Chapter 742
The person who wanted to help became the one being helped.
Chapter 742 The person who wanted to help became the one being helped.
At the bountiful hostess tavern, the young signboard girl was preparing for the midday opening when hurried footsteps could be heard from outside.
The half-height tavern door was pushed open, and an elf dressed in a light blue dress strode into the tavern like a green leaf being blown by a strong wind.
"Seele, something terrible has happened!"
Ryu said this somewhat anxiously after seeing Seele sweeping the store.
"Hey, Ryu, weren't you going to go for a morning workout with Broly? What happened?"
Freya looked at her friend with some curiosity, and from the other's somewhat restless spirit, she could tell that the other was a little anxious.
"Whoo~"
The shop assistant took a deep breath and exhaled, calming herself before telling her friend what had happened that morning.
"Huh, it's quite rare that Mr. Broly can transform into Miss Ais's appearance..."
Freya was somewhat surprised. She was no stranger to transformation magic, although hers should be called human transformation magic, a divine spell obtained through a promise with a child.
"Ah, Seele, that's not the point. The point is that Loki's Nine Demon Princesses, under the pretext of better training the Sword Princess, arranged for the Sword Princess and the Thousand Spirits to live in the Hearth House."
Liu directly emphasizes the key points.
"But what does it matter?"
Upon hearing this, Seele simply tilted her head, revealing her confusion about her somewhat anxious situation.
"Uh, Seele, you like Broly, right?"
"Yes, I like it. What's wrong?"
"So I did mention earlier that the girls from Loki's Familia are being a bit too intimate with him and eyeing him covetously, right?"
"Yeah, I said it."
"How can you remain so calm knowing that several beautiful young women will soon be living under the same roof as the person you like?"
Liu was very puzzled. Although she had never been in a relationship herself, she had seen people talking about love.
And those people all keep a tight rein on their partners. If any additional threat appears in the relationship, they are likely to end up breathing on each other, or even physically fighting and tearing each other apart. Such situations are not uncommon.
However, after hearing her explanation, her best friend Seele remained completely unperturbed, making Seele wonder if she was truly interested in the Saiyan boy.
That's because I now know the reason why his soul shines so brightly...
Freya answered in her heart.
When children in the lower realm are born, their souls are like blank sheets of paper. As time goes by, the children gradually grow up, and due to different life experiences, they begin to add different colors to their souls.
Some children's souls are adorned with ordinary colors, while others are adorned with extremely beautiful colors.
Freya generally refers to souls with extremely beautiful colors as "gems," while souls that have the potential to become beautiful colors are called "raw stones."
As a goddess of beauty who reveres beauty, her favorite thing to do is to polish promising rough stones into gemstones.
Since the color of one's soul is generally determined by one's experiences, personality, and qualities, the way it is refined usually varies from person to person.
Like her children, some shine brightly when they protect her (Ota), while others are dazzlingly radiant when they protect their own country and people.
Freya's thoughts drifted back to the prince of the restored kingdom she had encountered three months ago when she went out on a whim. The girl who ascended the throne for the sake of her country and people had a soul that shone brightly.
The brilliance of the other's soul stems from the responsibility they bear as a king, and their awareness of fulfilling their duties as a king.
After hearing the Saiyan boy's story, Freya knew that Broly's soul shone brightly because of the different girls he had encountered in different worlds. Those girls had painted colors on his soul.
But Broly's canvas of soul still has a large blank area; he is both a gem and a rough stone from which more beauty can be discovered.
In the process of continuing to encounter different girls and pursuing happiness with them, his soul can become more beautiful and radiant. Naturally, the goddess of beauty would not refuse such a perfect thing.
However, conversely, preventing children from doing things that make their souls beautiful and radiant may cause their souls to become ordinary and unremarkable...
Freya couldn't bring herself to tell her friend, the elf, about this reason.
"That's because I believe in Broly!"
With her thoughts swirling in her mind, Freyahir came up with a barely plausible reason.
“Ah, Seele, your trust is a bit naive. I saw it with the Loki Familia today. Broly doesn’t seem to mind at all being hugged and rubbed against by other women.”
Ryu felt that her friend's trust in the Saiyan boy had been wasted, but this was also related to the fact that the two had not yet established a clear romantic relationship.
