Author's notes: Well hello to those of you who have been following me for a while, or who are new to me. I've been talking about a brand new project and now I invite you to start reading it.

For those who don't know, English is not my first language. I write in French, which you can find published alongside. The translation is done with the help of the online tool DeepL and my little knowledge of English. So, if you see any mistakes or strange sentence structures, don't be afraid to point them out to me.

On that note, enjoy the reading.

Chapter 1: The Goddess' Dream

Always the same dream. The entertainment district in flames... screams... cries... rage... Berberas running around...

Freya... dominating... Tammuz, charmed... her, abandoned... the humiliating burn on her cheek after Freya slaps her... the fall... pain... unbearable... her body... broken... the soft warmth of her arcanum protecting her... the floating, she returns to the heavens... no... NO!

And suddenly she wakes up!

In her huge bed, Ishtar straightened up, she was short of breath, she was sweating. The night air came in through the window and caressed her bare skin. Beside her was Tammuz, her henchman, he was deeply asleep, as well as another man, one of those rare privileged clients who were lucky enough to obtain her favours and whom she forgot as soon as morning came. Both were sound asleep, which was not surprising given that they had had to endure the favours of the goddess of beauty a few hours earlier.

Sleeping with Ishtar could be a most trying experience, they would not wake up for a long time and she knew it. Slowly, the goddess got out of her bed and put a simple shawl on her shoulders. She then grabbed her kiseru, the thin pipe typical of the far east that she liked to smoke regularly, and lit it. As a goddess, she could smoke as much as she wanted without ever clogging her lungs, so she might as well enjoy it.

With a light step, she went out through the glass door onto the large balcony adjoining her personal quarters. Here, at the top of Belit Babili, she had an unobstructed view, both of the entertainment district and of much of Orario. Down below, the typical night-time bustle of the place was slowly beginning to subside. It was getting to the time when the night's pleasures were consumed and sleep came gently to those who had abandoned themselves to carnal embraces.

Leaning on the stone railing, smoking quietly, Ishtar took stock.

One week.

For a week now, these strange dreams had been haunting her nights. Always the same images, the same events. Freya attacks, ravages everything in her path, charms her servants and then simply slaps her in a haughty and condescending manner, followed by a terrible fall that sends her back to heaven.

What did these dreams mean? Was she worried? Feverish? Her plans were slowly starting to fall into place, there were still many details to be worked out, like the meeting with Kali, her little deal with the Evilus or getting her hands on another Killing stone since Aisha had broken the previous one. But all in all, everything was going well.

So why the dreams? Were they warning her off? Or were they the result of her own anxieties?

Behind her, the figure of Tammuz appeared. The goddess had a small amused smile, by now she had come to underestimate the young man's ability to endure a night in her arms.

"Is everything all right, Lady Ishtar?" he asked in his calm voice.

"Yes... it's nothing Tammuz. Have my bath prepared, I need to relax."

"As you wish."

Yes, the delicious warmth of the scented water on her skin would undoubtedly do her a world of good. And with luck, it would chase away her weird dreams like dawn chases away night.

But the goddess' wish was not granted, on the contrary, a week later the dreams continued to come back more and more intense. And more specific too. She saw other people in these dreams, Haruhime, on the verge of being sacrificed, but saved, as well as an Aisha torn by her desire to help her and the absolute obedience the goddess had planted in her.

Haruhime was still in her place, waiting for her destiny, though still unable to take care of a client. Aisha continued to watch over her, but since she had broken the first stone, Ishtar had brought her to heel, having etched her charm into her body to the point of madness. The latter would be incapable of rebelling.

No, what haunted Ishtar for a while was the other person she saw in her dreams. The boy. A young man she did not know. Young, maybe fifteen years old, white hair and red eyes. A tender face that made him look like an adorable little rabbit.

He was fighting to save Haruhime. In her dreams she sees herself meeting this boy, she sees him on the ground in front of her, his back exposed. She sees his falna. But the dream is blurred, she never sees the glyphs and what they say, she only sees the symbol of the deity. A flame. Several deities were associated with fire, but the goddess quickly recognised this divine emblem and for good reason, it belonged to a deity who was her exact opposite, a virgin goddess. It was the divine emblem of Hestia that she saw on this young man's back.

