Chapter 5: Strange Friends
While Bell was working hard in the Dungeon, Ishtar was preparing herself, but her weapons were very different. Normally, Ishtar dressed in amazoness fashion, with little clothing, bare feet and jewellery to complete the ensemble.
But for today, she had decided to change that. She had put on a magnificent black dress that highlighted her tanned skin. Of course, this dress perfectly highlighted her curves and beauty. The cleavage was breathtaking, a long slit at the bottom allowed one of her legs to be seen at every step she took, and for once she was wearing shoes.
She had put on some gold jewellery, which also stood out very well against her skin tone. But in her hair she wore the hairpin that Bell had given her. She was doing this for him, so it was only right that he should come with her, even symbolically.
When Ishtar was dropped off in front of Ganesha's house, many other gods were already there. Belit Babili was a tower with extravagant architecture, but it was nothing compared to the elephant god's house and its particular shape. Not to mention that the entrance was in a most ambiguous place.
"Lady Ishtar!" a god said as she barely made it to the front of Ganesha's house.
"What a pleasure to see you Lady Ishtar!" continued another.
Soon the goddess had a small group of admirers in front of her, completely under her charm. They all seemed ready to crawl for a simple smile from her. In fact, there was even one who was already doing it.
"Oh yes, Lady Ishtar, step on me!" said the one who thought he was a doormat.
This guy was supposed to be a deity, but he had obviously abandoned all pride at the mere sight of her. Ordinarily, such veneration would have pleased her. But strangely, that was no longer the case. All she saw in these people was a bunch of idiots thinking with their crotches and chasing her ass.
Honestly, what could she possibly find attractive in this kind of worship?
And stranger still, why did she think so? Why had she changed so much? And why did she feel in her heart that this change was perfectly normal?
But she couldn't afford to get lost in her thoughts looking for answers, she had other things to do.
"Sorry boys, not tonight."
The goddess then dodged all the little people and took a diversion to avoid stepping on the doormat god. Her act left all those poor gods in a quandary.
"But... why is she ignoring us?" Asked one god a hair's breadth away from depression.
"Do you think it's... an abandonment game?"
"Of course it is!"
"What a magnificent sadistic woman!"
"It is our beloved Lady Ishtar!"
"What on earth did I ever see in that bunch of degenerates?" the goddess wondered as she made her way to the banquet, abandoning her admirers.
In the past their veneration was enough for her, now the only thing that really moved her was the sweet and innocent smile of a young human.
And it was for him that she was here tonight.
Ganesha may have been an eccentric, but at least she admitted that he knew how to entertain. Generous buffet, fine alcohol, nice decoration, good mood.
The goddess took a glass of alcohol from a tray held by a servant who seemed totally under her charm. Then she took the opportunity to quickly greet the host of the place, as well as some acquaintances. At least, not the idiots under her charm.
"We're very lucky. Two goddesses of beauty are here tonight."
The comment came from another god present. Ishtar turned her head in the direction the eyes were pointing, expecting to see Aphrodite or Hathor.
But it was Freya. The other goddess of beauty was dressed in an elegant and sensual light blue dress. Her presence was a surprise, for she rarely showed up at such events.
Ever since the dreams began, Ishtar had wondered how she would feel when she saw her long-time rival directly.
At first, it was fear. In the dreams, Freya was destroying everything she had, dominating her and sending her back to the heavens. But she found the strength within herself not to let the dreams overwhelm her and calmed down.
Then there was a kind of weariness, almost indifference. The anger, the hatred, the jealousy, all the negative emotions that Freya had always inspired in her were simply... gone. It was strange and she still couldn't explain it to herself.
Her rivalry, her desire to defeat her, it was all gone.
And their eyes met...
Ishtar gave her a polite smile and a small wave to greet her. Then she turned on her heels and moved on.
Freya rarely came to these kinds of banquets. For one thing, she was often too busy with her personal projects and her role as Syr. And secondly, she didn't particularly like being an object of worship. The obedience of her children was a useful tool. Otherwise, only her Odr mattered. And then, by keeping her appearances to a minimum, she gave herself a more mysterious side that reinforced her aura and gave more impact to each of them.
