Is it wrong to try to meet someone in a dungeon?

It's like comforting a child who's been sulking since yesterday.

"Hey Ais, how about changing things up once in a while? How about we go for a walk?"

Ais carried the sword "Elzhu" which was sheathed on her back.

If Ais, who was quite small, wore her sword at her waist, it would drag on the ground, so she slung the sword strap diagonally over her shoulder. After Ais, who was in charge of guarding him, was ready, Loki said without any sense of urgency, "Well then, let's go—" and the two set off.

"Why are you taking me?"

"Yeah, because if we leave Ais alone, you'll just keep fighting and fighting forever. Someone needs to take you out for some fresh air, otherwise I'm afraid you'll never get a break—"

"Rivia and the others gave me some instructions, and I've been resting."

Also, don't call me that weird way. Ais warned him repeatedly, but Loki ignored her and continued:

"The place we're going to is on East Street, but let's just wander around aimlessly along the way~"

Guided by the unplanned gods, the two didn't take the main road, but instead wandered aimlessly through several streets. Since Loki refused to change his nickname "Ais-chan" no matter how angry Ais got, Ais eventually gave up.

These bustling alleyways were completely different from the "Adventurer's Street" that Ais often frequented. Fruit and groceries were sold along the roadside as the carriages slowly passed by. However, even in such a landscape, Ais was surprised to see collapsed buildings or damaged roads everywhere she went.

Ais never had a clear understanding of Orario's current situation.

Since gaining access to the underground city, her movements have been confined to the area between her headquarters and the central plaza (Central Park) where the skyscraper complex (Tower of Babel) stands. Constantly shuttling between her residence and the underground city, she naturally cannot keep track of the city's trends. However, walking along these unusual routes and observing the surrounding landscape reveals that the expressions of the people appear somewhat gloomy.

"After all, something happened yesterday. The children are all afraid that someone might cause trouble again."

Loki was right. Besides the somewhat nervous residents, you could also see guild members and adventurers patrolling. There were red-haired girls wearing sword and wing badges, masked adventurers, and an old god who arrogantly distributed items while shouting, "Hahahaha! I've come to reward you with elixirs!" There were also handsome long-haired gods and their retinues treating the wounded. You could see people of all races wherever you went.

Ais scanned the surroundings, realizing that all of this was a fight or incident that had occurred without warning in the city—a problem caused by the rise of "evil forces." She also understood that these were all evil deeds committed by the dark faction that Riveria and her companions were fighting against.

According to Loki, many people are also considering leaving Orario because they see the current chaotic situation.

Why do people argue with each other?

Loki didn't answer Ais's blurted-out murmur for a moment.

She crossed her hands behind her head, looked up at the blue sky, and began to speak:

"I think a large part of it is the fault of the gods (us), but... maybe that's just the nature of children."

"nature……?"

"Creation and destruction, order and chaos. In other words, violence is also one of the undeniable instincts of children."

"..."

Ais remained silent. She wondered if her own motivation for fighting might also stem from the same level, from the same root.

"Well, everyone still hopes for a bright tomorrow, so let's work hard in all aspects."

"...?"

"For example, look at that one."

Loki pointed to a vendor's stall in front of him.

The vendor was a woman, and the air was filled with the delicious aroma of potatoes. The signboard spelled out "Fried Potato Balls" in a common language.

"Delicious snacks bring joy to everyone!" "A refreshing treat to revitalize the city, fried potato balls!"... I remember those were the advertising slogans.

"Fried potato balls...?"

"It seems to have just started selling recently, Miss Ais, you haven't heard of it, have you?"

Loki said, "Let's go get something to eat~" and led Ais to the stall.

After Loki ordered, the waiter quickly brought out two servings of potato balls. "Thanks." Loki smiled and flicked his gold coin to pay, handing the potato balls to Ais; Ais stared at them intently.

It looked like a dish made by coating mashed potatoes in batter and frying them. It was probably freshly fried, piping hot, and the aroma of frying oil and potatoes tantalized Ais's nose.

After reading it with great interest, Ais opened her mouth and took a bite.

“──!!”

The next instant, Ais was struck by a shock.

The delicious flavor of mashed potatoes and fried oil spread in her mouth, and the little girl's eyes widened; she was instantly captivated by the taste.

This is how Ais met the potato balls.

"Ais, you've become obsessed with potato balls...?"

When he came to his senses, he realized that he had already asked Loki to buy a third serving of potato balls.

Ais gripped the wrapper in both hands, chewing intently without a care in the world. That being said, the way she ate with her cherry-like mouth made her look at most like a squirrel.

She asked Loki to buy another one, and naturally they ended up eating as they walked, as the two entered the central square.

Ais frequents this place, so she knows it well. Having finished her fries, Ais was just beginning to gaze at the familiar scenery when…

"I am! Ganesha!!"

「!?」

A terrifyingly loud voice suddenly boomed out.

The deafening noise that disrupted the peaceful afternoon made Ais turn her head quickly, only to see a large crowd gathered on the east side of the square. In the center of the crowd was a vehicle larger than a carriage, on which sat a suspicious figure wearing an elephant mask and striking a mysterious pose. Incredibly, whenever he made strange movements on the ornately decorated vehicle, the crowd cheered.

Instead, it was Ais, who was full of questions, who became the weirdo.

"That idiot Ganesha...did he really buy a ratha just to cheer up scared children? ...How much did that cost?"

"That guy's a complete idiot," Loki muttered to herself. Ahead of her, the members of her clan pulling the chariot, though tears streamed down their faces, wore radiant smiles of worldly wisdom. It wasn't hard to imagine that the chariot had been bought with the entire clan's savings… or rather, by selling everything they owned.

"What...is that? Is it a monster?"

