Chapter 43: Chapter 37: Promise of Vanaheimr’s Beauty

“????????????...????????????...????????????…”

Beneath the covers of a luxurious bed, a white-haired beauty cried to herself by her lonesome in a dark room inside a resplendent mansion. 

The curtains were drawn and numerous tissues that dried her tears were scattered around the floor.

The beauty’s eyes ached from the pain of the endless tears she poured. Despite being so disheveled, her radiance was enough to charm most people.

“Abandoning Bell to the Leviathan… I willingly chose to not send him help… I could’ve ordered Ottar of the others to go… I could’ve done all those things… ????????????…”

Freya began to recount all the times when she could've done better. All the times she could've arranged for a better ending… but it was useless. Freya couldn't change what she had done nor could she travel back in time.

The sight she saw as she returned back to the Altena mainland alongside her familia as they finished subjugating the black beasts.

“Bell… in Athena’s arms… Athena willingly went out of her way to save him… and I didn't… and now… Bell is hers… ????????????… UWAAHHH-”

Remembering the sight of her beloved Odr enamored with another goddess, Freya felt her heart break once more. Crying up another river in sadness.

“????????????…????????????… ????????????…”

Freya wished to change reality. She so dearly wished for it to change. With her arcanum, the goddess could change the memories of all the people of Altena to her liking. Even those of other gods and of Bell’s.

“I can do that… but… ????????????… but…”

Freya no longer saw herself as a worthy partner for her Odr. After abandoning him to die… how could she bring herself to?

“UWAAAAA-”

Had this situation been Bell falling in love with another girl, Freya would easily have her desire trump her sense of morality… but the sheer guilt and disappointment within herself in this situation trumped over even her desire.

“I’m Freya… head of the world’s strongest familia… holder of numerous connections and resources… but I can't even be the one to save my beloved when he’s in trouble.”

This wasn't even the first time Freya had failed. The first time was when her beloved Odr had first set off from Orario. 

A situation that she learned later was related to a recent awakening of an ancient great monster, after requesting her familia to dig up information regarding the ruins he had visited.

“Even back then… ????????????… HE WAS IN THE ARMS OF ANOTHER GODDESS AS WELL!-”

Freya recalled how she watched over her beloved Bell and how the goddess Artemis cared for him as he recovered from his immense injuries.

“Bell was so weak… but Artemis was the one who cared for him… while I was just limited to looking at them both… ????????????… ????????????”

Freya could no longer see herself by Bell’s side. Every time she thought she grew closer to him, another woman would make significantly more progress with him in less time.

“Even as Syr… Bell just kept progressing with more women than me… he even had that wrenchingly close moment with Hephaestus… WHY CAN'T I HAVE A MOMENT LIKE THAT AS WELL?-”

The goddess of beauty, love, and war which had so long been coveted by others… was now on her knees to be coveted by a single person she loved more than most.

Freya had become obsessed with Bell. Abstaining from the occasional night of pleasure she would partake to gather benefits for her familia. From flirting with others to gaining a negotiation advantage. 

She focused herself solely on Bell… she was confident that she could make him hers if she tried…

“But I’m nothing but a failure of a goddess who abandoned him… ????????????… ????????????… UWAAA-”

For the first time in her life…. Freya was now experiencing the frustrations of unrequited love.

She didn't remember the pseudo-confession Bell had made before Evilus’ attack to quell her desires. Her depression simply covered every single instance she thought of Bell’s interest in her as a misinterpretation. 

“Bell probably didn't even find me interesting…perhaps he could sense my worthlessness as a partner… ha… ????????????… ha… ha… ha… ????????????…”

Freya clutched her body pillow of Bell she had requested Ottar to make for her. Clinging onto it tightly. The fabric of the pillow absorbed the goddess’ tears. The tightness of her embrace increased as she replayed memories of what could've been.

“...”

Scenes of false pasts began to flash in Freya’s imagination.

A scene where Freya encountered Bell when he was younger. 

Taking him under her wing. Bell growing love within his heart for the goddess. The two slowly embark on a slow-burn romantic escapade. Their affection growing slowly by the day like the passing sands of time.

A scene where Bell applied to the Freya familia.

The boy valiantly tries to prove himself to the familia application proctors. The goddess and boy met eyes briefly but fell deeply in fascination in that single moment. Bell strived to prove himself worthy of her hand as Freya waited in bated breath for her beloved to reach her place in the clouds. 

Imagination was a place where the goddess could relish false happiness…but she had long since grown immune to the comforts of make-believe.

‘I spent millennia in Tenkai denying my reality in daydreams… it's not as effective for me anymore…’

So Freya chose to look back upon the real memories she had made with Bell. Even as she believed them to be filled with false notions of his attraction to her.

“When we first met… that unassuming night in Orario… who knew I would meet him then?”

Freya looked back on the first she had met the boy she would call her Odr.

Standing by the light of the Hostess’ entrance, looking upon the establishment like a fish out of water.

Bell had just arrived from Orario earlier that day after Freya looked into him.

“His eyes were so wide at just the entrance of a pub you could find anywhere in Orario… and… his eyes were wider when we locked gazes…”

Freya felt her heart flutter as she remembered his expression when they met but… the goddess contained her feelings. Relegating them as false pre-conceived notions of her pride.

“But… it was undeniable that I was fascinated by him… his soul… it was the most beautiful I had ever seen”

Freya was a goddess who was able to see the color of a mortal’s soul clearly. An ability rarely possessed among the gods. At a potency that no other could match.

Freya was able to see through a person in a way beyond the understanding of even her fellow deities.

“I’ve encountered many souls in my life… dark ashen souls of those who have given up… reviling murky green souls of scum… bright red souls of adventurers seeking fame and glory… deep black souls of those soaked in sin…”

Freya saw numerous iterations of the same color… and she wished to find one unlike any other… a soul that stood out from the rest.

A blessed child of the heavens… of the world… of fate… and of love.

“A person… who could be my Odr…”

The goddess saw her fair share of unique souls. The brilliant gold of Ais Wallenstein. The burning crimson of her familia captain Ottar. The cacophony of colors produced by Zeus and Hera’s familias.

Freya saw them all… but they weren't what she was looking for.

“Even my past Odr candidates… I considered them unique at the time… but after Bell… they all paled in comparison”

Sharp and honed. Freya looked upon Bell’s soul… and it looked back at her like an intruder sensed by a loyal hound. The shape of Bell’s soul formed into numerous blades that threatened to impale her where she had stood.

“Never once had I been so thoroughly scared… and Bell hadn’t done it intentionally… his soul was so refined like a sword that it attacked me out of its nature…”

Sensing such a unique phenomenon would've been enough to catch her attention. But Bell’s soul soon opened itself to Freya’s eyes. As if it deemed her enough to bear witness to its splendor.

Freya wasn't sure what she saw. She would usually only see one color with a certain texture. Two colors if it was a rare occasion. But what she saw in Bell, it was nothing she had ever experienced before.

“Endless white… then flashes of limitless blue… then transitioning to a great black sphere with brilliant rings of lights… it was as if…”

Bell’s soul was another word entirely.

Freya knew then and there that Bell was the one. She had existed and observed the world from on high for eons… she had walked upon the earth for a thousand years… but in all of her existence, there was only one Bell.

“And it wasn't like I only fell in love with his soul… I also fell in love with him as a person… so so deeply in love…”

Freya disguised as Syr naturally grew close to Bell. She had trained herself to accommodate any person. A skill she had used to survive the onslaught of numerous selfish gods and mortals wishing to covet her for themselves.

