Author's notes: A new chapter. A little shorter than the others, it serves above all as a transition on a lighter tone before a sequel that will be much more intense and epic. But I hope you'll enjoy reading it all the same.

Chapter 13: The blonde war

Sometimes you shouldn't meet your heroes. Bell Cranel was discovering this concept as he suffered his fifth KO of the day.

How had it come to this? Thanks to Eina.

Through a chain of cause and effect, Ais Wallenstein had wanted to meet Bell to apologize and return his forearm protector, and the half elf had put them in touch. Embarrassed by this unexpected encounter, his first instinct was to flee. As a result, he found himself with his nose in her bottom, a moment of embarrassment as much as happiness, before he was scolded by Eina for his behavior and managed to relax enough to talk to her.

Although Bell assured her that she owed him nothing, she still insisted on repaying the debt she imagined she owed him. Not having a better idea, she offered to train him early in the morning on the ramparts for a few days, until the Loki familia's next major expedition.

Except that Ais Wallenstein had no idea how to train someone else. That day, Bell discovered that if Ais was so unexpressive and quiet, it wasn't because she was cool and mysterious, or even shy... She was, above all, a total airhead...

Thus began a strange cycle consisting of Bell taking a beating, passing out, waking up with his head on Ais's lap, screaming... and repeating as many times as necessary...

It was barely halfway through the morning and he was already worn out. What's more, before training had even begun, he'd had a chase.

He'd met a pretty young elf, as beautiful as a forest fairy, who'd seemed very sympathetic... for about two minutes, before she turned into some kind of hysterical wacko chasing him.

He wasn't quite sure how this strange training would turn out...

He then spent the day in the Dungeon with Lili, before returning to the Astral Mansion to find someone waiting for him, an amazoness. Not the friendly, mischievous Lena, but the sensual, feline Aisha.

"G-Good evening, Aisha." He began with little confidence.

"Enough courtesy my boy, I've received Ishtar's authorization to train you, so prepare yourself immediately."

"Now?"

"Death never warns when it comes to you!" she said before attacking, pushing the young man hard for a full hour.

Aisha didn't have much teaching ability, so she wasn't going to be able to give him many tips. Basically, she was simply going to attack him with a minimum of restraint and let him learn from it.

It may not have been the most effective method, but with someone like Bell, it actually worked rather well. With his learning speed and keen sense of observation, he was making rapid progress.

Aisha herself noticed that he had made good progress and that his abilities already far exceeded those of a Level 1.

However, something was bothering her and she couldn't pinpoint what it was. Unable to find the source of her discomfort, she decided to conclude the young man's training for the evening, who was exhausted and plunged into bed as soon as he had eaten.

Bell kept up this steady pace for a few days. In the morning, training with Ais, during the day in the Dungeon and in the evening, training again with Aisha. Fortunately, he could rely on Haruhime's delicious cooking to help him keep up.

For her part, Ishtar began to have her doubts. Bell was leaving early in the morning, at a time when the pleasure district was at its quietest and therefore most discreet. But that didn't mean no one had seen her. What's more, his stats were jumping like she rarely saw them, even with him.

Not to mention the fact that Lili had noticed that he was more tired than usual, so much so that she preferred to let him sleep in the evening and hadn't yet tried a new nocturnal attack.

Then came the "incident"...

For as long as they'd known each other, Bell and Haruhime had been spending time together, talking about the heroic tales they loved so much. The fox had brought along a new book that evening. But between his two hellish training sessions and his days in the Dungeon, the young man fell asleep from exhaustion, falling against his friend's shoulder.

Haruhime smiled tenderly at the sight of him. Gently, trying not to wake him, she leaned over to put down her book. But in doing so, she put her fluffy ears directly under Bell's nose, which tickled him.

The young man half-awoke and uttered a few words in a pasty voice.

"hmm... dinnertime..."

