"Huh!? You want my Bell-kun to meet Freya!?"
Hestia's eyes went wide. She couldn't believe what she was hearing—especially from Hermes, of all people.
The veins on her forehead started to bulge, and her cute face darkened instantly.
"Hermes, are you seriously not joking right now?"
Seeing her face change so quickly, Hermes felt the pressure mounting. Fast.
He forced a strained smile as he tried to explain. The last thing he wanted was to be carried out of here on a stretcher.
"Hestia, just hear me out first. And Hephaestus, could you not stare at me like that? I'm only here as a messenger this time, and I've got a very specific reason. You think I came here because I wanted to?"
Hermes, ever the master of self-preservation, knew better than to walk blindly into a trap like this—something Hephaestus could at least acknowledge.
Besides, she was a little curious about the reason he mentioned.
"Alright, Hermes. We'll listen—for now. Then we'll decide if we're kicking you out."
"Thank you, Hephaestus. Really."
Grateful for the momentary reprieve, Hermes quickly wiped the sweat from his brow.
That was a close call. He'd nearly been kicked out by Hestia, and if that happened, Freya's child would probably show up next to finish the job.
Catching his breath, Hermes cut to the chase.
"The only reason I'm the one delivering this message... is because Freya made a decision."
"A decision?"
Hestia looked momentarily puzzled, but Hephaestus's expression changed instantly.
"Freya's decided to side with the Guild!?"
"!?"
Hestia's eyes flew open again as realization hit. Freya had chosen a side?
Hermes nodded with a helpless look.
"Yes. Freya has pledged herself to the Guild. She's sworn to Ouranos that she'll help the Guild manage Orario."
Hestia was left speechless. Her mouth hung open for a second before her face turned red with frustration and she finally burst out:
"She's so mean!"
She immediately understood why Freya had done it. And it was precisely because she understood that reason all too well that it left her feeling humiliated and infuriated at such a shameless move.
"Sigh..."
Hephaestus could only shake her head. That was a brutal play.
They had assumed Freya, as the head of the strongest Familia in Orario, would be cautious about declaring a side. In the past, she'd always stayed neutral, much like Hermes.
Who would've thought she'd make such a reckless decision just to chase after Bell?
She glanced at Hestia, who was still frozen in disbelief, gave a slight shake of her head, and turned to Hermes.
"So, meeting Bell is the condition Freya set for siding with the Guild?"
"Exactly."
Hermes nodded quickly.
That response made Hephaestus fully realize just how formidable Freya truly was.
Bell had always been extremely cautious in Orario, taking care not to leave any trace. And yet, Freya still managed to lock onto him.
Of course, Hephaestus knew Bell's brilliance was hard to conceal—especially from someone like Freya.
She just didn't expect that in such a chaotic situation, Freya would still find a way to track Bell down—and even have the gall to present that condition to Ouranos.
Seeing the troubled look on Hephaestus's face, Hermes quickly offered a reminder.
"Hephaestus, we can't keep Bell-kun hidden anymore."
"...What do you mean?"
Hermes couldn't help but feel the sharpness in her gaze.
"It's because, during the trial you helped design, Bell-kun was accidentally seen in the prayer room by the four gods present—including Freya."
That caught Hephaestus off guard, and her brows immediately furrowed.
'It was then?'
She remembered that yesterday, Bell had suddenly gone quiet for a moment before leaving the 59th floor quickly. Could it be that he realized he was being watched?
Noticing her expression, Hermes explained further.
"Honestly, Bell-kun didn't do anything wrong. And him showing up on the 59th floor wasn't intentional. Do you remember that ornament the Sage asked my child to give to the Sword Princess? When she delivered the final blow to the Spirit, it fell off and landed on the wall—just at the right angle to catch Bell-kun showing up behind her."
In short, it was all a string of unlucky coincidences.
Bell's appearance at the end? A coincidence. The ornament falling? Another coincidence. The only thing that wasn't a coincidence... was Freya insisting on checking the aftermath even after the expedition team had left. And sure enough, she caught a glimpse of Bell shortly after they departed.
Hermes genuinely felt bad for Bell. His luck had just been rotten. If not for that single moment, Freya might never have seen him.
If that ornament on the Sword Princess's scabbard hadn't fallen, Freya wouldn't have locked in the meeting so quickly. They might've been able to stall for more time.
But luck just wasn't on Bell's side. He ran straight into Freya's line of sight.
"This meeting... it's really just a turning point. Now that Freya has sided with the Guild, there's no avoiding contact in the future. So this meeting? It was inevitable."
Hephaestus frowned. She understood what Hermes meant.
It really was just like he said—Bell wouldn't be able to avoid Freya any longer. Even if he tried, he probably wouldn't succeed.
And that left Hephaestus feeling uneasy. Letting Bell meet Freya alone? That was far too risky.
"What did Freya say?"
"Nothing. She just glared at me."
"..."
Hephaestus looked at Hermes, who wore a pitifully innocent expression. At that moment, she truly wanted to pull out the weapon hidden in her spatial belt and smack him across the face with it.