Hestia had recently descended from the heavens, but last she heard, she had not yet created her own familia.

But these visions were not the only thing that these dreams brought back to her. They also brought back emotions and feelings. And strangely enough, she knew that these emotions were her own, but she couldn't explain them to herself.

That night again, the dreams had woken her in the middle of the night. Once again, she was alone, leaning on her balcony and thoughtful. The dreams were gone for the night, but the emotions were there. In her heart she felt mostly melancholy, sadness and disappointment.

Her eyes fell on Babel in the distance. Usually, the mere sight of the great tower made her angry, reminding her that Freya ruled at the top, while she only ruled here. But strangely enough, for the past few days, this was no longer the case. Every time she looked at the tower, every time she thought of the goddess at the top, what suddenly came over her was an immense weariness, a feeling of emptiness, as if her heart was beginning to understand that this rivalry was ultimately sterile and that it had brought her absolutely nothing.

Defeating Freya, yes, and then what? That would probably satisfy her ego, but then what would she do? It all seemed so bland to her now. She looked down at the district below, then back at the city, then back at the district. But what did Freya actually rule over? Sure, she was enthroned in the flats at the top of Babel, an honour given to the deity considered to have the most influence in the city, but even with her powerful familia, she didn't have much more than her own domain. In fact, the Freya familia was very self-contained, when her children weren't in the Dungeon, they were just training, or rather killing each other for the goddess' favours.

Ishtar then looked down and realised that she had a great deal on her side. The entire entertainment district was hers.

The sheer amount of land it represented was already an enormous wealth. If you add on top of that what she earned from the dozens and dozens of brothels she owned, you come up with an absolutely indecent income. Basically, she was rich, one of the greatest fortunes in Orario, enough to spend the equivalent of a hundred mortal lives without need. She had enough to satisfy her every whim. Not that she knew that by managing the entire pleasure trade, she was holding literally thousands of adventurers by the purse.

One word from her and she could exclude anyone she wanted from her entertainment district, give those who did her favours preferential prices or even free entertainment, or raise the prices for those to whom she wanted to send a message. And if there was one thing she was sure of, it was that sex would always sell.

Basically, she had power and wealth. Her rivalry with Freya was ultimately just a product of her own ego, because it was very likely that the other goddess didn't give a shit about what she thought.

And Ishtar didn't understand why she was thinking this way, why what had been the obsession of many centuries was beginning to fade like snow melting in the sun.

Because once again, Freya inspired her nothing but weariness and emptiness.

Ishtar only wanted answers now, answers to her dreams. Who was this boy? What connection did he have with her? To her fall? If his visions showed that he was not a child of Freya, then why was he there when Freya was ravaging the district? And what did Hestia have to do with all this? Given her nature, she was one of the last people she saw cooperating with Freya.

Her dreams were too strong, too strong for her to ignore, so the goddess set out to find answers. And she knew very well how to get them.

Of course, like all goddesses of beauty, it was difficult for her to go out on the street without attracting everyone's attention. So, like her sisters, she dressed in a hooded cloak and a coat to hide her sensual body, as well as a scarf to hide part of her face. This was the only way she could walk around freely and discreetly.

The goddess then went to the best possible source of information, the Guild itself.

"Goddess Ishtar, I looked hard, but I couldn't find anything, but I swear I looked hard." said a man whose eyes showed that he was under her charm.

Ishtar had no trouble finding an employee who was a little more isolated than the others, then charming him with a look to convince him to do some research for her. She was playing with the limits, but in order to obtain discreet answers, she had no real choice.

"Anything? Really, are you sure about this? No young men matching that description? Nor any activity of the goddess Hestia?"

"I swear to you, madam, I have triple-checked. There are no young adventurers matching this description, and we have no record of the creation of a familia in Hestia's name." The man seemed unhappy that he had not lived up to the goddess' expectations and that he had betrayed her in spite of himself.

As for the latter, she was thoughtful. The description of the boy was quite detailed, a male human of about fifteen years old, small in stature, with a soft face, white hair and red eyes. Given that the Guild kept extensive records, he should have found something. As for Hestia, this confirmed her own information, the little goddess had indeed descended from the heavens, but had not created a familia. At first sight, she was still living off Hephaestus.

