CHAPTER 121(Mine, Not Yours)

Please read the author's notes. (Examples and explanation of moves and appearance+ Monster Sources)

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CHAPTER START---

Sitting in Freya's penthouse across from the goddess herself. Yang was sorting through information in one of his books and writing notes on a sheet of paper, his gaze constantly shifting from the book to the page as he wrote, muttering to himself the entire time.

Freya was currently eating a bowl of grapes and reading one of her more classic romance books, wearing her very revealing standard black and red outfit, her gaze occasionally lifting from her book to the annoyed look on Yang's face as he pores over the pages before him.

As the evening sun begins to set in the large window at their side Freya can't help but notice the contortions his face is making.

"I can almost smell your brain melting from here," the goddess giggles slightly at the amusing face he was making as he quickly erases one of his mistakes from the page.

"Math isn't my strong suit, and this is basically all math," he mutters out.

"What are you trying to calculate?"

"Expenses, the Level Tax is coming up so I'm checking how much my team needs to pay, plus we're all moving to floor 51...after I buy it and have Goibnu build us a nice headquarters."

"Hmm, renting out an entire floor yourself. I don't believe the guild has ever had a single adventurer do that, why?" she asks, completely distracting him as he leans back into his chair and meets her eyes. Her book was now resting on the table to give him her full attention.

"Welf needs a new forge and people are bothering him, basically other blacksmiths and some adventurers are on him like people treat you because of your charm."

"That makes sense, everyone wants one of those indestructible magic weapons he made, nobody knows what they do but you killed Balor and got to floor 59...everyone wants to do that and those weapons can help."

"Yeah well he can't work in peace, and he needs a new forge, one that can get hot enough to make Valgang fangs and scales workable while making the large pieces he needs for my weapon," Yang explains.

"Ohh, finally getting yourself one of his magic swords, I was wondering when that would happen."

"Everyone was, but we finally have all the parts for it, had to import some material but everything got here pretty quick," he shrugs as she eyes him curiously.

"Sounds like quite the tall order, is it that difficult to make a weapon for you?"

"Mmm, my magic is weird, channel multiple elements into things and they shatter, had to go get Asfi to show him how to best use Mystery in order to solve that problem. Just got back from that a few hours ago actually," Yang casually mentions, knowing Freya isn't one to go gossip.

"That must of cost a fortune, specific skill training is never cheap, especially for a skill only wielded by five...well, now it's six people counting Welf."

"Really? Hermes basically made her agree to train him for free," Yang says, confusion on his face as he thinks over what Freya just said, "he was probably hoping to get in my good books or something," Yang concludes.

"Most likely, he's always scheming about something," Freya says, Yang doesn't notice the dangerous look she cast in a certain god's direction down in the city as he refocused on his planning.

"What does Ottar pay for the annual Level Tax?" he asks.

"Seven hundred and fifty million Valis," Freya says, earning wide eyes from Yang.

"Is every level around a hundred million?"

"No, the price goes up exponentially just like the cost of equipment with levels, for level six you'd only have to pay five hundred million," Freya explains.

"Hmm, if I level up before the year ends I'll have to pay the same amount as Ottar plus I'm paying for my team too, plus the 51st floor and all the renovations and operation costs," he looks over notes containing his finances for a minute before speaking, "by the time our next expedition ends I should be fine," he concludes, earning a slightly surprised look from Freya.

"You really plan to hit level 7 in the next four months?"

"Hmm, no I don't think that's possible considering how much we had to do and I still didn't even manage to max out all my stats for level six, but I'd rather have the money in case."

"Living the adventurer's dream, throwing around more money than most entire familias have with such ease," she gives him an amused smirk.

"Money can't help when you're dead so might as well spend it to keep me alive right, oh that reminds me, wanna help me with decorating the new apartment?" Yang asks.

"You trust my sense of style?" Freya asks, gesturing to the room, furnished as if it were a royal palace.

"Eh... maybe something less regal, I like to feel like I'm at home not living in a castle," Yang says.

