The waitresses had trouble following Bell and Freya's conversation, and their gazes inevitably drifted to the woman writhing silently on the floor.
Even though her cries were no longer audible, the way her mouth gaped under the hood made it clear—she was suffering pain worse than death.
Syr, the tavern's poster girl, gave her a glance, then asked,
"Um... is she going to be alright? She's not going to die from the poison here, is she?"
"No need to worry. Since this is a public place, I wouldn't let anyone die in the tavern. That's why I used a diluted version of the poison. If my calculations are correct, the stronger an Adventurer's 'Abnormal Resistance,' the longer they'll be able to endure."
For some reason, the five waitresses suddenly felt like they understood.
"Endure? So... you're saying she's not going to recover?" one of the Cat People asked, unable to hold back.
"That's not what I meant. She's not beyond saving—it's just that this poison is unusually stubborn. I've already tried using antidotes, but none worked. Maybe the 'Dea Saint' has some magic that can cure it... who knows."
Bell was always careful when it came to unverified matters. Maybe the Saint really did have a spell that could dispel the poison.
After speaking, Bell gave Freya a slight bow.
"It's a real shame, Freya-sama. A rare chance to meet, and it had to be ruined by the Evilus."
"Yes... it really is a pity."
Freya sighed softly. Still, she understood. The appearance of the Evilus meant this meeting couldn't continue. She also had to consider safety—everyone in Orario knew how she operated. If those children caught her off guard, she'd have no way to regain the advantage.
"We'll see each other again soon, won't we? But next time, don't keep me waiting so long, alright?"
Bell understood what Freya meant—and truthfully, there was no longer any reason to delay their next meeting.
"Of course. From now on, we'll have plenty of chances to meet. I won't keep you waiting so long, Freya-sama."
"Then let's call it a day."
"Freya-sama, would you like me to call them for you?"
Before leaving, Bell thoughtfully offered.
Since Freya had chosen to act as bait today, she'd likely prevented the more fanatic members of her Familia from tailing her. But that made the situation a little awkward now—especially since none of her real fighting force was nearby.
Freya gave Bell a slightly curious look.
"I thought you'd offer to escort me back."
"Please, don't joke like that, Freya-sama."
Bell's voice carried obvious exasperation.
"Please don't treat me like someone the Evilus wouldn't dare to touch. I only managed to restrain one of them because I had set up a trap and just happened to have a potent toxin at hand. If I tried to walk you back while still under threat from the Evilus, I'd probably get marked by their suicide bombers the moment I stepped outside."
You're afraid of suicide bombers?
Freya nearly blurted that out. She had to bite her lip just to stop herself from laughing aloud.
At the last second, she changed the subject.
"I meant space. Aren't you good at opening spatial paths?"
Bell finally understood what Freya was referring to, and gave a slightly apologetic response.
"I'm good with spatial manipulation, yes. But I can only open a space if I've either visually marked it or been there before. I've never actually been to Babel Tower, where Freya-sama resides, so I can't accurately lock onto that space."
So that's how it is. Freya now realized Bell had never set foot in Babel Tower—which honestly came as a surprise to her.
"I thought you'd already snuck into my home in the name of intelligence gathering."
"...Is there really anything about you that I need to investigate, Freya-sama? We're not enemies, and you've never done anything threatening. I've had no reason to look into your affairs."
"Is that really the truth?"
"That place is just too dangerous."
Bell had passed by Babel Tower countless times, yet not once had he dared to set foot inside. He could sense the structure was unusually designed, and there was a dense external barrier specifically calibrated to resist spatial interference—making it nearly impossible to pinpoint anything inside.
Because he couldn't be sure what other traps might be hidden within, he simply chose not to risk it.
Sometimes, having power isn't a reason to challenge authority recklessly.
Especially when that power isn't enough to overcome it.
"Ah... You've really got... issues."
Freya had no idea what to say. It was clear—if Babel Tower hadn't been so dangerous, this kid would have already broken in.
As one of the gods residing in the tower, she knew some of its secrets. Its interior had been constructed with the help of sages possessing the "Mystery" Development Ability. Beyond the sheer scale of the structure, many parts of its design were downright terrifying.
In truth, breaking into Babel Tower from the outside might be even harder than launching a direct attack on Orario itself.
Today, Freya confirmed one thing: Bell's condition was serious.
She was convinced Bell had the strength to investigate Babel Tower—but because he wasn't confident he could avoid detection, he gave up instead.
"I can finally understand how much of a headache Hestia and Hephaestus must deal with on a daily basis."
Bell couldn't help grumbling inwardly.
'All I'm doing is being a little cautious... is that really worth criticizing?'
Then he heard Freya say,
"Bell, just call Ottar and the others over for me."
There was no way Bell was going to escort her personally—so it made more sense to summon her children. Besides, Freya suspected those kids were already crouched somewhere near the floor-to-ceiling windows, watching everything unfold.
"Understood."
Bell lit the pre-prepared fireworks.
Fwoosh—!
Boom!
It was rare to see fireworks in Orario during the day. As they shot into the sky, a line of text appeared:
[Save me!]
While the nearby Adventurers puzzled over the strange message, several figures burst from the upper floors of Babel Tower, streaking toward the spot beneath the fireworks.