Hephaestus's proposal

That morning, the dungeon was quieter than usual. The first floors were relatively empty, though they did encounter a couple of goblins, which posed no problem for the Cranel family, who were not alone this time. A few steps behind them walked a young girl with a petite frame and brown eyes, the same one they had met before entering. Every now and then, Meteria glanced at the girl with suspicion, unable to shake the feeling that something was off.

Cautiously, Bell moved closer to his daughter until they were almost shoulder to shoulder. He cleared his throat softly to get her attention.

"What's going on?" she asked in a low murmur, so faint that if they hadn't been so close, she wouldn't have heard him.

"Nothing… I just…" Meteria cast a sideways glance to ensure the girl wasn't paying attention. "I still don't understand why we're playing along with her." Bell nodded, understanding his daughter's concern, for it had only been moments since they met the girl who was now acting as their Supporter.

-] [-

"Hey, you! White-haired boy!" an unfamiliar voice called out to the Cranel family. "Don't you need a Supporter?" Bell recognized her as he looked her way.

"You're the girl from yesterday! The Pallum girl!"

"Huh? You must be mistaken…" the young girl laughed. "I'm just a simple Supporter promoting my work; I'll only pick up what you leave behind."

"Yes, I understand…" Bell glanced sideways at Meteria, who was now beside him. "Are you sure you're not the Pallum girl from yesterday?"

"Pallum?" she asked, laughing. "I'm a Chienthrope," and she removed her white hood, revealing two feline ears the same color as her hair atop her head.

"Oh!" Bell feigned surprise and nodded. "I see I made a mistake, my apologies…" Meteria raised an eyebrow; she was certain the girl in front of them was the same one they had saved yesterday, and she knew her father wasn't naïve enough to believe her. "So… why did you approach us?"

The girl smiled and, for the first time, addressed Meteria directly. "I saw you two alone and thought you might need a Supporter. I see you're both adventurers, or am I wrong?"

"You're right…" replied the half-vampire girl.

"So, what do you say? Need a Supporter?"

Bell looked at his daughter first, seeking a sign of discomfort or acceptance on her face before responding. Meteria shrugged, leaving the decision in his hands.

"Well, you can be our Supporter for today."

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" the girl bounced in place, her large backpack jostling. "By the way, my name is Liliruca, nice to meet you."

"I'm Bell, and she's Meteria. The pleasure is ours."

-] [-

"I just want to get to know her better, alright?" Bell shrugged. "I'm intrigued… I don't think she'll be a problem." A slight unease stirred in Meteria's stomach—what was her father planning?

"Bell! Meteria! Watch out!"

They both spun around at the girl's shout. Ant-like monsters with glowing red eyes were crawling down the dungeon walls. Meteria quickly extended her staff, White Tide, toward the colony of ant monsters charging at them.

"Close your eyes, Liliruca!" Bell shouted, doing as he ordered. Meteria used her magic, enveloping the creatures in darkness that contrasted sharply with a blinding light, killing nearly all of them. Bell reopened his eyes, ready to strike, and drew his weapon, Arleshalt, gripping it firmly with determination. The stronger ant monsters that had survived his daughter's magic were swiftly cut down by his daggers, leaving no beast alive.

"Wow!" Liliruca exclaimed. "You two are really strong!"

"Thank you." Bell smiled at her while sheathing his weapon at his side. "It's really easier having a Supporter."

"That staff you have… it's amazing! I've never seen anything like it." The young girl directed her awe towards Meteria, who had remained silent.

"Tha-thank you…" Meteria murmured, feeling a bit shy, as she had intentionally used her staff to gauge Liliruca's reaction. For some unknown reason, the girl sparked suspicion in her, but she trusted her father's judgment. Bell kept a close watch on Liliruca, genuinely curious as to why she was so determined to deceive them.

-] [-

After an excellent day in the dungeon, the Cranel family, along with Liliruca, decided to return to the surface; before parting ways, they went to the guild to exchange their magic stones for valis. That day, they managed to collect around twenty-six thousand valis, much more than the Cranel family had ever gathered together.

