CHAPTER 7
WE’RE GETTING MARRIED ONCE THIS BATTLE IS OVER
Level 4
Strength: SS1033->SSS1379 Defense: SSS1218->1501 Dexterity: SS1041->SSS1383 Agility: SS1089->SSS1442 Magic: S965->SSS1251
“…”
“…”
Goddess and I are both silent as we look in disbelief at my updated status—my last update as a Level 4 adventurer.
“…Bell…”
“…Yes, Goddess…”
We both stare at the ability-only update card we hold between us. She has a stunned look on her face, and I nod earnestly, still shirtless.
“How badly did you get pummeled at Freya’s place?”
“Enough to say it was definitely the worst I’ve ever been through. Just completely and totally beaten and battered…”
Actually, my most extreme experience was probably down in the deep levels…
But when it comes to never-ending hells, the baptism of Freya Familia was worse…I think.
Goddess doesn’t say anything in response to my hopeless answer.
Instead, she just closes her eyes and hugs me calmly, like a mother whose son has just returned home from war.
Wrapping her arms around my back, she gently pats the back of my head.
Even though my head has been pushed into her ample bosom, I try to maintain my calm.
After we separate, she lets out a massive sigh.
“Haaaaaaaaah…I’m really sorry, Bell. I couldn’t help you even though you were trapped in such a terrible place…I made you suffer all the way to the very end.”
“That isn’t true at all. You came to save me, didn’t you?”
Lord Hermes and Ms. Asfi had told me how the goddess had worked so hard to break the charm cast over the entire city.
The whole time, I was preoccupied with my own problems, and I wasn’t able to do anything about the walled garden. Managing to break free from it was an amazing feat, and the time it took was just what was needed.
That’s why when I look up and see Lady Hestia’s shoulders slumping, I tell her exactly what I’m thinking.
“When I saw you descending from the sky and I realized you came to save me…I was just…so happy.”
“…!”
I look at her as I clearly enunciate every word, and soon her eyes start quivering as her emotions get the best of her.
She wraps her arms around me and hugs me close.
“Belllllllll!”
Embarrassingly, my face has gotten buried in a soft valley again, and this time, I go completely red from my cheeks to my ears.
After spending a few moments like that, the goddess lets me go and rubs her eyes and examines the update paper again.
“Really, though…this is a crazy amount of growth. Picking on you this much while saying how much she wants you…Freya really has a sadistic streak! There’s no mistaking it!”
“Ah-ha-ha…”
There’s a barbed aggressiveness in her tone as she complains about the goddess who isn’t present.
Maybe she’s in a bad mood because my status got updated by someone else’s hand. Or maybe she’s also mad at herself for not having been able to do more.
“I’m not feeling especially grateful…but my status really has improved a lot in one fell swoop.”
“…Yeah. It was amazing enough after you made it back from the deep levels, but this is an even bigger burst of growth.”
A gain of over 1,600 points. And with multiple SSS ranks, my status is a sight to behold.
As I think back on the murderous battles I endured day in and day out, an emotion I can’t really describe comes over me.
After a few moments, I look back at the goddess.
“So then…”
“Yeah, time for you to level up, Bell.”
As if saying all the preparations are complete, she taps my back with her pointer finger.
That touch reverberates deep in my heart, reaching all the way to my soul.
It feels like my back is the water’s surface. Quiet ripples spread across my body.
And after that vivid sensation—there’s a burst of heat. As if the hieroglyphs etched into my back have caught on fire.
This is a feeling I’ve never had before, and I hold my breath as Goddess notes my status on a new sheet of paper.
Bell Cranell
Level 5
Strength: I0 Defense: I0 Dexterity: I0 Agility: I0 Magic: I0
Luck: F Immunity: G Escape: I->G Rapid Attacks: I
Magic
Firebolt
• Swift-Strike Magic
Skill
Argonaut
• Charges automatically with Active Action
Ox Slayer
• All abilities are drastically enhanced when fighting minotaurs.
Vanadis Tevere
• Hestia Divae
• Activates when a Charm effect is applied. Extreme boost to all abilities.
• Continuous Mind and Stamina recovery.
“Congratulations, Bell…Level Five.”
With that, she hands me the update sheet.
Since there is only one slot, I obviously haven’t gained a new spell.
On the other hand, as expected, I developed a skill that counters Charm. It can provide a tremendous boost under very specific conditions, but it probably wouldn’t play a very big role in the upcoming war game.
In addition, I also gained the development ability Rapid Attacks. If I remembered correctly, the Guild information Ms. Eina gave me said that the more attacks I landed in quick succession, the stronger they would become. A valuable offensive ability.
But those are just minor details. The most important point is the number at the top of the sheet.
Level 5.
Even a simple adventurer like me knows how much value that number has and how much it means.
I, Bell Cranell, have become a first-tier adventurer. As one of the strongest warriors of the Labyrinth City, I’ve earned my seat at the foot of the table. After coming this far…I’m finally coming close to reaching my goal.
And yet…
Ordinarily, I would be over the moon about this, but my face is stiff.
Goddess probably feels the same way.
Even after she congratulates me, her lips are pursed, and she stays quiet.
“…Goddess…”
“…Yes?”
“Do you think I can cross blades with Master…with Freya Familia’s strongest?”
My question takes into account all of the latent ability points I saved up before my level-up. I ask her opinion, clinging to a faint hope.
“…I’m not a deity of fighting, so I can’t judge as well as Také can.”
“…”
“But…” After a brief pause…“Against Freya’s children…I don’t think you have a chance.”
I don’t think it was cruel. I’ve felt it myself. The cold, hard truth is that the Level 5 that is the culmination of all my efforts seems so terribly small right now.
Level 6s and a Level 7.
That’s what we have waiting for us. The strongest. People who have completely broken the mold.
“…What do we even do about this?”
Lilly groaned from amid a sea of documents.
Countless parchments were scattered around tables and the floor of the library in their home. They were all documents regarding Freya Familia.
Welf was holed up in the workshop turning out magic swords, while Mikoto and Haruhime had gone to Takemikazuchi and Aisha to hone their abilities and techniques as much as possible. Everyone was doing whatever they could in preparation for the war game.
As the familia’s brain, Lilly had gathered every scrap of information she could find about the enemy. She had also gotten help from Eina to obtain every relevant document from the Guild.
Unfortunately…
“They’re too strong. There’s nothing we can do…”
The more she read and analyzed the data, the more hopeless it seemed.
The gap in combat strength seemed impossible to bridge. Rather than dog versus lion, it was more like an ant taking on a dragon.
Lilly thought she knew what the words “city’s strongest” meant. This was the first time Lilly had truly grasped what that meant in concrete terms.
