Author's notes: This fic is continuing to progress at a steady pace, and the English version has reached over 300 favs.
A word about the story's structure. I've taken a lot from the canon, but I don't intend to copy everything as faithfully as possible. If you put together the main story, Sword Oratoria, the various side stories and what Memoria Freese adds, it's sometimes hard to find your way around. So, yes, there will be events similar to canon, but the chronology and structure won't be exactly the same.
Some of you may have noticed that in chapter 43 of his fic, Change of Fates, Ventanus gave his Lena the same spell I gave her in chapter 10. That's okay, no one copied from anyone else, I did write the original spell, but since he had a similar idea, he asked me if he could use it for his fic, and I was more than happy to oblige. If you haven't done so, go and read Change of Fates, it's an excellent fic and a superb "What if?".
Chapter 12: To each his own ordeal
Now that the Delebat had a new member, its activities were expanding, with excursions into the Dungeon bringing in much more, both financially and in the experience gained by Bell and Lili.
As for the pallum, she seemed happy at last, freed from a weight that had haunted her for years. Her only real worry was that, after years of dealing with an indifferent god, she now had to learn to put up with an eccentric goddess.
Ishtar didn't visit often, as her work was so demanding, but when she did, the surroundings were never silent for long. And that was without counting the bizarre requests she made, like the one Lili was currently having to deal with.
"Are you serious lady Ishtar?"
"Totally!"
"Lili's not sure this is a good idea..."
"Do it! Your goddess's orders." Ishtar gave her a big, amused smile as the pallum set to work.
Hestia wasn't sure how to look at her life these days. Her plans had been shattered, and she found herself working as a maid in the last place she'd ever imagined. Although it was true that she couldn't complain too much about her treatment. Bell was a nice guy after all, and Ishtar was just a little eccentric. In fact, she had a front-row seat to observe just how much the goddess of beauty had changed.
She was quietly sweeping the hall of the Astral Mansion when she saw Bell hurry past her, seemingly running away from Ishtar's latest whim. The little goddess only sighed; she was getting used to this kind of nonsense.
Then, coming from the same direction, she saw... Bell running away... again?
The little goddess rubbed her eyes, unsure of what she'd seen, before opening them wide in surprise to see two Bells, each as terrified as the other. Then came Ishtar, clearly amused, who caught up with the two Bells to give them a big hug.
"This magic is absolutely amazing! Two Bells for the price of one! It opens up so many possibilities..." she quipped with a silly, particularly disturbing chuckle. No one really wanted to know exactly what kind of idea she had in mind.
Fearing that she might find herself experimenting with things for which she was totally unprepared, Lili canceled her magic and one of the two Bells disappeared to make way for the pallum.
"Lili!" began a panicked Bell. "As leader of the Delebat, I forbid you from now on to use this magic to take on my appearance!"
" No problem Master Bell!" replied an equally panicked Lili.
"Not funny, you could at least ask your goddess for her opinion."
All she got in reply were two pairs of big eyes and two pouty faces.
For her part, Hestia heaved an umpteenth sigh, another ordinary day at the Astral Mansion.
With Ishtar's morning nonsense behind them, the duo decided first to stock up on potions before returning to the Dungeon. Since discovering the Blue Pharmacy, Bell had become a regular customer. The Delebat's finances didn't allow him to go anywhere else for the time being. Miach was a good god, who often offered Bell a few potions, and Naaza was quite friendly to him.
Bell took the opportunity to introduce Lili to the two pharmacists, and Naaza immediately sensed that the pallum must be the kind of person who can't be fooled easely, but seeing as she seemed to be simply following Bell, the chienthrope was going to try her luck anyway.
"Bell, could you... could you complete a quest for us?"
"A quest?"
"Yes. We're developing a new potion, but we're missing a few ingredients."
"You should be careful, Master Bell," Lili said.
"Why?"
" Usually, there are two types of quest given to adventurers. Those that go through the Guild and are certified by it, so they're in order, and those that have no intermediary, generally, these are often shady."
"It's not shady!" Naaza protested. "Our familia is poor, so we'd like to avoid paying the Guild commission."
"How do you expect to pay us for this quest if you're broke?"
Naaza gritted her teeth as she realized that this pallum girl was tough on business. And Lili took her duty to protect Bell from dubious people very seriously.
"It's true we don't have much in the way of funds, but we'll pay in potions."
"You look like an adventuress, can't you handle it?"
A shadow passed over the chienhrope's eyes, as her old demons resurfaced. Miach then took over with his usual smile.
"Our familia has its... circumstances. That's why we need you."
"Okay, we'll help you." Bell replied with a friendly smile.
"Master Bell!"
"It's okay Lili, I know them, I trust them."
The prum heaved a sigh, suspecting it was pointless to argue.
"All right, what do you need?"
"To begin with, powder from the wings of the Blue Papilio."
"It's a rare monster, but it lives on the upper floors, so Lili has an idea on how to make Master Bell."
