—•——•——•——•——•——•—
After Ottar's huge figure vanished into the shadows, Tsubaki Collbrande exhaled deeply and brushed the dust from her clothes.
"They don't call him the King for nothing..."
Tsubaki had never stood face-to-face with a [Level 7] before. As a [Level 5] and a top executive, she was strong, but the pressure coming from Ottar was overwhelming. The two-level difference felt like a death sentence. If the beastman wanted her dead, she wouldn't have stood a chance.
"Thanks for the assist, kid." Tsubaki looked August up and down, ignoring the drooling Goddess draped over his back.
"You know, Ottar looked wary of you."
She hadn't missed the calculating gleam in the beastman's eye. The undisputed strongest Adventurer in Orario had actually weighed his odds, listened to a rookie's warning, and opted to back down.
"Because if he had drawn that sword, I would have instantly leveled the Tower of Babel and buried his precious Goddess under the rubble."
August said it as if it were a simple fact. Ottar's instincts were sharp. The beastman sensed the real danger and knew August ant every word.
"Holy shit. You're a lunatic."
Tsubaki looked at him in disbelief. Destroying the whole Tower of Babel just to win a fight? That was crazy. Half the Gods in Orario would get caught in the chaos.
"Not a lunatic. Just pragmatic," August replied smoothly. "You were out here acting on intel I provided. That ans I'm actively interfering with Freya's grand master plan. By definition, that makes her my enemy."
He wasn't going to avoid responsibility. He gave the intel, so he would deal with the consequences.
"I guess that makes sense," Tsubaki muttered. "But leveling Babel is still a massive overreaction."
"It's the most efficient way to end a fight." August shrugged. "Mutually Assured Destruction."
"Hardcore."
Tsubaki saw just how ruthless August was. No wonder he could wipe out monsters so easily. If soone challenged him, he wouldn't just win—he'd wipe out his enemies, their ho, and even their Patron God all at once.
"Well, I should get back and report to Lady Hephaestus." Tsubaki decided it was ti to leave. She had to give the Freya Familia's blank check to her Goddess and let the Gods handle the ransom talks.
"Right." August nodded, but before she could dart off, a thought crossed his mind. "Actually, Miss Tsubaki. Do you have any Magic Swords in stock?"
Tsubaki was the best magic blacksmith in Orario. August's weapons were all modern—guns, artillery, and explosives. He wanted to add so fantasy weapons to his collection. Magic Swords worked like powerful magical bombs, which matched his style well.
Tsubaki paused mid-step. "Magic Swords?"
She sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. "I have them, sure. But I can't sell you any right now."
"The Loki Familia is getting ready for a deep-strata expedition. My Familia has to supply all their weapons. Making their current batch of Magic Swords is already exhausting. I don't have ti to make a special set for you."
She looked at him. "And with your pocket dinsion, you'd probably want ten thousand swords. I'd rather not ruin my hands."
"Honestly? Instead of buying Magic Swords, why don't you just stockpile magic spells directly into your inventory?" Tsubaki offered a practical alternative.
"Buy spells off mages during their downti. Store the active magic in your space, and just launch them out later like artillery shells. It would be infinitely cheaper than buying my swords."
"Oh... That is genius."
August snapped his fingers. He hadn't thought of that idea before.
"Thanks. Leave it to a master smith to think outside the box." August could already picture it—deploying thousands of pre-cast, high-tier spells from the void to create an apocalyptic, magical bullet hell.
"Whoa, hey, I was half-joking! Are you seriously going to do that?"
Tsubaki noticed the dangerous look in his eyes and imdiately regretted her suggestion. Was his storage really limitless? If he stored enough magic for a whole city, the attack would be devastating. With his 'blow up Babel' attitude, he might even wipe Orario off the map by accident.
"Pretty much," August smirked. "But I'll need a solid business plan first. Mages aren't exactly going to hand over their ultimate spells to a stranger."
He needed a solid plan to buy magic. If the Guild or the Gods found out he was building a magical arsenal, they would definitely try to stop him. He had to keep it secret.
"Whatever. Not my problem." Tsubaki threw her hands up, realizing there was no stopping him now.
"Catch you later."
She pivoted and sprinted back into the darkness, heading straight for her Familia's compound.
August watched her go. The night's excitent was finally over. With the pub fight, miracle healing, and tense showdown, it had been quite an evening.
—•——•——•——•——•——•—
He shifted Hestia on his back and started walking toward the ruined church. Inside the main hall, August opened a portal and carried his Goddess back to his modern apartnt on Earth.
After stepping inside, August took Hestia straight to his bedroom and set her down on the bed.
"Ugh. You reek of booze." He waved his hand in front of his face, trying to get rid of the strong scent of tavern ale.
"I DO NOT!"
The supposedly blackout-drunk Goddess suddenly jumped up like a wild cat. She tackled August, grabbed onto him, and playfully bit his shoulder.
"You're awake?" August blinked, totally surprised. Wasn't she passed out just a minute ago?
"Idiot! We aren't in Orario anymore!" Hestia laughed triumphantly.
