Author's notes: This chapter has been a long time coming. I went back to work at night shift, with all the tiredness that implies, I had to deal with some personal problems and, I admit, I may have got lost somewhere between Star Rail 2.0 and Persona 3 Reload.
But I also have to admit that I'm not very inspired at the moment, which explains the late arrival of this chapter, which is neither my longest nor my most inspired. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy it.
Chapter 21: Shadows are stirring
For some time now, the relationship between Ishtar and her familia had changed considerably. In the past, the goddess was a haughty figure who rarely left Belit Babili and was only visible on the rarest of occasions, except to the Berberas and those who served her directly, giving her an overwhelming and oppressive presence.
But things had changed. Ishtar now made regular visits to the district, going into the various places of business to check up on people. Although people were sceptical at first, they eventually came to realise that Ishtar had indeed changed for the better, and that she was a pleasure to deal with.
Bell also regularly joined her on certain occasions. This was the case that morning.
When the two arrived at the Astral Mansion at around midday, they immediately caused Hestia a certain amount of panic as she swept the entrance hall.
"By creation, what has happened to you?" Asked the little goddess, completely frightened. "You're covered in blood!"
Indeed, Bell and Ishtar's skin and clothes were bloodstained in places, a sight that could easily send anyone who saw them into a panic.
"It's not ichor... So it's not yours Ishtar. Bell!"
"It's all right, Lady Hestia, it's not mine either." The boy replied in his soft voice to reassure her.
"What happened then?"
"A rather unexpected situation, I'd say." Bell said, a little embarrassed, before explaining further.
Earlier in the morning, as the young man was accompanying the goddess on one of the morning rounds she made on certain days, they arrived in front of a brothel, The Voluptuous Tenderness.
Usually in the morning, the place was quiet, but that morning, the courtesans in the house seemed to be in a panic and were running around, so Ishtar quickly realised that something was amiss. Without wasting any more time, the goddess intercepted the first one to pass in front of her to get more information.
"May I ask what's going on?"
"What... sorry goddess! I didn't see you!" replied the young woman in panic.
"It's not important, just tell me what's going on."
"It's Lisa. She's in labour."
"Already? But it was about three weeks before term."
"That's what we thought too, but it started a little while ago and it doesn't look like it's going very well."
The one called Lisa was just another courtesan in the entertainment district, the difference being that she was currently pregnant. All the prostitutes took contraceptive potions, which were very effective, but not infallible. Although they greatly reduced the risk of pregnancy, there was always a risk, and Lisa was a good example of this.
Naturally, Ishtar knew every one of her employees and was always aware of this kind of event, even if before she didn't care. As a goddess, her memory functioned differently to those of mortals; like all gods, she had a near-perfect memory, allowing her to keep track of all the events in her domain, which enabled her to remember the pregnancy of just another courtesan.
"Damn it! I'll take care of it. Bell, I'm sorry, but I'm going to need your help."
"Me? But I don't know anything about this."
"Just follow my instructions and trust me."
"All right.
"Send someone to Miach's house to ask him to come." Said the goddess as she moved swiftly towards the room where the young woman, who seemed to be suffering horribly, was staying.
What followed were a few very complicated hours during which Ishtar personally took charge of the child's birth. It was a complicated birth, one that would no doubt have overwhelmed most midwives, endangering both the child and the mother. However, the goddess managed it with great skill. Bell assisted as best he could, following Ishtar's instructions, even if half the time he was simply holding the mother-to-be's hand to reassure her. This allowed him to bless his advanced level 2, without which she would probably have crushed his hand.
Despite everything, the birth of Lisa's son was a success, even if the mother was very weak. Fortunately, Miach eventually arrived and, after a brief greeting, took over. Given their condition, Ishtar and Bell quickly returned to the Astral Mansion.
"Well, that was quite an adventure." Hestia commented simply once they had told her all about it.
"It was quite an unexpected experience, I must say." Bell then confessed.
"All experience is rewarding Bell, at least now you have an idea of what childbirth is like."
"Yes, I do. In any case, I must say I'm impressed goddess, I had no idea you were capable of doing this."
"That I could fulfil the role of a midwife? Actually, it's not that abnormal, it's a matter of divine attribute."
"What do you mean?"
"As a goddess, I'm linked to different concepts. I'm a goddess of beauty, of joy, but also of war. And as I often say, I'm a goddess linked to sexuality, but also a goddess of fertility by extension. And by fertility, I mean procreation. And since that's one of my attributes, I have all the knowledge on the subject, from conception, where my expertise is unquestionable, to bringing a new life into the world. Does it make more sense to you, then, that the mysteries of birth hold no secrets for me?"
"I understand better. It's true that it's logical when you think about it. So, Lady Hestia, if you're a goddess of the home, do you also..."
"No, I wouldn't be able to. I represent the home, the house that welcomes and protects the family, the divine fire of the hearth that warms the inhabitants with its warmth, but not the family itself. It may seem insignificant, but this subtle difference in interpretation changes a lot of things." Hestia explained, making him realise that the gods were infinitely more complex entities than he had imagined. "But other gods are capable of it."
