Volume 2 Chapter 2.1: INTERLUDE: CRY OUT, GODDESS

The sky's hue shifted from deep red to blue-black as night fell.

Western Orario. West Main was alive with groups of townspeople and adventurers back from the Dungeon, all letting off steam after yet another day.

"I...I made it again..."

Hestia stumbled along on tired feet among the crowd walking down Main Street. Babel Tower loomed behind her as she made her escape and trudged toward home on wobbly legs.

She had completed her shift at Hephaistos Familia's Babel Tower Branch Store and was headed for her room.

"That Hephaistos...Can't she cut me a little slack...?!"

While it might have been nothing more than the repayment of a loan, this had still been the most stressful time in Hestia's life. She was used to an almost lazy lifestyle up until now, and her current situation bordered on torture.

Whether it was her goddess "friend" Hephaistos's lectures or the children who worked alongside her showing no respect, she couldn't catch a break. In fact, they seemed to go out of their way to give her extra work. It was to the point that she wanted to scream on a daily basis.

She was getting a glimpse at just how serious Hephaistos was about fixing Hestia's habit of relying on others.

"Ahhhh, I wanna see Bell...!"

Worn out from consecutive days of hard labor, thoughts of her own "child" popped into the exhausted Hestia's mind.

Until just a few days ago, she couldn't wait to warmly welcome Bell back from the Dungeon every day, often leaving her part-time job early to do just that. Now their roles were reversed.

She wanted nothing more than to jump into his arms as he walked through the front door. Knowing that wasn't going to happen, she dragged her tired limbs toward home.

"—Eh?"

Hestia was brought out of her own thoughts when a flash of white hair like a rabbit caught her eye.

She noticed a very familiar shape in the middle of all sorts of races of people crammed into the street in front of her.

—It was Bell!

Her round eyes lit up the second she realized it was him.

Bell had to be on his way home from the Dungeon. He was still wearing his new armor. Since his back was to her, he must have been on his way back to the room.

Hestia got her energy back like a fish returned to water, and was about to run to his side—and then...

"?!"

Thanks to the crowds, she hadn't seen the person walking right next to him, but now whoever it was came into view.

The person was shorter than Hestia and wore a robe that was too big with a backpack. It was impossible to tell the person's gender or any other detail from the back, but it was a girl. Hestia knew.

The mystery girl probably had an aura that made all men want to protect her. What's more, she had a firm grip on a hand being held out to her.

Hestia could see the side of Bell's face as he looked down at the girl and she looked up at him. He was smiling happily.

Boom! It was like a ton of bricks fell on Hestia's head.

She was already at her physical and mental limits, so this was the final blow. Bell, her last oasis, was holding hands and laughing with some girl who wasn't her. The heavens had come crashing down to earth, leaving Hestia with a wound too deep to measure.

Missing out on a chance to observe Bell with the supporter he had talked to her about, Hestia turned her back to them and took off running. This misunderstanding weighed heavily on her heart.

"—Listen to this, Miach! Bell, he—he cheated on me!!"

Slam! Another empty glass hit the table as Hestia wailed tearfully.

They were in a bar that stood a little ways off Main Street. The cramped, old wooden building was filled with mostly shabbily clad adventurers who were conversing in loud voices that weren't very polite.

She was drinking cheap alcohol alongside them, sitting at a table across from another god and reciting all the events that just transpired.

"Cheating is very serious. I cannot imagine a situation where Bell would do such a thing."

The handsome man who spoke in a polite, calm voice was Miach. He had been listening to Hestia's story very carefully, and interjected his opinion into the conversation. His worn-out, ash-colored robe fit in very well with the décor of the bar.

Hestia and Miach were the lowest of the low—the poorest of all the gods living in Orario. This gave them a very strong bond. Hestia Familia was on such good terms with the potion-making Miach Familia that each of the gods knew about the other's "children" in great detail.

Hestia happened to run into Miach on the street and practically forced him to join her in drowning her sorrows in alcohol. Through all of this, Miach never once made an angry face as he lent the goddess his ears.

"I saw them with my own eyes! They were holding hands, smiling, laughing! That's proof; he's guilty, guilty, guilty!!"

