"So? Let's hear it."
I had been told to take a seat.
The goddess towers over me, arms crossed in front of her chest.
I finally made it back to Hestia Familia's home, Hearthstone Manor.
Everyone has gathered in the living room.
Quite a bit happened after I left the Pleasure Quarter. As a result, I didn't get
back here until early morning.
I tried to sneak in as quietly as I could, but it was no use. The goddess
captured me right away and thus started the interrogation.
"Spent the night in the Pleasure Quarter, did you~~? So now, Bell, what do
you have to say for yourself, huh~~?"
She figured out that I'd spent the night at a brothel before I could deny it.
With that sweet musky smell all over my body, I'm sure it was obvious. She's
looking at me like I'm the scum of the earth. Tears won't stop leaking out of my
eyes.
She worked late into the night last night; no one was here when she came
home. Then once Welf and the others got back, someone was missing. She
feared the worst for hours and hours, and then I showed up smelling like this. Of
course she's angry with me. I can't blame her twin black ponytails for flexing
toward the ceiling.
What's worse is that Lilly's standing right next to the goddess, with an
equally scary look on her face.
Welf sighs a little ways away. Mikoto is so anxious I can feel it from here.
"L-L-Lady Hestia, I am at fault for everything that transpired. Please be
merciful with Sir Bell…!"
"Mikoto, be quiet."
The goddess shut down Mikoto's attempt to protect me without even looking
at her.
Lilly knows the full story of what happened in the Pleasure Quarter, and she's
fuming—which means all of them think I was doing that late into the night just
because I smell like the working ladies.
"So thennn…you slept with one of the prostitutes, did you~~?"
"N-no!"
I vigorously shake my head left and right, desperately trying to convince my
goddess that I'm innocent, and try to ignore her terrifying tone. I've never heard
anything like it.
"I-I didn't sleep with anyone, nor do I want to! This is all a big
misunderstanding!"
"So, if that's the case, whyyyyy was Mr. Bell out all night?"
Now Lilly's using it, too?! They both have the wrong idea! How am I
supposed to convince them?!
I can't exactly tell every detail of what happened in the Pleasure Quarter.
Same thing goes for the fact that I got lost on Daedalus Street on the way home
after Haruhime led me out of the red-light district.
The only option left is to earnestly deny everything at once.
"Wh-what I'm trying to say is, I didn't do anything like that with anyone!"
"Is that sooo?"
The goddess narrows her eyes at me. Lilly must be on the same mental
wavelength because she chooses that moment to hold up a small bottle.
"Then you mind explaining this?"
The goddess takes the bottle from Lilly and thrusts it in front of my face. It's
a clear glass bottle about the size of a chess piece, filled with red liquid—an
aphrodisiac.
Lord Hermesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!
My soul screams in anguish.
That damn bottle has gotten me into so much trouble since last night. I can
still see that dandy smile of his in the back of my mind. But now it feels more
like a plague than anything else.
I want to tell Lady Hestia everything about how that bottle came into my
possession.
However, "I'd like you to keep the fact I was here a secret between us.
Agreed?" I can still hear his voice in my head.
I don't have the courage to break a direct promise with a god.
No matter what anyone says, the gods need to be respected and their orders
obeyed.
I'm trapped between the promise and Lady Hestia's icy death stare. CRICK!
My head slumps like a puppet whose strings have just been cut.
"…How should we proceed, Lady Hestia?"
Lilly looks away from the pitiful pile of human flesh I've become and turns
to face the goddess.
"…No one can lie to a god. Bell is telling the truth."
Lady Hestia pauses for a few excruciatingly long moments before saying that
and letting out a long, deep sigh.
Relief rushes through me. I look up at her, my face filled with joy for the fact
that my pleas had reached her. However, those angry eyes reappear almost
immediately.
"However, I cannot forgive you for spending the night in the Pleasure
Quarter! I can't forgive the fact you've even shown interest in that wretched
place!"
Fixing my posture, I want nothing more than to quell the anger pouring out of
her, convince her it's all a big mistake.
But those icy, sharp eyes won't let me speak. The words evaporate from my
mind as I hunch back toward the floor.
"You will spend the day serving a punishment as I see fit. That will give you
enough time to think about what you've done. Well?"
"Yes…"
That's the only word that can slip through my dry throat.
I caused a major incident in the Pleasure Quarter, the territory of another
familia. I made us look bad. I'm the leader; this familia's reputation is based on
my actions. The goddess's hands are tied—it would look bad in front of the other
members if she didn't punish me.
Her role as head of the familia complete, she turns and exits the living room,
leaving behind the pulsing aura of anger in her wake. Lilly follows suit.
"My most sincere apologies, Sir Bell…"
It's finally over. I've been sitting in this position so long that my legs are
completely numb. I try to move, but the pins and needles force me back to the
floor. More blood fills my legs as Mikoto walks over to me.
I tell her not to worry, that it was all my fault because I was the one who
followed her. "You don't have to apologize," I say, forcing a smile.
"You really okay? You had us worried."
Welf walks over to me with a grimace on his face.
After we were separated last night, they apparently heard that a group of
Lady Ishtar's Amazons was chasing a rabbit. In fact, they almost got caught up
in it after my pursuers lost sight of me at one point. They had no way of knowing
and retreated before the Amazons saw them.
I made everyone worry…I can't express how sorry I am about that.
"Don't think I have to tell you, but listen to Lady Hestia. Don't go back."
"…"
"You saw something you wish you hadn't, right?"
I break eye contact with Welf and look at the floor.
That's right—Haruhime...
"…Oh yeah, Mikoto, why did you and Chigusa go to the Pleasure Quarter in
the first place?"
Desperate to change the subject, I turn to face Mikoto and ask her.
She explains everything to me.
"We heard there was a prostitute residing in the Pleasure Quarter who
resembled someone from my homeland…We went there to look for her."
The moment she says this person had been missing for years, my eyes shoot
open.
No way…The dots start connecting in my head.
Both Haruhime and Mikoto are from the Far East.
"Hey, Be-ell!! I haven't got all day!"
My train of thought is derailed by the goddess's angry voice calling me from
outside the living room.
I force myself up toward her voice. This must be how little kids feel when
parents pull them away from something interesting.
My punishment turned out to be community service.
Basically, I go around the area, greeting everyone I meet and helping anyone
who needs it.
I say my name and familia, then assist with any odd jobs waiting to be done
or try to solve their problems.
"Sorry for the trouble, Little Rookie! Couldn't have done it without you!"
"My pleasure!"
Sweeping the backstreets, replacing magic stones in the lamps, carrying
boxes…A friendly middle-age man thanked me for everything as I set off to find
more people.
It's important for familias—which are composed of people from different
countries and cities—to present a friendly image to our neighbors. And at the
very least, they get to know our faces and think of our goddess in a good light.
Being accepted into the community is the first step to adjusting to our new
home.
