Chapter 11: Hangover

Eina had been asking herself a lot of questions recently. Unsurprisingly, most of them concerned a particular white-haired human, but above all, the young girl who had been accompanying her to the Dungeon for several days. What she had discovered about the Soma familia, what she had learned from the mouth of the goddess Loki, none of it reassured her.

All this had prompted her to find the courage to come and talk to Bell's goddess. However, meeting Ishtar wasn't easy, and it was even harder to do so without being suspicious. Luckily, the Guild was carrying out various tax inspections at this time of year, particularly for all familias owning businesses... whatever their nature.

Basically, Eina should have been in charge of visiting all the Hephaestus shops in Babel, a simple task, but she had been kind enough to offer to switch with one of the people in charge of the entertainment districts. This had enabled her to request a meeting with Ishtar discreetly.

Which brought her to another question: what was she doing there?

It was one thing to bump into Ishtar in town when she was trying to be anonymous, but quite another to meet her at the very seat of her power, where she wasn't trying to stifle her presence.

Ishtar was receiving the adviser in her flats. The half elf, seated on a luxurious sofa, was shaking like a dead leaf at the goddess sitting opposite her, scantily clad, exulting in sensuality and smoking her kiseru with refined gestures.

Eina felt overwhelmed by Ishtar's presence, trying to drink her tea without spilling it.

"My dear Eina, I must say I wasn't expecting your visit any time soon."

"I... I... Indeed."

No Eina, you had to pull yourself together, she was here for a specific purpose. The first thing to think about was Bell... OK, not too hard either, otherwise the influence of the goddess of pleasure would quickly derail things. Bell's well-being! She was there for his safety.

"I... I wanted to talk to you about the young woman who's working with him these days."

"The supporter from Soma's?" the goddess drawled after slowly exhaling the smoke from her kiseru.

"Y-Yes. Yes, that's right. I wanted to express my concern about... some things."

By heavens, why did she have to have this kind of conversation with such a hard to pin down goddess?

"Are you referring to some of the mess this young lady is in? Yes, I've looked into her a little, I don't know everything, except that her way of acting shows a desperate situation."

Ishtar always kept a benevolent eye on Bell. So she had quickly discovered Lili's existence and her reputation. And then there was the incident with the missing dagger. Bell was certainly naive, but he was careful and took good care of his things, so she had been suspicious.

"In that case, you'll understand me if I tell you that this girl seems dangerous to me, I think we should convince Bell to stop working with her."

There was then a long silence. Ishtar looked at Eina as she smoked, as if judging her words.

"No need," said the goddess simply.

"Lady Ishtar!"

"Bell won't leave her. He's still naive in a lot of ways, but he's not a fool, part of him understands that this girl is in trouble. He won't abandon her and he'll do anything to save her. Simply because it's in his nature."

Eina wanted to reply, but was unable to when she saw Ishtar's smile. She trusted Bell far more than she did. What could she say if her own goddess believed in him like that? Ishtar put down her pipe, stood up and came to sit next to Eina.

"You're worried about him, aren't you?"

"O-of course!"

"But not just out of professional concern, is it?"

"L-Lady Ishtar, I don't know what you mean..."

"You love him, don't you?"

Eina instantly turned red.

"Don't try lying to a goddess, and certainly don't try lying to me about something like this."

The half elf didn't know what to say and settled for an embarrassed silence.

"I don't mind, on the contrary, I would always support genuine love. And I would always encourage people to follow their desires."

Eina wanted to look away, but the goddess clung to her and grabbed her chin so that she was looking into her eyes.

"Then don't hold back, you have my permission, you've shown you care about him, indulge yourself."

"I... I don't know if I'd dare..."

Her innocent reaction made Ishtar laugh, as she took a liking to this sympathetic advisor.

"Says the woman who wore very daring lingerie on a first date."

"Please, let's not talk about this any more!" said the half elf before burying her face in her hands, vainly trying to hide her embarrassment.

"Why? I can even get you something even more aggressive if you want."

The ensuing conversation suddenly became much lighter, with Eina trying to survive Ishtar's teasing.

Seeing that she couldn't get Ishtar to do anything, the half elf finally left and returned to Babel, leaving her colleagues to finish the work in the entertainment district.

Once at the tower, she happened to overhear a disturbing conversation between two adventurers. She didn't much like spying on people, but the content of their conversation made her suspicious and she concluded that the two men intended to set a trap for Bell's partner... Or was she an accomplice in this trap? Either way, Bell was in danger and she had to find a way to act.

Fortunately for her, fate seemed to be on her side when she spotted the silhouette of a famous blonde adventurer.

And this was going to be necessary, because further underground, the situation was about to get worse. Lili was almost touched.

Almost...

Bell's kindness had gradually found its way into her heart. The way he treated her as an equal, the value he placed on her work, the fact that he never tried to steal her share, the way he shared his meals with her when she only had her meagre rations. Only meals prepared by Haruhime, of course; no-one in their right mind would touch Syr's cooking.

