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

The hand gripping her hair emanated an icy, emotional intensity, and she frowned deeply in pain.

Freya pulled Hestia's face close enough that she could almost feel her breath, and said to Hestia, looking down at her:

"Hestia, terminate your 'contract' with Bell."

"...?"

"I want you to be prepared for conversion."

Hestia, who didn't understand the meaning at first, noticed something.

Bell, who had collapsed next to Freya, had his [ability stats] displayed on his back.

It is likely due to the use of the "status thief" that Hestia placed on them, and the seal has been broken.

"I want to add Bell to my Familia."

Faced with this request, Hestia looked directly into those silver eyes.

"You really think I'd do that...!?"

"In that case, I will kill your entire clan."

Upon hearing such a blunt warning, Hestia froze in fear.

"Your children are in my hands. If you don't do as I say, I'll send them to heaven one by one."

"Huh...!?"

"Once the number of 'favors' starts to decrease, I believe you'll understand, right?"

Freya stared at the dumbfounded Hestia without changing her expression.

This was her vow, and it was not just empty talk.

It is an unshakable "divine will".

"If you still refuse to let go by then... firmly believing in reincarnation and willing to sacrifice your children... then I will have no choice but to 'send' you back to heaven. No matter how much you try to cheat, I will eventually get Bell."

Therefore, this "request" is the final mercy, the final concession, and the goddess's final "naiveté".

Freya, having abandoned her humanity and donned the appearance of a goddess, uttered these words.

He issued the ultimatum in a voice as cold as a winter wind.

"...!?"

Freya is serious.

These words are absolutely true.

If Hestia refuses, Freya will immediately order her familia to kill Welf and the others who have been captured. No one will be allowed to question her divine will.

She was truly determined to achieve her goal by any means necessary.

"Since the outcome is the same anyway, I advise you to make a wise choice, Hestia."

Crack.

The large sword that seemed to be surrounding the two people and was stuck in the weapon tombstone next to them suddenly developed a crack.

Hestia's breathing became more and more rapid.

Forced to make a choice, she gasped for breath, cold sweat streaming down her skin.

How can anyone choose in this situation?

There's no way to choose from them!

They actually used the lives of their clansmen to threaten them!

No matter what, I don't want to hand Bell over to anyone else!

However, if we don't agree, the Hestia Familia will—

Hestia felt parched and her strength was draining away, making her want to lower her head.

But Freya wouldn't even allow that.

She pulled the hair in her hand upwards, forcing Hestia, who was groaning, to look into her eyes.

"Come on, make a decision quickly. Will you stick to your own opinion (Bell)? Or do you want your clan to live?"

In response to the Queen's proposal—

Faced with this choice that no one can refuse—

Feeling humiliated, angry, fearful, and sorrowful, Hestia's eyes trembled slightly.

Freya seemed to take silence as defiance, so she coldly narrowed her eyes, preparing to order the execution of Hestia's kin as a "deterrent."

"Every time I witness this scene, I always feel that the jealousy and rivalry between goddesses is truly frightening."

Just then—

A handsome male voice, seemingly cheerful and relaxed yet unable to conceal his nervousness, came from the side.

"...Hermes...?"

"Hi Hestia, sorry I'm late."

Hermes gave Hestia his usual smile, which was met with a stunned expression.

He wasn't just late; he probably rushed here.

The purpose was to find Hestia, who had been late for their appointment, as soon as possible.

Driven by a sense of foreboding, Hermes used the limited information at hand and the area from which screams were heard to pinpoint the location.

"Miss Freya, although you're quite menacing, could you please let go first? Such rude behavior damages your image and hurts my feelings."

"..."

Hermes immediately looked at Freya.

At the same time, quickly observe the situation on site.

Four weapons stuck in the ground like tombstones, the unconscious Bell, the boarman respectfully waiting by his side, and Freya and Hestia standing together. Hermes quickly grasped the situation and, after seeing who was in control, decided to step forward as the "mediator."

"Hermes, if you dare to get in my way, I will destroy you as well."

However, Freya resolutely refused to negotiate.

Although she loosened Hestia's hair, the divine power she exuded did not diminish in the slightest, making her appear like a queen who had no intention of accepting advice.

The beauty hidden beneath the hood revealed a gaze that no one had ever seen before, a gaze as cold as absolute zero.

Hermes maintained his smile, but a large amount of cold sweat had broken out on the back of his neck.

As Hestia staggered back a step from Freya, Hermes found himself positioned precisely between the two goddesses.

Faced with this scene that seemed to be a three-way confrontation, only Ota stood silently by.

"No outside intervention or arbitration is needed. If you try to evade the issue and obscure the focus, I'll send you back to heaven first."

"...Judging from this situation, you've already taken concrete steps to win over Bell's underlings, haven't you?"

