At the heart of Orario—on the very top floor of the Tower of Babel, the portion built over the Dungeon entrance—inside a room belonging to the Goddess of Love and Beauty…
A divine woman sat there.
She wore the same face as Syr Flova, yet looked far more alluring—Freya herself, dressed in a seductive black gown. Resting her cheek on one hand, she stared with amused interest through the broad floor-to-ceiling window at the bustling, prosperous city below.
From this height, all of Orario could easily be taken in at a glance.
But her focus wasn't the city.
It was a single adventurer moving among the crowd.
A god's vision was truly abnormal—when she narrowed her gaze, the adventurer under the Goddess's watchful eyes was unmistakably Guede.
"Oh? So you noticed I was peeking? You're awfully sharp at times~"
Freya lightly swirled her wineglass, her tone sounding relaxed and composed.
But anyone who knew her well would recognize it: she was complaining.
She'd first noticed that boy on an utterly ordinary night.
Back then, she'd only been killing time—working in the tavern under the identity of Syr Flova, routinely using her 'Eyes' to observe the radiance of people's souls.
And then she saw it:
A newly minted adventurer whose soul-light wasn't especially bright… yet carried an uncanny, irresistible attraction.
In both Heaven and the Lower World, Freya had never seen a soul like that.
She'd been using Syr's identity only because she was bored—so the moment she realized what she'd found, her interest ignited fiercely.
Syr immediately had Ryuu take over the work she'd been doing, and—under Mama Mia's helpless gaze—personally took the packed, freshly cooked food and went to approach that adventurer.
He had short black hair, and deep black eyes—clearly someone from the Far East.
His looks were excellent, the kind you could classify as "handsome," but Syr didn't care about appearance. She only analyzed looks because different types required different approaches, and she needed to infer personality traits.
Her initial judgment: calm, resilient.
And since he looked exhausted, what he needed was simple concern.
So Syr tuned her micro-expressions and body language, leaning toward him with a worried look and opening with:
"Um… Adventurer sir, it's my first time seeing you dine here. You're a new adventurer, aren't you?"
Syr was confident in her delivery. Even if she had an ulterior motive, her concern had genuine feeling mixed in.
An opening like that should easily lead into conversation.
He'd be hungry, so she'd keep it within five minutes and leave him with the impression of a gentle, sweet girl.
Then she'd use "work is busy" as the excuse, naturally show a bit of hurried fluster, and part with him before a proper goodbye—leaving behind a regretful aftertaste.
That way, he'd spend the entire night thinking about it.
Her presence—Syr—would sink deeper into his mind.
And because he'd been hungry when she half-forced him into that brief chat, next time he was hungry… he'd remember Syr again.
Given his steady nature, afterward he'd probably figure out that the "gentle girl" had been deliberately acting—had a slightly mischievous, petty side.
But that was better.
Because building a multi-angle impression would make "Syr" feel more three-dimensional in his heart.
…However, reality blindsided her.
"Yes, that's right. But please step aside. As you can see, I'm on my way back to my familia base."
The adventurer's response was unexpectedly cold.
With a single sentence, he cut off her planned follow-up—and he didn't even look at Syr properly. He simply walked around her and left.
The scene she'd imagined never happened.
Syr froze—then immediately felt unwilling to accept it.
So the next morning, Syr went to work early and swept outside the shop until she finally saw that adventurer again.
She immediately offered him her homemade bento.
Someone as steady as him would surely notice the careful effort put into such a delicate lunch.
And yet—she suffered another defeat.
In response to a girl's sincerity and small thoughtful gestures… he said the bento was too small and wasn't enough food for him?!
What was that supposed to mean?!
You're obviously not the dense type!
Ugh…
Syr was furious!
Maybe she should have Hedin give him a warning—!
No, no, that won't do. How could a cute tavern girl possibly have connections that powerful?
Even if he were going to learn that someday, it should be later—after their relationship had advanced far enough—so it could land as a "gap" surprise.
After an irritated little "Hmph~," Syr returned to work inside.
After that, the adventurer came to the tavern every day to eat. He seemed to truly love Mama Mia's cooking, always specifically requesting her, and he'd grown quite familiar with her.
And Syr still didn't even know his name.
…Hmph. He ate with nutritional balance, but his appetite was absurdly huge.
Yet he digested everything quickly—food converted into bodily energy with ease.
That trait was unquestionably one of the conditions to become strong.
Mm-hm… Syr had learned that. Next time she'd try opening the conversation from that angle…
And so it went.
Day after day, Syr spent a huge amount of time thinking of counters.
Changing hairstyles, adjusting outfits, refining wording—she even tried creating "unavoidable" accidents where a girl would fall and "accidentally" bump her chest into him—
—but the adventurer's reflexes were too good. Before Syr could even fall, he'd already caught and steadied her, saving the situation cleanly.
No matter what move she tried, every attempt ended in failure.
Syr couldn't take it anymore—he had to be deliberately avoiding her!
But why?
Could it be that he… didn't like women?!
The moment Syr thought of that possibility, she went to her best friend that night—the elf, Ryuu.
And she poured out her grievances like beans spilling from a jar, rattling on endlessly.
In the end, Ryuu couldn't refuse Syr's pleading, and the next day Ryuu went to approach the adventurer in Syr's place.
The result was unexpectedly smooth.
The adventurer chatted with Ryuu for a while.
Then Ryuu returned to the kitchen and gave Syr the information she'd wanted:
His name was Guede.
God?
Just who were his parents?
A mortal in the Lower World daring to give a name that bold…
…But, well, that wasn't important.
His name is Guede…
And he didn't dislike women—he just… didn't like Syr?
How could something that stupid happen?
He would condemn a cute, unfamiliar girl—who clearly liked him—so directly?
Was it because Syr hadn't done something right?
No idea.
But Syr wouldn't give up!
A high-difficulty conquest only ignited her passion.
Every day, Syr observed Guede. After work, she wrote that day's analysis in her diary, summarized a "better solution," and implemented it the next morning.
With a clear target in sight, she looked forward to tomorrow every night before bed.
And every morning she dressed up with energy and spirit, full of life!
Syr can't lose!
She definitely… will win!
Another morning.
Syr stood before her vanity mirror, clenched her small fists, and cheered herself on.
Heh heh… let's see what Mr. Guede eats today~
A sandwich again, right?
I knew it.
Heehee.
…
-------
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