A Waning Silence

by JL Davenport

She was meant to leave and to die causing destruction throughout Orario. But instead, Alfia, the Maiden of Silence, found herself captivated by the young child her sister had left behind in this world. And so, Bell grew up with one extra guardian, and the ripples from that small change will change his story a great deal. Bell/Harem.

12. Chapter 12

Is It Wrong To Have Sex At Home?

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Author's Note: Ahh, this chapter was a nightmare to finish. In my mind it was a very simple, largely mechanical chapter that just needed to show his reunion with Alfia and Hestia, go over some details about Skills and Development abilities, and settle some remaining plot threads- I thought I'd struggle to get it to even reach 15k words, and I'd be able to have it out shortly after the Early Access period for my previous chapter ended. Instead, it's ended up at 24k words and took me weeks… Ah well, I think what's here is good, I'm pretty happy with it and hopefully you'll like it a lot too.

Just to briefly answer a question I've had a few times: Bell doesn't get a skill from confessing/sleeping with Syr, just like he won't with other mortal women he's with. Ultimately while there's no difference in how much he loves them, he's not scared to fall in love with a mortal woman, since that's an equal relationship. Even with Hestia helping him past his fears and his doubts, he still views an "Eternal Promise" to a Goddess as a far more terrible thing, a promise that his love will hurt them terribly when he dies. It means a huge amount for him to be willing to do that, and thus his soul resonates. So he could get a skill from Freya, but only if she's able to be honest with him.

And a reminder once again, that -for some reason- FFN has decided to regularly opt everyone out of getting email notifications. It'll automatically turn them off for you every 6months, so just make a habit of turning it off and back on again to reset it, otherwise you won't get told when I update!

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The sun hung low but bright in the sky, already warming the crisp morning air, as yet another beautiful summer's day slowly dawned across Orario. And under that promising heat, three patently absurd scenes played out in exact unison.

Folkvangr – Large Private Room

"Oh, ah!? Huh?"

Heith woke up with a start, which quickly became a giggle and then turned into a carefree laugh. Her pale-red hair pooled freely across her bare shoulders as she shook off her blankets and stretched out naked. Her ample breasts bounced lightly as she twisted around and her perfectly toned ass made for an equally wonderful sight when she bent over towards her waist- but the spark of humour in her eyes and the easygoing smile that settled so naturally on her lips were where the Golden Witch's true beauty lay.

"Just a dream, huh? Wow, that was some dream!" So saying, she flopped back onto her pillow. She had her duties around the mansion to attend to soon, there was food to be prepared and the blood-soaked battle between the Einherjar to supervise. But just for a moment, she indulged herself in the slowly fleeting memories of a strange fantasy, "Hehe, I quite enjoyed training with that Bell Cranel, but I can't say I ever imagined training quite like that. And especially not with Nine Hells and that Sword Princess in tow!"

More laughter followed as Heith recalled the almost ridiculous scenario that'd played out in her dreams, "Pretty unusual that I wouldn't dream about Lady Freya though… Wonder what brought all that on? Have I been thinking about Bell Cranel that much?" or maybe she was just lonely? With as busy as she was, Heith so rarely got any of her Goddess's attention, much less her gentle touch. And, being so devoted to the Goddess as she was, it wasn't like any other man or woman could have taken her interest.

As weird as the mission had been, she'd quite enjoyed her time with Bell Cranel. He'd shown a lot more grit than any other rookie Einherjar she'd ever seen, and he hadn't resented her for suddenly throwing him into such horribly cruel training. All she'd known about him was that he was a boy who'd somehow caught Lady Freya's interest, but after meeting him Heith thought she could understand how he'd wound up getting trained by two Loki executives- he was just a remarkably likeable kinda guy!

But then, Heith liked plenty of people. The only person she truly cared for was her Goddess. And in the time training him and since, she'd never once imagined doing anything like that to Bell Cranel… even if he did get a title as awesome as 'Burning Fighting Fighter.'

"Ah… Probably best not to say anything to Lady Freya though…"

…

"Huh, I wonder if he's that big in real life? Nah."

The Dungeon – 39th Floor Safety Zone: Azure Blue Tent

"Ah…"

Blinking herself awake, Ais slowly pushed herself up. Tilting her head from side to side as she gathered her thoughts, her usual stoic expression folded into an uncharacteristically confused expression.

"A dream… about Bell?"

That was unusual, but not unwelcome. Ais liked Bell. She didn't really know much about him, and she'd had some guilt about her ulterior motives in having spent the time they did atop the battlements together… but that guilt had passed as the training had continued, and -although she'd never said as much to him- Ais liked to consider herself something akin to Bell's "Master." She'd taught him to fight after all.

She hadn't liked it when that Freya healer had arrived. But she couldn't bring herself to resent Heith, not when she'd been helping Bell get stronger too. Ais wasn't one to begrudge harsh or even cruel training… and while the blackness in her soul had grown deeper each time she'd seen Desperate stained with his blood… the time they'd spent together afterwards when Riveria sent her out to buy him breakfast, had left her brighter than ever.

Bell was a white light that existed even in the darkness of the Dungeon. An impossibility that shouldn't exist but one that Ais wanted to protect.

"I like Bell."

She hadn't seen Bell since that terrifying, inspiring, incredible fight he'd shown them against those two Minotaur. And Ais's thoughts had drifted to him often since. She didn't know if she missed him, but she wanted to see him again when their expedition was over. Seeing him now in her dreams made her happy.

…

She wasn't quite sure what to make of that dream though. She'd never considered love, romance or anything else with Bell. Her life was in the Dungeon and with the unyielding hate that still burned in the depths of her heart, anything beyond and past that was something she was still getting used to.

"Would he… like it if I did that?"

Ais didn't know anything about that kind of stuff. She didn't know how to do it, or even if she could. It was a surprisingly, uncharacteristically daunting thought. As daunting as the sight she remembered from her dream, sitting on her knees with Bell towering over her.

"Maybe… I could ask… Riveria?"

Riveria had been in the dream too! That had been a great comfort, Riveria knew about these kinds of things, she was always the one Ais could turn to when she didn't know how she was meant to act, all she'd have to do wa-

"Hm."

A quick shake of her head dismissed that idea, and a second one dismissed the dream entirely, consigning it to memory and putting it immediately behind her. Such idle thoughts didn't suit her. And they especially didn't suit the Dungeon. They had a mission to complete, they had an endless array of foes ahead of them, the truth behind those plants and that red-headed woman still lurked in the darkness, all of it out of reach, and all of it taunting Ais's bitterest memories. Even if she was no longer what Tsubaki had called an "unsheathed blade", she still wasn't so lax she could sit around and waste time with foolish daydreams.

Seeing Bell in her dreams had filled her with warmth at seeing him again, and at being with him so closely. A flush of energy spread through her, and Ais knew she would be in top form for the Dungeon today.
But for now, until their expedition was ready to break camp for the day, she would train.

The Dungeon – 39th Floor Safety Zone: Emerald Green Tent

"Um, ah, Riveria-sama? Is everything all right?"

"Of course, Lefiya. Please, excuse me just a while, I'm busy taking care of some last-minute preparations."

"Ah, right! Of course!"

The blonde elf dashed off, and Riveria sagged slightly as she allowed herself a small sigh of relief. In truth, even with her upbringing and decades of practice, she was surprised she'd managed to keep her voice level.

Rather than last-minute preparations, the elven royal had yet to even drag herself from her bedroll.
And rather than her usual calm, respectable state… the famous Ljos Alf was (at least in comparison to usual) utterly dishevelled.

Her hair was slightly messy, her nightclothes were a good deal more wrinkled than usual, and her tranquil, collected focus was in complete disarray!

Of course, none of that was why the woman known as Nine Hells was still rolling around her bedroll rather than getting up to prepare for the day that remained ahead, rather that was a symptom of the issue she was facing.

And the issue being that, somehow, yet again, Bell Cranel had invaded her dreams!
And somehow, yet again, the ridiculous, ancient, Elf that she was had wound up caught up in yet another fantasy of this young man!

It was mortifying! It was ridiculous! It was nonsensical!

She'd gone all these long years and all those decades without worrying about romance, love or… or… any of that, and now it was as if she could barely control herself! She'd never even intended to have any kind of relationship with Bell Cranel, she'd wanted to push him towards Ais since he'd seemed like a good influence on her.

And now, in the depths of the Dungeon, at a time when she should be on high alert for danger and with no thoughts for anything else! At a time when her past indiscretion with thoughts of him should have left her sexually satisfied for at least another year or so! Yet again! Somehow! Bell Cranel had wound up in her dreams! And it had been a dream like nothing she'd ever imagined, like nothing she'd ever thought herself capable of imagining, so insane and so disrespectful to everyone involved she couldn't even bear thinking about it!

"Ahhh…" Riveria permitted herself a soft, mournful moan, directly into her pillow, "What's wrong with me?"

That was a rhetorical question. She knew exactly what was wrong with her, but the fact that she didn't want to face it was why she was still tossing and turning in her bedroll. Unfortunately for the regal elf, what was wrong with her could be summarised very simply.

Her thoughts were full of that young, white-haired human.
Her long, pointed ears were burning a scarlet red.
Her heart was pounding.
Her breasts were tingling with excitement.
And… her panties were utterly soaked through.

"Ahhh…"

Another mournful moan slipped out, and this time the pillow went right over her head. How was she ever going to lead the expedition today?

She couldn't even try calm herself by thinking of the Great Tree, lest her thoughts slip away to another sturdy, Great-

"Ahhh!"

---

"Good morning, Hörn. Did you have a nice night?"

Shrugging her cloak to the floor, Freya strode through the penthouse as if she'd never left. And with every step she took, from the very moment she crossed the threshold, it seemed as if the air itself sparked with a life and vibrancy that had been missing since she'd left. As if not just her attendant, but the very world itself had missed her presence.

"I-"

And yet, for the first time in all her years of service, Hörn's immediate reply came with a moment of hesitation. Bowing low, the sullen-looking attendant warred once more with the conflicted feelings within her heart. She didn't know how to answer, or what Freya would see if she tried to. It was impossible to deceive the eyes of a Goddess, and she herself couldn't tell if any response she gave was a lie or truth.

"It was an honour to wear your mantle, as always, Lady Freya, and I'm overjoyed you've returned," she said instead, talking around the greeting rather than risk addressing it directly, "I took care of all the appointments you had left, and everything else is just as you left it."

The fact that she'd had even that single moment of hesitation in answering her most beloved, illustrious, Goddess, and the fact that she was in this situation at all was yet another thing to curse than damned (adorable), dastardly (sweet) Bell Cranel with.

Ever since she'd been cursed (blessed) with his existence, it was as if everything about her life -which had once been so simple- was now far more complicated. Now she was forced to worry about her Goddess's attachment to her play as a mere girl, and now she was forced to fight with, and worry about (incredible) feelings she'd never felt before!

While her Goddess had been in Bell Cranel's arms… whether due to the sheer strength of Freya's feelings towards him, or the fact that Freya had been using Hörn's guise to do so… Hörn had felt every last bit of it.

All Freya's joys, all her delights, all her maddening ecstasy. Hörn's body had trembled and shook just as Freya's had, her lips had parted for wanton moans, greedy pants, and lascivious cries exactly as Freya's had. She'd gasped, she'd writhed, and she'd flown through heavenly pleasure like nothing she'd previously imagined.

On any other day, in any other way, Hörn would have been delighted beyond words to have shared something so deep and so intimate with her Goddess. But in this day, and in this way, those feelings were tainted by the knowledge that what they'd shared had been Bell Cranel.

Rather than just feeling a light wash of heat and excitement through their bond, Hörn had seen exactly what her Goddess had seen. And she had felt exactly what her Goddess had felt.

Which meant that, Hörn had now learned what it was like to have a man as gentle, as kind and as affectionate as Bell Cranel staring so tenderly down at you. She knew what it felt like, with her arms around his and his stroking gently across her body, calming the almost terrifying heat that was pounding from her heart, even as he ignited the need from within her womb. She understood the sense of safety felt from being held tight in his arms. And she understood every bit, every gasp, every moan and every single trembling, mind-numbing sensation of what it was to be wrapped around that ridiculous, unsuitable, barbaric, incredible weapon between his legs.

"!"

Hörn's face was typically wrapped up in a scowl. But right now, with her head lowered towards the carpet, her glare was almost enough to burn a hole in the floor and she was biting down on her lip almost hard enough to draw blood.
Hörn's body was typically flushed, excited and warm whenever she was favoured with Freya's attention. But right now, with memories of that man running through her mind, the wet, sticky heat once again pulsing between her legs was infuriating.

For the first time in her life, Hörn had learned what it was to feel the touch of a man. To feel the touch of someone besides her Goddess.

It made her want to sing. And it made her want to throw up.

And what absolutely hadn't helped matters, was the fact that the very first thing she'd woken up to this morning was the sudden taste of Bell Cranel filling her mouth! The sensation of that flood of warm, sticky essence had engulfed her senses to the point that the disgusting (wonderful, delightful, incredible, thick, potent, addicting…) taste of him was still lingering on her tongue even now! And that was without going into the unwanted (comforting) lingering sense of his kindness and his love that still surrounded her, both inside and out!

It was too bewildering to deal with, and it wasn't fair!

For the very first time in all her years of service, Hörn was conflicted about a night spent acting as Freya. Thankfully, at least, there was no reason her Goddess would know about any of this, or about the sheer intensity of the feelings that had flowed through their connection. So, the silver-haired attendant was able to keep at least some scraps of her dignity.

If Freya noticed the war being waged within her follower's mind, or if she even noticed the single moment of hesitation that was so agonising the girl, she said nothing.

Instead, she simply tugged at the fastenings of her dress, pulling them loose.

"Is the bath prepared?"

"O-Of course, Lady Freya. It should be at the perfect temperature for you, right now."

"Perfect."

The fastenings fell loose, the dress fell away, and with it, Freya's huge, soft, and perfectly round breasts bounced free into the air.
Then, with just a single, incredible, turn of her equally perfectly proportioned waist, the gossamer fabric slipped down her long, slender, creamy-soft legs and fell unbidden from the floor.

With neither a glance nor a pause, the Goddess of Beauty dropped her clothes to the floor and stepped out, baring herself naked for anyone to see.

And at that, Hörn's confusion finally melted away. Lost for breath, red-faced and with her heart suddenly leaping in her chest, all that existed was -once again- the perfect existence before her. She'd seen Freya naked countless times before, she saw this same sight almost every morning as well as the rare few nights when Freya invited her to warm her bed, but she had never and knew she would never tire of it, the effect was just as powerful as the first time. Even though she herself had worn this exact same appearance, it simply wasn't the same. This was the true Freya, and the sheer substance between them was like heaven and earth.

