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

Although Hestia didn't possess the adventurer's experience of the boy (Bell), she could still sense that the Freya Familia was watching her from somewhere. To be precise, the person responsible for monitoring her was deliberately revealing their location as a "warning" to Hestia.

Just as Hestia had predicted, the other party planned to monitor her 24 hours a day.

(Should I back down...? No, since my every move is under their control, I can only act under their noses! The worst thing I can do is cower like a turtle!)

Hestia shook her head vigorously and clenched her fists.

She had been running around for days trying to find a flaw in Freya's "allure".

Bell remains alone to this day. Hestia, deeply distressed by Bell's plight, is determined not to let Freya have her way. To achieve this goal, she is willing to pretend to be a stranger to Bell again.

Having made up her mind, Hestia took the "proper route" this time, instead of the "secret passage" she had used before under the guidance of the "Fool".

If you want to report to Freya, go ahead; if you want to stop me, then bring it on! I'm sure I'll be lying flat in less than three seconds—Hestia thought to herself with a sense of utter despair.

Faced with Hestia's late-night visit, the staff looked very troubled. After some negotiation, they finally managed to persuade the staff to pass on a message and were allowed to leave.

This is the "Prayer Hall" located underground at the guild headquarters.

"Hestia, you really were able to resist Freya's 'charm' after all."

"So that's how it is...! Uranus, you're alright too...!?"

Hestia excitedly leaned her upper body toward Uranus, who was sitting on the altar throne and clearly uttered the word "bewitching".

For Hestia, Uranus, the creator god of the labyrinth city (Oario) and a high-ranking deity, was her last lifeline, so she was both moved and excited, and tears welled up in her eyes.

Although she was puzzled by the old man's reluctance to open his eyes, she decided to take this opportunity to discuss future strategies.

"Uranus, Hermes gave me a note about how to defeat Freya—"

"stop."

But they were immediately interrupted by that authoritative voice.

“Eh…?”

"Fels is here too. He's been affected by the 'Charm,' and even though he's completely unaware of it, he's no different from a spy right now. Once he hears that we're planning to destroy this 'closed world,' he'll immediately inform Freya's subordinates."

"Varied……!?"

Hestia looked around in surprise.

The altar was surrounded by unfathomable darkness, and the "Fool," Uranus's trusted aide, was nowhere to be seen. However, Hestia had a strange feeling that she seemed to see a figure in black robes fluttering gently, hiding in the deep shadows according to the rules set by "Enchantment."

Hestia, whose profile was illuminated by four torches, swallowed hard.

"In Orario, there is no place that is not under surveillance."

“No, that’s not the case…”

Hestia then realized how naive she had been.

She had thought that the surveillance agents couldn't infiltrate the "Hall of Prayer" and that she could discuss countermeasures with Uranus, but Freya had already seen through that.

Hestia now deeply realized that she was practically a public enemy in Orario, and that was no exaggeration.

After a moment of silence, Hestia offered her own perspective as if she wanted to continue struggling.

"Uranus... even if the scope is limited to Orario, this is still an act of 'invasion' by a god against the lower realms, and it should violate the original agreement between the gods (us)..."

"But ultimately, we cannot force Freya back to the heavens based solely on our one-sided account. She did not use 'divine power'."

Hestia tried to get the opinion of one of the first gods to descend to Earth, but received a cold reply.

"Initially, it was agreed that the gods could manage their [Families], cooperate with the mortals, and carry out their activities according to their respective powers. For example, Hephaestus is 'forging,' Soma is 'wine'... Freya's actions did not exceed the scope of 'beauty' either."

Even the gods were no match for the allure of the goddess of beauty.

Moreover, this has nothing to do with "divine power," so who would believe it?

With her slender arms, no different from those of ordinary mortals, Hephaestus forged one after another unparalleled weapons through "forging".

Soma's "brewing" refers to his ability to produce divine wine.

Freya's "beauty" is based on the same principle.

She relies on her natural appearance (talent) rather than "skills," that is, her "personal traits," so there is really no way to control her.

To put it extremely, Freya's mere presence alone could have a tremendous impact on those around her.

So she imposed restrictions on herself, and probably struggled with them, but this time she decided to fully exercise her power.

"That being said...! But doing that is still a foul, isn't it...!"

However, from Hestia's perspective, she was naturally very angry and even wanted to point at Freya and curse her out.

However, she also knew perfectly well that as a transcendent being, she had to know how to "think about the bigger picture".

Among the gods who descended to earth, the vast majority were motivated by a desire for amusement or to pass the time, and in principle, there was nothing wrong with that.

But the gods' original purpose... no, it should be called their true purpose—leaving aside the "evil gods" who pursued doom and destruction—was to find a way to bring "chosen ones" into this world.

That is, the so-called "hero".

The powers wielded by the gods can sometimes help the children, and sometimes they bring "trials." When these powers intertwine and merge, chaos is created, ultimately leading to the "unknown" that even the gods cannot predict.

The gods hoped that one day the world would find beings beyond the "unknown"—that is, "heroes" who would accomplish the feat of "saving the world".

(Could it be that Uranus also sees this as a kind of "trial"...!? Just like with "The Heretic," is he trying to force Bell to overcome this obstacle...!?)

That being said, reason and emotion cannot be compared, especially when it concerns one's own family (one's own children).

Hestia, who had cleverly seen through the old god's thoughts, glared angrily at Uranus, who had not opened his eyes yet.

