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

Freya possesses eyes called "Insight Eyes" that can see through the essence of the "souls" of those in the underworld.

This was not forbidden among the gods, and it cannot be considered an incomparably powerful "divine power (Arcanum)." It is merely a quality, an innate ability, and therefore not subject to prohibitions. She has been using these eyes since the beginning to transport the dead from the lower realms... especially those who died in battle and were hailed as heroes, to her residence in the heavens.

It can also be said to be her collection.

With these eyes, she can grasp the color of the soul of the deceased one step ahead of any god, and take the object of her choice into her arms.

After death, those who accept the "Judgment of God" made by her own hands are lucky.

Facing death, the people who still caught her eye were truly lucky.

Because by doing so, she, who will have the honor of being called the "Goddess of Beauty", will be loved forever.

Even though it was an infinite bondage that deprived freedom.

Freya, the goddess of love and beauty.

A goddess of beauty who possesses both positive and negative divinity, a bold and cruel goddess.

"To be stronger, more proportionate...that is your duty."

Like other gods, even after abandoning her heavenly domain, including her own residence, and descending to the mortal realm at will, Freya's interests remained unchanged. She saw through the essence, talents, and brilliance of children with her eyes, adding those with superior "souls" to her "familia."

No one said no. No one could say no.

No one in the world can resist Freya's enchanting beauty.

Therefore, the strength of her [Family] members is vastly different from that of others. [Freya's Family] also holds a place among the strongest [Families] in this labyrinth city.

Loki, who knew of the power in her eyes, even called it "a fucking cheat ability."

"I also really like men who are strong welders, you know?"

Seeing Bell was purely accidental.

One morning, her silver eyes caught sight of him walking down the street.

——I want it so much.

She thought that the instant she glanced at it.

She hadn't felt this way in a long time. Her whole body trembled with excitement, a dull ache throbbed in her lower abdomen, and a dazed breath escaped from deep within her throat. Just like her usual reaction, she wanted to possess it, a hideous yet childlike pure desire welling up within her.

Bell has a color that Freya's eyes have never seen before. It is transparent.

What color will it turn next, or will it remain transparent forever? The gods never lose interest when faced with the "unknown".

It’s not that this is the reason.

But Freya wanted to observe him for a while. It would certainly be interesting to let him take on her own colors, but she figured it wouldn't be too late to wait and see what happened first.

"I really look forward to seeing how strong you become, how much radiance you radiate... and what color you become."

The eyes that silently watched Bell's retreating figure were indeed filled with love. However, it was a distorted love.

Freya held her curved index finger between her seductive lips and bit it gently.

The surroundings were suddenly filled with sentimental fragrance.

"Oh dear?...Heh, he found out again?"

Ahead, Bell, now tiny, suddenly stopped and kept turning her head.

He looked as if he was uneasy and trying to find something. Freya narrowed her eyes, her smile deepening.

It was the same when she first fell in love with him on West Street. Freya complied with the demands of her burning, excited body, fixing her gaze on him, only to be noticed by him. It seemed his senses were more acute than she had imagined.

Or perhaps, the way she was looking at the boy with her "eyes" was too unrestrained?

(I thought they seemed to lack talent compared to previous children... but they're actually quite good. Or perhaps this, including this, is all part of "growth"? Hehe, how interesting...)

To be honest, Freya could have made him hers the first time she met him.

Judging from his intimate conversations with women, it should be easy to win him over. Even though she has already received the "favor" of other gods, Freya is confident that she can still win him over.

She didn't do that because she wasn't sure who the god behind the boy was—after all, she didn't want to fight a direct confrontation with an opponent of the same level as the Loki Familia.

Then, seeing his innocent smile might have made Freya lose her malice and lose interest in forcing him.

(I'm sorry Hestia, but... I'll take that child.)

Most importantly, she wanted to try a different approach this time; observing from the sidelines might not be bad either. That was Freya's thought.

Holding a cat on your lap like a beloved pet is no longer a novelty. Sometimes it's time to let it out into the yard and play to its heart's content.

After all, that place is ultimately his own garden.

You can make a move whenever you want.

"I can't wait to make you mine, but... my feelings are so complicated, I don't really want you to come. Maybe this is the time when my heart is most moved."

As always, my interest in Belle will gradually fade after I get her, and one day I'll get tired of her. My favorite toy will become just a doll displayed in the cupboard as decoration. I'll take her out of the cupboard when I feel like it, play with her and cherish her, and then put her back.

The initial anticipation and joy will gradually wear off. Feelings will deteriorate over time.

Just like love. After reaching the peak, it only slowly declines. Love that has reached its complete end cannot be an object of longing.

Freya didn't feel empty at all.

That's what love is all about, and she is the goddess of love.

Therefore, Freya believes it's better to have more collectibles displayed in the cabinet.

She brushed a strand of hair that had brushed against her cheek and tucked it behind her ear.

Her bare shoulders looked dreamlike and ethereal under the moonlight, like a beautiful woman emerging from the water.

