–
Hi everyone! I'm back! Sorry for the delay. I let everyone know on Discord that I was struggling at university and needed time to study. Thanks everyone for your kind words!
Also apologies to those who want to see more involvement from the other Harem members apart from Freya, but I find it difficult to implement them without their respective arcs coming (Haruhime) or something happening that catches their attention (Riveria, although that is partially in progress), Freya was the easiest to implement because she already had a romantic interest in Bell.
Due to the delay, this chapter has 7.7k words!
Thanks to Rayx2108 for being the beta reader and quality supervisor of this chapter.
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The church was silent. Only the distant sound of the wind filtering through the windows accompanied the hunched figure of Bell, who sat in one of the wooden pews, drumming his fingers against his knee anxiously
"You're restless again," a soft, ethereal voice commented from the spear leaning next to the altar. The spear of Artemis. "I can tell by the way you're biting your lip. This is the third time in the last five minutes."
Bell let out a long sigh, looked up at the ceiling as if the answers were up there, and then looked down.
"I am. I can't help it." He scratched his cheek with a forced smile. "Hestia-sama went to the Denatus. This is the first time they've said anything about me… officially, I mean."
"Isn't that good?" Artemis asked, her tone gentle. "You've accomplished something incredible, Orion. Shouldn't you be proud?"
Bell laughed softly, but his gaze became more serious.
"Yes, but… it also scares me."
"Afraid?" The spear seemed to glow a little, as if Artemis were frowning from within.
"Yes." He leaned back slightly, clasping his hands behind his head. "I reached Level 2 in two weeks. I broke a record that had stood for almost a decade. The previous record was held by Ais Wallenstein… and it took her a year. It only took me two weeks."
"And that worries you because…"
"Because that attracts attention. And not all attention is good." He lowered his arms and stared straight ahead, his expression tense. "When I was just a novice adventurer, no one noticed me. But now I feel like the world is watching me, waiting for me to do something. Or fail."
Artemis was silent for a moment. Then she spoke with almost palpable tenderness.
"The world can look all it wants, Orion. But it doesn't know what I know. It doesn't know how many times you doubted, how many times you stood up alone, or how many times you faced fear. If they want to look at you, let them. They can't take that away from you."
Bell smiled a little. Not completely relieved, but like someone who feels heard.
"Thank you… Artemis."
"And besides," she added mischievously, "if anyone tries to take advantage of you, you can always hide behind me. Or rather… behind this spear."
Bell gave a nervous laugh.
"I think that would make them laugh at me more."
"So we go through them all and say it was an accident."
"That's worse!"
Artemis's laughter echoed with a cheerful tone that, for a moment, made the church seem less cold.
The door creaked loudly, pushed by small, energetic hands.
"BELL-KUN~!"
Bell shot up from the bench where he'd been sitting, brushing the dust off his tunic. Artemis, in the spear beside him, sighed fondly.
"Your goddess is looking for you."
Bell stepped forward with a nervous smile. "Hestia-sama! How did it go at the Denatus? Were there any problems?"
Hestia walked straight toward him, raising her arms as if she were going to throw herself at him, but stopped just in time, huffing.
"It was better than I expected, honestly. I almost thought Loki would open her big mouth and spill the beans."
Bell blinked. "Yharon?"
"Yeah. But just as she was about to do so, Ouranos intervened and shut her up instantly."
Bell breathed a sigh of relief, placing a hand on his chest. "Thank heavens… I don't want Yharon to be in danger because of me."
"And I don't want to have to fight half of Orario because someone decided to hunt it for sport," Hestia muttered with a frown. Then she poked him in the chest. "But that's not all that happened. They gave you an alias."
Bell tensed. "What kind of alias? It's not like… something to do with rabbits, right?"
Bors' comment in Rivira really embarrassed him too much.
Hestia grimaced as if she'd just tasted something bitter. "No. Nothing that stupid. But…"
"But…?"
"It was Freya who suggested it."
Bell blinked. "Freya…?"
"Yes. That Freya." Hestia crossed her arms, clearly uncomfortable. "And before you say anything, no, I couldn't help it. The proposal was serious, it sounded good, and no one else had anything better that wasn't offensive or a joke."
Bell gulped, already imagining the worst. "So… what is it?"
Hestia sighed, resigned. "Sword Saint."
For a moment, there was silence.
"…That sounds…" Bell hesitated.
"Very good!" Artemis said from the spear, her voice sounding cheerful and proud. "It describes you perfectly, Orion. Brave, noble, and with a big heart."
Bell scratched his cheek, red as a tomato. "B-being seen as a saint… is a little… embarrassing…"
Hestia raised an eyebrow at him. "Trust me, Bell. I prefer 'Sword Saint' a thousand times over 'Bunny Face' or 'Super Adventurer 3000'... which were also on the list."
Bell smiled shyly, still unsure whether to feel honored or hide under the bench. "I guess I owe Freya another one."
A loud knock sounded on the church door, breaking the moment.
