Danmachi: Is It Wrong to Be the Main Character in Orario?

The news that the Loki Familia had declared a War Game against the Apollo Familia spread throughout Orario the very next day.

Naturally, it reached the ears of Freya, the Goddess of Beauty.

"Loki's making the first move again."

War Games were rare entertainment for the gods of Orario, but Freya didn't find much joy in them. What truly piqued her interest was why Loki would go after the Apollo Familia.

"Ottar, did you find out why she went after Ishtar?"

Not long ago, Loki had mobilized her forces to bring down Ishtar's Familia—and even Ishtar herself had been sent back to Tenkai.

But Freya didn't believe it was simply because of Evilus.

To be frank, she didn't think Loki was the type to go through so much trouble for something that brought her no benefit.

There had to be a deeper reason—one that left Loki with no other choice.

Of course, this was also the question behind Ottar's long silence.

Freya gave a slight smile. It seemed even now, the real reason was still out of reach.

"So Loki does have a purpose... and she's doing everything she can to keep it hidden."

That was much more in line with the Loki she knew.

"The Loki Familia's been keeping things under wraps lately, haven't they?"

"Yes."

Ottar gave a small bow. If they hadn't sealed off information internally, he wouldn't have been completely in the dark about Loki's recent actions.

Freya watched Ottar, her interest piqued by his bowed head.

"It's kind of fun seeing you mess up once in a while."

"Please forgive me, my goddess."

"Heh~ don't worry so much about success or failure. Seeing your normally calm heart get shaken like this is entertaining too."

Freya wasn't particularly bothered by the fact that her child hadn't gotten to the bottom of things. She had her own suspicions already.

"It was Hestia's child who gave Loki the idea to take on Ishtar."

"And Loki only moved against Apollo after meeting with Hestia."

"You all investigated it, didn't you? Loki brought her three children to find Hephaestus. Even though they didn't find her, they entered some special area... and disappeared."

A faint shift passed through Ottar's eyes.

"Yes."

"Later, Loki-sama and Finn's group of four suddenly emerged from that area."

"According to Hedin's observations, the surrounding space was intricately arranged. What's inside can't be confirmed without entering."

A subtle smile curled at the corner of Freya's lips. So they had found something.

"And where is this place?"

"It's on the far edge of Orario—a wasteland. A ruined site from the past, of little value and with no potential for development."

"Who bought the land?"

"It was acquired through a commission by Hephaestus, but the ownership belongs to Hestia."

"Just as I thought."

Freya had suspected from the beginning that the one behind all of this was the child she had once misjudged.

"That child really does like to hide."

But she didn't dislike this game of hide-and-seek.

It might be a bit childish for a game, but Freya found it utterly intriguing.

Even though they had only met once, that special child now stirred a boundless curiosity in her she could no longer contain.

"Freya-sama, shall we go investigate?"

Freya rested her chin in her hand, thought for a moment, then gently shook her head.

"Forget it."

"That child is far more interesting than I imagined. But now that he's gathered quite the force, provoking him without reason isn't something I want."

Right now, Freya's curiosity toward Hestia's child far outweighed everything else.

Although she was bothered by misjudging someone for the first time, it was only a minor concern.

She wouldn't make any moves until she was sure that Hestia's child was truly the one she'd been waiting for. Some things could wait until certainty came. Besides, the current situation wasn't one she could step into carelessly.

'He's already drawn in Hephaestus and Loki, and with Hestia's connections among the gods, that's enough to rally quite a few to her side.'

'If I stir up all the gods now, wouldn't Ouranos be the next to send me back to Tenkai?'

Unlike most gods, Freya clearly understood where Ouranos drew the line. Once that line was crossed, even a god who normally wouldn't interfere would take action.

That was something she had no desire to see.

Her charm might sway other gods, but whether it worked on Ouranos was another matter entirely.

That god—like Zeus and Odin—was one of the first and oldest. He couldn't be measured by the standards of ordinary deities.

Which was why the one thing Freya wanted to avoid most was crossing his line.

"That child must have made thorough preparations. It's not something just anyone can barge into. Besides, those magical inscriptions carry something special."

"If someone clueless breaks in... they may not come back."

Freya had conducted a more detailed analysis of the Rune Stones brought back previously. The results had shocked her even more.

The "principle" within those magical scripts was far from ordinary.

Rather than calling them a product of magic, it would be more accurate to call them a product of "Law."

The Rune Stones contained very little magical energy, yet the power they demonstrated surpassed even that of high-grade magic swords.

Was that even reasonable?

From Freya's perspective, without the "Law" embedded in them, the Rune Stones would have no power at all.

If one could grasp the "Law" written into those characters, they could reproduce the Rune Stone's power.

Yet even Freya couldn't comprehend it.

It was as if the "Law" was something only certain people were allowed to access.

Naturally, this reminded Freya of Authority.

'No, it's not like Authority.'

'It is Authority.'

And it was precisely because of this realization that Freya's curiosity toward Hestia's child had deepened—but even so, she continued to respect the boundaries.

The "unknown" was like a drug that gods couldn't help but crave.

But how many gods could resist that temptation? How many could still hold themselves back?

Perhaps only Freya, whose desires were the strongest, could do it.

'Doesn't this make me even more curious?'

Freya couldn't suppress the smile tugging at her lips.

She held back her desires—but the pull of the unknown still captivated her.