"Summoner…"
Seated atop the Babel tower at the heart of Orario, Freya whispered the word while her gaze swept over the city below.
"Loki is even stingier than I thought. To find a child like that and keep him tucked away…"
She complained out loud, but she understood the reason perfectly.
She was the reason.
"My divine 'friend' has come a long way," Freya pouted. "Everyone's learned to guard against me."
"How can Loki be so sure I'd steal her child? Slander, really."
Still, a spark of interest had already taken root. It wasn't the kind of interest that touched souls; it was simple curiosity about something… interesting.
Behind her, the Black Tower Pillar took one step forward. "Shall I bring him here?"
"…I'm not a bandit, Ottar."
Sometimes even Freya felt exasperated. She was merely curious about Loki's child—why did even Ottar assume she intended to snatch him?
The children she desired were all the same: souls that shone. A soul that shines carries unusual talent—the crystallization of lives lived and relived. In this world, souls can reincarnate. After several turns, the essence etches itself deep; radiance is the ledger of everything that essence has endured.
"I'm only curious about Loki's child," she said. "What can he do that makes Loki hide him so thoroughly, never letting anyone see?"
Freya suspected the answer lay in the child's power. If you wanted to probe Loki's household, you started at the cracks she left open.
The "Extraordinary" man was just such a crack.
If she could think of it, so could others.
Like Ishtar.
Ishtar had even planted a courtesan to lure information—almost as if she wanted Loki to notice. With Loki's cunning, the moment she resolved to protect that child, she'd have sealed her house as tight as an iron barrel. She wouldn't conveniently leave a leak like the "Extraordinary" man.
So the "Extraordinary" man was intel Loki had chosen to release.
Freya saw that much; surely Ishtar did too. Which meant Ishtar would play the long game—let time wear down the guard until more could be confirmed.
Not very clever, yet sensible enough.
You can block a leak once, twice—but never forever. Even heroes founder in a sea of softness; and the "Extraordinary" man was no hero.
When Ishtar got her prize would depend on how long he could resist.
Freya disliked such roundabout work. Were it up to her, she'd use a far more straightforward method.
"Loki, what's special about your new child?"
Across the table, Loki stared, twitching at the corners of her mouth. Freya had come straight to her door to ask.
"Freya, do you think our relationship is now good enough for me to divulge such secrets?"
"So he is special," Freya said mildly.
"…I don't want to see you twice in one day."
"Ah, don't be mad. As a fellow god, you know we're inexorably curious about the unknown."
Freya's playful smile—and that poised, all-controlling aura—were both infuriating.
Loki snorted. "And as a fellow god, you know I have every right not to answer—and not to indulge your curiosity."
"Besides, haven't you already been investigating?" Loki added. "Why not trust you'll find it out?"
Freya's eyes smiled. "You knew from the start my investigation wouldn't help."
"You knew I wouldn't use Charm on your child—or perhaps you're certain that even if Ishtar charmed loose a few scraps, none of it would touch him."
"So, your child is ten thousand times more unusual than anything Ishtar will dig up."
"The bits that 'Extraordinary' man let slip are exactly what you wanted leaked."
"And from the way he slipped past divine lie-judgment, your child must have a faculty in 'cognition'—enough to tune the 'Extraordinary' man's perceptions and fool Ishtar's first pass."
"Ishtar believes him. But she also suspects that's only part of the picture, so she'll take her time and keep digging."
…This woman.
Loki's jaw clenched. Compared to Ishtar, Freya was far more dangerous. Ishtar had believed Raul and simply wanted to squeeze him for more reports. Freya, on the other hand, had known from the start that Raul's "intel" was bait.
Admiring Loki's delicate change of expression, Freya's smile deepened. "I guessed right, didn't I?"
"I love the way you look when you want to kill me but won't. It's adorable."
Loki ground her teeth. Thinking of the things Freya would do in another possible future—the one Tsuna had described—Loki understood: the gods had misread her. Freya's style made Loki's own seem tame by comparison.
"Mm. Joke's over," Freya said, easing her grin. She knew where Loki's line was; one step farther and Loki would truly snap. "In short, I understand your child's specialness now."
"The way you guard him, the way you used the 'Extraordinary' man to fool Ishtar—I see how important he is to you."
"So, why don't you let me see him?"
"Absolutely not."
Loki refused without a heartbeat's pause. She wouldn't put Tsuna in Freya's sight—not yet. It was far too early.
"Sigh… stubborn as ever," Freya said, a hint of disappointment crossing her face.
"Call it stubborn if you like," Loki said coolly. "If you set your eyes on my child, am I supposed to thank you for 'choosing' him?"
"I'd rather leave you curious than let you meet him."
Seeing how firm Loki was, Freya could only shrug. "Your vigilance is commendable."
"But fine. There will be other chances. I'll keep this curiosity and wait—let's see how long you can keep him safe."
(End of Chapter)
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