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Chapter 91: Demeter
"Oh my, isn't this the Loki Familia's Thousand Elf and Sword Princess? What a rare sight."
A mature, alluring woman's voice, laced with a gentle laugh, drifted over from nearby.
The three of them turned toward the sound, spotting a stunningly beautiful goddess with honey-blonde hair standing there. She rested one hand beneath her generous bust, accentuating her breathtaking curves, while her other hand gently cupped her cheek. She watched them with a beaming smile.
"Lord Demeter!" Lefiya Viridis hurriedly stood up upon recognizing the newcomer, offering a respectful bow. Ais Wallenstein stood up as well, offering a slight nod of greeting.
"Are you out on a date?" Demeter cast a curious gaze at Aiden, who had also risen to his feet, her eyes darting back and forth among the three of them.
"N-No, we're not on a date!" Two patches of red instantly flared on Lefiya's cheeks as she frantically explained. "It's just... just a normal get-together between friends! Um... Lord Demeter, what brings you here?"
"Hehe, just a get-together between friends? Your face is completely red, little Lefiya." The Goddess of Agriculture, Demeter, covered her mouth with a soft giggle. Her gentle gaze only made the elf feel even more embarrassed.
As the core of Orario's food industry, the Demeter Familia and the Njord Familia were known as the city's two great agricultural pillars. They grew and sold the freshest produce, owning vast tracts of farmland on the outskirts of the city. It was no exaggeration to say that every citizen in Orario relied on the Demeter Familia's contributions for their daily meals.
The goddess herself reflected her divine domain. Her kind and gentle personality made her incredibly popular among both the citizens and adventurers. Combined with a voluptuous figure that left countless women feeling inadequate and endless men completely captivated, her popularity among the male gods was second only to the Goddess of Beauty, Freya. She also maintained a rather good relationship with the Loki Familia. In fact, back when Ais was just a child, Demeter used to constantly tease the quiet little doll.
"Me? This restaurant just rolled out a new menu today featuring a lot of the new vegetable varieties from our farms. Naturally, I had to come and taste-test them for myself." Demeter blinked, her gaze shifting to rest on Aiden. "Besides, how could I not come over and say hello when I see a handsome stranger keeping Ais and Lefiya company?"
She examined Aiden with keen interest, as if admiring a fascinating new treasure.
"It is an honor to meet you, Lord Demeter." Aiden stood up and offered a polite introduction. "I am Aiden of the Focalors Familia."
"The Focalors Familia... Ah, Takemikazuchi mentioned you to me." Demeter nodded in sudden realization, a teasing smile quickly returning to her lips. "I see how it is. You're hanging out with a handsome new friend! No wonder Ais looks just a tiny bit happier today than usual."
She looked at Ais expectantly as she spoke, clearly hoping to catch the Sword Princess looking embarrassed. However, Ais merely tilted her head. Her golden eyes were filled with pure confusion, completely missing the teasing undertone in Demeter's words. Her bulletproof, airheaded innocence left the goddess utterly disappointed, robbing her of a good show.
"Sigh... Ais, you haven't changed a bit. You're not cute at all." Demeter let out an exaggerated sigh of disappointment.
Meanwhile, Lefiya was so flustered she looked ready to bury her head under the table.
"Alright, alright, I won't interrupt you young people and your 'get-together between friends' any longer." Demeter waved them off with a laugh. "Enjoy yourselves~"
With that, she turned gracefully and walked toward a table a short distance away. Aiden's gaze followed her, catching sight of a refined, elegant blonde god waiting for her with a smile. Standing quietly behind that male god was a female Elf with long, straight black hair, dressed in a pure white mage's gown.
"Ah, that's Lord Dionysus. So he was the one who invited Lady Demeter..." Following Aiden's gaze, Lefiya also spotted the blonde god sitting with Demeter and immediately recognized him.
Compared to a newcomer like Aiden, who was still largely unfamiliar with Orario's deities, Lefiya—as a member of the Loki Familia—already knew most of the prominent gods in the Labyrinth City. Hearing the name "Dionysus," Aiden's eyes narrowed slightly. His gaze lingered on the male god for a few extra seconds.
Dionysus, the God of Wine. He looked incredibly refined. His short blonde hair appeared exceptionally soft under the boat's gentle lighting, and he wore a warm smile as he conversed softly with the Goddess Demeter sitting across from him. Every one of his movements carried an aristocratic elegance that naturally drew people in.
It was hard to believe that such a harmless, gentle-looking god was secretly the evil deity plotting to destroy all of Orario. If Aiden hadn't known the original story and been intimately familiar with the future of this world, he likely would have been fooled by Dionysus's flawless disguise and his consistently friendly, humble demeanor.
Since the man was Dionysus, the identity of the black-haired Elf standing silently behind him went without saying. That had to be the Captain of his Familia—Filvis Challia, known by her alias White Miko, and infamous for the dark moniker of Banshee. She was a tragic character, trapped by a curse and forced against her will to become a pawn for an evil god.
After lingering on Dionysus for a brief moment, Aiden discreetly withdrew his gaze. He picked up his glass of juice and took a sip, using the cold liquid to suppress the chaotic thoughts churning in his mind. He knew the man was an evil god intent on plunging the world into chaos, but he had no intention of marching to the Guild to report him right now. It wasn't due to a lack of justice; it was based on purely practical considerations.
First of all, he had absolutely no evidence. Baselessly accusing a highly respected god in Orario of being a sinister mastermind wouldn't convince anyone. He would only be written off as a lunatic or a schemer with an ulterior motive. Second, and most importantly, both he and the Focalors Familia backing him were far too weak.
Right now, they were like a lone rowboat in the vast ocean—even the slightest wave could capsize them. Prematurely meddling in the brutal war between Evilus and the rest of Orario would be like a moth flying into a flame. It was a surefire way to get themselves killed. He knew all too well what would happen if they drew that kind of fire. They would end up just like the Astrea Familia. The thought surfaced from the depths of his mind, completely unbidden.
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