The dramatic reveal at the Denatus had instantly pushed Loki Familia to the peak.
Three new Lv. 7s had emerged from within the Familia, raising Orario’s upper limit by an entire level.
The gods of the Evilus faction were left reeling from the news.
But there was nothing they could do.
They had already taken their shot—even going so far as to unleash a Lv. 8 Spirit Clone—and yet they still couldn’t stop Loki Familia’s rise. If that wasn’t absurd, what was?
As for Loki, who had stolen the spotlight at the Denatus, she returned home after the meeting concluded.
Only then did she have time to perform her children’s official Status Updates.
Yes, Loki had bragged at the Denatus—but the actual updates were done after it ended.
In other words, she had outright bluffed in front of all the gods.
Not that she cared one bit.
After all, her children had undergone real trials. Loki could feel it the moment she welcomed Finn and the others back—they had absolutely earned the Excelia to match their new levels.
Even without checking the numbers, she could tell from their changed presence alone. Their entire aura had shifted.
They had seen a broader world—and grown from it.
That’s why she had no hesitation in announcing that her kids had reached Lv. 7.
Loki sounded unusually chipper as she stepped through the door, her voice pitched higher than usual—it was easy to hear the joy in her tone.
Looking at the charming little fox, Loki couldn’t resist the urge to walk over.
Who could blame her? Haruhime had matured beautifully. On top of that, she carried the grace of a proper young lady—a noble air that perfectly matched Loki’s preferences.
But as Loki leaned in, she noticed something surprising: Haruhime didn’t flinch. Even her usual meekness had vanished.
If it weren’t for the familiar scent of fox lingering around her, Loki might have suspected someone was impersonating the shy vixen.
The timid little fox had grown up. Loki felt a swirl of emotions at the realization.
"Haruhime, Finn and the others are home, right?"
Haruhime nodded obediently.
"The captain and the rest are waiting in your room, Loki-sama."
Looking at the maturing Renard, Loki smirked and teased her.
"Haruhime, looks like you’ve gotten serious about that boy, huh?"
Haruhime, who had remained composed earlier, immediately turned bright red.
"Oho Getting all shy now, are we?"
Loki chuckled, wrapping an arm around Haruhime’s shoulder—but quickly let out a sigh.
"Of all the people you could’ve fallen for, why did it have to be that guy?"
Only now did Loki fully grasp just how rough Haruhime’s love life really was.
That boy already had something going on with the shorty, and now even Freya had set her sights on him. Haruhime had chosen an absurdly difficult path—and it honestly hurt Loki just to watch.
"That kid’s surrounded by nothing but landmines. There are already two obvious ones right now. That lovestruck Freya has her eye on him too, and now you’ve fallen for him as well."
"If you ask me, unless the shorty decides to show some mercy and accept you, there’s no way you’ll ever get to stand by his side."
But Haruhime didn’t show the slightest reaction. From the beginning, she had already known her love was a rocky, no-return road.
"Loki-sama, that person reached out to help me when I was at my lowest. Even if he had his own reasons, he’s still my hero."
"My admiration and affection for him... I can’t suppress these feelings."
"Even if I know there may never be a happy ending to this love."
Seeing that foolish smile still lingering on her face, Loki felt her molars grinding in frustration.
That guy... he’s seriously pissing me off!
There were plenty of decent men out there, so why did a pure-hearted girl like Haruhime have to fall for that damn sly bastard? Loki sighed inwardly, but in the end, all she could do was watch as this girl stepped deeper into the abyss.
She was chasing fire like a moth to a flame.
From the beginning, Haruhime had known he was dangerous—but she simply couldn’t stop herself.
Which was why Loki was now feeling especially sour.
She could only hope Ais wouldn’t fall for him too. That was all she could do now—pray...
But even when it came to Ais, Loki wasn’t confident.
Ais had always cared deeply about her parents. And now, in order to prove she could survive on her own, she’d even managed to completely change her once-impulsive personality.
Oh, for the love of—!
Loki had never believed Ais could change . But then—bam—a sudden twist, and everything about her was transformed.
Of course, that was all thanks to that damn brat.
Just thinking about it made Loki’s face twitch in irritation.
She was seriously starting to suspect he did it on purpose.
Was it all just to get Ais’s attention? Is that why he went to such extremes?
Now Ais had completely changed.
She had returned to the calm, collected version of herself from the past—but Loki knew exactly why.
If it weren’t for the fact that she only had one shot at proving herself to her parents, Ais would never have changed this way.
It was because she’d recognized her own flaws.
Because she understood she couldn’t do it alone—she needed others.
From someone who once avoided forming bonds, Ais had slowly begun to open up.
She used to focus only on her own growth, never caring about anyone else’s.
But now, realizing she wouldn’t be able to grow alone, Ais had started to think about the growth of those around her.
Maybe it was a forced change—but it was working better than anyone expected.
If Ais was willing to change her personality just to prove herself to her parents, then who knew what else she’d be willing to do to find companions who could help her?
"Hah..." Thɪs chapter is updatᴇd by 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩⁂𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢⁂𝔫𝔢𝔱
Just imagining it sent a chill down Loki’s spine.
’I need to keep an eye on Ais these days... before she ends up selling herself out.’
Haruhime looked over, puzzled by the way Loki’s expression kept shifting. She couldn’t help wondering what had caused such a drastic change in mood.
Loki let go of Haruhime and, filled with concern, hurried toward her room.
"I need to go check on Ais-tan."