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

Page 1310

"There's nobody around...?"

This is still the "Seventh District" in the northwest of the city.

Ryu did deliberately choose a secluded route to move, but the problem was that she couldn't sense the presence of anyone around her. Even inside the house. The situation was like receiving an evacuation alarm—no, it was more like a "barrier to prevent outsiders from entering" had been set up nearby.

It was as if all the people in the entire area had vanished without a trace, leaving behind a huge "space".

(Is this a trap? I have to get out of here quickly—)

Feeling a sense of foreboding, Ryu was about to turn around and leave quickly—

"—!! Anya!?"

I happened to see my tavern colleagues following behind [Goddess Chariot].

—How long have I been chasing after that silhouette?

Anya, who was silently following behind her biological brother, thought to herself as she looked at the figure in front of her.

Anya Fromo has no "family," but only if Ellen is excluded.

It was a very distant memory. In short, Anya couldn't remember why she didn't have parents, or perhaps she simply refused to recall it. She only vaguely remembered being born into a relatively happy family, and when she came to her senses, she found herself amidst vast ruins.

So Anya and her brother depended on each other for survival.

To be precise, Anya has always been a "parasite" on Eren.

Faced with thugs unbound by order, monsters that know nothing of humanity, and plunderers who will not hesitate to take everything from young children, the hot-tempered older brother resolutely resists and defeats the enemies, while Anya can only cry in fear.

Anya always seeks her brother's protection because the only bond she has left is with "family," so she clings to him, craving warmth. But Anya is also well aware that Allen is very impatient with her.

My brother's eyes have twisted countless times from frustration.

It wouldn't be surprising if he were to throw a punch at Anya at any time.

Now Anya understands that the reason her brother didn't abandon her was simply because he was a child at the time.

In a desolate corner of the city where the two had lived for some time, a bronze orc statue, rusted from sun and rain, stood by the roadside, looking down at Anya and her companion, asking:

Lost and helpless kittens

Where do you live?

Anya and her brother, who were always crying and didn't know how to answer, one day met a "goddess".

"Come with me."

After seeing the two "souls," especially when looking at Allen, the goddess Freya narrowed her eyes and gently extended her hand.

Faced with her unprecedented beauty and supreme divinity, Anya trembled with fear, clutching her brother's clothes tightly. Allen, on the other hand, silently held the goddess's hand.

From that day on, Anya's life changed drastically.

The two accepted the "blessing" and became part of the Freya Familia. After being brought to the labyrinth city (Oario), they were subjected to a horrific "baptism." Even though they were provided with food, clothing, and shelter, their lives were filled with battles and injuries far more severe than when they were in the ruins. Anya was constantly beaten until she coughed up blood and filth, collapsing from exhaustion. Several times she wanted to escape. The battles in the wilderness were a psychological trauma for Anya, and she understood that only those truly loyal to the goddess could persevere. Besides them, only those with exceptional talent, or those like her who possessed an "irreplaceable presence" other than the goddess (Freya), could continue fighting.

As Freya appreciated him, Allen gradually began to stand out over time.

He quickly adapted to life in the "battlefield" and rose to Lv.2 in just one year.

Therefore, Anya had no time to say anything discouraging. In order to avoid being left behind by her brother, she took the lead and rushed into the "courtyard" to fight to the death.

Anya longs to have a "family".

Even after joining the Familia, her bond with Eren remains different from that of others.

Because Anya was still a lost kitten, no matter how much Allen disliked her, she still insisted on not letting go of Allen's hand, and firmly believed that if she let go, she would really be helpless.

Orario was in its "Dark Ages" back then, and even members of the Freya Familia could easily perish. Anya made friends within the faction, but often those friends would be dead the next day. Therefore, the members were always on edge, with no energy left to care for others, and they were often verbally abusive towards the weak. Only a few, including "a certain dwarf captain," were willing to care for Anya, and even fewer members would speak to her. Conversely, Anya was so single-mindedly focused on pursuing Eren that she was oblivious to everyone else.

Anya desperately chased after Allen.

No matter how others tried to persuade her, she just wanted to stay by Allen's side.

After that, Allen was promoted to Lv·3, while Anya was promoted to Lv·2.

The brother was given the glorious title of "Chariot of the Goddess" by the gods, and the sister who refused to leave her brother's side was given the title of "Vana Alfie, the Chariot's Doppelganger".

Ultimately, it reached its limit.

As always, Anya refused to heed Allen's continued protests and insisted on participating in the "expedition" to the deeper realms, nearly losing her life in the process.

Allen was also implicated and seriously injured.

If it were just Allen alone, he would never have lost to his opponent. It's all Anya's fault.

Genius versus mediocrity: Allen is clearly the former, while Anya is the latter.

Even among siblings, there exists a formidable wall of talent, a cruel and undeniable difference. Anya's speed is simply no match for Eren's.

Allen teetered on the brink of death because of Anya's actions, but after he recovered—

He said some harsh words to Anya in front of her.

"Useless trash, don't ever show your face in front of me again."

That day, Allen made a clear and unequivocal assertion.