“One hundred fifty-seven core followers. Counting the noncombatants and other various adherents, there are more than five thousand…The first-tier adventurers go without saying, but the ranks of second-tier adventurers are massive, too. And the number of healers is unmatched by any of the other Orario familias…”
Just looking at the numbers made her sick.
A cursory glance at the total number of Level 3s and 4s—the second-tier adventurers—made Lilly want to pack up and run away in the night. If Freya Familia was broken up, it would be possible to make twenty different respectable mid-level familias, which put into perspective what the coalition would be going up against.
And then on top of those second-tier adventurers stood the first-tier adventurers, including Warlord himself.
“An elf who can cast with ultra-short incantations and erase a horde of monsters in the lower floors in a single attack…this is some sick joke…”
Leaked details about magic and skills could be fatal for familias. That was why the Guild maintained strict confidentiality over any information they collected. Because of that, the documents Eina gathered were all just reports from various Guild workers and other adventurers noting general impressions and observations. Of course, even those vague guesses were more than enough to shatter Lilly’s fighting spirit.
Reading about a long-range, large-area-of-effect, rain of magic made her question what the term “magic swordsman” was even supposed to mean.
Then there was the dizzying coordination that allowed just four prums to dominate an entire war game all by themselves.
And the famed chariot who bested Vanargand to claim the title of fastest in the city.
And the bestial instinct that had proved itself over and over again during the dark ages.
If Freya Familia still had some other trump card on top of all that, then as a strategist, Lilly couldn’t do anything but faint.
We don’t have enough people. It’s hopeless. I knew the difference in strength between our familias was massive from the start. But even so…!
The scariest thought was that even after adding all of Hephaistos Familia’s fighting strength, they still had absolutely zero chance of winning.
Lilly finally understood how much Freya Familia had held back when mounting their attack during the Goddess Festival.
“Even if Lilly makes a plan…how do we…?”
As her thoughts gradually turned to the insurmountable difference in raw power, she couldn’t help repeating the ever-constant question.
Daphne was helping Miach and the others mass-produce potions and elixirs, but Lilly couldn’t imagine how her wisdom could shine some new light on the problem. If anything, Daphne was probably at wit’s end, too, and privately wondering how to escape in the night, too. Lilly’s face went deathly pale.
To turn their situation around, it had to be a marshal with an even broader field of vision than they could manage—
“S-supporter!”
Just as Lilly stood frozen between despair and escapism, Hestia burst into the library.
“Lady Hestia…? What is it…?”
“A visitor for you! Uh, actually I don’t know if ‘visitor’ is the right word, but you’ve got company!”
Lilly thought it was a little bit strange seeing the goddess so shaken, but when she saw the figure who walked in behind her, she immediately understood why.
“Hey. I suppose it hasn’t been quite that long, but hello again, Lilliluka Erde.”
The golden-haired prum waved as he walked into the room.
“M-Mr. Finn?!”
“Is this all information of Freya Familia? You’ve gathered quite the collection.”
Ignoring Lilly’s shock, Finn casually gathered up parchments he found on the floor.
She glanced at Hestia for some sort of explanation, but the goddess just shook her head. Apparently, he had shown up entirely out of the blue without any appointment.
After fidgeting awkwardly a bit, Hestia blurted, “W-well then, you two make yourselves comfortable,” and quickly slunk out of the room.
Despite being her patron goddess, she seemed intent on pushing all troublesome stuff onto Lilly.
I won’t forget this, you useless goddess.
“Sacrificing sleep to gather more intel on the enemy? For the person charged with command, that isn’t a bad choice.”
“…Th-thank you…” She couldn’t follow what was happening, but she barely managed to respond.
Finn smiled lightly after noticing the signs of exhaustion that had built up under Lilly’s eyes and added, “But that won’t be needed.”
“Wh—!”
Her hazel eyes widened as he tossed the parchments he had gathered into the air.
“I’ll provide you all the information you need. Freya Familia’s preferred strategies, all the details of their magic and skills that I’m aware of—everything. That’s what I can give you as someone who has fought them dozens of times.”
Lilly gulped.
This was a chance to obtain the knowledge and observations of someone who had actually fought their opponents. It would also include the perspective and analytical ability of a first-tier adventurer. And not just any first-tier adventurer, but one who could call on all of Loki Familia’s resources and research on their long-time rival.
That was a world apart from the rumors and word of mouth she had been working with. This kind of concrete information had the potential to be a powerful weapon.
And if Finn himself was taking a look, he just might be able to put together a plan using the few cards that were available to them.
“I will turn you into a peerless commander. A marshal capable of leading a coalition of familias.”
Lilly felt her heart shudder at his inspiring words.
She was struck by an urge to leap at the offer with wild abandon, but—she clenched her fist. With an iron will, she held it in and asked him a question.
“What are you intending…? Helping like this…”
“Oh, do you need an explanation?” As she did her best to stay rational, Finn’s eyes sparkled as if he had spotted something he liked. Then he shrugged a little exaggeratedly. “Freya Familia—or rather, Goddess Freya—broke a taboo. She ground the mortal realm’s dignity under her heel in the most atrocious way, manipulating all of us on a fundamental level.”
“Th-that’s…”
“There must be consequences. The Guild might say it didn’t cause any real damages, but it was still supremely upsetting. And for those of you who follow Bell Cranell, your anger is more than justified. Am I wrong?”
“…”
“Even I’m furious.”
Finn was right. There was no lie in what he was saying.
“The Guild stopped us from taking part in the war game. So right up until the moment it starts, I will lend you all my wisdom…Let me be blunt. I want you to make Goddess Freya, Ottar, and the rest of their familia squirm.”
That last part was a tiny bit of childish mischievousness. Essentially, he had followed up his formal justification by revealing a sliver of his true motives. The hero of the prums was reaching out a helping hand for both appearance’s sake and out of a genuine desire to support them.
But Lilly couldn’t immediately make the choice.
There was no such thing as free when it came to business between familias. They might not be Hermes Familia, but it was simply common sense to be wary of a deal that sounded too good to be true.
If she took his offer, would he demand something in return? Should she not take the decision to Hestia instead?
Seeing his fellow prum hesitating as she tried to figure out what she should do as the brain of her familia, Finn said “…Seventy points.” With a slightly wry smile, he gently rated her performance. “Lilliluka Erde, your caution is worthy of praise. But right now what you should be doing isn’t probing my motives.”
“What…?”
“Given that your coming battle is so hopeless that even I would want to surrender, you should be using anything and everything you can get your hands on.”
“!!!”
That cold assessment echoed awfully in her ears.
“At the very least, if I were in your place, that is what I would do. I would take any information I could get from someone known as the hero of his race.”
“Gh…!”
“Just like Bell Cranell, you have a truly timid side to you. I’m not disparaging you for it. Surprisingly, that can be quite the virtue. But right now the thing you should fear most is losing someone precious to you, isn’t it?”
