On the Way to Freya
While following the cat-boy, Alex pondered why Freya had invited him. This woman certainly hadn't done it without a reason. Alex wanted to understand why she kept observing him, despite him closing his soul off from prying eyes. If anyone could see his soul, how many gods would perish out of curiosity just by looking at it? Considering various options, he decided to ask the person leading him to Freya directly.
"Hey, cat-boy, do you know why Freya invited me?" Alex asked, looking at his companion.
"I don't know, and it's not my business what Lady Freya desires. I just follow her orders," the cat-boy replied.
"So, you're an obedient dog, even though you're a cat," Alex said sarcastically, spreading his arms.
"Lady Freya doesn't see us as her slaves; she considers us family," the cat-boy said, staring at Alex.
"Well, if you say so. What's your name? I'm tired of calling you 'cat-boy'," Alex asked.
"My name is Allen Fromel," Allen replied in a monotone voice.
"Fromel? Are you by any chance the brother of Anya, who abandoned her?" Alex asked, narrowing his eyes.
"That's none of your business," Allen replied without even looking at Alex.
"It is my business. Anya is my friend, and if she asks, I'll bring you to her, whether you like it or not, even if it means dragging your broken body," Alex said, repeating Allen's words when he was invited to Freya.
"And don't think anyone in your family or even Freya herself can stop me if I want to do something to you," Alex continued, smiling at Allen.
"And if I find out from Anya the details of why you left and abandoned her, believe me, you little bastard, I'll forcefully drag you to her to apologize," Alex said, looking into Allen's eyes with a threat.
Alex wanted to continue the conversation, but Allen stubbornly remained silent and unresponsive, no matter how Alex tried to irritate him. This went on until Allen led Alex to the apartment where Freya resided. Entering, Alex saw Freya sitting at a table with a tea set and snacks. Behind Freya stood her personal bodyguard, Ottar. Surveying the room, Alex decided not to delay and headed toward the table, but he was stopped.
"Where do you think you're going?" Allen asked, pressing a dagger to Alex's throat. Freya watched the situation with interest, waiting to see what decision Alex would make.
"You realize this is the second time you've threatened me?" Alex asked, looking at the blade at his throat and gripping it between his fingers.
"Lady Freya didn't permit you to sit down," Allen said menacingly.
"Now listen carefully. I ignored your threat the first time because I was curious about what Freya wanted. But now you've threatened me a second time, and there won't be a third," Alex said, breaking the dagger between his fingers. "And Freya, control your children, because they might die if they continue to behave like this," he added, looking directly into Freya's eyes.
"Allen, stand down. This person is our guest," Freya commanded.
"I apologize, Lady Freya. I was just concerned for your safety," Allen said, stepping back.
"Well, are you done with your little performance?" Alex asked, jumping off his cushion and approaching a chair to sit down.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Freya said with a smile, watching Alex, who looked adorable as he sat at the table.
"If you say so. Do you happen to have a higher chair? This one's a bit low for me," Alex said, looking at Freya.
"Show more respect to Lady Freya," Allen spoke up again threateningly, but Alex just rolled his eyes and ignored him.
"Why don't you return to your original form?" Freya asked with a sweet smile.
"No need, I'll just adjust my chair," Alex replied, making the chair higher and more comfortable.
"Then, maybe you can tell me why you've become a child again?" Freya asked, watching Alex as he adjusted the chair and sat on it, testing its comfort. Hearing her words, Alex smiled.
"Don't you already know?" Alex asked, looking at Freya with amused eyes.
"How would I know why you've become a child again?" Freya responded, feigning ignorance.
"This place has a great view of the city, doesn't it?" Alex said, looking out the window. Freya turned, glanced out the window, and nodded in agreement.
"But you still haven't answered why you're a child again," Freya said, turning back to Alex and looking at his face.
"All my friends and those who know me didn't recognize me. Even random adventurers called me the child of the Sword Princess and the Demon King. But your cat Allen immediately knew who I was. Interesting, isn't it?" Alex asked in a childlike voice, looking at Freya with an innocent smile.
"Allen is an excellent detective and scout. He easily finds those I need," Freya responded with an innocent smile, praising Allen, who took a proud breath at her words.
"Really? Or is it because a pair of purple eyes is constantly watching me?" Alex asked with an innocent face. Freya nearly choked on her tea at his words.
"I don't understand what you're talking about," Freya calmly replied, placing her cup on the table.
