"Fewer gods here seem inclined to act like that—so few it's honestly beyond what I'd consider normal for deities."
To be honest, Artemis felt that if her original world had this kind of atmosphere, there wouldn't be so many lunatics among its gods.
"The world is different, so naturally the gods are different too," Bell replied.
He had his own understanding.
"Because your world's gods possess power without restriction, they act however they want. Most won't bother restraining their desires; they just let them run wild along with their strength."
"But in this world, when gods descend to the Genkai, they have to seal most of their power. And since they come down mainly for fun, if their fun is among mortals, they're not going to casually wreck the place. If they break the Genkai, where would they get their entertainment?"
Bell wasn't complaining, of course. Even mortals judge actions over intentions—gods even more so.
Regardless of why gods descend or the reasons behind helping mortals, their arrival truly saved the world when it was about to be overrun by monsters.
"So that's it. Their priorities are different?"
Artemis understood instantly. What she couldn't grasp before suddenly made some sense.
"That's part of it. The other part is directly tied to my mother."
"Huh? It's related to Darling's mother?"
"I think there's definitely a connection. Since Mother prepared the script for my growth, if she wants me to grow steadily, she certainly wouldn't let Orario—my environment—become filthy beyond description."
Unless my dear mother is a complete sadist, Bell added silently.
His mother wasn't like those bored gods looking for amusement. If she simply wanted fun, she could've made his path more chaotic for entertainment.
Instead, his path had been one of hiding and avoiding attention, with almost no one truly able to find him. Even those who did weren't doing so deliberately—they were just the people he often came across.
His mother clearly wanted him to grow normally, not forcefully speed up his development with excessive pressure.
"So I think my mother must've arranged something regarding how gods behave. No—more precisely, gods and humans probably come from the same process, but gods were granted power while humans weren't.
"That's probably why some gods can still recognize the precious qualities in ordinary people. Those might be exactly what they themselves have lost."
Bell's words left Artemis genuinely stunned. She hadn't expected such a theory from him.
She instinctively wanted to deny it, but recalling the gods she'd met and matching it with Bell's conjecture, she suddenly realized it might not be mere speculation. It could very well be true.
"Tsk~ That's pretty interesting. If the gods heard this kind of ridiculous theory, I bet those high-and-mighty ones would make some very entertaining faces."
Artemis laughed with a touch of mischief.
"Artemis, you're starting to sound like Loki."
Bell felt that Artemis was becoming more and more compatible with Loki's personality.
"Hehe~ That Loki is actually pretty easy to get along with. She's a good one, really. It's just that her relationship with Hestia isn't the best."
In truth, Artemis had always felt a bit intimidated by Hestia. In her original world, Hestia was the big sister—the kind of terrifying figure who could pin the King of the Gods to the ground and beat him senseless.
Poor Poseidon and Apollo had suffered under her wrath, and even Zeus had been severely disciplined.
Even Hades acted carefully around big-sister Hestia.
Because of that fear, even though this world's Hestia was laid-back and extremely gentle, Artemis still maintained a respectful distance.
As for the other gods, Artemis had no such hesitation—some were just strange.
Especially Hephaestus. In her world, Hephaestus was a rugged, burly blacksmith, yet here she'd become a crimson-haired mature beauty. The contrast was simply too much.
Loki, being from another pantheon, wasn't someone Artemis had met in her world. But this Loki was clearly very easy to get along with.
In conversation, interaction, and hobbies—aside from being a bit scheming—Artemis genuinely didn't find Loki difficult at all.
"Between Hestia and Loki?"
Bell wasn't sure how to explain their relationship.
"Mm, they're the sort who get closer the more they fight."
"In the Tenkai, Loki was arrogant and egoistic. She was the type other gods disliked—even feared. Because they feared and hated her, they kept their distance.
"But you know Hestia's temperament. She wasn't afraid of Loki at all. She would even mock or criticize Loki's antics."
"She was the only god who didn't show that kind of fear toward Loki."
"And with Hestia's divine core being about equal to Loki's, plus her tendency to stay at home, she rarely got dragged into conflicts among other gods. That alone made Loki pretty frustrated with her."
"And under that atmosphere, their relationship gradually grew closer."
"But on the surface, whenever they meet, they either compete or bicker."
Bell had learned these things bit by bit from the two themselves.
Their relationship was far more complicated than it looked.
They were the classic love-hate pair. In the Tenkai, Hestia couldn't care less about Loki's schemes. And that complete indifference was exactly what made Loki suffer whenever dealing with her.
Over time, as they interacted more, their dynamic shifted—from Loki causing trouble and Hestia criticizing her, to mutual teasing aimed straight at each other's weak points.
Yes—the kind of insults only true friends could exchange.
Because only people who know each other too well can stab precisely where it hurts most.
Loki's sore spot was her figure, and Hestia's sore spot was her height.
So one got called flat, and the other got called shorty.