The morning passed in a blur of work.
Even after several hours, Eina's heart still trembled whenever she recalled the boy's breathtaking battle. She held the documents tightly to her chest, reminding herself to set aside thoughts of him and focus on the job before her.
In her current position, Eina couldn't afford distractions.
The vast hall glittered with gold and silver inlays across ornate decorations. Under the glow of enormous magic stone lamps, the luxurious carpets draped across the stairs made the place look like a palace out of a fairy tale.
Freya Familia.
As one of Orario's most powerful familias, even their reception hall was extraordinary.
Eina's visit here was directly tied to the incident involving the boy.
This investigation wasn't supposed to be her responsibility. When the Guild staff learned that the target of the inquiry was Freya Familia, not a single person volunteered—even under threat of pay cuts.
Only Eina stepped forward to take on the task.
A thunderous roar echoed from outside. Even within the building, the shockwave could be felt.
That alone explained why the other staff refused this assignment.
Although Freya Familia had assured the Guild of everyone's safety, a past incident had left lasting fear—when a Guild employee once entered the manor, a battered Adventurer came flying through the doorway and knocked them unconscious on the spot.
Since then, all dealings with Freya Familia were handled at the Guild hall. Errands like this naturally fell to the familia's own members.
Heith trudged inside, her movements heavy with fatigue.
Because of her secret contact with Bell, the goddess had forbidden her from leaving the manor without permission.
Thinking of the boy brought a flicker of resentment—but she admitted this punishment wasn't too harsh. She could treat it as forced rest.
Still, she hadn't expected a Guild official to show up at her door.
"Um... are you alright?" Eina asked carefully, noticing the shadow on her face.
"I'm fine. If you've got something to say, just say it," Heith replied flatly, her disappointment clear.
Last night, she'd dreamed of the boy—washing dishes while she sat quietly by the fireplace, simply watching him.
It had been an ordinary dream, nothing special on the surface. Yet she'd slept soundly for the first time in a while. When she woke, a hollow emptiness lingered, leaving her listless all morning.
"Alright..." Eina, perhaps recognizing the same fatigue from her own job, felt a faint sense of sympathy toward the human girl before her.
Ignoring the faint trace of black smoke drifting past the window, she got straight to the point.
"This visit concerns two matters we need to investigate. First, the disappearance of the healer yesterday. Information indicates that Freya Familia was responsible."
"That's right," Heith admitted without hesitation. "But it shouldn't cause any problems, right?"
"Yes..." Eina faltered, unsure how to respond.
The missing healer had returned home the previous night. According to her, Freya Familia had treated her kindly and even shared some valuable insight into healing techniques.
As for the commission, she'd left of her own accord—pressured by an overly demanding client. She had also signed an agreement, promising to find a more capable healer as her replacement.
It could only be seen as negligence on the healer's part, not a case of abduction.
"May I ask why you're so concerned about Bell?" Eina gathered her courage and spoke.
At the boy's name, Heith frowned.
She called him by his first name.
What exactly was her relationship with him?
"What are you to him?" Heith asked bluntly.
"I'm his advisor. That child worries me a lot, so I tend to ask many questions," Eina answered honestly, not noticing the subtle change in Heith's expression.
Heith brushed a strand of her pink hair behind her ear.
She had been curious about how close the boy and this half-elf girl were, but seeing Eina's genuine concern for him, her desire to pry further faded.
"Don't worry. We won't do anything that would harm the boy," Heith said sincerely.
Even if there were unstable elements like Allen within the familia, the Goddess herself would take care of them.
Heith understood that the boy was very important to Freya-sama. She had heard as much from her friend Horn, which was why she'd tried to approach him herself.
If she hadn't acted on her own, Allen wouldn't have followed her trail or set his sights on Bell.
A pang of guilt welled up in Heith's chest at the thought.
Eina noticed her lower her head.
Could this human girl have some kind of personal connection with Bell?
She quickly dismissed the fleeting thought and continued, "I'm glad to hear that. The second matter concerns healing potions. Recently, a hallucinogenic and addictive drug has been circulating underground."
Eina paused, carefully choosing her words. "According to the Guild's intelligence, there may be a [God] involved. We have no suspicion toward the Goddess of Beauty herself, of course—but we'd like to ask if she's aware of a divine power capable of captivating human hearts."
Heith's brows furrowed, and a flicker of irritation crossed her face.