We've had our hands full just living our lives until recently…But Hestia's
own words, "Love thy Gekai neighbor," describe her extremely well.
This punishment is probably her way of getting all that off to a good start.
"It's the Li'l Looky!"
"Oh wow, he is!"
I make my way down a street with my arms full of plywood when a little boy
and a little girl point at me.
Who would have thought the War Game would have this much impact? Two
kids remembered my title! Their eyes are sparkling with wonder and admiration.
This is awesome…! How should I respond, though?
I've been working really hard all morning. My limbs are tired and covered in
sweat, but I do my best to wave back at them.
"He's all shaky."
"So weak!"
I never knew innocent words could be so merciless. The smile dissolves from
my lips.
I'm not out fulfilling a quest right now. My Level 3 Strength is being used on
errands and repair jobs for free. Those kids may be right…
I greet person after person, do job after job, and wind up on West Main Street
before I know it.
"Whitey, do your best for us, meow!"
"Sorry about this, Mr. Adventurer!"
The cat person Ahnya grabs my attention as I pass in front of The Benevolent
Mistress. She asks for my help to repair the leaky roof of a nearby building.
Ahnya and one of her human coworkers, Runoa, call out to me as I ascend a
ladder to the problem area.
At this rate, should I just start my own business…?
"This is saving us a whole lot of time, Mr. Adventurer!"
"Once you're done with that, meow, I'll give you my panties as a thank-you,
meow!"
"Keep them!"
Another cat person, Chloe, appears next to Runoa. My face turns beet red as I
yell back to her.
The three of them look up at me from the street level. A fourth person, the elf
Lyu, walks up behind them and slaps them all across the backs of the heads with
one swift motion. """UGGHA!""" All of them wince in unison.
Breaking out in a cold sweat, I set to work. The first thing I have to do is pry
up the rotting wood with the back of a hammer and then slide in fresh plywood
before nailing it all into place.
Haven't done anything like this since I lived with Gramps! These skills are
finally coming in handy. I admire my work for a moment before descending the
ladder. Lyu and Syr, another waitress at The Benevolent Mistress, are there
waiting for me.
"Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Cranell. I apologize on behalf of my
colleagues."
"Taking time away from your busy schedule to fix our roof…Sorry, Bell."
"Ah, it was nothing."
I give a light bow. They've helped me out so much in the past, I really can't
complain.
Lyu's sky-blue eyes slowly blink as she returns the gesture. Syr's blue-gray
hair swishes when she smiles back at me.
"You've become quite the household name, Bell."
"Do you really think so?"
"Yes. Adventurers, regular customers—everyone's talking about you."
Syr tells me that I'm becoming very popular.
In fact, there hasn't been a day since the War Game that my name hasn't
come up at some point at their bar.
A few people recognized me after I ranked up to Level 2, but nothing like
this…Those kids from before…now I find out people are talking about me over
beers? It almost doesn't feel real.
I scratch my chin and look away from her. She's giggling at me, too.
"Mr. Cranell, please have lunch at our café."
"Are…are you sure?"
Lyu waited for a break in our conversation to invite me to The Benevolent
Mistress. This is too good to be true.
"Yes. You repaired our roof, so I'm sure that Mama Mia will allow—"
Lyu suddenly stops speaking.
She's standing about an arm's length away from me, but she takes a step back
and tilts her head to the side.
"I know this, but where…?" Her eyes narrow as those words quietly roll off
her tongue. Syr must've noticed something was strange, too, and takes another
step closer.
She leans in real close. I can feel my cheeks burning again. Her nose flares
open as she takes a big whiff of my shirt.
"This smell…"
With those words, my face instantly goes from burning hot to ice-cold.
A smell on my body—a shower, fresh clothes, and a morning of hard work
didn't get rid of the musk from last night?!
"S-sorry, forget about lunch! We—we have something else to attend to!"
Their backs were already turned before they started speaking. The two girls
make leaping steps past the other waitresses.
I turn to leave, but I can feel Chloe's sad eyes boring into me. It's time for a
quick exit.
"…Haaa~."
I could've had a nice lunch, but instead I run away rather than try to clear my
name. Pitiful, absolutely pitiful.
I join the flow of demi-humans traveling down West Main Street underneath
the clear blue sky.
I didn't think I'd have to skip lunch as part of my punishment…but I'd
forgotten all about the Pleasure Quarter while doing my volunteer work.
Haruhime was finally out of my head, but everything came flooding back when
the girls noticed that smell. Now I'm just depressed.
There hasn't been a chance to get any of this off my chest, and now the
weight is back. If only I had someone to talk to.
I keep putting one foot in front of the other, afraid that I'll drown in this
whirlpool of dark emotion if I stop moving.
Absentmindedly drifting down West Main—Adventurers Way—my ears only
vaguely notice the noon bells in the distance. The flow of traffic guides me into
Guild Headquarters.
"Oh, Bell."
Eina sees me from her spot behind the reception counter the moment I walk
to the main doors of the mostly empty Pantheon.
She'll listen to me. She's always had advice for me and never let me down.
I've gotten this far because of her.
But what can she do? I ask myself as I drift forward. The Guild knows what's
going on in that district…It'd probably just cause more problems when all is said
and done.
Is this really a good idea? My feet come to a stop in the middle of the lobby.
Eina's still looking at me from behind the counter.
She stands up, says a few words to some coworkers, and walks out to greet
me.
Coming right up to me, she doesn't wait for any "hellos" and says:
"Shall we go to a consultation box?"
Right away.
"Ummm…"
I stutter, but she just smiles back at me.
"You've got something on your mind, something important? I can tell."
She says it's written all over my face.
Her soft emerald-green gaze meets mine through her glasses.
"I've said it before and I'll say it again: Come to me for advice on anything.
I'm your adviser, it's my job."
A sudden candlelight flickers within me.
That's when I know I should talk with her. Eina has always been kind; she'll
guide me through this.
She's offering me help before I've even explained what's going on. I'd have
to be an idiot to refuse.
There she is, smiling and waiting patiently for my response. I give her a big
nod.
I'll trust her!
"A brothellll?"
The smile from a moment ago has disappeared, replaced by a stare of
contempt.
I knew it…I admit to myself, crying on the inside.
We're inside the consultation box. This place is soundproof so that
adventurers and their advisers can discuss matters without worrying about being
overheard. So with that in mind, I started talking about what happened in the
Pleasure Quarter…The moment the word brothel came up, Eina's demeanor
went cold real quick.
Her perfectly trimmed, thin eyebrows stand on end as anger blasts from her
eyes.
The lenses of her glasses flare from the other side of the desk between us
before she stands up. SLIDE. Her chair slips backward across the marble floor.
"So you're saying that you spent the night with one of those women?!"
"N-n-n-n-n-n-no! Not at all!"
She accuses me with veins pulsing in her red face.
