"But I refuse."
Eiji spoke up imdiately, his tone resolute.
"Why?"
Freya suddenly stopped in her tracks and turned to face Eiji, her eyes narrowing slightly.
For the first ti, she showed dissatisfaction, even anger, toward Eiji.
"Is the love I've given you not enough?"
"Can that even be called love?"
"What else could it be?"
"Well... if that's your idea of love, then I must respectfully decline."
Eiji shook his head.
In his view, the day he had spent with Freya was nothing more than a casual fling between two scoundrels—purely physical attraction with no emotional attachnt whatsoever.
He hadn't expected Freya to be so persistent, going to great lengths to try and recruit him into her familia. Even Deter had been more straightforward than this.
"Why?"
Freya's expression darkened.
She felt an inexplicable irritation rising within her, sothing she hadn't experienced in centuries.
"Why... If I had to say, it's probably because I'm just a passerby."
Eiji pondered for a mont, then t Freya's visibly displeased gaze as he carefully formulated his answer.
"So I can't accept love, at least not now."
This wasn't his world.
He had only temporarily co here through his ability to traverse worlds, and he would eventually have to return. He couldn't abandon his senior sister and the wealthy benefactor he had already made promises to.
And once he returned, would he ever be able to co back to this world? Would his "shake-and-see" thod of world-hopping ever land him in the world of DanMachi again?
No one knew. It was completely uncertain.
Given that, he shouldn't allow himself to develop emotional attachnts.
A casual fling was one thing.
His relationships with Deter and Freya were like that—nothing more than one-night stands, devoid of emotional connection. There was no responsibility afterwards, and no need to dwell on the separation.
The reason he hadn't responded to Tiona's feelings was precisely because Tiona had developed genuine feelings for him... Well, her figure was also a significant factor.
If he hastily reciprocated Tiona's feelings and beca her lover, only to return to his own world and never be able to co back, wouldn't that make him an irresponsible scumbag?
Oh, he was already a scumbag for two-timing and having one-night stands.
But above all, he didn't want to beco an irresponsible scumbag.
That would make him not just a scumbag, but a complete jerk.
So, if Freya truly loved him, he would stay as far away as possible.
But honestly, he hadn't sensed any genuine love from Freya at all.
"Besides, aren't you a goddess? How can you develop feelings so easily?"
"I hold equal love for all my children."
"...A reverse harem, huh?"
"Is there a problem with that?"
"If you can't be devoted to , why should I be devoted to you?"
Eiji, who had initially felt a bit guilty, suddenly perked up upon hearing this.
Ha!
We're both scumbags here—no one's in a position to judge the other. Let's not make demands of each other!
Freya crossed her arms.
She realized she was genuinely irritated by Eiji.
But she couldn't refute his words.
She was accustod to collecting dazzling souls.
Even in the heavens, she had been like this, and after descending to the mortal world, she had beco even more unrestrained. From the observation deck at the top of Babel, she would watch for mortals with radiant souls and devise ways to bring them into her familia.
With her charm, which could shatter minds, collecting such souls was all too easy.
This was also why Finn, Tiona, and the others were so wary of Freya—they feared she would try to snatch Eiji away. There were far too many precedents for this.
Why was the Freya Familia the strongest familia in the city?
Freya's charm was responsible for 90% of that. Most of the children in her familia had joined under the influence of her charm, becoming her collection. Each of them possessed a radiant soul, a true hero among mortals.
Her feelings toward Eiji were similar.
However, Eiji's soul was sowhat special, and he possessed a charm that matched her own, sparking a stronger desire to possess him than she had ever felt before. She saw him as an even more precious collectable.
In the past, if soone had rejected her love, she would have simply used her charm to sway them.
But this ti, she had encountered a freak who was immune to her charm. If she resorted to force, it might provoke Loki's wrath, leaving her unsure of how to proceed.
"Alright, isn't this fine as it is?"
Eiji waved his hand dismissively, speaking bluntly. "If you miss in the future, or if I miss you, we can et up. Otherwise, we'll go our separate ways and not interfere with each other. How about that?"
He hadn't expected to get involved with such a troubleso woman.
Eiji sighed inwardly.
This was his own fault for not clarifying her intentions before inviting her to sing. Plus, seeing such a beautiful woman like Freya had montarily clouded his judgnt, leading him to act without thinking.
He would have to learn from this experience and avoid getting involved with troubleso won like her in the future.
Not that he regretted it. Countless people in the world would kill for the chance to spend a night with the Goddess of Beauty, so he had actually co out ahead.
Freya remained silent.
But her eyes still burned with displeasure.
It felt as though a toy she had set her sights on had sprouted wings and flown away.
Still, she didn't argue.
Eiji took her silence as agreent and turned to leave.
It was getting late, and he needed to co up with an excuse. He also needed to find a place to wash up, or else the scent of Freya on him would be a dead giveaway.
"Wait."
Just as he was about to walk away, Freya's voice called out from behind.
"I understand your perspective, but I can't accept your proposal. I don't easily give up on things I want to possess... But for now, let's set that aside. Co, I'll teach you about charm."
"Huh? You're still willing to teach ?"
Eiji was stunned.
He had thought that after their unpleasant exchange, Freya would refuse to teach him. He hadn't expected her to still be willing.
"I'm not a petty goddess."
Freya still seed displeased, holding her head high like a queen throwing a tantrum.
"Let's go."
She strode ahead.
Eiji was surprised, but his instincts didn't detect any danger, so he didn't question her intentions and followed her.
This was unexpected.
Was she trying to win him over through her actions?
The reason Eiji was unwilling to leave the Loki Familia, even at the cost of giving up the power of charm, was that the Loki Familia had helped him greatly. When he was in danger, they had even mobilized half the familia to rescue him.
If Freya planned to keep showering him with benefits, making him feel guilty and breaking down his defenses, then he had to admit, it was a strategy that might actually work.
Tsk!
As expected of the Goddess of Beauty, her billion years of experience had given her so cunning!
But what you don't know is that I'm destined to leave!
You'll never have !
"Is this West Street?"
After entering the central plaza, Freya led Eiji toward West Street.
West Street was a famous residential area in Orario. Due to the large number of factories producing magic stone devices in the city, many workers and their families lived here.
Finally, the two stopped in front of a tavern on West Street.
Eiji looked up.
"The Hostess of Fertility?"
***
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