Chapter 15: Curiosity killed the cat

It was an ordinary day as Bell went about his business in the city. Ever since he'd reached level 2, he'd been looking forward to testing it out in the Dungeon, but he'd had to wait. For one thing, he'd run out of equipment and had to find a new suit of armour, but Lili also had to rethink their whole strategy for exploring the Dungeon.

Well, there had also been a day lost because the whole Delebat had to sleep it off after the little party at Belit Babili. Although, in Bell's case, it was mainly to think about what had happened between him and Ishtar. Admittedly, they hadn't taken the plunge, but the boy had been tempted. There were lots of things he needed to think about.

It was while he was strolling through the city that he had a chance encounter.

"Yo! Are you the Little Lion?" said a man he didn't know to Bell. He looked like a tall man in his thirties with brown hair. Rather handsome, with a friendly, bright smile and an impeccable blow-dry. However, Bell wasn't mistaken: the person talking to him had that special aura, that little something that made it clear he was a deusdea.

"Er... Yes, that's me." Bell replied shyly.

"Pleased to meet you, I'm Heimdall. The god Heimdall, to be precise."

"Likewise Lord Heimdall, what can I do for you?" replied Bell with a commercial smile. The kind he wasn't usually known for.

"Not much, my boy, I was just curious to meet the new star of the moment."

"I don't think I'm that famous, I'm just a humble adventurer."

"Come on my boy, no false modesty, a humble adventurer doesn't become level 2 in just a month and a half."

"That's what I've been told, indeed."

"I confess, I'm curious, how did you do that?"

"I simply went down to the Dungeon on an almost daily basis to train and perfect my skills."

No lie...

"If that were enough to allow all adventurers to progress so quickly, there would be adventurers as strong as the King on every street corner."

"Excuse me, I haven't been in town very long, so I don't really know what the norm is yet."

Still no lies. The little prick was playing dumb with him and it was starting to annoy Heimdall, but he kept his cool.

"Of course. So, tell me, did Ishtar help you?"

"Of course." Bell replied, much to the delight of the god, who might finally be scratching out some information. "She gave me her blessing and I got a falna."

The brat looked like he was going to give him a run for his money.

" Of course. And this falna, how does it progress so quickly? A skill? A spell? A development ability?"

"Do you think it's from my falna?" Bell then asked with an almost silly look on his face.

"If Ishtar hasn't cheated, I don't see how it could be otherwise."

"Excuse me, Lord Heimdall, but Lady Ishtar always told me that anything to do with an adventurer's falna was a matter for him and his divinity alone, could she have been mistaken?"

If Heimdall dared to answer yes, he would publicly insult Ishtar by calling her a liar or a fool. A very bad plan.

"No, that is indeed the case, but..."

"In that case, if you have any questions at all about me, just ask Lady Ishtar." Bell replied, with a little glint in his eye that said "if you dare".

"I see..."

"I beg your pardon Lord Heimdall, but I'm still busy today, if you don't mind."

"Yes, no worries my boy, have a good day."

Bell left the area quickly, while Heimdall ranted and raved. The brat hadn't given away any interesting information. He obviously knew very well how to interact with the gods.

Many thought that the gods' ability to see through lies was a form of omniscience that allowed them to know everything. Nothing could be further from the truth. First of all, 'not lying' should not be confused with 'not telling the truth', as they were two very different things.

Of course, they could detect when someone was openly lying to them, but that was where it stopped.

The first method of hiding things from a god was simply to remain silent. But very often, this was tantamount to admitting that you were hiding something. Some gods were also very good psychologists and observers, able to deduce a lot of information from people's reactions and non-verbal language.

But there were other ways of not telling them things. Their power only worked on direct lies, it didn't work with half-truths, off-the-cuff answers or questions in return. Nor did it guarantee that they knew the truth. If someone gave false information to a god in the belief that he was telling the truth, the deity wouldn't see it.

So how had Bell, known for his inability to lie, managed to deal with Heimdall's questions? Quite simply thanks to Ishtar.

The goddess was no fool, given the record Bell had just smashed, her own reputation and the problems she had already had, she knew full well that some of the gods would be asking questions and that some would even dare to approach Bell directly.

The temptation of an entertaining novelty was far too appetising for some.

As a result, Ishtar had spent a whole day with Bell making him do... theatre. With the help of a few other people, Ishtar had given Bell a crash course in how to interact effectively with the other gods, the kind of questions he might be asked, how not to give out information without blatantly lying and how to behave in general.

Luckily, not only was Bell a quick learner, but he also knew he had to take this situation very seriously. It was therefore fortunate that the goddess of beauty had anticipated all this and prepared her child quickly, so Heimdall hadn't been able to obtain any information.

But for him, the nightmare had only just begun...

It began that very evening. Heimdall was at the head of a small familia of barely forty adventurers, most of them level 1 and 2. After a day in the Dungeon or going about their business, several of them had gone out that evening to relax. It was nothing special.

On the other hand, seeing a dozen or so of his children return quickly, injured and frightened, was not expected. Heimdall rushed over to them.

"What happened?" he said.

"Sorry Lord Heimdall, we wanted to go and have a good time in the entertainment district this evening and..."

No surprise there. In a world where there was no television or internet, there were few ways to have a good time, especially when you were in a dangerous profession. Going to a brothel was one of the most common methods of amusement after getting drunk in a tavern.

"And what?"

"We were then told that our familia was banned from the entertainment district and that we had to pay the price for our intrusion. Thirty berberas attacked us and gave us a thorough beating."

He could tell by the look on his children's faces that they had taken a good beating. However, everyone was in relatively good shape and there were no really serious injuries.

"Wait a minute, where's Günter? Wasn't he with you?"

"Er... I don't know, we lost track of him in the chaos of the incident. But, I suppose he's all right."

Günter was Heimdall's captain. A level 3 adventurer for some time. He wasn't a monster of power like the King, but he wasn't a beginner either, he knew how to defend himself and Heimdall could only hope he was okay.

In fact, the man came back at dawn. One of the members of his familia found him, just outside the door of their manor. The poor man was sitting in a foetal position, his eyes blank. Heimdall and several others came to find him. They saw that he hadn't been beaten up like the others, but it was obvious that he had a problem.

"Günter? Are you all right?" asked his god, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"NO!" the man shouted, making everyone jump. "No snu-snu! I don't want any more snu-snu!"

And as if that wasn't enough, another of his children then called out to his god.

"Uh... Lord Heimdall, I think we've got another problem." The person called out, pointing to the roofs of the surrounding buildings. A good fifteen amazoness surrounded his manor. They didn't seem aggressive, they just seemed to be watching him, putting maximum pressure on him.

And the hell didn't stop there. Once in town on business, Heimdall realised that he had become the subject of some ridicule, mainly from other deities, and goddesses in particular. The cause was a rumour that had suddenly spread suggesting that Heimdall had some problems with his... length.

Just three hours later, Heimdall was in Belit Babili. Prostrate, forehead to the ground, begging Ishtar's forgiveness. Which she gladly granted... once he had offered a little financial compensation to demonstrate his goodwill.

When the time came to take stock, this is what his curiosity cost Heimdall.

To begin with, a double humiliation. On the one hand, everyone now knew that he had literally had to grovel before Ishtar to obtain her forgiveness. Secondly, he could no longer shake off the rumours about his length.

His familia was still banned from the entertainment district, much to the dismay of most of his children. As a result, their morale was particularly low.

His captain was traumatised and had developed a phobia of amazoness, which was embarrassing given that he himself had three in his familia.

Finally, he was financially ruined after paying the compensation Ishtar had demanded, to the point where he had even had to dip into the familia's emergency savings. It would take them at least a year of intensive work in the Dungeon to recover everything they had lost.

Not to mention the fact that, with the whole affair having seriously damaged his reputation, recruitment was likely to become much more complicated.

Of course, word of all this got out, and many other deities quickly understood the message Ishtar had sent through Heimdall.

Curiosity killed the cat...

Fortunately, the god also didn't know that he was in fact a collateral victim of a confrontation between two goddesses of beauty.

In fact, the day before he approached Bell, Heimdall had gone with some of his children to eat at the Hostess of Fertility. Freya knew the god and manipulated him in the guise of Syr. By deliberately talking about Bell in such a way that Heimdall could hear her, she had deliberately stimulated his curiosity and tried to use him both as a means of obtaining information and as an attempt to destabilise Ishtar. All without getting her feet wet.

It was an unsuccessful attempt, because not even Freya had anticipated that Ishtar would have prepared Bell so effectively for this kind of eventuality.

As for Bell, he had obviously been following the whole thing. After all, he had more or less triggered the reprisals in spite of himself by keeping his promise to Ishtar to come and see her immediately if another deity tried to extract information from him.

"Goddess?"

"Yes Bell?"

"Don't you think you went a little too far with Lord Heimdall?"

"Not at all. I understand that all this may seem rather extreme to you, but believe me, it's necessary. I know most of the other gods and I know what some of them can do just for fun. It's unfortunate for him, but since he was the first to act, Heimdall will serve as an example for all the others."

"Very well... If you think it's better that way." He said with a sad look on his face. Ishtar didn't like seeing him like this, because Bell was still a deeply kind person who didn't like hurting others, but she knew that what she was doing was necessary. Nor did Bell realise that Ishtar's retaliation had been very measured. There was a time when she would have been much, MUCH crueler.

He may not have realised it, but Heimdall was getting off lightly in this affair.

Fortunately for Bell, he didn't have the opportunity to continue brooding for very long. Haruhime was coming towards them, carrying a tray with glasses filled with delicious, fresh lemonade.

Then, by a strange coincidence, the young woman tripped and fell. Bell rushed to her aid, but it was too late.

He found himself on the ground, on his back, with Haruhime sprawled on top of him. The pretty fox had fallen in such a way that Bell's face was buried in her chest. What's more, Haruhime was wearing her kimono in the style of a courtesan, the top loose enough to show off her perfectly chiselled breasts. The fabric had loosened a little during the fall, so Bell could feel the touch of bare skin directly on her cheeks.

No broken glass, but the young woman had spilled all the lemonade on herself, and her clothes were now soaked and sticking to her skin, amplifying the natural eroticism of the situation even more.

A situation which made Ishtar laugh out loud, and she made a little teasing comment.

"Well, Bell, I see that your luck is still working just as well..."

The problem with being sprayed with sweet liquid is that it quickly becomes sticky, and that's not pleasant. So poor Harihume found herself covered in sticky liquid, and her clothes were good for cleaning.

And so the pretty fox found herself in the private bath of her goddess, one of the little privileges that went with serving her directly.

"Haruhime?"

"Aisha? What are you doing here?" the fox asked the amazoness, who had just entered the premises, totally naked of course.

"I heard about your little accident and I thought I'd help you, if only with your back and your hair."

"That's kind, thank you Aisha."

"You're welcome, you know, I'm used to having to rinse sticky liquid off my body." She told him teasingly. It was obvious that Aisha wasn't talking about lemonade.

"Aisha!" Haruhime said simply, with a mixture of embarrassment and indignation. To which the Amazon simply laughed in response.

However, the foxgirl had to admit that Aisha knew what she was doing. Behind her warrior facade, she hid the fact that she could show a certain gentleness.

"Come to think of it, it's been a while since we've had a bath together."

"Indeed."

"Perhaps you would have preferred it if our little rabbit... sorry, our little lion, had come to join you?"

"W-w-what... Aisha! I can't impose that on Master Bell!"

"So that's not a no."

For all answer, Haruhime merely blushed harder.

"Do you like him? You can be honest with me, you know."

"I... I like him. He's pleasant company. He's so nice."

"Not just nice, he's getting strong too. I can't believe how fast he's progressing. But in our case, that's a good thing."

"Aisha..."

"Well, on the other hand, are you planning to sleep with him soon?"

"Aisha! I... I have no intention of..."

"And why not? Just go for it. Besides, Ishtar seems to be encouraging him in that direction. Now that you've discovered you're still a virgin, don't you want to take the opportunity to have your first experience in the arms of a man who makes your heart beat? Besides, you said it yourself, he's nice, so I'm sure it'll be a very sweet moment."

"That's not the problem Aisha. You know... how I am, I'm not sure I could take the step, even if I wanted to."

Yes, unfortunately, the fox still had that pesky habit of fainting as soon as she started to see too much bare skin on a man. She'd probably pass out before even getting to foreplay. But it was then that Aisha reached into a small satchel in her belongings and pulled out a vial.

"For that, I've got just the thing to help you." She said, setting the vial down beside Haruhime.

"What's this? An aphrodisiac?"

"Yes and no... I assure you, there's nothing dangerous about this product. Let's just say that for people like you, it can be very useful."

"I'll... I'll see."

"By the way, now that you're no longer working in a brothel, I suppose you're no longer taking contraceptives?"

"Indeed."

All pleasure workers took them. It avoided a lot of unpleasant problems. They weren't one hundred percent reliable, but they got the job done the majority of the time. Haruhime, despite her unsuccessful career, had had to take them daily, like all the other prostitutes.

"In that case, your body must have purged them by now. So, in addition to the first potion, I suggest you also take this one." said the amazoness, putting down another vial.

"It doesn't look like a contraceptive."

"Exactly, in fact it's quite the opposite, as it's a fertility potion."

Haruhime said nothing, but turned her head and looked at Aisha with surprised eyes.

"Aisha, what are you trying to do?"

"Haruhime." She began in all seriousness. "I want you to take these two potions, sleep with Bell and get pregnant by him."

"What?"

"If you take these two potions at the same time, all Bell has to do is pour himself into you just once and you're guaranteed pregnancy."

"Aisha! Why would you want me to do something like that?" She asked in shock. To which Aisha replied with a sad smile.

"Because for once, I decided to be intellectual and go and read some books. I looked up all the information I could about the ritual Ishtar wants to perform and it paid off. This ritual does have one flaw, it won't work on a pregnant woman."

Haruhime remained silent as the amazoness continued her explanation.

"I know Bell is the only one you can accept into your bed and honestly, I'd rather it was him. Go to him, have fun and get pregnant. That'll give us a few months' reprieve to prepare. Besides, if he keeps going at this rate, Bell will become very strong and..."

"Aisha!" Haruhime cut her off in a firm tone. The amazoness was surprised; she rarely saw Haruhime impose herself like this. "I know this is all done with good intentions, but I can't do something like this."

"Haruhime..."

"It would be terribly cruel Aisha. First of all for Bell, I don't want to force him to become a father without him wanting it too. And above all, it would be horribly cruel for this child to be born solely to protect me. No child should be born solely to serve the interests of its parents. I know that not all children are wanted, but I don't want to do that. If I were to have children with Master Bell one day, I would want it to be solely as a result of our love and our choices."

Seeing her tender smile and determined gaze, Aisha realised that she shouldn't insist. The foxgirl sometimes had much more character than she showed. However, the amazoness still found a glimmer of hope in the story, as Haruhime had mentioned the possibility of having children with Bell. This meant that she accepted the idea that she could have a future. This was already a small victory for Aisha.

"I understand Haruhime, I won't insist." She said, taking back the fertility potion. "However, I'll leave you the other potion, because I really encourage you to get laid with him."

"Aisha!" said the blonde fox with her cheeks on fire, followed by the amazoness' frank and amused laugh.

That day, their bond grew even stronger, as did Aisha's determination to protect the one she loved as her sister.

When Welf Crozzo woke up that morning, he certainly hadn't expected all the events of the day, let alone the very last one. The young red-haired blacksmith was sitting on a comfortable sofa at the top of Belit Babili.

Opposite him was Ishtar, smoking her kiseru and looking at him in a way that made no secret of the fact that she was judging him from every angle.

"Would you like some tea, sir?" asked a pretty blonde renarde dressed in the fashion of the Far East, startling him.

"Ah, yes, please," he managed to say, shaking like a dead leaf.

"So... Welf, right?" Ishtar then asked imperiously.

"Y-yes! That's right, Lady Ishtar."

How had he ended up in this situation?

Quite simply because Ishtar had invited him. An invitation brought to him by four very, VERY pushy amazoness. In fact, at that point, he could even be considered to have been literally abducted.

But to understand the reason for all this, we had to go back to the morning of that day.

As a blacksmith and member of the Hephaestus familia, he didn't get on very well with his colleagues. Whether he liked it or not, the Crozzo name would always haunt him. Many were jealous of him, feeling that he was wasting his gift by continuing to produce mediocre equipment. Even Tsubaki, though less aggressive in her approach, told him the same thing.

None of them wanted to understand his philosophy, his point of view. If he could get rid of the power of the Crozzo blood and give it to the first idiot who came along, he'd do it gladly. That damn blood was destroying all his efforts and preventing him from being recognised for his true worth. He admitted himself that he was still just a young blacksmith who needed to make a lot of progress, but it infuriated him every time he saw his efforts being thrown away because of jealous people who thought they knew better than he did what he should be crafting.

This often led to arguments with the other smiths and the shop assistants where he sold his work. Thrown into crates at the back of the shop, with no right to a proper display, sold at prices lower than he wanted. Welf didn't care about the money, but he felt insulted at the idea of his work being sold off.

And even today, it was the same thing. A salesman who turned a deaf ear and ignored his arguments. The latest criticism was his choice of name. It was clear that nobody understood him.

That is, until a young white-haired man appeared and asked, quite naturally, if the shop still sold Welf Crozzo armour.

The red-haired blacksmith then let out a frank laugh, which contained a real sense of liberation. A customer wanted his work, his own. It did more than flatter his ego, it gave him a sense of achievement. Welf made equipment to be used, not to gather dust.

One thing led to another, and they ended up going off on their own to have a little chat. Welf was surprised to learn that the customer asking for his work was Little Lion, the new star of the moment. Trusting his instincts, Welf suggested that Bell sign a contract with him. He explained how this kind of partnership worked, as well as the fact that many other blacksmiths had their eye on him.

Welf was also frank about what he wanted in return. As a bonus, he was even prepared to offer him his latest set of armour, similar to his previous one.

Bell was delighted and readily accepted.

And, of course, he told the others all about it. Lili chastised him a little for accepting so quickly without taking the time to think about it, but decided to trust him.

As for Ishtar, she said nothing at the time... she simply 'invited' Welf through her berberas.

"I hope you'll forgive my sudden invitation. It is difficult for me to make room in my schedule."

"Yes... O-of course, no worries Lady Ishtar."

It wasn't as if he was in a position to complain about being snatched off the street, either.

"I was rather surprised when Bell told me he'd made a contract with you. He's a nice boy on whom I have high hopes, too, so you understand that I take a keen interest in this sort of thing."

"N-Naturally."

"Let's see... why are you interested in Bell in particular? There are lots of other young adventurers."

"True, but none who specifically asked for my work. He seems to like it, plus he's a nice person, not to mention I need a party and that seemed to fit his needs too. I understand he's doing things on his own with just one supporter."

"Indeed, the Delebat is still a young group and I admit that a reinforcement can be useful. But why not do it with people from your familia? Several of them are coming down to the Dungeon as far as I know."

"It's... it's complicated, I don't get on well with most of my familia." He replied, hoping not to have to go into too much detail.

"I see... Tell me, this isn't a roundabout way of getting close to courtesans or trying to get discounts in my brothels?" she asked suddenly, hoping to surprise him.

"'Wha'... No!"

"Really? That sort of thing doesn't interest a young man like you?"

"Of course it does!"

"You really don't expect any little opportunities in the entertainment district?"

"There's only one woman in my life and that's Lady Hephaestus!" he shouted suddenly as his emotions got the better of him. Then he turned as red as his hair and fell back into the sofa, wondering where the nearest mouse hole was to hide.

For her part, Ishtar laughed. This young man's reaction was as funny as it was adorable.

"Look at that... It's strange, but listening to you, it sounds like it's much more than the admiration of a young craftsman for a master or a child for his goddess. You love her as a woman too, don't you?"

Seeing that he was trapped and that, in any case, one could not lie openly to a deity, he sighed and replied.

"Yes, I love her both as a craftsman and as a man. When I arrived in Orario, I saw her work. I was speechless. The weapon on display was a true masterpiece. I had to meet the craftsman who had forged it."

"And so you met Hephaestus."

"Yes. Then, as well as the craftsman, I also started to see the woman behind it. Then she definitely took my heart."

"It really is true love it seems. Have you ever dared to confess your feelings to her?"

"No, even though I think she's having doubts. I've sworn to myself that I won't say anything to her until I've forged a masterpiece worthy of her with my own hands."

Love and conviction mingled in Welf's voice, and Ishtar could see it clearly. It was rare to meet a man of his age with these qualities.

"Well, you set the standard very high."

"Perhaps, but I refuse to compromise myself by offering anything less to my goddess."

"I see. Another question. You are a Crozzo of Rakia, aren't you? The famous family of blacksmiths."

A shadow passed over Welf's face, his family was not his favourite subject and the goddess understood this immediately.

"Spirits and gods have a special bond. And I sense that your ancestor's blessing is active within you. With such power, you could forge powerful magic weapons, rise above others and earn a fortune. Yet I've heard that you refuse all such commissions."

Ishtar hadn't invited Welf without investigating him a little first, and she wasn't shy about it.

"I hate my blood and I curse the fact that this heritage has awakened in me." He said sadly.

"That much?"

"I hate magic weapons, it defiles people's hearts."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Loads of people came to me on the pretext that I'm a Crozzo. They all wanted magic weapons. But all they wanted was an easy way to become rich, powerful or famous. What's more, these bloody magical weapons end up breaking and abandoning their users. That's not what a weapon should be. It's an extension of the body, the first thing that needs to remain reliable in combat."

Listening to him, Ishtar wasn't sure whether what he hated most were magical weapons or his own bloodline, this boy had his own worries to contend with.

"I understand what you mean. Your philosophy isn't perfect, but that's not for me to explain to you."

No, that was his goddess's job to educate him.

"I've had a chance to see some of your work. You still have a lot of room for improvement, but what you make is of good quality and more than sufficient for Bell's current needs. So be it! I therefore agree that you should continue with this contract and that you should join Bell's party for the time being. I'm counting on you to provide him with the best."

"Don't worry Lady Ishtar, in the forge or in battle, I always give a hundred percent."

"Good for you. As a bonus, you should know that if you do a good job, I might even be able to reveal to you some of Hephaestus'... weak points."

And from the way she was talking about it, there was no doubt about the nature of the weak points in question.

"I'd give two hundred per cent!" replied Welf, highly motivated and giving a thumbs up. Proof that, when faced with Ishtar, no one could deny their deepest desires.

While the blacksmith was being interrogated by Ishtar, Aisha arrived at Belit Babili. But the only thing that greeted her was Samira's sarcasm.

"Well, well... Back from the Astral Mansion perhaps?"

Aisha let out a simple sigh, she really didn't feel like getting into a fight with Samira today.

"Indeed, do you have a problem with that?"

"You're spending a lot of time over there at the moment it seems."

"So what?"

"So the great and proud Aisha has abandoned her pride and wagged her tail like a good dog at the nice boy who lives there?"

"Seriously, what is your problem with Bell? He's doing his own thing, why go on with all this?"

"The damn kid is softening Ishtar up!"

"She's softened up around him, that's true. But I really don't see how that's a problem."

"If you can't see it, then you're totally blind and stupid!"

"And you're becoming obsessed! Ishtar became calmer, more reasonable. Have you walked around the district recently? The atmosphere has improved a lot. Our lives are starting to improve, isn't that what you've always wanted too? More safety and tranquillity for our sisters?"

Samira wasn't a monster, behind her shell she masked a lot of concern for the other Berberas. That was one of the reasons why her behaviour was so strange to Aisha.

"Of course I want to protect our sisters!"

"Then what the hell is your problem?"

Samira then approached Aisha so that their conversation could not be overheard.

"It's too late for Ishtar to turn nice. Not after everything she's done, everything we've planned. Damn it Aisha! We're in business with the Evilus, with that crazy Kali! Not to mention all the other unsavoury people we've had to deal with, like the various flesh traffickers."

"Yes, I know all about it."

"After going this far, there's no turning back. What do you want us to tell all these people? Let's give up and call it a day? They'll eat us alive! And you really think Freya has no idea what we're up to? If we waste too much time, her familia could launch a pre-emptive strike. There's no turning back, Aisha, we have to see this through. Once we've crushed Freya, once we've established our authority and demonstrated our power, once our sisters are truly safe from any retaliation, maybe then we can consider turning nice."

"You absolutely want to go through with this, even if it means sacrificing Haruhime?"

"This is a war, Aisha. And there's no such thing as a clean war. Besides, there's nothing to say that the ritual is definitive. In theory, we should be able to give her back her soul if we bring back all the pieces of the..."

"Enough with this bullshit! Even if it were possible, how many of our sisters will be so kind as to return the artefacts that give them more power?"

"Aisha... We no longer have a choice, whether you like it or not, we'll have to see this through. This kid isn't an opportunity, he's a liability. His speed of progress doesn't make him a potential help, it makes him a threat to our plans."

"A threat? Do you hear yourself, Samira? This kid is part of our familia, he's one of us."

"No, he's not and he never will be. And you're starting not to be either." The amazoness said coldly before turning on her heels and walking away. Clearly, they couldn't agree. In the back of her mind, Samira had hoped she could still reason with Aisha, but she had just been given proof that this would not be the case. It pained her, but her duty was to protect her other sisters and to do that, she could only see one way forward.

Even if it meant losing the friendship of Lena and Aisha. Even if it meant collaborating with the likes of Tammuz or Phryne. These two had nothing but selfish motives: the first was acting out of jealousy and only wanted his goddess back, the second wanted to satisfy her own ego. In a way, they were easy to manipulate. It was with the other Berberas that it became difficult. The more realistic ones agreed with her point of view. The more moderate ones preferred to wait and see. And the less serious ones were happy to let themselves be tempted by Bell's friendly face.

In the end, if it hadn't been for all the fuss, perhaps Samira too would have learned to appreciate Bell and his cute little rabbit face. But in the situation their familia found itself in, she could only see him as a source of problems.

Lili had found it a little difficult to accept Welf's presence. Whether she liked it or not, she had learnt to appreciate working as a duo with Bell, she had the feeling that it was their own little moment, when it was just the two of them.

But she also knew that the Dungeon was dangerous and, as she had promised Bell, here professionalism would always prevail and the presence of an extra teammate was useful. What's more, Welf was more the archetypal heavy fighter, wielding a huge blade, which perfectly complemented Bell's quick, agile style.

Not to mention that the blacksmith hadn't come empty-handed. Not only had he brought Bell's new armour, which he'd adjusted to his size and strengthened to suit his needs, but he'd also brought lots of little things, like spare weapons and bolts for Lili's crossbow.

Their first day in the Dungeon had gone rather well. Welf was surprised by Bell's speed, but this only served to stimulate him further and reassure him that he had chosen the right people to contract with. Their little group quickly found its balance and cruising speed. All this was accompanied by a little bickering between Welf and Lili.

All went well until they came across a rare monster, a infant dragon. Bell blasted it with a much more powerful Shooting Star than usual as the creature was about to attack Lili. At first he wondered if this was due to his level 2, before noticing the strange glow around his hand.

"Master Bell?"

"Are you all right, Lili?"

"Yes, but your hand..."

"Well, that was pretty powerful." Welf said as he approached them.

"Yes, I wonder if it's one of those new skills..."

"Master Bell!" she shouted to interrupt him.

"Lili?"

"Be careful what you say, I remind you that we're not alone."

"She's right Bell, I'm not from your familia and we've only just started working together, it's normal not to tell each other everything."

"It's okay, I know I can trust you Welf."

"You're really too nice for your own good." He smiled and sighed. This kid was definitely not like the others.

"That's what I keep telling him. But on the other hand, that's what makes Master Bell himself."

And she was in no position to criticise this trait in him, because it was precisely this great kindness that had saved his life, freed him from Soma and allowed him to find a new purpose in his existence.

To sum up, their first day had gone well.

That evening, Bell had spoken to Ishtar about the strange phenomenon that had happened to him during the day.

"No doubt a manifestation of your new skill. When you used it, it was to save Lili from a monster, wasn't it?"

"Yes."

"A heroic deed indeed. Maybe that's what the heroic desire was supposed to mean. As for the charge effect, it just seems to amplify your attacks. I think that combined with your chantless magic, the combination could be formidable. But that's for you to discover and experiment with to understand how it works and its limits."

"I see." So many possibilities were racing through Bell's mind. He already loved this skill, and thanks to it, he had the feeling that he had really progressed, that he had come closer to his ideal.

"On the other hand, you haven't tried any experiments with Leo Dominus yet?"

The young man immediately began to blush.

"What's done is done, now that you have this skill, you have to learn how to use it. It's also your responsibility to your companions. Would you let one of them die just because one of your powers is troubling you a little?"

"I... no."

"Good, because that would be misplaced pride. All these powers are born from your soul. Accept them, understand them and use them."

"Yes, you're right, I'll try and talk to Lili about it. She might have an idea."

"Oh, I'm sure she won't have just one." The goddess smiled teasingly.

The next day, they did not go down into the Dungeon. Although she had been freed, Lili still had some unfinished business, including a debt to a gnome merchant who had often helped and sheltered her in the past. So she had gone to help him.

So Welf suggested that Bell go to his forge and make him some new equipment. But before doing anything, the blacksmith began by testing his new comrade in arms. It would have been naive to think that Bell would not have learned from his goddess who he was. But the boy didn't care; for him, Welf was Welf before he was Welf Crozzo. This only strengthened the blacksmith's conviction that he had chosen his partner well. He was convinced that with Bell, he would finally be able to shine as a blacksmith in his own right and not through the blood of his ancestor.

The redhead then noticed that Bell was walking around with a minotaur's horn on his belt. Bell couldn't bring himself to exchange it, as it was a symbol of his victory, not only over the minotaur, but also over his own weakness. Welf offered to turn it into a weapon.

The sight of Welf at his forge was fascinating for Bell. The heat he felt was not so much from the forge as from Welf's passion. He realised that he was seeing him in a different light and that this was the part of him that was most alive. As he worked, Welf made small talk with him and Bell was able to learn more about his new companion and his hatred for magical weapons.

A day rich in learning.

While the two young men worked at the forge, their goddesses met again.

Hephaestus had come to Belit Babili discreetly, hidden under a cloak, attenuating her divine aura as much as possible. She even managed to have a word with Ishtar, who was delighted to welcome her to her flats.

"Hephaestus? What do I owe the pleasure? Oh, you felt like finishing what we'd started?" said the goddess in a teasing and provocative tone, immediately making her divine colleague blush.

"Ishtar! That's not why I'm here, I'm here to talk to you about what you've done!"

"Oh? And what have I done?"

"You had Welf, one of my children, abducted!"

"Not at all, I simply invited him to have a chat."

"When you're taken by force by four Berberas, it's no longer an invitation!"

"All right, all right, I was in a hurry to meet him and my girls may have been a little overzealous."

"If you wanted to meet him, you could have just asked me."

"Would you really have agreed?" she asked with a hint of cynicism, making Hephaestus blush a little more, who realised that might not have been the case.

"Well, that's not the question, what did you want from him?"

"Only to make sure of his intentions. As you already know, I'm pinning a lot of hopes on Bell, so I'm a bit fussy about certain things, like a young blacksmith wanting to make a contract with him."

"And so I have to believe that you don't intend to abuse the situation. I know you, you must already know that Welf..."

"...Is a Crozzo, yes, we've discussed that and he's also told me about how he views his blood and magical weapons. He seems sincere in his beliefs, though I find his philosophy a little misguided."

"I know, he has too much misplaced pride and that's why he doesn't get on with others."

"And to get back to your question, no, I don't intend to try and abuse his abilities, as long as he works well and helps Bell, I've got nothing against him."

"All right, I'll take your word for it. And you haven't done anything... particular... to him?" she asked with great difficulty finding her words. Ishtar understood perfectly well what she was getting at and it amused her terribly.

"Well, why are you interested in the intimate life of this child in particular? Oh, is that a hint of jealousy I hear in your voice? Would the iron heart of our beautiful divine smith melt before the ardent passion of a young blacksmith?"

As she spoke, Ishtar had come to sit next to Hephaestus and was moving closer and closer to her.

"I... I..."

"In that case, you must have some idea that you don't leave him unmoved either."

All she got in reply was an embarrassed look from the blacksmith.

"Besides, now that I think about it, I promised Welf that if he did a good job, I'd tell him about all your weak points..." she whispered in her ear.

"Excuse me? H-how-how could you possibly know that to begin with?"

"Oh! Don't underestimate my talent in this area. But you're right, it's better to provide proof of what I'm saying..." she said before embracing the other goddess and placing her lips on her neck.

"No, Ishta-aaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

Then a few moans followed.

"Ishtar... no... not there... you're cheating!"

Hephaestus left the goddess's flats shortly afterwards, with a hurried step and totally red from head to toe.

"~Come back whenever you like~" Ishtar teased her in a lilting voice, which only made the other goddess walk even faster.

That evening, Ishtar returned to the Astral Mansion as usual. Welf and Bell were in the garden, facing the training dummies. The goddess of beauty decided it would be best to keep the little chat she'd had with Hephaestus to herself.

"Well boys, how was your day?"

Bell then explained what had happened and showed her the weapon that Welf had forged for him from the minotaur's horn. The goddess then took hold of the dagger and began to manipulate it, twirling it in her hand, between her fingers, testing the grip, before sending it with a sharp blow into a wooden dummy.

"It's a fine weapon, with a slight unbalance in the weight distribution of the blade, but it's still a fine piece of work. Perhaps you'll manage to forge a masterpiece worthy of Hephaestus before you're old enough to need potions to satisfy her in intimacy." said the goddess, ending on a humorous note.

But the two young men did not respond, looking at her with dazed eyes. They had certainly not expected to see the goddess make such a demonstration, especially Welf.

"Surprised? I'm more than just a pretty face, you know. But let that be a lesson to you boys when it comes to women. Remember that pretty roses often have sharp thorns."

The two were unable to respond, even the goddess's jest had gone out the window. Bell put away his new weapon and Welf gave them an embarrassed salute before returning home. Ishtar had just dominated the goddess and her child in the same day.

But the carefree days were about to come to an end again.

Bell, Lili and Welf gathered the next day for another day in the dungeon. Now that their group was ready, they could afford to descend a little further.

But little did they know that at the same time, a group of adventurers from the far east would find themselves in a complicated situation that would force them to make a difficult choice...

Author's notes:

Another new chapter finished, slightly lighter atmosphere this time.

Why did I choose Heimdall as a deity to ask the wrong questions and get ruined by Ishtar? Firstly, because no matter how hard I looked, this god isn't mentioned in Danmachi, or else in a bonus story in some spin-off product so obscure that I've never heard of it. So the character was free.

As for the rest, complain to Santa Monica Studio. The last Heimdall I saw was the one in God of War Ragnarök, which did everything it could to make him unsympathetic.