That last line hardened her resolve.
Unclenching her fists, Lilly held her hand out to Finn.
“Apologies for Lilly’s moment of indecision.”
“Ho-ho…so, what will it be?”
“—Please, Mr. Finn! Please lend Lilly your knowledge!”
Seeing she had made up her mind, Finn shook her hand.
The little goddess peeking through a crack in the doorway clenched her fist and cheered.
Hestia Familia was now working together with Braver.
“…But…ummm…We really don’t much to offer in return…so Lilly should warn you not to expect too much from us…So ummm, please be gentle…?”
“You needn’t worry about that. Like I said before, if you can get one over on Ottar and them, then my pride is a cheap price to pay,” Finn said with a smile as Lilly suddenly grew fainthearted at the thought of accruing another debt. “Also, your familia has a virtuous reputation. I have a feeling I’m not the only one who wants to lend you a hand.”
“Why can’t we fight together with Argonaut and his familia?!” Tiona thundered.
The Amazon girl was flailing her arms and making a scene in the parlor of Loki Familia’s home, Twilight Manor. “So many other people are picking a fight with Freya Familia! Why can’t we join?!”
“We explained it how many times now? Guild’s orders. Think of it like a mission. Can you understand that?”
The dwarf Gareth did his best to placate her. Though he was a storied warrior, at the moment he seemed like any other tired parent dealing with an unruly child. No matter how many times he tried to explain it, Tiona stomped her feet like a kid and shouted.
“It doesn’t make sense! I want to help them, too!!! Until I make up for how mean I was to Argonaut, I gotta do something!”
“You can’t. Just behave yourself.”
“Whyyyyyyyyyyy?! It’s not fairrrrrrrr!”
As her shout echoed through the entire home, Gareth looked like he had run out of sighs.
“Sheesh, you’re also supposed to be one of the veterans in the familia…If you keep whining like this, I’ll give you a beating like Bete.”
Gareth’s face and thick arms were covered in scratches.
The aforementioned werewolf had already let his unhappiness go out of control. He hadn’t hesitated to declare he was going to murder Freya Familia in the war game and came out swinging, so Gareth had brought him to heel with brute force. But that wasn’t nearly enough to quench his anger, so after telling Gareth to eat shit, Bete had gone off to take his frustrations out on the Dungeon and was apparently still down there.
“If beating you means getting to join the war game, then I’ll do it!”
“Don’t go sayin’ that like you don’t care what happens to me, lassie…Even if you managed to beat me, the Guild isn’t going to change its mind. If you ignore the rules and charge into the war game, Hestia Familia will lose on a technicality. You aren’t gonna repay anyone like that.”
“Urrrrrrrgh!!!”
Tiona wildly grabbed at her hair and started spinning around, staring at the ceiling like she was performing some strange dance. Unable to watch any longer, her older twin spoke up from her seat on the sofa.
“Gareth, it’s the captain’s orders, so I’ll listen. But I just can’t accept it. Raul and the others haven’t said anything, either, but they all feel the same. Even if we set aside Bell Cranell and Hestia Familia, they messed with our memories.”
Gareth closed his eyes.
Right when it seemed like he was about to say he felt the same, a new voice cut in.
“Drop it, you two. You know this isn’t Gareth’s fault.”
“Riveria…”
“Tione, stop making such a fuss. You’re one of the senior members of the familia. Act like it.”
“Uuuuuugh…”
The high elf Riveria appeared in the parlor. After admonishing the sisters about their senior positions in the familia, she pointedly looked away from them.
“If you have complaints, then you can take it up with me…I’ll listen to whatever you have to say.”
“Riveria…?”
As the Amazon twins peered up in confusion, the elf walked over to the dwarf.
“I’m sorry, Gareth…This is all because of my selfishness.”
“…As if this is just your personal business. There’s no way we can ignore a clue about the Ice Garden.”
Both of their voices were low as they mentioned the deal that Royman had struck with Finn—an offer they couldn’t refuse. Riveria Ljos Alf couldn’t afford to let that information slip out of their grasp.
Since the details hadn’t been shared with Tiona and the rest, the three of them had been forced to convince the rest of the familia with the official reason.
“When I checked on Aiz, she just said sorry, toooooo. Ugggggggghhhhh……All right!”
After groaning for a while, Tiona stopped thinking.
“Let’s go, Tione!”
“Where are you planning to go, Tiona?”
“To Argonaut’s home!” Tiona rushed out the door as she answered Riveria’s question. She turned around and stuck out her tongue as her sister shrugged and followed. “Even if we can’t fight in the war game, I’m still gonna help Argonaut!”
By coincidence, Tiona had reached the same conclusion as Finn.
Loki Familia was not going to war.
“So, the whole familia will be backing up Welfy, right?”
Tsubaki Collbrande addressed the massive foundry known as Vulca’s Forge located in the city’s northeastern industrial district.
Unlike the branch stores in Babel and on Adventurers Way, this was Hephaistos Familia’s home. Having just finished a new magic blade, the half-dwarf wiped off a load of sweat with her arm and turned to hear her goddess’s response.
“Yes. Now that it’s confirmed Loki can’t join the war game, we’re the only ones who can fully support Hestia and her kids.”
Nodding at the captain’s final confirmation, Hephaistos looked around the room.
The ringing of hammers was unceasing. The furnaces were running at full blast, emitting a murderous heat. When one of the smiths nervously held out the magic sword they had just finished for inspection, Hephaistos glanced over the blade and mercilessly passed judgement: “No good. Do it again.”
Due to the quality demanded by the war game, the unusually strict standard put even the finest smiths there on edge.
Tsubaki tried to smile but failed as she said, “War with Freya Familia, huh? I’m curious how far my weapons can go against them, but…I’m shivering.”
And it was anything but excitement.
In the eyes of a Level 5 master smith, Freya Familia’s einherjar were not skilled weapons masters so much as berserkers who never stopped fighting.
How could the weapons that she was making stop their assault? She didn’t have an answer to that.
“Well…nothing to do but try. At this rate, Welfy is gonna get completely run over.”
After that short break, she swung her hammer down on a fresh, searing-hot ingot, banishing the extraneous thoughts eating away at her mind.
Hephaistos Familia was going to war.
“Why, sister?! Why can we not join the war game?!”
Inside I Am Ganesha, the odd giant elephant statue with an entrance at its crotch that was Ganesha Familia’s home, the Amazon second in command Ilta Faana was arguing loudly.
“Our master is Ganesha, and we act as the city watch.”
Ilta was howling like her fellow Amazons as Shakti, the familia’s captain heaved a sigh.
“If that’s our job, then we should arrest Freya’s people right now and hold them responsible for all the tyrannical acts they’ve already committed! How much has Orario already been hurt because of them?!”