Bell blinked, turning toward the entrance. "Were you expecting someone, Hestia-sama?"
"No.."
Nerves tingling nerves, Bell approached. Artemis, from the spear, murmured in an alert tone, "Be careful, Orion."
Bell nodded and opened the door slowly.
Outside, in the orange light of dusk, stood a tall figure, wrapped in a dark, hooded cloak. Face hidden in the shadows made his skin crawl.
Bell instinctively tensed, taking a half step back. His hand slid toward the spear's handle, but then…
"Aren't you going to let me through, Bell?" the figure said in a soft, velvety voice that couldn't be mistaken.
Bell blinked. "Freya?"
The figure lowered her hood with a charming smile. Silver hair and violet eyes like dusk looked at him with amusement.
Bell let out the breath he'd been holding. "Ah… you scared me for a moment."
Behind him, a familiar growl sounded. "What are you doing here?" Hestia appeared like a flash, pushing Bell aside with a frown. "Did you follow me from the Denatus? Do you like messing with me or something?"
Freya put a finger to her lips and said shamelessly, "Guilty as charged, my dear Hestia."
"Don't call me 'my dear'!"
Without waiting for an invitation, Freya stepped into the church with the grace of a queen entering her throne. Hestia clicked her tongue in frustration.
"Hey! That's trespassing! Trespassing!!"
Bell, meanwhile, said nothing. He stood still, watching Freya, noticing that he no longer felt the old unease that had once gripped him with her presence—he'd even felt it when she'd given him the grimoire. But she'd done so much for him lately. She'd given him a grimoire. She'd sent Ottar. She'd even proposed an alias that... well, it could have been a lot worse. The least he could give her was his trust.
"It's fine, Hestia-sama," Bell said quietly, enough for both of them to hear. "I don't mind you being here."
Hestia looked at him, surprised.
Freya, for her part, smiled with genuine warmth. "Thank you, Bell."
Hestia crossed her arms and glared at Freya with a mixture of annoyance and suspicion. "Well, since you're here, what the hell are you doing here? Do you want something?"
Freya tilted her head, smiled with that provocative calm that always made her win the day, and replied softly, "Do I have to have a reason to see my Bell?"
Hestia froze for a second, then suddenly burst into a shrill scream:
"YOUR BELL!? HE'S MY BELL, FREYA! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO HIM!!"
Bell, who had been standing between them, placed a hand on the back of his neck and looked down, feeling the heat rise to his cheeks.
"Uh… Hestia-sama, please don't shout like that. And Freya-sama… there's no need to say that…" he muttered timidly, half embarrassed at being the center of such an argument.
Freya covered her mouth to keep from laughing, while Hestia continued to exclaim loudly.
Freya, walking with a grace that made even Hestia click her tongue in irritation, stopped beside a nearby table. Her amethyst eyes fell with interest on an object covered in a fine layer of dust: the grimoire. Recognizing it, she tilted her head and whispered with a hint of mock surprise:
"Oh… it's the grimoire I gave you."
Bell blinked, following her with his gaze. When he realized what she meant, he immediately tensed.
"Haven't you used it yet?" Freya asked in a sweet, almost curious tone. But her voice held a subtle undertone… one that the more attentive could identify as the prelude to something more dramatic.
Bell stepped forward awkwardly, words already stumbling in his throat. "I-It's not that I didn't want to! It's just that so much has happened! The Rivira event, the Denatus—I wanted to wait for the right moment!"
Freya looked at him silently for a few seconds. Then she slowly lowered her gaze, letting out a soft sigh. Her fingers closed around the grimoire, as if she were holding something precious… or something painful.
"I see…" she murmured, her voice barely audible, cracking with suppressed sadness. "I thought… maybe I was special to you."
Bell stiffened. "It is! Of course it is!"
She continued, without looking up. "But you didn't open it. You didn't even open it…" She took a step back, her shoulders hunched as if she'd made herself small, vulnerable. "Maybe it was a mistake. I thought you'd understand what giving it to you meant… but maybe it was only important to me."
Bell was already panicking. "No, Freya-sama, please don't think like that! I just… didn't want to waste it! I wanted to make sure I used it when I really needed it!"
Freya raised her head slightly, revealing bright eyes and an expression of apparent hurt and disappointment.
"So it wasn't that you didn't like it… you just thought it wasn't worth reading yet…"
"It's not that! It's nothing like that!" Bell was already breaking out in a cold sweat, leaning slightly toward her, as if with his words he could mend the invisible rift Freya had hinted at.
The goddess sighed, burdened by a personal tragedy. "Bell… You're too good to me…"
And at that moment, from the corner of the room, Hestia burst out with her hands on her hips and her voice full of sarcasm:
"Oh, please! You're not fooling anyone!"
Freya slowly turned her face, the sadness disappearing as if it had never been there. Her smile returned, sharp and amused.
"Wow, you are so loud, Hestia."
"And you're a cheap actress!" Hestia retorted, while Bell froze in the middle, still trying to understand what had just happened.
