In DanMachi, I Was Targeted by Freya from the Start! Chapter 31

"Beautiful~"

In response to Freya's question, Cao Ye answered directly.

Banquet, Goddess Loki!

Although tonight's banquet had been organized by a god, it was really just an event for some bored deities to pass the time. It was nowhere near as "serious" as outsiders imagined.

However, just as there were social classes among humans, the gods were no exception.

Though theoretically every god could attend, those who were doing poorly generally did not come. After all, they could easily become targets of ridicule. The gods were all amusement-seekers, one and all.

This banquet was hosted by Apollo. In Orario, his Familia could be considered second-rate.

The Familia had quite a few members, but no high-level combat power. Its strongest member was only Level 3. Compared with those first-rate Familias, the gap was still enormous.

To put it simply, it was better than the weak but inferior to the strong.

Tap—tap—

Freya, dressed in an ink-wash qipao, walked into the banquet hall.

Quite a few gods had already arrived, gathered in small groups to chat. After all, a banquet was meant to pass the time.

"Huh? Is that Freya?"

"Freya? Where?"

"She's so beautiful today."

"What kind of outfit is that? It looks gorgeous!"

"A new style I've never seen before. Where did she get it?"

Some people were born to be the center of attention, and Freya was one of them. The instant she entered, she became the focus of the entire banquet.

Freya had long grown used to being watched like this. It had always been that way.

"Yo, Freya. It's been a long time."

A short-haired goddess in a black formal dress approached her, looking as though she had a very good relationship with Freya.

However, the "airfield" on her chest that belonged entirely to herself made it impossible for anyone to feel even the slightest "interest."

"It has been a long time, Loki."

Seeing who it was, Freya smiled and greeted her.

Upon hearing Freya's greeting, Cao Ye could not help looking over. Well, damn. So this was Loki. Just like in the anime—drawn like a man, yet insisted to be a woman.

"Hm? Kid, what kind of look is that?"

Women, especially goddesses, were extremely sensitive to other people's gazes.

Cao Ye's "pitying" gaze was like a candle in the darkness to Loki. It could not have been more obvious.

All that could be said was that even goddesses were not "perfect."

"Nothing, Goddess Loki!"

Facing Loki, Cao Ye immediately denied it. Of course he could not admit something like that. Wouldn't that be courting death?

"Loki!"

Before Cao Ye could speak, Freya beside him spoke up first.

Though they were partners and had a decent private relationship, some things could not be said carelessly, especially in a banquet hall.

"Okay~ Okay~, I won't say it."

After Freya said that, Loki quickly waved her hands.

However, Cao Ye also noticed that quite a few gods around them had shifted their gazes in this direction. Clearly, this pretty boy had drawn plenty of men's "attention."

After all, earning the favor of the Goddess of Beauty was no small matter.

"By the way, Freya, where did you have that outfit made?"

Loki abruptly changed the subject, asking Freya directly about the qipao's origin.

Clearly, the elegant qipao of Greater China was a complete dimensionality-reduction strike in this world. For goddesses, an outfit like this was simply irresistible.

"This? One of my children gave it to me, so I don't know where it was made~"

At the mention of the qipao, Freya immediately smiled and glanced at Cao Ye beside her.

The meaning was obvious. She was just short of openly saying that Cao Ye had given her the outfit.

"Hm? You gave it to her?"

This time, Loki looked at Cao Ye, a flash of understanding passing through her eyes.

No wonder Freya had brought him along. He really knew how to please a goddess. Setting everything else aside, no goddess at tonight's banquet could compare to Freya—though that had more or less always been the case.

"Yes, Goddess Loki!"

"You brat, where did you get this outfit made?"

"My apologies, Goddess Loki. This is traditional clothing from my hometown. No one sells it in Orario."

"Traditional clothing from your hometown?"

"Yes."

"Then what is this outfit called?"

"A qipao."

"Qipao. A good name. I'll remember it."

Loki nodded, though she did not believe Cao Ye's explanation.

Orario was the center of the world, the most prosperous dungeon city in existence. People from every corner of the world gathered here. It was only an outfit—she refused to believe she would not be able to find one.

Watching this from the side, Freya's lips curled slightly upward. She was a goddess, but also a woman, and she thoroughly enjoyed the special feeling of having something no one else possessed.

After that, Cao Ye naturally could not stay around while the goddesses chatted. Besides, this was a banquet, so he found a spot and prepared to eat something. He had not even eaten dinner.

However, just after finding a place and picking up a few pastries to fill his stomach, a "young-looking" man approached him. He had short golden hair and looked exceptionally handsome and adorable.

