Chapter 8 : What Women Want
After his little feat during the monster attack in town, Bell had a hard time convincing Eina that his abilities were now sufficient for her to let him go lower. She would have liked to check his words for herself, but it wasn't as if she could look at his falna, since Ishtar knew how to lock and hide it. So she had to accept his words. But she refused to let him do it until she had given him a crash course in everything up to the tenth floor.
Despite all that Ishtar had done to him, Bell was still relatively blind when it came to women. So he didn't see all the little changes in Eina's behaviour, nor her new glasses.
After the meeting with Ishtar during the monsterferia, Eina had understood that the goddess was somehow giving her consent if things ever became more intimate... the half elf had not yet accepted everything, but her unconscious was playing tricks on her and there was something, deep inside her, that told her there was no harm in trying to get closer to Bell.
To begin with, she had suddenly felt like changing her glasses. She had therefore abandoned her usual oval pair for a rectangular model which amplified the sexy teacher look they gave her.
For the rest, it was all about her gestures. In a way, she was becoming much more tactile with him. It was through simple things like putting her hand on his to point out information in a book he was studying, walking behind him and leaning over his shoulder to answer a question, deliberately letting her breath tickle his ear and other little things like that.
Ironically, the fact that Ishtar spends her time teasing Bell had more or less made him immune to such a subtle approach. And for her part, Eina was only half aware that she was doing it. If she had really wanted to engage in more active seduction, she might have opened her shirt a little more in private. Or maybe she would have even knocked him on the desk by now. However, she wasn't there yet and despite her behaviour, she was still in a professional conversation.
"I'm a little worried that you'll continue to go down alone. Hasn't your goddess recruited anyone else for the Delebat?"
"Not yet to my knowledge."
"I see, in that case, you might want to consider getting better equipped."
"I already have, my goddess had me forge a custom weapon and it's great."
"A quality weapon is a good thing, but you also need good armor. There's no point in hitting hard if a monster can kill you in one blow because you don't have a good defence. Not to mention that if you're alone, you can't count on anyone to help you if you get hurt."
"Indeed. I'm still using the beginner's armor my goddess gave me, but I think it's starting to wear out."
"You should have the budget to change it now, right?"
"Yes, since my familia covers my current expenses, I've been able to put some money aside."
Eina then remembered that Bell hadn't been in town long, as such, he must not have known of any interesting shops for his level. And it wasn't the berberas, usually fighting half-naked, who were going to tell him where to buy a good armor.
"Bell, are you free tomorrow?"
"Uh... yeah, why?"
"How would you like me to go with you to help you get equipped?"
"Are you allowed to do that?"
"Sure, I can do whatever I want on my days off."
"Your days off... Eina! You don't have to sacrifice your days off for me."
"Bell, if I offer it to you, it's because it makes me happy, okay?"
"Well, all right, if you insist."
"Fine, we'll meet tomorrow at ten o'clock at the central plaza."
"All right."
When Bell returned to the Astral Mansion, it was to see Hestia, dressed as a maid, sweeping the forecourt. It was a sight that always made her feel strange. The little goddess was doing her job with a very... relative motivation. She even let out a heavy sigh. No doubt she was still wondering how she had ended up there.
"Good evening Lady Hestia."
The little twintailed goddess snapped out of her reverie and saw the boy walking in.
"Good evening Bell."
Hestia had calmed down a bit since her arrival, seeing that Bell was nothing like the little pervert she had feared she would have to deal with at first.
"Are you all right lady Hestia? You seem tired?"
"It's nothing Bell, just another fruitless day."
"'Oh, I'm sorry to hear that."
The deal between Hestia and Ishtar allowed the goddess of hearth to continue searching for children for her familia, but it wasn't going anywhere at first glance.
"I thought I was going to have a great experience with my own familia once I was in the lower world. Now I find myself doing housework." She said with another sigh betraying her great disappointment.
"I understand, when I first came to town I thought it would be easier too. Everyone slammed the door in my face, only Lady Ishtar gave me a chance."
"If I had met you earlier Bell, I would have made you my child."
"Sincerely, I would have accepted with great pleasure. But, I am also very happy with my goddess and would not leave her for anything."
"Really? Too bad for me then."