"That explains why your apartment felt more like a family home than where a single adventurer was living," she gives him an amused laugh, like a hundred little chimes reaching his ears.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you seem like the kind of man who'd have only a bed and maybe a desk in a tiny room and call that home..."

"Yeah, but Norryn helped me with it, she likes shopping and my sense of style isn't the best. Most of my wardrobe is black, grey, or blue...blue because of my flames honestly," he admits.

"The woman we had dinner with?"

"Yeah her, so how about it?"

"I'd be happy to help, especially considering all the time I'll be spending there. But I have to ask, why not just buy a house if you want to feel at home?"

"Because...Babel feels more like home..." he felt more at home in an apartment, he'd spent all his life living in them after all.

"You're weird."

"And you're still obsessed with me," he laughs as she lifts her book to hide her slight blush at his remark.

As their conversation continues, Welf's voice calls out through the ring on his finger, "hey man, Thalie's back, and Hephaestus just got the price for the floors, we're heading to her meeting room now," Welf says.

"Yeah I'll be there in a few minutes," Yang answers as he begins packing away his papers," I gotta go," he tells Freya.

"Go handle your business mister Expedition Commander, I've got to go talk to a friend anyway," she gets up and walks over to his side of the table, taking his face and giving him a gentle kiss, "I'll come over tonight," she gives him a small smile before walking off to prepare for her meeting.

"Can't wait," Yang says as he stores his documents away and leaps out of the open window, beginning his descent from floor 100 of Babel.

---1 Hour Later, Traveller's Inn(Hermes Familia HQ)...

Sitting on a fine couch opposite Asfi, Hermes stirs the green cocktail in his hand before taking a sip, enjoying the flavor stinging his tongue.

"So tell me Asfi, what did you think of them?" the god asks, as he removes his hat, allowing his blonde hair to breathe.

"Hmm, did you seriously trade me giving private lessons to the Blacksmith just to get some information on them Master Hermes!" Asfi berated her god, yelling at the man and making him spill his drink on himself.

"I-It was the best way to get to know them," he tried to defend himself.

"We could have made good money and settled YOUR gambling debt with that fee!" she yelled at him before sulking in her seat," why don't you ever think of my responsibilities for a change, I'm the one that has to manage our books and work harder to make Valis as captain you know," she grumbles, a deep frown on her face.

"I had to know Asfi, what kind of people are they?" the god tries to keep her on topic.

With a deep sigh Asfi decides to just get it over with, knowing her god to be nothing if not persistent," Welf Crozzo is a freak..." she bites out, a grim look on her face.

"A freak?"

"Within a few months he'll probably be the best item maker in Orario," she slumps over completely depressed as the words reach Hermes, a look of shock on his face.

"So by 'Freak'... you mean genius?"

"Mhm," she nods weakly," I spend an hour teaching him one basic technique and he got it almost immediately, even with a teacher it would take me at least a week to do it... Hephaestus found a bunch of freaks..."

"So the others are the same?" Hermes asks, leaning forward and setting down his drink as he becomes more interested.

"Considering that they have the best magic swordsmith in the world, the fact that the others are scarier says a lot by itself, I got some info on Thalie, the one with the spear..."

"Yeah, the 6ft2, gorgeous and toned milk chocolate wom---" Hermes stops himself as he sees Asfi giving him an annoyed look, "I-I've heard of her, continue," he gives a sheepish smile.

"She's definitely the most dangerous one, it's no contest..." Asfi shudders as she recalls the information she paid good money for.

"Really, her?" this didn't make sense to Hermes since Yang was now level 6.

"She got into a bar fight a few years ago, about a month after she mysteriously appeared in Hephaestus familia."

"So?" Bar fights are normal in a city filled with people that fight for a living.

"She beat twenty-three people to death... she was level three at the time and two of them were level fours..." she can see Herme's face change as the information sinks in, his eyes widen as he leans back into the couch and reassesses the risk of what he plans.

"What was the fight about?"

"Someone called her Ogre because she's tall."

"Fuck..." was all he could say.