From the spear, Artemis muttered to herself, "If Orion were a little smarter, he'd realize he was being put through a play… and he didn't pay attention."
Bell, still visibly shaken by the previous performance, frowned decisively. He reached for the grimoire Freya was still holding, and in a firm voice — albeit tinged with slight discomfort — he said:
"Then… I'll use it now. I don't want you to think it means nothing to me."
Freya opened her mouth, her expression changing from dramatic to surprised. "W-Wait, Bell, you should at least sit down or lie down first. It's better if I join you —"
But it was too late.
The young adventurer opened the grimoire without further ceremony, and as soon as the pages unfolded, a flash of light burst from the book, enveloping his body. His expression barely had time to show bewilderment before his eyes rolled back in his head and his body collapsed like a sack of potatoes.
"BELL-KUN?!" Hestia yelled, taking a step forward… just as the limp body of her child prodigy fell directly on top of Freya, who hadn't even moved from her spot.
With a soft "pomf," Bell landed awkwardly on top of the Norse goddess, his face buried dangerously close to her chest. Freya barely blinked… and then, as if the situation were the most natural thing in the world, she giggled softly.
"Ugh… you're so direct, Bell," she whispered, then looked up at Hestia, who was already trembling with suppressed fury. "Though I must admit… I like being like this with him. It has its charm, don't you think?"
Hestia didn't say anything at first. She just blinked. Then her face turned red... not from embarrassment, but from pure, white-hot rage.
"I'LL KILL YOU, UNDERCOVER WITCH! GET AWAY FROM MY BELL-KUN THIS INSTANT!"
"But he fell by himself~," Freya replied with an angelic smile, without the slightest attempt to move.
"IT DOESN'T MATTER! I DON'T CARE IF THE SKY FALLS, I'LL KICK YOU OUT OF HERE!"
…
White light enveloped him. Or perhaps it was shadow. There was no up or down, no ground or sky. Just a vast expanse of black and white that pulsed slowly, as if breathing. Bell floated in the midst of that void, his eyes half-closed, his breathing steady. It was like being submerged in warm water. Silence. Calm.
A voice echoed, soft, masculine, and emotionless. It wasn't a voice speaking to his ears, but rather within his mind.
"What is magic to you?"
The question didn't startle him. Nor did he have to think about it for long.
"…A tool," he replied instantly, his eyes still closed. "Just like any other."
The space vibrated slightly, as if reacting to the answer.
"And how would you use it?"
Bell frowned slightly, but the answer came out on its own, as if it were part of him.
"To protect. My loved ones… the people I care about."
There was a moment of absolute silence. Then, the space began to change. The pulsations of the surroundings accelerated, and black and white began to form swirling patterns, like freehand-drawn spirals.
The voice spoke again, this time closer, almost as if someone were standing right behind him.
"Then the world hears you, Bell Cranel… And answers you."
The space began to glow with increasing intensity. The warm sensation became electric, enveloping him with an energy that didn't burn, but that vibrated as if something were awakening inside his chest.
Bell didn't understand what was happening, but he wasn't afraid.
Just a strange, deep sense of acceptance.
…
Bell slowly opened his eyes.
The light bothered him slightly, and a faint buzzing sound vibrated in his head, as if he'd just woken up from a deep sleep… or crashed into a wall. He blinked several times, recognizing the familiar church ceiling.
"Hey…?"
He tried to sit up, but a blanket — carefully placed over him — slipped down his chest. He was lying on the sofa in the main living room. It took him a few seconds to fully locate himself… until he felt two eyes on him.
One of pure judgment.
And another of contained joy.
He turned his head and saw Hestia sitting nearby, her arms crossed, her brow furrowed, her foot tapping like a ticking time bomb. Standing before her with the grace of someone who wasn't in the least afraid of being lynched, Freya held her gaze… with a gentle, almost mocking smile, as if nothing in the world could faze her.
Bell swallowed.
"…I'm alive, aren't I?" he murmured, somewhat dazed.
"For now," Hestia said dryly, without taking her gaze off Freya.
Freya, for her part, tilted her head slightly and commented in a soft voice, "You woke up sooner than I thought, Bell. I was worried you'd have to stay on top of me a little longer."
Bell blushed up to his ears.
"Huh?!"
"It was an accident," Hestia growled, her voice low but dangerous. "A… very convenient accident."
Freya let out a small, musical laugh. "It was warm. I'm not complaining."
"I'M GOING TO COMPLAIN, GODDESS OF STALKING!" Hestia shouted, pointing at her.
Freya let out a light, melodic chuckle as she elegantly arranged her hair.
"It was a pleasure seeing you both."
"Well, it wasn't for me!" Hestia snorted with venomous sarcasm, crossing her arms so tightly she almost hit her chest. "It was more like an ulcer with legs."
Freya didn't even blink. She simply ignored the comment and turned her gaze to Bell, who was still sitting up from the couch.
"Stop by the Hostess of Fertility soon, okay? I want to throw a proper celebration for your level-up. Something special… just like you."
