Adult-FanFiction.org : Anime

A Waning Silence	By : JLDavenport Category: -Misc Anime > General Views: 4362 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't own any elements of Danjon ni Deai o Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darō ka or it's characters. I make no money from this.

Chapter List
- 3
- 4
Is It Wrong To Have A Day Off?
---------------------------------***********************---------------------------------
Author’s Note: I’ve avoided mentioning this so far since it hasn’t been relevant, but since she’s now showing up, I want to quickly mention Syr. Obviously there’s a lot of ideas and theories shared about Syr and about Freya- is Syr connected to the Freya Familia, is she connected to Freya directly? Is it just a red-herring? Is she Freya’s child somehow? And so on. Obviously, it’s a topic that gets a lot of talk and when writing a story like this it’s something that affects the plot directly. So, I’ll say clearly that this story will use the theory I like most and the one that fits in closest with the mythology- that Syr is Freya. If you’re not a fan of that, I’m sorry. It’s also not super important right now, but just a heads up that Syr and Freya’s scenes should be read with that in mind.
And while I’m being potentially controversial. I’ve made the possibly contentious decision to switch to using honourifics in this story. You can blame Lilli for this one. Previously I was just going along with the names as written in the LNs, but the thought of actually writing Lilli calling Bell “Mr Bell” (someone younger than her, that she loves desperately) sounded so stupid to my head that I couldn’t bear it. I imagine you’re all mostly used to hearing “Bell-sama!” and “Haruhime-dono!” and such from the anime regardless, hopefully, maybe.
---------------------------------***********************---------------------------------
The Hestia Familia was currently in the midst of acting out a performance of normality, going through their everyday motions as if nothing at all had changed between them.
If it had just been Hestia and Bell, the Goddess would have happily latched herself onto him since the moment he got back from the Dungeon, but with his mother’s sister staying with them, she’d been too self-conscious to do anything more than what she would any other day. It wasn’t as if they were hiding their relationship, exactly, nor that either of them really had any expectations that Alfia hadn’t realised something had happened between them, they knew she was no fool. The topic was just, a little too awkward and a little too embarrassing for either of the two so-recently-virgins to broach directly.
And so, nothing at all had been said about the fact that there’d been no sign at all of Bell and Hestia after the night they both left for their date.
Nor of the fact that they had each returned later the next morning, wearing the same clothes they’d left in the previous evening, except that the clothing in question was now notably rumpled, creased and seemingly splashed with some of the scented oils offered for free at the public baths.
Nor of the way both Goddess and Child were edging around each other, seemingly always just a step away from one another’s orbit, far more conscious of each other than they’d ever been, reacting and jumping each time they brushed past or across one another.
Bell had returned first thing in the morning, gathered his equipment for the dungeon and headed off on his latest adventure.
Hestia had returned a few hours later, slouched onto the couch in a tired heap for a half-hour and then headed off to her part time job.
Alfia had worked her way through the latest novel she’d been reading, closed the book in her lap and spent the afternoon in quiet contemplation for what she’d read, how much she’d enjoyed it, and her appreciation for the author’s skill. For a short, wonderful moment, she’d enjoyed a period of silence and contentment. And then the noise that made up her daily life these days had retuned. Somehow it bothered her less these days though, perhaps -she thought- it was just the relief at knowing her adorable and beloved Bell had come back safely.
Hestia was the first to arrive, slumping through the door and back onto the couch a little after evening turned to night.
And then, finally, Bell had arrived shortly after that. The energy in the Church basement picked up noticeably as he’d greeted each woman and been welcomed back in turn.
They’d taken some time to catch up as Alfia prepared dinner, a somewhat less meagre fare than before now that Bell’s adventurers had taken him all the way to the eighth floor. And then, after the Goddess had done a weak job of pretending like she wasn’t acting gingerly around Bell, or that her face didn’t break out in a vibrant blush when he took his shirt off, Hestia had laid Bell down on the couch, straddled his back, and was in the process of updating his Status.
Alfia had found herself surprisingly fond of Hestia in the short time they’d already spent together. Their shared affection for Bell, being the only two women in this city that’d been able to understand his potential, was a major part of it. Their shared dislike for the Loki Familia was another part. And ultimately, the smaller Goddess’s general earnestness was fairly endearing. Gods, as a whole, were a fickle and feckless bunch, and Hestia was far from clean of those accusations but she was also surprisingly sincere for a Goddess. She truly wanted the best for Bell. Her idiotic plan to get that ridiculous knife for him was almost unbelievable, and Alfia didn’t even want to imagine what kind of promises the Goddess must have made to arrange its creation… but it had also saved her life. And, in a city of Gods famous for wasting their Familia’s hard earned vallis on their own vices and whims, Hestia was working -as she’d learned from Bell’s agonised guilt on the subject- not one but two part time jobs to put her own money into the Familia.
In short, there was a lot she’d come to like about the young-looking deity.
However, in this aspect especially, it was simply impossible not to compare Hestia to Hera and find the Goddess of the Hearth to come up lacking.
Alfia had gone through countless Status Updates. More than she could even put a number to.
They were a simple, straightforward procedure. After giving notice of her intentions, she would enter Hera’s room and present her back, her Goddess would silently go about the process of applying her ichor, increasing her ability scores, and then transcribing the results to a piece of paper for Alfia to review. The only time any sort of discussion was needed was to confirm the development of any skills, or magic. Or a simple, professional, congratulations when a new level was achieved, along with whatever reward Alfia requested as celebration.
Meanwhile, sitting happily atop Bell’s back, Hestia had been prattling away almost nonstop this entire time!
If the topic of discussion had been anything except her adorable and beloved Bell’s continued rapid progression and staggering growth, Alfia would probably have thrown something at her by now. As it was, she was just forcefully maintaining her façade of serene disinterest while trying to avoid a headache.
