Author's notes: Well, what a surprise to see so much enthusiasm (especially on the English version), more than sixty follows in just one week, it's a pleasure. Thanks anyway for your feedback, I've put a more detailed note after the chapter.

Chapter 2: A Star Rises

The activity of the entertainment district varied greatly. At night, it was an extremely lively place, where the employees of the brothels and various pleasure establishments were busy in the streets baiting the many customers and onlookers who came in droves to enjoy the night's pleasures, where the magic lamps illuminated the streets with various colours. But during the day, the scene was different, especially in the morning. As the district was alive at night, most of its residents were naturally night owls and the majority slept in the morning. There was a little more activity in the afternoon, when the places began to prepare for the evening, but it was really only after dark that the district showed the activity for which it was known.

And this is what Bell was discovering. At daybreak, he awoke, a little ashamed to discover that he had fallen asleep on the couch in his goddess's room, who had been watching him all night, lost in thought, trying to understand how this boy could have so much power over her. Ishtar had brought them breakfast, before making sure her orders had been passed on.

And once again it was Lena who came to serve them.

"Are you all right, Lady Ishtar? You look a little tired."

"It's nothing Lena, I just stayed up all night." replied the goddess as if everything was normal.

"All night?" said the amazoness with a shocked look.

"Don't make me repeat myself, Lena. What about the mansion?"

"Oh, it's ready, you can go whenever you want."

"Good, that's all." The goddess finished by closing the door of her flats, leaving the amazoness very perplexed.

"All night? He kept Ishtar up all night! A beast... he's a real beast! I knew it!"

Lena having a tendency to play the gossip, all this was going to be broadcast, repeated and amplified. And so the 'legend' of Bell continued to grow within his new familia.

After this meal, the goddess left her residence, with her new child at her side. Thus, Bell discovered a much quieter, almost silent neighbourhood, so different from the hectic places he had seen the day before.

The goddess led him into a more secluded and quiet section of the entertainment district and stopped in front of a house. A nice, medium-sized, three-storey house, but fairly discreet.

"Here we are, let's go in."

The boy followed his goddess into the large house. The door opened into a large hall where the staircase to the upper floors was located. The ground floor had all the living rooms, lounge, kitchen, storeroom, large bathroom and even a small workshop to maintain weapons, armour and other exploration equipment.

The two upper floors consisted solely of good-sized single bedrooms. At the back of the house, there was a garden, quite large and surrounded by a solid fence to ensure the occupants some privacy.

At first glance, the house could easily accommodate a dozen people. The place looked as if it had been recently cleaned and prepared. The furnishings were simple, but well made and there was everything needed to get settled in immediately.

"Welcome to your home Bell."

"Is this house for me Goddess?" asked Bell, a little shocked. He had never known anything so big, even in his village.

"You could say that. For the time being, this house will become the residence of the Delebat. It's going to seem a bit large, as you're on your own, but I think you'll like it. Besides, it's far enough away that you won't be disturbed by the activity of the neighbourhood, and there's a discreet access to the city nearby, so you won't have to cross the whole district every time you come back from the Dungeon. Do you like it?"

And by way of answer, Bell jumped into her arms, which surprised her a little.

"It's great! Thank you goddess, you're the best!"

And now, perhaps for the first time in ages, Ishtar felt herself blush at these words. In the course of her existence, thousands of people had paid her all kinds of compliments. But coming from Bell, they had a different taste, a mixture of pure joy and innocent sincerity. He wasn't trying to sweet-talk her to gain her favour, he was expressing sincere gratitude.

"Well, I'm glad you like it. Besides, as the first to arrive, you even have the privilege of choosing your room." She said in an amused voice.

Which the boy did without delay. At times like this, he allowed the people around him to remember that he was still young. Bell chose a room for himself on the second floor and quickly went downstairs.

"Well, now we have a lot to do. Well, especially you. You have to go and register with the Guild, get equipped and prepare yourself."

"Okay!" he said impatiently. Obviously, Bell was eager to get down to business.

"I've been thinking about it, and I think it would be better for you to start by yourself."

