Thanks to LimX23 for being the beta reader and quality supervisor of this chapter
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Freya managed to catch Bell before his body hit the ground. He fell as if all of his strength had drained away, but she caught him gently, lowering him to her chest and tucking an arm under his legs. She held him as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Her breath was ragged, but her grip was firm, almost protective.
For a moment, a sigh of relief escaped her. Bell was still alive. Conscious or not, he was still there, breathing, warm against her arms. That simple detail calmed her more than she cared to admit. Her fingers tucked a lock of white hair behind his head, and she gazed at him affectionately, with a mixture of tenderness and concern that no one was used to seeing in Freya.
But that moment ended quickly.
Freya's gaze lifted and went directly towards a specific point: Ottar.
Freya's expression changed immediately. The affection vanished, as did the relief. Her gaze hardened, ice-cold, filled with anger…but there was also something deeper. Disappointment.
Ottar felt it even without her saying a single word.
He lowered his head instantly. His jaw trembled. It wasn't fear of punishment. Ottar knew how to endure punishment. It was something far worse: it was the pain of seeing his Goddess looking at him as if she didn't recognize him. That gaze pierced his back like a cluster of needles, each one laced with guilt.
Freya didn't need to speak. Ottar knew exactly what that look meant.
He had used his strength—that strength he had acquired only to protect her—to hurt the one she most wanted to protect.
The wound on Freya's forehead—that small cut he himself had caused when she stepped in front of him—had stopped bleeding, but to Ottar it was as if it were still there, open, a reminder of his mistake. Her eyes were still red from crying before reaching this point, and that only made the scene more painful for him. He felt he had betrayed the most important person in his life.
For Ottar, that was a direct betrayal of what Freya represented to him.
It was like stabbing his own mother in the heart.
Boaz's giant body trembled. He had promised himself years ago: not to cry, to endure, to remain strong. But the expression on his Goddess's face… that broke him inside.
Meanwhile, Freya held Bell closer to her. Not because she feared another attack, but because simply holding him helped her avoid an emotional outburst. She wanted to calm her own feelings.
A short distance away, Ais began to get up. She still felt the impact of the blow that had thrown her to the side.
When she raised her head, the first thing she saw was Freya, standing in front of her, holding Bell in her arms.
Ais remained motionless.
The image confused her. The Goddess Freya, holding Bell as if she wanted to protect him. Protect him? It was the last thing she would have expected. Until a few minutes ago, she believed it was the Goddess herself who had sent Ottar and the rest of his family to attack them. That all of this was a direct order from Freya.
But seeing her there, her reaction didn't match that idea. She looked... worried. Angry, yes, but not with them. But to her own children.
Ais frowned slightly, unsure what to think. Her hand still automatically tightened around the hilt of her sword, though she didn't assume a fighting stance. Not because she had lowered her guard, but because the scene before her didn't align with what she had expected.
Freya paid no attention to Ais. She didn't even seem aware of the tension around her. For her, at that moment, only two things existed: Bell asleep in her arms…and Ottar, who remained dejected like a child who knew he had made an unforgivable mistake.
The silence grew heavy.
The members of the Freya Familia who were nearby barely moved. Their heads were so low it seemed they wanted to bury themselves into the ground. They felt like scolded dogs, fearing every second that their Goddess would look in their direction again. They all knew there would be consequences when they returned to the surface.
Freya took a deep breath. Not to calm herself, but to maintain control. She didn't want to explode right there, not with Bell unconscious in her arms.
She leaned over him slightly, adjusting his position. Bell's brow was still slightly furrowed even in his sleep, as if his body still remembered the pain of everything that had happened. Freya watched him for a few more seconds, her expression softening despite herself.
That small gesture was enough to make Ais feel a strange twinge in her chest. She didn't understand it, but seeing it... it made her feel a little uneasy. Or uncomfortable. She didn't even know which was the right word.
They were stealing the Rabbit from her Mother (Riveria).
"…"
Ais swallowed.
The air between them was still tense. Although they weren't fighting anymore, it felt as if everyone was waiting for someone to make a wrong move so that everything would explode again.
