While Alex was chatting with the waitresses and avoiding being kidnapped by a certain cat girl, a troublesome goddess woke up.

“Ugh, my head… I had such a strange dream,” said Loki, waking up on a chair in the restaurant. “When did we get to the ‘Hostess of Fertility’? I must have dozed off and forgotten,” she added, deciding to set the question aside as she saw the drink in front of her.

“Loki-sama, what did you dream about?” asked Finn, drawing everyone’s attention. Realizing that all eyes were on him, Finn broke into a sweat, knowing he had made a mistake.

“I dreamed that Ais and Alex had a child and they left me, living a happy life without me,” said Loki, sipping alcohol from her glass.

“Heh, that can’t be, Loki-sama, it’s just a dream,” Finn tried to smooth things over.

“Right, there’s no way Ais and Alex could have had a child without me,” said Loki, taking another sip from her glass.

“Who had a child?” asked a child’s voice approaching the table.

“I’m saying, Ais and Alex couldn’t have had a child without me,” Loki began to say, turning toward the voice and then losing her speech, dropping her glass from her hand. “Y-y-you’re Ais and Alex’s child! How can this be? How could they leave me and go have fun without me? They should have invited me!” cried Loki, falling to the floor in tears and pounding her fist on the ground.

“They should have invited me! Then we would have a family of three, we’d be happy and live by the sea in a wonderful house!” Loki continued to cry, drifting into her fantasies.

“What’s happening with Loki-sama?” asked Ryuu, watching Loki, who was on the floor mumbling something through her tears.

“Just ignore her, she’s always like this. Hestia did the same thing; maybe it’s a tradition for all gods to act like this when they’re upset,” said Alex, shrugging.

“Don’t compare me to that big-boobed shrimp!” shouted Loki, getting up from the floor.

“See how quickly she recovered,” said Alex, pointing at Loki. The members of the Loki Familia shook their heads, understanding their goddess’s character. They knew how fickle Loki’s emotions were.

“If you’re Ais and Alex’s child, you can call me Mama Loki. I’ll adopt you and love you. After all, my love with your father has only just begun to bloom,” said Loki, looking at Alex and spouting nonsense.

“How about ‘no’?” replied Alex, causing Loki to fall to her hands and knees and start crying again.

“This is so unfair! It’s all because I don’t have boobs,” Loki started to cry and spout nonsense again. Everyone at the table shook their heads at Loki’s antics and continued eating, knowing that Loki would soon get over it.

“Why don’t you want to call me Mama Loki?” Loki asked, getting up from the floor again.

“Loki, how old do you think I am?” Alex asked, watching Loki as she began to scrutinize him.

“Around 10,” Loki answered after some thought.

“Then how could Ais have a child of that age?” Alex asked, looking at Loki with a twitching eye, wondering how this goddess of mischief could be so clueless.

“Well, it’s that strange magic of Alex again. And maybe Alex and Ais just didn’t want a constantly crying baby, so they immediately grew him up to this age,” Loki replied, shrugging, making everyone roll their eyes.

“Loki, can you come over here for a moment?” Alex asked, beckoning Loki closer.

“You’ve finally decided to call me Mama Loki. Ouch, why?” Loki said, jumping up from her seat and running over to Alex, only to be flicked on the forehead when she got close.

“Do all gods’ brains start working poorly when they descend to the mortal world?” Alex asked after the flick.

“That flick, those eyes… You’re just like Alex,” Loki said, rubbing her forehead. Hearing her words, everyone choked on their food, realizing that Loki still didn’t understand that the child in Ryuu’s arms was Alex.

“I can’t take this anymore, it’s not even funny. I am Alex. Loki, for the love of gods, can you stop being so stupid?” Alex said, tired of Loki’s foolishness.

“Don’t lie to me. Alex is tall and handsome, and you’re small and cute,” Loki said, not believing Alex’s words.

“Ryuu, let me go, I’m going to hit her with my stick to bring her to her senses, or else I’m going to start getting stupid myself listening to this goddess,” Alex said, trying to get off Ryuu’s lap and grab his stick to strike Loki. Seeing Alex’s growing anger, everyone started laughing, anticipating what would happen to Loki.

“Wait, if you have that stick, then you must be Alex,” Loki said, seeing Alex almost breaking free from Ryuu’s hold and realizing she was in for trouble if Alex reached her.

“And how did you come to that conclusion?” Alex asked, holding the stick ready in case of a foolish answer from Loki.

“Only Alex could have a stick like that,” Loki shouted. Everyone at the table turned their attention to the stick, remembering the rumors in Orario about the crazy adventurer attacking others with a stick. Realizing where this could lead, they decided to remain silent to avoid getting hit themselves.

“Finally, you’ve come to your senses,” Alex said, putting the stick back in his pocket, making Loki sigh in relief, recalling the rumors and what Hestia had said about the stick.

“And now, with this problem solved, we can celebrate the first successful raid of the Hestia Familia. Cheers!” Alex said, raising a glass in honor of Lili, Cassandra, and Daphne.