"Really? That's perfect then."
"What's next?"
"Another ingredient, but one that requires getting out of town."
"We'll go with you for that. Don't worry, I'll take care of the formalities and let Ishtar know," Miach said.
"All right, then, we'll start with the Blue Papillo today. Does that suit you Master Bell?"
"Yes Lili, let's do it that way."
So Bell and Lili finished their purchases and set off for the Dungeon, with a very specific mission for the day.
Fortunately for Bell, Lili actually had an idea of how to go about getting what they needed. The pallum guided them to the seventh floor, in a little-frequented area. Bell, far less experienced than her, didn't quite understand what she was doing.
"Can I know where we're going Lili?"
"You'll see Master Bell, trust Lili."
Although curious, he decided to defer to her, after all, she had no reason to trick him now. So it was with the same curiosity that he saw her take a large cloth out of her bag.
"Lili?"
"Come closer, Master Bell, we'll use this to conceal ourselves."
So the young man complied and approached Lili, who covered them with the cloth, which concealed them from the monsters' eyes.
"Now, Master Bell, walk softly, make as little noise as possible and keep close to Lili," the girl whispered.
So they set off, Bell feeling uncomfortable, due to the fact that Lili was sticking particularly close to him. So close, in fact, that despite the layers of clothing and armor, he felt as if he could feel her form, not to mention that with their slight difference in height, he could practically smell her hair. Naturally, this brought to mind images of a certain evening, with a much less clothed and more aggressive Lili.
Damn teenage hormones...
"Li... Lili. Maybe you don't have to stick to me so much..." whispered the boy. "I thought we said we'd keep it professional in the Dungeon." he tried to argue.
"Lili is professional Master Bell, but the bag is taking up space, so stick close to me."
Lili wasn't lying... not entirely, anyway. Her bag was indeed taking up quite a bit of space, but there was still a certain willingness to stick close to it. She had indeed promised to remain professional in the Dungeon, but given the circumstances, she could well afford a slight departure.
Especially as Lili was terribly frustrated. Hestia had interrupted them at the worst possible moment and broken everything she'd set up. The surprise effect would now be lost, especially as the pallum was convinced that she would have succeeded in getting Bell to give her a magnificent night of love. It didn't matter that they were both beginners, it was the fact of being able to offer herself to him that mattered, not the quality of the performance.
And out of this frustration came the desire to stick to him in a deliberately ambiguous way, in order to do everything possible to maintain some form of desire for her, even if unconsciously.
They finally arrived at their destination. Bell was impressed by the enchanting scenery before him. A hall with a magnificent quartz pillar, itself at the center of a pool of pure water, surrounded by lush vegetation. The place could have been enchanting, were it not for the dozens of monsters that came and went, making it a deadly zone.
"Where are we, Lili?"
"The seventh-floor pantry, this is where the Dungeon gives the monsters in the area what they need to feed."
"Doesn't anyone ever come here to hunt monsters?"
"No, it's dangerous. For one thing, this area is a long way from frequented roads, but since it attracts monsters of many levels, starting a fight here means taking the risk of being surrounded and overwhelmed."
"I see."
Indeed, it all made sense, this area was a sanctuary for monsters, adventurers had no business here.
"In that case, why are we here, Lili?"
"It's simple, rather than searching everywhere for our papilios, the easiest thing is to wait for a group to come and feed, then follow them discreetly to ambush them in a safe place."
"I understand, that's clever, well done Lili."
The pallum replied with a simple smile, and so the two adventurers moved into position to survey the area, still glued tightly together naturally. Blue papilios being rare, they had to wait a long time for a group to arrive. Bell took their arrival as a relief; staying another hour with Lili so close to him would have driven him mad.
So they discreetly followed the group of monsters as they left, and once they were far enough away and in the right place, Bell suddenly emerged and took care of them. These were rare monsters, but quite weak, so he had no trouble dealing with them.
"Do we have what we need, Lili?"
"Yes, Master Bell, we have more than enough."
"In that case, let's go home, it'll be enough for today."
Once back at Miach's, Naaza confirmed that this was indeed what she was looking for. Lili tried to negotiate part of the payment, but the chienhrope wouldn't let her and argued that there was still the other part of the quest. Bell simply calmed things down and decided to head home, to get ready for the next day.
While the two Delebat members would have a quiet evening, this would not be the case for a certain cat people, who were in for a huge surprise. That evening, at the Hostess of fertility, a very special figure had just taken up residence at the bar.
It was Chloé who first spotted the person in question and quickly gathered the other waitresses.
"Girls, I think we've got a big problem."
"What kind of problem?" asked Lunoire.
"I think you'd better see this?"
The group of young women then discreetly observed the room from a quiet corner, and all were quite surprised by what they saw. But the one who was most surprised of all was undoubtedly Anya.
"Nya? What's he doing here?" she asked with surprise, and rightly so, for the person seated at the bar was no more and no less than Allen, her brother. With whom she'd been on the outs for years.