The two shared a small, knowing laugh. Despite Hestia's reluctance, she and Bell were getting close rather quickly, as if things were extremely natural between them.
"Well? Are we talking about infidelity?" Ishtar then said, like a devil out of a box, which startled them both.
"Goddess! Of course not!"
"So you wouldn't leave me for anything in the world? You sure know how to talk to women, you little naughty boy."
Ishtar took him in her arms at the same time for a big hug. If on the outside she looked like she was joking, as usual, inside, Bell's words warmed her heart. Seeing them do this, Hestia gave a small amused sigh and withdrew inside the house, leaving the two of them to their usual delirium.
Of course, it didn't take long for Ishtar to get Bell to tell his plans for the next day and the promise they had made to each other with Eina.
"Ooooooooooh my little Bell is having his first date with a woman!"
"Goddess, it's not that, Eina's just going to help me get equipped."
"But she does it well in her day off, doesn't she?"
"Er... yes."
"Bell, when a woman and a man agree to meet in their free time to go shopping, I think you can call it a date and it doesn't matter what kind of shop it is."
The young man let out a deep sigh of annoyance before continuing.
"Well, there's no point in trying to get the idea out of your head I suppose?"
"Exactly! Well, let's try to get you dressed a bit better for tomorrow. Oh, and be sure to take her out to eat somewhere nice. If you're having trouble, just pretend it's to thank her for her help. And if you feel like everything is going well... you're allowed not to go home tomorrow night." The goddess punctuated her words with a thumbs up and a knowing wink, which spoke volumes about the message she was passing to him.
"Goddess!"
"Building a harem is a long-term project Bell, you need to start working on it as soon as possible!"
"Just stop it with that!"
"I knew he had a too innocent face for a child of Ishtar..." Hestia added from her side.
But while Bell had to deal with her goddess at home, Eina was also preparing herself. It was only now that she realised that her proposal could completely be mistaken for a date. She had always sworn to keep a clear line between work and private life. Many adventurers had already courted her, but she had always been adamant. Bell was the first one for whom she broke her own rules.
This left her in a quandary: what should she do for the next day? She couldn't possibly go in her work clothes. Even more so if she was off duty. The half elf began to think long and hard about her outfit. She wanted to make an effort for Bell.
She started with the top. She chose her pretty white blouse. It was simple and elegant at the same time. Plus, with her breasts, there was just enough cleavage to show enough without being vulgar. Just enough to give a glimpse of that mysterious valley that has fascinated so many men since the beginning of time.
Then the bottom. She chose to put on her red skirt. She rarely wore it, she thought it was a bit short, but why not this time? If she passed him on a staircase or if there was a gust of wind... she blushed at the thought, but nevertheless validated this choice. She completed this with simple black stockings.
Finally, there was what was underneath all that. Normally she wouldn't have asked, but this time she was reluctant to pull out a gift from her mother. The "battle lingerie", for the day she found the perfect son-in-law. Eina swallowed, horribly embarrassed at the idea of putting on something so daring. But Ishtar's words still echoed in the back of her mind. And if the goddess of Bell gave her green light...
So the half elf gave in to the temptation...
The next day, following the advice of his goddess, Bell arrived a little ahead of schedule. To the goddess' dismay, the boy was wearing only practical clothes and nothing really elegant. But he was already so cute in his natural state that she felt that would suffice.
"Bell."
Eina's voice came from behind him and he turned around... to be speechless. It was the first time he'd seen Eina in anything other than her Guild uniform and incidentally, without her glasses. The conclusion was simple, she was really a very beautiful woman. Not to mention that her elven heritage gave her a certain natural grace.
"H-Hello Eina," he finally managed to stammer, his cheeks red.
"I didn't keep you waiting too long?"
As she spoke, the young woman unconsciously struck a cute pose, hands behind her back, leaning slightly forward in a way that subtly showed off her cleavage.
"N-n-no, I've only just arrived."
"Shall we go?"
"Yes, with pleasure."
So Bell followed Eina as she led him straight towards Babel.
A little further on, a hooded figure was watching the scene from afar.
"Hooo? That girl goes on the attack from the start? She's bold while keeping an innocent air, I like that." said a certain goddess very amused by the spectacle.
