Chapter 189: A god?

The discussion went on for about an hour. The gods had no idea what Evilus were cooking this time around. Still, the Evilus bunch wouldn't give up so easily.

Astraea looked up at the rising sun and sighed.

"Why so worried?" Hephaestus asked. "Is it a man?"

Astraea nodded her head, clueless of Hephaestus's real meaning. Hephaestus's eyes grew wide before she let out an amused chuckle.

"I'll catch you later," Astraea said and hurried to Asahi's inn, unaware of the figure stalking her through the streets.

Once inside the inn, Astraea only had to ask the innkeeper for Asahi's room.

She arrived outside his room and knocked on the door.

"Urgh… coming."

A voice came, followed by tumbling steps. The door opened, and Asahi emerged, rubbing his sleepy eyes.

"Um, Astraea?!"

His expression tensed. Astraea felt his aura and gasped in shock.

"You are a god… no, it can't be."

He went in and out of the dungeon as an adventurer, as reported by her Familia. Some people claimed to witness his fight. Then again, she didn't know any god going by Asahi Marikawa in Heaven. But the proof was his overwhelming aura.

"Shit."

Asahi yanked Astraea inside and closed the door. A hand stopped his attempt.

"Wait!"

The intruder forced open the gate and shut the door behind her.

"Loki…" Astraea muttered before training her eyes on Asahi. "She might be here because of me. I'm sorry."

Asahi breathed a sigh. "It's not your fault."

"The boy I wanted to invite to my Familia is a god. Now that's something I never saw coming."

Asahi frowned. "God? What are you talking about?" He tried to feign ignorance.

Loki wasn't taking any of this. She drew closer and pointed to his face with a grin. "You, my friend. Riveria and Ais saw you using magic in the dungeon without enraging it. Was it not you, or was it your copy? Also, how did you walk around without arousing someone's suspicion? Everyone in Orario can sense a god when they see one. Asahi Marikawa, what are you?!"

The more she spoke, the more feverish her voice became. She had never seen a god able to use divine power in the dungeon.

Loki's uproar broke the women's sleep. Astraea looked at the four women yawning on the seam. She recognized the twins who visited her manor yesterday and the brown-haired woman who fumbled with her glasses. She never saw the last brown-skinned woman stretching her arms with a smile.

"Aa-chan… why are there two women here?"

"I'm sorry for disturbing you early in the morning," Astraea said and hung her head in apology.

"How can I fault a sincere woman like you?"

Astraea nodded and turned to Asahi. Alise had some feelings for him. It had to be, or Alise wouldn't have thought of waging war on Apollo. Still, she couldn't blame him. Right now, she wanted to know his origin. How had he stayed under the radar in a city full of gods?

"What is happening here?" a voice arrived as a silver-haired maid appeared out of thin air, holding two baskets.

"Grayfia," Asahi said.

"My Lord, did they…?"

Asahi nodded with a wry smile. He had expected it to happen, but not this soon. His peaceful life was about to end.

Grayfia put down the baskets and readied two kitchen knives between the fingers of both hands. "Shall I?"

"Don't," Asahi stopped the maid from murdering two innocent souls. He looked at Astraea and Loki with a stern gaze. "Come with me."

He led the two to the other room. Grayfia followed with kitchen knives ready at bay. He beckoned the goddesses to sit, which they did, and gave him curious glances.

"Loki, Astraea, fine. I admit it. I'm not a human, but I'm not a god either," he said and snapped his fingers. A spark erupted into a blazing fire around him. "You gods, as far as I know, can't use anything."

This revelation blew Loki and Astraea's common sense. Loki crossed her arms over her diminutive chest, staring right into Asahi's eyes. How long had it been since she felt this tongue-tied? Years? Decades? She couldn't remember.

"...Where do you hail from?"

Astraea remained silent, wondering if he was some old evil god cast out of heaven. That'd also explain his charm, she thought.

Asahi couldn't think of Loki as a bad goddess after seeing her care for Ais in the anime. Astraea, well, was the goddess of justice. She wouldn't betray him unless he becomes 'evil' in her eyes.

So Asahi told them about Earth and his race to clear their confusion. He succeeded in knocking the wise goddesses' minds into a daze.

He stood there, wondering if his words sounded too bizarre to even a god.

Loki cupped her chin before she stood and leaned toward Asahi with her arms on her hips. She took a 'very' close look at him.

"So you ain't a god. I felt that your presence is a bit different compared to other gods. You claim to be the highest in the hierarchy of human evolution. What does that make you? A demigod?"

"Demigod?" Asahi quirked a brow, liking the sound of the word. "You can also put it this way."

Loki turned to Astraea, who shook her head with a sigh. "This information about the other world filled with rotten creatures is too much. I don't know how to feel of it."

"Astraea," Asahi said. "Why did you come here?"

Astraea recalled her purpose in coming here. "It was to invite you… I suppose it's not necessary now."

"Wait. What?!"

***

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