Hello everyone, happy late Halloween! Sorry about last week, I know I missed one update, so I will make another upload tomorrow, but for the Genshin Impact story not this one.
I also wanna talk a second about the relationships. I understand why they might feel rushed but I wanna say that while this story will have lots of different plotlines, it definitely won't focus as much on the relationship. To be completely fair this story follows more of an eroge or any other kind of porn game where the relationships develop unexpectedly fast. Moreover, you have to consider that this is a fantasy medieval world where societal values are completely different as well as the fact that we are drawing ideas from the anime platform, i.e. anything ridiculous goes. I don't think I have to say this but a harem like this would never fly in our modern society, the way people think about such relationships in this story and most animes really, is simply a fantasy we like to play out.
That is without acknowledging the fact that this story has way more heroines than even 'the 100 girlfriends who really love me'. This is also the only story where such a massive unplanned harem will happen. Normally just not adding more girls would be the best idea, but know that just for this one it won't be possible. In that regard any advice or suggestions to keep the relationships alive rather than unmentioned and forgotten would be welcome. (No matter how ridiculous, it would still be considered.) That being said let's go onto reviews.
Reviews:
REX3145: Yup, to be fair, I will try to go slower with other characters but I don't know why, it's just so hard to go too slow. When watching animes where the female mc and the male mc get cockblocked every time just makes me wanna die, and I wanna evade that. Yet at the same time I always feel like development is going way too fast regardless that this is meant to be that way.
Marshall Cross Marian: Ye, took a long while sorry about that. I won't abandon this story because I do have ideas on what the story is supposed to include as well as roughly at what point it will end, though we are far from it. I will also say that unlike other fics, this will have Bell going outside Orario a lot and for most of the story it will have a lot less to do with the dungeon and Orario. It takes a whole different meaning to AU compared to any other fic I wrote before.
Rabbit Harem Lover24: It's always wonderful to see your reviews, thank you for the extended opinion. Nice to see you have enjoyed the dates, though to be completely honest, it's becmoing hard to keep having new ideas, cause I'm running out of them. Regardless I'll do my best. As for the maid part then yes, there will be a continuation. I didn't really get to go in depth on the events with him due to the fact that this chapter is more to introduce the Iris Familia. That is why after the ball I wanna keep exploring this even a little more involving scenes more with patrons that Bell doesn't know and as well as attract both male and female clients.
As far Unzen goes I have an event planned for her but that means that her, and by extension Owari, Hakuryuu and other such characters, won't be introduced until later when Bell goes to the Far East. As for other ship girls I will PM you. Also just to inform you ahead, it will take a while before Bell begins acclimating to Loki Familia at the very least until his origins are discovered by everyone, and I mean the Zeus part, not his actual family. Which means that until then people like Riveria and Ais won't get a development. Maybe Lefiya a little since she had prior interactions.
With that said I hope you enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 14 – The girls of Iris Familia
Bell stood there while grumbling as he now wore a maid outfit. It was so embarrassing and he could not understand for the life of him what he did to deserve this, but he had no choice but to endure it. Mama Mia's orders were absolute unfortunately and no matter how much he tried, he couldn't convince Mia to reconsider. Holding a broom in his hand, he swept the floor clean though his frown never left his face. Chloe found herself unable to resist the temptation to pinch his butt every once in a while, the sight of him in a maid, awakening a new fetish beside her shota harem obsession. Not only was she a shotacon but now she had also a thing for handsome men crossdressing into hot looking women.
"Oh cheer up, there is worse."
"No, Chloe there really isn't anything worse than this. I'd rather face Udaeus alone than wear this. Ugh, I'm not going to hear the end of this when the other girls see this."
"Hehe, I'm sure they'll like it very much."
"They definitely will and that is not a good thing."
One full day. That is how long he had to wear that. Breakfast, lunch rush and then the most dreaded time. Night. Dinner and late night were always filled with people, particularly adventurers. This would likely haunt his memories for all eternity.
"Kyun!"
Bell yelped again as Chloe spanked him before running off and leaving the renard unable to scream at her. His attention however, was soon attracted by the bell of the front door chiming signifying the presence of customers. He had been so busy sweeping the floor that he didn't realize that the Hostess had opened in the meantime.
To his absolute horror however, the first person to enter the establishment was Amaterasu accompanied by her Familia and the Imperial Family. Upon entering the eyes of the six renard sisters locked onto his figure. Akari looked confused, Shinano, Amagi and Kaga were surprised but Akagi and Musashi had a teasing and feral look respectively.
He barely got a word in of his greeting before Musashi, of all people, whisked him away. Mia sighed and for a moment was tempted to shout at the girl to unhand her employee but decided to let it go after seeing the look the purple haired woman had in her eyes. Anya in the meantime giggled as she took over for Bell, guiding the other members to their table.
"Damn, can't believe Musacchi of all people did that."
Akagi was as shocked as the others were, with the only one being confused being Akari. Luckily a white lie later and the girl stopped asking what Musashi and her big brother were doing. The last thing they needed was for her to understand what the two renards were doing in the back of the Hostess. Luckily the two came back a few minutes later, no visible marks aside from the bright red blushes on their faces.
"Well, well, well. What do you have to say in your defence onee-chan?"
Musashi didn't look at Akagi already imagining the smug smile on her face, but the stare that she noticed was on Shinano's face terrified her, causing her to silently sit down as far away as possible from her. The rest of the time passed by quickly, with Bell acting as professionally as he could with a squeak here and there as he was groped by Akagi and Chloe, though they would earn a glare from Shinano that sent a shiver down their back whenever they did.
More and more people began arriving as news of the rising star serving people in a maid outfit spread through the city. Of course, amongst the people who heard this and decided to take this opportunity to mock him was a certain irate noble. As soon as he entered and spotted the male maid his mouth opened before Syr could welcome him in.
"Hah, look at the mighty rising star of Orario!"
Spotting Amaterasu with her Familia and the Imperial Family he looked at them and pointed at Bell who was ignoring him.
"Is this really the man that you have fallen for? Look at him! He is disgracing himself with a humiliating outfit, parading it without a care! How is such a pathetic man worthy of you?!"
But neither Akagi nor Musashi were listening, Shinano too was just focused on Bell's figure as he walked around and took orders.
"Huh? Did you hear a word of what I said?!"
Mia was contemplating whether or not to shout at him and kick him out or just see where this was going. It didn't seem like it bothered Bell, as a glance at the boy in question and she saw he shook his head, telling her not to bother, and the other patrons were just watching as if it was a show so for now she'd just keep quiet.
"Just because he was forced to cross-dress as a punishment doesn't make him unworthy of my sisters. As a matter of fact, he is more than worthy and they love him dearly. This scene won't do anything to lessen their love for him, rather I think they are just finding this amusing and falling further and further for him. But even supposing that he wasn't worthy, he is still far more worthy of our attention than you ever will be and I'd pick him over you any day of the week."