“But we kicked off much better than how I would usually start off… it was as if he understood me completely…”

Freya became enamored with their natural compatibility. Not to mention how she fell in love with his secret life as a vigilante.

“He was so cool… I made it a point to reserve the night for myself to observe him… it was like witnessing a fairy tale in real-time…”

Turning herself around as she embraced her body pillow whilst lying her back on the bed, Freya remembered how she would excitedly coop herself in her room in Folkvangr by her lonesome.

Using her arcanum to observe Bell’s numerous escapades as he saved innocents and subjugated evil.

“I’m unable to listen into what I’m observing with my arcanum… but I didn't need to hear his voice to become enamored with his heroism…”

Freya felt her excitement rise as she recollected her favorite moments in her head.

His first deed of rescuing a pair of young adventurers.

His first takedown of a criminal familia.

His fight with the abnormal monster-rex.

“He is a hero through and through… a man who will no doubt go down in history… a legend in the making… blessed by fate…”

Bell was everything Freya had sought after, and yet…

“I abandoned him… and now I am no longer fit to even covet the position of being at his side… ????????????… ????????????… ????????????… UWAAAA-”

Though Freya tried traveling to the past to avoid the woes of her present… she had gone full circle and went back to her depression. 

“I'm so sorry my Odr… ????????????… Bell… ????????????… Bell Cranel… I'm so sorry… ????????????…”

Freya hugged her Bell body pillow as she cried in sadness. The fabric of the purple negligee she wore distorted as her embrace tightened more and more.

As the goddess resolved herself to spend another day wallowing in her sadness, a knock came on her door. A deep voice calling out to her from the other side. 

????????????????????.... ????????????????????...

“Lady Freya? Will you please come out now?”

Ottar called out to his goddess in a pleading voice. It had been a week since Freya had begun locking herself inside her room to escape the reality of her heartbreak. 

Freya’s familia was unable to soothe nor appease the saddened goddess from her woes.

Some suggested beating Bell up for having the audacity to make Freya cry. Others pitched the idea of kidnapping the vigilante and wrapping him as a present for the goddess.

All suggestions that Ottar put a firm denial on. Even entering combat with some of the executives that wanted to have a “personal conversation” with Bell. 

The Boaz beast-man was growing tired of the general unrest Freya’s sadness was stirring within the familia, but he didn't blame his goddess one bit. Because he felt that he was solely responsible for everything.

‘I was the one who pushed Lady Freya to her decision… even if it was logical and sound, I had hurt her feelings by telling her to abandon the fated one she had been waiting for… for an amount of time no mortal could comprehend…’

Ottar wished to find a way to bring a smile to his goddess… but he didn't have the intelligence to formulate such a scheme… however, he did know one way the goddess could revert to her normal self.

‘If Lady Freya can somehow learn that Bell Cranel doesn't hate her… she will be able to recover…’

Problem was… Bell Cranel shouldn't even be aware that Freya had abandoned him in the first place.

‘How the hell am I supposed to make Bell Cranel comfort Lady Freya for an incident he doesn't even know happened?’

Ottar increased the surveillance on Bell Cranel in the hopes of any information that could help in recovering the mental state of his goddess… but all he got was a report of the boy heading to the Parthenon, and their agents being sensed by Penelope.

‘He probably headed to the home of goddess Athena to continue their research… Lady Freya would take that news rather unwell…’

Unaware that Bell and Athena had researched a more intimate subject than their academic pursuits, Ottar shifted his attention back to calling out to the goddess.

Unable to formulate any schemes, Ottar resorted to the pure stubborn effort. Knocking on Freya’s door every few hours and calling out to her.

“Lady Freya. Heith has cooked up your favorite dish. It’s the signature soup of Bell Cranel’s home village. Rabbit stew”

Ottar tried to tempt the goddess with the allure of her beloved’s favorite dish. A delicacy she had grown to love after learning his preference for it.

“... it will be fine Ottar… just leave me alone…”

Freya softly replied back to Ottar. The beast-man heard his goddess’ faint voice through his enhanced senses as a beast person.

‘Damn… that was all I got for today…’

Ottar had exhausted every idea he and his comrades could think to lure their goddess out of her room. Only a single suggestion had been slightly effective at bringing Freya out of her dark room.

Helping in the recovery efforts of Altena as Mardoll.

“Lady Freya. Will you not support the recovery efforts as Mardoll once more?”

Freya, wracked with guilt, spent immense efforts and resources in reconstructing Altena after it had been attacked.

Wishing to do what little a right for her beloved, Freya began to contribute heavily to the nation which had been his home for six months… and the home of his beloved goddess Athena, as per Freya’s depressive inner thoughts.

“... hm?... oh that… it's fine Ottar… no need for me to go outside right now…”

Freya had personally helped in reconstruction disguised as her persona of Mardoll. Personally cheering up the populace with her social skills and baked goods she procured from her familia. Disguised as the products of her family’s bakery by Scholar’s Port.

“I supplied the citizens with a surplus of baked goods yesterday… I haven't received any report of the bread going bad… so they will be fine for today… I can ask for an additional shipment if needed…”

Freya slowly explained. The sound of the goddess blowing her nose into tissues was interspersed in her words.

“...”

Hearing his goddess’ words, Ottar grew frustrated that he now no longer had any options. But as Ottar was losing hope, a subordinate messenger arrived by his side carrying a parcel.

“Hm?...”

Ottar recognized it as a document written by the espionage division of their familia. A division he had relegated to the sole duty of tracking Bell Cranel.

“What happened?”

Seeing the urgency of the messenger, Ottar knew that the contents of the parcel were urgent. Reading the document slowly, Ottar grimaced slightly.

“... ‘Unable to observe Bell and Athena in their room’... ‘Heightened vigilance around the Parthenon in usual observation posts ’... I see… the Athena familia is getting used to us…”

Ottar reluctantly accepted that their espionage division was becoming less effective as their stay in Altena continued. It was only natural given their limited capabilities and the enemy knowing the target that they were tracking.

Moving on from that, Ottar continued to read. He found some interesting tidbits about Odysseus supposedly being on the verge of a level-up. His son Telemachus leveled up to level three. Along with another few observations.

But as Ottar neared the end of the document and wondered what brought such urgency in the messenger, he read a few words that were hastily written in comparison to the pristine handwriting of the rest of the document. 

The words were barely legible, but Ottar was able to understand them. Understanding fully why it had been so important.

“Lady Freya!”

Ottar shouted with excitement in his voice. He would usually never show such emotions in other circumstances. But having his goddess become a shut-in for nearly a week brought Ottar to such extreme lengths.

“...hm?... What is it Ottar… I would like it if you could just let me sleep… with my tears and body pillow…”

Not heeding the concerning last words his goddess had said, Ottar quickly informed Freya of what she needed to know.

“Lady Freya. Bell Cranel has been spotted approaching Húsfreyja bakery!”

“-?!”

The words of the familia captain immediately alerted the depressed goddess into action.

???? ???? ???? ????

“Haa… haa…”

Freya slammed open the door with tired breath from her sudden burst of activity. 

Her bedsheets were on the floor. 

Her Bell body pillow was secured in her grip. 

Her hair was disheveled and messy, but still beautiful. 

Her negligee was messy and threatened to expose the goddess’ nude body with its looseness.