“Even if that’s true, that isn’t what the Guild wants.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?! They’re strong, so no matter what they do, it’s forgiven?! When did Orario, the center of the world, devolve into such a barbaric place! This is just like how the Amazons do it back home!”
Ilta was growing more and more enraged at Shakti’s insistence on prioritizing their duty.
Ilta was on the side of law and order now, but when she first arrived in Orario, she had been one of the city’s most lawless. As a lone Amazon, she had believed that might made right and had gone on a rampage of epic proportions.
And then one day, Shakti and her sister caught and punished Ilta.
It shocked her how strong these two women were and how their spirits blazed in the name of protecting those weaker than themselves. It was unthinkable for an Amazon. After that, she joined Ganesha Familia, and that was how another rare Amazon defender of justice was born.
It was precisely because of her principles that Ilta couldn’t accept the Guild’s rotten intentions or the silence of her fellow familia members.
“…This war game is going to be bigger than anything we’ve ever seen before. You know that, right?”
“Of course I do! And?!”
“The manner of competition hasn’t been decided yet, but the battleground will most likely be a wide-open area beyond the city walls. And we are the only ones who can watch that battleground and regulate it.”
Shakti spoke as the captain of the familia who had the most followers in the entire city.
“As an unaffiliated third party, we have to keep watch on the battleground and everything around it…In the worst case, another country or city might attempt to intervene.”
“!”
“There are plenty of organizations eager for a chance to weaken Orario to maintain the balance of power. And deities like the Evils are out there as well. If they target a weakened Freya Familia or the coalition…the city could suffer serious losses.”
Shakti was talking about politics. It was a perspective that Ilta still lacked.
The Three Great Quests—Shakti understood their importance as a resident of the Labyrinth City that carried the fate of the world on its shoulders.
Ilta, who could only see what was in front of her, didn’t.
However she might feel personally, as the head of the city’s security forces, Shakti had the stomach to endure and do her job.
“On top of that, we are the only ones who can hold a trial. If Freya Familia is to be judged, it must done fairly.”
“Th-that’s…! But…!”
Preparing the battleground, clearing away monsters, and managing all the necessary preparations. In more than one way, Ganesha Familia was going to have to work overtime behind the scenes for this massive war game to be possible. Ilta lost her fervor as Shakti explained all of that, but she still wasn’t quite at peace with it either.
“Calm downnnnnnnn Iltaaaaaaaa! If we weren’t running this war game, then who could possibly be the announcer?! Who else can scorch the peoples’ ears but the Fire Inferno Flame?! Spitting fire iiiiiiiiis Ibly Archer’s job!!!”
“Shut up, Ibly! Are you trying to break my eardrums, dumbass?!”
“C-calm down, Ms. Ilta! And stop twisting your tongue like that, Ibly. It’s annoying.”
“I am calm, Mokada!”
“What a shame! That was so close! My name is Modaka!”
“What?! Are you makin’ fun of me?!”
“Seriously, could you just learn it already, please?! Come on! We’ve known each other so long now, haven’t we?!”
“Shut up! It’s your confusing name that’s the problem! Hey, Ganesha! Say something already! You’re a god, so let’s hear your thoughts!”
“I am Ganeshaaaaaaaaaaa!”
“You! Pieces! Of! Shiiiiiiiiiiiiit!!”
The other familia members butting in and her patron god were an explosive mix that set Ilta off once again.
The one serious person there, Shakti, couldn’t help but let out a long sigh.
Ganesha Familia was not going to war.
“A-are you serious, Mord?!”
Gyle and Scott both groaned as Mord Latro shouted, “Damn straight! We’re goin’ with Hestia Familia!”
They were in a run-down tavern.
All of their fellow adventurers were deciding what to do for the war game, and so naturally it was turning into a bit of an information war around town.
“I convinced Ogma already! He grumbled about not makin’ a grave for me when I get myself killed, but what do I care! It ain’t just Orario—the whole world’s gonna be watchin’ this thing, and we’re gonna make a name for ourselves!”
The three seated at the table were all members of the Rank F Ogma Familia. It had Level 2 members, but it hadn’t made much of a name for itself, and while it wasn’t at the bottom of the pack, it couldn’t really be called midtier, either—a fitting place for Mord and his companions.
“But that ends now!” Mord downed the contents of his mug and slammed it on the table. “We’re gonna join the winning side of this war game and get our hands on some of Freya Familia’s treasure! If you count the land, too, it’s worth more than some run-of-the-mill kingdom!”
The winner of the war game could take anything and everything from the loser.
Because of those rules, if they bested Freya Familia, everyone who helped Hestia Familia would get their share, too. Mord was excitedly explaining how there was more to this than just getting payback for Freya Familia messing with their memories.
“If we win, becomin’ a billionaire’ll be a breeze! We can say good-bye to all those days drinking cheap booze in Rivira!”
Given Freya Familia’s wealth, splitting the spoils equally between every familia would still mean more than enough for them to become obscenely wealthy. Mord had always seemed a bit scary, but now he looked downright thuggish, like he had some crooked scheme in the works.
Scott and Gyle looked at each other…and sighed.
“Give it a break, Mord.”
“Huh…?”
“Just tell us the truth.”
Scott nodded along with Gyle’s comment.
Mord froze as the adventurers who had spent so much time with him continued.
“You just want to help Bell Cranell, right?”
Mord’s face suddenly turned red.
“You were always in a bad mood while he was messing around with that Vouivre, and everyone in town was hating on him.”
“And you bet everything you had on him during the war game with Apollo Familia, too…”
“And after the charm was broken and you burst right into Freya’s home. You just can’t sit back when Rabbit Foot’s in danger…It’s like watching a dad or a big brother getting all worried.”
“Th-the hell are you talking about?! I’m not…!” Mord leaped up and shouted when they brought up the past. He tried to deny it, but when Gyle and Scott looked at him, he was at a loss for what to say. “…You got it all wrong. That’s not why I can’t leave that kid alone…” After slumping weakly in his seat and gnashing his teeth for a while, Mord finally looked up. “I just haven’t paid him back yet!”
Around six months ago, the Black Goliath appeared on the eighteenth floor. Despite everything Mord had done, Bell had still saved him. Now Mord was trying to argue it was that debt that drove him to help Bell, not affection.
“Yeah, yeah, we get it.”
“Seeing you try to hide your embarrassment is just sad. The joke’s not even good enough to go with the booze.”
“You assholes! What’d you say?!”
Mord leaped up again as Gyle and Scott laughed.
So we doin’ this?
Not like we’re gonna be much help, but better than nothing, right?
With that sort of resignation, the three of them decided to fight for the young boy’s sake.
Ogma Familia was going to war.
“Modi…and Magni.”