Then he... grabbed one of Haruhime's ears and began to nibble it gently! The beautiful foxgirl wanted to scream, but apart from a brief gasp, she remained frozen in place. She couldn't say why, but Bell wasn't biting hard, he was just nibbling gently, and it was having an effect on her.

On the one hand, the ears were a sensitive part of her anatomy, and on the other, given that she was not insensitive to the young human's charms, it had a certain effect on her. Not to mention that part of her unconscious didn't want it to stop.

So she just stood there, blushing and moaning softly, captive to Bell's strangely expert technique.

That is, until Ishtar came along and noticed things with a big, amused smile.

"Ah? Finally some action?"

Her voice woke Bell a little more, and he regained consciousness, wondering what that thing in his mouth was before realizing what he was doing and suddenly flinching.

"'S-sorry! Sorry, Haruhime, I never meant to..."

"I-it doesn't matter Master Bell..." she replied breathlessly, her cheeks flushed and her kimono a little more open than usual. "You didn't hurt me."

"I can confirm, she didn't look like she was in pain, quite the contrary." Ishtar replied, greatly amused by the situation.

As a result, as red as her kimono, Haruhime fled, unable to bear this embarrassing situation any longer.

Outside, she came across Lena, who was passing by.

"Haru-haru? Is everything all right?"

"Y-Yes... it's nothing... just that Master Bell..."

"Oh? What's he has done?"

"Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh ! was the only sound that came out of her mouth before she fled, hiding her face, red with shame.

Of course, all this was extra fuel for Lena's gossip engine...

For her part, as Bell scolded her for her teasing, the goddess began to think that there really was something wrong.

Ishtar wanted to find out for sure, so she changed her routine and woke up early in the morning to see if Bell was doing anything in particular, dragging the poor Haruhime along with her, who wasn't used to getting up so early and was still embarrassed by the latest incident.

Her effort paid off when he saw Bell sneak out of the Astral Mansion very early in the morning. With amusement, she discreetly followed him, and although she kept her distance so as not to alert him, she eventually found his trail to the ramparts. As she climbed towards them, she heard the unmistakable sound of metal striking metal.

Once at the top, she was greeted by a most singular sight. Bell, knocked out, lying with his head in the lap of a famous blonde swordswoman.

"Master Bell!" gasped the fox, seeing him in such a state, while Ishtar only sighed with amusement, realizing that he wasn't in any danger at all.

When the young man awoke, it was as it had been for several days, suddenly sitting up and screaming like an idiot.

The difference this time was that he stuck his nose directly into Ishtar's chest, who had come to see if he was all right.

At first there was a little awkward silence, then Bell spoke up.

"Goddess? What are you doing here?" he said in a half-stifled voice, still with his face wedged between two hills of dark-skinned flesh.

"Oh? Can you tell me by my chest alone now?"

There was another awkward silence. He had indeed ended up with his nose in this place so many times that he could now recognize it on the first try. But he had the feeling that if he admitted it, he'd be offering his goddess some kind of victory.

So he quickly disengaged himself and found himself caught between his goddess, with her mischievous little smile, and his idol, who was watching the whole thing with curiosity.

"Soooooooooooooo. If you're so tired right now, it's because you have secret dates every morning with the Sword Princess." Ishtar then said, with all her mischievousness. This obviously panicked Bell, who had to clarify the situation urgently before it was misinterpreted.

"N-Not at all goddess! She's just training me..."

"Oooooooooooooh? Really? And how did you manage to get such a prestigious adventuress to take care of you?"

He was so cute when he panicked like that that she couldn't help but tease him a little.

"Allow me to explain, Lady Ishtar." Ais said, her tone placid, but eager to help Bell.

The blonde swordswoman then explained her point of view and her willingness to apologize for the minotaur incident.

"There, goddess, you know everything, I'll be training with Ais until her familia's next expedition."

"I see. I must say I'm pleasantly surprised, Sword Princess, most high-ranking adventurers tend to become condescending and scoff at the plight of lesser adventurers. I'm sure Bell will learn a lot from you."

"I... will do my best."

