Chapter 31: Goal

It was like I said. The difference between Tammuz and the dog Julius was like the difference between the mud and the sky. We were currently in the piazza and watching them fight is just a bit sad.

"Stop holding back, Tammuz!" Ishtar shouted from her position on a red throne chair with golden outlining and golden chair. One of the things she took from her old land. "Punch her harder!"

Tammuz ducked low as Julius' punch flew over his head, then came up with a powerful right hook aimed at her kidney, this time not holding back like his goddess had asked. His fist sank deep, and the force of the punch drove the air from her lungs in a sharp gasp. However, she wasn't new to pain and quickly recovered to see a punch coming straight to her face.

A left jab! She must have thought as she raised her arm to block, but Tammuz had fainted that shit and a left hook landed on the same spot it did before. The hit forced a cough and spit flying from her lips.

"YEAH!" Ishtar shouted as the force of Tammuz's left hook sent Julius flying to the side, her body twisting in the air before she landed hard, her bare feet skidding across the ground, trying to regain balance. 

Her eyes widened as she caught sight of Tammuz's fist barreling toward her from the corner of her vision. She moved quickly, ducking under the strike just in time, her body pivoting smoothly on her heel. With a burst of strength, she launched an uppercut aimed at the human's chin.

But Tammuz was faster. 

Before her fist could rise past his abdomen, his other hand shot out, easily catching the Amazoness' strike, stopping it cold and his still outstretched arm gripped her hair. In one brutal motion, he yanked her down toward him, his knee rocketing up for her face.

Reacting on instinct, she kicked out at his supporting foot, her strike landing cleanly against his heel, which sent him off-balance, his body tipping sideways, and forcing him to release her hair as he fell. His palm touched the ground, and in a swift, acrobatic move, he spun into a breakdance-like maneuver, his legs snapping out in rapid succession.

His first kick slammed into her face, snapping her head to the side. Before she could react, his other foot followed, striking her again, bursting her lips and sending blood spluttering to the ground. 

Tammuz spun back to his feet, but he barely had a moment before Julius's leg came slicing through the air like a whip aimed at his ribs. Tammuz reacted quickly, raising his left arm and bracing it with his right hand, absorbing the impact.

The collision sent a powerful dome-like gust of air outward, dust and debris blowing towards Ishtar, myself, and Miquella beside me. However, a simple thought transfer from the boy and I was able to instantly pull up a blue dome of gravity, the wind and debris curving around the barrier.

The force of her kick pushed Tammuz a few inches to the side, his feet grinding against the ground as he steadied himself, but Julius quickly brought her raised foot back to the ground. She spun again, this time her leg arcing upward into a spinning back kick aimed at his head. 

Tammuz stepped back, narrowly avoiding the powerful strike, the air whistling past his face as the kick missed. Undeterred, Julius planted the foot and launched a quick front kick with her opposite leg, aiming directly for his chest. 

Tammuz shifted to the side just in time, her kick grazing past him. At that moment, he tried to grab her ankle, but Julius quickly returned the foot to the ground and pivoted on it, her other leg snapping up with frightening speed toward his head. 

He ducked low, just out of the strike's reach, the kick sailing overhead, grazing his hair. Her feet returned to the ground and Julius spun again, aiming for a low sweeping kick aimed to take out Tammuz's legs. But he saw it, quickly shifting his weight onto his back foot and hopping over her leg, avoiding the sweep entirely. The second his feet touched the ground, he lunged forward.

He countered swiftly, closing the gap between them in an instant. His right hand shot out in a tight hook, crashing into Julius' ribs—the same spot he had hit before—with a dull, bone-shaking thud. The force bent her body slightly, the breath catching in her throat as the impact rippled through her. He cocked his hand back, and slammed his fist into that spot again. 

And again.

And again, before she collapsed on one knee, grabbing her side as she struggled to even breath, her vision unsteady. 

"FINISH HER!" Ishtar roared from her position, and I glanced down at her. 