"Wow! We've never made this much…" Bell smiled broadly.

"We'll be able to buy a nice dinner for our goddess. Hestia will be very proud," Meteria said with abundant enthusiasm.

"You actually earned nearly as much as five beginner adventurers put together," Liliruca praised them.

"We could never have done it without you as our Supporter," Bell said, passing half of the valis into another cloth bag and handing it to Liliruca. "Here, take it."

"Huh?" The brown-haired girl looked at him, surprised. Bell didn't even try to argue; he simply divided the loot and offered her half without any haggling or intention of keeping it all. "Just like that? Half?"

"Yes, you also worked to collect those magic stones," Meteria added, emphasizing what was obvious to her and her father, though it didn't seem to be the case for Liliruca. "We have to thank you; you're really a great Supporter, Liliruca…" the girl said, surprising the older girl even more.

"You two are so strange…" she murmured, not intending them to hear, but both father and daughter managed to catch what she said.

"I hope we can work together again soon," Bell smiled warmly at her. Liliruca simply said goodbye and left slowly. "Meteria…"

"Yes?"

"Head home ahead of me, will you?" Meteria looked at him, confused, but he didn't return her gaze. "I have something to do before I get back…" She remained silent for a moment, then sighed and said:

"Alright, just don't be late for dinner, okay?" Bell promised he'd arrive before dinner and gave her the valis they'd earned that day so she could buy something nice for everyone to enjoy at dinner as a family.

Once Meteria was out of sight, he quickly slipped away, following the steps of the pallum girl who hadn't gone too far yet. He didn't want his daughter to accompany him because he was aware of her distrust toward Liliruca and didn't want to continue fostering it. However, he couldn't resist the urge to find out what she was up to; clearly, the girl didn't pose a threat to either his daughter or himself, but he wasn't going to tempt fate.

It didn't take long to catch up to the girl, who was walking nervously through dark alleys as the sun began to set and the taller buildings started casting long shadows.

Bell didn't even bother using his stealth suit, as his skills far surpassed Liliruca's. She turned a corner to go up some stairs when three men suddenly emerged from a small hidden alley, ready to intercept her. Bell remained hidden in the shadows at the corner, listening to what they were saying and watching what was happening.

Liliruca tensed up and took a few steps back, ending up on the edge of the stairs. The central man, who appeared to be a cat-person, approached and snatched the cloth bag still in her hands, making her fall to her knees from the struggle. He shook the bag, making the valis inside jingle.

"Hm? It's more than usual," he said, looking at his companions, who laughed maliciously. "But it's still not enough, right, Arde?" he said, getting closer to her step by step. "I can't believe someone as useless as you is part of the Soma family…"

He raised his leg, ready to kick Liliruca, who closed her eyes tightly, hoping that maybe doing so would lessen the pain. But the blow never came, and instead, the man shouted in exasperation, "Who are you?! Don't interfere in others' business!"

Slowly, she opened her eyes, and through her lashes, she glimpsed Bell's figure, his white hair shining in the light of the rising moon. He had stopped the man's leg with his forearm, and although the other man was bulkier than him, the kick hadn't moved a single hair on Bell's head.

"This isn't others' business to me." Bell pushed the cat-man back with such force that he fell a few meters away. "She's my Supporter now, and I won't let anyone take the earnings from her hard work."

Liliruca couldn't shake off her initial shock. When had Bell arrived? Had he followed her? It didn't make sense; she knew neither he nor the girl had completely bought her lie, but if he knew she was deceiving them, why was he defending her now? Those and a thousand similar thoughts overwhelmed the young girl's mind.

The other two adventurers accompanying the cat-man drew their weapons from their sheaths and tried to swing them at Bell, but he quickly neutralized them. In the blink of an eye, he crouched down and swept them with his right leg, making them collapse backward.

