"Well then, Freya, I'll be heading back."
"Heading back? Then what did you come here for?"
That line—"heading back"—almost made Freya's brain short-circuit.
In a moment like this, with this kind of atmosphere, did he seriously come all the way back just to talk about his future plans? Was he not planning to do anything else?
"Uh... I just came to explain what I did earlier."
By all that's fair and just, Bell really wasn't joking—he had come solely to let Freya know what he had done, and to share his upcoming plans.
But thinking back to the nuance in Freya's earlier words, and how his actions might've given her the wrong impression, Bell's eye twitched slightly. He realized he needed to be quicker on the uptake in situations like this. Letting Freya misunderstand would be bad news.
In truth, she already had all the reason she needed to misunderstand.
Watching Bell getting ready to leave, Freya bit down hard.
'Seriously, if you weren't planning to stay the night, then why stir me up like that?'
She had never experienced something like this before—getting all fired up, only to be left hanging. Her frustration spiked instantly.
But the moment she looked at Bell, some of that irritation cooled.
She could tell in a glance whether someone had certain intentions or not—and it was clear Bell had none. Still, the atmosphere had been so perfect that she couldn't help slipping into a bit of ordinary, human daydreaming.
'Sigh... this kid really is just that dense. He truly doesn't understand certain things at all.'
Given Bell's naturally passive nature, she thought of Hestia and Hephaestus. If Hephaestus hadn't taken the lead, Hestia might still be a virgin goddess to this day. That thought alone lightened Freya's mood considerably.
It really wasn't her fault. Nor was it Bell's.
Boys are usually slower to mature—especially in matters of the heart. And with both Hephaestus and Hestia taking the initiative before, it was no surprise Bell had trouble recognizing when to take the lead himself.
Freya exhaled slowly, calming the blood pressure that had just spiked. In the end, she decided to give Bell a little lesson.
"Sit down, Bell."
Bell, halfway through standing, froze, unsure whether to sit back down or just leave.
"About your earlier plan—if you're going to abandon the 'Blessing System,' how exactly do you plan to unlock everything using only your own power?"
It was a question Bell hadn't touched on before. After a moment of silence, he sat back down and gave her an answer.
"That's actually one of the critical requirements in the plan."
"Once I give up the 'Blessing System,' I'll need a new source of power to form my foundation. And that power can't come from the 'Blessing System' or any similar means. That's why I set my sights on the 'Seven Deadly Sins.'"
The Seven Deadly Sins—now it made sense. This wasn't a power tied to Bell's own nature or the 'Blessing System.' It could indeed serve as a cornerstone of his strength.
"Are you really sure you can control them?"
Freya was visibly concerned. Bell, however, seemed quite confident.
"No need to worry. While I initially extracted them from Hephaestus using magic, my later experiments confirmed that the Seven Deadly Sins don't resist my commands, and they don't corrupt me either. They'll only release power based on my thoughts if I lose control."
That was precisely why Bell had chosen the "Seven Deadly Sins" as one of the cores of his new foundation.
"Actually, the 'Seven Deadly Sins' aren't like other powers that can be sealed or restricted by magic or barriers. When I first noticed 'Envy' on Hephaestus's face, I used magic to extract it. If the 'Seven Deadly Sins' weren't under my control, they would've erupted back then."
"...Bell, you really dared to go after Hephaestus in a situation like that?"
Freya's tone carried a hint of reproach—but from Bell's perspective, it felt like she was blaming him unfairly.
"Freya, I actually used magic to probe 'Envy' beforehand. It was only after confirming it didn't resist that I started extracting it from Hephaestus's face..."
Bell had genuinely considered the possibility that the 'Seven Deadly Sins' might resist. That's why he tested it first. If 'Envy' had shown even a hint of violent rejection, he wouldn't have tried to extract it that way.
But unexpectedly, 'Envy' had been surprisingly docile at the time. It didn't behave like one of the Seven Deadly Sins at all—it was more like a cat cozying up to its owner, nuzzling in for attention.
"'Envy' didn't resist at all. Once I confirmed that, I carefully separated it from Hephaestus's face and sealed it inside a bottle."
Even now, the memory made Bell cringe a little. Thank goodness 'Envy' had been so cooperative—otherwise, he might've died of embarrassment on the spot.
"Pfft!"
Freya couldn't hold back and burst out laughing at Bell's careful, almost sheepish tone.
"Do you really think emotions can be restrained by magic? Even gods aren't immune to them. What kind of magic do you think could hold that back? If it hadn't been willing, it would've caused a scene right then and there."
Bell's face flushed red. Yeah... in hindsight, it really was embarrassing. He just hadn't known any better at the time.
Seeing his expression, Freya couldn't help but smile. This boy's past had to be full of these kinds of moments—probably even more amusing stories waiting to be uncovered. Still, for now, she reined in her grin and brought the conversation back on track.
"Since the 'Seven Deadly Sins' are going to be the foundation of your future, I imagine you want to reclaim them as soon as possible, right?"
"...?"
Bell's brain short-circuited for a moment—then he physically realized what she meant. His hand had already been guided to rest gently over Freya's chest.
"You should know what my heart holds, don't you?"
"Whether it's the 'Seven Deadly Sins' or my life as a virgin goddess... I want you to take them both today.
Unless, of course, you're planning to turn me down?"
Bell swallowed hard.
How was he even supposed to respond to that? How could anyone say no to something like this?
...
For more chapters, feel free to follow me on P@treon.
(100 Chapters Ahead)
[email protected]/PinkSnake