"You really think I don't know what you're like, Freya? You've pulled this sort of thing plenty of times before."
"There are precedents... you taking an interest in someone else's child and forcefully claiming them as your own."
"I let it slide because it had nothing to do with me. But now that you tried to pull the same stunt on one of mine... this isn't ending with just a slap on the wrist."
"Fufu~ I won't deny that I've taken an interest in him..."
Freya said, smiling sweetly
"But as I've already stated, I never ordered my children to do such a thing. That was simply a misunderstanding on your part."
"And besides..."
She continued, voice light and airy.
"if I wanted him for myself, I would have just approached him, charmed him, and asked him nicely to come with me."
"'Nicely,' my ass."
Loki snorted.
"Did you really think I didn't know you snooped around and stole his status sheet from the Guild? You saw his list of skills... found out he was immune to charm."
She leaned forward, sneering.
"I bet that was your original plan. But after realizing you couldn't charm him, you switched to force... taking advantage of the fact that my familia was out on expedition. That's why you moved so quickly."
Loki waved a hand dismissively.
"I already know your sweet little ass is horny for him. Who exactly are you trying to fool?"
At that, Freya's smile deepened... soft, serene, and yet completely unreadable.
[Eternal Persistence]
Freya didn't know the exact mechanics of the skill, but she knew one thing for sure: charm wouldn't work on Judas.
She had tested it herself the moment she first laid eyes on him at the mansion entrance.
And it had failed... completely.
'As expected of Heaven's greatest trickster... to deduce my thought process from such minor clues.'
'Fooling you really is a fool's errand.'
However, that didn't mean she would give up that easily.
Still smiling, Freya tilted her head ever so slightly.
"Oh my... what a rich imagination you have, Loki."
The two goddesses continued their back-and-forth.
Loki pressed forward again and again, jabbing Freya with pointed questions in an attempt to corner her.
Freya, on the other hand, dodged each accusation with elegance... tilting her head, smiling softly, and responding with vague half-truths.
From the outside, it looked like a verbal war disguised as polite conversation.
From the inside, everyone at the table could feel the tension like a tightening noose.
Watching the exchange, Judas exhaled slowly.
And as he stared at her serene smile... utterly unbothered, utterly unreadable... his mind drifted to a certain memory.
A flashback.
...
Entering through the tavern doors, Judas made his way into the Hostess of Fertility.
The place was as lively as always.
Laughter burst from tables, plates clattered, and the aroma of fresh food swept through the air.
The waitresses darted between customers with practiced grace... some carrying trays stacked dangerously high, others taking orders with bright smiles.
"Judas, back so soon?"
Ryuu called out the moment she noticed him.
"Just here for a quick bite."
Judas replied, scanning the room,
"And to have a little talk with your boss."
For some reason, Syr wasn't present today.
Odd, but not important.
The person he did want to see, however, was easy to spot... thanks to her towering frame behind the counter.
"Alright then. I'll take your order first."
Ryuu smiled softly.
Judas ordered a few things, perfect for a light meal.
The elf nodded and headed toward the kitchen, leaving him to approach the counter.
"Hey, Mama Mia," he said as he sat down, leaning slightly forward.
"Can you tell me some things about Freya?"
The giant dwarf paused mid-chop, slowly turning her head toward him.
"Hm? And why are you asking me that, kid? Don't tell me Freya's charm got to you?"
She slammed the knife down with a heavy thunk, leaving it embedded in the wooden board before crossing her arms.
"That's not it," Judas said, waving a hand casually. "I'm just curious."
"You think I don't know exactly what you're trying to do?"
Mama Mia snorted, grabbing her knife again and returning to her chopping.
"Even if I wanted to help you, I cant. I have to abide by the contract I made with the Goddess, if you think you can glean some info from me to get a grasp of her weakness..."
"I am not asking you to give me that kind of information, just tell me some things about Freya that no one knows about."
Judas cut in calmly.
His tone was even, but there was weight behind it.
Mama Mia's hands stopped.
At that moment, Ryuu arrived with his food.
"Judas, here is your order."
He gave her a grateful nod, then turned his attention back to the bar owner... whose back was still facing him.
She let out a long, weary sigh.
"I'm not supposed to interfere, not until she finally finds her Odr. But... if it's you..."
She muttered under her breath.
"...I can tell you a little."
Her voice softened, just barely.
She turned again, meeting Judas' gaze head-on.
"When I first met the goddess, can you guess what she was doing?"
Mama Mia questioned.
Judas blinked, thinking for a few seconds before he finally offered a reply.
"I don't know, maybe enjoying a sip of wine on a fancy restaurant or something?"
He nearly said 'or in the middle of a massive orgy', but wisely kept that part to himself.
Mama Mia shook her head.
"No... she was crying. Huddled up in a field of flowers."
She said, voice unexpectedly gentle.
Judas froze, his brows lifting in genuine surprise.
Of all the things Mama Mia could have said, that was not one he saw coming.
"She may act pompous, selfish, even arrogant... but that isn't who she truly is."
Mama Mia's eyes wandered over the tavern, as though searching for a familiar face in the crowd.
"For gods know how many years, she's been searching for her Odr. Her destined one and fated lover. And every time... she found nothing."
"It's pathetic, right?"
She added with a dry laugh.
"For the goddess of love herself to be starved for love. But not just any love... a true, soul-deep love."
Her eyes drifted down, meeting Judas' purple eyes with surprising seriousness.
"And right now..."
Her gaze sharpened.
"...she sees that love in you. The very thing she's been yearning for."
...
Back in the present, Judas blinked once, clearing the haze of memory from his mind.
The scene before him hadn't changed... Loki was still jabbing relentlessly, her sharp tongue cutting through the air, while Freya met every accusation with that infuriatingly serene smile.
Eventually, the matter of discussing compensation was finally brought up.
"So, what is it you want from me, Loki? An apology, perhaps?"
Freya asked, resting her cheek against her hand with an elegant smile.
"Hah? Who the hell wants your apology?"
Loki shot back immediately.
"The only useful thing that mouth of yours can do is suck a bunch of cocks."
Freya's eye twitched... just slightly... but she didn't lose her composure.
"Eight hundred million. Pay up, sweetie."
Loki added, rubbing two fingers together with a smug grin.
"Three hundred million for the damage to his equipment. One hundred million for the hospital fees. And another four hundred million for the emotional and reputational damage you caused."
She delivered the list shamelessly, piling on ridiculous demands with the confidence of someone who fully expected to get punched.
Eight hundred million... an amount large enough to buy a luxury mansion outright, with enough left to feed a small city for years.
One hundred million for hospital fees?
In truth, Airmid's treatment barely reached fifty thousand valis.
And the rest?
Pure padding.
The only legitimate cost was the three hundred million for the equipment.
Yet Freya didn't scoff, rage, or argue.
Instead, her smile only widened, eyes gleaming with something far more dangerous.
"Only eight hundred million?" she purred.
"I'll do you one better."
"I am aware that my children acted inappropriately and must take responsibility."
She snapped her fingers.
The door swung open, and nearly a dozen Freya Familia members marched in... each pushing a wheelbarrow piled high with valis to the very brim.
Finn's eyebrows shot up. Gareth grunted. Tione's jaw hit the floor.
"As you can see," Freya continued, "I personally confiscated the entire collective wealth of Hedin and the others as punishment for their misbehavior."
The members bowed to her, then exited in silence, leaving behind an impossible mountain of money.
"Approximately... five billion valis."
The dramatic pause that followed was enough to make Tione squeak in disbelief.
"F-five b-billion?"
Even the usual nonchalant Ais stammered in her words.
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