Looking at the goddess before him, Allen felt a strange emotion rise in his heart.
But this wasn't unusual.
To be precise, every member of the Freya Familia, regardless of gender, admired Goddess Freya.
Yes.
As the Goddess of Beauty, Freya's charm worked on both men and women.
"So, what did you find out?" Freya asked.
"Everything has been investigated, Lady Freya."
"Speak."
Freya glanced at Allen and spoke calmly.
"Cao Ye arrived in Orario 18 days ago."
"At first he was just an ordinary person—weak."
"During his first trip into the Dungeon, he lost an arm."
"Lost an arm?"
That immediately caught Freya's attention.
After all, Cao Ye clearly had both hands now.
"Yes. The innkeeper where he stayed confirmed it."
"We don't know how he recovered, but he definitely lost an arm before."
"Interesting… this little one really isn't simple."
Freya murmured softly.
After all, he was a person from another world.
Regrowing a severed arm was not something easy even in Orario.
"And according to the innkeeper, the arm grew back overnight."
"Overnight?"
Even Allen felt curious.
How could someone do that?
Was it a special skill?
If so, it would be extremely valuable.
Members of the Familia could recover from lost limbs.
Although the members often disliked each other, as vice-captain Allen still cared about them.
After all—
Everyone in the Familia belonged to Freya.
They were the foundation of Freya Familia's strength.
"'All the World's Evils,' huh…"
Freya immediately thought of the power Cao Ye carried.
"Evil" wasn't something easy to bear.
The cost was enormous.
But in return, one could gain certain abilities.
For example—
Immortality-like traits.
In this world, many powerful monsters or manifestations of evil could only be defeated by heroes.
Only those blessed by the world had the right to overcome such evils.
Before the gods descended to the lower world, heroes were humanity's hope.
"Allen, is there anything else?"
"Not much."
"But Cao Ye's growth speed is astonishing."
"In just half a month he went from a powerless man to someone with the strength of a novice adventurer."
This meant that even before receiving Falna, Cao Ye had reached adventurer-level ability.
Freya nodded.
She had already guessed the "sudden appearance" Allen mentioned was the day Cao Ye arrived in this world.
His past simply had no trace.
"Oh, Allen… what happened to that innkeeper?"
"I've already dealt with him."
"Good."
Cao Ye's uniqueness made Freya extremely interested.
Especially his identity as a person from another world.
To make sure everything about him belonged only to her—
She erased traces of his past.
"Lady Freya… he's just a boy with some potential."
"Is he really worth this much attention?"
Allen couldn't help but say it.
Freya's gaze had been on Cao Ye far too much.
No one in the entire Familia had ever received such attention.
Allen, who had worked tirelessly to become the strongest and most useful person in order to gain the goddess's attention, felt jealous.
The moment he said this—
The atmosphere in the room froze.
Freya looked down at him.
Her eyes were calm and unreadable.
"Allen… are you teaching me how to do things?"
That simple sentence felt like a thunderbolt.
"I wouldn't dare!"
Allen immediately knelt on one knee and bowed his head deeply.
He didn't fear punishment.
But he feared being abandoned by the goddess.
That would be worse than death.
Freya's gaze didn't change.
In truth, in Freya's eyes—
The entire Freya Familia wasn't that important.
It was like a simulation game.
No matter how much time and effort she invested, it was still just a game.
If necessary—
She wouldn't hesitate to abandon it.
Most gods were the same.
They descended to the lower world for entertainment, not to build families.
Freya herself came to the lower world for one reason:
To find her Odr—her destined partner.
"Allen, this is the first time."
"And I hope it will also be the last."
"Next time… you can return to the Silver Mansion."
"Yes, Lady Freya."
Allen felt both fear and deep jealousy.
He couldn't understand.
Why would some boy who appeared out of nowhere receive such attention?
Even he couldn't compare.
If he made another mistake, Freya might really abandon him.
As vice-captain and Freya's secret protector when she acted as Syr, Allen had one of the few privileges of spending time near the goddess.
Losing that privilege would be worse than death.
"Remember this."
"Cao Ye is the hope I have chosen."
"He may become a new hero."
"A new hero?"
Allen didn't understand.
He didn't believe some random kid could grow into a hero.
Meanwhile—
On the bustling street below, Cao Ye had no idea that the second-in-command of Freya Familia had just been reprimanded because of him.
He was still enjoying life.
Eating and wandering around happily.
As time passed, night gradually fell.
Eventually, Cao Ye returned once again to the Hostess of Fertility.
But this time, he wasn't here because of Syr.
He came because of Ryu.
After all, she helped him earlier.
Eating here was his way of returning the favor.