"Why would that be?" he asked a little curiously.

"Several reasons. Firstly, I would like to keep the activities of the Delebat and the Berberas apart. Secondly, the girls are for the most part of a higher level than you, not only would they risk imposing an infernal rhythm on you, but also, like in most large families, you would certainly find yourself confined to the role of supporter. The best thing would be for you to form a group with other beginners like yourself, but I don't have any such profiles in the familia at the moment. And forming multi-familias groups is often complicated, especially with the reputation of mine. I hope you don't mind?"

"Not at all, I'll be fine, don't worry."

The boy was not the type to let himself be put down, and that was good. If he was the type to back down at the first sign of trouble, he would have a hard time becoming a hero.

"The same goes for the equipment, with my fortune, I could equip you with very high end equipment from a Hephaestus shop, but that would be a bit useless. Not only would too much high quality gear make you want to rely on it, but for goblins and kobolds, it won't be necessary."

A small part of him was disappointed of course. After all, the perfect hero's gear he imagined himself wearing in his dreams included the stylish super armor and the legendary sword. But he preferred to defer to his goddess, if she thought it best to start slowly then he would listen.

"One more important thing, so listen carefully. You may have received my blessing, but alone it is useless. At the moment you are no stronger than a normal person. Only when you have accumulated enough exelia will your abilities improve. So, for the first excursions, first floor only and you stick to goblins and kobolds, is that clear?"

"Yes, Goddess."

"Perfect."

Ishtar had never been so protective with her other children, simply letting them do their own thing. However, with Bell, she felt that if she didn't mother him a little, he might try to do too much.

"Once you get a feel for the Dungeon, I'll find someone to train you a bit."

"You will? That's great! Thank you goddess! "

She really didn't need much to get his gratitude. And why did she feel like her heart would melt every time he gave her a big smile? This kid was cheating, it was perfectly illegal to be so adorable! It was time to get back to business.

"As for your running costs, you don't have to worry, what you earn in the Dungeon will be divided only between the purchase, maintenance and improvement of your equipment, as well as your personal share. It's up to you to be responsible and know how much you can keep for yourself. Be reasonable, but try to keep some fun for yourself. As I said, it's important to have some way to relieve the stress of the Dungeon."

Ishtar was at a loss to say why she was like this with him. Why was she driven by this desire to care so much for this boy? But in spite of everything, she remained true to herself.

"And don't forget that if you want, I know a lot of methods for... relieving stress." she said with a knowing wink. "And for you, it's always free."

And of course, Bell couldn't help but suddenly blush up to his ears.

"Stop teasing me goddess!"

To which Ishtar replied with a little amused laugh. These reactions were so cute that she couldn't help but tease him a little... even though the proposal was serious in the end.

At his goddess' request, Bell soon set off for the Guild, while Ishtar returned to Belit Babili to attend to her business. And unfortunately for her, even the goddess of carnal pleasures couldn't escape the paperwork. It was nice to have almost the entire sex business under her thumb, but it required a lot of paperwork. Not to mention the fact that she had few children who were good at it.

She had quickly discovered that it was very complicated to try to keep an amazoness behind a desk. The Berberas were all capable of reciting the list of all the most effective sexual positions by heart, but when it came to making five-year investment plans, there was no one left.

Well, she wasn't alone either, she had a couple of kids who were good at it, but she still had to supervise things. Sitting on her couch, she examined the various documents on the coffee table in front of her as the Aisha and Samira brought them to her. However, it didn't take long for the goddess to notice that something was bothering the two amazoness.

"Something wrong, girls?"

But the two did not answer, simply giving each other a few embarrassed looks. Ishtar wasn't exactly known for being someone who liked to have her orders questioned, so few people dared to voice their disagreements.

"Do I really have to order you to spill the beans?" said the goddess after a sigh. So it was Samira who spoke first.

"I must admit that several of us are wondering. About this kid, this Delebat that you created. What's the point?"

"Even if I have every confidence in your warrior abilities and those of the other Berberas, you have other obligations besides that, so I think it's still interesting to have a fighting force specialised only in this field. So, of course, at the moment it only has one rookie member, but in the long run, I think it could be a new asset. You know what old saying goes, you shouldn't put all your eggs in one basket."

