Anime: Start by Being a Desperado! (Danmachi+Rakudai Kishi)

Chapter 41: An Encounter at the Denatus!

Chapter 41: An Encounter at the Denatus!

As dusk fell, magic stones shimmered like stars in the night sky.

Countless carriages were parked in front of a peculiar structure.

Upon closer inspection, it was a massive building in the shape of an elephant-headed man.

However, the door of this building was in a very strange position.

It was actually built under the crotch of the statue sitting cross-legged.

This was the venue for the Denatus, a banquet exclusive to the gods, as its name suggested.

Many gods gathered in the hall, some inquiring about various pieces of information, while others aimed to forge closer relationships with other gods.

Above the central stage, a man dressed as an elephant-headed figure, akin to the building's exterior, was delivering a speech.

He was Ganesha, the organizer of this event.

With a booming voice unique to him, he declared, "I am—Ganesha!"

"Oh!!!" As his speech ended, the gods below let out thunderous applause.

When Loki arrived at the venue, the gods were divided into several small groups and gathered together, with Ganesha's followers serving as attendants, distributing exquisite food and solving problems.

"Wow, quite the lively scene."

Loki had little interest in such tedious gatherings, preferring to chat with gods she knew well and boast about her children in front of them.

However, her rare appearance quickly drew the attention of many gods.

"That's Loki, right? Hasn't it been years since she last attended the Denatus?"

"Still, her figure is disappointingly flat, how regrettable."

"Shut up if you don't understand. That kind of flatness is her charm!"

"Huh? Don't tell me you're interested in Loki?!"

Silently noting those who made these remarks, Loki weaved through the gods, searching for her targets.

"Well, if it isn't Loki?" A blond man called out to her as she navigated through the crowd.

Following the source of the sound, golden hair that even women would be jealous of fell down to his neck.

He had a slender figure, and his every move exuded the air of a noble.

He walked up to Loki with a perfect smile.

"Dionysus?" Loki recognized the god in front of her.

"Yes, it's been a while since we last saw each other. Shall we chat?"

Dionysus maintained a polite distance, inviting Loki in a gesture that seemed half-mockery, half-genuine nobility, but with an elegance that was entirely real.

However, Loki, the goddess of mischief, felt that the other party's smile was a bit fake, or even empty.

The other party's smile was too perfect, but it was precisely because of this perfection that it seemed even more unreal.

Loki silently labeled the other party as someone not to be underestimated, and then slyly said, "How do you know that the new child in my Familia is level 3?"

The scene suddenly became awkward.

As one of the two kings of Orario, Loki didn't need any fancy tricks to make someone famous.

She just needed to spread the word, and naturally there would be gods with loose lips who would spread it everywhere.

Some people might even speculate whether Loki had really used divine power to cheat, but this also served Loki's purpose.

Whispers spread among the gods, and Dionysus's expression froze, seemingly at a loss for words against Loki's brazenness.

Fortunately, a buxom goddess with long wavy golden honey-colored hair and orange eyes with a glass in hand came to his rescue.

"Oh, Loki, long time no see. Your Familia has gained another remarkable member, I see."

The goddess, Demeter, with her beautiful appearance and soft gaze, radiated a gentle and calming presence.

"Ah, Demeter, you're here too."

The goddess named Demeter is the god in charge of Demeter Familia, which operates a vegetable and fruit planting and sales business in Orario.

The Familia also owns large tracts of land on the outskirts of the labyrinth city, and it can be said that a considerable portion of the city's food is produced by this Familia.

"Loki, you must be happy to have such a wonderful child join your Familia. I often hear of your child's exploits in the dungeon. Just make sure they don't overexert themselves."

"Haha, ever since Torajirou joined my Familia, the executives of my Familia have been working hard in the dungeon, afraid of being caught up by him. I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing for our Familia to have such a person."

Loki responded to Demeter's words with a pleasant smile.

"The wine at this banquet is also made by Demeter Familia, right? I'm very picky about wine, but this wine is delicious."

Dionysus praised the wine in his hand, thinking of Demeter Familia's profession.

"Eh? Really? Thank you, Dionysus."

The gentle goddess seemed a bit shy in the face of Dionysus' praise, and Loki quickly took a glass from the attendant and started to taste it.

"How's your Familia doing, Dionysus? Haven't heard much about them lately," Loki inquired, sipping her wine and probing for information.

"As always, neither good nor bad. We're doing our best to prevent our Familia from decline," Dionysus replied, his words as flawless as his smile.

The members of the Dionysus Familia belong to the middle group in the lower world.

There are a few Lv2s, but because they haven't encountered anything major, they haven't left a deep impression on anyone.

Even if someone mentions them specifically, they will only get the response, "Ah! I think there is such a Familia in Orario."

Loki looked at Dionysus, who was dodging the question, and chatted with the two for a while.

Ganesha on the stage finally stopped shouting and started talking about serious topics.

"The Monster Feria is about to begin. I ask all gods to warn their Familia not to cause trouble during the Monster Feria. By the way, I am Ganesha!"

Dionysus heard about this and kept a smile on his face, and then he asked the red-haired goddess, "Loki, will you go to the festival this time?"

"Well, I might bring a certain child along," Loki mused, thinking of her favorite, Ais.

"A typical response from the ever-unruly Loki, I guess."

"And what about you? Will you participate this time?"

"Unfortunately, I have other matters to attend to..."

"Is that so..."

Losing interest, Loki spotted a familiar red figure and excused herself, "I'll take my leave now. We'll chat another time!"

She hurried down the stairs, calling out to the goddesses she spotted, "Freya! Hephaestus! Shorty!"

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