Grudgingly, Takemikazuchi addressed the two gods.
“Oh, Takemikazuchi, and Miach, too.”
“By any chance, are you planning on inviting us to the coalition?”
“Don’t ask questions you know the answer to.”
On the thirtieth floor of Babel, yet another Denatus was underway to decide the details of the war game’s format and rules. Takemikazuchi and Miach were going around feeling out various other deities. They wanted to gather whatever allies they could find to help Hestia.
Miach sighed as Modi and Magni smirked from their seats at the other end of the round table.
They both had brown hair, brown eyes, and a stout, hardy build. They were of course handsome. But as with many gods, the vulgar smirks they always had on their faces ruined it.
They were part of a group that often found ways to bully him, so Takemikazuchi would honestly rather not deal with them, and it showed on his face.
“Who are you planning to side with, Takemikazuchi?”
“No need to even ask. I’m siding with Hestia.”
“We are as well. We have to help Bell to make up for how much we hurt him.”
Modi and Magni still wore their smirks after hearing Takemikazuchi’s and Miach’s answers.
“You don’t say.”
Modi nodded as Magni continued. “Loki’s confirmed out, but Hephaistos is still there. It’s still hard to say how the chips will fall, so even us deities are going to have to think about our future…Well, the neutral ones anyway.”
Takemikazuchi and Miach listened quietly as they pulled over two empty seats from the table, sitting on either side of the two of them.
“So then? What do you two intend? Join the fight? Or watch from the sidelines?” Takemikazuchi asked.
“If you could at least promise not to get in our—in Hestia’s way, that would be helpful,” Miach said, cutting to the chase.
Modi’s lip curled into a grin.
“Miach…Takemikazuchi…” Magni responded. “Why do you think Denatus has been taking as long as it has?”
Denatus had continued for days now, struggling to settle the details of the war game.
For deities who loved celebrations and hated boredom, snap decisions were the norm. If something was interesting, they’d generally go along. Even for something as unprecedented as a grand familia war, failing to even settle on what format the war game should be after all this time should have been impossible.
“…Because you keep saying things like that, making it hard to get anywhere.”
Modi and Magni didn’t bother hiding their smirks as Takemikazuchi grimaced.
The voices of many arguing deities shot back and forth around the massive table. For the most part, goddesses were proposing terms advantageous for Hestia while the gods were immediately rejecting them.
This scene had repeated itself hundreds, thousands of times over the past few days.
Hestia had been there since morning actively making her own proposals, but she was being completely ignored. At one point, she had even erupted, screaming “Why the hell are you ignoring me when it’s my war game?!”
“So you are Freya’s lapdogs.”
“At least call us fans.”
“We owe Lady Freya a great deal, after all. Even at a time like this, or rather precisely because it is a time like this, we still want to help her…Think of it as being seduced in a moment of weakness.”
It was an open secret that most of the male gods in Orario backed Freya. And they would sometimes do things for the goddess they loved even without being asked.
Just like now. They were trying to support Freya from the shadows.
“This time, Freya did something that can’t be forgiven. Do you not understand that?”
“We know. We really do. But even so, our love for Lady Freya still wins out.”
“Of course, we won’t deny that we’re partly hoping that maybe we’ll get a little reward for our efforts here, but…at the end of the day, we just want to see Lady Freya stay on her throne.”
This time, there was a different sort of smile on their faces.
Takemikazuchi sighed.
It was possible that other than a few exceptions like Takemikazuchi, Miach, and Ganesha, the vast majority of male gods were acting with the same intent as Modi and Magni.
That was why Denatus had been prolonged by pointless debates for days on end, splitting opinion between Hestia’s supporters and Freya’s backers.
“It’s not as if we want the conditions to massively favor Lady Freya. She doesn’t want that herself.”
“But at the very least, it needs to be a line that’s fair. Well, considering the difference in strength, something like sixty-forty or seventy-thirty in the coalition’s favor should be more than be fine.”
“That’s why stupid ideas like an eating competition aren’t going to fly.”
Modi and Magni finished each other’s thoughts like brothers.
For Freya’s honor as well, they were making it clear what they were willing to compromise on.
“The thing with Loki is the same. If the Guild hadn’t shut that down themselves, we would have gotten in the way of them joining, too. No matter what Lady Freya might have said.”
““!””
“Yeah, for sure. And if Loki joined, there would have been an internal struggle within the coalition the moment the game started. Whether it was aimed at Bell Cranell or your kids, we would have set our children loose. ’Cause fair or not, that just ain’t right.”
Takemikazuchi and Miach stared at them.
“…What are you talking about?” Takemikazuchi asked.
“Loki or no Loki,” Modi answered simply.
“…Isn’t that extreme?” Miach furrowed his brow.
“You think so? It’s pretty simple, isn’t it?” Magni shrugged. “Hephaistos and them, well that’s fine. They’re smiths after all. In a fight, Hestia and her kids will still be the coalition leaders, taking command and everything.”
“But Loki isn’t okay. If Loki’s there, then the whole thing just becomes Loki’s fight.”
““…””
Takemikazuchi and Miach didn’t have a counter to that.
“The leadership, strategy, and fighting strength would all be Loki flavored. At that point, the coalition leader would be decorative. That’s not a coalition led by Hestia, it’s a coalition taken over by Loki.”
“Might as well let Loki handle the war game from the start.”
“That’d just be a lynching, not a competition, right?”
Takemikazuchi and Miach finally realized that even if the Guild hadn’t intervened, Loki was never going to be able to join the fight.
“A proper casus belli is important. But you can’t miss the original point, either, right? This is a war game between Hestia Familia and Freya Familia. The rest of the coalition has to be pulled together by Hestia.”
They had a point.
The goddesses who had grudges against the absolute monarchy of Freya were looking for any means to drag her down from her throne, but the gods who knew her love were adamantly coming to her defense.
Modi and Magni’s divine will was “Settle things with a proper fight.” That was all.
“…Are you going to ally with Freya?”
“No. Not like we could. That’s not how Lady Freya wants it.”
“We’re just doing whatever we can to make it a real fight. That’s it. Any god saying ‘Let’s go fight for Lady Freya’ isn’t just gonna be kicked out, they’re gonna get the crap beaten out of them, too.”
“…”
“Lady Freya said she would fight alone when she announced the war game. We’re not going to sully her pride.”
They both had serious expressions befitting deities as they said that last part.
Takemikazuchi and Miach were at a loss for words. But at the same time, they revised their opinions of the two of them.
Modi and Magni both had something that could be credibly called conviction.
“Anyway, that’s why I was planning to just sit it out, but…Dormul that idiot!!!”
“And my Luvis keeps saying, ‘This is the time to repay our debt to Bell Cranell,’ and won’t listen to me at all!!!”
