Chapter 96: The Conditions for Gaining Loki's Protection

"The Poor Man's Desire..."

When Bell saw the name of the skill, he fell silent for a moment.

'My yearning for power... has actually become my strength.'

'And it's because of that yearning... that I gained this power.'

Accumulate Power—without a doubt, it was an exceptional skill.

The ability to charge power for any action was already incredible on its own. With enough time, it could unleash a devastating force.

Though he hadn't tested it yet, Bell was certain this would become one of his strongest offensive techniques.

Still, mastering a new form of attack would take time. He'd need to get used to it, adapt, and gradually develop it.

This skill was quite similar to the original "Argonaut"—it carried the same kind of potential, the kind that could evolve over time.

If he could develop an even stronger version of Accumulate Power, his combat capabilities would become even more overwhelming.

Taking a deep breath, he decided to set that thought aside for now.

...

"Bell, have you decided what kind of backing you're going to seek?"

After the promotion was complete, Hephaestus-sama shifted the conversation.

"Yeah. Right now, there are only two Familia that can offer protection to me and Goddess-sama."

"One is Freya Familia, the other is Loki Familia."

"As the two ruling powers of Orario, either of these Familia can provide the greatest support. With one of them backing us, I think I won't have to worry for a while."

Hephaestus nodded slightly. She agreed that these two were undoubtedly the best options.

However, one of them might be facing a serious crisis—that was something Hephaestus had to warn Bell about.

"Bell, I suggest you don't consider Freya Familia."

"Hestia should understand why I'm saying this."

"Mhm!"

Hestia nodded firmly. She knew exactly why Hephaestus was warning him.

"With Freya's personality, she always takes what she wants. She's done it many times before."

"Most of the children she sets her sights on end up falling to her charm."

"So, Bell-kun, you should keep your distance from Freya."

"Approaching her now is just too dangerous. With her personality, she might really try to take you by force."

"Ugh… I don't want Bell-kun to be taken away by Freya."

By the end, Hestia was nearly in tears.

It was clear that Freya's presence weighed heavily on her.

Of course, any goddess would feel threatened by someone with such overwhelming charm and influence.

No Familia could easily resist the recruitment efforts of the Goddess of Beauty, Freya.

Bell understood just how terrible it would be to align with her. No matter what, he had to avoid Freya—minimize contact as much as possible.

"Goddess-sama, I never intended to treat Freya Familia as our backing."

"Freya Familia may be the strongest in Orario, but that very strength could become the force that crushes both me and Goddess-sama. I've heard plenty about how the Goddess of Beauty, Freya, operates. Especially now, what I need isn't to approach her—but to stay away."

Bell was a little uneasy, but he knew that as long as he remained hidden, the Goddess of Beauty would gradually lose interest in him.

When a god confident in their ability to judge mortals is wrong, it naturally draws their attention. But once they confirm that the human in question is just average—clever, maybe, but nothing special—their interest fades.

Back when they met at Hostess of Fertility and Freya showed no interest in him, it proved his soul wasn't her type. Maybe she was paying attention now, but that was only because of his use of Stealth.

So once Freya lost interest again, the situation would settle down.

A goddess who loses interest twice in a row won't bother a third time—unless he exposes himself on purpose.

'I need to be even more careful under her gaze.'

'Looks like choosing "Stealth" as my Development Ability really was the best decision.'

To grow while under a god's watchful eyes takes more than courage and caution—it demands the power to stay hidden, without leaving the slightest trace.

Bell didn't yet know how much Stealth had strengthened him, but at the very least, it was helping him specialize in the art of staying unseen...

"But before that, I need to make Loki Familia our backing."

"Convincing Loki shouldn't be too hard. We can just have Hestia talk to her."

"No, that won't work!"

Bell immediately shot down Hephaestus-sama's suggestion.

"I can tell that Goddess-sama and Loki are more like old rivals than friends. And yeah, I can see that Loki would do her a favor—but that's only because she considers Goddess-sama a friend."

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"No. That's actually the worst outcome."

Bell knew Hephaestus-sama had a point. Having Hestia talk to Loki would probably be the easiest way.

But he didn't want Goddess-sama to spend her favor on something so trivial.

"If Goddess-sama goes to Loki, then she'll owe her a massive favor."

"And in my view, that's the kind of favor you can never truly repay."

"Even if Loki doesn't care about being repaid, Goddess-sama would never again be able to stand tall in front of her."

...You spoil her too much!

Hephaestus was a little speechless.

Sure, Bell made a fair point—but did that shameless Hestia even care about that kind of thing? She'd probably forget the moment she turned around.

Even Loki wouldn't mind much. At most, she'd throw a couple of "shorty" jabs at her the next time they met.

And right now, Hestia's eyes were practically sparkling.

Hephaestus couldn't help but feel a little jealous that this silly goddess had met such a good kid, but she still had to offer a warning.

"If you won't let Hestia talk to Loki, then you'll have to do it yourself. What kind of terms do you think you can offer that would make Loki agree to protect you both?"

"I do have terms."

Yes—Bell had some very special information.

And its value was more than enough to make even Loki consider offering her protection.

...

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