After returning to her room, Loki immediately stepped through a spatial tunnel leading to her private quarters within Hestia Familia.
Still in high spirits after successfully toying with Dionysus, she skipped into the living room, practically glowing with self-satisfaction.
"So, how was it? My acting's not bad, right?"
"Hmm... a little exaggerated. It felt like you were trying to scare Dionysus on purpose."
Hestia didn't hesitate to give her honest impression after watching the whole scene.
"Pfft! What are you talking about? I was just venting, that's all! I've always been like that!" Loki rolled her eyes, brushing off the comment while justifying herself.
Ignoring Hestia's response, she turned her gaze toward Bell.
"What about you? How do you think I did?"
Every goddess in the room shifted her attention toward Bell, who was sitting quietly to the side.
Just as he raised his cup, he froze mid-motion.
Loki's eyes were fixed on him, full of expectation—she clearly wanted his opinion.
'...Is that really supposed to be Loki's character?'
Though caught off guard, Bell's thoughts quickly fell into order.
"Hmm. The emotional expression was a bit heavy-handed. Your attitude toward Dionysus came off as somewhat stiff. If he'd been in a calmer state, he might have noticed certain flaws in your performance. But since your facial shifts were so fast, he probably didn't catch on."
It was a very objective evaluation—thorough and precise, covering every detail of Loki's performance.
But that wasn't what Loki wanted to hear.
Her face instantly drooped.
"What? You're saying my acting was that bad?"
"Bad... not exactly."
Bell's tone was awkward, his expression conflicted. As someone well-versed in acting himself, he couldn't help but judge her technique from a professional standpoint—and it wasn't exactly refined.
Still, if one considered how she could manipulate entire gods at will, Loki's acting was undeniably impressive.
Unfortunately, Bell's sense of performance was even more precise than hers.
"It's just that your reactions were a little too overt. Based on what I know of your personality, you wouldn't normally show your anger so openly. Your expressions are usually misleading—your inner emotions rarely match what you show on your face."
"But in front of Dionysus, you were too direct. Your inner and outer emotions lined up perfectly, which made it look intentional—like you were trying to act angry rather than actually being angry."
"Also, you're not the type to reveal your plans so easily. Even if Dionysus begged, your stance wouldn't change. At the very least, you'd keep your suspicion toward his sudden visit, though you wouldn't say it outright—you'd just keep it to yourself."
Loki was, after all, the kind of goddess who smiled brightly while keeping her true thoughts hidden behind layers of mischief.
Her performance had been solid, but too shallow—lacking that distinct touch of the "God of Mischief."
Bell understood that perfectly, having interacted with Loki enough times to grasp her nature.
At his words, the gloom on Loki's face vanished instantly, replaced with her usual grin. Meanwhile, the other goddesses, who'd been enjoying the show from the sidelines, suddenly looked less amused.
What Bell had just said described Loki's true nature back in Tenkai to a fault—and the others knew it only because they'd known her for a long time.
But for Bell to know that too? That meant he truly understood her.
Loki, however, didn't care about the envious glances from the surrounding goddesses. With a satisfied grin, she plopped down beside Bell and slung an arm casually around his shoulders.
"Yeah, you're absolutely right!"
"???"
Bell blinked in confusion. He'd just been pointing out flaws in Loki's acting and her personality—what on earth was she so happy about?
"Anyway," Loki said, smoothly changing the topic, "about that last question Gareth asked—when are you planning to show your true strength?"
"The current operation's goal is to completely wipe out Evilus. It won't be total eradication, but with only two or three remnants left, they won't pose any threat anymore, right?"
"That's true."
Bell didn't deny it.
As one of the participants in the purge, he knew exactly how this would end. The Evilus' core had been obliterated—there was hardly any organized force left capable of even making a sound.
With their threat gone, there was practically no one in Orario who could endanger him anymore. From that perspective, continuing to stay hidden almost felt like making things harder for himself.
Still, Bell had his reasons.
"But I don't like being flashy."
He wasn't the type to boast about his strength or draw attention to himself. Bell lacked that peacock-like urge to show off everything he had.
"Letting all of Orario know how strong I am? Honestly, anyone who does that just seems kind of stupid to me."
"Wouldn't that be like stripping naked and showing everything to the gods?"
"The gods are constantly competing over talented adventurers. If some god out there learned about me and decided to cause trouble, wouldn't that just create more headaches?"
Just imagining that scenario made Bell's face twist in visible reluctance.
Seriously, as someone striving for greater heights, he had no interest in playing those kinds of pointless games. If he had that much free time, he'd rather use it to train and improve his Status.
So that's how you think, huh.
Loki looked completely speechless. Other adventurers treated showing off their power as a source of pride—but Bell? He saw it as an inconvenience.
It was exasperating from a god's perspective, yet Loki also understood. Once someone reached Bell's level, the urge to prove one's strength faded away.
In the past, hiding his power had been a strategic choice. Now, there was simply no need to display it at all.
"Then don't spread the news," Loki said. "But it's fine if people inside the Familia want to know, right?"
"Inside the Familia?"
Bell rested his chin in thought, then nodded slightly.
"Yeah. If it's just for those within the Familia, it's fine to tell them a little."
...
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