The next day.
As soon as dawn broke, Lynn got out of bed.
Leaving Hestia, who was still lingering in bed, he went to the adjacent room and knocked twice.
Click~!
A golden-haired Foxian Maiden walked out.
"Good morning, Lord Lynn."
"Good morning, Haruhime."
Lynn nodded slightly and greeted her.
After Ishtar was sent back to the Heavenly Realm, Haruhime's blessing, like Aisha's and the others', was sealed.
However, unlike Aisha and the others, Lynn directly brought Haruhime back to the Hestia Familia.
Although Hestia had many complaints about Lynn bringing a fox spirit home, she still helped Haruhime unseal her blessing and allowed her to join the Familia.
Lynn: "How has your rest been? I've been busy these past couple of days. If there's anything you haven't adapted to, feel free to tell me."
Haruhime: "Thank you for your concern, Lord Lynn. Everything has gone smoothly since I came to the Hestia Familia. Lady Lili and Goddess Hestia have also been helping me."
"That's good."
Lynn brought Haruhime to the front yard of the Familia and found Bell already standing there.
"Good morning, Mr. Lynn!"
Compared to yesterday, Bell had already changed into adventurer gear and looked much more spirited.
After returning the greeting to Bell, Lynn took him along and left the Familia, heading south toward Orario.
On the way, Haruhime and Bell seemed a bit awkward. After a moment of silence, they looked toward Lynn.
Haruhime: "Lord Lynn, where are we going today?"
Lynn: "The Freya Familia."
The Freya Familia?
Haruhime was stunned, somewhat surprised.
However, just as she was about to say something, Bell beside her suddenly let out an exclamation.
"The Freya Familia? Could it be that Freya Familia that ranks alongside the Loki Familia as one of the two great Familias?!"
Lynn: "Yes, what about it?"
Bell: "It's... nothing, just a bit surprised. I didn't expect Mr. Lynn to have connections with the Freya Familia."
Bell was no stranger to the Freya Familia.
While looking for a Familia recently, he heard the name of the Freya Familia almost every day.
However, Bell had self-awareness; he knew he couldn't even join an ordinary Familia, so he had no hope for a major one like the Freya Familia and never approached them.
Bell: "Mr. Lynn, the opportunity to get stronger you mentioned yesterday, does it refer to going to the Freya Familia?"
Lynn nodded: "The Freya Familia has a place called the Battlefield Plain; it's very suitable for training a newcomer like you."
Battlefield Plain?
Beside him, Haruhime tried hard to recall.
She had some impression of the name; if she remembered correctly, it was where the Freya Familia trained.
Calling it training wasn't quite accurate; according to Aisha, it was more like a Shura field.
Starting every morning, the LV1 to LV4 members of the Freya Familia would go to the Battlefield Plain to fight each other, continuing until only one person was left standing.
Just looking at the training aspect, the effectiveness of the Battlefield Plain for adventurers was indeed top-tier.
But to let Bell, a newcomer with no foundation who had just received his blessing yesterday, join in...
"Hmm?"
Noticing Haruhime's strange expression looking at him, a look of confusion appeared on Bell's face:
"Miss Haruhime, what's wrong?"
Haruhime: "Nothing, just wondering if you can persevere. It's quite dangerous over there."
"No problem! Mr. Lynn already told me it's very dangerous! I will work hard!"
Bell clenched his fists, his expression determined.
According to what Lynn said, he had gone through eighty-one tribulations to reach where he was today.
To be as strong as him, Bell had prepared himself mentally; he would persevere no matter how dangerous the situation.
"We're here."
Just then, Lynn's voice rang out.
Leading the two to the end of the South District Street, a vast grassland appeared in their sight.
"This is the Battlefield Plain."
...
"Lady Freya, Lynn is here."
Hedin went to Freya's room to report.
"Lynn?"
Freya slowly opened her eyes.
Although the appearance looked the same, the one sitting here now was not Freya herself, but Horn, who had activated her magic.
Of course, this was only temporary.
Under the effect of magic, Freya, who was working at The Hostess of Fertility, would soon take over the body.
"What is Lynn here for?"
"...He claims to have broken through to LV3 and wants to come to the Battlefield Plain to test the results."
"Oh?"
Freya was stunned: "LV3?"
Hedin had a complex expression: "That's what he said. I don't think he would lie about such a thing."
Freya: "..."
Freya fell into a brief silence.
If she remembered correctly, it hadn't even been a month since Lynn broke through to LV2.
Breaking through to LV3 in such a short time was truly an astonishing speed.
However, ...
"Let him leave."
Freya issued an eviction order: "He made me take the blame for the attack on the Ishtar Familia. There's no longer any need for us to accompany him in training."