"Indeed, if we leave out the medicine gods, which seems logical in their case, all the goddesses of beauty can do the same thing, be it Aphrodite, Freya or Hathor among others."
"And Lady Demeter?" asked Bell. "Isn't she also a goddess of fertility?"
"Once again, that's a matter of interpretation. Demeter is a goddess linked to agriculture, she represents another fertility, that of the earth. She is the fertility that nourishes, not the fertility that procreates."
"Oh... I see."
"Incidentally, the choice of name for your favourite tavern, the Hostess of Fertility, is somewhat ironic. In fact, a name like that would suit a tavern just as well as a brothel if you think about it."
"Indeed." Bell replied with a nervous chuckle, telling himself that he'd better never mention such an anecdote in Mia's presence if he valued his life.
Two days later, at the Astral Mansion, Chigusa, Mikoto and Ouka had come to drink to celebrate the end of their punishment at Ishtar's house. Their god had also joined them.
"I'm glad everything turned out all right." Takemikazuchi began. "It was an unexpected experience, but I hope that it proved rewarding in spite of everything.
"I don't know how useful it will be in the Dungeon, but at least now I know lots of cocktail recipes." Mikoto replied, causing everyone to laugh.
"I think I feel more comfortable talking to strangers now." Chigusa said in turn, having had to overcome her natural shyness to deal with customers, but also learn to fend off the advances of some of them.
"Good, then. What about you, Ouka?"
"I've learned one of the greatest truths of this world... There's nothing like a powerful body coupled with a fiery soul!" he quipped as he undid his top to expose his muscular body and strike a bodybuilding pose. This surprised everyone, as no one had expected it. His time with the Pillar Men had obviously left its mark.
"I-I-It's a truth I can accept." Chigusa then said, stammering slightly and shamelessly staring at him.
"Chigusa... you drool." Mikoto then pointed out to her, a little depressed by the eccentric behaviour her companions seemed to have developed here. But once again, it was taken in jest.
"Well, my children, I think we've taken enough of our friends' hospitality." Talemikazuchi said. "I still have to go and see Ishtar to sort out a few details, so I'll see you at home."
He greeted everyone before leaving, then Chigusa took her turn to speak.
"Well, I've got to do some shopping before I go home. Ouka, would you like to come and help me? I'm going to have some things to wear."
"Of course." Replied her captain after getting dressed.
Strangely, Mikoto didn't volunteer, but that was because she saw the little sign her sister-in-arms had given her and realised that she wanted some one-on-one time with Ouka. Despite what she said, this little experience in the entertainment district had given Chigusa a lot of self-confidence.
"See you at home later Mikoto." Chigusa said before leaving with Ouka.
"Yes, see you later... Well, I think I'll be going too." Mikoto said as she started towards the door.
"Aaaaah... Can't wait for dinner." Lili said. "Say, Master Bell, do you think Mistress Haruhime will be back soon? I kind of miss her cooking."
Mikoto stopped suddenly and turned around, wondering if she had heard the name Lili had spoken.
"I admit I miss her too, but she's better now, I think our goddess will let her resume her normal activities."
"So much the better."
"Sir Bell, excuse me, but..."
"Yes, what is it?" asked Bell, who wasn't sure how to interpret the face the samurai was currently making.
"This woman of whom you speak..."
"Haruhime?"
"That's not... a very common name in this part of the world."
"Yes, but I believe she comes from the far east, as you do."
What were the chances that it was just a namesake and Mikoto was getting the wrong idea? No, she had to know.
"By any chance, could you tell me what she looks like?"
"Er... yes. She's a young woman, a renard. Blonde, with green eyes."
Mikoto felt her heart miss a beat. It was impossible, it couldn't be a coincidence, the world was huge, but there couldn't be two young women looking so much alike with the same name.
"Sir Bell! I implore you, this renard... I absolutely must meet her!"
Far from suspecting the upheaval that Bell had just caused in spite of himself, Ishtar was sitting in her office listening to various and sundry reports. It hadn't been easy, but Neela had finally agreed to come back to work at Belit Babili from time to time, even if some people didn't like it. The pallum was an intelligent woman, with a wide network of contacts and a talent for gathering, analysing and cross-checking information. And through her convictions, she also undermined the influence that certain Berberas could have had over Ishtar.
"Do you think Loki is spying on us?" the goddess asked the manager of the Midnight Sigh.
"Yes. Well, more than before. She, like so many others, has always had to keep an eye on us, but it's become more obvious. And honestly, I'd say rather unsubtle of her."
"What do you mean? What did she do?"
"The question is more who she sent."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, Ais Wallenstein came to Glycine House during the day to attend one of Selena's classes."
The news was so surprising that Ishtar dropped her pen.
"I beg your pardon? We're talking about the same Ais Wallenstein, the Sword Princess, aren't we?"
"Herself."
"What the hell was she doing there?"
"As I told you, she was at one of Selena's classes, specifically, the one for beginners."
