In DanMachi, Freya Had Her Eyes on Me from the Start!

Aina took one look and was immediately startled. This kind of crystal card was not something ordinary people could possess; only gods were qualified to apply for one.

Moreover, not every god could apply for this type of crystal card. They needed sufficient financial means to obtain one through the Guild, since crystal cards could be used for loans.

The card bore the emblem of the Freya Familia, so it was clearly a crystal card belonging to the goddess Freya.

However, Aina did not dwell on it. Although only gods could apply for them, the holder did not necessarily have to be a god. Many gods gave these crystal cards to their own children.

Since Cao Ye possessed Goddess Freya's crystal card, he was probably a rookie of "rising star" caliber within the Freya Familia.

"Mr. Cao Ye~"

"Hm? What is it?"

"Mr. Cao Ye, since you're new, would you need an adventurer advisor?"

"Uh, an advisor?"

"Yes."

"How much?"

Though he had money now, Cao Ye had grown up poor, so his first instinct was still to ask about the price.

Aina found that rather amusing. She had not expected his first question to be about the fee.

"You only need to pay a 5% handling fee in the future, Mr. Cao Ye."

"Only 5%? There aren't any other charges?"

"That's right, only 5%~"

"Then sign me up."

Cao Ye thought this was pretty great. Free benefits.

Aina could never have imagined that this guy would not exchange even a single magic stone at the Guild in the future. That so-called 5% would basically amount to nothing.

Her role as his "adventurer advisor" would be nothing but unpaid labor.

Soon, after some formalities, Cao Ye became an adventurer under Aina's care.

Not only that, Aina handed him a money pouch on a tray. The hundred thousand Valis were all inside, and it was Cao Ye's first time seeing so much money.

"Thank you for your help today, Miss Aina. I'll be heading back now."

"See you tomorrow, Mr. Cao Ye."

"See you tomorrow~"

After saying goodbye, Cao Ye left the Guild. With a hundred thousand Valis in his pocket, his first thought was to improve his quality of life. He had to treat himself to a lavish meal.

He had been in Orario for over half a month, yet all he had eaten was rye bread and the cheapest food available.

Now that he had money, naturally he had to satisfy his stomach.

As he walked through Orario's bustling streets, vendors called out from all around him. Weapons and equipment, all kinds of potions, clothes, backpacks—there was everything one could want. It was like a marketplace.

"I'll take one of these."

"Is this grilled squid? I'll have two."

"Wow, fried meat patties. Two, please."

"Hmm, fried potato balls. I'll take two of those too."

On the snack side of the market, the food in Cao Ye's arms kept piling up, while his face was filled with bliss as he ate.

Syr: I Scammed Myself? I'm So Mad! ### "This is so good. Sure enough, having money is great."

Walking through Orario's bustling streets, Cao Ye's mouth was slick with grease.

Perhaps because of All the World's Evil, every bit of food Cao Ye ate was converted into energy his body needed, leaving him permanently full.

Furthermore, he did not have to worry about getting fat from eating too much. So long as Cao Ye wanted to, he could keep eating forever. It was all just replenishing energy anyway.

Because of that, Cao Ye truly let loose this time, trying everything he wanted to eat.

In life, only beauties and good food must never be neglected.

The Hostess of Fertility was a famous tavern in Orario. It was known not only for its food, but also for its beautiful waitresses. Countless people came here precisely because of them.

However, though every one of those ladies was beautiful, none of them were simple.

Anyone who tried to cause trouble here met an ugly end without exception. It had become something of a local legend.

"Welcome. What would this adventurer gentleman like?"

Cao Ye had been wandering about aimlessly when he somehow ended up here. Then a pleasant female voice rang out beside his ear.

When he turned around, he was instantly stunned.

She had short blue-gray hair and wore a green, maid-like uniform. Her naturally charming air made people instinctively like her.

Syr Flover, the poster girl of the Hostess of Fertility, was also a renowned beauty in Orario.

Of course, she had another identity as well: she was the disguise of the beauty goddess Freya. Thanks to her charm, even simply appearing on the street would make her the center of everyone's attention.

By chance, Freya had once encountered a child.

The child loathed her own body so intensely that she had even wanted to abandon it. When she saw the beautiful form of Goddess Freya, she wanted to become her. That surprised Freya and greatly piqued her interest.

Freya took her back to the Familia. Later, the original Syr offered her name to Freya.

In exchange, she received the name "Helen," along with magic that allowed her to transform into Freya—and into the Syr everyone knew. She could share Freya's five senses and unilaterally feel Freya's emotions.

After that, Freya worked at the tavern under Syr's identity, having fun, while Helen took her place within the Familia whenever Freya was absent.

And the woman standing before him now was definitely Freya herself.

Cao Ye had previously been charmed by Freya, only recovering after All the World's Evil lashed back at her. That had left quite an impression on him.

Oh my, as expected of the little one burdened with All the World's Evil. Did he recognize me?

Seeing Cao Ye's expression, especially that flash of shock, Syr knew that he had recognized her.

