Orario.
As the center of the world, the Labyrinth City contains many special landmarks — or rather, historical remnants.
Among them, the Hero's Bridge captivated Adam most. The massive stone structure spans two areas, with a gentle stream flowing beneath its arch.
Though seemingly a simple stone bridge, it bears a rich history, marked by 31 majestic statues of famous heroes from ages past.
These 31 figures achieved the most brilliant feats among all heroes who walked Orario's streets!
The most striking feature stands opposite the statue of Sword Champion Albert Waldstein — a conspicuous empty space.
That lone spot remains without a statue!
"The world yearns for a hero, one who will protect Orario as the great Albert did, and save the lower world as the final hero." The gray-haired girl nad Syr smiled at him from her place on the Hero's Bridge, "I'm surprised you found your way here so quickly, Adam."
"Is that so? Though I cheated by using my sensing ability to find this place easily." Adam looked at the girl before him.
Having shed her familiar maid uniform, the beautiful girl in a pink dress radiated a unique charm in the moonlight.
"Adam, do you know where this is?"
"Hero's Bridge."
"Yes, it's Hero's Bridge." Syr repeated, then turned to gaze at the statues standing on the stone bridge and said softly, "Every ti I co here, I get an inexplicable feeling."
"..."
"I always wonder, are there truly heroes? Does that one person who could help everything, save everything, and fulfill my wishes really exist?" Syr slowly walked toward Adam, "I want to et a hero — to et my irreplaceable hero."
The girl's pale gray eyes fixed intently on him, carrying an undisguised longing — as if confessing sothing without words.
The gray-haired girl waited, hoping to hear what she desperately wanted to hear.
But she was disappointed.
"I am who I am, Adam Carter, not your exclusive hero."
The Hero refused to beco her Hero.
A fleeting loneliness crossed the girl's face, but she didn't give up. Instead, she declared her feelings more boldly.
"I, Syr, truly love you, Adam! Please answer my expectations! For you, I'll do anything!" The girl tilted her head back slightly, closed her eyes, and pursed her lips.
A faint sweet fragrance beckoned enticingly. All it would take was for him to lower his head slightly to taste that softness.
But...
"I refuse."
The hero's answer was plain, cold, and rciless.
"Eh?" The girl's eyes flew wide open in bewildernt.
"I'm sorry, but your inexplicable love disturbs . Please forgive for not eting your expectations."
Adam's words cut like a sharp knife through the girl's psychological defenses.
"W-why?"
"Why reveal yourself as Goddess Freya, and why harbor love for ?" Before she could speak, Adam answered his own questions, "It's about the soul, isn't it? Your so-called love — this pursuit of radiant souls — is nothing but an unreasonable and burdenso desire."
He saw through her disguise in one sentence.
The gray short hair emitted a luminous white light, gradually lengthening while regaining its original silver glow, and Goddess Freya appeared before him. The girl nad Syr, whose true nature was the Goddess of Beauty, could not hide her essence no matter how she tried.
"Your love terrifies ." Adam showed no surprise, but continued, "Just as with Bell, if soone with an even more radiant soul appears, would you shift your love to them?"
He knew Freya had initially chosen Bell as her target, but for so unknown reason, she had turned her attention to him instead.
One thing was certain — she would always choose the one with the most radiant soul.
"You're different from them."
"Different? How?"
"Your soul transforms! With every Rank Up, your soul becos more radiant!"
Freya's shocking statent made Adam understand why she had targeted him.
But he remained unmoved.
"And then?"
"Eh?"
"So what of it?" Adam's words dripped with mockery, "Even if my soul transforms after each Rank Up, what happens when I can't Rank Up anymore? When my vessel, my potential, is completely exhausted? Facing an unchanging hero, what would you do? Would you grow tired?
When you et a child with an even more radiant soul, would you cast aside like Ottar — turning into a re whetstone for the next successor, fuel to stimulate their growth?"
"No! I won't—"
"'I won't!' Can you truly say that?" Adam cut her off, "You are the Goddess of Beauty, the Goddess of universal love. This desire to pursue radiant souls has been rooted in your divine nature for billions of years. My existence in your long life might be nothing more than a fleeting teor. Yet you claim I'm special. Am I truly special enough to change your very nature?"
His relentless questioning left the lofty Freya speechless.
This was impossible. Even though Adam's soul was exceptionally radiant — even more dazzling than the Gods — and could continue to transform, she couldn't change who she was.
If one day a soul more radiant than the Hero's appeared, her divine nature would compel her to cherish it—this was the unchangeable essence of her being as the Goddess of Universal Love.
"So, I must punish you."
"Punishnt?"
eting Freya's puzzled gaze, Adam released his spatial domain.
