Chapter 27. The Gods Begin Backstabbing Each Other
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"This must be a dream..."
Cyd stared expressionlessly at the group of gods fighting outside the door.
Yet, it was already noon.
Creak...
Cyd slowly closed the door to the church.
"Hey! Cyd, help me get rid of these guys!" Hestia, who was being choked by Loki, reached out to Cyd for help as she saw the door being closed halfway.
"That child has appeared!"
The fighting gods immediately stopped and stared blankly at Cyd.
"Charge!!!"
In an instant, all the gods rushed towards Cyd, and poor Hestia was quickly swallowed up by the crowd.
Bang!
Cyd swiftly shut the door.
"Knock, knock, knock! Child, open the door! We're not bad people!"
"Yes, yes! We're here to help you!"
Cyd quietly covered his ears.
"Te...Teacher!" Bell cowered behind the sofa, trembling. "What's going on?"
"I wish I knew!" Cyd's mouth twitched.
"You all need to calm down! Where's your divine dignity? You're scaring that child."
Yes, Bell is about to faint from fear.
Someone shouted, and the noise suddenly stopped. After a moment, there was another knock at the door, but this time, it was much more gentle, like a soft breeze.
The gentle female voice soothed their hearts like the spring wind, and Bell, who had been anxious, unknowingly calmed down.
Meanwhile, Cyd's face contorted.
Just by the sound, Cyd knew it was a super troublesome person, and worse, a woman!
Cyd was suddenly reminded of survival rules from the past.
"Child, open the door. We're not bad people."
"Teacher," Bell said cautiously, "The gods are still outside."
Though reluctant, Cyd slowly opened the door just a crack and warily looked at the silver-haired goddess standing at the entrance.
"Aren't you going to invite me in?" Freya smiled slightly, her allure automatically activated.
No one could resist the charm of the goddess of beauty, no one!
Understanding this, some of the gods who had been fighting sighed and began to leave. After all, they were just trying their luck. If Freya really took a fancy to this child and desperately wanted him, there was nothing they could do. Besides, Freya's Familia was one of the strongest, and they had a unique asset known as the only LV7 adventurer.
"No," Cyd began to close the door.
Freya's face froze.
"Hahaha!" Loki burst out laughing, clutching her stomach.
She had no fear of Freya's Familia, so she freely enjoyed the moment.
Though annoyed by Loki's irritating laughter, Freya propped the door open with her hand.
"Then, can we at least talk at the door?"
"Mmm..." Cyd hesitated for a moment. "If I don't let you in, you'll all just keep blocking the way, right?"
"Mm-hmm."
Seeing the group of gods nodding frantically, Cyd felt a headache coming on.
This means there'll be no time to train Bell...
"Come in," Cyd sighed and opened the door.
Gods, no matter the world or era, were always above humans. They had the power to change the world and minds of their own. Facing them, humans had little choice but to endure and go along.
Here, it was no different. The gods' arrival was violent, like a meteor crashing down and smashing the tower that held down the dungeon.
Even though they apologized, it was insincere, and they probably enjoyed watching the humans' troubled expressions as they strutted around.
No matter how angry humans became, they had no recourse.
But fortunately or unfortunately, these gods were the type to get bored easily. They deliberately knocked down the tower humans painstakingly built and then personally constructed a bigger one. They started granting humans blessings, allowing them to unlock their potential and explore the dungeon.
They were like bored spectators who, tired of watching from the stands, decided to jump onto the stage, but they weren't interested in acting out the play. They just wanted to get a closer look at the actors' expressions, often meddling for their own amusement.
Their childish whims could be both a disaster and a blessing, which is why humans' attitude toward the gods was always ambiguous.
So...
Bell and Lili nervously brought out the limited number of teacups they had, only to find that there weren't nearly enough.
Half of the gods were crammed into this tiny church!
"Wow! Isn't this a treat from that shop? I love... Wait, it's from two days ago."
"Gah... Can people actually survive here? It's so tough. How can you raise a child in this place?"
"This bed... It's so hard! Won't it break your back?"
"This wardrobe... Oops, I accidentally pulled it down..."
"Hey! This chair looks like it's about to fall apart (crack—) Ah, it broke."
Hestia's face twitched as she watched the gods poke around, mess with everything, and take things apart in her house.
Gods were incredibly curious, to an infuriating degree. Although they usually didn't come to this church, once they did, they'd mess with everything out of sheer curiosity.
"You all!!!" Hestia finally snapped when she saw a god sitting on the bed she usually slept on with Bell, breaking it.
Clink!
A bag of gold coins landed on the table.
Clink, clink, clink!
Dozens of bags of gold coins landed on the table.
"You... Just because you're rich doesn't mean... Ughhh!" Hestia whimpered as she collapsed into Bell's arms.
"Hey, kid, you don't need to make tea anymore," a burly god patted the trembling Lili on the shoulder.
"Y-Yes!" Lili flinched and immediately hid behind Bell.
"Can you explain why you're all here?" Cyd cleared his throat and looked at Hephaestus, Loki, and Freya, who were sitting on the sofa.
"Ahem, we heard you're not part of any Familia," Hephaestus coughed lightly.
"That's not true! He's my child's teacher! He's also my child!" Hestia jumped up and stood in front of Cyd, though her small frame could only cover half of him.
"But he hasn't joined, right?" Hephaestus scratched her cheek.
"How can you do this! Hephaestus, aren't you my best friend? How can you steal from your best friend in public?" Hestia's eyes welled up with tears.
"Precisely because I'm your best friend, I let you stay at my place for free for so long. Even that dagger worth two million, I let you pay later," Hephaestus crossed her arms. "Originally, I thought Cyd was part of your Familia, so I didn't say anything. But if he's not, what's wrong with recruiting an unattached person?"
"Ugh..." Hestia clutched her chest and fell to her knees.
Backstabbed...
She was backstabbed by her own best friend!
Cyd silently took a sip of water.
Watching the gods bicker... was unexpectedly entertaining.