The news was shocking and understandably so. The Glycine House was a special place. A former brothel, recently converted for a new use. As for the woman called Selena, she was a former human prostitute who had been forced to reconvert when age began to catch up with her. Unfortunately, nothing lasts forever and, even with the best products and care, pretty flowers end up withering and attracting fewer and fewer customers. In such cases, opportunities were limited. If the courtesan hadn't been bought out by a generous client or hadn't managed to put some money aside, she would have had to continue by becoming a brothel manager in her own right or by participating in the life of the district in some other way.
Selena had therefore taken advantage of Ishtar's changes to suggest a new idea, namely to give courses in... night-time activities. The clients were either young women wanting to prepare themselves for this, or married women looking to break the monotony of their married lives.
Surprisingly, it worked quite well, especially with married women. The damage that sexual frustration can do to a couple should not be underestimated. More than one marriage ended unhappily, partly because the couple no longer knew how to enjoy themselves together. Admittedly, this meant running the risk of losing potential long-term customers in the form of frustrated husbands... and wives too in some cases. But in reality, the idea had worked rather well and even helped to slightly improve the reputation of the entertainment discrict.
So it was hardly surprising that Ishtar was extremely surprised to discover that Ais Wallenstein had come to attend a course on the art of making love.
"Yes, we've seen better attempts at espionage. Or is it a diversion?" wondered the goddess.
But it was nothing of the sort. Ais had indeed come to attend a course at the Glycine House, but for a completely different reason. Having had her... awakening by reading a few books from Riveria's private collection, the beautiful blonde was keen to find out more, and it wasn't the poor, cold, mechanical course her surrogate mother had given her that would satisfy her curiosity.
As luck would have it, she came across a flyer advertising the classes being held in the former brothel, which gave the Mini Lewd Ais in her head the idea of going there.
So there was no big secret project or bizarre manipulation by Loki behind the Sword Princess's actions, just a young woman who had just discovered sexuality and wanted to satisfy her new curiosity.
But it was still crazy enough to provoke a reaction at the top of Ishtar's familia.
"Well, I'll have to ask Selena to come and tell me all about it. Anything else?"
"Bete Loga is walking around the district."
"Nothing too fascinating, maybe he's just trying to destroy the bad reputation I've given him. Are my instructions still being followed?"
"Yes Goddess, triple fare for him."
"I thought I just said double fare."
"Really? Oops!" said Neela with a falsely innocent look on her face. The werewolf had had the bad idea of insulting Bell, who had in the meantime become the district mascot, and the people had applied Ishtar's orders with a great deal of zeal, so this poor Bete was suffering a double punishment.
"Anyway, we're going to have to sort this out. I thought we had erased the traces of our collaboration with Kali well enough, but obviously not enough to completely deceive Loki."
"What should we do, my goddess?" asked one of her berberas.
"Let's deal with the problem head on. I'm going to invite Loki over and have a little chat with her."
"Goddess, that would be taking a big risk!"
"Perhaps. But as the saying goes, keep your friends close, and your enemies even closer. Who knows, maybe this will catch Loki off guard and confuse her."
"That sounds dangerous, Goddess," retorted the Berbera.
"You can't achieve anything without taking risks, so let's be daring. Neela, I'm going to need your services."
The pallum seemed a little surprised, but listened to her goddess' explanations.
Ishtar had several problems to deal with in order to make up for her mistakes, both inside and outside her familia. She had already dealt with some of the slave traders with whom she was in contact, the easiest to make disappear. There was also the problem of the casino, but given its special status, it was not an urgent threat to deal with.
She had almost got rid of Kali, but she still had her biggest problem, the Evilus. And she couldn't get rid of them just like that. She didn't know much about their plans, but she still knew too much. Not to mention the fact that she didn't have the manpower to deal with them.
In that case, there was only one solution: use Loki. She was already more or less at war with the dark organisation, so the best thing to do would be to support her in the shadows and let her do the dirty work, killing two birds with one stone. But this approach was risky, as Loki was intelligent and not the type to like being manipulated.
Ishtar was going to have to bet big and hope that the returns on her investment would be worth it.
"Impossible..."
At the Astral Mansion, a major event was taking place. At Mikoto's insistent request, Bell had simply invited her to stay for lunch with them, as Haruhime was coming to see them. When the pretty foxgirl arrived, Mikoto was finally able to confirm her suspicions.
"Lady Haruhime... is that you?"
"What... Mikoto? Is that you?"
"Lady Haruhime!"
The samurai then rushed over to the renard and took her in her arms, tears in her eyes.
"It's really you, Lady Haruhime!"
"Mikoto!" she replied, embracing her in her turn, also starting to cry, ignoring the three spectators of the scene who obviously didn't know where to stand.
A long, awkward moment passed before the two young women managed to regain their composure. The tears had flowed freely, but they had finally calmed down.
"I'm so happy to see you again Mikoto, I feel like I'm going back to childhood, but... what are you doing in Orario?"
"It's a long story."
