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

The city was shrouded in darkness.

The first-tier adventurers of the Freya Familia gathered in a room somewhere in the Battlefield. The four Alfred brothers sat on chairs or tables, Allen leaned against the wall with an uninterested expression, and Otto stood silently to the side. This gathering was to impeach the white elf for excessively abusing the youth.

Hedin, who was directly involved, scoffed at Hegny's anger.

"What kind of knight nonsense are you spouting, you idiot? Do you want to be mocked by the gods in some ridiculous way, like saying, 'Mr. Evil King, let's take a picture together'?"

"This...this has absolutely nothing to do with the Evil King...!"

After his dark past was exposed, Hegny's eyes welled up with tears, and his manner of speaking immediately returned to normal.

"Or have you developed feelings for that silly rabbit? And decided to be his friend?"

"Friend!? That's not true at all! That human is indeed a kind-hearted person. No matter how confused I am, I can still tell he's willing to chat with me, but he's at most an apprentice...! Wait, but then again... this feeling is... an irreplaceable best friend?"

The dark elf, who was inherently shy and weak, overreacted upon hearing the word "friend" and wandered into a sea of ​​fantasies.

The four Alflick brothers glared at Hegny, who was lost in thought, with disgust, and then questioned him.

"The goddess Freya has indeed entrusted you with Bell Crane's 'education,' Hedin."

"But putting that aside, your loss of control has become increasingly obvious these past few days."

"Don't try to fool me with the dark elf (idiot)."

"Since you insist that you are not wrong, then explain yourself clearly."

"If you can't convince us, we'll tear you to pieces"—Herdin sighed with considerable disappointment at the implied meaning of the Lilliputian quadruplets.

Are you all blind?

""""What did you say?""""

"At this moment, the one who is forced into a corner in this 'closed world' is not that stupid rabbit, but the goddess Freya."

"!!"

Not only the four Alfred brothers, but even Hegney and Allen were stunned by this statement.

"Although Bell Crane was already exhausted, he never gave in and instead disturbed the goddess's sacred heart."

After speaking, Hedin looked at the only boar-man who remained expressionless.

Under the watchful eyes of Alfredo and the others, Otto, Freya's personal attendant, seemed to know the truth and answered honestly with an open and honest attitude.

"...Lately, the goddess Freya has indeed been spending more and more time in deep thought."

The goddess simply sat by the window gazing at the sky, or watching the young men fighting in the fields, ignoring the words of her attendants, even losing her appetite, but it was as if she were asking and answering herself—Otta then added.

Alfred and the others were all greatly alarmed.

"The foolish rabbit's will is strong enough to resist 'charm,' and even makes the goddess uneasy. To improve this situation, we must force him to give in as soon as possible."

Hedin, who was already regarded by everyone as a commander or strategist, fell silent after his words, as did Hegnie, Alfred, and others.

After leaving the members who participated in the "baptism" speechless, Hedin looked at Allen.

"Stupid cat, starting tomorrow you'll be participating in the 'baptism' too."

"My job now is to monitor the tavern. You blockhead, what are you trying to do by letting that dwarf, who's practically a monster, run rampant?"

"Fool, do you still want to be a 'clown'? Stop using Mia as an excuse to run away."

"!"

"You've already dealt with the tavern matter with the goddess Freya, haven't you? In other words, there's no need for you, a first-class adventurer, to personally handle it now; you can leave it to Pain and the others to keep an eye on things."

Allen was speechless for a moment, as if the elf had seen through his thoughts.

The sharp-tongued Hedin approached the cat-man who was shorter than him and brought his face close to the other's.

"Or are you still hung up on that stupid 'sister' you abandoned back then?"

"Are you looking to die, you bug?"

Allen glared at him menacingly.

An ordinary person would have been so frightened that their legs would have gone weak, but Hedin showed no fear on his face.

"The supreme deity is in danger; obey my orders."

"…………spit!"

Faced with the eyes hidden behind the glasses, it was Allen who turned his face away first.

After he smacked his lips—a tacit agreement—he impatiently reached out and shoved Hedin away.