"Yet..." Aisha dared. "I don't think it's a plan that's been in the works for a long time. Many people think that you only created it for that boy."

Aisha's remark was pertinent, because until the evening before, no one had heard of this project.

"Bell may have made me want to start this project, I admit, but I had been keeping it in the back of my mind for a long time."

You couldn't lie to a god, fortunately, the reverse was not true. Because Ishtar was lying, she had never had such a project in mind. And fortunately, the two amazoness did not realise it. But after all, it wouldn't be the first time Ishtar had faked it.

"You gave a lot to this kid out of nowhere." Samira remarked. "Honestly, I don't understand, did you fall in love or what?"

Ishtar answered her remark with a little laugh.

"What if I told you that I did?"

And the next moment she had Samira in front of her, one hand on her forehead and the other on the goddess' to check her temperature, and Aisha at her side, holding her hand to check her pulse.

"Do I really have to explain to you that gods don't get sick?"

And while the goddess had to deal with two amazoness on the verge of an existential crisis, Bell arrived at the Guild.

To say that Bell Cranel was happy would be an understatement. Overnight, his situation had changed dramatically. Just yesterday, doors were slammed in his face, but today he finally had a familia. Well, not quite the one he'd imagined, but he didn't think he was to be pitied. Besides, his goddess was really kind and generous to him. But a bit of a tease too, and with the outfit she was wearing, sometimes he really didn't know where to look without blushing, but he'd get used to it eventually.

He was also worried about how well he would get along with the rest of the familia. He'd seen mostly amazoness, his grandfather had often told him about them, but since in Bell's eyes the latter had a certain tendency to exaggerate (especially when it came to women), he wasn't sure what to think.

But for the moment, he had more important things to do, his registration to the Guild. When he arrived, he was given a simple form to fill in, after which he would be directed to an advisor. The boy hurriedly filled in the few details he was asked for and was directed to an office where a woman received him.

She was young and beautiful. She had medium-length brown hair, beautiful green eyes behind thin glasses and a face with gentle features. She was wearing the well-cut uniform of the Guild, which gave her a certain elegance, even if it did not particularly enhance her femininity. But above all, he couldn't miss the elongated ears she had.

"Welcome! Come in and sit down." she said with a smile.

Bell stepped forward and handed her his form, but he couldn't help but stare at her. The young woman obviously noticed.

"Is something wrong?"

Her question startled Bell, who realised how rude he was.

"Excuse me! I didn't mean to... sorry, it's just... it's the first time I've met an elf."

The young woman laughed amusedly. Far from being offended, she found his remark innocent and adorable.

"Half elf in this case, but that's okay. I take it this is your first time in Orario, Mr... Cranel?" she said, looking at the document he had passed her.

"Yes, it is. And you can just call me Bell, you don't have to be so formal."

"All right Bell, I'm Eina Tulle, but you can just call me Eina. I'll take over your case."

"Okay, thank you!" he replied in a motivated tone.

"So, Bell Cranel, recently arrived in town, first familia. You're in... Ishtar's familia!" she said with a shocked look.

"Yes, that's right. Is there a problem?" he asked innocently.

"Just a moment!" Eina read the paper again, hoping she had misread it. But no, he was in Ishtar's familia. She looked at Bell again. If he was in Ishtar's familia, that meant he was doing THAT too. Yet, with his adorable face, she wouldn't have believed it. Just goes to show, one should never trust appearances. And the more her mind started to make assumptions, the redder she became.

"B-B-Bell... Y-y-you're still young, you know. Are... are you sure this is the job for you?"

"What do you mean? Adventurer?" he asked a little worried.

"No, that's no problem! I'm talking about... about... your other job. After all, if you are a child of Ishtar..."

Yes, the situation was starting to get really awkward. Especially since it took Bell a few moments to put the pieces together and understand what she was referring to, making him blush in turn.