But Freya's presence tonight was due to a different reason. She had managed to learn at the last moment that Ishtar was coming and had prepared herself too.
Allen had done an excellent job and had already managed to bring her some rumours, such as the fact that Bell looked out of place in the familia, that Ishtar had an unnatural attachment to him and that her behaviour seemed to have changed.
So the goddess wanted to know for sure. This was the reason for her presence.
And she understood as soon as she saw her. Ishtar seemed calmer, more radiant, different from the arrogant and aggressive bitch she remembered. Their eyes met and she understood how real the change was.
No hatred, no defiance. Ishtar merely smiled and waved. Instinctively, Freya returned the courtesy, only to freeze in place, blinking several times to be sure what she had seen.
Was this an extremely complex plan to manipulate her? Had she found a way to get a replacement who could fool the divine sight? The multiverse perhaps? Had Freya unknowingly fallen into a dimensional rift? A bit like in Hogni's weird novels where he got all his silly quotes from.
And unfortunately, she couldn't go to her and start a conversation. That would be too weird and she still lacked information. And asking her about Bell would only indicate that she was interested in him. Ishtar would immediately understand and be suspicious of her. No, it was better for the goddess of courtesans not to suspect anything for the moment.
Leaving Bell in Ishtar's hands repulsed her, but as long as his soul continued to shine, it was an acceptable exception.
So Freya did as she always did, she didn't stay long and quickly slipped away.
On Ishtar's side, she didn't have time to think more about how she felt about Freya, because someone came towards her quickly.
"Ishtar!"
A voice and an unmistakable accent that she recognized easily.
"Good evening Loki."
The little redhead had come to her and Ishtar decided to pretend everything was fine.
"It's been a long time since we've seen each other. I see you've changed your style tonight too."
But she was careful not to tell her that her choice wasn't really good, the strapless dress Loki had chosen to wear didn't suit a slim, flat figure like hers at all.
"Yeah, yeah, hi Ishtar. I'd like to have small talk with you, but I'd like to know why you did that."
"What are you talking about Loki?"
"About Bete! I know that the rumour about his manhood is your doing. The poor thing is in full depression now."
"You know, this kind of problem affects one in five men on average. Especially among heavy drinkers..."
Ishtar did not deny anything and by her words, she pointed out to Loki the origin of the problem. In response the goddess gave herself a dejected look when she realized where the issue was coming from.
"Oh no, don't tell me the kid he was talking about is yours?"
In response, Ishtar only offered a knowing smile.
"Well, okay, I've got to hold him better and he has already been punished enough by Riveria. So, will you put that rumour to rest?"
"Well, it's up to him to come to the district and have enough fun with the courtesans to show his manhood. I am kind, for him it will only be twice the usual price."
"Arg! You have no mercy!"
To which Ishtar only replied with an amused chuckle.
"You're mean, if it's the same kid we're talking about, I'll have you know that my Aizou saved his ass."
"You mean by saving him from a minotaur that your children themselves pushed into the upper floors? Don't expect me to thank you because they fixed their own mistakes."
For once, Loki didn't know what to say in response; she had no argument to make. Her children had indeed made a mistake and it could have turned out badly for her familia if they had been responsible for someone's death.
"And as for your little wolf barking loudly, don't try to make me think you're not enjoying this, Loki." She whispered in his ear.
Reading people's desires was one of Ishtar's specialties. Deep down, Loki was amused by the affair. For, like all gods, she was looking for entertainment. In the end, no one had died, just Bete sulking in his corner. No reason to go to war.
Anyway, their conversation was interrupted by the cry of a little goddess.
"Please Phae! Don't let me down!"
"No, Hestia, this time you're really going too far."
"Don't throw me out, please!"
"Then found your familia."
"I can't do it!"
"Then work, I even got you a job in one of my shops."
"Most of the customers are staring at my breasts! Some even put their hands on my buttocks! And the owner is a pervert!"
"You're talking about one of my children Hestia."
"He asked me to pole dance with a spear to promote it!"
"And I've already scolded him for that brilliant idea."
"Seriously, pole dancing? I'm not Ishtar!"