"We don't know Bell's situation, so it could be something harmless. I think it's too early to declare him 'guilty'...And you're not husband and wife or lovers to begin with, so going on and on about 'cheating' seems strange to me."

Hestia was too busy downing her next glass of alcohol to hear the second half of Miach's words.

She's at it again today...thought Miach with a sigh, his sea-blue hair shaking with his head.

"Damn it! Just who is that girl anyway! Bell belongs to me; he's mine! MINE!"

"Now, now. You may be his goddess, but those words are tyrannical. Bell is no one's possession."

"You think I don't know that? Well, I do! I just wanted to say that; I've always wanted to say that!"

"Are you already drunk?"

"Yeeeep!"

Hestia drank like she couldn't stand being sober—as if she were showering in the stuff. In no time at all the table was covered in empty glasses and the reek of alcohol lingered in the air.

The effects of the liquor hit the red-faced Hestia like a steel wall. Her eyes watered up again as she took in a massive breath.

"WAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH! Bell Bell BellBell BE—L—L! Don't leave me alone—!"

"H-hey! Quiet down, Hestia!"

Even the composed Miach had to try to calm down the goddess; her cries were loud enough to interrupt every other conversation in the bar. All the eyes of other patrons were locked firmly on the two of them.

"I'd live in a sewer if it would make you happy, you know! I love you that much! I want to share the same bed with you and rub my face all over your chest! I'd live on three pieces of bread a day if it made you smile—!"

Miach shifted backward in his chair.

"I love you, BELL!...Hee-hee-hee...Just once, I wanted to let the world know how I feel. Much better!"

"I'm glad he wasn't here for it...Barkeep, check please."

Miach looked at the check and smiled in relief; they hadn't been scammed out of money. Hestia's head was on the table, her face hanging loosely as she laughed happily to herself.

Miach muttered "Good grief..." under his breath as he looked down at the plastered goddess. He diligently supported her limp body and guided her out of the bar.

"Miach, what about the cheeeeck?"

"No need. I covered it all."

"We're buddies, right? That means...we split the...check!"

"Again, no. You only have twenty vals with you."

Miach responded quickly to Hestia's slurred words. He lifted Hestia into a four-wheeled cart he had been using to carry items when they met earlier. It looked more like a baby stroller with Hestia curled up inside.

The two gods made their way down the street, accompanied by the sound of wooden wheels on stone and illuminated by magic-stone lamps under the evening sky.

"Mia...ha. Make me a love potionnnn. I'll brainwash Bell!"

"No. I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that."

"Aaa-oooouuuuuch...!!"

A throbbing headache greeted her the moment she opened her eyes.

Letting out a moan of agony, she stared up at the ceiling from the bed. She recognized it as her own and knew she was at home. The clock on the wall said it was already morning.

It was the morning after her night drinking with Miach, and she had one heck of a hangover.

"A-are you okay, Goddess?"

Bell was right next to the bed.

A glass of water in his hand, he looked at the goddess with worry in his eyes.

"I...I'm sorry, Bell. I'm sorry you have to see me like this..."

"It's okay, I don't mind...Um, yesterday, Miach came here and talked with me. So it's true, then?"

"...Yeah, looks like I drank too much."

Bell held out the glass of water for her. Hestia drank it still lying on the bed, a grimace on her face.

The night before, Miach had arrived at the old church and told him, "She's very...tired. Let her lay down, even if for just a little while." He left after leaving behind these meaningful words.

I can't remember a thing...

All of her memories of the previous night were gone. She had no idea what she had done or what she had said to Miach. After hearing what Miach had told Bell, she couldn't help but feel a little anxious.

Memories of Miach's silent but sad smile made her feel like she had caused quite a few problems yesterday.

"...Bell, are you sure it's okay for you to be here, not the Dungeon?"

"I couldn't leave you like this, so I took today off."

Bell softened his eyebrows and smiled as he explained he'd already come back from informing his supporter.

While Hestia was a little embarrassed by everything Bell was doing for her, inside she was overjoyed. She could spend an entire day alone with him. In that instant, she decided to take the day off as well.

The consequences, aka the wrath of the goddess of the forge, she'd worry about later.

"Goddess, can you try to eat this?"