Bell, still somewhat red-faced, nodded somewhat awkwardly.
"O-Okay… Thank you, Freya-sama."
Freya's smile grew softer — and, to Hestia's annoyance, genuine — before she turned away, the length of her cloak billowing elegantly behind her.
And without waiting for another farewell, she walked out the church door with the same calm with which she had arrived.
The silence that followed was tense.
Until Hestia let out a suppressed growl and muttered:
"Ugh. That woman is like a mountain of trouble."
Bell could only smile nervously, scratching the back of his neck.
Just as the door was still ajar where Freya had come out, a figure peeked from the side with red hair like a flame extinguished by discomfort.
Welf Crozzo appeared, muttering under his breath as he watched Freya's silhouette disappear down the street:
"What a strange woman…"
Then he looked up and greeted Bell with a half smile.
"Hey, Bell. The armor you asked for is ready. I came to deliver it to you in person."
Bell stood up from the sofa with a gleam of joy in his eyes.
"Welf! It's good to see you. Thanks for coming."
Hestia, from the back, let out a snort of exasperation and relief, finally relaxing her shoulders.
"Ah, finally someone normal walks through that door!"
Welf raised an eyebrow as he took in the heavy air still lingering in the room.
"Am I interrupting something…?"
Bell laughed awkwardly.
"You're more like saving me from something…"
Hestia nodded vigorously, pointing to the vacant chair as if it were the sacred place of balance.
"Stay, Welf-kun! You're good company."
Welf, somewhat confused, finally entered, scratching his head as he muttered:
"…Ok… this is going to take some explaining."
Definitely… this was the real world.
…
Hestia and Welf were already seated at the small church table, each holding a tankard of ale Hestia had retrieved with surprising speed from a secret compartment in the altar—no one dared to ask why it was there. The goddess was already on her second round, her cheeks slightly flushed and her smile more relaxed.
"Ahhh~! This is life. After enduring that woman, a drink is only right and necessary," Hestia said as she raised her tankard in a toast, playfully nudging Welf.
Welf chuckled, raising his own as well.
"Well, I'm not going to turn down free alcohol. Especially if it comes with a show."
Meanwhile, Bell stood beside them, his eyes shining as Welf carefully pulled out something wrapped in thick cloth. Unfolding it, he revealed a simple-looking but clearly finely crafted suit of armor: thin, lightweight, with internal plates that were barely noticeable to the touch. Its color was dark gray with barely visible reddish details, almost as if it were part of the suit itself.
"This armor is meant to be worn under your tunic," Welf explained with some pride. "It's not meant to stop brutal blows… but it will give you an extra chance against slashes, stabs, and light magic. I also added some runes to the seams: it improves mobility and regulates body heat so you don't suffocate in the deepest floor."
Bell ran his hand over the fabric in amazement.
"That's… amazing. Thank you, Welf."
Welf shrugged with a slight smile.
"It's nothing. You're my client, right? And besides, with what you've been doing lately… I thought it was time to give you more than just well wishes."
"That's true!" Hestia said, raising her mug. "My Bell-kun deserves the best! Although if he keeps falling on women like that, I don't know whether to protect him with armor or a cage…"
Bell immediately blushed, muttering, "It was an accident!" while Welf burst out laughing.
"Did that really happen? You really have some godly luck," Welf said, laughing.
"Don't help her, Welf!"
Welf took a sip from his tankard, letting out a small, contented sigh. The atmosphere inside the church was relaxed, though still charged with the residual energy left behind by a certain silver-haired goddess minutes before. As Bell looked at the armor on the table with interest, Welf looked at him with a curious expression, tilting his head slightly.
"You know…" Welf said casually, "when you ordered that armor from me at the Tower of Babel shop… I never would have imagined that boy with the nervous face would end up being the adventurer all of Orario is talking about."
Bell blushed a little, scratching his cheek.
"Yeah… well, sorry if I seemed weird. It was my first time ordering equipment."
"Relax," Welf said, tapping him on the arm. "I'm not saying this to upset you. It's just a nice contrast. Because now…"
He slapped the breastplate of his armor with pride.
"…you're the guy who broke the record for leveling up. Two weeks. You don't even see that in fairy tales."
Bell looked down at the armor, his expression a mixture of modesty and tension.
"I still can't get used to all of that. It's weird… to think that people see me differently because of something like this."
Hestia, sitting nearby, snorted through her teeth before taking a long pull from her cup.
"Strange isn't the word. It's unfair that all the goddesses are interested in you now. Before, you were just my Bell-kun; now I have to keep goddesses, princesses, and magic spears from taking you."
"H-Hestia-sama!" Bell protested, blushing.
Welf chuckled, amused by the dynamic.
"I have to admit, it caught my attention when I heard your title in Denatus. 'Sword Saint,' huh? Sounds more like the title of a hero in an epic than a novice adventurer."
Bell sighed, visibly embarrassed.