"You… bastard…" The cat-man was the first to stand up and hurried to lunge at Bell, but the red-eyed young man reacted instantly and, wrapping his arms around his waist, pushed him back. The man's back hit the ground with such force that dust rose around them. Liliruca thought some bones must have broken from the impact. The other two helped lift him up, and they quickly fled, not without giving a threatening look at the girl. "You'll pay for this!" the cat-man's furious shout echoed as they disappeared into the alley they came from.

Bell turned around and extended a hand to Liliruca. "Are you okay?"

"Why did you defend me?" she refused his help and pushed Bell's hand away, standing up on her own.

"I thought you needed help; it looked like they were harassing you," he tried to explain.

"I'm not a helpless damsel in distress." Bell noticed the irritated tone and the angry look she gave him.

"I know! I just… thought they were taking advantage of you…" Liliruca sighed wearily, and the anger in her eyes softened for a moment.

"You're not wrong about that…"

"But who are they? Why are they doing this?"

"They're adventurers from the Soma family, unfortunately the family I was born into. They always take everything I earn from my work as a Supporter…"

"But… why? They're not a small family… they should be able to make good money among everyone…"

The members of the Soma family are only driven by their addiction to wine, which is why the adventurers always take advantage of us, the weaker members…" There was an unmatched resentment and hatred in Lili's voice, and Bell couldn't help but compare it to Meteria's mother. When he met Tear, she had been quite distrustful, gloomy, and lost. "I only long for the day I can free myself from that horrible family, but I can't earn enough to make it happen…"

"Were those the ones who attacked you the other day?"

"You…" Bell noticed a hint of panic in Liliruca's brown eyes. "You knew I was lying…"

"You must have had your reasons to lie to us; I'm not judging… I want to understand the situation you're going through and help you, if you'll let me."

"Why?" Liliruca began breathing heavily, her head spinning, but she couldn't find any deception in Bell's words.

"Because I know what it's like to go through hard times. Some time ago, I met a very special person who felt truly alone and miserable… please, let me help you."

Liliruca stared at him intensely, but even though her intention was to look tough, Bell could see through her façade; deep down, her eyes showed her vulnerability, her fear of being deceived again. It wasn't the first time Bell had seen that kind of look.

-] [-

Tear moved decisively, ignoring the pitying glances Bell gave her. The white-haired young man watched her with a strange mixture of curiosity and concern. He was the one who had shown her the way to the bathroom, a small gesture of courtesy she could barely recognize in her state of agitation and distress. Without giving it much thought, she hurriedly entered the bathroom of the humble house and closed the door with a sharp bang that made the wooden frame shake.

The space wasn't very large, but it had everything necessary for cleaning up. In one corner, there was a small bench where she placed her equipment, and with a sigh of resignation, she began to remove her heavy armor.

Bell had previously filled a large tub with warm water for her, thinking she would need to clean up. With trembling hands, she gradually removed the garments she used as padding to make herself appear more full-chested than she actually was. In front of the mirror hanging on the wall, her reflection showed a pale and completely flat chest, one of her biggest insecurities. Although her body had been designed to be perfect, the vampire couldn't help but wonder if her creator had made a mistake with her physique. How could something that clearly looked like a flaw be considered perfect?

"After all, it seems that even the Supreme Beings make mistakes… Maybe this is also a flaw of my Lord…" she told herself in a voice so sad that it could make the strongest person cry.

When she submerged in the tub, the water was already somewhat cold. She began washing herself slowly, trying to relieve the tension in her muscles and mind, but no matter how hard she tried, her movements felt agitated. Since arriving in this village, her mind hadn't rested. The disappearance of the other Supreme Beings, except Momonga, haunted her constantly. Now, she was trapped far away from perhaps the only remaining Supreme Being. She tried with all her strength to clear her mind, but dark thoughts and uncertainty about her situation constantly assailed her.

"The Supreme Beings have abandoned us…" sitting in the tub with water up to her chest, her gaze was fixed on a single point in that room. "Everyone except Lord Momonga, who never left us… Have I also abandoned Nazarick by interacting with that unknown artifact?" she asked herself in despair, pulling at her white hair with her thin fingers, fear governing her body.

