Hermes arrived at the Stardust Garden, the home of the ladies of justice. Their immense contribution in stopping the Great War and the fact that every girl in the Astraea Familia was beautiful in their own right rocketed their popularity in the males' eyes. That's why so many flocked to join, but only one man got the chance.
Asfi saw her deity's glimmering eyes and sharpened her pure blue eyes. "Lord Hermes, don't do anything rash."??
"Why would I?"
Hermes laughed off her concern. Astraea had been a good friend even in Heaven. The tough lady had guarded her heart with the walls of justice. Coming this far, he failed to hide his curiosity for the man who managed to sneak into the Familia.
The duo entered the gate, where an elf adventurer guided them into the meeting room. The room was filled with tables and chairs. In the center, a large table sat with four people sitting around it.
To his surprise, two of them were goddesses he knew.
'Loki and Hephaestus.'
The goddesses of two of the strongest Familias of Orario.
Loki folded her arms on her exposed midriff and glanced at Asahi. He hadn't told her the reason for this meeting, now the appearance of Hermes further confused her. Hermes played with the rules more than her, the Trickster Goddess. Despite being in Orario for over a decade, he had remained in the middle of the pack. He was a troublesome fellow like Asahi.
"What's up, Hermes and Perseus? What brings you here?"
Asfi unconsciously bowed, a habit ingrained in her after her nation was taken over by a certain god. "Lady Loki, Lady Astraea, Lady Hephaestus."
Loki's lips lifted in a grin.
Asfi Al Andromeda, alias Persues. She, the most talented magic item maker of Orario, was bowing so gracefully. It made her want to snatch this girl from Hermes. But she knew how much the girl respected Hermes. Honestly, he was holding back her full potential because of his 'neutral' mentality.
"No need to bow," Hephaestus said, scratching the back of her head. She knew Perseus. The feathered pen in her office was invented by Asfi; she had also created many unique potions that lessened the effects of curses and poison. As a fellow creator, Hephaestus had nothing but respect for Asfi.
"Please sit."
Astraea gestured, still unsure why Asahi postponed giving the news to Loki and Hephaestus for Hermes and Asfi. She trusted him enough to let him deal with everything here.
(You're on the path to becoming a great wife!)
Astraea didn't have any reply to the statement made by the first wife.
Hermes grabbed the seat with a smile before narrowing his eyes on the only other man in the room. Whether it was his sharp face or his dazzling golden eyes, he had enough charm to back up the nickname 'Gigolo' used by many on the streets.
"I'm finally meeting the legendary Noble Rookie."
Asahi's brow twitched. He wasn't fond of this nickname. Facing Astraea, he took her hand. "Get a good nickname for me at Denatus."
The goddess blushed furiously before a fire sparked in her eyes. "I will."
The intimacy surprised everyone in the room. Loki and Hephaestus had seen this coming, so their shock died in a moment. Hermes, however, couldn't help his jaw from dropping. As a deity of the same pantheon, he knew Astraea for hundreds if not thousands of years. Astraea hadn't even been mentioned with another male, much less holding a male's hand while blushing like a maiden!
'She has been tamed. A dangerous man indeed.'
This wasn't the kind of hero he wanted… a man like him will end up seducing his archnemesis instead of fighting them, bringing their showdown to the bed instead of a battlefield.
Asfi watched Hermes's shocked expression and frowned.
'Why is Lord Hermes making a big deal out of it?'
It was just Asahi holding Astraea's hand. It didn't seem that intimate.
Asahi sighed at Asfi's innocent reaction. "Back to the topic. Don't be surprised at what I'm about to show you."
Seemingly confused, the goddesses nodded their heads.
"Ray."
At Asahi's call, the door opened, and Ray walked into the room. She shivered from the presence of the blue-haired woman. If Asahi hadn't told that Asfi will be here, Ray would've flown out of the window in fear. The terror of being chased was still fresh in her heart and mind.
"Hello, I'm R-Ray."
Her simple introduction filled the room with silence. Asahi ignored everything and focused on Astraea's reaction. She said nothing and turned to look him in the eyes.
'Even if she looks like a monster, she is harmless, I swear,' he conveyed through the bond. 'Just believe in me.'
Astraea sensed the sincerity in his eyes and sighed. He was from another world, where monsters weren't the harbingers of destruction. Before the dungeon existed, the monsters roamed the lands, destroying human peace and settlements. Even if the Siren was harmless, others wouldn't think of her like that.
"What do you want to do with her?"
As a goddess, she was going to support him regardless of his motivations. After all, she had come to like him too much. Her Familia would be dead without him. How could she turn her back on him? Though she still wanted to know his motivations for bringing this talking Siren out of the dungeon.
'I want to know more about their race, and how they relate to the dungeon.'
Astraea nodded at the passable reason.
While the two conversed, Loki and Hephaestus were having a hard time accepting the concept of a monster conversing flawlessly like a human.
Hephaestus reigned in her surprise first and observed the nervous reaction of the Siren. The teary golden eyes, the minute shaking of her lips—everything about her seemed so humane.
"What are ya?" Loki broke the ice in a calm voice. "An irregular?"
Ray hung her head. "Fels calls our race Xenos."
"Xenos?"
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