Chapter 548 - 548: Smiling Faces

The banquet continued amid the girls' cheerful laughter and lively chatter.

With both Hestia Familia and Loki Familia gathered there, and the tavern staff consisting entirely of women, the whole place was filled with youthful energy.

"This place is practically paradise..."

"I'm sorry, Hermes-sama, but your seats have been arranged outside."

Before the God could even step through the tavern doors, Syr led him toward the outdoor seating area.

"We made a reservation in advance! How can you run a business like this? Watching beautiful girls laugh and have fun while enjoying fine wine is one of life's great pleasures!"

Hermes gazed longingly into the tavern, his eyes eventually settling on the boy inside.

"But your gaze seems to be focused on someone else."

The corners of Syr's lips rose slightly, her smile carrying a faintly commanding air that allowed no argument.

"Hermes-sama, it's our fault for arriving late. We're only here to eat, so it doesn't matter where we sit. Please stop making more trouble for me..."

Asfi sighed and stopped her Familia God from embarrassing himself any further.

She was already exhausted from dealing with all sorts of tedious matters and had no desire to create another problem over something as simple as dinner.

"Asfi-san, thank you very much for being so understanding."

As Syr guided Hermes Familia toward the outdoor tables, she casually asked, "Laurier isn't here. Where did she go?"

As Bell's lover, Airmid was dining together with Hestia Familia, but the blonde Elf whose love for him bordered on "blind devotion" was nowhere to be seen.

"Laurier had to leave Orario unexpectedly because of something that came up. She was extremely reluctant to leave Bell Cranel, but gathering intelligence is that girl's specialty. I'm sure she wants to protect him in her own way."

Asfi thought of her Familia member, and the tension in her brow eased slightly.

That once-worrying blonde Elf had grown tremendously in every respect since meeting the boy.

"Outside Orario... is it related to the Telskyura Amazonesses and Goddess Phobos? Things don't seem very peaceful lately..."

A trace of concern crossed Syr's face.

"We don't know the details either. Aside from the warmongers, there have been monster sightings, increased activity from criminal organizations, and more suspicious people appearing. None of those things seem connected, but together they give me a bad feeling..."

Asfi could not connect the scattered pieces in her mind.

While Loki Familia had been away on their expedition, all kinds of information had begun weaving together like a spiderweb, as though slowly closing around some unseen prey.

The only thing they knew for certain was that numerous factions in the towns surrounding Orario had begun to stir.

"Asfi, you're saying too much. You'll frighten Syr-chan."

Hermes lazily dropped into his seat, seemingly unconcerned by any of it.

He gave Syr an unreadable smile before adding, "The Labyrinth City has Loki Familia and Freya Familia protecting it. As long as we stay inside Orario, nothing will happen. Food is more important right now. Bring me the most expensive wine in the tavern!"

"No. Regular fruit wine will be fine, please."

Asfi immediately changed the order.

"Of course."

Syr answered with a smile.

Instead of taking the shortest route back inside, she deliberately circled around the two Goddesses drinking away their frustrations before returning to the tavern.

"Chloe..."

Syr's quiet murmur disappeared beneath the tavern's noise.

Unlike the concern on the gray-haired girl's face, Hestia Familia was still celebrating Bell's safe return.

No matter what Bell had gone through or what complicated feelings the girls carried in their hearts, the fact that Bell, the heart of their Familia, had returned to them safe and sound was more than enough reason to celebrate.

"Bell~ I want a kiss too~"

Airmid swayed slightly as she leaned against the boy.

"Wah! Airmid-sama is definitely pretending to be drunk!"

Seeing the Dea Saint's flushed face, Lili immediately voiced her suspicions.

"Airmid, are you drunk?"

Artemis immediately relied on a God's ability to discern lies, asking the question directly to find out the truth.

"..."

Airmid's exquisitely beautiful cheeks turned an even deeper shade of red.

The other girls immediately realized something was wrong from her reaction.

"Airmid-sama... I always thought you were different from Naaza-san and wouldn't say things you didn't mean..."

Mikoto frowned slightly.