"Uh... what are we doing now?" Anya asked.
"You should go and see what he wants. He's your brother after all."
"Who's been refusing to talk to me for years!"
"Who knows? He's never been here, take your chances."
"Easy for you to say."
Finally, Anya found the courage to go, deciding to approach him as a waitress.
"What... what can I get you, dear customer?" she asked, her voice trembling. Slowly, he turned his face towards her and the young woman could see that her brother had rather frightening dark circles under his eyes.
"Anya..."
"Er... Yes?"
Suddenly, the cat man stood up and grabbed his sister by the shoulders.
"Nya?" she gasped in surprise.
"It's this place Anya! This... this woman!"
"What woman are you talking about?"
The poor young woman understood nothing of her brother's confused words. Surely he wasn't talking about Freya, it was beyond comprehension.
"She's done things to me! And she made me do things!"
"What kind of things?"
Her brother's only reaction was to be gripped by tremors as the fur on his tail and ears suddenly bristled.
"I don't want to talk about it."
Completely lost, the young woman discreetly turned her gaze in the direction of the other waitresses who were watching the scene discreetly, ready to intervene. Then she noticed Syr waving at her. She seemed to be telling her to... give him a hug? And she seemed to be insisting.
But she couldn't deny that Syr was often good advice, so she chose to trust him.
"I... It's all right big brother, I'm here." she told him warmly, before taking him in her arms and discovering to her surprise that he was returning her embrace.
Okay, this was all getting really weird. She'd been secretly dreaming of making peace with him and fixing their relationship for a long time, but she hadn't expected it to happen like this or so suddenly.
For Freya, who was observing the scene as Syr, the situation was different. On the one hand, she was terribly amused. There was a guilty pleasure in seeing Allen struggling like this. But on the other hand, she had to admit that he hadn't made any progress at all with his investigation and seemed to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown, especially if he had reached the point of seeking comfort from his sister. Even the goddess hadn't seen that coming.
Perhaps it would be a good idea to give him some time off and go through someone else.
The next day, Bell and Lili joined Miach and Naaza, as agreed. But Hestia had also joined them. When she learned that the Delebat was going out of town on a quest, Ishtar had no difficulty in obtaining the necessary authorizations. Amused, she was even tempted to accompany them, but that was before Tammuz and Samira protested, reminding her that she had a lot of work to do.
Dismayed, she asked Hestia to keep an eye on them. The little goddess protested a little, but Ishtar insisted, telling her that after so much time alternating between staying cooped up doing chores and her fruitless search for a familia, getting out of town would do her a world of good.
So Hestia went, grumbling a little for form's sake. She'd even dug her white dress out of the closet and admitted that it would be nice to spend some time with Miach, whom she considered an old friend.
So the little group set off on a trek of several hours, in order to reach Naaza's desired destination. The two deusdeas took the opportunity to strike up a conversation.
"I'm delighted you're joining us, Hestia. It's been a long time since we've seen each other. Is everything all right at home? Ishtar not giving you a hard time?"
"No, I must admit I wasn't expecting that. My only big worry is the current monotony, my life is pretty mundane."
"It's still better than your old situation, which was... somewhat unstable."
"Certainly, although now I have to start dealing with other problems."
"What kind of problems?"
"Preventing those little perverts from making lewd things in the house!" she said, raising an accusatory finger in the direction of Bell and Lili, which made Miach laugh.
"Come on Hestia, don't say that, they're perfectly healthy young people, what's the wonder they have urges? Let them have their lives."
"But...but, that's indecent!"
"No, Hestia, it's just life. As long as they're consenting and paying attention to their hygiene, I don't see where the problem lies."
"I never thought you'd be so lewd Miach."
"There's nothing lewd about it. Besides, I'd remind you that you're only three virgin deities. Each for a different reason. I never claimed to be a chaste god."
"Which probably explains why you seduce all the women in the neighborhood." Naaza then added, coming to intrude on the conversation.
"Naaza! I'm not trying to seduce the whole neighborhood. I've already explained to you that it's a misunderstanding."
"Oh? Really?"
While the two were sorting out their marital problems, Hestia remained pensive. It was true that recently, her new life had given her a lot to think about. Working for Ishtar, talking with her, discovering new points of view. In the heavens, Hestia was more the type to procrastinate in her temple with minimal social interaction. The fact that the Tenkai had been quiet for a thousand years hadn't helped matters, which had finally prompted her to descend into the Gekai as well.
Come to think of it, Hestia was beginning to wonder whether her status as a virgin goddess was simply the result of her own social inabilities. There were three virgin goddesses and she didn't feel at all similar to the other two. Artemis was a virgin, simply because chastity was one of her divine attributes, it was in her nature... or maybe it was because she didn't understand anything about love.
And it was even different for Athena, who was a misandrist with a fierce hatred of men in general. Perhaps she should listen to the advice she was given and let mortals live their lives, even if it meant taking it out on herself.