“Cheers!” everyone at the table echoed, raising their glasses.

“You can’t,” Ryuu said, taking the glass from Alex’s hand before he could take a sip.

“Technically, I’m 18, you know that, right?” Alex said, to which Ryuu still shook her head, saying he couldn’t drink. Alex just looked at her and decided to stay silent.

Meanwhile, Among the Villains

While Alex and his group were celebrating the first successful raid of the Hestia Familia, a group of semi-villains gathered once again to discuss their sinister plans for creating chaos. The plan to alter monsters had succeeded, albeit with some losses, but it proved that the item provided by their leader could create an entirely new type of monster not tied to the dungeon.

“It seems our plan worked, though it’s a shame we lost such a good and loyal pawn,” said the Leader.

“That pawn was good, but he managed to create problems even after his death,” said one of those sitting at the table.

“Right, could he not die without leaving a trace? Now suspicions will fall on the family to which that dead idiot belonged,” said a female voice, looking at one of them.

“There will be no problems. I’ll handle it: I’ll just say he died fighting that monster and try to pin the blame on the Loki Familia, claiming they couldn’t save him in time,” said the man everyone was looking at.

“That doesn’t excuse his negligence in this matter. You assured me that everything would be fine and that he was your most loyal follower,” said the Leader.

“He was my most loyal follower who died carrying out the task you set,” retorted one of them.

“Now we need to think about what to do with the Loki Familia to ensure that suspicions for this incident don’t fall on our group. It’s too early to reveal ourselves,” he continued.

“Our plans will proceed without a hitch, just the timelines have shifted a bit. We shouldn’t rush; it’s all part of the plan,” said the Leader.

“Then what are we going to do about this loser who died in the dungeon while carrying out the task?” asked the second.

“According to the report I received from the guild, the Loki Familia has already found him dead. All we need to do is cover up any traces that might lead back to us,” said the Leader.

“And how are we going to do that? The guild is under the jurisdiction of Ouranos. We don’t have people in the guild who could help us,” replied the third.

“That’s your job since your subordinate died carrying out this task. As his god, you must take responsibility and solve this problem. And if you’re discovered, don’t even think about leading them to us,” said the Leader.

“I’ll handle this problem, don’t worry. But what about the person who could cause us significant trouble if not dealt with?” asked the third.

“For now, we won’t touch him. Last time, he nearly killed Apollo just because Apollo couldn’t keep his mouth shut. We don’t need him hunting us down all over Orario. While it could create the chaos we desire, the ends don’t justify the means,” said the Leader.

“From what I’ve learned, Apollo has locked himself in his home in the divine realm and hasn’t come out since his return. He’s stopped meeting with anyone and just stays shut in,” said a female voice.

“What did that guy say to him to scare Apollo so much?” continued the woman sitting at the table.

“It doesn’t matter anymore. We’ve already lost Apollo as a pawn. Who can replace him?” asked the second.

“How about Ishtar? I never liked that woman, and besides, she’s in conflict with Freya,” the woman suggested.

“I don’t think she’s a good fit. Ishtar is clever and won’t fall for these tricks,” said the third.

“Then who do you propose?” the woman asked aggressively.

“I could suggest Set or Phobos,” the second interjected.

“We’ll hold off on selecting a new pawn for now. First, we need to resolve the current issue,” said the Leader. Everyone nodded in agreement.

“Then you can all go. And Thanatos, resolve this issue since it’s your family member who caused it. Don’t let us down again,” said the Leader, leaving the room.

“I won’t screw up again,” said Thanatos through gritted teeth.

Celebrations and Secrets

While the villains were busy trying to resolve the problems they had created, our hero and his group were having a great time celebrating. However, as is often the case, there’s always someone who will spoil the fun — in this instance, it was the drunk goddess Loki.

Out of curiosity, Loki decided to find out what had happened today, given that Alex had turned into a child. However, she missed the most important details: besides the little Alex that Ais had carried out of the dungeon, the group had dragged along a strange monster and the corpse of an adventurer, which Loki had ignored.

“Alex, so you’re not Ais’ and your own son, you just turned into a child?” Loki asked, now sitting next to Alex and looking at him.

“How can I be my own son?” Alex replied, chuckling.

“Well, I don’t know, you tell me how you became like this. And don’t you dare pull that rainbow trick again, I don’t care that you’re small now, I’ll strangle you,” Loki threatened. Alex was about to give his usual response but changed his mind upon hearing her words. He didn’t want a drunk goddess chasing after him.

“I just woke up and decided to try out a spell — this is the result. Plus, I’m testing out my new weapon,” Alex replied, pointing to the spear floating behind him.

“Since you’re small again, want to sit on my lap?” Loki asked, patting her knees.

“No, thank you. Ryu’s lap is very comfortable, and if I sit on yours, others will start asking me to sit on their laps too,” Alex said. Ryu blushed, and all the girls at the table began protesting, as they all wanted Alex to sit on their laps.