I don't know if it's because she's a half-elf, but she's looking at me like I'm
some pile of garbage. A particularly revolting pile of garbage she's angry with
for some reason.
Coming back to herself, Eina shakes her head back and forth and looks off to
the side.
"W-well, you are an adventurer and a man, after all…It's only natural that
you'd be curious about that kind of thing at your age…But…but, to actually…"
The tips of her short elfish ears turn bright pink. Struggling to find the right
words, she practically spits them out.
"But to actually go~~?!"
She yells at me with both her eyes clenched shut.
"I forbid you to go to another brothel, ever! Understood?!"
"Eh, ah, but—"
"EV-ER!!"
"Y-YES, MISS EINA!"
She threateningly leans over the table. With nowhere to run, I desperately nod
my head up and down, completely overwhelmed.
Backing off, Eina sits back down in her chair. She's always felt like an older
sister to me, mature and knowledgeable. But right now she's pouting like a little
girl.
Great, now someone else is mad at me. She still won't look at me, arms
crossed and ears beet red.
I really shouldn't be asking women for advice on this sort of thing. Too late
now, though.
An awkward silence continues for far too long…I feel so tiny in this chair. At
long last, I work up the courage to ask her a question.
"Um, is there anything you can tell me about Ishtar Familia…?"
She thinks that my head's full of visions of fun nights with prostitutes. But at
long last, she looks at me from behind the side of her glasses. The anger's still
there.
Members of that familia spent most of last night chasing me through town.
Whether I like it or not, I have a history with them now and they might try to
find me again. I should learn as much about them as I can. I try my best to
convey what happened last night to Eina, and that I wasn't trying to scout for my
next "adventure."
She watches me in silence for a few moments before letting out a light sigh.
"I'll be back in a moment."
She finally decides to believe me, and leaves to go get a file from her desk.
"Ishtar Familia…As you know, they're a highly influential Dungeonprowling familia whose territory encompasses all of the Pleasure Quarter."
Eina brought back a small pile of folders and thumbs through them as she
speaks.
I hang on to every word she says. There's no telling when I might need this
information.
Most members of the familia are Amazons, and 90 percent of all members
are female. Although they earn a great deal of money working in the Dungeon
by day, 40 percent of their income is generated from the Pleasure Quarter in the
third district of Orario.
"A group of Amazons within their ranks have become known as the Berbera.
Most of them are at Level Three, the exception being their leader, 'Androctonus,
the Man Slayer.'…Phryne Jamil is a top-class adventurer at Level Five."
Level 5—a cold chill runs down my spine. Memories of what I saw last night
are going to give me nightmares.
Just as I thought, Phryne is one of the elites. With that much strength and
speed, how could she not be?
And her given title, Androctonus...It's scary how much that makes sense.
"Uh…Is there any information on an Amazon named Aisha and a renart
called Haruhime?"
"Actually, Aisha Belka is rather well known. While she is listed as Level
Three, there are rumors that she's right on the cusp of Level Four. As far as
Level Three is concerned, she's the cream of the crop."
Eina also tells me that Aisha's title is "Antianeira."
"As for this renart—Haruhime, was it? I've never heard of her. She's not on
our list, either…Most likely, she's a noncombatant."
Eina runs her finger down the page in her file. I assume that's Ishtar
Familia's roster.
A noncombatant…a member of the familia who hasn't received a Blessing.
That makes a lot of sense. Leaving Aisha and others like her out, I get the
feeling that most of Ishtar Familia's members are in charge of the brothels…
And Haruhime was sold to them, so they do their best to keep her true identity a
secret. Her name appearing on that list would only cause trouble.
Eina asks me if I know anything and I immediately say no.
"Back to the topic of the Ishtar Familia itself, the Guild has assigned them an
'A' rank. They're one of the most powerful and influential groups in Orario."
"…"
"They're on the complete opposite side of the spectrum from Hestia Familia.
Especially Phryne Jamil…She once fought head-to-head against the Kenki. Miss
Wallenstein was nearly defeated."
"WHAT?!"
That little tidbit of information from Eina shakes me to my very core.
Miss Aiz—almost lost?
"You have to realize this was a few years ago. Ms. Jamil was at a higher level
at the time…Ms. Wallenstein recently surpassed her by ranking up to Level Six."
Eina quickly tries to reassure me, but it's too late.
Phryne is already on a plane that my idol struggled to reach…
If that's true, then Ishtar Familia truly is among the best of the best. There's
no denying that now.
Moments pass where I have no idea what to say.
"Is everything all right?"
"O-oh, yes…I'm fine."
Coming back to myself, Eina's explanation takes a sudden turn.
"I don't have all the details on what I'm about to share with you. I've never
been in charge of any members of that familia, but…there have been rumors that
Ishtar Familia doesn't report accurate information to the Guild."
"Like, hiding their real power?"
"Exactly. Several rival goddesses raised complaints against them, saying that
their members fought with strength well beyond that of their reported levels."
I suddenly remember something that Hestia told me—that Hermes Familia
had done something similar to this, lying about their levels.
"They convinced us to take action. The Guild launched a full investigation
into Ishtar Familia, specifically pertaining to the level of the Berbera, under the
threat of severe punishment. Goddess Ishtar was forced to show us all their
Statuses."
"And...?"
"…Innocent. Not even a hint of foul play."
The declaration blindsides me.
"Every one of them matched our records to the letter. That's when she went
on the offensive, claiming that she had been falsely accused…She demanded the
Guild be penalized and pay her a heavy fine. We agreed to all her demands."
"Th-they took money from the Guild…?!"
"Yes, and quite a large sum at that. All her followers' Magic and Skills had
been revealed to the Guild, so she had a great deal of leverage…Ever since that
day, we haven't been able to take any real action against Ishtar Familia."
Powerful enough to take money away from the acting government of the
city…? Sweat is pouring out of my skin now.
"We were forced to level penalties against the familias that brought up the
charges as well. Ishtar Familia wiped them out in their weakened state. Their
goddesses were sent back to Tenkai. All this happened around five years ago."
"…"
"It's hard to explain, having watched all this happen. Everything turned out
like some kind of script, all the actors played their parts…It felt as though we
were all attached to strings and Goddess Ishtar was the puppet master."
Eina crosses her arms, deep in thought as she tells me what she can
remember from those days.
Their members' Strength and Speed far surpass their reported levels.
A secret that even a full investigation by the Guild couldn't uncover.
What's Ishtar Familia got to hide?
"Bell…personally, I'm afraid of Ishtar Familia. Even without the brothel you
mentioned earlier, it would be best to avoid those women whenever possible."
That's a clear warning based not only on their strength as a familia but also
the very real possibility that they're doing something shady.
Then Eina tells me that I should do everything in my power to avoid what
happened with Apollo Familia.
I sit in my chair in complete silence. Eina looks over at me like I'm about to
fall over some kind of edge.
