Chương 19: Loki Familia and the Cat-Eared Girl

Orario, decorated by magic-stone lamps, had a unique charm at night. The nighttime bustle far surpassed the day, and shops that only truly came alive after sunset were filled with noise. Adventurers walked arm in arm into bars and restaurants, ready for a drink. Cael walked beside Hestia down East Main Street, her hand pulling his along. Listening to her little humming tune, he sank into the city's unique atmosphere. Compared to daytime, the night felt far more alive. East Main Street.

Adventurers roughly called this the Fifth District. Orario was divided into eight sections by eight main streets, like slices of a cake. West Main Street, Adventurers Way, was called the First District by adventurers. Counting clockwise from there, they bluntly called the other sections the Second through Eighth Districts.

"It is so lively. There are so many restaurants that I do not know which one to choose. I do not know which place has better food either. This is a little overwhelming." Cael looked back and forth between the restaurants on both sides of the street, struck by indecision.

"No matter where we have the feast, as long as Cael chooses it, I will be happy." Hestia encouraged him with a thumbs-up and an energetic smile.

"Then, Lady Hestia, how about here?" Cael felt as if she had teased his heart again. He pointed at a lively restaurant nearby. Before Hestia could answer, a sly voice came from not far away.

"Oh-ho. If it ain't the dead-flat runt. Where'd you scam this boy from? Someone actually thinks a poor goddess like you is worth following? Oh, how rare. How rare."

"Hah?" Hestia immediately turned her head and glared through clenched teeth.

"Loki! Why do I run into you everywhere?" Cael followed Hestia's gaze and saw a tall, slender red-haired goddess with a single ponytail and narrowed eyes. She stood in front of a restaurant that looked slightly larger than those around it, arms folded, grinning wickedly in their direction. One detail stood out. Although she was tall and slender, her flat chest would make her instantly recognizable.

"Hmph. Obviously, I am here for dinner with my adorable children." Loki folded her arms and mocked Hestia with a wicked grin.

"A warm family moment like this is something you could never understand. I heard from another god recently that some blind human finally became the child of a poor goddess like you." Then she looked at Cael, who was being held by Hestia.

"Yo. Is this your Familia member? Following you must be hard on him." Cael gave a strained smile. I am that blind human. Sorry about that. As expected of the wildest god in Orario. Her mouth was truly venomous. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"Mmm... Hmph." Hestia glared at Loki through gritted teeth, then snorted and acted unconcerned.

"How ridiculous. I am also here to dine with my child, Cael. You can be jealous of how warm my family is." Hestia pulled Cael's hand and strode energetically into the restaurant where Loki Familia was having dinner.

"We are going to that one. We will make that narrow-eyed goddess mad."

"Make me mad? Hahaha. With just one boy?" Loki put her hands on her waist and laughed wildly, not taking it seriously at all.

"I would like to see how you do that. Just do not feel inferior when you see how close my Familia is. Ahahaha." Hmph. Once Hestia saw Loki Familia's warm family atmosphere, she would die of envy. Loki? Dinner? Wait. A spark flashed through Cael's mind. He quickly looked up at the restaurant sign, then felt his heart nearly stop. Hostess of Fertility. No way. How did we just happen to walk here? Sweat beaded on Cael's forehead. This place belonged to Freya Familia.

The owner, Mama Mia, had once been the captain of Freya Familia and was a Lv. 6 adventurer. Even the waitresses were all around Lv. 4. In Orario, the captains of ordinary Familias were often only Lv. 3. A lineup like this could flatten a large number of Familias. This was practically a retirement home for hidden masters. Powerful Familias who knew the truth often chose this place for dinner as a nod to Freya Familia. As a result, its reputation grew larger and larger.

Few adventurers did not know this delicious restaurant. But that was not the most important part. The truly frightening part was that Freya Familia's goddess worked here under another identity as a waitress. More accurately, she was waiting here to hunt humans with brilliant souls. If she took an interest in him, trouble would come. Endless heroic trials would line up for him to challenge. My soul should not be that brilliant, right? I was just a shut-in with too many dumb fantasies. Cael muttered in his heart.

His soul was probably not brilliant enough to attract her attention. The moment they entered, the lively, market-like noise washed over them. Bold dwarves stood on stools, red-faced from drinking, clinking large mugs of ale together and gulping them down. Beast people cursed and argued over the last piece of bone-in meat. Elves sat quietly at the bar with hoods drawn, sipping light fruit wine and occasionally sending cold looks toward the noisy dwarves.

Prums sat humbly at tables in the corners, heads lowered as they ate. Humans laughed loudly at their tables, boasting about their daytime adventures. Cael and Hestia found an empty table and sat down, watching the lively environment with interest.

"This is the adventurer life. A hot-blooded Dungeon adventure by day, drinking and bragging in a restaurant by night." Cael grinned despite himself. The atmosphere had infected him. His gaze moved toward a large round table not far away. More than a dozen adventurers of different heights and builds sat there, all handsome or beautiful and each carrying a unique presence. Among them were the Sword Princess Ais and Nine Hell Riveria, whom he had seen that day at Goibniu's weapon shop.

The executives of Loki Familia were dining together.

"A new face, nya." A cat girl with short brown hair, wearing a cute pale-green uniform and white apron, brightened when she saw new customers. She hurried over with a menu and spoke in a lively, sweet voice.

"My name is Anya. What is your name, new adventurer, nya?" She handed the menu to Cael.

"I am Cael. This is my first time eating here. I am also an adventurer willing to spend, so please go easy on my wallet and make me want to come back." Cael smiled. His gaze swept over Anya's cat ears and the tail swaying behind her. For some reason, he wanted to touch them. Only in his heart, of course. For beast people, ears and tails were sensitive, personal areas. If a stranger touched them, he would definitely be kicked into a wall. Besides, she was a core member of Freya Familia, a Lv.

4 adventurer with the alias Vana Alfi. She had already been Lv. 4 nine years ago. A twelve-year-old Lv. 4 was outrageous. If she had not grown sick of being an adventurer and come here to work as a waitress, she might have already reached Lv. 6.

"Hee hee. Mr. Cael is good at joking, nya. Our food is so good you will almost forget to breathe." A playful voice answered him.

"Ahem. Please hurry and bring the food, Miss Waitress." Hestia coughed twice and spoke impatiently.

"You are interrupting my warm time with my family." After saying that, she looked at Cael, then sent a provocative gaze toward Loki, who was watching her. Hestia slowly leaned her head against Cael's shoulder.

"Lady Hestia..." Looking at the goddess gently leaning against his shoulder, Cael felt a warm smile touch his lips.

"Yoo-hoo." Miss Cat-Ears instantly understood. She sent Cael an ambiguous look, then left with cheerful catlike steps.

"Hah? Does that mean that boy is the little runt's man?" Seeing that scene, Loki sprang to her feet. Her usually narrowed eyes flew open, and she looked utterly stunned.