After two days of fermentation, most of the gods in Orario believed that Freya was the one who sent Ishtar back to the heavens.
After all, the Freya Familia had acted first, leading to the depletion of the Ishtar Familia's headquarters' combat power.
Under these circumstances, if anyone were to be the culprit, it would certainly be Freya, who had lit the fuse.
And as the one taking the blame, Freya knew very well that the person who did it was Lynn.
Under Allen's investigation, she had gained an understanding of Lynn's itinerary on the day of the incident.
Unsurprisingly, the people who sent Ishtar back to the heavens were Lynn and Take-Mikazuchi.
Of course, after knowing this, Freya did not choose to expose it but instead helped to hide it.
The reason was simple: Lynn had provided information about the Evilus to Ottar and the others not long ago.
Freya didn't like owing favors.
Instead of having Ottar and the others act as sparring partners to repay the favor bit by bit, she chose to settle it all at once.
Ordering Hedin to drive him away, Freya prepared to withdraw her consciousness and continue experiencing life.
But just then, Hedin's voice rang out again: "Lady Freya, Lynn just mentioned that no matter the outcome, he hopes to meet with you."
"Meet with me?"
A look of thought appeared on Freya's face.
From Hedin's message, it was clear that Lynn also knew his act of shifting the blame might be exposed.
Insisting on meeting her under these circumstances, did he have the confidence to make her owe him a new favor?
Thinking of this, Freya became interested.
"Then bring him here."
"Yes."
Hedin turned and left.
After a while, he returned to the room with the three of them.
"Lady Freya, Lynn is here."
"..."
"Lady Freya?"
Seeing that she didn't respond for a long time, Hedin looked up at her in confusion.
Freya: (???)
Hedin: "?"
What's with this expression?
Having followed Freya for so long, this was the first time he had seen her with such an insatiable expression.
That burning and longing gaze, as if she wanted to devour someone, made one feel a chill.
Following Freya's gaze, Hedin looked at the person next to Lynn... Bell.
Bell: "..."
So scary! So scary!
Feeling Freya's burning gaze and Hedin's sharp gaze that seemed to want to see through him.
Bell shivered and lowered his head in fear.
But just then, Lynn's voice rang out.
"Lift your head, Bell."
"Standing before you now are the gods and adventurers at the pinnacle of Orario."
"Don't you want to become as strong as me?"
"If you don't even have this much courage, then no matter how hard you work, you won't even reach 1% of my level."
"I... I understand!"
Bell plucked up his courage and looked up.
Although he was a bit afraid, he didn't run away this time, looking firmly into the eyes of Freya and Hedin.
Seeing this performance, a look of surprise appeared on Hedin's face, while Freya's gaze became even more intense.
As the atmosphere in the room gradually grew tense, Lynn's voice rang out again.
"Nice to meet you, Goddess Freya."
Lynn took a step forward, blocking the view between Freya and Bell, with a faint smile on his face.
"I am Lynn, Captain of the Hestia Familia."
"..."
This guy is so in the way.
Freya narrowed her eyes, regaining some of her composure.
Freya: "I've already heard your purpose from Hedin. You want to participate in the Battlefield Plain for training, right?"
Lynn: "To be precise, I want to use the Battlefield Plain to test my strength. If it's not enough, I would also like to ask the First-Class Adventurers of your Familia to assist in training."
"No problem."
Although Lynn's words were somewhat offensive, Freya generously forgave him.
The previous eviction order was thrown to the back of her mind.
After agreeing to Lynn's request, her gaze once again moved past him to Bell behind him.
Perhaps considering that being too direct was not good, she asked in a subtle way:
"Are those two behind you your friends?"
"Sort of. This is Haruhime, a newcomer who recently joined the Hestia Familia. As for this one..."
When introducing Bell, Lynn deliberately paused before continuing: "His name is Bell Cranel, a newcomer who just joined the Soma Familia yesterday."
Freya: "Joined a Familia yesterday?"
Lynn nodded: "Yes. Although he has no combat experience, I believe Bell is good material. I brought him here this time to observe the Battlefield Plain."
"By the way, Goddess Freya. If I sweep the Battlefield Plain today, can I pass my slot to Bell and let him join the Battlefield Plain for training?"
Hedin: "?"
Listen to yourself.
Hedin narrowed his eyes, about to refuse sternly.
"Sure."
Freya's voice rang out.
Seemingly agreeing with Lynn's words, after she accepted, she looked at the blonde elf beside her.
"Hedin, you'll take care of Bell then. Remember to prepare a private room for Bell to rest."
Hedin: "..."
Oh no, our goddess has been charmed by someone.
...