Freya passed by and into the bathroom without so much as a backwards look, and it took Hörn another few seconds to even gather herself enough to collect the Goddess's discarded clothing, and then another second longer to collect her bearings enough to follow the woman into the bathroom.

"No."

The Goddess's voice was simple, and soft, without a trace of rebuke, but it left the attendant frozen in place all the same, her foot hovering in the air just a single step outside the tiles to the bathroom and where Freya was currently gathering up her favourite oils, perfumes and soaps. Hörn's confusion peaked. She was gathering them herself? Then did she inten-

"I shall wash myself today."

"I? Ah, b-uh.. ah, Lady Freya?"

"Mm-ng… You were right, the water is perfect, well done, Hörn," life and light flowed back into the attendant's veins, and she remembered to breathe once more, "I'm sure you were able to guess, but I spent the last night wrapped up in my Odr's arms. It was… an unforgettable experience… A night worth waiting these lonely millennia for. And I would not so soon have another touch upon me. Right now… I simply wish to savour the sensations he's left on me."

"O-O-Of, of course, Lady Freya," Hörn, more than any other soul in the entire world, could understand that. As much as she hated it, she could truly and perfectly understand exactly those feelings, those sensations, and the incomparable delight that Freya was awash in. She had felt those exact same feelings herself. Her body still remembered his gentle caresses, her mouth still remembered his heated kisses, and her heart still remembered the love he'd filled it with, "I-I, ah… I am, I am happy you had such a delightful night, then."

"Thank you, Hörn," Freya sighed, sinking into the steaming water with a soft moan, "It was indeed…a truly wonderful night and an incredible morning. Far better than I'd expected, much more than I'd dreamed… and yet… there was one flaw, one thing that bothers me even at the end of such delight."

"Lady Freya?"

"Last night, I fully indulged myself in his love, I surrounded myself with him and allowed him to do the same with me, our bodies came together, and all boundaries between us melted away- there was nothing at all but me and my Odr. Yet, this morning, the pleasure and the love were there, but the indulgence was not. His body yearned for me, and mine yearned for his… And yet, we cut ourselves short."

Having been on the receiving end of feeling Freya and Bell delighting in three very thorough rounds of lovemaking, and more dizzying, world-shattering orgasms than she could possibly count, Hörn wasn't able to give a meaningful reply to that. Freya's monologue continued while the attendant squirmed in the doorway, trying very hard to push such memories and the still-lingering warmth from her mind.

"I wanted to embrace him fully, with no other thoughts on my mind, and to feel the same from him. I want to still be with him even now. The bar has yet to open, there's still a good few hours before breakfast, and yet, here we are on completely different ends of the city. All because of that Goddess, Hestia. All because she of all the Goddesses in Orario was the one he joined. All because I can't risk being seen by her."

Freya snorted, leaning her head back on the rim of the tub, a layer of steel underpinning her soft voice.

"I can forgive it this time. And it was simple enough to encourage Bell to go dashing off to see her, lest she find us in bed together… But even that thought rankles me terribly, enough almost, to sour this wonderful mood."

Her Odr running off to go see another woman, first thing in the morning? No, that wasn't right at all.

"Everything has moved much faster than I expected, I never imagined he would be able to accept my love so soon. But that boldness has left me unprepared… And, this current situation is absolutely untenable. Hestia, of course, will become curious the moment Bell tells her about Syr, and it will be exceedingly strange if I am to keep avoiding her after that. Mmm, and more importantly than that, I simply will not accept my pleasure being cut off for the sake of another woman. I feel like I've tiptoed around Hestia, and her feelings long enough, don't you think?"

"You have been incredibly patient with her, Lady Freya," Hörn nodded, instantly, "Far more than any other woman would in your position. It's not right at all, you having to wait and watch from the shadows, while she walks around with him, as if everything is fine!"

No matter whether Hörn hated Bell Cranel, or loved him, the fact that he belonged to her Goddess was unmistakably clear to her all the same. He was Freya's to do with, to toy with, and to look after. The fact that Hestia was the one who'd laid claim to him seemed practically akin to theft to the young attendant.

Beyond that though, the sullen girl kept the rest of her feelings to herself. Not because she wished to hide them, but simply because Freya was already fully aware of them, and voicing them would only waste her Goddess's time. Hörn was a straightforward girl, to her the answer to such a problem was as simple as possible- if Hestia was acting above her station, if she had dared even get in the way of Lady Freya… then, many in the Familia would be more than capable of secretly taking the Goddess of Hearth far away from Orario and returning her to the heavens. Even if someone could possibly link the act back to them, it was hard to imagine there would be any kind of political fallout at all for the sake of a practically unknown Goddess like Hestia.

But Freya was a gentle Goddess. And she saw farther than Hörn could. And… she'd always seemed to have a small fondness for the Goddess of the Hearth.

And so, Hörn said nothing as Freya made her own mind up.

"Very well. It's distasteful, but there's little else for it. Go and contact that man, tell him I've decided to make use of his services."

---

"Awwwwwaaaaaaaa, Bell! Bell! Bell! Bell!"
"Uwaaaaaaaaa! Bell-sama! Bell-sama! Bell-sama!"

Between a fever pitch of crying, welcoming, sniffing, more crying, praising his hard work, and clinging as tight around him as either girl could imagine, on the far end of Orario, a far more chaotic reunion was playing out.

With no further misadventures waylaying him on the way back from the bar, Bell had done his best to enter the church basement as quietly as possible, to keep from waking up the people he knew he'd already inconvenienced so much during his convalescence. Unfortunately, his attempts at stealth were no match for Alfia's highly sharpened, elite Adventurer, senses and the Maiden of Silence had practically leapt from her bed the moment he'd closed the door behind him. Her greeting had consisted of nothing but a soft smile and a few gentle words… but that had been more than enough to awaken the Goddess and Supporter, lying tangled up atop the couch a few meders away, and a few moments later the waterworks had begun.

"Goddess, Lilli… I'm home."

Wrapping his arms around both of them, returning their words as best he could, Bell couldn't keep the smile from his face, no matter how much trouble he knew he'd caused them all.

It was an utterly overwhelming greeting, far more than he'd ever experienced before, but it was a warmer reception than he'd ever felt in his life. It was a reminder that he'd been missed and that he was loved.

Standing away in the corner, and as far from Hestia and Lilli's hollering as was physically possible, Alfia made for a stark contrast to the two smaller women. She'd favoured him with a familiarly warm smile and welcomed him back home, but that was all. Her expression was just as placid as ever, and there didn't seem to be a single thing dishevelled or out of place with her at all. He hadn't expected, or wanted, there to be, of course, but it made him wonder if Syr was just teasing him about her crying.

"I'm sorry I worried you, Alfia."

And now she did surprise him. He'd expected her to scold him, to point out how his ridiculous dream of heroics had almost cost him his life, or to berate him yet again for how recklessly he was racing through the dungeons. But instead, she simply shook her head, a small and gentle smile once more breaking through her face. All that would surely come later. But, apparently, even Alfia didn't have the heart to condemn him right now.

"You've really grown up, Bell…"

Once again, his heart was touched. The simple words and sincerity flowed into him just as powerfully as his Goddess's, just as intensely as Lilli's.

"I, ah… I'm sorry for worrying you too, Filvis-san."

"Eh, ah?"

Standing with her arms crossed in the opposite corner as Alfia, as far away from the proceedings as possible, the Elf flinched at being so suddenly brought into the conversation. Chewing on her lip, and shooting a sidelong glance to where Bell was almost sure he'd seen a superior look flashing across Alfia's face, she muttered her own praise.

"That is, ah… That's good. You've certainly done well to survive."

Filvis's presence in the Church had been the second biggest surprise since leaving the bar. But considering that his time in the bar this morning had been full of shock, horror and guilty-thoughts he was sure would eat at him for a long time, that wasn't saying a lot. According to what he'd gleaned from Alfia when she'd welcomed him back, it seemed Filvis had visited just the night prior, and when she'd heard about his condition, she'd wound up being so worried about him that she'd stayed overnight- intending to visit him with the others first thing in the morning.

Once again, Bell couldn't help but smile.

It wasn't as if he hadn't been favoured with the raven-haired Elf's subtle kindness before, and it wasn't as if he didn't understand the gentleness that hid beneath her rigid exterior. But she certainly wasn't someone he'd expected to have been visiting him at his bedside, worrying about him while he was recovering. He didn't doubt that some amount of this was due to Alfia's usual unexplained prodding, but he was touched all the same.

Without anything more to be added from Filvis, Bell's attention was drawn once again to the two women currently bawling into, and clinging against his now thoroughly soaked shirt, wrapping his arms around each of them and holding them tight until they could form coherent sentences again.

From there the reunion continued in much the same vein for the rest of the morning, with Bell recounting his experiences, looking over the mangled scraps of his armour that had been brought up with him, and assuring everyone repeatedly that he was hale and hearty once again. Hestia outright forbade any ideas of heading into the dungeon today, and even if she hadn't, he wasn't reckless enough to head into the Dungeon with the current state of his equipment, so all thoughts of future exploration were put off and recovery was set as the immediate focus, both for himself and Lilli. Even Filvis spoke up in agreement with that plan, adding her approval to Alfia's insistence that an adventurer's job also involved resting properly.

The time passed warmly and pleasantly…

…And then, much too soon for her liking, Alfia was bustling Hestia out the door and towards her part-time job.

With Bell having returned home, and with nothing immediate than needed doing, the Goddess of the Hearth had no excuse to keep her from the Jyagu Maru Stand, or especially from the second job she was doing to repay Hephaestus.

The Maiden of Silence was at least kind enough to call Lilli away for a minute, giving Bell a chance to walk his Goddess to the church's entrance, and giving Hestia a moment to steal a goodbye kiss away from the Prum or Elf's eyes.

"Ahhhh! Bell… this isn't faaaair! I wanted to spend the day with you!"

But of course, after having worried so desperately about him all this time, that wasn't nearly enough for the twin-tailed beauty. Instead, stepping out of her sole-follower's brief embrace, pouting and fuming at being denied time with the man she loved, Hestia stomped her feet, placed her hand on his chest and swore a "Goddess's Promise!" that she would make up for this tonight, that she would run back home as soon as she could and they would have a proper celebration for his return and recovery!

"I'll look forward to that, Goddess!"

So, with one last forlorn look, and then a second, and then another few seconds of sighing, and then one more quickly stolen kiss, Hestia ran off towards the work she was already late for.

…

And, not long after Hestia's departure, Bell was making his way out to Orario as well, walking hand-in-hand with Lilli as he escorted her back to her house.

"Bell-sama… Bell-sama… Lilli is, Lilli is so happy you're all right. Please, never scare Lilli like that again!"

"Well, ah, I guess, I thought… I thought I had to do it, to keep you safe. And then, after that… I had to do it, for myself… to prove that I could get stronger…"

"Ahh, that's too reckless! Why does Bell-sama need to do something like that!? It doesn't make sense! Adventurers are all stupid! Bell-sama doesn't need to be stupid like them, you don't have to prove anything to anyone!"

"I'm sorry Lilli, but I don't regret it."

"Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!"

Her eyes welled with tears and her hand clenched vice-tight around his, and when they finally arrived at the inn where she was staying, she clung to him suddenly in an equally desperate hug. Her thin arms clung to him with all her tiny strength, and her light body pressed as firmly against his as she could manage.

The meaning, the fear, the frustration and the relief his supporter felt were very clearly conveyed to Bell, and even without regrets his heart was filled with guilt at having worried her so deeply… and also filled with just as much guilt that, as sexually awakened as he was now, having Lilli pressed up tight against him like this, he couldn't possibly avoid being made painfully aware of her soft breasts squishing forcefully against him, or her supple body wrapping around him.

Even being fully aware of how inappropriate it was, Bell was also made fully aware of how womanly his supporter was underneath her long coat. Blushing as much from the thoughts he tried to avoid as from his guilt at feeling any of this, he simply wrapped his arms around her and let her vent until she was done.

…

Returning back to the Church, Bell had barely set foot inside the house before he found himself sent out yet again.

To his surprise, it seemed Filvis had stuck around while he'd been taking Lilli home, and so Alfia immediately tasked him with escorting the elf on another date.

The Dionysus Captain went through her usual routine of huffing, and puffing, and making her distaste for the idea clear… but despite the sour look on her face, she soon warmed up (almost to the point of being congenial) as they made their way slowly back and forth around the city, falling into their familiar habits, walking side by side, and making easy conversation. As always, she turned down his invitations to take her somewhere to eat, but she was happy to substitute that time by offering more lessons on Elvish.

Suddenly reminded of the success he'd had with the language so far, Bell recounted his most recent encounter.

And Filvis was suddenly very, very surprised, and then very, very worried when he happily explained how he'd obliviously rattled off the phrase she'd told him.

[Just as the frost thaws and the forest grows, let us be, as we always have.]

A request and a statement that dated back to one of the most romanticised periods of Elven history. A saying that was deeply meaningful to her, not something she'd ever taught him but simply part of her explanation of Elvish history, and something she had specifically told him never to use. A saying that had become so legendary and so dramatic that it existed practically only in stories, plays and (secretly) within the hearts of innocent young Elf maidens… And it had been spouted almost casually by a human…

Despite herself, Filvis couldn't keep her long, pointed ears from burning red with shame at hearing Bell's story, and at knowing her part in it. And, she couldn't help but whisper a silent apology to the poor waitress that'd had to endure such a thing.

It took the Maenad several minutes to calm down after that, but when she did her lessons returned with far greater force, and far stricter emphasis that he pay much less attention to the stories she told him, and far more attention to the grammatical structures he kept getting wrong!

As always, the date wasn't particularly romantic. They didn't hold hands, they didn't hug, and they certainly didn't kiss. But when they parted, they were each smiling.
And, as she walked back towards her own Familia home, she lingered just for a moment, turning back over her shoulder to him as she flipped her hood up over her head-

"I don't know what happened to you on the ninth floor, but I do know that to survive it as you have, is truly remarkable. I underestimated you greatly, Bell Cranel. You truly are an adventurer… And, you're someone I'll be keeping an eye on."

Bell's face blazed red, completely unprepared for such naked praise, and she was long gone before he could possibly stammer out a reply.

And yet, when the embarrassment faded, it was the strangely sombre look in her amber eyes that lingered within him.

She was happy he'd survived, but somehow, she'd seemed saddened by his success? He couldn't wrap his head around it. Even with all the time they'd spent together, and all the dates he'd taken her on, he understood less about Filvis than he did about Eina or Ryu combined.