"If you say so, Freya. Then why did you invite me here? Don't tell me it's just to chat," Alex said, taking a snack from the table. After tasting a cookie, he smiled, and Freya, seeing his face, felt an urge to hug Alex in his child form. However, being a complex goddess, she restrained this desire and decided to answer.
"I was simply curious about the new adventurer who appeared and accomplished so much recently," Freya replied, watching Alex, who had already moved the plate of sweets closer to himself.
"You've only told half the truth," Alex said, finishing the last sweets on the plate and staring intently at Freya.
"And what makes you think I'm only telling half the truth?" Freya asked, signaling for another plate of sweets to be brought.
"You told the truth that you wanted to see me, but you didn't reveal all the reasons why you wanted to see me," Alex replied, taking the new plate of sweets.
"You can speak directly, there's no need to beat around the bush. Even Loki has stopped trying to deceive me, so you don't need to bother either," Alex said, looking into Freya's purple eyes.
"Hu hu hu, Loki stopped trying to deceive you? You never cease to amaze me," Freya chuckled softly, not expecting that even Loki wouldn't be able to deceive this child.
"It's not that she didn't try; she just can't deceive me," Alex explained, spreading his hands. "So, Freya, you'd better tell the truth or I'll leave—I have things to do," he added, looking at Freya, who continued to smile.
When Alex saw that Freya was still silent, he decided it was time to leave. As soon as he started to get off the chair, Freya spoke.
"Alright, I'll tell you the truth. I tried to look at your soul and saw nothing, and that intrigued me greatly," Freya quickly said, not letting Alex leave.
"So, even with sealed powers, you can see people's souls?" Alex asked, to which Freya nodded, confirming his words.
"Interesting. So, Arcanum can't seal special abilities," Alex mused aloud, looking at Freya. "Following the principle of equivalent exchange, you can ask me what interests you," Alex said after thinking for a moment.
"Can you answer why I can't see your soul?" Freya asked, very curious about why she couldn't see Alex's soul, as her power allowed her to see even the souls of gods.
"I hid my soul so as not to kill idiots who like to peek," Alex answered. At his words, Ottar and Allen wanted to draw their weapons, but Freya stopped them.
"And how can you kill those who see your soul?" Freya asked after stopping her children from attacking.
"That's already a second question, Freya. Now it's my turn to ask. Why do you look at people's souls, or rather, what do you do it for?" Alex asked.
"The color of a soul reveals a person's potential, and I take them into my family. But I couldn't see your soul, and that intrigued me greatly," Freya answered, looking at Alex and trying to understand his actions.
"Now it's my turn. How I can kill someone who looks at my soul is not something I do myself; rather, the one who looks essentially kills themselves. You know the old saying, if you stare at the sun for too long, you might go blind," Alex replied, starting to look out the window and observe the city and the people walking on the streets.
"As you said, you gave a half-truth, so answer fully," Freya said, taking advantage of the fact that Alex used his own words against her.
"Heh, you used my words against me—well played. Alright, the situation is quite complex to explain, but to put it simply, my soul is special for this world, just like my power," Alex said, which left Freya puzzled.
"What do you mean by 'special for this world'?" Freya asked, not understanding where Alex was leading.
"Essentially, my soul and my power are pure destruction. To put it simply, if you tried to look at my soul, you would be erased forever," Alex said, causing Freya's eyes to widen.
"I'll show you what that means. Imagine this cup is your body, and the tea inside is your soul, or as it's commonly called, the essence. After you looked at my soul, it would be like this," Alex said, demonstrating. He took the cup, poured tea into it, and used his power of destruction—the cup simply disappeared.
"Are you saying that even gods could die by looking at your soul?" Freya said, her hands trembling under the table, not believing Alex's words.
"Well, to put it plainly, yes. And the more I use my powers, or more precisely, the more I strive for destruction, the closer I get to my essence," Alex said, causing everyone in the room to tense up.
"There's no need to act like that, Freya. If I wanted to harm you, I would have done it already. I just had to not hide my soul, and you would have killed yourself," Alex said, trying to calm Freya. "And you are a goddess, you should understand what destruction is. First comes creation, then destruction, and this cycle repeats endlessly. It's like life and death; everything is interconnected. That's how the world was created," Alex continued.
"How do you know all this? Only gods who were born a long time ago know about it," Freya asked, calming down a bit and trying to learn new information.
"Where I come from, this information is quite common," Alex answered with a smile, forgetting that theories like the Big Bang and black holes don't exist in this world.
