Fated Adventure.

Every three months there was a meeting of the gods to decide various nicknames of the newly leveled 2 adventurers.

However currently there was an odd grouping. Freya, Hestia, Hephaestus and a confused looking Loki.

"Since when did you three get so close?" Loki asked with some confusion. Hestia and Hephaestus were close that was well known but Freya, that was completely unexpected.

However what was said next blew her mind.

"The Hestia Familia captain is my apprentice." Hephaestus said with a fond smile.

"He is also my beloved Odr." Freya had a lovely struck expression.

Hestia pouted. "My captain is a pervert who seduces every goddess he comes across." She grumbled but also had a fond smile.

"Wait wait wait! Your telling me, you, you and you all have feelings for this cows captain?" Loki asked shocked.

"What no!" Hephaestus shook her hands but her blushing cheeks gave her away.

"Yes!" Freya said proudly.

As for Hestia she just glared at Hephaestus as even she could tell that her best friend had developed feelings for her captain. Her stance also betrayed that she might have some feelings for her captain, also judging by the number of times Hestia snuck into Ryan's bed for cuddling and continues to do so to this day

"Ahaha that's rich! I wonder what kind of guy would be able to pull you three, especially this stuck up virgin!" Loki cackled. "Still there is no way he is better than my Ais."

Loki puffed out her completely flat chest proudly.

The three goddesses all with rather respectable assets looked at her in pity.

"He single handedly beat the top members of my familia without getting a scratch, Ottar even needed an elixir as his chest was caved in from a single blow." Freya said with a raised eyebrow.

"In a month he has become a Grandmaster Blacksmith no worse than Tsubaki." Hephaestus added. "I even learned some blacksmithing techniques from him that have improved my craft."

Loki's laughter died in her throat.

The room was silent for a long moment before she let out a nervous chuckle, eyes darting between Freya, Hephaestus, and Hestia.

"… You're shitting me, right?"

Freya just smiled. Not her usual seductive or playful smirk, but something far more genuine.

"I don't lie about things concerning my Odr."

Loki felt a shiver run down her spine. She knew Freya. The goddess of beauty never settled, never truly loved. But here she was, completely smitten. That alone was terrifying enough.

Then Hephaestus, the most prideful blacksmith in Orario, admitted she'd learned from him?

And Hestia—Hestia! The childish, overly affectionate, eternally broke goddess had a captain this capable?

"Wait, wait, wait." Loki raised her hands. "You're telling me your boy is some kind of superhuman?"

Hephaestus sighed, rubbing her temples. "You have no idea."

Freya's smug smile deepened. "Ryan is beyond anyone in this city. A true monster among monsters."

Loki blinked. "You're exaggerating. Ain't no way some kid—"

Freya cut her off with a chuckle. "You can ask Ottar yourself. Or better yet, try and send one of your children after him. See what happens."

Loki gulped. Freya never boasted. If she said Ryan could do something, he could.

Then Hephaestus sighed. "Loki, I'll be blunt. He's terrifying. But also... incredibly kind. If you ever meet him, you'll understand."

Loki crossed her arms, feeling a headache form. "Tch. This is too much for me. The hell is up with that guy?" Loki groaned. "Now I kinda wanna steal him."

Freya's aura flared.

Hephaestus adjusted her hammer.

Hestia puffed up.

Loki immediately backed up, hands raised. "Alright, alright, I was joking!"

But deep down, she was already thinking of ways to meet this guy.

"What level is he if he can beat Ottar, 8 or 9?" Loki asked curiously.

"We don't know, his doesn't use Falna." Freya admitted. "None of the Hestia Familia members use Falna."

Loki's brain short-circuited.

"…What?"

She stared at them, waiting for one of them to laugh and say they were messing with her. But Freya, Hephaestus, and Hestia all looked completely serious.

"No Falna?" Loki repeated, voice rising slightly. "None of them?"

Hephaestus nodded. "Ryan and the others don't need it. Their strength comes from… something else."

Loki slowly sank into her seat, rubbing her temples. This was getting more ridiculous by the second.

"No Falna… and he still crushed Ottar?" Her voice was a whisper now, as if saying it too loudly would break reality.

Freya simply smiled, eyes twinkling. "Not just Ottar. The rest of my top executives couldn't even put up a fight. It wasn't a battle—it was a demonstration."

Loki had never felt so small.

She glanced at Hestia, the petty, broke, childish Hestia, who was sitting there smugly like she had won some cosmic jackpot.

Loki groaned and slumped back, staring at the ceiling. "This ain't fair… That kinda guy should be in my Familia."

Hestia grinned. "Too bad, he's mine!"

Freya giggled. "Ours, actually."

Hephaestus coughed, avoiding eye contact.

Loki scowled. "Now I really wanna meet this guy."

She paused, narrowing her eyes at the three. "…Actually, you're not making all this up just to mess with me, are you?"

Freya smirked. "Why don't you come find out?" Then she looked down as Loki's chest, "Though I doubt he would be interested in your assets. I don't think he has a thing for little boys."

Loki froze.

Silence hung in the air.

Then—

"Oi, what the hell did you just say?!"

Her chair slammed back as she shot to her feet, fists clenched, face twitching.

Freya, still as elegant as ever, took a slow sip of her wine. "Oh, nothing. Just an observation." Her gaze flickered downward—just for a second.

Loki's eye twitched.

Hestia, the ever-petty gremlin, snorted. Hephaestus coughed into her fist, clearly holding back a laugh.

Loki growled. "You wanna go, you prissy, stuck-up—"

"Now, now." Freya smiled sweetly, resting her chin on her palm. "I'm just looking out for you. Ryan has rather… refined tastes."

Hestia cackled. "Yeah, I don't think he's into flat boards—"

"SHUT UP, COW!" Loki roared.

Hephaestus finally lost it, laughing into her palm.

Loki glared at all of them, red-faced and fuming.

"Damn it! Now I have to meet this bastard!"