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

Takemikazuchi looked at Bell with a questioning gaze, wary and scrutinizing him.

Bell ultimately received this devastating response.

He couldn't breathe properly; his heart was pounding.

nobody.

They searched everywhere but found no one.

No one knows Bell Crane of the Hestia Familia.

Even the gods, who are beyond existence (Deus·Dea), do not remember their own "reality".

The boy gradually began to suspect that the one who had actually misremembered might be himself (the child), a being of a lower status, which drove him into a desperate situation.

As a child, Belle successfully resisted the power of "charm," and as the only one who remained "normal," he was forcibly branded as a "heretic" by this distorted world.

"This is the true power of 'Charm'... This is the first time we've ever witnessed it."

"Has the goddess Freya never used such powerful abilities before, and has she kept them hidden until now?"

"This is only natural. To reverse the world in this way is tantamount to 'blasphemy against the lower realms,' which is exactly what the High Queen detests most."

Hegni concluded by recounting the feelings expressed by Du Hualin and others.

The Freya Familia's fighting strength is unmatched.

As the chief goddess, Freya can command a vast army without initiating any conflict.

If Freya intended to do this, the world would come to an end; this statement is not an exaggeration.

Whether it's usurping the throne, creating a paradise, or ruling the entire underworld.

Wherever her gaze and voice reach, that is the territory of the goddess.

The power of "Charm" is invincible; even beings of equal standing are affected, which is why the gods are terrified of her.

—The "World-Relieving Witch" who surpasses all other beauties.

This is the true face of Freya, the "Goddess of Beauty".

However, Freya, as the ultimate queen, did not ravage this world in order to enjoy herself, and she respected this lower realm more than anyone else.

She knew very well that this equity stake could be utterly empty and incredibly boring.

What value can something obtain without any effort have? What emptiness will it ultimately bring?

A world completely influenced by "charm" and operating entirely according to its will is "no different from death."

Therefore, Freya never used "charm" on the lower realms to bring all things under her control.

This was a taboo for her.

"...But the goddess eventually broke this rule because she so desperately wanted that stupid rabbit...and wanted to possess Bell Crane."

The goddess Ishtar and the young man (Tammuz) who once served her provided such information.

"Charm has no effect on Bell Crane."

The boy was not bound by the girl's (Seele's) longing, nor did he succumb to the goddess's "love".

Therefore, Freya decided to change the boy's surroundings, rather than the boy himself.

They distorted the world to isolate the boy.

All for the sake of getting Bell, to possess his body and soul.

Hedin's words plunged the "Grand Hall" into silence.

The strongest emotion revealed in the soldiers' eyes was "jealousy".

Next is "loyalty".

The four little dwarfs spoke their hearts in place of the two elves who had closed their eyes.

"Everything is done in accordance with the will of the Goddess."

On the other hand—

"Gods! Everyone!!"

The boy is about to have his second "acquaintance" with the Hestia Familia.

*

"!!"

It's Bell!

The moment the boy appeared before her, Hestia, who remembered everything, wanted to call out his name.

This is the southwest area, close to the main road on the east side.

The Hestia Familia is located on a street that is as intricate as a spider web.

Lily, Welf, Mikoto, Haruhime, and Hestia, like everyone else, are carrying out the cleanup work for the Goddess Festival—in reality, Hestia is secretly investigating the alteration of the world, but the more she confirms, the more desperate she becomes, just when the boy (Bell) appears in front of her.

As if drawn to each other, as if sharing that lonely sacred flame, the two "encountered" each other under the worst possible circumstances.

"White hair, red eyes... Could he be a new adventurer from the Freya Familia?"

"What business do the biggest faction in the city have with Lily, a group of weak [Familia]?"

Faced with the suspicious Welf and the agitated and wary Lily, Belle looked as if a spear had pierced her chest.

Hestia also felt a sharp pain deep in her chest, as if she had been stabbed.

Those deep red (rubellite) eyes, twisted as if shedding unseen tears, were trying to find their own place.

He longed to find a place of refuge among his family (clan) who treated him like an enemy.

"you……"

Ah~ I really want to rush forward.

I really want to hold him in my arms.

Look at him, shivering as if he were isolated in the dead of winter.

He looked so pained, so heartbroken!

But—she couldn't do that.

"Lily, Lily...! Do you remember when you were my supporter...?"

"How could a little person like Lily have ever served as your supporter!"

The dwarfs couldn't understand this at all and immediately denied it.

