Dark clouds loomed overhead, casting a gloomy gray pall across the sky. Rain threatened to fall at any moment.
The streets were nearly empty, with the few pedestrians hurrying past. Everyone seemed eager to reach shelter.
Hestia knew she had lingered too long. She needed to return before the others started to worry.
But fate had other plans — an uninvited guest now blocked her path home.
It was the Goddess of Beauty, Freya!
This troublesome deity, impossible to avoid.
Unlike her animosity toward Loki, Freya stirred a different kind of discomfort in Hestia. The two generally kept their distance.
"F-Freya...?" Hestia stammered.
She couldn’t fathom why Freya barred her way. Yet something was clearly wrong with the goddess before her. Those eyes, gleaming with naked greed, made Hestia instinctively back away.
"Hand that child over to me!" Freya demanded, her voice tinged with hysteria.
Hestia’s unease deepened.
"Who? Who are you talking about?"
Instead of answering directly, Freya launched into a bewildering monologue.
"I had planned to nurture our relationship, to approach him gradually — I feared too aggressive a pursuit would frighten him away. But when he grew more radiant, when others began flocking to him, I could bear it no longer! So... Hand Adam over to me!"
"I won’t give Bell to you!"
A heavy silence fell between them.
"Oh... it’s Adam! You scared me... No! Even if it’s Adam, I still won’t allow it!" Hestia flailed frantically.
Her exaggerated reactions, like a one-person show, were somewhat exasperating.
But who could blame her? Freya’s words had truly shocked her to the core. She absolutely couldn’t hand over Adam!
It wasn’t just because he was vital to their Familia’s development. More importantly, she wasn’t like those cruel gods who treated Familia members as mere bargaining chips.
As someone who treated Familia members as true family, she would never abuse her divine position to forcibly decide a child’s fate.
"No! I absolutely won’t hand over the Hero to you!"
"Is that so... How unfortunate." Freya had expected this response.
Yet seeing Hestia’s resolute attitude still filled her with regret.
"I’m sorry, I didn’t want to do this... but if you promise not to resist, I won’t harm you, little sister Hestia." Freya delivered these menacing words with a smile.
Hestia’s hopes of escape were instantly crushed as four Pallums appeared on the surrounding rooftops, one in each direction.
These were undoubtedly powerful adventurers!
The Gulliver Brothers — The Four Warriors of Burning Gold!
Though Pallums were known as the physically weakest of the small folk, this wasn’t set in stone. Their strength grew exponentially with each level gained.
And against four Level 5 Pallums, Hestia — physically weak as she was — stood no chance.
"A kidnapping... how like you, Freya." Hestia sighed, her tone both praising and mocking, "You’ve prepared quite thoroughly for me."
The Goddess of Beauty remained unmoved.
"Thank you for the compliment." She replied.
If it meant achieving her goals, she would use any means necessary, stopping at nothing.
At Freya’s command, the four Pallums who had been lying in wait rushed at Hestia, giving her no chance to escape.
The difference in strength was too great — the Goddess couldn’t resist. One of the Pallums roughly restrained her, binding her hands behind her back.
"Don’t move, Lady Hestia. Even if you’re a God, if Lady Freya orders it, I will kill you."
His tone was respectful, but the hidden madness in his words made Hestia afraid. She stopped struggling immediately.
She could only ask the still-elegant Goddess of Beauty beside her:
"So? Freya, are you planning to use me as bait to lure out the Hero? After all, he won’t abandon his companions."
This was Adam’s unwavering belief.
The 『Hero』 would always try his best to save everyone. Freya’s kidnapping was nothing more than an attempt to lure him here.
With her unparalleled ability to enchant and her many powerful Familia members, once Adam appeared, she would surely have ways to force him to comply.
"That’s how you see it, Hestia." Freya spoke words that confused her, "You’re his Goddess, but do you know about the nature of his soul?"
"Metamorphosis! Every time he levels up, his soul undergoes metamorphosis. I think he must be Level 4 by now."
"Eh?" Hestia was stunned.
Only internal members knew about this — she was certain!
But Freya had easily discovered it. Perhaps it was her ability to see through the souls of children from the lower world that revealed Adam’s rapid changes.
"At first I thought he was just an ordinary person." The Goddess of Beauty began, speaking of their previous encounter, "But when you, Hestia, granted him your Falna, when you wiped away the dust, I realized what I had missed.
That feeling, that sensation of losing and regaining... It was relief, joy, excitement! Do you understand what I mean?"
Freya’s words grew increasingly strange, her expression unsettling.
But this made Hestia understand one thing: this love-crazed Goddess had hopelessly fallen in love with the Hero!
And it was even before he had risen to prominence — what an ever-discerning Goddess of Beauty!
"So what? What does that matter?"
"You really don’t understand... Well, Hestia, just watch quietly." Freya spoke like a hateful riddler, making Hestia grit her teeth in frustration.
"Hey! Freya, what exactly are you planning to do?"
"I will make the Hero appear as mine alone! For this, I need the King." Freya turned to the strong one hiding in the corner, "Ottar, for my selfish wish, are you willing?"
"If it is Lady Freya’s wish." The cold-faced Boaz spoke decisively.
Even if Freya asked him to die, he would agree.
Mere titles was nothing. He didn’t mind.
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