After parting ways with the three core members of the Loki Familia, Bell headed straight back to his home base.
Once he confirmed the interior setup and the safety of the surrounding area, he used the spatial coordinates to return to the Hestia Familia base located "outside the world."
Under the sky blanketed in black night and surrounded by space filled with spiritual energy, Bell, for once, let down his guard.
He tossed his cloak, gloves, and mask into four-dimensional space and, dressed in his usual attire, walked up to the front door of his residence.
"It's been half a month..."
Now that he thought about it, it really had been a while. This was the first time he'd been away from Hestia for so long.
Normally, even when heading into the Dungeon, he'd be back the same night—or at the latest, the following morning. But this time, the expedition had dragged on for over half a month.
It had truly been a long while.
He gently pushed open the door—and immediately heard Hestia's voice.
"Ah! You snuck some of my snacks!"
Bell's face twitched, and the image of a flat-chested, red-haired goddess flashed through his mind.
"Tch! It's just a little food, why are you making such a big deal out of it?"
"That was something my child prepared for me! Can't you eat your own?"
"But I'd have to go back and get it. What a hassle."
Listening to the noisy bickering, Bell felt a rare flicker of emotion. In that moment, he thought maybe it wasn't so bad for Hestia to have someone like Loki as a troublesome friend.
At least it kept things from getting too dull at home.
"Bell."
Just as Bell was about to step inside, a flash of crimson appeared from the other side of the entrance.
Judging by the direction, it must have come from the bedroom.
Before he could even react, that red blur was already in front of him, pulling him into a tight embrace.
The scent of maternal warmth filled his senses, making Bell feel truly at home.
"I'm back, Hephaestus."
"Welcome home, Bell."
Watching this big boy bury his face against her chest, Hephaestus smiled gently.
Resting her chin on his shoulder, she felt a rare sense of peace.
Their time together had been too short. They had just begun their relationship when the expedition came up.
Even now, Hephaestus felt that Orario was filled with endless problems. The expedition had barely wrapped up, and the matter with Evilus was already looming. Not to mention the trouble brewing with Freya.
When Hermes brought news of Freya, Hephaestus immediately felt a headache.
She had seen just how ruthless Freya could be—leaving no room for escape.
What made things worse was Freya's current position and status.
Just thinking about it made Hephaestus uncomfortable. If possible, she truly hoped Freya would stay out of it.
Three people were already enough in this love triangle—there was simply no room for Freya.
"Bell, we've got real trouble this time."
"..."
Still basking in the warmth of home, Bell suddenly felt the weight of reality settle in. He stood up from her embrace with a helpless look.
"...I know. I was too careless this time and let Freya catch me off guard."
"Hmm? You already found out?"
"I couldn't not know."
Bell gave a bitter smile as he recounted his experience to Hephaestus.
"!?"
Hephaestus's eyes widened in shock. She hadn't expected that Freya would actually pull Bell's soul into the soul world from across an entire Dungeon.
"Are you alright? You weren't affected by Freya's Authority 'Charm'?"
Bell gave a slight nod. Though he wasn't entirely sure what had happened, it didn't seem like he'd been affected in any way.
"I didn't feel anything unusual. My ability to think and make judgments hasn't changed. I don't believe I was influenced by Freya."
"That's what makes it strange."
The soul world was the place where every soul resided—the deepest layer where personal will was manifest.
It was the place most vulnerable to influence, especially when it came to beauty goddesses like Freya. If one such deity entered the soul world of a child from Genkai, the Authority they wielded could leave an indelible mark on that child's will.
Naturally, such actions were strictly forbidden among the gods.
To twist someone's mind in that way would require the use of Authority. And once Authority was used, divine power would be unleashed, triggering a forced return to Tenkai.
Even if a god could enter the mental world of a child in Genkai, they risked forcibly banishing themselves back to Tenkai. Moreover, the mere presence of a god could distort a child's mental world, leading to breakdowns or complete psychological collapse. In every way, such interference brought only harm.
But Freya had still gone through with it.
Hephaestus had been truly frightened just moments ago.
However, after confirming that Bell was safe and that his will remained unaffected, she began to feel something was off about the whole situation.
Hephaestus calmly analyzed it:
"It's not that Freya chose not to influence you—it's that you weren't affected by her at all."
"She must've been using this as a test to gauge your condition. Any child of Genkai would be affected by a god. Freya has been searching for that one exception all along."
"And now, she's sure it's you. That's why she did it."
Even Hephaestus had to admit Freya was bold. But after a brief pause, her eyes flared with anger, and she gritted her teeth as she muttered under her breath:
"That crazy woman..."
Then, a wave of dread rushed through her, and she pulled Bell tightly into her arms.
"Gods can twist the will of children in Genkai... even completely shatter their rationality. And that lunatic went through with it knowing full well that was the worst possible outcome."
Only now did Bell fully understand what Freya had done.
And yet, to his surprise, he didn't feel any anger.
Maybe it was because he knew for certain he hadn't been affected by her.
Maybe it was because he had witnessed something he'd never seen before.
Or maybe... his values had shifted.
Bell figured it was probably all of those things.
It was only now that the weight on his heart began to lift.
That burden had been there since he first became an adventurer, ever since he stepped foot into the Hostess of Fertility.
But in this moment, it completely disappeared.
Bell gently held Hephaestus and reassured her:
"Don't worry, Hephaestus. What Freya did helped me realize a lot of things. But the most important one... is that I'm not under her influence."
That, to Bell, was what mattered most.
...
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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