"Even if there were other ways for you to make it up to Bell." Said the goddess with a mischievous smile.

"Really? What kind?" asked Ais with all her innocence.

Seeing the potential disaster fast approaching, Bell panicked and stepped in between them.

"N-nothing at all! Training's fine!"

He then turned and gave his goddess a sulky pout, as if silently signaling her not to add to it. But it wasn't as if Ishtar was going to listen. She looked closely at Ais and realized that she was completely innocent!

She'd understood nothing of the innuendo and hadn't picked it up at all. Ishtar knew very well how to analyze people, especially in this area. The woman who had been nicknamed "the doll" only a short time earlier was definitely well suited to that nickname.

"My dear Miss Wallenstein, I'd be amused to talk to you about all this, but I think it would upset that dear Loki. So I'll leave you with your questions this time."

Ais merely tilted her head slightly to one side, a most adorable reaction from Ishtar's point of view.

So the goddess and the fox stepped aside and let them train. Ishtar could now see just how peculiar the "Wallenstein method" of training was. In a nutshell, Bell would attack, get knocked out trying to defend himself, Ais would give him a lap pillow, before he'd wake up screaming and they'd go at it again.

After silently observing this little merry-go-round half a dozen times, the goddess finally went over to the young woman to ask her the question that had been running through her mind.

"Hmmm... Giving him a lap pillow, is that for any particular reason?"

The beautiful blonde remained thoughtful for a moment, then answered.

"Riveria told me to." She replied laconically.

"She did?"

"Yes, she said it was enough to apologize."

The goddess gave an amused chuckle. She would never have believed that Nine Hell, a purebred elven princess, actually hid such a teasing side. Perhaps she wasn't a child of Loki for nothing.

"Well, her advice isn't bad at all. But I'd add that you don't do that with just anyone, just people you like. And something tells me that doesn't bother you in this case precisely."

Given her reputation as an inexpressive doll, something told Ishtar that she'd never have paid any attention to Bell if she hadn't been a little interested in him.

The next day, Ishtar followed Bell again, but this hardly surprised the young man. She was still accompanied by Haruhime, who was better prepared this time. As soon as Bell's first knockout occurred, and he had glided off, the fox rushed to his side, settling his head on her lap, even adding her tail for comfort.

The blonde human was shocked, not daring to move forward. Why was the fox doing this? Wasn't this supposed to be her role?

Haruhime met Ais's gaze with a gentle, friendly smile... or so it seemed. But there was something strange about that smile.

Ais Wallenstein was sure that this foxgirl was challenging her.

And so, in parallel with the training, a strange duel took place in which each of the two women did her best to be the first to give Bell a lap pillow.

The blonde war was on...

All under Ishtar's amused gaze. The goddess thought to herself that the two young women were hiding their games well, as they seemed to have much more affection for Bell than they were willing to show. Or maybe it was just a matter of pride.

As for Bell, that didn't stop him from waking up in a panic every time, no matter which lap he was on...

Caught in the middle of all these events, Bell decided one evening that it was time for him to take a break. Taking advantage of the fact that Ishtar and Haruhime were busy that evening, he slipped away from the Astral Mansion and made his way to the Hostess of Fertility. With what he'd earned, he could afford a good meal on the spot.

The first thing he noticed was that all the waitresses seemed suspicious of him. Well, a little more than usual. Lunoire and Chloé looked away, blushing, and Ryuu looked at him as if she feared she'd get pregnant just by getting within five meters of him. It was Anya who dared to approach and speak to him.

"Well, if it isn't mister beast! It's been a while since we've seen you in the evening nya."

Bell noticed that his nickname had changed, but strangely, he was afraid to ask why.

"So, then, what are you planning to do..."

She was interrupted by a blow from a tray on the back of her head, which had been given to her by Syr.

"Anya, stop bothering him with your nonsense! Go back to your tables instead before mama gets angry again."

"Not funny..." quipped the kitty as she walked away.

