Naturally, the guest list wasn't limited to demons; the gods had been invited as well. The criteria for receiving an invitation was simple: anyone who had personally introduced themselves to Kaito was eligible. Consequently, invitations had reached every member of the god race Kaito was acquainted with, regardless of whether they were high-ranking or low-ranking deities.
In the reception lobby, Hina spotted one of the newly arrived gods who had just finished checking in and hurried over, her face lighting up with joy.
"Sky-san! Hello!"
"Hello, Hina-san. That is a lovely dress. It suits you perfectly."
"Ehehe, thank you! It’s the one Kaito-senpai bought for me a while back, so it’s my absolute favorite. Oh, and Sky-san, your dress is wonderful, too! It makes you look like such an elegant, sophisticated woman—it’s so cool!"
"Fufu, thank you very much."
The woman offering the gentle smile was Sky God Sky, who had served as the guide for Kaito and the others during the White God Festival. Perhaps because their temperaments were so compatible, Hina had grown deeply attached to the serene goddess, looking up to her like an older sister. Ever since receiving Sky's Temporary Blessing, Hina had continued to deepen their bond after the festival. Having been told that Sky would be attending the party, Hina had been unable to wait a moment longer and had come down to the lobby specifically to welcome her.
"How has your work as an adventurer been lately?"
"It’s going great! A little while ago, I went on an expedition with Aoi-senpai..."
As Hina prattled on happily, Sky listened with a kind, attentive smile. To a member of the god race like Sky, who understood hierarchy but had no concept of blood relations, the idea of "family" was still somewhat foreign. Nevertheless, she clearly found her bond with Hina pleasant; to any observer, they had the unmistakable air of two close sisters.
Aoi, who had accompanied Hina to the lobby, watched the younger girl’s excitement with a wry smile before turning her attention to the other deity who had arrived with Sky: Earth God Gaia, the one who had granted Aoi her own Temporary Blessing.
"Hello, Gaia-san."
"Yes, hello, Aoi-san. I look forward to our time together today."
"The pleasure is mine. By the way, Gaia-san, is it really all right for you to be over here?"
Aoi had also visited the God Realm several times with Hina since the festival and had maintained a steady friendship with Gaia. Gaia was a figure Aoi deeply respected, not only for her vast knowledge but because she was the god of the earth—a domain directly connected to Aoi’s own specialty in earth magic.
As a goddess, Gaia possessed divine Authority over the earth, allowing her to manipulate it at will. However, she refused to rely solely on her innate power, choosing instead to master every form of earth-related magic as well. Her profound wisdom allowed her to offer invaluable advice to the still-developing Aoi, fostering a strong rapport between them.
"Over here? Ah, you mean whether I should be attending to Shallow Vernal-sama. Special instructions were issued for today's event. Given the nature of a shipboard party, it would be difficult for the entire god race to cluster together in one spot. Therefore, only the Supreme Gods will be serving as Shallow Vernal-sama’s direct assistants. The high-ranking and low-ranking gods have been told to participate as regular guests unless they receive specific orders otherwise."
"I see. That makes sense. No matter how large the ship is, it wouldn't be practical for every single god to be there at once. Honestly, I'm glad; this way, I’ll be able to have a proper chat with you, Gaia-san."
"I am happy to hear you say that. Even if I understand the theory of social gatherings, this is my first time actually participating in a party like this. I expect I may be a bit out of my element, so I hope I can rely on you to show me the ropes, Aoi-san."
"Ahaha, I’m not sure there’s much I could possibly teach you, Gaia-san... but I’ll do my best."
As they engaged in their quiet conversation, Hina suddenly looked up, as if noticing something, and turned back to Sky.
"Sky-san, did you only come with Gaia-san?"
"Oh, no. All the high-ranking gods who were invited arrived as a group. The low-ranking gods, such as the Love God, have temples in the Human Realm, so it was faster for them to travel from there. They're arriving separately. They should be checking in over there right now—ah."
"Sky-san? Is something wr—oh..."
Sky, who had been explaining their arrival, suddenly trailed off and froze, her gaze shifting toward the entrance. Gaia tilted her head curiously at Sky’s reaction, but as she followed her colleague's line of sight, a complicated expression crossed her face as well.
In the direction they were looking, right near the reception desk, another high-ranking god who had arrived with them was standing face-to-face with a demon who had just been passing through the lobby.
"...It has been quite a while, Great Sea God Marine-san."
"...Indeed it has, Sea Dragon Eingana-san."
They greeted each other by name, their voices steady. It was a perfectly civil interaction—yet, despite the lack of words, it felt as though invisible sparks were flying between their clashing gazes.
Serious-senpai: "Oh boy... talk about a fateful encounter."