[FGO]: 13

"Ottar, what do you think of that child named Bell?"

The beautiful goddess Freya was elegantly swirling the ruby-like liquid in her wine glass.

On the small wooden table beside her was the bottle of wine that Ryou had sent over through Mama Mia.

Those close to her knew that the goddess Freya had two great loves: souls that shone brightly like gems and fine wine.

"Extremely poor physical condition, almost no training, and a personality completely unsuited to being a warrior," Ottar commented bluntly.

"You're quite strict~"

The goddess Freya couldn't help but giggle. "I didn't expect even you to misjudge sometimes, Ottar."

The boar warrior standing behind the goddess, towering like an iron tower, showed no change in expression, his entire being like a statue.

"Take a look at this first."

As she spoke, the goddess Freya handed him a piece of parchment.

Ottar took the parchment, which prominently displayed all of Bell's attributes.

All attributes were zero, and both magic and development abilities were blank.

This was normal, as Bell had just become an adventurer.

"This is!..."

When Ottar saw the 'Skill' section at the bottom, his pupils involuntarily contracted.

"'Liaris Freese'. Effects are maintained alongside feelings of admiration. The stronger the admiration, the greater the effect... This is a rare skill I've never seen before. I have a feeling that child's potential might surpass even yours~"

Freya said, swirling the crimson wine in her glass and gazing at it intently.

Ottar's expression didn't change at all.

As the only Level 7 in Orario, he had seen countless geniuses over the decades. Thousands of new adventurers joined Orario every year, and even if one in ten thousand was a genius, there were still many.

But how many of those geniuses truly grew into something exceptional? A genius who didn't grow was merely a sapling unable to withstand the winds and waves. Only those who grew could catch his eye.

And how many of such strong individuals were there? Even the recent 'Sword Princess' from the Loki Familia, who reached Level 5 at the fastest speed, had only managed to catch his attention slightly.

Thinking of this, Ottar's mind wandered back to that night, to that terrifying woman who made him unable to even muster the will to resist.

His ribs began to ache faintly at the memory.

"But for some reason, in the past, obtaining such a child would have made me unable to suppress my desire, and I would have 'consumed' him that very night. Now, I don't even feel moved..."

Freya said, a troubled expression crossing her face.

Ottar, lost in his thoughts, didn't respond.

Instinctively, Freya raised her glass, and the crimson wine intertwined with her vivid red lips.

"Ah~~!"

A soft moan, capable of stirring infinite imagination.

In an instant, Freya's tongue tasted a whirlwind of sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, and salty flavors, cycling endlessly.

She felt as if she had become a mortal queen, wantonly imposing tyranny on her subjects, reveling in the pleasure of oppressing them. The subjects, unable to endure anymore, rose in rebellion, dethroning her, and amidst the cheers, she was taken to the guillotine...

Just one glass of wine had allowed the goddess to experience such a vivid and tumultuous life.

"Your Highness, what's wrong? Is there something wrong with the wine?" Ottar asked with concern.

When his gaze swept over the bottle, the warrior, usually as still as a statue, suddenly exuded a murderous intent.

"The wine is fine," Freya waved her hand.

Ottar's killing intent receded as if it had been an illusion.

"What a terrifyingly talented child; the wine he crafted could rival that of the wine god. It nearly ensnared even me."

Freya held up her glass, staring at the remaining crimson liquid with a mix of apprehension and desire.

"The Bloody Queen, huh? What a fitting name..."

"I see, I understand now! I've finally got it!"

Freya, who had been staring at the wine, suddenly had a look of sudden realization.

"It's precisely because that child is so exceptional, so exceptional that I have no interest in any other children. Yes, that's it! It's like comparing a shining gem to a radiant star; in the brilliance of the star, who would pay attention to the gem's glow!"

Freya started to speak to herself, her expression growing increasingly maniacal.

"So, I must have that child! Even if it costs me my life!"

The naked possessiveness in Freya's eyes left Ottar momentarily stunned.

Ottar's gaze swept over the wine bottle again, revealing a hint of apprehension, but he quickly regained his composure.

