The following day,

"Bell!!" Freya rushed down.

The moment she saw him, she could see his soul remained an innocent white, but it was purer now, more refined.

‘What happened? Did he gain a resolve? That has to be it!’

Bell came back to pay off his bill. She was happy. Bell still had his innocent charm and smile. But there was a problem, she discovered.

‘Your heart… As much as I love your purity, you are not fit to be an adventure. Yes, that is right. You seem more suitable to living as a farm boy, living peacefully and surrounded by family and friends.’

The more Freya spoke and interacted with Bell, the more she knew his calling was not as an adventure, but if that is his wish, then she will offer it to him.

 

Back alley during Syr’s lunch break.

"Allen, call off the hit on that dog of the Loki Familia."

"Are you sure?" Allen said, leaning against the wall in the shadows, "He is in need of a lesson."

"I am sure. As much as I despise his foul mouth towards my Odr, it did help refine his convictions."

"Oh? So what? He’s stronger, my lady?"

"It would seem so. He looked far stronger than last night."

"…I’ll call off the hit."

"Thank you and make sure you tell everyone that I plan on giving him some trials."

"Trials? You wanna make him stronger?"

"Yes. He wished to be an adventurer, yet he lacked the heart to be one. So I will nurture him from the shadows."

"Tsk, more work for me."

"Thank you again, my sweet Allen."

Allen quickly left with a faint blush.

"Hmm... Tsundere."

 

Freya then began to plan out her trials.

She will give Bell challenges that will put his courage and will to the test. At first, she thought she would have plenty of time to come up with the 1st trial, but it seemed it came to her on a platter.

While looking out the window in a little meeting with Loki, Freya saw Bell within the crowd.

"!!"

‘The Monsterphilia!! This! I can do something with this!!’

"Sorry, but something came up." Freya got up and quickly left the little café.

"What!? Why are you dashing out of her like that!!" Loki shouted.

 

Freya moved through the alleyways quickly.

'I have to get to the Colosseum! If I can reach it, I can—!?’

Freya stopped in her tracks as she came across another goddess.

"Hey! Is that you, Freya?"

"Oh Hestia, funny how we came across one another!"

"Yup! Are you going to the Monsterphilia too? If you are, why are you using the back alleys?"

"Hestia please, you know how much trouble I cause with my beauty. And... are you also going?"

"I am! You haven’t seen the boy in my Familia, right? White hair and red eyes."

"Like a rabbit, yes? I saw him go down that way." She points to the East main road.

"Oh! Thank you! Have fun at the festival!"

Hestia waved farewell.

"…Allen."

Thud!

"Yes, my lady." He said, jumping down and kneeling behind her.

"I need you to make sure she doesn’t get sent to heaven."

"My lady what are—"

"Keep watch over her. Should he fail, I want you to slay the monster and chastise him. If he cannot save his goddess, then it will make his convictions all the more stronger. Then offer to train him."

"…Very well." Allen said with some displeasure.

 

And so Freya set her trial into action. She snuck into the colosseum and sent the Silverback after Hestia.

It pained her to see Bell make such a scared expression, but he needed to overcome this fear. If not, he would squander his potential. He cannot remain comfortable where he is at. He needs to go into danger with his head held just high enough to take that plunge and not be arrogant.

"Running away is fine," Freya said from up top of a building, watching with Allen next to her with his spear at the ready. "So long as you remember, you can still bite back."

They watched as he ran away in Daedalus and desperately tried to fight back, but his weapon shattered on the Silverback's skin.

"Should I kill it now?"

"No. Something could happen. You never know what a twist in the story will happen Allen."

Freya watched as Bell locked Hestia away to keep her safe. He decided to fight it on his own.

"He is going to be even more traumatized, my lady." Allen said watching Bell.

"Not if he wished to be an adventurer."

While Bell was fighting the Silverback when Hestia appeared. Bell quickly got her out of the situation.

Freya looked at the boy as he shared a moment with his goddess.

Grip!

She clutched her chest.

"Hestia, one of heaven’s three virgin goddesses. I guess even Artemis and Athena had their charms to them."

"I had thought Artemis was no longer considered a virgin goddess?"

"You are right. Astraea took her place by the process of elimination—?" She was watching Hestia as she took out a wrapped-up item she had been carrying the whole day. "Allen, it seems Hestia brought with her that twist."

They watched as they ran away once again. Hestia was shockingly faster than Bell, but she tripped.

"GUAH!!!" She face-planted onto the floor.

"Goddess!?" Bell quickly scooped her up into a princess carry and booked it.

"…" Freya’s eyes narrow.

"Do you wish for me to—"

"It’s fine Allen."

 

They kept running and running until eventually hitting a dead-end. There, Freya could see that Hestia wanted this to be their last stand. They talk with one another before she hands him a knife.

"Hm?" Freya and Allen’s brows raise.

"Lady Freya, that knife."

"Yes, I can feel it is up to the task of slaying the Silverback. Maybe even more."

Hestia began to update Bell's status as quickly as she could.

"OO!! OO!! OO!!!!" The Silverback roared as it raced across the corner.

The moment Hestia finished, Freya and Allen could see the change already. Bell was noticeably more faster, and his knife seemed to put off a similar strength to Bell.

"Ahhhh!!!!"

Bell kicked off in the last second, he rushed head first into the Silverback and plunged his knife into its chest.

Clink!!

The magic stone was shattered.

"♥!" Freya was ecstatic, Bell had taken his 1st steps toward becoming what he most desired. His soul had gotten even purer and more refined.

"WOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!!" The people of Daedalus roared with cheer and praise.

"So Allen." She turned to him. "What do you think of my Odr?"

"…He has potential, my lady, but how much is what I’m curious about."

"Mmm… my estimate is at least around the dog of the Loki Familia if he remains untrained, but if polished up and given enough experience, I would say he could reach the likes of the Sword Princess and even Ottar."

"But not to the likes of the Uncrowned?"

"…Maybe with one or two decades of work he could reach him, but it is rather cruel to compare the two."

"I did so since he was the last one you called your Odr. Only the best is fit to receive your affections."

"Fufu." A slight flush appears on the goddess. "How very kind of you, Allen."

"Are you still planning on giving him more trials?"

"I am." She turned back to see him gone. "He still needs more polish to rid himself of that fear."