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

At the teahouse, Hestia stood up after finishing what she had to say.

"Freya, I really am terrible at dealing with you."

With that, Hestia puffed up her cheeks and turned to leave. How could she possibly show a friendly face to someone trying to take her child away?

"Ah~ but I actually like you, Hestia."

Unlike Hestia's complaint, Freya genuinely liked her. Hestia was the only one who offered sincere friendship. Among the gods of Tenkai, it was rare to find one without hidden motives—Hestia was a true exception.

"Blurp!"

Hestia made a silly face behind her before heading down the stairs.

Freya just covered her mouth with a smile at the childish gesture. Like she said, she didn't dislike Hestia at all. In fact, Hestia was one of the few gods she could truly connect with.

"Ah~ the way you're acting is practically begging to be disliked. Is that soul mate you're searching for really so important?"

"Because it's important, I have to search seriously."

"So you chose to fall out with Hestia without being sure? From what I know, that shorty isn't just fooling around with that kid."

Loki wasn't blind. She could tell from the shorty's attitude that it wasn't the way a god treats their child—it was more like how one treats a partner. The way Freya acted would already count as completely burning bridges with her in the shorty's eyes.

"I can tell she's serious too. That's why I never made a direct move on Hestia's child."

Loki let out an irritated "Tch."

"That's only because you haven't confirmed whether that kid is really the one you're looking for."

Then Loki stood up, holding her head as she left her seat. She couldn't finish her tea today.

"I think it's best if you give up. No matter what kind of approach you take, if that kid wasn't charmed by you the first time, there won't be a second."

"Shorty is annoying when she's being cocky—especially when she struts around in front of me. Still, you should think about how to mend things with her."

That was Loki's final piece of advice. If Freya chose to ignore it, then so be it—she'd said her piece.

"Finn, let's go."

After Loki left, only Freya and Ottar remained at the table.

...

The smile on Freya's face gradually turned into a troubled, sorrowful expression. She had never felt so conflicted before.

"Turning against Hestia over a child I'm not even sure about... that's not something I would normally do."

Freya had always been the embodiment of reason. But today, something about her was clearly off. Even she realized her reaction had been too extreme—especially over someone she wasn't even sure about.

"Ottar, what do you think?"

"Freya-sama, you've been far too curious today."

"Oh~?"

Freya turned her head with interest toward Ottar. It wasn't often she heard him say something like that—today really was unusual. "Go on."

Ottar gave a small nod and slowly shared his thoughts.

"You've grown too curious about souls that can't be seen with the eyes. No matter what kind of abilities that person has—whether their own or magical—this unexpected situation has stirred your curiosity too much."

"That's true."

Freya had indeed begun to reflect. Today, she wasn't like her usual, reserved self. Even if she had truly felt something, this wasn't the situation in which she should've had a complete falling-out with Hestia.

"Curiosity made me lose the rationality I usually have. Otherwise, things wouldn't have ended on such a sour note."

"You seemed pretty agitated today."

"Hmm... did I really act that differently from usual?"

Freya sighed, resting her chin in her hand. She could feel her emotions had been too on edge. Some things really didn't need to be said today. Even if she wanted to confront Hestia, it didn't have to happen now.

"To go that far over a child whose identity hasn't even been confirmed... I really was being irrational."

Still, what was done was done. Freya had no regrets now.

"Ottar, drop the investigation on that child. They definitely won't appear before me again, and no matter how much you look into it, you won't get any worthwhile results."

"Freya-sama, what about the Guild?"

"No need. The Guild is, after all, the domain of Ouranos. If you barge in and start poking around, it'll only create unnecessary trouble. I'm not trying to pick a fight with Ouranos."

After a day of irrational behavior, Freya's mind had finally cleared, and her decisions no longer came from impulse.

"Ottar, since you're done watching that child, turn your attention to those Evilus rats."

Now that reason had taken hold, Freya was clear on her next move.

Evilus had just made a bold appearance—openly, at that—during the "Monsterphilia." That meant they were preparing for something bigger. Keeping a close watch on them now would help predict any major events soon to unfold in Orario.

Of course, Freya had no real interest in whatever those rats were plotting. But if their actions ended up causing a serious commotion, then maybe—just maybe—they'd draw that child out again.

Freya felt a mix of curiosity and anticipation.

...

"Pfft, that seductress really messed up today."

Having left the teahouse, Loki didn't hold back in mocking Freya's behavior.

"She revealed her hand too early. Making a move before anything was even confirmed—she had to be acting on a high."

"Loki, Freya-sama was in a state of excitement?"

"Yeah, but that seductress gets excited differently from other gods. That one always hides behind a mask. Don't think she's all about lust just because I call her that. That woman conceals herself very well."

Loki curled her lips, but thinking back to how that seductress acted today made her chuckle.

"She plays the part of a high-society woman, but what she loves most is using 'love' to toy with people. Almost all the male gods around her are just playthings—idiots who think they actually had something with her. What a bunch of fools."