The words of his first acquaintance, his first time teaming up with his partner, pierced the boy's heart like a sharp blade.

"Welf! You made weapons for me...!"

"I'm sorry, I have no recollection of this, and you don't have any of my works with you."

The young blacksmith gave him a skeptical look and coldly denied it.

No matter how much the boy examined his body, he could not find the equipment the young man had made for him.

"Miss Mikoto! You helped me during the war game...!"

"...I do not recall the Freya Familia ever participating in a war game..."

The loyal and affectionate girl from the Far East seemed oblivious to the need for her to lend a helping hand, her face filled with confusion.

Even though their childhood friend, whom they had rescued together, was standing right beside them, those bluish-purple eyes had no recollection of him.

"Miss Haruhime...! We used to talk about many heroic tales together...!"

"Yes,...did we meet at the brothel before...? But I'm no longer a prostitute..."

The fox-girl appeared very frightened.

She had probably suffered a lot of repression and pain during her time as a prostitute. Her body trembled as if she were afraid of men she was meeting for the first time, and her master quickly shielded her behind him.

Whether it was him or her, everything hurt Belle mercilessly.

I feel sick.

His own family members... the boy he cherished was constantly being hurt.

My legs started to go weak against my will, and I wanted to yell at the top of my lungs to stop them.

stop!

Please, everyone stop!

Don't hurt him anymore!!

Hestia almost cried out.

But—she couldn't step in and stop it.

"...!!"

Two figures came into Hestia's view.

The boar-man warrior overlooking the street from the top of the building, and the cat-man youth hiding in the dark alley, were both monitoring Hestia's every move.

—Hestia and her retinue (Bell) were the same.

She was not affected by Freya's "bewitching" charm.

As one of the "Three Virgin Goddesses" of the Heavenly Realm—

Like the goddess of wisdom (Athena) and the goddess of purity (Artemis), she reveres chastity and resolutely refuses to accept the domineering power of the "goddess of beauty".

Before the city's transformation, Hermes, recognizing Hestia's status as a virgin goddess, asserted that "only you can resist this power." After unleashing her full "divine power," she used her virgin goddess authority to block the "allure" force.

That's why they are being "monitored".

(They're watching me... no, they're warning me! If I tell Bell the truth, the Supporters will all be in mortal danger...!)

"The Strongest in the City" and "The Fastest in the City" deliberately revealed their whereabouts, making only Hestia notice them.

The former had been monitoring the goddess (Hestia) and the others since early morning, while the latter was chasing Bell, who had run away from the Freya Familia's headquarters.

They "warned" Hestia with cold eyes while "threatening" her with hostages. They threatened to kill Welf and the others immediately if Hestia dared to break her promise to Freya.

Especially Allen.

While he swore to obey the goddess to the death, he also exuded disgust for this "farce." Even if killing Bell's companions would cause him to break down and Freya would never be able to obtain Bell's soul again, that cat-man would definitely take Welf's life immediately.

Whether through secret reports or confidential letters, the two would never allow Hestia and Bell to have any contact.

The surveillance will continue until an agreement is reached to convert Bell to Christianity, or until the boy falls in love with the goddess Freya.

「… … … … … … … … … … 」

Although she longed to hug the boy, she couldn't let him know how she felt.

Hestia, conflicted, just stared at Bell.

The remaining strength in Bell's body was like a candle flickering in the wind.

No matter how hard the boy searched, no matter how he explained, he was only met with repeated rejections. Repeatedly engaging in this almost self-destructive behavior, Bell's spirit was already deeply scarred.

There was no trace of the demeanor one would expect from a Lv.4 adventurer.

Whether it's defeating the Minotaur, the perilous journey to the eighteenth layer, the war game, the struggle against the goddess faction (Ishtar's Familia), the battles caused by the heretics, or the "expedition" into the deeper areas—

One cannot overcome the aforementioned adventures and trials alone.

It was thanks to the companionship of his friends that Bell Craney was able to overcome numerous difficulties.

Nowadays, everyone praises Bale for his rapid growth and commends him for being outstanding.

But they were all wrong.

Once you shed the guise of an adventurer, Bell is just a fourteen-year-old boy with the mind of someone his age.

Hestia, however, understood this perfectly well: he was an ordinary human, no different from any other.

He will be hurt alone and feel frustrated. If he suffers from loneliness, his inner weakness will be completely exposed.

Since being separated from his grandfather, he has developed an extreme fear of losing his bond.

Bell was able to recover from any hardship thanks to a group of irreplaceable and important people who were willing to support him.