But Freya had no intention of fighting. Nor of retreating yet. She simply stayed there with Bell, protecting him even from the gaze of others.
Ottar finally dared to raise his gaze slightly. He didn't quite meet Freya's eyes, but he did notice the wound he himself had inflicted. And that was enough to twist his expression, a mixture of regret and pain.
Freya noticed the movement, but said nothing. She only slightly averted her gaze, as if she didn't want to see Ottar in that state any longer. Not now.
Ais took another deep breath, trying to organize her thoughts. It was difficult. She had a thousand doubts and no clear answers. But what she could tell was that Freya wasn't acting as she expected. She wasn't the villain right now. And that completely threw her off.
Finally, Ais spoke in a low voice, more to herself than to others.
"What…is happening here…?"
But no one answered.
The silence remained, sharp but contained. And the only thing that broke it was Bell's soft breathing, still unconscious in the arms of the Goddess of Beauty who, to everyone's surprise, was protecting him.
Riveria approached Ais slowly, as if the air itself might shatter if she moved too quickly. Her posture was tense, her shoulders rigid, her eyes constantly scanning every member of the Freya Familia who walked by. When she reached Ais's side, she gave her a complicated look, a mixture of discomfort, doubt, and a hint of distrust toward everything that was happening.
Ais noticed Riveria's presence, but said nothing. She only gave a small nod, as if she were just as lost as Ais. Neither of them knew what to think. The situation simply made no sense.
Freya, still kneeling with the sleeping Bell in her arms, finally leaned back and began to stand. She did so carefully, as if Bell's entire body might fall apart if she made the slightest mistake. Once standing, she held him in a bridal position, gently pressing him against her chest. Bell was still unconscious, oblivious to all the chaos he had left behind.
Then, without looking at Horn—who still stared blankly, trapped in that semi-trance state that Freya's Charm had induced—the Goddess spoke in a calm, almost cold voice:
"Go find the Amazon Warrior who's still around."
Horn nodded automatically. She didn't even really process the order. She simply obeyed. She took a step to the edge of the bridge, glanced down for a second, and then jumped without hesitation, disappearing into the vegetation below.
Riveria swallowed. Ais looked at her for a moment. They both understood perfectly that Horn wasn't acting of her own free will.
Freya, meanwhile, looked up at a figure who was still watching from a distance: Yharon.
The Dragon perched atop a large, protruding root, his body tense and muscles bulging beneath its scales. His golden eyes burned like living embers. When Freya looked at it, he returned an equally intense gaze, but in his case, it was a mixture of anger, frustration…and resignation.
Yharon didn't need words to express what he felt. His body said it all: his wings slightly open, his tail tapping the ground in slow movements, his chest rising with each heavy breath. He knew Freya was the cause of Bell's pain. He knew it through the bond he shared with his Sworn Companion, a deep connection that allowed him to feel every emotion and every pain the boy experienced. And that's why he looked at her like that, as if he wanted to confront her, as if he wanted to ask her why she continued to cause suffering…but also knowing that now he couldn't simply attack her.
The Dragon of Rebirth snorted loudly, breathing fire. The flame was long and thin, a brilliant roar that illuminated the entire bridge for a few seconds. Then it closed its wings and opened them fully, unleashing a gust of wind that sent leaves and dust flying everywhere.
And without further ado, Yharon took off with a powerful flapping of his wings, leaving a trail of fire in his wake before disappearing into the shadows of the upper level.
The silence returned suddenly.
Ais and Riveria watched him leave. Haruhime, Mikoto, and the others could only glance up for a moment before turning their gaze back to Freya, who was still holding Bell as if he were the only thing that mattered.
Just a few seconds had passed when a sound caught everyone's attention: the rapid crackling of branches breaking.
Horn emerged from the vegetation, moving forward with hurried but expressionless steps. And behind her came Lena.
The Amazon was as stiff as a board, her muscles tense and her eyes wide open. Her warrior instincts were fully awake, as if at any moment she might have to fight for her life again. Even so, seeing Haruhime unharmed, Mikoto standing, and above all, Bell…albeit unconscious…a breath of relief escaped her lips.
