At that moment, Freya had been escorted back to her private residence atop Babel Tower.
"Just as I thought... that child really is something special."
Sprawled across her bed in an unusually unguarded and girlish pose, Freya replayed the scenes she'd witnessed within that child's soul world.
"What lies beyond that Wall of Lamentation—darkness or light? I can't help but want to find out."
Though the soul world's barrier had blocked her from seeing the true color of Bell's soul, Freya had already made up her mind.
Bell was undoubtedly the other half she had been searching for in Genkai.
"What a shame..."
Even though everything had confirmed what she'd hoped for, the answer had come half a year too late.
The child who was meant to be her other half... now belonged to Hestia.
That was what weighed on Freya the most.
If he hadn't joined any Familia, she could've effortlessly claimed him. But she'd missed their first encounter.
One missed opportunity—and her mistaken judgment at their first meeting.
Just thinking about how she had misread him made Freya's heart ache.
Perhaps back when that child had first entered the Hostess of Fertility with Hestia, she should have seen through him. But at the time, his soul shone with no brilliance, so she gave up—allowing him and Hestia time to grow together.
Now, he had grown to such a level that even her divine authority might no longer hold sway over him.
"That child planned this entire narrative of the Loki Familia's rise. His wings are already fully spread. Even Loki has become one of his pieces—a counterbalance against me. I'm too late."
Today, she'd seen him appear on the 59th floor. From Hestia, Hephaestus, and Loki's reactions, Freya could already piece things together.
That child had orchestrated the entire expedition. Everything, even the "Spirits," had been calculated to allow Loki's children to break through—creating new Lv. 7 adventurers to stand on par with Ottar.
Even if Finn and the others, newly promoted to Lv. 7, still weren't a true match for Ottar, having three adventurers at that level placed Loki Familia openly on the same tier as her own.
Not to mention the other powerful children in Loki's ranks, many of whom were likely ready to stand out. Once the number of Lv. 7s and Lv. 6s began to climb, the balance of power in Orario could shift.
Freya was certain that once the expedition returned, word would spread quickly throughout the city.
The Guild wouldn't miss the chance to fan the flames, and neither would Loki.
Lying there, Freya slowly turned over, gazing out at the night beyond her floor-to-ceiling windows.
"Loki stayed quiet for the sake of gaining an edge, even knowing she was being used as a pawn. That's just like her."
"But that child's actions... really startled me."
Just the fact that he managed to convince Loki was enough to leave Freya surprised.
During the battle against the "Spirit," Freya could sense that its strength far exceeded the Level 7 threshold. Yet, Loki's children still managed to strike at the crucial moment and dealt a decisive blow.
They even managed to defeat the Spirit in a short span of time.
A faint smile curved Freya's lips.
"To think he even controlled a clone of the Spirit... That child's Authority is incredibly versatile."
Freya wasn't blind. She could clearly tell that the Spirit hadn't used its full power.
Its strength had surpassed Lv. 7—possibly even reached Lv. 8. Even her own child Ottar wouldn't have stood a chance, let alone a few of Loki's.
Letting Loki Familia's children win was a deliberate move—a way to grant them the chance to earn Excelia.
'Impressive.'
All those careful moves to stabilize the confrontation between her and Loki… Freya could only acknowledge how thorough that child had been.
Still, he probably didn't expect her to pull such a move in return.
But thinking back, if she hadn't done what she did, his entire plan would have gone off without a hitch.
If she and Loki ended up on even ground, she would've been completely restrained.
Knowing Loki's personality, once she gained benefits from that child, she'd most likely take his side—at least on the surface.
But the reality was clear: she and Loki now stood on equal footing.
And as long as Loki was caught up in opposing her, that child would have time to keep growing.
He had already reached Lv. 4 in just half a year. With a few more months, reaching Lv. 5—or even Lv. 6—was entirely possible.
And once his wings were fully grown, even if she wanted to force things, it would already be too late.
This deliberate, calculated strike had left a serious impact on Freya—an impact no child in Genkai had ever made on her before.
A single mortal child, laying out an entire plan just to face her head-on.
Freya had never liked playing chess. But even so, she was stunned by his strategy.
Still, even with that smile in her eyes, there was a lingering sadness beneath it.
The more exceptional Bell proved to be, the heavier that sense of loss grew in her heart.
"Half a year... just half a year too late."
...
Meanwhile, back at the temporary base on the 50th floor, Bell also felt an inexplicable weight in his chest.
'I didn't expect to slip up like that in such a crucial moment.'
Not checking his surroundings properly—that was his own mistake. But he hadn't expected his luck to be that bad.
'No matter how careful I was, I still miscalculated one move.'
If everything had gone according to plan, once the expedition returned to the surface, the news of Loki Familia's three pillars reaching Lv. 7 would've spread like wildfire across Orario. The conditions he'd been aiming for would have been fully realized.
A complete promotion for Loki Familia.
And with it, the strength to finally go toe-to-toe with Freya Familia.
As long as the two Familias remained locked in a visible conflict, he would've had enough time to continue growing in the shadows.
But now... things had turned out like this.
Bell couldn't help but feel his timing had truly failed him.
But just as he was caught in that thought, something struck him.
'Wait... why was Freya-sama at a Guild meeting in the first place?'
...
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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