In short, it wouldn't have taken much for Lili to really open her heart and rediscover hope. But Lili's naivety had long since been swept away and she no longer believed. When that adventurer had come to speak to Bell that very morning, all her paranoia had been suddenly rekindled. Bell had sworn to her that she hadn't listened to the man, and even though she knew deep down that the young man was honest, you couldn't just sweep away so much accumulated mistrust.

And so, Lili closed her trap on the innocent young man. Separated on the tenth floor, surrounded by monsters, his dagger stolen, he watched the grappling hook take the object towards the young girl.

"Lili!"

"Sorry Master Bell, but our partnership ends here."

"Lili, wait!"

"Don't blame her, Lili is just trying to survive."

And as he struggled with his backup weapon and his magic, the young supporter fled. This wasn't the first adventurer she'd betrayed in this way. So why? Why was she ashamed of this betrayal? Why was the thought of Bell's face twisting her chest?

"Sorry Master Bell, so sorry. Lili really has no choice."

But karma was unfortunately there to call her to order. Someone else had set a trap for her. The same person who had in turn been betrayed by his partner and left for dead. It just goes to show that being a professional asshole was never going to be a job with a future.

Exhausted, wounded, stripped of everything she had, both on her person and what she had hidden on the surface, surrounded by monsters, Liliruca Arde could only wait for death.

Fear was already beginning to fade, replaced by resignation. She was going to suffer for a few moments, and then at last there would be peace, freedom from this life. And without understanding why, her last regret was that she would never see Bell's face again, that naive adventurer, but perhaps the only person she still liked.

At this thought, she clutched the Astral Dagger close to her. It was now the only thing she had left, the man who had robbed her had also believed the weapon to be worthless and so had not taken it.

"Master Bell... I'm so sorry."

"Liliiiiiiiiiii!"

Bell's voice snapped her out of her thoughts as a burst of light and flame struck several killer ants and reduced them to ash.

"Master Bell?"

"Leave her alone! Shooting Star!"

The burning light did its job again as Bell finally arrived in close range to finish the job.

"Master Bell? But... How?"

"Another adventurer came to my aid... I think, I took advantage of the opening to reach you right away."

And in the process, he'd lost the emerald vambrace Eina had given him. Ais Wallenstein had come to his rescue, but he didn't know that, being too worried about Lili.

In any case, he wouldn't be seeing her again for a while, the blonde swordswoman being dragged into bloody events from which she herself would not emerge unscathed.

Now that the situation had calmed down, Bell was able to come back to Lili. The pallum had cancelled her magic and returned to her true appearance, she was on her knees, emotionally exhausted and, above all, completely lost.

"Why? Why have you come back Master Bell?" She asked in a broken voice.

"I... I couldn't leave you Lili."

"Are you a fool Master Bell? Lili betrayed you! I led you into a trap! I stole you, put you in danger on purpose!"

"Lili, I..."

"I stole from you every day, our shares weren't fifty-fifty at all, they were sixty-forty. Some days Lili even got greedy and took 70-30! I was always lying about the value of the drop items".

So disturbed that even her speech became chaotic. And yet, despite her confession, Bell didn't get angry, just listened and smiled.

"Why then? After everything Lili has done, why save her? Just to play the hero?"

"I... I couldn't abandon you Lili."

"After everything I've done, why?"

"Er... because... you're a girl?" He said unsurely, causing shock and consternation to the pallum.

"Huh? You just save every girl that comes along? Pervert! Gigolo! Womanizer! You... you... you son of Ishtar!"

Totally carried away by her emotions, Lili didn't really know what she was saying. As for Bell, he managed to regain some composure and spoke again.

"I helped you simply because you're you, Lili."

She wanted to say something, to protest, but she couldn't, instead she broke down in tears and snuggled against his chest as he gently hugged her to keep her against him.

The dam had burst, and all the emotions Lili had held back for all those years had spilled out. In her tears, she finally found emotional release. She had finally found someone who was ready to help her with no ulterior motive, ready to accept her as she was.

It should be forbidden to be so adorable, because now there was no turning back...

Lili realised this the moment she was in Ishtar's presence. After all this, Bell had discreetly taken Lili back with him to the entertainment district, to Belit Babili, in order to explain everything to Ishtar and find a solution.

The goddess listened to Bell and agreed to meet Lili. But then she threw Bell out of her flats. If she really wanted to assess this girl, she had to do it without Bell's direct influence.

So Liliruca Arde found herself sitting on a large sofa in Ishtar's flats. The goddess was sitting opposite her, imperious, sensual, her mere presence stifling, especially as she was not smiling and her gaze was hard. Just behind the goddess, standing silently, was Aisha, who added a good dose of disquieting presence.

Lili couldn't see them directly, but standing behind her on either side of the sofa were Haruhime and Lena.

It was then that she realised what a terrible mistake she'd made. At what point had her little pallum brain thought it was a fucking good idea to scam and steal a child of Ishtar? She didn't know the goddess, but she knew something of her reputation and, above all, that of her berberas. So why?

Because Bell was too tempting a target? Because she wanted to believe in him? She didn't know, but she had made a terrible mistake and now feared the price she would have to pay for it.