"I didn't choose that name… and I don't feel like a saint."
"Maybe not," Welf said, shrugging as he took another sip, "but titles aren't always your own choice. It's what you do with them that matters. Do you have any idea how many people will be inspired just by hearing that?"
Bell fell silent, processing that. The responsibility weighed heavily on his shoulders, but… it wasn't a bad one. It was like steel: heavy, yes, but useful if you learned to carry it properly.
"…Thank you, Welf."
"Hey. Don't thank me yet," the blacksmith said with a smile. "First, I want to see how you fare in that armor. If it doesn't break your back, then thank me."
Bell chuckled and placed the armor on the table with a smile. He turned to Hestia and Welf. With a hint of shyness in his voice, he commented:
"Oh… by the way. About earlier… stopping by the Hostess of Fertility tonight. I guess I should go, shouldn't I?"
Hestia put down her mug halfway through a sip and looked at him out of the corner of her eye, her eyes narrowed in suppressed annoyance.
"Are you really planning on showing up there after that invitation?"
Bell threw up his hands nervously. "She just said she wanted to celebrate my leveling up…"
"Exactly!" Hestia snapped, her tone high-pitched. "And we all know how that waitress plans to celebrate…"
Welf, who until then had been absorbed in his drink, slowly turned his head with one eyebrow raised.
"Did one of the waitresses personally invite you?" he asked incredulously.
Bell shrank a little.
"Yeah, well… it wasn't anything weird. He just said he wanted to do something special."
"Special?" Welf repeated, half-smiling. "From the Hostess? Wow… it's not every day you hear that. Let alone directed at a novice, rabbit-faced adventurer."
"I'm not a rabbit!" Bell protested, red as a tomato.
"Perhaps not," Hestia said, crossing her arms with a sullen expression. "But if you go alone, you're going to end up in a trap, I can feel it!"
Welf raised his hands in amusement.
"And I suppose you plan to accompany him."
"Of course!" Hestia replied as if it were obvious. "And you too, Welf. In case I need backup."
Welf looked at her, puzzled.
"Me?"
"Yes. I'll buy you a drink there. That way we can make sure that woman doesn't do anything strange."
Welf thought about it for a second and then burst out laughing.
"Free alcohol at one of the best taverns in Orario… Okay, I'm in."
Bell sighed, defeated, as he muttered:
"Can we pretend we're just going to celebrate a little…?"
"No" they both answered in unison.
Bell watched Hestia argue with Welf about "how you'd keep watch" or something. He couldn't help but chuckle inwardly at the scene.
"He's probably already left the family finances in the red again with the way he's throwing money away..." he thought with resignation. But then his smile froze a little as he truly processed what he'd just thought.
"...Wait, how much money do we have left?"
A drop of sweat ran down his temple.
Hestia and Welf continued to argue as if the world wasn't going to collapse under their weight in taxes and debts. Bell sighed with a mixture of tenderness and concern, wondering if he'd ever experience a peaceful week in Orario.
But for now… He had an invitation to fulfill.
…
The doors of the Hostess of Fertility opened to the usual warm bustle of the place. Laughter, clinking dishes, and the aroma of good food filled the air. Bell entered alongside Hestia and Welf, feeling a mixture of nervousness and anticipation. It wasn't exactly a place he visited often... at least, not without a certain silver-eyed figure creeping into his thoughts.
"Welcome," said a soft, melodious voice, as if it had been waiting for them.
Syr — or rather, Freya in her charming waitress guise — greeted them with a flawless smile… which grew noticeably brighter as she laid eyes on Bell.
"It's so nice to see you again, Bell. I'm glad you accepted the invitation," she said affectionately, bowing slightly in a flirtatious manner.
Bell nodded, a little embarrassed but smiling warmly back. "Thanks for the invitation, Syr."
Hestia, beside her, clenched her fists. She couldn't scream or jump on the "waitress" in a place full of customers, so she simply fixed her with a glare so sharp it could have made her pride bleed... if Syr had a vulnerable one.
Syr, of course, completely ignored her. "Your table is ready, this way."
She led them to a corner of the room, near a window, with a kindness that only seemed real if one didn't know her true identity.
Hestia plopped down on the bench next to Bell, still staring at Syr as if she were about to set her on fire with her eyes at any moment.
Welf, for his part, watched the famous waitress curiously, muttering to himself, "It's still weird that a woman like that would have this much interest in… Don't get me wrong, Bell, but… wow."
Bell just shrugged, uncomfortable and hoping no one would start a war over the beers.
Once settled at the table, Bell sat between Hestia and Welf while Syr — with a sweet smile — left them the menu and left with a graceful turn. The tavern was still bustling, though Bell noticed something different in the air.
A feeling of eyes boring into the back of his neck.
At first, Bell tried to ignore it, but it soon became obvious. Murmurs, furtive glances, elbowing between customers. It wasn't exactly hostility, but a mix of curiosity, surprise... and, in some cases, a barely concealed spark of envy.
