Resting his head on Freya's lap, Bell lay back on the sofa, feeling slightly uneasy.
It wasn't that he was unused to lying on the sofa, but rather to using Freya's lap as a pillow.
Freya could naturally sense his discomfort, though she didn't comment on it. This boy's caution and alertness were as deeply ingrained as his overly prudent nature—borderline pathological, really.
"You finished it in half a month?"
"Yeah. It took a little time, but I managed to fully master a technique I hadn't completely grasped before."
Talking about "Tsubame Gaeshi" was something to be pleased about. There wasn't much left that needed to be hidden from Freya anymore. The upcoming Status Update would likely happen under her direct observation anyway.
Since she had already witnessed his key Status data before, there was no reason to hide the smaller details.
"This time, I finally completed the follow-up to that technique."
"After mastering it, I also filled out my remaining Status. I realized a few days ago that my growth had stopped increasing."
"A few days?"
Freya almost rolled her eyes. She reached out, pinched his cheek, and prepared to teach him a bit of "common sense."
"For ordinary adventurers, being able to raise their Status within a few days only happens right after they first become adventurers."
"And you're saying it's been several days since your Status last went up? If any other adventurer heard you say that, they'd want to hit you."
Clearly feeling that one's Status hasn't improved for a while is a bottleneck every adventurer eventually faces.
But what Freya saw in Bell was something entirely different.
This child's growth rate was simply abnormal—so fast that he could distinctly sense when his own development accelerated or halted.
"So, what about that girl? How did you run into her in the Dungeon? And why was she so badly injured?"
Through Syr's eyes, Freya had seen the extent of Ryuu's wounds clearly.
Her body was covered in terrible injuries, a chunk of flesh missing from her calf, and multiple fractures throughout—she was on the verge of death.
If Bell hadn't stabilized her condition, she likely wouldn't have survived long enough for the Elixir to take effect.
Still, Freya suspected Bell simply hadn't wanted to get involved further; otherwise, such wounds wouldn't have posed any challenge to him.
Bell could only shake his head and sigh at the elf's misfortune.
"Freya, do you know how the Astrea Familia was wiped out back then?"
"According to the Guild's report, they ran into a massive 'Monster Parade' on the 30th floor."
"A 'Monster Parade' on the 30th floor wouldn't be enough to kill off a whole group of Level 4s."
Freya scoffed as well. Given the Astrea Familia's scale and the talent of its members, there was no way they would die in something as routine as a Monster Parade.
"So this time, that girl ran into the same situation?"
"Judging by the outcome, that's probably the case."
"That elf was set up—just like the fall of the Astrea Familia. But unlike the Familia's destruction, which had elements of chance, this girl's situation was completely orchestrated, modeled after what happened seven years ago."
Bell's explanation was straightforward, and Freya immediately understood.
"Planned by someone from seven years ago?"
Bell nodded slightly.
Receiving his confirmation, Freya sighed and pressed her hand against her forehead, exasperated.
"Those people really haven't changed at all."
Souls steeped in violence and distortion always remain the same. No matter how much time passes, they never change.
"That's why that kid ended up stepping into the same trap again, seven years later."
People really should learn and grow.
Still, Freya could understand why the girl had acted so impulsively. After all, her former companions had all died in that scheme seven years ago. Hearing those old names again would naturally unsettle anyone.
The one behind this had probably counted on that exact reaction to lure her in.
"Bell, if it were you, what would you do?"
"If it didn't concern me directly, I'd act even more cautiously. I'd conceal myself and investigate quietly—stay close to anyone suspicious for a while, observe their reactions, and then decide how to move."
Bell thought for a moment before giving a calm, reasonable answer.
After all, who can guard against thieves forever?
As long as he had ways to hide his presence and suppress his aura, simply shadowing someone suspicious would eventually expose them. People tend to be most careless when they're alone.
"What if you were the one involved?"
Freya's question drew an immediate answer.
"Then I'd kill everyone. I wouldn't care whether they were actually connected to the past. Even if they only spread the rumor, they'd still have to die.
Once everyone's dead, there's no one left to pin the blame on me."
"Then I'd just dump everything on the Evilus. The excuse is already there anyway—they're trying to recreate what happened seven years ago and drag the whole Dungeon into chaos."
If it didn't concern him, Bell could stay detached.
But if it did? Then too bad. Bell would make them understand what true double standards looked like.
That sharp, murderous resolve didn't surprise Freya at all.
"I knew it. That's exactly what you'd do."
The line between reason and madness is paper-thin.
The more cautious and rational someone is, the more terrifying they become when they finally snap.
Freya knew Bell could absolutely carry out the cruelest kind of vengeance—but before he did, he'd analyze his own strength, weigh the risks, and plan how to deal with the aftermath.
It was a part of his nature she didn't dislike. Still, she wanted to ask what she really cared about.
"You'd do this for Hestia. But what about Hephaestus? Loki? And me?"
That question genuinely puzzled Bell.
"Freya, I wouldn't let things reach the point where I'd need to think about something like that."
"Any danger can be eliminated in advance. Any trouble can be prepared for ahead of time. I don't like having to think about how to deal with something once it's already happened—I prefer to be ready beforehand."
But Bell knew that wasn't the answer Freya wanted. After pausing for a moment, he added quietly,
"For all of you, I'd do the same."
Freya's face softened, a happy smile curling on her lips.
"Mm-hmm~ I thought so."