"...Might be too hard. Bell, could you help?"

"Um, sure. I'll do my best."

Bell put a chunk of apple onto a spoon and raised it to her lips. Hestia propped her body up on her elbows and watched him with glee. She clamped her mouth down around the spoon, a look of pure delight on her face.

Normally, doing this kind of thing would be very awkward because it was just one step below nursing. However, Bell did it with a smile. It made Hestia happier and happier to see Bell hide his embarrassment and show this level of devotion to her.

"Ou...ohhh...My head..."

"G-Goddess?"

After what was one of the worst bits of acting in history, Hestia grabbed her head and "fell" onto Bell's chest. Bell was now holding her in his arms.

She could feel the unease in Bell's eyes, but that just made her want to bury her face even deeper into his torso. He smelled like a gentle forest. She pressed her luck even further by embracing him and giving a tight squeeze.

And so began a short, awkward tug-of-war between the elated goddess and the ever-squirming Bell.

"Hmm...So then, last night you went out to eat with that supporter?"

"Yes. Something very good happened yesterday..."

It was already the middle of the afternoon. Still lying in bed, Hestia was deep in conversation with Bell. Her hangover was almost gone.

While she was relieved to hear this, just thinking about how they were holding hands like that gave her some doubts...But most of all, her heart was uneasy when she updated his status. His growth was just as fast as ever. That meant his thoughts were still focused on Aiz Wallenstein, that blond-haired, golden-eyed girl. He was deeply mistaken about the reciprocity of his feelings.

But for now, she put aside all of her feeling about the kenki—the sword princess—and focused on getting to the bottom of this supporter situation. She wanted to know everything about what Bell thought of her.

Even though she had yet to meet this supporter girl, Hestia was starting to get seriously jealous.

"It's so great, isn't it? It must have been really fun to eat delicious food, just you and your supporter. I wish I could have been there..."

Sprinkling her words with irony, Hestia turned away from Bell, shuddering her shoulders and clearing her throat. But that performance didn't match Bell's reaction.

He sat there for a moment, body shivering slightly. He finally made up his mind and opened his mouth to speak.

"Well then, um, shall we go? The two of us, and, you know, eat at a high-class restaurant..."

"...Eh?"

"How about an...extravagant dinner?"

Hestia was in a pinch, watching Bell doing his best not to blush next to her.

She couldn't believe her ears.

"T-the truth is...I got a lot of money from the Dungeon yesterday...! And I, um, wanted to say thank you, so I...!"

Hestia didn't hear another word.

She was too busy replaying Bell's invitation over and over in her head.

Is this possibly...a d-d-d-d-d-date???

And from Bell directly? Dinner?! Hestia's thoughts were going a mile a minute.

She was ecstatic.

"Once you're feeling better, Goddess, let's go sometime soon."

"Let's go today!"

"Uh?"

"Today!"

Hestia threw off her bedclothes and sprang to her feet.

Bell sat there in shock.

"G-Goddess...your body needs to rest..."

"I'm better!"

She wasn't lying. The excitement and nervousness that come with a date, with Bell no less, had filled her body with energy. Bell sat, stunned, in his chair next to the bed as Hestia flew around the room getting ready for the evening.

—Wait a second.

Hestia stopped in her tracks and lifted her collar from her chest up to her nose, drawing in a big whiff.

It smelled horrible, like alcohol. It wasn't the way any self-respecting goddess wanted to smell, and she was covered in it.

Her eyes shot open.

"Bell, six o'clock!"

"Y-yes?"

"Southwest Main at six! I'll meet you at Amour Square!"

Bell broke out in a cold sweat as he watched Hestia go out the door, carrying only a small bag with her.

In a word, this was paradise.

"Wonder if mine'll get any bigger?"

"Well, it's not like us gods and goddesses are growing up any more—Hey, no groping!"

If any of the children of the mortal world had set foot in this spot, they would have fainted from blood loss owing to the nosebleeds it would inspire.

Here goddesses, under the cover of cloudy steam, revealed every inch of their beautiful bodies without a second thought, naked as the day they were born. Light glistened off their clear skin; toned arms and legs shined through the mist.

This place was the very definition of heaven that all men dream about at least once.