Silence reigned supreme all around the table. The ever calm and neutral woman that was Amagi, spoke for the first time against Murakami while carrying a harshness to her tone that had never been heard of before. It would have seemed like even she had a limit to her ever boundless patience and she simply couldn't stand it when someone insulted her sister's lover. Not when he was a simply wonderful man that had done nothing of wrong. Rather she had to agree with Musashi that the outfit was irresistibly adorable on him.
"Y-you … w … ah …!"
The man had been shocked into silence but before he could regain his wits and talk back Anya grabbed him by the collar before tossing him out. The cat girl simply couldn't stand him anymore so she had decided to take matters into her hands, earning the grateful nods of many from within the pub.
"Thanks Anya."
Turning around she found Bell giving her a smile while giving the orders he got to May.
"No problem Bell. He was getting annoying anyways. Besides, you've got a long day before you. It's still just the morning after all."
With a skip to her step she passed by Bell, giving him a pat on the back, and returned to her work.
"I guess that's true."
.
The rest of the morning passed by with no other problems whatsoever. Amaterasu and the rest of the Far Eastern group also left soon after though not without getting a few teasing jokes in, much to his embarrassment. However, that was just the first of few to come and greet Bell. It wasn't until lunch rush that he was greeted by another group of acquaintances. It was while he was busy cleaning a table that his name was called out.
"Bell-sama!"
He would always recognize that voice anywhere, but when he turned around he was met with a far larger group than he had anticipated. Standing at the front of the group were Belia and Belfast followed by the three White siblings, however, following behind them were quite a few women he hadn't seen before, including who he assumed was the Goddess, if her divine energy was any hint of her identity. He found it amazing how each one of them was a distinct beauty on par with his girlfriends. A Familia composed only of beautiful women. It wasn't the first time given his time with Astraea and her Familia and though he hated to admit so, he had to give it to Zeus, Orario truly was the place to go if you wished to find a hub of pretty girls.
"Oh Bel-chan, how are you?"
"Great! You also became a maid?"
Despite the humiliation that the renard felt, Belia was ecstatic to see that he too chose to join her and don the maid outfit. The other more mature women however, saw the slight droop of his ears as he tried to play along for the sake of the child.
"I have to say I did not expect this Bell-sama."
"Uh Belfast, please erase this from your memory. Mia forced me to wear this for not showing up for so long."
"Fufu, I think it suits you very well. Who knows perhaps we can spend some time together under the guise of teaching you the way of us maids. Who knows It might be beneficial to you if you wear this again."
"I'd rather not wear it ever again."
"Jeez, you look really handsome as a man and really hot as a woman, if only you had more in the chest department you'd give most women in Orario a run for their money."
"That is because I'm a man at the end of the day Hornet."
Hornet snickered until the white haired Goddess approached them.
"Now ladies, aren't you going to present me to your new friend."
The Goddess had silver hair neatly tied up in a braided crown with long bangs flowing down each side of her face. Her eyes were a brilliant azure colour and of course as expected of a divine being she was beautiful beyond comprehension.
"Apologies Kami-sama. Bell-sama, let me introduce you to our leader. This is our Goddess Iris-sama."
"It is a pleasure to meet you Kami Iris."
"Oh the pleasure is mine, Belfast and Hornet talked a lot about you."
"I hope it's not bad things."
"Oh no, they only sang praises."
"That's a relief. Let me guide you to your table."
"Very well, I shall introduce the rest of my Familia while you take our orders."
Bell proceeded to lead the group at the round tables, normally occupied by Loki or other such large groups. Seeing how large the Familia was he dragged over several tables to make enough space for all the members, who sat in groups instead of all sitting at one big table, since there wasn't one big enough for all of them, where he let them sit before handing out menu's. As the gentleman he was he made sure to pull out the chair for the Goddess which was very appreciated if her smile was any indicator.
As he went around the tables, he was introduced to the members currently present before him. Sitting with Iris were the three White sisters whom he had met albeit briefly at the tournament as well as another girl he hadn't seen before. She briefly introduced herself as Washington. She seemed easy going and nice, with white hair like his and sky blue eyes. Unfortunately, he didn't spend much time and moved onto other tables as soon as he was done taking their orders.
Sitting at the next tables were Belfast and Belia accompanied by two mature looking women. Monarch, who looked strict and intimidating with her sharp facial features and her red eyes and hair but turned out to simply be nice but less emotionally outgoing, similar to Artoria. The other one was the girl called Drake, with white hair like him but golden eyes like a Valis coin. She was extroverted and charismatic in a way that reminded him of Alise but a bit more contained with her energy.
Following them he had the pleasure to meet Hindenburg, Agir, Bismarck and August. Unlike the previous girls, Hindenburg proved a little more difficult. She wasn't rude but she was prideful and strict, valuing results more than anything. Bismack on the other hand though hard working was a gentle and much kinder woman, who gave credit where credit was due, even if she seemed to find it hard to speak her heart. Agir too was nice to speak too but she was a lot more energetic and less reserved, similar in a way to Eydis but far more elegant and mindful of her manners. She was a battle junkie and prideful but not arrogant. In a way she also reminded Bell of Akagi as she seemed to love to tease him. August while seemingly a quiet and reserved girl turned out to be a lot more prideful and sadistic than he had imagined though she meant good deep within unlike Hindenburg. Not wanting to risk the wrath of the two less friendly girls he quickly moved on with the orders.
Greeting him at the following table he met Harbin, future best friend of Alise if he were to guess. She shared his lover's outgoing and excited personality as well as her charisma. The main difference being that she was more of a battle junkie like Eydis and less of a flaunting woman like Alise herself. Hwah Jah, on the other hand, was a far mor normal girl than the others. Similar to Hornet she was a little of a troublemaker. Not necessarily naughty but she loved to play and have fun. Unlike the two of them Huan Ch'ang the final member, was perhaps the most intimidating but surprisingly she was not as quiet or distant as he expected her to be. Imagining to have another Hindenburg situation due to her mask, she turned out to be strong willed and a diligent girl though also being shy, caring and supportive. Just like all the girls before none of them seemed to mind his current attire, perhaps being used to Belfast and the other maids which apparently are part of the Familia.
The following table was occupied by the Sovetskaya sisters. Just like the White siblings, there were three members, those being Soyuz, Rossiya and Belorussiya. Sitting along them was Kronshtadt, a girl who was straightforward, a little airheaded and stubborn. The siblings on the other hand were unlike her. Soyuz, the eldest, was a talkative yet reserved and quiet woman who showed to also be diligent. Bell found it easy to converse with her and surprisingly fun. Though she is the ideal representation of a pure girl, she also showed to have a slightly shameless side as when Hornet joked that Bell was flirting with her, she simply responded saying that he'd have to be ready to take responsibility if that was the case. Her two siblings, Rossiya and Belorussiya on the other hand, only shared their bodily proportions and beauty. Personality wise the two were much more loud and forwards. However, if he were to point out some unique points then it was that Belorussiya was a lot more tactical and cunning while Rossiya preferred to just wear her heart on her sleeve.