Welf leaned toward Bell, frowning. "Are they looking at him on purpose… or is it just me?"
"No, they're staring at him," Hestia murmured, crossing her arms. "And they better keep those eyes on their plates if they don't want to see what I'm capable of."
Bell smiled uncomfortably, putting a hand to his hair. "Maybe they're exaggerating…"
But at that moment, a sharp blow on the bar made the wood rumble and cut through the murmur like a knife.
"Enough!" roared Mia Grand, the imposing owner of the establishment, her voice harsh and her eyebrow raised. "The next one who looks at that rabbit like it's game, I'll kick them out."
The entire tavern fell silent for a couple of seconds… until everyone returned to their plates and mugs as if nothing had happened.
Mia snorted, vigorously wiping a glass. "This is a bar, not a circus. And you," she pointed a finger at Bell from a distance, "enjoy your night without causing me any trouble, do you hear me?"
Bell tensed slightly, but nodded quickly. "Y-yes, ma'am!"
Mia nodded, satisfied, before returning to her own business.
Welf burst out laughing. "You couldn't have a better ally."
Hestia, still with a bead of sweat on her forehead, relaxed a little. "It's scary."
"Very scary," Bell added quietly, shaking his head, though secretly grateful.
With her characteristic grace and a tray in hand, Syr reappeared at the table with a serene smile.
"Thank you for waiting," she said softly, as she began to pour. "A beer for Welf… one for Miss Hestia… and a nice cold juice for you, Bell."
The young man blinked at the amber glass in front of him. "Juice?"
Syr nodded, her gaze almost maternal… or so it would have seemed if not for that slight glint of mischief in her eyes. "You're underage, Bell. And someone has to keep a cool head tonight."
Welf burst out laughing as he raised his mug. "No way, rabbit! Cheers."
Hestia also raised hers with a mischievous smile. "Suck it up. I can drink without guilt."
Bell sighed, but accepted the glass with resignation. "Thanks… I guess."
Syr looked at him tenderly, leaning in a little closer than necessary as she spoke. "I hope you like it."
Hestia narrowed her eyes as if a sixth sense had been activated. "Uh-huh…"
"Is something wrong, Hestia-sama?" Syr asked in a voice as sweet as the nectar she had poured.
Hestia smiled with false innocence. "Nothing. I'm just observing how dedicated you are."
Welf, seeing the barely veiled tension between the two, took a sip of beer and muttered under his breath, "Yeah, I definitely miss the quiet visits to the workshop…"
Syr, still smiling, took a step back. "I'll call when the food's ready. Enjoy."
And she walked away gracefully, leaving behind her a faint floral scent and a discomfort that only Hestia seemed to notice.
Bell, meanwhile, took a sip of his juice somewhat timidly. "…It's good."
"Of course it's good!" Hestia snarled, slamming the glass down as if it were her fault. "It's a juice full of hidden agendas, that's what it is."
"I only taste citrus," Bell said quietly.
Welf let out another laugh as he took another sip. The night was just beginning.
"Him?!"
The shrill voice broke the general hum of the tavern. A sly-looking pallum at a table in the back rose slightly from his seat, jutting his chin toward Bell as he spoke louder than necessary.
"That white-haired brat was the one who broke the level-up record? You're kidding, aren't you? He barely seems to be able to lift a sword!"
Several heads at their table — a motley crew of young adventurers — burst into laughter. One slammed the table with laughter.
Bell immediately tensed, but didn't respond. Hestia stood up halfway with a fierce expression.
"What did you say?!"
Before she could do anything else, Welf held her shoulder firmly.
"Hestia-sama, no. Not right now."
"LET GO OF ME, LET GO OF ME, I'M GOING TO SLAM HIM AGAINST THE WALL!"
The pallum leaned back with a smug smile, enjoying the reaction. He was clearly expecting that kind of response.
"Or what, is the little boy going to cry? Are they going to say that his secret magic is hiding behind his goddess every time someone says something mean to him?"
More laughter. A hearty laugh. Another adventurer at the same table raised his mug to Bell with a mocking smile.
"Come on, champ! Tell us how you defeated the monsters! Did you offer them a date?"
Welf clenched his jaw, though he still held Hestia back. Bell kept his gaze lowered for a moment. He took a deep breath.
He said to himself: It's not worth answering them.
But the words kept falling like acid rain.
"With that idiotic face, he probably doesn't even know how to use a sword. Hey, maybe it's all a lie from the goddess to promote her Family!"
"Maybe they adopted him as a pet!"
Laughter broke out again.
Hestia trembled with fury. Welf held her steady with difficulty.
The pallum didn't stop with his provocations. In fact, seeing that no one responded, he decided to approach the table with a confident stride, puffing out his chest as if he owned the place. He stopped right next to Bell, with a crooked smile and his gaze fixed on Hestia.
"And what about you? Are you so desperate for attention that you need to invent a pocket-sized hero? Although, on second thought…" he let out a disgusting giggle, "maybe you like having one so young and obedient. Or is it that you can't get anyone real, you cheap goddess?"
