The next day arrived quickly.
Today was the day Freya and Bell were to meet. Though neither had specified a location, both understood there was only one possible place.
"Hostess of Fertility."
It was where Freya's eyes and ears in Orario operated—her other gaze lingered there as well. Naturally, it was the most fitting place to meet.
Around noon, Freya left her quarters at the Tower of Babel alone. She wore only a cloak to cover herself, just enough to pass as inconspicuous, and headed straight for their unspoken meeting spot.
Even so, her minimal disguise still drew the attention of many adventurers.
Men are creatures driven by lust; it's hard for them to control their gaze when a beautiful woman walks by.
They couldn't see her face, but the cloak still outlined her figure clearly enough to make the onlookers drool.
"Could she be with Evilus?"
The man who asked this was practically drooling, but the stares around him were full of disdain.
"If you've got the guts, go ahead and try. Would someone from Evilus walk around so openly in broad daylight? That woman came straight from the Tower of Babel."
"Damn! Bro, how do you know all this?"
"Please, I've been tailing her all the way here. Of course I know."
That answer immediately earned him a round of scornful yet impressed looks from the other men.
Since she came from the Tower of Babel, there was no way she was part of Evilus. She might even have direct ties to a goddess or the Guild.
"We don't know who she is, but we really shouldn't mess with her. What if she's a goddess... Don't forget, there's only one goddess who lives in the Tower of Babel."
Reminded of this, all the men around them gulped nervously. If she really was the Goddess of Beauty, any disrespectful act would likely bring down the wrath of her Familia—even if she herself didn't lift a finger.
With that thought, they all kept their distance, even their gazes becoming more respectful.
Still, none of their eyes left her.
Yet Freya's expression didn't change in the slightest as she walked down the street.
She was far too used to the lustful, possessive stares of Genkai's children.
But these eyes hadn't crossed into loathing. Freya could hear each and every thought clearly—beneath the lust lay an overwhelming sense of awe.
'How ordinary...'
Freya had long grown accustomed to these gazes and the excessive fantasies of the opposite sex. To her, they were nothing more than playthings for amusement.
None of the children affected by her presence were worthy of her attention.
That went for the gods as well.
'That child is different.'
Freya felt a twinge of anticipation as she looked forward to seeing him again. At the same time, she wondered how he'd react after the little bit of trouble she'd stirred up for him this time.
The excitement in her chest made her quicken her pace slightly.
Meanwhile, nearly three thousand meters away, in a shadowy alley, a woman in a white cloak stood silently. She kept her presence carefully concealed as she monitored Freya's surroundings for any signs of nearby guards.
"This bitch has really lost it."
The woman scanned the area closely, using a rare perception-type item to confirm there wasn't a single person nearby above Level 5.
The results left her speechless.
She had doubted the intel's accuracy—but now, seeing it for herself, she genuinely believed Freya had gone mad. Risking this much just to have a romantic encounter with a man? It was lunacy.
Still, this only made the whole situation feel even more like an elaborate trap.
Though she cursed Freya as a "bitch" or "slut" often enough, the truth was she treated her with extreme caution. Freya might act like a slut, but she was an exceptionally troublesome goddess. Even her own Familia God had warned her—never underestimate Freya.
The unnaturalness of it all filled her with a deep sense of unease.
But... should she retreat?
She hesitated.
If this was an obvious setup, she should pull back now. No matter how strong she was, charging into a trap like some kind of idiot wasn't an option.
But along with the obvious danger... came an irresistible lure. The bait was far too tempting to ignore.
Even knowing it was a trap, after weighing her options, she made her choice.
'I'm doing it.'
Maybe the whole thing was a trap laid for her—but what if she could kill that bitch?
As long as no one interfered, she was confident she could pull it off.
Having made up her mind, she resolved to finish this mission quickly and cleanly to prevent any unexpected complications.
'I need to get closer. My magic requires range anchoring, and the chant takes time.'
She lowered her hood, though the massive sword concealed beneath her cloak still made her more conspicuous than she'd like. Moving freely in daylight required avoiding curious eyes—if she slipped up, this entire operation could fall apart. She had to tread carefully.
Freya, meanwhile, made no attempt to hide where she was going and had already arrived at the "Hostess of Fertility."
Inside, the staff had been fully prepared. Naturally, a goddess like Freya had made a reservation—if not, this meeting would've drawn far too much attention. She had cleared out all the other patrons.
Freya was taking today's date very seriously. She didn't want the stares of other children ruining this rare moment.
"Freya-sama."
The one to greet her first was Syr Flova, the poster girl of the Hostess of Fertility.
As one of the tavern's most popular waitresses, and with her hidden identity, Syr was the most appropriate person to welcome Freya.
"Mm."
Freya smiled at Syr, and that slight smile was enough to make the hearts of the other waitresses behind her skip a beat.
The appreciation of beauty transcended gender—and so did the power of charm.