Is it wrong to try to meet someone in a dungeon?

Those coral-red eyes seemed to be saying to me through my glasses, "There's nothing to say to you who has lost your memory."

I lowered my head listlessly, letting my gaze fall on the floor, then walked past my master and into the room.

“…………”

As the largest faction in the city, the bedrooms distributed to their dependents could not possibly be of any reasonable standard.

The room was unsurprisingly spacious, with a ceiling so high it was almost superfluous; it would be difficult to find any missing furniture. Not long ago, I was a member of the petit-bourgeoisie... so naturally, I couldn't settle down in such a room. I felt like I was inside a masterpiece framed in a top-tier frame, and I, the only one in the painting, felt completely out of place.

At the same time, I noticed something.

The sense of "life" I felt when I woke up this morning must have come from the traces left by someone living in this room.

It's clean enough not to the point of being obsessive-compulsive.

The labyrinthine (dungeon) artifacts are proudly displayed on the desk.

I once shared with a city girl (someone) my favorite hero biographies.

As if "my alter ego" had once lived here, various traces were left in the room.

Could it be that Bell Craney really lived here...?

“Hmm…!”

A wave of nausea washed over me, making me feel dizzy. I quickly covered my mouth with both hands.

I took a few steps back and looked up, and found a dressing mirror on the wall. The person reflected in the mirror was an adventurer wearing the uniform of the Freya Familia.

"...!"

With my face pale and my lips trembling, I walked toward the wardrobe.

I gripped the handle and slowly opened the wardrobe.

"...These are...my 'equipment'?"

It contains clothing and various equipment.

Dagger, double-edged short sword (baselard), dagger, greatsword.

Armor includes light armor, gauntlets, arm guards, greaves, and fairy cloth.

...All of these are equipment I've used.

I gripped the dagger with trembling hands, the ease with which it came to me was almost unsettling.

It was clearly a custom-made product, cast based on measurements of finger length and hand size. The armor was the same; everything fit perfectly.

"A complete set of equipment suitable for adventurer Bell Craney" is placed inside.

None of the equipment bore Welf's signature.

The dagger that the immortal gave me was not among them.

"………………Ugh, ah."

Breathing causes the lungs to spasm, as if air is stuck in the throat.

Not only the equipment, but the room was filled with traces left by Bell Crane living in the Freya Familia, not by me belonging to the Hestia Familia.

I feel nauseous all the time, and I can barely stand.

An unfamiliar version of myself is watching me through the mirror.

Unwilling to lie in bed, I simply sprawled on the floor, letting the dark red sunlight fall upon me.

The sun outside the window was gradually setting in the west, and dusk was quietly approaching.

*

Hestia was walking alone on the road.

When confronted by her concerned family members, she claimed she had something to attend to, and after persuading Lily and the others, she went about her business alone.

"Bell...? Who are you talking about? The goddess Hestia."

Hestia went to ask Lily and the others as soon as she woke up last night, but this was the answer she got in return.

After Freya achieved her "demand for alteration," Hestia huddled in a daze for a while. That was indeed the strongest power Freya could unleash when casting "Charm" in the lower realms, even affecting the divine might of the Virgin Goddess. It wasn't until almost sunset that Hestia finally came to her senses, but "everything had already changed."

The surrounding citizens enjoyed the goddess festival as if nothing had happened, while Hermes was nowhere to be found. In his place, Welf and others collapsed near the "tombstones" such as the great sword.

Hestia rushed over to check on them, only to find that Welf and the others were unharmed and had woken up shortly afterward.

And they forgot everything that had happened before.

Whether it was the attack by the Freya Familia, or anything about Bell.

"I never expected Freya's 'Charm (Power)' to be so ruthless..."

Stunned Hestia finally understood that Orario had now become a "closed world" created by the goddess Freya.

Upon returning to headquarters, Hestia, while avoiding confusion for Lily and the others, checked the situation and discovered that Bell had been erased from their memories. The person who rescued Lily from the Soma Familia was Welf; Welf was there to forge weapons for Mikoto, and Mikoto had single-handedly rescued Haruhime. These altered memories all lacked the crucial element of "Bell," and although a closer look would reveal numerous flaws, Lily and the others disregarded these inconsistencies, firmly believing that "nothing was wrong."

When everyone's thinking is aligned, this is a typical symptom of "seduction".

The Hestia Familia, which could only be established with Bell's presence, was something that Lily and the others had no doubt about.

Hestia and Bell's Familia no longer exist.

"...!"

Even though there were still many people nearby cleaning up after the Goddess Festival, Hestia sadly clutched her head. She wanted to scream, and had an urge to shout out all the anger, sadness, emptiness, and helplessness in her heart.

Bell must have experienced this feeling many times.

Although Hestia now shares the same stance as Bell, who always suffers when facing trials head-on, and only now truly understands his feelings, it brings her little comfort. The reason is that the boy who could share these feelings is no longer by her side.