A black barrier instantly trapped the Goddess of Beauty in place. This action provoked her Familia mbers who had been lurking in the shadows.
The Gulliver Brothers『 Bringar 』, Hogni 『 Dainsleif 』 Ragnar and Hedin 『 Hildrsleif 』 Selland, Allen 『 Vana Freya 』 Frol — the faction's strongest warriors had all gathered here.
They had heard everything Adam said. If not for Freya's repeated commands to stay back, they would have subdued the hero long ago. Now, seeing their Goddess in danger, they could no longer remain still.
What they didn't realize was that Adam had already detected their positions through his 〔Perception〕 before arriving.
Among them was the kidnapped Goddess Hestia, bound and gagged, her face smudged with ash.
"Perfect, saves the trouble of searching."
◈ Divine Convergence Breathing, Water Style ⫸ Transformation of Ti Rain ◈
With a single activation of his skill, Adam took control of the field, immobilizing all of Freya Familia's powerful mbers.
The gap in power was overwhelming — they couldn't resist as he easily rescued Hestia.
"Adam, are you alright? Are you hurt?!" Hestia asked, deeply concerned.
As their hostage, she had heard all of Freya's sches but could tell no one. She had been left only to worry.
"No, I'm fine." Adam said with a shake of his head, "Goddess Hestia, why didn't you tell Goddess Freya about our agreent? Why endure this hardship?"
Before joining the Familia, he had made an agreent with Hestia that she wouldn't stop him when he left the Familia.
"What are you saying, Adam! I am the Goddess of the Familia — I would never betray you without your consent!" Hestia patted his shoulder.
"Is that so? How reliable." Adam smiled gently, though tinged with sadness, "But it seems the ti has co — I need to go, Goddess Hestia."
His words shocked both Hestia and Freya.
"Are you running away?"
"No, it's punishnt. Punishnt for the Goddess of Universal Love." Adam looked at the Goddess and said softly, "Goddess Freya, have you heard of 'moonlight'?"
"Moonlight? What does that an?" Freya bit her lip.
She sensed that Adam's departure would devastate her, but she chose to listen.
"'Moonlight' is a person's perfect fantasy about soone they cherish." Adam explained softly, "It's like when you deeply loved soone but couldn't be with them, yet they remain forever in your heart, impossible to forget."
Never possessed, yet more perfect.
"So you're leaving Orario?!" The Goddess seed to grasp Adam's aning. Her voice grew fierce with obsession, "No matter where you go, even if you reincarnate! I will chase after you, even if it ans being sent back to heaven!"
Freya's words laid bare her obsession, her refusal to let go.
But...
"Unfortunately, I'm not from this world."
"Eh?!"
"As I said, I'm not from this world." Adam's lips curled into a sowhat wicked smile, "Sorry, Goddess Hestia, what I concealed before was this — I, the Hero Adam Carter, am not from this world."
"Could it be—"
"Yes, so I'd like you to erase my Familia Falna."
Adam spoke words that made Freya despair.
"I'm leaving this world!"
Not just Freya, but Hestia felt the sa despair.
In rely two months together, this small goddess had risen from poverty to surpass Orario's two major Familias, all thanks to Adam's teoric rise.
Though her heart ached to let him go, she would honor his wishes.
"Have you really decided?"
"Yes, please."
"Alright, since you insist." Hestia pursed her lips, gesturing for Adam to turn around.
After a brief ritual, the Familia mark on his back faded to an ordinary pattern.
"Thank you, Goddess Hestia."
"No, this is what we agreed upon, isn't it?"
"Yes. But still, thank you for taking care of these past two months."
"Stupid Adam! We're the ones who should thank you for taking care of us!" Hestia's eyes grew misty; she understood the aning behind his words.
Because this extraordinary child would never return.
"Don't." Freya pleaded softly, "Don't go, please, don't go! I beg you, stay!"
"No, that's impossible, Goddess Freya."
"Don't—"
"Goddess Freya, my existence compared to your billions of years is just like a fleeting teor—"
"Don't—"
"So, as punishnt, I will leave an indelible mark on your heart. I will leave this world, and never return!"
"Don't!"
Adam rose slowly into the air. Moonlight bathed him, making him appear divine.
Just like the moonlight he spoke of, the silvery light grew brighter and brighter, gradually enveloping him until his form could no longer be seen.
Hum!
In a flash of brilliant moonlight, the Hero vanished.
Adam had truly left this world.
✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧
The next day.
Under cloudless skies, the sun shone fiercely. Passersby remarked on the fine weather, anticipating another busy day.
Observant citizens noticed a new statue in the empty space opposite Sword Champion Albert Waldstein on the Hero's Bridge.
It was Hero Adam's statue. Below it was inscribed "The Tale of Hero Adam Carter."
From then on, his story was widely told.
✧✧✧
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