"By the way, if the child says they want to become an adventurer, which Familia would you send them to?"
I'd tossed it out without much thought. Just a topic to distract from the embarrassment. But the reaction that came back was anything but casual.
"As expected, depending on the gender—"
"Hera Familia."
"Huh? No—"
"Hera Familia."
Arphia declared it in a firm voice. The certainty in her tone was so absolute it felt like I should be handing over four vallis just for having asked. I was left flustered.
"You want to entrust Meteria's child to that kind of Familia?"
She glared at me with wide, blazing eyes, her conviction bordering on madness. But...
"...Hera Familia doesn't exactly sound like a great place to be educated, either, does it?"
If anything, when it came to bad temper, wouldn't Hera Familia be even worse? Zeus Familia only had the old man causing trouble; the others were surprisingly normal.
I thought it, but only to myself. There was no need to say it out loud and start a fight.
But maybe I wasn't the only one thinking that way.
"Hey, I can't let that one slide."
"Huh?"
Zard, already drunk out of his mind after flattening Gareth and continuing to pour alcohol down his throat, reacted to Arphia's words. Hey now, let's not fight.
But my wish didn't come true.
"First of all, how could you even leave a kid with Hera Familia? It's bad for child education!"
"I never thought I'd hear those Zeus guys use the word education."
"Hah."
Even after that mocking reply, Zard remained unfazed and, if anything, spoke in a way that seemed to be mocking Arphia right back.
"I'll admit that lecherous old man is hopeless. But what about you lot? Do you really think you're in any position to teach kids properly?"
"Well..."
"A hysterical goddess and her followers. From where I'm standing, you lot are way worse for education."
Zard, you're really drunk, huh? He was only telling the truth, too. How was he planning to deal with the aftermath...
"Our Familia may be known as the hopeless Familia because of that damned god, but most of the followers are perfectly normal-minded people, you know?! We're the ones suffering because of that lecherous old man!"
"I don't see any reason to put a child in a Familia that's already suffering."
"Hah, and you really think Hera Familia is any better?"
"What?"
"We're a Familia with problems because of our god, but you lot are a Familia where both the god and the followers are a problem! Obviously our Familia is better suited to raising a child!"
Ohhh, because it was such a vicious fact bomb, there wasn't a single flaw in the logic. Even Arphia had no comeback for that and was biting down on her lip.
Still, from my experience, Arphia held grudges for a long time... Zard wasn't going to die, was he?
I felt like I was watching the live broadcast of a drunk man's downfall. Let's just drink in moderation from now on.
"That's right!"
"Zeus Familia is a little better than Hera Familia!"
"Zard cooked for us every day!"
Not just Zard—other people who had also downed a whole bowl of liquor chimed in. A few of them, faces drained white, tried to stop them or ran away, but most of the people here were no longer drinking alcohol so much as being drunk by it.
And that "most" didn't just mean Zeus Familia.
"What did you say?!"
Bang! As the Empress slammed a hand on the table and rose to her feet, all eyes turned her way.
"I don't know about anything else, but Zeus Familia is better than Hera Familia?!"
"Why, what, did I say something wrong?!"
"Of course you did! A Familia made up of dark-haired men is obviously worse than one made up of lovely women!"
"Exactly! That's what paradise is!"
The lecherous old man's voice could be heard, but no one paid it any mind. He was only being subjected to a brutal punishment by Hera's cold expression.
At this rate, the only people making money would be the ones betting on the outcome.
"Uhh..."
Meanwhile, I could only stand there awkwardly and stammer in confusion.
I'd only brought it up to change the subject... how did it end up like this?
I didn't even have time to do anything. The argument broke out with the smooth inevitability of flowing water. Were these people cursed to die if they went even one day without fighting?
The only difference from usual was that Zeus Familia didn't avoid the fight. Saying it like that made Hera Familia sound like the real delinquents.
Completely ignoring my panic, they kept bickering.
This was bad. Right now it was still just a war of words, but it could turn physical in an instant. And if that happened, Zard was dead.
I had to stop them somehow... just as I was worrying over it—
"Loki Familia."
"Hm?"
"Huh?"
At that suddenly bright voice, everyone's gaze focused on one place.
"Loki Familia is the best."
Ais said it with a satisfied expression, and no one could bring themselves to say a word back.
You can't spit on a smiling face, and what if that smiling face belongs to a child? While everyone was flustered by this unexpected ambush, Ais continued.
"My big sister told me to get along with the baby."
"No, well, that's true, but..."
"If you join the Familia, I'll take care of you."
With her small chest puffed out, Ais made the declaration with nothing but pure, selfless goodwill.
Maybe they'd been moved by the child's innocence. The overheated atmosphere, which had been boiling just moments ago, began to cool little by little.
In proportion to that, Zard's face only kept turning whiter... but he'd have to deal with that himself.
"Heh, if that happens, Ais will finally escape being the youngest."
"So exciting."
"Taking in the child of Zeus Familia and Hera Familia as a follower... that's quite the connection, isn't it?"
"Why, are you looking forward to it?"
"I'm so excited I feel like my stomach might burst."
Finn said it with a face that had gone blue, and he seemed to mean it. Just imagining it was horrifying.
Hm. If someone joined Loki Familia... no, they wouldn't know it was me, so leaving that part out and thinking about it—
-Looks like the kid's hands are a little rough.