"Thanks." he gave her an embarrassed little smile.

"You're welcome. Is a seat at the counter okay with you?"

"Yes, thank you."

Bell followed the young woman and took a seat, before greeting the manager, who arbitrarily decided to serve him the special of the day, which wasn't the cheapest of course. Fortunately, the quality was equal to what Mia was charging him. The young man quietly savored his meal, before Syr came back to him.

"Everything all right, Bell?"

"Perfect, it's delicious."

"Good." The young woman remained silent for a short moment, then spoke again. "By the way Bell, I wanted to ask you something."

"What's that?"

"This is a bit awkward... but, we've been hearing some rumors lately."

"What kind of rumors?" He asked a little worried. Misunderstandings often abounded around him.

"It's a little complicated. You see, since you've been coming here, you've unwillingly done a bit of promotion for us in the entertainment district, and it happens that courtesans come here to eat from time to time to take their minds off things."

"Have they been causing trouble?"

"No, not at all, on the contrary, they even try not to be noticed. It's just that... I've got an eye for them, so to speak. And we can't blame you for bringing us new customers. However, sometimes you hear them talking to each other," she says, openly confessing to spying on customers. "Recently, some of them have been talking about some strange things, between you, your goddess and the supporter who joined you. So I was wondering..."

"Ah, you mean the whole massage thing." he replied with a sigh of relief, far from knowing everything Lena had been saying behind his back.

"Massages?" the waitress asked somewhat incredulously.

"Yes, my goddess's latest whim. She insisted on teaching me to massage, supposedly to help me loosen up."

"I see." she said with an embarrassed chuckle. What was Ishtar putting in her head? No way was this the kind of massage that was innocent.

"So I massaged her back, and she made a lot of weird noises, and I'm pretty sure she was exaggerating. Then she asked me to massage Lili too. She seemed to enjoy it, although I'm convinced she was in on it, given that she was also making weird noises."

Bell's unconscious was still pushing him toward a certain innocence, much to the chagrin of many.

"You don't think they could have really liked it?"

"Still, that would be crazy, she'd only just shown me how to do it."

"So... would you massage me?" she asked teasingly.

Bell nearly spat out his drink.

"Excuse me?"

"Well, if there's a conspiracy, I can't be in it. As a result, you'll know right away whether you're massaging well or not."

"I'm not really sure..."

"Come on, Bell! Please. In exchange, I'll make you eat for free tonight."

Given that his goddess was managing his day-to-day expenses, he wasn't exactly broke, but he had to admit that he wasn't making a fortune in the Dungeon either, and now that Lili had officially joined him, there was the upkeep of her equipment to consider. As a result, any savings were worthwhile. Bell heaved a small sigh and replied.

"Well, all right then."

"Great!" said the young woman, very enthusiastic about the idea.

Even so, Syr let Bell finish his dinner, then took advantage of the evening's bustle to allow him to slip away discreetly with her. Of course, given her true identity, Syr didn't live at the tavern like most of the other waitresses. She didn't have her own room, but she knew all the spare rooms Mia kept free. It was to one of these that she guided Bell.

It didn't take her long to undo her apron and open her dress a little to free her back before lying down.

"Bell, if you don't mind."

The young man, who had turned around to give her some privacy, came over to her as soon as she was ready. A little shy at first, he eventually worked up the courage to place his hands on her bare skin, to a very... peculiar result.

"By heavens! Bell... Right... there... it's... divine!" she managed to articulate between moans.

Inside, Freya was impressed. Over the centuries, many people had touched her body, in so many different ways, gods and mortals alike. And she was sure she hadn't come across many people capable of touching her like that. Bell was totally wrong, there was no plot, he was naturally gifted!

No one had massaged her like that for centuries. Bell had golden hands, capable of drawing from her perfectly sincere bursts of voice.

All right, she was willing to admit that Ishtar had at least taught him ONE thing right.

Of course, Syr's moans eventually fell on a pair of very sharp ears, pointed ears...

