Chapter 325 - Hestia's first Denatus
Loki strode to the podium of the grand hall, loudly declaring the start of the Denatus, her arms laden with a thick stack of documents.
With a relieved sigh, she set them on the table.
"Why's Loki hosting this time?" Hestia muttered, her irritation barely concealed as she eyed Loki on the stage.
"She volunteered," Hephaestus whispered, her gaze fixed on Loki.
"Her Familia's main force is on an expedition, leaving her bored, so she applied to the Guild to emcee the Denatus."
Hephaestus rubbed her temple, grimacing. "This could get messy."
"Didn't Mahiro clash with Loki before?" Hestia asked, surprised.
"You know about that?" Hephaestus said, raising an eyebrow.
"I don't go out much, but my children bring me juicy gossip," she replied.
"That incident caused quite a scene. Even Sword Princess got involved."
"Loki had it coming," Hestia said, a smug grin creeping onto her face as she recalled the Guild altercation.
"You two have been at odds from the start," Hephaestus said, shaking her head with a wry smile.
"With Loki's love for stirring trouble, she added, "she'll definitely make a scene over Mahiro at this Denatus."
"Can't hide him anyway," Hestia said, shrugging.
"Let her try."
Prepared to unveil Mahiro's status, she felt no anxiety.
"First, let's distribute the reports," Loki said, clapping her hands to summon her aides.
The assisting goddesses grabbed stacks of scrolls from the podium and began handing them out to the seated gods.
"Hestia, Hephaestus, what's the secret chat about? You look cozy," said a tall, curvaceous goddess with curls cascading over her shoulders.
Her intellectual charm was accentuated by a chest even more imposing than Hestia's.
She passed the final reports to Hestia and Hephaestus, kept one for herself, and settled into the empty seat beside Hestia.
"Demeter," Hestia greeted, clearly fond of her old friend.
"How'd you get roped into Loki's crew?" Hephaestus asked, puzzled.
"Loki nabbed me on the way here to help out," Demeter said, smiling.
"Congratulations, Hestia," she added, turning to her.
"I was floored when I saw the Guild's report. Your child ranked up in three days."
"Are you fishing for info on Mahiro too?" Hestia asked, her round face sharpening with suspicion.
"Oh, Hestia, you're adorable," Demeter teased, cupping her cheeks.
"Demeter!" Hestia snapped, glaring.
Demeter curbed her playfulness, glancing at the other gods. "It's not just me. They're all curious about your child."
As the reports circulated, the gods skimmed them, their gazes soon locking onto Hestia.
"It's real!"
"I thought it was just talk, but it's true."
"The Guild's confirmed it!"
The hall, abuzz with varied topics, unified in astonishment after reading the reports.
"Quiet, quiet! Everyone's got the Guild's reports," Loki said, clapping sharply to hush the crowd.
Once the gods settled, she continued, "Now, we enter the first phase of the Denatus: information exchange. Share anything noteworthy."
The hall erupted into a cacophony, like a bustling market.
The gods, animated as if trading rumors at a tavern, swapped tales ranging from jests to grave matters.
The round table's discussions never faltered, topics shifting swiftly.
"So dull…" Hestia groaned.
"It's your first Denatus," Demeter said, smiling.
"This is just how it goes. It used to be livelier, but since the Guild's involvement, it's turned into this."
"N-now…" Hestia's face paled.
"Good. I'll compile today's intel and pass it," Loki said, deftly summarizing the gods' contributions.
The Denatus, a conclave of Orario's major Familia gods, doubled as a conduit for critical information.
Loki steered the meeting smoothly, ensuring all topics were covered, then paused, a sly smirk curling her lips.
"Now, Let's decide on aliases!"
A peculiar tension spread.
At Loki's words, the expressions of several silent gods shifted.
Hestia, who'd held her tongue, was among them.
Others, veteran attendees of the Denatus, wore mischievous grins, eager for the spectacle to unfold.
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