Chapter 36: 36 – Is it wrong to get fed up with life?

"Thank you for accepting the quest, Bell. Although I certainly did not expect you to be the one fulfilling it." Miach gave me a bright smile as he took the herbs.

"You're welcome! Though if you needed some herbs, you could have just asked me instead of putting up a quest, you know?" I tucked away the completed quest form in my bag and said, "It's better for you guys to have inventory to sell and things for me to buy."

Naaza walked out with a rack of potions and nodded. "You heard him, Lord Miach."

Miach sighed. "It pains me to ask... But I understand." He looked at me and nodded. "If there are any other items we need in the future, I will make sure to request them of you."

I smiled and then took a look out the window.

I was in Miach's potion shop, turning in all the herb gathering quests after having turned in the Kobold subjugation quest.

I hadn't paid much attention when I was grabbing them, but it ended up that all the herb gathering quests there were for Miach's Familia. So after grabbing everything and warping home, I headed off to finish up my errands for the day.

Naaza brushed away a strand of her light brown hair with her left arm and then set the potions onto the counter, sliding them towards me. "Here's your reward for the quests. Six regular potions and six mind potions. Don't worry. Since it's you, they're full capacity."

I picked up the rack of potions and raised an eyebrow. "That seems to imply that you're selling inferior goods to other people."

"Naaza." Miach turned on the dog woman and frowned. "You're still doing that?"

"Don't worry, Miach." She smiled and pointed at me. "Thanks to our regular customer here and his notes on potion doses, I've figured out the exact minimum amount for normal recovery. The average adventurer won't be able to tell a difference... And we can save two potions a batch."

Miach's frown deepened. Still, he didn't scold Naaza and said, "And you're certain?"

"Completely. I have a batch in the back already... Oh." Naaza turned to look at me and said, "Did you want to pick up your order while you're here too?"

I nodded. "If that's not too much trouble."

Naaza smiled and then headed into the back room, rummaging around a bit.

After that, Miach sighed and said, "Well... At least Naaza is in better spirits these days."

I made a show of tucking the potions into my bag before really putting them into my inventory. But while I was doing that, I looked at Miach and said, "Really?"

"Mm." Miach nodded and said, "Naaza is usually lethargic and indifferent, but recently she's been caught up in research and smiling a lot more as well. For that, I have to thank you, Bell."

I frowned. "Not sure how I've been helping with that... But you're welcome?"

Maybe there was more value to the notes on potion dosage than I thought? Or maybe that bit about regeneration preventing proper muscle growth sparked a bit of inspiration?

I didn't know what did it, but if it helped Miach out, that was good. After all, he was one of Tia's few friends and was a genuinely nice guy.

After that, Naaza came back with a box of potions. She slid them over and said, "There are your diluted potions, as well as a few normal ones. If you don't mind, I've also put some experimental potions in there as well for you to test."

I grabbed the box and looked inside. "Experimental?"

Six normal potions, shining a soft red. Six potions that I assumed were the diluted ones, considering how faint the red was. And then six potions that... were a weird orange color?

Naaza nodded. "You're trying to improve your physique with potions by enhancing your natural regeneration, right?"

I looked up and said, "Right."

"But in doing so, you would have had to eat a lot. Since the potion is diluted, there isn't enough energy in itself to make up for the healing."

Huh. Was that the reason I kept chewing through our groceries with all the meals I made? Normal dosages of potion had inherent energy to make up for the body's regeneration?

Naaza pointed towards the orange potions and said, "Those should fix that problem. It's the same dose you've been using, but I've added other things too. If everything works as intended, it should be even better at improving your physique. And if it does..." She looked at Miach and smiled, excitement clear in her eyes.

Miach's eyes widened and he placed his hand on his chin. "...Then there would be a simple way for rookie adventurers to improve. Perhaps even ordinary citizens, if the dosage was controlled..." He looked at Naaza and said, "Naaza. This potion..."

"It'll make us rich! We can finally pay off the debt!"

"A-Ah." Miach blinked and said, "I was going to say that it would help a lot of people..."

"...That too."

I chuckled and then carried the box. "Well, I'll let you know how it goes."

Naaza pointed at me and said, "Don't forget!"

"I won't."

Miach waved and said, "Thank you again, Bell. And say hello to your daughter and Hestia for me."