If only her voice was deeper.

Tammuz obeyed and grabbed her by her hair, pulling her head back with a snap. He stared right into her hazy hazel eyes as he pulled back his other arm, fist clenched. 

'...' Why are his veins popping on his arm? Is bro about to knock her out for good?

His fist flew down at her face, and then Amal appeared, gripping his wrist and stopping his fist inches from her face. There was a long silence as everyone stared at her, with Tammuz still trying to finish the dog as he sent a kick to her.

Then it happened in a flash, and he was put into submission on the ground. "I will take any punishment for interfering with your show, goddess," She smiled, "But I can't have him hurting her too badly when we don't have any healing potion."

"Phryne!" Ishtar didn't care, "Teach her a lesson!"

"Wait, what—" A massive meaty fist was already in front of Amal's face, but she quickly dodged, her body moving with grace as she moved back, making distance between her and the toad.

"Kukukuku." Phryne laughed nefariously. "How dare you interfere with my goddess show~" She did not give a shit about the show and just wanted to beat Amal up.

She got low and then the ground cracked, and then the next instant her massive body was above the woman, a shadow covering her as she punched down.

Amal leapt back just as Phryne's massive fist slammed into the earth with a resounding boom. The already cracked pavement shattered into a crater, sending chunks of stone flying as a cloud of dust billowed up from the impact as Amal landed gracefully several meters away, her feet barely making a sound as she touched down.

Before the dust could settle, Phryne blasted out from the cloud, her large body moving with surprising speed, her mad eyes locked on Amal. "Kukukuku," the toad woman laughed again, her massive feet pounding the ground, sending tremors through the area as she charged forward like a bull.

Amal darted to the side, just narrowly avoiding Phryne's wild lunge. The toad's fists followed, but the dancer sidestepped the wild swing, the punch cutting through the air with a thunderous whoosh. The sheer force of the miss sent out a gust of wind blasting past Amal, a gust of wind strong enough to send a normal human flying like they were hit by a truck.

'...' Level 5's are something.

Phryne didn't stop. She growled, throwing her massive weight into the next attack, another fist swinging at Amal with devastating power. Amal gracefully evaded, her body turning at the last moment as Phryne's fist slammed into the ground once more, creating another crater, dust and debris flying out in a thick cloud.

Phryne growled, throwing another haymaker, but Amal ducked under it, spinning away as the wind from the punch tousled her hair. The pavement beneath Phryne's feet cracked again from the force of her movements as she lashed out again, her meaty hands grasping at the air where Amal had been just a moment earlier, but the woman was already a few feet away.

The ground trembled as Phryne charged once more, her body barreling toward Amal, fists raised to smash her into the ground. Amal backflipped, her feet barely touching the ground before she flipped again to avoid the oncoming juggernaut. The force of the missed punch sent another blast of wind surging through the plaza that slammed into the obelisk at its center, splitting and continuing past the obelisk in two powerful bursts.

Phryne, undeterred by the miss, let out an enraged growl, her frustration mounting as she swung both fists downward with all her might. The ground beneath her buckled instantly upon impact, and a massive crater formed, chunks of earth and stone thrown violently into the air. The dust rose like a storm, a thick, swirling cloud that obscured everything in its path, engulfing Amal in the chaos.

For a brief moment, all was silent.

Then, with an explosion of force, Phryne burst out of the storm, flying through the air with terrifying speed. Her meaty hand was wrapped around Amal's face, gripping her tightly as she descended like a meteor toward the ground, her arm reared to smash Amal's skull into the earth.

But Amal quickly twisted her body, wrapping herself around Phryne's thick arm, her limbs bending Phryne's wrist and elbow in unnatural angles. Phryne's grip weakened, as Amal freed herself, slipping from Phryne's grasp just as they neared the ground.

