The Ultimate Lich King of the Multiverse

5/5

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The headquarters of the Ganesha Familia — this was the venue for the Divine Banquet.

To be honest, the moment many gods arrived at the banquet site, strange looks appeared on their faces. Some even seemed like they were considering turning around and leaving.

Because the building that served as the Ganesha Familia's home base stood out even among the glittering lights of the grand city of Orario — and not in a good way. It was… eccentric to the extreme.

A massive statue of a giant with an elephant's head sat cross-legged in the center of a wide, open plaza surrounded by nothing but white walls.

The statue had to be at least thirty meters tall. Proudly puffing out its chest, its gallant pose was supposedly meant to inspire awe in those who beheld it. Lit by massive magic stone lamps, it was impossible to ignore.

Surprise, surprise — this statue was the building.

The dark-skinned, muscular god Ganesha, with some whimsical inspiration, had blown through all the Familia's accumulated funds to construct this giant monstrosity.

This was the Ganesha Familia's headquarters: "I Am Ganesha."

Naturally, the members of his Familia hated it. They always looked reluctant when coming and going from the building. For the record, the entrance was located… between the statue's legs.

"…Ganesha's taste really is something else…"

"I dunno, I think it's kind of cool. Pretty flashy, right?"

Though it was a bit off-putting, leaving after arriving would've been too rude. So the guests—elegantly dressed, as dignified as nobles, and each possessing otherworldly beauty—put on strained expressions as they entered the building through the… awkward gateway. Every single one of them was a god.

They were the invited guests for today's Divine Banquet hosted by Ganesha.

"Thank you all for coming today! I am Ganesha! I'm super moved to have so many of my divine bros and sis show up! I love you all! So, I know you're all eager to catch up and all, but we've got the big festival in three days like every year, so I humbly request your Familias' support again…"

Despite the absurd exterior, the interior of the banquet hall was actually quite refined.

On the central stage stood a man wearing a giant elephant mask—an outfit matching the exterior of the building. It was Ganesha himself, shouting loudly enough to shake the room. The other gods, used to his antics, simply ignored the speech and chatted amongst themselves.

The banquet was a standing buffet. Long tables draped in white cloth were loaded with dishes of every kind and fresh fruit gave off a cooling fragrance. Servants moved swiftly through the echoing hall, and a band waited by the wall—perhaps there would be a dance later.

A quick glance around the bustling venue revealed that nearly every god in Orario had gathered.

The number of invitations sent out for a Divine Banquet depended on how many people the host Familia could mobilize. The larger the Familia, the more expansive the event.

And Ganesha's Familia was one of the largest in Orario. So every single god in the city—including those with virtually no presence—had been invited.

That included the low-profile Hestia.

At the moment, she was locked in battle with the food on the table—stuffing her face and simultaneously packing leftovers into a thermal lunchbox she'd brought.

A nearby waiter stared at her, dumbfounded. It was hard to believe this poorly dressed girl was actually a goddess.

Naturally, her behavior was drawing quite a bit of attention. But since she didn't talk to anyone and simply hoarded food while chewing away with puffy cheeks, her appearance quickly became a focal point for the entire room.

Hestia knew perfectly well everyone was mocking her, but unless someone came to bother her directly, she pretended not to notice. That didn't stop her from grabbing more food and munching happily.

"…What in the world are you doing?"

"Mggh? Mmmph!"

A tired, deadpan voice came from beside her.

Turning to look, she was met with fiery red hair and a deep crimson gown.

The woman's face was sharply angled yet elegant, brimming with an unshakable resolve. The metallic earrings she wore couldn't compare to her striking, flame-like beauty.

But most eye-catching of all was the black leather patch covering her right eye.

The elegant woman with the eyepatch gazed down at her, a mix of exasperation and disbelief in her remaining left eye.

"Hephaestus!"

"…It's been a while, Hestia. I'm glad to see you're doing well. I'd be even gladder if you didn't look like such a mess."

With a long sigh, Hephaestus looked up toward the ceiling. Her waist-length hair shimmered like red silk under the magic stone lights—so radiant it seemed dusted with sugar crystals.

Her hair is so beautiful, every time I see it… Hestia thought to herself, smiling with delight as she rushed over.

"Aah, thank goodness! You really came! I knew coming here was the right choice."

"…Don't get any funny ideas. I'm not lending you a single valis."

"S-So rude!"

Hephaestus gave her an unamused look and spoke bluntly.

Before meeting Yoru, Hestia had been relying entirely on this goddess—Hephaestus—for support.

Though they were old friends—close enough to be called besties—Hephaestus had long since lost her patience with Hestia, who after moving to Orario neither started a Familia nor found a job.

Eventually, Hephaestus had reached her limit and kicked Hestia out. Yet even after that, Hestia kept coming to her for help—saying she was broke, couldn't find work, or had nowhere to sleep. It had given Hephaestus more headaches than she could count.

As a goddess who valued loyalty, Hephaestus didn't want to coddle her immature friend, but she also couldn't just abandon her on the streets. It had taken considerable effort and compromise on her part.

The truth was, Hephaestus had arranged for Hestia's hidden room in the church and even helped her get her current part-time job.

The only thing Hestia had accomplished on her own… was recruiting Yoru into her Familia.

Though Hestia always tried to act with divine dignity in front of Yoru, in reality, she was just a helpless little girl who couldn't do anything by herself.

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