"Hephaestus paid a lot of money and gave even more discounts to keep her off the black list, she's calmed down since then, well more like she isn't out as much," Asfi says.

"So she's the most dangerous because she isn't afraid to bury lots of people for no good reason essentially?"

"Exactly, the last one, their leader Yang Shen the Elementalist, he's a softie."

"A softie?"

"Spent the entire mission doting on Meryl because he has soft spot for kids, almost got into a shouting match with me because I chose Meryl for my team. Really really glad that didn't escalate, thankful he's reasonable," she dreads the thought of him being actually mad at her.

"What about around people that aren't kids, how does he act?"

"Indifferent, he just doesn't seem to care mostly, he didn't even react to one of the adventurers losing an arm, and from what we saw he could have easily saved the guy, luckily the man didn't die."

"From what you saw?"

"Mhm, he kicked the Goliath and casually knocks its arm and shoulder clean off, then he literally lifts a finger and releases more magic than our entire familia has, and to kill the monster we were after he stomps the floor and literally makes a pool of lava to drown it, not to mention he took all of one attack to kill Amphisbanea."

"Hmm, he sounds perfect," Hermes says excitedly, jumping to his feet as he paces back and forth with a finger on his chin.

"Perfect?" Asif questions, not sure what he's getting at.

"A perfect hero, powerful and brave, now all he needs is a little push to be more heroic in spirit, wouldn't you agree?" he gives her a dazzling smile.

"You want him to be a hero?"

"Yes. The last hero the world needs, to finish the quests that Zeus and Hera started. In a few months, he surpassed all but a handful of adventurers in the entire world, if we groom him to be a hero now, he could surpass all the adventurers in history and truly stand at the top. To lead the era into a new age!" Hermes excitedly declares, waving his arms around as his captain gives him an uncertain look.

"Master Hermes, I do not recommend interfering with him. He may be gentle but need I remind you what happens if he is pushed, we did watch the Orcus challenge together if you'd recall."

"Oh please Asfi, all we have to do is show him that only he has the power to save this world and everything else will fall into place, we can make a perfect hero out of him yet," Hermes says as he returns to his seat.

"I have a bad feeling about this Master Hermes," Asfi gives him a worried look.

"Oh please, the---" Hermes's arrogant words are cut off by a new feminine voice calling out as the door opens.

"You should listen to your captain, woman's intuition is a powerful thing," Freya says as she enters the room," it might just save your worthless life," she gives Hermes a hate-filled glare.

"Freya!" Hermes panics as he jumps to his feet, backing away from her and staring down at the floor to avoid her charm.

Asfi copies her god, fully aware of what Freya can do to her.

Entering behind Freya is Thane Hire, a level three blonde Elf man, one of Hermes's strongest members.

"Oh please, don't let me stop such an interesting conversation," Freya says, her voice soft and seductive as she takes Hermes's now empty seat. Thane walks lifelessly behind her, his eyes glazed over as they look hollow and lifeless, taking a seat beside her.

"You charmed him?" Hermes asks.

"Charmed him?" Freya spoke as if she was offended, "he simply saw a god worthy of his devotion for the first time in his life, you really aren't much...as you know," she says.

"How can I help you, Freya?" Hermes asks, trying his best to stay calm and polite in this situation.

"Sorry I couldn't hear you properly from the other side of the door, what was it you had planned for my dear Yang?" she asks, her seductive tone barely hiding the anger in her voice.

"I...I don't have any plans for him," she saw through his lie as if he didn't even try.

"Perseus," she calls out to Asfi, Freya's eyes glimmer purple for barely a second as she actually wills her charm to take effect for once, strengthening its effect. Asfi immediately looks up and meets her eyes, her cheeks burn bright red at the sight of Freya, her body trembles, breathing heavily as her urges come to the surface. Raising one finger Freya calls her over to the couch and pats the seat beside her, the woman happily complies.

"Freya please," Hermes looks up slightly to see Asfi sitting beside Freya, laying her head on the goddess's chest.

"Shh, can't you see she's happy with me," Freya ignored the pained look on Hermes's face as she gently strokes Asfi's head, feeling the heat from the woman's, body begging Freya to use her.