Phryne fell faster due to her weight and with a kick to the back of her head from Amal, she was sent crashing face-first into the earth, the ground cracking beneath her weight. Dust billowed up again as Phryne hit the ground with a thud, her massive frame skidding across the shattered pavement.

Amal landed gracefully, her breathing calm, her body poised as she stared down at the fallen Amazoness. Phryne lay still for a moment, her chest heaving as she slowly pushed herself up, her face twisted with fury.

"You truly struggle against a mere Level 4?" Ishtar's voice rang out as she turned her gaze toward me, her tone both playful and mocking. "Do you see this shit, my queen?"

"I see it as clear as dawn, my king," I replied with a nod. "I expected the battle to end swiftly in the favor of the rook."

"Me too, really." Amal laughed. "Perhaps I'm closer to becoming a Level 5 than I thought." Phryne roared, the ground quaking below her as she rushed forward for another punch.

Amal, though, is quite wrong about her statement. She is fighting against a level 5 nerfed by their fatness. I am sure her agility stats is barely a level 3 with how much fat Phryne has in her body, so the fact Amal got caught even once with a high level 4 agility is... disappointing.

"What do you think?" Ishtar's eyes returned to watch as the two women continued their dance of cat and mouse. "Of the toad?"

"She has potential," If Phryne just loses all her fat I am sure she would be able to fight at a level 5 status, "We could seal her Falna and force her to work to burn those kilograms."

"Of course," Ishtar smirked, and then she snapped.

Phryne threw a punch, but then she fell forward, slamming onto the ground with a boom. 

Silence.

"Eh," Phryne groaned, attempting to move, but she could barely lift her arm.

The sudden drop from level 5 to 0 must have been disorienting, especially for someone like her, who hadn't been without her Falna since receiving it.

"W-why?" Her voice trembled as she looked up at Ishtar.

The snap to seal Falna was not a power of the guild function. All gods can do this, and that's why its almost impossible for a Familia member to betrayal their god. They could either seal the Falna of everyone in their Familia or just one member, as long as the member is within sight... I think? 

"Well, you need to work on burning that fat." Ishtar smirked, "It seems it's a hindrance to you and therefore one to me and my goal. I can't have that, can I?"

"But I'll be... ugly!" Phryne roared, spitting as she struggled to push herself to all fours. "You can't force me to be ugly just because you—" She didn't finish the sentence, as I appeared in front of her and kicked her across the face like it was a soccer ball, knocking her out cold.

She was about to say something foolish, no doubt about her beauty compared to Ishtar's, which would have unleashed her goddess's wrath. The toad would have been dead, and our guild's level would drop to level 1.

Yeah, guild level is based on how many first class adventurers are in your guild and with our level 2 status, we gained access to a really important guild construction we can't lose.

"What was she about to say?" Ishtar asked, her eyes narrowing slightly as she gazed down at Phryne's unconscious form. The thought that a creature like Phryne would dare compare herself to a goddess never crossed her mind.

A goddess of beauty, no less.

I shrugged, and Ishtar turned her attention to the others. "As you've seen, each of you has been given your place for a reason," she gestured toward Julius, who was massaging his side. 

"If you want to claim a higher position, all you have to do is defeat the person you wish to replace." Her eyes flicked to me briefly, a hint of amusement in them. "Perhaps one day, someone will be worthy of becoming my queen."

"That's doubtful." Miquella mumbled, which everyone heard, but he didn't care. Before someone could say something, he continued, "Training will proceed as follows: the queen will instruct the high pieces, and each high piece shall teach those below them who seek to rise."

'Teacher?' I am going to become a teacher? 

"He has nothing to teach me." Thank you, my beautiful Amal! I am no teacher! "I've wielded a sword all my life, and the few in Orario who can match me in technique, I could count on one hand." She proudly raised four fingers.

"I suppose he is one of those four." Miquella, hop of bro. "His sword mastery surpasses yours in every conceivable way. It has reached the point of being said to be unrivaled in this era and, even under the influence of any sort of mental hindrance, he can fully display the combat techniques he has mastered." 