But all this little world was brought out of its thoughts or conversation when Lili cleared her throat to attract attention.
"This is all very interesting, but Lili would rather know where we're going and why."
"To a nest of monsters in the forest. Once there, I'll need you to create a diversion so I can collect an egg."
"The monsters outside are weaker than those in the Dungeon, and you're level 2. I don't see why you need us." Lili asked, still wary. This was what had prompted her to investigate quickly and find out Naaza's level. Miach then tried to answer.
"That's not the point Lili, we have our own circumstances and..."
He was interrupted by Naaza, who gave him a small smile.
"It's all right, Master Miach. Lili is right to be suspicious, I'll explain it to her." She said before turning her gaze to the pallum. "I'm level 2, it's true, but... I'm incapable of facing a monster. There was a time when our familia had more members... and was less poor. Unfortunately, an expedition to the Dungeon ended in disaster. I fell unconscious and when I awoke... the monsters had begun to eat me alive."
The chienhrope's voice wavered, her body trembled slightly and her ears stuck to her head. The memory still seemed vivid, as did the fear it had engendered.
"I made it out alive and most of my wounds have healed. Except for my right arm, which was eaten away and I had to... replace it."
Bell listened silently to Naaza's terrible tale. He then realized that the chienhrope's clothes were indeed cut in a strange way, so that one could never see her right arm. What's more, she always wore a glove on her right hand.
"And ever since... monsters terrify me. No matter which one is in front of me, as soon as they get close, I shake, panic and become unable to act..."
Treating injuries to the body was complicated enough, but injuries to the mind were far more vicious, and here the notion of psychology, post-traumatic stress disorder or the like didn't exist. So nobody knew how to deal with it. People had to learn to cope with their traumas without proper help.
"Lili apologizes for her lack of tact." The pallum said, bowing politely.
"It's okay, Lili, you didn't know. I can't blame you for being careful. But I really need your help. I'd do it alone if I could, but I don't."
"Don't worry Naaza, I'm not going to let you down, especially after all you and Lord Miach have done for me."
"Thank you Bell." She replied with one of her rare smiles.
For her part, Hestia had listened without a word. She felt sorry for the girl and was discovering even more why Bell was so well liked. The boy was generous by nature and pure of heart.
That he could remain so while being a child of Ishtar seemed impossible to her, yet the facts pointed to this reality.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH !"
This panicked cry came from Bell, pursued by a gigantic lizard with scales as red as blood.
"That wasn't at all what we said!" snapped the youngster, trying to escape the jaws of a bloodsaurus.
"Cheer up Bell! Naaza's almost finished!" said Miach, for his part, safe with Hestia.
"Master Bell, don't panic, you can defeat this monster!" shouted Lili.
"Are you kidding? It's a bloodsaurus!"
At Eina's urging, Bell had done a lot of reading about the Dungeon and the creatures that could be found there. Among the myriad monsters that inhabit the terrible underground, the bloodsaurus was one of the iconic monsters of the lower levels, a beast far too powerful for Bell.
"But it's not from the Dungeon! Trust me, Master Bell, you can do it! Fight!"
Bell wasn't sure what to make of the situation, but he trusted Lili. After all, she had no reason to trap him now. Regaining some of his composure, he realized that the monster still couldn't catch up with him, even though it was supposed to be much more powerful. Concentrating, he realized that he could easily read the beast's movements, just as Lena had taught him.
Bell took a deep breath and drew his weapon. As his mentor had taught him, he observed and analyzed his enemy, then went on the attack. The Bloodsaurus was impressive, but Bell decided to attack its balance. Taking advantage of his mobility, he dodged its jaw and aimed for the tendons of its legs. The monster let out a cry of pain as the Astral Dagger sliced through its flesh before falling to the ground. Bell then leapt onto its body and plunged his blade into the beast's neck, causing it to let out a long, agonized cry before disappearing into the dust.
Falling back to the ground, the young man breathed heavily, still in shock from what he'd just done, as Lili joined him.
"The monsters living outside are much weaker than those in the Dungeon, Master Bell."
"I didn't know..."
Miach arrived next and, seeing the young man's confused expression, gave him some explanation.
"A long time ago, before we gods descended to the lower world and Babel was built, monsters regularly emerged from the Dungeon and poured out onto the world. Over time, these monsters eventually adapted to new environments and bred. All monsters living outside the Dungeon are the descendants of those who left before the era of the gods. This natural reproduction has weakened them over the generations; their magic stones no longer come from the Dungeon, but are inherited from their parents, and as a result, they are much smaller than those of their Dungeon counterparts."
Lili, who had just picked up the bloodsaurus magic stone, handed it to Bell and the young man could indeed see that it was very small.
"A bloodsaurus from the Dungeon is indeed a fearsome monster from the lower levels, but one from outside is no stronger than a monster from the upper floors and a level 1 with a little experience can overcome it."
"I understand better."
Bell understood just how vast the world was and how inexperienced he was; he still had so much to learn. If we forget the little scare, this expedition was at least intellectually enriching.