The four brothers, Hegney and Alfred, who witnessed this scene, were also unable to protest.

Their first priority was ultimately Freya, and they had to protect the goddess's heart.

Hedin, who had been pushed aside, straightened his clothes and looked at the boar-man one last time.

"Oh, you too, crush the stupid rabbit with your steel sword."

"...There's no need for me to get involved. Hedin, I'll leave it to you."

Wu Ren was naturally inarticulate.

After firmly refusing the request, he, as the commander of the regiment, gave orders to Hedin.

Their earth-red eyes met each other's coral-red eyes.

Hedin ultimately abandoned the idea of ​​bringing Otto into the plan.

"...Starting tomorrow, we must corner that stupid rabbit. No one is allowed to show him any mercy; we must completely crush him."

He pushed up his glasses slightly and coldly issued the order.

*

"The Freya Familia's movements have changed...?"

Asphi, who was on the city wall monitoring the "battlefield," muttered to herself in confusion.

The overcast sky cast a gloomy shadow over the day. After the Goddess Festival ended, the citizens were completely unaware that their hearts had been twisted by the power of "charm," and they all returned to their normal daily lives. Only the "Omnipotent One" was still fighting alone.

This is a mission-driven battle to get the labyrinth city of Orario back on track.

(Although we already knew from previous intelligence that Bell Craney was forced to fight on the "battlefield" day after day... but this situation is different now...!)

Asphie donned the black helmet (Hades' Helmet) to maintain her "transparent state," cautiously peering through a telescope (a magical artifact)—silently praying she wouldn't be discovered by the people at the very top of the tower (the Tower of Babel)—only to be terrified by the sight before her. Even from a distance, she could almost hear Bell's screams and his painful groans.

The cat-people's high-speed spears, the dwarves' continuous attacks, the dark elves' deadly swordsmanship, and the white elves' terrifying "magic" imprisoned the boy in a storm of blood and destruction.

(The battle of "baptism" seems unusually intense, and there seems to be a lack of composure... almost as if they are deeply anxious? They are the Freya Familia, after all.)

The goddess and her retinue have achieved a "great victory".

They created a perfect "closed world," building a sturdy "cage" to imprison the boy. Moreover, the other side had long since discovered that Asphie had infiltrated the city and laid a trap; on the other hand, the second-level adventurer, who could only secretly monitor like this, had no way to turn the tide on his own.

Indeed, even if you searched the entire lower realm, no one could pose a threat to the goddess and her kin.

(So...an "abnormal situation" has occurred? Something has happened that could shake the [Family]...no, it could threaten the goddess Freya?)

If this is true, the only reason is the key figure at the heart of it all (Bell Crane).

During the Ishtar Familia incident, the chief god (Hermes) stated that "charm might be ineffective against Bell." Otherwise, why wouldn't Ishtar have used the charmed Bell as a "shield" against Freya when the Freya Familia launched a thunderous attack on the pleasure quarters, plunging the area into flames?

Although Asphie dismissed the idea at the time, believing it impossible for anyone to resist the "allure" of the "goddess of beauty," the current situation suggests that this speculation is highly credible.

It's likely that the Freya Familia lost patience with Bell, who had repeatedly and successfully resisted "charm" and refused to submit, which led them to resort to extreme measures.

Or perhaps Bell himself gradually becomes a dangerous factor that threatens the "closed world".

"Bell Crane... just who are you...?"

Exhausted both physically and mentally, Asphie couldn't help but speak her mind.

This young man became the catalyst. The events centered around him, including the heretical children's unrest, shook the world. Conversely, this figure may have the qualifications to be called a "hero."

Asphie, who desperately wanted to avoid trouble but was inherently destined for a life of toil, longed to cry and beg Bell to let her go—but she also knew that asking Bell for help was unreasonable, and in truth, the blame didn't lie with Bell at all.

Asphi felt both sympathy and despair for the boy who was naturally prone to attracting trouble, so she pinched the back of her hand hard to interrupt her increasingly negative thoughts.

