Chapter 90
Back at the Babel tower, the Denatus had not yet officially begun, as some of the major gods had not arrived yet.
Bahamut, made her way around the room, searching for her friends to find a comfortable spot to sit during the upcoming meeting.
Most gods tended to keep their distance from Bahamut, observing her from afar, rather than approaching her directly.
Undeterred, she scanned the room, hoping to find a familiar face.
Firstly, she spotted her friend Demeter, but the goddess of the harvest was currently occupied with dealing with a group of rather persistent and lecherous gods.
Bahamut decided it was best to steer clear, lest she be tempted to unleash her wrath upon them for their untoward behaviour.
‘One would think that after having had their way with countless goddesses for eons, they would have grown tired of it,’ Bahamut pondered to herself, glancing briefly at the overly eager group.
‘But here they are, still desperately trying their luck.’ she thought.
She couldn't help but note the irony, as she knew that some goddesses were guilty of a similar behaviour.
Ishtar, the goddess of love and war, was a prime example. She was currently flaunting her charms and attracting the attention of nearly every male god in the room.
Continuing her search, Bahamut soon spotted her friend Hephaestus, the goddess of the forge, sitting alone in a corner, lost in thought.
Hephaestus was a rather unusual sight, with her sharp features, medium-length red hair, and an eye patch covering her right eye – a defect that had long since scared away most people.
"Thinking about skipping the meeting and returning to your forge, huh, Hephi?" Bahamut said as she took a seat next to the goddess.
Hephaestus, startled by the sudden interaction, turned to face the dragon goddess.
"Oh, Baa-chan, it's been a while," she greeted, her expression softening.
"I told you to stop calling me that," Bahamut protested, "It makes it sound like I am some old lady." she continued.
"Then you should stop calling me 'Hephi'," Hephaestus retorted, a playful smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
The two goddesses stared at each other for a moment before breaking out into laughter.
Bahamut was glad to see her friend in good spirits, despite her somewhat withdrawn demeanour.
"By the way, I like the new look," Hephaestus commented, her gaze sweeping over Bahamut's transformed appearance.
"What happened?" she asked.
"Well, let's just say that many things have been happening," Bahamut replied cryptically.
"You, on the other hand, should put in a little more effort." she said while gesturing at  Hephaestus' disheveled appearance, still covered in soot from her recent work in the forge.
"Sigh, I don't see the point," Hephaestus murmured, her expression becoming dejected as she subconsciously grasped her eye patch.
"There's no one to look pretty for." she said.
Bahamut's heart ached for her friend, understanding the struggle she faced with her perceived flaws.
"Still concerned about that, huh?" she said softly, reaching out to wipe the soot from Hephaestus' face with her handkerchief.
Hephaestus quickly bounced back, aware of the curious eyes of the other gods in the room.
"Ahem, anyway, what have you been up to these days?" she asked, eager to change the subject.
"Nothing much, just getting used to my new responsibilities," Bahamut replied. "My children are quite the handful, especially Draco, the captain." she said.
"Ah, yes, you did say they were all young kids," Hephaestus recalled.
"But from what I heard from Demeter, Draco sounds like he's quite mature for his age." she commented.
Before Bahamut could respond, Demeter suddenly approached them, interrupting their conversation.
"What are you two whispering about?" the goddess of the harvest inquired, her curiosity piqued.
Bahamut and Hephaestus exchanged a knowing glance, a silent understanding passing between them.
"Oh, just catching up on old times," Bahamut replied smoothly, flashing Demeter a reassuring smile.
Hephaestus nodded in agreement, her posture relaxing as she welcomed Demeter into their little circle.
As the three goddesses settled into a comfortable conversation, the Babel tower continued to fill with the presence of the Pantheon, the air thick with anticipation for the upcoming Denatus.
While Bahamut, Hephaestus, and Demeter were engrossed in their discussion, the grand doors of the meeting room suddenly burst open, drawing all eyes to the newcomer.
Freya, the goddess of beauty and fertility, strode into the chamber, her radiant presence immediately captivating the male deities present.
To Ishtar's evident displeasure, the focus of the room shifted almost entirely to the alluring Vanir goddess.
Her mere entrance had managed to derail the proceedings, as the distracted male gods found themselves helplessly drawn to Freya's captivating aura.
"Ah, there she is - Freya, the eternal attention-seeker," Bahamut remarked dryly, her piercing gaze following the goddess as she moved gracefully through the room.
"Her passive divine charm is truly a force to be reckoned with." she added.
Demeter nodded in agreement, "Indeed, but I would argue that your own passive divinity is far more dangerous, my friend." she said.
"Let's not make this about me," Bahamut quickly interjected, unwilling to have the spotlight turned on her own divine abilities.
"Relax, Bahamut. You weren't concerned about Freya's antics before - why the sudden change of heart?" Hephaestus asked.
Bahamut's expression darkened as she pondered on Hephaestus words a bit.
"Well, now I have some very special children in my Familia. Freya's habit of enticing young adventurers to join her own Familia has become a source of concern for me." she replied.
Demeter nodded in understanding, "I see. Dealing with Freya's influence in the mortal world is indeed a delicate matter." she said.
"Just keep your familia members away from her for now," Hephaestus advised, "and try not to do anything too...crazy." she added.
"Hey, are you two indirectly agreeing that I am crazy?" Bahamut asked, her eyes narrowing.
Hephaestus and Demeter exchanged a knowing glance, choosing to remain silent rather than provoke the volatile goddess further.
"What did you two just say to each other?" Bahamut asked, clearly seeing that they were communicating through subtle gestures.
Oblivious to the discussion, Freya was busy charming a group of eager male gods, her infectious laughter ringing out across the chamber.
Suddenly, her gaze locked onto Bahamut, and she offered her a coy smile and a slight nod of acknowledgement.
"Did you both see that?" Bahamut exclaimed, her eyes widening.
"What did I do to warrant her attention?" she asked.
Hephaestus raised an eyebrow, "Hmm, did you do something to catch her eye?" she asked.
"Not that I can recall," Bahamut replied, visibly unsettled by Freya's unexpected gesture.
"Well, if things with her get out of hand, you know we've got your back," Demeter assured her, with Hephaestus nodding in agreement.
Before the conversation could continue, a commanding voice echoed through the chamber, silencing the rowdy gathering.
"Order!" Ouranos, the lord of the heavens, had arrived, and the meeting was about to commence.
Freya, being the last of the major powers to join the gathering, took her seat as Ouranos called the Denatus to order.
Just as the proceedings were about to begin, another figure stepped into the room, drawing the attention of all present.
"Am I perhaps late?" Astraea the goddess of justice asked, surveying the assembled gods.
"No, take a seat," Ouranos replied, his authoritative tone brooking no argument.
Bahamut, eager to have Astraea sit by her side, stood on her chair and waved enthusiastically.
"Over here, Astraea!" she called out.
Demeter and Hephaestus exchanged a mildly embarrassed glance, but maintained their composure as Astraea, a hint of reluctance on her face, made her way up the stairs to sit beside Bahamut.
Loki, ever the mischievous one, barely suppressed a snort of amusement, only to be silenced by a stern glare from Ouranus.
The meeting commenced with discussions of various ongoing events within the city - taxes, planned expeditions to collect scarce materials, and the slowly rising Evilus problem, which proved to be a concerning topic with no clear solution presented.
As the gods debated these weighty matters, the air in the chamber remained charged, the ever-present tension between the pantheons palpable.
The Denatus was shaping up to be another eventful gathering, with the gods' personal agendas and divine powers threatening to overshadow the pressing issues at hand.