"Absolutely," replied the interested party, who had moved closer to her without her noticing. "But if you want, I could always teach you, I am indeed very good at pole dancing, but I warn you, it is much more technical than one believes." She told her with an amused look on her face.
"No thanks, I'm fine!" she replied instinctively.
"Good evening Hestia. And good evening to you too Hephaestus."
Both goddesses returned her greetings, a little shocked to be talking to such a... friendly Ishtar. Usually, she was more the type to strut around surrounded by her court of admirers than to come and make conversation to a virgin goddess and a one-eyed goddess.
"It's been a long time. Especially you Hestia, you've come down recently if I remember."
"Er... Yes."
"Are you looking to start your familia? Blessing our first children is always a great moment."
To which the little goddess replied with a sigh, which showed her discouragement.
"But so far, it's not working. No one wants to start a new familia from scratch, it's easier to join an established one. Some time ago, I spotted a potential candidate, then I lost track of him and after that, it was impossible to find him."
Ishtar realised that she must surely be talking about Bell. In her dreams he bore the mark of Hestia. In a way, the goddess of beauty felt a little guilty for having swiped it from her.
"And the few who seemed interested looked really shady to me."
"What do you mean?"
"They were all looking at my boobs! One was even drooling!"
This made Ishtar laugh a little. Hestia's reaction was not surprising, she was still one of the three virgin goddesses, so in essence she was a very prudish person, even if she was much more measured in her opinion about men than Artemis or Athena could be.
"That's the curse of being gorgeous Hestia, even more when you're as curvy as you are."
"Well, at least you've got to have something to lure people in." Loki said mockingly, having just joined the conversation.
"It's always better than having nothing to offer, isn't it, flatty?" replied the little goddess.
And of course, the two of them started to fight under the eyes of the other gods, amused by this duel between the 'loli-boobs' and 'no-boobs loki'. For her part, Hephaestus said nothing, still a little shocked by a detail.
Had she been dreaming or had she heard Ishtar complimenting the beauty of another woman?
The fight ended after a while and Loki snarled as Hestia returned to her redheaded friend, whom she still had to convince not to kick her out. But finally, it was Ishtar who took over the conversation.
"If you need Hestia, I can offer you a job, with accommodation included and..."
And immediately, Hestia stepped back, crossing her arms as if she were trying to protect herself. It was not difficult to understand how she had interpreted Ishtar's words.
"No Hestia, not THIS kind of work. Although it would no doubt be very amusing to see you try, even I wouldn't try to play such a joke on you. I'm talking about a real job, with no connection to a pleasure establishment, no damage to your honor as a virgin goddess, and no contact with the public."
"That sounds a little too good to be true." Replied the little goddess, who was not so naive.
"You're free to believe me or not. But you can drop by anytime to discuss it."
"Uh... OK."
"Hephaestus. I need to see you in private, can I come by your house tomorrow?"
The blacksmith goddess was then roused from her reverie. To her credit, she had just witnessed quite a few things that defied common sense.
"Oh! Uh... yes, of course. Tomorrow, no problem."
"Great, I'll see you tomorrow then. Good evening to you ladies." Concluded the goddess of beauty as she withdrew, leaving the two goddesses silent as they weren't really sure they understood what had just happened.
"Phae, it was Ishtar who came to talk to us wasn't it?"
"I think so."
For her part, after her little confrontation with Hestia, Loki had been content to watch the scene from a distance. However, when Ishtar left, she noticed a very particular detail.
"What's with the cheap-ass hairpin? It's not like her at all..."
When Ishtar finally returned to the entertainment district, it was already very late. After her conversation with the three goddesses, she then had to face a small crowd of admirers and other lechers. And no sooner had she managed to get rid of them than it was Ganesha who came up to her, thanking her for her presence, in his very own style. That is, very noisy, but still more pleasant than some people.
The entertainment district itself was in full swing at this hour, but that was not where she wanted to go. Instead, she was dropped off in front of the Astral Mansion. Unlike the rest of the district, the mansion was silent. At this hour, Bell had already been asleep for a while, because he was an early bird.