Though "adorable" was perhaps a little unsuitable for him.

"Hello. I'm Finn, captain of the Loki Familia."

"Cao Ye, a member of the Freya Familia."

Looking at him, Cao Ye was somewhat puzzled. He did not understand why this man had come looking for him.

Within the Loki Familia, this man's status was comparable to Ottar's in the Freya Familia. Aside from Loki herself, he held the highest position—the true leader.

"I've wanted to meet you for quite some time, but I never had the opportunity."

"Meet me? Is there something Captain Finn needs from me?"

"Just call me Finn. An old friend of mine mentions your name in my ear all the time."

"An old friend?"

"Edward, from the Hephaestus Familia."

"Edward? You know each other?"

"Yes, we've been friends for over a decade. He's old friends with Gareth from our Familia, and after going back and forth a few times, we became acquainted too. In the blink of an eye, so many years have passed."

Cao Ye was stunned. Damn, he had never expected that the old dwarf he had casually befriended had connections like these.

Watched by Apollo!

Cao Ye had initially been somewhat wary of Finn. After all, the relationship between the Loki Familia and the Freya Familia was delicate. They were both partners and rivals.

As the captain of his Familia, Finn approaching him like this naturally aroused Cao Ye's suspicions.

However, after hearing Edward's name, Cao Ye lowered his guard a little.

"That white-bearded guy definitely didn't say anything good about me, right?"

"Uh~, it was... it was alright~"

Finn did not know how to answer that.

Because when he had gone to see the dwarf shop owner, the man had spent the entire time complaining about all sorts of Cao Ye's behavior. Finn understood that it reflected how close the two were, but the dwarf really had not said a single good thing.

"Looks like when I get back, I need to empty out his wine cellar. He's ruining my reputation every day."

After hearing that, Finn did not know what to say. These two really were cut from the same cloth—one wanted to squeeze more money out of the other, while the other wanted to clear out the man's wine cellar.

After that, the two chatted about this and that, though Finn was mainly the one steering the conversation.

Cao Ye was not stupid and naturally noticed that Finn clearly had some purpose in mind. This put him on guard, though he continued to humor Finn on the surface.

Soon, the banquet began. This was a banquet of the gods, and all those attending were deities.

Children like Cao Ye and Finn, who had come alongside their patron gods, were merely accessories—objects to show off, like children flaunting their rare cards.

"Finn, come here."

"Coming~"

At Loki's call, Finn stood up, gave Cao Ye a slight nod, then walked over.

Since his patron goddess had summoned him, Finn naturally had to go along with it.

Though he was already over forty, Finn was a Pallum, so he still looked like a young boy. He was incredibly popular in Orario.

Who knew how many fangirls he had in Orario? Powerful, high-ranking, and an eternally youthful little boy—he was simply too perfect, the "big brother" in the hearts of countless women.

Meanwhile, Cao Ye sat alone and ate the banquet food. As a foodie, he was quite satisfied.

As for Freya, as the Goddess of Beauty, she naturally had no shortage of close female friends. Most of the goddesses in Orario had good relationships with her.

Especially tonight, Freya, dressed in an ink-wash qipao, was surrounded by every goddess there.

An outfit that perfectly displayed one's figure while highlighting a noble and elegant temperament was simply too beautiful. How could they not be tempted?

"Hm? Whose child is that?"

While scanning the banquet hall, a god inadvertently noticed a child sitting alone in a corner.

The moment he saw him, his heart stirred. Such a "beautiful" child should belong to him, rather than sitting alone in a corner like that.

At that thought, a brilliant smile appeared on his face.

"Lord Apollo, everything is ready. The banquet may begin."

At that moment, a man who looked like an attendant approached the male god wearing a laurel crown.

"Hyacinthus, whose child is that over there?"

Following Apollo's gaze, Hyacinthus saw Cao Ye in a corner of the banquet hall, endlessly stuffing food into his mouth.

Seeing his handsome face, along with the "interest" in Apollo's eyes, Hyacinthus had a bad feeling.

"I'm not sure, but he should be a child brought by some god."

"What a 'beautiful' child. He should belong to me. Hyacinthus, bring him to me. I will personally bring him into the Apollo Familia."

"..."

Upon hearing Apollo's words, Hyacinthus frowned and unconsciously clenched his fists.

He adored his patron god Apollo, to an almost strange degree. Within the Familia, he was the one most "favored" by Apollo.

But now, it felt as though that "favor" was about to no longer belong solely to him.

Hyacinthus could not accept that, yet he could not refuse Apollo's command.

"Yes, Lord Apollo!"