"Thank you for your hard work, now forget that I came." She said, placing a kiss on the man's cheek. Given her nature, this was more than enough to provoke a reaction of pleasure in him before he collapsed on his desk. The goddess then discreetly left the Guild as she had come, with even more questions than answers.

And now what to do? It was still early, the entertainment district would only come alive at nightfall. She didn't really want to go back at the moment, it would only make her think more. For once, Ishtar decided to change her habits and walked around the city a bit. She realised that she had spent so much time making plans that she hadn't enjoyed Orario for a while.

With the Dungeon and the many familias, the city was truly the world's centre, a cosmopolitan place, where different mortal races crossed paths, where a constant whirlwind of emotions danced.

As the goddess contemplated all this life around her, something caught her eye, a figure that disappeared into an alley. With a hurried step, she rushed to join it.

And there she saw him. It was him. It was the boy she had seen in her dreams. Human, adolescent, small build, good looking, white hair and red eyes. He had not seen her and she did not approach him.

Discreetly, she began to follow him for a long time. And then Ishtar began to feel very silly. Why not just approach him? After all, he was only a teenager, at an age when his hormones must be in full swing, it would be very easy for her to charm him and make him talk.

But strangely, she couldn't bring herself to approach him and found herself following him discreetly, like a schoolgirl unable to confess to her crush. It was completely silly, although a little refreshing, she had never experienced this kind of feeling.

So she continued to follow him. The boy spent much of his day knocking on the doors of various, mostly low-level, familias. But each time he was turned away.

Taking advantage of the fact that he was taking a break, the goddess noticed out of the corner of her eye the last person who had turned him away. The man walked out of his familia's home and into a small alley, the goddess joined him and it didn't take much effort to charm him into spitting out what the boy wanted.

Basically, the boy was a naive country bumpkin from his backwater village, with no training, no experience, and nothing to offer but goodwill, who wanted to join a familia. The goddess released the man and returned to observe the boy, he looked disappointed and he had reason to be.

Welcome to Orario. It wasn't enough to show up at a familia's door to be accepted by a god. The vast majority of familias, especially the smaller ones, could not be bothered with dead weight. Or you had to poke a god in the eye. There were some familias who recruited without looking, but the conditions were not necessarily advantageous or one had to go through the whims of the deity. A pervert like Apollo would no doubt recruit the boy, but he would be risking his butt in the process.

The boy allowed himself a meagre meal, seeing him counting his money, his savings must have started to fade. But he didn't let himself be defeated and continued on his way, obviously determined to find someone who would accept him.

But his determination was met with slammed doors and mocking laughter. By the end of the afternoon, the boy was sitting in an alley, depressed about his day.

And Ishtar had followed him all the way. She at least admired his tenacity, even if it hadn't carried him very far. Finally, she found the courage to approach him. With a light step, she came up to him and began to speak.

"What a sad face. Did you have a bad day?" The question was rhetorical since she had been following him for most of the day, but she couldn't admit it to him either.

"I thought it would be easier to join a familia. But it doesn't look like it." He replied in a slightly sad voice.

"Sad reality for newcomers to the city, if you have nothing to offer, don't expect to be given a chance easily. It works like that everywhere, including in my familia."

The boy was about to answer her when he turned his face towards her and gasped for a moment. He could only see part of Ishtar's face, but the look on her face was enough to make him realise that he was talking to a beautiful woman, far more beautiful than any of the young village girls he had met in his home village.

"You... you're in a familia?"

"You could say that technically I am, as I run one."

"You run a familia? You're a goddess?" he said, suddenly straightening up, stars in his eyes.

"Exactly."

At this revelation, the sadness suddenly left the young man's face as he began to speak in a cheerful voice.

"Please, let me join your..."

But Ishtar cut him off with a finger to his lips.

"Easy, boy. You should be more careful when you make that kind of request of a deity, you don't know who you're going to get."

What a paradox that it was she of all people who started to lecture him.

"Erm... that's a no, then, I suppose." he said, putting on a hangdog face. Behind her scarf, Ishtar caught herself blushing slightly. Was it legal to have such an adorable face?