"Master Miach, I've got just what we need," said Naaza, arriving with a huge egg in her arms.
"In that case, Lili suggests we get out of here before the rest of the family returns."
Unsurprisingly, the whole group agreed to her suggestion and left without asking for anything.
Once back in town, everyone returned to the Blue Pharmacy. While Miach took the ingredients to work on their new potion, Naaza took the payment to Bell and Lili.
"There you go, twenty potions as agreed."
"Thank you very much Naaza." Bell grinned, feeling well paid. But Lili was far more suspicious.
"Just a moment, Master Bell."
"Lili?"
Without a word, the young pallum grabbed one of the potions and began examining it from every angle, before opening it to drink.
"What are you doing, Lili?"
"It's just as Lili thought. These potions are mixed with water. They're not even half as effective as a normal potion. They've simply had neutral herbs added for taste and coloring."
Naaza gritted her teeth, why did this girl have to be so perceptive? Clearly, she was someone well used to scams.
"These potions aren't even half as valuable as you claim."
"Is that true, Naaza?" Miach then asked, intrigued by the conversation he'd overheard.
"It's your fault Master Miach!" exploded the young woman towards her god, surprising everyone.
"Naaza?"
"You spend your time handing out free potions at every turn, when our finances are going horribly wrong! The ingredients are expensive, if I didn't do this, we'd be out on the street!"
"Look Naaza, I understand, but I'm not sure that..."
"Well, well... is someone trying to rip off my children?" came a voice from the doorway.
"Goddess!" gasped Bell. "What are you doing here?"
"I'd heard you were back in town, and as I had a gap in my schedule, I took the opportunity to come and see how it all went." she said as she approached. Although covered by her cape, she exuded an imposing presence. "And what do I see, Miach? Your child is trying to steal one of mine."
"Ishtar, please, it's all just a horrible misunderstanding," said Miach, trying to calm things down. Provoking Ishtar's anger was the last thing he wanted.
"Calm down my friend, I'm not that angry. I can understand your child, I can see she doesn't have any bad intentions deep down."
As she spoke, the goddess approached the counter, leaning sensuously over it before extending a hand towards Naaza's face. The Chienthrope shivered at this contact as the goddess suddenly brought her face close to whisper something in her ear.
"Bell is a nice boy, if you abuse his naivety one more time, I'll seduce Miach and make love to him in front of you for hours and hours."
Ishtar may have mellowed in contact with Bell, but she was still herself in some ways and would have no hesitation in carrying out her threat. As for poor Naaza, she suddenly turned paler, and understandably so. The goddess had completely guessed her feelings before finding a threat effective enough. The idea of suffering an NTR was enough to set Naaza straight.
"Goddess! What did you say to Naaza?" Bell asked in an accusatory tone, hoping his goddess wouldn't overdo it.
"Women's things Bell." she replied teasingly before returning her attention to the chienhrope. "On the other hand, if you're honest with him in the future, I could instead teach you all of Miach's... weak points." she murmured, making it clear what kind of weakness she was referring to.
The stick in one hand, the carrot in the other, Ishtar knew how to measure the balance between the two.
"You're... tough on business, Lady Ishtar," the chienthrope said simply.
But the conversation could go no further, as a new guest appeared in the establishment. A god-looking man of a mature age, white hair and beard, wearing a long, white and ornate tunic, not to mention the few jewels he had. In short, he reeked of money. At his side was a pretty young woman with long silver hair and amethyst eyes.
The god was smiling, confident, but his attendant seemed rather annoyed to be there.
"Miach, it's payback day, I hope you have enough to pay this month."
"Dian... As a matter of fact, I was just getting things ready."
"I'm surprised you're still getting anywhere with that ramshackle shack."
Naaza was dying to slap him, but she made a superhuman effort to restrain herself. As for Miach, he remained smiling and acted as if the other deity's insults were slipping through his fingers. It was obvious that in his own way, Dian Cecht couldn't care less about the money Miach owed him. A handsome sum, yes, but pocket change compared to what his clinic was bringing in. More important was the pleasure he derived from humiliating his old rival while holding his head in the ground.
"Would you please wait your turn, Dian." Ishtar said in an icy voice.
"Who dares... Ishtar? Oh, it's so good to see you, my dear."
He hadn't seen her at first, as she was hiding her body and presence, but as soon as he saw her, he became much more sympathetic towards her.
"Forget the formalities, Dian Cecht, I was discussing business with Miach before you disturbed me with that rude and unwelcome interruption."
"Come on Ishtar, don't take it like that, I..."
"I just told you you were disturbing, so you'll come and do your little loan-shark act again some other time."
Seriously, what was with this doctor acting like a mobster?
"Ishtar! I won't allow you to..."
"If you wish to continue, so be it, I would then be obliged to demand triple the usual sum from your children when they come to enjoy themselves in the entertainment district."
She herself could be very good at the loan shark's little game.