The room was terribly silent for a long time, disturbed only by the noises Ishtar made every time she took a puff from her kiseru.

"Well, Liliruca, is it?"

"Y-Yes!" the prum gasped.

"You stole Bell, one of my children. You manipulated him, lured him into a trap and put him in danger."

"I... Yes Lady Ishtar."

"He believes in you, but that doesn't change what you did, or the fact that you now owe me a huge debt."

"Lili... Lili understands Lady Ishtar. She will do whatever it takes to clear her debt."

"Good, because you're going to have to give your body for it."

Such words from a goddess like Ishtar left no doubt as to what she was going to make Lili do, and the pallum understood perfectly. The young girl began to cry, even though she was making a tremendous effort to retain some dignity.

"Lili... Lili understands... she'll do her best."

At this point, being a prostitute in a brothel couldn't be any worse than what she was already doing because of the toxicity of her own familia.

"Will... will Lili at least be able to offer her virginity to Master Bell before work? She doesn't know what else to do to apologise to him..." she managed to articulate between sobs.

For her part, Aisha kept a seemingly stoic air, but inside she just wanted to burst out laughing.

Lili couldn't see the reactions of Lena and Haruhime behind her, but the fox was looking at her with a sad and compassionate expression, while Lena was making big eyes at her goddess as if to tell her she was exaggerating. The latter remarked to herself that Bell was beginning to rub off on her.

The goddess was amused by Lili's request, but it spoke volumes about her. Once she had cried enough, the goddess changed her demeanour and clapped her hands curtly, as if signalling the end of an act.

"All right, we'll stop here."

Lili looked at her shocked, no longer understanding anything.

"Don't worry Liliruca Arde, I was only testing you. I needed to see a genuine reaction from you. However, make no mistake about it, even if I'm not going to put you in one of my brothels, the fact is that you still owe me and especially Bell a heavy debt and you're going to have to pay it."

"Lili... Lili doesn't understand any more." Replied the young pallum, overwhelmed by too many emotions, as the goddess rose to sit beside her.

"Start by answering my questions. What do you think of Bell?"

The young woman was a little taken aback, but began to think, what did she really think of Bell Cranel, this strange human?

"Master Bell is... kind, he's the kindest person I've ever met. But he's also naive - if he's not careful, he'll fall for it again."

The goddess simply let out a knowing sigh at this sentence, totally agreeing that her child was a little too nice for his own good.

"He's given me back some of the faith in myself that I'd lost. For Lili, Master Bell is... hope."

Silently, the goddess analysed Lili's reactions, trying to decode all her non-verbal language in order to deduce the depths of her thoughts, a little game at which Ishtar was gifted. The prum was sincere, and Ishtar could even sense that there was great affection for the young man. Which was hardly surprising, making people like her was her speciality.

"Do you... love him?" The goddess asked, curious to see what else she could get her to admit.

"What? No, Lili isn't... isn't..."

Lili had wanted to protest, but the words refused to leave her throat. Her thoughts raced back and forth as Bell's smiling face invaded her mind.

"Lili can't... She's only known Master Bell for a short time..."

A short time, yes, but a very intense one. She saw it all flash before her again, the way he smiled at her, his constant kindness, the way he treated her like a person, the way he shared his food with her, the way he always worried about her. A purity and kindness that had easily found its way into Liliruca's darkened heart.

"It's not the time that matters, Lili. Love is a powerful feeling. Sometimes it builds slowly, like a house, stone by stone. But it can also be a blazing inferno that consumes us, or a thunderbolt that strikes without warning. So, I'll ask you again."

Ishtar got her first answer just by looking at Lili's reactions. Just thinking about Bell's smile made her blush instantly.

"Lili... Lili thinks she loves Master Bell, but... does Lili have the right to, after everything she's done to him?" She asked with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Of course you have the right! Let yourself be led by your love for him, but don't get carried away. That way, your life will become much more beautiful and colourful."

"Really?"

Was this at last the hope Lili had longed for? The one she had forgotten. She had sunk so deep in trying to obtain the means to buy her freedom that she had forgotten she was a young woman, dreaming of one day experiencing this kind of feeling herself.

"You'll just have to be careful not to be jealous and exclusive. You see, Bell has an extraordinary capacity to be loved easily. And I intend to build him a harem of his own." The goddess smiled in amusement.

For her part, Aisha spasmed, obviously holding back from bursting out laughing.

"A harem? Lili doesn't understand everything."

"You can find your place there, it's up to you to earn it."

"Er... Lili will do her best."

The young pallum was a little confused, she who had feared on arrival that she would be forcibly prostituted, was now in the middle of a very surreal conversation with Ishtar. But given that the situation could be much worse for her right now, she wasn't going to complain. For her part, Ishtar got up and returned to sit on the opposite sofa, all the while regaining a serious air.

"Well, Liliruca Arde, I'm going to accept you into my familia, not as a prostitute or berberas, but as a member of the Delebat, our branch dedicated exclusively to Dungeon exploration."

