That remark left Xien utterly baffled.
"Huh? I thought only the gods were allowed to attend?"
He had assumed Astraea was talking about the Denatus where adventurer aliases were decided.
"Ah, I didn't explain properly. I mean the godly gathering Freya prepared for everyone to enjoy themselves. It's scheduled for right after the Denatus where aliases are decided."
That only made it stranger. Since when had Lady Astraea taken an interest in attending parties like that? Compared to such gatherings, this goddess seemed far more inclined to go help those in need.
So he stared at his goddess with the expression of an old man on the subway squinting at his phone.
Perhaps embarrassed by Xien's gaze, a faint blush rose to the refined, elegant goddess of justice's face.
"Don't look at me like that. Freya said she had something to discuss. Something related to you."
"…"
Xien was shaken to his core.
Wasn't that even worse?
Lady Astraea, are you truly awake right now?
You should know what kind of goddess Freya is better than I do. She even specifically brought me up. Isn't it obvious she's coming after me?
Are you trying to throw me into the wolf's den?
He did not want to resort to god-slaying this soon.
Astraea's first attempt to obscure the truth ended in complete failure. Looking at the disbelief in Xien's eyes, she simply could not bring herself to hide anything from him.
And so she surrendered outright.
"All right. I'll be direct. Freya offered a large sum of resources and information related to the Evilus factions in exchange for letting you duel that 'King.'"
A duel? With him specifically?
Why?
"Meaning… experience?"
That was the only possibility Xien could think of. After all, in Orario, defeating powerful opponents could grant excelia. Was that boaz planning to use him, the rising star, as a stepping stone?
That actually sounded somewhat interesting.
"Yes. That King seems intent on fighting you…"
But that was not right. Given Lady Astraea's personality, she should never have agreed to something like this so easily. There had to be more to it.
Something that could make Lady Astraea feel wary, and something Freya was permitted to use…
There seemed to be only one possibility.
"Let me guess. If we refuse, that goddess intends to launch a War Game?"
"…"
Looking at her youngest child, Astraea let out a helpless sigh.
"…As expected, I can't hide anything from you. Yes. I was too useless. Everyone has only just begun to find their footing, yet I couldn't fulfill my duty as their goddess."
Faced with the goddess's self-reproach, Xien smiled gently.
"This has nothing to do with you. You don't need to blame yourself."
Then he began analyzing the matter carefully.
"It might only be a joke, but we don't have the luxury of gambling on that. Or rather, against a Familia of that scale, we simply don't have the standing to gamble."
"Xien, don't be too…"
Astraea was worried. Of course she knew what kind of personality this child of hers had. He was the classic type who yielded to gentleness but not force. If someone dared to go hard against him, he would dare to beat them so badly even their mother would not recognize them.
That was why she had held something back earlier. If matters escalated into a serious conflict, it would benefit no one. At the very least, she absolutely did not want Xien to get hurt.
Fortunately, one could always trust Xien's temperament.
"Don't worry, Lady Astraea. I'm not angry. Or rather, I'm somewhat relieved. If this can be resolved in such a relatively peaceful manner, then that's for the best."
It was not as though this was his first contact with that goddess. After her previous soft approach had been rejected, she had waited this long before making another move, and this time she had chosen a method that did not especially disgust him. To be honest, he was somewhat surprised.
He would not dare say anything else for certain, but Xien at least knew that she valued him greatly. Since that was the case, then he would go and ask her clearly what she was thinking. If the matter could be resolved peacefully, that would not be bad either.
"In that case, let's do as that goddess wishes. As it happens, I'm also looking forward to seeing the strength of that King."
Seeing the boy so full of fighting spirit, Astraea hesitated again and again, but ultimately decided to tell him everything.
"Her condition is that, if she wins, she wants to obtain an opportunity to pursue you that no one can deny."
When Astraea had heard that request, she had been stunned too. Her first reaction had been anger, but then she realized that the other party's feelings were genuine.
Freya truly wanted to fall in love with her child.
As the goddess of justice, Astraea would say no to all evil. But when facing a goddess who merely wished to court her child, she had no move to make.
