Knock knock knock~
"Orion, could you open the door?"
"I know you're in there."
Lumine, standing at the entrance of the small cooking room, glanced back at Barbara. Both caught a hint of helplessness in each other's expression.
The female voice outside sounded familiar.
No doubt, the one knocking now was Artemis.
And if she raised her tone a little or knocked harder…
"Where did this ninth concubine come from?"
Okay, that was just her airheaded little sister's imagination running wild.
The door opened…
"Long time no see, Goddess Artemis."
Lumine looked at the group outside… wow, quite a few familiar faces.
The moon goddess, currently in full-blown love-mode, didn't need mentioning.
Beside her, a classic blue-ribboned, black-haired, small-statured goddess with an exceptionally large chest scanned Lumine with a curious gaze.
A little behind them, a flashy male god, dabbing his face with a handkerchief… and his attendant, also made their presence known.
"Pleasure to meet you, Goddess Hestia, God Apollo, and Mr. Hyakinthos."
Even if first impressions weren't great, Lumine knew better than to be rude. No conflict existed at the moment, so politeness was the natural choice.
Of course, if anyone misbehaved later, her airheaded little sister persona could instantly switch to "super fierce mode" with a mischievous smile.
After all, even without using any secret trump cards, Lumine alone with a sword could easily wipe out a hundred-strong squad of Apollo's familia.
With her overwhelming power and influence, fixating on trivial things would only put her at a disadvantage.
Look at the goddess of beauty in the original timeline—during the War Game, she stayed on the sidelines, calm and confident, because she knew she could crush anything no matter what the opponent did.
Lumine was in a similar position now, sharing a similar mindset.
"Nice to meet you, Miss Lumine of the Twin Stars."
Hyakinthos had clearly taken his patron's advice to heart, answering politely without a single flaw.
He also smoothly explained Apollo's reason for visiting, maintaining a calm and dignified tone.
As for the little-statured goddess…
"You must be the famous little sister… sigh~ why couldn't I find someone so exceptional before?"
Hestia's tone was casual, friendly.
She was the type who easily got close to others, able to interact naturally even without focusing on formalities.
A goddess so easygoing that even strange mortals could pat her head without offense.
Though sometimes incredibly unpredictable…
Lumine still felt a strong pre-existing fondness for her.
"So, Goddess Hestia, I'm sure you'll find the perfect members for your familia soon."
Lumine smiled knowingly. "Maybe even within the next few days~"
"Hoho?"
Hestia loved hearing that. "You've got an eye for talent, little hero-sister."
Meanwhile, Lumine chatted a little with Apollo, who kept silently looking "what about me? what about me?"
"Guests are welcome. I happen to be testing some dishes. If you don't mind, come in, try them, and give me your thoughts."
Lumine gestured warmly inside, having already briefly consulted Airmid and Barbara, respecting their opinion.
Soon…
"Sorry for intruding."
The three—Hestia, Apollo, and Hyakinthos—entered the small cooking room.
"Dea Saint?"
"Long time no see, Hyakinthos-sama."
Airmid greeted the new arrivals casually. "How were the high-grade panacea you bought from our shop last time?"
"Ah, as expected from Orario's strongest healer. Those potions were extremely effective."
Hyakinthos nodded. "Saved lives more than once. Truly a great help."
"Lissos (one of the male elf members) also benefited from your care. He hopes to visit you next time to express his thanks—hope it doesn't disturb your work."
"Healing the injured is my duty; no need to fuss over it."
"…Alright, enough pleasantries. Come on, try my cooking and give me your honest feedback."
Lumine placed a few freshly-prepared dishes on the table.
Now with solid strength backing her, there was no need to keep certain matters hidden.
It was also a good chance to meet the blue-ribboned goddess, and Apollo and Hyakinthos benefited along the way.
During the tasting, Hestia, Apollo, and Hyakinthos all showed surprised expressions at Lumine's unconventional cooking methods.
Artemis, meanwhile, had already sat next to Barbara, quietly chatting.
Hestia had initially been curious about Barbara's transformation but quickly got distracted by the food.
After all, she was poor. A short while ago at Hephaestus' place, she had enjoyed good food and drink.
Now, even thirty fried potato balls required picking up leftovers from vendors.
Artemis managed the money, leaving Hestia little chance to spend freely.
Finally getting a taste of truly world-class cuisine, Hestia didn't hold back her praise:
"Mm~ mm~ delicious, really delicious… why is this dish glowing?"
Compared to her…
"Pleasure to meet you. Like the sun… no, you should be called a songstress shining like the stars."
Apollo, bowing formally, was obviously more interested in the music he had accidentally heard earlier.
He continued with a serious demeanor, unusually formal:
"Actually, since the Lantern Rite Festival, I've wanted to meet you."
Normally a bit theatrical, he now acted properly—perhaps because matters involving music demanded utmost respect in his eyes.
Even addressing Barbara with formal pronouns.
Luckily, Apollo's personal insistence spared Lumine a lot of trouble.
If he had shown his usual outrageous expressions in front of Barbara, the next second a wild star would have smashed his face—and Hyakinthos couldn't stop it.
At this moment…
"The unique style of your song, not only in the continental Koine but also masterfully using divine language…"
"May I have the honor of inviting you to hold a grand concert?"
Apollo issued a formal invitation. "To be honest, I spontaneously decided to host a gathering of all familias within Orario soon. If you attend, it would surely make the event shine even brighter."
"How do you feel about this?"
The request was sudden; Barbara clearly couldn't decide and glanced at Lumine.
The entire incident was instantly relayed to Renjiro.
Watching remotely, he thought…
"Those beautiful melodies, it'd be such a pity if they only appeared this once, right?"
Apollo was lowering himself, pleading earnestly.
Seeing his attitude and expression…
"This is the real Apollo?"
Renjiro, grinding in the dungeon for magic stones, had just kicked and wore a bizarre expression.
"Did he take some wrong medicine? Or is some prankster god pretending to be him?"
Okay, Renjiro knew it wasn't possible.
After all, who would randomly impersonate Apollo just for fun…
Well, maybe he would, but that's beside the point.
"Been busy to death these past few days. Where would I find time to host a concert?"
Renjiro wore a Snake-like expression and decided: "Straight up, reject it."