And then, all of a sudden, the noise stopped. Sitting bold still in place atop the boy, with her fingers tracing down his back and eyes glued to the Falna below, Hestia’s words trailed off to nothing.
That in itself was suspicious, “Goddess?” even Bell noticed immediately.
Hestia didn’t respond. Instead, she simply traced her fingers again and again over the same spot on the Adventurer’s back, leaving Bell to squirm awkwardly below. Her jaw dropped open, and her mouth moved, but not a sound came out. And slowly, moment by moment, her face burned redder and her expression got dizzier. Then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the blissful silence was abruptly destroyed.
“A-Ah! AH! AHH! Bell! Bell! A Skill! You got a skill! Your first skill!”
That was a surprisingly commendable lie for the typically earnest Goddess, enough so that Alfia temporarily forgave the noise, giving in her own interest in Meteria’s son’s growth. Rapid development or not, to unlock a skill within just a few weeks in the dungeon was beyond ridiculous. Bell’s reaction was, as expected, even louder than his Goddess’s and soon the two of them were sharing a pure cacophony of excitement together.
Hestia declined to explain the skill, her face simply breaking into an even more rapturous smile at Bell’s prompting, and instead she simply handed over the paper she’d transcribed his status onto. And then, surprising both Bell, Alfia and -from the looks of it- even herself, the small Goddess sat right beside him, and hugged tight to Bell’s arm as he read through the update.
“Eternal Pledge to the Goddess of the Hearth,” Bell read out with a voice trembling in excitement, “Greatly improved fire resistance. Additionally, provides a temporary Status increase when defending loved ones. The strength of the effects corresponds with the level of the user’s feelings. Effects are reversed if the pledge is broken.”
The celebration began immediately.
Bell’s happy laughter rang out loud and filled the basement with his joy.
Hestia’s delight was equally clear as she clung to him, squeezing tight to his arm and cheering him on.
He gave his thanks to her, having inspired a power that had formed within him.
She told him this was just the start, he was going to get even stronger now, stronger than anyone!
Alfia just looked on in disbelief.
The two lovebirds stared in shared wonder at paper he was holding up, a warm and loving feeling emanating from between them, “Tch. The worst situation possible! If only it hadn’t been a forced development!” only to have that feeling dashed just a moment later by Alfia’s cold words and scowling grimace.
Mood thoroughly broken, they gawked at her dumbfounded.
“Do you not get it!? That skill is dangerous!” if it had been developed during a Level Up then Hestia could have simply not unlocked it, but this was a skill that Bell’s soul had brought to fruition, just as it had with Liaris Freese, there was no option to reject it, “The effects are reversed if the pledge is broken, so then Bell will become weaker when trying to defend someone? What if something happens to you? If you’re sent back to Heaven, wouldn’t that count as breaking the pledge? If that happened Bell would never be able to become a Hero, he would struggle to continue as an adventurer!”
She had no idea what specifically Bell had promised the smaller Goddess, but for something like this to happen, it must have been something truly monumental. Alfia’s soul wrenched in impotent frustration. To generate not one but two unique skills this soon and this powerfully, it was the surest proof possible of his potential, but it was also a clear example of him not being careful with his words or intentions!
There was no way of knowing if Hestia being returned to Heaven would reverse the effect, there was no way of knowing what the boundaries even were, and there was no possibility to test them. Alfia had long since discarded the idea of using the Hestia Familia as a stepping stone for Bell’s progress, she was very happy with the idea of Bell’s rise to prominence coming through the Familia he built up from nothing… but to be tied to that dream! To have no way out! No alternative option if anything went wrong! It brought up too many bad memories and the echo of a dreadful roar that still shook her soul.
“Bell. Listen to me. You cannot tell anyone about this skill. Never, ever mention it. Not to your supporter, not to your advisor, not to anyone. Even if the Guild forms an investigation and demands to see your status, you will never show them that skill,” he pulled back, trapped in place by the intensity of her gaze. But he didn’t try to argue or to look away, at least he was taking this seriously, “This isn’t only for your sake. If word got out, if your enemies found out about it, then Hestia-sama would be in danger.”
Bell had no enemies yet but that was only because, to most of the city, he was irrelevant. That would change, and judging by how rapid his progress had been so far, it would change quickly. Of course, anytime Familia went to outright war the Gods were always a high value target, if you could destroy the God the Familia would crumble… however, even with that, there were still heavy considerations in targeting a Familia’s God. While it would remove the Falna from the Familia’s children, it would do nothing to reduce their status overall… recklessly assassinating an enemy God would very often mean that every one of their strongest fighters would immediately convert over to an allied Familia and do anything possible to destroy you.
If knowledge got out that removing Hestia would not only destroy the Familia, but also severely weaken Bell at the same time… the Goddess of the Hearth would become an almost irresistible target.
The city was different now. It was more peaceful and stable than she’d ever previously seen. Rare was anyone to challenge either the Loki or Freya Familia… it was a far cry from the days when the Hera Familia walked through the city with their heads high and weapons ready, crushing any that came at them. But that was the life Alfia knew. She had no faith that this peace was anything but a transition of power, not while the Great Quest still remained undone.
“Uwaaa…” tears welling in her eyes, Hestia’s hands were clenched tight on her lap as she looked from the silver-haired maiden to the silver haired boy at her side. To say that Alfia’s words had brought down the happy mood she’d been revelling in was an understatement, “B-Bell… I, I’m sorry, I never… I-”
“Goddess, it’s fine.”
Both women looked to him with surprise. Contrary to his usual soft, gentle nature, Bell’s voice was surprisingly resolute right now. Looking up, he faced Alfia directly and his eyes were firmer than she’d ever seen from him, the determination to face the challenge she presented was clear without a word being spoken and she was the first to break the gaze. No matter how much the villainess role suited her, she still couldn’t help but feel a little guilty at stomping over her adorable and beloved Bell’s happiness like that. She looked down as he turned back to his Goddess.