She didn't care one bit about the fate of the local god Zeus, his foolish grandson Bell, or the villagers trapped in that dome with her. All she wanted was to escape from this miserable and horrid place; she wanted to go back home.

This place was unworthy of her lineage; she wasn't someone who should be living with the neighborhood, the dust, and the cold. She was above that. As a creation of the Supreme Beings, Tear considered herself superior to any being walking on this world, from the smallest to the largest. That's why she couldn't stand the idea of smelling bad in front of any inferior human.

"I must… I need to find a way to return home, even though I've lost much of my power," she thought, feeling increasingly desperate and wishing none of what she was experiencing was real. She hoped to find some clue that would guide her back to Nazarick, anything at all, but in the meantime, doubts consumed her.

For the first time since being transported to this horrible place, tears began to flow down her white cheeks. There, in the privacy of that small, cold bathroom, she allowed her pain and frustration to flow freely. She cried tears of blood, the only fluid her vampiric body allowed her to retain, staining her face and the bathwater a deep crimson.

The pride and curse of a superior existence forced her to always maintain a façade of serenity and indifference to everything. Only in moments like these, enclosed within four walls and completely alone, could she show her true vulnerability, the one that made her feel inferior and imperfect.

She hated that weakness; she hated not being able to always stay strong, hated not being able to vent her fury on the villagers to show her superiority, hated the environment that imprisoned her, knowing that Zeus could intervene with all his power against her and stop her if she caused any sort of commotion.

"Why did that stupid artifact send me here? Why do I have to suffer like this? Why me and not someone else like Aura?" she asked herself with bitterness and resentment. She didn't know how to return, and the only option she could think of was to wait for Momonga-sama to come looking for her. However, as the tears continued to flow and stain everything, a terrifying doubt crossed her mind.

Would Momonga-sama? Would he know where to find her? Would he want to?

The moment she thought of it, her sobbing intensified.

Meanwhile, Bell stood outside the bathroom, listening in silence. The sound of the blood tears falling and the faint sobs he heard broke his heart. Although he couldn't fully understand her pain, he knew he had to do something to help her; to him, she wasn't just the great threat his grandfather claimed she was.

-] [-

After his experience with his partner, Bell had learned how to deal with wounded people, so he knew he shouldn't pressure the young girl to tell him everything about her life or trust him right away.

"Lili…" Bell took her by the shoulders and looked at her deeply, trying to convey the sincerity of what he was about to say: "I understand what you're going through; you don't have to explain anything to me, nor to Meteria."

"You want me to keep being your Supporter, even though I lied to you?" Bell nodded.

"I'll help you with whatever you need. Take your time to think it over. If you accept, I hope to see you tomorrow at the dungeon entrance." The young man smiled warmly at her and said goodbye, feeling at peace with himself and hoping that Liliruca would truly consider his help.

He arrived just In time for dinner. Hestia was already up-to-date on what had happened with the young pallum, as the vampire girl had filled her in. While they enjoyed a delicious dish of pork with roasted vegetables, Bell told them about the situation in the alley and the problems Liliruca had with the Soma family. Despite knowing her father's good intentions, Meteria felt uneasy about the attention he was giving to this girl they barely knew.

After finishing dinner, they decided to go to sleep, as they planned to stop by the guild before heading to the dungeon the next day. Hestia had advised them to meet with Eina since the goddess had noticed Meteria's restless and doubtful attitude towards the young girl who might become their Supporter. Bell thought it was a good idea; perhaps Eina could offer some advice regarding Liliruca's situation.

-] [-

The Cranel family got up early that morning. After washing up and getting dressed, they headed straight to the guild. It was a sunny morning, so Meteria brought along one of the few items she still had from her mother, her black umbrella with burgundy details.

"It's been a while since you used Mom's umbrella…" Bell said with a gentle smile.