---

When Hestia finally returned that night, she came directly from the main public bathhouse, with her skin still smooth, supple and glistening softly with all the most extravagant oils and lotions she could get at the lowest possible prices. Her hair was hanging loose down her shoulders, and she was wearing the same dress she'd worn on her first date with Bell, as well as the white thigh-highs she'd purchased for the evening they'd celebrated him learning magic.

Alfia was similarly beautified, although in her case, she was wearing her usual outfit and had instead simply spent the entire afternoon luxuriating through the bathhouse's more expensive facilities- putting the stash of Hera Familia funds to good use.

Between the bottles of wine Alfia had picked out, and the bundles of food Hestia haggled desperately for at the market, the usually poverty-stricken Familia was fully prepared to make an occasion of this evening!

It was a far cry from the kind of celebrations seen at the larger Familia, but it was also a far cry from the nights where their meals had been nothing but Jyagu Maru-kun. Even if it meant cutting into the small pile of savings that Hestia's work and Bell's adventuring had garnered, this was an important moment and both women were determined to celebrate it properly!

The tone was bright, the congratulations vibrant and the happy atmosphere resounded loud throughout the Church basement.

…

And then, almost as soon as they'd begun, Bell completely destroyed the mood.

Finally being alone with his Goddess and Alfia once more, and without any other distractions or interruptions, he opened his heart to them, explaining everything that had happened the night before- the love he'd discovered towards Syr, and that they were now in a relationship.

Although, as honest as Bell was, he at least had the decency to leave out the exact details about just how far they'd gone. While he wasn't ashamed of what they'd done, he'd decided that anything private was just between the two of them, and perhaps with Hestia when he was next alone with her. Alfia, he thought, had no reason to think his relationship with his Goddess had become sexual, so telling her he'd slept with Syr would only confuse matters.

Needless to say, the extremely unexpected news sent both women into a tailspin. They both knew that Bell was fond of the bar, and of that waitress, but neither of them could have possibly guessed that his feelings ran that deep, or that he would be bold, impulsive or reckless enough to act on them so soon!

It took Hestia a good minute to realise she hadn't misheard him, hadn't misunderstood him, and that he was completely serious about everything he was saying. And then, wide-eyed and open-mouthed, the Goddess of the Hearth froze up for several more minutes. Ultimately, it was one thing to go along with his talk of becoming a man who could make all the women he loved happy, and it was quite another to find out that the only man she'd ever loved had gone and begun a relationship with a woman she had never even met!

But, to her credit, she didn't cry, or pout, and she didn't reprimand him or try take back her words.

Trembling in place, trying to sort through a myriad of conflicting emotions wrenching through her, Hestia simply poured and downed a large glass of wine. And then she squished herself even closer to Bell, wrapping herself tight around his arm, and declaring that he'd better not forget that she was his Goddess and that he wasn't allowed to give anyone more love than her!

Wrapping her up in his embrace, Bell could only accept her words happily. At the heart of it, what she'd said was exactly the same as Syr, the exact same worry and the exact same acceptance.

Once again, he couldn't help but be amazed that such incredible women had fallen in love with him. He still couldn't possibly feel worthy of it. But his determination to become a man who could cherish them properly, only burned brighter.

Turning away from the slightly embarrassing display before her, as well as the sight of an ostensibly "virgin" Goddess pawing so needily at the boy she'd raised, the Maiden of Silence had her own objections.

She praised him for facing his feelings and being as forthright as he so obviously had- enough that Syr hadn't been able to help but return his love, despite the strange arrangement. That was, Alfia declared, exactly how a hero should act. The kind of resolve and sincerity that bent the world around him and drew people to him.

And then, in equal measure, she scolded him for doing so without any consultation towards herself, or his Goddess, or any thought at all as to who exactly this Syr was.

Unlike Hestia, Alfia had met Syr and talked to her briefly when the waitress had been begging her and Lilli to take Bell to recover at the Hostess of Fertility, instead of leaving him in the dingy church basement. She'd seemed like a kind, simple girl, and also a plainly normal one, your everyday neighbourhood girl. There was not even a spec of danger or strength emanating from her, rather she seemed to be the only one of the bar's waitresses that didn't carry herself like a fighter. If anything, besides being beautiful, Syr was by far the least interesting person in the bar to Alfia's eyes. If she'd had her say, she would have much rather seen Bell gravitate towards the sharp-eyed Elf instead.

Still, there was no denying that the silver-haired waitress had helped Bell a good deal. A great deal, even, when you considered the Grimoire. From what she'd heard from him and the suggestions she'd picked up, it seemed as if Syr had been looking out for him practically since their first encounter, and she'd certainly been one of the very few supportive figures he'd found in Orario so far.

When he'd been mocked by the Loki Familia, when it must have felt as if all of Orario was laughing at him, Syr and the waitresses at the Hostess were the only ones outside this Church that'd believed in him. She'd made him lunch every day, she'd begged him to be safe, she'd cheered him on and given him a refuge when his Goddess had passed out, and she'd given him a weapon almost as impressive as the Hestia Knife. When she considered Bell's point of view, how lost and overwhelmed he must have been in the big city, having such a beautiful, kind and sisterly older-woman being so generous and so affectionate towards him- it was really no surprise at all that the young adventurer would start developing feelings towards her.

It wasn't hard at all for Alfia to believe that those feelings were truly genuine. He truly did love Syr, just as he loved Hestia and just as he'd been enthralled by Ais.

If anything, it was proof that he was listening to her when she'd said the proof of a Hero was to make your dreams a reality. He wasn't holding himself back or closing off his heart anymore.

She'd told him that he didn't need to change his outlook, that it was perfectly fine for him to just love the Sword Princess and to chase after her. All she'd asked of him was to understand and accept what was around him, to acknowledge it instead of running away from it. And in response, Bell had faced Hestia's love, and he'd opened his heart to her all the same. He'd sworn to make her happy, to make all the women he loved happy.

And, her adorable and beloved Bell had grown up, right before her eyes. No longer the boy she'd raised, he was now a man, starting to make the world bend around him.

He'd faced and accepted Syr's love, and his own feelings, just the same. Even though he was still just a rookie adventurer, and even though he was already in a relationship with his Goddess, he hadn't run from what he'd felt.
And now, she was sure, he had grown even more. A little more sure of himself, a little more determined, a little more manly. Whether he'd found that confidence in the dungeon, or in Syr's arms, she didn't know. But she could only appreciate it, and she was sure Hestia felt the same.

All that was enough to leave Alfia's heart glowing with pride and admiration. Enough to leave her face beaming with a slight, almost perceptible, smile, and enough to leave her filled with warmth as she considered him fully.

…

But it was everything else that made her want to slap him silly and wonder just what he was even thinking! In every single other way she considered this Syr, this bar she was working in and especially the people she was connected to, she practically radiated concern! That was why Alfia was on her feet, bearing down over where the boy and Goddess had been clinging together on the couch, throwing away her calm façade and demanding answers!

Why did you never tell me that the bar was connected to the Freya Familia!? A blank look was returned.
That spear stashed behind the bannister upstairs, did you never notice the Valkyrie Emblem emblazoned on the hilt!? Bell blinked dumbly.
Why didn't you ever mention it was run by Mia Grand!? No response.
…Do you not even know who Mia Grand is? Both Goddess and child stared back at her with bashful, but confused smiles.

Heaving a beleaguered sigh, Alfia slowly explained that the woman who'd always had such a terrifying presence behind the bar was the former captain of the Freya Familia. And, given that the dwarf woman had never been known to use a spear, at least one of the staff and likely the entire bar was connected to Freya in some way.

Bell's eyes were pure dumbfounded surprise.

Hestia nodded along, her own surprise and worry quickly evident. The mystery of how a woman like Syr had possibly managed to get her hands on a Grimoire was solved, but the nature of her connection to Freya remained, and at that, Bell shut up entirely. With some prodding and poking, the Goddess and the Incarnation of Talent worked out that the waitress had sworn him to silence in some manner -which made things even more suspicious-, and all Bell would say was his repeated insistence that she'd done it to help him.

The worries were laid out, the concerns were aired and understood… but not addressed. Regardless of what connection she may have to Freya, or the fact that the Hostess of Fertility clearly had the Goddess of Beauty's fingers all over it, Bell wouldn't hear a word against the waitress. Ultimately, he loved her, and neither of them had any actual suspicions of her.

It was undoubtedly clear that Freya was aware of him, and that they must all watch their footsteps from now on. He could agree to that, and he could even accept that with both Alfia and Hestia pleading him to take great caution with the Valkyrie Goddess, she was certainly not someone to be trifled with. But beyond that, his resolution was inviolate.

And soon enough, Hestia called an end to it.
Invoking her authority as a Goddess, she halted both Alfia's concerns and Bell's defences.

Despite her own undercurrent of jealousy, she'd accepted Bell's feelings, and her divine eyes laid clear the truth of his heart. She promised she would judge Syr for herself when she met her, and in the meantime, it was enough that this was a woman Bell loved. His affection was sincere, and so Hestia promised to treasure it, just as he treasured her feelings.

And then, pouring herself yet another glass, with hands that were only slightly shaking and while still wrapped as tight around the young adventurer as possible… she reminded them all that this was meant to be a celebration! Any other such concerns could surely wait for another time!

Whether it was because of Hestia's divine gravitas, or -more likely- simply from the sense of family the three had found amongst themselves, the serious atmosphere dissipated instantly, as if it had never existed.

Wine flowed freely.
Food was prepared.
Bell regaled them with his adventures, both mundane and heroic.
Hestia showered him with praise, teasing, and simple affection.
And even Alfia fell contentedly into the atmosphere, enjoying yet another simple celebration in a way she'd never once done through all the Hera Familia's lavish parties.

The noise was loud enough almost to be deafening, especially when Bell's peals of laughter were bouncing off the walls, or when Hestia was standing to her full (tiny) height and making some announcement, declaration, or other such proclamation. But somehow, it was comforting all the same. Somehow, the silence she yearned for so frequently wasn't quite so important, at least for now, just for a little while.

The night continued on, comfortably, warmly and boisterously.

And soon enough, Bell's shirt was off, and he was lying down on the couch, with Hestia straddled atop him.

"Bell! Bell! Bell!"

"Goddess!"

"Here it is, look! This is it- your final Status Update!"

"A-Ah!"

After an experience like the one he'd had, after defeating two minotaur at level 1, it was the most obvious thing in the world. And yet, even Alfia was barely able to feign her usual disinterest, sitting restlessly on the edge of the bed. Bell had been practically holding tight to the couch to keep from shaking with excitement as his Goddess had run her hands over his back, updating his Falna as she had so many times before. Hestia, of course, had been in about the same state, babbling this way and that about anything that came to mind as she'd tried to keep her trembling hands as steady as possible. It was the first time for both of them, and the first time Alfia had ever cared so deeply, about someone else's Level Up.

"I… I did it…"
"As expected. Well done."
"Congratulations Bell… You're ready to Level Up."

So saying, Hestia passed him a sheet of paper, where she'd already recorded his status, the final tally of abilities he'd gained as a rookie adventurer. The numbers had always meant so much to them, he'd poured over them and obsessed about them with each previous update… but this time, he hardly even looked at them, rather, he could hardly even bring himself to focus on the writing at all.

Strength: SS
Endurance: SSS
Dexterity: SS
Agility: SSS
Magic: SSS

He saw the letters and even comprehended most of them, but somehow the numbers his Goddess had so carefully written beside each one simply wouldn't stay lodged in his brain. As childish, impatient, and immature as it was, Bell Cranel simply couldn't think about anything else right now, his past Status simply didn't matter compared to the excitement of Levelling Up.

Hestia, of course, saw right through this, and even Alfia found herself indulging him with a wry smile as Bell tried his very best to pretend to be reading the sheet of paper held in his hands. The Incarnation of Talent poured herself another glass of wine, while the Goddess straddling Bell's back placed a calming hand atop his shoulder.

"All right, all right… Then, without any further adooo… Oh?"

"Oh?"
"Oh?"

Hestia hummed. And a painful moment of wondering turned into an agonising eternity before she finally spoke again.'

"Huh, that's strange… Uh, okay… Um, Bell, congratulations! It looks like you've earned a Development Ability with your Level Up! Er... That's normal, I think, but ah, I wasn't expecting this… It looks like you've earned four Development Abilities!"

"I-I g-get four skills!?"

Alfia almost smirked. If it had been anyone but her adorable and beloved Bell, she absolutely would have, "You have to choose one of them."

"Oh, oh… right."

Development Skills would appear on a level up depending on the kind of excelia the adventurer had earned until that point, getting one or two was common, three was rare, and more than that was practically unheard of. For Bell to have such a comparatively wide array of choices spoke clearly about both the incredible effort and the insane risks he'd taken to reach this point. This was a permanent choice, a decision he couldn't take back and a pivotal moment in his growth as an adventurer.

And of course, that all left the young man thoroughly overwhelmed and paralysed by indecision, squirming on the spot as Hestia read out his options, and as he tried to make sense of what he should do.

"Ummm…. Well, I know, uh from Alfia and Eina, Resistance is important, right? You need that to get to the deeper levels… But it's meant to be common, so I can just take it again when I level up next time? Hunter seems cooler, and more useful…" He dithered, speaking his thoughts aloud as he went through them, "And, and uh, Spirit Healing? That'll be really useful for using magic, right? That fourth one though, I don't know…"

"Bell! You can't ignore it!" Hestia responded instantly, puffing herself up as she raised her fist in something like a victory pose, "That's a rare skill! I've never heard of it before!"

"O-Oh, ri-right… But, um… What does it even mean? The name's a little…"

Although they were learned in a similar manner, Development Abilities were very different to skills. They didn't have a description or trigger attached to them, they simply were grouped in with his Basic Abilities and would be levelled up just like them from now on. Which meant, for any skill that wasn't immediately obvious, or well-known, it was difficult to judge its value.

"Hmm, well…" still sitting atop Bell's back, the Goddess closed her eyes, trying to concentrate on the feeling she got from the skill, "It's, it feels kinda like, a Divine Protection! For anyone close to you, trust me, this is a Goddess's Insight!"

Bell hummed. He wasn't convinced. Hestia's words weren't particularly insightful and it was hard to even understand what that skill meant. He knew that Hunter was a very popular skill amongst adventurers, it was the kind of thing that helped earn you money, and keep you safe. Similarly, Resistance was of unquestionable importance through the deeper levels, and Spirit Healing was a vital skill for anyone that used magic. Compared to such obvious and tangible benefits, something that just "felt like a kind of divine protection" came up notably short.

But by the same token, he couldn't just dismiss his Goddess's words.

