After finally sending that walking disaster, Freya, on her way, Loki let out a long breath of relief.
"Alright, come out."
From within the alternate dimension, Tsuna quietly emerged.
"So? What do you think of that woman?"
"Miss Loki, you were completely led around by her."
"No kidding! That woman's a thousand times more troublesome than she looks. Not only is she hard to deal with, but she's got the weirdest temper."
Loki grumbled, rolling her shoulders as the tension began to ease a little. Only when Freya was sitting right in front of her did she remember just how much of a pain that goddess truly was.
"She's a total nuisance," Loki muttered. "Patient as hell, and she's great at digging right into people's weak spots. The worst part? Even when you know she's manipulating you, you still don't completely hate it. She's got that kind of charm. But she's also insanely spoiled."
Yeah, definitely a pain.
Tsuna agreed completely.
"Refusing to meet with Goddess Freya was the right call, Miss Loki," he said. "A goddess who's too curious about the unknown is dangerous. If she finds a reason to dig deeper, there's no telling what she might do."
The curiosity of gods could be deadly—and Freya, who could see straight into the essence of a soul, was one of the most dangerous of all.
Loki nodded grimly. "That's exactly why I don't want her eyes on you. The moment she sees something that catches her interest, you're finished. She'll treat you like prey."
She waved her hand dismissively. "Still, it's fine if she's just curious. Freya's got a lot of interests; one more won't make a difference. As long as her eyes don't start to burn, she'll stay calm."
Loki knew this very well.
She'd seen it before—children who caught Freya's gaze, only to be dragged into her Familia soon after. Back then, Loki had thought it was amusing. Now that the tables had turned, she wasn't laughing.
But there were ways to deal with Freya—like what Loki was doing now.
Keep her curiosity alive, but never let it evolve.
It was risky, yes, but better than letting Freya's eyes light up with desire for her child.
Wiping the fine sweat from her forehead, Loki turned back to Tsuna.
"From now on, be careful when you go out," she warned. "Unless it's absolutely necessary, use your puppet instead. Until you've grown stronger, you can't meet Freya. It's too dangerous."
Loki didn't know exactly what Freya saw when she used those eyes of hers—and she wasn't arrogant enough to gamble Tsuna's life to find out.
"Loki's got me locked down tighter than ever," Freya sighed after returning to her own chambers.
There were plenty of people she could manipulate with a few tricks, but when it came to Loki, things weren't that simple.
Right now, Orario couldn't withstand an internal conflict between two Familias. If she and Loki clashed, both sides would lose.
Go to war over one mysterious child?
Even Freya wasn't that reckless.
If she could confirm the quality of Loki's child's soul, maybe then she'd consider making a move. But until then, she'd restrain herself.
"Do you need me to capture him?"
The voice came from the darkness behind her, deep and steady.
"I told you, I'm not the type of goddess who kidnaps people, Ottar."
Freya shot him an annoyed glance over her shoulder.
She wasn't like those impulsive gods—certainly not like Apollo.
She preferred drawing children to her side naturally, not forcing them. Tricks were fine, persuasion was fine—but she wanted willing hearts, not captives.
She wasn't about to stoop to Ishtar's level.
That woman had used one of her own children to seduce Loki's boy, all for the sake of gathering intel.
How pointless. Why not just ask directly?
"Forget Loki for now," Freya said finally. "The way she guards her chicks, you'd never get close enough to learn anything anyway. If I keep pressing, even Ouranos might decide to have a word with me."
Freya sighed softly. She could keep playing the game, sure—but the city couldn't afford her indulgence right now.
Especially not after the "abnormal incident" involving the Dark Faction deep in the Dungeon. The surface couldn't risk a divine feud—not when the balance of Orario was already strained.
And besides, there was no point.
For Loki to make a move, there had to be meaning behind it. Without that, any conflict would only end in loss.
Loki's read on her had been accurate.
As long as Freya's curiosity didn't escalate, everything remained under control.
Of course, that was easier said than done.
Simply avoiding Freya's gaze was difficult enough. Do it too obviously, and it could hinder Tsuna's progress—or worse, make her even more suspicious.
But among all of Orario, Tsuna was the only one who could truly escape a god's sight.
In theory, he couldn't be seen at all.
As long as the one stepping outside was his puppet, any divine probing would lead nowhere. Unless a god could somehow perceive into the alternate dimension itself, they'd never find him.
Which was impossible.
So, this time, Freya's little visit could only end in disappointment.
She came with high hopes—and left empty-handed.
Meanwhile, life inside the Loki Familia went on.
The group training project, version 4.1, was progressing better than expected.
All twenty participants were giving it their all, determined to achieve tangible results by the end of this trial.
Half a day of training, half a day of rest.
The extended time in the Training Space took a toll on their minds, but every single one of them endured through sheer willpower.
Before they knew it, a week had passed.
Their first—and final—test had come to an end.
As night fell, the entire Loki Familia gathered in the dining hall, just as Finn had promised a week ago.
Standing on the platform, Finn looked over his nervous comrades waiting for the results.
"Well then," he said with a calm smile, "let's begin the status updates."