"The trials given by the world…"
Freya needed only a moment's thought to understand—this trial was not going to be simple.
Judging from the trials the world itself had once imposed, the difficulty Bell would face likely wouldn't fall short of the Three Great Quests.
"It's nothing serious."
"My mother has extremely high expectations for me, just as I told you before. I've been wondering whether reaching Lv.10 through the Falna System is really what she wants. She wants me to surpass even god, so I've always been unsure if I should place all my focus on the Falna alone."
Freya had heard these words from Bell in their private talks, but back then he had concealed part of "The World's" identity. Now, he had laid everything bare.
"So that's why you were thinking of giving up the Falna System."
Freya finally understood. She finally grasped the weight Bell had been carrying.
With someone like "The World" as a mother, expecting so much from him, it was no wonder Bell felt so much pressure. Freya felt that if she were in Bell's place, she would likely feel the same.
Bell lowered his head slightly.
'The Falna System only gives me a way to accumulate power.'
"No matter what it is, you need accumulation. As an ordinary person, the ways I had to build my own strength were crude. Only the Falna System could help me accomplish that."
"Even if the Falna System allows growth in an overly direct and brutal way, it was still the only path available to someone like me who had no way to rise on my own."
Bell had wrestled with this issue before. His reluctance to abandon the Falna came from the fact that it allowed him to grow quickly.
But rapid growth brought its own problems. The Falna could make someone grow quickly—but it had an upper limit.
For most people, a limit close to godhood was insanely high. But Bell understood that for him, this ceiling was too low.
His mother hadn't gone to the trouble of rebooting the entire world just to produce one more god. That alone was enough for Bell to completely give up the Falna.
"So the Falna System is just a tool for me to accumulate strength for now. It cannot be the foundation of my power."
Bell let out a deep breath. This decision had taken him a long time.
Giving up an easy path to walk a harder one—the pressure was enormous.
And because of that pressure, Bell had been lost and conflicted for so long.
"Freya… you were the one who pushed me to make this decision."
Freya was briefly surprised, but her smile quickly returned.
"No. I wasn't the one who made you decide."
She leaned her head against Bell's neck, her nose brushing softly against his skin as she breathed in that familiar scent she adored.
"You made this choice yourself."
"I could only guide you. The one who truly wanted to act… was your own will."
Bell knew that well. But he also knew it was Freya's guidance that helped him reach the choice to "give everything up."
No matter how tempting the power he held now was, it was just accumulated strength—something that couldn't be allowed to control him. Becoming addicted to it would make him a slave to power, not someone who mastered it completely.
Bell held Freya gently in his arms, his voice warm.
"Thank you, Freya."
Feeling his affection and tenderness, a blissful smile spread across Freya's face.
"You're welcome, Bell."
...
At that sight, all the men who had been clutching their hearts in pain just moments before let out a long sigh.
"Goddess Freya is seriously in love this time."
"Yeah… that smile earlier wasn't her usual one at all… tch, that brat Bell actually got to hold the Goddess of Beauty."
Their words still had a trace of jealousy, but beneath it was genuine blessing for Bell.
After all, he had achieved something they all dreamed of yet could never accomplish.
More importantly, they could clearly see Freya's attitude toward Bell—this wasn't teasing or passing fancy. She had truly fallen.
Zeus and Hera, of course, saw perfectly well that Freya wasn't playing this time. She was utterly sincere.
"That kid… he's really something."
A faint grin tugged at Zeus's lips.
He never imagined that shy little boy would one day win Freya's heart—and make her fall to such a degree.
"Hmph. Freya, Freya… in the end, didn't you still fall into my hands?"
Hera's words made Zeus choke a little. He quickly corrected her.
"Not your hands. Bell's."
"It's the same thing!"
Hera shamelessly claimed the credit for herself.
"..."
"I've watched that boy Bell grow up. You could even say part of his success comes from my effort as well."
The thought made Hera's smile turn triumphant.
"Bell calls me Grandmother. So what is Freya supposed to call me?"
Even as gods, her seniority over Freya was only by a single divine generation.
But now, counting Bell's generational gap, Freya was being forcibly dragged down to Bell's level. That was a huge drop in hierarchy.
"…You really know how to play."
Zeus knew perfectly well that Freya's seniority had taken a hit.
Gods usually didn't care much about generational order—age among gods was nearly impossible to measure anyway. But Bell and Freya's situation had genuinely pushed her down a generation… and Freya herself had willingly stepped into that position.
If Bell greeted Hera with a "Grandmother" the next time they met, then what about Freya? She couldn't very well call her "Goddess Hera"—that would be far too rude.
"Hmph~ I'd love to see what Freya decides to call me."
Hera was already brimming with excitement, eager for the day they met.
Seeing her getting carried away, Zeus gently shook his head and cut into her fantasy.
"I think you should focus on Meteria's situation first."