Sinking against the cushions, his mind spun and his words drooled out uselessly. This was a difficult decision. And it was one worth careful consideration, it was not a choice made easily, and certainly not with two glasses of wine already warming his stomach. He wasn't drunk, if anything the excitement and his nervousness had thoroughly sobered him up, but everything about this celebration and the light-hearted nature of their cheers seemed at odds with weighing up a choice that would define his very future!

"I… ah…" Bell's impatience warred with his sense of caution, "I think… I think I'd better ask Eina-san tomorrow."

It was simply too big a decision to be made on the spot, not without weighing up the choices properly.

Hestia sagged in place, "Yeah, that's a good idea, Bell." As anti-climatic as it was to postpone his Level Up, thinking it over carefully was the prudent choice.

And then, right as the excitement from the moment was fading away into the night-time air, Alfia leant forwards with a soft hum.

"Well… if you'd like, I could advise you instead."

"Ah!"
"Yrk!?"

Bell jolted up so suddenly that Hestia was almost thrown from his back! Looking over, he could see his mother's sister seated now on the edge of the bed, one leg crossed atop the other and an imperious, indulgent smile bearing down upon him.

Ever since they'd arrived in Orario, Alfia had seldom involved herself in his (in her words, foolish) attempts to become a Hero. She'd given him a few scant pieces of advice and nudged him in the right direction a handful of times, but beyond that, he'd only rarely sought out her guidance directly. He couldn't. He knew better than anyone that she'd only returned to the Dungeon City for his sake, because of how lost he'd been after his Grandfather's death, and that she was simply going along with his dream.

He couldn't ask for more than that, and he'd never dared pry into her past. But he knew she was from Orario, and he knew she'd been an Adventurer of some calibre previously.

"You've levelled up, Alfia?"

"I know a little about Development Abilities," she answered instead, "If you'd prefer to ask your advisor, that's fine. But I can give you my thoughts right now, if you'd like."

"P-Please!"

The indulgent smile on her face flashed slightly and for just a second, Alfia looked far less imperious… instead, just for a moment, she looked simply warm, loving and affectionate. It was an old expression, a familiar one, one he remembered seeing on her only occasionally as a child, and less so the more he grew and the stricter she became.

The moment passed so quickly Bell couldn't tell if he'd simply imagined it, or if he'd only seen what he'd always wanted to see… but a second later, his gaze was caught firmly within her piercing stare, and her lecture began.

"Let's go through them all in order then," she began, "Firstly, we can immediately dismiss Resistance. You're correct that it's a vital skill, it gives you a crucial resistance to the status effects and debilitations from the monsters you encounter, there's no question at all that you absolutely will need it as you descend further into the dungeon. But that's later, and it's a common skill with a known method for being obtained. The reason it appeared is because you were exposed to a Purple Moth's poison. Others will work as well, but that's enough. You'll encounter more of them long before you level up, so it will appear again next time, there's no reason to take it just yet."

It was a casual dismissal of a skill that he'd heard even mentioned in almost reverent terms by high-level adventurers, and by his Advisor. But he couldn't find any fault in her logic.

"R-Right."

"Next is Hunter," Bell perked up instantly, his own bias clearly shown, "You're correct that it's a popular skill, it's always been very highly regarded among Adventurers."

"Yeah!"

There was no doubting the power or value of Hunter. It improved the Adventurer's abilities against monsters he'd fought against previously, making it a valuable Anti-Monster skill. On top of that, it required killing an enormous amount of monsters to appear, and would only appear at level 2, meaning it was a fairly uncommon skill and there was no other chance he'd ever get to take it… And it sounded cool! Of course, a Status was a secret, so there was absolutely no meaning in having a cool ability… but, as a man, Bell couldn't help but think his Falna would read better with something like "Hunter" emblazoned on it.

"But you're forgetting the reality of the situation. Most Adventurers don't have particularly lofty goals, they just roam the upper levels, staying only along the main path, and killing monsters for Magic Stones. Very few even make it to level 2, and fewer still beyond that. If all you want to do is live safely in the upper levels, killing monsters you've already killed and trying to make a living like that, then Hunter is an ideal skill…"

Bell's breath caught in his throat, and he immediately understood what she was saying. A vision of a golden-haired knight flashed through his mind.

"…But if your goal is something beyond that, if you want to do more than just trawl around like all the other trash and nobodies, then you'll need weapons to help you fight monsters you've never encountered before, and Hunter is useless for that."

The cool skill was dismissed just as simply. And once again, Bell found it difficult to argue.

"Then, Spirit Healing?"

It didn't sound anywhere near as cool, and it wasn't a skill he'd ever heard of, but Hestia had been familiar with it, and she'd explained it to him. Apparently, it would work to replenish his Mind anytime he cast a spell.

"That's exactly the kind of skill you should be thinking about. I can only imagine it was Nine Hell's training that's caused something like that to appear… there's a stronger version, but in itself, it's a skill that any Mage or any Magic Swordsman would want. After your fight with those Minotaur, I'm sure you can understand now what it's like to be pushed to the very limits of desperation? Spirit Healing is a skill that'll let you take just one more step further. And that can make an enormous difference."

He could only nod at that. Between the training he'd done with Riveria and the recklessness of his fight with the Minotaur, Bell had become painfully accustomed to the feeling of dancing right at the very edges of his limits, desperately trying to draw out whatever he could to keep casting Magic without losing himself to Mind Zero. If he hadn't been able to cast that last Sagitta Sonus, he would have lost his arm, and then he would have died. Bell had craved magic all his life, and now that he'd gotten it, he understood clearer than ever just what a game-changer it was, a tool that could overturn fate and disaster… there was no discounting a skill that would let him squeeze out even just a little more power like that.

"But you're not a Mage, and you're not a Magic Swordsman. You don't have a versatile array of spells, and you're not likely to get any more than the one you've got. You won't go wrong with Spirit Healing, it's not a wrong choice, and it will help you overcome the challenges ahead… but for you, magic is a tool that compliments your abilities, it's not a core of your fighting style."

Bell blinked. After all that, she seemed to be telling him it wasn't suitable for him? At least not completely?

Then, that just left the last skill.

Rabbit's Foot.

"I've never heard of this one, and I doubt your advisor has either. Most likely it's a very rare ability, possibly it's one that's never been seen before," Bell's eyes went wide, and Hestia struck a pose of clear agreement, but Alfia immediately poured water over that mood, "But to be frank, I don't like it. I wouldn't take it- it won't give you power, and it won't keep you alive."

The small Goddess's objection to that statement was ignored completely.

"You know what it does?"

She shrugged, "I can only guess, but judging from the game, I would say it's something like a lucky charm."

Bell screwed up his face in contemplation. A lucky charm… compared to clear power and strength the other abilities, something as intangible as a lucky charm was a little hard to put any faith in.

"Of course, that's also why it's interesting, and why it may be the most valuable of all," surprisingly, despite her rejection of the ability, Alfia continued, "I've told you before, I must have told you a thousand times, you can't underestimate the Dungeon. Being complacent, letting yourself think that you can handle it safely, thinking of it as just a place with monsters in it… that kind of hubris is only setting yourself up for disaster. Even the most powerful Familia in Orario's history had to give it everything they had, every scrap of their ability, desperation and even their lives, to explore the furthest reaches. The Dungeon is alive, it's living, it's thinking, and it's malevolent- always looking for a way to sweep you off your feet, to make a bad situation worse, and destroy you. In a place like that, you can't put faith in something like luck, you can only trust in your own efforts, in the strength you've gained, the knowledge you've learned, and the training you've endured."

He nodded, that was exactly the same conclusion he'd come to, exactly the same thing she'd told him all those times before they came to Orario, and the same mindset Eina tried to drill into him whenever he saw her for advice.

Bell wasn't a particularly experienced adventurer yet, but even he knew the truth of her words about the Dungeon's malevolence, the feeling like being within an enemy's stronghold, feeling its eyes upon you and its power bent towards your destruction. He could well remember the walls opening up and cracking with monsters when he'd fled from the bar, without armour or items, and found himself far deeper than he'd ever expected. And he'd seen the bodies of adventurers just like him hauled back up, day after day, when passing parties had discovered corpses before the monsters had devoured them completely.

"And yet…" Alfia's voice became softer and her gaze became distant, "Sooner or later, every adventurer experiences it for themselves- the sudden feeling as if the ground's given way beneath your feet, and where all your skills, all your knowledge and all your training just aren't enough. Every adventurer will come face to face with times where the power they're so proud of simply doesn't match up… And when that happens, whether it's a chance encounter, meeting the right person at the right time, or choosing blindly between two paths, sometimes, luck is the only thing that keeps you alive."

You couldn't trust it. You couldn't rely on it. But sometimes, it was all you had.

Bell swallowed, awed by the unmistakable words of a veteran, and for a guilty moment, he found himself wondering once again at just how deep Alfia's experience in the Dungeon had run.

"Exactly! Exactly!" Hestia chirped happily, "Like I said, it's definitely, something like a divine protection, it's definitely something that'll be there when nothing else is!"

And finally, the Incarnation of Talent addressed the Goddess directly, "But it won't protect him, will it?"

"Huh?"

"You said yourself, Hestia-sama, it's a divine protection, for those close to him, not for him. That's why I wouldn't take it. Bell, I don't think this ability will help you at all."

The Goddess paused, re-considering the silver-haired woman's words, and re-examining the feeling she could feel from the skill emanating unchosen on Bell's back. After a moment, she bit her lip, nodding.

"She… might be right, Bell. This ability certainly confers protection to those around you, but… I… It might not offer you any protection at all."

An ability like a lucky charm. He could hardly imagine it. Compared to his basic abilities, and even compared to abilities like Hunter or Resistance, it felt like it existed in a completely different dimension.

"Exactly. And while it's true that he'll need a party to explore deeper in the Dungeon, for now, he hasn't yet even reached the 12th floor, let alone the middle levels. His only party member is that thieving Supporter. No matter how rare an ability is, it doesn't make sense to choose one that's of no benefit to you. Even when he has a party, he has to ensure his own survival, or it's all pointless."

"That's… that might be true… Um, well, then maybe Spirit Healing would be better for you then, Bell? Does tha-"

"No."

Such a strange, and strangely unique skill. He had absolutely no proof and no way of verifying it… but Bell was certain he could pinpoint the exact moment when that Ability had manifested within his soul. Surely the embers had been kindled when he'd made his promise with his Goddess when he'd sworn to become the kind of man that would make the women he loved happy, and surely the flame had been lit when he'd left her behind to face the Silverback without a single hope of winning… but he was sure that it had been his emotions facing down those two Minotaur that had changed him. When he'd locked his Goddess behind that iron gate and turned to face the Silverback, he'd done so fully accepting his death. He had no way to win and no hope, he had been only fighting to give her time to escape. But when he'd sent Lilli away, even though he'd been marching towards almost certain death, he'd done so while wanting to win! Despite facing down two enemies that had terrified him to his core, and despite not believing in his victory at all, he'd crawled along the ground and scraped in the dirt, not just to buy time, but to find a way to escape himself. He'd been searching for a miracle.

As it turns out, he'd found a miracle that wouldn't protect him at all.

"That's fine, isn't it?" Bell spoke up clearly, "I can't rely on Luck, I understand that. But, if it can keep the people close to me, the people I care about, safe- then that's what I want."

His words were sombre, and he was trying to keep himself serious, but his face was beaming and it felt as if his body was swelling with warmth. A cool-sounding ability? Who could possibly care about that? Rabbit's Foot was something that would help him become a hero.

Alfia sighed. Hestia laughed. And after a few minutes, Bell's final Status Update as a Level 1 adventurer was complete.

"There we go! At long last, you're level Two, Bell… is what I'd normally be saying, but in your case it happened so fast, I didn't have time to even feel nostalgic."

So saying, she finally slipped off his back and took up her spot on the couch beside him as Bell pushed himself up and to his feet. Closing his eyes, he clenched his fists, sucking in a breath as he felt the energy now rippling through his body!

…

"… I don't feel any different."

If the sound of laughter wasn't so obnoxious, Alfia would have burst out laughing at the look on his face.

"What were you expecting? The sudden urge to yell 'My power is roaring!' up at the sky?" Hestia teased, doing a frustratingly good impression of the vision that had danced within Bell's mind, pretending to shake with newfound energy as she acted out the scene before him.

Holding back his true feelings, Bell just nodded.

He'd levelled up, but he felt exactly the same. He'd thought his body would feel lighter, or that the world around him would seem different. Or something like that, some kind of notable change. Instead, he felt no different to how he had just a few minutes ago. It was as if all the anticipation and excitement had petered out into nothing! Where was the rush of strength and the flush of power!? Where was the feeling of accomplishment that came from levelling up to Level Two!?

Despite the auspicious occasion, Bell's shoulders sagged. It was really disappointing, like all the wind in his sails had just disappeared.

"It's not like the structure of your body changes, you know? Sorry if I made you think there'd be some kind of dramatic transformation."

"Ah, no… it's not that…"

"Hey, your Status improvement is the real deal though! The container, your spirit, has gotten much bigger! It's very obvious to me, and the other Gods will be able to see as well. You feel the same now, but the next time you're in battle it'll feel like you've flipped a switch. You'll pull off attacks you never knew you could."
"Mhmm. It'll take some time to adjust, but when your body gets used to it, you'll understand- your potential is far greater than before. You'll especially see the effect of your hidden parameters"

The words of his Goddess and Guardian served to buoy Bell's spirits, and so he just nodded.

"Well, here's some good news to cheer you up, Bell!" Hestia declared brightly, holding out a piece of paper, "That's your Status at Level Two."

"Huh?"

He blinked. Was there even a point in doing that? When an adventurer levelled up, their previous Basic Abilities would become "hidden parameters" serving as extra points in his Status, and all his Basic Abilities would be reset to zero. So, there was nothing for him to look at, just a slightly depressing row of zeroes… was she trying to mark the occasion or something?

Putting his shirt back on, Bell reached out to take the update.

"Ahh, it was going to be a surprise," Hestia was beaming with happiness as she passed the paper over, "But actually, I think I'll tell you first! Good news, Bell! You got a Skill!"

"A-Ah, huh!?"

"It's your thi-, second Skill! The first one you've developed in the Dungeon, it's what you've been waiting for all this time isn't it? Your very own Skill!"

A full second passed in silence as Bell stared at his Goddess in shock his hands trembling and eyes going bloodshot as her words slowly fell into place in his mind. His heart raced, his breath caught in his throat, and slowly, his eyes flicked down the page held out before him:

His name.
His abilities, all reset to zero.
His magic.
His Eternal Pledge to the Goddess of the Hearth.
And finally, directly below that…

"Heroic Desire, Argonaut," he read aloud, "Executes automatically with an active action."