Either he was exhausted from his day, or he felt confident, because she managed to enter his room without waking him up. For the time being, there was no harm in giving him a little surprise.
Without a sound, the goddess removed her jewellery and placed it on the desk, then slid her dress to the floor, stripping down to her naked body before discreetly crawling into bed to snuggle up to Bell.
The boy felt he was having a very pleasant night. There was something warm and soft against him. Something comforting. Something he turned over and hugged in his sleep.
The next morning, as his mind began the early stages of waking, his body didn't feel like following, he felt good, the pillow was warm and soft.
And like many people, unconsciously, he began to knead his pillow into a better shape. A pillow with a strange texture...
A pillow that gave a moan of pleasure...
Within half a second, Bell was fully awake, his eyes wide. He sat up and realised that Ishtar had crawled into his bed, that he was half asleep on top of her and that what he thought was a very comfortable pillow was the goddess' bare chest. She was looking at him with a big, amused smile.
"Oh, is my little Bell finally unleashing his lust?"
"GOOOOOOOOOOOODDDDDDEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSS !"
Bell's howl was heard everywhere around...
Elsewhere in the district, Lena suddenly had a sensation that flashed through her head, as if her instincts had just picked up on something.
"My senses tell me that a beast has just risen. Perfect! Bell will be motivated for his morning training."
After giving Bell a big hug to make up for her intrusion, the goddess returned to Belit Babili. She quickly took care of some business and put on her discreet outfits. It was thus under her hooded cloak and behind her scarf that Ishtar went to Hephaestus' office.
The woman who greeted her there was a one-eyed woman with tanned skin and black hair.
"Hephaestus sent his captain to escort me? Well, such honours." Said the goddess with some amusement in her voice.
"This way." Tsubaki simply replied. The blacksmith goddess hadn't done it on purpose at all, but it suited her to have her captain around, especially since she didn't know what Ishtar might be up to.
"Cyclops. Tsubaki Collbrande, isn't it?" asked Ishtar in a curious tone.
"That's right Lady Ishtar."
Tsubaki wasn't exactly comfortable. Ishtar didn't have a very good reputation, she wasn't exactly the kind of goddess she liked to deal with. Especially since the latter was walking beside her, very close to her and looking at her rather intensely.
"A problem?" she dared to ask the goddess.
She answered with a small amused smile.
"None, I was just having fun guessing your customer profile."
"My what?"
"Basically, what you'd want if you came to the entertainment districts."
"But I have no intention of..."
Tsubaki tried to protest, but Ishtar wouldn't let her finish.
"Let's see... Ah! I know. For you... a boy, younger and smaller than you, the cute kind... and who would call you 'Big Sister' all night long."
The goddess finished her little talk by whispering the last words in her ear, which made the main interested party blush hard. The goddess had just hit the nail on the head. But she would never admit that.
"P-Please come this way." Tsubaki said, her cheeks flushed as she opened Hephaestus' office while motioning Ishtar to come inside, before closing the door to leave the two goddesses alone. Naturally, the goddess smith noticed her captain's blush and embarrassment.
"Hello Hephaestus." Said Ishtar simply as she pulled down her hood and shed her scarf.
"What did you do to Tsubaki?"
"Nothing in particular, I just helped her figure out her tastes."
The redhead let out a sigh. She shouldn't be too surprised to see Ishtar being a bit playful, and as long as she didn't overdo it, she wouldn't give her a hard time. On the other hand, she had no intention of beating around the bush.
"Well, you wanted to see me in private, it's done. So, what can I do for you Ishtar?"
Meanwhile, the goddess of beauty had come to sit directly on Hephaestus' desk, teasing as she usually did.
"I want to request a personalised weapon from you."
"I have many skilled blacksmiths in my familia, I'm sure you'll find what you want in one of my shops."
Basically, she didn't really want to do Ishtar a favour.
"No, right now I need something more... specific."
"Elaborate."
"I have a new child in my familia, a very special and promising boy. I'll need him to have a suitable weapon."
"He's still a beginner if I remember correctly."
Even she had heard about Ishtar's latest quirk and the boy she had taken under her wing.
"Yes, but he won't be for long."