"N-No! I don't do THIS job! Besides, I'm thinking about it, my goddess told me to give you this." He said, taking a letter out of his pocket to give it to Eina. The letter bore the seal of Ishtar, the half elf opened it and read its contents. It simply described the creation of the Delebat and Bell's role.

"A branch dedicated to traditional exploration? Very well, the Guild will take note of it, but nothing more, since it's not its vocation to interfere in the internal organisation of the familias."

Eina felt reassured to know that Bell didn't have to play the gigolo on the side. And perhaps a little disappointed too. He had such an adorable face that a part of her already imagined herself giving in to the temptation of becoming one of his clients. But she would never admit it, even under torture. She would find it very difficult to admit it to herself.

"I also see that Lady Ishtar is asking for a personal advisor. Strange. Usually, in large families like yours, it's the elders who take care of that."

"Yes, but my goddess prefers me to manage on my own rather than depending on the Berberas."

And it was then that Eina understood. The berberas were the famous fighting prostitutes of Ishtar, as good at breaking heads as they were at turning mattresses upside down. Composition: 95% amazoness. Level of subtlety: about the same as a herd of minotaurs who had drunk as much as dwarves at a banquet. Yes, the boy was going to need help.

"I understand, in that case, I'll take care of you personally if you want."

"Thank you!" he replied with a big smile. His innocent joy was all over his face. And it made Eina want to take care of him, he was too pure for the Dungeon, she was sure of it. Too young, too innocent and probably not yet aware of the horrors that awaited him down there.

"All right, Bell. In that case, rule number one: an adventurer shouldn't go on an adventure!"

"Isn't that a bit... contradictory?" the boy asked at this strange statement.

"Basically, safety first. There's no point in trying too hard if it's going to end badly. Always remember that the Dungeon is ruthless. All a dead adventurer gets is a grave, and that's if someone takes the trouble to bring his body back."

"Uh... okay." he answered a little embarrassed.

"I'm serious Bell, I've seen too many reckless adventurers never coming back. So, promise me you'll be careful, okay?"

"I understand, I promise, Eina." Bell understood that the young woman was genuinely concerned for him. And in a way it moved him. Even though he would only keep this promise every fifth time in the future.

"All right, let's get on with your first class!" she said as she grabbed several large books and put them in front of him. "For today, the basics of Dungeon exploration, the configuration of the first floors and everything there is to know about the monsters found there."

Bell didn't answer anything and only gave a nervous chuckle, not expecting this.

"Get ready Bell, I won't be letting you out for the day." She concluded, adjusting her glasses, which gave her the look of a stern teacher... and a bit of sexiness.

The sun was beginning to decline when Bell was finally able to take the road to his new home. Taking advantage of the path his goddess had shown him, he was able to enter the entertainment district in a discreet manner. Given the time of day, he could hear the bustle in the distance. It was then that he realised that he would have to deal with this strange neighbourhood for a long time. But he would eventually get used to it.

When he arrived at his new home, he found his goddess talking to a man, a simple worker, who bowed to her before leaving. Ishtar turned and gave Bell a smile when she saw.

"Goddess!"

"Ah, there you are at last! You're back late Bell, I was getting a little worried. Did you get lost?"

"No, sorry, I was held up at the Guild for a long time."

Bell then told her about his arrival at the Guild, his meeting with Eina, the little misunderstanding about the familia and the fact that she had spent the whole afternoon teaching him.

"Well, well..." began Ishtar. "So, you spent the day with your new pretty advisor... in her office... with no one to disturb you... alone with her... I see the harem project is off to a good start." she said with an smug face.

It didn't take long for Bell to understand what she was implying and he started to blush from head to toe.

"Goddess!" he shouted with an embarrassed face. "That's not the point!"

To which she replied with an amused laugh. She couldn't stop teasing him, his reactions were really too adorable.

"This isn't a criticism Bell, I totally support you in your efforts."

"Please, stop! he said," hiding his face behind his hands.

Well, she wasn't going to push it, or he would really sulk. So she moved on.

"I made a small change on the house." The goddess said, pointing to a large wooden panel over the front door with an eight-pointed star engraved on it. This allowed Bell to forget his embarrassment when he looked at it.

