Bab 88: Mystic Curtain
"Are you still asking? Of course, it's to meet you!"
With her arms crossed in front of her chest, Aphrodite lifted her chin, looking proud.
After that, with a pout on her face, she began to complain.
"This is the first time I've experienced this humiliation! You're too much, Charlie! Didn't I ask you not to speak so formally to me?"
"Eh? It seems the goddess... Aphrodite has misunderstood something. As far as I remember, I never offended you."
"Not realizing it just makes me even angrier. You need to be punished."
After saying that, Aphrodite sat on Charlie's lap without any shame.
"Not good."
When Aphrodite's hood was about to come off, Charlie couldn't let passersby see them in this position. After all, even though Aphrodite was childish and silly like Hestia, she was still one of the three Goddesses of Beauty.
If others saw Aphrodite sitting so intimately on a man's lap, it would surely trigger a wave of commotion spreading throughout Orario. In particular, the gods would be very curious about Charlie.
Not wanting to be approached by bored gods, Charlie stretched his arms forward and used the Illusion Spirit Art.
"Mystic Curtain!"
The next moment, an invisible veil enveloped the area around the house.
Mystic Curtain is a Illusion Spirit Art that creates an invisible veil around a specific area. This illusion works by masking the situation or activity behind it, so that outsiders looking from afar or up close will not notice any oddities or differences.
This technique has a weakness: every second of use drains magic essence. For Charlie, the normal limit to maintain Mystic Curtain is only five minutes, as his magic energy drains quickly. However, everything changed after he awakened the Infinite Essence skill. Thus, he could maintain Mystic Curtain for as long as he wanted, creating a perfect and eternal illusion without fatigue or time constraints.
"Hmm? What did you just do?"
Seeing the passersby, Aphrodite found that no one cared about her even though her face was visible.
"I set up a barrier with Illusion Spirit Art. And also, don't sit on me, Aphrodite."
"Whoa~ how does it work? I want to know!"
"..."
Aphrodite's face was so close to him that Charlie could even smell the floral scent from her body. Now, he understood Oreki Hotaro's feelings when Chitanda Eru enthusiastically asked questions.
"Sigh... When Mystic Curtain is activated, the environment inside appears normal to observers from the outside, as if nothing strange is happening. Even if there are significant movements or activities behind the veil, everything seems ordinary. This technique is very effective for hiding certain situations without raising suspicion, as this illusion creates a reality that 'looks normal' to anyone outside its influence."
"You're not just a genius swordsman, but also an awesome Mage."
Hearing that, Aphrodite praised him, and suddenly a brilliant idea popped into her head.
"Does that mean whatever we do here, no one will know?"
With a mischievous smile, she looked at him as if she were eyeing her prey.
"Don't try to do anything weird, Aphrodite. I will get angry."
"Tsk, fine. This time I'll let it go."
Aphrodite stopped her lewd intentions when she saw Charlie's serious expression. She worried that if she really pushed it, their relationship would be damaged before she could do anything. After all, the gods were no different from mortals after the Arcanum was sealed. So, she would be powerless if he wanted to expel her.
"Can you get off my lap now?"
"No way. This is your punishment for disappearing without telling me where you were. Do you know how much I searched for you? After I couldn't find you in Orario, I assumed you were in the Dungeon. If I hadn't met Hermes, who told me your new residence, I still wouldn't know where you were."
"Sorry, I forgot. There was a lot to prepare before starting the expedition, so I forgot to inform you."
Regardless of Aphrodite's motives for approaching him, she genuinely worried about him. Charlie felt a bit touched.
"Mm, since you're sincere, I forgive you. Don't forget, Hera entrusted you to me while you stay in Orario. You're my responsibility. Don't do it again; you can't just disappear like that."
'If you suddenly leave, I'll regret not being able to have fun with the hero.'
Of course, Aphrodite wouldn't say the second part of her sentence. Otherwise, Charlie's negative impression of her would increase.
"Understood. Next time, I'll let you know." Charlie nodded slightly.
"An expedition, huh... You're the only Level 2 adventurer in Orario who dares to start an expedition alone. If it were someone else, the death rate would be over 90%."
Aphrodite wasn't exaggerating her statement.
Normally, expeditions were conducted in large groups because Dungeons were very dangerous and unpredictable.
"I'm not alone; Aishia is accompanying me."
"Oh, right. Where is that girl?"
"Aishia is taking a shower inside."
"Hmm~"
"What's up?"
Charlie frowned, feeling uncomfortable with Aphrodite's judging gaze.
"Tell me honestly, you're doing lewd things with Aishia, right?"
"Haiz... Aphrodite, are all Goddesses of Beauty lewd like you, or are you a special case?"
"Hmph, compared to me, Freya and Ishtar are far more lewd than I am. Especially Freya, she has slept with almost every God and Goddess when she was still in Heaven. As for Ishtar, her Familia manages the Entertainment District, which is the largest brothel in Orario."
"So that's how it is. In short, the Goddesses of Beauty are degenerate, lewd, and shameless."
"You can summarize it that way."
Not only was Aphrodite not offended, but she also agreed with Charlie's statement. For her, it wasn't something to be ashamed of.
'As I suspected, don't use human moral standards on gods.' Charlie thought to himself.
"So, is there something you want to tell me, Aphrodite?"
"I almost forgot!"
Slapping her forehead, Aphrodite looked directly into Charlie's eyes.
"In two days, Ganesha Familia is holding a Banquet of the Gods. Every God and Goddess is allowed to bring one of their children as a partner. Charlie, be my partner."
"What is the Banquet of the Gods?"
Not rushing to reject or agree to her invitation, Charlie asked a question.
"The Banquet of the Gods... As the name suggests, it's a gathering that can only be attended by the gods. There are no specific rules about who sponsors it or when it's held, and usually, there's no particular purpose. The general reason is just to have fun."
"Then why don't you choose one of your Familia members as a partner?"
"Initially, I wanted to bring Harmonia. But after thinking it over, it would be troublesome. After all, there are many of Harmonia's fans among the gods. That's why I chose you so you can meet more people."
"Alright, I agree to be your partner at the Banquet of the Gods."
Charlie also wanted to see the other gods. Without Hera's presence, he couldn't attend the Banquet of the Gods. So he didn't mind accompanying Aphrodite.
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
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