"Ais, no! Put your sword away right now. Don't be fooled by their appearance; those are military police. We'll be arrested."

"I understand how you feel," Loki said, desperately trying to reassure Ais, who was drawing her sword to fight. The "unknown" situation truly threw the little girl into confusion.

A chariot carrying a deity circled the plaza, centered on the Tower of Babel. Before Ais could recover from her shock, the chariot, along with the crowd, had moved and arrived before Ais and Loki.

"I am Ganesha────!!──Hmm!?"

Just as they were introducing themselves for the twenty-seventh time, Ganesha noticed their presence and leaped into the air.

"drink!"

「!?」

Strange and bizarre divine object... Correction: The male god Ganesha, while attracting a commotion among the crowd, landed on the ground in front of Ais.

"Loki! Thank you so much for your help yesterday! Ganesha is so grateful to have your assistance in resolving the matter! Let me express my gratitude to you!"

"You don't need to tell me that, go talk to Finn and the others. Also, I feel hot just looking at you, so get out of the way. You've scared Ais away."

"Oh! You're the legendary 'Doll Princess'!"

Ganesha, who was inexplicably excited, looked at Ais.

The male god had a muscular physique and light dark skin. Most striking was the elephant mask covering his face. Ganesha, unnecessarily overly enthusiastic, gave Ais, who stood frozen in place, a smile spreading across his face.

"My name is Ganesha! Nice to meet you!"

"..."

Before Ais, whose mouth was half open, could reply, Ganesha jumped onto the chariot with a shout of "Hah!"

The Ganesha Group then moved to the bustling southern part of the city, disappearing like a storm from Ais's sight, who had no idea what was going on.

"Ais-chan, it's time to go!"

"Ah!... Uh, um."

Having regained her senses, Ais returned to normal upon hearing Loki's voice and began moving around the central plaza, however...

"Oh my... isn't that Loki?"

"Oh, really? Long time no see."

"Oh? Fifi! And Demeter too!"

The two happened to run into two goddesses who were exiting the skyscraper facilities.

Of course, this was Ais's first time seeing these two celestials. One had fiery red hair, while the other had soft, honey-colored hair. The former was characterized by a large eyepatch covering her right eye, while the latter had an astonishingly full bust.

"What are you two doing?"

"I need to go back to my shop; Demeter needs to deliver food."

"Hey, Loki? Is that child over there one of your family members?"

"Oh—right, right, let me introduce you! This is our newest member, Ais! She's a super promising rookie! Ais, and these are Fifi and Demeter!"

"Hey, introduce my name properly!" the red-haired, red-eyed goddess protested, then looked down at Ais.

"You're Ais Wallenstein... I've heard Tsubaki mention you before."

"...! Tsubaki..."

"Yes, Tsubaki Kobrand is my kin. My name is Hephaestus, nice to meet you."

Upon hearing Hephaestus's name, Ais immediately showed an embarrassed expression. She hadn't expected her to be the goddess of Chun. Only then did Ais realize that the eye patch seemed vaguely familiar; it seemed children always resemble their parents.

"That child seems to have 'tricked' you a little, and I apologize on her behalf." The goddess extended her hand to Ais, who hesitated for a moment, but still timidly shook hands.

"Ais Wallenstein... the 'Doll Princess'? You are...."

Perhaps having heard of Ais's active role as an adventurer, the other goddess, Demeter, widened her eyes slightly.

She bent down and stared at Ais for a long time. Just as Ais was wondering what was going on, the other woman suddenly hugged her!

「!?」

"Oh my gosh, so cute! Much prettier than a doll!"

"Y-yes... Dee-Demeter? Ais is suffocating, it's about time to let go... I should say my life force (energy) has been severely reduced by you, please...!"

Ais, sandwiched between two large, bouncy breasts, was in a state of utter confusion. Seeing this, Loki, severely impacted by the disparity in their strength, coughed up blood and was unable to voice a strong protest. Hephaestus could only manage a bitter smile.

Unable to break free from the massive mountain's bindings no matter how hard she resisted, Ais grew increasingly confused.

"Loki, next time I'll bring you some harvested fruits and vegetables. Consider it a thank you for protecting the city every day."

"Oh, really? Thank you~. But there are a few vegetables that Ais doesn't like to eat—"

"Hehe, you have to eat everything to grow big, right?"

"~ ...

Demeter, Loki, and Hephaestus, the three goddesses, chatted and laughed. Even when the conversation turned to vegetables they dared not eat, Ais, who was being held against Demeter's chest, had no time to react.

The existence of gods is truly incredible.

They exuded a fragrance that Ais longed for, making it impossible for her to resist forcefully.

Ais didn't know any of these many gods before. These unique and transcendent beings (Deus·Dea) were strange, funny, beautiful, and full of compassion. And they all gathered in Orario, in this "center of the world".

Ais experienced this firsthand.

*

"Oh... so that's the girl who just joined Loki's side?"

A little girl with blonde hair and golden eyes, and a group of goddesses playing with her.

The silver-haired goddess looked down at the scene from the top floor of the white-walled giant tower, and took a sip of wine with her luscious red lips.

"A dazzling golden soul... and unstoppable, like a blade. This is the first time I've ever seen such brilliance."

The beautiful goddess, who prides herself on her unparalleled beauty, paints a smile on her lips that is truly captivating and enchanting.

However, at that moment, the goddess with crimson hair below seemed to notice the gaze and looked up at her.

His slightly open eyes, the same color as his hair, pierced her accurately, emphasizing:

If you dare to make a move, I'll teach you a lesson.

"I won't."

The silver-haired beauty shrugged at this.

She put on a smile again and said to her longtime friend and fellow townswoman:

"I have no interest in ordinary 'swords'."

The little girl had another encounter.