Although the development ability "Godslayer" was more than a little awkward—enough to make Hestia not want to see Bell for a while—when evening came, she still had to face him. After all, the idea of Bell being alone with Hephaestus made her even more uneasy.
So, even though her heart wasn't fully on board, her body moved on its own.
...
The next morning.
Wedged between the two goddesses, Bell found a chance to quietly slip out of the room. After quickly washing away the sweat left from last night's activity, he sank into the bath and let the hot water relax him in silence.
'Today's a day off. Other than resting and resetting at home, I need to spend some time with Hestia and Hephaestus. Then, tonight... I'll need to head to the Hostess of Fertility. That should be where the meeting happens.'
There was no way he'd go to Freya Familia's home base or meet Freya in person. Freya understood that well enough. So, if she wanted to see him, the only possible location was the Hostess of Fertility.
Still, even if it was just a meeting, Bell knew he had to be prepared.
Not meeting at Freya Familia meant there were plenty of things he could do in advance. That worked in his favor. But even preparing for a meeting at the Hostess of Fertility required some setup—scouting the location, making basic preparations.
With that thought, Bell rose from the bath.
'Now's the perfect time.'
Early in the morning, Orario's streets were still mostly empty of adventurers. The Hostess of Fertility was a tavern that didn't open until after 5 p.m.—it was a night spot.
That kind of place stayed open late, which meant the waitresses would also go to bed late. Naturally, the tavern wouldn't be active this early in the morning.
Having figured that out, Bell left the bathroom right away.
Sure, a hot bath was his usual way to relax in the morning, but timing mattered for certain things. He could come back and soak later—right now, the priority was preparing for tomorrow's meeting with Freya.
Dressed and ready, Bell headed out for the Hostess of Fertility.
This time, though, he didn't use spatial movement. He chose to walk there instead—carefully masking his presence as he moved.
It was still early, so early that a thick layer of fog clung to the streets, limiting visibility. It wouldn't lift until full daylight came; until then, the fog would remain.
But for Bell, that wasn't a bad thing.
If anything, the fog worked in his favor. It didn't hinder his movement—instead, it cloaked him, making his presence even harder to detect.
"...Is that bitch insane?"
Bell froze in place. His gaze cut through layers of walls, locking onto a shadowy corner two hundred meters outside the Hostess of Fertility.
Though the speaker was thousands of meters away, the sheer malice in her voice carried straight to him. It wasn't aimed at him, but it was so pure, so raw, that Bell picked it up instantly.
'An adventurer? That presence is intense—at least Lv. 5. And not an ordinary one. There's a heavy stench of blood... and overwhelming malice.'
With his growth in strength, Bell's ability to assess others had sharpened considerably. Having encountered so many adventurers, he could now accurately judge anyone under Lv. 6. That was why he could size up the woman hidden in the shadows so precisely.
As for the malice... Bell could sense it—not just when directed at himself, but in general. But this time, the malice he felt wasn't aimed at him. It radiated naturally from that woman, as if it was simply a part of her being.
In the past, Bell relied on someone's gaze, behavior, heartbeat, and breathing to judge whether they carried ill intent. But those cues weren't always reliable—adventurers were skilled actors.
This time, though, he genuinely felt it. The malice was real and intense.
Maybe it was because of his newly awakened "Seven Deadly Sins." After absorbing 'Envy' and 'Greed,' his sensitivity to sin and malice had noticeably increased.
Just like how he could unconsciously absorb 'Envy,' the influence of "Seven Deadly Sins" now allowed him to instinctively perceive malice in his surroundings.
After all, many sins are born in malice. Malice itself is often a condition for sin to take root. And sometimes, it can be both subjective and objective. Like how animals are more sensitive to hostility—not because they possess it, but because they don't. That very absence sharpens their instincts.
Bell was now someone immersed in sin, wielding its power without falling victim to it. That power, in turn, heightened his awareness of malice.
Naturally, his eyes locked onto the woman.
With a light step, he launched forward. One foot touched the rooftop, and with a subtle shift in strength, he moved swiftly and silently.
In just three steps, he crossed over a thousand meters.
Now standing atop a shop roof, Bell peered into the alley, watching the woman whose malice had drawn his attention.
She wore a cloak, hood up, hiding her face—just like he often did. That immediately set Bell on alert. He understood better than anyone why someone would dress like that. Adventurers did wear that kind of outfit from time to time, but few Lv. 5s ever did.
Especially not in today's Orario.
Ever since Evilus had been publicly exposed, anyone dressed like that would immediately draw suspicion. Everyone knew that kind of getup was for hiding one's identity. And in Orario, who would need to do that?
Obviously—members of Evilus.
Adventurers who dressed like that were guaranteed to be watched. Either someone would gang up to bring them down, or they'd quietly be reported to the Guild.
After all, people dressed like that were often walking Valis for bounty hunters. No adventurer would want to miss a chance like that.
...
For more chapters, feel free to follow me on P@treon.
(100 Chapters Ahead)
[email protected]/PinkSnake