"Haah...This feels amazing!"

A relaxed smile grew on Hestia's face as she sank shoulder deep into the hot water, causing small waves to caress her body.

The Divine Bathhouse. It was a pure bathing facility where only gods might enter—just as the name would suggest.

There was one main, wide "pool" surrounded by smaller tubs of many sizes. Large trees and natural rocks were interspersed around and among the tubs, making the whole place feel like an isolated oasis. Constructed completely out of stone, intricate designs carved into the walls and pillars made the bathhouse even more majestic.

The Divine Bathhouse was built and maintained for the gods and goddesses living in Orario by the Guild. Money was collected from each of the Familias, a tribute to the gods, to make this place a reality.

Of course the male and female gods had their own baths, but due to the lack of male gods using the facility, the "Divine Bathhouse" usually referred to the goddesses' side. Ever since one perverted old god had gained entrance to the goddesses' bath at some point (he had since become legendary), the Guild upped security to the point that a single mouse couldn't find a way in.

Hestia had joined the other goddesses, completely vulnerable without a thread of coverage, in the hot water. Her glistening skin turning pink from the heat, she let out a deep, relaxed breath as the water flowed over her.

"Can it be? Hestia? This is quite a surprise, seeing you here."

"Ahh...Oh, Demeter, it's been a long time!"

Hestia greeted the goddess she knew with the first thing that came to mind, her face as slack as it could be.

The goddess named Demeter hid her lusciously curvy body with one thin towel as she took a seat next to Hestia.

"Ooo-h? Your bosom is as big as ever, I see."

"Look who's talking!"

Hestia slapped the wrist of the hand reaching toward her chest.

The shock from the hit shook Demeter's impressive breasts, sending large ripples out through the surface of the water.

"So what's the occasion? Today is your first time here, I presume?"

"Umm..."

Hestia pulled her face together as she turned toward the other goddess, who happened to be adjusting her fluffy, honey-colored hair.

It costs money to enter the Divine Bathhouse, so Hestia had avoided coming here at all. However, now that she had plans for a romantic night with Bell, she decided to use what little savings she had to bathe here.

It was that important to her not only to get rid of the smell of alcohol, but to refresh her body and mind as well.

Everything had to be perfect tonight.

"I have plans to meet someone for dinner after this. Thought I'd go all out."

"...Could you possibly mean with a gentleman?"

"What would you say if it was?"

Hestia shot an irritated glance at the look of shock on her friend's face.

As a small waterfall on the other side of the pool made a merry little sound, Demeter's eyes lit up like a child's.

"Well, I'll be! Who would have guessed, Hestia with a gentleman! Goodness! Hey, everyone—!"

"Wh-what are you doing?"

Hestia lost her calm at seeing Demeter get a little too excited.

The goddess's voice echoed around the chamber, and other bathers started to gather to find out what was going on. After Demeter told them the news, they too joined her in hysterical frenzy.

"Hestia and a man?!"

"What's happened?!"

"Hestia, the girl who had no interest in men whatsoever back in the heavens, she's—!"

"The Hestia who spent all year cooped up in her room, that Hestia?"

"Baby-face Loli-girl Hestia!"

"What is going on?!"

"Spill everything, now!"

In a blink of an eye, all the bathing goddesses swarmed around Hestia.

Completely ignoring the rules and manners of the Divine Bathhouse, some of the goddesses jumped into the pool, others pushed and shoved their way past the others' peach-colored skin to get a closer look at the girl.

"What's the big deal? Is it that strange that I have a date?"

"It's not that, Hestia, my dear. You've rejected all invitations from men up until now, yes?"

"You're one of the top three virgin goddesses, alongside Athena and Artemis!"

"To be frank, we want to know what kind of man brought down your impenetrable fortress."

Hestia shrank away from Demeter and all the other goddesses piling on questions with a cynical look in her eyes.

She tried to tell them that there were no worthwhile gods trying to woo her, but she soon realized that none of the goddesses would settle for a run-of-the-mill answer.

In situations like this, the entertainment-seeking nature of deities completely took over.

"...He's a member of my Familia, a human."

