"So, what exactly are you here for this time?"
Loki's face was written with impatience.
In the past, if Freya had asked her to help set up some connection with Bell, she would have happily agreed. Loki had even enjoyed watching that brat squirm in frustration.
But now, she could faintly sense a peculiar feeling toward that boy.
The thought of helping Freya link up with him again made her instinctively uncomfortable, and she didn't want any part of it.
Freya, of course, could see this reluctance. She clicked her tongue inwardly, already thinking of another approach. A moment later, she had an idea.
"Recently, I came across some news—about the Grand Casino."
"Ah... that money-stinking place."
The Grand Casino was one of Orario's lawless zones, yet also an indispensable entertainment venue. After all, as the center of the world, Orario had to offer everything—how else could it draw adventurers from every land?
At the gods' urging, the Guild had persuaded foreign nations to invest their capital, which led to the creation of the Grand Casino.
In truth, it was no different from the Pleasure District—a place where adventurers and gods alike sought amusement.
Because of its gambling nature, the casino inevitably bred gray industries. Thus, Orario had granted it special permissions, officially allowing such practices to exist.
That made the Grand Casino one of the city's rare lawless zones.
Loki knew the place well, though she personally had little interest in somewhere so reeking of coin.
Even without stepping inside, she could imagine the chaos within.
"Don't tell me that brat's planning to make a move on the Grand Casino?"
Knowing Freya, Loki understood she wouldn't gather meaningless intelligence, so she asked outright.
"Not that child. With his temperament, he wouldn't have even the slightest interest in that place."
"That's true."
With Bell's "Luck" skill, the casino was nothing more than a money farm.
But scooping up money there meant exposing himself. If he raked in too much, he'd immediately be marked.
Bell had countless other ways to make money without drawing that kind of attention—there was no reason to risk the casino.
"Then why bother collecting intel that has nothing to do with him?"
"You think I don't want to know about that child? From the very beginning, his way of acting hasn't changed at all. If you want to find traces of him in Orario now, normal means won't work."
As she spoke, Freya's face was full of helplessness.
She truly wanted more chances to show herself before Bell, but his way of operating was far too discreet. She simply couldn't find an opening.
"Pfft!"
Freya's pitiful expression actually made Loki burst into laughter.
"Well, that kid's whereabouts are unclear. It's only natural you can't track him down."
"It's not just you—almost no one in all of Orario can pin down that boy's exact location. His methods are tied closely to his path of growth, and given his unique nature, his Development Ability can't be compared with ordinary people."
"Mm. By 'ordinary people,' I mean my Ais and your Ottar."
To avoid Freya misunderstanding, Loki added that clarification.
In her eyes, Ais and Ottar both counted as "normal," whereas Bell was anything but.
"Has that child's Development Ability also been growing rapidly?"
That was news Freya hadn't expected at all.
She already knew Bell's personal growth rate was extraordinary, but she hadn't realized even his Development Ability had skyrocketed along with it.
"Not many know of this. Aside from me, only the shorty and Hephaestus are aware."
"Not even Hermes?"
Loki gave a small smile and shook her head.
"Obviously the shorty knows what would happen if that errand boy caught wind of it. Unless it's absolutely necessary, she keeps that kind of information from Hermes."
"Quite reasonable."
If it was Hermes, then keeping him in the dark was indeed the sensible choice.
Freya understood very well that Hermes's so-called neutrality was only what he showed on the surface. Once he found something entertaining, that neutrality always tilted.
Hiding certain matters from him wasn't a bad thing at all.
"So, do you think Hestia and Hephaestus regret telling you now?"
"...I'd say they probably do."
That question left Loki wearing a complicated expression.
"Anyway, let's get back on topic. About that Grand Casino you mentioned earlier—what are you planning? You wouldn't seriously mess with that place at a time like this, would you?"
Unwilling to dwell on the earlier subject, Loki deliberately steered the conversation back.
"One of my children runs a tavern. Through them, I heard something interesting."
Loki arched a brow, waiting for her to go on.
"...A patron at the tavern was framed by a Familia. In a rigged gambling match, he even staked and lost his own daughter's freedom."
"...What an idiot. People living in Orario still don't understand 'what you think is just what you think'? Every gambling match is rigged. Only fools step right into it."
Loki could already piece together the outline of the situation Freya described.
'When someone showers you with kindness for no reason, it's either a thief or a conman.' In Orario, the least trustworthy people were adventurers stronger than you—they were all liars.
She had assumed ordinary people in Orario knew that much, but apparently some still walked straight into the trap.
"That tavern patron's daughter was pretty, wasn't she?"
"Mm."
"She was sold to the Grand Casino, wasn't she?"
"That's right. My child is preparing to accompany a survivor of the former Astrea Familia to rescue her."
"...Astrea Familia. No wonder they'd take on such a thankless task."
Every adventurer in Orario knew the rule of self-preservation. But a few Familia were stubborn to the core—Astrea Familia had been one of them.
The goddess who presided over justice and order, Astrea had once been a pillar of stability in Orario.
But five years ago, that overly stubborn Familia had been utterly crushed. Nearly all of its members perished, and even Astrea herself was persuaded by her children to leave Orario.
"So, what's your plan?"
"As their god, I need to see the choice my child makes."
Loki understood exactly what Freya meant, but still doused her with cold water.
"The shorty won't allow it, will she?"
Freya only smiled, shaking her head, her gaze fixed firmly on Loki.
"Perhaps before. But now, as long as you're watching, I don't think Hestia would refuse."