"Seriously Ishtar, what are we doing here?" Hestia then asked, forced to follow her new employer.
"This is my beloved Bell's first date, I definitely don't want to miss it."
"And why do I have to go with you?"
"Because it's fun, aren't you curious?"
"I hardly know this boy!"
"Yeah, but I know you like him despite what you say. Come on... Aren't you curious, even a little?"
The little goddess was rather embarrassed. Yes, she liked Bell, even if she was still a little wary of what Ishtar might have put in her head. But she had to admit that the boy had always been decent to her and that his kindness made him adorable.
"Why did I accept this job..." she said, dejected.
"Because it was this or pole dancing with a spear in a Hephaestus shop?"
"Ugh! Thanks for reminding me."
"At your service. Ah! They're moving, let's go."
So Eina took Bell in the direction of Babel, not suspecting that they were being followed by a goddess who was too curious and another who was jaded by being dragged into this kind of nonsense. Even though she was beginning to like Bell, the little goddess was mostly interested in Ishtar's behaviour, eager to see how much she had changed and if she could understand the reason.
Once in the tower, Eina guided Bell to the shops of Hephaestus, explaining to him how they worked. In particular, she explained that in addition to the shops selling high quality items that cost an arm and a leg, there were also shops selling much more affordable equipment, made by young blacksmiths who needed to gain experience and a name for themselves.
Throughout their visit, for some strange reason, Eina preferred not to take the lifts and took the stairs, always walking past, to show him the way. And if he should look up at the wrong moment, then...
But Bell remained focused on his equipment. They finally reached an armour shop and started looking at what was for sale. Bell had a bit of a budget to spare, but he didn't want to do anything foolish either.
After some time in the Dungeon, his own experience and the type of training Lena was focusing on, he preferred to look for something light, allowing him to keep enough mobility.
As he wandered around the back of the shop, he saw some armour stored in simple crates and observed one set in particular. Simple, but solid protection that also looked to fit him.
No Hephaestus' brand. As Eina had explained to him, the blacksmith must not yet have been allowed to sell his equipment under that name. But there were inscriptions on the back of the breastplate. The first one must have been the name of the armour and by the gods, how horrible it was! The second thing was a name, no doubt that of the craftsman.
"Welf Crozzo..."
A name which, obviously, didn't mean anything to Bell. However, he had a good feeling about this armour. Without further ado, he brought the crate to the counter and Eina gave him her blessing, along with a beautiful emerald coloured arm protector, a personal gift from her.
Seeing that he had some money left and following the advice of his goddess, Bell took courage.
"Uh... Eina, I wanted to thank you and I was thinking... Uh... that you might like to... go have lunch somewhere..."
The boy was red with embarrassment, but he dared anyway. Was he exaggerating? Was she going to take this really daring request the wrong way?
Eina in turn blushed to the tips of her ears. This was a bad idea. A total breach of the rules of professionalism and impartiality imposed on her by her profession.
"Yes... with pleasure."
But here she was unable to resist such an offer from Bell. Fortunately, for a few more valis, the young man was able to arrange for his purchases to be delivered directly to his home later in the day.
As for the goddess of beauty, she had not had the opportunity to follow her little favourite into the tower, because Hestia had made a big fuss about her refusing to go near the Hephaestus shops again. It seemed that this story of pole dancing around a spear had traumatized her somewhat.
Luckily, when she finally managed to calm her down, that was when Bell and Eina came out of the tower. And from the looks of it, the meeting was going well.
When the goddess saw him take Eina to a small restaurant to invite her to lunch, she felt proud. Her shy little child was making fabulous progress. All that would be missing was the daytime inn after the meal for them to enjoy "dessert" and it would be a winning draw.
For her part, the goddess was eating a potato croquette that Hestia had brought back from what seemed to be her old job. Not a bad thing, she understood that people could like it.
Bell still didn't know very well where to go. And taking her to the Hostess of Fertility was out of the question given the reputation he had there. But that was without counting on Eina who knew the city much better than he did. She guided him to a nice little restaurant and they sat down on the terrace.
The two of them shared a good meal while chatting heartily. Since this was a private meeting, they forgot about work and talked about everything. Each of them simply told stories from their lives. For Eina, her life in the city, some details about her mother's history and her connection with Riveria. Bell told her a little about his life before Orario, his little village, his grandfather's antics, the people he missed a little.