Her expression changed slightly. She let out a sigh she'd been holding back for who knows how long. But that relief lasted only a few moments, because she immediately saw Freya carrying Bell. And Lena's body tensed again as if someone had thrown a bucket of cold water on her.
She stood still. She barely took a couple of steps closer to Haruhime.
"Is everything alright…?" Lena asked in a low voice, keeping her eyes on Bell, not daring to look directly at the goddess.
Haruhime nodded gently, though she had an expression just as uncomfortable and worried as Lena.
"I don't think Bell-sama will wake up anytime soon," he replied. "But he's alright…I think."
Lena pressed her lips together. She didn't know whether to believe it, not because she doubted Haruhime, but because seeing Bell like this, in the arms of someone who was the enemy, left her bewildered.
Horn remained behind her, completely still, waiting for an order that had not yet arrived.
Riveria and Ais instinctively positioned themselves near Mikoto, Haruhime, and Lena. Not as an aggressive move, but as a natural way to protect the only allies they had at that moment. At the same time, their eyes passed over Freya, over the members of the Freya Familia who were still looking downcast…and then over to Bell.
There were too many unanswered questions.
There was too much tension.
But even so, nobody made a sudden move.
Freya, for her part, seemed oblivious to the mix of emotions around her. Not because she didn't perceive them, but because her attention remained focused on Bell. Her fingers briefly caressed the back of the boy's hand, making sure his pulse was still there.
Only then did he look up and speak, in a low but firm voice.
"We will leave only when he wakes up."
It wasn't a request. It was a decision.
Ais gripped the hilt of her sword, but didn't respond. Riveria exchanged a brief glance with her, understanding that it wasn't the time to provoke anything.
Lena swallowed.
Haruhime placed her hands on her chest, worried.
And Mikoto kept her gaze fixed on Freya, trying to predict her intentions.
But the truth was simple: no one knew what would happen when Bell opened his eyes.
And everyone awaited that moment with their hearts in their throats.
Freya walked to a small ledge on the side of the bridge. It was spacious enough to sit comfortably, yet far enough away that no one could approach without her noticing. She settled down, holding Bell in her lap with almost obsessive care. She smoothed his hair, checked his breathing, and wrapped him slightly in her own cloak. No matter how long it took, she would stay by his side until he woke up.
Time passed slowly.
The groups naturally split up. On one side, the Freya Familia stood together, silent. Some kept their eyes lowered, others simply watched. Occasionally, someone would step forward to ward off the few monsters who dared approach after hearing the sounds of the fight. They didn't speak to each other, but all maintained a safe distance.
On the other side were Riveria, Ais, Lena, Haruhime, and Mikoto. No one crossed the center. No one tried to get too close. There was no active hostility, but a constant tension that everyone could feel. Each group watched the other closely, ready for anything.
And in the exact center of the bridge were Freya and Bell. He was asleep. She was motionless, protecting him.
A few minutes passed, until something caught the Goddess's attention.
Freya opened her eyes slightly. She had seen a green flash moving through the vegetation in the distance… but she wasn't sure. It could be any Adventurer. Or even a Monster.
To leave no doubt, she activated her Soul Vision.
Her eyes changed barely, subtly, and the world filled with lights only she could see. And there it was: a soft, steady, very distinctive green flame.
It wasn't just anyone.
It was Ryuu.
Freya slowly lowered her gaze, her vision returning to normal. And she waited.
It didn't take long. Ryuu arrived in seconds, leaping from root to root with her characteristic agility. Landing on the bridge, she opened her eyes in surprise. The place bore clear signs of battle: deep cracks in the ground, scorched areas, melting ice, even blood. It was obvious that something big had happened.
And the current scene was no less shocking: Ais, Riveria, and the others on one side. The Freya Family on the other. And Freya herself sitting in the middle, with Bell unconscious in her arms.
Ryuu pressed her lips together. Her posture tensed.
Her gaze first passed over the Freya Familia's Executives. Then over Ais, Haruhime, and the others. Finally over Freya…and Bell.
And what she saw made her mind begin to connect things at lightning speed.