"Bell get a move on! I don't pay you to chat with customers!"
"Technically you do."
"Oh, getting smart with me, are you?"
Seeing her crossing her arms Bell decided not to risk his chances and moved onto the next table. As he turned around and left in a hurry he could hear the giggles of the sisters, much to his embarrassment.
"Hehe, I'll get to work."
His next orders took him to Brest, Bayard, Brennus and Alsace. Brest a blonde beauty who called herself a singer. Like the bards he had seen in his village she loved to poetically weave songs and tell tales, dramatically talking to him and calling him champion. Bayard on the other hand, acted like your typical soldier. She was dedicated, diligent and loyal to the Familia saying it was destiny for her to join and that she would follow her Goddess like the knight she raised herself to be. Alsace always wore a smile and upon questioning her mask, Bayard revealed that the blue haired girl was extremely shy and refused to take off the mask since she'd get overloaded with embarrassment otherwise. She was naïve, airheaded and surprisingly very adorable due to her pure personality. The last silver haired girl too shared the airheaded and naïve personality though she tried to cover it up with a tough act.
"Over here Bell-kun~"
Calling him over was Mogador, a girl who much like Akagi had a rather open and lewd disposition, who sat with three other women. Always hinting at risqué situations and innuendos she was only stopped as Clemenceau slapped, literally, some sense into her. Strasbourg for all the confidence she radiated revealed that it was more of a façade. She loved music and tended to compose when she was free. She was a shy and innocent woman who was a sucker for romance, causing her to easily get attached to the people who she got along with. The other two, Algerie and Clemenceau, were a breath of fresh air as they were your regular kind older women. Easy going and with no weird quirks, which let Bell relax for a change.
Finally came the last table, also consisting of yet another four young and beautiful women. The four being Roma, Vittoria, Imperia and Napoli. Roma and Napoli shared their adult charm as well as their naughty and bold behaviour. Vittoria however, was a strict and upright individual, always keeping everything in order and though she wasn't a fan of the pervy behaviour of her friends she does have a gentle and playful side with those close to her. Imperia on the other hand, was a lazy yet haughty being, who flaunted like Alise though with the addition of a yawn here and a yawn there.
"You have a very interesting Familia Iris-sama."
"Hehe, I do. I hope to present the rest of the girls to you, but they are currently out of Orario. We just recently moved to Orario after all."
"I see. While I would love to chat with you, I'll have to get going. Don't want to delay you or have Mama Mia skewer me."
"Fufu, of course. Thank you, Bell, it was nice meeting you, but don't let me keep you any longer. Wouldn't want you to suffer to Mia because of me."
Bell bowed and made his way to May once again handing her the list of orders, which was a lot more demanding as it was now lunchtime. Soon the place began filling with customers, most of which he noticed were female. Apparently, news of him in a maid outfit had spread and the ladies all wanted to get their fair share of this moment. To his dismay he felt their eyes glazing his body. Their satisfaction came at the cost of his humiliation but unfortunately it was his job so he resigned himself to his fate.
Bell dutifully went around showing his bright smile to the many girls who yelped excitedly at the sight while taking their orders. Forwards and back, he kept passing orders from May while she gave him the completed dishes to bring back. Belfast and the girls watched him diligently carry out his job as a waitress, finding his dedication and tenacity impressive.
"Hey there cutie, think I can feel you up a little?"
As usual of amazons they felt no shame in making such brazen requests. He wasn't surprised any longer by such forwardness but to his surprise Hornet came to his rescue, draping her arm around Bell shooing off the woman.
"Sorry lady, this maid is taken by yours truly."
"Oh well, better luck next time I guess."
The dark skinned woman quickly returned to her group while Bell shot the blonde girl a smile.
"Thanks Horny."
"That's going to stick, isn't it?"
"It will."
"Well, you can thank me with a kiss you know? After all isn't this where the hero gets a kiss from the damsel in distress?"
"… Well alright."
"Huh?"
Not expecting him to agree she went beet red when he leaned in and placed a light kiss on her right cheek. He could only chuckle as she stumbled back, but seeing he had orders to deliver he turned around and started walking away, though not without using his tail to gently and sensually trace up the side of her body and around the bottom of her chin ending it with a gentle flick her nose.
"Hehe, while I appreciate your help, don't expect this to become a regular thing. Alise did however say that I should show my gratitude appropriately."
"Ah … ye-ri … okay."
Bell returned to serving the customers with his usual smile, unperturbed by the common pervy requests that popped up here and there while Hornet sat with the biggest blush she had ever experienced to the shock of Enterprise and the giggles of Yorktown.
"Welcome to the Hostess of Fertility!"
He cheerfully greeted a group of four girls, all adventurers from the looks of their equipment. Upon realizing who was serving them, they all squealed and giddily followed him as he guided them to their tables.
"Excuse me, but could I request your autograph?"
Bell was not expecting of all requests to be asked for an autograph. Alise had mentioned that he was getting popular but he still hadn't been expecting it so suddenly.
"Of course, where would you like me to sign?"
"How about my tits?"
Bell fought with his mind to repress the blush and slowly shook his head, luckily all the exposure to Akagi, Musashi, Alise and Kaguya had helped him temper his embarrassment.
"I apologize but I will have to deny that request. It is a public establishment after all."
"Aw shucks, then please leave it in my diary."
Producing a small pocket sized diary he used his pen to perform an artistic autograph that he devised at Alise's request.
"Hehe! I got an autograph! Thank you so much!"
"No problem, now what will you order?"
Iris from her place watched with interest as the renard kept on tirelessly working.
"So … you really are not crushing on him?"
Belfast had left her table to join her Goddess at her request, only to receive that question. For a moment she stared at Bell and contemplated her feelings before answering.
"Admittedly his gentle soul has sparked a bit of an attraction in me, but I can't say I have a crush on him Iris-sama."
"Hm, I would like you to take some time off your duties to explore more of these emotions."
"You seem very invested in my relationship with him."
"Of course I am. I will spare you all the little details of why I am so invested but to put it shortly I just want to see you happy Belfast. You are in your prime, you should take the chance to explore your love life. You've always been working so hard for the girls and looking after everyone … so why not look for someone to look after you instead? Tell you what, you know how we weren't going to participate at the ball, right? Since none of the girls were interested in going. How about we go? Just me and you, maybe Hornet since she seems to have been teased by him, see if you can get a dance with Bell maybe and deepen your connections with his other girlfriends too."
"Fufu, very well. I shall not waste this opportunity since I do find the time I spend with Bell-sama very fulfilling."
"Good. Hehe, maybe we'll get some new members."
"Please hold your reins Iris-sama. I have enough to worry about with Belia and the other girls. I don't think I'd have the time to take care of my own children."
"Who knows?"
.
Iris Familia had left not too long after, leaving a hefty tip for Bell. Hornet still blushing could not face him as they left, with the last ones walking through the exit being Belia and Belfast as they thanked him for the service. With the lunch rush over, him and the girls of the Hostess were able to have a brake and prepare for the night the period where the most people were going to be coming. He also had the terrible feeling that Baphomet would deliver on her promise then, he just hoped that there wouldn't be too many problems.