But the next moment, the two of them cast off any pretense of composure and broke down in tears.
“He still has a thing from their time with Eina! No matter how many times I tell him not to, he won’t listen! Talking about ‘who’d listen to your orders!’”
“Ahhhhhhhhh, Luvis, you idiot! You useless son!”
Seeing the two of them sobbing, Takemikazuchi and Miach both stared in exasperation.
““We’re screwed! Our familias are over!””
““You brought it on yourselves…””
Takemikazuchi Familia, Miach Familia, Modi Familia, and Magni Familia were going to war.
“Those awful gods! Doing nothing but getting in our way!”
“If it’s come to this, it’s up to the Goddess Alliance! This is the time to visit a righteous divine punishment on that loathsome Freya!”
Deep into the night, after the Denatus meeting for the day had ended, deities clad in black robes were raising their voices inside an enchanting manor.
“Demeter won’t work! Her familia is exhausted from recent events, and more importantly she gets along with Freya! She’s the only one who can invite Freya out to the divine baths and bathe with her!”
“And those breasts!”
“Yeah, those giant boobs!”
“That size is unforgivable! So she’s out!”
“““Which means you, Hathor! Please be our leader!”””
“Wait, wait, what? Why me?”
Long black hair perfunctorily pulled back and white skin, fig-adorned earrings and necklace, and a cow mask covering the upper half of her face. At 155 celches, she was taller than Hestia.
This was Hathor, one of the deities standing on the towers during the Goddess Festival, and rumored among all the male gods to have the greatest nurturing cuteness.
“You are a goddess of fertility like Demeter and Freya!”
“With the vanguard of the anti-Freya Ishtar gone, you’re the only choice!”
“It’s not like I hold a grudge against Freya. And my fertility thing is more like an extra tidbit, not what I mainly preside over.”
She listlessly tried to turn them down while lying on her divan, but there was no stopping the goddesses.
“You were the one talking about how you couldn’t forgive a reverse harem normie and you’d show her a real reverse harem, weren’t you?!”
“You took that seriously?”
“““Just do it already!”””
“Hey, wait, stop. Ugh, what are you doing, stop—nrgha.”
The alliance of goddesses was going to war.
Days and nights came and went as the debates at Denatus continued, and the residents of the city who could only look up at the great white tower in anticipation began to be gripped by concern. Even the workers of the Guild could do nothing but wait for the decision of the deities.
Meanwhile, the number of people who decided to participate in the coming war game increased, and the gathering of familias grew into something worthy of being called a coalition. Looking at the list of those who would participate, some began to whisper in the hallways of the Guild that just maybe…
“It’s no good. They’ve lost.”
But on the night of the seventh day after Freya made her challenge, Hermes slumped into his chair with a depressing declaration.
After seeing her patron god return from Denatus and throw the parchment in his hand onto the table in his private room in Hermes Familia’s home, Asfi was silent for a moment.
“…Is it not too early to be so sure?”
“Not at all. Hestia and Bell are going to lose. Guaranteed. It doesn’t matter how many fighters they cobble together. Without Loki, it doesn’t matter. That’s what it means to go to war with Lady Freya.”
“That’s…”
“If at least Aiz could have helped, they would have had a fighting chance, albeit no better than having to find a grain of sand in the desert…but Lady Freya shut that possibility down. With these rules, it’s absolute checkmate.”
His was the voice not of resignation or detachment, but of a god who had seen everything. Asfi’s brow furrowed when he mentioned the word “rules.”
“What will Hermes Familia do…?”
“If even a single member joins, it counts as joining the coalition. After Lady Freya wins, she’ll put a collar on every single deity she beat to make sure she can keep her connection with Bell forever. That alone must be avoided at all costs.”
“Ngh…you’re going to turn tail now after all you did while trapped inside her walled garden?”
“I’m not a hero. I don’t have the urge to go all in on a bet that won’t even be a gamble.”
“…”
“Even if I tried to stop Aisha, she wouldn’t listen…but she’s technically registered as a follower of Plutus in the Guild paperwork, so that’s fine.”
Hermes shrugged like an old man at Asfi’s weak plea.
It was right and just for a patron god to consider the safety of his familia, so while Asfi wanted to lash out, she couldn’t blame him.
“…If there was some way to overcome this, it would be…”
He continued murmuring softly, only barely audibly.
As if not allowing himself any optimistic thoughts, Hermes went silent for a long time.
“I…just this once, I want to fight together with them.” Eventually, Asfi said what was on her mind, even though she knew it was out of character. “Not because I’ve grown attached to Lady Hestia and Bell Cranell and the rest of them. But…as someone who heard Leon’s plea, at least until she gets back, I want to—”
Listening with his eyes closed, Hermes held out his hand, interrupting her. He looked almost depressed, as if he understood what she was feeling and didn’t look forward to what he was about to say.
“Sorry, but Perseus is banned. You were called out by name at Denatus.”
Asfi gasped, and her eyes widened at a development she had never even imagined.
Just before she could shout “Why?!” Hermes held out the parchment he had thrown on the table.
“This is…”
Asfi gulped as she ran her eyes over the rules written there.
“Welf…are you okay?”
“Yeah………No, not really.”
In the home’s living room, seeing how long Welf took to respond, Bell started to worry.
The last traces of the sunset in the west had already disappeared from the sky. He didn’t know how many days it had been since he had last seen the blacksmith, who was now covered in an almost tangible shroud of exhaustion.
“This is the first time I’ve ever made so many magic swords…I don’t even have time to hate myself.”
His cheeks were scorched, and his voice cracked. He sounded like his throat was totally parched.
To the best of Bell’s knowledge, the smith hadn’t left the workshop even once during the past couple of days and nights. Seeing Welf down a potion even though they weren’t in the Dungeon, he couldn’t help breaking into a cold sweat.
“We don’t know when the war game is going to start, so everyone’s pouring everything into making sure our preparations and countermeasures are as good as they can be. If anything, it would be crazy not to be doing something…That would be impossible…” Lilly said that with massive bags under her eyes as well.
Mikoto and Haruhime were leaning against each other as they sat on the sofa, out of it due to a bad case of Mind Down. To increase the precision and power of their magic, they had pushed themselves to exhaustion. To land a blow on Freya Familia members who were so much higher level, there was no doubt they needed a magic trump card.
The timing happened to align, and they were all in the living room together for the first time in days, but conversation was not forthcoming. Every single one of them desperately needed a break.
But even so, it was difficult to let sleep take them.
Their hearts were practically bursting out of their chests. The pounding was impossible to ignore.
Anxiety and nerves made relaxation elusive. Knowing that they would be fighting one of the strongest familias, they couldn’t take anything for granted. If they weren’t doing everything they could, they wouldn’t be able to be rest easy.
“…Are you okay, Bell? You’re covered in wounds.”