However, she was not angry. On the contrary, she found it very interesting. This disguise of hers had never been exposed before, yet a child from the Lower World had recognized her. It made her even more interested in Cao Ye.

Moreover, though he said nothing, Syr knew Cao Ye would never speak carelessly about it.

Syr found Cao Ye rather amusing, but she was "Syr" now, not "Freya." So her task was to lead the customer inside.

"Are you here to eat?"

"Uh... yes."

With her looking at him like that, could he really say no?

"How many?"

"One!"

Cao Ye held up one finger. He did not know anyone else in Orario. If he had to name the person closest to him, it was probably Freya, his patron goddess.

Hearing his answer, Syr immediately smiled and walked into the tavern.

"Mother Mia, one customer! One Big Eater Set, please!"

"Alright, got it."

As the poster girl of the Hostess of Fertility, Syr was unquestionably the best at bringing in customers.

And who knew how many people came here because of Syr, only to be fleeced clean with smiles still on their faces, coming back for more. As expected of a beauty goddess.

"Oh my, dear customer, I'm terribly sorry. I ordered a set for you without asking first. You're not angry, are you?"

Her pitiful appearance could melt anyone's heart, and even Cao Ye felt his heart race.

If Freya was a richly enchanting mandrake flower, then Syr was a blooming lotus that made people helplessly fall under her spell.

"It's fine. I'm good with anything~"

"Thank you so much. But the Big Eater Set costs twelve thousand Valis per serving. I've made you spend quite a bit."

"It's fine. Someone's keeping me, so I'm not short on money!"

That one sentence nearly choked the mischievous Syr to death.

She remembered that she had given him a Guild gold card, the kind that allowed him to withdraw one million Valis per month. In that case, it really seemed like he did not care at all.

At that thought, Syr grew furious. Was she scamming herself?

Faced with Syr's dissatisfied gaze, Cao Ye felt that she had brought this upon herself. It had nothing to do with him, and he was not taking the blame.

Bang—

Soon, a catgirl dragged over a huge platter containing the Big Eater Set.

It was a massive bowl of rice topped with chunks of grilled meat. Cao Ye tried a piece. The gravy poured over it was like teriyaki sauce, and the combination tasted truly excellent.

Of course, it was genuinely expensive too. Twelve thousand Valis per serving was absolutely a rip-off set.

But it was also genuinely delicious. The taste was top-notch.

A huge bowl of rice paired with chunks of grilled meat—one bite of rice, one bite of meat. It was unbelievably good.

The catgirl waitress watched Cao Ye wolf down his food and inexplicably gave him a few extra looks.

Unlike most women, she preferred cute boys to grown men, especially their butts. She simply could not resist them.

Although Cao Ye was twenty-six, after crossing into this world, his body was no different from that of a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old. With his figure hidden beneath his clothes, he looked like a delicious oversized pretty boy.

Combined with Cao Ye's already decent looks, the catgirl developed a certain "interest" in him.

"Chloe, what are you doing? Mother Mia is calling you."

"Ah?"

Syr's voice abruptly woke the catgirl from her immersion in "beauty."

When she turned around, her eyes met Mother Mia's dangerous gaze.

That immediately made cold sweat pour down the catgirl's back. At the Hostess of Fertility, Mother Mia was unquestionably at the top. She treated everyone as her own daughters, which meant she never held back when scolding or hitting them.

Syr: Adventurer, the Service Fee Is Very Expensive, You Know! ### After the catgirl waitress left, Syr looked at Cao Ye with dissatisfaction.

This guy was flirting with other women outside. Did he not know what her identity was now? She had paid for him.

As a goddess, Freya's possessiveness was terrifying. She absolutely would not allow anyone to touch what belonged to her. Even if something belonged to someone else, if she wanted it, she would do whatever it took to obtain it.

"You really are popular, aren't you, Mr. Adventurer~~"

"Hm?"

Hearing Syr's voice, Cao Ye raised his head in confusion.

Looking at the goddess, whose face was clearly filled with displeasure, Cao Ye was utterly baffled.

What's going on? What does that mean? What did I do now?

Seeing Cao Ye's dumbfounded look, Syr came to her senses as well. This time, she could not blame Cao Ye. After all, he had known nothing from beginning to end.

"Want a piece?"

Cao Ye picked up a piece of grilled meat and offered it to her. There were more than twenty pieces of meat atop the bowl of rice, each one quite substantial. Cao Ye was eating to his heart's content.

Though, of course, it was still expensive. At twelve thousand Valis, there really was not much meat for the price.

"No thanks~"

She threw him a displeased look, then turned and walked away.

Syr was annoyed too. What did he mean, Want a piece? Was this glutton only thinking about food?

But after venting her anger and entering the kitchen, Syr suddenly burst into laughter. This was the first time in the thousands of years since she descended to the Lower World that she had experienced something like this.

After all, she was a goddess. Before the children of the Lower World, she had always been an unreachable existence high above them.

Even to the members of her own Familia, she was their exalted patron goddess, and they revered her deeply.

Yet Cao Ye's attitude toward her was something entirely unprecedented.