As the sun descended and night began rising, the rush that was the late hours began. Whether it was to have dinner, celebrate their dungeon runs, partying or just drinking the pub was almost filled permanently with people. Bell had to suffer knowing that many of the people here were adventurers and they had just seen him in a maid outfit. The first people to enter that he recognized were the members of the Enki Familia. Their Goddess flanked by Gilgamesh and Enkidu and followed by a few other members he didn't recognize entered the establishment.
Not one to make them wait, he made his way to them and greeted them in classical waitress manner. Gilgamesh was the first one to recognize him though he had to question his current attire, not having expected the tournament champion to be serving as a waitress in a maid outfit. Not that he had anything to complain about, he did look cute in his honest opinion.
"Not that I needed to know that Gilgamesh, but the maid outfit is a punishment Mama Mia is subjecting me to. Normally I wear something more similar to a butler's outfit."
"Ah, that makes more sense now."
Bell began leading them to their table while conversing with the ancient King, not noticing the curious gaze he was getting from a certain blonde girl.
"As for why I'm a waiter, well … while I'm an adventurer of the Takemikazuchi Familia my main affiliation is with the Hostess. I alternate between adventuring during the day and working as a waiter during the night. I just sought to do something that didn't mean fighting for your life."
"I see you're a man of many talents."
"Thank you Gilgamesh but I don't think being a waiter can really be considered a talent of mine."
The door bell soon rang again signalling another group of people had come in. Except this time it was another batch of people he knew.
"Oh there you are Be … ll?"
"Ugh Meti-sama."
With a resigned sigh he placed the orders for the Enki Familia before greeting Baphomet and her Familia.
"You look very cute."
"Thank you Meti-sama, now allow me to guide to your place."
The knights followed wordlessly until they each sat at their positions. The Goddess however, smiled smugly and teased him as soon as she got off her shock.
"Wearing a maid outfit? Didn't know you were into that kind of thing. I wonder what the old man wo-"
When her eyes met his however, she froze. Though he smiled his face darkened and his glowed ominously. He then leaned down so only she could hear, his hand tightly gripping her shoulder.
"Meti, if Zeus hears a word of this little unfortunate event of mine, and I mean even the slightest notion, at least from you, I promise you will not see the day of light again. No level seven executives of yours will save you from me. I assure you, I have many ways to make you suffer and death will be the least of your concerns, am I clear?"
The Goddess nodded furiously.
"Not a word."
"Yes sir."
Their conversation was interrupted by the sudden ruckus of a chair getting knocked over followed by the shouting of a few men. Goes without saying that Mia called out his name and ordered him to take care of the fuss. Excusing himself he walked over to the group of four men arguing.
"Barely evaded death?"
Bercouli could see the look of pure terror in his deity's eyes.
"No, something worse."
In the meantime, the four men didn't see the renard walking towards them until they found themselves hanging upside down by their legs. The white fluffy tails that kept them suspended then carried them over to face Mia's wrath, coming face to face with the owner.
"Alright you four pay up!"
"Huh? Wait we haven't finished eating!"
"Is that so? Bell show them what happens when they make a mess in my place … and retrieve the due payment."
"Yes Mama."
Bell proceeded to walk out of the pub with the four men in his possession. Enki and Baphomet Familia looked curiously until they were startled by the screams and shrieks produced by the four burly men. Bell soon came back in with a large bag that contained a hefty amount of mora and handed it to Mia.
"Good, now get back to work."
"Yes Mama."
Both Enki and Baphomet members later learnt of how dangerous the Hostess truly was. Though it had great food and even better service the moment you got on their wrong side you'd be met with swift retribution. A fellow patron revealed how aside Bell who was a level five, now famous thanks to the tournament, three of the waitresses were skilled level fours while Mia herself was a level six, with the rest of the staff either being unblessed or low level ones.
"Damn. Talk about a powerhouse. He's still a cutie with that outfit though."
"You said something Meti-sama?"
"Hiek!"
The Goddess slowly cranked her head around to see that he was now standing next to her.
"Eh … no, o-of course not. Just thinking … you look really-"
"Please finish that sentence and I will make sure to imprint the definition of pain in your mind … respectfully Meti-sama."
"…"
No one around them dared to speak up, not even the members of Baphomet's Familia, despite the threats to their Goddess. Something about his face promised a swift punishment to any and all those who dared defy him, which was enough of an incentive to stay out of it. All except the ever fearless Kirito who apologized on his Goddess' behalf.
"Haha … umm … Bell, could forgive Baphomet-sama, just this once please?"
He clapped together his hand as if praying and awkwardly smiled hoping he wouldn't get chopped in half. He was judged by the renard's eyes for a moment, sending a shiver down the man's back, with the renard contemplating whether or not to accept, before relenting at his request.
"I guess this can be forgiven once. I hope you will be more mindful Meti-sama."
"I will."
Bell decided he had terrorized the leader of the knights enough for a day and opted to return to his tasks as a waitress. Luckily he got to rest as Mia granted him a short break since he had been working since morning. Taking this opportunity was Gilgamesh who invited him over to their table.
"If you don't mind Bell, I wanted to introduce someone to you."
"Of course, I don't mind."
"Good, this is Angelica Ainsworth, my apprentice. Since she's about your age, so I was hoping you'd be able to offer her the kind of company and attention I can't."
The mentioned person was a girl, a little shorter than he was. She had long golden hair tied in a twin pigtail fashion while her eyes were bright blue. Despite the young age she had definitely the body of a grown adult, not that he wanted to be a pervert but her chest size was definitely a feature that was hard to miss. Other than that he could definitely tell that she was his apprentice as she wore the same style of armour as Gilgamesh.
Golden in colour with a red half skirt and a black shirt that only worked to highlight her defined mounds. Looking at the armour however, he became curious why she had decided to leave her most vital areas vulnerable. Large pauldrons protected her shoulders while vambraces completely covered her forearms. Her waist and legs were also heavily guarded with the only gaps being around the knees and elbows. Yet despite all that armour her entire thorax and stomach were completely exposed. Unless the shirt was enchanted, he doubted it would do much to stop an attack.
"Is there something on my chest?"
The young knight asked with a blush, causing Bell to recoil back in embarrassment.
"No, sorry I didn't mean to stare. It's just I was wondering why you wore no armour on your upper body."
That however, only caused her to blush even brighter until Gilgamesh explained for her.
"Oh that … well, her body's generous size and rapid growth has forced her to keep sending her chest piece to be constantly adjusted since as you can see, she has an above average bust. Having outgrown the previous set we had to send it to be adjusted a few days ago, it has yet to come back as of now."
"Ah … I see."
Angelica could only whine in shame as her secret was revealed to him.
"As I mentioned I hope you two can be friends."