Bell scratched his cheek and flashed an awkward smile at Welf’s question. Every bit of skin on his body was covered in open cuts.
This was the price he had to pay for an important ritual. He was synchronizing his spirit and body with the assistance of some helpers.
Everyone has been working so hard. And so many people are helping us…I want to win. We have to…I want to stay with Hestia Familia…
As he stared at Welf and the rest of them, he had another thought.
—And more than anything, for her…
He looked up at the bitingly cold sky that seemed to reflect the winter queen’s heart.
Clenching his fist, he renewed his resolve.
“Okay! It’s been decided!”
Then there was a thundering crash of the main door opening outside.
Bell was the first to react.
Welf and Lilly were next, spinning around to face the sound. Then Mikoto and Haruhime jolted off the sofa. Bell immediately rushed out of the living room with the rest of them following close behind.
What they found in the hallway was their goddess, who was just as exhausted as them and had tripped spectacularly. She used what little strength she had left to peel herself off the floor.
“The details of the war game have been set!”
““““!!!””””
They all gasped, and then Bell asked the question on all their minds.
“Th-then what is the contest going to be, Goddess?!”
After he helped her to her feet, instead of answering, she held out the scroll in her hand.
Lilly frantically grabbed it and unrolled the document while everyone looked over her shoulder.
Five sets of eyes scanned over the Koine on the parchment until they reached one word.
And their eyes widened as Hestia answered at last.
“The contest is hide-and-seek.”
“Lady Freya, the specifics of the war game have been decided.”
Allen’s voice echoed in her room.
Freya was sitting on her couch as she took the paper delicately presented to her and quietly read it.
“The event will commence in six days. The location is the Orza city ruins…where the house of the gods stands.”
After reading it for a while, she burned the paper in the lamp set on the round table at her side, as if no longer interested.
“It has also been confirmed that Loki Familia will not participate. The Guild has announced it officially.”
“I see. I thought Ouranos might have stopped Royman…It seems he will watch from the sidelines.”
Frankly, she didn’t care either way.
Her expression never changed as she listened to Allen’s explanation, since that was how she really felt.
As it happened, just like Hedin had told Finn, Freya had asked for the war game fully prepared for the possibility that Loki Familia would get involved. Her divine will had already been set. She even thought it would make a good opportunity to settle things with Loki’s children, who were always compared with hers since their familias were considered the twin heads of the city.
Whoever joined the war game, she fully intended to defeat all of her enemies.
She would crush whatever force Orario could muster and take what she wanted. That was her regal stance on the matter.
“…May I inquire?”
Because of that, her followers, who understood her divine will, pointed out the contradiction.
“Why did you keep the Sword Princess away from that rabbit?”
“…”
It had been none other than Freya who had Ottar contact Aiz, ordering him to tie her down with the shackle of her promise. Even though she was determined to confront Loki Familia if that was what it took to win, she was preventing the intervention of a single girl.
Those two points were clearly at odds.
As he kneeled there, Allen almost seemed to be reproaching what seemed a choice unbefitting her regal honor.
Freya was silent for a moment before responding.
“You know the effects of Bell’s rare skill, don’t you?”
“Yes, Milady.”
“By training with her, he could grow even stronger than he already is. His strength might even grow more than it did when he underwent his baptism here in Folkvangr with all of you.”
She had shared the information with her followers about Bell’s skill that had allowed him to resist her charm when she had constructed her walled garden. What she voiced was a real possibility.
“Do you really believe that we might be troubled by only that?”
But this time, Allen’s eyes flashed. Those were the eyes of a ferocious cat who dared to scratch even his master.
“I will become a chariot just for you, to carry you wherever you wish to go, mowing through any obstacles in your way. That is what I swore when I cast aside that idiot.”
Do you really intend to besmirch my strength as an einherjar and the vow I made so long ago? The fangs he bared issued this silent question.
“…Everything I’ve done is to make absolutely sure I get him.”
That was the goddess’s curt answer.
The moonlight that had been streaming through the window disappeared behind a passing cloud.
Watching his master, Allen dispersed his icy rage. Without pushing any further, he stood up.
“I said too much.”
“…”
“My apologies.”
Like a faithful guard dog who didn’t dare enter the goddess’s sacred realm, he left with those final words.
Alone in her room, Freya leaned her head back against the tall backrest.
“It’s all to make absolutely sure I get him.”
What a joke.
Looking up at the high ceiling, she mocked herself.
“This is just…jealousy.”
She wanted to distance him from the girl he idolized.
She didn’t want to let Aiz get close to him. It was that childish thought that drove her to forbid the Sword Princess’s participation.
She had seen their training sessions atop the great city wall countless times from the top floor of Babel. The thought of more meetings like that troubled her heart. It was like a pockmarked, rusted sword tearing open fresh wounds. That was the sort of pain she felt.
She had lived with it before, but she could endure it no more.
Her desire to have him all to herself had swollen until it had burst from its restraints. Those uncontrollable emotions were threatening to drive the character that made her the goddess of beauty beyond a swirl of extreme emotions.
Even now, it felt like she was standing on the precipice. Almost like she was on the verge of sinking so low until she was nothing more than some commonplace girl.
“…Unsightly…”
She murmured in a voice that reached only her own ears.
“Does Lady Freya not believe in us?”
All of the Gulliver brothers looked at Grer.
They were in Sessrúmnir on the first floor of Folkvangr, far from the goddess’s personal rooms on the top floor. The warriors’ banquet was over, and the enormous space had emptied out. The voices of the first-tier adventurers who had it to themselves carried clearly to the corners of the room.
“Why did she order Ottar to keep the Sword Princess away?”
“To guarantee victory. What else is there?”
“Honestly, it’s vexing. Even though we would crush whatever enemies dare stand before us.”
Grer, Berling, and Dvalinn all spoke in turn.
It was a strange sight. Ordinarily, they could communicate through their connection without any words, but they almost seemed to be questioning themselves. In other words, it was nothing more than a touch of dissatisfaction as they expressed doubt in their patron goddess. The three of them were trying to guess what Freya was thinking.
“Don’t doubt Lady Freya. That goes against our vow to her.” The eldest, Alfrik, chimed in, silencing the other three.
They all knew the conclusion. No matter how suspicious they were—even though everyone else in the familia carried the same doubt—the result would be the same.
Freya Familia would gladly risk their lives to fight for their goddess. Nothing more and nothing less.
“I sort of understand how Lady Freya feels.” Suddenly, the only other person there with the four brothers, the dark elf Hegni, opened his mouth. Sitting on a table, he adjusted his grip on his knee, which he had propped up on it. “Having someone you acknowledge be stolen away by someone else…I don’t like that, either.”
His gaze rested on the seat where the boy who was no longer there had sat.
