"…That's basically how it went."
"That child used some special means to save Artemis when she was on the brink of death. I don't know the exact details, but from the looks of it, that method came with a price."
After Hermes' explanation, the gods finally understood the situation.
"Artemis actually went up against Antares, and in the end, she was even captured by that thing."
Just saying it was enough to make cold sweat break out down their backs.
Running into that creature was bad enough even without having one's power sealed. Even at full strength, Antares was never an easy opponent.
"I remember that thing was sealed by Artemis' familia back in ancient times, right? How long has it been sealed now?"
"A thousand years? Ten thousand? I can't really remember…"
Antares had been sealed for so long that even the gods themselves had forgotten the exact length of time.
All they knew was that Antares had always been suppressed by Artemis' familia. In ancient times, it had been sealed by a fairy favored by Artemis herself. After that, the task of maintaining the seal seemed to have been passed down generation by generation within her familia.
"Who would've thought Antares was that clever. Instead of attacking the seal year after year, it waited for the moment when the sealing power was at its weakest before striking. It even managed to trap Artemis."
After all, Artemis was considered one of the more combat-capable gods.
Back in Tenkai, Artemis' ferocity was infamous. Anyone who dared crack a lewd joke in front of her would get beaten senseless. Even Loki, who was always running her mouth, had once been grabbed and lectured by Artemis for a long time.
Loki might be the type who never learned her lesson afterward, but being able to seize her and scold her like that required more than just courage. It took overwhelming strength.
Without real power, no one could hope to restrain Loki.
Because Artemis was that formidable, even with her divine power sealed, she could still fight in the Genkai at the level of a Lv.3, or even Lv.4, adventurer without feeling any pressure against ordinary monsters.
And yet, even such a battle-hardened Artemis fell into Antares' trap. One had to admit, Antares really was terrifying.
"So in the end, was it that child who defeated Antares?"
"Nope. My Ais-tan finished it off."
Loki claimed the credit without the slightest hesitation.
"Huh?"
The gods looked at Loki in surprise. Weren't they told that the child had a special connection with Artemis, and that he was the one who saved her? How did Loki's kid get involved now?
"That brat brought my kid along to earn her Excelia."
As she said that, a hint of helplessness crept onto Loki's face.
…Damn it, you can even do that?
The gods were completely stunned by Loki's words. They never imagined a child from Loki Familia would get that kind of treatment. Wasn't this basically guaranteeing the "Sword Princess's" Excelia?
No one doubted whether Antares was capable of providing that much Excelia to the "Sword Princess." A monster that could even contain divine power was obviously far beyond the ordinary.
Even if Antares had weakened after being sealed for countless years, hadn't that lost power been replenished by capturing Artemis?
In other words, the Antares that the "Sword Princess" faced back then was likely no weaker than a Lv.7, perhaps even comparable to a Lv.8.
Still, instead of questioning how the "Sword Princess" managed to defeat Antares, it made more sense to wonder how that boy had given up the Excelia in the first place.
But seeing Loki's slightly awkward expression, the gods instinctively turned their gaze toward Hestia.
So that's how it was.
Combining the fact that Artemis had been saved by that child, along with Artemis' limited social circle in Tenkai, everything fell into place.
They all understood who that child belonged to.
"Hestia, you've hidden this from us for a long time."
That mysterious boy was Hestia's child.
Hestia's earlier confession had been a setup, meant to make everyone think it was all part of a plan she and Loki had cooked up together.
That was exactly what they'd believed, leaving them unsure whether Hestia had been telling the truth or laying a trap with Loki.
Turns out, it really was a trap.
And not just one.
"Tch…"
With her identity exposed at last, Hestia clicked her tongue in annoyance and shot Loki a sharp glare.
"Loki!"
Loki, on the receiving end, looked completely unconcerned, even wearing a mischievous grin.
"Getting found out was inevitable, shorty."
"You've gotta admit, these idiots aren't actually idiots. They're pretty sharp, you know."
It might've sounded like praise, but to the gods, it was pure mockery.
Of course, only Loki would dare say something like that. Anyone else would've paid dearly for such big talk.
"And besides, even if I hadn't said anything, it wouldn't have mattered. Artemis' social circle is tiny. If something happened to her and she didn't come to you, who else could she possibly go to?"
Artemis, whose name had been called out, turned her head away stiffly and responded without emotion.
"I could have gone to Athena."
Loki stared at her, completely speechless.
"And has Athena even come down here? If she hasn't, what good would asking her do?"
Having her narrow social circle exposed so bluntly made Artemis' expression darken. Her sharp gaze immediately snapped toward Apollo among the gods.
"Apollo, what do you think?"
"…"
Despite trying his best to stay invisible, Apollo was still dragged into it by his sister.
"Sis… don't ask me. I'm not qualified to meddle in your social life."
Back in Tenkai, whenever he stepped out of line, this sister would exercise her authority and beat him black and blue.
After learning that lesson the hard way, Apollo had come to a simple conclusion.
As a younger brother, he should never meddle in his sister's affairs. Especially when she didn't want his involvement. Otherwise, nothing good would come of it.
"Artemis, couldn't you have come to me instead?"
Freya suddenly spoke up with a smile. But the moment she did, Artemis immediately turned her gaze away.
"Freya, I'm not good at dealing with you…"
"I actually like you quite a lot, Artemis."
Watching from the side, the gods couldn't help but feel that things here were… complicated.
So was that why Freya had stepped in earlier to help Artemis out of trouble?