He held Amal's gaze firmly, her gray eyes not faltering. "If he claims to be second, no one dares say they are first. Do not be blind to your own limits."

Damn. Make sure you wipe your mouth when you're done, bro.

Glazing. 

I don't mind, but holy shit. Look at all the eyes on me. 

"We shall see." Amal simply replied, turning to me. "Right, queen?"

"Of course, my knight." I returned a smile. "I won't neglect you, my child." The word of child coming from my mouth made her flinch. Ok, I guess I will start calling all of them children. They ARE younger than I am.

"Now," Ishtar clapped, "All you pawns, run off to the piece you want as a master." No one moved, "Move."

Julius immediately walked towards Tammuz who paid her no mind, standing with his arm folded behind his back. As for the other four pawns, they remained around Amal. 

Ishtar stared at the girls who didn't move and then at Miquella who shrugged before the goddess sighed, "New rule," She looked back a the girls, "One high piece can only train one pawn." Her amethyst eyes narrowed, "Now, split up."

They didn't move for a few seconds, and then Aisha glanced at Samira, "Why aren't you moving."

"???" The gray haired girl looked genuinely confused. "She's my sister!"

Little Aisha shook her head, wagging her finger like some kind of older woman. "Our sister."

Communist.

"W-what!?" Samira shouted, and before she could say anything, Aisha raised her right fist to her chin.

"We can fight for this position~" She smiled just like Amal does. The fake yet nice looking smile. And though she was one year younger than Samira, she was stronger than the silver haired girl.

"Let's go then, bitch." Samira grinned, cracking her knuckles. "It has been days since we went at it."

"Why don't you guys spend three minutes figuring it out." Ishtar turned to the obelisk in the middle of the piazza. "Away from here."

Amal turned and walked away, her four little musketeers following her, with the two older girls glaring at each other. Oberon yawned and followed behind the girls, his eyes on one of them in particular and though Amal noticed, she paid him no mind. Felix walked away in another direction, still naked and hard. 

The fuck is he still hard for?

But two remained. "You too, Tammuz." Ishtar turned to the young man that stood still with his arm folded behind his back. On her command, he turned and left, with the dog following him while still rubbing her side. Should probably give her an Elixir.

And now that we were left alone, she looked at the obelisk and I did too. Above it was a timer counting down by the seconds. Yeah, we turned the obelisk into a Familia construction.

Guild Construction is essentially alchemy, and I'm the only one who can use it—Ishtar can only veto a construction before it completes. When I construct something, I just need the land and the exact materials, then I hit 'construct,' and the materials vanish, replaced by a countdown only Ishtar, myself, and those I or she gives permission to, namely Miquella.

When the timer ends, the item will suddenly appear there, just like a game and no, the obelisk itself isn't a guild construction. I simply used it as a 'land' for constructing the 'domain shield.'

'It's done.' The countdown hit zero and the obelisk glowed briefly, but nothing else changed. "Activate it," Ishtar commanded and I did

I pressed 'activate' in the guild menu. The obelisk hummed, and a pulse of energy surged outward, passing through us and expanding across the entire basilica.

[Domain Shield Activated]

A screen appeared.

[Current energy: 100%]

Above us, a massive rectangular prism barrier, made of interlocking white hexagonal cells, briefly flashed into existence before vanishing from sight. From the guild function, the barrier enveloped our entire Familia base, extending 300 meters in length, 230 meters in width, and stretching 170 meters both above and below ground—completely encasing the basilica, which sat in the center of this invisible shield.

"That took longer than I thought it would," Ishtar stood up and began walking towards the obelisk. "Fifty-two hours just to cover this tiny land. How much longer would it have taken if we tried to construct one that covered the entirety of Pleasure Quarter."

"Four-hundred and twenty-six days, is my estimation." Miquella answered while looking up at the sky and muttered a chant, his eyes glowing. "Though that could have been sped up using Premium Currency, and it seems the shield would last about nine days before it will need to recharge from magic stones."