I still see that renart's face every time I close my eyes, but I have to say
something. Since I have no response for Eina, I ask her a question instead.
"…Eina, does the Guild know…about the Pleasure Quarter, what's
happening…?"
I have to know if what Haruhime said is true.
Eina knows immediately that I'm referring to their business practices and
averts her eyes.
"…Yes. The Guild has taken a neutral stance. We know what is happening
behind closed doors there as well—but I think it would be next to impossible for us to do anything about it at this point."
Haruhime was right.
They're ignoring the truth in order to keep the peace.
Eina looks legitimately sad, too. The truth weighs heavily on both of us.
The city was filled with rays of afternoon sunshine.
While most adventurers were busy toiling away in the Dungeon underground,
the citizens of Orario went about their business, finished their shopping, or tried
their best to kill time.
Several gods and goddesses walked among them, finding ways to entertain
themselves. One deity made a pass at an absolutely radiant elf. Meanwhile, a
group of gods gulped down alcohol as they walked around, day drinking with
abandon. Yet another one was playing with a group of children, kicking a ball
back and forth. Deities were everywhere.
Orario's Western District was a bit livelier thanks to the community service
of one adventurer. One god made his way through the busy streets, staying out of
sight until he arrived at another bar.
"Little Ahnya, call Mia for me. It's urgent."
"Meow, Lord Hermes again, meow?"
Hermes called out to the first waitress he saw the moment he stepped through
the doorway of The Benevolent Mistress.
The catgirl reluctantly disappeared into the back of the bar. An even more
annoyed female dwarf appeared moments later.
"I'm begging you, Mia, send Lady Freya a message for me!"
"This again? Told you last time, you got legs, use 'em. I ain't doin' it."
"But this time she actually might kill me!"
Mia's rejection made Hermes become desperate.
The god was alone. Quickly weaving his way through the tables and all the
way up to the kitchen window, Hermes came close enough to the irritated dwarf
to keep their conversation from being overheard.
"You see…Bell—oh, Bell!"
"What's happened to the lad now? You do somethin' to 'im?"
"It's not my fault…I was powerless, helpless…I'm not the bad guy here…!"
"Out with it already…
"Before my fist goes through yer face," she added with a twitch of the lip.
Hermes's already pale face went even bleaker under the incredible pressure of
her sharp gaze. His mind scrambled to find the right words and shove them out
of his mouth before she made good on her promise.
"Ishtar's got her sights set on Bell…He's in danger on so many levels!"
Mia's annoyance steadily became dumbfounded amazement as Hermes
explained the events that unfolded the previous night at Ishtar Familia's home.
He revealed, under intense questioning by Ishtar, that the goddess Freya was
rather taken with the boy.
"Please, Mia, send a message in my place! If I had to explain all this to Lady
Freya in person…"
He could already see the look on the Goddess of Beauty's face, a cold smile
as she mouthed the words "Death, yes." Hermes trembled every time he closed
his eyes, her locks of silver hair whipping through his mind.
That's when another person, a silver-haired human girl, appeared behind the
terrified deity.
"How do you mean Bell is in danger, Lord Hermes?"
"UWAH?!" Hermes nearly jumped out of his skin in surprise.
He spun around and saw Syr smiling back at him.
"Earlier today, there was the faint but unmistakable smell of musk on Bell.
You wouldn't have had anything to do with that—now would you, Lord
Hermes? What's your answer?"
"N-n-now, Syr, my dear. Don't you know it's wrong for a mortal girl to scare
a god?"
Her lips may have been smiling, but the accusation in her eyes exerted so
much pressure that the tone of Hermes's voice went noticeably higher.
That got the attention of the other employees. It wasn't long before a small
crowd gathered around the kitchen window.
"HYEHE!" More questions battered the usually charming deity. Mia
massaged her temple and let out a long sigh.
It's early evening. This sky is a beautiful shade of red as the sun sets in the west.
I did some more volunteer work after talking with Eina. But the goddess had
insisted that I meet her in front of a store at this hour.
Lilly, Welf, Mikoto, and the goddess—still wearing her Jyaga Maru Kun
street-stand apron—have gathered in front of an old door, and we go inside the
rather shabby-looking bookshop.
"Hey, there! We're here to help, as promised!"
"Ah, Hestia. You really came."
Apparently, the goddess had made that promise a while ago.
She'd told each of us two or three times this morning to meet here, but none
of us knew her plan until now.
"You're so famous now, you threw these old bones for a loop. Thought you'd
be too busy to keep a promise to little ol' me."
"Hee-hee-hee, you know how it is. But it's too late to join now, you had your
chance!"
"Ha-ha-ha, that I did. Big mistake on my part!"
This bookshop is the place where the goddess gave me her Blessing.
She took me here after we met, and I received Falna soon after. This is the
birthplace of our familia.
The elderly human shop owner looks over Lady Hestia's head and says, "Ah,
been a while, Bell." His soft white beard dances with each word.
"Nice to see you again, too," I respond with a short bow.
"Okay, everyone. Just like I explained this morning, we're going to help get
the storage room back into shape. Think of this as some community service, so
do your best."
With that, we set to work.
I wonder what Haruhime's doing right now…
I pick up the first pile of books I find in the storage room and carry it out, but
my brain can't stop thinking about her.
We spent only a couple of hours together, but that fleeting smile of hers won't
get out of my head.
I wonder if she's waiting for her first customer…My cheeks flush red and I
shake my head back and forth, trying to get that image out of my mind.
I sigh and go back into the first floor of the bookshop.
Welf, Lilly, and Mikoto are already inside, their backs to me as they focus on
lining up books. The goddess isn't in here, though. My best guess is she's
probably in another room with the owner, going over paperwork.
"…Um, Miss Mikoto."
"What is it, Sir Bell?"
I set down the pile of books in an open spot and get Mikoto's attention.
She turns away from the books…I have to ask her what's been on my mind
since this morning.
"Do you know a renart named Haruhime?"
"Wh-where did you hear that name?!"
Her whole body flinches for a moment before she rushes over to me.
Lilly and Welf turn to listen as I start to explain what occurred last night.
How I happened to find her in the red-light district, and how she happened to
end up in Orario.
All of them listen intently to my story, but every so often I see Mikoto
tremble. She straightens up each time, regaining her composure…She has one
hand across her chest, her eyes locked on the floor by the time I finish.
"If it's okay…Could you tell me how you and the other members of
Takemikazuchi Familia know Haruhime?"
I want to know more about her. I made my request as earnestly as possible
without sounding desperate.
Mikoto stands there for a long moment, collecting her thoughts. Finally, she
slowly nods.
"…I have spoken of this before, but the six of us were raised by Lord
Takemikazuchi and a few other deities in a shrine."
Indeed, she told us that Ouka, Chigusa, and everyone else were orphans after
the War Game was over. Each of them was taken in by the shrine under different
circumstances, but they lived together like one big family.