"Hestia? What's wrong with you here?"

"...Hermes!"

Hestia looked up when she heard someone speaking to her from the side.

The god she had been searching for was standing right before her. Pretending to be cleaning up after the goddess festival with Lily and the others, but actually secretly observing the city, the person she most wanted to find was this god before her.

"Hermes...about yesterday..."

"Hmm? About yesterday?"

"Um, you... don't remember any of it...?"

"You're stammering like that. Don't be shy, just say it. After all, we've known each other for a long time, haven't we?"

Despite remaining rational and unaffected by the "charm," Hestia is still under surveillance. Freya, to prevent the destruction of her desired "closed world," will likely continue to monitor Hestia.

Someone must be listening to this conversation, so Hestia can't alert them. Facing the smiling Hermes, Hestia, after careful consideration... finally asked a question.

"...Do you know Bell?"

"Bear Grylls? Hey, who in the whole world doesn't know him?"

Hearing that cheerful voice, a glimmer of hope sprouted in Hestia's heart.

"He's a member of Miss Freya's household, the world's fastest white rabbit (record holder)!"

"...!"

But as expected, they soon fell into despair.

"Reaching Level 4 in just six months is unprecedented. However, he has also become a beacon of hope for all the gods (us) to fulfill their long-cherished wishes in the mortal realm. After all, this world yearns for heroes."

Hermes was the one who could still offer advice to Hestia until the eve of the world's transformation, and he was also the proxy god (strategist) who knew about Bell's grandfather. She had initially held onto a sliver of hope of contacting him—but it ultimately proved futile.

Hermes, who happily pointed out that "Bell is Freya's person," was also "bewitched."

Just as he had feared before the city was altered.

(Give this to me when the time is right... Don't give it to me right away...)

Hestia clutched the note hidden in her hand tightly.

(Is this what you mean by "I will be your enemy"? Hermes. Once you and the other gods (Hephaestus and the others) discover my treacherous intentions, will you become my enemy...?)

The people and gods, both under the control of "Enchantment," have received an order: anyone found attempting to disrupt Freya's "closed world" must be eliminated. Even if Hermes were given the note he personally wrote now, he would likely become expressionless and subdue Hestia on the spot. The "Hermes before the alteration" had already anticipated this outcome.

There is no one we can rely on right now.

There is currently no way to break the deadlock.

Like Bell, Hestia was also in the clutches of the goddess Freya, isolated and helpless.

In terms of the game itself, this match can be considered a lost cause.

"As expected of Miss Freya, she was able to pick out such an excellent familiar at a glance. The title of Soul Collector is indeed well-deserved."

"It's quite surprising, Hestia, that you actually call Bell by his first name."

“…………”

"When did you become so close to him... Hey, Hestia? What's wrong? You look so pale."

Hermes, who had been cheerful, now wore a questioning expression.

Hestia could no longer look him in the eye and lowered her head.

"...It's nothing...nothing's wrong..."

"Hestia?"

"Sorry, Hermes... I have to go now."

Hestia cast aside her former cheerfulness and walked away from Hermes with dejected, slow steps.

The noise on the street tormented her, the cheerful laughter annoyed her, and the city, where she didn't recognize the goddess's kin (Bell of Hestia), broke her heart.

Bell was in far more pain than he was.

The thought of it made her feel terrible.

Hestia, trapped in a dead end after her cherished possessions were taken away, was filled with bitterness.

At this moment──

"...That is..."

Looking up, I suddenly saw a familiar figure in the distance.

Hestia stood up, and after some thought, took a step forward.

He reminisced about the path he, Bell, and "that girl" had walked together.

She climbed the steps to the massive city wall.

“…………”

A young girl was standing there.

Her long, golden hair swayed gently in the autumn breeze.

Looking at this beautiful scene, which resembled a masterpiece yet seemed somewhat lonely, Hestia opened her mouth and called out.

"Miss Warren...?"

"...The goddess Hestia?"

Since the most crucial boy (Bell) is missing, the two should have no interaction or develop a completely different relationship, but at this moment they are calling each other's names just like before.

Faced with this ridiculous and absurd reality, Hestia wanted to laugh but couldn't.

"what are you doing here?"

"……I have no idea."

"have no idea?"

"Yes... I don't understand... why I came here... I feel like I'm looking for something... I really want to come here to see someone."

In response to Hestia's question, Ais gave an answer that even she herself couldn't understand.

Hestia keenly saw through this affection and thought Ais remembered Bell, but she was soon greatly disappointed.

Because those beautiful golden eyes have been violated by "shards of silver light".

As the angle changes, glimpses of silvery fragments can be seen, further proving that Ais has also been affected by the "charm".

Even the gods were cursed into obedient slaves, and no matter how "unique" Ais was, a mere girl naturally couldn't escape it.