 A sight that caused the messenger of the parcel to faint as too much blood drained from his head… and headed somewhere else…

‘... Pathetic…’

Ottar silently commented in his mind at the tent his subordinate pitched and his general attitude towards the goddess they both served. But he forgot about him and focused on Freya. 

“Ottar… time of arrival?”

Freya asked her familia captain, to which he quickly responded.

“Around twenty minutes. He appears to be taking the scenic route… he has been shown to have some difficulty walking for some reason…”

Ottar confusedly reported what their spies had observed, but neither he nor Freya paid much mention to that detail. 

The goddess began to request numerous things to be arranged.

“Ask Heith to prepare a batch of pretzels! Sugar with some caramel dipping sauce! Arrange the one-hundred-third dress in my wardrobe alongside some accessories. I will leave it to the coordinators of our familia to choose,”

“I will head to the bath. Request for some aromatic to be poured into the source of the bathwater. Request as well for some light perfumes to be added alongside my dress. Nothing too stimulating. It should be subtle!”

Ottar began to take perfect mental notes on his goddess’ orders. He knew little about fashion and self-care routines. But he had gotten some faint ideas after staying by Freya’s side for so long.

“As you wish, Lady Freya!”

Ottar bowed before breaking off into an immense sprint. Heading first to Heith to prepare the food the goddess had requested.

“...”

Freya stared as her child rushed away. Grateful in her heart that such a loyal person was her right-hand man. 

“I should prepare a gift for Ottar one of these days… I should start by heading to the bath now…”

Freya prepared to make her way to the bath before her eyes landed on the unconscious messenger. His pants now no longer pitched a tent… but a stain was left in its wake.

“Ehehehe~”

The messenger laughed as he remained unconscious. The sight not angering Freya… but more so pity grew in her heart. He was her familia’s child after all.

“It’s all right dear child… size isn't all that matters…”

Briskly making her way to the bath, Freya began to hum a little tune as she excitedly anticipated her meeting with Bell. 

Her depression was long gone as she waited in anticipation of meeting her Odr.

"♩♪~"

…

..

.

‘Fuck…’

Freya… now Mardoll thought to herself as she waited by a bench located in her storefront. 

Wearing a white summer dress that accentuated her gray hair under her disguise, and displayed her alluring figure alongside her long legs. Mardoll was confident in the get-up she and her familia’s coordinators formulated for this meeting.

She even adored the addition of a necklace artifact that one of the coordinators added after seeing it in their familia’s mobile weapon storage. A construct approved by the executives for Freya’s journey to observe Bell far away from Orario.

‘Everything is perfect… my dress… my self-care… my perfume even smells nice alongside the fresh pretzels…’

Freya commented as she held a basket containing the food she had requested her child Heith to prepare on such short notice. Their quality not diminishing despite it being a rush order. 

‘Yes everything is perfect… but why… why is it…’

Freya gripped the handle of her basket as her heart began to beat quickly.

‘WHY IS IT THAT I AM SO NERVOUS?!-’

Freya for the first time in a long time was nervous about a meeting.

‘Get yourself together… you negotiated with familias stronger than you hundreds of years ago… you had that perverted Poseidon around your finger to have Melen remain allies with Orario despite banishing Zeus and Hera… you even kept that trickster Loki befuddled at most encounters…’

Freya began to recount the past accomplishments she had made with her social skills. 

This was nothing more than a regular afternoon meeting. The atmosphere was fitting, and everything fell into place.

‘There's nothing wrong… there's no mistake I have committed to setting up this scenario… just breathe… and you’ll be fine…’

Freya tried to catch her breath and express a soft smile she usually had when she was serving customers in the Hostess… but as she turned around to the glass window of the bakery to look at her face…

‘WHY THE HELL IS MY SMILE SO AWKWARD?!’

Freya despaired as she saw the wry smile she was currently plastering on her face. Nothing about it was natural whatsoever.

‘Hurry… hurry…’

Freya situated the basket she held beside her by the bench as she began to form her face into a natural smile. Pressing her fingers into her cheeks and raising her lips into an ideal form.

‘Is this alright? No… Athena and Artemis had a much more subtle expression… so maybe like this?... or this?’

Freya began to unconsciously try and imitate other goddesses. Deities she knew Bell enamored himself with. An action she would've never done previously. Her pride as the proclaimed greatest beauty of the heavens wouldn't have allowed it… but…

‘Bell likes Athena and Artemis so much… would… he like me too if I was similar?...’

Freya somberly thought about forming another persona to approach Bell with. She had created numerous identities to further her own agenda… numerous false personalities with fabricated back stories…

Immersing herself in the character she presented, then discarding them once they served their purpose.

Even her identity as Syr was one such fake mask she wore. One she made for the purposes of observing mortals more closely for personal amusement.

‘But…’

Though Freya could easily turn herself into Bell’s ideal girl based on what she knew…

‘I don't want that…’

She didn't want to steal his heart in such a way.

“...”

Freya looked into the mirror… she no longer recognized herself. She knew she was looking at Mardoll. She knew that she was looking at a goddess disguised as a mortal.

But… she no longer recognized what her true self was.

“...”

Touching the glass faintly, Freya dispelled her transformation magic which she shared with her child Horn. 

The goddess’ face morphs back into her original state. Her long overflowing silver hair swayed lightly along the sea breeze of the port. Her silver eyes struck deep into her soul.

‘This personality I made for myself… when did I make it again?... I believe it was sometime around nine hundred years ago… when I entered into that bet with Zeus and Hera…’

Memories began to replay in Freya’s mind. She had gotten used to walking the halls of her past in recent times. This time was no different.

‘I made this personality to protect myself and my familia from deceitful promises… after Zeus and Hera took away my first set of children and bounded me to Orario… utilizing my charm as a means to further the development of their familias and the city… to accomplish the three great quests…’

The calculating persona that grew sensitive to lies and falsehoods. A personality trait Freya embedded into herself after being swindled by the God of lightning and the Goddess of matrimony.

But it wasn't the only addition Freya had done to herself over the years. Her ruler-like aura which replaced Hera’s once she had secured her position during Orario’s dark age.

Her natural extrovertedness as she mingled with mortals during the hundred years she was bounded to the dungeon city.

A history of personality modifications that stretched far deep into her numerous years of existence… to a point that she no longer remembered…

“Who I originally was…”

Freya spoke as she came to a conclusion she had been avoiding for quite some time. The fact she no longer recognized herself.

“... I figured that it would be alright… to keep modifying myself… because if I met my Odr… then it would be alright wouldn't it?”

Freya was constantly told stories of her fated lover ever since she was first born into existence within the heavens.

Odr.

The man who shall end her endless search and pining for life beyond the premises of her gilded cage. 

He would show the wonders of the sky to the caged goddess. 

The winds upon which her wings will soar high and free.

A promise that was more aking to a birthright as a divine existence… a promise that allowed Freya to hold on despite the suffering she went through. 

‘I was quite obsessed with the stories the weavers of fate told me when I was assumed into existence… it was only those few lines… but those lines of words meant everything to me…’

Even as she was threatened to share the beds of many gods and goddesses. Even as she gritted through sharing a night with them. Even as she put herself as an incentive to solidify her position… that she might no longer be the play toy of another being…

‘Even after all of that… that singular story kept me going…’

Freya thought it was a scam at first. The weavers of fate described her Odr in such vague terms. No underlying characteristic that would help her find her destined partner. 