"It's pretty, but... what is it?"

"As I explained to you, the Evening star, or Delebat in an ancient language, is one of my symbols and the eight-pointed star is an old representation of it. It seemed to me the ideal emblem for our new group. What do you think of it?"

"I like it very much." Bell answered with stars in his eye as well. The boy had the feeling that he was experiencing something unique. He was the first member of the Delebat and therefore felt privileged.

"I was also thinking of giving this house a different name, just calling it the Delebat house would be unimaginative. And since this new group is based on my representation, not as a goddess of love, but as an astral goddess, I thought I would call it 'The Astral Mansion'. Do you like it?"

"Yes, it's very poetic."

Yes, he liked his life more and more since the day before. All this symbolism gave a more concrete aspect to everything he was experiencing and he liked that. As for Ishtar, the happier she saw Bell, the better she felt.

And as usual, she was unable to explain why.

So Bell spent his first night in his new home, eager to finally start his life as an adventurer.

The next day, it was not surprising to see him up early. The day before, Ishtar had had some equipment delivered to him so that he could equip himself. There was only rudimentary equipment for beginners. When the goddess arrived at the house to see how her new child was doing, she found him equipped.

Simple but robust clothing, favouring ease of movement, a light chest protector, leggings and armbands to protect him without burdening him. Two daggers, to have a backup weapon in case of need. A belt with several pockets, including an already full potion pouch. And a small backpack to carry his loot, since he'll be alone.

"Hello Bell."

"Hello Goddess." He answered her with the same joyful smile that made Ishtar feel like she was going to melt in front of such innocence.

"Already equipped, I see." She said, turning around him to examine him from every angle. "Everything fits perfectly."

"By the way, how did you know my sizes?" Bell asked, finally realizing that the stuff she had given him fit perfectly.

"Come on, Bell. By now I've seen so many bodies that I'm very good at assessing someone's size at a glance." The goddess said these words in a deliberately sensual tone. And of course Bell blushed again. Teasing him like that was deliciously amusing.

The goddess then noticed that Bell's hand was shaking slightly. He was torn between the excitement of finally starting his career and a little apprehension due to the nature of the Dungeon.

"Everything will be fine, don't worry. Be careful, be reasonable and everything will be fine."

Bell felt comforted by this encouragement and smiled again.

"Yes Goddess."

"And one more thing." At her words, she put a hand on Bell's face and leaned in to kiss him on the cheek. And of course, Bell could not react other than blushing.

"G-Goddess!"

"This is just for good luck. I'm staying at the astral mansion today, so I'll be here when you get back. Come on, it's time to go!"

"I'm leaving!"

And Bell didn't hesitate to leave with a determined step towards Babel and the Dungeon. Despite her teasing, he felt confident with such a kind and considerate goddess.

He was still far from suspecting all that he would later discover about Ishtar's nature.

As for the goddess, she had the strange surprise of seeing him return barely two hours later, opening the door of the house in a hurry.

"Goddess!"

"Bell? What's the matter?" Ishtar asked, a little worried to see him come back so quickly.

"I've done it! I killed a goblin!" he shouted, proud of his achievement. "I was a bit afraid of them since a wild goblin attacked me when I was little, but I did it."

All this for... a goblin? He would never stop surprising her.

"Well, he's the weakest monster in the Dungeon, but as they say, every journey begins with a first step."

He looked so proud that she didn't want to break his good mood by explaining there was nothing extraordinary about it. Fortunately, he realised this on his own and, red-faced with shame, he turned back.

"Sorry goddess, I'm going back right now!" he said before rushing to the door.

"Wait, Bell, I didn't mean to..." But too late, he was already far away. On the doorstep, Ishtar had a small tender smile. "He's definitely one of a kind." She said before entering again.

But what the goddess didn't know was that people were watching her, more precisely, a small group of amazoness was hidden at the corner. Aisha, Samira, Lena and a few other berberas, who were watching the scene, not sure how to interpret it.

"I don't understand anything anymore." began Samira. "Now I'm REALLY wondering if she's not in love with this kid."