Because Ryuu remembered perfectly the last time she saw Bell before coming down to this floor. He was confronting Syr. Not arguing…but fighting. It wasn't a simple argument. Bell looked violent, agitated, almost out of control. Something completely out of character for him. Ryuu had intervened just in time, because if that argument had continued, Syr—without any real combat experience—could have been seriously hurt if Bell had pushed her or lost control.
At that moment, Ryuu believed he was acting irresponsibly and frankly horribly. But now, seeing the Goddess holding him, her expression hardened.
It made all sense now.
Too much sense, even.
Ryuu couldn't believe Bell Cranel would act this way out of nowhere. He was always kind and caring, especially to those weaker than him. So…what kind of force would have to compel him to behave like this?
The answer was obvious to someone like her: a Goddess of Beauty.
Goddesses of that kind could manipulate hearts, shape emotions, and break people's wills if they so desired. Their Charms could sever friendships, isolate their favorites, and make them forget everything else. This was common knowledge.
And here was Bell…in Freya's arms…sleeping without reacting…after having acted like never before.
Ryuu gripped the handle of her wooden sword.
Her expression was serious, harsh. A mixture of concern for Bell and disdain for Freya.
"So this explains everything about what happened to Syr..." she thought, frowning.
Because for her, everything came together.
The Goddess had taken control of Bell.
She had enveloped him with her Charm.
She had manipulated him to the point of this.
She didn't know exactly what had happened here, but it was clear that Bell wasn't like this by choice.
And although Ryuu was wrong in her conclusion, it was the only one that made sense with the current information she possessed.
She took a few steps forward.
The tension on the bridge immediately increased. Ais became alert. Riveria barely turned her cane. Hedin glanced at her. Even some of Freya's Executives tensed up.
But Ryuu did not draw her weapon.
She only spoke in a firm voice.
"Goddess Freya… what did you do to Mr. Cranel?"
Freya looked up at Ryuu and gave her a tired smile. It wasn't an elegant, perfect, or calculated smile like the one she usually wore in public. It was a real, exhausted smile, as if she had weathered an emotional storm that had lasted far too long. She no longer had the strength to pretend in front of her. There was no mask, no charm, none of that distant, Goddess-like air. Just Freya, exactly as she was.
"Ryuu…" she murmured softly.
The name came out almost like a whisper.
Ryuu stopped, surprised by the way the Goddess had called her. It wasn't the voice she expected, nor the solemn or imposing tone characteristic of Freya. It was warm, human. Almost… intimate.
Freya held her gaze for a moment longer. And in that instant, without meaning to, she remembered something.
She remembered the time "Syr" had had that terrible argument with Bell. She remembered how the words had slipped out, how the situation had become unbearable, and how she'd ended up bursting into tears right there in the alley. She'd thought she'd ruined everything. And that's why she'd run to Ryuu for comfort, but she also thought that Ryuu—the reserved, the strict, the quiet Ryuu Lion—would push her away, or worse.
But that didn't happen.
Ryuu didn't judge her. She didn't scold her. She didn't leave her alone.
She returned the hug.
Without a word, without a question, without asking for explanations. She held her as she wept in despair, trembling with frustration and fear. Freya never forgot that embrace. No Deity, no creature in Heaven or on Earth had given her anything like it for a very long time.
Ryuu was…her friend.
Her best friend.
And that thought pierced her chest with force, because there was a huge problem: Ryuu didn't know the truth.
She didn't know that "Syr" was Freya.
She didn't know that the friend with whom she had shared so many things was the same Goddess who the Adventurer Ryuu cared about sitting on her lap.
Freya had always been afraid to reveal it.
Afraid of losing her friends.
She was afraid of seeing in Ryuu's eyes the rejection she dreaded most.
Because Ryuu was an Adventurer who fought for justice despite the sins of her past actions, and Freya…well, she didn't always act justly, in fact, she almost never did. And now, after everything that had happened, the possibility that Ryuu will hate her was even greater.
But seeing her there, looking straight into her eyes, waiting for an answer, Freya knew she could no longer run away. She could no longer hide behind a false name, a facade, a lie.