‘It was vague and filled to the brim with flowery language… it may have just been a way for the weavers to give me some hope. Knowing what was in store for me… but it was real to me… even if it was nothing but cold comfort… it did help to lessen the pain…’

The promise of light at the end of the tunnel. That hope lay at the bottom of the endless suffering she was digging through.

‘Even if it was futile… I hoped that he was still out there waiting for me… as I was waiting for him…’

A hundred years passed as the goddess suffered the lustful desires of selfish deities much more powerful than herself. 

A thousand years passed before she threw away innocence for protection.

A hundred thousand passed before she established herself safely away from the clutches of the more manic gods and goddesses.

A million more before she solidified the cage that protected her from the greedy wishes of those that wished to covet her for her body and nothing else.

An endless amount then passed as she watched the heavens pass by in the cold safety of her gilded cage. 

Knowing naught of love nor of the endless sky. Knowing only the cold comfort she clutched onto desperately.

That singular promise.

“And it's gone now…”

Freya’s Odr was now gone… she had abandoned him… and he left for a more faithful goddess to appreciate him.

“I will never reach him now… even if I force myself… it will be fake… just like how I feared it to be…”

Freya considered possibly using her charm to brainwash Bell and everyone in Altena. That way, she would finally have the comfort she was promised so long ago… but Freya couldn't bring herself to do so.

“I can't even say I loved him first… I loved so many others before Bell… I shared the beds of many men and women before Bell… I’m not even the same person as the goddess who was promised her Odr… I'm nothing like her…”

Memories of her younger self playing by the flower fields of Tenkai flashed in Freya’s mind. A simpler time. Relishing the luscious nature of Vanaheimr. Breathing in the air she shared with her fellow peaceful Vanir deities.

“The sky looked so beautiful back then…”

Freya knew naught of the sky and of love… she had long forgotten the sensations that stirred her heart… bereft of the promise that gave her hope… Freya began to slip… Freya..

“...”

F̶r̴e̷y̵a̵

“...”

F̶̤̚r̸̗̓ẽ̵͍ÿ̴́͜a̶͈͋

“...”

F̷͖̠͂̅̓́͂̚ͅr̶̩͍̊͂͗̒̅ȩ̶̰̟͚̜̔y̶̺͔̥̱̣̹̍͋̒a̷̛̠̰̬͓̞͆̂̀̈́͘

“...”

F̵̛̦̰̮̖̲̖̝̖̣̫͔̗͆͆̐̈́̏̾̄́̈́͠͠r̵̨̫̬̞̅̽͒́̑̾̅͆̈́̉͛̂̚͠͝ẹ̷̯̤̖̮̞͇̣̤͗̊̒̋͋̆̓̎̇̄͛̕͝͠͝͠ÿ̴̧̨͇̼̞͈̦̹̮̺̪̹͆̔̀ͅa̶̧͙͓̝͚̺̣̟̞̜̳̦̞̤͚̞̝̍̓̔̆̎̇

“...”

…

..

.

“Who am I?...”

…

..

.

????????????????????

Freya felt a presence press onto her back… she was being locked into an embrace…

‘It's… warm…’

Freya’s once lifeless began to slowly have light fill them once more. The goddess slowly gained a grip on who she was. 

‘Where… is this place?...’

Freya felt soft passing sand pass through her feet and sandals. It was as if the sands were locking themselves to embrace the goddess as well.

‘It's not coarse and rough… it's… warm…’

Her feet once knew only the cold of her cage, but began to warm up as the sensations of the ground began to familiarize her with her sensations once more.

‘The wind… it feels nice…’

Her skin brushed against the gentle breeze. It had been so long since she had felt so free of burden… free of worry.

‘...’

Freya turned her sights to the sky. The endless blue stretched into infinity. 

The majesty of its sight that she considered greater than her own… it called to her. Beckoning her to come from deep within her existence.

‘... that sphere…’

As Freya’s eyes continued to roam the sky, her vision soo landed on a majestic black sphere.

Its sheer size and presence warped all the clouds that approached it. Giving a surreal sight of distorted space to the goddess.

‘... you no longer hate me?...’

The goddess recognized what this sphere was… the nature of Bell’s soul that armed itself against Freya’s vision when they had first met.

Freya questioned why it has now turned so docile… but the black sphere didn't reply… it couldn't reply… but all she heard was the faint sound of its brilliant rings of life spurring with energy.

‘The sound… it's quite gentle…’

Freya relished each sensation she felt… but turned back to the first that awakened her. The person who embraced her so tightly.

“... Who are you?...”

Freya couldn't see their face… she couldn't identify who they were… but the figure soon began to speak to her. But not an introduction of character, but a promise.

“I will come for you Freya. I promise”

Freya remained silent as the voice began to shake with emotion. It was as if it had gone through endless years of pain to understand her.

“I will absolutely come for you… this isn't some story woven by some weavers as cold comfort… nor some ploy by Odin to chain you down out of fear of your charm…”

Freya remembered how she was also feared in the heavens… as a goddess whose charm surpassed even the sanctity of the virgin goddesses of Olympus, the deities who weren't blinded by greed or lust looked upon Freya… as a menace to be controlled.

“I promise… that you will walk in flower fields once more… that you will know of love so sweet it will burn… that you will learn of a sky that welcomes you to reach any horizon you desire… I promise that to you, Freya”

Freya felt the embrace she was in become tighter… but not to the point it constricted or controlled her… it was conveying the genuine good wishes it held for her well-being. 

“So wait for me… I’m sorry to have kept you waiting for so long… I’m sorry to ask of you to continue waiting in the cage you hate so much… I’m so sorry for not being there as you cried out for help…”

Freya began to feel moisture stain her back. The arms that held her began to shake.

“But I can reach you now… I will make sure I reach you. So wait for me… until I become strong enough to take you for my own,”

The figure that held the goddess began to declare in firm resolution.

“Even if I have to declare hypocrisy to twilight… for this promise I made to you… it will be worth every expense”

Freya remained silent… but a smile began to form on her face. Numerous tears fell down her cheeks. Staining the white sands with emotions she had kept to herself for so… so long…

Her voice responded to the figure that held her so tenderly. The person who held her heart oh so carefully. 

She spoke not on desire or command, but on instinct. Words forming beyond the control of the goddess…words that were formed from the wish of a girl long ago who wished to understand the sky’s romance.

“I’ll be waiting for you… Odr… dear Odr… my dearest Odr…”

The world began to collapse around them. Breaking into nothingness… but remembering the oath sworn between the two.

…

..

.

“♩♪♫♬~ ♩♪♫♬~ ♩♪♫♬~ ♩♪♫♬~”

Freya began to open her eyes. 

Rousing from her slumber as a gentle melody reached her ears.

‘Who?...’

The goddess’ mind slowly began to stir as it processed what was happening.

The starry night sky filled her vision. The gentle sea breeze wrapped her body. The sounds of crashing waves and the humming melody filled her ears. 

‘And it's warm… I’m being covered by something?...’

Freya felt a leather cloak wrap around her body. Blocking away the cold breeze of the ocean beyond kissing the contours of her face.

The goddess continued to remain confused about where she was. It was as if she woke up from a pleasant dream she didn't want to forget… but forget she did. Dedicating most of her thinking power to collecting the fragments that remained in her mind.

‘I remember being hugged… but outside of that nothing else… why was I so comfortable in my dream?’