His eyes shot wide, and his world thrummed with vibrant joy! This was something real, this was something tangible! After the anticlimax of his Level Up, this was something he could cry out with joy about! A skill! His second ever! He was, of course, incredibly pleased with the Skill he'd unlocked with his Goddess, and he cherished it above anything… but somehow, unlocking a skill in the bedroom, and in his Goddess's arms, didn't feel quite as adventurous as unlocking one in the Dungeon… This was it though, the real proof of his effort!

Happiness flushed through him, even Bell could tell his eyes were shining, and he couldn't possibly have kept his face from beaming. This was the absolute highlight of his da-

He paused. His mind finally catching up with him as a terrible realisation dawned.

"… Heroic Desire."?

All the joy in his body suddenly evaporated and his eyes stuck on the spot, reading the words over and over as all the blood drained from his face. His lips went numb, and his smile faded.

Bell knew, as well as anyone, Skills and Magic on an Adventurer's Status were not only affected by the excelia they'd gained but were driven primarily by their hopes, their aspirations and the very determinants of their soul. Even the name of a skill that appeared was very much a reflection of their heart, it was the kind of insight into their being that was usually only afforded to the Gods and Goddesses themselves.

And now the words "Heroic Desire" were literally carved into his back.

The proof, for anyone that looked, that -even at his age- he wanted to be a hero.

Alfia already knew, of course. She'd known him all his life, and scoffed at his haughty ambitions for as long as he'd been old enough to have them, even if she didn't know his true dream was to prove her wrong and give her something to believe in.
And he'd technically already admitted it to his Goddess. He'd told her he wanted the power of a Hero to make those he cared about happy, to be worthy of a Goddess's love and to be able to stand with Ais Wallenstein.

But when Alfia talked about heroes and his dreams, she did so with even more cynicism than anything else.
And when he'd confessed to his Goddess, he'd mentioned heroes as an aspiration for the kind of man that could make his dream come true.

That was nothing like this. Now it was written clearly, undoubtedly, unmissably, unmistakably… his true aim, the dream that Alfia had laughed at till he'd stopped mentioning it. The truth he'd hidden from his Goddess, because he'd wanted to try seem at least a little cool to the woman he loved.

Bell wanted to be a Hero. Not for just for power, and not just to prove anything. He purely and earnestly wanted to be a Hero, just like the ones in the picture books.

It was the most childish, naïve, immature wish imaginable, and it had come straight from his heart.

Slowly, agonisingly slowly, he lifted his gaze from the sheet of paper… and standing right in front of him was his Goddess, smiling beautifully at him with a warm and gentle smile,

"-Guh, DHAAAAAAA!?"

She looked like she could burst out laughing at any moment! He couldn't even bear to look at Alfia's face, if this had caused her icy cold expression to melt, he might break down completely!

Throwing the paper in the air, Bell collapsed down to the couch, sinking low until his head was resting atop his knees.

No. No. No. She knew! His Goddess knew, he wanted to become a hero like the kind children idolise! Even at his age! Even when he tried to act maturely, and tried to be a reliable man for her, the woman he loved knew that he wanted to be a storybook hero!

His body trembled with embarrassment, this was even worse than the time he'd fled from Ais, or the time he'd careened straight into Riveria's chest! This was worse than the time he'd come back from the Dungeon after killing a single goblin! This was agony!

"Bell…"

Hestia's voice shot through him like a firecracker, leaving his nerves jangled and his body trembling. Her voice was indulgent and gentle, and he could feel her fingers warm and tender over his shoulders. Wrapping herself gently around him, he couldn't ignore her like this… trepidatiously looking up, he turned to face her, fearing the worst.

She was wearing a bright and loving smile, the same warm and welcoming expression that'd captivated his heart so many times.

"That's so cute!"

He screamed again. And his head fell back between his knees once again. Softly, horribly, he was sure he could practically hear Alfia's smug expression as this all played out.

Falling from the heavenly bliss to the horrors of hell left a deep wound on the young adventurer. It was some time before Bell was able to compose himself once again.

…

"Oh, come on Bell, cheer up already. It's not like it's a big surprise to me that you still idolise heroes anyway, you're always talking big about things like that one way or another… Ahh, you know I'll never forget those words you said to me that day, you know? I still think of them all the time!"

She remembered. She clearly remembered exactly what he'd said. Even in the depths of his despair, he couldn't find any part of himself regretting his choice of words. Nor the fact that his Goddess would hold them so close to her heart, to remember them even after everything that'd come after… she didn't even repeat them now, they were words for her and her alone. Bell's soul was healed, just a touch.

"And hey, do you know how many children can stay so pure in this day and age?"

The damage returned!

"I can see you trying not to laugh, Goddess!"

The way she said children… Of course, he knew that was the term they used, he'd never resented it before, but right now it felt so very patronising. He couldn't stand it! This was the woman he adored! He needed to at least be a little cool!

"H-H-Hey, th-this, this child is the m-man, who's in love with you, you know!?"

That had sounded a lot better in his head. As it turned out, trying to make a confident declaration like that was tough when his mind was so scattered, his ears were burning with shame, and his Mother's Sister was looking over at him.

"Awwww, I love you too, Bell!"

Completely unmoved by his failed attempt at manliness, Hestia simply latched on tight around him, squashing her prodigious bust against his side and clinging around him in the same way a woman might squeeze something cherished and cute.

Heaving a sigh, he gave up. She wouldn't understand, and it was only making him look even more pathetic to mope about this embarrassment, so he forced himself to push past it… if nothing else, at least being wrapped up tight by his Goddess gave him something more pleasant to think about.

Picking up the paper he'd dropped on the floor, Bell read through the Skill description again. Unfortunately, just like with his new Development Ability, all he could really make sense of was the name, Argonaut. There was barely any other information, not about what it did, how to use it, or even what it was. His Magic had been just as vague, if not for his lessons with Alfia he would have probably had no idea what to do with it. Was he just unlucky in this regard, or were all skills destined to be this badly explained?

"Goddess, do you know what this Skill's effect is?"

"Hmm, this one's a bit hard to explain… It's not one that's constantly turned on, it's more like an active action. So basically, when you choose to make a move, it'll have some kind of effect."

He blinked. He couldn't blame her, she could only understand Skills from the impression they gave her from his Status, but that explanation was almost as vague and just as perplexing.

"Choose to make a move?"

"Uh, well, you know, like attacking or defending yourself? But I don't think it'll do anything for counterattacking."

"Well then," Having thoroughly enjoyed this spectacle, Alfia had finally composed herself enough to rejoin the conversation, "Why don't you try it out for yourself? Get a feel for it."

"Oh, right, um…" he concentrated for a second, thinking of the name, the skill, the description, trying to will himself into understanding. After a moment he flung his hand forwards, "Argonaut!"

…

Nothing happened.

"Hey, Bell…" he didn't like the way his Goddess was looking at him. He didn't like the way her eyes were twinkling. He didn't like the way her voice was almost singing, "Don't focus on the skill, or its name or anything, it's not magic… Why don't you focus on what you want?"

"What I want?"

"That's right," Alfia added, and no matter how placid and calm her expression was, Bell was sure he could practically feel her smirk, "Your Heroic Desire."

!?

It took every drop of maturity, kindness and forgiveness that existed within Bell Cranel not to sulk.

Instead, after only a few seconds of feeling sorry for himself, he did as was suggested, closing his eyes and letting the two teasing women fade out from around him. He didn't think about Argonaut, he wasn't worth thinking about, instead, he filled his thoughts with memories of other legends, other Heroes. When you were thinking of Heroes, when you thought about Heroism, one name came to mind before any others- the Mercenary King, Albert Waldstein. Bell was never one for concentration, study, or mediation, but in topics of Heroic Tales alone, he could talk near endlessly, and he could easily bring to mind countless stories of the original Hero's incredible deeds.

Ting… Ting…

As he did so, a soft chime began to fill the room. And pure white beads of light began to form around Bell's fist.

"Ah! Hhaa! B-Bell…" Hestia's voice finally broke him from his conversation and he looked up to see his Goddess's mouth open in surprise. Her face was flushed red and her body was shivering lightly, "Th-That feels so nice… It's like it's reverberating right to my soul, it's so warm…"
"Hmph?" Alfia's expression hadn't changed in the least, if anything her eyes were narrowed, "It's nothing but more noise. Stop it before I get mad."

The light and the sound slowly faded away as his concentration waned.

"What was that?"

He hadn't felt any different, but somehow, he'd been filled with a sense of optimism and adventure? It was hard to pin down, but the sensation of power flowing into him and of the light coalescing around his fist was hard to forget.

"It's definitely something powerful!"

"And definitely too dangerous to play around with here. Test it out tomorrow when you're in the Dungeon tomorrow."

"R-Right."

Argonaut.

Honestly, the name chafed at him a little. If there was any Hero whose name he wouldn't want inscribed on his back it would be Argonaut. He was probably the least cool and least impressive Hero that Bell could imagine.

The legend of Argonaut was about a hapless young man who ventured out to rescue a beautiful queen from a ferocious bull monster. The titular character gets fooled by so many people over and over again, and he doesn't have a clue. He just ventures forward like an idiot, trying his best and hoping it'll work out, and by some miracle, he finally arrives at the feet of the monster he was seeking. But, of course, even then the queen he was trying to save was the one who had to rescue him from the monster in the end.

Out of all the stories Bell had read, Argonaut stood out as the least heroic. If anything, the hero simply reminded Bell of himself, a hopeless young man scrambling by and dreaming about being a Hero.

He'd always thought the story was ridiculous. And Alfia had agreed, she'd had absolutely no time for a bumbling hero who couldn't do anything but keep trying his best.

…

'But Gramps loved that story…' Bell remembered, thinking back to the man's laughs and praise. Argonaut was the story his Gramps wanted to read to him over and over again, "He'd always say things like 'This guy's best days are ahead of 'him!'"

Even now, Bell couldn't make sense of that. The story was over, that was all there was to tell.

Well, at least his story was still ahead of him. And so, regardless of how embarrassing the Skill's name might be, he decided he was glad to have it.

And with that, and with Bell's promise to figure out this Argonaut tomorrow in the Dungeon, the Status Update was finally over, and he was finally Level Two.

And, just as Hestia raised her glass to propose a toast… Alfia interrupted.

"With that finished, there is… one final order of business."

"Oh?"
"Huh?"

"Hestia-sama, as I understand it, the Denatus is tomorrow."

!

Immediately, Bell's interest was piqued. He didn't know much about the business of Gods, but he knew about the Denatus, and he knew there was only one reason Alfia could possibly have for bringing it up.

"That's right," Hestia nodded brightly, "And since Bell levelled up, I'm eligible to attend! Heh, I know what you're about to ask, Yes! The timing is perfect, more than likely we'll decide on Bell's second name."

The young adventurer almost jumped out of his seat, he did sit bolt upright.

Denatus happened only once every three months, it was a solemn and serious meeting of the Gods where they evaluated the mortals of Orario and bestowed them with titles suitable for their performance and advancement in the Dungeon. It was highly respected among all adventurers, more than anything, it was a showing of just how refined and impressive the Gods were, to grant such deeply meaningful titles to their beloved children.

"Th-Really? I'm going to, I'll receive a name, like Ais!?"

"Hehe, enthusiastic, aren't you?"

"Of course, I am!"

A title was like an adventurer's banner! Only adventurers who levelled up got one, it was proof that the gods had recognised their ability! For him to get one so soon… even as exciting as this day had already been, this news was just taking the cake! Bell doubted he'd be able to sleep tonight, it was an unimaginable honour!

"Indeed, as he should be," Alfia interrupted the discussion, stepping towards Goddess and follower, clasping in her hands a notebook that she'd pulled out from the nightstand, "And with how rapid Bell's growth has been, I have been preparing for this for some time now. I have given it a great deal of thought. This is very important- Bell may receive multiple titles over your time as an adventurer, but his first title will be how everyone learns about you. It shall come to characterise how he's received within the city."

Hestia's excited gaze turned slightly awkward at the sheer sincerity of Alfia's words.

"And so, I have some suggestions. Bell, feel free to add your own thoughts, but I think any of these shall be sufficient."

"Ah, I, well, I don't really think it's a matter of making suggestions…"

Bell couldn't speak. Of course, he had all kinds of suggestions himself, "Burning Fighting Fighter", "Blazing Rage of the Heavens", "Fallen Seraph of the Dark Angel", all kinds of incredible names, titles that were so awe-inspiring they even sounded strong. But it was too exciting to say anything, too difficult to choose even one. His mind was paralysed.

And Alfia barrelled on regardless. Neither mortal paid even a moment's heed to Hestia's hesitant response, as the young rookie gaped in awe, and the Incarnation of Talent began lecturing a Goddess.

"As I mentioned, I have a number of ideas. But in the interests of keeping this discussion focussed, I shall give you only the superior choice."

"…Right…"

"The important thing about an Adventurer's Title is to advertise their strengths, to clearly proclaim what's unique about him and showcase it for anyone to hear. In Bell's case, this is his swift-cast magic, and his speed, both of which stand well above comparison with his peers."

Hestia nodded. Alfia's logic did make sense, she didn't have much of an idea how the Denatus would go herself, but if nothing else that was a reasonable argument she could make for the other Gods.

"And thus, his title should be: Ultra Sonic Blitzfang!"

Alfia proudly puffed up her (substantial) chest with that declaration.
Bell's eyes went as wide as saucers, his mouth dropping open with awe at the very idea of being bequeathed such an awesome name.

Hestia's gaze became distant, and a weak grin appeared on her lips. It was a small smile, sad and distant, like she was watching them from somewhere far away.

Bell blinked, what happened to the warm gaze she'd had just a moment ago?

At seeing the Goddess's response, Alfia immediately went back on her previous words, "If not that, then surely, he must be: The Dark Edge of Fate ◊ Resonance Cascade!"

Once again, the Maiden of Silence was practically glowing with pride.
And once again, Bell was staring at his mother's sister in amazement.

And once again, Hestia's expression was soft, and sombre, as if she was looking at something they couldn't see.

"That's right… it's still too early for the children here…"

"Hestia-sama? What exactly is that supposed to mean?"

"Ah, no," she shook her head and offered another weak smile, the expression of a parent indulging in a child's mischief, "It's nothing. I'm sure the day will come when you'll all understand."

Alfia took that explanation poorly, and the next half hour was spent with more suggestions and more demands for the boy's title, each more outrageous than the last. In the end, as much to get back to the celebration as to stop the insistent barrage, Hestia raised her fist and swore to each of them that she would do her utmost to make sure Bell was given a name he could be proud of.

"I don't care what I have to do; I swear I will win an acceptable title for you, Bell…!"

---

A beautiful, melodic laugh bounced lightly around the basement of the abandoned Church.

"Ahehe, Bell! That's terrible, you need to be more careful!"