“Rather, this is what I want. Even if you’d had the choice to unlock it, I would have asked you to. It’s… maybe it’s just a skill, but it feels like more than that… it’s proof of my connection to you, proof that everything I said was real… And, and it’s like our fates are entwined forever now.”
“B…Bell… Hey! Um, look! No matter what happens to me, whether I’m lost, or, if I’m sent back, or anything- even if, even… even if you take another Goddess, my Blessing will always remain, I’ll always be part of you, I’ll always, always be your Goddess! So long as you remember me, it’s not breaking your word or anything, okay? I declare that, now! That’s my word as a Goddess, that’s law! Underst-”
“Alfia, I’ll listen to your warning,” he interrupted, giving her a nod before turning back to Hestia and taking her hand in his, “But… I’m happy! I’m going to get stronger! I’ll become worthy of this skill… Goddess, I’ll never break my pledge!”
“Bell!”
And then he kissed her. Ring in front of the wide-eyed shock of his mother’s sister. Taking his Goddess’s hands in his own, Bell pulled her directly into his embrace, and made all his feelings abundantly clear in just a single moment. It was a simple kiss, far more chaste and innocent than the passion they’d shared the night before and only lasting a few moments besides, but it was still more than enough to set Alfia’s face burning red and send her attention firmly back to the book she’d had laid out in her lap.
How shameless! She hadn’t taught him to act like that! As always, this was Zeus’s fault! And why was it so hot in here anyway?
---------------------------------***********************---------------------------------
“Uwaa… It’s really not coming together!” Hestia whined, rubbing the tips of her fingers from where she was once more seated atop Bell’s back, as the invisible threads of her divine essence snapped back in place and away from where she’d been trying to manipulate them, “I never expected it to be this difficult!”
Now that Bell had a skill of his own, and as consideration for how dangerous knowledge of that skill could be, Hestia had taken it upon herself to figure out how to “lock” his Status.
It was supposed to be a fairly simple thing and it was something that all the Gods knew was possible. But Gods being what they were, the knowledge was only rarely shared and came with a steep price attached. And why not? It was a significant advantage to those that had it, yet one more thing the powerful Familia could hold over those beneath them.
Lying patiently beneath her, Bell encouraged her on once again, and, with a small nod, she began winding the divine threads into place as much as she could make sense of, yet again.
They’d been at this for more than an hour now. The scant knowledge Alfia had on the subject had long since been imparted, she doubted that Miach would know any more than she did, and Hestia knew she could hardly go back to Hephaestus’s door for yet another favour so soon. Which meant there was nothing left but to figure it out herself.
It was tedious. It was slow. And it was a little painful trying to tug the divine threads into position or to hold them in place when she thought she had.
Yet, somehow, despite her typical short-fuse, Hestia wasn’t particularly frustrated, nor especially upset.
This was something she wanted to do, something she would do, for Bell as his Goddess. She never felt like she got to do enough to pay him back for everything he’d done for her, doing whatever she could as his Goddess was only natural, it’s exactly what she wanted.
And more than that… Hestia thought, as he hands brushed lightly over his back, as she read his new skill for the thousandth time… more than anything, her heart was at peace right now.
It had been hard to restrain her jealousy when she’d seen the first skill he’d gotten, when she’d seen the effect another woman had on him carved not only into his soul but right into his Status, it had felt like the Sword Princess had just come and swiped Bell away from her. But now, after the feelings and the love they’d shared together, and after the proof she could see now engraved in his heart, it was as if all her worries, jealousies and feelings of inferiority had all evaporated.
Judging by the wording of Liaris Freese it seemed likely it would disappear when Bell finally did catch up to Wallenstein. But even if it did, Hestia imagined that another skill would rise in it’s place instead, that was just how earnest Bell was.
A few days ago, that thought would have had her gnashing her teeth and kicking the pillows, but now it only served to leave her smiling at the man she’d fallen so deeply for. Rather than feeling like Ais had taken Bell away, Hestia felt as if they each had a place within his heart and she knew for sure that his feelings for her were equal to whatever he felt towards the Sword Princess.
He would chase Wallenstein, that was fine, she could accept that now. He’d said exactly that to her just last night.
‘Such a greedy child, even though you’ve already got a Goddess right here…’ she sighed, but there was no heat in the thought, ‘But I suppose if it’s just another one or two girls, I’ll accept it. if that’s your wish as a Hero, what can I do but indulge it?’
Gods loved Heroes. They couldn’t help it. Even the Evil Gods whose schemes and plans were foiled by Heroes still loved them. Heroes made life interesting, heroes made mortals interesting. There hadn’t been a Hero in a long time, to Hestia heroes were just stories from the fairy tales Bell liked to read. But, even so, she couldn’t help but support her child wanting to become a Hero.
Just thinking like this was enough to leave Hestia smiling. A wicked temptation rose within her, to invite Bell out to take an evening walk with her… and to walk directly back to that bookstore she loved so much.
But she forced it down, she still had her duty as a Goddess to do!
It had turned out to be more complicated than she’d expected, but she was going to figure out how to properly lock his status!
In the end, two more hours passed before Hestia saw a glint of success.
While she didn’t manage to lock his Status entirely, she did manage to at least bind his Skills shut from any prying eyes.
“I’ll… I’ll figure o-out… the rest soon… for sure!”
So saying, she slipped from Bell’s back and fell, exhausted, onto the couch at his side.
---------------------------------***********************---------------------------------
The night had settled across Orario and was passing as silently as ever within the abandoned church.
Alfia was asleep, spread out as imperiously as ever within the covers of the solitary bed, while Bell and his Goddess were left bundled up together as usual on the couch, sharing a small blanket between them.