"We traveled to Orario from the Far East for financial reasons…Our shrine
was too impoverished to support children in need."
More orphans coming in but almost no income to help feed them. The days
of living off scraps had piled up, and something had to be done.
They met with the gods and goddesses of the shrine and made their decision.
The oldest and strongest orphans, the ones able to fight, would travel across the
ocean with Lord Takemikazuchi to Orario.
This city is blessed with an unlimited resource known as the Dungeon. They
would make money with their own hands and send it back there to support their
home shrine.
I'd felt like this since the first time I heard the story but…the fact that I came
here just because I wanted to meet girls makes me want to dig a hole and hide
inside out of shame.
Setting aside those feelings for the moment, I can tell Mikoto is about to get
to the important part, so I focus on listening to her.
Even Welf and Lilly have stopped working and turn to listen to Mikoto's
story.
"I first met Haruhime long before the journey to Orario…About ten years
have passed since then."
Mikoto avoids making any eye contact, her gaze scanning the floor as she
recounts those memories for us.
"Our shrine was located on a mountain. Lady Haruhime's manor was located
at the foot of it. Born into a life of luxury, she had never once left that manor.
Her world was completely different from ours…but Lord Takemikazuchi took
pity on her."
—All of you, bring her into the outside world.
It was a strange order, but Lord Takemikazuchi had given it with a childlike
smile—at least that's what Mikoto says.
Lord Takemikazuchi is a god of war, more specifically of styles of combat.
He'd been training all of them since the day they'd arrived at the shrine, so
Mikoto, Chigusa, Ouka, and the others had no trouble sneaking into the manor
and bringing Haruhime outside to play.
"So that would mean that you and Haruhime are childhood friends…?"
"Yes, it would. However, her family discovered our activities. After that day,
their patrols became more frequent and thorough…"
Being nobility, the family couldn't let this slide. Haruhime's father was
furious with them…Luckily, Lord Takemikazuchi stepped in and apologized on
all fours, the dogeza technique, until her father agreed to let them off easy.
"He's very quick to apologize, for a god." I hear Lilly's voice come from
across the room. Judging by her tone, this is hitting her just as hard as it's hitting
Welf and me.
"We brought her outside many times. Climbing the mountain, chasing
through the fields, splashing around in the river…But it all came to an abrupt
end."
"Was that when…?"
"Yes. It came at a time when shrine donations were increasing and all of us
were too busy to go to the manor…On the night before we were planning to
make our first visit in weeks, we were informed that Haruhime had been
disowned."
She was chased out of her own home. Mikoto and the others searched for any
clues as to her whereabouts but came up empty-handed…
This probably had something to do with that prum man Haruhime told me
about.
From there, she was sold and came to the continent, to Orario.
Takemikazuchi Familia arrived here about two years ago. Haruhime had
already been in the city for some time.
"My time with Lady Haruhime may have been much shorter than the years
I've spent with Captain Ouka and the others…but we were more than just
acquaintances. I would call her my friend."
Mikoto fell silent to signal the end of her story.
There's a great deal of remorse in her words…I can feel her pain from here.
A heavy silence falls around us.
"…Lilly thinks this is obvious, but…"
A soft voice breaks the uneasy tranquility on the first floor of the bookshop.
Welf is leaning against a bookshelf with his arms crossed. Lilly's standing
next to him. She continues.
"Please don't think of trying to rescue that renart."
"!!"
"Of course. We just finished a War Game, and taking action right now would
cause another one, yes?"
We put everything we had into it and somehow managed to emerge
victorious, but Lilly says that all came with a price.
Becoming famous is one thing. At the same time, however, information about
us circulates much faster than before and more people want information about
us. Many familias are researching us at this very moment.
That blast of cold truth pops the balloon of happiness that had been in my
heart since those kids recognized me this morning.
"Ishtar Familia is completely different from what Apollo Familia was. Stop
to consider what it would be like to fight their members one-on-one."
"…!"
"As we are now, even if we manage to convince others to help us, we would
be completely wiped out."
The difference in strength is too great. That's exactly what Eina told me…
Lilly's words are so direct, so powerful that I can't string together a response.
Mikoto opens and closes her mouth many times, but she can't say anything,
either.
"Above all else, Lady Hestia would bear the largest burden. She might not
realize it herself, but after the War Game, she has territory. Other deities will
want to take it from her and cast her out."
We shouldn't bring this to her attention. The goddess has enough to worry
about as it is.
Lilly's small rant comes to an end. Her frigid tone held nothing back.
Bringing up the goddess felt like the final lock of a straitjacket. There's
nothing I can say now.
Mikoto can't even look at Lilly. She's slumping over, clearly hurting.
"Hey, you don't have to play devil's advocate."
Welf tapped Lilly on the back of the head a few times with the book in his
right hand.
Lilly didn't know how to react at first. But then she smacks the book away.
"L-Lilly's no devil's advocate!"
But she's blushing. I watch for a moment and realize what's going on, thanks
to Welf.
Lilly was forcing herself into this role—playing the bad guy.
Doing it for our familia, for the goddess, and for us.
Mikoto's figured it out, too. Lilly hides her face as Welf steps forward and
takes on the persona of a big brother.
"As a member of this familia, I have to agree with Li'l E. I refuse to put us in
danger.
"But." That word catches my attention. Mikoto and I immediately look up at
him.
"If the two of you want to do something, I'm here to help. I'll see it through
to the end, right next to you."
Words of encouragement! I see Mikoto's face light up as a new hope swells
in my chest. I still can't form words, but for a completely different reason.
My position, my hopes, and the responsibilities that come with them.
I'm weighing all of it in my head, but it's so heavy that I can't move.
There's no clear answer, but it has to be here…I open my mouth to speak
when suddenly—
"HEY! Back to work! We're not leaving here until this place is spotless!!"
The goddess came to check on us. She's standing in the doorframe, yelling at
the top of her lungs.
Our conversation comes to an immediate halt. Muscles springing back to life,
all of us quickly jump back to our stations and our hands grab the first books in
sight.
"This conversation stays between us. Lady Hestia can't know about it."
Lilly whispers just loud enough for us to hear after Lady Hestia exits. She
warns us that it would only make the goddess worry.
All of us give her a quick nod. "And!" She locks eyes with me.
"Mr. Bell, please don't even think about going to the Pleasure Quarter
tonight! It will only cause more problems!!"
"O-okay."
How did she know that I wanted to go check on Haruhime? Lilly goes on to
say that as long as those Amazons have me marked as a target, going there
would only put the familia in more danger. Now I really am forced to stay.
I turn back to the bookshelf, feeling absolutely powerless. The goddess
comes back into the room and tells us to split up. Each of us is assigned to a
different area.
"Sir Bell, thank you for informing me."