"Freya, he can be a hero, we can make him a hero. The hero this world needs," Hermes pleas.

"A hero? Why would I want that?"

Hermes was completely confused, Freya better than anyone knew why they needed a hero, her children were the first line of defense against the one-eyed black dragon after all.

"Why are you against the idea?" he asks, desperate to understand what she was thinking.

"Because I waiting an eternity for a hero Hermes, an eternity as the princess in the tower, waiting for a hero to save me...but I didn't need a hero to treat me like a princess. I just needed a man to treat me like a partner," her voice raises as her tone becomes a growl," and I'll burn this damned world to the ground before you take my chance at a happily ever after!"

"Fre---"

"Shut up," her icy tone immediately returns," Asfi dear, I need you to keep an eye on this blonde rat for me."

"Anything you want Lady Freya," Asfi says looking up at Freya with devotion in her eyes.

Holding the girl's face Freya leans forward and gives Asfi the most passionate kiss of her life, subduing the woman's tongue with her own and overpowering her senses. She can feel the woman shake violently from the release of pleasure as her mind and body become putty in Freya's hands.

"Good girl, now both of you get up," Freya commands, Asfi and Thane immediately rise to their feet as the goddess does the same.

"What are you doing?" Hermes asks, hesitant to even speak.

"I gave her a more, long term charm...the kind that never leaves," Freya says as she looks over at the Elven man, "sorry but I can't give him one of those, I'm a committed woman after all, I don't think Yang would forgive me if any other man touched me," she says before raising a hand to Thane," give me your potions please," immediately the man hands over two Hi-Potions to the goddess.

Hermes was completely confused as he watched, not sure what she was doing.

"Asfi," Freya commands, "restrain Hermes," in an instant Hermes is trapped in the arms of his own level four captain.

"Freya, stop this please," Hermes begged, knowing where this was going, his eyes frantic as he looked for any way to stop this.

"Thane my dear," she reaches onto the man's belt and removes his dagger, holding it in front of him, "here," she passes a finger across the Elf's throat, "and here," she places a finger above his heart, "would you kindly?" she holds the dagger out for him.

With no hesitation or sound, the man immediately slashes open his own throat before stabbing himself in the heart, Freya casually steps to the side avoiding the spray of blood as the fresh corpse crumples to the floor.

"THANE!" Hermes cries out, desperate to save the life of his precious child, fighting with all the strength his level zero body can muster, still unable to even make Asfi budge.

Seeing the tears falling from his eyes, Freya cast her cold gaze past Hermes onto Asfi. The man immediately tracks her gaze, "NO NO NO NO!" he begs, he couldn't lose Asfi, she was the backbone of his familia, he saved her when she was still a runaway princess from an overthrown kingdom, she was his most precious child.

"Asfi dear, if Hermes ever tries to draw Yang...no...any member of Yang's team into any of his little schemes, would you kill as many members of your familia as possible then yourself for me?" Freya asks in a sultry tone, Asfi shivers with pleasure as her eyes drink in Freya's form.

"Of course my lady," Asfi says as the blush on her face becomes stronger than ever.

"Hmm, you know, I prefer actions," Freya says as she steps over the dead Elf on the group, placing the potions on the couch not far from Hermes before she looks over to Asfi, "I need proof of your love dear," Freya gestures to her own throat, "prove it."

"NO!" Hermes cries out, before he can even react, in the same moment Asfi's arms release him her dagger already sinks into her own throat, spraying her blood onto the blonde god as he lunges forward for the potions.

As he desperately pours them onto her bleeding throat, tears in his eyes as he sees Asfi smiling in pleasure at the thought of pleasing Freya. He hears Freya's retreating voice call out behind him as she leaves the room," if you know what's good for you, don't touch my man Hermes..."

END CHAPTER---

Yeah, she's still a whole villain to people that aren't Yang...(if you read the recent LNs or Episode Freya you know the obscene things her charm can do, scary stuff...)

First Riveria, now Asfi...all my waifu's getting messed up man damn :(