All under the benevolent gaze of Ishtar who was hoping to see more action.
"Ah! The girl has discreetly removed one of her shoes, I'm sure she will caress it with her foot."
"Or maybe she just wants to get comfortable." Hestia retorted, still tired of having to follow Ishtar. The two goddesses had no particular connection in the first place, so why did she have to put up with this?
"Come on, girl! Get going!"
Indeed, the goddess could see that in the midst of eating, Eina was beginning to gently approach her foot to Bell's leg and there was no doubt about the nature of the gesture. Eina looked ready to attack...
...before she changed her mind and lowered her foot before touching the young man. Finally, she had not yet found the courage to try something so daring.
"Rooooooh! But have some guts, girl!"
For her part, Hestia was simply dumbfounded to see the other goddess acting like this, very far from the image she had of her.
And unfortunately for the goddess in question, the meal ended without any further attempt from either of them. Well, at least they had a good time. And from the looks of them, it was obvious (and logical) that they would call it a day. Which didn't please Ishtar, who had gone off on her little rant and was waiting for a bit more action.
"Seriously Bell! Have some nerve!"
Ishtar, in her stupidity, had not paid attention to her reaction, which caused her to be overheard by the young man in question, who turned his head in her direction.
" What the... Goddess?"
"Ouch... busted." Said the goddess of beauty as she approached them, a jaded Hestia on her heels. "Yep, that's me."
"What the hell are you doing here? And you Lady Hestia?" he said as he saw the little goddess in the former's shadow.
"I'm wondering the same thing." The goddess of the hearth replied.
"I'm sorry, Bell, but this is your first date, and I definitely didn't want to miss it."
"B-b-but, goddess. It's not a date, Eina was just helping me. I invited her to lunch... to thank her, that's all."
Eina would have liked to agree with this version, but part of her was sad that Bell denied it like that, because a date was what she wanted in the first place. Something Ishtar noted, and was quick to point out to the young man.
"Bell, I'd like to point out that you're breaking Eina's heart here."
"Huh? No! Eina, that's not what I meant! I would have been very happy if it had been a date, but I meant..."
And the young man continued to sink under the gaze of two goddesses, one amused, the other dumbfounded. It was then that the first of the two decided to pass quickly behind the half elf and... lifted her skirt to look underneath!
Of course, the main concerned one let out a cry of surprise, not expecting to feel the wind on her buttocks.
"Goddess! What are you doing! Let go of Eina's skirt!" said Bell, rushing over to her and grabbing her hand, taking care not to look, even though it was very tempting. As for the goddess, she put on her smug face and spoke again.
"Well, well... You're very adventurous I see... Which I totally agree with. Bell, considering what I saw, I guarantee you a hundred percent that it was indeed a date."
As for Eina, she didn't know what caused her more shame, the goddess' comments, the fact that she had lifted her skirt or that she had seen what she had dared to put underneath. The poor girl was now red to the tips of her ears. So she opted for the most obvious solution, running away.
"B-B-Bell... That was a great day... T-thanks for lunch, it was fun. I'll see you tomorrow at the Guild." She concluded before leaving with a hasty step.
"Eina... wait!"
But it was too late, the half elf had gone home before jumping onto her bed and burying herself under the blanket, as if that would help her escape the embarrassment. Bell hadn't seen anything? Heaven forbid that he had seen anything! Was Ishtar going to tell him? When she thought of what she had dared to put on in lingerie under her outfit... She became even redder.
On the other side, Bell walked in front of the two goddesses, but without saying a word.
"Beeeeeeeeell! Stop sulking!"
"This time you had it coming, Ishtar." Hestia said in a sanctimonious tone.
"But I was just worried about him..."
To which Hestia only replied with a face that said she didn't believe it at all.
"Come on Bell, I'm sorry I ruined your date. I promise, I'll make it up to Eina."
"Please don't..." the boy finally said in a dejected tone. His goddess was very nice and he liked her a lot, but sometimes she really took the jokes a bit far.
Finally, Bell decided to sulk a little more in his corner. Seeing as how it seemed to break his goddess' heart, he would do it until the next day. Even he felt like punishing her a little at the time. Kind, yes, naive, certainly, but even he could grumble a little when someone pushed things a little too far.