"Miss Mikoto…"
Mikoto thanks me as we make our way through the hallway. I catch a glimpse
of the side of her face as we part ways. She's usually very composed, but I can
see her true feelings are threatening to spill out…But I have a job to do right
now.
I go up the stairs and into another storage room. The air is pungent with the
smell of old books.
This is where it all started. The goddess gave me her Blessing in this room.
Bookcases stuffed to their limit stand in front of all four walls, and the floor
is littered with piles of books.
A new wave of emotion sweeps over me as I step inside and set to work.
"…"
My eyes are drawn to a certain book sticking out of one of the bookcases.
Checking to make sure I'm alone, I make my way over to it.
Carefully picking it up by the spine, I open it.
It's a collection of heroic stories that I remember reading when I was young. I
flip through the pages as my eyes race across them.
There are quite a few of them in here. Memories come bubbling up as I go,
until my eyes fall on a specific picture with the passage:
"I know of the atrocities you have committed, wretched Babylon!
How many men have you ensnared and dragged down a path of darkness and
pain?
Have you no shame, common whore?"
It's a scene where the main hero rejects a confession of love from a
prostitute.
The hero is standing over the lewdly clad prostitute, glaring at her.
There are piles of male corpses in an arc behind the woman. There's no
denying that the hero is in the right.
—"Prostitutes are the ruin of heroes."
Haruhime said that to me last night.
Yes, prostitutes are the min of heroes.
At the very least, it's written here in this book about heroes.
This hero just happens to have experienced a lot of pain by getting involved
with one.
By rejecting her, he incites her rage. She attempts to seek revenge but is slain
by the hero's hand in the end.
Prostitutes are the objects of contempt, compassion, or empathy, perhaps, but
never as someone to be saved from their fate.
Those women have gone down an unclean path and are often the subjects of
scorn and disdain.
The heroes I've looked up to since childhood more than likely wouldn't try to
help them.
"…No."
It's just as Haruhime said.
Prostitutes, who have sold their bodies and hearts for profit, would never
have a hero come to their rescue.
They wouldn't be allowed to…stand among the heroes.
"…"
My eyes glance over the tragic story of this hero as I stand next to the
bookcase.
Feelings of powerlessness and gloom grip my heart. If it was going to make
me feel like this, maybe I shouldn't have gotten involved in the first place,
shouldn't have felt any compassion for her, shouldn't have learned anything.
I keep asking questions and trying to answer them inside my head, hoping
that some passing thought might solve all my problems.
But I know I don't want to regret meeting her.
Each meeting is something special to be treasured, I'm sure of it.
"…Gramps, I…"
I replay the conversation downstairs in my mind. Things that I should do,
things that I want to do. My head heavy with words and voices, I glance outside
at the twilight.
The deep red in the western sky is being overtaken by the darkness of night.
A golden-yellow moon hung high in the night sky.
Haruhime stared up at it from her place in the gallery.
She gazed at the light beaming down, tracing its path all the way to the other
brothels in the red-light district. Tonight was just as busy as last night.
Sitting next to her was a large group of humans and other demi-humans, all
wearing red kimonos. The eyes of many potential male customers passed over
them.
However, on this night Haruhime sat on her knees with her back pointed
straight up and her eyes looking through the crowd of men.
—Is he there, is he there?
She was looking for the white head of the boy she met last night.
Her golden bushy tail flicked back and forth each time a new face came into
view.
Last night was truly…
Fun. It was like a dream.
She hadn't experienced anything like it since the olden days when her friends
would come and take her out of the manor in her hometown.
His kindness and warmth had had a profound effect on Haruhime.
And his ruby-red eyes were stunningly beautiful.
They were so pure she could see clear into his heart.
She couldn't help but smile every time she remembered any one of the stories
they talked about. Her chest felt warm whenever she thought of his voice.
"Maaaster!"
One of the women seated in front of Haruhime in the lineup called out to a
passing man, her lusty voice filled with excitement.
There had once been another woman who worked alongside Haruhime who
developed feelings for a customer.
Another animal person like herself, Haruhime could still remember the
triumphant look in her eyes when she declared, "You wouldn't understand.
"Only when you fall in love will you know." Those were her words.
That, or something close to it, might be what she was feeling now.
It was just like those stories she'd read in her youth. A hero would suddenly
appear and whisk her away to a different world, saving her from an empty life,
just like how the heroines fell for their rescuers.
If…if that boy…
The power of her imagination had deteriorated substantially since her
childhood. But now it was reinvigorated.
While few in number, she did know of a few prostitutes who had received
"redemption" from an adventurer and left the Pleasure Quarter for good.
Most of them, however, were once again alone after said adventurer failed to
return from the Dungeon and they fell on hard times…The others left Orario
behind, traveling the world together as partners.
If this dream came true for her—Haruhime's train of thought came to a
crashing halt.
It was only her imagination, but she couldn't believe that she let such a
frivolous idea connect itself with the boy.
Prostitutes didn't deserve that kind of opportunity. She couldn't do anything
and therefore was worthless.
But more importantly, Lady Ishtar would never let me leave.
"…"
Haruhime ran her fingers down the black collar around her throat. She let her
head fall, resigning herself to her fate.
Despite being surrounded by the other prostitutes in the vibrant Pleasure
Quarter, she had never felt more alone.
There was a great demand for them in Orario.
The fastest way for someone to earn money in the city, other than becoming
an adventurer, was to sell their body in the Pleasure Quarter. Once they had
gained notoriety—by developing connections with famous adventurers and
influential familias—they could wield a bit of power.
With a strong familia in their court, Haruhime had been told, the feeling
rivals that of becoming a queen.
There are many prostitutes who heard stories of this as well and came to
Orario of their own free will. Even without a Blessing, they were able to use this
power to set up their own establishments.
Just like for adventurers, becoming well known in the Labyrinth City meant
that a person acquired influence as well. The promise of power had drawn in
most of the prostitutes she knew. Very few shared a past like hers.
The only reason that she had value as a prostitute was because of her race.
Renarts were extremely rare and would attract many customers.
…I…
It might have been easier for her to scream out, "Why was I doomed to this
fate?"
Or she could have directed all her anger at the prum noble who created this
mess in the first place.
But she lacked the courage to scream and was too afraid to hate another
person.
Haruhime knew this about herself.
"Not that face again. Flash a grin already."
The more experienced prostitute sitting next to her quietly scolded Haruhime
for looking depressed in the lineup.
Her head and shoulders snapped up as a reflex. Her face emerged above the
front row of the gallery, revealing her to all the men standing outside the brothel
that served as her prison.
She had been very proud of her golden locks as a child living in the manor.
But now, they were her least favorite feature.
Her ears and golden hair made her stick out like a sore thumb. Every one of
the men standing outside instantly looked at her.
It was the same as always.
A dreamy expression overtook a slender chienthrope when their eyes met.