Mikoto then explained how she, Takemikazuchi, but also other acquaintances from the past, such as Ouka and Chigusa had come to Orario to earn money and to what purpose."
"I see... The temple was never very rich. And Lord Takemikazuchi is a generous man, so I'm not surprised he came here to find money to support the temple. So that means... it was you who did the parade?" asked Haruhime, shocked, even though she understood what had happened.
"It's not what we're most proud of."
"I know, I thank you for saving Bell and the others."
"We just did what we thought was right."
"Maybe, but I'm still grateful. I would have felt very sorry if anything had happened to them."
"Yes, Sir Bell is an honourable man..." she said, rising to her feet. "I sincerely want to believe that he is, though..."
And without warning, she grabbed Bell by the collar.
"However, explain to me why Lady Haruhime is wearing a slave collar!" she shouted angrily at the poor boy.
"A what?" asked Bell, equally surprised by her words.
"Don't play dumb! I'm talking about the horror she has around her neck!"
"No! Wait Mikoto, he doesn't know anything about it!" shouted Haruhime, grabbing hold of Mikoto to make her let go.
"Really?"
"Yes!"
The samurai could see from the surprised look on the young man's face that he didn't seem to know what was going on. Mikoto let go of him, her cheeks slightly red, ashamed of her behaviour.
"Haruhime... What's she talking about?" asked Bell, a little confused and worried at the same time.
"It's... complicated. It has to do with how I got here."
Sadly, Haruhime began to tell her story. How she had been trapped by the affair of the offerings supposedly eaten, how her father had disowned her and entrusted her to a merchant who offered to be her protector, but who was suspected of having orchestrated the whole affair. How he had fled when monsters had attacked them, leaving her at the mercy of bandits who had sold her into slavery to Orario before Ishtar bought her back.
However, the for had been careful to avoid talking about the goddess's plans and the sacrifice that would soon take place. She herself did not yet know that the goddess had already given up all that.
Bell was saddened by Haruhime's story, while Mikoto seemed to be seething inside.
"I see... you know Lady Haruhime, I've improved a lot in the kitchen over the last few years, so why don't you introduce me to all these nice people, and I'll show them my skills at cutting sashimi." The samurai said, taking out her sword and making a real psychopathic face.
"Mikoto!" replied Haruhime, trying to calm her down.
For his part, Bell was deeply troubled. He'd never known anything about it. Of course, he'd always found that black choker somewhat disturbing and not at all fitting for the beautiful renard, but he'd always put that choice down to his own lack of understanding of women's fashions and tastes.
"I... I can't believe it!" snapped Bell, shocked and saddened at the same time. "I refuse to believe that our goddess would do something like that!"
"Master Bell..."
Without warning, Bell ran from the scene.
"Master Bell, wait!" tried Haruhime, but it was too late, he was already far away.
For their part, Hestia and Lili had watched the scene without saying a word. The little goddess then approached the supporter.
"Did you know about this?
"Yes." The pallum replied soberly after a short silence.
"Then why didn't you..."
"It's not for me to do."
In Belit Babili, Ishtar had just finished sending two secret letters. To two different people, but each linked to the gamble she was about to play. Just as she was about to take a break with a glass of wine, she was surprised when the door to her office burst open.
"Goddess!"
"Bell?"
Suffice to say that Ishtar was rather surprised to see the young man barge in in the middle of the day. It was very rare for him to come to Belit Babili on his own.
"It's rare that you come to see me here." She began, smiling. "Why do I deserve the pleasure?"
"Is Haruhime a slave?" he asked point-blank. The goddess could see that he was short of breath, as if he had sprinted to see her. However, as an answer, all he got at first was a long, embarrassed silence.
"I see... you finally discovered some things..." said the goddess sadly, before rising to sit on one of the luxurious sofas in the room.
"So, is it true?" said the boy sadly.
By way of reply, Ishtar simply motioned for him to sit down opposite her as she lit her kiseru.
"'First of all, you should know that I've never tried to hide it from you, it's just that... I've never found a good way of explaining this sort of thing to you..."
Seeing his goddess's face, Bell realised that things were not going to be easy. So he calmed down and took a seat on the sofa opposite hers.
"In fact, if you leave out the Berberas who are a bit of a special case, I think it's fair to say that almost half the familia is made up of slaves or people who can be considered as such."
"How?" Bell was clearly shocked by this statement. "But, that's..."
"Bell." The goddess interrupted him. "We're in the entertainment district, a place where people offer sexual services for money. Hardly anyone does this by vocation. Berberas are a special case, because they are mainly amazoness and this species has a very particular relation to sexuality. But it's different for the others. Let me take your Midnight Sigh friends as an example. Saria does it by choice, but understands that she's an exception. Dezra was thrown out on the street by her former husband and had no other way of surviving. Kelsie is the eldest of five children, her father bedridden since a serious accident, and she works to send them the money they need to survive. And even Neela was sold in her youth by her own parents to settle debts."
