Chapter 48 - Bell, then tonight...
"Humph!"
Hestia finally got to spend some time with Bell, but running into Loki quickly spoiled her rare good mood.
She clenched her fork tightly and shoved a slice of fish into her mouth.
The delicious flavor momentarily soothed her irritation, if only for a brief moment.
Glancing over at Loki, who was seated at a table with her familia, Hestia snorted and looked away.
"My rare good mood, ruined by that guy," she muttered.
"Isn't Hestia having fun with Loki?" Bell asked, slightly puzzled.
"Fun? Where? Loki and I have been enemies from the start," Hestia pouted, crossing her arms.
She and Loki had been rivals for ages, their feud stretching back to the distant past.
'On a rare day like this, when we're out together, I just had to run into her.'
If Hestia had known Loki would be at the tavern, she would have never brought Bell there.
"Today's the day the Loki Familia returned from their expedition; they're probably here to celebrate."
"I heard Loki familia is the most active when it comes to exploring the unknown floors of the dungeon, so I assume they had quite the harvest this time."
"...Yes, probably."
Hestia couldn't deny it.
"Even though I don't get along with Loki, I can't deny her children are incredible."
"Every member of her familia is among the best adventurers in Orario."
It was a fact Hestia begrudgingly acknowledged.
The title of Orario's Twin Kings was well-deserved.
If her children weren't extraordinary, Loki wouldn't be so eager to delve into the unknown depths of the dungeon.
"The Loki Familia is all about dungeon expeditions, but Freya… her familia is even stronger, yet they don't seem as interested in the dungeon."
Freya, the other half of the Twin Kings, also commanded some of Orario's finest adventurers.
Yet, Hestia rarely heard about Freya leading her familia into the unknown floors.
"I guess every god has their own interests," she sighed.
Bell, well aware of Freya's true interest, nodded.
Freya wasn't fixated on the dungeon; she was drawn to adventurers with pure, radiant souls.
"If it weren't for Freya, I wouldn't have to be so cautious."
"But with time, more of Orario will open up to you. You'll explore and become more familiar with the city."
This date with Hestia made Bell feel excited.
Yet, something still bothered him—Riveria and Syr's strange behavior.
Syr must have tried to peer into his soul.
As for Riveria, he couldn't quite figure her out.
'Affection level 100, loves you, and hates...'
Bell had a feeling that Riveria might be a time traveler or perhaps someone who had transmigrated from a parallel universe.
As for the mix of affection and hatred, it might have something to do with the original Bell.
It felt like it was time for him to stretch his muscles.
Bell also knew he couldn't remain cooped up in the Hestia Familia base forever.
He needed to gather information—about the city, the dungeon, and the floors ahead.
"Hestia, do you think we'll have to worry about expeditions in the future?"
"Um… probably not."
Hestia shook her head, dismissing the idea.
"Expeditions aren't something you do lightly. They usually require several familias working together to ensure safety."
"The Guild won't force a familia into the dungeon just to die. Only familias with a rating of D or higher are required to go on expeditions."
"With just the you, our familia doesn't even qualify."
The message behind Hestia's words was clear: unless they recruited more members, an expedition was out of reach.
But Hestia didn't see her familia attracting many adventurers.
And, she didn't want anyone else in her familia besides Bell.
For now, she and Bell were living peacefully together, and bringing in more members would only complicate things.
More importantly, Hestia had heard that Bell didn't trust other adventurers, so the chance of him forming a team was slim.
Knowing Bell's abilities, Hestia wasn't worried about his solo adventures.
If anything, she was more concerned that he might become reckless.
"I see."
Bell nodded.
He wasn't the type to get caught up in details, but hearing Hestia's explanation cleared things up for him.
Plus, Bell wasn't too worried about his growth.
His real concern was how smoothly he could increase his Raiden Shogun template percentage.
After the evening's date, Bell and Hestia returned to their home.
Today's date still made Hestia very happy. It was their first date, so it held a special meaning.
Even though there were some disturbances, that only added to its uniqueness.
Of course, the same was true for Bell.
"Well~ After a good meal, I can't help but feel sleepy now."
Hestia, who was rubbing her eyes, couldn't resist the drowsiness creeping in.
Feeling sleepy after eating... In fact, that's often a sign of good health.
"Hestia, if you're tired, you can go to bed early today."
"Mm."
Hestia thought the same, but she couldn't help feeling expectant about something.
"Bell, then tonight..."
"Well, Hestia, I'm going to train a bit before bed."
"Huh?"
Seeing Bell's sudden seriousness, the words Hestia was about to say got stuck in her throat.
Earlier in the day, when Bell saw the strength of the Loki Familia adventurers, it didn't fill him with feelings of loss.
Instead, he was reminded of the Raiden Shogun template. It brought him closer to the gods than that of ordinary heroes.
Bell was confident that, given time, he could find ways to enhance his template, push past these limits, and grow stronger.
He couldn't back down from this challenge.
If Bell backed down now, how could he face Hestia?
How could he pursue his unwavering goal of being with her?
"I know it's impossible to get drastically stronger in a short time, but I still want to spend more time training."
"...In that case, Bell, promise me you won't go to the dungeon at night."
Although she wanted to directly object, believing that nighttime should be for rest, Hestia looked into Bell's clear and determined eyes.
She couldn't bring herself to oppose him completely, so she reluctantly agreed, though it went against her instincts.
"Don't worry. I know the dungeons are dangerous at night, so I'll just be doing some exercises in the ruins above."
After reassuring Hestia, Bell went to the open ground outside the church.
Since the street was far from this area, the surroundings were quiet, and there were no prying eyes around.
'Let's do a ten pull.'
Soon, hundreds of items floated into the air, and after spinning like a roulette wheel, one item appeared.
[3-Star Item: Primordial Rune (Cú Chulainn Version)]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
How about an extra chapter? if I get 10-15 new reviews!
.
.
.
.
[IMG of your waifu's]
.
.
.
.
Liked It? Read 20 advance chapters at:
patreon.com/heavenlydawn
.
.
.
.
(For every 500 Power Stones, get an extra chapter)