(In short! Including the [Goddess Chariot] and others who can be seen from here, the [Warrior (King)] should also be by the side of the main god...! Judging from the current situation that all the first-level adventurers are gathered at the main camp (headquarters), the surveillance network is just slightly lax! Now is a great opportunity to take action...!)

Once the Level 1 adventurers (these monsters) are gone, Asphie's whereabouts will be less likely to be discovered.

What are the Freya Familia? What are the "Fierce Warriors"? She's an "All-rounder," capable of shaking off even fellow Level 2 adventurers. Although being surrounded by Level 4 adventurers would undoubtedly lead to her failure without any chance of fighting back, Asphie is determined to persevere.

"Damn it!" she cursed inwardly in a fit of despair, then silently and swiftly ran away.

Although there were very few, she began searching for "gods she could cooperate with" in the city.

*

"Sigh... I'm such a useless god..."

Hestia was very depressed.

Under the overcast sky where the setting sun was covered by dark clouds, she staggered down the corridor of the headquarters, eventually unable to bear the feeling of powerlessness in her heart, and leaned on a pillar next to her.

She's been like this ever since Uranus drove her back.

Hestia had been absent from work for several days, and the manager of the potato ball shop was so angry that he came to her door to vent his anger. As for the blacksmith goddess (Hephaestus), she was probably also losing patience. The prospect of being forcibly fired was drawing ever closer. Later, she was even scolded by the unsuspecting Lily, "Please go to work! You're just getting in the way if you stay at home." Hestia wasn't looking for an excuse to skip work; she simply couldn't abandon her beloved young servant and return to her daily life.

"Bell..."

The thought of Bell being in dire straits filled Hestia with anguish—just then, a sound rang out.

"Huh? What's this? A note...?"

Where did this come from? Did it fall from your hand?

Faced with the bizarre phenomenon of a seemingly invisible "transparent person" leaving a note in front of her, Hestia tilted her head and picked up the note.

"Something forgotten in the workshop...?"

Hestia unfolded the slip of paper and read aloud the Common Language written on it.

Seeing the red lettering that seemed to be a reminder not to forget this matter, Hestia's eyes widened.

"Welf! Welf, are you there?!"

Then she shouted at the top of her lungs and hurried through the house.

Hestia knew very well that the Freya Familia was still hiding in the shadows, monitoring her every move. Therefore, she used the "note" as an excuse to pretend that she was a forgetful and confused goddess.

"Lord Welf should be in the storeroom on the first floor," a voice popped out from the kitchen to remind her. Hestia thanked him and started walking.

Then, in the warehouse, they saw the young blacksmith carrying his luggage.

"Welf! Could you give me the key to the workshop? I'd like to use it for a bit!"

"Oh, it's you...?"

"Hey, why are you looking so disgusted?! What kind of person do you take me for?!"

"Because I was worried you'd break the forging tools... By the way, what do you want to do with the workshop?"

"I can't find the IOU for 200 million Faris anywhere! It's possible it accidentally wandered into your workshop when we moved in!"

"That doesn't sound good..."

Faced with Hestia's loud voice, which seemed to be deliberately meant for those outside to hear, Welf reluctantly handed over the workshop key.

"Please be careful not to lose it," Welf reminded her. "Don't worry!" Hestia immediately responded with a thumbs up.

"...So, what are you doing, Welf?"

"Actually, I keep all my works to date in the basement of my workshop, but because there isn't enough space, I'm temporarily storing some items in the warehouse and plan to organize them later."

The items moved into the warehouse included weapons wrapped in cloth, wooden crates filled with armor, and the "Demon Sword." Hestia knew that displaying these things directly outside was quite intimidating... Just then, she noticed Welf looking down at the various suits of armor in his hands that were almost completely ruined.

"Welf...?"

"...Goddess Hestia, why would I make light armor?"

Currently, there are no members in the Hestia Familia who habitually use light armor.

Faced with that pile of armor that neither Lily, Mikoto, nor Haruhime would use, Hestia's eyes widened.

"No matter how hard I try, I can't remember who these pieces of equipment were made for... but I can tell that I really put my heart into forging them."

Welf, who should have no idea what happened, looked at the armor and said this.

For a fleeting moment, Hestia almost burst into tears.