Inside the tavern, a sharp sound of glass shattering rang out.
"You silly girl! How many times have you broken plates now?!"
"I'm sorry..."
Facing Mia's angry outburst, Syr hurriedly apologized, bending down to clean up the broken pieces.
"If you're so worried, why not wait at the city gates? That lad's got some spirit—he should be back soon."
Mia watched the distracted girl and sighed deeply.
"No... I'll wait here..."
Syr glanced into the distance and replied softly. A breeze carried her worries, sweeping past the round table, through the walls, and straight to the base of the massive city ramparts. Hestia's long black hair danced in the wind.
"Bell!"
"Goddess-sama, I've returned."
Hestia rushed forward joyfully, embracing the young man.
"Goodness, what took you so long?!"
"Sorry for making you worry."
Bell gently stroked Hestia's black hair, and the goddess showed no hesitation. Feeling the gazes of the three elves, she suddenly realized how lacking in dignity her current demeanor was.
Hestia stepped back, cleared her throat, and said, "After all, he's my Bell. I trusted that you could handle the situation, so I wasn't worried at all."
Bell smiled softly. Anyone could see that the goddess was speaking against her better judgment.
The male god who had been accompanying Hestia stepped forward.
"Hestia's been acting recklessly these past few days, so the shopkeeper dismissed her. She needs to deal with her personal matters before returning to work."
"…Take, some things shouldn't be said!"
Hestia shot a reproachful look at her divine companion.
"Are you the god Takemikazuchi?" Bell asked, seeing this imposing warrior god for the first time.
"No need to be so formal. Like Hestia, I'm just an ordinary person working part-time at a potato ball shop," Takemikazuchi said with a self-deprecating tone.
"Thank you for handling the compressed sweets."
Bell had never found the opportunity to express his gratitude directly.
"You still remember that? The finished product was quite good, but it was just too much for my child... It's truly a pity."
The Takemikazuchi Familia was a typical exploration-type Familia, supporting themselves through magic stones and dropped items from dungeons. Now, the rising star Yamato Mikoto possessed a unique gravity magic. The compressed sweets Bell had tried were her creation.
"Mikoto-san, right? If the chance comes up, I'll definitely visit to express my thanks."
"It was nothing. They've been busy exploring lately. I have this uneasy feeling... Find time to let the kids rest."
Takemikazuchi casually mentioned his intuition. If they gave in to such worries, the Familia would never grow.
"I understand how you feel, Take."
Hestia set aside her frown and changed the subject.
"Anyway, Bell has returned safely. When your kids are free, let's all have a celebratory banquet!"
"Goddess-sama doesn't have that kind of money..." Bell teased with a laugh.
"What? How dare you underestimate a god! I've been working hard all along!"
Hestia playfully tapped the young man on the shoulder. The three elves present exchanged complex glances as they watched the goddess's ever-bouncing... well, you know.
"You three should come too. Bell's been in your care," Hestia invited the trio.
"I... I'll pass..." Lefiya replied coyly.
"I'm not really used to this kind of gathering either," Ryuu responded.
"...." Laurier blinked, at a loss.
As the atmosphere grew noticeably frosty, Takemikazuchi smiled and spoke up:
"Bell Cranel, is this child of the Loki family the one you're spending your honeymoon with? When did you two hold the wedding?"
"...?!"
Hestia's eyebrows knitted into a frown. Ryuu and Laurier, who knew the details, showed no reaction. Lefiya, the center of the topic, blushed and stammered, unable to speak.
After what felt like an eternity but was actually brief hesitation, she clutched her wand and whispered, "Wh... why would you say that?"
"Hmm? Because word of the two of you has already spread throughout the entire city."
Takemikazuchi slowly recounted the current rumors.
Some said the Thousand Elf had snatched the Little Rookie from the tavern girl's grasp. As the most promising new talent, a perfect match, a union made in heaven.
Some say the boy is a scoundrel, running wild without a care.
Some say the Little Rookie aims for a harem, proving himself a true man.
"Most of the male idols support the third view—myself included."
Takemikazuchi patted Bell's shoulder with a hearty laugh.
"Um..."
Lefiya had miscalculated. More accurately, she'd been betrayed by their Captain, Finn.
Using a honeymoon as an excuse to leave the city wouldn't raise suspicions, and Lefiya's status hadn't caused any trouble for the journey. But before departing, the anxious Lefiya hadn't considered what would await her return. Finn seemed to be saying, "Rather than spending your days fantasizing within the Familia and affecting everyone, why not spread rumors of a newlywed couple and confront this shyness head-on?"
As a friendly Familia, this could also deepen everyone's interactions with Bell Cranel. Finn's considerations went beyond that. The title "Thousand Elf" carried far more prestige than she had imagined. Beyond men coveting her beauty, the magic nations might also set their sights on Lefiya. If she were already spoken for, it could spare them trouble early on.
Of course, Lefiya herself hadn't grasped these implications. Her cheeks flushed crimson. She wanted to loudly deny any relationship between them, yet feared causing trouble for the young man and the Loki Familia.
"That... that..."
Overwhelmed by endless shyness, Lefiya's ears turned crimson as she scrambled back into the carriage.
Bell sensed the rumors were being deliberately spread. Suspecting Finn had his reasons, he chose not to explain the situation for Lefiya.
Noticing the boy's growing number of lovers, Hestia snorted jealously and changed the subject:
"Is Astraea doing okay?"
"Yeah, she looks adorable when she sleeps." Bell replied with a smile.
"Wh-what?! That's not what I asked?! Bell... you wouldn't...?!"
Hestia stammered incoherently.
"I just saw her sleeping. But Astraea asked me not to hide from the Goddess-sama that we're lovers," Bell answered truthfully.
"Oh... ·Huh?!"
Hestia nodded, then suddenly widened her eyes, doubting her own ears.
Lovers?
Astraea?
No, no, no—how could that be possible...
In a sense, she was a goddess equal to Artemis herself. That Astraea could actually accept a harem? And develop a lover's relationship with Bell?
Unless a miracle occurred, how could that be?
Hestia was utterly confused. There wasn't a shred of falsehood in the youth's words. He wouldn't conceal the harem or deceive Astraea. In fact, if he had, that pure goddess of justice would have sensed it immediately and rejected Bell outright.
What on earth did Bell do...
And Astraea too—she'd never been in a relationship before, never even had a rumor or scandal surrounding her. Why would she fall for my Bell...
No, Bell is indeed handsome and hardworking, always performing heroic deeds. It's not hard to understand why Astraea would fall for him. But this is happening far too quickly, isn't it?
Back in Tenkai, no matter how dazzling the male gods' advances were, didn't Astraea always reject them? Not only that, she often looked after me like a caring older sister. As the goddess of order and justice, Astraea would sternly intervene whenever Hestia was harassed by male gods.
A goddess as lofty and pure as the stars... yet in such a short time, she became Bell's lover...
Could... could they have even done knee-pillowing?
No, no, I mustn't think about this anymore!
Faced with this shocking revelation, Hestia resolved to abandon further thought and proceed with her prearranged plan.
"Forget about Astraea. Since the tavern girl and Loki's child are both here, you two come back with me for a proper chat!"
The goddess's words were decisive and firm, leaving no room for refusal.
Hestia clearly regarded the two as members of the young man's harem. They weren't his lovers, but due to various circumstances, they had to conceal this truth.
Ryuu and Lefiya exchanged glances, momentarily speechless. They realized that Orario's wind and Sword Smithing City Solingen were different. It was exceptionally chaotic.