"Lili will be delighted, except... the transfer might be complicated. My falna is locked and my familia... don't just let people go."

"Is Soma so attached to his children?"

"No... Master Soma doesn't care about anyone any more, he just wants to brew his wine. Only certain people are allowed to meet him, Lili hasn't seen him for a long time and so hasn't had an update."

"I've heard a few rumours, but I'm not sure I know everything about what Soma is doing. Explain it all to me Lili, down to the last detail. After all, it's not as if you put much stock in your familia's secrets I suppose."

And she guessed right, Lili had no attachment to the Soma familia, but she didn't know much about Zanis' secret plans. So she explained everything, Soma's behaviour, the way Zanis had established his authority and laid down his rules. Silently, Ishtar listened, analysed and deduced a very dark reality.

"I see, Soma has fallen back into his old ways and this Zanis has taken advantage of this to take control of the famila and turn it into an organisation dedicated to his personal profit. He ensures his control through a combination of divine alcohol addiction, intimidation, member-to-member tattling and strict control of access to status updates."

"That's about it Lady Ishtar."

"A bastard indeed, but a clever bastard I must admit."

"Lili... can't disagree with you." said the pallum, clenching her fists. She was forced to admit that Zanis had played his trick very well and was getting away with it.

"Unfortunately, this kind of individual has no limits, he would never have set you free, always finding something else to ask you."

Lili understood that Ishtar was right, everything she had done had only been for an illusory dream.

"But if it's me he's dealing with, even he'll have to put some water in his wine. How much did this man ask you for your freedom?"

"Ten million valis.

"Ten million! For a level 1 supporter? This guy's greed is definitely enormous."

Ishtar's words didn't particularly hurt Lili, she was aware that the goddess was only stating a fact and Lili was only a level 1 supporter, she didn't have the pedigree as an adventurer to justify such a sum.

"Well, if that's what it takes. Lena, Aisha, prepare me ten million valis... in small change."

"Right away!" Lena replied cheerfully, understanding what her goddess was up to, seconded by Aisha.

"Haruhime, go and get Bell please."

"Yes, my goddess," said the foxgirl as she went to fetch the poor boy, who was still pacing back and forth at the entrance to Ishtar's flats.

Bell had been anxious for some time. He had forgiven Lili, perhaps naively, but he believed that there was good in her and that she just needed a helping hand. But when he got to Belit Babili, he realised that things weren't quite so simple. Ishtar was gentle with him, but she could also be uncompromising, and she might not be so kind to Lili.

When Haruhime came to get him, he rushed to Ishtar's flats to check that his new friend was all right.

"Lili!"

"Hey, calm down Bell, don't act as if I've threatened to eat her."

Ishtar's little remark immediately lightened the mood as Bell blushed with shame at her behaviour.

"Master Bell..." the young pallum said softly, touched to see him react like that on her behalf. How could she not fall in love?

"Good! Bell, I have accepted Lili's... unexpected application. She will therefore be joining our familia as the second member of the Delebat."

The youngster breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you goddess."

"Right, let's get going, we still need to go and deal with some... formalities with Lili's old familia. Lena, Aisha, we'll go as soon as you have everything ready."

"Goddess, I..."

"No Bell, you stay here."

"Goddess!"

"That's the way it is. If she wants to be able to move on, Lili has to face what lies ahead on her own. As for you, you have to show that you trust her, so you're going to stay here quietly with Harumine."

"But Goddess..."

"If you still feel like disobeying my orders, this time, by way of punishment, you will go and wash all the sheets... of the Pillar Men." She said in a voice as calm as it was worrying.

"No worries! I was just about to offer to help Haruhime prepare dinner." he said, rushing over to the foxgirl.

Washing sheets in a brothel was already a very traumatic punishment for Bell. Just going to this very special club was another trauma. So the two of them together... no way! Perhaps Ishtar had finally found a way to make him behave.

So Ishtar set off with Lili, along with Lena and Aisha, who was carrying a large chest on her shoulder, while Bell waited alongside Haruhime.

The two were still in Ishtar's flats, sitting next to each other on the same sofa. The fox and the young man had never had more than fairly superficial conversations. At best, they had talked about their passion for heroic tales. Haruhime had stayed in the background until then, observing this strange and fascinating young man more closely. All this fuss finally made her want to look into things a little more deeply.

"Master Bell, can I... can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"Why... why did you help Lili? I mean... not that she doesn't deserve help, but after what she did, she lied to you, stole from you, manipulated you. So why?"

The question was perfectly legitimate, hardly anyone would have forgiven Lili after all she'd done.

"I know my reaction sounds silly, but... I don't want to believe that all those days were just lies, Lili was reacting sincerely most of the time, it's something I feel deep down. And when she took the dagger, before she ran away, I saw the look in her eyes, I saw pain, despair. I felt she was doing something she didn't want to do. And after that, her tears, they weren't a lie."

Was this the answer? A purity of heart that allowed him to see the best in others, even when they were lost in the darkness. Was that what changed Ishtar? Was that what gave Aisha hope?