Bell wanted to say something, but no sound left his throat. Deep down, he already knew some of this, he had simply refused to face reality.
"As for Haruhime... it may seem paradoxical, but being a slave is precisely what protects her."
"How can you say that goddess? How can being a slave protect anyone?" he protested. But Ishtar replied calmly.
"Haruhime is a renard, a rare species reputed to have special magical abilities. She is a young, beautiful woman, but also naive and weak. In short, she's easy prey. If I freed her tomorrow and gave her back her freedom. How long do you think she could last on her own before falling victim to people with really bad intentions? It's perhaps paradoxical, but as long as she's my slave, that status protects her, as few would dare attack my... possession."
"Goddess, I..."
Ishtar rose and came to sit beside him.
"Your reaction doesn't surprise me Bell. You are good and generous by nature. Sometimes I think you really are too pure for this world." She said as she reached up to gently stroke his cheek.
"Goddess..."
"I know all this must be hard to accept, but... as far as Haruhime is concerned, for the moment, you have to trust me. Please..."
There was a long silence. Bell was pensive and wasn't sure what to believe. All this was turning his notions of right and wrong completely upside down. However, he had always trusted Ishtar up to this point and saw no reason not to continue.
"Very well goddess, I trust you."
"Thank you. It means a lot to me, much more than you know."
And to back up her words, she placed a kiss on the boy's cheek, and he began to blush. He was still far too cute for Ishtar not to continue teasing him a little.
Finally, Bell returned to the Astral Mansion. The situation became a little awkward and the pretty fox decided to slip away after stammering some vague apologies. The boy wanted to follow her, but something inside him stopped him. In fact, he had no idea how to handle the situation. Lili came to apologise, because she had guessed but had said nothing. But Bell understood her reasons and forgave her. Even if he had trouble with the idea, for the moment he trusted his goddess.
So life resumed its course and he returned to the assault on the Dungeon in the company of the pallum and their blacksmith friend, far from suspecting what Ishtar was up to.
That evening, the Midnight Sigh was exceptionally closed. Or rather, it had been privatised. All for a special client, a VIP to whom the whole place was dedicated for the evening.
This VIP client was a woman with androgynous features, red hair and a thwarted lung capacity. Or rather... a goddess.
Indeed, it was Loki who was currently occupying the most luxurious lounge in the place, seated on an expensive sofa, with Saria glued to her right and Kelsie, equally glued to her left, serving her a glass of wine, top-quality soma.
The trickster had received an invitation a few days earlier. Officially, it was to thank the goddess, whose children had so generously come to the aid of Bell's group on the eighteenth floor.
"Well, Ishtar sure knows how to thank!" said Loki with a big smile and a cheerful voice.
"We're all very grateful for your generosity towards the Delebat. Then said Neela, who was supervising the performance, standing in front of their guest, still wearing her fan. "I dare to hope that our hospitality is to your liking."
"Don't worry, it's more than adequate!" replied the androgynous goddess. "Especially with such pretty girls to look after me!
"I'm glad you're enjoying this reception, especially as it was just an appetiser to tide you over."
"Oh? Now I'm curious."
"You are a distinguished guest, dear goddess. We can only offer you the best. In this case, tonight, our best courtesan will take care of you."
"Oooooh! The best? I demand to see."
"Right away, goddess."
With that, Neela folded her fan and waved her hand. Immediately, Saria and Kelsie stood up and silently greeted the goddess before retiring, followed by Neela, who bowed before closing the door.
Immediately afterwards, a figure gently emerged from the veil that concealed another entrance to the room.
A woman of great beauty, with tanned skin, covered in an outfit made up of numerous translucent veils.
"Aaaaah... of course... the best of all courtesans..." said the trickster with an amused air as Ishtar revealed herself to her.
Without a word, the tanned goddess approached her guest, who was slumped on the sofa, and climbed on top of her so that she was sitting astride her lap, facing her.
"Nothing pleases me more than such a royal treat, but something tells me there's a good reason for our meeting."
Loki often played the fool, but it was only a façade, because behind it lay an observant goddess, with a sharp mind and very manipulative when she wanted to be.
Ishtar said nothing, however, and simply leaned over to press herself lasciviously against her while offering her a few expert caresses. It wasn't until she finally had her mouth close to her ear that she whispered a few words into it.
"Tell me, Loki... Would you like me to sell you the Evilus?"
Immediately, the Trickster's usually inconspicuous eyes opened wide.
"...At an unbeatable price." Ishtar continued in a second whisper before straightening up just as lasciviously.
After her surprise, Loki gave her a completely different expression. This time, she showed her a carnivorous smile.
"You know me better than I thought you did, Ishtar... You know I appreciate it when a pretty woman whispers words of love in my ear... "
As far as the rest of the world was concerned, Loki was simply enjoying an evening in good company... and that was technically the case, because after all, a good cover story had to be as credible as possible.
And so it was that, in the midst of the caresses and kisses, the two goddesses exchanged whispers that had nothing to do with words of love, but established a secret agreement between them...