It had been a very strange sleeping arrangement initially, Hestia had been more than a little put off at being shunted out of her own bed and had a certain amount of trepidation about sleeping so close to a man for the first time, but she’d accepted it readily enough for the sake of preserving her new Familia’s harmony; Bell, conversely, had been utterly mortified at the idea of treating his new Goddess like that and had been full of suggestions about how much sense it made for him to sleep on the floor, or for both women to share the bed if that wasn’t feasible.
The first night they’d started sharing the couch, he’d barely slept at all. And in the nights that followed he’d spent his efforts forcing himself as far to the side of the couch as possible, giving his patron deity as much space as he could manage… and in the process forcing a worried Hestia to constantly keep pulling him back towards her, lest he fall off entirely in his sleep.
After that, he’d attempted to try “top and tail”, with the same goal of preserving some manner of her holy dignity. That had been scuttled the third time his legs ended up in Hestia’s face. Looking over their discussions the next morning, Alfia had not so helpfully added her opinion that any Goddess that worked part time in a Jyagu Maru stand, and who let customers pat her head, didn’t have any holy dignity worth worrying about.
Following that, with a certain degree of coaxing and assurances from Hestia, the two had begun sleeping naturally, side by side. And then, as the days had turned into weeks and they’d grown ever more comfortable with each other, and as Hestia’s love for him grown ever deeper, she’d drawn him closer and held him tighter each night.
Soon enough their routine had evolved into sleeping wrapped up around one another. The young adventurer who’d been almost too terrified to even share a “bed” with his Goddess, now passed his nights with the blissful warmth of her embrace surrounding him. It had become peaceful, almost serene in a way. And, despite meaning he’d had to work very, very hard many times to banish any lascivious thoughts of his Goddess whenever he’d been walking idly around the city, sleeping with her like this had been something he’d looked forward to. It was a form of home. He slept better like that than he ever had before, and Hestia had told him many times the same was true for her.
…
And now, he was far too aware of her to even begin to calm down, let alone trying to sleep! In the past he’d forcefully pushed any unbecoming thoughts of his Goddess from his mind, but how was he supposed to do that now? Now he knew she wasn’t only fine with him thinking of her like that, but she wanted it! She was happy he desired her! She desired him in return!
Bell’s body pulsed hot once again at that thought and he knew instantly it was a mistake.
Being reminded of Hestia’s love for him filled his heart with joy and satisfaction… but it also made it absolutely impossible to ignore the way she was currently pressed up tight against him! The way her massive breasts were pushing into his chest! The way her delicate fingers were holding gently to his back! The way her soft breath was tickling warm across his skin!
How could he possibly sleep like this?! How had he ever slept like this!? Every reminder came with a thousand others!
The instant his thoughts strayed to the comfortable, pleasant feeling of her body against his… he was reminded immediately of the sight of her laid out beneath him! Of her beautiful face filled with love and desire as she moaned his name!
If his attention shifted to the soft, pillow sensation of her chest bouncing gently against his chest with her every breath… he was reminded immediately of those same huge breasts unveiled naked before him! Of the weight and softness they had to his touch! Of the way they’d shaken and bounced, visible even when he’d taken her from behind!
If his concentration moved to the fingers playing softly in his back and the comfort of her embrace… he was reminded immediately of those fingers clinging desperately tight to him as he drove into her! Of the way her legs had locked tight around him!
Even just thinking about the soothing feeling of her breath against him was dangerous! His mind turned instantly to memories of her breath racing hot with desire! Of her delighted moans and happy cries! Of the sheer passion he’d felt from her in each of their kisses!
This wasn’t going to work.
The previous night had been a life-changing event for the young adventurer, one he would remember for the rest of his days, and for eternity beyond if he could help it. But it was also far too fresh and far too raw for him to be put out of his mind while also holding that same Goddess, a woman he loved, tight in his arms.
Luckily for Bell however, he was spared a restless night by the fact that those same memories were just as burning just as hot through Hestia’s mind. The no-longer Virgin Goddess couldn’t possibly hope to sleep peacefully right now, not when she was wrapped up this tight with the man she loved, and not when his every movement and action reminded her of all the ways he’d driven her out of her mind just a handful of hours earlier.
And especially not after she’d seen his very pledge to her formed as an Oath on his Status. Or when he kissed her, right in front of Alfia! How could she even begin to calm down after that?
Bell’s fatigue from a day spent in the dungeon warred against the desires burning impulsively through his mind. But Hestia’s fatigue from her two jobs, and struggles with his Status, gave way instead to a mischievous excitement.
“Hehe, can’t sleep huh, Bell?”
“G-Go, Goddess?” he swallowed, forcing his voice down to a tiny whisper, “You’re still awake? Sorry, I ju-”
Hestia rolled her hips forwards, pressing her waist in tight against Bell’s instantly cutting off his words as he desperately cut off any sound.
“Mmm, no wonder you can’t sleep,” she whispered, playing up the words as sultrily as she could manage… while also giving thanks to the darkness that hid her blazing red blush at the same time, “Not when you’re like this…”
The rock-hard erection that Bell had so carefully been keeping from pushing against her all night was now grinding directly into Hestia’s waist. More specifically, Hestia was very intentionally pushing her hips into his, rolling herself slowly up and down the length she could feel so clearly straining against his pants.
Even with both of them still clothed, it was more than enough to leave them each sucking in a heavy breath.
The sensation of his thick, hard cock against her pussy was enough to send a yearning pulse through Hestia’s core once again. It had only been a day since she’d felt herself spread wide around him, but she’d already missed it.
The feeling of her soft, eager body pushing into his cock was enough to send a heady shiver through Bell’s spine. He’d spent every moment of his idle time trying not to reminisce on how it’d felt having her walls wrapped tight around him, but now that was impossible.
