her enchanting features made it nearly impossible to look away.
She seemed less like a woman and more like the divine ideal of beauty given physical form.
It was Freya, the goddess who ruled over love and beauty.
Behind her walked a towering boaz with a powerful build and stern features. His presence was as heavy and imposing as a mountain.
Ottar—the King, and the strongest adventurer in Orario.
Despite all his fame, almost no one spared him a glance.
Every eye remained fixed on the goddess beside him.
As the living embodiment of beauty, Freya became the center of the entire world the moment she appeared.
Adoration.
Envy.
Fear.
Countless emotions filled the gazes directed toward her.
Freya ignored them all.
She descended the stairs at an unhurried pace and walked directly toward Kiriya.
Then she extended one elegant hand to him.
"At last... we finally meet."
Hestia immediately understood the source of Loki’s amusement.
Freya had set her sights on Kiriya.
It was hardly surprising.
The Goddess of Beauty was infamous for coveting children with extraordinary souls.
Whenever she discovered one whose brilliance caught her attention, she wanted to possess it for herself.
Hestia had heard rumors about Freya’s interest in Kiriya before, but she had never taken them seriously.
At the time, she had not yet had a Familia of her own and still thought of such matters as someone else’s problem.
Now she had walked straight into Freya’s palace while holding the very child the woman desired.
’This is bad!’
Hestia suddenly remembered the most important detail she had overlooked.
Freya herself was dangerous.
"Kiriya, don’t look at her!"
Hestia clutched his arm and shouted.
"She’ll charm you!"
"Hehe..."
Freya showed no concern.
Hestia’s warning changed nothing.
When Freya chose to act, no mortal child could resist her.
Smack.
A soft sound echoed through the banquet hall.
It was not loud, but in the complete silence, everyone heard it clearly.
Gods and adventurers alike stared in disbelief.
Kiriya had slapped Freya’s hand aside.
’How did he do that?’
The same question screamed through every divine mind in the room.
Freya’s authority in Orario did not come solely from the overwhelming strength of her Familia.
Her own ability was just as terrifying.
Her divine charm could bend nearly anyone to her will even without releasing her Arcanum.
Many of the greatest gods in Heaven could not resist it.
Only the three virgin goddesses were naturally immune.
Yet Kiriya was a mortal boy in the prime of youth, and he had remained completely unaffected.
More than that, he had openly rejected Freya.
There had to be an exceptionally rare Skill protecting him.
"Unbelievable... truly unbelievable."
Hermes’s eyes widened with excitement.
"This is the kind of miracle that can only happen in the Lower World!"
The other gods were equally fascinated.
Their gazes burned as they studied Kiriya, looking as though they wanted to drag him onto a table and examine every secret inside him.
They believed resisting Freya’s charm was already shocking enough.
Then Kiriya went even further.
"Is that all the great Goddess of Beauty can do?"
His expression turned cold.
"Use cheap tricks to steal someone else’s child?"
Before the final word had fully left his mouth, a massive figure appeared directly in front of him.
Ottar’s fist drove toward Kiriya’s face with overwhelming force.
There was genuine killing intent behind the blow.
"Ahhhhh!"
Several guests cried out, already imagining Kiriya’s body being crushed where he stood.
Instead—BOOM!
The punch shattered the air.
Everything in a straight line for more than ten meters was pulverized.
But Kiriya was no longer there.
He stood calmly near the entrance of the banquet hall with Hestia held safely in his arms.
"Quite the welcome."
Kiriya rolled his neck, producing several sharp cracks.
When he looked back at Ottar, killing intent burned within his eyes.