With that, she had decided to tell everything, to Ryuu as well as to the others, about Syr.
She took a deep breath.
And in a soft, barely audible voice, she said to her:
"I'll tell you later... Ryuu."
Ryuu blinked. Her expression tightened slightly. She didn't understand. Or rather, she understood that there was something she needed to understand, but she didn't know what.
The familiarity in the Goddess's voice confused her even more. It was as if Freya-sama were speaking to someone close. Someone with whom she had a history. Why?
But this was not the time for personal questions. Not when Bell was still unconscious in Freya's arms and the tension on the bridge was still palpable.
After a few seconds, Ryuu nodded, although her brow was still furrowed with doubt.
"Alright…later, then."
The Goddess lowered her gaze towards Bell, as if that ended the conversation for now.
Ryuu took a deep breath and moved toward Riveria and the others. Ais saw her arrive and relaxed her shoulders slightly. Riveria lowered her staff a little.
Ryuu bowed slightly to Riveria.
"Lady Riveria. I'm glad to see you unharmed."
"I agree, Ryuu," the High Elf replied calmly, although the tiredness in her voice was noticeable.
Ryuu stood beside them. Her gaze flickered back for a moment to Freya and Bell, trying to process everything she saw.
"What happened here?" she finally asked.
Riveria exchanged a glance with Ais, and then with Haruhime and Mikoto. No one seemed to want to be the first to speak. Not out of distrust towards Ryuu, but because everything that had happened was complicated to explain and difficult to process even for those who had lived through it.
Finally, Haruhime took a step forward, trembling slightly but her voice firm.
"It was…a fight," she began. "Ottar-san came looking for Bell-sama, believing he was responsible for—"
"No." Mikoto interrupted her in a low voice. "It wasn't just Ottar. It was the entire Freya Familia."
Ryuu frowned.
"Did the Freya Familia attack him?"
"Not exactly," Riveria interjected, trying to explain it neutrally. "There was a very dangerous misunderstanding. Judging by Ottar's behavior, he acted on his own; we don't know his reasons for doing so, however."
Ryuu looked down for a second. Her eyes softened with concern.
She already had a theory, wrong but solid, and that theory fit perfectly with what she heard.
Then she raised her head.
"How did Freya-sama end up intervening? Why is she carrying him?"
Ais opened her mouth, but then closed it. She didn't know how to put it into words without it sounding strange.
Riveria tried:
"Because…she stopped him. Ottar, I mean."
Ryuu blinked.
"Did Freya-sama stop Ottar?"
"By stepping in between them," Haruhime said in a whisper. "She was cut slightly for stopping him."
Ryuu looked again at Freya, at that small wound on her forehead. It wasn't deep, but on a Goddess…it was symbolic. And Ottar seemed devastated by it.
Nothing matched the image Ryuu had of Freya as a coldhearted manipulator.
But it was also true that a Goddess of Beauty could act dramatically in favor of her "Chosen One".
Ryuu took a deep breath. Her feelings were a tangled mess: her distrust of Freya, her worry for Bell, and a growing unease about everything she didn't know in this story.
"I understand," she finally said, although her expression showed that many things were not clear to her.
She looked at Ais.
"Will Mr. Cranel be okay?"
Ais looked down for a moment, remembering how Bell had fought far beyond his limits.
"Yes…but Bell needs to rest. A lot."
Ryuu nodded slowly. Then she looked back at the central scene.
Freya sat in silence, Bell resting on her lap, cradling him gently as he slept soundly. The Goddess looked exhausted, but she didn't let go of the boy for a moment.
And that gesture, although Ryuu didn't fully understand it, caused him an internal conflict.
Freya wasn't pretending. That was obvious even to her.
And yet…there were too many questions.
Too many loose parts.
Too many truths that didn't match what Ryuu thought she knew about the Goddesses of Beauty.
…
Bell opened his eyes slowly, as if his entire body needed a moment to remember how to function. The ceiling of the Dungeon Floor wasn't the first thing he saw; the first thing was the silvery gleam directly above him. His vision, still somewhat blurry, took a few seconds to fully focus… and when it did, he recognized the long, silver hair that fell like a soft curtain around his field of vision.