"It protects me from the sun… and it matches my dress," Meteria replied, her smooth cheeks blushing slightly, as the dress she wore that day had a black bodice and a wide skirt with different shades of red, very similar to the umbrella's design.

As soon as they set foot inside the guild, Eina greeted them enthusiastically from the counter.

"Guys, it's been so long!" she said, excited. "What brings you here so early?"

"We came to talk to you; we need your advice."

Eina, already accustomed to handling everything related to the Hestia family with care, quickly invited them into one of the empty rooms in the guild. Once inside, the three of them took a seat, and Bell shared the recent events involving the pallum girl.

"So, she's from the Soma family, huh?" the young elf said after listening attentively to Bell's story.

"Is something wrong?" Meteria asked, her blue eyes curious.

"They're a family focused on dungeon exploration. They sell some wine too, but they always seem very desperate…" Eina sighed deeply before continuing. "Given what you've told me about the hobbit girl, I understand the situation a little better. I don't think it's wrong that you want to help her, but it won't be easy…"

"I know. It'll take time and effort, but I'm willing to take that risk for her…" Bell's voice and gaze radiated determination, while Meteria kept her head down, unable to understand her father's intentions toward this practically unknown girl. In any other situation, she would have supported her father in helping someone less fortunate, but now she felt disturbed. "By the way, Eina, I wanted to ask if you could give us permission to advance a few more levels in the dungeon."

"Mmm." The young elf crossed her arms and thought for a while. "Alright, but if you're going to go deeper, you'll need to be better equipped, especially with good armor."

"Oh, that won't be a problem." Now calmer, Meteria smiled, revealing her small vampire fangs. "The dresses I inherited from my mother offer more protection than any high-class armor could give me."

"Well, let's find out." Eina got up from her seat to leave the room for a few minutes, leaving Bell and Meteria looking at each other, confused. After a while, Eina returned with a small dagger in her hand.

"Shall we test it?"

Meteria nodded, understanding Eina's request, and stood up. The young elf struck at the vampire girl's skirt, but as soon as the dagger touched the dress, the blade shattered into countless pieces, leaving the skirt completely intact. Meteria smiled proudly at the gift her mother had given her.

"Well, I see you don't need armor…" Eina set the broken dagger handle aside. "Does your clothing have the same protection?" she asked Bell, who shook his head. "Well, then you'll need to go shopping; I'm not letting you advance much further without proper equipment."

Bell tried to complain or argue, but Eina was firm in her stance, and nothing would change her mind. The Cranel family bid farewell to the elf girl and headed straight for the dungeon.

-] [-

When they reached the area around Babel Tower, the white-haired young man spotted a familiar figure in the crowd.

"Isn't that Lili?" Meteria asked, to which her father nodded, and they both quickly approached her.

"I'm glad you came," Bell said as soon as he saw her, causing the girl to blush a little.

"I need the money, and you two are really good…" she said in barely a whisper.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's head down." The two girls nodded, and together the three of them descended into the dungeon once again.

As soon as they entered, they encountered a couple of low-level monsters, which posed no challenge for the Cranel family. Both of them were beginning to feel a bit bored with battles against such weak creatures.

"You really destroy monsters in seconds; sometimes I don't even get to see them alive," the girl commented. "Have you thought about advancing further down in the dungeon? The monsters are stronger, but the rewards are even greater."

"We're actually considering it, but our advisor said we need better equipment first," Bell explained enthusiastically. "But unfortunately, I don't know where to buy it…" he added with a sigh.

"I could go with you if you'd like." Meteria's eyes widened at the girl's suggestion.

"Really?!" Bell stopped in his tracks, turning to grab the girl's shoulders in excitement. He was thrilled that she wanted to help him and spend time with him, clearly seeing it as a step forward in their relationship.

"Y-yes…" Liliruca stammered, feeling nervous and slightly overwhelmed by the young man's sudden enthusiasm. Realizing this, Bell stepped back, embarrassed, and apologized.

"Are you free tomorrow?"

"Yes, we are," Meteria said, including herself in the conversation.