"Will do."

xxx

It was lunch time. After checking back home and seeing that Tia and Fina were still out, I decided to swing by the Hostess of Fertility.

Partially because I wanted to take it easy for a bit... But mainly because I was there for a proper recruitment drive.

My gut was telling me that things were going to get hectic soon, so I needed to make sure that our family had allies.

Freya was already on our side, meaning that we had things covered when it came to the gods. But for the small-scale things...

Welf wasn't a part of the Hestia Familia. As cool of a guy as he was and as good a friend he was to me, he was still an outsider. When the shit hit the fan, he'd prioritize his Goddess and Familia first. And if he didn't, I'd kick him in the butt to make him do that.

You didn't turn your back on family, after all. They were the ones who would pick you back up after you fell and support you all the way.

No, I needed someone else. A person I could trust to watch my back, as well as someone fairly strong.

And the person that came to mind...

"Welcome to the Hostess of- Oh! Bell!"

A cheerful and bright voice. A familiar one too. Although, completely unexpected after our chat the other day.

I blinked and instinctively said, "Fre-"

"Ahem."

"I-I mean, Syr? You're still working here?"

Right. It was Syr... Or rather, Freya playing as Syr.

The silver-haired waitress gave me a bright smile and said, "Did you come in for lunch again? Or did you come to see me?"

"...Technically both?" I gave a hesitant response and glanced around the room.

Ryuu was standing off to the side, idly wiping down the tables. Sitting across from her, there was a brown-haired cat girl, folding napkins and carefully stacking them.

Standing behind the counter, wiping down some glasses, there was another cat girl, but with black hair. And next to her, arranging plated behind the counter, there was a young woman with medium length brown hair and brown eyes.

The full staff of the Hostess of Fertility, all wearing the usual green maid outfit. And all stupid strong as always. No, they felt stronger than usual.

Was it because I got more training in? Or did I get a buff after barely surviving against a dead-end encounter with that variant War Shadow?

Either way, I could more clearly tell just how strong each of those waitresses were now.

And all of them were at least three times as strong as I was. Not only that, but Ryuu was the strongest one there.

At least, out of the waitresses.

But the owner...

"Well if it isn't our VIP spender!" Mia Grande walked out from the back and let out a bright smile. "All by yourself today?"

...She was stronger than everyone combined.

Though, considering that the place had Freya moonlighting... Or would it be daylighting?

Either way, since it was a place where Freya played around as a ditzy and flirty waitress, that made sense.

And also made me really start doubting my ability to kill higher level adventurers.

I wasn't sure, but I had a feeling that they'd be able to do some crazy stuff like grab the projectiles I shot out of the air and send them back.

Definitely need to remember to work on melee too. Don't want to pull a Goldie and lose because I suck at close range.

I smiled at Mia and said, "Yeah. My goddess and daughter are spending the day together, so I figured I'd grab some food here instead of cooking at home."

Silence.

Not only that, but all of the waitresses suddenly turning as one to look at Syr.

Freya.

...No. Don't want to slip up in public, so definitely calling her 'Syr.'

Anyway, they stared at Syr with mixed emotions. Mostly concern though.

Mia seemed a bit hesitant as well.

But as for Syr...

"That's great!" She grabbed my hand and pulled me over to a table. "You sit right there and we'll get you your food, Bell! You don't mind if I pick, do you? I can't cook as well as you do, but I know what's tasty here!"

A bombshell.

I saw the brown-haired cat girl mouth 'can't cook as well' before giving me a sharp glare.

The black-haired cat girl narrowed her eyes, somehow suddenly sharpening a knife. The brown-haired young woman next to her cracked her knuckles.

Ryuu was the only one who acted reasonably and gave me an apologetic smile.

If I was being honest, it took a lot not to just carpet bomb the place and run away. Now that I had an appreciation for just exactly how far the gap was between me and higher leveled adventurers, I was getting paranoid about things going wrong.

But I stayed calm. After all, like Mia said, I was a VIP here.

I sat down and smiled at Syr. "I'll trust your judgment then."

Syr let out a bright smile, her face blushing a bit, and said, "Leave it to me! Mama Mia! The works!"

Mia laughed and headed back into the kitchen with Syr. "Excited today, are we?"

"I can't disappoint my hero, can I?"