"Naru, what do you think I should do?"
Freya Hield feigned concern and asked the elf.
"If you really like Broly, Seele, then you should establish a clear romantic relationship with him as soon as possible. Only after you have this relationship can you rightfully ask him not to let other women hug and rub their faces against him."
Ryu gave her advice earnestly.
"But, as much as I like him, I haven't decided to commit to a relationship with Broly yet."
The signboard girl said somewhat awkwardly.
He hasn't seen my goddess in her true form yet. I want him to see her and recognize Seele's identity...
Freya sought a fateful encounter, believing that a boy like Helen, who recognized her resemblance to Seele, was the true destiny of their meeting.
"?"
However, Ryuk couldn't read minds, so when Seele said "I haven't decided yet," the elf looked completely bewildered.
What does it mean to like someone but not yet decide to commit to a relationship? How is that any different from a bad woman who keeps someone as a backup option?
Ryu's assessment of the human girl before her stemmed from her upright character and the righteous spirit of the Astrea Familia.
However, Seele was also her savior, and Ryu instinctively didn't want to have any negative feelings towards the girl, so her expression became somewhat complicated and interesting.
"Aren't you afraid that someone else will steal the person you like away? By then, if Mr. Broly has already established a clear relationship with someone else, it will be too late to regret it!"
Ryu couldn't help but remind her.
"Yes, Ryu, you're right..."
[If this is based on the premise that a person can only have one partner...]
"That……"
Just as Ryu was about to urge her friend to head over to the Hearthfire Mansion now to confirm her relationship with the Saiyan boy ahead of time.
"Clap~"
The girl who runs the signboard put her hands together and bowed in a gesture of request.
"So, Ryu, can I ask you for a favor?"
"Oh, what is it that you're asking me for a favor at this hour?"
"I would like to ask you to also stay at the Hearth House, and keep an eye on Mr. Broly's situation for me until I make a real decision."
"Hey?!"
"May I?"
"No, no, no, Seele, what does this have to do with me? Why do I have to go and stay at the Hearth House?"
Because you're also the girl Broly wants to meet~
"That's because you're the friend I trust most."
The girl on the signboard looked up and gazed at the elf with a sincere expression.
"Ah, even if you say that, what reason do I have to openly move into someone else's clan's territory?"
“That’s easy. Just use Miss Ais’s reasoning and say that you’re also stuck in a bottleneck in your skills and want her help to break through it.”
"Ah, Broly is a master swordsman; such a lie could not possibly deceive him."
Ryu quickly waved her hand and stood up. That morning at the Loki Familia training grounds, the Saiyan boy had commented on her swordsmanship. "But the only person I can ask is Ryu. Ryu, you don't want to see the boy I like taken away by someone else, ending up alone for the rest of his life, do you?"
"Then why don't you go and make it official!"
Even the Gale Sprite couldn't help but roar at this moment.
"But I haven't made up my mind yet. What if I change my mind later and hurt someone else? I don't want to hurt anyone."
The signboard girl spoke with a kind expression.
So, you come here to hurt me, to make me fight for you, right?!
"No, then why should I live in the Hearth House? You can live there yourself and keep an eye on Broly, can't you?"
Liu immediately pointed out the blind spot.
"Ah, that's because I have a deep connection with the Freya Familia. With my older sister serving as a maid to Lady Freya, I, as her younger sister, can't openly move to another family's residence. That's the rule of the Freya Familia. I don't want my sister to be driven away by the goddess because of me..."
However, Seele simply patched it up. As for whether the Freya Familia actually had this rule, well, that's up to her, the goddess, to decide.
"Uh……"
"Please, Ryu, please help me~"
The mascot girl took the elf's hand and began to shake it affectionately.
"Sigh, I just can't do anything with you. I guess I owe you one!"
Liu sighed and quickly left the tavern again.
"Do you really want to push Ryu into that boy's arms?"
The little giant Mia, who was doing the accounting at the counter, asked the gray-haired girl in front of her only after the elf left the tavern.
"Broly's soul is very beautiful, and the girls he meets always find happiness. I just want Ryu to find happiness, to no longer be bound by the past, and to be able to move forward in life."