The girl immediately stopped wallowing in despair and straightened up, offering her hand to him in a polite gesture to greet him.
"It's a pleasure meeting you Bell."
"Likewise Angelica."
"Just try not too charm her too fast Bell."
"Hm?!"
Both teens blushed red as others around the table all laughed and chuckled.
"Is that another reason you introduced me to her?"
"Maybe."
.
After spending the rest of his break talking and getting to know his new friend, he was soon forced back to his duties as a waitress. Both Baphomet and Enki Familia left shortly after finishing their dinners, only staying to chat a little with Bell. After an arduous night shift, he was finally able to return to his room where he collapsed, exhausted by his job, made only harder as he had to wear the maid outfit. He was never going to hear the end of it from Alise, Kaguya and Akagi, that much he was sure of.
What he wasn't expecting was the knock at his door when it was close to midnight. With a confused tilt of his head he opened the door to find Alise standing there. With a tired sigh yet a happy smile he let her in much to her joy. She spent no time to hug him and give him a tender kiss, which he enjoyed a lot. The warm embrace of his lover did help him relax which was a welcoming effect after the tough work he had to go through.
"Too tired I guess?"
"Too tired."
"Cuddles?"
"Cuddles."
Alise wasted no time changing into her a comfy yet slightly risqué nightwear consisting of a red see through gown and her panties before glomping onto her beloved fox and tucking the two of them under the sheets. Bell's ear was filled with her giddy giggling, as she apparently missed the feeling.
"Mou, you got taken constantly by Musashi. It's kinda unfair, by now she probably had sex with you more than I did."
"Hehe, sorry about that."
"No, don't apologize. Musashi needed that. That transformation she underwent was a surprising change after all. The lust that came with it was just a side effect, can't fault either of you for that. Besides, now we have four nine tailed foxes."
"I guess we do, which brings to the fact that Akagi wants the same kind of relationship."
"Well … she did get everyone's permission~ so you shouldn't keep her waiting too long. Wouldn't be fair to her, you know? I know you say to not take things too quickly but don't keep her waiting for weeks or months. You know how much she wants it. Artoria is one thing, Akagi is another."
"Yeah, I guess you're right. The only reason I wanted to go a bit slower was for her sake, but I guess I was doing it more for mine."
"Yup, so make sure to treat her right from now. You're not taking advantage of her if you go along with her wishes. Unlike Shinano, she knows exactly what she wants, trust me. Tomorrow you have a long night. You will have to dance with everyone. And I mean everyone. Starting with me, you will then have to dance with Tsu, Arty, Musacchi, Akagi, Kaguya, Lion, Astraea, Shinano and whatever other girl you ensnared. Those from Baphomet Familia too … ooh, you have a long line mister."
"Y-yeah, I do. I will do my best to accommodate everyone. Luckily the new skill I developed, the one I told you about at the tournament can help with that."
"Hehe, to think your love for us manifested as a skill, I can't wait to see its effects tomorrow."
"Kyun, please don't tease me."
The red haired captain however, found his adorable face irresistible and nuzzled his cheek affectionately.
"Alright, alright. Let's sleep, you have a long day tomorrow."
.
It was early in the morning when Bell and Alise stood in front of the Hostess. The renard wanting to send off his girlfriend as she returned to the Stardust Garden accompanied her out. Before she could leave however, they spotted the golden King Gilgamesh walking towards them. Accompanying him were Enki, Enkidu and Angelica.
"Good morning Bell, Scarlet Harnel."
"Oh if it isn't the King of Babylonia. And who is the cutie?"
Bell could already see the stars shining in her eyes as she laid them on the blonde beauty.
"Alise please, don't."
"Why not? I did mention that it would be an interesting development."
Not aiding the situation, Gilgamesh approved of his girlfriend's idea.
"You heard that Bell?"
He could only groan at the headache he felt coming while Angelica flushed at the comment.
"But allow me to introduce her to you, she is Angelica Ainsworth and my apprentice."
"Hehe, nice to meet you. I hope to welcome you as my sister soon … if you know what I mean."
"Eh?! Ah … yes … it's a pleasure to … meet you."
"By the way, am I disturbing? I was hoping to speak with Bell, but it can wait if you're busy."
Gilgamesh had noticed the two together and mistook it for an ongoing date.
"Oh no, I was only here since I wanted to spend the night with my adorable fox. Unfortunately until the ball tonight I am busy attending to my duties as captain, as are the other girls. I know Kaguya, Tsubaki, Musashi, and Akagi are all busy with Familia related business and Arty has to help her brother with management of the territories, even here in Orario. So he's all yours until the dance starts, unless you have something to do, Bell?"
"Not today, I'd be happy to talk with you Gilgamesh. Why don't we head in, we can discuss in there."
"Ah, before you have fun, I have to go. Love you Bell."
Cupping his face she gave him a quick kiss before leaving with a giddy smile. Bell watched her bob her head left and right as she sang a tune, happily skipping off in the distance. Angelica on other hand was left shocked by the sudden action, causing Bell to awkwardly laugh.
"Sorry about that."
"Oh no, I find it wonderful that the two of you can display your love openly like that … it's just … I'm not used to seeing it myself."
"I see. Anyways please let me guide you inside."
Leading them inside, Mia was already behind the counter, making preparations for the morning. Having just opened, the girls were all scrambling around getting everything set and ready.
"We'll all take a breakfast set."
"Just to talk?"
"Well miss Mia, if there is anything I learnt yesterday is that a small amount of valis is all it takes to keep us on your good side."
"Hahaha, very well lad, you got me there. Just follow Bell and he'll sit you down."
While she handed the order to May, Bell sat down with the group at large round table.
"Sorry about that, there was no need."
"Nonsense Bell. It is a place where you eat and drink it's just natural. Besides the quality of the food more than makes up for the amount of valis I have part with."
"I'm sure May will be happy to hear that."
"With that being said, I wanted to discuss something with you, after which I was hoping you could keep Angelica company as she takes care of some business until the ball tonight."
"Eh? That's the first time I'm hearing about this though?"
The girl was clearly surprised by the sudden development but Bell had no issues accepting his request, much to her embarrassment.
"What I wanted to discuss about was your fight with Tanjiro. First of all, allow me to say that it was an incredible duel. Both you and Tanjiro have really impressed me. But getting to the point what we were curious about was the strike you performed at the end."
"Ah, yes I can see where this is going. It's because it had a similar effect as your spell, isn't it?"
"So you did notice … that's right. To be more specific the power to cut space and time. That is what you did and until now only I could do so. With great power comes great responsibility but you probably know it better than anyone with that powerful spell you demonstrated when Evilus attacked. That's why I trust you know how to handle it, rather than that, what I want to know is how that is possible. While it is true that I can do that, it is through a spell granted by my falna that I can perform that act. You on the other hand, use your sword techniques which from what I've seen doesn't come as a product of one's blessing."