At the Astral Mansion, the situation had become a little awkward. Haruhime hadn't dared come back for two days and Bell hadn't had the courage to go and see her, feeling horribly stupid and blind. He'd seen absolutely nothing, whereas Lili and Mikoto had guessed straight away.
Lili would have liked to encourage him, but she didn't feel entitled to lecture him, she hadn't lied, but she had hidden the truth all the same. As for Hestia, she was just sighing when she saw the poor boy being so clumsy.
Things changed when a noise was heard outside the Mansion. Specifically, someone's protests.
"Put me down Aisha!" came Haruhime's panicked voice, as Bell stepped out onto the landing to be greeted by a rather unusual sight.
In front of him were Lena and Aisha, who was carrying the pretty foxgirl over her shoulder as if she were a sack of potatoes.
"Wait... what are you doing?" asked Bell, utterly shocked.
"Ah! Bell! You're just in time! We've brought you Haru-haru." Lena began with an amused look on her face.
"I'm sick of listening to her for two days and watching her pacing around because she doesn't know what to say to you." Aisha then added, obviously rather annoyed. "So, here's your present." She said, setting the blonde down in front of the boy. "Now, you talk to each other like adults and sort out your problems."
Which, technically, weren't hers. But that wasn't going to stop Aisha. Even if deep down she was only acting for Haruhime's own good.
"Aisha!" protested Haruhime in the direction of her wholehearted sister.
"On the other side." She replied, pointing at Bell.
The poor boy didn't know where to stand and once again, he was taken by surprise by the crazy behaviour of the two amazoness. And yet, by now, he should be used to it. A long, awkward silence followed, as neither of them seemed to have the courage to look at the other.
While it was very cute in some ways, it quickly became annoying for those watching this strange spectacle.
"Well, make up your mind! We're not spending all day here!" snapped Aisha, whose patience seemed to be wearing thin.
""Sorry!"" said the two in unison.
Once again it was very embarrassing, but it did help to break the deadlock.
"Master Bell... er... I'm sorry I didn't tell you."
"No, it's... my fault. I should have been less naive and figured some things out sooner."
"Then, technically, it's more our fault for not explaining everything to you." Lena then said, butting into the conversation, which earned her several pairs of eyes subtly telling her not to spoil this moment between them. Even if she was right in a way.
"And... I'm sorry for running away from you like that for two days." The blond fox replied.
"In that case, I'm also at fault for not coming to see you."
For her part, Aisha wondered if the two of them were going to keep apologising for long and if she was going to have to get involved again.
"Do you... mind if I come back and do the cooking now and then?"
"Of course not and not just for that, you can come whenever you like Haruhime." Bell replied with his benevolent smile.
In the end, it wasn't that complicated, all they needed was the help of a busybody who liked to put her foot in it.
"Well, that's settled then?" Asked Aisha, the busybody in question.
"Yes... it's fine. Thank you Aisha." Said Haruhime, still a little embarrassed at having been dragged off like a sack of potatoes.
However, just as everyone was about to enter the Astral Mansion, a new voice was heard in the distance.
"Sir Beeeeeeeeeell! Lady Haruhimeeeeeeeee!"
The person calling them was none other than Mikoto, who was coming towards them with a smile on her face. Or rather, she seemed confident.
"Mikoto? Is there a problem?" asked the former Oriental noblewoman.
"Not at all, Lady Haruhime. Quite the contrary, I have some excellent news."
"Really?"
"Yes. I've learned a few things about how the entertainment district works, I've spoken to the others about it and we've come to an agreement."
"What are you talking about Mikoto?"
"About your buy-out! It's possible to buy out a courtesan's contract. So all we have to do is save up and we'll buy your freedom."
Mikoto's statement took everyone by surprise. The only one who reacted differently was Aisha, who seemed to be laughing, but in a mocking way.
"How naive..."
A cynical remark that immediately aroused Mikoto's anger.
"What do you mean? What's the matter with you?"
"You want to buy Haruhime back, that's fine. But then what? How do you intend to protect her?"
"Protect her from what? It's from you that she should be protected!"
"In that case, you haven't understood a thing, least of all Haruhime's value, or how coveted she would be. Do you really think your poor little familia would be able to defend her?"
Mikoto clenched her teeth, but she understood that there was more to the amazoness' words than meets the eye, especially as she had had the opportunity to see her in action and see the gap in power between them. However, she refused to admit it and agree with this self-important bitch.
The worst thing was that both of them were genuinely concerned about the well-being of the renard. A poor fox who didn't know what to do to stop her wholehearted sister and her childhood friend from fighting.
But against all odds, it was Lena who took matters into her own hands to calm things down.
"Come on, girls, calm down." The cheerful amazoness interposed herself between them before turning to the samurai. "In any case, this project seems difficult to achieve."
"What do you mean, Lena?"
"Well, buying out Haru-haru's contract isn't a bad idea in itself, only... How much savings do you have?"
The amazoness then approached Mikoto and whispered a few words in her ear.
