"But I only see schadenfreude on your face."
Hermes rubbed his temples. His eyes weren't blind—he could read the glee in Loki's expression and the mockery in her voice.
"So what? That's between you and Ouranos. It has absolutely nothing to do with me."
Loki's disdain was practically written across her features. She didn't care how Hermes had been roped in by Ouranos—she was just here to witness his humiliation.
"You came to my house because Ouranos gave you a task. Is it something to do with me? Or is it about that kid?"
"Um—it's regarding Bell-kun."
"Oh~"
Loki's interest spiked. You could say her mood had skyrocketed.
"Ouranos wouldn't trouble that kid for no reason. He clearly intends to let him do his own thing. And that kid doesn't need coddling—he's grown just fine on his own. So if your assignment is this difficult, it must involve that love-struck goddess, right?"
Hermes stayed silent, but Loki read the answer all over his face.
"You actually had the nerve to take it! Knowing only-too-well that Shorty's been telling that kid to steer clear of the love-struck goddess, and you still want to connect the two? You must want to die."
Freya was a goddess not to be trifled with—but Hestia? Offending her was a whole other level of danger.
"You don't really think that kid was joking about god-slaying, do you?"
Loki was sure Bell was capable of it. This double-headed trouble had Hermes riskier than suicide.
"...I had no choice."
Hermes hung his head. He hadn't even wanted to help Freya—but he couldn't exactly refuse when both she and Ouranos were staring him down.
"It was Freya's request, and Ouranos agreed. But fancy that it fell to me to deliver…"
"Tsk tsk… If Shorty found out, she'd probably kick you in the face. Bell-kun means everything to her. Helping Freya and Bell-kun get close? You're asking for trouble—real trouble."
Loki could practically see Hermes being banished from Tenkai as they spoke. Then she stopped, realization flickering.
"Wait—did you say this was the love-struck goddess's request? Do you mean the one she made after helping the Guild sort out the food supplies?"
Hermes's expression shifted—Loki noticed that in a heartbeat.
"How odd. So what does Ouranos think? Why'd he agree to Freya meeting that kid?"
Hermes paused before dropping the bomb.
"Freya… has pledged allegiance to Ouranos."
"…Huh!?"
Loki froze for a moment, then her eyes widened in disbelief.
"That love-struck goddess… made that choice just for Bell-kun? How on earth sure is she that he's the one she's been searching for?"
"How would I know what a goddess thinks?"
Hermes looked uncertain. To him, Freya's decision felt impulsive… dangerously so.
Freya didn't know as much as we did, but she found out about Bell-kun's hidden identity through that one transaction. Other than that, she didn't have much intel on Bell-kun—after all, that's just the kind of person he is.
Since it wasn't a calculated move, there could only be one explanation.
Freya acted purely on impulse. Her decision was entirely based on her own feelings, made without considering the consequences.
When Loki came to this conclusion, she couldn't help but break into a cold sweat for that love-crazed woman. She really hadn't expected Freya to make such a reckless move.
"That love-struck woman's completely lost it."
Loki could hardly believe that Freya would go so far, making such a wild decision.
In truth, back when Freya met with Shorty and made that kind of agreement, Loki already knew Freya wasn't going to come out on top. The shorty would be the one to win in the end.
Not because of anything else—just the difference in timing.
That boy had been discovered by the shorty, and they'd grown together. There was no way he'd ever abandon the shorty for another goddess.
Even though the odds were stacked against her, that crazy woman still managed to turn the tables.
She seized her one and only chance and walked right into the same camp, shifting the dynamic entirely.
"That woman made her move before she was even sure. She really is insane."
Loki knew herself well enough—she could be a pretty wild goddess at times, stirring up fights between the gods in Tenkai just for the fun of it.
But now, after coming to Genkai and bonding with her children, all of that reckless behavior had toned down. Compared to the past, Loki felt she had really mellowed out.
Freya, on the other hand, didn't seem any different from how she'd been in Tenkai. But because of a child in Genkai, her actions were becoming more and more unhinged.
She didn't think about the consequences at all. Just for a child she hadn't even confirmed with her own eyes, she chose to take sides.
And choosing sides could bring all kinds of trouble.
Why else do you think Hermes stayed neutral for so long?
As long as he didn't openly pick a side, he could jump back and forth between both camps.
Hermes definitely has some connection to Evilus, but since he never clearly aligned himself with them, his stance remained ambiguous.
Only now that he's been dragged into this mess has he finally stepped out of neutrality.
Even then, he's still hiding his true allegiance, pretending to stay neutral on the surface.
But Freya? That crazy woman didn't leave herself any wiggle room. She made her decision straight away—just for the chance to formally meet that brat, Bell.
Still, Loki had to admit, even if Freya didn't leave her any breathing room, the woman made the right choice.
...
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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