As he was walking quietly, a shape appeared from the corner and hit him, a young girl, very young at first sight...
"Come back here you damn pallum!" said an angry voice.
...or a pallum. Who was running away from an aggressive man at first sight. And of course, Bell's only reflex was to get between them. He didn't know why he did that. Because she looked in danger, because she was a girl or simply because that was his nature.
He didn't know anything about the context, the man could very well have been right to chase her, but his instincts told him that he wanted to hurt her for the wrong reasons.
"What the hell are you doing, kid? Get out of my way."
"Wait, let's calm down please."
"Why are you defending her? Are you a friend of her?"
"No, I don't know her."
"Huh? Are you stupid or what? Get out of my way, brat, or I'll beat the shit out of you too."
The man then drew his sword. Slightly panicked, Bell drew his dagger and stood guard. He had remembered the advice, always be armed, even on a date. And he was glad he had taken that precaution. Behind him, the young pallum forgot for a moment about her attacker and her saviour, seeing only the magnificent black weapon and the brand on the scabbard, that of Hephaestus.
Other than in training against Lena, Bell had never faced another person and the man knew it, thinking he had the advantage.
"Too bad for you, you idiot!"
The man was about to attack...
"That's enough!"
...But a cold and authoritative voice stopped him in his tracks. The voice belonged to an elf dressed in a green waitress uniform. She carried a shopping bag in her arms. Her cold eyes betrayed a powerful inner strength. The man knew he was dealing with someone more dangerous, but he didn't let it bother him.
"What? Why do you interfere?"
"I'm saving your life. Touch that boy and his goddess will make your life a nightmare."
"What do you mean... What the hell! Ishtar's rabbit!" the man snapped as he finally recognized Bell, who matched the description circulating about the goddess of courtesans' new favorite boy. He had no intention of risking banishment from the pleasure district or being beaten up by a whole pack of amazoness. And anyway, his target had disappeared, so he simply sheathed his sword, clench his teeth and left.
Bell could finally breathe, relax and sheath his weapon.
"What happened, Mr. Cranel?" asked Ryuu as she came up to his level.
"Oh, there was this girl and... well, she left." He said as he turned around and saw that she was gone.
"Another woman you've set your sights on, Mr. Cranel?" she said sternly.
"What? Not at all! I just wanted to help her!"
"Do I have to remind you that you still have to take responsibility with Syr? Stop spilling your lust on other women." She told him with the tips of her ears reddening.
"Stop saying that, I'm not spilling my lust on anyone!"
And part of him wondered if Ishtar wasn't right and this was all just a very twisted way for Ryuu to show some interest... No, she was just supposed to be worried about Syr, even if it wasn't for the right reasons.
And while Bell had to deal with his problems, another man had to deal with his own. And so it was that Allen found himself once again facing the place that had so traumatized him. Not the Dungeon, but a brothel from which he had not emerged mentally unscathed.
But his goddess' orders were clear, he was to continue to settle here to carry out the surveillance she asked of him. And if she was asking him, it was because she had a long-term plan. It couldn't be just for the fun of seeing the cat struggling in this situation... right?
Allen mentally whipped himself to regain control of his emotions. He was the man who wasn't afraid to take on Ottar at the slightest opportunity, it wasn't some eccentric prostitutes in a brothel that would intimidate him!
When he entered the premises, he was greeted by the same pallum as the last time. Neela was somewhat surprised, not expecting him to return. But perhaps she should have known that he would not be intimidated by so little. But knowing what he wanted would take time, so in the meantime she could only play her part.
"Nice to see you again, dear guest. Would you like to spend the evening with us?" she said in a tone that was both seductive and professional, her face still half hidden behind her fan.
Allen only replied with a small grunt and a nod, before taking out a purse of money.
"Be happy dear guest, for Dezra is presently free."
At these words, the Cat People turned pale. What were the odds of her being free precisely tonight when he had made no booking?
"Uh... it doesn't have to be necessarily..."
"My little kitten's come back to see Mommy!"
He didn't have time to finish his sentence before a huge pair of boobs crashed into his face as the woman who went with it gave him a big hug.