I guess he can see it using Analytical Appraisal, and he is right. It should take nine days before it need recharge. "Nine days for an incomplete barrier?" Ishtar smiled as she touched the towering obelisk. "That's not too bad."

Yeah, this isn't even a complete barrier. We couldn't find the required materials needed to build the full level 1 barrier, so I just removed some of its function and left the ones we needed the most.

Privacy.

Once the barrier activates, everything inside becomes invisible to the outside world and the barrier projects a dynamic illusion of the environment, seamlessly adjusting to the surrounding conditions—wind, dust, light, and even shifting shadows. To those outside, it appears completely natural, as if nothing is hidden.

Even gods, who can normally see through most deceptions, will be fooled unless they specifically suspect an illusion. Moreover, the barrier repels all attention, subtly discouraging anyone—be it a god or a high-ranking adventurer—from feeling any desire to approach or even look in its direction. It makes the area seem unremarkable, blending it into the background of their awareness.

Those approaching feel an increasing sense of disinterest or distraction, as they get closer, as though there's no reason to visit or investigate. However, if someone has a strong purpose, like a guild employee tasked with collecting taxes, they will push forward despite the growing disinterest. Their duty keeps them on course, but they may feel an unshakable sense of apathy as they approach.

Once they step through the barrier, the illusion is shattered. In an instant, the projected environment is replaced by the true state of the land, and if the land was destroyed after the barrier was activated, they will immediately see the ruin. After noticing it was an illusion all along, even after leaving the barrier, they will continue to perceive the land as it truly is, with no return to the false image projected by the shield. 

That's its only weakness. 

Well, it had another one. Ishtar has to stay within the land or else the barrier will deactivate. 

"What were the missing materials for the complete shield?" Ishtar asked, turning back to me with her palm still on the obelisk.

I glanced at the guild construction menu. "A single standing structure that's the tallest in the land," This was one of the requirements I had to downgrade. 

Our obelisk, the tallest single standing structure in our land, was only 30 meters tall, while the dome of Goddess Aine reached 137 meters into the sky from the floor of the basilica to the top of the external cracked swan. We could, of course, provide the required material and have the game build us a taller obelisk, but we didn't have the required stone, metal, and all the other shits.

I continued, "three Goliath stones or one Amphisbaena stone, a thousand elite magic stone of floor 15 or lower, thirteen uncommon items, five level five or one level six adventurers within the Familia, and the construction of a magic bank." Without those, we couldn't even complete this construction.

Ishtar sighed, looking at the sky. "So I need more level fives than I ever had." This function favors stronger Familia.

If I had joined Freya or Loki, this would've been done by now.

As if reading my thoughts, Ishtar turned to me. "But we'll get through this together," she said, glancing at Miquella, who was still studying the barrier. "Right?"

I nodded. "That's the plan," Miquella and I replied simultaneously, though he didn't look up from his inspection.

Ishtar smiled and then made her way towards me, the wind blowing her Shroud slightly to the side. "I am planning on activating the 'double growth card' now. You?" 

Double growth card is one of the free times that was in the guild store. For seven days, every Familia member currently within the Familia land will receive double growth, be it in fighting techniques, learning, or even excelia and high-ranked excelia. The chances of them unlocking a skill is increased, and so is it for magic and a rare development ability.

"I see no point in saving it," It's not like we can save it and use it when everyone is in the dungeon so we can grind monsters since it only has effect on the land. I doubt Evilus will try to attack us for now, so this is the perfect chance to use it and 'force' growth into everyone. "I'd say yes."

She stood to my side, looking in a specific direction. 

Babel, which can still be seen from our location. That thing is genuinely massive and it never ceases to amaze me.