Pulling him towards her, Hestia pressed her lips against his, Bell’s mouth opened readily against her own and they fell further into the lusty embrace Hestia continued the motions, rolling her waist against his in long, heady motions. Her juices were pooling wet inside her thin white panties, and his cock was straining hungrily against the fabric of his trousers. They broke away, panting for breath as silently as they could manage. The same sacred fire burning between her legs raged within him, and the same heated desire roared in each of their gaze.
“Hehe… Bell,” Hestia’s whisper was hoarse with anticipation now, “I’ve been excited since you kissed me!”
“A-Hh, Ah! Go-Goddess, wait, wait!” the urge to wrap his arms around her was tremendous, but Bell’s resolve was stronger still, “I want it too… But, we can’t. We’ll wake Alfia.”
Hestia stopped.
Unfortunately, the plain reality of his words cut right through the fantasy she’d been carefully nurturing- that it’d be fine if they just kept it quiet. As much as she wanted to deny it, she knew Bell was right. Even if she was already asleep, Alfia was only a few meders away, and (especially with the way her body was yearning for his) Hestia very much doubted she could keep her voice down if Bell showered her with anything like the pleasure, he’d given her their first night together. She simply didn’t have enough practice for that, or enough resistance to him.
As disappointing as it was to admit it, she knew he was right. And so, Hestia swallowed a shaking breath and pulled herself back from him.
It should have been embarrassing. She’d been a virgin Goddess for years uncounting… and now, one night together and she’d already lost her reason enough that she needed to be restrained? That should have shamed her, but she was too horny to care all that much right now. When it came to Bell, loving him simply felt natural, and wanting to be loved by him had taken on that same sense.
“You’re right… You’re right, Bell. We’ll do it tomorrow, okay? After work?” she promised unilaterally, heaving a sigh as she calmed down ever so slightly. She’d waited eons for him, she could wait another night to savour him once more, “Let’s meet up and head back to that bookstore again.”
“R-Right, okay. I’ll look forward to that! Then, um, tonight, I guess…”
Bell attempted to roll away, to create some small space between them, both for the sake of him getting any sleep this night and for the sake of her (in this moment, somewhat questionable) holy dignity. However, he instead found Hestia’s hands firmly taking hold of his shoulders and pushing him onto his back, lying flat onto the couch. And she immediately followed suit, the mischievous spark in her eyes burning brighter as she wriggled directly atop him, sliding between his legs and bracing her hands on his chest, staring down directly at him (and, incidentally, giving him a breathtaking view of her breathtakingly massive chest).
“Goddess?”
“Mhmm! You’re right Bell, you’re right, we’ve got to be careful, we can’t go wild tonight. But! I’m still your Goddess, and I still have to reward you for doing so well lately! What kind of Goddess wouldn’t congratulate their child when he gained a new skill?”
Especially not a skill like that. It was practically a marriage certificate! It was the proof of their bond through eternity.
Before Bell could think to respond, Hestia had already ducked her head under the thin blanket overtop them and was sliding down his body. The feeling of her pressed up against him, and the sensation of her huge breasts bouncing lightly down his body swiftly undid the small sense of calm he’d managed to gain and sent his lust burning hot again.
A fact that only multiplied when he felt her fingers pulling down across his stomach, over his waist, and right to the top of his trousers… fumbling, more than a little cutely, with his belt.
Whatever she was planning, it was definitely too dangerous! He should stop her! For his sake, and for the sake of her own dignity! “Ghh!” Her breasts were resting softly atop his legs, her breath was slipping under his shirt and she was holding in place right above his crotch, staring down at him and chewing on her lips with clear determination.
Staring down beneath the cover at the sight, Bell reached out to stop her…
But his hands instead laid only atop her shoulder, neither pushing her away nor pulling her back up, simply stroking softly across her deliciously soft skin.
…His will faltered under his desire and his love. He trusted his Goddess.
And in that moment of hesitation, Bell’s belt came open, his pants were pulled down and his cock -after what felt like an entire night of painful restraint- finally burst free… springing out and slapping right into Hestia’s surprised face! “A-Ah! Ohh, hehe…” The Goddess gave a small shriek of surprise, thankfully muffled at least partially by the blanket, as the thick shaft thudded heavily right into her, covering her open mouth and wide eyes, and stretching up across her entire vision. There was no force behind it, or at least not enough to hurt her, but the sheer sense of mass landing atop her left her body shuddering powerfully in a way that immediately brought her mind back to the previous night and just how thoroughly this cock had made wonderous ruin of her once-pure body.
Hestia liked to think of herself as a rather noble and dignified Goddess, even in the face of sometimes harsh reality, but the sensation of being slapped with Bell’s cock, intentionally or not, made her knees weak and risked awakening something dangerous within her. It wasn’t right for a mortal to so easily dominate a deity! She was glad that Bell had so completely allowed himself to become hers, because she was beginning to realise that the more time she spent like this, there was absolutely nothing she could do to prevent herself from becoming his.
Perhaps it was only natural, the Fates must have been intending this for such an innocent and gentle boy to have something like this.
“Geez, Bell…” she whispered, breaking out of her daze as she looked up past the shaft that dominated her view to the man staring in wonder down at her, it felt even bigger like this just a few milimeders from her face, “It still amazes me just how burly this thing is!”
Reaching out and taking it carefully in her hands, she couldn’t help but marvel, not just at the length, but the thickness, the slight curve that she knew very well left it scraping along all her most sensitive spots and even the way it pulsed so greedily under her touch, making his own barely restrained desire unmistakably clear. In his words, his actions, the skill now writ across his back and now in the lust he bore for her, everything Bell did spoke of his love for her, how could that not fill her heart with joy?
Longer than both her hands wrapped around it, and thick enough that she couldn’t quite enclose her fingers around it, the no-longer-innocent Goddess of the Hearth was drooling at just what this thing had done, what it would do to her poor little, eagerly horny pussy. But that was for tomorrow, for tonight she had other plans.