But as Freya tried to process both her reality and fantasy, the person who hummed the tune noticed her rousing from her slumber.

Ending the melody to greet her.

“Had a good sleep, Mardoll?”

Bell looked down upon Mardoll. The girl had been resting on his lap. The pair is currently located by the bench of Húsfreyja.

“... huh?...”

Bell and Mardoll were all by their lonesome. The recovering Altena had little to no people by Scholar’s Port so late into the night.

The pair were surrounded by the gentle glow of Altena’s street lamps and the stellar light of the starry sky.

 Seeing the confusion on her face, Bell began to lightly laugh before replying.

“Don't tell me… you forgot who I was? I’m hurt Mardoll! I thought our friendship was better than this-”

You are reading story Danmachi: Reborn with EMIYA’s Powers at novel35.com

Bell spoke with a fake heartbroken tone. Dramatically putting his hand by his forehead to simulate a distressed fair lady.

“I'm so hurt Mardoll~ How will my heart ever recover from this heartbreak?~”

Mardoll quietly continued to stare into Bell’s eyes. She felt no words needed to be spoken.

Her nervousness from before was no more. 

Though she held no concrete recollection of her dream, she did feel herself move based on foreign emotions stemming from it. 

“Hm? Whats up Mardoll? Don’t move around so suddenly, you might feel a bit lightheaded-”

Bell began to warn Mardoll about sudden movements, but the girl simply cut him off with her declaration.

“I love you!”

Mardoll spoke with seriousness and firm resoluteness.

“...”

Bell grew quiet as Mardoll confessed.

“Even… even if you might be taken by someone else… even if you don't belong to me… I just… wanted you to know…”

Mardoll began to nervously follow up on her confession. She no longer spoke with the experienced deception of the goddess. She was just… a girl confessing her love to the boy she liked.

“The way you so thoughtfully care about others before yourself… your laughter that can ease any situation… the adorable way you smile as you eat pretzels… the gaze you show as you stare into the ocean. I fell in love with all of those things…”

Mardoll spoke without break. Breathing quickly to continue talking.

“The warmth of your body that makes me feel safe… your eyes that seem like they could accept anything and everything about me… all the things I’ve come to understand about… the things I’ve yet to know but wish to learn about… all of those things have made me fall so… so… so deeply in love with you. Bell Cranel!”

Mardoll confessed her love in the dead of night. The starry sky and the traveling winds were her witness. 

“...”

Bell simply looked upon Mardoll with a neutral expression. The sight of it made Mardoll tremble.

‘Did… did I say something wrong?...’

The girl began to panic at where she might've gone wrong. Cursing herself once again for messing things up with her relationship with Bell.

“U-um… gotcha! Haha! How did you like my acting?... pretty good right?~”

“I picked it up while trying to cheer up the local children. The attack of Evilus disrupted the performing troupes visiting Altena, so I decided to make a ‘lil play of my own to entertain them”

(E/D: No… no no no no no no no no! Don’t do it! You just got thousands of words worth of character development! Don’t do this! I nor the readers want to read your shitty development again! F**k you Freya! I hate you! I hope you end up like your God of War counterpart, you little *Insert Angy Editor noises* *Insert Trauma.gif*)

Mardoll began to form a mask to hide herself away once more. Doing so with ease stemming from her numerous years of experience.

“I’m actually trying to make this one story. The little girls began to get bored of the usual Argonaut or Dungeon Oratoria plays, so I decided to try and make a romance story for them”

It hurt. It hurt so much to hide away. But it was all she knew… the only thing Freya knew to cope with the reality that denied her.

“But… I’m not experienced much with romance y’know? Too busy helping with the bakery and all that Hahaha~ So I thought I could try it out on you since we’re friends, right? So…”

But it was too much for the goddess… she couldn't hide her feelings every time… not when they were as intense as this…

“So… so…”

Even if she didn't deserve love for all of her sins. For abusing romance and sex as frequently as she did. She wasn't a princess of a fairy tale, nor the heroine of an adventure.

“So… ????????????… so…”

Whore. Slut. Villain. Manipulator. 

Cold. Uncaring. Selfish.

“????????????…. So… ????????????…”

She couldn't possibly be saved. It wasn't in the cards for a woman as evil as her.

“... ????????????… ????????????…. ????????????…”

Mardoll broke down in tears. 

Try as she might to hide behind a mask once again… she couldn't deny the heartbreak she felt.

Seeing Bell with another woman… with another goddess… how could she possibly pretend it never existed.

‘Be mine… fall in love with me… not with Artemis or Athena… not with Syr or Mardoll… fall in love with me…’

Freya’s tears began to spell the words she wished to speak but failed to put to sound.

‘Allow me to kiss you… to hug you… to make love with you… to comfort… to pamper… to live my life with…. you…’

Freya began to grip the hem of her dress. Choking on the sadness and tears that flowed from her broken heart.

‘Don't… don’t leave me… don't forget about me… please… don't hate me…’

“????????????… ????????????… ????????????…”

Freya tried desperately to not break into a wailing cry. She believed it to be unfitting for her. As the head of the strongest familia… as the most beautiful goddess of Tenaki… she mustn’t falter… she mustn’t be vulnerable… for herself… for her children…

“Look at me.”

Freya’s breath stopped as Bell spoke out to her. Scared as she did so, Freya slowly turned her face up to meet Bell’s gaze.

“...yes?...”

Uncertainty. Freya couldn't recognize what Bell was planning to do. Being so far away from being in control was a feeling Freya didn't relish. It reminded her of her days of captivity in Tenkai. But for Bell… she pushed those feeling aside to meet his eyes. 

Mere seconds passed, but to the goddess, it was an eternity. 

But her wait would be met with a swift answer. Cutting cleanly and without remorse.

“I’m not in love with you, Mardoll”

Bell spoke succinctly. No mistake could be indicated as he replied to the confession he received.

“...”

Freya’s eyes began to have their light fade away.

“...”

Her worst fears were realized. The worst scenario she imagined in her week of grief inside her room.

‘It’s over… before it even began… it's now over…’

Freya began to mourn the loss of her promised romance. But this wasn't the place nor time for her to cry out in melancholy.

“I see… that's too bad, I guess? Hahaha…”

Freya began to try and ease the rejection by laughing. Smiling as wifely as she could. But her tears continued to flow.

“I really…really wanted to see what it was like…life by your side…”

Freya spoke, to which Bell replied with his own words.

“Even if I did like you… I will be leaving Altena in a few days… a long-distance relationship simply wouldn’t work.”

As Bell’s words reached Freya, she was reminded once more that he was currently seeing her through a mask she made for herself.

‘So I can have another chance if I use another mask… or if I go back to using my persona as Syr…’

Freya attempted to gather what little comfort she could to ease the suffering of her broken heart.

‘I should be relieved I have another chance… but… this just makes it hurt even more…’

Freya calmed another breakdown as she replied back to Bell.

“Oh- Oh… you did arrive in Altena as a traveler didn't you?... well… I wish you the best of luck Bell! Where are you headed? The empire? That place is filled with some rather extreme people from what I hear, so I wouldn't recommend it much”

“Rakia? It’s pretty alright as long as you don't mess with Ares and his familia from what the traders have told me… I heard the East is relatively calmer now… so you should be able to travel there if you’d like…”

As Bell watched Freya try to switch the conversation. He simply told her clearly.

“Be honest with yourself… show me how you truly feel…”

Freya grew quiet as she heard Bell’s words. Her eyes faded deeper into darkness.

