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Takumi wasn't swayed by the aura radiating off her; he simply observed Syr. With his battle-hardened eye, he judged—this truly was her first time feeling this way.
Meeting Syr's gaze, he showed neither fear nor wariness at the beauty goddess hidden beneath her skin. His eyes were as calm as ever as he asked, casually.
"I just arrived in Orario and don't have a place to sleep yet. Does this tavern offer lodging?"
"Of course, dear customer. I'll register you right away."
Syr's smile blossomed as she went to fetch the ledger.
Takumi watched the gentle sway of her figure and began weighing things in his mind.
Inside the Hostess of Fertility he hadn't seen Ryuu, Chloe, or Lunoire anywhere. Add to that the fact that Alfia and Meteria were still alive—the timeline had been altered hard.
He couldn't rely on his memory of the original story to read the board anymore.
Looks like I'll have to ask the gods themselves what changed—and how much.But engaging Freya directly… that's not exactly wise.
Even if Syr (Freya) showed maxed-out affection toward him, max affection didn't mean blind obedience. That beauty goddess had a distinct yandere streak.
Before he had absolute leverage, rushing into deep contact was a poor move.
While Takumi planned to play it steady, Syr chose to press forward.
"May I ask your name, sir?"
"Takumi. That's my name."
"Mm~ Takumi-san, you look like you're from the Far East."
"Uh… you could say that."
Faced with her warmth, Takumi felt himself losing the will to keep distance. He was someone who folded to softness, not hardness; it was hard to keep up a cold front.
In the back-and-forth that followed, even though Takumi kept a lot hidden, Syr still gleaned seven or eight parts of his situation.
And through Syr's eyes, perched atop Babel, a woman wearing Freya's visage—Helen—took it all in.
She was the former Syr Flova, once a slum girl who met Freya and wished to become her.
She traded away her true name, received the new name Helen, and gained the ability to transform into the goddess.
For years, the true Freya had lived disguised as Syr; Helen, in turn, sat the throne for the Familia.
Their sight was shared—and even their emotions bled into one another. Helen could clearly feel Freya's affection shifting.
She had always known her goddess's wish: to find a beloved partner. But now that the man appeared, Helen's heart was tangled—love and hate, pride and fear. She wanted Freya happy, wish fulfilled; she also dreaded seeing the goddess fall into mortal love.
One night bled by in those clashing feelings.
In just a day, the street-side cremation of Phryne had already spread across Orario. Even if people didn't know Takumi's face and name yet, his deed was famous.
Just thinking of him made Syr's body run hot, her delicate frame quiver.
There was no doubt—Takumi was a born hero.
Back in the age before the gods descended and before mortals received grace, monsters from the Dungeon could raid the surface unchecked. And yet humanity endured because heroes were born among them.
They were innately powerful—and in dire straits, they sparked miracles. Those powers couldn't compare to a god's, but the miracles themselves entranced the divine.
In this day and age, true born heroes no longer appeared. Now one stood right here—someone who, without any Falna, had killed a Lv.5 adventurer.
To divine eyes, such a raw gem must be claimed.
Syr immediately had Helen lock the rumor mill, preventing Takumi's face and name from leaking.
Learning Takumi would head to Freya Familia to see Alfia and the others, Syr ordered the entire Familia on standby to receive him.
"Takumi-san, breakfast is ready. Please enjoy~"
The moment he woke, Syr was waiting at his door. Honestly, her eager gaze made him a little nervous.
Don't tell me you waited outside my room all night… A normal person wouldn't, but a goddess? Not out of the question.
"Yo~ Takumi-kun, you're the talk of the town now, nya~"
As he sat down, Anya came bouncing over to gossip.
Eating the delicious breakfast, Takumi gave her a puzzled look. "Talk of the town for what?"
"For killing Phryne, nya~"
Hearing that, Takumi glanced at his Luck Progress jumping to 200% and grinned.
Attention from others wasn't a bad thing to him. Still feels slow… was the scene I made not big enough?
Just then, Anya lowered her voice. "…But don't worry, a god stepped in to suppress the spread, nya~ While it's quiet, you should hurry and join a big Familia—that'll keep you safer, nya~"
At that, Takumi frowned slightly and, without meaning to, glanced at the smiling Syr.
"Oh? Then I really should get moving."
Murmuring the words, he planned to swing by the Guild to see if he could accidentally bump into Hestia. If not, he'd try Hephaestus Familia.
Hearing him, Syr's smile only grew sweeter.
"Takumi-san, I wish you a smooth journey~"
Escorting him out of the tavern, Syr instantly handed the body's control to Helen.
A voluptuous figure, stunning face—every glance a snare—Freya opened her sultry eyes.
Admiring the mirror's near-perfect woman, Freya's lips curved in a captivating smile.
"Takumi—my beloved, I will have you."
Her whisper was a sighing song; the bewitchment in her eyes wouldn't fade. At that moment, flesh and spirit both burned with impatience to claim him.
Freya changed into a breathtaking, yet not indecent, gown; those full, alabaster thighs hid beneath the hem. All set, she glided toward the tower's stairs.
Forced to only watch, Helen was both envious and jealous.
Already hearing movement, Takumi couldn't help the private snark in his heart.
Swapping bodies to meet me at once—can't wait to eat me alive, huh?If I join Freya Familia, I'll be locked in a pleasure dungeon on day one.
Can I withstand the beauty goddess's charm right now?
He was certain of one thing: Freya had her sights on him—and she was a yandere-grade hunter. If she charmed his heart, that would be bad.
Keep [Foresight Eye] primed; if anything goes off, dive into the Interdimensional Realm at once.
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