In DanMachi, Freya Set Her Sights on Me from the Start!

"No, I'd only heard some 'rumors' about the god Apollo~"

The moment Cao Ye said that, Freya understood.

In Orario, while the Apollo Familia was not considered first-rate, it was by no means weak. Moreover, there were plenty of rumors about them circulating among the public.

"Don't worry. You're mine. Even if Apollo had ten times the courage, he wouldn't dare act recklessly."

"I understand~"

Freya's words were arrogant and self-assured, but she had every right to be.

The strongest member of the Apollo Familia was only Level 3. As for the Freya Familia, one had to be Level 4 just to be considered qualified. The weaker ones were too embarrassed to even show their faces.

Any executive of the Freya Familia could easily crush the Apollo Familia.

Freya was somewhat displeased by Cao Ye's reply.

"I'm a little tired today. Massage my feet~"

"Yes, Lady Freya."

He glanced at Freya's long legs clad in black stockings. They were tempting, and he still craved them, but he no longer felt as casual as before.

After all, he had nearly died in the Dungeon, and there was a strong chance that the hungry goddess before him had orchestrated it. With that thorn lodged in his heart, nothing else could be discussed.

Including Putting a Collar on You, Goddess?

Within the luxurious room, the noble and regal goddess reclined on her side atop a jade throne.

Beside her, a man massaged her delicate feet. The atmosphere in the room was strange, especially for the goddess, whose dissatisfaction was nearly overflowing.

Slowly opening her eyes, Freya looked at Cao Ye, who had his head lowered as he "served" her.

"Alright, stop."

After only a few minutes, Freya had grown tired of it and spoke directly.

Hearing Freya's words, Cao Ye released the goddess's feet. He knew there was a problem with his attitude, but he had never been the sort of person who could hide his feelings.

The only reason he had not laid everything bare was that he was currently dependent on Freya, and she had helped him greatly.

The goddess sat up, drawing back her pair of jade-white legs. Her gaze fell upon Cao Ye. She was a goddess of the "queen" type, with arrogance carved into her very soul.

"Cao Ye, you've changed a lot these past few days."

"I'm just a little tired. After all, I'm still too weak."

"The difference between before and after is so great. I'm very curious—what caused it? Did someone tell you something? Or did you figure something out yourself?"

With a single sentence, Freya pierced through that thin layer of paper.

Though she had not said it outright, it was already on the verge of being laid bare.

Cao Ye had not expected Freya to say that. For a moment, he was at a loss. What did this mean? Was she going to lay it all out? Or was she warning him?

What should he do? Take a step back and continue as he had before, or speak openly?

"On the seventeenth floor of the Dungeon, I first encountered a Monster Feast, then a monster rampage. I nearly died there."

"I heard about that from Ottar."

"What I'm saying is, Lady Freya, that wasn't a coincidence. Someone wanted to kill me, so they set me up."

"Kill you? Set you up? How can you be so certain?"

"Because that day, the Dungeon's rampage was not caused by me. It was because a god had angered the Dungeon. I was merely caught up in the disaster."

When he said "god," Cao Ye raised his head and met Freya's gaze.

Man and goddess were now separated by only a thin layer of paper. With the slightest force, everything would be exposed.

"That is the will of the Dungeon. The Dungeon hates the gods, so whenever it senses traces of a god, it riots. It may even breed 'black monsters'!"

Freya's direct admission made Cao Ye frown slightly.

"So, you admit it?"

Cao Ye threw a straight punch of his own, speaking without any detours.

"That's right. It was my order. I had Ottar carry my divine will there. The purpose was to trigger the Dungeon's rampage and force you into a desperate situation."

"Why?!"

Cao Ye stood up directly, his tone sharpening.

He did not understand. She had let him be, never treating him like any other member of the Freya Familia, yet now she had plotted against him behind his back. He could not understand it.

"Because I don't like your laziness and complacency. Your potential is enough to climb to the peak of Orario, but that path must be built with blood and tears, not idleness."

"Just for that reason?"

"Is that reason not enough?"

The rhetorical question silenced Cao Ye.

Is that reason not enough?

There was no real question here. As the patron goddess of his Familia, her blessing was engraved upon him. More importantly, she was a goddess, and he was a mortal.

"It's enough~"

With things having been said this far, what else could Cao Ye say?

Freya could also tell that Cao Ye now felt disgust and rejection toward her, completely unlike his previous attitude.

This was the greatest difference between Cao Ye and the natives of this world.

As a visitor from another world who had never encountered so-called gods before, Cao Ye lacked the instinctive reverence for gods that people of this world possessed.

Especially since Cao Ye had watched countless anime and read countless novels, his feelings toward gods were rather unusual.

He had liked her before because she was the most beautiful goddess.

He rejected her now because she had nearly taken his life.

And he was not Freya's devoted worshipper. He did not share the notion others had of being willing to give everything for the goddess. On the contrary, he was constantly lusting after the goddess's body.

