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At the Loki Familia table, the silence was incredibly heavy.
Bete slowly took his boots off the wooden table.
His hands were shaking so badly that he had to grip his knees tightly just to stop them.
He stared down at his empty plate, sweat dripping down his forehead.
His arrogant, mean smirk was completely gone.
"What... what the hell was that?"
Bete whispered. His voice was hoarse and weak.
"My body... I couldn't even breathe."
Next to him, Finn Deimne, the small but incredibly smart captain of the Loki Familia, let out a long, shaky breath.
He slowly moved his hand away from his spear.
"That was a warning,"
Finn said quietly.
"And you should be very thankful he only gave you a warning."
Riveria, the beautiful high elf and vice-captain, looked just as pale as Bete.
She kept her eyes glued to her drink, too afraid to look at Elias's back.
"I have seen many powerful magic spells in my life,"
Riveria whispered, her green eyes full of deep worry.
"But that... that was not magic. That felt like the natural order of the world. It felt like true death. If he wanted to, he could have ended every single person in this room with just a look."
Aiz Wallenstein, the famous Sword Princess, was still holding the handle of her sword.
Her golden eyes were locked on Elias, who was now happily pouring more stew for Bell.
Usually, Aiz did not show much emotion at all.
But right now, her heart was beating incredibly fast against her chest.
She had trained her whole life to become strong, but looking at Elias made her realize how huge the world really was.
"He is so strong,"
Aiz murmured softly.
"I didn't even see him pull out a weapon. Just his eyes... they made my soul feel entirely cold."
"Do not stare at him, Aiz,"
Finn warned her gently.
"We do not want to provoke him again."
Finn looked over at the Hestia Familia table.
He saw Elias smiling and passing a plate of sweet bread to the white-haired boy.
He saw Goddess Hestia laughing.
Finn narrowed his eyes slightly. His sharp mind was racing with questions.
"Goddess Hestia just got new members,"
Finn said to his team, keeping his voice very low so it wouldn't carry across the room.
"And a member who is strong enough to freeze an entire room of high-level adventurers without even lifting a finger."
Bete gritted his teeth. His pride was completely shattered, but he didn't dare raise his voice.
"Are you saying that guy is stronger than our entire Familia, Captain?"
Bete asked, hating the fear in his own voice.
Finn looked down at his own thumb.
His powerful intuition always warned him when real danger was near.
Right now, his instincts were screaming at him to stay as far away from Elias as possible.
"I am saying,"
Finn answered seriously,
"That we just met someone who plays by completely different rules. We are adventurers. He is something else."
Finn looked around the table at his elite team.
"From now on,"
Finn ordered firmly,
"No one in this Familia is allowed to mock that white-haired boy ever again. Do you understand me, Bete?"
Bete looked at the floor.
He remembered the glowing blue and red eyes that had looked right into his mortality.
He swallowed the last bit of his pride and gave a slow, defeated nod.
"Yeah,"
Bete muttered.
"I understand."
The rest of the Loki Familia quietly went back to eating their food.
Behind the large wooden bar of the restaurant, the waitresses were hiding in pure shock.
The Hostess of Fertility was usually the loudest, happiest place in the city.
But right now, the girls in the green uniforms were holding onto each other, taking deep, shaky breaths.
Mia Grand, the giant, tough owner of the restaurant, wiped a thick drop of cold sweat from her forehead.
She was a retired adventurer. She was incredibly strong and afraid of absolutely nothing.
But when Elias's eyes had glowed, even Mama Mia had felt her knees go weak.
"I have fought dragons,"
Mia whispered gruffly, her voice much quieter than usual.
"I have fought monsters the size of buildings. But that boy... he just made my own blood freeze in my veins."
Syr, a girl with gray hair and a sweet smile, was holding a serving tray tightly against her chest. Her hands were still trembling.
"I thought I was going to pass out,"
Syr breathed out softly.
She looked over at the Hestia table, watching Bell eat his food.
"Bell-san's new family... They are really scary. But he was just protecting Bell-san, wasn't he?"
Standing right next to Syr was Ryu Lion.
Ryu was a beautiful elf with short green hair.
Before she became a waitress, she was a famous, high-level adventurer known as the Gale Wind.
She had survived terrible battles and seen many people die.
Because of her past, her instincts were sharper than anyone else's in the room.
Ryu was holding a glass cup. She was gripping it so tightly that her knuckles were completely white.
"That was not just killing intent,"
Ryu whispered.
Her voice was steady, but her elf ears were twitching with deep anxiety.
"What do you mean, Ryu?"
Syr asked, looking at her friend with wide eyes.
Ryu slowly looked across the room.
She watched Elias gently wipe a drop of gravy off Bell's cheek with a napkin.
He looked so kind, so warm, and so normal.
"When a strong adventurer gets angry, they release magical pressure,"
Ryu explained softly.
"They try to crush you with their strength. But that man... he did not use strength or magic."
Ryu swallowed hard, remembering the terrifying feeling.
"He just opened a door to the abyss,"
Ryu said, her green eyes full of absolute caution.
"For one second, he showed everyone in this room exactly what it feels like to die. He didn't threaten Bete. He just reminded him of a fact."
Mia crossed her large arms over her chest and nodded slowly.
"You have good eyes, Ryu,"
Mia agreed in a low rumble.
"That man is a walking disaster. If he wanted to, he could turn this entire city into a graveyard."