But on the other hand, she had also taken the opportunity to probe him a little. This boy probably didn't know anything about her dreams. She was sure it was him she was seeing, but he was a little different. The boy in front of her was naive, innocent, his inexperience was evident in his face, in his body language. The one in her dreams looked more mature, more experienced.

"Maybe not. In fact, it's you who might not want to stay once you've seen my familia."

"Why do you say that, Goddess?"

"It would be simpler if I showed you. Here's what I suggest: come with me, see what my familia is like and then you can make your choice."

Why did she bother? She could charm him and make him her slave. But there was something inside her, a deep feeling, a kind of instinct that screamed at her to not do that. An instinct that told her she had to have the boy with her, but not through her usual tricks.

"Really? Thank you goddess! I'll be happy to come!" he answered cheerfully, his face delighted by this news.

"You know, you're not supposed to follow the first stranger who offers you candies." She then said to him with a little amused laugh. The naivety of this young man was almost... refreshing. For his part, he answered nothing and simply blushed.

"What is your name, my boy?"

"Bell... Bell Cranel."

In Bell's eyes, the woman who had approached him was mainly his chance to prove himself. His arrival in the city hadn't gone as well as he'd planned. The familias had turned him down in droves, his savings were dwindling and he was a few steps away from sleeping rough. Perhaps he was taking a risk, but he had little to lose at this time. In his situation, he was obliged to consider the offer of any deity.

In order not to frighten him too quickly, Ishtar made made them take a roundabout way, in order not to enter the pleasure district head-on. Especially since the sun had begun to set and her domain was beginning to receive the first visitors. An area that could be divided into two categories: on the one hand, the big, flashy alleys, where the brothels were located and where the visitors went. On the other hand, there were the small streets where private buildings were located, such as employees' houses, warehouses and other places that were not meant to receive visitors. These streets were much quieter, even if one could suspect the cheerful atmosphere in the distance.

Bell had obviously not understood where he had ended up, silently following this goddess. Then she led him to a huge tower-like building, around which were two smaller towers. The majesty of the place left him speechless, as she beckoned him to follow.

Intimidated, he nevertheless followed her, the great hall he entered was one of the most luxurious he had ever seen. But what inevitably caught his eye were the dozens of women who were busy here and there. Mostly amazoness, but all in outfits... that left little to the imagination. Soon, he had no idea where to look.

The goddess who had brought him here stopped and shed her hood and scarf, releasing her beautiful purple hair. Her beauty became even more evident than before.

"Welcome to Belit Babili, Bell. I don't think I've introduced myself yet. I am Ishtar, goddess of beauty, joy... and sexuality."

Arriving in town, Bell expected anything but this. Now he was in the company of the goddess of carnal pleasures and all her servants. The goddess asked him to follow her, so that they could talk more quietly in her flats. But all the way there, he felt gazes being cast upon him, and they were very different.

On the one hand, many of the amazoness, those most in tune with their ancestral instincts, looked at him with contempt, like the weak and fragile little thing he was. A kid from the countryside who looked as threatening as a frightened rabbit. And on the other hand, more open-minded women, who found him perfectly to their liking and made him feel like a piece of meat in front of a whole pack of female predators.

When they arrived in front of the goddess' flats, there was a woman waiting there, also an amazoness at first sight. Tall, tanned, long black hair, purple eyes, beautiful curves in a minimalist outfit. Not to mention that little something she gave off, a mixture of strength, pride and burning sensuality.

When her gaze fell on the young man accompanying her goddess, she couldn't hold back a little teasing smile.

"Oh? Is this your evening snack, Lady Ishtar? I fear you will devour it very quickly."

OK, now Bell wasn't reassured at all, but he didn't find the courage to run away either. The goddess was right in the end, he really had to stop following nice people who offered him candies.

"This is none of your business, Aisha. Spread the word, I don't want to be disturbed tonight."

"As you wish." replied the amazoness, a little perplexed. What could this kid possibly have to attract the attention of her goddess? A rich kid perhaps? Whose daddy or mummy must be an important business partner. Otherwise, she saw absolutely no reason why the goddess would grant him her favours.

