"How could this happen? Who was it?"
As the towering pillar of light illuminated the night sky, countless gods and the people of the lower world all looked up.
No one failed to understand what had happened, because they had seen such things many times before. But for a god to be sent back to Heaven at a time like this was rather thought-provoking.
There were clear rules regarding the return of gods in Orario. If a god was suddenly sent back without anyone knowing what happened, then there was only one explanation.
Someone had killed them.
"Something like this actually happened..."
The orange-haired god lowered his hat, preventing those around him from seeing his expression.
"Who orchestrated all of this?"
Though he voiced the question aloud, the scene from the Ganesha Familia banquet earlier inevitably surfaced in his mind... one person's behavior had been extremely suspicious.
"Far too suspicious..."
"I need to find a way to investigate this."
While Orario's citizens speculated about which god had been returned to Heaven, the people living near the Pleasure Quarter had already learned the answer.
"Aaah! My Falna! Why...?"
"My Falna has been sealed too!"
"It was Lady Ishtar! The god who was sent back was Lady Ishtar!"
Countless prostitutes who had escaped from the Pleasure Quarter gathered together, preparing to send someone to find Ishtar, only for the divine Falna on their backs to suddenly react strangely.
It was an indescribable sense of weakness. They clearly still possessed great power, yet they could not use it.
Then only one answer remained.
The god who had bestowed their Falna was gone, causing their blessings to return to an unclaimed state.
Unless they joined a new Familia, the seal upon their backs could never be lifted.
This divine return was like a massive boulder crashing into water, creating enormous waves throughout Orario.
At this moment, everyone's attention had been drawn there, which also gave Elise and Freya the perfect opportunity to leave.
Beneath the brightly lit night sky, Elise once again carried Freya in the familiar princess carry as she prepared to return her to Ottar.
"I've already done what you asked. I put in a lot of effort to send Ishtar back to Heaven... aren't you going to reward me a little?"
Freya's silver eyes gazed at Elise's focused expression as the night sky stretched behind them. Gradually, her eyes became dreamy and unfocused.
"Wasn't our agreement clear? You helped me eliminate Ishtar, and I promised you one condition. But... if it's too excessive, I reserve the right to refuse."
"Good grief. At times like this, shouldn't you be saying something like, 'Alright, tonight I'll leave myself to you'?"
"Who would ever say something like that?!"
Although Elise did not particularly want to deal with Freya, she had accepted the goddess' favor, so enduring a little teasing was fine. At least Freya was only teasing her now instead of acting outrageously like before.
"We're here. Ottar can escort you back later."
Not long afterward, Elise brought Freya back to the inconspicuous house.
"Orario will probably be unstable for a while after this. Remember to have your Familia help patrol the city."
After gently setting Freya down, Elise prepared to leave, but...
"Naturally. Since I promised you, I will certainly do it." Freya's lips curved upward. "But right now, there is something even more important to do!"
Elise suddenly stopped and turned back.
"What is it?"
"Of course... this!"
The moment Elise turned around, Freya seized the opportunity. A radiant smile bloomed across the goddess of beauty's face.
Charm.
A chill surged through Elise's body. Even she lost consciousness for an instant when confronted with a god's charm.
But this time, things were different from before.
Elise had already created a stigmata capable of resisting charm, and she was wearing it right now.
It had originally been made to guard against Ishtar, yet by pure coincidence it ended up working against Freya instead.
Since it was the first time the effect had activated, Elise was not yet accustomed to the sensation. After roughly two seconds, she regained awareness.
But the instant she came to her senses, she realized disaster was right in front of her.
Freya's face was directly before hers.
Seeing Freya with her eyes closed and leaning forward, Elise instantly understood what she intended to do...
A kiss.
And not just any kiss.
A kiss on the lips.
This Freya... does she want to steal my first kiss?
Although Elise had used kisses before to bestow blessings upon others, she had never kissed anyone on the lips.
As a saintess, she had that much self-awareness.
At the critical moment, Elise hurriedly twisted aside to avoid it, but Freya had already wrapped her arms around her head, and the distance between them was far too close...
Freya got her wish and kissed Elise.
But instead of her lips, it landed on her cheek.
"I knew you were up to no good! You're just after my beauty!"
After desperately breaking free from Freya, Elise quickly retreated several steps, her face filled with vigilance.
"I won't deny being captivated by your beauty. But saying I had ill intentions is a little excessive!"
"I still want to play with you together on a bed covered in sheets."
Freya was somewhat surprised. This targeted charm was several times stronger than ordinary charm, yet Elise had still regained consciousness so quickly...
As expected, she truly was no ordinary person.
Freya had just uncovered another one of Elise's hidden cards. The next time she made a move, she would need to revise her plans accordingly.
"Absolutely not!" Elise's face was full of rejection.
However, Freya's expression suddenly became serious.
"Alright, enough joking around. Earlier at the banquet, didn't you say something..."
"That being able to charm people sounded pretty nice?"
"So I gave it to you. A blessing from the goddess of beauty should contain a trace of charm, shouldn't it?"
Freya reached out, wanting to pull down Elise's blindfold and carefully examine her eyes, but the extended hand was immediately slapped away.
"Honestly. I already gave you my blessing, so let me see your eyes."
"No. I'm doing this for your own good!" Elise sounded rather helpless. If Freya saw her eyes, who knew what kind of consequences it might cause? Refusing was safer.
"But... did you really give your blessing to me just like that? So easily?"
Back when Elise had first arrived in this world, she had once wondered whether obtaining a blessing from a goddess of beauty would make her charm even greater.
At the time, it had merely been a passing thought. Yet now she had unexpectedly obtained it so easily?
"Yes." Freya laughed softly. "Originally, I planned to imprint the blessing upon your lips, but it seems that won't be possible... though your cheek isn't too bad either."
"You should treasure it well. This is a bond between us that can never be severed."