"Oh… I thought…" Liliruca shook her head. "Okay, we'll go tomorrow."

After that brief exchange, they continued exploring the dungeon, feeling somewhat uncomfortable. Thanks to the Cranel family's advantageous skills, they managed to defeat hundreds of monsters and left with a good amount of valis by the end of the day.

"Are you sure you don't want us to walk you home?" Bell asked the hobbit girl for the second time, fearing that members of the Soma family might try to attack her again and steal her day's earnings.

"I'll be fine; I think you scared them pretty well yesterday, so they'll leave me alone for a couple of days."

Once Bell was reassured, the three of them arranged to meet the next day to go buy better equipment for Bell, agreeing to meet early near Babel Tower.

As they headed back to the abandoned church where they lived, Meteria asked her father about a question that had come to her mind that day in the dungeon.

"I noticed you only use Arleshalt in its dagger form. Is there a reason for that?" she asked, hoping for an explanatory response from Bell.

"Oh, yes. I thought that since I used the weapon in that fight against the plant monsters alongside the Loki family, someone might recognize me, so I decided I'd only use the double daggers for now."

But isn't that a waste? I mean, to fully utilize the weapon, you have to use all its forms," Meteria asked, a bit doubtful about her father's decision.

"I don't think it's a waste. Maybe there will be a time when I'll have to fight as Fluder again, and then I can make full use of Arleshalt," her father explained.

"I see you've thought it through." Meteria replied, and that ended the conversation. They continued on their way in peace, although inside, the young girl felt a discomfort she'd never experienced before. Each interaction her father had with the pallum twisted her insides.

-] [-

The white-haired pair arrived early at the meeting spot, waiting only a few minutes before they heard someone calling their names.

"Hey! Bell, Meteria!" They turned around simultaneously to find Liliruca, dressed differently than usual. She was no longer wearing the somewhat disheveled white coat or carrying her large Supporter backpack. "Good morning! I see you got here early…" she said as she joined them.

"You look very different," Bell said as a compliment, receiving a shy smile and pink cheeks from Lili.

"Well, where are we going?" Meteria quickly asked.

"Over there," the brown-eyed girl said, pointing to the towering Babel Tower just a few steps away. "To the Hephaestus family's store."

"What?!" The Cranel father and daughter looked at each other with concern, knowing they had a huge debt to the goddess of smithing. "It's way out of our budget…" Bell murmured.

"Come on, just follow me and trust me, alright?" With no other choice, they shrugged and followed the young girl straight to Babel.

Upon entering the tower, they took an elevator to one of the middle floors, which was filled with display cases showcasing helmets, breastplates, pauldrons, and countless other armor pieces crafted from various materials, many encrusted with precious stones. Everything gleamed as if it were made of gold.

"Wow!" Meteria exclaimed, moving from one display case to another, admiring everything from swords to shields and rings.

"I had no idea there was a store like this in Babel…" Bell said, almost as astonished as his daughter.

"We need to go to the top floor, but you can look around," Liliruca guided them through that floor. But the more excited the Cranel family got over an item, the harsher the reality check was when they saw the price.

"Thirty million valis?!" Bell pressed his face against the display case, his eyes wide with disbelief at the price. The initial excitement faded as they saw the exorbitant prices of items that were actually inferior in quality to the ones they already owned.

"Let's go; don't get too distracted." Liliruca led them to an elevator, which took them up to the top floor. "You thought a high-quality shop like the Hephaestus family's would be out of your reach, huh? Well, let's take a look."

Bell and Meteria approached one of the display shelves, examining a knife with a modest price tag of just twelve hundred valis.

"Huh? It's not that expensive…" the young man said.

"All the items on this floor are made by new blacksmiths. Even though they're affordable, selling their work and getting feedback is beneficial for them, plus it allows beginner adventurers to occasionally get good-quality gear," Liliruca explained. "Come on, there's a specific section for armor over there."