Freya looked at Cao Ye. Her expression did not change, but no one knew what she was thinking.

"I know your heart must be filled with resentment, indignation, and dissatisfaction right now."

"... ... ..."

Silence. No reply, but it was more like tacit agreement.

After experiencing something like that, it was impossible not to have feelings about it.

"But this is how the world works. Without strength, you cannot even decide how you die, can you?"

The slightly mocking words were impossible to refute. The theme of the world had never changed: the weak were prey to the strong, and the strong were honored.

Especially in Orario, this was even more true. Powerful adventurers could act however they pleased, while weak adventurers could only swallow their anger.

Seeing the silent Cao Ye, Freya slowly rose and walked over to him.

For a moment, Cao Ye did not understand. The atmosphere had become so tense—why was Freya still acting this way toward him?

Cao Ye could even smell the fragrance drifting from Freya's body. Though the timing was wrong, his mind still began to wander.

"You are dissatisfied with my actions, but there is nothing you can do to me because you are too weak."

"However, I can give you an opportunity."

"Ottar is the strongest of the Freya Familia. If you can defeat Ottar, you may do anything you wish to me."

A power called "Charm" quietly began to spread along with Freya's words.

"Anything?"

"Yes, anything. Even if you want this goddess, it is not impossible."

"Including putting a collar on you and keeping you leashed at my side forever?"

At those words, Freya froze slightly. Her gaze toward Cao Ye was filled with astonishment.

Though she had intended to use her "Charm" to entice Cao Ye, she had never expected him to say something like that. This truly was an unexpected delight.

Putting a collar on herself—Freya had considered countless possibilities, but this was the one she had never imagined.

If You Want to Make Me Yours, Conquer Me First!

If Cao Ye's words were to spread, they would absolutely be a grave crime.

After all, in Orario, though the gods had sealed their divine powers to experience life in the Lower World, gods were still gods. They could never truly be the same as mortals.

It was like a powerful figure going to the countryside to experience rural life. You could not forget his identity just because he put on plain clothes. He was still a powerful figure.

Saying something like putting a "collar" on a goddess would be enough to get him erased from Orario.

Yet Freya felt something different at that moment.

She could not describe the feeling, but she was not angered by Cao Ye's "disrespectful" words. She even felt a trace of anticipation.

"If you can do it~"

Looking at Cao Ye, Freya smiled. For the first time in all these years, she felt such "delight."

The gods had descended to the Lower World precisely to pursue "entertainment," had they not? At that moment, Freya felt an unprecedented "excitement."

Looking at Freya now, Cao Ye found it a little strange. Why did he feel as though Freya was even more eager to try than he was?

However, seeing the seductive Freya before him, recalling the "danger" he had faced earlier, and especially considering that he had spoken such "blasphemous" words only to receive that response from her—

At that moment, Cao Ye believed Freya simply did not think he could accomplish it. In Cao Ye's eyes, her smile was "mockery."

The thought stirred irritation in Cao Ye's heart.

All the World's Evil deep within Cao Ye's soul had produced a faint ripple because of Freya just now, and Cao Ye's emotions happened to be unstable at the moment.

All those factors came together, resulting in what happened next...

"Mm—"

Suddenly, Cao Ye's head burned hot, and he launched a "surprise attack" on Freya.

A goddess's rosy lips were claimed by a child of the Lower World, who even took the initiative to "attack." Throughout the entire process, Freya remained stunned.

After a brief daze, Freya came to her senses and tried to push Cao Ye away, only to find that she could not do so at all.

Freya had lost her divine power, and her physical strength was no different from an ordinary person's, let alone compared to Cao Ye, who had grown much stronger by now.

Boom—

"Insolence!!!"

Freya's divine will erupted violently, blasting Cao Ye away.

Cao Ye felt a sharp pain, and sweetness rose in his mouth before he forcibly swallowed it back down. However, when he looked at Freya, there was a trace of "mockery" in his eyes.

Bang—

At that moment, Ottar outside the door sensed the eruption of Freya's divine will and immediately charged inside.

Seeing the injured Cao Ye and the anger on Freya's face, Ottar's gaze toward Cao Ye filled with killing intent.

Cao Ye had received so much favor from the goddess, even such special treatment, yet not only was he ungrateful, he had even angered her. He truly deserved death.

"Who allowed you to enter? Get out!"

"Lady Freya~"

"Do you wish to disobey me as well?"

"I would not dare!"

Though unwilling, Ottar turned and left.

Before leaving, Ottar glanced at Cao Ye's now crimson lips. He would not disobey the goddess's orders, but he would certainly not let Cao Ye off for daring to anger her so greatly.

After Ottar left, Cao Ye clutched his chest and stood up.

"So even you can get angry, Lady Freya. I thought you would always maintain that 'high and mighty' attitude."

"Cao Ye, very good!"