"In that case, there's plenty of suitable equipment already, a powerful weapon would do him no good."
"Exactly, that's why I need you to take care of this job."
"And what? You're asking me to create the ultimate beginner's weapon?"
"You could think of it that way."
"That's ridiculous."
"Is it?"
"Even if it were possible, I don't see why I'd agree."
Still sitting on the desk, Ishtar made a nimble and graceful movement to slide the other way and now found herself sitting opposite Hephaestus, a small mysterious smile on her face.
"For the challenge Hephaestus!"
The smith remained silent at the other goddess' words, but her only visible eye opened wide.
"You take pleasure to admire your children's creations, to push them to excel and reach new heights in their art. But you cannot deny your own inner nature."
Ishtar then grabbed one of Hephaestus' hands, caressing it in a delicate manner.
"And these beautiful hands, they want to smite the metal, to shape it. They want to create."
She then brought the blacksmith's hand to her mouth and placed a fleeting kiss in its hollow. This surprised Hephaestus, who quickly withdrew her hand, somewhat embarrassed.
"And for someone who has already forged so many wonders in her long life, any new idea is welcome. For you too are looking for new stimulation."
The blacksmith goddess remained silent. Ishtar had hit the nail on the head, her words were full of truth. She was a blacksmith, a craftswoman, she had the desire to create and innovate.
"You are a true temptress, Ishtar." Hephaestus finally said to her after long minutes of silence.
"I too cannot deny my nature forever." She replied in an amused manner.
"I can't use my arcanum, you know that."
"You don't need it. Your hands, your knowledge and experience are all you need."
"It's going to cost you a lot of money."
"Do I look broke?"
Hephaestus had to face the fact that she was going to accept this job.
"Very well Ishtar, I accept your request, but I have one condition."
"I'm listening."
"If this child is really as special to you as you claim, then you will prove it to me."
"As you wish, but how do I go about it?"
"You'll have to give of yourself."
The goddess of beauty stood wide-eyed at the craftswoman's words and laughed.
"You want extra payment in kind? Well, well, well! That surprises me from you Hephaestus."
The goddess then slid down to sit on the other deusdea's lap in a deliberately provocative manner.
"But either way, if it makes you happy, I look forward to discovering the most sensitive areas of your anatomy..."
The blacksmith goddess was as red as her hair, realizing that she had chosen her words very poorly.
"Get down from there Ishtar! That's not what I meant!"
"Really? Too bad..."
So Ishtar stood up, a fake sad look on her face. But she could not deny that she would have been curious to discover her divine colleague under a more intimate aspect. She finally managed to regain her composure before starting the conversation again in a more serious manner.
"I meant that you are going to help me make this weapon."
"I have many talents, but smithing is not one of them."
"Don't worry about that. However, it will easily take us two days to make it, maybe even three. Do you have that much time to spare?"
And that was what Hephaestus was getting at. Would Ishtar really be willing to give that much of her time for just one of her children?
"All right, just let me write a letter to notify my familia and give some instructions. Then I'll be all yours..." She finished her sentence in a deliberately sensual and provocative tone, making the blacksmith blush a little more.
Now that Ishtar had accepted all her conditions, she would have to keep her word and think about how to make such a weapon. And also to pray that she would not go crazy spending at least two days alone with the other goddess.
Aisha was rather puzzled when she received the letter from her goddess saying that she would be away for at least two days. There was a list of instructions to take care of business during this time, but her sudden absence was unexpected. Ishtar was usually the type to plan this kind of thing in advance.
When she announced the news to the others, the discussion was quite animated.
"What the hell is she playing at this time?" said Samira, very annoyed by the chaotic behaviour of her goddess.
"She's talking about an important matter to settle with Hephaestus." Aisha replied rather tersely.
"You think this is about ordering weapons? Is the assault on Freya imminent?" Another amazoness then asked.
"Surely not, nothing is ready, we don't even have the stone for Haruhime." Another one said.
"Yeah, especially since some big idiot broke the first one." Samira then said aggressively to Aisha.
"What? You got a problem? Do you want to settle this now?"
Aisha was still an impulsive woman, so she responded to this provocation aggressively, even grabbing the other amazon by one of the fabric strips on her top.