And judging by the dozen or so curious women who appeared when the doors to Ishtar's flats closed, she wasn't the only one wondering.

The goddess beckoned Bell to sit down and showed him a sofa. The boy complied without batting an eyelid, with gestures as stiff as a peg. The couch on which he placed his buttocks was probably the most comfortable and softest object he had ever known, but he was too busy shaking in place to pay attention to this detail.

Meanwhile, Ishtar took the opportunity to make herself more comfortable, shedding her coat and cloak to reveal her sensual body and the extremely light outfit that covered it. This obviously made Bell blush even more. The fabric she was wearing looked so light that it was almost certain that you could see through it if you looked carefully. Her open skirt showed a long, delicate leg and what she wore as a top looked ready to expose her breasts to the slightest breeze.

Of course, the goddess didn't miss any of the reactions she provoked. And to think that she didn't even use her charm, her simple presence was enough. But at the same time, if he had never been around anything other than an old-fashioned peasant girl, the mere sight of her must have been a set of already intense stimulations.

With her usual sensuality she came and sat down opposite him, crossing her legs in a way that would have driven any man in front of her mad.

"Well, my boy, we were talking about your possible integration in my familia."

Bell suddenly seemed to wake up and regain some composure. Yes, this was a job interview and it shouldn't be missed.

"First of all, I need to tell you a little more about our activities. My familia does explore the Dungeon, but that's not its main occupation. First of all, you should know that we are in the middle of the entertainment district. And I do mean carnal pleasures. The district and all the brothels in it belong to me, that is the main activity of my familia."

"I-I-I see."

"With a cute face like yours, I'm sure a lot of women would like you, but would you feel able to receive clients and take care of them in an intimate way?"

And here, Bell was unable to answer other than to jump on the spot with a small cry of astonishment.

"Obviously not. Let's be clear, do you have any preconceptions about sex and prostitution in general?"

"Uh... I don't... I don't know... Doing this kind of activity... I don't know..."

He wasn't the first to react like that, no matter how much prostitution existed, there would always be do-gooders to criticise it. Which was hypocritical, because if prostitution existed, it was because there had always been a customer base.

"Let me guess, you come from a small village with an old-fashioned, uptight mentality where sex is only after marriage and only to have children?"

Well, she didn't need him to answer, the way Bell was embarrassed said enough.

"I think what we're doing is essential." The goddess' words were enough to make the boy curious. "Sexuality is much more than the simple act of reproduction. Certainly, through it, it represents fertility, the perpetuation of bloodlines, but if that's all it was, then why is sex an activity that can bring so much pleasure?"

She could see that she had attracted Bell's curiosity and that he was beginning to wonder.

"Sex is one of the simplest, most primal and oldest pleasures there is. It's also an excellent remedy for stress and all forms of mental exhaustion. And don't underestimate the terrible negative effects that sexual frustration can have. And this applies to all mortals without exception, even the most uptight elves are subject to it, even if they pretend otherwise."

And there were elven clients in her district. Plenty of them. They were just more discreet than the others.

"And that goes for men as well as women. They too have desires and don't think that sexual frustration is any less important for them than for men. It's just that they hide it better. And that's why I think my familia is doing a vital job. The Dungeon is a dangerous place where hundreds of adventurers face death every time they go down, so I think it's safe to say it's a real stress generator. And this stress, we offer them a solution to relieve it."

Ishtar was very convincing in what she said, simply because she totally believed in it and not only because she was the goddess of fertility. She witnessed this for a long time.

"I... I understand what you mean, Goddess. Yes, it sounds very important. But... I don't feel... how can I put it... "

"To do this job. I perfectly understand."

Bell put on his hangdog face again, realizing that he was about to suffer his umpteenth rejection of the day.

"But maybe there's another way." she said as Bell looked at her curiously and a little confused. "But first, let's get to know each other a little better. I told you about me, but I know almost nothing about you, except your name. Where do you come from?"

"A... a small village far to the east. It took me several days by wagon to get to town." And his backside still remembered the discomfort of his journey.

"Do you have family?"

From the look on his face, she already had an idea of the answer.