Though Eina hadn't openly accused Freya-sama, the fact that she'd come all the way here—and with such suspicious implications—made her true intent clear enough.
"My Goddess would never stoop to something so vile," Heith replied firmly.
"Of course… we only wish to gather a few clues," Eina explained quickly.
"The Goddess is busy with official matters. I'll relay your message to her," Heith said, cutting off any further questioning before continuing, "Since you've already traced the potion's circulation, couldn't you follow the trade routes to find its source?"
Eina sighed, glancing out the window. "That's the problem. We can't. These potions seem to appear out of nowhere. We've searched all across Orario, but every lead turns into a tangled mess."
Their conversation was nearing its end when, as if responding to her frustration, a loud explosion shook the air outside.
"Wh-what was that? Is everything alright?" Eina asked, startled.
Heith blinked her crimson eyes, then smiled as if something had occurred to her. "You mentioned you're Bell Cranel's advisor, right?"
"Yes."
"Then come with me. I'll show you something interesting."
Turning on her heel, Heith's pink ponytail swayed lightly as she walked.
"Strictly speaking, outsiders aren't supposed to see this," she said with a faint smile. "Let's just say I took a wrong turn and made an exception this once."
As she spoke, Heith led the way down a lavish corridor.
Eina followed in silence until the path opened up to a vast plain.
The training grounds.
This was where Freya Familia trained every day.
The ground was pitted with craters—the source of the deafening booms from earlier.
But what caught Eina off guard was that only two figures stood on the battlefield.
One was Ottar, the strongest in the city—his name known to every citizen of Orario.
The other was an unknown figure, moving so swiftly that Eina couldn't make out who it was.
Only when a flash of silver was sent flying to the ground did she finally realize—the opponent was a demi-human.
Ottar didn't even move from his spot. He struck with the same ruthless precision he'd use against a monster, sending his opponent crashing to the ground over and over again.
Each clash shook the earth with a thunderous roar.
"How about that? Pretty spectacular, right?" Heith, the familia's healer, couldn't hide the joy on her face.
"I'm sorry. This isn't where I should be. Please excuse me." Eina offered a quick farewell and hurried off.
She was certain this wasn't training—it was punishment.
The ceaseless blows felt like the release of someone's anger.
There was no room for negotiation, no chance to breathe, not even a moment to explain.
The mighty warrior swung his greatsword, not to spar, but to deliver retribution upon a member of his own familia.
And behind it all, Eina suspected, was the unfathomable will of a god.
Heith watched the half-elf girl's retreating figure, a flicker of confusion in her eyes.
If she knew the truth, shouldn't she be relieved?
She'd been so worried about Bell—so why did she show no reaction to seeing Allen, who'd done so much wrong, being punished?
Had the boy really not told her?
Why?
After experiencing such a nightmare, even if he didn't seek help, anyone would confide in someone.
The fact that Goddess Hestia hadn't appeared meant she must be unaware as well.
Bell had only just arrived in Orario. Heith couldn't think of anyone else he could have turned to.
For a brief moment, she wondered if her own Goddess had done something.
But Freya-sama would never go so far. At most, she would erase the memories of the three witnesses. She would never use charm to twist the boy's mind.
No—Bell had chosen to keep it all to himself.
A rush of elation welled up in Heith's chest.
He'd kept it secret—for her sake.
But that fleeting sweetness was quickly swallowed by a tide of guilt.
As the cause of his suffering, she couldn't bear to accept such kindness.
The human girl lifted her gaze toward the great tower. She had no desire to betray her Goddess. She simply longed for her confinement to end soon—so she could see him again.
...
Eina hurried down the main avenue.
The lively midday bustle gradually chased away the heaviness in her heart.
A familiar figure rushed past her.
"Goddess Hestia! Where are you headed?"
"Of course I'm going home to find my Bell! Honestly, something this serious happens, and the Guild only tells me now?" the Goddess complained, clearly annoyed.
"I'm sorry—we're short on staff," Eina apologized on behalf of the Guild.
"As long as Bell's safe, that's what matters. I won't keep you—I need to hurry home and check on him!" Hestia said as she dashed off.
"Wait, he should be—"
Before Eina could finish, the Goddess was already gone.
Clutching her documents tightly, Eina looked toward the direction Hestia had disappeared.
Bell... you should be heading home now, right?