So it was no surprise when Ryuu burst open the door, face as red as a lobster.

"W-W-What are you doing?" she said suddenly, before nearly fainting when she saw the position they were in. "Lewd!"

"Calm down Ryuu, Bell is only massaging my back, nothing more." Syr replied, amused by her friend's reactions.

"W-w-with his hands... on your back... naked..."

"Yes Ryuu, that's kind of the concept you know."

Except she was showing this to someone who felt that simply holding hands was already an erotic act.

"Besides, Bell's super talented, do you want to try it? I'm sure it would do you a world of good!"

The beautiful elf's mind then began to imagine the scene, Bell's hands on her bare skin, making her utter moans that would bring the shame of twelve generations of her ancestors upon her. This obviously made her blush even more, something Syr noted with amusement.

"No way! I could never let Mr. Cranel spill his lust on me like that..."

"Really? Wasn't it you who was telling me about polygamous marriage the other day?"

"Huh?" gasped a slightly shocked Bell.

"It was just emotion, I didn't know what I was saying!" she tried to justify.

Eventually, however, all this shouting drew attention and more waitresses arrived, led by Anya, who didn't miss a thing.

"Nya? Is the beast on the attack yet?"

Bell sighed and explained the situation as Syr got dressed.

"Was it just massages that made Syr moan like that?" the kitty asked, not believing it at first.

"Yes, just massages." Replied Bell, trying to salvage what little reputation he had left.

"Really? Can I have one too? My muscles are completely knotted up." Anya then asked, without any embarrassment.

" No way!" said Mia, who had just arrived to put an end to the nonsense.

"Nya! Why shouldn't we be allowed to have massages?" protested the cat people.

"If it makes you all moan like Syr, people will think I run a weird establishment, so massages are forbidden."

"That's tyranny! If we don't get our massages, we'll... we'll go on strike!" replied Anya, with the blessing of the other waitresses behind her. Unfortunately, this wasn't enough to make Mia give in - quite the contrary. She glowered, her aura becoming so menacing that flames could have shot up behind her, and she was even beginning to crack the knuckles of her hands.

"Unfortunately for you ladies, this establishment doesn't recognize the right to strike. Now, get to work!" she shouted, causing the waitresses to flee.

"Mama, you meanie!" shouted Anya as she fled.

"As for you kid, you're going to have to pay me for all this mess and since you like to use your hands, I've got the perfect job for you."

And so it was that Bell found himself on dishwashing duty alongside Ryuu, paying for what was technically Syr's nonsense in the first place. When the elf girl wasn't busy reminding him how indecent he was, she was silent and unexpressive. But beyond all the nonsense, he also knew she was a seasoned adventurer, so he tried to talk to her.

"Can... can I ask you a question?"

She immediately stepped sideways away from him and looked at him suspiciously.

"A really serious question... "he said with a slightly jaded air. When were they going to stop taking him for a beast of lust in this tavern?

"Oh? I'm listening, Mr. Cranel." She said, resuming her impassive air.

"How do we level up?"

The human and the elf then began a truly serious, adventurous conversation.

Coward...

Three times he heard this word, and from three different people. First, from Ryuu. Once she managed to put aside the young man's falsely sulphurous reputation and spoke to him normally, she had a lot to teach him. Despite her complicated past, she was still a level 4 adventurer with a wealth of experience to share.

As a result, she was able to analyze things with a certain expertise and she realized that something was blocking Bell. Or rather, he was letting fear get in the way.

Ais too during one of their training sessions. Now that he'd improved a lot and she'd gotten used to training him, she could see that there was a block in him, as if he feared something.

Aisha was the third to tell him. Once he was used to her Spartan methods, she too understood that something was blocking him. Of the three, she was the one most upset by the situation. Bell was a gamble she'd made on the future, a way of protecting Haruhime, and she couldn't accept that he'd flinch now simply because he'd had a bad experience.