"HOW MUCH?" cried the young woman in amazement before turning pale and starting to count with her fingers.
What kind of crazy sum was that? How many zeros were there in fact? Was there one too many by any chance?
But on the other hand, she would find it insulting if someone didn't pay such a high rate for a woman like Haruhime. The Sanjou may have lost prestige and power, but they were still a clan of the kuge, the high imperial nobility. And even fallen, Haruhime was originally a lady of very high rank. It would have been inconceivable for her to have been accorded less value.
So it was with sadness that Mikoto had to abandon her plan, her familia's meagre savings being in the end a drop in the ocean compared to the price of the foxgirl.
Far from these rather light-hearted considerations, the goddess of the familia was on her way to an appointment she had put off for far too long. Dressed in a cream-coloured cloak, the goddess was making her way through the city's underground passageways, forgotten by all but a few, and not necessarily the most reputable.
The goddess was accompanied by two amazoness, silently dressed in the same way. A symbolic escort, who would be of little use to her in the event of problems, but women whose silence she could easily ensure.
Ishtar arrived at a massive door. She pulled a spherical object out of her sleeve, looking like an eye with a huge D engraved on it. Reacting to the artefact, the door opened and the goddess was able to continue on her way.
She walked for a long time until she reached a large room, where she was greeted by a group of people dressed in white.
"Lady Ishtar, we have been waiting for you impatiently."
"Yes, yes, glory to darkness, yada yada..." she replied to them with a dismissive wave of her hand.
"Well, well..." said a man dressed in black. "You're getting cynical, my dear Ishtar."
"Thanatos."
"I'd remind you that you're the one who's been making us wait for days."
"Complain to Kali." She said, not at all ashamed of blaming the slaughtering brat.
"Are you talking about the one you abandoned to her fate?" said a woman with an evil smile as she stepped out of the shadows. Valletta seemed very suspicious of Ishtar. Or maybe she was just looking for someone to take out her frustration on.
"Lizards will cut off their tails to escape predators, Kali had become a burden, I simply got rid of her."
"Yeah, just like us, we can get rid of you and your familia if you become a nuisance." Said the woman as she approached the goddess with a threatening tone and gait. However, this was by no means enough to unnerve Ishtar, who had cast off her mantle.
"I think you're terribly nervous, my dear Villetta. Are you stressed these days?" said the goddess, placing a hand on the dark warrior's face. She couldn't stop it, as if her body was blocked. "It's not good to accumulate so much stress, you know...".
As she spoke, Ishtar kept her hand on Valletta's cheek and moved forward, forcing her back until her back hit the nearest wall and she could no longer escape the goddess.
"But perhaps I can help you a little, my dear..." said the goddess as she began to caress her and give her various sensual attentions... all without a care in the world for the spectators whose attention was caught by this most improbable spectacle.
Thanatos topped the list, his eyes wide open and fixed on the two women. The god of death emptied his glass of wine in a single gulp and stretched his arm back to be immediately refilled by one of his servants while he kept his head turned towards the action.
And he wasn't the only one, especially with Valletta's little moans, sometimes squealing like an innocent maiden. Deep down, many were surprised. The terrible warrior had never given the impression of being interested in the matter. Some even had fun saying, in the greatest secrecy, that she must be a slaughtersexual, since only a good bloodbath seemed to allow her to enjoy herself.
"OK, that's enough fan-service for today." The goddess said and peeled herself away from the dark warrior. She fell to her knees, cheeks flushed and breathless. Her body seemed to be on fire and she showed every sign of being very aroused.
"Thanatos, you're drooling, behave yourself in front of your followers!"
The god of death snapped back to reality with difficulty. To his credit, the improbability of the spectacle before him perfectly justified his state.
"The demi-spirit Thanatos. I'm supposed to finish training him."
"Er... yes! That's right! Have Ishtar led to the beast."
The goddess retrieved her mantle before following one of the fanatics in white. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Villetta, who seemed to be struggling to recover from her emotions.
Nobody here had any idea that she had just planted a seed that would soon bear interesting fruit.
Two members of the Evilus therefore led Ishtar to a heavy door behind which growls could be heard.
"Open up, then leave me alone."
"Er... madam, that's not what..."
"You want me to train your freak show, don't you? So get lost and let the artist do its work." She said as she reached up to put a hand on each of their cheeks, subtly pouring out her power.
"Yes, as you wish, madam..."
The two men complied and left the goddess alone. On the other side of the door, waiting for her was a monstrosity like no other: a gigantic taurine body with a humanoid torso grafted onto it. The monstrous creature charged towards the goddess...
"Down!" the goddess said simply, gazing into the demi-spirit's eyes.
...then stopped halfway before kneeling before Ishtar as the humanoid torso leaned towards her. The goddess then took the creature's face in her hands and let her power pour out fully.
"Well, my little monster, you and I have a lot of work to do..."
None of her familia would ever know what she had done that day...
And without anyone knowing, life went on above ground, and two more days passed.