"And where are you from? According to the records, you are from the Far East," Freya asked, not believing what was written about Alex in the guild.
"That's a secret. And to find out, we need to get closer, as secrets are shared only between those who are close to each other," Alex said, looking at Freya, who frowned at his response. Freya understood that this was their first meeting, but the more she learned about Alex, the more intrigued she became.
"Then I'll ask something less personal so you can answer. Why did you join Hestia's Familia instead of another one?" Freya asked, looking at Alex, who was pondering her question.
"That's a rather complex question. But I can say that, before meeting Hestia, I didn't have a home to return to in this world, nor a family to strive for. But after arriving in Orario and learning that to become an adventurer you need to join a familia, I saw many gods recruiting members for their families. Only Hestia was the one I was looking for, as she is the goddess of the home, and I thought that by joining her, I would find the home I desired. And I was not wrong. After meeting Hestia, I found a home and started making friends. Her kind nature prevented me from becoming someone I didn't want to be. That's my answer," Alex explained, causing Freya to ponder his words deeply.
"Then why didn't you join Loki's or Hephaestus's familia, since you're close with them?" Freya asked, curious about why he chose Hestia over someone else.
"Loki is fun but strange. I wouldn't be able to stay around her constantly and would probably end up hitting her with a stick at some point due to her silly antics," Alex said, explaining why he didn't want to be part of Loki's familia. "As for Hephaestus, after meeting her, I realized she doesn't trust strangers much, so becoming part of her familia would be very difficult. But she is very kind at heart, and she might have accepted me. But who knows? Since I'm already in Hestia's familia, I'm satisfied," Alex continued.
"If you need a family and a home, I can provide that for you. You could join me, and I would give you all of that," Freya offered, looking at Alex.
"Don't overdo it, Freya! What sane person would leave a home where they are loved and valued just to get a replacement that's exactly the same?" Alex said, narrowing his eyes at Freya.
"I can give you more than Hestia," Freya replied, not understanding why Alex was starting to get angry.
"You can't give what Hestia has given me. And never mention this topic again, because my hand might slip, and I would destroy you and everyone associated with you," Alex said, giving Freya a heavy look. At his words, Ottar and Allen were ready to attack at any moment to protect Freya, but she stopped them, understanding that this would create even more problems.
"You will never understand what Hestia is willing to do for her familia. And I'll take your offer as a bad joke," Alex continued, looking at Freya.
"Then let's consider it a joke. And you're right, I can't understand what Hestia is willing to do," Freya said, squeezing her hand under the table, either out of fear or because she was turned down.
"Well, since we've sorted out this issue and gotten to know each other better, before I leave, what do you know about Evilus?" Alex asked, trying to lighten the mood.
"Why do you think we've become closer?" Freya asked, raising an eyebrow at Alex.
"Well, it usually goes like this: you argue here and there, then you fight, and eventually, you become friends and start discussing business and potential alliances," Alex replied, shrugging.
"You understand that's not how it works," Freya said, who had completely calmed down and looked at Alex, who seemed to be talking nonsense about friendship.
"In my hometown, it was usually like that. First, you threaten each other, then you fight, and in the end, you drink together as best friends," Alex said, looking at Freya, not realizing what he had said wrong.
"Alright, I don't want to continue this topic," Freya sighed, looking at Alex, who had a confused expression.
"Evilus, as you call it, was an organization of gods who considered themselves evil simply because it was their nature and wanted to create chaos. My familia joined forces with other familias and the guild to defeat this group, and after our victory, they were banished from Orario. Why do you need this information? Evilus has already been expelled, and all their remnants have been destroyed," Freya explained, curious about why Alex wanted this information.
"There are reasons," Alex replied.
"You said we're already close, so I think it's worth sharing why you need this information," Freya said. At her words, Alex's eye twitched because Freya had used his own words against him once again.
"Alright, you won. I'll tell you," Alex said, explaining about the monster and adventurer, not forgetting to mention the god he suspected.
"Aren't you afraid that I might be part of this group?" Freya asked with a smile, narrowing her eyes at Alex.
"While we were chatting, I figured out that you're not part of that group," Alex replied, smiling at Freya.
"Oh? And how did you figure that out?" Freya asked, intrigued by how Alex had come to that conclusion.
"When I first entered and your cat threatened me, you were ready to attack me to protect your child if necessary. Even though you like to manipulate and cause trouble, you're not a bad goddess and you wanted to protect your child. That's how I figured out that you're not part of that group. If you were part of those idiots, you would have asked different questions during our conversation and tried to find out my weaknesses, rather than asking simple questions," Alex summarized what he had learned from the conversation with Freya.