Because the three women were right, subconsciously Bell was still haunted by his experience with the minotaur. He had come very close to death. His rescue by Ais was nothing more than a huge stroke of luck. And luck was a capricious mistress who could abandon him overnight. The Dungeon was unpredictable and anything could happen. Part of him feared the next similar event, the next unforeseen catastrophe, and this led to a kind of blockage. And three high-level adventurers had seen this blockage.

But they weren't the only ones...

From atop her tower, a goddess could see that too. A goddess who had a particular interest in the young man. A beautiful, pure soul, but whose radiance seemed to be hindered by something.

And that wasn't her only concern. She had appreciated the work of the sword princess, who had helped to improve the object of her affection, but she felt that the latter indulged in too many familiarities.

"I think this lovely swordswoman needs a lesson, to learn where she belongs. Why not send someone to call her to order, along with some of our latest recruits, to stimulate the boy a little."

"I must disagree, Lady Freya." Ottar said soberly.

"Oh? For what reason?"

It was rare for Ottar to disapprove so openly of her desires, but she also knew he always did it for a good reason.

"The presence of the goddess Ishtar, for one. She could easily guess the origin of the attack. Given her obsession with you, she'll have her suspicions right away. What's more, Ishtar's activities have attracted the attention of the goddess Loki of late, so attacking a child she makes no secret of being one of her favorites so head-on could be embarrassing for the future. And as a final point, among those who might have the level to stand up to the Sword Princess, I'd like to point out that Allen and Hogni haven't been in the best of spirits lately."

Freya gave a sad little sigh. Unfortunately, she had nothing to counter Ottar's arguments, especially as she knew full well that he would always act in her best interests. Not to mention that he was giving her this little look to remind her that it was partly because of her that the cat and the elf were in no condition.

"So let's forget about it. As for Bell, do you have any idea what we should do?"

"Yes."

The boaz then outlined his analysis and plan of action. On the one hand, she was a little jealous that he understood it better than she did, but on the other, she was eager to see this plan in action.

Doubtless out of curiosity, the goddess asked her captain if he wasn't jealous of Bell or worried that he might take her place. To which Ottar replied in his own way.

Of all those who served the goddess of beauty, he was the one who knew her best at the time. He knew that being jealous when it came to Freya was nonsense. The goddess's love was special; no one could really understand all its subtleties. She was the wind, no one could control the wind. Rather than waste his time in pointless jealousy, he preferred to get down to work, his plan requiring a few preparations.

For Bell, this was to be the last day of training, for the very next day, the Loki familia would be setting off on a new expedition into the depths of the Dungeon. That morning, Ishtar arrived at the ramparts first, alone. She had arranged for Bell to be slightly delayed with Haruhime's complicity.

Ais, who had arrived early, was a little surprised to see the goddess alone.

"Bell's not here?"

"He'll be here soon, don't worry. I thought we could take the opportunity to talk a little, you and I."

"If you want." She said with her usual detached look.

"First of all, I wanted to thank you, Bell has made good progress thanks to you."

"If you say so."

She may have been unexpressive, but Ishtar still managed to decode certain things. Reading people was one of her specialties, otherwise she'd be bad at her job.

"Bell... has a lot of respect for you. I think it's even safe to say he admires you immensely."

"I... see."

It wasn't the first time she'd heard this kind of talk; top adventurers provoked many feelings around them. Esteem, respect, admiration, fear, jealousy, envy, a whirlwind of great complexity. And if, on top of that, you were a beautiful young woman, other forms of admiration were added. But Ais had never cared about that.

"You know, in my... business, it's essential to be able to read people's emotions. I can easily see love in all its forms."

Ais answered nothing, silently wondering what the goddess was getting at.

"And I can also easily recognize the opposite of love... hatred."

Ais, though silent, opened her eyes wide in surprise. Ishtar wasn't lying when she said she could easily read people.

"And I recognize at first glance a heart consumed by hatred, even hidden behind an impassive face."

"I see..."

"I don't intend to forbid you from seeing Bell if you so desire. I have no problem with you being his friend. But the only thing I ask..."