To him, his goddess was like the wind, never binding herself permanently to anyone. This time, it was just taking a bit longer.

...

Meanwhile, in the slums of Orario, a place buried deep in darkness and sin, another conversation about Ryou was taking place.

"It's true, Lord Canoe." A petite figure, shrouded in a black robe, was speaking to several tall figures.

Leading them was a tall, burly individual with bear ears and a striped tail, evidently a raccoon from the bear-kin tribe.

"A weakling who just became an adventurer, yet he managed to earn fifty thousand valis in one day. He must have some powerful magic item on him. If we could get our hands on it, how much could we sell it for? Ten million? Or even a hundred million?" The tall, skinny dog-kin's eyes glinted with naked greed.

"With that kind of money, we'd never have to worry about getting that kind of wine again!"

A nearby human also showed a look of longing and greed at the thought of such a promising future.

Canoe stroked his unkempt chin, pondering for a moment, before suddenly reaching out to grab the small figure in front of him.

"Arde, if I find out you're lying to us, you know the consequences!"

Canoe threatened, shaking the petite figure in his hand.

As he did, her hood fell back, revealing a small, cute face with short reddish-brown hair.

Her childlike small stature indicated her identity: she was one of Orario's renowned Pallum.

"No! No! I truly heard it with my ears from the guild staff saying he just became an adventurer, and I saw him exchange the valis myself!"

The girl endured the pain of suffocation, hurriedly explaining.

"You better not be lying! Hmph!"

Canoe snorted coldly, tossing her to the ground.

"Cough, cough!"

The girl hunched over, coughing violently.

Canoe, however, didn't seem inclined to let her off easily. He placed one foot directly on her face.

"Arde, find a way to gain that kid's trust and then lure him to our usual spot. Don't think about playing any tricks; you can't escape my grasp."

Canoe pressed down slightly, showing no mercy.

The girl let out a painful groan and quickly agreed, "Yes, Lord Canoe."

"Let's go!"

Canoe called out to his underlings, satisfied.

"Um, Lord Canoe..." The girl suddenly called out to him.

Seeing the pleading look in her eyes, Canoe was moved and immediately understood what she wanted.

"No problem, Arde. After this job, you'll be free!" Canoe grinned.

"Yes, Lord Canoe, Lily will do her best!"

With her long-standing wish finally about to be fulfilled, the girl couldn't help but smile.

However, in her joy, she failed to notice the mocking smirk on Canoe's lips and the malicious grins on his underlings' faces.

...

Time flew by, and another five days passed in the blink of an eye.

In the morning, just as Ryou was receiving his bento from Syr and preparing to head to the dungeon, Mama Mia suddenly called out to him.

"Hey, remember to come back a little earlier today."

"Don't worry, when have I ever been late?" Ryou replied nonchalantly.

"We have a reservation today; the workload is heavier, so we need to prepare in advance."

Hearing this, Ryou's eyes lit up with curiosity. He casually asked, "Who's the big shot making the reservation?"

"It's our regulars, the Loki Familia. They've returned from an expedition to the 50th floor and want to hold a celebration here." At this, Mama Mia showed a strange expression.

"Something this big, even if you hadn't heard, that half-elf from the guild should have told you, right?"

Ryou's face immediately showed embarrassment. He felt that Eina had been avoiding him these past few days.

He had been going to the guild to exchange money every day, but often didn't see Eina. Even when they accidentally ran into each other, Eina would quickly lower her head, pretending not to know him at all, which left him feeling quite frustrated each time.

"If my embarrassing behavior had been seen by the guy I liked, I wouldn't dare show my face either," Syr said gleefully from the side.

"Um."

Ryou sometimes truly felt that girls could be terrifying.

"Why do I smell something sour?"

Ryuu, with her usual indifferent expression, suddenly remarked.

Snap!

Syr instantly froze.

"Ryuu! You've become bad! You're not the Ryuu I know anymore!"

Syr snapped out of it, then cutely chased after Ryuu, hitting her chest with her small fists.