The three of them headed to the back, where there was a variety of armor styles and designs. They decided to split up and search on their own to find good armor for Bell. Meteria was particularly interested in more traditional styles, like those of ancient heroes with helmets and such, while Bell looked for something simpler and lighter.

In a box, he found white armor, and what caught his attention were the red details on the chest, neck, and left shoulder.

"What's that?" Liliruca asked as she saw him inspecting the box.

"I think I'll buy this one." He showed her the armor excitedly. "It's light, and I think it'll be fine for now." Meteria, who had just walked up, inspected the armor carefully and gave her approval.

Bell went to pay for his armor and then rejoined the two girls. Together, the three left Babel, said goodbye at the entrance, and agreed to meet the next day to go deeper into the dungeon. Liliruca was the first to leave, which Bell took as an opportunity to tell Meteria that he'd be meeting with Hephaestus that day.

"I have to go to the goddess's workshop to find out how much we owe. You go on home."

"Don't you want me to come with you?" she asked.

"It's alright; don't worry. I'd prefer you actually take the day off today," he said, affectionately patting her white hair.

-] [-

Standing in front of the goddess' office, Bell let out a deep sigh as he mentally prepared himself. When he felt ready, he knocked three times on the door, but no one answered. He knocked again, this time harder, causing the door to slightly open. Bell looked around the hallway, and seeing that it was completely empty, he opened the door and walked in.

"Hello?" he said, but received no reply. The only sound was the clanging of metal. He walked into the office and followed the noise. Hefesto was working in his workshop, which was still partially destroyed from last time, but at least the hole in the wall was now patched up with cobblestones.

"Oh, Bell!" said Hefesto as soon as he saw him. He put down the materials he was working with and took off the leather gloves he was wearing. "I didn't hear you, sorry. Did you arrive a while ago?" he asked as he turned off the furnace and walked over to the young man.

"Not really, I knocked, but you didn't answer… when the door opened, I decided to come in and check…" Bell explained.

"It's fine, let's sit at the desk."

What was left undamaged and mostly unchanged was the main part of Hefesto's office, where both of them sat facing each other with the wooden desk between them.

"I assume you came for the debt…" Hefesto opened one of the drawers on the side and pulled out a check, which he passed to Bell over the desk.

With great apprehension about the amount, Bell took the paper and looked at the price written on it: one hundred and thirty million valis. His eyes widened in horror, and he nearly broke down in tears right there.

"Is it really that much?!" Hefesto simply nodded.

"The workshop was nearly destroyed entirely…" Hefesto explained. "I know it's a lot, so I have a proposal. You don't have to pay it all if you give me a few of those exotic materials of yours."

"I'm sorry, goddess, but I can't do that." Bell refused firmly.

"Why not?!" asked the goddess, her voice full of regret.

"I don't know if I'll need them later… I can't risk losing them, but maybe I can work for you? I learn quickly."

"Blacksmithing?"

"Or I could help you fix the workshop, I'm not bad at construction…"

"You're not willing to give me even one material?" Hefesto tried again.

"I'm sorry, goddess, no."

Hefesto let out a deep sigh of resignation and leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms while staring at the young man.

"I give up… for now."

"Thank you for understanding…"

"But I still have a proposal for you." Bell nodded in acknowledgment, indicating that he was listening. "The Loki familia will soon embark on an expedition to the deeper floors. My familia will join as well. I'll offer to reduce part of your debt if you take charge of protecting my familia during the expedition."

"Me? As a bodyguard?"

"Something like that." Bell paused for a moment, considering whether to accept or not.

"My cover could be in danger."

"Not if you wear that outfit you used last time. No one suspects that the powerful adventurer who fought the plant monsters is you," Hefesto pointed out.

The goddess had a point. If he managed to reduce part of the debt, that would allow him to worry about one less thing, at least while he tried to get Liliruca out of the Soma familia once and for all, since he couldn't sleep well at night worrying about the young woman.

"Alright, I'll take the mission."

"It's a deal." Hefesto extended his hand, which Bell shook, sealing their agreement.