"That's right, so you should know very well that I won't stop."

In other words, Freya would never accept leaving this matter to be discussed at the Conference of the Gods, nor would she allow the governing body (guild) to protect Bell and the others.

Her eyes conveyed this message. The atrocities that should have been stopped would have been untouchable if committed by the Queen (Freya), because she and her Familia were the "strongest in the city (Freya Familia)".

At least no one at the scene could stop her.

Hermes was well aware of this, so he nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders.

"Alright, there's really no way to stop you. You can take Bell with you, little brother."

"...! Hermes!!"

Hestia was furious when she heard the declaration of surrender, but Hermes continued speaking.

"However, could we postpone the matter of having Bell join your familia... and having him 'convert'?"

"What did you say?"

"Oh dear, don't make such a scary face, Miss Freya. As you just said, I had no intention of being evasive."

Hermes dramatically raised his hands in surrender, a smile still on his face.

Only those orange-yellow eyes held no trace of a smile.

"It's because Bell has only been a member of Hestia's Familia for six months."

"!"

"A member of a clan must be registered for more than a year before they can 'convert' and join another clan. Isn't this a rule that we gods established for the mortal realm?"

"..."

"While this doesn't apply if your faction disappears, I believe you'd also like to avoid killing the main god (Hestia) as much as possible, right? If we can minimize the damage, that would be ideal."

At this point, Freya fell silent for the first time.

Hermes used rational analysis to clearly and logically explain his reasoning, while also appealing to his emotions with eloquent and engaging conversation.

Throughout, the mediator (himself) has been encouraged to "intervene in this matter" in accordance with rules and unwritten conventions.

This is Hermes's principle (style).

As the chief officiant of the gods, he was eloquent and never uttered a falsehood. He skillfully used facts and truth to wage a war of words.

"It's fine to hand Bell over to you, even if you treat him as a 'quasi-familiar.' Even if it's an exceptional case, I'll handle persuading the guild."

"Huh...!? Wait, Hermes! This kind of thing—!"

"Hestia~ You should just admit defeat. I only came up with this 'compromise' for the sake of our old friendship~"

When Hestia was about to step forward to argue, Hermes stopped her by pointing his index finger.

Hestia, who was being pointed at, finally realized what was going on.

Although Hermes wore a frivolous smile, his eyes were unusually sincere, clearly indicating that he was an "ally".

Speaking of the god of strategy (Hormes), he was not originally someone you could trust from the bottom of your heart.

But at the moment, she had no other choice but to trust the other party.

"...!!"

However, reason and emotion cannot be confused. However, considering the safety of the other members of the family (Lily and others), Hestia had no choice but to swallow her anger and lower her head, clenching her teeth in frustration, her clenched fists trembling uncontrollably.

This reaction is tacit approval of this "compromise".

"...Alright, I really don't want to cause any unnecessary casualties. I'll accept your proposal, Hermes."

"Ah, I am so grateful, Miss Freya. You truly are a compassionate goddess of love."

After a moment's thought, Freya made a decision without wavering between the current situation and her own emotions.

She ignored Hermes's flattery and whispered Ota's name.

The boarman follower, who had been quietly standing by, hoisted Bell onto his shoulder and turned his back to Hestia and the others.

"Bell...!"

"Be patient, Hestia."

Watching the goddess and her entourage gradually disappear into the distance, as well as the boy being taken away, Hestia wanted to chase after them without thinking, but Hermes grabbed her shoulder.

"You will only bring about your own destruction by disobeying Miss Freya now, but we have been granted a six-month grace period, which gives us time to think about 'countermeasures'."

"A solution...?"

"That's right. Whether it's using guilds, other factions, or public opinion, the key is to first increase allies and then win Bell back from Miss Freya's side. She is indeed an invincible queen, but she has also made countless enemies because of it."

Freya's actions were too domineering and would cause her to completely lose the support of the people.

Because Freya disregarded criticism and condemnation, resorting to violence to abduct people, at least the world would sympathize with Hestia's plight. If the victims were genuine evil organizations like the Evils, there might be a chance to justify their actions—in fact, Freya herself once ordered her Familia to destroy an evil faction and directly abduct a child she had taken a liking to—but the Hestia Familia is an entirely upright and righteous faction.

Moreover, Bell Crane is a rising star (super rookie) who is very popular among the people of the city (Oario).

His forced "conversion" was met with disapproval not only from the general public, but also from his peers and the gods.

Including the annihilation of the Ishtar Familia, continuing to allow the Queen (Freya) to act recklessly will make it impossible to stop her outrageous behavior—as long as Hermes "adds fuel to the fire" and triggers similar public opinion, the guild will have to take countermeasures no matter how unwilling it is.

"There are actually more allies willing to help you than you think. Once this matter blows up, Hephaestus and the others will be furious and turn against Miss Freya."