"Huh!? You want my Bell-kun to et Freya!?"
Hestia’s eyes went wide. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing—especially from Hers, of all people.
The veins on her forehead started to bulge, and her cute face darkened instantly.
"Hers, are you seriously not joking right now?"
Seeing her face change so quickly, Hers felt the pressure mounting. Fast.
He forced a strained smile as he tried to explain. The last thing he wanted was to be carried out of here on a stretcher.
"Hestia, just hear out first. And Hephaestus, could you not stare at like that? I’m only here as a ssenger this ti, and I’ve got a very specific reason. You think I ca here because I wanted to?"
Hers, ever the master of self-preservation, knew better than to walk blindly into a trap like this—sothing Hephaestus could at least acknowledge.
Besides, she was a little curious about the reason he ntioned.
"Alright, Hers. We’ll listen—for now. Then we’ll decide if we’re kicking you out."
"Thank you, Hephaestus. Really."
Grateful for the montary reprieve, Hers quickly wiped the sweat from his brow.
That was a close call. He’d nearly been kicked out by Hestia, and if that happened, Freya’s child would probably show up next to finish the job.
Catching his breath, Hers cut to the chase.
"The only reason I’m the one delivering this ssage... is because Freya made a decision."
"A decision?"
Hestia looked montarily puzzled, but Hephaestus’s expression changed instantly.
"Freya’s decided to side with the Guild!?"
"!?"
Hestia’s eyes flew open again as realization hit. Freya had chosen a side?
Hers nodded with a helpless look.
"Yes. Freya has pledged herself to the Guild. She’s sworn to Ouranos that she’ll help the Guild manage Orario."
Hestia was left speechless. Her mouth hung open for a second before her face turned red with frustration and she finally burst out:
"She’s so an!"
She imdiately understood why Freya had done it. And it was precisely because she understood that reason all too well that it left her feeling humiliated and infuriated at such a shaless move.
"Sigh..."
Hephaestus could only shake her head. That was a brutal play.
They had assud Freya, as the head of the strongest Familia in Orario, would be cautious about declaring a side. In the past, she’d always stayed neutral, much like Hers.
Who would’ve thought she’d make such a reckless decision just to chase after Bell?
She glanced at Hestia, who was still frozen in disbelief, gave a slight shake of her head, and turned to Hers.
"So, eting Bell is the condition Freya set for siding with the Guild?"
"Exactly."
Hers nodded quickly.
That response made Hephaestus fully realize just how formidable Freya truly was.
Bell had always been extrely cautious in Orario, taking care not to leave any trace. And yet, Freya still managed to lock onto him.
Of course, Hephaestus knew Bell’s brilliance was hard to conceal—especially from soone like Freya.
She just didn’t expect that in such a chaotic situation, Freya would still find a way to track Bell down—and even have the gall to present that condition to Ouranos.
Seeing the troubled look on Hephaestus’s face, Hers quickly offered a reminder.
"Hephaestus, we can’t keep Bell-kun hidden anymore."
"...What do you an?"
Hers couldn’t help but feel the sharpness in her gaze.
"It’s because, during the trial you helped design, Bell-kun was accidentally seen in the prayer room by the four gods present—including Freya."
That caught Hephaestus off guard, and her brows imdiately furrowed.
’It was then?’
She rembered that yesterday, Bell had suddenly gone quiet for a mont before leaving the 59th floor quickly. Could it be that he realized he was being watched?
Noticing her expression, Hers explained further.
"Honestly, Bell-kun didn’t do anything wrong. And him showing up on the 59th floor wasn’t intentional. Do you rember that ornant the Sage asked my child to give to the Sword Princess? When she delivered the final blow to the Spirit, it fell off and landed on the wall—just at the right angle to catch Bell-kun showing up behind her."
In short, it was all a string of unlucky coincidences.
Bell’s appearance at the end? A coincidence. The ornant falling? Another coincidence. The only thing that wasn’t a coincidence... was Freya insisting on checking the aftermath even after the expedition team had left. And sure enough, she caught a glimpse of Bell shortly after they departed.
Hers genuinely felt bad for Bell. His luck had just been rotten. If not for that single mont, Freya might never have seen him.
If that ornant on the Sword Princess’s scabbard hadn’t fallen, Freya wouldn’t have locked in the eting so quickly. They might’ve been able to stall for more ti.
But luck just wasn’t on Bell’s side. He ran straight into Freya’s line of sight.
"This eting... it’s really just a turning point. Now that Freya has sided with the Guild, there’s no avoiding contact in the future. So this eting? It was inevitable."
Hephaestus frowned. She understood what Hers ant.
It really was just like he said—Bell wouldn’t be able to avoid Freya any longer. Even if he tried, he probably wouldn’t succeed.
And that left Hephaestus feeling uneasy. Letting Bell et Freya alone? That was far too risky.
"What did Freya say?"
"Nothing. She just glared at ."
"..."
Hephaestus looked at Hers, who wore a pitifully innocent expression. At that mont, she truly wanted to pull out the weapon hidden in her spatial belt and smack him across the face with it.
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