...Since when was I your hero, Freya?

From the kitchen, Syr's voice called out and said, "Anya, Chloe, Lunoire! Help me out! Ryuu, keep Bell company for a bit, okay?"

Ryuu flinched and quickly looked up. "P-Pardon?!"

The brown-haired cat girl laughed and said, "We'll leave it to you, Ryuu!"

And with that, it was just me and Ryuu out in the dining area.

...Did Freya already know why I came here? Or did she figure it out from just that bit of information I gave her?

Either way, she was scary.

*Definitely* wouldn't want to be on her bad side. It's a super good thing that she's not a full yandere or anything like that. A bit overly affectionate at times, but like a big fan girl instead of crazed stalker.

At least now.

Tia was a good influence. She should hang around Freya some more and try to calm her down. Probably better for everyone around.

Ryuu looked over at me and blushed.

I blinked and then quickly held up my hands. "For the record, I'm not interested."

"E-Excuse me?" Ryuu tilted her head, looking confused.

"...Never mind. Anyway, I won't bite. And I've got some stuff to talk with you about, so do you mind coming over?"

Ryuu hesitated and glanced back at the kitchen. But then she nodded and walked over to sit across from me. As she did, she said, "Spending your time here around all these women... Won't your wife and daughter be concerned?"

I waved my hand and said, "It's fine. There's only room in my heart for two girls anyway."

Ryuu blinked. "Two?"

"Yep. My wife and daughter. Who else?"

Ryuu blushed. "A-Ah. I had assumed... N-Never mind."

Ooh. She looked fun to tease-

No! Bad Bell! No raising flags!

I set aside the thought of teasing Ryuu a bit to see just how much she would blush. Instead, I crossed my hands together and looked at her. "So Ryuu. Did you consider Fina's question yet?"

Ryuu blinked, confused for a moment. But then she realized what I was talking about and frowned. "...You mean joining your Familia?"

I nodded and said, "I know you said you had your circumstances and liked your job here, but if you're really looking for a new Familia, we'd love to have you. It's just me and Fina at the moment, but it'd be nice to have someone around we could trust."

Ryuu's frown deepened and she said, "You trust me?"

"Of course." I smiled and said, "You got along with Fina and even gave her a gift. Not only that, but you're her first friend. Obviously I trust you."

Fina took after Tia a lot and was good at reading people. And while I didn't want to brag about it, I was fairly good at reading people too.

Ryuu... She had some baggage. I was sure of it. But she was also someone who wouldn't turn her back on friends and family.

And there was the obvious plus side of her being stronger than both me and Welf combined. That'd help a lot in the Dungeon.

Ryuu stared at me, a mix of emotions crossing her face. But after a while, she said, "I can't."

"Can't, or won't?"

Ryuu hesitated and then said, "...Can't." She shook her head and said, "I'm honored that you would trust someone like me to join your Familia. But with my past..." She paused and then said, "I don't want to bring trouble to your family."

"Mm... I think that won't really be a problem in the grand scheme of things."

Especially considering that things were *absolutely* going to hit the fan when the next Denatus occurred. Plenty of gods had seen Tia with Fina now and while it seemed like there hadn't been a commotion... Knowing gods, both from my knowledge and Bell's, they were just waiting to pounce.

"...But if that's what you think, it's fine."

Ryuu gave me an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, Bell."

"Don't worry about it." I waved my hand and said, "It's a big commitment anyway."

Ryuu stared at me, biting her lips.

I blinked. "...Is something wrong?"

"...One month." She looked me in the eye and said, "If you give me a month, I will be able to transfer to your Familia. But currently, it would be difficult."

"...Just to clear things up, you don't have to force yourself. And also I'm really not interested, so if you're just trying to cozy up to me with that, please stop."

"A bit confident in your looks, are you, Bell?"

"Just worried." I tugged my collar and glanced out the window. "Got a feeling I'm going to be at the top of Orario's most wanted in the near future, and not for a good reason."

Especially whenever I sorted out Freya's daughter. Well, Freya and my daughter.

That was a weird thought to have...

Ryuu smiled.

I carefully kept a neutral expression.

Seeing that, Ryuu chuckled and said, "Relax. I am aware of boundaries. And I'm nowhere near as bold as to try and chase a married man."

"Good. Now if only a certain other woman was the same..."