"You are... the most extraordinarily kind person I have ever met, Master Bell." Said the fox as she unconsciously reached for her collar. A gesture Bell failed to notice, too busy blushing.

"Ho! er... no, I'm not... extraordinary. I'm just... me."

"That's enough, Master Bell, that's exactly what makes you so good to others."

Carried away by a sudden urge, the fox gently reached out to place her hand on Bell's cheek. She still had trouble with physical contact, especially with men, but Bell gave her a reassuring image. The boy began to blush at this simple contact, not quite sure how to interpret it. Between his goddess's teasing and Neela's advice, he was gradually becoming more receptive to women's charms, and he could see that Haruhime had many qualities, as well as being beautiful.

But while he was thinking about it, he suddenly began to yawn until his jaw dropped and his eyelids began to feel heavy.

"Tired, Master Bell? The fox asked with tenderness and amusement.

"I've just realised that between the trip to the Dungeon, the events with Lili and all the accumulated tension, there's been a lot going on today."

"I understand, in that case, let me help you relax Master Bell."

"Haruhime?"

"Shhh... Trust me."

Gently, she grabbed his shoulders and tilted his head towards her, tucking her fluffy fox tail beside her. Embarrassed, Bell let her do it all the same and suddenly found herself lying back, with Haruhime's tail serving as a pillow.

What kind of absolute softness was this? The warm, silky fur was terribly comfortable, so much so that he soon forgot it was a young woman's tail. She was stroking his hair in a soft, gentle way.

He was soon overcome by her gentle touch and drifted off to sleep.

Haruhime looked at him with a tender smile, but inwardly she was questioning herself. Should she ask Bell for help, as Aisha suggested? Or should she rather preserve the boy's tenderness and innocence? Did he really deserve to be dragged into such an affair when Ishtar seemed to want to keep him out of it?

In the past, she would never have considered the possibility, believing that she didn't deserve to be saved. But with the latest events, the changes in Ishtar, she didn't know any more, she was lost.

Would Bell be the light that would help her find her way back?

Night had fallen on the manor house of Soma's familia, a medium-sized dwelling like so many familias had. In front of the gate, two guards were keeping watch, with very little motivation. But like so many others, they were under Zanis's thumb and had to do the menial chores in the hope of getting their fill of divine wine.

However, their evening looked set to come to life when they saw four figures appear. Two amazons, one carrying a very large chest over her shoulder, that pesky little pallum hustler, and a figure covered in a cape and hood.

"Halt!" shouted one of the two guards.

It was at this point that Ishtar shed her cloak and let it fall to the ground, revealing all her divine beauty, highlighted by her minimalist outfit. The goddess had activated her charm, leaving the two men speechless. They were unable to stop her as she approached and placed a caressing hand on each of their cheeks.

"Good evening boys, be kind and let us pass, I have some business to settle with your captain."

"Of course, ma'am..." they said with silly looks on their faces, completely entranced by the goddess of beauty.

Lili was speechless for her part; she had heard rumours about the powers of goddesses of beauty, but it was something else to see it in action. The few other members of the familia they came across reacted in the same way, both men and women. No one seemed to want to put up the slightest resistance to Ishtar. At the same time, no-one in these parts had any real loyalty to the familia, which made her job easier.

Lili gritted her teeth as the silhouette of a silver-haired man wearing glasses appeared in front of them. Ishtar knew immediately who had just arrived.

"You're the captain of this familia, Zanis, aren't you?"

"I-Indeed... I see you've brought Arde back to us. I thought she was dead."

"She's just passing through, I've accepted her into my familia, I've just come to see Soma to make the blessing transfer."

Despite Ishtar's influence, Zanis was trying to maintain control. His influence over Soma had taught him many things about many members of the familia, including Liliruca's transformation magic. Something he intended to make the most of.

"I see. However, parting with one of our precious members like this is complicated, so you'll understand that it requires a certain... compensation."

As he spoke, Ishtar had moved closer to him and placed a hand on his cheek, ensuring greater influence through physical contact.

"I know. Ten million, isn't it? No worries. Aisha! Lena! Please pay this gentleman."

Too focused on Ishtar because of her charm, he didn't see the two amazoness getting ready. The two women grabbed the large chest at the same time and got into position before synchronising for a magnificent full-power throw.

When Ishtar shifted to the side, it was too late for Zanis, who had not seen the chest coming as it had been thrown with such power that it became a cannonball.

The man was violently struck and sent crashing into the nearest wall. He then fell to the ground, the chest on top of him, which had opened and spilled part of its contents, covering Zanis in a huge quantity of small change.

Zanis was half out of it, his back was killing him and he probably had a few broken ribs, but unsurprisingly no one was coming to his rescue.

"I'll let you count the money, you can keep the change," said the goddess as she walked past him without looking at him. Aisha and Lena followed close behind, as did Lili, who couldn't hide the big smile of satisfaction she wore after seeing Zanis pay his karma in this way.

When the goddess reached Soma's flats, which also served as his brewing laboratory, she showed no subtlety and opened the doors on the fly.