"Anytime you want, you so-called big sister!"
And Samira was at it again. This time, the aggression was also related to Haruhime. Samira, like so many others, had no sympathy for the fox and saw her only as a tool. In her eyes, Aisha's sudden affection for her was as much a sign of weakness as it was hypocrisy.
"I'll kill you!"
"Just try it!"
Almost forehead to forehead, the two amazoness looked ready to come to blows. But Lena stepped in to keep them apart.
"Enough! We don't have time to fight each other!"
She didn't think she could do it, but the two amazoness backed off and calmed down. But this kind of tension was becoming commonplace at the moment. And it wasn't just Bell's fault. Freya's downfall was their familia's major project and it was putting them all on edge. It was double or nothing, either they would triumph at the first attack or their fate was sealed. Just taking down that monster of Ottar would be an ordeal.
On top of that, this project would force them to get involved with unsavoury people. Including the crazy people of the Familia of Kali and even the Evilus. Not to mention the smugglers to obtain certain items, the human traffickers from whom they could buy labour for the brothels in order to increase their funds, and a whole host of shady individuals.
No matter how much they covered their tracks, if someone was to dig a little too deep, it could become a problem. Plus, with their goddess obsessed with her grudge against Freya, there were no real plans to counter Loki or Ganesha. There was no guarantee that they would be left alone once hostilities began.
While Freya's demise would undoubtedly give Loki great pleasure, it would be hard to imagine her not trying to take advantage of a weakened prey to eliminate all competition. Because a war against Freya will inevitably cause damage.
All of this created a great deal of tension within the familia and especially among the berberas. In the end, Bell was just a peculiar eccentricity that unintentionally crystallized all this tension.
If only she had taken him in as a toy with which they could calm down. But from the beginning, she had always forbidden the berberas to touch him.
And now their goddess was up to something in the company of another goddess quite close to Loki.
Things were not getting any better in Belit Babili.
However, if the tension was high among the berberas, this was not the case in the rest of the district. If at first he had kept to himself and not walked around the entertainment district at night, he didn't want to stay away from his own familia either.
The berberas still looked at him either with contempt or as a piece of meat. But they were far from being the whole familia. There were plenty of other members, the brothel courtesans, the employees. And most of these people liked Bell.
Over the weeks he had become acquainted with the people in the establishments around the Delebat house. Bell was kind and helpful by nature, so he quickly gained sympathy from everyone. He treated the prostitutes as normal people and often made conversation with them. He would do favours here and there, carrying heavy things, running small errands or anything else. As a result, many people liked him.
But there was also another reason. The entertainment district was Ishtar's territory. In a way, the goddess' will and mood were reflected in it. As if her mere mental state could be felt.
Until now, the goddess's obsession with Freya, her hatred and anger, was felt, and if for the visitors the place was synonymous with pleasure, for the inhabitants it was as if they were living under a permanent leaden screed.
But since Bell had appeared, something had changed. Ishtar was softer, more peaceful around him. Her more negative emotions seemed to be lessened as she let more positive things show.
As a result, the disctrict's mood also seemed to improve, as if that leaden veil was disappearing. The employees seemed more relaxed, the prostitutes less stressed.
And for many, it was thanks to Bell, indirectly, that their lives were improving. Without realising it, the boy had made many friends who were willing to protect her. If the darker parts of the familia were hidden from him, there were many people who were willing to act in the shadows for his sake. The new rule in the neighbourhood was simple:
Nobody hurts Ishtar's rabbit.
That's why the rumour about Bete's manhood problems spread so quickly. As soon as everyone knew that it was to avenge Bell, they put a lot of effort into it.
"Bell! Thanks for the other time!"
"You're welcome."
"Bell! A customer offered me some chocolates, would you like some?"
"Thanks."
"Bell! Do you want to come and have some fun with us?"
"Another time."
"Bell! Thanks for looking after the kids."
"My pleasure."
Basically, everyone loved him and he'd made his mark very quickly.