"No... I didn't know my parents. It was my grandfather who raised me, until he disappeared."

"So, no real ties. You could have made other choices, why come here? Why would you want to become an adventurer? The Dungeon is far from being a fun place to be."

"Thanks to my grandfather, he gave me the taste for adventure."

"Was he a former adventurer himself?"

"I... I don't know. He hardly ever talked to me about his past."

Seeing that the subject of her grandfather still seemed painful to discuss, the goddess chose to move on.

"And so, why become an adventurer? It is a means to an end, not an end in itself. What do you hope to gain from this life? The strength offered by the blessing? Wealth? Fame? Women?"

By stating the basic motivations that drove most adventurers, she hoped to guess his motivations from his reactions.

"I want... I want to be a hero". he said quietly in an embarrassed voice.

"What did you say?" asked the goddess, who didn't understand him.

"I want to become a hero!" shouted Bell, in front of the goddess' slightly stunned look. A hero? Did he say a hero?

At first she thought that the boy was naive and stupid. But then she changed her mind. No, he was pure and innocent. He was clinging to a simple but powerful dream.

"A hero? That sounds like more than just a desire for glory."

"Ever since I was little, my grandfather made me read a lot of heroic tales, like Sword Oratoria. I always dreamed of becoming like the heroes of these tales."

"It's a difficult path, many men have claimed to want to be heroes, but have lost their integrity along the way."

Yet there was something that screamed out to him that he could do it. That instinct that came with his dreams. It told her that for him it wasn't an unattainable childhood dream.

"But either way, I believe you, you can't lie to a deity. However, I did see that you flinched slightly when I mentioned women. Well, we're not so innocent after all, are we, Mr. Cranel?" she said teasingly, like a cat playing with a mouse. This, of course, immediately made the young man blush.

"It's... it's my grandfather's fault! he said vehemently. In response, Ishtar simply looked at him with round eyes. He was the one who kept talking nonsense, like 'saving a girl in the Dungeon so that she falls in love' or even sillier things like 'the harem is a man's ultimate romance'."

And here Ishtar couldn't hold back a laugh. But a frank and amused laugh, not a mocking one. How could this boy be so shy after having such a grandfather?

"Well, maybe you are in the right place after all." she said between two laughs.

"Don't laugh goddess!" Bell said with his cheeks on fire. "I..."

But his sentence was interrupted by a huge gurgle. And to his shame, it came from his stomach. With all this, he had finally forgotten that he hadn't eaten a real meal for a while. By watching his savings, he had been forced to cut back on food.

When he didn't dare to say another word, Ishtar grabbed a small bell and rang it. At this signal, the door opened and a young woman entered the room. An amazoness, judging by her tanned skin. She was small in stature, medium in form, with long dark hair, amber eyes, and a face that had something softer than most other amazoness.

"Lena, please bring us a snack."

Right away, Lady Ishtar. She replied before slipping away, but not without having had time to take a look at the boy her goddess had brought back.

Once Lena had come out and relayed her goddess' request, she was approached by several other amazoness.

"So?" asked the first amazoness.

"Is the kid still alive?" added Aisha.

"Ugh! She must have already finished devouring him, with his victim's face, he couldn't have lasted much longer." said Samira, an Amazon with short grey hair.

"Well, actually... they're still dressed." replied Lena.

"You mean they've already put their clothes back on." Samira replied. "That's what I thought, he really couldn't have lasted long if he's had time to recover."

"In fact, I don't think they've even started." said Lena, causing her Berbera sisters to gasp in amazement.

"Are you kidding?" said Aisha. "They've been in there for over an hour!"

"Well, that must mean that the kid is so unappealing that even Lady Ishtar can't get motivated." Samira continued.

"Or maybe it's the opposite..." said Lena.

"What do you mean?" asked Aisha.

"Girls, we've all been in this business for a while, enough to know that you can't rely on the customer's face. Maybe the kid... I mean, despite his angelic face, maybe in reality the boy is such a beast that even Lady Ishtar isn't sure she can handle him..."

Her words made all the women around her burst out laughing, before Samira spoke again.

"Come on, Lena, be serious! It's absolutely impossible, isn't it?"

Then there was suddenly a great awkward silence between them.