"Hello there!

The god gasped and nearly knocked over his cauldron, completely taken aback by the sudden entrance.

"I-Ishtar?"

"The one and only, my dear."

"What are you doing here?"

"Oh, just a little tinker, it won't take long, I'd just like you to unlock this child's falna and make the transfer."

The god didn't understand before dropping his gaze to Lili. He hadn't seen her for a while, but he still recognised her as one of his children. He looked at her for a long moment, silently, with a look full of judgement, then calmly went back to brewing his wine.

"It's no use, she'll come back for the divine wine in the end. That's what they all do..." he said in a monotone voice filled with enormous indifference to the situation.

"You mean after intoxicating them yourself with a divine drink, when you knew full well the effect it would have on mortals? I didn't know you were so vicious Soma."

"In view of your reputation and what you have done yourself Ishtar, I don't need any lessons from you."

"I'm not perfect, I freely admit, but I still look after my familia, unlike you who abandoned it and let it go under. Are you even aware of the monsters you've created? Or of all the things your captain has done behind your back?"

"Never mind, only my work matters."

"Is this precious wine so important that you would allow yourself to be the plaything of a mortal? I'm disappointed, Soma."

"I don't care what you think of me."

"In the end, you are just as intoxicated by your divine wine as your children. Perhaps I should do you a favour in my own way, then..." said the goddess as she somehow landed on the cauldron where Soma was working, threatening to topple it at any moment. In a panic, the god of wine held on to the cauldron to stabilise it. "Have I got your attention at last, Soma?"

"You... Are you really Ishtar?" asked the god, surprised by the goddess's reactions.

"Of course I'm me... but a version that wants to improve, to no longer be who she was before. Maybe you should give it a try. Or maybe you'd like to check my technique to prove my identity?" She said provocatively.

The god of wine did not respond to the provocation, but he was lost. Admittedly, he was a misanthrope who showed little interest in other gods, but even he knew of Ishtar's terrible reputation, so he was naturally surprised by her behaviour.

Without saying another word, the god grabbed a silver goblet and dipped it into the cauldron to fill it, moving towards Lili.

"Very well, Ishtar, since you're willing to take things this way... Let's see which is more powerful between your charm or my divine wine." he said as he handed the goblet to Lili.

"No, that's not what we're going to find out, Soma. Lili, if your affection for Bell is genuine, if your desire to stay with him is real, if you want to repay your debt to him, then now is the time to prove that you are sincere. Show me your will, this is your test and I won't help you."

Lili was a little taken aback for a moment, but when she met the goddess's gaze, she found strength within herself. Ishtar was right: if she wanted to move forward in life, she had to start by overcoming the divine wine.

With a decisive gesture, the prum took the goblet and emptied it in one gulp.

Immediately, her mind was invaded by joy and elation, the deliciously destructive power that a divine drink could exert on the body, an explosion of delight that saturated the senses and made anyone addicted.

She collapsed to the floor under the scornful gaze of Soma, who had not expected any other result.

"As I said... Get out of here Ishtar, you're wasting my time."

"Aren't you the one who claims victory too soon?" replied the goddess confidently.

Lili was intoxicated by the divine wine and the ecstasy it provoked. In the past, she would simply have succumbed, but today there was something else. For a fleeting moment, the image of a young man with white hair appeared before her eyes. With his gentle eyes and tender smile, he was calling out to her.

Yes, that was where she had to go, to the one who had saved her, the one who had believed in her, to his light, to the one her heart yearned for. She clung to this image with all her strength and drew new resolve from it.

Painfully, the young pallum got to her feet, staggering, then began to take a few steps.

"Lili wants... Lili wants..."

Eventually she reached Soma's cauldron, which she used as a support to stand.

"Lili wants... wants to stay with Master Bell!" she suddenly shouted, as she overturned the cauldron under Soma's horrified gaze and Ishtar's triumphant one.

"It looks like you've lost that bet, Soma," said the goddess as she approached Lili to support her, before giving her a gentle hug. "You've done well, Lili."

Although shocked, the god finally agreed to the transfer. Bare-chested, Lili presented her back to the two deities. Soma began, spilling a drop of his divine blood to reveal Lili's falna, marked with his divine emblem, the two cups of wine toasting. He then unlocked the whole thing and Ishtar in turn spilled a drop of her ichor. Lili's falna was then transformed to display Ishtar's emblem, that of the courtesan with the veil. It was a simple procedure, at the end of which the young prum put her clothes back on.

"I don't understand." began the god of wine. "Is she... really one of my children?"

"Yes, Soma, she's one of our children, with her sorrows, her joys, her strengths, her weaknesses and everything that makes her who she is. You would have seen it if you hadn't lost faith in them so quickly."

The god remained silent at this statement, the events of the evening having turned a lot of things upside down in him.

"But it's not too late, if you want to, you can still change. After all, if even someone like me can do it..."

Proudly, the goddess left, followed by her two amazoness and the newest member of her familia.