When Anya saw Allen's icy gaze, she couldn't help but let out a desperate scream.

She cried and screamed desperately, begging for forgiveness, clinging tightly to Allen's body, but was still ruthlessly kicked to the ground.

"I don't need you anymore."

The chief goddess (Freya) also made this declaration.

On one side is the precious "fierce warrior," and on the other is a half-baked idiot. Anyone with eyes can see who should be kept. Faced with the useless (Anya) stumbling block who almost killed her beloved (Eren), the goddess revealed a faint smile and ruthlessly eliminated her.

Freya wanted Ellen; Anya was "superfluous" from the very beginning.

The foolish Anya didn't realize this until her brother was taken away by the goddess. But before her uncontrollable emotions could turn into hatred, her heart was already overwhelmed by sorrow, and she collapsed to the ground in tears.

Tears fell like rain, turning her into a weeping mess.

No matter how much Anya stretched her hand forward, her brother no longer turned to look at her.

The lost kitten lost its last family and became an "abandoned cat" from that day on.

After being driven out of the headquarters, she let the rain pelt her body and soon knelt down on the ground.

The abandoned cat was dirty, pathetic, and lost; no one cared about her.

It was during a "dark period," and the city was filled with indifferent people.

Anya couldn't tell whether the blurred vision was from tears or rain, and she turned into a doll waiting to be scrapped.

Just then—a warm hand was suddenly reached out to her.

"Are you okay?"

The newcomer was a girl with long, light gray hair.

The hand did not belong to Anya's long-awaited brother, but to the girl before her.

"You'll catch a cold if you keep doing this. Would you like to come to our house?"

The girl smiled at Anya, who showed no reaction.

Without asking any questions, she gave Anya "home" and "family".

The girl's name was Seele Frova.

"Our home is called the Abundant Mistress—"

"This is it."

"!"

Anya was brought back to her senses by Allen's voice.

This place is located near the center of the northwest district, and it is an empty square.

If there's anything unnatural about this place, it's that it's completely empty. Because Anya was lost in her memories, she hadn't noticed that the area had been cleared out. This is probably... most likely through the power of "charm."

A goddess wearing a long robe stood in the center of the square, as if confirming Anya's prediction.

"Freya, goddess..."

Even though they were some distance apart, and even though she deliberately concealed her identity, Anya could still recognize the goddess's "beauty" at a glance.

Anya felt a tightness in her throat and managed to squeeze out a hoarse voice. The memory of being abandoned by the other person (psychological trauma) awakened the fear deep within her heart.

A faint rumble of thunder echoed in the gloomy sky, suggesting that rain might begin soon.

"Come here, Anya."

Faced with the sight of Allen standing by Freya's side, waiting for her orders, a sense of frustration welled up within her, and Anya slowly walked forward.

She stopped when she approached five meters. For Anya at that moment, that distance was irreparable.

Beneath the pulled-down hood, Freya narrowed her silver eyes slightly.

"I'll still say it's been a long time. Although it's not really for me, from your perspective, it really has been a long time since we last met."

"...?"

"Have you been eating properly? You don't look well. Did something go wrong?"

Hearing those incomprehensible words, Anya was completely bewildered.

Having abandoned her in the past, she now contradictorily speaks of concern, every word of which is utterly perplexing. Driven by the fear of being unable to contend with the gods with human wisdom, Anya completely lost the freedom to speak.

Freya smiled sweetly at Anya, who had remained silent for a long time, and then got to the "topic".

"Do you want to forget everything because I've 'bewitched' you, or do you want to keep your mouth shut?"

“Eh…?”

"It means I'm giving you a chance to choose whether or not you want to become my 'puppet'."

The instant I heard those words.

Anya's almond-shaped eyes widened, and she regained her strength in both hands.

She suppressed her awe of the goddess, clenched her fists, and stared straight ahead.

It was like an abandoned stray cat showing hostility towards its former owner, full of murderous intent.

"Freya, what exactly are you trying to do, meow!?"

"To realize a birdcage surrounded by love, I want to create a 'closed world'."

"Why did you turn Orario into this, meow!?"

"Because I have something I want, and I have to twist everything to get it."

Even after hearing the answer, the foolish Anya still couldn't fathom Freya's divine will.

However, when she realized that the situation was just as Mia had said, that Freya had actively created "this distorted world," there was only one thing she wanted to confirm.

"Where did you take Seele, meow!?"

A longing for a young girl. An abandoned cat that cherishes its "family" more than anyone else, and will never easily back down for its beloved.

Anya's anger flared instantly, and she shouted at the top of her lungs to question him.

"Please answer me! Goddess Freya!!"

The roar shook the very air.

After the sharp rebuke, which seemed to echo throughout every corner of the city, ended, the square fell into a temporary silence.

Under the shadow cast by the hood, Freya's expression vanished.

Anya did not look away for a moment, continuing to gaze at the goddess.

Allen, who was standing by, also didn't interrupt.

But his eyes revealed that he knew his sister's reaction could not be used for "interrogation".

"She is no longer alive—though that was my intended answer."

The lips hidden in the shadows slowly parted.