"Be serious Samira, we're talking about Ishtar here." answered another amazoness.

"I think she's fascinated by him." Lena added." I told you, this kid is a beast!"

The young woman's words drew several sighs from the other women.

"Again with that, Lena? Be serious." Samira curtly rebuked her. "He's not a beast, he's a victim! Hell, I'm even sure he's still a virgin!"

"That, on the other hand, would be a miracle considering the way Ishtar has been sticking to him since the day before yesterday," said another amazoness.

"If he's such a beast as you claim, you should go and check for yourself." said Samira in a defiant tone.

"Are you crazy? Who knows what state I'll end up in! I'm adventurous, but not that adventurous. You should do it if you're so sure of yourself." Lena retorted in the same way.

"That's right! Tonight, as soon as Ishtar is busy. I'm going to give him such a good time that he won't even last two minutes!" replied Samira, who was getting tired of this stupid story.

"Girls, that's enough." Aisha cut them off, silent until then. "I'm curious too, but Ishtar made it clear that we're not touching that kid. And since she seems to like him, she might get really angry if we don't respect her orders. And... you know what happens when Ishtar is angry..."

There was a long, awkward silence in the small group. Yes, Aisha knew best. After the broken Killing stone case, Aisha had been heavily punished, the proud amazoness that she had been turned into a servile dog. Although many Berberas thought that Aisha deserved to be punished after this incident, the vast majority felt a little sorry for her because of what Ishtar had done to her.

"Let's just watch and see how it goes." Besides, we all have other things to do.

The other amazoness calmed down and agreed with her.

"I just hope her new fad doesn't make her too soft." Samira concluded as the small group walked away.

The sun was beginning to set when Bell returned from his first day in the Dungeon.

"I'm home Goddess!" he said cheerfully.

"Good evening Bell. How was your first day? You did more than just a goblin I hope."

"Of course I did!"

And so Bell began to tell her about his first day in the Dungeon, before proudly showing her the money he had obtained for his loot.

Of course, it wasn't much. A day alone on the first floor, killing goblins and a few kobolds, didn't pay much. If he had been alone, there would have been barely enough to cover his expenses until the next day. Ishtar couldn't help but make the comparison that there wasn't even enough to afford an evening with a girl from one of his cheaper brothels. But he was so happy that she wasn't going to point it out to him, otherwise she would just ruin his mood.

"Well, for a first day alone, you're not too bad."

As Bell put the money away, the goddess came up behind him and put her hands in a delicately sensual way on his shoulders.

"And now Bell, strip off your clothes." she whispered softly in his ear. In response, Bell jumped and gave a little cry of surprise that wasn't manly at all. "So I can update your status. Did you have something else in mind, you naughty boy?"

And of course she'd done it on purpose. She'd never get tired of seeing Bell react like that.

"Stop teasing me goddess..." he said with a pout.

Yes, far too adorable for her to leave him alone.

This little routine was established for several days, Bell would leave for the Dungeon in the morning and Ishtar would come to see him in the evening when he returned to check on him and update his status. Normally, it wasn't necessary to do this on a daily basis, but Bell was a beginner and he was fighting alone. As a result, she felt that every single stat point was important at this level.

So Ishtar felt it was time to find someone to train him a little. Alone in her flats, she considered the different options.

Phryne? There was no way she was going to let this aberration get anywhere near Bell.

Aisha or Samira? Those two were more likely to break him.

Tammuz? She had noticed that he wasn't at ease since Bell's arrival. He hid it well, but she sensed that he was a little jealous and he could make him pay.

Lena? Yes, it wasn't a bad idea. The young amazoness was a good fighter, of a rather sympathetic nature and capable of showing enough restraint. So Ishtar didn't wait to summon her and the young woman quickly answered the call.

"You wanted to see me, Lady Ishtar?"

"Yes. I would like you to train Bell a little."

"M-Me?" she said with a look of shock. "I... I'm not sure I have what it takes to contain him."

"He's a level one beginner, Lena, I think you have more than enough to train him for combat."