She could not refuse, because in her heart, every living being had the right to pursue love.
Even if that being was a god.
That was the true main reason. Otherwise, no matter what excuse the other party had offered, Astraea would never have agreed to this.
After carefully understanding every word from his goddess, Xien's mouth opened wide enough to fit two eggs.
"…What the hell?"
At the top of Babel Tower—
A figure of supreme beauty was languidly tasting the expensive red wine in her hand.
As a rigorous voyeur, she looked down upon the city before her, while her mind was filled entirely with someone she longed for.
She wanted to obtain him.
That intense desire was like a gradually kindled fire, growing stronger and larger with the passage of time, until now it burned within her heart and left her restless.
It was not that she did not want to use a better method.
She simply had no options left.
Whether it was her own observation or the reports from her children, they all revealed one fact.
That child was growing far too quickly.
In the span of one of her brief naps, he had already become a warrior no weaker than Ottar.
That boy's current strength had already surpassed Finn and the others. Even against Ottar, she had no certainty of victory.
But her desire to obtain his heart made her decide to go all in.
She would gamble on this one chance.
If she won, then she would gain the opportunity to take one step closer.
If she lost, then she would sever this longing.
Ah.
At the Adventurers Guild—
"Are you not going to do anything about the Freya Familia's movements?"
Fels questioned the ancient god seated upon the dais. He had not realized that ever since he began regarding Xien as his own disciple, his concern for the boy had practically multiplied severalfold.
"This is an internal conflict between Familias. The Guild has no reason to interfere…"
"Even if it concerns Xien?"
The great god chuckled, evidently finding great amusement in how this subordinate of his was showing concern to the point of losing objectivity.
"Perhaps you should have a little more faith in him. Hasn't he surprised us every time?"
"But that is the King. And he has only just… Can Xien truly win?"
"That boy is far stronger than you imagine… There will be no problem."
Xien was numb.
After learning the full sequence of events from his goddess, he sank directly into speechlessness.
After thinking it over again and again, he even took his goddess's gentle hands in his own, looking at her with a pleading expression he had never shown before.
Troublesome matters like this were better left to his guardian, after all. If he handled it himself, the nature of the situation would probably change entirely.
"Lady Astraea, please help me… You should know that I'm only interested in Ryuu…"
Astraea immediately felt her head splitting in two. Although Xien's current appearance perfectly replicated the scene she had once wanted to experience in a dream, this was the one problem where she felt utterly powerless.
In the end, unwilling to betray her child's prayer, she made up her mind with great determination.
"Xien, go defeat that King. Leave everything after that to me."
Hearing the answer from his goddess, who never disappointed him, Xien smiled confidently.
"Understood."
For gods, a few days passed in the blink of an eye.
Several days later, at the preparation room—
Inside, Xien felt the slight restriction of the suit he wore, then looked at his slicked-back hair in the mirror. To be honest, he could not see where the handsomeness was supposed to be. Instead, he felt like he looked more like a refined scoundrel.
After checking once more and confirming there were no issues, Xien left the men's preparation room.
He still had to pick up his "date" for the day. Being late would be terribly rude.
Arriving at the door of the room his goddess had told him about, Xien stood beside it and waited.
A moment later, the door opened.
When Xien looked up, he froze.
Because in that instant, the most beautiful goddess had descended.
She wore a pure white himation-like robe, or perhaps a similarly styled ceremonial gown. The hem was decorated with golden patterns in the shape of the sword that represented justice.
The high-quality silk fabric hung smoothly, its luster rich and graceful. Whenever the goddess moved, it created elegant, flowing lines.
She wore a few golden ornaments, simple in design yet exquisite in craftsmanship.
Together with the gentle yet resolute expression that often rested upon the goddess's face, she radiated solemnity, elegance, and sanctity.
"What is it?"
"Nothing. I simply feel that, at this moment, Lady Goddess, you are beautiful enough to intoxicate the heart."
Hearing this, Astraea revealed a sweet smile.
"Thank you for the praise. That is the best compliment I've received today. Also, you look very handsome too."
Xien glanced at the suit he was wearing. He had no idea how this style had managed to become so standardized. It was not very different from the suits in his previous life.