She had always been serious and diligent, which made her rather poor at handling the atmosphere of a banquet like this.

As she spent more time with everyone, Mikoto had gradually come to understand that women like Goddess Artemis possessed a side completely different from her own.

No matter how dignified or proud they usually were, whenever they faced the boy, they would show an adorably vulnerable side that Mikoto could not help but envy.

But Mikoto was sincere to a fault and took everything seriously.

She was certain she could never act that way herself.

"Mikoto-san, I heard you've been preparing ingredients for miso soup every day. I'm looking forward to tomorrow's meal."

Bell looked at the straightforward samurai girl and deliberately drew her into the conversation, helping her relax into the atmosphere of the banquet.

"I'll do my best! N-no, wait. I only bought those ingredients on a whim. They definitely weren't prepared especially for Bell-dono... B-but if you'd like to try it, I'd be very happy to make some..."

Mikoto's voice became quieter and quieter as her face turned bright red.

Miso soup itself was an ordinary, everyday dish without any particular significance.

Yet for a family, that very ordinariness could be something incredibly precious.

Only later had Mikoto realized that saying she would make miso soup for the boy every day might sound harmless to outsiders, but from the perspective of her homeland, it carried a rather intimate implication.

"Mikoto-san is really cute."

Bell smiled at the black-haired girl's straightforward personality.

After he returned home, Mikoto had immediately told him about Haruhime's whereabouts so he would not worry about the fox girl's safety.

She was extremely dependable when it came to important matters, yet when it came to harmless little things, she often became overly serious and embarrassed.

That was exactly what made Mikoto so charming.

"C-cute?! I-I'm not..."

Mikoto had never expected such praise from the boy. It felt as though steam might rise from her head as she sank into an ocean of embarrassment.

She knew Bell had probably noticed her insecurity and was deliberately trying to reassure her.

Even if it was a lie... hearing it still made her happy.

"So it wasn't a lie after all. Orion, openly complimenting another girl in front of your lover... it seems you need a little punishment."

Artemis spoke with deliberate meaning behind her words.

"Exactly. I already said I wanted a kiss~"

Airmid seized the opportunity to continue pretending to be drunk.

"Hehe..."

Watching the boy surrounded by girls on both sides, Mikoto unconsciously smiled.

A scene that should have embarrassed her now seemed like nothing more than a warm and comfortable part of everyday life.

The girls' laughter was light and cheerful.

On the other side of the tavern, however, dark clouds seemed to be gathering.

"Um... Airmid-san should be drinking the same fruit wine as me, right? How could she possibly be that drunk?!"

Lefiya glared intensely at the boy.

Her blue eyes were so completely focused on him that she did not even notice the black miasma seemingly coiling around her, darkening the atmosphere at the table.

"Maybe she's like Ais and just can't handle alcohol?"

Tione answered quietly.

"Ugh..."

A small whimper escaped Ais.

In the past, she would only have felt slightly embarrassed whenever the subject came up.

But after the incident with the alcohol-filled fried potato snacks, alcohol itself had become a taboo for the blonde girl.

If she drank again and caused Bell unnecessary trouble, Ais felt she might genuinely cry.

"Alcohol... might be a useful approach..."

Riveria glanced at Airmid and murmured softly.

She suppressed her jealousy and quietly committed the scene to memory.

"Argonaut-kun's Familia really is full of pretty girls."

Tiona remarked while enthusiastically devouring her food.

She did not seem particularly bothered by the Dea Saint throwing herself at Bell.

The other Familia members seated nearby were not nearly so relaxed.

"Nya... I've hugged Bell too, nya..."

"Anakitty, you're drunk again!"

Faced with Anakitty's drunken remark, Alicia could only try to stop her, worried that those careless words might reach the ears of Bell's lovers.

"..."

From one side of the aisle, Chloe glanced at her fellow Cat Person, whose naturally noble air had been completely swallowed by drunkenness.

She said nothing.

She merely gave a self-mocking smile.

Amid all the laughter and celebration, Chloe concealed a dagger capable of putting someone into a deep sleep and slowly made her way toward the boy.

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