Danmachi: Adventuring Till the End!

"Welcome, It's been a while since you last visited," Anya, the catgirl at the entrance of the Hostess of Fertility, greeted Orsted and the others with a bright smile.

Her tail wagged excitedly as she spoke.

Her enthusiastic attitude left Orsted, Hestia, and Lili momentarily stunned.

"Orsted, are you familiar with this girl?" Hestia asked, eyeing Orsted suspiciously.

"Orsted-sama, I didn't realize you had so many friends," Lili muttered, her tone tinged with jealousy.

"I only came here once before, with you, Hestia," Orsted replied, holding his forehead in exasperation.

"Come on, come on, come inside! Syr and Ryuu have been looking forward to your visit," Anya said, oblivious to the tension.

She grabbed Orsted's hand and eagerly pulled him inside.

Seeing Orsted not resist Anya's touch, Hestia and Lili immediately grew furious.

Elves were known for their aversion to physical contact with other races—a trait deeply ingrained in their blood.

Only those they truly trusted were allowed to touch them.

This was why Lili had believed Orsted so easily before—he had patted her head, a gesture that signified his approval.

Now, seeing Orsted being dragged along by Anya without resistance, Lili, who saw Orsted as a beacon of light in her life, couldn't help but feel upset.

Hestia, too, was visibly displeased.

She didn't fully understand why she felt this way, but the sight of Orsted being pulled away by someone else stirred an inexplicable sense of loss, as if something precious had been taken from her.

Striding forward, Hestia slapped Anya's hand away from Orsted's and then wrapped her arms around his.

Lili, not to be outdone, quickly ran over and grabbed Orsted's other arm, staring at him with the same intensity.

"Huh?" Anya blinked in confusion, unsure of what had just happened.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Orsted asked, equally puzzled.

"Hmph," Hestia snorted in dissatisfaction, pulling Orsted toward an empty table.

Lili followed closely, still clinging to Orsted's arm.

Anya watched their retreating figures, tilting her head in confusion before shrugging and darting off toward the kitchen.

"Syr, Ryuu, that boy is here!"

At her words, three heads popped out from the kitchen door like curious squirrels.

The black-haired Chloe, the gray-haired Syr, and the green-haired Ryuu.

"That boy?" Chloe's eyes sparkled with excitement.

Syr, too, looked thrilled, while Ryuu remained calm, her expression as serene as ever.

After spotting Orsted sitting at a table not far away, Ryuu stepped out of the kitchen and walked toward him.

"Eh?" Syr let out a surprised squeak.

"If you don't hurry, Ryuu will beat you to it," Chloe teased from below.

Hearing this, Syr quickly ran out, also heading toward Orsted.

Behind the tavern, Mia, the owner of Hostess of Fertility, frowned slightly as she observed the scene.

Especially when she saw Syr running like an excited child, Mia's face showed a mix of exasperation and helplessness.

'What on earth is this goddess up to, coming here to work like this?' she thought.

Meanwhile, Orsted looked at Hestia and Lili, who were both sulking, and sighed in confusion.

"What's wrong with you two?" he asked, exasperated.

This was the kind of situation he disliked the most—people getting upset without explanation, and he wasn't the type to immediately figure out why.

"Orsted-sama, why didn't you pull away when that catgirl grabbed your hand earlier?" Lili blurted out, unable to hold back her question.

"Ah, it's just holding hands. It's not like it's going to hurt me. Why would I need to pull away?" Orsted replied, even more confused.

"Don't elves avoid contact with anyone they don't approve of?"

"You didn't resist her, so does that mean you like her?" Hestia chimed in.

"Ah, so that's what this is about."

"I'm different from other elves. I don't have such a strong aversion to contact," Orsted explained with a smile.

Hearing this, both Hestia and Lili were stunned.

"Didn't you pat my head because you approved of me?" Lili asked, her voice filled with disbelief.

"About that, Lili, you are indeed someone I recognize. There's no doubt about that," Orsted reassured her with a gentle smile.

Though he didn't share the typical elven aversion to contact, he didn't go around touching everyone either.

Lili, however, was someone he had come to trust.

Hearing this, Lili's expression softened, and a smile returned to her face.

"I told you, he only met that catgirl once. There's no way he'd approve of her so quickly," Hestia said, breathing a sigh of relief and patting her chest.

"Excuse me, who are you talking about?" A flat voice interrupted.

Hestia froze and turned stiffly to see Ryuu standing nearby.

Oh no, I got caught talking behind someone's back again, Hestia thought.

Wait, did I even say anything bad?

Realizing she hadn't, Hestia relaxed.

"Hahaha! We're talking about food."

"Nevermind, What you like order?"

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