Chapter 991: Chapter 991: The Wedding in Progress
"Isn’t that still ’Mom’?"
Even Loki herself felt both amused and helpless hearing it. She had been told by Riveria to call her "Mom," yet the way she spoke just now was exactly the kind of thing a mother would say.
"Riveria, this is exactly why Finn and the others call you ’Mom’ at home. That habit of worrying about everything is the real reason."
Riveria frowned slightly. She had heard this more than once before, especially from Finn and Gareth. But what choice did she have?
Finn had outstanding judgment and a strong sense of the bigger picture, but at heart he was the same as Gareth—both preferred charging ahead. That naturally meant less attention paid to the rear, and the responsibility of looking after everyone else inevitably fell on her shoulders.
Back then, because she was constantly taking care of the younger members of the familia, she ended up being called "Mom." At first, the nickname only circulated among a small group. It really started spreading after she began formally looking after Ais.
Riveria remembered it clearly. Ever since she started caring for Ais, more and more people began calling her "Mom."
Thinking about Ais gave her a headache. If she remembered correctly, the first one to call her that had been Ais herself.
"Wasn’t it Ais, plus people deliberately spreading it around?"
Loki recalled it as well.
"I remember Ais calling you ’Riveria-mama’ back then. From that moment on, your ’Mom’ status was basically acknowledged within the familia."
Loki had laughed hard at the time. Who would have thought Ais would say it so directly? But from then on, Riveria truly became the familia’s mother figure. Almost everyone went to her whenever they had something to talk about.
Her steady personality, ability to handle problems, and serious attitude earned her that nickname.
And it also showed just how much respect Riveria held within the familia. After all, not just anyone could be called "Mom."
"Speaking of which... Ais and Haruhime are okay, right?"
Mentioning that title made Loki think of the two girls.
Haruhime’s feelings were obvious to Loki. She had been watching Bell for a very long time.
As for Ais, Loki trusted her instincts. Ever since Bell took Ais into the Dungeon, Ais had treated him as a benchmark. But that "benchmark" clearly carried more meaning than simple admiration.
"They should be... fine."
Riveria thought back to how the two of them had looked earlier. Both girls had been unusually quiet today. She couldn’t really be sure of their condition, only that they looked normal on the surface.
"They just haven’t talked much today. They’re much quieter than usual."
"Ah... so my guess was right."
Hearing that, Loki was almost certain what kind of feelings Ais and Haruhime held toward Bell.
She slumped her shoulders helplessly. What could she say? Bell had simply left too strong an impression on those two girls.
"Mom, keep an eye on Ais and Haruhime during the ceremony. I’m worried they won’t be able to handle it."
If they were made to attend Bell’s wedding, Loki wasn’t sure their hearts could take that kind of shock. She was genuinely worried about whether the two of them could endure it.
"I’ll watch them when I get back."
Even if Loki hadn’t said anything, Riveria would have done so anyway. She was worried as well—worried they might break down in tears right there at the wedding.
"Ah!"
After a light knock, someone entered the room.
It was Tsubaki, dressed in a red formal gown.
"Hephaestus, the wedding is about to begin."
Only then did the goddesses realize how much time had passed. They had spent long enough preparing. It was almost time for the ceremony itself.
"Got it. Tsubaki, how’s it looking outside?"
Hephaestus took a deep breath, her nerves rising despite herself.
"It’s very lively out there. All the gods and familia from Orario are already here, and the gods from the other world have arrived too. After all, this is Bell’s wedding."
Tsubaki noticed Hephaestus’s tension and deliberately described the scene outside, hoping it might ease her nerves a little.
This wedding was being treated with exceptional importance, simply because Bell was at its center.
That fact alone had drawn congratulations from nearly all the gods and humans of the new world.
"...That’s a lot of people."
Just imagining it made Hephaestus feel even more nervous.
"Hmph. This is our wedding with Bell. Of course there are lots of people."
Hestia, on the other hand, wasn’t nearly as tense. What she felt was inevitability—and the excitement of a wedding she had long looked forward to.
She wore a pure white wedding dress. It wasn’t strapless, and the fluffy skirt hid her slightly small stature. Her carefully styled hair and veil still fully displayed the charm of a bride.
"I’ve played this wedding over in my head so many times. Nothing will go wrong. Mm."
It sounded like she was encouraging herself, and while she took on some of Hephaestus’s nervousness, Hestia herself wasn’t entirely calm either.
"How could anything go wrong?"
One of the Artemis shot Hestia a sideways glance.
"We’ve rehearsed the whole ceremony already. What could possibly happen?"
"There’s no way someone would deliberately come cause trouble at such an important wedding, right?"
To Artemis, that simply wasn’t realistic.
She felt the older sister from the other world was worrying too much.
For Artemis, today was also an incredibly important day.
She clasped her hands together and looked up toward the sky.
"Ah, today is an important day for Darling and me. The ceremony will go smoothly."
"From today on, Darling and I will be bound together by the thread of marriage, never to be severed."
She said it so matter-of-factly that the other Artemis immediately flushed red.
Even if it would be true after today, hearing it out loud like that was still a bit too much for her.
