Freya, the goddess of beauty.
She was a divine being who held a significance for me that was far from small.
Even now, the memories remained vivid. The catastrophic incident she had caused.
She had craved love. She wanted someone with whom she could truly share her heart.
Because of that, she became obsessed with me... and she fell into ruin.
The incident had turned all of Orario upside down, and every Familia had risen to condemn her.
But even then, she was a queen. Rather than resorting to half-baked tricks, she had thrown down the gauntlet and challenged me head-on.
Her absolute trust in her own Familia, and an obsession that refused to retreat even in the face of total collapse.
The battle with her had been more than just fierce; it was desperate. Had I been alone, it would have been an impossible victory.
If not for Mia's assistance, my master's betrayal, and Otaru's refusal to hold back, the one destroyed that day would have been me, not her.
No, to be precise, we both would have been destroyed.
“Hmm... why aren’t you answering?”
“...!”
When I snapped back to reality, Lady Freya was right in front of me.
Seeing her kneeling so close, looking up at me, it was easy to understand why she was the goddess of beauty.
A blend of purity and maturity. An allure that was simultaneously fresh and intoxicating.
Though her charm had no effect on me, her natural presence alone possessed a terrifying power. She looked innocent, yet she held the seasoned poise of a veteran warrior. A heavenly goddess was marking me as her prey.
I had a feeling this might happen...
I had felt her gaze during training, so I wasn't entirely surprised, but the reality of it was still a bit overwhelming. Especially given our complicated history.
I can't solve this the way I did in the future... can I?
In the first place, she wasn't Syr right now. In fact, perhaps the entity known as Syr didn't even exist yet.
She was simply Freya, the exalted goddess of beauty. Not a girl writhing in the throes of love.
“What business do you have with me...?”
“Ah, so you will answer. I’m glad. I was starting to think you were ignoring me, and I was almost hurt.”
She spoke with a soft, playful smile, radiating a charm that could captivate any man in existence.
Of course, there was a certain woman behind her making retching noises and muttering, “Ugh.”
“...?”
I could feel a curious presence behind me. Even now, if young Ais were to meet her face-to-face, there was a high probability she would be charmed instantly. It was too dangerous to let them meet.
“Oh my... is my charm not working on you?”
“...!”
A chill ran down my spine.
The innocent look in her eyes had vanished, replaced by the overwhelming omnipotence of a god.
Her silver gaze swept over me, scanning my very soul. For an ordinary person, it would have ended right there.
They would have either fallen under her charm or knelt before the divine majesty.
That was the normal reaction. The only logical reaction.
But I...
“Oh my.”
I simply stepped back a little.
Unfortunately for her, I had already developed a significant resistance. I hadn't lived such a pathetic life that I would be brought down by this.
Still, it wasn't as if I were completely unaffected. I suppose one can never truly get used to the pressure of a god's aura.
“Oh? What’s this? Did you actually get rejected?”
“...No. Be quiet.”
“Rejected! Totally rejected! You were acting all high and mighty, and the moment you started wagging your tail, you got shot down!”
Mia was snickering, clearly finding the situation hilarious. Lady Freya immediately frowned and glared at her.
Combined with her beauty, her divine authority would have forced anyone else to bow their head instantly, but...
“What.”
Mia was no ordinary woman either.
A fiery woman whose temper could rival anyone in the Hera Familia, she was not the type to care about the opinions of others.
She was the only person capable of clenching her fist and glaring back at Freya, regardless of the goddess's displeasure.
Watching them, I felt a strange sensation.
How should I put it? It felt like watching friends bickering.
Lady Freya was remarkably relaxed during this period of her life.
“What business do you have with me...?”
“Ah.”
Realizing she had been distracted, Lady Freya cleared her throat and regained her composure.
If the future members of the Freya Familia saw this, they would have lost their minds, but to me, it was just a slightly burdensome sight.
No matter how much time passed, dealing with women remained a challenge.
“Honestly, I don’t usually like being so blunt... but I don’t think you’re the type for beating around the bush, so I’ll be direct.”
She reached out her hand and gave me a benevolent smile—the kind of smile that instinctively made one want to worship her.
“Would you like to join my Familia?”
Lady Freya asked with a bright, beaming smile.
As expected, I must have seemed special even to her back then.
While it was an honor to be recognized by a god, I had my answer.
“...I’m sorry.”
I had no intention of joining her Familia now.
Our final parting hadn't been bad, and I knew she wasn't always a god who went completely off the rails, but I still couldn't bring myself to join another Familia.