"Hmm, you're right about that. I don't know all the specific details, for that you would have to ask Takemikazuchi or Amaterasu, but what I can tell you is that breathing styles in general is a method of us adapting our breathing to bring out the uttermost potential of our body. After which of course, comes the elemental aspect. I don't know how we are able to conjure the elemental power, but each practitioner envisions the related breathing style, for example water and seeks to become one with it. To replicate its fluidity within its swordsmanship and footwork. With fire you display an aggressive and violent style.
My style is still unrefined as it is something I have developed myself. Why you might ask? Because I simply do not believe I can reach my goals with what I already had. The sun breathing technique is powerful and while I'm suited for it, I do not see myself mastering it. Every existing breathing technique that has been invented was adapted from sun breathing technique as the original, to be more suited for the individual using it. Every person walks a different path, thus requiring different styles to suit them. Of course like with every rule there are exceptions, such as Tanjiro. I'm not sure if it's because of his ability to adapt but he is one of few who can truly master the sun breathing style, same reason why you have Hashiras, the masters of their respective elements.
I on the other hand, as I said before cannot see myself reaching the pinnacle of my strength with the sun breathing technique. I have a high proficiency with it but I cannot master it to perfection. Same applied to the other styles. Therefore if you can't make something yours then you just have to create something which is perfectly suited for yourself. So I sought something that would suit me, to match my grand ambitions and the power I required. Thus the astral breathing style I developed aimed to replicate the same almighty brilliance of the stars, a power above that of Gekai and Tenkai."
"I see. The stars. Truly something that exists in the same realm of power as space and time. You must have quite the ambition guiding you then, to go after the celestial lights."
"That … I cannot share."
"I see, do not worry it is not my right to pry so I will not ask any further. I was just surprised as in my long life I had never met another being who could wield the same power I did. But I'm glad I met you now and not seven hundred years ago."
"Why?"
Angelica couldn't help but fixate on the way his ears twitched and wiggled around, almost feeling tempted to touch them, but quickly reminded herself that she had no desire to be splattered into a pool of blood by his tail.
"Because my ego was too great for my own good. I was foolish, drowning in the rashness of youth and vanity. Hubris was my path as much as it was observation. I was supposed to rule the city of Uruk, now renamed Babylonia, and watch over humanity. Instead I acted as I wished, selfishly and arrogantly. I was no King or ruler but a tyrant. My egotism knew no bound. It was, now that I look back on it, pathetic and quite honestly shameful."
"Really? I thought people grew wise with age."
"Haha, you're not wrong Bell. They do indeed. But I as a being who was immortal had a perspective of life that was more similar to that of the Gods than what of a human's. I saw myself as the absolute definition of perfection and my word as law. I saw life as something I had complete control over. While over the past eight hundred years I did grow wiser, before that I went from ambitious to conceited. Only after truly experiencing life, with all its ups and downs, and eventually learning to love the people who I ruled over did I began seeing the truth. I changed slowly but surely. Now instead of placing myself before the city and people I do the opposite like a true ruler should. If you had seen me back then the only facial features I would have been capable of showing you would be a frown, a cocky smile and a look of pure wrath. That's all there was to it."
"You're much more like Yoriichi now."
"Hm, yes he too, like Kratos has, has lived a long life. All three of us have learnt to temper our emotions and treat life with caution. Yet despite it all, just as you said, we all took different paths. Our paths, to reach this conclusion so our perspective may differ a bit as will the foundation upon which our experiences are built upon. For example, I was born with immortality, while Yoriichi was gifted immortality, but Kratos was cursed with it. However, I'm sure we can all agree that we have learnt much, including the value of people's experiences and lives. We must never neglect them or belittle others for what they have or are born with. I can respect your desire to protect the weak, something that I wished more people in Gekai could share."
"Yup, you have no idea how much of a troublemaker this King was back then."
The green haired man smiled happily but his tone carried the irritation of having to rectify his attitude.
"S-sorry Enkidu."
"Hehe, it's fine. Just don't go causing more problems."
Both Bell and Angelica were enthralled by the story, with the apprentice never having heard of this aspect of her mentor.
"Either way Bell, don't dwell too much on it. You will learn in due time. It is something you will only truly understand by experiencing it. Even if I feel like you have experienced much more than what a person your age normally would have."
"Hehe."
He couldn't help but awkwardly chuckle as what he said was most certainly true. Lunoire came in soon after with their breakfasts, comprising of bacon and eggs, the good old classic. While eating Gilgamesh elaborated what exactly he needed from Bell for Angelica.
"A dress?"
"Yes. We are busy with usual administrative duties, but we don't want to bore Angelica here with all that mess. We were hoping that you could accompany her around the city and eventually also help her buy a dress for tonight's ball. Unfortunately she has none."
"Eh?! A d-dress? I need one?"
Enki looked outright exasperated when she heard her question the necessity of a dress.
"Surely you weren't expecting to attend the event in that outfit, were you? As your Goddess I won't allow that. We need to make sure you look your absolute best."
It was clear to Bell that she was a very dutiful and diligent person, so much that she had never taken the time to enjoy her own hobbies. He was proven right as according to Gilgamesh she always trained, believing that she had to always work hard for his sake. It wasn't that she had no interest in fashion and other typical feminine stuff but she always forced herself to keep focused and thought of them as distractions, renouncing her own interests.
"That is why I would like to request you to help her make up for all the time she denied herself of these joys."
"I see. Of course I'd be happy to help."
"Thank you Bell."
.
Angelica and Bell walked down the main street, now bustling with people, particularly adventurers who were heading to the dungeon. The blonde warrior seemed fascinated with the culture shock of having all these different people and races in one place, something that Babylonia didn't have apparently. Walking by her side, he guided her to a few different places where she could browse jewelry and other items she fancied.
Bell couldn't help but find the way her face lit up amusing, to which he wondered if that was what the girls saw whenever he was near any kind of tasty food. Angelica stopped suddenly as a particular piece seemed to have caught her attention. Luckily, he didn't have to bother with how expensive it was as Gilgamesh had provided him with a large bag of valis to afford anything the excited girl could ever wish. Should he for any reason have to spend his own money, he even guaranteed that he'd be refunded, which was magnanimously generous of the old King. Then again Bell reasoned that he was bound to be rich as the King of a city state.
'Hm?'
As he looked at the item of his companion's interest he noticed that it was a simple looking hair pin with crimson red feathers fanning out of the golden metal piece. Something that would go along well with her current attire. Knowing she would never allow herself to buy it, so as requested by Gilgamesh, he purchased it before she had the chance to stop him. She was visibly shocked when she saw that, but all she could do was stare at the ornament as her desires betrayed her devotion.
"Bell?! Why did you ... you didn't have to."
"This is Gilgamesh's money. Meant for you."
"Yes, but isn't it better to use it on something like my armour or something?"
Hearing that Bell could only sigh.
"That very sentence is the reason why Gilgamesh asked me to tag along with you."
"Well ... yes ... that's true but-"
"Just come here."