Ryuu sighed. "My apologies for Syr." She frowned and said, "I'm not sure what came over her. She's usually not this inconsiderate..."

"Don't worry." I waved my hand and said, "I hashed things out with her the other day."

Ryuu raised an eyebrow. "...Would that be when she learned of your cooking ability?"

"It would indeed. Fr-Freaked me out when she forcefully invited herself to family dinner, but things went well. Fina likes her a lot actually, and Tia's good friends with her."

Ryuu blinked. "Truly?"

"You can ask her yourself later."

Good ol' passing the buck. Freya was better at playing make-believe than I was anyway considering how she was cosplaying as a normal and cute young woman when she clearly wasn't.

Normal, that was. She definitely pulled off the cute young woman part well enough.

And I was going to keep thinking that to not tempt fate about what could happen if I thought otherwise.

"But anyway..." I focused my attention back on Ryuu and said, "Setting aside the familia talk for a moment... Would you be open to some contract work?"

Ryuu blinked. "Contract work?"

I nodded and said, "There's a quest I want to take. It seems innocuous, but I'd feel better if there was someone I could trust by my side. Ordinarily, I'd ask Welf, but having someone stronger than me in case things go south would be great. Especially someone with more experience."

There was only so much I could learn from books, after all. And while Compilation turned theory into experience, there was only so much that theory could do in contrast to direct experience. Especially since real life wasn't as neatly tailored as theories tended to be.

Ryuu was quiet and then slowly nodded. "...I suppose I can do that. When do you plan to take the quest?"

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"Probably tomorrow. It seems pretty urgent. But if you're busy-"

Ryuu shook her head. "It will be fine." She frowned and said, "Mama Mia and the others have been pressuring me to take more days off again in any case."

"...You went back to work as soon as you finished shopping with me and Fina, didn't you?"

Ryuu blushed.

xxx

"Ta-da~!" Syr waved at the food on display in front of me and said, "It's all yours, Bell!"

I stared at the feast laid out on the table and slowly nodded. "Thanks?"

A tray of gourmet sandwiches. Ice sorbets. Soups, a roasted duck... Creamy pasta, salads... It was a weird assortment of really elaborate food that definitely seemed more fitting for dinner than lunch.

And also one that looked like it'd take a hefty chunk out of my savings.

Not that it mattered *that* much. Especially considering that I had a feeling money issues would become a non-issue as soon as I leveled up and could learn a developmental ability like metallurgy.

Still...

"Don't worry!" Syr sat down next to me and said, "It's my treat this time! It's the least I can do!"

I looked at her and said, "Reading my mind, huh?"

Syr laughed. "Maybe I just know you that well now, Bell?"

"I think it's more like your 'eyes' are cheating, but sure."

Syr's light gray eyes widened, flashing violet for a brief moment. But then she let out a faint smile, just like Freya would, and said, "And you're as incredible as always, Bell."

The restaurant was closed for the moment, probably Syr's doing. With that, the other girls had left as well to take their own lunch break and give Syr and I some privacy.

Though I had a feeling that Ryuu was going to use that time to prep considering the determined look in her eyes after I hashed out a bit of the details on the quest.

The only person left in the place was Mia, who was sitting in the back and doing her best impression of a statue, pretending to ignore everything.

I raised an eyebrow and then looked at Syr. "So does she know? And do the others?"

Syr giggled and said, "Well Mia's an old friend, so don't worry about her. The others don't know though." She smiled and said, "It's just our little secret."

"Gotcha." I picked up a sandwich and said, "I'll just pretend to ignore the fact that the intimidating and intelligent woman I met likes to moonlight as a carefree and flirty waitress."

Syr blushed and then poked me in the arm. "That's not fair, Bell."

"And it's not fair how convincing you pull off cute and innocent. Seriously."

Syr smiled and then grabbed a sandwich for herself.

I raised an eyebrow.

"What?" She pouted and said, "It's coming out of my paycheck, so I'm eating too!" She paused and then said, "No, Horn. You can't take my spot here. You can't turn into this, remember?"

I blinked and said, "You know. I've been meaning to ask, but... Do you have a split personality or something? Not that I'm judging, but I'd like to know what I'm getting myself into here."

Syr giggled and said, "No. I just have an imaginary friend!"