It had been a false relationship, and the time they spent together was not long, but there was still a clear reluctance in his eyes as he thought of Freya Familia’s Bell Cranell.
“Whether it be the Sword Princess or anyone else…I wanted to raise him up just a little bit more…with my own hands…”
Compared to einherjars like them, his talent should not have been anything special. And yet.
Even though he was rejected by the rest of the world, even though he was trapped in a walled garden that made him doubt even his own memories. He was someone who had struggled. Against the goddess of beauty’s words, her charm, and every other adversity he had faced.
For Hegni, who feared contact with others—and was an elf besides—that just showed how intriguing, how different that human had been.
Looking down as he expressed what he was feeling, he suddenly realized all four of the brothers were looking straight at him.
“You’re awfully chatty today.”
“And he’s even talking normally.”
“Do that all the time, you introvert elf.”
And they were able to understand him without Hedin translating for once.
“““What are you getting all sentimental for?”””
They mercilessly unloaded on him. In the blink of an eye, Hegni turned red, and his eyes rolled back while he popped the collar of his cloak up to cover as much of his face as he could.
“Hegni, indulge in sentimentality if you want, but when the time comes—”
“Yes, worry not. My body was chosen by an endless darkness, and I am but a coldhearted servant…!”
Ignoring his brothers, who shot a sour look at him, Alfrik gave Hegni a warning.
Hegni pretended to be fine with his usual forced response. His expression shifted to that of a cold warrior.
“Should we meet on the battlefield, I will cut him limb from limb—all for the sake of the goddess.”
Freya Familia wouldn’t hesitate.
When they stood on the battlefield, it would be to offer up a victory to their goddess.
“—It’s no good. Her eyes won’t open.”
On the fifth floor of Folkvangr, a room on the western side of the building, a youthful girl’s voice rang out.
Ottar, who had silently waited for her report, spoke. “Were we too late?”
“Even I can get angry, you know, Captain? Despite what it may seem, even if I’m always asked to do the absurd, I do still have my pride as a healer.”
Heith glared up at him.
Even under that withering gaze, Ottar’s boulder-like face didn’t crack. But despite his imposing expression, the boar ears on his head bent ever so slightly. Ottar had trouble dealing with this healer girl. More precisely, he felt indebted to her since he always left Heith and the Andhrímnir to deal with the aftermath of the daily baptism on the killing grounds.
Heith held a grudge against Ottar for pushing so much work on her because she was an excellent healer, and he was fully aware that he usually never did anything normally expected of the leader of a familia. Because of those circumstances, a single healer and the Level 7 captain were in the opposite positions of what most would expect in Freya Familia.
The report continued, with Heith unflinchingly sharing her opinions with a first-tier adventurer. The giant boaz simply sighed as he silently listened like an unsociable child.
“I’ve done what can be done. I used enough healing magic to make myself sick. The wounds have closed, and the body has recovered. Her breathing and pulse have returned to normal as well. There is no reason for her not to wake up…But her eyes aren’t opening.”
“…A state of apparent death?”
“As difficult as it is for me to say this as a healer…right now that seems to be the case.”
Heith and Ottar looked down at the bed beside them.
“You really are a troublesome woman, Hörn.”
The girl lying on the bed was Hörn, the Goddess’s attendant. But her current appearance wasn’t the familiar one of Freya’s chief attendant. Her unbound blue-gray hair flowed down to her shoulders. Ottar and Heith both knew that behind her eyelids were eyes that matched her hair.
Her form was identical to the girl known as Syr Flover.
The magic she possessed, Vana Seiðr was a secret ability unique in the mortal realm that allowed her to transform into an exact copy of the goddess Freya in every way except for the fact that she would lack arcanum. Hörn’s current form was Syr, one of Freya’s many faces.
“Not only did you reveal the truth to Bell, you even turned a blade on yourself…I can’t begin to comprehend what you wanted to achieve in betraying Lady Freya so terribly.”
Inside the artificial world Freya had constructed, Hörn had made contact with Bell, whom she had been forbidden from approaching, and revealed the truth of herself and Freya, and of their connection with Syr.
It wouldn’t be wrong to say that she was the one responsible for destroying Freya’s walled garden. At the very least, that was what Heith and the rest of the familia believed. Word of her betrayal had spread among the familia, and were it not for their master’s orders, not a single one of them would have hesitated to kill the woman—even Heith, who had worked with her so long and had considered her a trusted friend.
The girl who swore only fealty to the goddess had a chilling light in her eyes as she looked down at Hörn. Ottar watched her expressionless face, which made it seem like any moment now, she might reach out and snap the sleeping girl’s neck, but Heith just closed her eyes and sighed.
“…In accordance with Lady Freya’s will, she has been kept alive. However, that is all. It is an admission of my failure, but I cannot do anything further here.”
Her resigned voice filled the room, which was a stylish and elegant white, unbefitting a traitor who had betrayed the goddess. There was only a single bed inside. The air here was almost holy, making it seem like a chapel, evoking the image of a soul lost in the gulf between the heavens and the mortal realm.
And the box bed she was sleeping on almost looked like a coffin. Spread some flower petals around and no one would suspect she wasn’t just a corpse.
The girl who had once been called Syr was sleeping there like something out of a fairy tale.
“Do you know why she hasn’t recovered?”
“It would be nothing more than the speculation of a mere mortal…”
Ottar’s eyes urged her, indicating he wasn’t expecting certainty.
“The natural assumption is that she herself doesn’t wish to wake. It’s clear from her attempt to kill herself that she believes she sinned against Lady Freya. If her spirit desires eternal slumber, then it does not matter how much we heal her flesh…Moreover…” Heith struggled to continue there. After several seconds’ hesitation, she put it into words. “She is still connected to the Lady Syr that Lady Freya tried to bury…”
This time Ottar was at a loss for words, too.
“She wounded herself as Hörn—it wasn’t the body of a deity. However, right now the danger to her body is gone. Despite the fact that she is unconscious, her Vana Seiðr has not come undone.”
“…”
“In which case, the only thing I can think of is that Hörn is continuing to use the magic to avoid losing something…” A few seconds after saying that, Heith weakly shook her head. “That is just a guess, nothing more than idle ramblings. Please pay it no mind.”
“…Mm-hmm…”
Ottar nodded.
Something about the Goddess’s heart that only she knew…or maybe something that even she hasn’t noticed?
Tracing the connection of Vana Seiðr, the goddess’ emotions had at times flowed back into Hörn.
What was Syr thinking as she lay there?
He hadn’t been able to understand her wish even to the end—and he never tried.
Ottar could do nothing other than fight.
The strongest was expected to do nothing more than crush the goddess’s enemies. So while he knew he wasn’t qualified to do so, he still asked, “What sort of dream are you seeing?”
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