“Ha.. haha… don't you know Bell?... I'm quite the evil person… if you did know what I thought… what I wanted to do… you would no doubt hate me”

Freya was about to continue, but Bell stopped her. Placing his hand on her chin, and wrapping his other hand around her waist.

“If I loved you… I would’ve simply accepted that and helped you become better… it’s much better when love is formed genuinely rather than under specific circumstances or conditions…”

Bell spoke and Freya listened carefully to every word he uttered.

“Tell me how you truly feel…”

Freya froze as she saw Bell’s eyes look upon her. A kind and gentle gaze that differed from the cold rejection he had spewed forth just then.

“...”

Freya was afraid. Afraid of what might come from the words she would speak… she felt a certain sense of calm begin to take over her. As if her body trusted that Bell’s gaze would never betray her.

“I wanted you to only be mine…”

Freya’s confession began… not of her love… but of her sins.

“I dirtied your image with my numerous perverted fantasies…”

Slowly but surely, the goddess began to feel a weight begin to lift off her back.

“I got angry whenever a woman approached you… I thought you were mine and mine alone… I even pondered on controlling you…”

Her words no longer fitted with her persona of Mardoll… Freya wished to confess who she was.

Freya continued to speak about each wrongdoing she had made in her mad pursuit of Bell’s affection. Starting from when they had met until this very moment.

Freya had laid herself bare for the man she loved. That she might finally be true to herself with a person she wished to understand above all others.

“Haa… haa… haa”

Freya soon began to catch her breath, having finished breathing out all she wished to lay open to Bell. To her Odr. She wished for him to understand her.

“...”

As the goddess waited in bated anticipation, Bell soon spoke to her. His gaze remained as kind as she was it to be.

“Thank you… for being honest with me.”

Freya’s heart stopped as it was struck deeply. 

‘No… he already rejected me… you can't… stop falling deeper in love…’

The goddess cursed the emotions she felt. Even when failed to capture his heart… Freya can't help but continue loving him.

‘Horn was right… emotions hurt too much… it would be much better… if I didn't feel at all…’

Freya looked away from Bell in order to lessen the pain she felt, but Bell directed her face toward him once more. He wasn't going to let the goddess revert back to hiding away after the progress she had made.

“Look at me.”

Bell spoke out to Freya. The goddess faltered for a moment at her beloved’s request, but continue to struggle to look away from him.

“I… refuse… stop making me look at you… you’ve rejected me did you not? What more do you have to say to me?”

Freya began to act annoyed with Bell’s persistence. She was hurting enough, so why was he continuing to press the issue?

“Look at me.”

Bell continued to try and make the goddess turn his way. Freya eventually reached a boiling point and lashed out at him.

“Damn it! Can't, you see I don't want to see you?! It hurts to even look at your face! You rejected me, but I still keep loving you like some dumb idiot who can't do anything else!”

Freya unleashed her frustration on him.

“I loved you… so… so much. Now that I know you don’t love me back, I just want to cry a river like some moping bastard who can’t move on from infatuation… drown myself in distractions that led me to down this… this life I hate…”

Freya began to weakly hit Bell. Her anger pushed her to start the action… but her heart couldn't bear to inflict pain upon him.

“I’ll move on… I always have… every time… I learned to forget… so stop with your irritating concern and… AND JUST LET ME GO, YOU IDIOT!-”

????????????

“Mmph?!-”

Bell took Freya’s lips onto his. Tenderly kissing the goddess who faced him with tears and anger apparent on her face.

“...”

The two continued to indulge in the locking of their lips until Bell pulled away. Looking upon the confused and bright goddess. Her disguise was still in effect, but Bell knew… he was talking to the real Freya.

“That feeling… the sweet release of facing everything as it is… the rush of confronting what you desire and fear head on… never forget that,”

????????????

Bell continued to kiss Freya as he spoke. He knew the goddess would sear every moment they shared with their lips into her very being. So he would make sure she would never forget this moment.

“Haa… never forget this night… I do not love you, because I love someone far more beautiful than you Mardoll… she’s a naive woman who pretends to be calmer than she actually is… she’s covered in sin but wishes more than anyone else to be rid of it… she’s rude, selfish, and egotistical… but a kind soul beneath it all.”

Freya stared at Bell with widened eyes. She was beginning to recognize what he was trying to say. 

“I may be idiotic for trying to change her… but she called out to me for help… and I couldn't simply ignore her desperate wish… to run away from everything, and be a normal girl…”

Freya’s heart began to heat up. 

Her pulse began to beat faster. 

She tried to deny the hope she was beginning to see. She didn't want to hold onto it only to be betrayed once more… but…

????????????

The warmth and safety his lips brought her… she couldn't deny her feelings for them.

“Her beautiful gray hair mesmerized me. Set against the warm glow of light where we first met… but I can’t deny… I prefer the way it shimmers in silver under moonlight…”

Freya’s eyes began to glisten with tears. Light returned to her gaze. Bell’s face was all she saw. It was all she wanted to see.

“Bell…”

The goddess trembled as her heart began to resound in life once more.

“I love her… too deeply to even describe… I thought of her even before I was born… so forgive me Mardoll. I cannot love you. But… though you are transient, and I fear we may never meet again after this night…”

Bell took his hands onto her face. Bidding goodbye to the mask the goddess had worn for these past six months.

“Thank you for falling in love with me…”

????????????

Under the witness of the empty streets and the shimmering stars. 

Mardoll faded away… and all that remained… was the goddess who had forgotten to recognize herself.

…

..

.

“Haa…I really have become a therapist for goddesses…”

Bell said as he tiredly rested his back on a bed. A bed of a local inn he had been staying in during his stay in Altena. It had been another week since he had made major progress in his relationships with Athena and Freya.

“Spending equal time to console Freya from her depressive episode… and dealing with Athena’s sexual curiosity escapades… I’m scared of what kind of hidden horrors Artemis has in store for me…”

Bell lamented his current situation. But remembering that he was essentially rubbing up the virgin goddess of knowledge and tonguing down Freya every time they met recently… the vigilante truly was becoming the bone of his sword.

“Haa… moving on from horny thoughts… today is the day I'm leaving. Heading off from a ship in Altena headed towards the Kaios desert… and beginning my plan to enter the story of Episode: Freya… the story of Arry and her resolving of the Shalzard civil war.”

Bell wanted to involve himself with the events of Arry’s story for three main reasons. The first was to gain a political ally in the region.

‘Arry grew to become one of the greatest rulers to have ever risen to inherit a crown in the Kaios desert region… it would be a waste to not invest in a great figure who will leave an immense mark on history. I'm sure my connection to her will pay off one day…’

Bell would utilize his knowledge to make connections with whatever prominent figures he could. He was well aware that many mysteries remained in the world of Gekai, so it would be extremely beneficial to have friends in high places in such regions far from Orario.

‘Which leads me to my next goal… and that’s to secure a possible staging ground for a possible expedition of the black desert.’

The black desert of the Kaios region, or known by locals as the desert of death ash. 

It was a region of the great desert which was stained by the deathly ash produced when the Goliath had been slain by the Zeus and Hera familias long ago.

The black ash being so potent in its deadliness, it turned the entire region irreversibly infertile. No life was to grow in the black desert after the great monster’s demise.