"--Hestia, I advise you not to miss the point. What you should be worried about right now is not the power of 'charm,' nor this city that has changed its tune."

“Eh…?”

"It is the fact that Freya is willing to distort the world for the sake of a single existence, and the 'obsession' in her heart."

"!!"

Hestia's eyes widened when she heard Uranus utter the words Hermes had spoken before his memories were altered.

"Freya has always respected the workings of the lower realm and detested being queen more than anyone else. Even though she suffered from boredom, she still set limits for herself and upheld her inner pride."

Twisting the Netherworld, launching an "invasion".

As Uranus said, this should have been a major taboo for Freya.

Moreover, is doing this really in accordance with "etiquette" in the context of a game?

The answer is readily apparent with a little thought. In a game that combines strategy, luck, and immersion, what would happen if a god-like player effortlessly won in the end?

The answer is very simple. It's boredom; it makes you completely lose motivation.

What's more, this victory was achieved by seducing and winning over other gods. This situation can no longer be called a game; it's not even a minor tactic outside the game. If the gods (players) wanted to enjoy the game, this way of winning would be utterly empty, even laughable.

Therefore, Freya never broke the taboo, but at least she would abide by the proper "etiquette".

Of course, Freya has used her "charm" power to satisfy her own curiosity or because the dignity of children has been trampled on, but she would never use her own "beauty" to influence all the children and the gods, and do something that would be tantamount to infringing on the entire world.

"This goddess has broken free from her self-imposed limitations and inhibitions for the first time."

All for one child—all for Bell.

Hestia felt a chill run down her spine after hearing those words.

Indeed, just as Hermes said.

Hestia and the others misjudged the situation. Even Loki, who knows Freya very well, might not have noticed.

They misjudged the "scale" of Freya's feelings.

Driven by her obsession, she broke the taboo and disregarded the proper etiquette of the game, killing Hestia and the others with a single move.

Almost all the gods suffered defeats as a result (entering a dead end).

Unless she is willing to let go of her obsession, this incident cannot be resolved peacefully.

("Character"...this is Freya's fundamental principle, yet she is now willing to betray it for Bell...)

As a virgin goddess, Hestia is actually not very good at dealing with the amorous Freya.

Therefore, the two did not have much interaction, but in the celestial realm, they had heard that Freya was being pampered by the male gods who had their eyes on her, and was forced to live a life like a caged bird.

But much later, they realized that Freya was not "imprisoned," but rather "sealed."

The reason is that if Freya intended to, the Celestial Realm would become just like Orario is now, under her control.

"If that's the case... what should we do now...?"

After being awakened by Uranus, Hestia realized once again how desperate her current situation was.

The only way for Hestia to break the deadlock on her own right now is to use her "divine power" with the resolve to perish together with Freya and be sent back to the heavens.

However, she was certain that the other gods who had been "bewitched" would definitely try to stop her.

“…………”

Hestia looked down at her hands.

She held in her hand the note that her crush (Hermes) had entrusted to her, which she always carried with her.

(When exactly is the time you say it's ripe...? Hermes...)

Hermes had instructed him to give him the note when the time was right.

However, Hestia couldn't figure out what kind of timing she was referring to, and even believed that this "closed world"—that Freya's "obsession" would never let the time come and would eliminate all the variables.

Hestia felt she was about to succumb to the dark despair within her.

However, she rallied her spirits and gripped the note Hermes had entrusted to her tightly in her right hand.

"...Is that all you wanted to say, Hestia? If there's nothing else, leave. There's nothing you can do right now."

"Ah! Wait a minute! Uranus!"

Whether Uranus saw through Hestia's thoughts or not, he closed his eyes and dismissed her.

Hestia looked up sharply in response, but could not sway the old god's will.

"Even under these circumstances, I still have to take charge of the city and don't have time to waste on you alone."

"Uranus...!"

"It's late autumn now... Orario is colder than usual this year, so we need to prepare more firewood."

"...!"

Uranus coldly changed the subject, causing Hestia to gasp.

"Fels, let Hermes and his team take full responsibility for this year's firewood rationing."

The black-clad magician then emerged from the darkness surrounding the altar.

"No problem... but should we really leave it to Hermes' faction? After all, this is routine business for the Ganesha Familia."

"The military police (Ganesha Familia) are currently under the command of Freya Familia, and are not under my control. You are well aware of this, aren't you?"

"...Ah, you're right."

Perhaps bound by the rules of "charm," Fels turned a deaf ear to such an unusual statement and even affirmed it.

Stunned by the sight, Hestia fell silent.

"You should go now, Hestia."

With his eyes tightly closed, Uranus once again ordered Hestia to leave, and she turned away without a word.

She could clearly feel Fels's gaze during this time, so she could only keep her mouth shut and quickly walk out of the underground altar.

*

The dim sky gradually brightened, and the rising sun, symbolizing a brand new day, slowly ascended.

The dazzling morning sun shines down on the earth from the east.

The battle on the plains had already begun. Amidst the howls that echoed across the "battlefield plains," a roar emanating from a young boy was added.

Hedin glanced down through the window at Bell, who was fighting and still looked somewhat hesitant, but he quickly shifted his gaze forward.

"I'm sorry to have suddenly called everyone here. Could you please wait a moment?"

This is inside the main camp (headquarters), or more precisely, in the audience room adjacent to the shrine.

With the exception of one, all the first-class adventurers were summoned to see Freya. Even Otto, who was originally responsible for monitoring the Hestia Familia, temporarily delegated his duties to other members and also came to the scene.