Silence.
Welf gripped the handle of his mug. Hestia froze, her gaze fixed on the pallum, unable to believe what she'd just heard. Bell simply stood up.
Not a word.
Not a single warning.
The punch was so clean, so direct, that the pallum barely saw the movement.
The impact lifted him off the ground like a sack of potatoes and sent him flying backward, crashing into a chair and dragging a couple of drunks with him in his resounding fall.
The previous silence was replaced by a chorus of exclamations and the sound of chairs being scraped. The pallum comrades jumped to their feet, hands on the hilts of their weapons or clenched into fists.
"You're going to regret that, kid!"
Bell didn't respond. He stood, barely trembling with suppressed rage, his face tense. Welf stood beside him, his smile crooked, his hands ready for combat.
"Well… so much for the free beer. I guess now it's a party."
Hestia stood up as well, her arms crossed and her gaze blazing.
"I'm not going to stop them this time."
The murmurs of the other customers intensified. Many moved away from nearby tables. Others, more daring, stayed to see what would happen.
The tension could be cut with a knife.
The first brute to lunge at Bell barely had time to raise his arms. Bell nimbly dodged and landed a punch square to his chin, sending him sprawling backward against a table. The table creaked under the brute's weight, while a chorus of shouts and laughter erupted from the nearby customers.
"Hey, that was my stew!" someone squealed, seeing their dinner fly away.
Welf smiled, half amused, half annoyed, as another big man came straight at him, fists raised. He met him with a left hook that twisted his head, followed by a kick to the chest that sent him rolling on the ground.
Bell ducked just in time to avoid a flying bottle, then rolled to the ground, quickly rolled to his feet, and drove his elbow into the stomach of a third man who was trying to restrain him. The impact knocked the wind out of the man, and he stumbled backward.
Welf caught a chair coming his way and threw it without looking, hitting one of the pallum's friends squarely in the head. The chair splintered into a thousand pieces, the man fell like a log, and Welf burst out laughing.
"At least wait until we finish dinner before you want to die!"
One of the group tried to get around Bell, but ended up getting headbutted by the boy, which stunned him. Another tried to lunge at Welf, only to be shoved hard against the bar, rattling the glasses.
In less than a minute, it was all over.
Five men on the floor. Some groaning, others simply not moving. The original pallum lay beyond an overturned table, still unable to get up after the first punch.
Bell was breathing somewhat raggedly, his fist still clenched, but there wasn't a scratch on it. Welf was shaking his hands with a satisfied expression.
"Well… that was therapeutic."
Hestia, standing by the table with her arms crossed and her cheeks puffed out, murmured:
"Idiots! That's what you get for provoking my Bell!"
Around him, the murmurs grew louder. Some customers continued to stare, others slowly returned to their own business, though the glances toward Bell had multiplied, now with a mixture of respect and caution.
The tavern was a mess, but for the moment, no one dared to move or say anything else.
Silence reigned… for now.
However, among the bodies lying in pain on the floor, one still remained seated. A man with neatly combed brown hair, his expression impassive in stark contrast to the chaos around him. His glass of wine was still half-empty.
With almost insulting calmness, the man stood up, brushing an invisible speck off the shoulder of his coat.
"How unnecessary," he murmured in a polite, yet condescending, voice. "All this fuss over such a small thing. Of course… it's already been done."
Bell looked at him strangely. He hadn't noticed the guy during the fight, and his demeanor was completely different from the rest of the gang of bullies.
The man walked with a relaxed gait until he stood in front of Bell. His expression remained serene, but his eyes held a sharp gleam, like a snake sizing up its prey.
"But before we go… let me check something."
Without warning, the stranger's fist sped toward Bell quickly. Bell barely had time to widen his eyes before his body reflexively jerked, tilting his head to the side just as the blow sliced through the air like a spear.
"Bell!?" Hestia exclaimed in alarm, standing up.
Welf frowned. "What the hell…!?"
The man clicked his tongue, his expression still neutral.
"Interesting…"
Immediately, he launched a flurry of precise, swift punches, so fluid they seemed to dance around Bell. His body moved with elegance and technique, as if each blow were part of a perfectly practiced choreography.
Bell didn't raise his arms, didn't put on guard... he simply dodged. His body moved with perfect synchronization, leaning, turning, retreating with minimal steps. Each punch passed mere millimeters from his nose or chest, but none touched his skin.
It was as if the world moved slower for him.
Welf stared at him, mouth agape.
"That's not normal… that guy has to be at least a Level 2. But Bell… How the hell is he dodging everything without even looking tense?"
Bell was starting to feel it too. His breathing remained regular. His body wasn't tense or scared… he was simply responding. He dodged as if he already knew how to do it, as if his instincts knew more than his head.
The man in front of him, however, was beginning to frown.
"An evasion skill… no, more than that. How annoying."
He took a step back, his gaze scanning Bell as if he had suddenly ceased to be a mere child and had become an annoying enigma.
