[96] Gods

In the original story, Bell, who had always been left to his own devices by Hestia, managed to achieve such remarkable feats. There was no reason that Bell, now under Aiden's tutelage, would fare any worse than his original counterpart.

It was time to focus on his own improvement as well, Aiden thought. But first, there were Bell's equipment issues to address, as well as lunch.

"Come on, Bell. Let's head to the upper floors of Babel to clean you up." Aiden smiled at Bell's disheveled appearance.

"Babel?" Bell asked weakly as Aiden helped him up.

Bell had always thought of Babel as merely the entrance to the dungeon, the location of the guild, and the place to exchange loot for valis.

"The second floor is the guild office where various services are provided to adventurers, which you know. But what you might not know is that the second floor also has a shower room for adventurers like you to clean up. The third floor is something you're familiar with, so I won't elaborate. Starting from the fourth floor, there are shops selling all kinds of high-quality adventurer goods, though they tend to be expensive." Aiden explained, noticing Bell's confusion.

"Is that so? Then, Senpai, do they sell equipment on the fourth floor?" Bell nodded in understanding and immediately focused on the matter of equipment.

Since yesterday's training with Aiden, Bell had been envious of the twin swords Aiden carried on his back, dreaming of owning his own set.

"Of course. They sell armor, weapons, potions, and various other items." Aiden noticed Bell's renewed energy at the mention of equipment.

"I see." Bell gazed up at the towering Babel Tower, his crimson eyes filled with anticipation.

"As for the floors above the shops, those are for the gods. The guild has provided them as residences for a certain goddess from major familia." Aiden looked up at the clouds surrounding Babel with an expectant smile.

"Don't disappoint me, Freya. I wonder when you'll be back, so let me give you a little spoiler. Spoiling is fun for a moment, but constantly spoiling is endlessly enjoyable." Aiden thought to himself.

"Bell, what I'm about to tell you is very important, so listen carefully." Aiden said quietly as he walked beside Bell.

"Yes, Senpai." Bell straightened up immediately, sensing the seriousness in Aiden's tone.

"Do you remember the attack last night? They were definitely from the same major familia, and the mastermind is a goddess who resides on the top floor of Babel. Her name is Freya." Aiden revealed without hesitation.

"What?!" Bell was stunned by the shocking revelation. Although Aiden hadn't provided any concrete evidence, Bell chose to trust his senpai unconditionally.

"Fre... Freya? She's... she's a goddess, right? Why would she do something like this?" Bell stammered, his words stumbling out in confusion, though he managed to keep his composure and refrain from shouting.

"Why wouldn't she? Why do gods descend to the lower world? Is it to help the people here, to bring them happiness?" Aiden asked coldly, posing the question.

"No, it's not. They come to this world for their own pleasure. As long as it brings them joy, why wouldn't they do it? Especially someone like Freya." 

"But... but..." Bell's face fell upon hearing Aiden's explanation.

"Anyone she sets her sights on, she'll do whatever it takes to recruit them into her familia. Yesterday was just a small test; Freya still has her limits. Apollo, on the other hand, is even more shameless, using any means necessary..." Aiden enlightens Bell on the tactics of Freya and the despicable behavior of Apollo.

After hearing this, Bell looked utterly crestfallen, as if his dreams had been shattered.

"So, Bell, you need to be careful now. She's got her eyes on you~" Aiden teased with a pleased smile, provoking Bell further.

"What?!" Bell finally exclaimed in shock, causing nearby adventurers to glance over at the commotion.

"Lower your voice." Aiden originally intended to slap Bell on the shoulder but refrained upon seeing his disheveled appearance. 

"I'm sorry..." Bell immediately bowed repeatedly upon realizing the situation.

Observing that it was just two youths having a conversation, the surrounding adventurers shifted their attention back to their own activities.

"Of course, it's not just you she's interested in. I'm probably on her radar too." Aiden remarked, raising his thumb and pointing at himself.

"Even Senpai is being targeted? What should we do?!" Bell panicked feeling like an ant on a hot plate.

"If they had really intended to act yesterday, I could have defended myself, but I couldn't protect you. Freya still has her limits. Don't worry." Aiden reassured Bell, seeing his distress.

"She's still just testing the waters, or you could call it a trial. Her methods are limited to sending people to attack, nothing fatal, and occasionally luring monsters that match your abilities to their limit, like Silverbacks or Minotaurs. Of course, for now, you're still a novice, so she won't go that far." Aiden continued with his revelations.

"Relax, she won't lay a finger on you for now. Instead, focus on getting stronger! Be fearless against any test, any challenge!" Aiden reassured Bell, noticing his fear.

Upon hearing Aiden's words, Bell began to calm down slightly, though his unease was still evident on his dirt-streaked face.

"If it weren't for Hestia finding you, just think, you might not even be in this world right now."

"So not all gods are like that, if all of them were like that Orario would have descended into chaos long ago. Like our Hestia, and her good friends Hephaestus, Miach, and Takemikazuchi, they are all good gods. They have our backs." Aiden comforted with a smile.

"Understood, Senpai. I'll definitely work hard to get stronger!" Bell clenched his fists tightly, his determination evident.

"Good, that's the spirit. So, let's start with a bath, then I'll take you to the fourth floor to get you a set of equipment." Aiden withdrew his hand, which had been poised to pat Bell's shoulder again, and smiled.

"Huh? You're helping me buy equipment? But I already have some." Bell replied, his emotions fluctuating again, but he learned from the last time and managed not to exclaim aloud.

"Of course, I'm going to help you. Your current equipment is too poor; I can't just ignore it." Aiden said with a pleased smile, noticing Bell's surprise.

Of course he didn't speak his true thoughts about how he would like to see Bell dressed like Kirito.

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