Bell came upon one of the nearest pleasure establishments to the Astral Mansion. The Midnight Sigh was one of the many standard establishments that made up the entertainment district. Not a fancy brothel, but not a shithole either. Just a nice little place where ordinary customers paid to have a good time in the company of a lady of negotiable affection.
"Hello Bell."
The woman who had just spoken to Bell was a pallum, with midnight blue hair. Most of the pallums Bell had seen often gave him the impression that he was talking to young human teenagers. But this woman, by her attitude, gestures, dress and make-up, was sending out a more mature image than most of her species. In short, she could easily be mistaken for a small human.
"Hello to you Neela."
The woman in question, Neela, was the manager of this establishment. Like the vast majority of pallums, Bell was unable to estimate her age, but it was obvious that she was an experienced woman. One of her characteristics was that she always carried a fan in her hand, as if it was part of her role. She generally had a composed and thoughtful attitude and it was clear that she was an educated person.
"Back from another day in the Dungeon? As motivated as ever."
It wasn't hard to see from the look in her eyes that she was one of those people who had taken a liking to the young man.
"Always." Bell replied with a smile. A smile that Neela returned with tenderness. It was something so simple that made Bell so popular with the courtesans. No judgement in his eyes, no obscene intentions. He looked at them for what they were first and foremost, people. With their lives, their joys, their sorrows, and their little everyday problems that he helped with from time to time.
"Is Bell here?" Asked a more cheerful female voice.
"Yes, Kelsie, I'm here." Bell replied to the woman.
Immediately afterwards, a pretty human with beautiful long blonde hair appeared and jumped on him to give him a big hug.
"Beeeeeell! My last customer pulled my hair! I'm not a mare!"
And sometimes the help he offered them was simply to offer a listening ear. Even if that often included finding out things he'd sometimes rather not know.
"Absolutely Kelsie."
"Will you let go of him now," Neela then asked her, seeing the boy's embarrassment.
"No way! I'm recharging my Bell-energy!" she replied, holding him tighter to her.
Ishtar had forbidden touching him, in the sense of doing naughty things to him, but that mostly referred to Berberas, who were by nature unbearable. She hadn't forbidden people to sympathize with him or even to give him simple hugs.
"Hey, don't hog it! I need to recharge too!"
And before he had time to understand, another woman pulled him from the human's arms and into hers.
"Saria! You thieving bitch!"
The woman called Saria was a beautiful elf with white hair. And as crazy as it sounded, she held Bell tightly embraced against her and didn't seem to want to let go.
"S-Saria." Bell began, rather embarrassed to be hugged from all sides by such sensual women. "I'd heard elves were not so..."
"Touchy?" Neela the prum replied. "I believe we have here one of the few exceptions to the rule. Enjoy it, you'll rarely see pureblood elves doing this job."
"Quite so." Saria the elf continued, "Haaaa! Bell, if you knew the awful circumstances that led me to this life..." she then began in a dramatic and theatrical tone.
"She's simply a nymphomaniac." Neela cut her off.
"Neela!" she protested before finally releasing the boy. "But fine, I might as well admit the truth. I love sex!" she said decisively while pointing at Bell, as if making a big revelation. "I love getting laid, I love the pleasure it gives me, so why wouldn't I combine business with pleasure and make it my job?"
"Uh... if you say so." Bell replied, not sure how to handle this kind of eccentricity.
On the spot, he took two steps back and felt that he had just hit someone. He instinctively turned to apologise and another woman's arms wrapped around him. He found himself caught in the embrace of a pretty weretiger a little curvier than the other women, his face half buried in her generous maternal assets.
"H-Hello Dezra."
"Moooh Bell, I already told you you could call me 'mommy'." She told him with amusement.
"Hell no!" he replied directly, his cheeks even redder. Especially since he knew it had no innocent connotation coming from her. This amused the other women around, especially Neela.
"Excuse her, Bell, she's become a bit weirded out from dealing with clients who have some... special kinks."
This would have made him laugh if he wasn't busy blushing amidst two terribly soft globes against his face.
Finally, the pretty tiger woman agreed to let him go.
This kind of scene was now part of his daily life. Interactions like this were common in many other establishments in the district, although the women of the Midnight Sigh seemed to have a slightly stronger than average affection for him.