"The usual room is free Dezra." Neela then simply notified him.
"Perfect! Let's go, kitten!" she said, taking Allen by the hand and leading him after her.
The poor man didn't know what to do. He was Allen Fromel, vice-captain of the Freya familia, the Vana Freya, one of the most powerful adventurers of this era... so how did this crazy woman manage to force her pace on him like that?
And of course, he didn't really have the opportunity to spy on the Astral Mansion that evening...
The next day, as Bell continued her life in the dungeon, testing her new armour, Ishtar went back to work, supervising the activities in the pleasure district. But she also had to deal with her other problems. Now she was sure she didn't want to have any more of this war with Freya. The problem was that she couldn't just tell everyone "Okay girls, we're cancelling everything". Half the Berberas at least would turn against her, the Evilus would ruin her life, and who knows what Kali might come up with.
Basically, she had a ton of problems to deal with. But she couldn't complain about it, she had brought it on herself after all. One of the most immediate problems to deal with was the case of Haruhime. The poor fox was still waiting to be sacrificed to the Killing Stone. If Hermes could do her the favour of not honouring an order for once, that would be fine with her. But the idiot could be trusted with that sort of thing.
She was going to have to do things in a more refined way. She summoned one of her assistants and after a few uninteresting reports, she slipped in the subject of the oriental beauty.
"And Haruhime, how are things going on her end?"
"Still docile my goddess. The problem being..."
"Still unable to handle a client from what I can see."
"Unfortunately my goddess."
"I see... well, no need to continue in this way then, tell her to come to Belit Babili tonight. I fancy a cup of tea and some sweets from the far east. And it will save her manager from dealing with another angry customer."
"Very well my goddess."
For this simple worker, the goddess's orders didn't seem abnormal. It was true that Haruhime was incapable of handling a customer, so much so that it had become a joke in their familia. And gods were known for their sudden whims, so there was nothing abnormal about Ishtar's sudden craving for oriental food.
Once the first assistant had left, Ishtar received a second, to whom she gave another order.
"Let Bell know to come see me once he's back from the Dungeon, I don't have time to go to the Astral Mansion tonight."
"Yes my goddess."
Again, not an unnatural order, and it was carried out.
An order which did not surprise Bell in the least. He knew his goddess was very busy and was not surprised that for once it was up to him to make the trip, which he did after a quick shower. He didn't feel like going to meet his goddess covered in sweat.
When he arrived at the place, he realised that the atmosphere was quite different. First of all, the place was a bit quieter, probably because most of the berberas had gone on an expedition. This news had given him an extra motivation, he wanted to be at the level to be able to take on monster rexes one day.
But those who were still in Belit Babili looked at him differently for the most part. With a little more respect, probably thanks to his fight against the silverback, which had had a small effect on those who had seen it.
He presented himself at the flats of his goddess and she allowed him to enter. Bell had not returned here since he became a member of the familia. She was alone and greeted him with a smile.
After a few exchanges of small talk, she drew him to her bed to update his status. The young man had tried to retort that it was not necessary to come there, but she had insisted and he had obeyed. Ishtar's bed gave off something incredibly erotic in Bell's eyes. His unconscious knew perfectly well what incredible acts this piece of furniture had seen, but part of him did not want to think about it.
Once the goddess was again impressed by the boy's grow, they sat down on the sofas, someone knocked on the door and a timid voice was heard.
"Come in." The goddess simply said.
The door opened and a young woman walked in with a tray in her hands. Bell stood for a moment in awe of her beauty. She was a renard, a rare species, with long blond hair, adorable ears and a bushy tail with fur of the same colour. All this was enhanced by the beautiful red kimono she was wearing.
The young woman, visibly shy, approached and placed her tray on the coffee table, which had a tea set from the far east, as well as some pastries from her country. Haruhime was a little surprised to be summoned, but she obeyed anyway.
"Bell, this is Haruhime. The one I would say is one of the most beautiful jewels of our familia. But I think you've already noticed that." The goddess said mischievously to him, seeing the way he looked at her.
The boy tried to stammer something out, but mostly just blushed in embarrassment after staring at this young woman so much. For her part, Haruhime had turned as red as her kimono, not expecting the goddess to compliment her like that.