Pushing herself up all the way on her elbows, with a little more effort than she’d expected, Hestia raised herself all the way atop the crown of Bell’s shaft… and then, after capturing his bewildered gaze with her delighted smile, she leant down, pressing her lips softly and gently into a loving kiss, right atop the head of his cock.
Bell’s voice came out in a shaking, surprised whisper, one he only barley held back through grit teeth. The sight of his Goddess kissing the top of his cock was one that filled him with equal parts shock, disbelief, and an almost rampaging lust. Those soft and innocent lips opening gently against his shaft, pressing so lovingly into his cockhead… he shivered in surprise, his hips arching slightly off the couch and his breath catching in his throat!
“Just relax, Bell… I’ve read about this; I’ve heard guys love this! It should feel really good!”
And so, with no other explanation than that, she dipped her head down once again. This time the kiss atop his cockhead grew deeper, and Hestia grew bolder still, opening her mouth wide, as far as she could take it, and slowly slid her lips over his cockhead, drawing it in across her tongue.
“MhmMMPH!”
“G-hgh, G-Goddess!?”
It was a little harder than she’d expected, and especially so trying to keep her teeth from hitting him but with some effort, Hestia was able to take in the head of his cock and several more centimeders of his shaft. Even the most ribald of the stories she’d read hadn’t been explicitly clear on what to do beyond this, so she made do by simply attempting to bob her head in place, and to run her tongue around the underside of his length as best she could manage.
Despite her clumsy ministrations, she quickly garnered a shaky moan from the young adventurer and she could feel his pleasure reverberating through him as his cock pulsed and twitched within her mouth. Encouraged by Bell’s enjoyment, Hestia pushed herself a little harder, sliding her lips further down his shaft and swallowing more of his cock into her mouth, attempting carefully to draw it down into her throat!
“!”
It took quite some doing, but after a few minutes of practice and a few seconds pause to gasp for shaking breaths, Hestia was managing to, somewhat smoothly, swallow several more centimeders of Bell’s cock, down to what she guessed was about a third of his total length. His desperately muffled gasps, along with the way his hands were squeezing her shoulders and his shaft was pulsing in her mouth made it clear he was thoroughly enjoying her service so far.
But it wasn’t enough for her! Hestia was a devoted Goddess, and she wanted to live up to her role! She wanted to service him properly, to please him just as thoroughly as he’d done to her the previous night! She wanted not just to make him happy, but to get him off! She needed to do more, she wanted to do it harder, and do it better! But she wasn’t skilled enough just yet, she needed more practice, even just trying to pump her hands up and down his shaft along with her mouth had been difficult- she’d needed to use them to steady herself atop him instead. All in all, it seemed like her mouth would give out before she truly pleased him.
Luckily, women like Hestia had a trump card for such situations!
Slipping her lips from his shaft with some small regret, Hestia shuffled in place along the couch, raising herself up over him once more, “Here you go Bell, I’m g-gonna try something new!” and with that said, she reached up, pulling apart the ribbon around her neck, loosening her top enough to slide it down, freeing her massive breasts before Bell’s eyes once again.
His soft moan of disappointment at feeling her lips leave him became a stifled cry of surprise at seeing her divinely beautiful naked upper body once more. And then that cry quickly hitched in his throat as Hestia wasted no time in leaning down once again, pressing her chest out forwards and wrapping her mountainous, soft breasts directly around his shaft.
“Gh, hha! Goddess!”
“W-Whoah… Hehe, it feels really warm… Hn, I, I quite like feeling you against me like this though, Bell!”
Even fully engulfed within the Goddess of the Hearth’s welcoming cleavage, the top of his shaft still reached through the top, so Hestia tilted her head down and gave the crown of his cock another loving kiss. This was yet another thing she’d read of, red faced but fully enticed, within the more ribald stories she’d perused through in her Divine Manor, it was something she’d heard that men enjoyed, and one she was quickly finding herself rather fond of as well. Feeling Bell’s cock wrapped up tight between her breasts, she could feel every shiver and shake of him as he pulled against her, she could still taste him on her lips, and she got to look up and see his face clearly as he tried so desperately to keep from moaning aloud.
Giggling happily, she threw herself into motion. Using her arms to squeeze her breasts tight around his cock, she dragged herself up along his length, then back down to where she’d been, she wasted no time at all in bouncing herself up and down along his shaft, pushing herself into an energetic rhythm.
Once again, the young seeming Goddess had no idea exactly what she was meant to be doing. But once again, her sheer enthusiasm, and the divine softness of her bod more than made up for any lacking experience- especially for someone like Bell, who was just as inexperienced as her, and very quickly losing his mind to the sight unfolding before his eyes.
The woman he loved, the Goddess he respected so greatly, was using the breasts that had caught his eyes countless times, to squeeze and caress him, she was pumping herself tightly but softly up and down along his shaft. Her entire chest was bared naked before him, and it was all used to drive him to even greater pleasure. Just feeling her lips around him had already been enough to leave him feeling like he was floating through the heavens, now he could scarcely control himself!
His voice grew hoarse with trying to hold back his moans, and pulled back one of his hands from her shoulders, just to cover his mouth in response. It was good! It was too good!
And just when he thought he was getting a handle on it, Hestia caught his eye with another mischievously affectionate smirk, and dipped her head down once more. And once again, the head of Bell’s cock was enveloped in the soft, warmth of her divine lips.
“GH-!”
Bell’s second hand clasped desperately over his mouth and his whole body jolted in place as he furiously fought to keep from crying out aloud! Losing control entirely, with his hips shaking up against her ministrations and his cock twitching furiously from where it was held securely, warmly and wonderfully in place between Hestia’s massive breasts, he could do nothing but watch the incredible spectacle!