Never look away from a customer, even if he's not your type—the voice of her
superior jolted through her mind. She maintained eye contact with the dog
person and did her best to make a doll-like smile.
She could see the wheels turning in his head, the courage he was trying to
build up. The dog person kept his eyes on her as he ran to the brothel entrance
connected to the gallery.
That's right, the boy was quite surprised…
Last night's chance encounter replaying in her mind, it looked like she'd be
selling herself once again tonight.
Her face remained as emotionless as a smiling doll's, but the other prostitutes
in the lineup spotted something interesting outside.
"Hey there, lover boy!"
"Hunky man, why don'cha call on me tonight?"
A new face had appeared just outside the wooden fence—a young human
with graceful features. The working ladies immediately greeted him with
enthusiasm.
He was looking at each of the prostitutes in turn, until finally his gaze landed
on Haruhime.
His eyes shot open as the young man jumped forward and clung to the
wooden fence with all his might.
"Lady Haruhime?! It is I—Mikoto!"
Haruhime stopped breathing.
The voice, and the serious, straightforward look in the human's eyes were
enough to know "he" was telling the truth.
It was her childhood friend who should be far away from here—Mikoto,
disguised as a man.
Haruhime had been unable to witness the War Game because no Divine
Mirrors had been opened in the red-light district. She'd had no way of knowing
that someone from her past was living in the same city. Confusion and panic
now threatened to overtake her.
Frozen in place, her body began to shake so hard that a small ring on her
collar started to clatter.
—Why here, why now?!
This was not the joyous reunion she had envisioned, but the deepest pits of
her despair.
The final dream she'd kept, returning to her homeland and happily embracing
the friends who had meant so much to her, was gone, shattered. Her past self
who lived in their memories was completely destroyed, now that they knew what
had become of her.
So embarrassing!! So humiliating!! So utterly humiliating!!
The last of the shame she possessed set her body on fire from within. She
wanted to scream, "Don't look at me!" at the top of her lungs. She would have
given anything for a knife to cut the soiled clothing off her body so she could
tear it to shreds.
Why…
Why now? Why did she have to come now?
If only this day had come a few days later, she would never have had to face
this shameful reunion.
The other women followed Mikoto's line of sight; now everyone was staring
at Haruhime. Trembling from head to tail, she forced her mouth open to speak.
"…You must have me confused with another. I do not know you…"
Tears started to well up behind Mikoto's wide, unblinking eyes.
A woman appeared in the doorway that led to the reception desk. Taking in
the moment, she raised her voice.
"Haruhime, you have a customer."
"At once…"
Willing her body to remain still, the renart rose to her feet.
Mikoto pressed herself against the fence and desperately called out to
Haruhime before she disappeared from sight.
"Wait, please wait, Lady Haruhime!"
Looking away from her childhood friend, Haruhime left the gallery.
"Don't make a fool of yourself today."
Haruhime passed a particularly tan Amazon in the hallway. She said nothing
in response to the other woman's blunt instructions.
"Yes, ma'am," she finally said, her mind surfacing for a brief moment from
the darkness that had overtaken her. The Amazon continued on her way, leaving
Haruhime alone with her thoughts as she walked to the room where a man was
most likely waiting for her.
The glowing lanterns of the red-light district glistened far below.
Aisha watched the flow of people going through the Far Eastern–style
portion of the Pleasure Quarter until the squeak of a door signaled the arrival of
the one who had called this meeting. She stepped away from the window and
walked to the middle of the room.
Members of Ishtar Familia had gathered in a spacious meeting room on the
twentieth floor of their home.
A group of Amazons had grabbed chairs and sofas from the space and
dragged them into the middle—said Amazons being the leaders of the familia as
well as the strongest warriors among them. The Berbera had assembled. Phryne
claimed one of the largest sofas for herself and occupied a spot in the very
middle of the room.
Aisha roughly plopped her full weight onto an open sofa and waited for their
deity, Ishtar, to walk up to their makeshift circle of sofas and chairs.
"Looks like everybody's here."
Her personal assistant, Tammuz, was quick to pull up a chair for his goddess.
Ishtar took a long drag from her pipe before taking a seat.
The reason that everyone had gathered here tonight was because Ishtar had
issued an urgent summons.
"Calling a meeting out of the blue like this, what happened, Lady Ishtar?"
"I was plannin' on huntin' down a particularly nice male tonight."
Ishtar paid no mind to the Amazons' complaints and opened her mouth to
speak.
"All of you avoid Freya's brats—and bring me Bell Cranell."
The congregation fell silent.
Then, almost immediately, "But you'll just devour him, Lady Ishtar!" And a
wave of other complaints surged forward from the Amazons. The jealousy in
their voices was obvious, but all Ishtar did was say, "Settle down," with a grin.
"What was the part about avoidin' Freya Familia?"
Aisha leaned back onto her sofa and raised a different question. Ishtar
answered.
"It seems that she's obsessed with the boy but isn't making a move for some
reason. And I'm going to snatch him before she does."
An ominous smile appeared over a beautiful face that could make anyone
stand and stare any other time.
"The moment she learns that her favorite pip-squeak has fallen for me…Oh,
how I'd love to see that face."
The goddess's eyes closed and her lips curled up as she envisioned exactly
how the events would unfold.
"How tasteless," came the voices of the Berbera as they grinned to one
another. Ishtar looked at each of their faces in turn and issued a warning.
"I forbid any of you to feast—especially Phryne."
"…Ge-ge-ge-geh. Unthinkable, Lady Ishtar. Me, ignore your orders?"
The leader of the group, bearing the title of Androctonus, had been silent up
to that point. She took Ishtar's thinly veiled threat in stride.
Ishtar's eyes narrowed, as if she could tell that the massive Amazon had
something else in mind.
"No snacking, either. The moment you get your hands on him, he's useless to
me. I get him first…Once he's filled his purpose, I'll give him to all of you to do
what you wish."
PHOOO. Ishtar exhaled a thick cloud of purple smoke.
Phryne couldn't hide her disappointment as the smoke washed over her face.
However, she couldn't go against her goddess and reluctantly accepted her
conditions.
Aisha and the other Amazons stuck their tongues out at the dejected Phryne,
taunting her.
"But you know, Lady Ishtar…"
"What is it, Samira?"
"Is now the best time to take Bell Cranell? I think it best to wait until after
the Killing Stone Ritual to make a move."
Samira, an Amazon with hair the color of ash, voiced her opinion in a
distinctly male way.
"I learned of Bell Cranell from a rather unwilling messenger…I don't trust
him to keep his mouth shut. It won't be long before Freya realizes I know how to
hurt her. Take the boy before she can protect him."
Ishtar paused for a moment as she looked out over her followers. Another
out-of-place smile grew on her lips as her amethyst eyes burned from within.
"Once the ritual is complete, we declare war on Freya. That pipsqueak's
going to make one hell of an opening bell…All of you, be prepared."