"Go-Goddess! Shh, shhh! You'll wake her up."

…

…

…

"Hehe, see? It's fine, it's fine, she's fast asleep."

A sigh resounded, "We should probably do the same. We've been talking for a while now, it's gotten late."

"Nn… That's true… If you're tired, you can go to sleep, Bell. I don't think I could, even if I tried right now."

"Huh, Goddess? Is something wrong?"

Another soft, chiming laugh echoed gently through the night, "Hehe, no, not at all. It's just the opposite… I tried not to make too big a deal of it, because I didn't want you to get too far ahead of yourself… but, after everything that happened- you Levelled Up already, you got a rare Development Ability, and you learned a new Skill! It's just incredible, it's like all your hard work's paid off all at once! Having you back home again, knowing you're all right, and then all of this… I'm just so relieved, and so excited, there's no way I can sleep right now."

"G-Goddess, ha… th-that's, um, well…"

"Mmm, I'm concerned, very concerned, about just how reckless you are… But I've said enough about that already. You've done in weeks, what would take a normal adventurer years, Bell, your talent is unmistakable, and all of Orario is going to understand that very soon. I always think about how lucky I was to meet you, you're exactly the kind of child any God would love to get their hands on."

"W-Well, you know I'm, er, I'm always glad to have your hands on me, Goddess!"

"Hehe… Geez! Even your cool lines are getting better too, you know? You toy with me so easily these days, it's like you're growing up right before my eyes."

…

Noise.

Once again, she became aware of the noise surrounding her.
And once again, Alfia found herself dragged from her sleep by the sound of honeyed voices and gentle whispers pulling at the edges of her consciousness.

The desire to ignore it rose within her, the urge to simply cocoon herself in her blankets and drift off once again… but, the Maiden of Silence was ever sensitive to noise, and especially so when she'd been so happily enjoying what should have been peaceful tranquillity. Like it or not, her awareness returned almost instantly, and her irritation along with it. For some reason, the two people she shared a "house" with, were still chattering away in the dead of the night.

Blearily blinking herself awake, her face twisted into a chilling scowl and she immediately moved to set this right- to tell both (her beloved and adorable, but occasionally frustrating) Bell and that Goddess of his to shut up and go to bed!

!?

Yet, right as she opened her mouth to speak, the words died in her throat.

At that moment, her vision had cleared. And, unlike the previous time those two had so rudely awakened her, this time she was lying on her side, directly facing them.

With the magic-lamps extinguished, only scant moonlight reached the Church's basement, even as a former ultra-elite adventurer, Alfia could see barely more than shapes and shadows spread out before her. And yet, among those shapes and those shadows, she could clearly see the unmistakable sight of the pure, holy and supposedly virginal Goddess of the Hearth, perched directly atop Bell's lap, her hands linked loosely around his neck and her head laid comfortably on his shoulder.

Abruptly and unwelcomely finding herself awakened in the middle of the night, even as abrasive as she was, the actually virginal Alfia wasn't even close to being mentally prepared to bear witness to such an intimate scene.

Even in the gloom of the night, in the dimly lit basement, she could clearly see her sister's son enjoying a deeply personal moment with his lover, just a few meders away from her. And moment by moment, as her vision adjusted to the darkness, the details were laid out even sharper- she could see the way Hestia rocked so gently and contentedly in place against him, she could see the sight of his hands wrapped around the small Goddess's waist, she could see the way Hestia's lips pressed softly against his neck with each lull in the conversation… and, most notably, most uncomfortably, most mortifyingly of all… Alfia could very clearly see the way Bell's lover was being raised up from where she was sitting, her ass pushed visibly aloft by a ferocious bulge straining at the very limits of his trousers.

!?

Her mind was spinning. Her mind was spinning. She'd been happily asleep a moment ago, and now even her anger faltered as she was left feeling like she was intruding on something private! She was in absolutely no state to process any of this… much less, that!

"Hey, Bell…"

Unfortunately, before Alfia had a chance to recover her voice, much less her composure… the conversation she was unwittingly bearing witness to turned intensely, and uninterruptedly, private.

"I hope you have fun, being with me."

"Huh? Goddess? What's brought this on, I mean- of course, it's always fun being with you!"

"I just… well… if there's ever something you want me to do for you, or that you'd like me to learn, you just need to tell me, you know? I want to make you happy too, just like you're always doing for me."

Bell made to respond, but Hestia quickly cut him off.

"I know, you'll say that I make you happy- you're always too kind to me, Bell, more supportive than I've ever deserved. I'm not teasing you when I talk about how lucky I am to have met you! But… But I'm always thinking I don't do enough for you in return. That Knife, and our Skill are all I can do for you in the Dungeon, but… outside it, I want to cherish you too, I want to wash away all your fatigue… I always think, I want to be the kind of woman that Bell can happily come home to, so he'll feel refreshed for the next day!

"G-Go-Goddess, th-that's… C'mon, did you drink too much? You know I've always, I'm always happy to see you!"

"I don't have a nice Familia house to offer you. And I don't have strong weapons, or items, or even any comrades I can offer to keep you safe. I don't even have much money to buy you nice meals. You're working so hard day after day, and you come back to this drafty basement, and sleep on this worn-out couch… I wish I could do more for you, Bell, I truly do, a-and, and, I wish I could be the kind of Goddess you deserve. But, all I can offer you is my love."

Hestia's voice was trembling slightly as she poured out her feelings and her insecurities, and as she clung ever tighter to the boy she adored. Alfia couldn't possibly interrupt. It was embarrassing enough just bearing witness to this.

"That's more than enough. Your love is worth everything to me."

"But even there… I feel like, I'm a failure as your Goddess, Bell… I don't really know anything about love, I've only read about it in stories or watched it from a distance, I've never felt like this for anyone else before, and, and, I don't have any experience at all. I'm meant to be a Goddess, I should be taking the lead, but even when we make love, I always end up just clinging to you, and making you do all the work. It just always feels too good, and I lose my mind, and before I know it, my mind's gone completely blank! Th-That's why, that's why I'm saying I'll do my best for you, th-that I'll learn to do whatever makes you happy- I was a virgin before I met you, so I know I don't have any skills so far… That Syr probably had all kinds of amazing techniques, s-so I probably seem plain in comparison, b-but, but I'll learn, you just need to tell me what to do, you can train me to be your ideal lover!"

"Goddess! That's ridiculous!" It seemed Bell's shock was enough to make him forget the situation he was in, because his instantaneous rejection of her fears bounced loudly around the suddenly silent Church basement, "You've got nothing to worry about at all! I, I um, I know I'm no good with words, so I probably haven't said it properly, but, but you know I always love being with you, it makes me feel incredible too! And, and… ah, I was really proud, being your first, I was honoured. And, you know it was the same for me? I'm new to all this too, you were my first just the same, and, and I know I'm always clumsy, and not romantic at all, and- and I'm not a very reliable man, yet… But, Goddess… I do look forward to seeing you each night, and, I always feel fully charged when I leave in the morning. I'm happy when I'm with you, I've always cherished the time we've spent together, a-and, I really like learning love with you."

"Bell…"

One of the great and terrible things about a romance with a deity was that they could see honesty or deceit unveiled clearly behind any words spoken. It was impossible to lie to a God, they could tell for sure when their lover was speaking the absolute truth from their heart… That had been one of the critical weaknesses that had made the young adventurer so terribly devastating against Freya, and it also meant that, unfortunately for poor Hestia, each one of Bell's passionate affirmations of his love was multiple times more effective on her than it would have been for any other woman! Even in the pitch black night, Alfia could make out the small Goddess clearer than ever right now, as if she was practically glowing red with love.

"A-And, and, um, and, Syr w-was a virgin too, s-so, so it's not like there was any um, amazing techniques, or anything you need to worry about."

!
!

"So, you did sleep with her!"
'He had sex with that waitress, already!?'

Both women jolted with surprise at that revelation, Hestia verbalising her shock, while Alfia maintained her characteristic silence.

"Ahahe… heh…"

"Bell… I am amazed…"

Alfia could only echo Hestia's words in her mind. It was shocking. She'd always believed that eventually all of Orario would come to see her adorable and beloved Bell just as she did, but this was far sooner than she could have ever imagined! A Goddess, and an older waitress in just a few weeks!? If he'd fallen for some slut like Freya, or Ishtar, that would be one thing, but this was something else entirely. Was Bell actually a natural lady-killer? It seemed impossible, just like with his Level Up, his speed defied belief. Alfia could only wonder how many other women there were across the city, already looking in his direction.

"It wasn't something I planned or anything… It was, it's just like I told you… when I woke up, I realised what I felt, my feelings for her, and I told her, and… and we spent the night together, and then this morning, before I rushed back to see you."

"And… How was it?"

Despite having agreed to this harem, and despite having played along with it so far, Hestia's insecurity was worn clear on her sleeve. Even in the darkness, Alfia could practically hear the pout in her voice, and there was no missing the way the Goddess's silhouette clung tighter around Bell's.

"Incredible."

"B…Better than me?"

"No," Bell's reply came instantly, which immediately relaxed Hestia's posture… and surprisingly, Alfia's too, "It was… I'm not sure if I can describe, um… It was just the same as when I'm with you, but it felt completely different at the same time? It was… it was kinda like eating a different flavour of the best food I've ever tasted? Ah, this is, I'm not much good at explaining this kind of, ah! S-Sorry, yo-you wouldn't want to hear any of this, do you, Goddess? Sorry, I didn't mean to go on about it, I'm ju-"

"No," somehow, the insecurity and jealousy seemed to have vanished from Hestia's tone, and instead the Goddess simply cut him off with a soft whisper as she laid her head back down on his shoulder, "No, it's fine, I don't mind hearing about it. I… I always thought it would feel worse actually, if you ever actually did find another woman… I never imagined it would be this soon, and despite everything I said, I always wondered if I'd really be able to handle it, or accept it."

"Goddess…"

"But, I'm fine. Actually… it's silly, but I kinda feel a little proud… Like it makes me happy to know there's someone else that sees how amazing you are, hehe! That's strange, isn't it? But it's like, I can't help but want to cheer you on, Bell! Ahhh, you've really got me wrapped around your little finger…"

Breathing out a silent sigh, Alfia -once again- felt like she could perfectly understand the young-looking Goddess's words. She'd felt that same pride flushing through her when Bell had finally found a Goddess in the city to accept him, and again when that Goddess had fallen for him so hard she'd given up her legendary purity to become his lover. Seeing that he'd gotten Level Two so quickly, that his name was known both among the Loki and Freya Familia, that he'd been trained personally by Nine Hells, Sword Princess and the Golden Witch, and that he'd achieved an unthinkable record-breaking Level Up had left her heart pounding with delight. He'd come to this city and been scorned, forgotten and cast aside by all and sundry, and yet, within just this short time he was already becoming someone that everyone would be paying attention to, soon enough, he would be someone that nobody in the city could look away from!

In her heart, Alfia had always dreamed of the day Bell would have the kind of prestige to stand equal to her own. It was still a long, distant way off, but now, she dared even imagine that he might eclipse her previous standing and her past renown. Her, large, soft, chest swelled mightily just imagining it.

The silver-haired maiden's head had been spinning with these revelations, and the fact that she was bearing unwitting witness to such a private, intimate conversation, but on that point at least, her feelings were clear. There had been no end of ambitious suitors she'd spurned when the Hera Familia had reigned over Orario, but Bell was far from ruling over the city, he was yet to even be given a title- to imagine that he'd already taken a second lover, it left her small shiver running down her spine!

Alfia's gaze flicked across once more to the silhouette of her sister's son and, as her eyes took in the way Hestia's waist was still being pushed aloft into the air, her mind cast back to the cries and moans she'd heard from those two the last time this had happened. Already, in just the short time they'd been in the Dungeon City, the gentle, innocent and sweet young man Alfia had always been watching had taken a second woman into his arms. He'd pinned her down as her legs wrapped around him, made her cry out just like his Goddess, and made her his woman, despite already being in a relationship.

Her body flushed warm with the thought. Her heart beat faster, with exactly the same pride and excitement that Hestia talked about. As strange as it was, Alfia -more than anyone else- could fully understand the smaller woman's words about being proud to watch him being recognised as the existence she'd always seen him as. And so too, could she understand the Goddess's words about feeling like he was growing up right before her eyes.

It felt like he was becoming more and more manly, day by day. Like his back was getting bigger, and his words more reliable.

And just like Hestia had said, Alfia's worries had subsided, less than she'd expected they would be. With how naïve and innocent Bell could be, she'd worried that as his name spread unscrupulous types would start trying to take advantage of him, that Supporter had been an early indication of that fear. But, while she didn't know much about this Syr, she did know that the waitress had done a lot for him, and that was enough for now. So long as Bell fell in love with good women, Alfia would always support his aspirations.

"Hey, Bell…"

"Yeah?"

"I am still a bit jealous… and it still is a shock…" Rising from where she'd been laying against him, Hestia shifted in place until she was facing him directly, "So, hold me tight, okay?"

"Goddess…"

His arms wrapped securely around her waist.
Her lips met softly with his own.
His force pushed up into her even more firmly.
Her hips began rolling, back and forth as her ass slid atop him.

And Alfia was left watching with a slow-rising sense of dread as the adoring embrace between the young lovers escalated hotter and hotter, further and deeper.

Within a few minutes, what had begun as a soft kiss had turned into a deep embrace. Soon the sound of Hestia's quiet moans, of Bell's heady breathing, and of two bodies pressing close against one another, was bouncing heavily around the walls of the Church basement… and soon, the very atmosphere, and the warm summer night, seemed charged with the quickly burning passion enflamed hotter and hotter.

"Mmm… Bell…" Breaking their kiss only long enough to pant his name, Hestia's voice was laden with the exact same desire that had haunted Alfia's dreams since the last time she'd borne unwilling witness to their rendezvous.
"Go-Goddess…" Her sister's son answered back with exactly the same tone, and with another echo that had lived on in the Maiden of Silence's dreams ever since.

'They can't… Not while I'm right here… Surely not again!?'

Breaking Bell's embrace around her, Hestia tugged at his chest, and a soft *thwp* that seemed very much like the sound of his shirt hitting the floor bounced around the room.
And when his hands returned to around her, he moved them lower this time, taking a firm, full grasp of the Goddess's shapely, round ass.

Hestia gasped and shivered, and Bell let out a soft moan of his own as she squirmed atop him, and as his fingers dug into the divinely soft, pliable flesh.

Stuck in place, forced to watch the display, witnessing all the shadows and the silhouettes of the two lovers grinding closer together, as the sound of their deepening embrace rang out all around them, Alfia's heart pounded and the world that had been spinning around her slammed to a halt.