"Uh-huh." I stared at the energy distortions and said, "An imaginary friend who talks to you through mana waves from...?" I followed the path and said, "...I think your room up in Babel?"

Syr paused and then stared at me with shining eyes. "Bell... You know that if you keep surprising me I won't be able to control myself, right?"

"And the moment you can't, I'm going to bonk the horny out of you with divine prejudice."

Syr giggled again and then nibbled on her sandwich. "I'm just joking. Like I said, I wouldn't do that to cute Hestia."

"You'd better not. I'll be very disappointed that such a competent woman fell to her base instincts."

Syr's eyes widened and then she gave me a faint smile. "Really. You keep charming me over and over again, Bell."

"Still love Tia more."

"And that's what I love about you. A man who prioritizes and loves his family above all else..."

"...You do realize that means you're the definition of a homewrecker, right?"

"Give it time. I'll bring Hestia around."

A calm and level response. A faint, but confident smile.

I frowned and said, "Forcing is no good. Emotional manipulation isn't allowed either."

"...Fine." Syr sighed and said, "I'll take my time."

Okay. So Freya was still scary even though she was on our side. Point taken.

Syr looked at me and said, "Anyway~ What were you and Ryuu talking about? You seemed really close to each other, you know?"

"We were talking business. Obviously, the Hestia Familia is still small, so I'm trying to find some trustworthy people to join, or at least ally with us."

"Hm... So that's what it was all about?" Syr tapped her finger on her chin and said, "I'll see what I can do about that. But for now..." She smiled and said, "Let's eat!"

"Yes. Though to be clear, this isn't a date."

"Fooey. You saw through it?"

"I have become hyperaware of women vying for my attention or potential drawing their attention, yes."

"Hmph. Well, at least I won't have to worry about anyone charming you."

"...There's a lot I want to say about that, but I'd rather not tempt fate. So yes."

Syr laughed.

I sighed and kept eating my sandwich.

xxx

A peaceful lunch, chatting about various things and arrangements. Syr... Or rather, Freya, had confirmed that she was just looking for a cute little thing to become her daughter. It seemed like it was difficult though because the person she sent is a bit too strong and she wanted me to help out.

Of course I refused. Mostly because my gut was telling me that something was happening in the dungeon that would lead to a lot of trouble.

Which was weird since I usually didn't get those feelings. And it also meant that my skills were warning me about something. Compilation was picking up a lot of subconscious clues and trying to steer me out of trouble... probably.

It felt a lot like superstition, but when my skill turned that sort of stuff into reality... Or at least pointed it out when it *was* reality, I decided to listen to it.

Anyway, I took a rain check on Freya's request and said I'd help her with that after a bit more prep work.

After all of that, I headed home. The plan was to work out and test Naaza's new potion if Tia and Fina still weren't back yet.

But as expected, my plans recently seemed to be having a habit of falling apart.

Which was good, since it made me get into the habit of making backup plans for every letter of the alphabet.

But as to what led to my plan breaking down...

I arrived at home and reached to unlock the gate. But then I noticed that it was already unlocked. Not only that, but slightly ajar.

That was cause for suspicion, but I didn't see or sense anyone malicious nearby. All I could see was Tia, Fina, Welf... and a weird mana that was a rose gold color.

They also weren't moving, just sitting inside roughly where the kitchen table would be.

...As a side-note, I could sense an insanely powerful presence on the rooftop of a nearby building staring at me. But it wasn't hostile, and I could also sense Freya's divinity off them, so I let them be.

Though she definitely worked fast on clearing up my worries about leaving Tia and Fina unprotected...

Waving at the presence to acknowledge them, I closed the gate behind me and then turned towards the church. After that, I called out and said, "I'm home!"

Silence. And then Tia's voice answered. "Welcome back, Bell. Could you come over here?"

A serious tone of voice.

Hearing that, I frowned and quickly walked inside. When I did, I saw Tia, Fina, Welf... and a red-headed girl with mismatched eyes, just like Fina.

And one of those eyes was the exact shade as Welf's.

I paused and looked over at Welf.

But he didn't respond, only staring off into space with a devastated expression.

The red-headed girl was quiet as well, her eyes red and puffy.

I slowly turned to look at Tia and said, "Let me guess. Bro here somehow caused a child to be born between him and his goddess, and there are problems."