Freya was holding him in her arms.
He blinked a few times, confused. His mind was still reeling, as if he'd been working overtime and was completely exhausted. Freya, seeing him wake up, offered him a smile. But it wasn't a triumphant or flirtatious smile. It was a tired smile. Sad. As if she'd been holding on for too long and, even so, was still trying to appear strong for him.
Inside, though, she was incredibly tense. She was bracing herself for the worst. She thought Bell was going to push her, yell at her, insult her, or simply glare at her with hatred. She knew his executives had made the already bad situation worse. She knew that, whether he liked it or not, Bell had ended up hurt and cornered because of his family. And she also knew that he had every right in the world to break her heart again right there.
But Bell did none of that.
No wrathful screams. No fits of rage. Not even a visible reaction.
He just looked at her… and then looked away into space.
It wasn't indifference. Neither was it anger. Nor was it sadness. It was something far worse. It was a completely exhausted Bell. Not physically, but mentally and emotionally. As if everything that had happened in the last few hours had drained him to the point of making him incapable of feeling anything anymore.
Bell entered the Dungeon to clear his head of the situation with Freya. He wanted to breathe. To think. To get some distance. But, in the end, the problem followed after him. Ottar arrived first. then Freya appeared after. And Bell simply… gave in. Something inside him just… shut down completely.
He wasn't happy. He didn't blush as he usually did whenever Freya/Syr was near. He didn't back down nor did he defend himself. He just stood still, in an automatic state, as if he were experiencing everything from afar, without fully understanding it.
Freya noticed it immediately. Her smile wavered slightly, but she still kept her expression soft, as if she wanted to offer him something to lean on. Though inside she was breaking. It hurt her to see him so withdrawn.
Through their connection, Artemis felt it too. The Moon Goddess tried to speak to him mentally, to offer him even a spark of encouragement. She tried to offer words of support, to tell him she was there, that he wasn't alone. But nothing came to the surface.
Bell didn't respond. Not because he didn't want to. But because he couldn't.
He was overwhelmed. His mind had taken on too much in too little time: the arguments, the revelations, the fear for his colleagues, the chaos between Familias, Freya's presence…it all came crashing down on him at once. And now all that remained was a mentally and emotionally collapsed Bell, running completely on autopilot.
Freya held him a little tighter, as if afraid he would crumble if she let go. She said nothing. She simply watched him, that mixture of sadness and affection so evident in her eyes. She wanted to apologize. She wanted to explain. She wanted to fix something, anything. But she understood that, in that state, any words would only put more pressure on him.
Bell, meanwhile, continued staring into space. Breathing, but unresponsive. He didn't even seem to register that the other people were watching him from a distance. He didn't hear the footsteps, the hushed voices, or the worry hanging in the air. At that moment, he was simply trapped inside himself.
A boy who had always put his heart first… now had a silent heart.
Freya lowered her head and rested her forehead against his, without force, without trying to seduce him or use her Charm. It was simply a human gesture. Real. A silent gesture that said "I'm sorry." without uttering a word.
Bell did not react.
And that, more than any scream, was what broke her heart.
—
Hey, I wanted to upload this chapter sooner, but I've been really busy. Actually, I'm still busy (I have like five final exams at university next week), so I'll be quiet for a while. I'll let you know how things are going, because if I fail any subjects, my parents might take away both my PC and my writing tool. XD
However, I promise that this chapter will be the last time Bell breaks down. I'll add an extra Divine Blessing to prevent these mental breakdowns (courtesy of one of my beta readers) because I know they can be extremely annoying.
Obviously, he won't become insensitive, but it will avoid these moments where he seems mentally weak (In fact, he is in some ways; let's not forget that Bell is still 14 years old and has lived in a rural town for most of his life).
The comparisons in several comments that say Bell is as weak-minded as Reinhard are indeed correct, and although the former is harder to be manipulated than the latter, he is equally inexperienced with the world around him.
With all that said, thank you all so much for taking the time to read this.