She wanted desperately to call a stop to this- but she was long past being able to do that. The exact same horrible resolution that had filled her the last time this happened kept her silent once more.
She wanted desperately to roll away- but she couldn't even do that. Bell had become a very sharp adventurer, even if he was focused on his Goddess, there was no way he would miss such a sudden movement from such a short distance.

There was nothing the silver-haired maiden could do but watch- as the two lovers pressed closer and closer together, and as the sound of their desire reverberated heavily down her spine.

'There's, there's no way! Bell! Didn't you just say you'd had sex with that Syr woman this morning, are you really so eager to go already!?'

Hestia's tongue danced against his, and her moans filled his mouth, and a few moments later her hands were running down his chest… stroking his pecs, tracing her fingertips over his abdomen, sliding lower still…

"Ngh… Bell… HHha, I missed you… I missed this! It feels so good, already… Can you feel how fast my heart is racing? Nnn, let me see how much you've changed, I wa-want to feel your Level Up, directly!"

'Just how shameless is this Virgin Goddess!?'

"G-Goddess, no, hha… I want that too, a-and, and I've missed you too, hh- But we can't! We'll wake Alfia!"

'Ah! At least he has some sense in him,' feeling her body practically sagging in place, it took everything Alfia had to keep her sigh of relief from echoing beyond her bed-covers, 'Honestly. Even going this far is more than shameful enough, but how could either of you even think of doing something like this when I'm right here!?

"Hehe, Bell, what're you saying when you're like this?" Hestia's voice was full of indulgent desire, and each of her words were punctuated by her rolling her hips in place, rocking back and forth atop the bulge that was pressing so very greedily up at her, "Your body is being honest~"

"Nhh, Goddess! That's not fair! How can I not react when you're sitting on me like this!?"

"Ahehe, I'm flattered! But then, if it's all my fault… I'd better take care of it for you then. It's fine, it's fine, there's nothing to worry about, we'll be quiet, okay? Alfia won't wake up anytime soon, you saw how much she had to drink earlier."

'What!? You drank more than me!'

"Ah… We shouldn't…"

"Nnn, Belllll… It's fine, I won't do anything if you really don't want to… We can stop here if you want…"

The young adventurer's resolve warred ferociously against the sensation of Hestia's waist rolling gently back and forth over him, directly atop where his cock was straining, rock-hard, against his pants. It was a valiant fight, a brave and heroic defence fought to the very last drop of resolution…
…And it lasted all of five seconds.

"Just… just once should be all right…"

!?

Bell's quiet, shameless words sent Alfia's world snapping into place. Her eyeshot wide and her body jolted in place beneath the sheets she was cocooned in. With his surrender, the full reality of just what was happening washed over her. And with that realisation came the feeling that every bit of dignity and pride that had kept her silent until this point had been a mistake… And yet, even now, lying just a few meders away from them, watching…

As the two lover's lips met in a heated kiss once more.
As Bell showed some very well-practised motions, smoothly sliding Hestia's dress over her shoulders and releasing her massive breasts out directly into his hands.
As the Goddess showed of her own exceptionally deft motions, squirming happily atop the adventurer even as her fingers flicked open his belt, and his pants in a single motion.

…Still remained stuck in place, able to do nothing but watch. Even having previously been forced to listen to their lovemaking offered her no inoculation. Witnessing such a sight, seeing her sister's son unmistakably as a man, the Maiden of Silence was shocked absolutely mute.

The sound of Bell's trousers being kicked off was immediately followed by the sound of Hestia's panties joining them.

'Ah!?'

In the gloom of night, with only a few scant moonbeams scattering through their underground home, she could see barely more than shadows and silhouettes.

And yet, watching as the Goddess's dress was hiked up over her waist, as she braced her hands on his shoulders, and as her ass rose up, and up, and up, and up into the air… Alfia's eyes couldn't possibly miss the shape, size, nor sheer masculinity of the thick, hard pillar of cock being revealed from behind Hestia's small body, and stretching up hungrily into the air.

She couldn't see any details, no contours or specifics… and somehow in the back of her mind, that served as something of an exoneration- she couldn't see it properly, this didn't count, the very first cock she'd ever witnessed wasn't the massive rod she could see now between Bell's legs. Unfortunately, that self-styled exoneration did nothing to quell the flush of heat that washed through her at the sight. A shiver ran down her spine, and she swallowed instinctively, as long-dismissed feminine instincts reacted immediately to the sight before her now, a reminder yet again that the boy she'd known was now a man.

In contrast, Hestia looked smaller than ever. Steadying herself in place, finally settled atop Bell's length- despite standing at almost the same height as him, despite her divinely round ass and despite her massive chest, in this moment the young-seeming Goddess seemed practically dwarfed by her lover.

'Such a thing…' her mind filled with both wonder and with images, 'Can that really… fit?'

And then, just as Alfia's mind was telling her it was impossible, that her eyes must be playing tricks on her, that no woman could possibly take something so formidable, much less such a small Goddess…

!?

…Hestia rolled her hips down, without even a second of hesitation, and without even a drop of fear as her voice immediately echoed out around the underground basement.

"Ahhhnnnnn~"
"G-Godde-Goddess! Shh!"

Clamping a hand over her mouth to heed Bell's warning, the deity's hips slid down, and down, and down along his shaft, and before Alfia's stunned eyes, the massive shadow that had so easily dominated her vision disappeared once more; this time not in front of, but within the once-virgin Goddess of the Hearth.

Even through the gloom and the scant moonlight, Alfia could see unmistakably just how wide the smaller woman was being stretched open, and she could see just as clearly just how much Hestia's tight, round ass shook and trembled, how heady shivers were running up her spine, and how her head pitched backwards, then sagged forwards, leaving her staring down at where they were joined, as her hips descended further and further.

'Th-That's…'

It was the lewdest, most ridiculous and most unbelievable thing she'd ever seen. Just looking at their mismatched proportions it seemed like it should hurt, but already the room was filling with the sound of Hestia's -only just barely muffled- delight bouncing off the walls.

It was unmistakable, just how much the Goddess was savouring every moment of this, and just what an incredible effect taking so much of Bell's shaft inside her all at once was having on the woman. Her body trembled and shook, her free hand scrambled desperately on Bell's shoulders, even just from her silhouette, Alfia could clearly see her toes curling in delight… and, by the time Hestia dropped herself fully down his length, at the moment when the full magnitude of his cock was sheathed inside her, she cried out a scream do feminine and so unmistakably blissful, that it left a similar shudder running down the Maiden of Silence's spine!

"Gh, mghh! B-Bell! Bell! Bell!"

Alfia had no way of knowing that, after being apart these last few days, feeling Bell's cock hilted completely inside her once again and left Hestia cumming so violently that she'd almost passed out on the spot! She had no way of knowing that for several small eternities, the divine wisdom of the Goddess of the Hearth had been reduced to nothing but a horny, desperate mush! But even without any true sexual knowledge of her own, Alfia could clearly see the way Hestia had so frantically clenched both hands over her mouth just to keep from screaming aloud. And even without understanding just how easily and how thoroughly Bell's shaft had scattered the Goddess's thoughts, the barely-muffled ecstasy that rung out around the room had reverberated through the silver-haired woman so intensely she could do nothing but swallow, and watch in wonder as Hestia trembled, shook, and panted in obvious, vibrant, delight.

'Do-Does… does it really feel so good? Having something… s-so… so big inside you?' She wondered. She'd heard the other woman's moans before, but seeing her reactions, seeing the effect Bell had on her was affecting Alfia tremendously, 'Or… is it just because, it's his?'

In a testament to just how horny she'd become, or to how accustomed she'd gotten to such bliss, Hestia took only a few minutes to recover.

"Hnnn, i-it's so good… S-So, so this is your Level Two? It…hha, it feels even harder than usual…" The deity gasped, shivers of bliss visibly running through her moment by moment as her hips rolled lightly back and forward in place atop her lover, "H-How is it, Bell? This divine pussy that you broke in, th-that, that belongs to you alone? Did you miss it?"

"Of course I did, Goddess! It feels incredible!"

"Good, good! Th-Then, then, I'll take the lead this time… Nh, as a reward for all your hard work, allow me to show you heaven!"

And with that, Hestia swung directly into action!

Steadying her hands atop Bell's shoulders once more, the lewd divinity raised herself up on her knees. Her spine jolted, feeling his shaft dragging out through the length of her pussy, but a moment later she rolled her hips back down his length once more. Again. And then again after that.

Hestia's confidence showed just how accustomed she was to being coiled around Bell's cock like this, from the way she swung her hips back and forth as she ground herself up, to the way she drove herself down with all the force she could muster, it was clear these were not the movements of a rank amateur… And yet, the electrifying sparks of pleasure that set her body trembling, and the way her panting voice rang out, heady with lust and delight, made it clear that -experienced or not- she was still drowning in pleasure just as completely as the first time.

"Goddess…"

Bell's own voice, and his own lust, rang out in response, but he remained in place, letting his Goddess take the lead as she began bouncing atop him faster, harder, more hungrily and more desperately with each passing second.

Instead, he returned his focus to the massive, soft breasts still held securely in his hands, burying his fingers into the pillowy mounds and squeezing them gently in time with Hestia's motions. His fingers rolled back and forth in place, his thumb flicked across her thoroughly engorged nipples, and… right when his Goddess's hips pumped down against his once more.

"Ah!"

Bell suddenly leaned forward, taking her nipple directly into his mouth! Hestia's body jerked abruptly in place, her head throwing back and yet another trembling cry echoing out from her hips as the shock of pleasure completely ruined her rhythm!

"B-B-Bell! Th-that's, nha, that's not f-fair, you're, you're the one who said I have to be quiet!" she whined, her ass sliding around atop him, rolling his shaft in place against the deepest, most sensitive parts of her pussy, as she desperately fought for a scrap of control, "I'll, I'll go crazy if you, nhh, hooow are you so good at this!?"

The young adventurer didn't answer, and instead, the Goddess was left simply writhing in place atop him, moaning, squirming and cumming as his hands greedily caressed her huge breasts, as his tongue flicked across the increasingly-sensitive nub of her nipple, and as the huge mass of cock stretching her deepest walls wide continue to pulse and twitch hungrily within her!

A momentary respite, just long enough for him to turn his affection to her other nipple instead, was all she was offered.
And so, Hestia's hips swung weakly, heavily, and awkwardly into motion finally another few minutes later.

Any chance the Goddess had of "taking the lead" seemed far gone now, with the way her body was trembling and her hands shaking even just pushing herself up his length, Hestia seemed at every moment to simply collapse into a blissful delirium.

Alfia stared in wonder as Bell suckled on his Goddess's breasts, swapping between them only as often as Hestia managed to gather her wits, and with his hands still squeezing, caressing and teasing her all the while. Tossing her head from side to side, panting wildly and shivering with delight, the Goddess's once sure motions became halting and jerky. And yet, her hips ground their way up his shaft just as hungrily as before, and when she rolled her waist down the intensity was even stronger!

Watching the Goddess slam herself all the way down Bell's cock, seeing her writhe and gasp, as her entire body seemed to throb with a kind of desperate lust Alfia couldn't even begin to understand… it was as if she was watching a woman bringing on her own destruction, too addicted and too lost in the pleasure to possibly stop, even as she drove herself further and further beyond what she could possibly take!

!

!

!

And of course, at the end of that path lay only surrender.

"Bell! Q-Qu-Quick, nhh, I can't, can't hold, I can't hold back! Kiss me! Hhh, be-before, before I scream!"

Alfia's sister's son had always been reverent towards the Gods, and he was not one to deny his Goddess now.

But even with his lips covering hers, with Hestia's arms linked tight around his neck, and his holding firmly to her waist- from the moment the small deity slammed her hips down, one final time, there was absolutely no muffling the scream that resounded! Even muffled by their kiss, even with Hestia doing her very best to hold back, she cried out so wantonly, so lewdly and so desperately into Bell's kiss that the scream practically rent the air, bouncing off the walls and reverberating all the way down Alfia's spine and to her core!

!

And with that, Hestia immediately sagged forwards, collapsing limply into Bell's chest, as if all her strength had drained out of her at once.

'O-Oh?'

In all the time she'd known the young Goddess, Alfia had seen always seen her bursting with energy and enthusiasm, save for those few moments when they were reminded that this young-looking girl housed the wisdom and maturity of the Gods, she was almost as annoying excitable as Bell. Seeing her like this was something the silver-haired woman had never imagined… Hestia was overwhelmed, utterly spent and yet, undeniably delighted all the same. Even as her massive chest heaved for breath, and her arms slipped from around Bell's neck, there was no missing the exhilaration practically radiating from her every pant and gasp.

"Haahh… Th-That, that was incredible… I passed out for a moment there…"

"Heh, I'm glad if you're feeling good."

"Nnn… Th-This, this isn't fair, Bell! I'm meant, nhha… I'm meant to be the one showing you heaven, this is, this is your reward for everything you've done…" Hestia's words cut off as she gasped for breath, and then with great effort, she forced herself to sit up straight once more, facing her lover directly, "But, but, we haven't had sex since before you even got injured, and… and I missed you so much, and I was worrying about you all this time, and I'm just so happy seeing you again, and being with you again… It feels so good, I can't take it at all! It's like I can hardly even think straight…"

"Goddess… You're, geez, that's… It feels incredible for me too, I'm always happy to be with you."

"Hh, but… But, I can't…" As if to prove her point, the Goddess of the Hearth squirmed slightly in place, rocking back and forth, shifting his cock around the deepest recesses of her pussy… and immediately fell back forwards, gasping and panting in giddy desperation once more, "I'm sorry, Bell, it just felt too good, it's like, my body won't listen to me anymore- I don't have any strength left… Nhh… Just moving, just feeling you, it's too much! Ha, I'm too sensitive right now, If I move at all, I'm gonna lose my mind… I'm way too wound up."

"Ah…" he paused, a long and meaningful hesitation as his desires warred with his kind nature, "That's fine then, why don't we stop here?"

"Huh? Bell, that's impossible, we can't just stop like this!"

"But, um, didn't you… you're already satisfied aren't you, Goddess? And I felt really good too, it's fine to-hhah!?"

Hestia's hips rocking forcefully back and forth in place atop him quickly served to silence the young adventurer's mollification.

"Nope! Nope! No way! Bell, I'm your Goddess, I'm here to look after you, there's absolutely no way I can just leave you when you're this hard… And you can't possibly explore the Dungeon like this."

"Goddess…"

"Mmm, then, do it for my sake, Bell? After how much I missed you… there's no way I'll be able to sleep properly tonight unless you make sure to _ _ _ _ _ _"

The Goddess dipped her head towards her adventurer and whispered the last part of that sentence directly into his ear. For the first time since she'd woken up, Alfia was finally spared the exact details of just what lurid thoughts were running through the supposedly-chaste deity's mind… but, from the way Bell stiffened in response, and the way his hands clasped instinctively around Hestia's ass, it wasn't hard to imagine just what the smaller woman had requested.