"M-My children are honorable people, they certainly don't go to..."
He was then interrupted by a burst of laughter from the goddess, amused at the other deusdea's reaction.
"Oh yes, they do! More than you think. With all the horror healers can see, I guarantee they need to relax."
Dian Cecht's clinic mainly specialized in treatments for Dungeon adventurers. They saw far more traumatology than everyday boo-boos. And many adventurers often came back from the Dungeon in pieces, with all that included hectoliters of blood, missing limbs, exposed guts and so on. In short, Dian Cecht's children too needed to forget the horrors they saw from time to time.
"Don't be so surprised Dian, they're mortals, they have desires, just like everyone else and sometimes that can come as a surprise. By the way, did you know that your dear Dea Saint's greatest fantasy..."
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! Let's go! We'll be back later!" said Airmid, pushing her god towards the exit, as Ishtar looked on in amusement and the rest of the assembly in shock.
"...is totally unknown to me, as this is the first time I've met her." Said the goddess, proud of her little bluff. "But given her reaction, I'd be very curious to dig into the subject."
There followed a long silence, which was suddenly broken by Miach, who began to laugh out loud, as Naaza, unaccustomed to seeing him react like this, looked on in surprise.
"Ishtar, I'll never thank you for such a spectacle."
"At your service, my dear." Replied the goddess with a knowing smile.
Although Miach didn't show it and remained smiling, the pressure Dian Cecht put on him was sometimes very tiring. Seeing him put off in this way was a real emotional release for the god of medicine.
"If you want to get rid of it, we can work something out. I can always use good doctors in the entertainment district. If you agree to do consultations for my employees free of charge, I'm willing to get rid of the debt to this pretentious moron."
"Your offer is interesting, but I'll have to decline. I chose this debt, so I must assume it to the end. On the other hand, if you pay me my fee, I'd be delighted to do consultations in your brothels."
"That way, you'll be able to spend plenty of time with pretty courtesans." Naaza said jealously, nipping at his ribs.
"Naaza! I promise you, as a doctor, I'm always very professional!"
Ishtar was amused by this spectacle, despite what she had done, she liked Naaza, there was something pure and adorable about her. However, she hadn't taken the easy way out by falling in love with a god, but she respected that.
"It will be a pleasure my dear Miach, provided your child doesn't try to deceive Bell again."
"I promise Ishtar, it won't happen again."
"I know Miach, I trust you on that."
After all that, the whole gang left, leaving Naaza and Miach alone, who had suddenly become pensive.
"Really, you've changed Ishtar..."
That evening, someone new was coming to the entertainment district. Freya had always intended to have Bell spied on, only Allen hadn't yielded the expected results, and worse still, his nervous state had become worrying... so much so that he'd even gone to see his sister. A first sign of the end of the world, according to Hogni.
And since the latter had made the most comments, he was asked to take over from the cat in this delicate undertaking. So here's how the former dark elf king found himself in front of the Midnight Sigh, having to carry out the mission once entrusted to Allen.
"Hmpf! What a loser this Allen is, all mouth, but incapable of accomplishing such an elementary mission. Look, Goddess, I'm going to handle this mission perfectly."
Except that his social anxiety had gotten the better of him as soon as he'd set foot in the entertainment district, as he'd been lured by the flappers of various establishments. As a result, he was forced to call upon his magic, Dáinsleif, to summon the courage to enter the premises.
Gone was the shy Hogni, replaced by the knight of darkness, who entered the brothel with a proud, confident stride. So much so that anyone could have recognized him, which they did.
With her face still half-concealed behind her fan, Neela saw a most unusual customer enter. After the Vana Freya, the Dáinsleif? Something strange was definitely going on. But she'd managed to deal with the first, so she already had an idea about the second. So the pallum approached with her sensual, mysterious gait before addressing him.
"Welcome to the Midnight Sigh dear visitor. I don't think I've had the pleasure of seeing you here before?"
"That's right, and I wish to spend the night with gentle company worthy of my presence." The only big flaw in his spell being that in this state, he was overdoing it.
"I see. In that case, dear guest, I've got just the one you need. Saria!" she clapped her hands. A beautiful elf with long white hair quickly appeared. A woman of great beauty, like a fairy emerging from the forest.
"This is Saria, dear guest. I guarantee she'll meet all your expectations."
"She'll be perfect!"
And in more ways than one, in Hogni's eyes. This girl was an elf, no doubt some poor victim of life who had ended up there against her will. She must have hated the slightest physical contact, so it wouldn't be hard for him to get the peace to start doing some surveillance, while taking on his cool, mysterious look.
"Very well, then. Saria, the Midnight Ecstasy room is free. I'm counting on you to show our guest... the full extent of your abilities." Said the pallum with a mysterious smile in the direction of the elven courtesan.
"With pleasure." She replied with the same mysterious smile.
Hogni, unaware of what lay ahead, climbed in with the courtesan. Once they were alone in the room where he'd hoped to set up his surveillance, he suddenly found himself on the floor, the beautiful elf on all fours above him. How had this girl managed to knock him over? Him, a level 6?