Without a word, the god left his flats and found several of his children in the corridor, still a little shocked by what had just happened and unsure of what to do with Zanis. It was then Chandra, a dwarf, who noticed the arrival of their god.

"M-Master Soma? What are you doing here?"

"Take me to Zanis' office, Chandra, I'd like to check out a few things..."

Without knowing it, Ishtar had just breathed new life into Soma's little familia, while bringing Zanis Lustra face to face with his karma. But it was none of her business and she was satisfied to return to her entertainment district with a new member for the Delebat.

For the first time in her life, Lili felt she had a home to come back to. She was greeted at the Astral Mansion by Bell's radiant smile and the smell of Haruhime's delicious cooking. For the first time in a long time, she was rediscovering human warmth and the soothing power it held over her heart. This provoked a torrent of emotions in her that she couldn't hold back.

"Master Bell... Lili's... Lili's back!" she said, rushing over to hug him. Although surprised, Bell returned her embrace with a tender smile.

"Yes, welcome home Lili."

The rest of the evening, which was beginning to stretch into the heart of the night, was a delicious dinner. Lili had already had a glimpse of the fox's culinary talents via the meal baskets she made for Bell, but that evening she discovered her full talent and savoured it without restraint. It had been so long since her last real meal...

Ishtar was the first to leave, having to fulfil her many obligations to the familia, but not without leaving Haruhime behind to help Lili settle in. Bell, exhausted from his day, went to bed first, leaving the two women alone. They still didn't know each other well enough to talk about everything, but after a long silence, Lili suddenly spoke up.

"Mistress Haruhime. Lili wanted to ask you something. It's... a slave collar around your neck, isn't it?"

Immediately, the foxgirl brought her hand to it. Bell was naive, innocent, but Lili, given her past, must have known about these kinds of objects.

"I... yes."

"Does... Master Bell know about this?"

"No! I beg you, don't tell him, Lili. I promise you none of this has anything to do with him, or even you or the Delebat."

"It's... that complicated?"

"Yes. And it's something we all want to spare him, so... please Lili."

"That's okay, Lili won't say anything."

"Really?"

"The only thing Lili wants is to protect Master Bell, nothing else, so if she doesn't have to say anything for his sake, so be it."

"I... Thank you Lili."

"No need to thank Lili, she's only doing this for Master Bell after all."

She was still trying to play hard to get, old habits die hard, but Haruhime could see in her eyes the genuine affection that motivated her.

The next morning, neither Bell nor Lili got up early, exhausted both physically and emotionally. So they agreed to take a day off. This allowed Lili to pick up the few belongings she had managed to hide and settle into her new room in the Astral Mansion, while Bell looked after his equipment.

The goddess found a little time in her day to come and see them, but for once it was not Bell but Lili with whom she spent some time. Among other things, the goddess took the opportunity to update the pallum's falna. The day before, at Soma's house, she had just made the conversion, but now she wanted to take the time to familiarise herself with Lili's falna and see what she could tell her.

"From the increase in your stats, I take it you really hadn't seen Soma in a while."

"Yes."

"Your stats have improved, but that's all there is to it, no skill, magic or anything else." The goddess said, handing a copy of her status to Lili. "That said, your magic is very interesting. Used wisely, it opens up a lot of possibilities. If this Zanis knew about it, no wonder he didn't want to let you go."

Lili said nothing, but nodded silently. She didn't know how, but given how vicious Zanis was by nature, he would certainly have found plenty of applications for her magic.

"By the way Lili, Haruhime told me that you've been... asking questions."

The young woman knew very well what she was talking about and replied calmly.

"Lili has no intention of interfering in matters that don't concern her."

"I understand and I assure you, none of this will have anything to do with you, Bell or the Delebat. Lili, I expect only one thing from you, protect Bell. You've seen what kind of boy he is, he's an incredibly good person, but that can also make him easy prey for people with bad intentions. This time he was lucky to end up with you, but that won't always be the case. You're familiar with this sort of thing, I know you'll be able to protect him from it."

"That's... what Lili always intended to do."

The goddess offered her a small smile in response. She understood more and more why Bell had insisted on helping Lili, despite all the hardships that life had imposed on her, she had not sunk into darkness, deep down she was also very kind, even if she had become much more pragmatic about certain things.

"Enough of such serious matters. Lili, I have a present for you, to celebrate your arrival among us."

"A present?" asked the pallum, a little curious.

He hadn't been back here for some time, but he had to be. Allen approached the Midnight Sigh, determined to finally put in place what he needed to spy on the house where the boy who had caught his goddess' eye lived. If it had been up to him, Bell would already have had an accident in the Dungeon, but he knew he couldn't afford that, so instead he had to return to this hellish place.

To his surprise, when he arrived at the place, his body refused to move, there was something here that terrified him...

"Get a grip, Allen! You're a grown man, you're not going to let that get you down. You've faced the horrors of the Dungeon, Ottar and even the ravings of Hogni many times! You can do it!"