The goddess then approached Ais until her face was only a few centimetres from hers.

"Don't drag him into your darkness."

Ais said nothing, but her eyes spoke for her. Ishtar understood from the look on her face that the blonde didn't want that either. The goddess wondered if Bell wouldn't be able to get her out of it through simple kindness. A gamble on the future, which would undoubtedly be interesting to follow.

Just then, Bell and Haruhime arrived in turn. The young man was a little worried to see his goddess alone with Ais.

"Goddess? You're here already?"

"Absolutely, I was just taking the opportunity to have a chat with Miss Wallenstein." She said as she walked away, smiling sweetly, as if her entire conversation with the blonde hadn't taken place.

"What did you tell her?" Asked the young man suspiciously.

"Nothing in particular Bell. Why don't you stop acting as if I always have strange intentions?"

"You always have strange intentions goddess." he replied jokingly. He was getting to know her a little.

So, while she settled down beside the fox, Bell approached the blonde swordswoman.

"Did she say anything weird to you?"

"No." Ais, the goddess's accomplice in this affair, replied. "That's a kind goddess you've got." She added with one of her rare smiles.

"I think so." Bell said with the same smile. Yes, Ishtar was eccentric, but in his eyes, she was kind and always cared about him.

And so resumed their last training session.

Only, just as they were about to finish, someone else landed on the ramparts.

"You've got to be kidding me!"

The voice was Loki's. As she had promised Ais, Lefiya hadn't spilled the beans, but the goddess was there for another reason. For some time now, Ishtar had been on the list of deities she was keeping an eye on, and this had been growing stronger over the last few weeks, when she'd started behaving really strangely.

Then, in the last few days, she had heard that Ishtar was going out early in the morning to the same place. Out of curiosity, Loki decided to check it out and was then surprised to find one of her favorite children training Ishtar's rabbit.

"Aizou! What are you doing here with Ishtar and her kid?"

The blonde was showing some signs of panic, Ishtar quickly concluding that she'd never told Loki about her little arrangement with Bell.

"As you can see, she's training Bell."

"Thanks, I can see that! I want to know why she's doing it."

"Simply because I hired her, it's a little temporary job she was doing until your next expedition."

"Aizou! Since when do you take on temporary jobs without telling anyone?"

The blonde didn't know what to say. Ishtar was perfectly capable of lying to Loki, but not her, this kind of situation was beyond her.

"Come on, don't take it like that, Loki. It's my fault, Miss Wallenstein wanted to apologize for the minotaur incident and I suggested this solution."

"My ass! How much are you paying her for this?"

"I'm not paying her in Valis. In fact, here's the first part of the payment." the goddess then took out a box of chocolates from Haruhime's bag.

Immediately, Ais' eyes lit up and she forgot all her worries as the goddess handed her the box full of delights. A box she brandished proudly as if she'd just found a precious treasure.

"Are you serious, Ishtar? A box of chocolates?"

"Of course not, that's not enough. As a bonus, she's going to get an exclusive back massage from Bell!"

""Huh?"" said Bell and Loki in unison. The boy was obviously not in the know.

"What do you mean, a massage?" Loki then asked, shocked.

"Nothing dirty, I assure you, just a normal back massage. Bell has developed a real talent for it."

"I don't care if he's talented, that's not payment!" Protested the trickster, who certainly didn't want Bell to touch Ais.

"Let's have your child judge for herself. What do you think, Ais Wallenstein?"

"Why not." replied the blonde in a laconic tone. She was curious and she trusted Bell enough to let him touch her back. "What do I have to do?"

"Nothing very complicated, just come over here." The goddess then pulled a blanket out of the bag, as if she'd really planned everything. She spread it out on the ground and gave the blonde a few explanations. While she removed her breastplate, Loki tried in vain to dissuade her as Ishtar approached Bell, who was on the verge of a panic attack.

"G-Goddess! What's got into you? I can't..."