But that wasn't what was worrying him at the moment. Rather, he was worried by the way she was looking at him. There was a worrying gleam in her eye. Between that and the way she'd just licked her lips, he suddenly felt like a piece of meat in front of a predator.
The shock was such that he couldn't even keep his magic active and so found himself totally at the mercy of the snowy-haired elf.
"Now that I think about it, it's going to be the first time I've done it with a dark elf." She said with amusement before going on the attack.
For her part, Neela couldn't contain her small smile of satisfaction. Saria was exactly what she needed to catch another elf off guard.
Unlike all her kind, Saria had no fear of physical contact. In fact, she was a veritable nymphomaniac, with an extremely voracious sexual appetite. And it didn't stop there, she had another peculiarity.
When people were asked how they pictured Ishtar's children, the first thing that came to mind was naturally the berberas, the fighting courtesans, the real showcase of the familia. Soon, they would also see the Delebat, but the familia didn't stop there.
The rest of the people working in the entertainment district could be divided into two categories: simple employees without a blessing, under contract with the familia, and those who were an integral part of the familia and therefore owned a falna. This was the case for all the girls at the Midnight Sigh.
Of course, everyone was level 1, with little or no fighting ability, and status updates were very random. But occasionally, some people could develop skills, albeit rarely related to combat.
Such was the case with Saria the elf. Level 1 and with a very special skill, Midnight's Lover. Simply put, she could regenerate her stamina at an insane rate as long as she was in a... horizontal combat situation, and it only worked from sunset to sunrise.
In short, a nymphomaniac with an insatiable appetite and unlimited stamina as long as it was night. In a way, a real monster. Quite often, Neela had to keep an eye on her to channel her and prevent her from exhausting the customers, otherwise she tended to scare them off. But not tonight, as the pallum had given her the signal that she could let loose without restraint and even encouraged her to do so.
In short, Hogni technically had a very pleasant, but exhausting night.
The next morning, when he finally managed to emerge from the premises, he had a slow gait, looked exhausted and a little dehydrated, and with his hollow cheeks, looked as if he'd lost about ten kilos.
"Darkness... this place is filled with darkness..."
"Freya is spying on us?"
"It would seem so, my goddess."
The very next day, Neela was off to Belit Babili to report back to Ishtar. If Vana Freya's various appearances were shady enough, there was still a chance he'd simply become attached to Dezra. But with a second executive of Freya's familia, there wasn't much doubt."
"First the Vana Freya and now the Dáinsleif? Indeed, it's very odd."
"Do you think she knows about... your plans?"
The goddess took a long puff of her kiseru before answering.
"It's hard to say. Even if she doesn't know everything, Freya isn't an idiot. Given the hostility I've always shown towards her, she must suspect that I could be up to something. In the best-case scenario, she might just be keeping an eye on any familias that might prove threatening by their sheer size."
These few sentences from her goddess made Neela realize just how much she had changed. Ishtar had spoken of Freya without hatred, anger or blindness. Instead, she had conducted a cold, rational analysis of the situation.
"I wondered why he'd come to Midnight Sigh, we're a bit out of the way in the neighborhood. Could it be to observe the Delebat? After all, our brothel is the closest to the Astral Mansion."
"It could be a possibility, but I wouldn't see why. True, the Delebat is a branch dedicated to Dungeon exploration, so a purely fighting organization, but Bell and Lili are very far from being a threat to anyone right now. We can't also rule out the possibility that these somewhat showy attempts are also a diversion while real spies are at work elsewhere. We'll have to remain cautious."
"Goddess, do you intend to... continue?"
"You've always disapproved of me, haven't you Neela?"
The pallum said nothing and merely closed her face. No, she had never approved of Ishtar's plans for Freya. She didn't hide it, but neither did she do anything to oppose it, knowing that it was a wasted effort. So she stayed in her unpretentious little brothel, hoping to save those who worked there from the approaching storm.
In a way, she was already paying for this lack of loyalty. Neela was an intelligent, refined woman with a real gift for management and planning. She'd fit right in at Belit Babili, helping to run the administration of the familia and the entertainment district, a position where she'd no doubt do wonders, instead of vegging out at Midnight's Sigh.
"I don't mind, Neela."
This too astonished the pallum; previously, Ishtar would never have accepted the slightest dissension in her ranks, just look at the price Aisha had paid for her rebellion.
"You can go, just let me know if any more of Freya's children show up."
The pallum courtesan said nothing, rising before bowing politely to her goddess and leaving the premises. Ishtar took another whiff of her kiseru and stood alone, pensive for a moment.
Neela was right, all hatred for Freya had disappeared and Ishtar no longer wished to pursue her plans to attack the other goddess. But the problem was that a lot of things had been set in motion and it was time to get rid of it all.