"Combat? Yes! of course, combat training!" said the amazoness with an embarrassed laugh, looking away.

And obviously, the goddess had perfectly understood the nature of the misunderstanding and took the opportunity to insist.

"Yes, Lena. Combat training. And only that."

"No problem! Tell him not to go to the Dungeon tomorrow, I'll handle everything." She said before quickly leaving the room, fearing that the goddess would ask the wrong questions.

Goddess who wondered what the young woman meant when she spoke of containing Bell. But she decided that for today, she didn't want to go into Lena's delirium.

However, she still chose to supervise the whole thing a little, so that the amazoness wouldn't trigger any unfortunate accidents and move the training to something more horizontal.

Bell had been warned the day before by his goddess. And as usual, he was happy that she was taking care of him by sending him someone to train him. Lena had brought a lot of material with her and the two of them were enjoying the quiet space of the Astral Mansion's garden.

First, she wanted to evaluate him.

"Come on Bell. Come at me and send everything you've got!"

Obviously, the innuendo was huge and Ishtar sighed, telling herself that she should not be surprised by Lena's words.

However, the amazoness was obedient and carried out the orders of her goddess, she was even very dedicated to her role and a better teacher than Ishtar would have believed.

After a first exchange to evaluate Bell a little, Lena decided to help her to find his weapons of choice. So, over the course of the day, she had him test a lot of weapons. Daggers, but also swords of all sizes, spears, axes, bows, and so on.

Of course, this very often included helping him correct his posture... by sticking to him and groping him, which always made him blush, under Ishtar's gaze who decided that she could let Lena's teasing pass as long as she didn't overdo it.

By the end of the day, Bell was exhausted, but he felt he had made good progress.

"I think you should stick to daggers for now. Lena told him in a serious tone. With your build and natural agility, you're more suited to being a light, fast fighter, so focus on that at first."

"I'll do that." He replied, a little out of breath.

Lena let him go and enjoy a nice bath.

"Well?" asked Ishtar, who had remained silent the whole time.

"As you said, he's a beginner. So he's missing almost everything, but I'm not worried. The technique can be taught and the other things will come with the experience of the Dungeon. On the other hand, his mind is at its best, he is motivated and you can feel it."

Ishtar was rather satisfied with the result. Choosing Lena was finally the right decision. As long as she didn't abuse the teasing too much, she would let her continue.

"Very well, in that case, I count on you to continue training him from time to time."

"As you wish.

"Oh! Lena. Combat training only, we agree?"

"Of course!" answered the amazoness with an embarrassed air and a shy look. Fortunately, Ishtar had another guarantee, the fact that Lena was still in her delirium and convinced that Bell was hiding a beast that would leave her in a mess if she tried something like that.

In any case, Lena was right about Bell's motivation. The young man was very motivated, a little too much so. In fact, Ishtar quickly realised that if she didn't stop him, he would spend all his days in the Dungeon. At first sight, he had the profile of a workaholic who was difficult to get a day off.

This is why the goddess decided to ask him for something else.

"An errand for you?"

"Yes, I would like you to go to a shop called the Blue Pharmacy. It's a shop run by the familia of the god Miach, specialising in potions and medical equipment. Unfortunately, prostitution is a profession that involves some... health risks, even with good hygiene. I usually delegate most of this work to the Dian Cecht familia, but I also work with Miach from time to time. Let's just say that he has a certain something that makes many girls choose to be examined by him."

The goddess herself admitted that Miach was in the handsome category, and his pleasant nature made him a great success with the female population.

"I would like you to bring him the payment I owe him for his last visits."

"As you wish, but why me?"

Running an errand bothered him, but Ishtar must have had other people to do it.

"So that you would have the opportunity to get to know him. Exploring the Dungeon will require potions and equipment. At your level, there's no need to break the bank at Dian Cecht. Miach is much more affordable."

"I see, thank you goddess."

For Bell, this was once again a manifestation of the attention to his well-being that his goddess was giving him. And despite her teasing, he loved her more and more. She had taken him in, given him shelter, food, her blessing, and on top of that, she was doing everything she could to make sure his adventurer career was going well.