‘And it gave the perfect breeding ground for battle junky monsters to live… and it’s now the home of numerous monsters of the same species as the Goliath…’

After Bell had encountered a monster of the same species as the Leviathan, he now knew that the story of numerous lesser Goliaths wandering the black desert was now canon in the world he lived in.

‘It would be bad enough with how destructive those monsters are, but being essentially an anti-life time bomb that can turn any ground infertile to life? It's like the author was setting up a starvation apocalypse to fall upon Gekai…’

Bell would need to deal with such a problem in the future, and having an ally in the naturally chaotic desert region would help immensely for his future operations.

‘And the last reason… it's because I feel a sense of responsibility.’

Bell’s early intrusion into the events of Danmachi had little effect on most things generally speaking, but it flipped over the events of Episode: Freya immensely. The story of Arry.

‘Episode: Freya takes place before Bell arrives in Orario. Still searching for her Odr, Freya explored the Kaios desert to look for her fated lover and stumbles across Arry.’

‘Mesmerized by the beauty of her soul, Freya then proceeds to help Arry in her efforts to reclaim her kingdom… but now that I locked Freya’s sights on myself… she now doesn't have a reason to meet and save Arry, leaving her in extreme risk of dying before she could manifest her destiny as the greatest desert monarch…’

Bell couldn't in good conscience just ignore the glaring truth he knew about. So he resolved to step in to be Freya’s replacement in her story.

‘Though I'm also curious about Arry… her soul was brilliant enough to catch Freya’s attention, and the beauty of one’s soul tends to correlate to their potential with falna… I wonder if I can raise Arry to become stronger than she originally was like Lili?...’

In summary, there were numerous reasons that compelled and interested Bell to visit the Kaios desert and involve himself with their happenings.

“One last major stop before I arrive back in Orario… I feel that I’m nearing my natural potential… so it’s about time I start looking into getting falna.”

Resolving his future plans in his head. Bell got up from the bed he was resting on, grabbed his travel bag, and headed to the exit of his room.

“I will miss you Altena… but I have a goddess waiting for me to take her virginity when I’m stronger, so this won’t be my last time here.”

Closing the door to his room. Bell began to close the chapter of his stay in Altena.

…

..

.

“????????????????… I might take a nap on the ship like I did when I first arrived here… the rocking of a boat is comfortable to nap with for me…”

Idly talking to himself, Bell waited for his ferry to arrive at the port. Standing by his lonesome as he did so.

But he was soon approached by two hooded figures that seemed to have business with him.

‘... don't tell me this is some ploy by Evilus…’

Bell readied himself should he sense the slightest amount of malice directed his way. His magic circuits readying themselves to activate at a moment’s notice.

But before he could test his suspicions. The smaller figure out of the pair suddenly lunged at him.

Bell didn't react quickly due to not sensing any ill intent in the action, but as he hastily tried to respond, he was soon met with a sudden sensation.

????????????

“Mmph?!-”

Bell felt the figure’s lips lock with his. Panic and confusion set off at first, but Bell slowly began to recognize the feeling on his lips.

‘Isn't this?...’

Breaking away from the kiss after a while, Bell called out to the figure who now looked at him beneath a veil that covered their face.

“... What are you doing here, Athena?”

Hearing that her identity has been exposed the goddess took off her hood slightly to reveal her face to Bell.

“What a wonderful deduction detective. Praytell, how exactly did you deduce my identity?~”

Seeing the goddess of knowledge play around, Bell decided to throw her for a loop. Reaching to her ear before whispering.

“I could never forget your soft lips that drove me wild… oh fair Lady Athena…”

Hearing his answer, Athena rolled with his punches and replied back sultrily.

“Then it appears I have exposed myself too easily… our bodies are too well-acquainted  with one another… not that I'm against getting to learn more about them in the future♡”

Seeing the two begin to flirt in front of her face, Penelope calmed down her now sexually curious goddess.

“Lady Athena, as much as I would enjoy seeing you two flirt, we have a limited schedule. We have to get back to recovery efforts… Odysseus has been busy with work for too long… I have my needs as well, Athena.”

Hearing her governess’ pleas, Athena composed herself accordingly. Though she would miss Bell immensely… they made sure they wouldn't feel the loneliness too quickly after rutting once more last night.

“????????????????… sorry about that Penelope. Hehe~”

Athena apologized as she continued to stand close to Bell, bringing a smug smile to the ancient elf’s face as she looked at Bell. The boy awkwardly replied to her look with a wry smile. 

“Time is short so I won't dawdle too long… here’s the thing you requested Bell. One desert ship magic core retrofitted down to a smaller size.”

Athena handed Bell a magic device that was a decently sized metal ball. An item that is much heavier than its appearance would convey. Bell needed to reinforce his arms slightly to carry the item with one hand.

“I'm not quite sure what you’re planning to do with it… but I’m sure you have it under control… just… stay safe out there alright? I know you’re strong… but there’s a reason why the Kaios desert continues to be lawless despite us gods descending long ago…”

Athena spoke with worry regarding Bell’s current destination. He had confided in her some tidbits about his plans. Mainly how he was planning to involve himself in the ongoing civil war in the region. 

“I would love nothing more than to help you… but any more than this, and I would be risking the diplomatic situation of Altena… I hope you can understand, dear.”

Bell smiled fondly at the worrywart goddess. Taking her head into his hands and planting a small kiss on her forehead, Bell began to reassure her about his safety.

“Don't worry so much Athena. I'm completely recovered, and our research together has made me stronger… and I don't plan on dying before taking your virginity.”

Seeing Bell being confident in his odds, Athena smiled back in reply. Trusting in her partner’s capabilities above all else.

????????????

Planting one last kiss before they say goodbye, Athena replied to Bell’s declaration.

“I’ll be waiting for you in my bed, my dearest Bell~”

Athena then fully hooded her face as she walked back to Penelope’s side, her smug smile still continuing from before.

“Lady Athena… Bell is my nephew so wouldn't that make you my niece-in-law?... I look forward to you calling me aunty when you two tie the know Fufufu~”

The ancient elf teased the goddess who replied with a few light hits to her body. The pair once more said goodbye to Bell before leaving.

“Honestly Penelope, do you really enjoy peaking into another’s love life? I know your lost branch of high elves is quite infatuated with love… but isn't this a bit much?”

Athena made small talk with her governess as they walked away from the port, Penelope replying back in amusement.

“I’m normally not like this. I just make an exception for you, Lady Athena. It’s not every day a virgin goddess moans so loudly in sexual pleasure… I also procured some of the ???????????????????? you asked for…”

Penelope spoke to which Athena replied quickly.

“Ah, thank you for that Penelope… wait… how did you know how I moan?-”

But before Athena could question the possible invasion of her privacy, a figure passed by her that caught her attention…

“...”

Athena turned her head as a gray-haired girl walked past her. The figure waved back at her as she walked towards the port. 

‘... Looks like Bell is getting closer to that threesome after all… good luck, Freya.’

Wishing the best for her fellow goddess, Athena made her way back to the Parthenon with Penelope. The pair chanted ancient elvish magic to cut through space and arrive at their destination in an instant.

…

..

.

“Hello Bell”

“...”

Bell stared quietly at the sight of the disguised goddess who was now meeting him after Athena had just left.

‘Those two aren't conspiring against me… right?’

Pondering on the possibilities of what the two goddesses he was pursuing might do against him, Mardoll cut Bell off from his thoughts as she began speaking.

“What’s wrong Bell? Is it wrong for someone to bid their special person farewell?”

