Chapter 60 - He's A Hero!
"Um... sorry, Bell," Hestia said, looking frustrated with herself.
"Don't worry too much about a moment's gain or loss," Bell said, reassuring her.
He added, "Honestly, if Loki-sama hadn't caught on to this, it might've been better to approach the Freya Familia instead."
His calm tone seemed to ease Hestia slightly. This wasn't entirely unexpected for him.
With Loki's intelligence, it was only a matter of time before she figured things out.
Bell had hoped the runestones would be enough to simplify negotiations, but that plan was out the window now.
Loki had pinpointed their so called weak spot, and now it was up to him to offer a solution.
"I want to show you something, Loki-sama," Bell said confidently.
"Huh~?" Loki's curiosity flared up immediately.
Without wasting any time, Bell released his aura.
In an instant, a massive wave of energy surged from him, reaching the level of a Level 7 adventurer.
"T-this... this..." Loki stammered, her eyes wide in disbelief.
Hestia and Hephaestus were just as stunned.
Is this really a newbie?
He's not from Hera or Zeus Familia, right?
Did Hestia get a transfer adventurer?
Loki was speechless, completely caught off guard by Bell's display of strength.
"So, Loki-sama, how about we form an alliance?" Bell asked, his voice calm but firm.
"You... you..." Loki stuttered, trying to process what she'd just seen.
Finally, she managed to speak.
"You don't need my help at all. With your strength, you could probably take on every adventurer in Orario by yourself. So, why? Why do you need this alliance?"
Bell's reply was straightforward. "Because I need your strength."
"Huh?"
"I'm the last survivor of the Hera and Zeus Familia," he said. "My target is the king of the sky, the one-eyed black dragon. I'm going to defeat it and put an end to all these tragedies."
Loki sighed, her tone sharp. "Do you even know what you're saying, boy?"
She glared at him. "Do you want my familia to die with you?"
"Your Zeus and Hera Familia were the strongest in Orario, and even they couldn't do anything against that monster."
Her voice softened, but her expression stayed serious.
"Even though I'm proud of my familia, I know their limits."
"You're just Level 7. Don't think you can take it on just because you've got some strength."
"Of course," Bell said without hesitation.
Then, he dropped a bombshell. "But Loki, I'm just a fifteen-year-old boy. And my strength is already at Level 7."
"!?"
The room went silent as Loki stared at him, completely stunned.
Fifteen years old?
A teenager with this kind of power? The thought shook her to her core.
"Even in ancient times, there weren't any heroes as talented as me," Bell said, his voice calm but steady.
If anyone else had said those words, Loki would've laughed them off.
But coming from Bell, she couldn't dismiss it.
'Maybe... maybe he really could defeat the one-eyed black dragon,' she thought.
"B-but, why did you choose me, Bell?" she asked, her voice shaky.
Bell gave her a confident smile. "Because I believe in you, Loki."
For a moment, Loki froze. His words hit her harder than she expected.
'He's not lying', she thought. There wasn't a hint of deception in his eyes.
"I-I see..." Loki muttered, turning her head slightly.
If Bell could've seen her face, he would've noticed the blush spreading across her cheeks.
Hestia, watching the scene, opened her mouth to say something but closed it again. No words came out. She just stood there.
Sometimes, strength speaks for itself.
If someone else had said, "I believe in you," it wouldn't have meant much.
But coming from Bell, it carried a weight that couldn't be ignored.
To the three goddesses, Bell wasn't just an adventurer. He was a noble hero.
His words, "I want to end all tragedies," made their hearts race. Even Hephaestus, who thought of herself as ugly, felt something stir inside her.
No one hates heroes. Heroes are admired by everyone—mortals and gods alike.
For goddesses, heroes are their greatest source of admiration.
In Loki and Hephaestus's hearts, Bell had risen to a level of strong admired person.
Even so, a sense of sadness lingered.
Bell wasn't doing it for glory or material rewards. He was doing it for one selfish reason: to end the tragedies once and for all.
Loki and Hephaestus exchanged a glance, their gazes softening.
They both wanted to protect Bell from the dangers ahead, even though they knew it wasn't possible. For him, this was his goal from the start.
Loki sighed and hugged Bell tightly.
Bell: "..."
"Don't worry, Bell. I'm with you too," Hephaestus chimed in.
"I promise you, Bell," Loki added as she released him from her hug.
Her eyes concerned as she looked at him.
"If there's anything I can do to help, just tell me. I might be a trickster, but you can always rely on me," Loki said, her voice unusually gentle.
"Me too," Hephaestus said firmly.
Snort~
Hestia snorted, puffing up her chest as she sat beside Bell. She glanced at Loki and Hephaestus but stayed quiet.
Instead, she started stroking Bell's head softly.
The three goddesses smiled warmly at Bell, setting aside their differences. None of them wanted to trouble him with their petty quarrels.
From this moment on, they all vowed to give Bell as much happiness as they could.
For these goddesses, love was eternal, and all three had fallen for him.
[
Affection Level:
Loki[100] (Strong Admiration which blossoms in Love)
Hestia[100] (Strong Admiration and in Love)
Hephaestus[100] (Strong Admiration and in Love)
Riveria[100] (Loves you and hates you)
]
'System, thanks for shielding my lies.'
[Don't worry, host. Even if Tiamat herself showed up, she wouldn't be able to dig into your secrets.]
[To these idiot goddesses, everything you said feels true.]
"..." Bell sighed.
Is the system getting more human?
[The stronger you get, the more my intelligence grows.]
'I see.' Bell thought.
Anyway, His goal was achieved.
With just a few white lies, he had managed to win over Loki and Hephaestus.
'Maybe I'm better at this than I thought.'