It might have been humiliating from her perspective, but it wasn't something I could change.
I met her silver gaze head-on, my single eye staring back at her.
“...”
A wistful light flickered in her eyes. She had likely realized that my mind could not be swayed.
However, I knew she wouldn't just give up. While I could repel her if necessary, the best outcome was to avoid a conflict entirely. I wondered how to persuade her...
“...I see. Very well.”
“I see, but... huh?”
“If you refuse, then there is nothing more to be done.”
With those words, she simply turned around.
She seemed a bit stung, but the expression she wore as she left was one of reluctant acceptance. That was... surprisingly easy.
“...You’re letting her go more easily than I expected.”
“Oh my, did you want me to beg? Sorry, but I’m not the kind of woman who gives a second chance.”
Her words were bold, but the sulkiness in her voice was palpable. If she knew what she would do in the future, she wouldn't be able to say that with a straight face.
“...Honestly, I’d love to make you mine by force...”
She looked up at the sky and whispered softly.
As she stroked her beautiful hair, her voice drifted with a distant, longing tone.
“But it seems you already possess something unshakable.”
And it looks like suppressing you with strength would be a pain.
Watching her grumble and withdraw so obediently left me with a tangle of complex emotions.
A thought flashed through my mind—one I knew I shouldn't dwell on.
If she had been like this back then...
She was the same goddess as the one in the future, yet she wasn't the Lady Freya I knew.
She wasn't Syr.
That realization stirred a whirlwind of emotions within me.
What had been different? What had changed?
Had I changed, or had she? Or had we both simply become different people?
I watched her retreating figure, lost in thought.
“Ah...”
As she grew distant, a faint, pitiful sigh reached my ears.
“Oh?”
I looked back to see Ais blushing deeply while staring at Lady Freya.
“Ah.”
“It seems she’s been charmed. I must have used it unconsciously.”
It appeared Lady Freya’s charm had leaked onto Ais. The Ais I knew could have resisted it to some extent, but the current Ais was still far too inexperienced.
Of all things, charm... this was becoming a nuisance.
“Oh, if I release this girl from the charm, will you join my Familia?”
“Eh...?”
“Hey, isn’t that a bit too sleazy, even for you?”
“W-what?! Everyone does this! It’s nothing!”
It was definitely not "nothing," especially compared to when she charmed the entirety of Orario.
Looking back, the fact that she wasn't doing that now almost made her seem conscientious.
Seeing this as an opportunity, Lady Freya chuckled and asked for my answer.
Her behavior was that of a common blackmailer, yet because she was so beautiful, it somehow felt cute. Which was a terrifying realization.
She was literally blackmailing me.
“I’m fine.”
I politely declined. Ais was a member of the Loki Familia, so I doubted Freya would actually leave her charmed, but it was safer if I handled it myself.
“Huh...?”
I took Ais’s hand and ignited a flame.
The fire flared up, instantly enveloping her body.
The flames wrapped around Ais like the comforting warmth of a hearth, purging the power of the charm that had clouded her mind.
As the charm broke, Ais’s unfocused eyes snapped back into clarity. Confused, she began looking around to assess the situation.
“...A skill that resists [Charm]...?”
“No way... resisting a goddess's charm? And it wasn't just resistance; it was a complete dispel. Is that even possible?”
Normally, it would be impossible. But for me, it was.
I was a member of Lady Hestia’s Familia, the goddess of the hearth. I was naturally resilient against such things.
The sacred flame rejects all impurity, preserving only purity and innocence. My goddess’s fire still burned within me, guiding me.
“Haa... so even that didn't work.”
“You crazy woman!”
“Ow?!”
Boom!
A giant's fist descended squarely onto the goddess's crown.
The goddess of beauty clutched her head, tears welling in her eyes.
“What was that for?!”
“What was that for?! You used charm on a child! And then you tried to trade her release for a Familia contract? You're not a goddess, you're a racketeer!”
“That’s just a figure of speech!”
“Liar! You thought you could lure him in if you played your cards right, didn't you?!”
Suddenly, the two women were locked in a heated argument. I couldn't help but think: We were the victims here, so why are you two fighting each other...?
“...?”
“...It’s nothing. Let’s head back.”
I gave Ais a vague explanation as she tugged on my sleeve, then led her back toward the Loki Familia.
Even as we walked away, the sounds of their bickering echoed in the distance.
To be honest, it was a bit unsightly... but I actually preferred her this way.
Seeing her laugh and argue with Mia made her seem truly happy.
Hiding the lingering sadness caused by the memory of her eventual fate, I quietly continued my walk.
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