"Well, if you say so, I'll believe you for now," Freya said, smiling.
"And one last question. Would you like to join or at least help?" Alex asked.
"As for joining, I need to see the others you're allied with. As for help... it depends on what kind of help you need," Freya said, resting her hand on her cheek and looking at Alex intently.
"You yourself said that Allen is the best tracker. I want him to follow Thanatos and find out where he goes and who he meets," Alex said. Freya pondered and looked at Allen, who was standing aside and observing the conversation.
"I think I can provide that kind of help, but what will I get in return?" Freya asked, wanting something in exchange.
"I can give you anything within reason," Alex offered.
"And what can you give me that I can't get myself?" Freya asked, continuing to consider Alex's offer.
"I'm saying I'll fulfill any reasonable wish, but nothing beyond that," Alex replied.
"Then make me a child," Freya said with a playful smile, looking at Alex. Alex nearly choked on the cookie he was eating.
"(Ahem) Are you serious right now?" Alex asked, trying to clear his throat, confused by how this goddess thinks. One moment she's serious, and the next she's joking.
"Well, of course, a goddess's wish is to become pregnant," Freya said, staring into Alex's eyes.
"I said within reason, not to help conceive a child," Alex said with a crooked smile.
"So you can't give me everything I want?" Freya asked, making a sad face.
"First of all, I'm not going to have a child with someone I just met, and second... the first reason should be enough to understand my situation," Alex said, looking at Freya, who was making a sad face to show how pitiful she was.
"Then we need to get to know each other better," Freya said with a smile. Alex's eye continued to twitch at the sight of this goddess who changes her demeanor like a seasoned actress.
"In any case, I made my offer, and you can decide whether to help me or not," Alex said tiredly, standing up from his chair and heading for the exit. Alex understood that Freya had relaxed and returned to her usual self, but he couldn't tolerate such people for long and decided to leave while he could.
I'll help you, but in return, you'll take me to your place so I can consider the alliance after hearing your discussion," Freya said, standing up and moving toward Alex.
"Well, thank you. Now we can go," Alex said, looking at Freya and turning toward the exit.
"Of course, let's go. Allen, please investigate Thanatos's family and everyone associated with them, and be careful," Freya said, picking Alex up and giving Allen the order.
"Why did you pick me up?" Alex asked, sinking into Freya's soft embrace.
"You said we'd become closer, so I thought I could do this," Freya said, holding Alex and realizing she was ready to carry him always.
"Alright, as you say. Allen, even though you're a jerk, this is for you. And remember, Ani's words will determine your condition," Alex said, tossing his cloak to Allen and reminding him of the possible consequences.
"What kind of cloak did you give Allen?" Freya asked, looking at the cloak in Allen's hands.
"Just a cloak to help him stay hidden," Alex replied, shrugging.
"Thank you," Freya said, hugging Alex tighter.
"Yeah, and now you can take me home," Alex said, pointing to the door, prompting Freya to laugh elegantly.
"And take Ottar with you for protection," Alex reminded, so Freya wouldn't have to return alone.
"He would come with me anyway. My children are very concerned about my safety," Freya said with a maternal smile.
"Well, as you say. Now I'll just teleport us closer to Hephaestus's home," Alex said, casting a teleportation spell.
Upon appearing in front of Hephaestus's house, Freya immediately walked inside as if it were her own home. Alex noticed her actions, shook his head, and looked back at Ottar, who had a face like a stone mask. Alex shook his head again, observing the duo. Freya's every action screamed that she was a goddess, even entering someone else's house without permission.
"Hey, is anyone home?" Alex called out, hanging in Freya's arms.
"Alex-kun, you're back! Why is this woman with you? And why are you in her arms?" a delighted Hestia ran up, but upon seeing Freya and Alex, she began to shout.
"She tried to kidnap me to adopt me, but it didn't work out, and she brought me here. Help me, Hestia, this weird lady wants to kidnap me," Alex said, putting on a sad face and faking tears. Freya heard his words, her lips twitched, and when Alex called her a "weird lady," she nearly exploded.
"Freya, put Alex down, and I promise I won't do anything to you," Hestia said, aiming a taser at Freya. Freya looked at Hestia holding the taser and at Alex trying not to laugh, and sighed, realizing she had been outplayed.
To be continued...