Still flabbergasted by his actions she walked over to him. Standing in front of her Bell grabbed the hair pin and put it on for her, bringing their faces close enough that she could feel his warmth on her body. The sudden proximity made the shy girl burst in different shades of red. Once he was sure it wouldn't fall, he took a step back to admire her and nodded satisfied with his handywork.
"It looks good on you. Yup, you look very pretty."
"Huh?! I-I do? Y-you think so?"
"Yeah. You should be confident about your appearance."
Not used to being praised she could no longer bare to face him, feeling her thumping heart nearly explode from the combined happiness and embarrassment that his actions brought her. Not wanting to have herself pass out on him, Bell distracted her by pointing out to a small stand that sold churros, a new delicacy that has gained popularity and is now as sought out as the jagamarukuns. Luckily that did the trick and her eyes once again found the exploration of new experiences captivating.
"Mmh~! It's so good!"
Unlike her, Bell had gotten his without the massive load of sugar, he simply wasn't a fan of sweet stuff.
"It's nice, isn't it?"
"What is?"
"Having fun, eating delicious food, buying items that catch your interest and experiencing all these moments with your friends."
"Well ... yes."
"Before you tell me that you have a duty to attend to, tell me this. What do you do on vacations or in your free time?"
"Um ... I-"
"Train?"
"Ugh ... yes."
"You do realize that Gilgamesh doesn't want that for you, right?"
"I ... ha ... yea, you're right. But I just want to become someone he can be proud of."
"And you can but you don't have to, no shouldn't sacrifice your life and desires for it. Remember Gilgamesh's story yesterday? While it is true that the message is to not lose yourself in your desires, at the same time you shouldn't restrict them too much either. You can't have too much of one thing and that extends to anything. You know, my grampa said that just like you can't have too much evil, you can't have too much justice either. A balance of both is required for the world to work, and so does your life."
Angelica began thinking on what Bell had said. She knew that we he said was true, both Gilgamesh and Enkidu had encouraged her to do something other than training and studying but she just felt inadequate compared to her mentors. Feeling as if she didn't put at least this much effort, then she'd not be able to work up to her standards.
"But Bell? What if I can't become like him?"
"But you shouldn't."
"Eh?"
"You're not Gilgamesh, you have neither the same experiences nor the same time he has. He didn't make you his apprentice so you could become him, Angelica. You shouldn't compare yourself to others since you're your own person and that also means you have to go at your own pace. Even if you get recognized by Ea, you still wouldn't be exactly like him."
"Hm ... y-yeah. You're right about that."
Her head tilted down at the difficult topic she was trying to come face to face with. She knew that was true but it didn't make accepting it an easier task. She had worked so hard to get to this point but doing as Bell said felt she was throwing it all away. But she shook her head. Of course it wouldn't, since no matter what she decided to do she would still be his apprentice. Just like the renard by her side was going to be her friend.
'And more.'
When she realized what she said she shook her head, vehemently refusing to let the embarrassment show in the form of a blush on her face. But she ended up failing, particularly when her body betrayed her and her stomach growled in defiance, letting all those around her know that she had to be fed. She didn't have to look at him to know that he was looking at her with mirth.
'Ugh, kill me.'
"How about we visit this new restaurant I've been hearing a lot about from the patrons at the Hostess?"
"That would be ... appreciated."
Following the chuckling renard they moved through the busy street until they reached a nice looking establishment tucked away in an alley, not a dark and dangerous looking one but not the most conventional place for a restaurant. With ash wooden walls and an artistic nameboard, that added a bit of flair to the place. The interior was bright but not overly so as the soft glow of the magic stone powered lamps provided just enough light to not be a bother. Being a rather small place embedded in between the two buildings facing the main streets, there were no windows. Walls and floors were layered with wood not unlike Mia's pub. Except the design was minimalistic given the restricted amount of space.
Despite it all it seemed that it was nearly full as only two tables were left open. Luckily despite the busy period, with the waiters delivering orders one after the other, one of the staff took notice of them and was attending them soon enough. Being a waiter himself it was clear that the staff wasn't prepared for this number of people and were being overwhelmed, lacking people and most likely cooks. The result of an unexpected success which led to their troubles. Knowing how it felt he could only feel bad for them as he knew they'd have a hard time.
"Please feel free to call us when you are ready to order."
The man in black and white robes was soon scrambling back to aid his fellow waiters.
"Seems like they are really busy."
"They are. It will likely get only harder for them in the evening."
"After seeing the fights at the tournament, I still find it hard to understand why you work as a waiter. And no, I was not at the colosseum, I simply watched it from a pub I was at with my Familia members."
"I just felt like doing something other than fighting. For all the troubles I run into while working as a waiter it is pretty fun and you get to learn about others. I just find it a lot more relaxing."
"Was it okay to take your time today?"
"Oh you mean Mia, she decided to let me off today for the troubles yesterday and because I won't be there for the evening anyways. Besides, my shifts are all in the night since I have my adventurer duties in the morning and afternoon. Just means I will have to make up for it starting tomorrow."
"Oh ... hehe, sorry."
"Don't worry about it. Rather we should order too, you were starving, weren't you?"
"Oh, right!"
Angelica busily read through the menu, marveling at the wide variety of unknown options that had been offered to her. Soon, she settled for a simple stew of beef, carrots and potatoes. As he soon learnt from her in Babylonia advanced recipes weren't common. Ever since the city was founded most foods consisted of a combination of raw fruits, roasted vegetables, bread and simple roasted meats, including, ducks, geese, pigeons and fish, though the last option wasn't common. She liked it, but trying the different ways things were cooked, such as fried, steamed and grilled dishes was something that she had enjoyed a lot. Not only that but the combinations spices which were seldom used was something new to her.
After placing their orders and the waiter left, they returned to sharing stories of their different childhoods. If there was one thing both found interesting, it was the tales and stories they were told as children, some used to scare them to keep them from going out at night or other such naughty behavior children could get up to. While Angelica was told the story of an evil Goddess who kidnapped children and turned them into puppets, Bell recounted the tales his grampa, and the village by extent, used to tell him that a large evil goblin lived in the woods and would devour anyone who approached its territory.
"Hehe, yours sounds a lot less terrifying compared to a Goddess running around kidnapping children, but a lot more believable."
"Well, that was probably because it wasn't a complete lie."
"Really?"
"Yes, though not a large and evil goblin, packs of regular goblins did in fact inhabit the deeper areas of the forest. But they were only a danger to the children. Any regular adult could take two or three of those monsters on."
"Well, I guess that makes sense since monsters on the surface are weaker than the dungeon ones."
"Here you go sir and madame."
The waiter arrived as soon as they finished talking, serving them their dishes, steam still rising from the plates. Both warriors had shining eyes as their food was presented to them and could hardly wait to taste it. Particularly when it looked so appetizing. Angelica picked up her spoon and started to dig into the red stew while Bell began cutting the large roll of bread stuffed with meat. The red color of the meat made the hungry renard almost drool.
"Hehe, seems you're even more excited about this than I am Bell."
"Food is the second best thing in this world."
