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

"If I win the bet against you, will you listen to my request?"

"Your request is...?"

"Okay, give me all the money you have in your pocket right now."

Upon hearing this blatant request, Ari stared at Freya in disbelief.

She was both surprised and dumbfounded, wondering what this goddess was talking about.

The man also showed the same reaction.

He and another businessman exchanged glances, then he gave a helpless, bitter smile.

"Even if it is the goddess's request, I am truly sorry to refuse..."

"If I lose, I'll offer you my body. You can do whatever you want with me all day."

Upon hearing this, the man immediately stopped what he was doing.

The goddess stroked her body from top to bottom through her clothes.

Whether it was her full breasts, her alluringly slender waist, or her soft, beautiful legs that still stirred the imagination even through her skirt, the man swallowed hard, captivated by her stunning figure that could make anyone fall at her feet.

And then he immediately put on a pair of hungry eyes, like a hyena preparing to enjoy a feast.

"...Are you really sure you don't care about making such a promise? Even if I know it will offend you, I won't hold back, okay?"

"I offered this on my own initiative, so of course I won't go back on my word."

To get the other party to accept the challenge, one must offer terms of equal value. After hearing Freya's firm reply, the man wore a lewd, lustful smile, indicating that he agreed to accept this "gamble."

Ari was stunned by the unexpected outcome of the negotiation, and then quickly interjected:

"Wait, wait a minute! What do you take your body for!? How can you so casually gamble with it...!"

"Oh dear, are you worried about me?"

"No, no! It's just that I can't stand your reckless behavior!"

Ari was speechless for a moment, then blushed and scolded loudly.

Freya chuckled at Ari's reaction, first saying, "Thank you for worrying about me, but please don't hold it against me for now," and then continued:

"If you want something, you usually have to offer something of equal value as a wager, right? Right now, all we can wager is our own bodies. Besides, if this continues, I, who promised to provide you with travel expenses, will become nothing more than a bragging clown."

"But...!"

Faced with Ari's stubborn refusal to yield, Freya extended a hand.

She grabbed Ari's delicate neck with one hand, pulled her close, and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear:

"Your current stance is equivalent to that of the next king, isn't it?"

"!!"

"Then I advise you to remember this well: whether you are a wise king who practices benevolent governance, a tyrant who is good at fighting, or a cruel and tyrannical ruler, as long as you consider yourself a king, you must constantly face various 'gambles' throughout your life."

After hearing those words spoken in a voice so gentle it seemed to melt one's brain, Ari opened her eyes wide.

She was stunned at first, and then stepped back the next second.

Ari pressed her left ear, which she had just overheard whispering, and felt ashamed of her own flushed cheeks, which were burning as if she had a physical reaction. She glared at Freya with all her might.

At the same time, Ari felt an incredible ripple spreading through her heart.

The evidence is that she no longer intends to stop Freya.

Freya's words just now sounded like a revelation to Ari.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, let's begin."

Freya switched her raised legs and said this to the merchant.

The merchant, maintaining his previous greedy expression as if he wanted to lick his lips, nodded in agreement and then began arranging the chessboard and pieces on the table.

Ari, who had stopped moving, brought her face close to Freya again after regaining her senses and said:

"Do you...do you know the rules of the game? The board game in the desert world is quite different from the one on the mainland; it's much more complicated...!"

"This is the first time I've ever seen a board game, and I don't understand the rules at all, so I'm really looking forward to it."

Upon hearing this nonchalant answer, Ari almost fainted on the spot.

Her facial expressions had been constantly changing, and she quickly explained the rules of the game in a somewhat angry tone.

The board game Freya and the others are about to play is called "Halvan".

It is one of the mainstream board games in the Caios Desert, similar to chess on the mainland or shogi in the Far East.

As Ari says, "Halvan" is more complex and varied in strategy than chess and shogi.

Simply knowing the basic rules of piece movement or "positioning" isn't enough to defeat an opponent. At least, that's what Ari thought. The merchant, who had played "halvan" countless times, chuckled to himself, convinced of his inevitable victory.

Freya listened to the game rules with great interest—

"I see."

That was the only brief response.

Then she picked up a chess piece and played with it in her hand, announcing:

"Time is precious, let's finish this game quickly."

So──

About fifteen minutes later.

"H-How is this possible...!?"

In a corner of the bar, you could see a stunned Aly and a male orc, as well as a pale-faced human looking down at the chessboard.

There's no need to say more now—the goddess has won this game decisively.

Moreover, the goddess never stopped to think while playing chess.

"Well then, I'll accept your wallet."

Freya smiled and looked at the tycoon who had slid off the chair, extending her hand.

The tycoon's gaze first lingered between the hand and the goddess's silver eyes, before he finally handed over his wallet helplessly.

The small groups of customers who entered the bar were all focused on the "halvan" duel and exclaimed in surprise at the goddess's victory. However, Freya seemed to have lost interest and walked out of the bar.

Ari, who had been standing there in a daze, quickly chased after him.

"W-What just happened!? You're lying if you say you've never played 'halvan'!? And you even utterly crushed your opponent...!"

"The gods are 'omniscient but powerless' after descending to earth. Although there are all sorts of entertainments in the lower realm that we have never seen before, as long as you grasp the core concept of things (games), you will definitely win."

It's your complete lack of confidence in me that's truly disheartening. — Freya said, as if this victory were as natural as breathing.

Anyone who hears these words from the mouth of "God" would be unable to delve any further.

Although many gods have done amazing things after descending to earth, Ari felt inexplicably nauseous at the thought of personally experiencing something beyond existence (Deus·Dea).