"Would you like to know a secret?" she asked, but before I could answer, she continued. "There was a time when I thought overcoming Freya would be a challenge, but now..." She wrapped her arm around mine, the side of her bare breast pressing lightly against me, a knowing smile playing on her lips. "Now, I can already picture myself gazing down at her from that throne. It won't be long before I claim my rightful place."

You're not special for winning a game against someone who I am sure isn't even playing.

"Yeah, I can see that too." It's not a lie. I know how special I am. Any god I go to will sit on that tower top one day.

Why?

Because throughout heaven and earth, I alone am the honored one.

"Call them back, Elred!" Ishtar shouted, causing the elf's head to snap to her.

"Elred?" Tears bubbled up in his eyes. "It's been a while since I heard that name." He smiled a smile so beautiful it made my heart skip a beat. "I am happy."

'...' If he smiled like that every time his name is called, then I don't mind calling him that.

No homo.

"He really is stunning." Ishtar mumbled as the half-elf cleaned his eyes, "Superior to even the Elf of Loki." 

I would say they are equal, but it depends on your type. If you want a submissive partner, I guess he would be your pick. Though I don't know much about Riveria, I will pick her over him anytime since I am not gay.

'Haah.' I want to see the elf again. 

No, I don't like her, I just want to see her. It's like seeing a model and wanting to see them again. Besides, I need to 'perfect' the image of her in my mind, so I can use it to beat my meat.

Been a week since I did that, so I am starting to get a bit horny. 'And this woman isn't making it any better.' 

From my elevated perspective, Ishtar's cleavage was prominently visible, a deep valley between her full, round breasts that were barely contained by the single piece of red-orange cloth draped around her neck. The fabric, while covering the central portion of her chest, left much of the smooth, rich brown skin of her side boobs exposed, the curves accentuated by the sunlight that bathed them in a warm, golden glow.

Then there is her long, elegant neck that rose from her shoulders, with the sunlight casting shadows along her collarbone. I feel like I could just grab and snap it like a twig. The blood that will rush out. Her face morphed in pain. No, choking her out will be even more...

I am getting hard thinking of it? 

'Rob, stop it.'

[... That one on you, bro. I ain't do shit.]

Lies. 

[Whatever.]

Ishtar released my arm and walked towards the approaching pieces, with Aisha and Samira both looking beaten, however it looked like the former had won as Samira was now walking beside the naked, and finally soft Felix. Nope, he just got hard by looking at Ishtar. I guess she is the cause, which I understand but damn.

The eleven years old Lena rushed to stand beside Miquella who glanced at her, his golden causing her to blush and look away. Then the last girl, still, walked beside Amal, who held her hand. She was eleven with pale skin, short black hair, eyes with black pupils, and she wore a simple one black piece gown and black shoes.

I don't know who she is, as she hasn't even received Falna yet. She hasn't even spoken for the three days we have been here. Not even once. 'Mute?' Maybe. But I do know her name was Alice Wonderland or something like that, and seeing as she has a last name then I guess she had a family before. 

Alice Wonderland. What an odd combination of name.

"Alice doesn't yet have a teacher," Amal's eyes were on me, "Would one of you mind taking her?" She wasn't asking Ishtar but me.

"You don't want her, elf?" Ishtar glanced at Oberon, who shrugged.

"Reh tnaw t'nob hctib eht tub, reh tnaw I." He said, which I think there is a good reason for. 

Ishtar blinked, "He wants her," I shortened what he had said, with the goddess nodding.

"There you go." Ishtar gestured at the grinning elf, "He wants her."

Amal clenched her teeth, "But he is..."

"What is he going to do?" Ishtar asked with a wave. "Rape her?" Jesus! She said it like It's nothing! "Let the elf teach her. It would be good to have one more mage in the team."

"Erom on reh tnaw t'nod I." The elf scoffed while tucking a golden hair behind his ears. He wanted to take her, not be given her. I 

Ishtar didn't understand what the elf said and, noticing Amal eyes, I sighed, "I will take her."

