A newcomer to Orario actually chose his own Familia God?
Anyone hearing that would retort, "Are you out of your mind? Who do you think you are?"
Yet that's precisely how events unfolded.
An ordinary person who had just arrived in Orario actually chose his own Familia God through his own will and even forged the Familia into a Familia with only himself as its member. What's even more terrifying is that, even now, only a handful of deities know the true situation of this Familia.
Bell himself was aware of his situation, but he hadn't expected Freya to know as well.
"Hestia and Hephaestus probably still don't know, right?"
Freya had observed those two as well, yet found no sign they had noticed.
"After all, I'm just someone who recently arrived in Orario from the countryside. Who would have thought I'd have such audacious ideas?"
Bell was certain Hestia and Hephaestus remained unaware. Their encounter had been more a matter of serendipity—and indeed, that was precisely the case. Though his initial decision to visit Hephaestus's Familia shop stemmed from seeking Hestia, he had no certainty she still resided there. Bell had even prepared himself to join Hephaestus's Familia first if he couldn't find Hestia.
After all, compared to Hephaestus's Familia, joining any other Familia carried significant risks. Only if joining Hephaestus's Familia proved impossible would Bell consider Loki Familia. But fate had a way of intervening.
"That day, Hestia and I met at Hephaestus's shop."
"I originally intended to join Hephaestus's Familia, but it was through her introduction that I learned of Hestia's situation."
Freya accepted this explanation without question, as it aligned perfectly with her analysis of Bell's character. Yet, precisely because she believed it to be true, her jealousy toward Hestia only deepened.
If this truly was the circumstance of Bell's arrival in Orario, then Hestia was undoubtedly blessed by the world.
Having arrived in the lower world recently due to her own nature, she possessed no accumulated resources. Coupled with her inherently reclusive disposition, Hestia had scarcely managed to build her own Familia. Of course, there was also Hestia's self-destructive behavior.
She actually went out of her way to recruit members into her Familia. Any child mingling in Orario would have seen right through Hestia as a god with no charm whatsoever.
Children in the Genkai sought Familia that offered resources and opportunities for growth—not ones where they'd have to shoulder the burden of development themselves. Yet, despite Hestia's circumstances, she somehow encountered a child willing to take on the responsibility of developing the Familia.
If this weren't fate's design, Freya wouldn't have thought these two would be such a perfect match.
"Hestia truly complements your personality."
"Hestia isn't skilled at building a familia or knowing how to develop it; you have the capability to establish a familia and give it the necessary foundation. Hestia doesn't add unnecessary members, and you also don't want your familia to grow."
"It must be said, you and Hestia are simply a perfect match."
Freya understood Hestia's thoughts all too well—her reluctance to expand the familia likely stemmed from her desire to keep Bell all to herself.
'If it were me, I'd make the same choice.'
If possible, Freya would even trade her entire being to swap places with Hestia. Sadly, reality didn't offer such a possibility.
"Indeed, as Freya-sama said, my personality truly complements Hestia's."
Bell didn't deny it. He didn't want anyone else joining his familia. On one hand, he didn't want to waste time training teammates. On the other hand, he simply didn't trust them.
Take Liliruca Arde, for example: she had decent magic, but Bell had no intention of changing her mindset. His initial decision to help her came more from "greed" directed at Liliruca herself. Without saving her, he wouldn't be able to acquire one of the "Seven Deadly Sins."
"Sigh..."
Freya understood Bell's reasoning, which only made her heart ache more.
"That's exactly why I say your condition is truly severe."
If it weren't for this affliction, she could have found Bell from the very beginning and snatched him away from Hestia. But sadly, his condition was far too deep.
"But you really need to rein in that divine magnetism of yours."
This left Bell speechless. He knew full well that he had drawn too much attention from the goddesses.
"Freya-sama, this truly isn't my fault."
"Besides, with my behavior pattern, aside from Loki-sama, whom I interact with frequently, only you would pay me such close attention."
That was true. Freya didn't dispute Bell's self-assessment. Could it really be that many gods had noticed someone like Bell?
Even she, with her soul-piercing abilities, had been stumped by Bell's situation. How could other gods have fixed their gaze on Bell without knowing anything about him?
That meant the number of goddesses paying attention to Bell wouldn't increase. The attention from these four goddesses was already the limit. And of course, the four of them wouldn't allow any other goddesses to come discuss "sharing" him either. From now on, they would collectively resist any such attempts.
Freya chuckled softly.
"Change and mystery are often the gods' greatest fascinations. Your uniqueness naturally makes it easier for them to invest so much attention in you."
As she spoke, Freya wrapped her arm around Bell's.
"The vehicle is ready. Let's head over first."
"Once we arrive, the room will need some time to prepare."
Bell stiffened slightly. Even though he'd been reminding himself to accept this, it still felt jarring in the moment.
'If the main members of Freya's familia discovered my thoughts, they might tear me apart completely.'
He shook his head, forcing himself to stop such terrifying imaginings. At least for now, some things should remain secret.
With that self-reassurance, Bell stepped into the spatial passageway alongside Freya.
...
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