"In my opinion, he's just a slightly womanizing brat."
“That’s because you, Mother Mia, can’t see the true nature of that child beneath the surface. I can see Broly’s true soul clearly.”
"The perspective of the gods, I really don't know."
Mia nodded, not denying it.
"However, I know you quite well, Seele. As a goddess, are you really willing to share your favorite partner with others, even if that liking might just be a passing fancy?"
"Yes, that is indeed a problem. I do feel uncomfortable and uneasy when I see that child being close to other girls."
But this slight discomfort, this slight unease, I don't think it's a problem, because Broly is such a tempting child, even if it brings me a little discomfort, I will tolerate it."
"Is it?"
The little giant Mia squinted. She felt that this god, hidden in the form of a young girl, must be holding back, but she did not intend to delve into it.
"Of course."
Seele nodded in response, but the deity hidden beneath the girlish facade was simply someone who was extremely confident in her own charm.
Freya was confident that the Saiyan boy would fall in love with her after seeing her goddess-like appearance, more so than with any other woman he had ever encountered.
. . . . .
"Hey, Ryu, are you coming to stay with me too?"
At the Hearth Hall, Broly had just arranged accommodations for Ais and her two companions and told them to take a bath when the tavern's elven lady came to their door.
“Mr. Broly, will this be a bother? I can pay for your accommodation.”
Liu felt her ears getting warm, and even the way she was addressed had reverted to the old way with honorifics. She was a little nervous, though, because the other person would ask her why she was staying there, and what a somewhat clumsy excuse she would have to give.
"You can come and stay here without disturbing us at all, and you don't need to pay for accommodation or anything."
"Oh, so you've agreed?"
"Ah."
"Uh, Mr. Broly, aren't you going to ask me why I came to stay at the Hearth House?"
Is there a particular reason?
Broly looked at the tavern's elven clerk with some curiosity.
Ah, I just can't bring myself to say it right now if I want to prevent Seele from getting too close to other girls.
Liu looked away, and replied somewhat guiltily, "No, there's no particular reason."
"Then, Ryu, I'll arrange a room for you that faces south."
Broly said.
"As for the room, Mr. Broly, could you arrange for me to be in the room next to Miss Ais's?"
Liu immediately replied that she knew exactly what she was there to do.
Of course, only Ryu herself knew this, but from Freya's perspective, it was actually: "[Broly, I've already pushed Ryu to your side, so you have to fulfill your promise to me and make Ryu happy~]"
Compared to Riveria's direct approach, Freya's assist was more subtle and understated. Her request for Ryu to help keep an eye on the relationships between other girls and Saiyan boys was a pretense; her real intention was to send Ryu to the Saiyan boy so that he might leave a lasting impression on Broly's soul.
"Uh, Ryu, didn't you bring any luggage?"
Broly led the tavern elf to an empty room and only then did he notice that she had come empty-handed.
"After I finish helping out at the tavern tonight, I'll bring my luggage over."
Liu replied, but her face had already turned bright red.
I didn't expect this when I came here, and now it's turned out to be a misunderstanding.
"Do you want to take a shower? I can get you Lily's clothes to change into."
. . . .
"Wow..."
The bathroom door was opened, and the elven girl, hearing the noise, immediately shrank into the hot spring. When she saw that the person who came in was the tavern girl, who was also an elf, she asked in surprise, "Miss Ryu, didn't you say you were going back to the tavern to help out? Why are you here too?"
"Lefia, need I say more? She must have come here to take a bath too."
As she spoke, Tiona stood up from the hot spring pool.
"Ryu, do you need me to scrub your back?"
She asked.
Faced with the enthusiastic Amazonian girl, Ryu felt as if her own heart was being tormented.
Others treated me sincerely, but I came here with ulterior motives.
"No, thank you..."
Ryu wanted to refuse.
Don't be so polite!
However, Tiona simply walked over, very naturally pulled her to a chair, squeezed some shower gel onto a towel, and started scrubbing her back.
"How about it, do you need a little more force?"
Liu: “…”
Feeling guilty, she couldn't resist the Amazonian girl's tugging, but to Ryu's surprise, she found that she didn't resist Tiona's unauthorized contact.
(End of this chapter)