"Now that we've secured military funds... no, I mean dating funds, let's go shopping."

"...This isn't a date!"

Exhausted both physically and mentally, Ari could only manage to squeeze out this one sentence as a rebuttal.

Ari was almost being pulled along by Freya as they walked through the bustling streets.

Because the market on the south side of Riode City is adjacent to the dedicated port of the Desert Ship, its business model is more like a "trade exchange" with a full range of goods. As for the goods sold in the market on the north side, most of them are suitable for tourists or local residents to buy, and you can see all kinds of daily necessities, mainly dry food and travel clothing, along the way.

Almonds are said to be the most popular food. Some hairy orcs, seemingly unable to bear the heat, were sitting in the shade of the buildings eating chilled snacks. Freya glanced at one of the vendors, noting that there were icehouses built here in the desert—the owner was taking goods out of a magic stone refrigerator and calling out his wares, which made the goddess smile wryly.

"Listen, please don't waste money. First, you should buy some dry food and water—"

"Ariel, let's go buy some grilled meat skewers. I'm really curious to see what they taste like."

"—You're so unrestrained!!"

Even after arriving here, Alyssa was still exhausted.

Ari was constantly being dragged around by the free-spirited goddess, eventually becoming so angry that she burst into a tirade. Even though she tried to pull her hood down, her voice was so loud that she clearly forgot to hide her identity. Freya, perhaps understanding Ari's feelings, laughed constantly throughout the journey and, eager to experience the unique wonders of the desert, kept running around uncontrollably.

Even though Ari sternly warned Freya not to run around, when she returned from buying food and water alone, she found that the goddess had indeed not obeyed her orders and had bought something that looked completely useless from another shop.

Moreover, they are all kinds of rather expensive magic stone products.

"Hey! What are you buying randomly?!"

"You said you'd be in charge of preparing things for the trip, right? Then I'll go buy some 'luxury goods' to make the trip more fun."

Ari was so enraged that she almost fainted on the spot.

"You're being reckless! A desert trip is extremely harsh! After all, you weren't born here, and it's especially true for outsiders who aren't used to the desert!"

"Ariel, people often say you're inflexible, right? Planning for the future isn't a bad thing, but it also takes away the variability in your life. Being 'optimistic' about the future is the mark of a fool, while being 'expectant' about the future is the mindset of a wise person. This applies whether you're a commoner or a king."

After the goddess spoke in a pointed manner, as if looking down on someone—though she meant it nonetheless—Ari couldn't help but feel disgusted.

The reason is that when Ari was in the palace, people often criticized her in secret.

The criticism was that the prince was too rigid and inflexible.

When someone pointed out her secret, Ari blushed with anger and immediately adopted her toughest stance of the day.

"I... I must forge ahead to complete my mission! I have no energy left to enjoy life! Since you wish to travel with me, you should follow my instructions, shouldn't you!"

She was lecturing Freya as if she were a child, threatening her to obey her.

"No, I don't want this trip to be boring. Since I'm embarking on this journey, I want to make it interesting."

Freya ignored Ari's words.

Faced with this embodiment of a free spirit, or rather, this hothouse flower-like speech, Aly felt an urge to ruffle her hair.

In response to the girl's reaction, the goddess smiled gently, equally pleased.

If someone familiar with Freya were to witness this scene, they would surely be horrified.

Because she actually allowed people to go against her, and even enjoyed it.

"She's been smiling a lot today..."

"I should say that I've been laughing a lot today as well. Ever since the goddess Freya came to this desert and met that girl, she's been constantly amused."

The dwarf chieftain and the white elf of the goddess's kin, secretly protecting Freya while lurking nearby, murmured their thoughts to themselves. Some observed the goddess expressionlessly, while others couldn't hide their displeasure. Only the boar warrior, staring at the capricious goddess's smile, narrowed his eyes slightly, as if finding it too dazzling to look directly at.

"Ugh! I'm not saying anything more! Next up is the guards! We're going to hire mercenary [familia]..."

"There's no need for that. Let's rent camels first. We need help carrying the luggage, and I'd like some transportation. By the way, won't riding camels for a long time make your butt hurt?"

"Hey! I told you not to wander off!"

Under the watchful eyes of her family, the goddess continued to drag the girl around aimlessly.

Ari was so angry that she kept yelling and shouting, but Freya was still in a good mood and preparing for the trip.

*

The city of Riode has four entrances and exits: the dedicated port for the Desert ship on the south side, and the east, west, and north gates, which are frequently used by travelers and caravans on foot or by camel.

Freya and her friends decided to start from the North Gate.

"The fortress we're heading to won't be reached in just one or two days. We've already found all the relay stations we'll pass through along the way, and we'll stay overnight at each one before continuing our journey the next day. Today we're heading to the oasis in the north."

"Whatever makes you happy, I'm just following you around anyway."

They rode camels with their luggage already tied on, crossing this boundless sea of ​​sand with just two riders.

Until the advent of the "desert ship," camels were known as "desert boats."

The two camels left their footprints along the way, crossing the sand dunes in an intriguing manner.

On the other hand, riding a camel is far less comfortable than riding a horse. Although Ari was already used to it, Freya frowned deeply.

Upon seeing this, Ari's anger subsided slightly.

"Do we really have to keep traveling day and night like this? It feels more comfortable after dark."

"Because desert creatures—or rather, monsters—share similar ideas, most of them are nocturnal. Considering the possibility of attack, we must move during the day... The key is that time is precious, and we must rendezvous with our troops as soon as possible."

Facing Freya, who already looked languid, Ari explained in a cold tone.

That being said, when the time comes, you will still run into each other.