Regaining his courage, he entered the premises. Before long, the pallum woman with the fan arrived to greet him. That bitch must have been having a good laugh behind her fan, he was sure of it. But he had no time to procrastinate, he had a plan, he had to act fast, ask for another girl, pretend he wanted variety. But no sooner did he open his mouth than he was caught in a big hug and found himself face down in a generous rack he knew all too well.

"Hello kitten, Mommy's always delighted to have you back."

Well, so much for that one...

But Allen wasn't the only one facing a new ordeal. That evening, at the Astral Mansion, Bell was finishing some reading in his room before going to bed when the knock came at his door.

"Master Bell, it's Lili." came a voice from behind the door.

"Lili? You can come in."

Once the young girl was in the room, Bell jumped on the spot while making a strange cry, a vain attempt to say something. It had to be said that Lili's outfit was very peculiar... and terribly sexy.

She was wearing a particularly sexy nightie. Black in colour, it gave off a sensual, mature image, while perfectly showing off Lili's body. Although Lili's build was small because of her species, she was not without feminine curves. As Bell had seen with Neela, even if pallums generally looked like young human teenagers, with the right outfit and gestures, it was entirely possible to appear much more mature.

The young woman came closer and Bell could see even more details. The nightie was somewhat see-through, but in a very subtle way, allowing fleeting glimpses of what was hidden underneath, but without showing it openly, which made the whole thing even sexier. The only opaque thing Lili was wearing was a very minimalist thong in the same colour, which really only hid the essentials.

Sweating, Bell managed to regain enough composure to say a few words.

"Li... Lili... It-it's a very peculiar choice of pyjamas I must say..."

Perhaps one day Bell would understand that he should stop trying to rationalise certain things in this familia, but that day had not arrived.

Silently, her cheeks just as red, Lili approached and climbed onto the bed, getting closer and closer to the young man. She herself couldn't believe she'd dared wear something like that, but it was a gift from the goddess.

"Lili... Lili will always be there for you Master Bell. In the Dungeon, Lili will always be professional and make sure we get through this. But Lili also wants to... take care of you outside Master Bell."

"Lili, I swear you don't have to do this! You don't have to apologise or anything like that!" he quipped, thinking she was doing this to make up for tricking him.

"Lili isn't doing this out of obligation Master Bell, it's what Lili wants..."

All with Ishtar's recommendations and blessing of course. Bell was now lying curled up on his bed, while Lili was on all fours above him.

And it was precisely at this moment that the big talk he'd had with Neela began to run on a loop in his head. This allowed him to fully feel all the sensuality emanating from Lili's body, to which his own body was beginning to react.

What was he supposed to do? Accept the fact that Lili might want him? Should he respond, reject her? What would happen if he gave in to her sexual advances?

"Master Bell..."

And why did she have to be so sexy right now! The little sister image that Bell had started to build up for her was being shattered.

But it was at that moment that the door opened suddenly to let through a little goddess, visibly annoyed.

"Will this mess be over soon? Some people want to sleep and..."

The goddess was speechless when she saw them, and from her point of view, things were weird. Bell was curled up on her bed with his victim face on while Lili towered over him with the air of a sexual predator.

"What-what-what.. get off him right now you crazy bitch!" shouted Hestia as she reached over to pull her off Bell's bed.

"What's the matter with you?" replied a very indignant Lili.

"No... no filth in the house! You live with a virgin goddess!" Hestia tried, bewildered by the spectacle she had just witnessed.

"Huh? You're not our goddess, just the housekeeper!" retorted Lili, somewhat enraged at having been interrupted in this way.

The result of all this was that Hestia had ruined the whole atmosphere and now found herself arguing with Lili. For her part, Bell managed to regain his composure and got up from his bed, gently putting an end to the argument.

"I think it's late and we'd better all go to bed. Good night girls." He said with his sweetest smile before closing the door to his bedroom.

The two women sulked at each other and went off to their own rooms. Perhaps this time it had failed and she had lost the surprise factor, but Lili had no intention of giving up. As for Bell, he had a hard time falling asleep, his hormonally-charged adolescent mind suddenly flooded with images.

The next morning, the two of them got ready to leave for the Dungeon, as members of the same familia, this time without deceit and with a light heart. Lili made no mention of the previous night, nor did she attempt any inappropriate gestures. As she had promised him, she would be professional in all matters concerning the Dungeon. But that didn't mean she didn't have a little surprise in store for someone.

Not Bell, but Hestia, who received a visit from Ishtar an hour after they had left.

"Hestia!"

"What is it Ishtar?"

"I hired you to look after the Astral Mansion, not to cockblock my children!"

Immediately, the little goddess turned red. This had to be revenge on that filthy pallum for interrupting her the day before.

"But, but... They were going to do dirty things!"

"This is the entertainment district here!"

"You promised me I'd have nothing to do with a pleasure establishment!"

"Don't confuse this with two young people who just want to get laid!"

What followed was a long and particularly sterile debate between a virgin goddess and a goddess of beauty, two fundamentally opposed entities. All this under the watchful eye of Haruhime, who was silently serving them tea the whole time.

And yet, as silly as the debate looked, it allowed the two goddesses to strengthen their bond.