The little girl didn't show any reaction to me accepting her under my direct wing—under the direct instruction of the queen who will train other high piece—and simply nodded, not moving from Amal's side even after the woman released her hand. 

"Now that you're all settled," Ishtar said dismissively, wasting no time. "I'll tell you our first mission." She raised a finger, a devilish grin spreading across her lips. "We're going to hunt down and kill every Berbera who left the Familia."

A stunned silence followed.

"Eh?" I never heard of this plan. "We are?"

"Of course!" She turned, her pupils narrowing to thin slits, transforming her eyes into gleaming amethyst orbs. "They think they can betray me?!" She burst into laughter, sharp and cruel. "They will all suffer before they leave this world!"

No one dared to speak as she turned her gaze to the river of gold. "Miquella!" The elf sighed at the wrong name. "Give me the numbers!"

"After the Evilus attack, five hundred and eighty of our members were killed," Miquella reported and I shuddered at the number. Thought it was less. Holy shit! "Out of those, one hundred and thirty-one Berbera died. That leaves one hundred and ninety-six still alive."

"Minusing the six with us," Miquella's golden eyes swept over the room. "We're hunting one hundred and ninety Berbera."

Ishtar's nod was vigorous, her excitement palpable. "Names!" she commanded.

With a resigned sigh, Miquella began reciting the names—every one of the 190 Berbera who survived, whether they retired or joined another Familia.

He knew it all.

His photographic memory was terrifying.

By the time he finished, nearly fifteen minutes later, everyone was staring at him in stunned silence. Even Phryne, still laying at my feet, had awakened and her mouth was hanging open with her tongue handing out.

"Keh... keh... keh... We will kill them. We will kill them all!" Ishtar declared, her voice cold and final. "They will all die. Every single one of them. They're nothing but animals, and I will slaughter them like animals. I HATE THEM." She gave a maddening grin, her eyes trembling unfocused. "You all will use them as your stepping stone towards the Freya. Kihihihihi... KIHIHI!" 

She laughed, each laugh sharper, more vicious, filled with madness and hatred, like something primal and feral. Then I turned to the horrified girls, not counting black Alice who still had a blank look.

They will be killing their former sisters. I bet they're regretting staying now... Matter of fact, why DID they stay?

If Amal had left, I am sure they would have followed, so why didn't she leave?