Bell noted out of the corner of his eye that the establishment seemed to be in the midst of preparing for something important, and that prompted him to ask the question.
"Is something coming up?"
"Yes, it's almost the Monsterferia." Neela answered him. "You haven't been in town very long, so you probably haven't heard about it yet. It's an eccentricity that the god Ganesha has been organizing for the past few years. Some kind of monster taming show."
"Ah yes. Eina told me about it, I just saw members of Ganesha familia bringing up cages with monsters from the Dungeon. But what does that have to do with here?"
"Very simple my dear Bell. The Festivities will attract curious outsiders first of all, as well as putting the inhabitants in a good mood. And among all these curious and good-natured people, there are many who will be tempted by a night out in the entertainment district, once the main festivities are over for the day. And it's up to us to continue to 'entertain' them for the rest of the night."
"I understand better."
Even though he wasn't in the business, he understood their logic. Despite the nature of its services, the Midnight Sigh was still a business and it had to take advantage of every opportunity to attract customers.
Which also meant that there was going to be more noise in the district at night.
"You know what?" Kelsie replied. "We even made costumes for the occasion. You have to see this!" she said, grabbing his hand.
"Totally agree." Saria continued, grabbing his other hand. "I made myself fake wings to dress up as a siren and I want your opinion!"
And without asking his opinion, the two women pulled him after them, under the gaze of Neela who had a small and discreet laugh behind her fan. He was getting used to their eccentricities, but deep down he liked it.
Bell treated them all very well and they returned the favour. He had the feeling that he had made real friends and that warmed his heart.
Two days later, the Monsterferia began.
In the private workshop of Hephaestus, two goddesses were finishing their work. A black dagger, covered with divine runes.
"When you said I should give of myself, I didn't think it would literally be one of my hairs."
"And that's not all, now you must give it a drop of your ichor to complete the enchantment for good."
Which Ishtar did without delay. She pricked the index finger of her right hand and spread the drop of divine blood along the knife. The blade absorbed the ichor of the goddess of beauty and the runes began to glow.
" It's done. This dagger is a living weapon, it will grow with its bearer and improve. In return, only someone with your blessing will be able to use it, for anyone else it will be just a common butter knife."
"It's perfect, Hephaestus. You've outdone yourself."
"Honestly, such a weapon is almost cheating, don't ever ask me to make something like that again."
"I promise."
The goddess of beauty wrapped the weapon in cloth and tucked it under her long cloak. Meanwhile, the smith goddess had turned her back to her desk.
"I'll send the bill to your home."
"I'll get the payment to you quickly... and discreetly."
From the way she was looking at this order, Ishtar understood that she didn't want to brag about it everywhere and that she would prefer to keep the matter discreet. She was already used to this kind of thing, most of the customers in the entertainment district liked to be discreet about their business.
Taking advantage of the fact that the blacksmith had her back to her, Ishtar quietly approached her, hugging her waist from behind, sticking to her, before placing her lips on the other goddess' neck.
"Isht- aaaaaaaah!" Despite herself, the blacksmith goddess let out a moan of pleasure. It was hard to resist the technique of a goddess of beauty.
After giving her a hickey on the neck, Ishtar stepped back with a teasing look on her face.
"Think of it as a tip to thank you for your excellent work. Until next time, Hephaestus." She told her with a small amused laugh as she headed for the exit.
Not expecting this gesture, the blacksmith was speechless, as red as her hair.
Damn goddess of beauty, now she was going to have to wear a scarf for a few days. There was no way anyone was going to see that... and certainly not a certain young redheaded blacksmith. Even if this last point, she was still only half admitting it to herself.
When she finally went outside, after more than two days in the company of the other deusdea, Ishtar noticed the bustle in the streets. She had lost track of time and remembered that the Monsterferia had just started.
She could go for a walk for once...
As for Freya, she was getting ready for a meeting with Loki, it was time for her to have some fun too. She already had some ideas and something told her that these festivities would prove to be very interesting...
As for Bell, as he was also heading to town to enjoy the festivities, his steps took him past the Hostess of fertility and a certain Cat People was going to ask him a favour...