"Isn't it?" Samira asked again without getting an answer.

In just a moment, more than half a dozen amazoness had their ears pressed against the door in the hope of guessing what might be going on in that room.

The little snack the goddess had requested arrived quickly and she sighed with amusement as she saw the small group of curious women who had discreetly gathered at the door. The goddess beckoned the boy to eat and he did so. He was hungry after having to tighten his belt for several days. Not to mention that Ishtar had the means to have the best cooks in the city, so a simple snack at her place was as delicious as a meal in a luxury restaurant.

"So, where were we again? Oh yes! Becoming a hero and lord of a harem." said the goddess in a deliberately teasing tone. This almost made Bell swallow his last bite. The boy really didn't know what to do.

"Normally I wouldn't have paid much attention to your request to join my familia, but there's something about you that makes me want to give you a chance. Tell me boy, now that you know who I am and what my familia is, would you still be willing to take a chance with me?"

"I... I want to become an adventurer. And I want to make my dream come true." Bell replied, determined. The goddess looked into his eyes and found purity and determination.

There was a long silence between them, cut only by the Goddess' light breath as she spat out the smoke from her kiseru.

"In that case, maybe... yes, if I do it this way..." the goddess simply thought aloud, standing up to take a few steps to continue her reflections, while Bell looked on, waiting for her decision.

Ishtar stepped out onto her balcony for a moment. The sun had just set, the sky was clear and promised a magnificent night. The goddess stared at a point in the night sky and smiled. Yes, she knew now what she had to do.

"Come here my boy."

Bell got up and went to join her.

"We're lucky, we can still see it for the moment. Do you know that star?" she said, pointing to a spot in the sky.

Bell concentrated for a moment and answered.

"Yes, it's the Evening star."

"That's the common name for it today, yes. But do you know that this star is one of my symbols?"

"One of your symbols?" he asked curiously.

"Yes, gods are associated with many symbols, especially in ancient cultures before the age of gods. In one ancient language this star was called 'Delebat' and that is also another of my names."

Bell did not answer, but simply admired the star, which he was now discovering a new aspect.

"And this symbol will now also become yours."

The goddess' words drew Bell out of his reverie.

"What do you mean?"

"That I accept you into my familia. And without the need to become a gigolo as a bonus."

"Really? Thank you goddess! "

Unable to contain his joy, he jumped into her arms, which surprised Ishtar, who let herself be carried away. It was the first time that a man had jumped on her neck without any sexual connotation. It felt... strange, but it wasn't necessarily unpleasant. She let him express his joy before he unhooked himself, a little embarrassed to have let himself go in such a rush of joy.

"Well, now you'll have to undress."

At her words, he started to blush more and more and the goddess even thought he was going to start smoking from his ears. Had she turned her words in such an ambiguous way on purpose? Totally! He was so cute, she could afford to tease him a bit.

"The top will be enough Bell, I need access to your back to carve my blessing into it. Then lie on your stomach and I'll do the rest."

And while the boy was getting ready, the goddess grabbed a small ritual blade, the one she liked to use when updating the status of her familia members.

Bell was in place, and the goddess sat beside him and pricked her finger, letting her ichor drip onto the back of her new child. Slowly, with calculated and naturally sensual gestures, she carved the glyphs, the symbol, the blood glowed and the blessing took place. A blank sheet of paper on which the boy would write his legend. He now wore his emblem on his back, that of the veiled courtesan. The goddess thought to herself that this did not suit him.

Yes, it didn't suit him at all...

Outside the room, there were still a number of women watching to see what might be going on behind the door of their goddess' chambers. All this gathering had eventually attracted others, equally curious, as well as the captain, Phryne. A standing horror that looked like the result of the unlikely mating of a silverback and a killer frog.

They all moved away when they heard footsteps approaching the door. The door was opened with a bang by the goddess. The goddess quickly noticed all the people in front of her chambers. She let out a small sigh, but couldn't blame them for being a little curious.

"Well, since there are so many people here, it's perfect. Listen up, everyone, I have several announcements to make."

Behind the goddess, Bell came hurriedly, finishing dressing. This, of course, caused a huge misunderstanding in the minds of everyone present.