"Have some guts Bell, this is no time to flinch! I've just given you a golden opportunity to score points with your idol so grow some spine and show her your talent."

For her part, Ais hadn't had much to do - the tunic she wore under her breastplate already left her back bare, so all she had to do was lie down and wait as Bell timidly approached.

"If... If you're ready."

"Whenever you like." She replied calmly.

With the encouragement of his goddess, Bell found the courage within himself to set to work.

Ais's reaction was a little different from those of the other women Bell had massaged. No loud outbursts, just discreet moans, flushed cheeks and rapid breathing. However, there was no doubt that she was enjoying what was being done to her.

Loki, who was observing the scene alongside Ishtar, had bloodshot eyes.

"Damn it, Ishtar, I don't know if I want to kill your kid or thank him for making my Aizou look like that!"

"Probably a bit of both, but I'd beg you to restrain your murderous impulses."

If Loki was indeed jealous, she couldn't deny that this was the first time she'd seen Ais blush and moan in such a way, and that she was enjoying the spectacle. For that, she'd be willing to forgive Bell... for now.

As for Ais, she was loving this massage. All these new sensations were terribly pleasurable; Bell's hands on her back were both gentle and tender, relaxing her muscles in a way she'd never experienced before.

Once the massage was over, Loki wasted no time in picking up her child and taking her back with her, under Ishtar's amused gaze. Even if inwardly she hoped she hadn't put her divine colleague in a bad mood, she would soon need her...

If Loki had ranted and raved when she saw Bell at work with Ais, so had another goddess. Observing the scene through her divine mirror, Freya had a front-row seat to see the sword princess melt away at Bell's talent. A talent she herself had had the opportunity to test.

The urge to put the blonde doll in her place was as strong as ever, but she was forced to agree with Ottar for once. Sending her children into ambush in the presence of Loki and Ishtar would have attracted far too much attention. If it had been just a deity with no influence, not knowing the stakes of power and the ties that bind the major familias, she wouldn't have hesitated. But Ishtar and Loki were people of great influence in town, with powerful familias who knew hers perfectly well. She'd be identified at a glance.

So the goddess of beauty simply sat back and waited for the next opportunity she would have to request a massage from Bell in the guise of Syr. That is, if he survived whatever awaited him. She knew Ottar, and the ordeal he was preparing for him would certainly be no picnic.

The Boaz in question was currently busy fulfilling his goddess' mission to get the boy to overcome his trauma and move on again.

The solitude allowed Ottar to reflect a little, and he realized that a part of him might indeed be a little jealous of the boy. This made him smile, as he realized that even he could lack maturity from time to time.

However, he soon put these thoughts aside and got back to work. His idea was simple: he had to find the ideal minotaur to play the boy's adversary.

He had already cast fifteen of them, but none had convinced him, so they all returned to the dust.

Finally, fate decided to show him some mercy as the next candidate approached. His stone weapon was smeared with blood; he'd probably just killed an adventurer.

"You... you seem to have some backbone. Let's test it out." He said calmly, before approaching the beast. A monster that wasn't a threat to him.

The next day, Bell and Lili set off for another day in the Dungeon. No longer having to endure Ais's Spartan training, the young man had taken the opportunity to sleep longer, enabling him to be fresh for this new day of adventure.

After a hearty breakfast to replenish his energy and a visit to the Hostess of Fertility to pick up his dubiously-flavored lunchbox, he met up with Lili in the square in front of Babel, who had also taken the opportunity to settle a few matters of her own.

When he arrived, she greeted him with a big smile.

"You look happy this morning, Lili."

"As I have every morning since I've been with you, Master Bell."

"You're exaggerating Lili."

"Not at all, you're the best thing that ever happened to me."

"If you say so. Shall we go?"

"I'm with you Master Bell."

And so the two adventurers set off for another day in the Dungeon.

"I don't know for you Master Bell, but I've got a feeling it's going to be a good day!" she said cheerfully.

Only... spoiler: no.