Freya gazed at Bell with love, her eyes occasionally revealing the look of a girl in love.

"...But that makes sense. Maybe it's close enough for you to use 'magic' now."

She gently placed her index finger on her delicate chin, lost in thought.

Although Freya's "eyes" cannot discern the [ability values] inscribed by other gods, they can still get a general idea from the color and intensity of the light.

Upon closer inspection, it became clear that Bell's [magic power] hadn't been factored in. Freya, seeing this, felt somewhat uneasy.

She immediately decided to intervene.

"Is this okay?"

A bookshelf sat steadily in the corner of the room. It was wide and tall, large enough to easily cover her body.

Her slender fingers reached towards the middle of the bookshelf and hooked onto the spine of a heavy book. The book fell to the ground with a thud and landed in her hand.

Freya flipped through the pages to confirm the text, then nodded in satisfaction.

"Oh it."

"exist."

When she called a name, a serious voice responded.

A figure stood beside the entrance door; the person seemed to have been in the room from the beginning.

A beastman with short, reddish-brown hair and boar ears. A giant with a body as hard as rock, over two meters tall. Standing like a statue, he waited like a watchdog for his master Freya's next words.

"Please bring this book..."

Freya was about to hand over the book when she swallowed back the words she was about to say.

She closed her lips, withdrew her arm, and stared at the book.

"What's wrong, sir?"

"...Hehe, no, it's nothing. Forget about it."

"Yes."

After Otto gave a brief reply, Freya stopped paying attention to him and smiled at the book in her hand.

Yes. There's no need for your cherished subordinates to specially bring the book over.

If this burly man appeared before him and silently handed him the book, the boy would be terrified. No, I really want to laugh.

You don't need to hand it to him yourself. As long as he can get it, that's fine.

Just leave it there.

I fell in love with him at first sight, and that was the path that led to our one-sided encounter.

The shop that operates right next to that road.

As long as it's left there, it will eventually end up in his hands no matter what.

In the dimly lit room, Freya chuckled softly under the watchful eyes of her attendants.

●

“Huh!”

Seele sneezed cutely.

She covered her mouth and nose with her hand, her face quickly turning bright red. She turned to look around; the shop staff were all staring at her. Her cheeks flushed even more, and she couldn't help but lower her head.

"Seele, do you have a cold?"

"No, no. I'm fine, nothing's wrong."

When asked by the Elf Liu, Seele blushed and gave a wry smile.

As she waved her hands, the light gray hair hanging down from her bun like a tail swayed gently.

"Is someone talking about Seele, Meow Cheng?"

"The answer is obvious... Meow, it's that adventurous boy, Meow."

"...I'm going to get angry, Koro?"

Seele raised her eyebrows slightly and glared at the cat-man who was smiling at her with ill intent.

The girl called Chloe still smiled and glanced at her sideways at her reaction. Not only that, but as she moved the tables in the shop, her tail, which was sticking out of her skirt, wagged happily.

Seele sighed.

"But that adventurer brother didn't show up yesterday—"

"He always eats all of Seele's love bento and comes back with an empty basket, meow—"

"It's a shame that Seele left work early to go find the boy and say 'meow'—"

"I didn't go to see him!"

To tidy up the store, colleagues carrying tables around launched a barrage of attacks from all directions. Seele yelled in the middle of the store, but the women, scurrying around like cockroaches, just laughed and weren't afraid at all.

"Seele, it's alright. Mr. Craney isn't the kind of person who would take Seele's feelings lightly. He must have just been late coming back from the dungeon yesterday."

"Ryu, what you said isn't quite right either... Hmm, never mind."

Seeing Seele's dejected and heartbroken expression, Ryu looked at her in bewilderment. Being overly serious, she couldn't grasp Seele's inner thoughts: "You've all misunderstood."

Ever since she gave Bell his lunchbox last time, Seele has gotten into the habit of making him lunch herself every day. She doesn't know why, but somehow, influenced by others, she's inexplicably become like this.

Normally, Bell would finish his lunch in the dungeon and return the empty basket that same evening, but he didn't come yesterday, which caused Seele to be teased by the shopkeepers like this the next morning.

"Could it be that he kicked the bucket in the dungeon, meow?"

"Hey, Anya, that's too hasty! That adventurer wouldn't abandon Seele and die!"

"I'm tired..."

"Seele, cheer up. Mr. Craney will be alright."

"No, Ryu, that's not what I meant..."

"Ryu is right, meow. A boy like that can't possibly die, meow. In fact, I don't want him to die, meow. If he died, I'd be heartbroken..."

A commotion immediately arose among the crowd.

"No way..." "Even Chloe..." Whispers began to circulate throughout the store.

Seele seemed to have attracted some chaos, exclaiming, "Huh? Huh?" and shaking her head from side to side with wide eyes.

"The boy is someone that can be replaced by a cat... Yes, where can you find a cat person who can replace him..."

"K-Kroi? What are you talking about...?"

Seele asked the orc girl who was muttering to herself absentmindedly.