She was going to use Bell to start their war—the Amazons showed no hint of
cowardice, only smiled like wolves on the hunt. Phryne's frog-like lips bulged
out into a grin as well.
Aisha was the only one to remain stone-faced and silent.
"Ge-ge-ge-ge-geh. So how do we get the trophy bunny? Where do we spring
the trap?"
The other Amazons licked their lips after hearing what Phryne had to say.
"Aboveground is too dangerous, avoid it."
Ishtar joined the conversation.
Every person in Orario was paying attention to Hestia Familia after the War
Game. Word would spread quickly should anything happen to one of their
members. It wouldn't take long for the Guild or the enemy to hear about it.
"There are too many eyes in Orario," is how Ishtar put it.
"In that case…the Dungeon it is."
It was Aisha who put everyone's thoughts into words.
All adventurers knew that if you were going to commit a crime, the Dungeon
was the place to do it. The middle levels were the best place because only upperclass adventurers could enter them. The chances of being discovered were
extremely slim.
"How do we bait the rabbit?"
"Just using Lady Ishtar's name will get us what we need. Grab anything you
think will be useful."
In the place of their arrogant leader, Aisha took a more realistic approach in
answering her allies' questions.
Phryne huffed through her nose, as if bored with the idea. "Problem?"
retorted Aisha with a glare.
"Should we bring Haruhime?"
Samira's short ash-gray hair shifted as she turned away from Phryne and
Aisha's staring contest.
The Amazon was looking at Ishtar, but the goddess knew her question was
aimed at everyone in the room. It was an interesting proposal.
"Do as you wish, but…What, is the Little Rookie that strong?"
"If nothing else, he's faster than all of us."
Sure, they had been trying to hold off Phryne at the time. But the Amazons
recounted to their goddess how they'd failed to capture their prey during the
hunt last night. Most of the participants were Level 3.
"I had some idea after watching the battle with Hyacinthus…But how is a
newly ranked-up Level Three so fast?"
The new record holder wasn't pulling off an elaborate scam; he was
genuinely at Level 3.
Aisha couldn't agree more with Samira's words.
"I don't care if you useless varmints want to use Haruhime. Use anything you
want, just corner the boy. I'll take care of the rest."
Phryne's declaration didn't sit well with the other Amazons. All of them shot
her sideways glances filled with disdain.
At Level 5, she was the only one who could keep up with their prey. Aisha
rolled her eyes before glancing toward the window.
Although she couldn't see it, the red-light district was just beneath her gaze.
"…Haruhime is a bumbling fool, barely a part of the familia. Why not let her
out and spread her wings one last time?"
Aisha's proposal caught the rest of the Amazons off guard. Every set of eyes
in the room immediately focused on her.
Phryne's brutish voice sounded almost immediately.
"Are you brain-dead? What if she ran away? Or was that your plan all along,
Aishaaa?"
"…"
"We can't let anyone else know about that, now, can we?"
Veins bulged in Phryne's forehead; her eyes looked ready to kill. Aisha didn't
answer.
For the first time, no one came to Aisha's defense. In fact, Samira added fuel
to the fire.
"What the hell do you see in that timid fox? As for me, I hate her."
Samira's lips twitched back into an awkward grin. Ishtar remained silent,
only puffing another cloud of smoke into the middle of the group.
Aisha glanced into the cloud, only to see two amethyst eyes glimmering
menacingly on the other side. A chill ran down her spine, her body quivering.
Aisha gritted her teeth and willed her body to be still. At long last, Ishtar
blinked.
"Of course not."
That was the end of it.
Aisha's proposal ignored, they started to work on setting a trap for the rabbit.
Aisha exhaled through her nose and once again cast her gaze to the night sky
out the window.
An almost full moon shone brightly over the glow of the red-light district.
In the darkest hour of the night…
The sharp echoes of high heels echoed in the highest level of the white tower
in the middle of Orario.
The sharp sounds grew louder as a figure wearing an extremely revealing
black dress stepped with much more force than necessary down a hallway. The
figure's pearly white skin emerged from the shadows as she arrived in front of a
tall door. Her assistant was waiting for her, and he opened the large wooden
barrier to let her inside.
"Ottar, my wine."
Moonlight penetrated the glass windows of the highest floor of Babel Tower,
filling the room with long shadows. The Goddess of Beauty, Freya, said nothing
else as she took a seat in her chair.
Her long silver hair curled on top of her shoulders and extended down
beyond her feminine back all the way to her delicate, thin waist.
Her assistant, a boaz with a boar-like body built like a mountain, quietly
followed his mistress's instructions.
"Is something troubling you?"
Ottar placed the glass of wine on an extravagant table carved to look like a
bountiful basket of fruit, then he waited for his goddess to take a sip and asked
her a question.
A rare foul mood lurked beneath her normally calm and peaceful exterior.
Ottar lowered his head as Freya glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.
"Have you heard nothing from Mia?"
"No."
If her assistant's short answer had offended her, Freya showed no sign of it.
She did, however, gulp down another mouthful of wine.
The rest of her silver locks fell off her shoulders as she rocked her head back.
Removing the now mostly empty glass from her lips, she turned to face her
assistant and spoke.
Information had been acquired from a certain god—that another Goddess of
Beauty, Ishtar, had become aware of something important.
"Is it wise to continue to leave that god to his own devices?"
"Indeed, I should punish him next time we meet."
Hermes would have passed out from fright had he been present for this
conversation.
Freya ran her fingers through her hair, curling the silver locks around her
fingertips.
"I hated Ishtar watching my every move, so I behaved myself for quite a
while…but it's gotten old."
She was pouting, very unlike her usual self.
His goddess had been offended. Ottar clamped his mouth shut but could not
control the expression of anger on his face.
Freya sighed, completely oblivious to the horrifying visage behind her that
would have sent a Minotaur running out of sheer terror.
"Ishtar knows about that child. As long as she doesn't do something stupid,
that's fine."
"…Such as attack him in cold blood?"
"That would be rather cute, actually."
Despite Ottar's concerns for the boy's safety, Freya saw past it to the real
danger.
Considering the discord between them—caused by her rival's overwhelming
jealousy—Freya had a general idea of what Ishtar was planning.
There was only one solution. Freya quietly sighed again.
"Shall we take Bell Cranell into our protection?"
"…No, wait."
Freya paused for a moment to consider her assistant's suggestion before
sharply striking it down.
"My apologies," said Ottar, lowering his head once again. Freya didn't look
at him, instead casting her gaze out the large glass window.
She took in the view from Orario's highest point, eyes tracing the cityscape
for a few moments.
Her head slowly turned until Ottar came into her line of sight.
"Keep an eye on Ishtar's children. Inform the others…I will reside at home
for the time being."
"As you wish."
Ottar's courteous response filling her ears, Freya downed the last bit of her
wine.