Will ask Aisha later.

~~~~~3rd person POV~~~~~

"Thank you, Ottar," Freya's lips curved into a slow smile that made Ottar's heart skip a beat, though he showed no sign of it. 

"It's my duty, Goddess," Ottar responded, folding his arms behind his back, standing tall and unmoved.

Freya's attention shifted to the papers in her hand, the smile lingering as she scanned the names. "So, these are the eleven who stayed with that girl?" she mused, her tone light but uninterested. 

Honestly, Freya couldn't care less about Ishtar's predicament. The fact that Ishtar had survived the destruction of her Familia was mildly surprising, but Freya had barely given her a second thought since then.

That is, until she overheard as Syr how even with the disbandment of Ishtar's Familia, they still retained their title as one of Orario's strongest, though their rank had dropped to C. Freya's curiosity had piqued—not out of concern for Ishtar, but out of sheer boredom. So, she had tasked Ottar with gathering the details of the remaining members.

As her eyes danced over the list, her expression shifted slightly. A toad no one wanted, a rapist on borrowed time, a slave who couldn't even understand freedom, a woman raised in that den with her sister, and two others whose loyalty seemed to lie with said woman.

None of it was particularly interesting...

She paused on the new captain's file, flipping through with an idle hum. "Ah, yes," she murmured, a vague memory surfacing. She remembered bumping into him once as Syr—a massive brute, even larger than Ottar, but with a soul and face that left much to be desired. 

"Bleh," she whispered under her breath as she shifted his paper aside.

Ottar glanced down at her, catching the sound but saying nothing.

Then her gaze fell on the second name: Elred Iarnan. A half-elf, half-Pallum. Her brows lifted in mild surprise. Responsible for the massive tax fraud Ishtar had committed over the last two decades? Intriguing. But what captured her interest most was his loyalty. 

He was the first person to be registered under her name, even predating the thirty others who joined the familia on the same day.

"Hnn..." Freya mused aloud. 

Why would someone of his caliber remain with a fallen goddess like Ishtar? It wasn't her charm—it seems like Ishtar had dropped the enchantments on her Familia members after the fall of the Pleasure Quarter and even opened up their Falna. 

Yet he stayed, freely and willingly. 

A loyalty this profound was a rare and valuable thing, especially in a world where adventurers of his strength and knowledge could join any Familia they wished.

Like her Familia.

"Interesting," she purred, her voice barely above a whisper. 

Ottar remained silent, glancing down at the name that had caught her attention—Elred. Not who he expected. He had thought Noah, with his reputation, would intrigue her more.

A man who reached Level 4 outside the city, rumored to fly through the sky like a falling star. His sword skills were as beautiful as they were deadly, his armor soaked in blood, and his sword capable of absorbing magic. With the golden mane of a divine lion, Noah was the subject of countless whispers.

Most disturbing of all, he was suspected of causing the deaths of 27 adventurers on the 15th floor. However, due to no proof of this, and eyewitnesses claimed he simply killed their monster and left the magic stone behind, the guild turned the blame to an 'elite' monster. These new variants of monsters the dungeon were suddenly spawning were still up for research, so one of them might have caused those deaths.

These were all reasons why Ottar believed Noah would catch Freya's eye. But if she found someone else more interesting, he would trust her instincts.

"Ottar," Freya's voice was soft yet commanding, drawing his attention immediately as she tossed the other papers aside, leaving only Elred's file in her hand. "Who caught your attention?" 

Without hesitation, Ottar responded, "Elred."

He wasn't lying. Whoever intrigued his goddess captured his interest as well, and he trusted her instincts without question.

Freya nodded slowly, her eyes narrowing as she studied the paper once more. "It seems I will have to meet him soon," she purred, a glint of intrigue flashing in her gaze.

~~~~~1st Person POV — Noah~~~~~

You know what?

Why don't I use my street view to spy on Riveria? I mean, I used it to watch the battle in Dian Cecht Familia and it didn't seem Finn, Goldilocks, nor that other level five noticed me so I should be able to enter her room without her noticing.

Granted, I can only walk through doors that are already opened when using street view since I can't interfere with the physical world nor can I go through things, but I should be lucky to get in with her.

…What of Freya? I could do it to her too… She is the goddess of beauty and is said to be superior to Ishtar so maybe…

Yeah, I guess I am being a crip but whatever.

A gooner gut to goon.

[For real.]

See? Bro gets it.

I guess that is my personal goal for now.

~~~~~~~~~Author's Note~~~~~~~~~

If you're curious, the only reason Freya saw Noah's soul as 'uninteresting' is because of his 'Foreigner' status. [Foreigner: You are not of this world. Your fate and soul are disconnected from it, but to others, you appear normal.] The keyword is normal. If someone looked at his fate or soul, it will look 'normal.' 

And yes, I am cooking something up with the toad. No matter how you look at it, a level 5 is too valuable to throw away especially for the fact she just need enough high-rank excelia to level up. Yes, I can just create an OC level 5, but I am too lazy to create a whole new OC, so I will just 'change' her slightly. Will leave her disgusting personality the same though. I want all the people in the Familia to be 'unique.' 

Now, the problem with 'Sanjouno Haruhime.' Should I let another Familia, Loki, pick her up since I will be taking two of Loki's girls? Don't want the Loki Familia to be too week, so I am leaning towards the yes, but don't know yet.

And another question. This one is about Syr Flova. Did the member of the Freya Familia know about her? If I remember correctly, level 4 and above members knew about her and were tasked to guard her, but I am not really sure if that was only in the latter volume or something.