The next morning.
Yesterday's tension could only be considered an internal matter. With the conflict between Loki-sama and Freya-sama temporarily settled, the atmosphere in the house had finally calmed—no longer thick with that gunpowder-like tension from before.
"Hmm~~ Bell, good morning."
"Good morning, Freya-sama."
"Hm?"
A chilling glare immediately locked onto him, and Bell realized his mistake at once.
"Ahem… Freya."
The glare vanished, and Bell let out a small breath of relief. I really need to be more careful. I can't keep slipping up like this, he thought.
Freya knew it was just a reflex, so she wasn't truly angry—but she had to pretend to be. Otherwise, this fool would never learn.
"You've already made breakfast?"
"Yes. It's nothing fancy, just something simple to eat."
Bell felt the need to clarify in advance. He could make pancakes, dumplings, and buns, but his cooking was far from expert level—certainly nowhere near that of a professional chef.
"Simple is fine."
Freya didn't care what the food was; what mattered was who made it and who she shared it with.
She looked at the table. Thin sheets of dough wrapped around meat filling—something rarely seen in Orario. Pancakes, however, were more common; her tavern even served similar items. She didn't know the name, but she could tell it was just an ordinary breakfast.
"Where are Hephaestus and Hestia?"
"Hestia and Hephaestus don't get up this early."
Usually, the two goddesses slept late every night, so naturally, their mornings started later as well.
"Oh~"
Freya could already imagine the scene.
Though it stirred a trace of discomfort inside her, she had expected this much and was prepared for it. Still, there was no need to press further. Before officially deepening her relationship with Bell, she wasn't ready to hear the details of what he shared with Hestia.
"Then before Hestia wakes up, let me ask you something."
"Bell, what are you planning to do next?"
Bell didn't need long to think—he already had a plan.
"My next goal is to push my current limits as far as I can, then challenge Udaeus to obtain Excelia."
"You're aiming straight for Udaeus? Not Amphisbaena?"
"Yeah. Amphisbaena's level fluctuates too much. Beating it doesn't always yield much Excelia."
In truth, a weaker floor boss would make for an easier fight, but that kind of opponent might not grant the Excelia necessary for true growth.
That was one issue. The other was Amphisbaena's inconsistency—it was Level 6 when surrounded by water, but dropped to Level 5 on dry land.
A monster that relies on terrain for strength doesn't have true power of its own. That alone made it unworthy.
"Reaching Level 6 will only be the beginning."
"As for reaching Level 7… that might have to wait until the Evilus launches their full counterattack."
"The Evilus has Level 7 children?"
Hearing that, Freya's eyes narrowed slightly. If Bell planned to advance during the Evilus' counteroffensive, then perhaps their hidden strength was far greater than anyone realized.
But Bell shook his head slightly.
"That's only my speculation."
"Dionysus could speak so confidently because there must be a reason behind it. I believe he has some power capable of breaking the balance."
"He deliberately engineered his familia's conversion and staged that entire act of self-sacrifice right in front of Loki. It's obvious the target was the Loki Familia."
Dionysus's scheme had been aimed squarely at Loki Familia—otherwise, he wouldn't have gone to such lengths to put on that show right before her eyes.
"The current Orario is effectively divided between the Loki Familia and the Freya Familia. For the Evilus to mount a successful counterattack, they'd have to carve out a weakness in one of those walls."
"The god Dionysus likely chose to target the Loki Familia because..."
"The Loki Familia has no Level 7."
Freya finished his thought, and Bell nodded slightly.
"No wonder you suspect the Evilus has a Level 7 child."
By leaving her alone and going after Loki instead, it was clear Dionysus had chosen what he believed to be the easier target between the two.
"But with three of Loki's children already at Level 7, can Dionysus's plan still work?"
Bell was certain.
"He'll go through with it regardless."
"Even though Captain Finn and his group have stepped into the Level 7 realm, they've only just entered it. They're far from the level of adventurers who've long settled into that tier."
"Besides, while Captain Finn and his two allies can combine their strength to rival one of your 'King,' if they're ever forced to fight separately, the difference between their combined and individual strength becomes far too great."
Freya nodded in agreement. Bell truly was a child she could trust, and Loki's three top adventurers indeed hadn't yet reached their peak.
"Captain Finn excels in speed and has a powerful counter-throw technique suited for dire situations. But he lacks any other long-range abilities and possesses no real resistance. Once his speed is restricted, his strength drops sharply."
"Vice Captain Riveria specializes in magic, wielding destructive power beyond imagination. But that power comes with an extremely long chant time. If her opponents don't allow her the time to cast, she can barely display her full Level 7 capability."
"Gareth, on the other hand, has immense durability, strength, and defense, but speed is his greatest weakness. If his physical strength is restrained, he becomes like a tiger with its fangs pulled."
"So, you understand what kind of restriction I mean?"
Freya smiled faintly and spoke three words.
"The Dungeon."
To limit Riveria's magic output, to suppress Finn's speed, and to restrain Gareth's power, they'd need a confined battlefield—one that restricted movement.
It was obvious, then. Freya had already guessed that the Evilus's stronghold—their hidden base—was somewhere deep within the Dungeon itself.