That morning, when Bell went to the Hostess of Fertility to receive his meal from Syr, he noticed that Ryuu wasn't there, to which the fake human explained that Ryuu had mysteriously disappeared, which worried the other waitresses as much as it annoyed them, given that they had to take on her share of the work. Bell promised to keep an eye out for her in case he saw her and set off for the Dungeon.
When evening came, he was surprised to see Ishtar arrive, dressed in the large hooded cloak she used to go out in town. Something she didn't do when she just came to the Astral Mansion. The young man understood immediately that she was going to drag him into town without asking his opinion.
However, when he understood why, he didn't regret it, not to mention the fact that they weren't alone. Lili was there too, of course, as was Hestia, delighted to be out of her maid uniform. Haruhime, who had come to make dinner, had followed them, as had Aisha and Lena, who had been sticking to the fox a lot lately. And finally, Welf was there too, as he'd stayed for dinner with his friends, so naturally he'd been invited.
"So Bell, what do you think of the Holy Moon Festival?" asked the goddess.
"I wasn't expecting it at all." replied the young man.
"It's true that this is your first year in town, Master Bell, which means you're still discovering all this." Lili said cheerfully.
"Crazy as it sounds, I'm discovering things too." Said the hooded goddess.
"You too, goddess?" asked Bell in surprise.
"For too long I've had the bad habit of staying too much in my own domain. But I intend to correct that mistake from now on. Besides, the various festivals will give us the opportunity to go out together."
"Yes, I'd love to go to more festivals with you."
"By the way, seeing as you've been down recently, this must be a new thing for you too Hestia."
"Yes, I admit I wasn't expecting that." replied the generously endowed little goddess.
The small group then enjoyed the festivities, feasting at the food stalls, admiring the trinkets and other jewellery sold on the merchants' stalls, until they approached a small square where there was a stage on which someone they knew well was haranguing the crowd.
"Come forward, brave adventurers! Come and try to prove your worth!"
"What's all this?" wondered Hestia aloud.
"Probably the latest fantasy to pass through Hermes' twisted mind." Ishtar replied with a sigh as the wandering god continued his act.
"Ais, we should give it a try!" said a voice not far from them.
The group turned their heads and saw a blonde human woman who was well known in town, accompanied by a young elf who was also quite famous. The two women notified the group at the same time.
"Miss Ais!" said Bell, a little surprised to run into her.
"Bell..." said the beautiful blonde simply, blushing slightly, no doubt because of what Mini Lewd Ais was whispering to her in the depths of her mind.
"Bell Cranel!" shouted Lefiya.
"The crazy fairy!" the young man instinctively replied, much to the elf's displeasure.
"Stop calling me that!"
Unfortunately for both of them, Ishtar intended to step in and tease them a little.
"Oh? You and Thousand Elfs are already down to the nickname ?"
"Wha... not at all!"
"I-I-I have no relationship with that human!" defended Lefiya, her cheeks on fire.
"Hmmm... yet your clothes were torn that time and you didn't mind." Said Ais, like the good airhead she was.
"Ooooooh? Torn clothes, so your relationship is that far advanced?"
"Don't twist everything goddess, there were circumstances! It was that monster's fault, he was spitting acid and it dissolved some of our clothes."
"Of course Bell, so it would be the fault of a mysterious unknown monster spitting an acid which, as luck would have it, only dissolved the clothes." Ishtar said with a teasing smile.
"You're distorting everything!" protested the boy.
"All right, all right, I'll stop teasing you. Besides, if I go on like this, your elf friend might give us a fainting spell." She pointed at Lefiya, red up to the point of her ears. "And otherwise, Miss Wallenstein, how did you find your course at the Glycine House?" Ishtar asked, switching victims.
The blonde did not reply, but began to blush heavily in her turn.
"Don't get me wrong, this is a brand new service we're offering and I'd be curious to get some customer feedback. I hope Selena's work has been to your satisfaction."
Strangely enough, Ais could only mumble a vague "yes..." before grabbing Lefiya by the hand to flee into the crowd, right in front of the rest of the group, not expecting to see the famous Sword Princess, reputed to be so unemotional, flee in this way because she was embarrassed.
"Goddess, why do I have the strange feeling that I'm missing a crucial piece of information here?" asked Bell, somewhat worried, "Goddess, what are you hiding from me?"
But all he got in reply was an amused chuckle from Ishtar as she in turn made her way to the stage where Hermes was doing his act.
"Goddess, answer me! Come back here!"
And so it was that the rest of the group followed the goddess of beauty towards the crowd, unaware of the series of events that were soon to unfold...
Author's notes: I'm not going to lie, the fic is likely to slow down from now on. The fact is that inspiration is a capricious mistress who comes and goes according to her mood.
And at the moment, I'm in a slump. Not to mention that I'm not really in my Danmachi period these days. In fact, I'm more in my RWBY period. And I'm holding back from starting a fic on that so as not to spread myself too thin.
Not to mention that I also have other projects on the go that are taking up a lot of my time. But rest assured, a slower pace doesn't mean giving up, not when so many people seem to enjoy it.