-Are these bastards bullying our child?
-Gaaah, it's war!
Yeah, I could see that happening. I wouldn't be able to sleep either.
I sent Finn a sympathetic look as he imagined a future that could never happen, and shouldn't happen either. For all his flaws, he was suffering too.
"What about you, Vesta-kun?"
"Me?"
"Where do you think would be best for Vesta-kun?"
At the arrow turned toward me, I hesitated for a moment before answering.
My Familia. For me, there could be only one meaning to that.
But...
"...I'm not sure. Maybe starting from scratch in a brand-new Familia wouldn't be so bad. Though, of course, the most important thing is the child's own choice."
At my answer, disappointed murmurs rose among the audience that had been quietly hoping for something else. Fair enough—it was a pretty boring answer, even to me.
No one here would ever think of ignoring the child's wishes and forcing a decision on them. This was probably just drunken nonsense brought on by the mood. Maybe even a matter of pride.
And here I was, saying something so uninteresting. Maybe I really was one of those people the gods call someone who "can't read the room."
I felt a little guilty, as if I'd dampened the atmosphere.
At the same time, though, I was relieved to be able to end the topic.
"Hah, you people don't know anything. Zeus, Hera, Loki—none of them are any good!"
That was when I heard it.
A voice that was pouring fuel onto the fire that had only just begun to settle—no, at this point, it was just dumping oil on it.
"I'll personally teach you. Which underling is truly the happiest to serve!"
That beautiful but somehow irritating voice—could it be...?
"And that would be... obviously becoming a follower of this Aphrodite-sama, wouldn't it?!"
"""""Aphro! Aphro!"""""
Ohoho! A goddess with a body a little small for a woman, yet with arrogance that far outstripped her frame.
...And a Familia whose madness made Zeus and Hera Familia look like a joke.
Aphrodite Familia had joined the fight.
"..."
"...What's with that look?"
"No, it's just..."
She was someone I'd been loosely entangled with in the original timeline, but in this era, a goddess I hadn't spoken to much.
So I knew it was rude to say this, but I couldn't keep myself from asking.
"Um, are you still in Orario?"
"What the hell, brat?!"
Aphrodite bristled at my words, but I couldn't help it.
I hadn't seen this person—no, this god—once since the day Lady Artemis came. More importantly, why was she here?
"Don't look at me like I'm some uninvited guest! Don't look at the greatest beauty on Olympus like that!"
Realizing my gaze, Lady Aphrodite shouted indignantly. It seemed she still couldn't forgive anyone for hurting her pride.
"But seriously, why are you here?"
It was a little late to ask, but I was curious, and curiosity was curiosity. Why was this person here?
I wondered if the old man had called her. He couldn't resist women, after all.
"I know what you're thinking, but Zeus didn't call me."
"Oh? Really?"
"Yeah. If anything, Zeus seems to avoid me a little."
Huh, really? That old man avoided women?
Apparently I wasn't the only one who found that strange, because all the followers, Zeus and Hera Familia alike, wore puzzled expressions. Just what kind of god was the old man in their eyes?
...I decided not to ask, since whatever I imagined would probably be less flattering than the truth.
"Well, even Zeus would be nervous before this Aphrodite-sama's smile, wouldn't he?"
"I don't think so..."
"Hm?"
"Ah, no, nothing..."
Well, what's good is good.
But then who really called her here?
"I just came on my own."
"...Then why did you come?"
I knew it was rude to ask, but I couldn't stop myself. It wasn't that I disliked it or anything, but no one had invited her, so why was she here?
"Hmm, why did I come, you ask..."
Lady Aphrodite turned her head and looked toward Meteria's swollen belly. Her gaze was no longer the arrogant, haughty one from before, but the gentle, benevolent eyes of a goddess.
"A new child has been born among the followers of a god from my homeland... In that case, how could I not come?"
By nature, abundance and fertility go hand in hand. For Aphrodite, who governed fertility and life, the birth of new life was something she could not help but celebrate.
"I can't use Arcanum here, but I, Aphrodite, will give my blessing to the child who will be born."
At that sight, everyone present fell silent for a moment. It was a little irreverent, but the sanctity of the scene—so unlike the cheeky little brat they'd seen until now—drew everyone's attention.
"This child, who will be born when spring flowers bloom, shall have its future blessed personally by me, Aphrodite, symbol of abundance and life. Be grateful, all right? My blessing can't be received by the ugly. Well, if it's your child, it'll probably be decent-looking enough."
"...Hehe, thank you very much."
"...Hmph."
Meteria, who had been staring blankly for a moment, let out a small laugh and thanked her. Aphrodite, looking a little embarrassed, turned her face away.
I felt a little proud, seeing such a warm relationship between god and human—something I hadn't seen much lately.
"I see..."
So she'd come to celebrate the happy occasion of a child born among the followers of a god from her homeland. That's a little moving.
"Well, I just happened to be here for a meal, so I figured I'd do it while I was at it."
"Huh?"
One of the Aphrodite Familia members nearby muttered under their breath.
And then the murmurs came in one after another.
"Because she lost everything at the gambling house."
"She said she found a place that serves free food, so she dragged all of us here."
Looking oddly familiar as they said that, I stared at the members of Aphrodite Familia and thought to myself.
There really are some things in this world it's better not to know.
Give me back my emotion.