"Hm? What is the first one then?"
"My girlfriends of course!"
Angelica was taken aback by the answer. She had momentarily forgotten the fact that he had multiple girlfriends but hearing him say that left her smiling at the wholesomeness.
"You really do love them don't you?"
"Of course I do. I love them all equally. It wouldn't work otherwise."
While the two chatted throughout the rest of dinner, she couldn't help but ponder over Bell and his girlfriends as well as the dynamics of their relationship. Before she knew it they had finished their lunch and were walking into a large building she had never seen before. Inside were many different shops of all variety.
"What is this place?"
"A mall. It's a new type of building that the Gods introduced. It's like a hub for entertainment. restaurants, shops, theaters and other such services."
"I see. As expected of the Gods, they bring all sorts of weird ideas, don't they."
"They sure do."
Angelica followed Bell, watching in awe at all the various stores, until they reached a large fancy shop full of elegant dresses and outfits. Each wall was lined up with various styles of dresses and even the mannequins displayed flamboyant dresses that Angelica had only seen the highest of nobility wear in the past.
"W-wait Bell?! What are we doing here?!"
"What do you mean? We need to get you a dress for tonight, you know?"
"Y-yeah, but all these look so fancy and b-beautiful."
"Hehe, a beautiful dress for a beautiful girl, come on let's go."
"W-what?!"
The blonde knight blushed bright red at his words and only increased as he grabbed her hand and led her inside.
'He thinks I'm beautiful?!'
Her mind was a mess as Bell spoke with a clerk who had approached them upon noticing their presence. In her embarrassment, she couldn't hear what he was saying and could only watch as he pointed at her and the eyes of the clerk lit up. There was no doubt that she was in for a ride. She had seen the same glint that were in the clerk's eyes in her Goddess once before and that was a memory that haunted her. The sheer number of hours she had spent being used as a dress up doll for her were painful just to think about.
"Worry not dear customer, I'll make this lady look so wonderful you will never be able to take you eyes off her again."
It seemed like she was more eager to get to work on styling the perfect dress for Angelica than either of the two warriors were. At least Bell was sure that Angelica would be in good hands. The working woman dragged off the disciple of Babylon, together with several different dresses. Bell couldn't help but feel bad as he watched the overwhelmed girl be stuffed into different dresses. It was clear that showing it off to him was embarrassing as with each outfit her face grew redder and redder.
"Alright! I think I got it! The perfect match!"
The curtain was pulled open and Angelica came out once again. This time however, Bell was properly charmed. Her latest dress was mainly black with highlights of golden like her hair. The bodice tightly hugged her body, showing off her perfect hourglass body. Her chest was more accentuated than ever before, her size being smaller than Alise. Her breast were held up by the strap that went around back of her neck in a halter style while making way for a v shaped space that showed off an ample view of her cleavage while leaving her whole back exposed.
The silhouette fanned out putting the emphasis on extravagant. The hemline was asymmetrical while flaring out handkerchief style. The slanted hemline had a slit that exposed her left upper thigh to at an appropriate level while growing longer as it reached the right side, flowing all the way to her ankle. Angelica had also tried letting down her hair, a stark difference compared to the more unique twin tail she used before.
"W-what do you think?"
Feeling emboldened by his blush she gave him a twirl, which gave the renard a full view of the dress.
"You … look gorgeous Angelica."
The girl stopped and grabbed chunks of her hair to hide her face.
"T-thank you."
Though quiet, he managed to receive it thanks to his heightened sense of hearing.
"If you have decided on a dress, should we head back?"
"Umu."
.
Angelica and Bell had returned together to the Hostess by late afternoon. To their surprise, both Takemikazuchi and Enki Familia were present. It seemed like Gilgamesh, Enki and Takemikazuchi were discussing something, most likely about the relationship between the renard and Gilgamesh's disciple. Mikoto was the first to notice them and wave them over. Bell took a quick peek at Mia but luckily it seemed like there was no need for him to get to work, meaning he was free to join the table with his Familia.
"There you are Bell. I was just talking about you and Angelica with Enki here."
"That's right. Ah Angelica, hurry and show your beloved Goddess what dress you picked!"
Bell could only watch awkwardly as the Goddess all but jumped on the flushed warrior.
"Eh? N-now?"
"Absolutely!"
"I-I mean, Bell … picked it f-for me."
"Kya! That's so adorable! Now I want to see it even more!"
Gilgamesh however, was there to save the poor girl, putting his hand on the deity's shoulder.
"Not so fast Enki. I was thinking that having it as a surprise would be nicer."
"What do you mean by that sensei?"
"If its not too much of a problem, I was hoping to entrust you to Bell. Will it be a problem Takemikazuchi-sama? I know she's not part of your Familia but I would like for her to accompany your group at the ball. Just for the arrival."
"Of course, that will be no problem. The more the merrier!"
Enki however, pouted at the old King.
"Come on! I just wanted to see her in her dress!"
"And you will. Later at the party that is. Come on let's go. Thank you Bell, Takemikazuchi. This means a lot to me."
"No need for that, Bell should take responsibility for the ladies he charms after all."
The suddenly targeted renard was quick to retort albeit without a proper comeback, only complaining to his God who shrugged it off with a laugh.
"Wha? Take!"
With that, Gilgamesh and Enkidu dragged away a whining Goddess and left the establishment. Anglica wasn't sure how to take the sudden development but luckily Mikoto and Chigusa were there to provide her company until the time for the ball arrived. Bell would have joined too if not for Takemikazuchi grabbing him by the shoulders.
"Take?"
"Alright, now it's time to work on you mister."
"What? Why?"
"Why? Because you need to impress obviously! I want you to look your best and I won't allow anyone of those pesky Gods to make fun of you. That is why we're going to make sure you not only look presentable but also learn the ways of a charming gentleman."
"Is that necessary?"
It looked obvious to anyone that he wasn't interested but the glint in the God's eye told the others that he had an ace up his sleeve.
"Bell … don't you want look charming for your girlfriends? Don't you want to impress them and do your best for them? Do you not want to make it one of the best nights for them?"
Everyone in the establishment was mesmerized by the sight of his ears and tails rising to attention. The only thing that could ever motivate him to do his absolute best and go beyond his limits. His eyes sharpened as his interest was piqued at an all time high.
"Let me hear more of these plans of yours Takemikazuchi-sama."
'Hehe, sorry Bell you're too easy. But this is for your own good.'
"Then follow me, I made sure to enlist the help of a man well versed in these areas."
Waiting by the door was Hermes, which left Bell questioning the validity of this whole plan, but it was for his girlfriends. He would go through whatever they had planned. Besides, while Zeus did mention to be wary of Hermes since he could be a calculating sly fox, he had also explained that he was a man you could trust when it came towards the more frivolous kinds of favors.
"Well Bell-kun, let's go. Gotta make you look so dashing the ladies will swoon at just your presence."
Behind them Mia just watched with narrowed eyes.
'Let's just hope they don't mess with him too much.'
~To Be Continued
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