Tia sighed. "That's putting it lightly... But yes."

xxx

Hephaestus stared at the sword in front of her. The sword that Welf forged while saying that he would take responsibility for everything. The sword that he forged to prove that he could stand by her side.

As she stared at the sword, she remembered his words.

*It doesn't matter how you look. I admire you for the way you are, the determination you have... everything. No matter what, I'll accept it all if you'll have me.*

A cool and unyielding response. One that didn't change even after she showed him the grotesque deformity under her eyepatch. Not only that, but a determination to go against the whole world if he had to.

Hephaestus had to admit it.

That alone was enough to win her heart. But then there was his resolve to throw everything away and raise their daughter by himself if he had to, so long as Hephaestus acknowledged Pyrrha.

Hephaestus was in love.

Yes. She was in love with him. Him and her daughter that was a heaven-sent miracle.

But.

On seeing the sword he presented her to declare his love, Hephaestus realized that love wasn't enough. Or rather, if she truly loved them... she couldn't be with them. At least, not until she had the time to sort everything out so that her selfish love wouldn't take down her entire Familia with it.

"I'm here, Hephaestus!" A boisterous female voice. After that, a woman walked into the room.

Light brown skin, long black hair and an eyepatch over her left eye, leaving a single red one visible. Her clothes were an outfit from the far east, with white wrappings around her chest and a red hakama paired with sandals.

Tsubaki Collbrande, the captain of the Hephaestus Familia.

Hephaestus looked up at her once and said, "Thanks for coming, Tsubaki."

"Of course! If you're calling, it's gotta be something important, right? So what is it? A new recruit? Some crazy new technique that the rookies are trying out? Or-" She paused, suddenly noticing the sword Hephaestus was holding. And then her crimson eye widened in shock.

Hephaestus let out a strained smile. "I see that I don't need to explain it."

"Lady Hephaestus..." Tsubaki immediately dropped her boisterous attitude and turned serious. "...What is that?"

"He called it 'Eternal Love.'"

A silly name. Welf always had such a ridiculous naming sense.

But Hephaestus couldn't fault the name for this.

"'He?'" Tsubaki blinked and said, "Someone made that? Someone from our Familia?" She paused and said, "Wait. That name... Don't tell me...?"

"Yes." Hephaestus picked up the sword and held it up to the light. "Welf Crozzo. The man who won my heart. The father of my daughter. ...And the man who will send Orario into chaos with his skills."

The Crozzo were infamous for magic swords. Powerful tools of war that had razed forests, cleaved mountains, dried up seas...

Welf had that potential within him. But he denied it.

Hearing that made Hephaestus disappointed, but she didn't press him. If that was what he desired, she let him be.

But recently, he changed his mind. Starting over, he worked slowly and methodically. Going back to the basics over and over, he carefully perfected his technique. And then, when using the gift his blood gave him, he accidentally created Pyrrha. A miracle born from happenstance and serendipity between Welf's earnest wishes and Hephaestus's divinity.

So she should have realized it then. Maybe if she did. Maybe if she didn't react so harshly to Pyrrha, Welf wouldn't have squeezed out his potential to try and make a miracle.

Because he tried.

And he succeeded.

It wasn't a magic sword. The blade didn't have a shred of mana in it. Even so, it radiated power.

Like its name of 'Eternal Love', the sword was an ideal and emotion wrought into physical form. A blade that didn't have any power of its own, but would grow exponentially in the hands of a person fighting for the sake of the one they loved. A 'concept' bound into the illusion of a blade.

And something that every god in the world would scramble to obtain.

Hephaestus channeled a bit of mana into the sword. When she did, crimson flames spilled out. The same flames that she could call with her Arcanum- No. Her Arcanum itself, but changed ever so slightly to fall beneath the divine and into the realm of 'possibility' for the lower world. Arcanum without the divine.

In other words, a weapon that gods could use to channel their Arcanum with impunity without invoking Heaven's Wrath.

A loophole.

Since it was a sword that reached the realm of the divine through mortal hands, it allowed the use of divine powers while remaining 'mortal.' The accumulation of the efforts to reach that level were acknowledged by the world itself, and so even Arcanum was within the realm of possibility.

Hephaestus let out a bitter laugh and said, "Of course. The man who I love would be the one I can't afford to hold close."