"The mont I crossed into this world, my Divine Power was fully unsealed! You really think so cheap mortal ale can keep a fully-powered Goddess down? Not a chance!"
With her divine power back, regular alcohol left her system right away. Unless it was Soma's deadly divine wine, normal tavern drinks couldn't even affect her.
"By the way," Hestia shifted gears, sitting cross-legged on the bed. "I can't believe Freya locked onto that Cranel boy so fast. And to completely block Hephaestus from making a move? Brutal."
"Freya is a perfectionist. Seeing her pristine little toy handed over to soone she deems physically flawed would make her violently toxic."
Freya might act friendly with Hephaestus in public, but in private, the Goddess of Beauty was known for being shallow and an. She would never let it happen.
"Oh." Hestia winced. It hurt, but it made sense. In Heaven, Hephaestus's looks were often the target of cruel jokes.
"Freya wants him surrounded by beauty," August continued. "Plus, she's a sadist. Blocking another Goddess and ntally breaking her competition is exactly the kind of twisted ga Freya loves to play."
Hestia shuddered. The Goddess of Beauty was terrifyingly toxic.
"It's exactly like they say in the movies," Hestia nodded sagely. "The prettier the face, the sharper the knife."
August almost choked.
"Where do you even learn these quotes?" This Goddess spent way too much ti browsing the internet on his tablet.
"Besides, you're gorgeous too. Does that an you're a compulsive liar?" August replied. She had no self-awareness. Did she ever look in the mirror? She was a literal Goddess of stunning beauty.
"Mhm." Hestia humd, imnsely satisfied by the complint.
"Of course I lie."
"White lies count as lying too, you know!"
"Hehehe." Hestia covered her mouth and let out a sly giggle. She was a Goddess, after all. Playing tricks was part of who she was.
August looked at the unapologetic Goddess. Since coming to modern Earth, she had really let loose. Was this the sa desperate, lonely Hestia from the ani?
Just as August was trying to make sense of her changing personality,
Her lips suddenly crashed into his.
August froze. His body went stiff, like soone had pressed pause on reality. He blinked, stunned as the soft touch of her lips broke his train of thought.
The feeling was unmistakable. The brief, warm softness brought him back to reality. There was no doubt about what had just happened.
Hestia had just kissed him.
Hestia pulled back and saw his stunned, 'Is this a dream?' look. Her face turned red, but she boldly stood her ground.
"What? Is there a law against kissing you?" Hestia tilted her chin up, feigning irritation to mask her racing heart. Was a beautiful Goddess stealing a kiss really that unbelievable?
"Ahem." August cleared his throat, desperately trying to rein in his heart rate. It was hamring against his ribs like a war drum.
With her divine senses, Hestia could hear his heartbeat clearly. She knew he was flustered. He definitely felt it, and her charm was proven.
"You..." August began, but the words wouldn't co out. For the first ti, he felt completely outmatched.
"Hehe. Consider that staking my claim," Hestia declared proudly.
The truth was, seeing August defeat his enemies and earn respect made Hestia feel possessive. She knew how these stories went. If she waited too long, soone else would take him. Whether it was Lili or another Adventurer, they would all be after him. Instead of waiting and losing her chance, she acted first. She wanted to make sure she was always his number one.
"I'm not going to wait until I lose you to realize I should have acted," Hestia said, flashing a bold, triumphant smile.
"Growing the Familia is inevitable, sure. But what about the position of your wife? That is permanently mine."
She was determined to be first. As his Patron Goddess, she also wanted to be his partner.
"Uh." August hadn't expected her to bring up marriage so suddenly.
"Don't the Gods in mythology usually go for naive, young teenagers?" August gestured to himself. "I don't exactly fit the profile. I'm a grown man."
If she wanted an innocent romance, shouldn't she be after a bright-eyed kid?
"Tch. If I wanted a little boy, there are plenty roaming around Orario," Hestia shot down the stereotype imdiately. "Sure, a pure-hearted kid is cute. But that doesn't an a reliable, mature man isn't infinitely more attractive."
"Besides, you aren't exactly old, August. To ? You're basically a baby."
Hestia played the ultimate trump card: Divine Age. She had lived for billions of years. To her, August was just a baby.
"Even the most naive boys eventually grow into n," Hestia stated softly. "Am I supposed to reject the man you are now just because you aren't so clueless kid? Don't make laugh."
"Also..." A sly smile appeared on her face.
"When you were carrying earlier, you were definitely enjoying the feeling of my chest against your back, weren't you? And don't think I haven't noticed you constantly sneaking glances at during dinner."
Hestia knew exactly how attractive she was. August was stunned. Even when she seed drunk, she noticed every glance he gave her.
"Alright, stop talking!" August frantically reached out to cover her mouth. She was literally reading out his browser history right to his face. It was mortifying.
"Normally, a guy staring that much would get slapped for harassnt. But... I don't hate it," Hestia admitted, her eyes softening.
To a stranger, it might seem creepy. But for them, it was part of their romance. Did she mind August looking at her? Hell no... In fact, if a man as competent as August didn't find her attractive, she would genuinely question her divine beauty.
—•——•——•——•——•——•—
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