Mardoll asked innocently to Bell. The boy knew full well that the goddess fully intended to continue stalking him with her familia… but he couldn't just out himself completely just yet.

“... There’s nothing wrong with that. I appreciate the gesture, Mardoll.”

Bell replied with a smile… as much of a smile as he could make while feeling the hateful gazes of Freya’s hidden familia members watching him like a hawk. 

Freya noticed Bell’s slight discomfort. Realizing what was happening, Mardoll spoke that she would readjust her clothes… turning her back to Bell, Freya stared coldly at where her familia was currently positioned.

“...”

The goddess’ guards got her message and lowered their enmity toward Bell. Athena returned back to him with an unassuming smile, as if she hadn't threatened a group of level six and five adventurers into silence. 

“Fufufu~”

Bell couldn't help but smile wryly at Freya’s actions.

‘She has made significant progress, but it seems it’ll take much more to rid her ruler-like personality… though if she keeps it in check, it's actually quite adorable…’

Keeping his thoughts to themselves, Bell and Mardoll began to make small talk as they waited for Bell’s ferry to arrive.

Reminiscing on their time together. The moments they shared… and the deep kisses they partook in recently.

“I will miss your lips quite a bit, Bell… is there really no chance of us working?”

Mardoll acted as if she were hurt, but deep down she was the happiest she had been… because she knew where Bell’s attractions lay at the end of the day.

“... It still won't work Mardoll… I have my sights set on a certain gray-haired beauty… I cannot compromise on this…”

Seeing Bell so seriously state his love for Syr… Freya grew giddy in her thoughts.

‘Ahh… you're just the most adorable little mortal, aren't you? My dear Odr…’

Recovering from her heartbreak and reaffirming her place in Bell’s heart, Freya decided to make the most out of the soon-to-vanish persona of Mardoll.

Playing as a heartbroken maiden as she requested to indulge in locking lips with Bell. Reasoning that they would diverge paths in life… so it wouldn't hurt to experiment.

‘Though Bell has shown some skill with kissing… I can ensure he could grow more proficient… but he knew some tricks… as expected. Athena has marked herself on my Odr…’

Freya’s eyes began to glow a silver hue for a moment… before choosing to diminish her divinity.

‘It's weird… I'm not feeling as possessive as I used to be…’

Freya didn't feel a violent urge to keep Bell to herself in the past few days. A development that confused her, but one she didn't mind much.

‘It doesn't matter… so long as my Odr is by my side, I will live…’

Choosing to not dwell on the goddess that was now her rival, Freya chose instead to focus on more interesting activities to her sensibilities.

“Bell… the ferry is coming…”

Freya began to immerse herself in one last act as Mardoll before she retired the persona. Drumming up drama to fulfill her desires.

“So it would seem… the time for us to part is coming…”

Bell played along with the goddess’ antics. He saw no bad effects from indulging her at this moment.

“... hey Bell? Would you mind listening to one last request of mine?”

Mardoll looked at Bell with tear-covered eyes. She was setting an intense and somber mood between herself and Bell. Making use of every skill she possessed to get what she wanted right now.

“...”

Bell silently stared at Mardoll before sighing and complying. Taking the young girl into his embrace.

“...”

Mardoll quietly accepted Bell’s advances… celebrating her success in her mind.

“This will be the last time Mardoll… then we’re through… no more lingering attachment, alright?”

Bell tried his best to follow the act Freya had set up. Hoping his acting wouldn't expose his true nature to the goddess… but as he looked upon the slight trembling of Mardoll in excitement… Bell felt he had nothing to worry about.

“... This will be the last time, I promise… so please… leave me breathless with this one last kiss… that I might accept to move on from you, Bell…”

Bell slowly raised Mardoll up to his face and began to kiss her deeply. Choosing to let the goddess indulge in her mischief.

“Mmm♡… Haa♡… mmph♡… mmm♡…”

Mardoll tenderly held Bell’s head in her delicate hands as she relished the feeling of his lips on hers, before letting her tongue familiarize itself once more with Bell’s mouth. 

“Haa♡… haa♡… haa♡…”

Enjoying the sensation of her beloved for a moment, Mardoll eventually separated from Bell as his ferry began to dock at the port. The goddess had to reluctantly end her passionate moment with Bell. 

“Haa… I guess this is it then…”

Mardoll acted the part of a heartbroken maiden saying goodbye to her first love… even though she was mostly just annoyed the ferry had arrived faster than expected.

“It appears so…”

Bell spoke as he continued to play along with the act, unknown to Freya.

Bell and Mardoll simply stood in front of one another in silence before Mardoll moved to hasten the end of this moment.

Getting closer to Bell’s face and partially dispelling her disguise, Freya planted a brief kiss on Bell’s cheek.

????????????

Stepping back as she recast her disguise on her body, Mardoll turned around with tears in her eyes. Freya’s acting skills showed their true worth with such a maneuver. 

“Goodbye Bell… goodbye my first love… make sure that Syr is the happiest girl for getting the man I couldn't achieve… I will never forgive you if you make her cry, got it?”

Bell became mesmerized by how naturally Freya acted. It was as if he was being filmed for the gut-wrenching moment in every rom-com show he watched where the second love interest lost.

“... Yeah… I’ll make Syr the happiest girl in the world.”

Seeing how seriously Bell declared such a thing, Mardoll continued to act in pain… but Freya was celebrating her victory with immense joy.

Turning around as she slowly began to walk away… Mardoll turned her head to bid farewell.

“Bye-bye…”

Mardoll smiled before running away. Making noises of herself crying as she did.

“...”

Bell was silent as he was left by his lonesome.

‘I know it’s just acting… but damn… I feel bad…’

Standing in awe at the goddess’ immense acting skill, Bell unconsciously began to rub his neck… then felt a cold sensation hit his hands.

“Hm?”

Bell took what he had just felt into his hands and soon recognized it to be the chain of an amulet… a green amulet held by a silver chain.

‘Freya? Perhaps she placed this one my when she moved in for that kiss… though she could've just handed it to me, I appreciate this gift nonetheless.’

Bell smile as he recognized what this amulet truly was. 

The amulet Freya had given the original Bell as Syr during his war game with the Apollo familia. A magic item that allowed the amulet to absorb damage in place of the user for a single use.

Dangingly the amulet by his finger up to his face, Bell began to wonder about it’s uses.

‘I wonder how much damage this thing can take? Will I be able to enhance it with reinforcement? Perhaps I should save this for Asfi to analyze… this might prove useful for the weaker members I plan on recruiting in the future.’

Sincerely happy with the gift Freya had given him for his next journey, Bell began to board the ferry heading to the Kaios desert. His heart beat in excitement for the next adventure that awaited him.

“Don’t you worry a thing your majesty… this vigilante shall pave the road to your future glory with my endless supply of swords… the perfect one man army for your resistance.”

…

..

.

Editor: 

Editor-kun#4796

AN:

Thank you for reading this chapter.

I know…fast updates HAHAHA. 

Trying to cram in much stuff as I can write before Im busy with school once again. 

The next chapter will be a side story containing reactions to Bell’s exploits in Altena from characters within Orario. Lili, Welf, Tiona, Hephaestus, etc.

I also plan to introduce new characters to the mix. The last remaining unconquered virgin goddess of Olympus…and a certain king of heroes…hope you look forward to that!

Have a nice day! I will now be promptly falling asleep on my soft bed to rest up from writing so much HAHAHA

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