"Lady Hephaestus?" Tsubaki looked at Hephaestus. "Do you mean that Welf isn't with our Familia anymore?"

Hephaestus didn't answer, only staring at the blade. But then she looked at Tsubaki and said, "You've seen it. Can you make a sheath to conceal it?"

Tsubaki fell into deep thought, staring at the sword. "...Maybe? But I'll need to-"

"No."

Tsubaki blinked. "S-Sorry?"

"I said no." Hephaestus held the sword close to her chest and said, "This is the proof of my H-Husband's love. I won't let another woman touch it."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...So can you make it, Tsubaki?"

Tsubaki sighed and scratched her head. "I've gotta do my best if my goddess is that serious about it, don't I?"

"Good. Then drop everything else and work on it."

"E-Everything?"

"Everything."

"E-Even the Loki Familia's requests? Those Amazons just got their weapons melted fighting unknown monsters and want us to fix them-"

"Say that Freya sent in urgent requests and let Loki take it up with her."

"...If you say so, Heffy."

Hephaestus paused and stared at Tsubaki.

"I-I mean, Lady Hephaestus!" Tsubaki quickly bowed and walked out. As she did, she muttered, "Sheesh. Puberty must've hit the kid like a truck. Or is this the power of love? A man's dream? Tch."

Hephaestus ignored Tsubaki's grumblings and just stared out the window towards the direction of Hestia's church.

"I'm counting on you to keep him safe until he can stand on his own feet, Tia." After that, she shifted her gaze to Freya's room in the distance and said, "And you'd better keep your promise, Freya. You said you'd protect all the members of the Hestia Familia, so I swear to the heavens if you break it..."

Hephaestus pursed her lips and then sat back down at her desk, carefully holding Eternal Love and feeling its gentle warmth.

xxx

A private room off to the side that I recently renovated. Fina was in the living room doing her best to cheer Welf and Pyrrha up. As for me and Tia...

"...So let me get this straight." I pinched the bridge of my nose and said, "Welf wanted to marry Hephaestus, so he went all out and made a sword that reached the level of the gods, called it Eternal Love, and then handed it over to her. But then she said that she couldn't love him back because he was too weak and said to come back when he was either strong enough to look down on the other gods or had allies that would let him do that. Not only that, but Hephaestus said that since Welf was the father, she couldn't acknowledge Pyrrha. Then she even went out of her way to have both transfer to our Familia."

Tia nodded. "That's right."

"And Welf's been shell-shocked since you guys got back. Plus Pyrrha's been crying the whole time and only stopped when I got here."

"Yes."

"...What kind of God-tier misunderstanding drama is this bullshit? I get that I'm short on common sense because I'm literally from the boonies, but come the fuck on... Argh." I rubbed my face and said, "Is it because of me? Is it contagious? It must be. My skill must subconsciously be making everyone drop the ball... Am I a Gary Stu? Is my skill making me a Gary Stu? What the hell is this bullshit? Is it gonna turn out that I somehow have all the powers combined now because I'm somehow one half hollow, one half quincy, and one half shinigami?"

Tia blinked. "Um... Are you okay, Bell?"

"No. No I'm not. And so I'm going to go to my room and make Plan A through Z. Then I'm going to give a what the hell hero speech to Welf and smack him in the head. Then I'm going to hug Fina and say that she's been a fantastic girl for doing her best to cheer everyone up. Then I'm going to hug Pyrrha and say that she's wonderful and that her mom is just going through a rough time but loves her lots. *Then* I'm going to have a chat with Freya about seeing if I can go power-grind with Ottar. After *that*, I'm going on a trip to righteously murder a bunch of stupid scorpions. And when I get back home." I pointed at Tia and said, "You. Me. We're going on a date, I'm going to kiss you at the end of it, and then we're going to cuddle all night. Got it?"

"...What?"

"Good. Then I'm going to get to work. Because FUCK this noise."

'I agree.'

Right?! Now, off to munchkin my way to be able to deal with threats on par with a Level 4 Adventurer in case Dungeon-chan goes and does a dungeon break or something. Also to develop anti-army weaponry and tactics because the world's obviously going to send one my way soon just to troll with me at this rate. Maybe experiment if I can't use my inventory like an intangibility sort of deal to to dodge attacks...