"Well, let's start by sorting things out one at a time." Said the goddess, getting up to go to her desk and write a letter before calling one of her berberas. " Send this letter to Kali, via our auxiliary networks. I demand the utmost discretion, as usual."
"Yes, my goddess." replied the amazoness before withdrawing.
Despite everything, the fact that Ishtar was sending a letter to Kali spread among the Berberas and became a sign of appeasement. All those who had doubts saw in it the will of their goddess to advance their plans. Little did they know the truth, but it was time saved for Ishtar.
The Delebat, for his part, had no idea what was going on behind the scenes. At least, Lili suspected that the familia was hiding its dark side, but didn't want to dig into the subject and get mixed up in it. As for Bell, the worst he had to face were the whims of his goddess, like the one today.
Ishtar, lying, moaning as Bell tended to her.
"Oh yes Bell!... Just... right there!... That's so good!... If you keep that up, I'm gonna..."
"Stop making weird noises!" Replied the young man in panic.
"I can't help it, you're so good..."
"I'm just massaging you!"
Yes, Bell was just massaging her back, what did you expect?
And to understand how they'd gotten there, you'd have to go back half an hour.
"Massages?" Asked the young man, wondering what else had gone through his goddess's head.
"Absolutely. Since you're still very shy around women, I think it would be a good way to gently get you used to touching female bodies."
"Your idea sounds a bit..."
"Come on Bell, it's not that bad, I'll teach you everything and I know you're a quick learner. Take off your top and lie down here, I'll show you how it's done."
Bell sighed, but complied. It was impossible to reason with Ishtar when she had an idea in mind. Shirtless, he lay down and let the goddess get to work.
"Concentrate on my hands, memorize the movements I make."
And the goddess set to work. At first, he was a little surprised, but he soon realized that it relaxed him enormously. Ishtar knew how to do all sorts of things with her hands, and when it came to interacting with another body, her expertise was second to none. It was then that Bell realized that his muscles were completely knotted up from the last few weeks.
This relaxed him so much that he was on the verge of turning into a marshmallow. Okay, he was willing to give her idea a little credit just this once.
"You okay, Bell?"
"I feel all relaxed..."
"Perfect. In that case, it's your turn to try."
Bell and Ishtar exchanged places. Although unconvinced, the boy tried anyway, trying to imitate the way Ishtar had touched him.
This prompted the latter to make a number of strange noises and other moans.
"I'm sure you're doing it on purpose..."
"I promise I'm not," the goddess said, rising to her feet. "But if you need proof, let's ask someone else. Are you interested, Lili?"
Lili and Hestia had been present all along, watching the scene. The little goddess was red-faced and her ears were smoking at the spectacle.
"Uh... yes." the prum replied shyly.
"Perfect! In that case, take off your clothes and lie there, Lili." the goddess said in a playful voice with deliberately ambiguous words.
However, after removing her top, the pallum moved into position. Ishtar remarked to herself that perhaps she should offer her some clothes a little better than her old, half-ruined ones.
Once she was lying down, Bell set to work. The young woman shuddered pleasantly when she felt his hands on her bare skin, but it was nothing compared to what lay ahead, as her moans quickly attested.
"Master Bell!... So talented... If you continue, Lili will... Lili will..."
"Seriously, stop making those weird noises!" he tried again, but it was all in vain.
For her part, Hestia had... run off. There was too much indecency per square meter for her, and she feared she would be the next to pass through the young man's hands, an experience for which a virgin goddess like herself was not ready.
"By heavens, Bell, you've got golden hands, capable of satisfying any woman and I'm the one who certifies it. So for heaven's sake, don't waste such a gift!"
"Stop putting me in this kind of situation..." he replied with a small tear in his eye. Unfortunately for him, Ishtar would forever be merciless on the subject.
And to add another layer to the problem, someone had witnessed the scene. At least, in a way.
Lena had come to the Astral Mansion to tease Bell a little. But before she could enter, she suddenly heard her goddess moan. Now level 3, her senses had improved. The amazoness didn't enter the house, but put her ear against the wall of the room where the moaning was coming from, so she could hear what was going on, at least in part. For the rest, her mind would fill in the blanks.
"Right there... So good... I'll..." came Ishtar's muffled voice.
"What, already? No one has ever gotten Ishtar off the ground so fast!"
There were a few distant sounds of crumpled fabric, then the goddess's voice was heard.
"Take off your clothes and lie there, Lili."
"He's barely finished with Ishtar and he already needs another one!"
"Master Bell... so talented... Lili will..."
"What... What... What's he doing to her now?"
Suddenly, she saw the front door open with a bang and a little goddess step out, covering her red face and shouting a single word.
"Leeeeeewwwddd!"
What on earth was going on in there to make a virgin goddess flee? Lena's mind drew its own conclusions and rather than go and check to avoid any misunderstanding, the amazoness sped off with definite ideas in mind.
"A beast! It's a beast, I knew it! I've got to tell the others! THE WORLD MUST KNOW!"
And so, once again, Bell's reputation took a totally unexpected turn...