"The biggest threat from Freya was always her Authority and how it could affect me. But now that I know her Authority has no effect on me, her hold over me has dropped drastically."
In the past, Bell's greatest fear was catching Freya's attention.
That was why he always kept a low profile, avoiding the spotlight as much as possible to reduce the risk of her noticing anything unusual about him.
After all, Bell didn't have the divine skill "Liaris Freese" to counteract "Charm," so being cautious was only natural.
But now, that fear could finally be put to rest.
He still didn't know what the wall in his soul world was exactly, but if it could block the effects of an Authority, that alone was a blessing.
"But Freya made a desperate move, which completely ruined your plan to set her up in a standoff with Loki."
That had originally been an ideal scenario. As long as Freya and Loki remained opposed, Bell would have time to grow stronger.
That was the situation Bell had hoped for.
But all of that had been overturned by a single decision from Freya, making any confrontation between the Loki Familia and Freya Familia practically impossible.
That was what Hephaestus found troubling now.
"Yeah, Freya's decision went beyond anything I anticipated."
Bell was also troubled by the change. He still wasn't fully prepared—reaching Level 4 was just the beginning.
It was exactly because it was still too early that Bell wanted to elevate the strength of the three pillars of the Loki Familia, or even raise the overall power level of the entire Familia.
Only when the strength of Orario's two kings was brought to the same level could a true standoff occur.
After all, only Familias of equal power could engage in that kind of confrontation.
"But it's not a huge setback."
"The biggest issue used to be Freya's Authority and the overwhelming strength of her Familia. But after half a year, that power gap has narrowed significantly. And now that we know her Authority doesn't affect me, even if we can't carry out the original plan, it won't make too much of a difference."
Though he said that, Hephaestus could still hear the hint of frustration in his voice.
She understood—Bell still needed time to grow.
In just half a year, Bell had gone from Level 0 to Level 4. That was like shooting up on a rocket.
Even though he possessed two Authorities, without being able to fully utilize their power, trying to leap across levels to defeat the Freya Familia was still far too difficult.
"What now?"
The sudden disruption in their plans left Hephaestus worried about Bell.
"The situation is still manageable. I think once Freya realizes her Authority has no effect on me, she'll give up on more forceful methods. As for using brute strength... I might not be able to take on the 'King' just yet, but if I want to run, no one's stopping me. Freya's not reckless enough to try using force."
Bell was confident that now that her Authority no longer worked on him, Freya wouldn't try to drag him away by force. Instead, she'd start using indirect methods.
He could already imagine the tactics Freya would turn to.
"She'll probably try to act through her political connections next, right?"
"You figured that out?"
Bell sighed. He couldn't not see it, even if he didn't want to.
"If she's not going to use force, then this is her only option. She'll leverage the influence she gained after joining the Guild—maybe pressure them into granting her certain special privileges."
That was the only benefit Freya could gain from this approach.
Even someone as slow to catch on as Bell had seen through it—of course Freya would, too.
So if someone from the Guild suddenly came to invite him on her behalf, Bell wouldn't be surprised in the slightest.
That line, "Let's talk about this outside," hadn't been for show.
Bell was already mentally prepared to meet with Freya.
Even though he really didn't want to, it wasn't like his own wishes would change anything.
But more importantly...
"If I don't go, there's no telling what insane move Freya might make next."
"Yeah..."
Hephaestus agreed with his assessment.
Freya was the kind of god who would stop at nothing to get what she wanted—her past actions had made that perfectly clear.
While most of her children had pledged their loyalty due to her beauty, her recent decisions made it hard for Hephaestus to see her as anything resembling a normal god.
Hephaestus wished Bell didn't have to meet Freya either—but if he refused, the next time they crossed paths might be on opposite sides of Orario.
To prevent that, compromise was the only option.
"I really don't want you to go see Freya."
Hephaestus's face was full of reluctance, but she couldn't stop him. In the end, she could only accept it.
"I don't have a choice. But this time, Freya probably wants to establish a long-term connection with me."
"Isn't that a huge pain?"
"It is. But avoiding her forever isn't realistic either. When the Evilus launch their attack on Orario again, we're bound to need an alliance. I can't keep dodging Freya."
Bell's face showed just how frustrated he was.
If all the Evilus members were high-tier fighters, maybe he could wipe them all out on his own—so long as he reached Level 5.
But the problem was the Evilus had more than a few maniacs, and once they launched a coordinated assault from every direction, there was no way he could handle them alone.
Bell also knew full well—those Evilus lunatics would never all band together to fight openly. That would be suicide.
Rats like them were masters at sneaking around.
When war broke out, they'd strike from the shadows, each in their own way. There was no way they'd gather in one place just to get slaughtered.
The thought made Hephaestus furrow her brow. Her frustration with the Evilus deepened.
Bell, meanwhile, kept his frustration to himself.
"But I think Freya might rein herself in a little... though that's just wishful thinking on my part."
"Hmph!"
Hephaestus scoffed. Expecting Freya to show restraint was like expecting a sow to climb a tree.
Still, after venting her irritation, she lowered her head with a hint of gloom.
"Before you go meet Freya, you owe me for the time you've been gone."
"Of course."