"So for now, just keep your child away from Freya. Her Familia members are all Level 5, 6, or 7, so under normal circumstances, they won't have direct contact with your child. And that woman only resorts to force when her softer tactics fail. Simply being seen by her shouldn't cause too much trouble."
Hephaestus knew a bit about Freya's personality. That woman preferred to discover things on her own, not rely on others. She would only act aggressively when every other approach had failed. After all, more than just wanting exceptional children, what she really wanted was their hearts.
"But still, you need to be cautious around her. Avoid direct encounters if you can. If she sets her sights on a target, she won't let them go easily."
Hephaestus had no way of shielding Hestia's child if it came down to facing Freya. Even as a god, he had to be realistic. No god from Tenkai wanted to go head-to-head with Freya. That goddess never held back when she moved from the shadows.
"That said, as long as the kid stays put and doesn't go to the Dungeon, the odds of running into Freya are pretty low. She may have the ability to see through someone's soul, but she can't just lock onto someone at will. If she doesn't look directly at your child, she won't notice anything."
There were just too many children in Orario's lower world to count.
Freya's ability only worked on individuals. Her ability to see through someone's soul required her to actually see that person amidst the crowd. So Hephaestus didn't think finding Bell among all those people would be easy.
Hestia fell quiet after that.
But Bell alone remained visibly tense. Not because of anything in particular—just the fact that he knew the Goddess of Beauty, Freya, had an alias. And that alias happened to own a rather famous restaurant in Orario. It was precisely because of that persona that she was able to keep discovering brilliant souls.
'My soul definitely isn't brilliant. There's no way I'd be the Goddess of Beauty's target.'
Bell could only try to reassure himself with that thought.
His one magic and two skills were all things he got thanks to the system and his transmigration luck—none of them truly his. So Bell was sure he didn't have what you'd call a brilliant soul. If anything, "pitch black" would be more accurate. After all, the soul's essence reflected one's inner nature, and Bell didn't think of himself as someone with noble character. So the essence of his soul couldn't be all that radiant either.
Of course, even so, Bell had no intention of going anywhere near that restaurant owned by the Goddess of Beauty. He really didn't want to go looking for trouble—unless he was already completely exposed.
"That's true."
Hestia was also nervous when it came to Freya. She knew she wasn't good at handling her. Hestia just wasn't the eloquent type, whereas Freya absolutely was. It wouldn't be surprising if she accidentally spilled some unnecessary information during a conversation.
Freya needed to be monitored, but there was no need to obsess over her.
Under normal conditions, the chances of Bell crossing paths with Freya were still extremely low.
"As long as Bell-kun doesn't attend the Denatus. As long as he doesn't draw too much attention when he reaches Level 2, Freya won't notice him."
Bell gave a slight nod. He, too, believed that as long as he kept his growth under control, Freya wouldn't take notice. After all, he wasn't some saint like the main character from the original story. There was no way she'd be interested in the essence of his soul. So as long as he managed his level progression carefully, there shouldn't be much of a problem.
'Even if this feels like stacking a bunch of negative buffs, it's not a big deal. With my current state, that goddess Freya definitely wouldn't be interested in me. As long as I play it safe and stay under the radar, I should be able to grow steadily.'
Bell took a deep breath. The anxiety in his heart eased a bit.
Hestia didn't dwell on the Freya issue any longer and moved on to the real reason she had come.
"Hephaestus, so we're good to cooperate between our two Familias from now on, right?"
"Since your child has such a skill, I'll agree."
Hephaestus accepted Hestia's request without even thinking it over. She didn't want Hestia to keep wasting her days, and naturally hoped she'd start developing her own Familia properly. The proposal wasn't one-sided—both sides would benefit—so Hephaestus had no reason to say no.
A smile curled at the corner of Hestia's lips. Forming an alliance was just the first step. What came next was the real reason she wanted this partnership—to ask Hephaestus for a favor. Wearing a flattering, almost sycophantic smile, she sidled up to her old friend.
"Since we're allies now, Hephaestus, would you mind doing me a favor?"
The moment Hestia spoke, Hephaestus gave her a look that said, 'I knew this was coming.' Sure, an alliance sounded nice, but this request was what Hestia was really after. Still, Hephaestus wasn't heartless—she decided to at least hear her out and see if the request was too outrageous.
"You can speak. But think carefully before you do—if it's too much, I might just throw you out and cut ties for good."
"Hehe~ It's honestly something really small for you, Hephaestus."
Hestia didn't seem the least bit worried, still grinning from ear to ear. But that smile only made Hephaestus more alert. She knew all too well—when Hestia wore that carefree grin, the request was always trouble.
"Actually, I'd like you to forge a weapon for Bell."
Well... for the Goddess of the Forge, that wasn't entirely unreasonable. Forging weapons was a routine affair in Orario.
What made it excessive was that Hestia had gone straight to asking Hephaestus herself. Even without divine power, weapons made by gods were on a whole different level than those crafted by ordinary smiths. The artisan's skill defined the weapon's quality, and with that skill came a price.
By asking Hephaestus directly, Hestia was basically maxing out the price scale. If such a weapon really were forged, it would undoubtedly be a first-class weapon unmatched by any other blacksmith or Familia.
Hephaestus just looked at her speechlessly. Yep—no way a day or two would be enough to change Hestia's shameless nature. Of all the gods she knew, only Hestia would dare make such a request.