A chorus of "Ooohh!" and "Whaaa?" rose from the ring of deities. Even before the echoes of their voices died out, the goddesses started giving opinions like "I knew it!" and asking questions like "Is he taking advantage of your urge to protect him?"

"Are you sure he's not playing you? It would be horrible if you fell for a bad man..."

"What do you take me for? I'm a goddess! I know how to read people."

"The children can hide nothing from us goddesses; we see everything."

"Okay, so what made you fall for that child?"

"His personality, I guess."

Now that she thought about it, there was no one thing that drew her to him. She answered the question quietly to herself under her breath, that if there was one thing, it was his pure honesty.

The goddesses kept up their relentless chatter after that, and Hestia was getting tired of it. So she decided it was time to get out. Besides, it was good timing for her to finish getting ready.

Escaping from the ring of goddesses, she stood up. Water droplets remained on her slender limbs and body, reflecting light that shone down from a skylight over the bath. Her normally tied jet-black hair hung wet and loose behind her, shining gorgeously in the light.

Hestia closed her eyes and stood there for a moment.

It was a scene an artist would have painted: a glistening young goddess standing in a pool, bathed in sunlight and surrounded by others looking on in delight.

"Hey, Hestia. What's your favorite part about him?"

One of the goddesses raised her hand to get in one last question.

Hestia looked back over her shoulder and gently smiled.

"His...everything."

Amour Square was located one block from Southwest Main. It was a straight shot down a side street.

The area itself was paved with stones of many colors and was surrounded by a green border of various plants and flowers. All this came together to produce a gorgeous atmosphere. As the sun sank in the west, magic-stone lamps came to life around the square, illuminating it under the darkening sky.

It was just before six o'clock. Surrounded by couples walking hand in hand, Bell tried to make himself as small as possible as he waited in front of a statue of a goddess in the middle of Amour Square.

"Bell!"

"Ah...!"

Hestia spotted Bell and walked up to him.

At first, Bell was relieved to hear a familiar voice. But when he looked up at the owner of the voice, he did a double take.

Hestia had changed her hairstyle. Her usual twin ponytails were let down, and her glossy black hair flowed freely down her back. The young fairy had grown up, and she took Bell's breath away.

The ribbons with bells that she normally used to tie her hair up were wrapped around her wrists like bracelets. She wore the best clothing she owned. Hestia had pulled out all the stops.

Hestia held her breath for a moment, standing in front of Bell. Her cheeks turning a bright shade of pink, she worked up the courage to ask him a question.

"W-well, what do you think? I'm trying out a new look, so..."

"...Ah, yes, you look great! Very, very great! How should I put this? You look much more refined than usual, Goddess! You're...um...p-pretty!"

Bell's face turned red as he stumbled over his words, trying to praise the goddess.

He was doing his best to show respect to the head of his Familia, but there was a great deal of shyness in his voice. At this moment, Bell was captivated by Hestia.

Hestia may have looked calm on the outside, but inside she was pumping her fist with a big "Yessss!"

"I meant to get here earlier—sorry, Bell. Did you wait?"

"N-no, I just got here a moment ago."

They looked away from each other, fiddling with their own clothes.

This was beginning to feel so much like a real date that Hestia's cheeks were starting to go numb.

No matter what happened from this point on, nothing could bring down Hestia's high spirits.

"Well then, Bell, you'd better be a good escort for me tonight!"

"I-I will!"

Then he smiled and extended his hand. Hestia was about to take it—then it happened.

They rounded the corner of the square like a pack of wolves.

"There they are!"

"Hestia's here!"

"So then...that guy next to her is...!"

It was the goddesses from the bath. All of the insanely beautiful girls' and women's eyes sparkled with the same fervor as they charged en masse.

Bell froze at the onslaught of deities. Hestia stood next to him, her eyes as wide as they would go.

"Awww! He's so cute!"

"So he's Hestia's type!"

"M-mmpph!"

The swarm pushed Hestia out of the way and swallowed Bell in one swift motion.

Arms from all directions pulled Bell into their owners' breasts, each goddess embracing him one by one.

Oxygen was hard to come by, trapped in the heavenly cage from hell. Bell's face was burning red in a matter of seconds as he struggled to come up for air.

"Nah...Hnnnnn...Hahhhh?!"