Squeezing herself as tight around him as she could manage, Hestia’s head was turned fully down towards his cock now, with her mouth open wide around it. Bouncing herself up and down along his shaft, her lips were suckling atop the tip of his cockhead each time she drew herself up, and sinking right down to swallow him deeper each time she pushed her breasts down. It was both an unbelievable sight and an incredible mix of sensations- leaving Bell caught both within the velvety softness of her generous mounds and the eager heat of her mouth, never mind the way she was trying so eagerly to tease and taste him with her tongue!
Her actions were a little awkward, her pace was arhythmic, and she had to pull up several times just to gasp for breath… but Bell didn’t notice at all. She was learning fast, she was improving minute by minute, and he couldn’t help but be swept up in her abundant love, the sheer affection and desire she had towards him!
Moaning, gasping and groaning as quietly as he could manage, Bell did everything possible to keep both his hands firmly in place atop his mouth. The urge to forget everything, to put the rest of the world aside and focus entirely on himself and his Goddess, as he had the previous night, was incredible- but his resolve was just barley strong enough to keep reminding himself that Alfia was asleep just a few meders away from him, and to keep himself as calm as he could possibly be in the face of his Goddess’s eager service!
In the end, the mix of adrenaline, excitement and worry left him able to do nothing but try to keep silent and simply accept the pleasure that was washing through him!
Hestia’s service gained confidence, and her breasts bounced around him faster, and harder than ever.
Within just a few more minutes, she could feel his cock swelling even thicker against her, and taste the sense of him spilling out onto her tongue. It wasn’t like anything she’d ever tasted before, but the sense of it as Bell’s taste speared through the Goddesses body. Even just a few drops of his essence sliding down her throat sparked Hestia with excitement and bliss, and spurred her on even faster, and more eagerly than ever! Any restraint she may have been holding back for Alfia’s sake was entirely forgotten! The sacred fire he always ignited within her was once again raging hot within the Goddess’s core!
And within just a few minutes more, Bell could feel the very edge of his restraint breaking!
Peeling his hands just barley away from his mouth, he desperately swallowed his moans, “G-Goddess, be, be careful! I can’t hold back an-angh, any longer!”
“Haha! Go ahead and cum, Bell! I’ll drink it all!” Hestia only just barely remembered to whisper that confident declaration.
And, predictably, his Goddess’s command the feeling of her lips back in place suckling on his cockhead, was enough to finally push Bell right over his limits!
“!”
“!!”
Shoving his right hand into his mouth to keep from crying out, his hips bucked up off the couch, his cock spasmed wildly within her cleavage, and the release he’d been aching for all night finally thundered free!
Her vision flashed blissfully white, and her body quivered in delighted response, her senses suddenly flaring at the simple overwhelming sense of Bell, of being practically engulfed in his taste, his smell, his very being!
Jet after jet of thick, heavy seed burst out, flooding Hestia’s mouth, filling her cheeks to bursting and ran hot and thick down her throat! Swallowing desperately, she did her best to take in everything, but the angle was working against her and with her inexperience, it quickly became apparent that her bold words couldn’t match reality- his cockhead twitched between her lips again, and again, and full, potent ropes of seed erupted each time! She couldn’t swallow fast enough, and her mouth was already completely flooded with his seed!
After a moment, and in spite of her hard-work, Hestia pulled backwards, pursing her lips tight to prevent even a drop of his cum from escaping her mouth- but leaving his shaft falling free from her lips, and shooting yet another load out, over and again, splattering warm, heavy and full right across the Goddess’s pure looking face. Trying to swallow the viscous load that was filling her entire mouth, Hestia gave only a muffled response, but she made no attempt to pull away. Instead, she squeezed her breasts tight around him once more, holding his shaft steady and ensuring that she took every drop of him directly. Shuddering with the sensation, she found herself thrilling just at the feeling of his cum splashing onto her, of feeling his seed covering her face, of his release sealing her eyes closed and running down her cheeks, dripping from her chin to pool at her breasts below.
The next few minutes passed punctuated by each of their heavy breaths as they each slowly came back to reality and down from the highs they’d been swimming in.
Relaxing dizzily back into the couch, Bell’s mind tumbled through a mix of emotions. His guilt at the sight before his eyes, at the very idea of the Goddess he respected so greatly disgraced under thick layers of his cum… and the incredible arousal and satisfaction that sight gave him, of seeing her practically marked as his. Coupled with the still lingering aftershocks of the powerful release he’d been aching for all evening, he really could do nothing but lie back and smile in gratitude towards the woman he loved.
“Goddess… Thank you, th-that… that was incredible.”
Hestia’s mind was filled with no similar ethical worries, but instead the slow burning amazement that just that act alone had sent her into her own bliss. Just servicing Bell had been enough to make her cum? And then again, she’d peaked at feeling him unload across her face? She really was far too sensitive to Bell, or perhaps this was just another sign of how deep her love for him was? She didn’t know, but with the feeling of his cum still dripping hot and thick across her face, and still running heavily down her throat, it was truly hard to care about just now.
The stories she’d read had given mixed accounts on the taste of men’s seed, but Hestia’s own conclusion was remarkably simple. Its taste was purely him, she could sense every part of him and his soul within it right down to the small tang of her own essence mixed up as part of him. As a deity, how it felt on her tongue was far less important to her than the way it left her body humming in response, or the way it made her divine essence sing in satisfaction.
“Hehe… Bell, you taste as delicious as I thought!”
And so, for the next few minutes, the one-pure Goddess of the Hearth sat in place, cleaning herself up by running her hands over her face, scooping every last drop of his seed back into her mouth and licking her fingers clean.
Bell couldn’t possibly have given a response to that, all he could do was watch with muted shock and intense appreciation, with his cock still held snugly in place between her breasts.
And, of course, such a display had a powerful effect on the young adventurer.