Hestia moaned delightedly in response, clearly able to feel the full weight of his reaction pulsing deep inside her, in a way Alfia couldn't even imagine. There was no doubt that her temptation had pushed all sorts of buttons… and that those buttons had left him pushing firmly against the deepest recesses of her most sensitive inner-walls.

"I… I'll be fine, by tomorrow, and… we've already… Um…"

"Ahnn, hehe, you s-say that, but your body is honest… Mmm, Bell, it's not like I dislike losing my mind, you know? I really love it when you take hold of me… I can already feel how much more powerful you are now, but I want you to engrave it into my body directly, as much as you want…"

The implication was beyond obvious, so much so that even after all she'd already been witness to, Alfia was left staggered. Hestia's strength had already given out, she could barely do more than squirm, writhe and cum atop him. So now, with her attempt to take the lead having failed, she was practically begging him to take the reins, to do whatever he wished with her sacred body- to bounce her in his lap, to flip her over and take her from behind, or to pin her down and fuck her directly into the couch. Normally, witnessing such a request would have earned nothing but derision and scorn from the Incarnation of Talent, but right now, with the room smoky with passion and steaming with lust, the Goddesses words carried an intensity that sparked right through her forlorn feminine instincts- despite herself, and despite her awkward, mortifying, humiliating position of being forced to stay silent and bear witness to her sister's son in such a state… Alfia's face was flushed bright scarlet and she realised she'd begun chewing her lip.

And, of course, the effect on Bell was several times more powerful.

Even in the shadows of the night, and as little more than a silhouette, Alfia could easily see his posture changing, and could easily envision how his expression was twisting up with temptation and desire.

Just as clear as Hestia's brazen invitation was the knowledge that there was absolutely no way the Goddess would be able to keep her promise to stay quiet. She'd already lost her control with just as much as they'd already done, if she were to give herself up entirely to him, then she would do so while practically screaming like a banshee all night long. In short, while he dearly loved both women, his desire for Hestia was currently warring with his devotion to Alfia. And, given that Bell's cock was currently sheathed within the divine warmth of his Goddess's virgin-tight pussy, it was a far more difficult decision than it would have otherwise been.

Even someone as dutiful as Bell was still a man. And even with all the sex he'd had with Syr last night and this morning, the last ten minutes had been more than enough to leave his soul blazing hot with aching desire once more.

"Alfia… did say… 'When you're offered a meal, eat.'"

'I never said to devour it right in front of me!'

"Exactly, it's not good to hold back, you know?"

'You could certainly do to hold back more, you shameless excuse for a Celestial Virgin!'

…

After a momentary eternity, Bell's posture finally settled. And with one swift motion, he suddenly reached down and hoisted the horny, tiny Goddess directly off his cock, holding her aloft with one arm, and -with a rather more awkward motion- leapt directly to his feet, pulling his pants back up and restraining his ferocious erection beneath the limits of the fabric once more.

Hestia gasped in surprise, then moaned in disappointment, but she settled against him without complaint, linking her arms around his neck to keep steady while until he could cradle her properly with both arms. Sagging from a similar release of tension, Alfia breathed out a silent sigh somewhere close to relief. It seemed that even divine temptation hadn't managed to completely win over her sister's son's rationality. And now, at long last the three of them could finally put this all behind them, and get some sleep.

"Ohh!?"

And then, right when it seemed this night's events were finally drawing to a close, Alfia watched as Bell held Hestia close to his chest, and then began carrying her with him… all the way across the room… right to the entrance of the Church's basement.

'What? Huh, he can't… he's not possibly!?'

The lustful Goddess of the Hearth's excited giggles followed his footsteps, and almost before Alfia knew it, Bell had left her behind, closing the door behind them as he bore his Goddess up the steps and away.

'That's… WHAT!? They can't be serious!?' Her mind reeled, 'They're going out to Orario, like that!?'

From what she'd unwillingly gleaned about Bell and Hestia's little dates, she knew that the two of them had some little love nest somewhere in the city. She knew absolutely nothing about it and wanted to keep it that way. So long as they kept their sexual proclivities away from her, she was more than happy. But no matter where it was, even if it was in the slums like this Church, they couldn't possibly head out into the city dressed as they were!

Hestia's dress was hiked up over her waist, and those massive breasts of hers were flopping out (round and full and) where anyone could see them! And Bell hadn't even put a shirt on, much less his shoes, and, and his… dignity… was only just barely being held back by his trousers! Whether it was a combination of the late-night, being love-drunk, or simply too horny to think, the two of them were about to cause an absolutely unrecoverable shame to the Hestia Familia and, more importantly, to Bell's legacy as a Hero!

Embarrassment or not! Pride or not! She couldn't possibly let them go through with this!

Decades-old reflexes and combat adrenaline surged through her in a heady rush, and with a speed that wouldn't have disgraced even a mid-level adventurer, Alfia leapt to her feet, nightgown flapping around her thighs as she dashed across the room and pulled the door open before her! A lifetime of adventuring kept her bare footfalls completely silent as she shot up the stairs like an arrow, taking the steps two at a time, out into the entrance to the building proper, and…

"Ahhhnnnn~"

…And looked out just in time to see Hestia, on her feet, bent over and braced against the dilapidated altar at the front of the church, moaning now in absolutely unrestrained delight as Bell -with his hands firmly around her hips- sheathed himself fully inside her once again.

Ah. A misunderstanding. She hadn't even considered this possibility. The doors out to the city were still sealed tight, and while the half-crumbled side wall and the ruined ceiling were hardly the picture of privacy, this section of Orario was practically abandoned and it was the dead of the night, it was certainly a lot better than them walking so flagrantly through the streets. And much better again than doing something like this right in front of her!

Alfia stepped back to leave.

!?

And right as she did so, a heavy wet slap of flesh upon flesh rang out through the momentary silence. And with that one single thrust, came a voice of such passion from the Goddess that it reverberated down Alfia's body so intensely, that it took her legs out from under her! She collapsed on the spot, falling to the ground at the top of the stairwell, caught in place and watching in shocked disbelief as Bell drove himself into his Goddess!

Once again, the Maiden of Silence had found herself suddenly overawed, and this time by the sound of Hestia's true, unabashed and unrestrained cries of joy! Without being held back by shame, or worry, and without being muffled by her hands, or Bell's mouth, the Goddess's voice rang out like a song of bliss and worship, punctuating each and every moment that followed the heavy, thick sound of Bell's hips meeting her own! Higher by the second, more intense, more ecstatic, and more unhinged as her hands scrambled at the altar, and as her hips swung greedily back to meet his thrusts!

The once-virgin Goddess's song of sexual ecstasy had sent the Maiden of Silence to the floor.
But what kept her stuck in place, slumped to the ground and unable to turn away, was the sight laid out before her.

No longer hidden by shadows and silhouettes, the night's gloom was pierced by the shimmering moonbeams passing between the clouds and through the broken ceiling. The silver-haired woman had no more self-exonerations, she could see everything now.

Hestia was lit up fully in the moonlight, Alfia could see the Goddess's flushed face, her overflowing affection and unshackled ecstasy. She could see the way Hestia's massive breasts bounced and swung with each of Bell's thrusts, how her mouth dropped wide and eyes rolled back as she soared through a haze of bliss, and could see how her legs shook and trembled, held up more by his strength than her will. She could see the way the Goddess writhed and moaned, how she tossed her head back and forth, and how she panted so wantonly and so openly, having nothing at all to hide and no shame to bear from her lover.

But her eyes quickly passed over the deity and drank in the sight of the young adventurer. On Bell's face she could see a kind of love, and desire she'd never before seen from the man; on his expression was firm determination, and in his hands was an unwavering strength as he held his woman in place. The adoration and affection he held for Hestia was absolutely unmistakable… but so was the fierce intensity in his gaze, the kind of resolve that she'd had only seen before from her comrades in the Dungeon. Whether it was from all the time she'd spent with him, or simply a measure of feminine instincts, as a shiver ran up her spine, Alfia knew she immediately understood his resolve- this was the determination of a man who would do his all to make his woman drown entirely in ecstasy.

It was somewhere between duty, love, desire, and loyalty. And it was filled with such passion, she almost couldn't believe this was the same timid young man she'd always known.

She swallowed a dry throat.

'S-So… so this is how he looks… when he's in the dungeon?'

This was the face of Bell as a man.

Another thick, heavy slap of flesh upon flesh rang out, echoed with another unhinged melody of divine joy.
And, with such noise reverberating through her, all further thoughts were lost.

She could see Bell clearly now.

She saw the way his determination mixed with his desire, and his own rising pleasure.
She saw the way his muscles strained and stretched in the open air, both his legs and his arms doing almost all the work as Hestia collapsed pathetically against the altar she was being fucked into.
She saw the way he stretched the tiny Goddess wide around his cock, and could only imagine just how forcefully he must be wrapping her innermost walls around his length.
She saw the way he drove himself faster, harder, without mercy or hesitation, even as Hestia cried out through mind-shattering orgasms one after another.
She saw the way he slammed himself so powerfully and so roughly into the woman he loved.
She saw the way he held her so gently, and gazed at her so tenderly.

And, with her body flushed and her cheeks inflamed with shame, Alfia saw his face contorting as he gasped and moaned with his own pleasure. The noise of Bell's masculine delight filled her ears and her soul as she watched how he held himself back to the very limits he was able… and how, despite that, that lusty, lewd, lascivious Goddess of the Hearth dragged him, centimeder by centimeder, towards the same Heavens she was soaring so giddily through.

Bell panted out a warning.
Hestia sang out a command.

And Alfia watched, unblinking, as everything coalesced to one final moment and one final thrust.

Holding so tight to her waist, his fingers were leaving red marks on her skin, Bell's cock was driven to the hilt inside his lover.
Hestia had long since collapsed against the altar, jolting in response, her body reacted just the same, pushing back into him with every drop of divine will still within her, meeting his thrust with her own, and covering every last milimeder of his length with her pussy.

'A-Ah!'

For just a moment, for just a few moments, for just a half minute, for just a minute… Alfia watched as Bell's body pulsed and throbbed, as his head tipped back with a sigh, and his muscles flexed- as he unloaded everything he had within the Goddess he adored.

The thick, viscous seed flooding Hestia's womb and overflowing her pussy, pooled along the Goddesses thighs, streaming and flowing and…

*Splsh*

…The silence was suddenly broken, as the first droplet of Bell's essence splashed on the stone below.

It was the tiniest sound imaginable, after the cacophony of noise that had filled the church until now.

But with that, the spell over Alfia was finally broken.

Her mind and her thoughts returned, her shame and shock flooded through her once again. And, with trembling legs, a head spinning with unwanted memories, and a very, very battered sense of pride… the Incarnation of Talent, slipped unnoticed back down the stairs and retreated back into her bed; diving under the covers, she threw them over her head, as if trying to use them as some kind of shield.

…

Sleep did not return to her. Not with the way her heart was racing and her head was full of clouds.

Neither too, did Bell or Hestia return. Alfia had expected to hear her sister's son and his Goddess making their way noisily down the stairs just a few minutes after her, hopefully having cleaned themselves up first. But… the minutes passed, and the door remained closed.

"-Nhh! B-Bell!"

A distant, muffled moan served to answer that mystery. As Alfia's heart dropped to her stomach, she realised that once was far from enough when these two lovebirds thought they had some sense of privacy. And so too did she realise that the wooden door and the distance between them was not quite enough to completely silence Hestia's song of delight when someone with senses as sharp as Alfia was awake and knew exactly what to listen for.

'It sounds like it's coming from a different direction… he's got her against the wall thi-'

That thought was immediately banished.

So too was anything else relating to the noises echoing distantly, softly, and gently through the room around her.

Tossing and turning, and throwing a pillow futily over her head, Alfia prepared herself for a very difficult night ahead.
And as she did so, she became frustratingly aware of just how hot the room had become. Even though it was the dead of night, Orario's summer heat was being felt clearly now as the Maiden of Silence squirmed beneath the covers.

…

It was only several hours later when she finally saw Bell carrying Hestia back inside -now utterly dishevelled, looking even more a disgrace of a Goddess than usual- with them each absolutely stinking of sex and sweat… Alfia was finally able to relax enough to fall asleep.

'I'll get you for this Hestia, I will see you punished…' Finally losing focus and sinking into dreams, her drifting thoughts made sure to curse the Goddess that had caused this mess, but as always Alfia's concerns always returned to Bell, 'He looks… really happy…'

…

'…I'm glad…'

---

A/N: So… Bell really didn't learn his lesson from the previous chapter at all, did he? First, he keeps the waitresses up all night, and then he does the same to Alfia? Just how quiet does he think he's being!?

I suppose Alfia deserves a fair amount of the blame too, given that she set the precedent. Because of her being too proud to interrupt them or to admit what had happened, he thought she'd slept through it last time, and well… Here we go again. I feel sorry for Alfia, but given that she could simply have swallowed her dignity and interrupted at any point- I don't feel that sorry for her.

Funny scene at the start with Heith, Ais and Riveria having shared the exact same dream as Bell from the previous chapter. Don't worry too much about the exact logic behind that happening, it's just something I thought would be funny- if you need a reason, maybe we can blame the God of sleep/dreams playing a prank on them all. Or maybe it was the Norns pulling some strings with portents of the future? We shall see!

I enjoyed writing that small scene with Filvis, feels like it's been a while since I've been able to have her come along and do something, so that was nice. And Argonaut… I won't say anything about that yet, but you can probably see where I'm going with it from that little scene.

Anyway, very indulgent scene with the sex in this chapter being entirely from Alfia's point of view, mostly because I thought that'd be fun and offer a very different perspective to the last time we had Chloe (eagerly) watching Bell and Hestia going at it. I'd very much welcome feedback around that, how you liked it, thoughts or feelings on it or anything along those lines.

Otherwise I think the big thing I wanted to call out was that I've changed Luck to Rabbit's Foot here. Not a drastic change, but something that was suggested to me on Questionable Questing that I thought was a remarkably fun idea. So Bell doesn't get Luck like in canon, but he instead gives Luck to those around him, those he cares for. Is that better or worse? Well, Alfia wouldn't take it, but Hestia certainly would.

Anyway, this chapter was posted first on My (P)(atreon), a week in advance, so if you want to read it quicker/earlier, or if you just liked it and wanna support me to help get these chapters out faster, or if you just want more details about my story statuses and updates, then you can find the details at:

www(.p)(atreon)(.c)om(/)JLDavenport