"I thought I could get away, but I didn't expect it to end like this."
Truthfully, Bell still wanted nothing more than to escape from the grasp of the two goddesses.
Being loved by two deities might be considered an honor—something so rare that even his ancestors' graves would be smiling—but his relationships with Hestia and Hephaestus were already complicated enough. The last thing he needed was two more goddesses tangled up in his life.
Yet these two were utterly resolute, even going so far as to mention being sent back to Tenkai.
Did he dare?
Given the current state of Orario and his feelings toward them, Bell knew he couldn't bring himself to do such a thing.
'Just take it one step at a time.'
'Once I get home, I need to talk to Hestia and Hephaestus about this. There's no way I can keep it hidden.'
With Loki-sama's attitude, if she ever decided to stay at his place, he doubted she'd pass up any chance to cozy up to him.
'A goddess's affection really is too intense…'
Bell sighed inwardly.
Suppressing his complaints, he summoned glowing Runes before him, forcibly tearing open a spatial rift.
He could have made the process easier by using his hands—but both of them were currently pinned, held tightly by the two goddesses clinging to him. With no way to break free from their embrace, he could only resort to this slightly primitive method.
What Bell didn't notice, however, was that as he sighed, the two goddesses exchanged glances once more—eyes gleaming with unmistakable amusement.
At that moment, they had both realized Bell's greatest weakness.
Given their divine status, Bell would never dare take a hard approach against them.
Sincerity, though—that was their trump card.
Sometimes, speaking openly worked better than any scheme, especially when it came to dealing with Bell.
'This kid really can only be handled with a soft touch,' Loki thought to herself.
She'd spent plenty of time around Bell, witnessed his stubbornness firsthand, and knew how far he would go to achieve his goals—even self-mockery wasn't beneath him.
But from the way Bell handled Haruhime and Wiene, it was clear—when it came to certain situations, he preferred to deal gently.
Of course, there were conditions to make him act that way.
First and foremost: never stand on the opposite side of him.
When facing an enemy, Bell showed absolutely no mercy.
But if you were his ally, fighting alongside him, he would never strike hard—in fact, he'd go out of his way to make compromises to achieve what he wanted.
Just like when he'd first started recommending talented children to her.
Cassandra, gifted with foresight; Sanjouno Haruhime, blessed with the power to boost levels—all of them were part of Bell's deliberate efforts to strengthen her Familia.
Why? Simply because her Familia could draw attention away from him, allowing him to remain in the shadows, quietly building his strength.
How did he reach Level 5 in just half a year?
It was all the result of careful planning—information gathering, long-term strategy, and flawless execution.
By leveraging Hestia's connections to win over Hephaestus, then using Hephaestus's trade networks to sell the Rune Stones he crafted, Bell secured the funding he needed to continue growing.
Step by step, he built his plans—drawing in her Familia, shaping the future of the Xenos, resolving the Dungeon's dark faction troubles, and even forcing Freya into a position where she had no choice but to pick a side.
Thus, as one of the witnesses to Bell's journey, Loki couldn't help but admire him—and feel a growing fondness as well.
Competent, cunning, decisive, and ruthless—those were all traits of an exceptional adventurer. Combined with his almost obsessively cautious nature, it was no surprise he had caught her attention.
'I suppose Freya's the same way.'
'Though that lovestruck girl probably fell for him even earlier than I did.'
The three of them stepped through the spatial rift, emerging into the heavily guarded room beyond.
Inside, the lighting was brighter, the décor even more extravagant, and wealth practically floated in the air—gold shimmering wherever the eye turned.
There were quite a few gamblers in this secret chamber. Judging by the conditions required to enter and the demeanor of its occupants, most were likely rich magnates, earls, or truly skilled high-rollers.
Yet all of them shared one trait in common.
They were utterly consumed by greed.
Their eyes, brimming with open desire, had already fixed on Syr. It was clear this had become the unspoken consensus among the gamblers present.
They weren't interested in Ryuu, the one actually gambling—but in Syr, the woman at her side, posing as her wife.
From the looks in their eyes, if Ryuu and Syr had been ordinary women, these men would have drained them of everything—flesh, worth, and life alike.
"What a pity."
Watching the mix of greed and lust in their expressions, Bell let out a quiet sigh.
"Men who know only greed, whose minds are filled with nothing but women… they'll fall today into the abyss of their own desires."
"That child once belonged to Astrea's Familia," Freya explained softly. "Seven years ago, her Familia was nearly wiped out after being ensnared by Evilus. She bore the hatred of all who perished, and ever since, she's been hunting down members of the Evilus who remain active."
"...Astrea," Loki murmured, narrowing her eyes. "Did she dye her hair?"
She remembered the young elf named Ryuu Lion. Back when Astrea was still around, the girl's hair had been a radiant gold. She never expected her to change it—to become the quiet barmaid in Freya's tavern.
"I recall that girl being praised alongside my Ais-tan as one of Orario's most gifted children. But now..."
Without her Familia God, Ryuu's Falna couldn't be updated. No matter how much Excelia she earned, she remained trapped at Level 4.
In Orario, a difference in level meant a difference in power.
Once, Ryuu could stand shoulder to shoulder with Ais. Now, the gap between them was two full levels.
Bell, well aware of Ryuu's history, shifted his gaze from her to the others in the room—beyond the casino's overseers and attendants.
His eyes landed on the women dressed in elegant gowns.
"The air of indulgence clings to them. Their eyes... no longer hold any hope for life."
There was no need to explain who they were.
They were clearly the "collections" of the men in this room.
Bell had heard before of men who collected stamps—and that there were some who took that obsession quite literally.
But this was his first time witnessing such a grotesque sight in person.
Loki and Freya saw it too and immediately understood the situation.
As gods, the only one they couldn't see through was Bell. Everyone else was an open book.
"Ugh. What a bunch of filthy degenerates," Loki spat in disgust. "Even worse than Apollo ever was."
Freya said nothing, but the disgust in her gaze made her thoughts perfectly clear.