"Haruhime, this is Bell, the first member of the Delebat, the new branch of our familia. You have heard of him before, haven't you?"
"Yes my goddess. It is a pleasure to meet you Master Bell." The fox then bowed politely. The boy stood up one hurriedly and returned the courtesy.
"Likewise. And no need to call me 'master'."
Those two were really cute. She had been right to bring them together. For it was all a setup to bring them together in a way that seemed natural. In her dreams, the goddess could see that Bell was fighting to save Haruhime, so she had felt it necessary for them to get to know each other. If things got out of hand, the fox would need protection and Bell would be needed for that purpose.
Ishtar then pretended to think of something and stood up.
"Bell, I just remembered that I have to sort something out. Wait for me, I won't be long, okay?"
"Uh... Okay."
"Haruhime, would you mind keeping him company until I get back?"
"As you wish, my goddess."
And with that, the goddess left her quarters, leaving the two of them. She intended to be away longer than she had planned, so that they would have time to get to know each other without being disturbed.
The hardest part of the thing was figuring out how to entertain herself for almost three hours. For their part, Bell and Haruhime were a little awkward at first and found it difficult to start a real conversation, but as soon as they did, they got down to the subject they had in common, heroic tales.
When Ishtar returned, she eavesdropped on her door and realised that they were in the middle of a lively conversation. The goddess then returned to her quarters in a perfectly natural manner.
"Sorry, Bell, that took much longer than I expected."
The boy and the fox were sitting next to each other on a sofa and moved away a little as the goddess entered. The goddess smiled a small, satisfied smile when she saw them.
"Well, well... it's love at first sight, I guess." She said in a teasing voice.
Haruhime merely blushed in response as Bell tried to stammer a vague apology. This naturally made the goddess laugh.
"You two make a lovely duo. And I must say that you have good taste Bell. Haruhime is a true rarity in every way. Not only is she a renard, but she's probably the only virgin prostitute you'll ever meet."
And because at heart Ishtar was still Ishtar, she couldn't help but put her foot down. Her statement made both young people's eyes widen in surprise. Bell was... appalled and unable to say anything, as Haruhime tried to speak.
"W-w-w-w-what are you talking about my goddess! I-i-i-I can't be a virgin... I've been receiving customers..."
She finished her tirade in a small voice, ashamed to talk about what she had to do here.
"Correction, you passed out before you even started every time."
"But, that doesn't mean that..."
"At best, customers would leave the room, furious. In the worst case... did you really think Aisha, Lena and the others were going to let them play with you like a common bag of meat?"
Haruhime was really confused, she wasn't sure where she stood. She felt embarrassment that all this was being discussed in Bell's presence, relief that she was a virgin, but also gratitude to those who had protected her.
As for Bell, he didn't know where to stand in this absolutely lunar conversation.
"G-g-goddess. I think Haruhime is very embarrassed right now..."
"That's the trouble Bell, she's terribly shy and a little bit of it makes her faint. Here's the proof. Haruhime, look here."
As she spoke, the goddess had walked past Bell and lifted his top to reveal the young man's muscular stomach.
"Six pack..." the fox simply said before she passed out.
When she regained consciousness, she was lying on the couch, Bell taking care of her, while he was scolding the goddess.
"You are being excessive goddess!"
"And I said I was sorry."
"If you do anything stupid again, I'll... I'll deprive you of hugs!"
"Huh? No! That's too cruel Bell!"
The fox interrupted their argument as she suddenly sat up straight, once again as red as her kimono, but she wasn't sure if it was from fainting or from their strange conversation.
"Is everything alright Haruhime?" He asked worriedly, his face too close to her for his liking.
"Y-yes Master Bell, I'm fine."
After making sure she was all right, and scolding his goddess one last time, Bell decided it was late and that he should go home. He greeted them one last time and withdrew, leaving the foxgirl alone with Ishtar. Having regained her senses, the beautiful oriental girl began to put away the tea set.
"So? What do you think of him Haruhime?"
The fox was surprised, not expecting the goddess to ask such a question.
"He's... nice. Pure... maybe a little..."
"A little too much for this familia..." the goddess finished, to which Haruhime didn't respond, seeing that her goddess had understood her intentions. "You seemed to be having a lively conversation."