"Do I? Am I the only one who thinks it looks ugly? Not even a trace of my overwhelming handsomeness has been properly displayed…"
"Hehehe. Then you'll have to ask the designer about that."
The goddess cherished the sight of the boy revealing a side appropriate for his age. This would become one of the most precious memories in her eternal recollection.
They boarded the prepared carriage and headed toward the Freya Familia's headquarters.
They arrived at the Freya Familia's headquarters—
Folkvangr.
A fortress like a city within the city.
The air there was stagnant, carrying the chill of metal and the faint, mysterious fragrance of some deep orchid.
There was no glaring luxury, only a silent, heart-palpitating majesty.
The immense hall was built from dark stone. Its vaulted ceiling rose high overhead, and dim light seeped from moonstones embedded in the walls, casting everything in a hazy silver glow. Even if an ordinary person managed to reach the great doors, they would likely be overwhelmed by its presence and find their legs trembling.
Carriages continued to arrive one after another, bringing a faint trace of liveliness to this cold, enormous fortress.
With the standard movements of an attendant, Xien invited his goddess down from the carriage. The two of them then walked inside, one slightly ahead and one slightly behind.
The radiance of justice would always attract attention, no matter when or where.
Not to mention Xien was present too. Even though most of those around them were gods, Xien, this dazzling new star, still shone brilliantly even in such a venue.
Understanding that this was the moment to test himself, Xien presented his most confident side, keeping his gaze straight ahead as he followed half a step behind his goddess.
Unlike its solemn exterior, the courtyard was filled with a sweet, cloying bustle.
Magical light orbs hovered like tamed stars between gilded columns, turning the night into a false daylight.
The air was mixed with the mellow aroma of expensive wine, the sizzling fragrance of roasted meat, and the faint divine auras emanating from the gods, each fundamentally different from the next.
Then, as he followed his goddess inside, Xien sensed it.
That burning gaze.
It came from the deepest part of the hall, as though possessing tangible weight and temperature. It pierced through the dim light and the noisy crowd, landing on him with absolute precision.
It was like a gentle shackle, yet also like an invisible scalpel, seeking to dissect him layer by layer, from outside to inside.
He looked over instinctively.
At the highest point, Freya reclined upon a jade throne.
Her delicate snow-white skin, reminiscent of freshly fallen snow, and her slender, graceful limbs were so enchanting that even the mere sight of them gliding through the air was enough to bewitch the heart.
Her soft, compact hips and the slender waist above them seemed capable of robbing one of reason if viewed directly. The chest of her gold-embroidered dress was open, tightly wrapped beneath a single layer of fabric. Perhaps because she was too warm, the enticing cleavage between her beautifully shaped, astonishingly full breasts was dyed a faint cherry-blossom pink.
Her perfect, flawless, devilish figure seemed like the very concept of the golden ratio had been derived from her body.
Her long lashes gave her a fragile, pitiful air, while her phoenix-like eyes were ethereal and detached. Her appearance had a sublime radiance to it, dignified and untouchable.
Freya—
The goddess whose beauty could make beauty itself fall into ruin.
A simple silver gown flowed down around her, setting off skin as pale as snow. Her deep, dark hair was like the curtain of night. She wore no ornate headdress and merely reclined lazily there, toying with a crystal cup filled with deep purple-red wine.
Yet her very existence stole all the light from the entire hall.
Even though this was the gathering she had hosted, neither mortal nor god would point out anything improper in her conduct.
Because she was Freya.
The goddess who conquered all male gods.
The existence most goddesses envied.
Her silver eyes stared at him without blinking.
It was a gaze deeper, more penetrating, and more… irresistible.
As if she were admiring a priceless treasure lost long ago and finally recovered.
There was a hint of amusement in it, a hint of understanding, and a calmness that seemed to have already declared ownership.
Facing such a gaze, facing that face whose beauty could topple nations, Xien remained inwardly calm. With a confident smile on his face, he raised the red wine cup in his hand and gently shook it toward that figure.
The source text cuts off here, so the translation stops at the final visible line.
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