“What’s so special about that elf’s lap? Why don’t you want to sit on mine?” Loki fumed.

“Ryu’s lap is very comfortable, and she protects me from perverts like you, Loki,” Alex said, taking Ryu’s hands and wrapping them around himself as if for protection. Ryu nodded in agreement.

“What do you mean perverts like me? I’m not a pervert!” Loki retorted, leaning her face closer to Alex.

“That’s exactly what I mean. I won’t mention all the times you tried to peek under Ais’ skirt, only to be stopped by Riveria,” Alex said, pushing Loki’s face away.

“I’m not peeking; I’m just interested in what kind of underwear Ais is wearing. And anyway, if a girl asks another girl what kind of underwear she’s wearing, it’s not harassment,” Loki said like a true sage.

“If you were just interested, you wouldn’t reach for Ais’ skirt every day to peek,” Alex responded with disgust.

“Well, aren’t you curious to know what kind of underwear a girl is wearing?” Loki asked, and all the girls at the table looked at Alex, waiting for his answer.

“It’s only interesting if the girl is my beloved. I’m not interested in what a girl I don’t know is wearing,” Alex replied.

“Any guy would be curious about what kind of underwear his beloved is wearing, because that’s normal,” he added. The guys at the table nodded, confirming his words.

“Well, whatever you say, little pervert,” Loki said. Alex just shook his head.

“What was that monster you brought out of the dungeon? Why was it so strange?” Loki asked, changing the subject because everyone was giving her strange looks.

“We don’t know, Loki-sama. We encountered it in the dungeon when we were returning from the raid. This monster attacked its own kind, was much stronger than its peers, and more aggressive. When we attacked it, it managed to fight back and escape, which means it had the intelligence to understand it was losing and needed to flee,” Finn began explaining.

“And what about that guy?” Loki asked.

“You’ll find out at home, where there are no prying ears,” Alex interjected, not letting anyone continue. Loki narrowed her eyes, realizing something was up, and decided to question her children about the situation at home.

“Do you know something, Alex?” Ryu whispered in his ear.

“It’s better not to spread this information for now; it could bring you unnecessary trouble,” Alex replied quietly.

“I’m strong and can take care of myself,” Ryu retorted.

“You may be strong, but you don’t know who the enemy is, where they’re hiding, and what kind of people they have under their command,” Alex responded.

“I think I know who might be behind this. But they were supposed to have been destroyed thanks to the efforts of the guild and other families in Orario,” Ryu whispered.

“It could be the remnants of Evilus, who hid after those events,” Ryu continued, hinting at a potential threat.

“Ryu, it could be them, or it could be another organization. There are too many variables in this situation,” Alex said quietly. “So for now, it’s better not to get involved. I don’t know what this organization did to you, but it could be other idiots who think they’re villains. So for now, stay out of it,” Alex said.

“I can help,” Ryu insisted.

“I know you’re strong, but I still worry about you. So it’s better to wait, and when I find out who’s behind this, I’ll ask for your help,” Alex said. Ryu blushed and nodded.

While the pair whispered, they didn’t notice everyone at the table watching them. Everyone was curious about what they were discussing, but no one dared to interrupt, seeing Ryu blush. However, this didn’t stop the drunk goddess.

“Hey, what are you whispering about over there? Confessing your love to each other?” Loki asked, banging her glass on the table. Everyone at the table rolled their eyes at her latest antics.

“Maybe,” Alex replied with a smile. Ryu blushed even harder, while Loki, shocked, widened her eyes, unable to believe Alex admitted it so easily.

“Alright, it’s time to go since these three from my family are already drunk and passed out,” Alex said, pointing to the trio who were asleep on the table.

“And Loki, don’t spread unnecessary rumors. I’m being clear,” Alex added, lifting the drunk trio onto his shoulders. Loki nodded seriously, understanding the situation was delicate.

“Well, then, see you. Ryu, I’ll drop by again in a few days,” Alex said, carrying the drunken girls towards Hephaestus’s home.

Upon hearing his words, Ryu nodded with a red face as everyone who heard began whistling and congratulating Alex for catching the attention of a serious elf. No one cared that it was a child saying this. Shaking his head at the drunken adventurers, Alex headed home.

The next day, Alex decided to go to the Guild to gather information about the monster from yesterday and find out which family the attacker belonged to. Upon arriving at the Guild, Alex started looking around, checking if any of the semi-villains had come to cover up the matter of their dead minion. While Alex was waiting in the lobby, Thanatos arrived.

“I’ve been summoned here to report that a member of my family died in the dungeon yesterday,” Thanatos said, feeling a gaze upon him. He met the eyes of a strange child who was looking at him with a smile. Thanatos didn’t understand why the child was looking at him and smiling, but something about that smile made him uneasy. It felt very strange, as if the child had found what he was looking for, and that “something” was Thanatos himself.

To be continued…

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep