"Oh, you're the delivery boy from the Blue Pharmacy? Please, wait right here."
Bell nodded as the Renard shut the door behind him. He waited in the lobby that had a Far Eastern design. It was primarily empty, with only a table in the back of the room where clients seemed to check in, and rooms were on both walls.
"Seems a little basic for a brothel." Bell mused.
"Because it's not a high-end one, Bell. This is a cheap one. Meaning, who's ever running this is either old or being punished." Regis added.
It was then the Renard returned with a busty Amazon by her side.
The Amazon was tall with long black hair that came down to her shoulders. She had purple eyes, and her clothes were that of a dancers. A thin purple sash covered her breasts, but only barely.
"Holy shit," Regis muttered.
He looked at Bell, and the boy seemed to be frozen. He looked back to the Amazon and saw the woman checking Bell out.
"Oh, is this going where I think this is going? Because I sure as hell hope so." Regis giddily thought.
"So you're the delivery boy, huh?" The Amazon asked.
Bell snapped out of his daze and nodded. "Uh yeah, 100 aphrodisiacs. All ready and waiting to be used."
The Amazon smirked as Bell handed her the box. She opened it and made sure none of the vials were broken. Once that was done, she set the box on the front desk.
"Well, why don't you and I use one? Test to see if the product works."
The renard blushed as Bell blinked in surprise. Regis suppressed his laughter as the Amazon licked her lips.
"Uh, I'm good, I think I'm gonna-
KRAKOOM
A loud thunderclap rang out across the sky. Bell jumped slightly, not expecting it as well as the Amazon. But the Renard dropped to the ground and covered her fox ears. The thunderclap scared her.
"That was loud," Bell muttered.
He looked outside and saw a torrential downpour flooding the streets. Lightning crackled in the sky, and thunder rumbled.
"Yeah, we're not making it home in that," Regis said.
"Did that dog just talk?" The Amazon asked.
"Hmm, oh yeah, he's a magic dog. Man, it is really coming down." Bell answered.
Bell stepped back from the window, and the Amazon looked at him quizzically. The Renard still covered her ears, and Bell sighed.
"Hang on, this should help."
Bell placed his hand on a wall, and a red barrier surrounded the building. It then sunk into the wall, making the building look normal. But no sound came in or out.
"What did you just do?!" The Amazon asked.
"Placed a silencing ward on the building. That way, the thunder can't hurt her ears."
The Amazon watched Bell warily as the boy sat down. Regis sat next to him.
"Anyway, since we're going to be here a while, my name's Bell. This here is Regis."
The Renard had uncovered her ears now that the sounds outside had left.
"I'm Haruhime, and this here is Aisha." The Renard greeted.
Aisha looked at the boy in shock, plus some nervousness. She could sense he was a high-level one, but to be able to cast a silencing ward without drawing the proper circle greatly unnerved her.
"So you have a talking dog. Is he your bond?"Haruhime asked.
Bell nodded. "Yup, I got lucky with him. Even if he annoys me half the time."
"He secretly loves me." Regis bragged.
Haruhime giggled slightly as she sat down across from Regis.
"Can I pet him?" She asked.
Bell gave her a delighted smile as he heard Regis mentally groaning.
"Why, of course, if anything, Regis loves being pet. Don't ya, buddy?"
"Of course, I'm just a lowly dog, after all." He growled out.
Haruhime seemed apprehensive at his tone, but Regis put her worries to bed. "You gonna do it or just sit there?"
Haruhime was quick to pet the purple canine, enjoying the feeling of his soft fur. Regis had his eyes closed. Bell, for once, didn't feel any annoyance coming from Regis despite being pet.
"Well, since we're going to be stuck here for a while. Why don't we get to know each other a little bit."
'Flirting already, you really do take after your grandfather.'
Bell ignored the mental conversation as Haruhime began speaking.
"Oh well, I like sweets and archery. But I really like hero stories." Haruhime said.
Bell quirked an eyebrow as Regis perked up. "Oh, I like hero stories too."
Haruhime's eyes seemed to widen in excitement as Aisha walked away. She didn't go far, however. She went behind a wall and pressed her back against it. Bell and Regis still sat across from Haruhime.
"Really?! What's your favorite? Mine's the story of Arthur Leywin. He was so handsome and brave. I loved reading how he beat back the Alacryians and saved Dicathen. Although I wonder what happened to that continent."
Bell could hear Regis laughing in his head. Haruhime's favorite hero was Bell's great-grandfather. The irony wasn't lost on Bell.
"Mine's the Argonaut. My Aunt used to read it to me all the time. Oh, and my Grandpa had this big book filled with hero stories. Oh, there were hundreds of them."
Haruhime's tail wagged in excitement. "Wow, that's so cool! I can only reread the books I have."
Bell smiled as Haruhime's excitement was starting to rub off on him. "Well, why don't I tell you a few. That way, you'll have new ones to remember."
Haruhime quickly nodded, and Bell began to tell the story of the 300 Spartans. Aisha listened from behind her wall. Her heart breaking slightly, knowing what was going to happen to Haruhime within a week. Once the full moon rose, she'd be sacrificed, and her soul stuck inside a killing stone.
A single tear rolled down Aisha's cheek. One that she quickly wiped away. She let out a sigh and kept listening to Bell and Haruhime's conversation. She couldn't remember the last time she heard the girl this happy.
Aisha's mind then wandered to the boy. He seemed like so much more than a low-level one. His bond also seemed to be strong. Really strong.
She hadn't felt an aura like his ever before. Maybe this boy and that dog was what she was looking for.
.
.
.
.
Hours passed by, and night had fallen. The storm hadn't let up, but no loud thunderclaps scared Haruhime again. That was thanks to Bell's silencing ward.
Bell's silencing ward was holding up nicely despite it being nearly eight hours later. The entire time, Bell had been talking hero stories with Haruhime.
He enjoyed the way her eyes lit up when he talked about a new hero she hadn't heard about. Bell had her undivided attention as Haruhime hung onto his every word.
Bell felt like he was really connecting with Haruhime through the hero stories. He also was taken aback by her sheer kindness when, after his stomach grumbled, she offered to cook him something.
Bell was once again taken by surprise by how good her cooking was. It was just a simple meat and potatoes, but it was some of the best food Bell ever had. Regis agreed with him after he tossed him a piece of meat.
However, like all good things. Their time together came to an end when Aisha showed back up. She had been listening closely to the two the entire time. Making sure that Bell wouldn't try anything with Haruhime.
She was pleased with the results.
"Alright, delivery boy, looks like you're staying the night. You'll be sleeping with me as I want to keep a close eye on you." Aisha stated.
"And so you can fuck him," Regis muttered.
"Only with his consent. Now come on."
Bell didn't even protest as Aisha easily picked him up and threw him over her shoulder. Bell looked at Regis and could see the dog trying not to laugh.
"Before we go, I have one request," Bell asked.
Aisha sighed. "Alright, name it."
"Can Regis stay with Haruhime? The two seem to get along quite well." Bell asked.
Aisha looked at Haruhime, who was holding Regis in her arms. Said dog had a deadpan look on his face. Yet he made no protests.
"Please, Aisha," Haruhime begged.
The busty Amazon sighed. "Fine, he can stay with you tonight. Don't say I never do anything for you."
Haruhime smiled. "Yay, thank you, Aisha!"
Haruhime then walked to her room while Aisha carried Bell to hers. Once inside, Aisha plopped him down on the bed and stood in front of him.
Her bed was shaped like a heart, along with red blankets and pillows. Off to the right of the bed was the bathroom, and to the left was a closet, dresser, and mirror. A nightstand was on both sides of the bed, and there were two windows with the curtains drawn.
"Comfy room," Bell commented.
"Thanks, tonight you're sharing it with me," Aisha stated as she sat next to Bell.
The boy nervously gulped as Aisha smelled like lilac and gooseberries. Aisha seemed to notice his nervousness and smiled.
"Oh, are you getting flustered? Perhaps you do want to test out the product you brought." She teased.
Bell shook his head. "No, I'm good. But Haruhime seems sad."
"So do you," Aisha responded.
"How can you tell?" Bell asked.
"Your eyes, they have a deep loneliness in them."
Bell looked away from Aisha.
"I guess you could say that. My aunt did just die, a year before that was my Grandpa. Regis is the only family I have left." Bell responded.
"No parents?" Aisha asked.
Bell shook his head. "Dad died before I was born. Mom died a few months after childbirth. It was just me and my Grandpa for a while before my aunt showed up."
"Sorry for your loss."
The room filled with an awkward silence. Aisha spoke a few minutes later.
"When you were telling Haruhime hero stories. You said you came here to be a hero yourself. Is that true? Or was that something you just told her?"
"It's true, I made a promise to someone that I would become a hero. The hero we never had. I intend to keep that promise."
"So you're just beginning your hero story? One where you have a trusty companion by your side?" Aisha teased.
Bell lightly chuckled. "Yeah, I've already taken the first step. Now I just have to take many more."
Silence filled the room again before Aisha spoke. She was running out of time and needed someone to take Haruhime away from here.
She knew Bell wasn't the one she hoped for. But he and his bond were the ones she got. So, with a pleading tone, she spoke.
"Save Haruhime."
.
.
.
.
Bell sat there in shock. What did Aisha mean by save Haruhime? If he needed to save her from slavery, that was easy. Bell could easily pay off her contract with Ishtar. But a nagging feeling in the back of his head told him it was more complicated than that.
"What do you mean by save Haruhime?" Bell asked.
Aisha seemed to shake slightly as she shuddered. "In a week's time. Something terrible will happen to Haruhime. I've already foiled the plan once, and my goddess charmed me and did so many things to me. Now, because of it, I can't help her anymore. I know you're a level one, but I need you to save her. Please."
Bell remained silent and in shock. He didn't know what to say as he didn't expect this. He didn't expect to fight Ishtar and her familia at all. But if he didn't, Haruhime would die, and he didn't want that. What type of hero would he be then?
She was too kind and pure to be killed. But he was also only a level one. Sure, with his magic and abilities, he could punch above his weight class. But his magic could only take him so far, and Ishtar had many Berbera.
He pitied Ishtar's chances.
"You said your goddess charmed you into obedience, right?" Bell asked.
He knew how charms worked thanks to a certain blonde goddess of beauty explaining it to him. So he guessed if Aisha were charmed into obedience, she would be a problem.
Aisha nodded. "She did, and as such, it's preventing me from telling you everything. If I did, I'd have to report this conversation to my goddess, and as such, her gaze would be casted on you."
Bell sighed as he already knew his answer. But he couldn't tell Aisha.
"I can't give you my answer."
Aisha looked down at the ground. "I understand."
"But if we were ever to have a friendly spar, I'd win if you relied on your stats."
Aisha chuckled before she turned to Bell. Her body was still trembling. "You know, when a woman's sad, you're supposed to comfort her."
Bell nervously gulped again as he wrapped his arm around her. "Uh, sorry, I have really had much outside contact besides my Aunt and Grandpa."
"Oh, that sounds lonely," Aisha said.
"It wasn't, but I haven't talked to many people besides them. I'm still trying to figure out how I should act. It's all very confusing for me."
Aisha scooted closer and leaned into him. "That must be scary. But you know you don't have to put up an act, right?"
Bell was silent for a moment. He did have to act like a different person. He had to hide who he truly was. Otherwise, it would bring a whole myriad of problems to Miach and Nazha.
"I do have to act. But I have a goal, and I will still accomplish it. So I'll keep acting."
Aisha sighed as she stood up. "Well, enough talking, let's go to bed. It's getting late."
Then, without a care in the world, Aisha took her clothes off in a single motion. Bell's eyes were instantly glued to her large breasts that hung freely in the air.
Aisha, seeing this, smirked. "Oh, see something you like? Why not look further down."
Bell blushed and immediately looked to the ceiling. "I uh um well uh why don't we go to sleep."
Aisha chuckled as she crawled under her covers. The blankets covering her body allow Bell to let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.
Aisha patted the side next to her. "Come on, this side of the bed won't warm itself."
Bell gulped as he crawled in next to her. When he lifted the covers, he saw her bare breasts again and blushed once more.
Aisha didn't seem to mind as he crawled into her bed. She would've snaked her arms around him, but Bell spoke.
"Hands to yourself, please. We're only sleeping like this because of the rain."
Aisha was slightly disappointed but would respect Bell's wishes. "Alright, I won't do anything to you. Goodnight Bell."
"Goodnight, Aisha."
.
.
.
.
The next day, the sun rose, signaling an end to the storm outside. Bell's silencing ward had held up all night, and Bell didn't even feel a drain on his mana.
However, that was to be expected as it was a very small spell. To Bell, at least, if it were one of his attack spells, that would be a different story.
Bell opened his eyes and saw Aisha across from him. He blushed again, causing the Amazon to chuckle.
"So jumpy, come on, get up. I'm about to take a shower. You're welcome to join me, of course."
"N-no, I'm good."
Aisha clicked her tongue as she threw the blanket off herself. "Suit yourself. You should be good to head back home now."
"Alright, see you later, Aisha," Bell said.
Bell watched as Aisha walked into her bathroom. Her hips seductively swaying as if enticing him to follow her. Part of him did, as she was a very beautiful woman.
But he knew he had to head home. Miach and Nazha were probably worried about him. So he quickly climbed out of her bed and left the room.
Bell walked down the hallway and saw Regis and Haruhime waiting by the front door. Said Renard was petting Regis goodbye.
"Goodbye, Regis, it was nice meeting you," Haruhime said.
"It was nice to meet you as well," Regis responded.
Bell touched the wall and dispelled the silencing ward. Haruhime turned to Bell and smiled, hearing him coming down the hallway.
"It was nice to meet you, Bell. Have a safe trip home."
Bell smiled. "Thank you for your hospitality, Haruhime. I'll see you soon."
Both Regis and Bell saw Haruhime's ears droop slightly. Yet neither said a word about it.
Haruhime gave Bell a pained smile. "Thank you, mister Bell. But I will be transferring to another place soon. I won't work here for much longer."
Bell still gave Haruhime a smile. "Well, you never know. Maybe your luck's just getting ready to turn around."
Haruhime didn't respond to Bell as he and Regis left the building. She wasn't looking forward to her execution date. But accepted that it was going to happen, and that no one would save her.
.
.
.
.
"Alright, lover boy, what are you thinking?" Regis asked.
"I'm going to save her. But I'll need Miach and Nazha to hide."
"And what if you get captured by Ishtar's Berbera?"
"Well, I have you as a safety net. But if you weren't there, burn my back so she can't see my Falna."
"Sounds a little extreme, and why wouldn't I be there to help?"
"Because you could be escorting Haruhime to safety. I don't know. I'm just trying to think of every possibility."
Regis chuckled. "You worry too much. I'm not going to let anything happen to you and your pretty little fox. Now then, what's the plan to do this quietly."
"Well, I'll use my illusion magic to sneak in and get her out. Once that's done, then we remove her slave collar and hide her."
"Ok, and what's the plan if Ishtar finds her? Or if your plan doesn't work out? What if you get into a fight with Ishtar?" Regis asked.
Bell was silent for a minute. He looked to the ground in thought as he wracked his brain on what to do.
He could have Miach level him up to two and then perform hit-and-run attacks. Static void would come in handy there as he could outrun his assailants.
But it also put a huge strain on his body. So, it might not be the best use of his abilities. Bell also knew that he couldn't fight Ishtar in a pitched battle. He'd lose that way as well.
"I-I don't know," Bell responded.
"You've realized that you're not strong enough to fight the big fish on your own. What do you do now? Imagine I'm not there to help you, who are you going to call for help?"
It clicked for Bell what Regis was implying. "We could ask Astraea for help!"
"Not we. You. You can ask Astraea for help. So what are you going to do? What's your backup plan if things go wrong?"
Bell took a breath and nodded. "I take Haruhime to Astraea's. It'll work better for me to sneak in and get her out. That way, Astraea and Ishtar aren't immediately brought into conflict within the city. After that, ask Astraea what I should do from there."
Regis clicked his tongue. "Not a bad plan, but not a great one either. But if that's the plan you want, go for it."
Bell nodded again. "Alright, first we'll tell Miach and Nazha what we plan to do, and then work from there."
.
.
.
.
"You smell like a whorehouse." Nazha deadpanned as Bell walked into the Blue Pharmacy.
"Well, I got stuck at one during the storm." Bell retorted.
Nazha narrowed her eyes at Bell, and the boy did the same. Regis just trotted inside, not caring for the atmosphere.
However, when Micah arrived, Nazha seemed to perk up. He wrapped his arms around her waist and let her lean into him. Bell rolled his eyes at the public display of affection.
"Well, Bell, I assume you had fun last night?" Miach asked, a teasing smirk on his face.
"If by fun you mean getting stuck at the White Lotus because of a storm, then yes."
"He found a fix girl pretty." Regis chimed in.
Miach's smirk grew as Bell slowly turned his head to his bond. Regis sat on the ground, not caring for Bell's stare at all.
"What are you gonna do? Kick me." Regis taunted.
"I'm thinking about it," Bell responded.
Miach chuckled, breaking their standoff. "Alright, Bell, Regis, calm down. Tell me, did you at least enjoy your night?"
Bell sighed as he shook his head. "It was enjoyable, but I didn't have sex with anyone. Just talked with Haruhime about hero stories."
"And then Aisha dragged him off to her bed and got naked in front of him," Regis added.
Regis was just stoking the fire at this point. Bell and Miach knew it, and that was why Miach kept his arms around Nazha.
Bell let out an annoyed sigh. "Yes, she did do that, but nothing happened, and besides, that's not what I'm here to talk about."
Miach and Nazha turned their attention to Bell, noticing the seriousness in his tone. Bell, seeing that he had their attention, spoke freely.
"That pretty fix girl Regis mentioned. Her name is Haruhime, and last night, Aisha told me something terrible would happen to Haruhime a week from now. My guess is they're going to kill her. Why, I don't know." Bell explained.
Nazha and Miach stood up straighter, noting the seriousness in Bell's tone. The time for jokes had passed.
"And why would Aisha tell you this information?" Miach asked. He had let go of Nazha at this point.
Bell sighed as he sat down at the table. He ran his hand through his white hair. "She wants me to save her. Better yet, I think she's relying on Regis more than me."
"And what is it you plan to do?" Nazha asked.
Bell placed his hand back on the table. "Well, I want to save her. Someone like her doesn't deserve to have someone kill her. But if I do, there's a big chance I draw Ishtar's ire, and then her ire is turned towards you."
Miach sat across from Bell. He stared into the boy's red eyes that were filled with determination. But also hesitation.
"And you're afraid of drawing her ire onto us?" Miach asked.
Bell nodded. "Yes, but I do have a plan for that as well. I ask Astraea for help, but that seems like a last resort. Mostly because I don't want to go running to her every time I have a problem."
Miach nodded. "Decent backup plan. But how do you plan on rescuing this Haruhime?"
"Using my illusion magic, I plan to sneak in and then stash her at Astraea's. She'll be safe there."
"Didn't you just say you didn't want to rely on her for help?" Nazha asked.
"I did, but can you really think of another place where I can stash her where she'll be safe? Besides, I'm doing the rescue on my own."
"Ok, you have your plan. What's stopping you from enacting it?" Miach asked.
Bell was silent as he grew nervous. He knew that his actions could have far-reaching consequences. Not only to himself but to Miach and Nazha as well.
Sure, Regis could go and burn the whole place down. But what would that mean for him? It would draw a lot of attention with his bond burning down the pleasure district.
"Bell, if you're waiting for our permission, you don't need to ask. Whatever you're thinking of doing, we're with you all the way." Micah said, breaking Bell out of his thoughts.
Bell looked away, too embarrassed to look Micah in the eye. "Thank you. I promise to be careful."
"Well, Nazha, I believe we should have a date at the end of the week. Maybe stop by Astraea's house after. How does that sound?" Miach asked.
Nazha blushed and smiled. "It sounds lovely, Lord Miach."
"Alright, we're all in agreement. Let's go save a big titty fox girl!" Regis chimed in.
Bell facepalmed and groaned while Micah lightly chuckled. Nazha scolded Regis, but the bond didn't care. He just gave a smug smirk to Bell.
.
.
.
.
Freya sat on her throne on the top floor of Babel. Her divine mirror open as she watched Bell. She knew of the boy's plan, and a delighted smile spread to her face.
"Oh, it hasn't even been that long since you recused young Fena, and now you want to save the Renard. Oh, you beautiful boy, I can feel myself falling deeper and deeper in love with you."
Freya felt a pleasant shiver run down her spine as she turned to face her captain, who stood behind her. The large Boaz had a stoic gaze that landed on his goddess.
"Ottar dear. Can you please schedule an attack to help this young hero? It will also remove Ishtar as an annoyance once and for all." Freya asked.
The large seven-foot Boaz gave a slight bow. "It shall be done, my lady."
Her captain left the room, leaving Freya to continue watching Bell. Right now, he seemed to be bickering with his bond once more.
"Hmm, that dog seems to be a bad influence on you. Yet I sense your connection goes much deeper." Freya mused.
She relaxed back into her throne and continued watching as Bell went on with the rest of his day.
Well, I just had a procedure today, and the drugs still haven't worn off. But I wanted to get something out.
Anyway, Bell and Regis are up to their usual antics of causing chaos wherever they go. Haruhime and Aisha have made their appearance, so yay.
Anyway, I'm really tired, so I'll see y'all later. Hope you enjoyed.