Then, Ryu looked at Dee.
The beautiful, pale girl in the black dress was happily eating her third piece of sweet cake.
She was humming a happy song, completely ignoring the terrified adventurers around them.
"And the girl sitting next to him is just as strange,"
Ryu added, her eyes narrowing in deep confusion.
"Everyone in this room felt the cold touch of death. Even Captain Finn and Sword Princess Aiz were paralyzed. But that girl... she didn't even blink."
Syr looked at Bell, who was smiling and laughing with Elias and Dee.
"Are they bad people, Ryu?"
Syr asked worriedly.
She really liked Bell, and she didn't want him to get hurt by dangerous strangers.
Ryu watched Elias pour a warm cup of tea for Goddess Hestia.
He smiled politely and listened to the goddess talk with genuine respect.
Ryu slowly let go of the glass cup.
Her tense shoulders relaxed just a tiny bit.
"No,"
Ryu answered softly.
"I don't think they are bad people, Syr. Evil people hurt the weak to feel strong. But that man only used his terrifying power to protect a crying boy. He is dangerous, yes. But his heart seems very kind."
Mama Mia let out a long sigh and clapped her large hands together softly.
"Alright, girls, listen to me,"
Mia ordered her waitresses firmly.
"We are going to treat that table with the absolute highest respect. Give them the best food, give them the best drinks, and make sure their cups are never empty."
Mia looked back at Elias one more time.
"We are very lucky they are in a good mood today,"
Mia muttered.
"Let's make sure they stay that way."
"Yes, Mama Mia,"
Ryu and Syr answered together.
Ryu picked up a fresh pitcher of water.
She took a deep breath to calm her racing heart, put on her best, most polite smile, and slowly walked over to Elias's table to refill their glasses.
High above the busy streets of Orario, inside the very top room of the giant Tower of Babel.
Goddess Freya was standing by her large glass window.
She held a beautiful silver cup of wine in her hand.
Freya was the Goddess of Beauty.
She had a very special power.
She could see the true shape and color of a person's soul.
That was why she loved Bell Cranel so much. Bell's soul was a pure, beautiful, shining white.
She was looking down at the Hostess of Fertility from far away.
She loved to check on Bell.
But when Elias opened his glowing eyes, that cold, terrifying wave of death shot all the way up to the top of the tower.
*Clink.*
The silver cup slipped out of Freya's hand and hit the floor. Red wine spilled everywhere.
Freya stumbled backward. She grabbed the edge of her soft couch, panting heavily.
Her beautiful face was completely pale. She was shaking.
"Lady Freya!"
A deep, worried voice called out. Ottar, the massive boar-man and the strongest adventurer in the city, quickly stepped out of the shadows.
"Are you hurt?"
Ottar asked, quickly standing in front of her to protect her.
"Did someone attack the tower?"
Freya didn't answer right away. She slowly raised her shaking hand and pointed out the window.
"Ottar..."
Freya whispered. Her voice was not confident or teasing like it usually was. It was full of absolute shock.
"Look down there. At the tavern. Next to my Bell."
Ottar looked out the window, but he only had normal eyes. He couldn't see souls.
"I see the boy,"
Ottar said in his deep, calm voice.
"He is sitting with Goddess Hestia, a man, and a young girl. Do you want me to bring the man to you, Lady Freya?"
Usually, if Freya found a strong or interesting soul, she ordered Ottar to capture them or test them.
"No!"
Freya yelled quickly. She grabbed Ottar's thick arm tightly.
"Do not go near him! Do not even look at him!"
Ottar blinked in surprise. He had never seen his fearless goddess act like this.
"What did you see?"
Ottar asked gently.
Freya took a slow, deep breath. She closed her eyes, trying to forget the terrifying image that was just burned into her mind.
"You know I love beautiful souls, Ottar,"
Freya explained softly, her voice still shaking a little.
"Bell's soul is like a clear, bright diamond. It is innocent and pure."
She opened her eyes and looked down at her own trembling hands.
"But the man sitting next to him... his soul is a completely different universe,"
Freya whispered.
"It is endlessly deep, and incredibly heavy. I looked inside his soul, Ottar, and I saw the end of all things. I saw pure, absolute death waiting for me."
Ottar frowned. He was a brave warrior, but hearing his goddess speak like this made him very careful.
"A mortal with the soul of death?"
Ottar asked.
"He is not a normal mortal,"
Freya said, wrapping her arms around herself to stay warm.
"And the pale girl sitting next to him... she is even worse."
"Worse?"
Ottar asked.
"She has no soul at all,"
Freya said, her voice dropping to a terrified whisper.
"She is just a quiet, endless void. An empty shadow that eats everything."
Freya slowly stood up straight. She walked back to the window, but she made sure to keep a very safe distance from the glass.
"I am a goddess of beauty and war,"
Freya said seriously.
"I play games with humans because their souls are fun to collect and watch. But I know my limits."
She looked at Ottar with very strict, serious eyes.
"Listen to me carefully, Ottar,"
Freya ordered.
"Tell everyone in our Familia. We will leave Bell Cranel alone for now. And we will never, ever cross paths with that man."
Ottar bowed his head deeply.
"I understand, Lady Freya,"
Ottar answered.
Freya looked back down at the tiny tavern far below.
She finally understood a very hard truth.
She was a powerful goddess in this world, but there were some monsters in the multiverse that even gods should never try to touch.