"To begin with, I would like to introduce Bell Cranel, your new brother who is joining our familia."

"H-Hello." said the boy, somewhat intimidated by all these women, whose eyes were focused on him.

"I am also announcing a new change. I have decided to create a new branch within the familia, the Delebat. This new organisation, of which Bell is currently the only member, will focus solely on exploring the Dungeon. For the rest of you, nothing changes."

Basically, this 'Delebat' would just be doing classic adventuring work.

"Why create this group, my goddess?" Aisha dared to ask.

"Simply because it's my pleasure."

An evasive answer, but one that implied not to insist. Not to mention that it was quite relevant, the gods were always looking for entertainment, Ishtar wouldn't be the first to suddenly come up with a new eccentricity for her own amusement.

"As you wish, Lady Ishtar." Phryne then said. "And don't worry, we'll take good care of the new one." She finished with a smile that wasn't at all reassuring for Bell. But too late to run away, apparently.

"There's no need. The Delebat will do its business separately and independently from the rest of the familia. I would also like to make it clear that this group is under my direct authority and reports only to me and me alone."

The goddess emphasised this last sentence and gave everyone, Phryne first, a look that made it perfectly clear that she would not tolerate any questioning of her orders and that Bell wasn't a toy she was throwing at them. All those present naturally bowed to Ishtar's authority, indicating that her orders had been well received.

The goddess took the opportunity to give some instructions, she now had to prepare the future home where to install Bell and potentially, the future members of the Delebat.

"Good, we're done for tonight." The goddess turned around, dragged Bell in and closed the door to her quarters, leaving the rest of her familia alone to digest all this news.

"Uh... what was that?" asked an amazoness.

"Her latest fad, I'd say." replied another.

"Wait, she's STILL taking the kid back for tonight?" said Samira. "No man has ever been with her twice in the same night!"

"I knew it!" shouted Lena. "I told you that behind his angelic face, this boy is a beast!"

And so Bell joined Ishtar's familia... with a strange reputation that would stick to him.

But no, Ishtar hadn't done anything to Bell. The latter, exhausted by all the emotions of the day, had fallen asleep on the couch in the goddess' flats.

Ishtar thought to herself that this was the first time a man had spent the night in her room without anything happening. Engraving her falna on her back had been the most lewd thing they had ever done.

And once again, it was... refreshing. This boy had made her do so many new things in one day that she was really starting to get attached to him.

Why did she think so? She didn't know. With her experience and abilities, it would be so easy for her to make him hers, to introduce him to the thousand pleasures she knew. But she couldn't do it. That didn't mean that she was closed to the idea, if one day Bell really wanted her, she would be happy to offer him the most exquisite of pleasures.

But tonight she would be satisfied with watching him sleep peacefully. She even took a sheet to cover him, but this didn't wake him up, he must be really tired. Sitting next to him, the goddess reached out to gently pull back a lock of hair and gaze at the face of her new child.

"Who are you, my boy?" To make me feel such emotions...

But the goddess wouldn't have the answer tonight.

Yet this evening was important, for it marked the beginning of a whole new legend.

That of a young man who would follow a path filled with hardships that would lead him to heroism.

And of a goddess who would follow a path that would lead her to her own redemption.

Author's notes :

So much for the first chapter. As you can see, this fic is based on a "what if" concept, with the idea of Bell joining Ishtar's familia. An idea I've only seen once or twice touched on, but never really developed. Most fics that put Bell in another familia put him in Loki's for most of them.

I realise that I often use the character of Ishtar in my work. Which is a bit of a paradox when you consider that the original work really does present her as a complete asshole.

Of course, Ishtar's dreams, which are the source of her change, have a good explanation, but we'll have to wait to discover it.

And sorry for the more naughty among you, despite the familia where Bell has landed, and the M rating to be safe, this story will not revolve around Bell's thousand naughty adventures. But I still hope you'll stay with me for a while.

Regarding Ishtar, most of the elements I would put in my fic come from my research on the net. As she was a major goddess in Mesopotamia, there is a lot of material to draw on.

As for the term "Delebat", it is indeed the Akkadian name of Venus (the Evening star), which was indeed associated with Ishtar.