"Sorry, Hestia! We wanted to know who it was so badly we couldn't help it. So we followed you...My, my, my! He really does look like a rabbit!"

"Nnn—hnnnn—!"

"B-BEEELLLL—!"

Echoes of Hestia's scream bounced around the square.

Bell's life was hanging by a thread. He had fallen into the valley that was Demeter's massive cleavage. None of the other goddesses even came close to her overwhelming chest canyon. Every time Demeter stroked Bell's white hair, pressure built up within Hestia. Veins in her head were bulging to the point that blood should have been shooting out her eyes.

The spearhead of the goddesses' desire for entertainment had struck her personal life, and it was mercilessly trampling everything in its path.

Just when Hestia was about to hit her breaking point—

Clothing disheveled, face beet red and hair going in all directions, Bell popped out of the group through a small opening.

"God...dess..."

"B-Bell! Are you all right?!"

"...I can die happy...!"

Whack! Hestia buried the tip of her shoe in Bell's shin.

"Sorry...!"

"Accepted. Now, time to get out of here!"

Pulling a one-legged Bell out of the swarm by force, Hestia started their escape.

It took a moment for the goddesses to realize their prize was gone; their moment of surprise was the opening that Bell and Hestia needed to get out of Amour Square.

The two of them took off at full speed through the city, keeping an eye out for the pursuit of the relentless deities.

"Ahhh! Why are they always like this?! Goddesses have no self-control, really!"

"Ha-haaaa..."

Bell grimaced next to a frustrated and yelling Hestia.

The two of them had finally shaken their pursuers in an old bell tower just off West Main. Made of brick, the now silent tower stood by itself with the original—but broken—bell still hanging overhead.

They hid themselves inside the tower until the goddesses passed by, allowing Bell and Hestia to finally relax for a moment.

"It's already the middle of the night...Aww, and tonight was supposed to be our date, too."

"D-date?"

There wasn't much time left before midnight. Hestia let out a long sigh as she fumbled with her hair, which had gotten tangled from running around so much.

The day had come to a lamentable end, and she stewed in it for a moment.

"Oh...! Goddess, take a look at that!"

"......?"

Bell enthusiastically pointed outside to get Hestia's attention.

What unfolded before her as she turned around was the city itself, lit up by magic-stone lamps like stars in the night sky.

More lamps than she could count shone with dazzling colors on every building of Orario.

In the center of it all, a massive white tower pierced the darkness to reach well into the black sky.

Hestia lost herself for a moment in the beautiful view from the top of the old bell tower. She didn't say a word as she looked over at Bell sitting beside her. She could see the entire city's reflection in his shimmering eyes.

Bell felt Hestia's eyes and turned to meet them. Seeing this amazing view side by side with Hestia made him feel warm inside. Harnessing its power, he opened his mouth to speak.

"Um, Goddess...Let's go again sometime. For sure."

"Bell..."

"Until then, I'll work as hard as I can to save money. We can eat delicious food, have delicious drinks, and then let's come here."

"......"

"We found this amazing view today...so let's come here again, together."

He continued, telling her that the day had not been wasted.

And that he was glad to share this moment with her.

Bell was trying to keep Hestia's spirits up. It wasn't just for show, either; he really felt that way.

A carefree smile lit up Bell's face and struck a chord with Hestia. She slowly closed her eyes, butterflies dancing in her stomach.

That innocent, stupidly honest smile made her even more attracted to the boy, right then and there.

She felt love in the memories she'd made that day, and in Bell's promise of tomorrow.

"I'm looking forward to it, Bell."

"Yes."

She smiled back at him with a grin wide enough to split her face in half.

The two of them looked back outside at the beautiful city and enjoyed what was left of their time alone.

Hestia had succeeded in getting closer to him. The feeling made her blush and let her mind be at ease.

I was going to ask him about that supporter tonight, but...I just don't feel like it anymore.

Now wasn't the time for anything so uncouth, she thought to herself, and took in the view once again.

Feeling the warmth of the boy next to her, she closed her eyes and smiled.

The bells on the hair ribbons she'd tied around her wrists rung faintly, shaking in the cool breeze that flowed through the tower, caressing them both under the old bell.