"I don't know…"
Ais truly had no idea how many times this world had been cleansed, nor could she imagine what being "purged" even felt like.
"You don't know?"
Seeing the confusion in Ais's eyes, Bell understood immediately.
Ignorance breeds fearlessness — nothing described her current state better.
She understood the situation was dire, and she knew that "cleansing" couldn't be anything good. But beyond that, she lacked the knowledge to fully grasp it, so she remained unafraid.
Bell, however, wasn't disappointed. In fact, he smiled with quiet relief.
"Not knowing is good. Some truths are better unknown. Once you know them, you might lose even the will to move forward."
"If the adventurers in Orario found out, they'd probably lie down and give up with an even clearer conscience."
Bell had always been indifferent toward most adventurers in Orario.
Whether they were gifted or not, their choices only affected themselves.
So it didn't matter.
If they chose to lie flat, then let them stay on the ground.
Bell held no blame for them. Orario was comfortable — too comfortable. More accurately, the world itself was comfortable.
Ais had seen many adventurers stagnate over the years, so she understood Bell's meaning.
Bell smiled at her.
"So, any other questions?"
Ais nodded slightly. She had one final question, but this one wasn't for herself.
It was for Loki.
"The 'He' you mentioned… who is He? And where is He?"
Bell hadn't expected this question, but when he saw the mixture of hope and worry in Ais's eyes, he understood what she was thinking.
"I see. You yourself are ignorant and fearless… but you're deeply worried about Loki-sama."
"Well~ I appreciate your concern for Loki-sama, Sword Princess, but His location isn't something someone like me can just know.
"As for His identity, all I have is speculation about the nature of that 'World.' I don't have concrete proof yet."
Bell already had a rough guess about the incarnation of the "World."
But if his guess was correct, the first person to realize the World's identity wouldn't be him…
It would be someone else entirely.
To confirm it, Bell needed more concrete evidence. He wasn't the type to make baseless claims.
Ais might not know it, but Bell was very aware that at this moment, countless gods were watching him.
Hearing this, Ais felt a small pang of disappointment, but she knew it couldn't be helped. This was about the "World" — a being above even gods. Such secrets couldn't be uncovered easily.
But Ais didn't dwell on things she couldn't solve.
"I understand."
"You're not going to ask further?"
"Mm. I'll ask Riveria when we get back."
Ais never tried to force herself to solve questions she couldn't understand. She simply asked someone else.
In her view, if something was unclear, find someone who knows. Don't try to solve it alone.
"Actually, asking Loki-sama would be fine too. Don't be fooled by her playful attitude — that goddess is sharper than most. And since this concerns divine matters, asking Riveria Vice Captain probably won't give you any answers."
Bell could already imagine Riveria's bewildered expression if Ais asked her such a question, which was why he recommended asking Loki instead.
"Mm."
Even though Ais thought of Loki as the very definition of "unreliable," there were times when Loki was dependable. For some matters, Loki was definitely the right choice.
The only thing Ais needed to worry about was avoiding giving Loki an opening — otherwise that perverted goddess would definitely misbehave.
"Well then, if you have no more questions, I'll get going."
"Mm."
Seeing Ais had no more to say, Bell stopped lingering and walked toward the darkness ahead.
Ais watched his retreating figure in silence.
Then, from the darkness ahead, Bell's voice drifted back.
"Ah, Sword Princess, you've already taken down one soldier. Two more are heading your way. Be careful."
"!?"
Ais's expression changed instantly. Wind wrapped around her body in a flash.
This wasn't a joke.
Even one more Spirit Soldier of that earlier strength would be hard enough. Two at once would be overwhelming.
She had only two choices — strike first, or wait to be surrounded by both.
Bell noticed her reaction and couldn't help but laugh inwardly.
'Idiot. Did you really think I'd let two soldiers charge you at once?'
Facing one Spirit Soldier was a challenge for Ais right now. Facing two would be a disaster.
If she stayed at Lv.6 long enough, she might eventually handle two at once — but certainly not right now.
'I still need to give her pressure. She won't grow without it.'
Then Bell shifted his focus.
'Have part of the Spirit devour the leftover fodder on this floor. Since those fools wanted a flesh sacrifice, let them become part of the Spirit Soldier's flesh. It's exactly what they wished for.'
'The other part… hm, looks like direct conflict has already begun?'
This was exactly what Bell wanted. Without conflict, how would Dionysus break free from the encirclement?
Only when danger pressed down on him could Dionysus naturally separate from the group and head alone toward the location of the god Thanatos.
'Even if Captain Finn and the others notice, they won't say anything. They won't want such a massive threat lingering among the group.'
'Since the others are fine, I can head to God Thanatos now.'
With a quick check of the situation, Bell already knew where to go next.
A god's presence was blindingly obvious even deep within the dungeon. With just a bit of focus, Bell pinpointed the exact location of the other god.