"We have some common passions, that's all."
Facing Ishtar, Haruhime tried to remain neutral and show as little as possible. It was in cases like this that she tried to apply her education as the daughter of a noble family from the far east.
"Really? I would have said you liked him more."
The fox tried once again to mask her emotions, but Ishtar was right. Bell was having a small effect on her, there was something about him that attracted her.
"There's nothing to stop you from visiting him at the Astral Mansion from time to time if you like. You could continue your conversations."
All she got in response was the sound of a cup breaking on the floor. Too late to keep her mask on, the goddess had destroyed Haruhime's weak emotional barrier. The goddess saw her turn around, a few tears in the corner of her eyes.
"Please, Lady Ishtar, don't do this to me, don't give me false hope..."
And for the first time, Ishtar realised how her actions and desire for revenge had destroyed the lives of so many. Haruhime seemed to accept her fate, but it was only a mask against despair. The goddess then approached her and placed a tender hand on her cheek, wiping away her tears.
"Wasn't it you who gave up hope too quickly?"
Haruhime looked at her in surprise, what did she mean?
"Haruhime... I am a goddess, by essence, I am eternal. But you, you are a mortal. And all mortals, no matter what their species, have in common that their lives will sooner or later come to an end. What is more important? How much time you have left or what you decide to do with it?"
Haruhime was at a loss for words. She had never seen her goddess like this, tender and almost maternal. Part of her wanted to snuggle up to her and cry her eyes out, but she held back.
"I'm getting you out of the brothel you're working in anyway, it's not going anywhere. For the time being, you will remain at my personal service."
"As you wish my goddess." replied Haruhime after a small moment of surprise. She hadn't expected such a change, even if it wasn't that incredible. It was true that if she couldn't handle a customer, there was no point in keeping her in her current role.
"And I mean it. You can go and see Bell any time you like. I think he'll be pleased. Besides, I think it would help him if someone went to cook for him once in a while." She concluded with an amused chuckle.
Hestia did the chores at her own pace, which meant without being overzealous, but she did them all the same. On the other hand, the goddess of beauty had discovered that for Bell's well-being, she should never, EVER, be allowed near a kitchen. The poor goddess still had no idea that he was capable of handling Syr's lunch boxes.
But in any case, this solved part of Haruhime's problem. By putting her in contact with Bell, she was sure that something beneficial would come of it. There was still a risk that she would mention the necklace and tell Bell the truth, but Ishtar felt that this was an acceptable risk. Unfortunately, she couldn't remove the necklace without attracting suspicion.
The day after this rather unusual encounter, Bell suited up and headed for the Dungeon. His new armour was really perfect and the armband that Eina had given him completed the set.
Equipped and motivated, he left the Astral Mansion after greeting a newly awakened Hestia and headed for the Dungeon.
When he had finally reached the main plaza, a voice was heard behind him.
" Hello! You, white-haired boy!"
He turned and did not immediately see the person speaking to him.
"Lower!"
Bell looked down and saw a young girl. She was small in stature and covered by a long cream-coloured coat. A few strands of chestnut coloured hair protruded from her hood. But the most noticeable thing about her was the huge backpack she was carrying, which was easily twice her size.
"Hello, Mr. Adventurer. Are you looking for a supporter to accompany you in the Dungeon?"
And fate was on the move again...
At the same time, much further down the Dungeon, the expedition led by Aisha had finally reached their target. They had to battle with all the fauna of the water palace, but the amphisbanea was finally there, in its great aquatic arena, ready to kill all the impertinent ones who came to challenge it.
"Here it is and no one stole it from us... deploy! Prepare the magic weapons to create the supports!"
The berberas obeyed her and set to work. Aisha then raised her great sword to galvanise the other fighters.
"No mercy! Tonight we're eating eel!"
"That eel is pretty nasty, though." Samira said with a touch of amusement.
"Need I remind you that a two-headed dragon is not technically an eel?" said Lena, just as amused.
But the jokes did not hide the tension that was building in the group. They were going to face a monster rex and this, without relying on Haruhime's power. It was going to be difficult for some of them, but it was a chance to excel.
Aisha licked her lips slightly, the two-headed dragon was now her prey and she wouldn't leave until she saw it turn back to dust by her hand.