Ishtar had never needed to charm Bell, a little kindness had been enough. And she was beginning to realise this too, forcing her to reconsider the way she handled her relationships with others in general. Should she have been nicer all along? Or was Bell the exception?

Only time would tell.

It took Bell some time to find the place, he didn't know the city very well yet and Orario was huge.

He was quite surprised to find that the Blue Pharmacy was a much more modest place than he had imagined. He still thought that the gods all had slightly fancier homes.

When he entered the place, he saw only one person, a female chienthrope.

"Welcome, what can I do for you?"

"Hello. I have come on behalf of my goddess to bring you a payment." He said, taking out a purse and placing it on the counter.

"Your goddess, you mean..."

"Yes, Lady Ishtar."

"You're in Ishtar familia?" said the doghrope a little surprised.

Her voice then attracted the attention of a man who came out of the back room.

"What's wrong, Naaza? Ho! We have a customer? Nice to meet you my boy, I'm Miach, what can we do for you?"

And once again, Bell had to explain why he was there.

"Ishtar's payment? No problem, thanks for bringing it. I don't remember seeing you in the entertainment district last time I did a consultation tour. Are you new?"

"Yes, I joined the familia last week."

"I see. But I hope you're taking good care of your hygiene, you know, I'm not judging you, but this is a job where you can easily..."

And after hearing the same remarks, Bell quickly understood what the god was getting at.

"I'm not! I don't do that!"

And once again, Bell had to take the time to explain the circumstances of his integration into the familia, the creation of the Delebat and his role in it. Explanations that left Miach rather doubtful.

"I... see. And so, forgive me for asking, but is everything all right with Ishtar?"

"She's nice, but she keeps teasing me, just yesterday..."

And so the god listened to Bell tell him about all the teasing Ishtar used to do to him, trying to hide his surprise behind his smile.

Bell was naturally cheerful and Miach was the friendly type, so this first contact went very well and they talked for a while.

"Anyway, Bell, if you need any potions, don't hesitate to come."

"Thank you, I will."

And the young man left the place after having greeted them. As soon as he had left, the God of Medicine showed a more worried face.

"Tell me Naaza. Do we agree that Bell can be called cute?"

The question surprised his captain, who interpreted it the wrong way.

"Seducing all the women you meet is not enough for you anymore, are you going after young boys now? My God has become a pervert..."

"No, no, no! Not in that way, Naaza!" Miach said, a little panicked by the reaction of the chienthrope. "And the question is very serious, but for another reason."

Naaza sighed and answered.

"Yes, I think it's safe to say he's cute, very cute even. From the look on his face, I'd say in a few years he'll be handsome and do at least as much damage as you."

The god didn't pick up on the last sentence and resumed his reasoning.

"So, he's cute, Ishtar's had her claws on him for a week and obviously she hasn't done anything to him yet."

"When you put it like that, it sounds a bit strange indeed."

"More than strange, Naaza. What he described to me doesn't sound at all like the Ishtar I know."

But the god didn't have time to think further, because the door of his shop opened again to let a panicked and crying person walk through.

"Miiiiiaaaaaaaaaaaaaach!" the person shouted.

In this case, a small but busty goddess, barely contained in a white dress, with long black hair in pigtails.

"Hello Hestia."

"Miaaaach! Phae is mean! She said if I didn't work in one of her shops, she'd kick me out!"

The god doctor let out a long sigh that was both annoyed and amused. He was going to have to mediate for the little goddess again.

Author's notes: And so concludes a second chapter. Since I am covering the feedback, I will answer some general questions.

To begin with, Ishtar's change may seem rapid, it's true. But to explain it properly, you have to understand that the dreams she has are not only visions, she also receives emotions and her unconscious stores and processes them, which leads to her change.

In any case, you should know that these dreams and changes have a reason in my story, good or bad, I'll let you judge when you find out, but it won't be for now, otherwise it wouldn't be funny.

As for the evolution of the story in relation to the canon, will I change the events, I feel like telling you: yes and no. But you'll find that out as you follow the story. You should know that there will also be good reasons for the different events.