"I will return as quickly as possible."

Seeing the two beautiful girls playfully fighting nearby, a cold sweat broke out on Ryou's forehead. He quickly said goodbye and hurriedly left the place of trouble.

As Ryou approached the Tower of Babel and was about to enter, he suddenly heard a greeting from behind.

"Hey there, adventurer up front, please wait a moment."

Ryou turned around in confusion, only to see a petite girl with a huge backpack two or three times her size, wearing a white hooded cloak.

"My name is Liliruca Arde. As you can see, I'm a supporter. May I ask, do you need a supporter?"

She introduced herself enthusiastically.

A strange glint flashed in Ryou's eyes.

So, Liliruca Arde, you're looking for a sucker and you found your way to me.

Little did Liliruca know that the person in front of her wasn't just any newbie adventurer; he was a transmigrator with a cheat ability and had watched the original anime.

Although Ryou had drastically altered the plot, he understood the main characters' personalities and experiences perfectly.

Even without a script to follow, as a former web novelist—even a third-rate, unsuccessful one—deducing a character's behavior based on their personality and background was a basic skill.

Though Liliruca's background was tragic, she wasn't a saint.

Before the protagonist redeemed her, she survived by deceiving adventurers, luring them into monster ambushes, and then seizing their equipment and potions.

Her proficient actions made it clear that many adventurers had fallen victim to her schemes.

Not every adventurer could escape a monster's clutches like the protagonist after losing their gear and potions. Most of them probably met their end in the monsters' maws.

This seemingly pitiful girl had quite a bit of blood on her hands.

The moment Ryou saw her, despite her enthusiastic smile, he noticed the coldness in her eyes.

It was the coldness of someone accustomed to deception, harm, and killing—a coldness that stops at nothing to achieve their goals.

Even though she looked incredibly cute, Ryou didn't like her one bit.

However, Ryou wouldn't punish her without giving her a chance. He intended to give Lili an opportunity to make her own choices.

With his current strength, this little girl's schemes couldn't do him any harm.

He decided to treat it as a diversion and play along with her for a while.

"A supporter, huh? I just happen to need one. Collecting magic stones takes a lot of time," Ryou said, pretending to look simple and naive while scratching the back of his head and smiling foolishly.

"Then please hire me!"

Lili's eyes gleamed as she feigned an equally enthusiastic demeanor.

"Alright, you're hired!"

"I haven't asked for your name yet, Adventurer-sama."

"Call me Gudao."

"Yes, Gudao-sama."

"Just Gudao is fine. Nice to meet you, Lili."

"Yes, Gudao-sama!"

The two actors, each with their ulterior motives, smiled at each other. From a distance, their smiles seemed pure and innocent, like those of two carefree children.

To conceal his strength, Ryou only took Lili to the seventh floor.

This floor was infested with a terrifying monster known as the Cannibal Ant.

Cannibal Ants were relatively weak for a Level 1 monster, but they tended to group.

Once their numbers reached a critical mass, even a Level 2 adventurer would have to tread carefully.

However, with all of Ryou's attributes exceeding 20 points, the Cannibal Ants were nothing to him.

With a casual punch, he could shatter the ants' hard exoskeletons. Even using half his strength, his punches caused explosions wherever they landed.

To hide his true power, Ryoug suppressed his strength and speed to match that of a top-tier Level 1 adventurer.

Even so, his speed was unmatched.

Under Lili's astonished gaze, Ryou's monster-clearing speed was far faster than that of a five-member Level 1 team.

'He must have some powerful magic items hidden on him...'

Lili thought as she tirelessly gathered the dropped magic stones and materials while secretly observing Ryou's every move.

Time flew by, and soon it was around 3 PM.

Ryou remembered Mama Mia's instructions and decided to stop.

"Sorry, Lili. I have something to do today and need to head back early."

"Really? Though it's a bit early, we've had quite a fruitful day. Let's head back now," Lili agreed, having already gathered the information she wanted.

The two of them returned to the surface.

"Gudao-sama, these magic stones..."

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