"Interesting. Very interesting."
But while his voice remained calm, his eyes revealed something else. A hint of frustration… and defiance.
Hyakinthos was not used to being ignored by his prey.
And Bell… was starting to wonder who the hell that guy was.
Before the exchange could escalate beyond Bell's evasive dance, a thunderous noise echoed throughout the tavern.
BAM!
A fist slammed against the bar, hard enough to rattle several pitchers and tip over a spoon or two on the table. Silence fell immediately.
"Stop this nonsense!" Mia Grand bellowed, her raspy voice booming like thunder. "Get out of my place, you bunch of idiots!"
The owner of the Hostess of Fertility trudged toward the center of the mess, her brow furrowed and her arms tense as if she could pick up any of those drunks and throw them out the door with one hand.
She stopped right next to Hyakinthos, who still seemed to have the composure of a noble... though not enough to challenge Mia directly.
"What? Deaf too? Get out of here before I kick you out myself!"
The brown-haired man let out a theatrical sigh, dusting off his jacket as if the dust in the place was more bothersome than the racket.
"I didn't mean to cause trouble, ma'am," he said with a polite but clearly condescending bow. "We'll leave."
Without losing his dignity, Hyakinthos left the room, followed by his stumbling companions, battered and bruised, or clutching a sore spot. One even spat on the ground before leaving, only to receive a slap from Mia that left him seeing stars.
With the rioters gone, Mia slowly turned to Bell, who was still standing tense, not fully understanding what had just happened.
The woman looked at him for a moment, then clicked her tongue and spoke in a lower, but no less direct, voice:
"I could kick you out too, rabbit… but that waitress would be unbearable if I did."
From the back, Syr's indignant "Mia!" was heard, although she hadn't approached the scene yet.
Mia sighed.
"So you're staying… but you're going to pay for the broken furniture. The chairs, the jugs, and that table that's now bouncing on three legs."
Bell swallowed.
"And you better hope this doesn't happen again. I don't care how many levels you climb or how many gods smile on you. In my place, we drink and eat. We don't fight."
She turned and went back to the bar grumbling, letting out a "damn drunk adventurers"
Welf, from his seat, let out a low whistle.
"Wow… that's Terrifying."
At that moment, Syr appeared next to Ryuu, approaching the group with an amused smile.
"You showed off quite well, Bell," Syr said, playfully nudging Ryuu, as if prompting her to talk.
Ryuu, a little shy but firm, bowed to Bell with respect and gratitude.
"Thank you for helping me a few days ago," he said sincerely. "I don't know what I would have done without you."
Bell blushed slightly, surprised but pleased by the recognition.
Ryuu straightened her posture and lowered her voice slightly, adopting a serious tone that contrasted with the previous atmosphere.
"You should be careful," she said, looking Bell straight in the eye. "Those men… weren't just any group of adventurers. From the clothes they wore and the way they moved, they seemed to belong to a big and powerful familia."
She paused, thoughtful.
"And that man, his speed confirms he's at least level 3. It's not something you can take lightly."
Bell nodded slowly, processing the information.
"I have no idea what familia it could be… but I'm not going to let my guard down."
Syr smiled, crossing her arms with some complicity.
"It's a good thing you have friends like us to look after you, right?"
Bell carefully removed Valis's pouch from his belt, noticing Hestia's somewhat tired look as she crossed her arms at her side. Several coins had already been laid out on the table to cover the damage caused during the fight. Bell dropped them with a soft clink as he sighed.
"This should cover the damages."
Syr approached with that lively smile she always had, her presence radiating a comfortable confidence. With a playful nudge to Ryuu, who remained more serious but friendly, Syr said:
"Thanks for coming. You really showed off tonight."
Bell nodded with a humble smile, but couldn't help but feel a pang of gratitude toward both of them.
Welf, as he put on his cloak and prepared to leave, turned to them with an amused smile:
"I have to admit that accompanying them was a good decision. Tonight was quite entertaining, there's no denying it."
Hestia, still annoyed but also relieved, let out an exasperated sigh:
"Between the noise, the problems, and everyone's jokes, I don't think I'll be able to sleep for a while."
The two men and three women headed toward the exit of the Hostess of Fertility. The door opened, letting in the bustle of the tavern and the cool night breeze. Bell took a deep breath, letting go of the tension and adrenaline of the fight.
Before leaving, Syr turned to Bell with a smile that mixed mischief and sincerity:
"See you soon, okay? Don't forget to stop by, I owe you a level-up celebration… this one got a little messed up, hehe."
Bell nodded, while Ryuu just smiled and quietly wished them good luck.
The group walked down the lantern-lit street, each thinking about what had just happened. Hestia trailed behind, muttering to herself about how they were going to deal with all the troubles that seemed to be hounding them lately.
Welf, with a mischievous smile, patted Bell on the back:
"Don't worry, kid. If you keep this up, these nights will just be the beginning."
Bell just smiled, though inside he felt a mixture of pride and nervousness about what lay ahead.