“O-O-Oh? You’re that eager for more?” Hestia breathed out a sultry moan, turning her attention once more to the thick rod pulsing against her chest, “Haha, you’re a lucky man, Bell! I’ll take care of you properly!”
“Goddess, I a-h…” he swallowed, “If it’s okay?”
He was never the kind to ever impose, especially not on her. If he was willing to request a second helping, then he must have really enjoyed it! And that thought left the Goddess’s heart soaring, and her breasts bouncing even more enthusiastically over his cock!
The night continued once more like that, with the church basement again filled with the sounds of Hestia’s lips around Bell’s cock, of his length pulsing and throbbing between her mounds, and of their increasingly heavy breathing as their own peaks grew closer and more desperate.
…
‘DO THEY REALLY THINK I CAN’T HEAR THEM!?’
Unfortunately, on the other side of the room, with a blazing red face that was very pointedly turned away from the nascent lovebirds, only that single thought was reverberating through Alfia’s mind.
The Maiden of Silence had always been incredibly sensitive to sound, far more than a simple blanket could muffle from just a few meders away, especially as their excitement grew. She’d intended to scream at them, to put a stop to such things from the second she’d woken up… but somehow hearing her beloved and adorable Bell like that, the sound of him panting as gasping like a man, left her stuck in place, entirely unable to move.
---------------------------------***********************---------------------------------
The day was long since dawned but Bell, far out of the usual, was only slowly and lazily going through his morning routine. Even Hestia had already awoken and headed off to her part time job, having pulled the young adventurer into a goodbye kiss before skipping out the door.
It wasn’t that there was anything wrong with him, he simply didn’t know what he should be doing right now. Lilli, his supporter, had asked for a day off from their adventures in the Dungeon to attend her Familia meeting and so, for about the first time since he’d arrived in Orario, Bell found himself with nothing to do. He could go into the dungeon himself, of course, but Eina had forced a promise out of him that he’d be more careful and he couldn’t help but pay heed to Alfia’s earlier words about rest being a vital part of an adventurer’s routine.
In theory, that made sense. In practice, it left him unsure of what to even do with himself. He couldn’t even ask Alfia for advice, since she’d seemed to be in a sour mood all morning and had been pointedly ignoring him since she woke up.
About the only thing he had in his schedule was to pass by the Hostess of Fertility. Syr hadn’t been at work yesterday, but Ryu had been kind enough to make him lunch in her stead, so he had to return the lunchbox, but beyond that, he had no plans at all. Of course, as someone still new to the city, there wa-
Bell’s thought process was abruptly interrupted by the sound of someone knocking, firmly and somewhat insistently on the door to the church basement.
It took him a moment to even process that fact in itself. Not only was the Hestia Familia complete unknowns within the city so far, but they were well away from any regular throughfare and within an abandoned church besides. They’d never had any visitors so far, there didn’t seem to be any reason for there to be any visitors.
The knock came again, just as firm and just as insistent.
Jumping to his feet and quickly pulling open the door, Bell came face to face with the stern, dispassionate gaze of a beautiful Elf maiden about the same height as him. Unfortunately, anything beyond that was totally hidden within the thick brown cloak she’d wrapped her whole body in.
“I seek solitude.”
He blinked.
“Uh… Well, umh, we’re in the basement, sorry? But, uh, you can feel free to use the rest of the church as you please?”
Her eyes narrowed. And now there was a mote of anger in her voice as she repeated her words, as if this request chafed her to her core.
“I seek… solitude.”
Bell didn’t know enough about elves, and especially about cryptic requests in a church to have even the faintest clue how to deal with this. He’d plainly said something wrong, but he couldn’t think what he was supposed to say in response. Dithering and fretting, he shifted on place, but no ideas or inspirations told him how he should handle this strange situation.
Without another word, the elf dismissed him from her attention, turning on the spot and making to leave.
“Wait,” until a second, softer voice rang out from within the church. Until Alfia pulled Bell gentle aside and addressed the visitor herself, “If you’re looking for solitude, I can offer you silence.”
“Hmm.”
The elf turned once again, this time something akin to respect showing from under the cape she was wearing as she addressed the former adventurer, and then, at Alfia’s gesture she stepped inside.
“Don’t worry about him. He’s my sister’s son, he’s tied into this too,” Alfia answered lightly, intercepting the question before it could be asked as both women stepped past the bewildered rookie adventurer and made their way to the Church basement, “I must say, I’m surprised to see you. I didn’t realise word had gotten out I was back.”
The elf hummed once again in simple response. Bell was halfway through considering that she didn’t seem the kind of person to say a cliché like “Word travels fast” when it wasn’t needed, even if it was so perfectly appropriate, he wouldn’t have been able to help himself… but this thoughts were immediately shunted off track as she lowered her hood.
His initial impressions had been correct, but as was typical with elves, vastly understated. Standing only about the same height as him, the elf was stunningly gorgeous, almost enough to be on the level of the city’s Goddess’s or the Sword princess herself. Her gaze was as cool and steady as ever, bringing thoughts to mind of Ryu, but the dark black hair that fell in a coronet around her head and long down her back stood in stark contrast to the surprisingly kind-hearted waitress and her skin was flawlessly smooth, a pale white framed wonderfully by her deep red eyes. It was the first time he’d ever seen anyone besides himself that with irises like that and he couldn’t help but be immediately charmed. Even with her hood pulled down, as was probably normal for an elf, the rest of her body was still entirely hidden. Long boots, black gloves and a high collar shielded everything below her neck from view, as if to keep every part of herself under-wraps from prying eyes.
“Alfia-sama, I have a message for you.”
So saying, she handed over a small envelope sealed with a crest that Bell didn’t recognise but which Alfia clearly did. And then, along with that, she added a long, slender branch, just barely off-green colour and somehow bursting with enough vibrancy to fill the room with the scent of the forest despite clearly having been long separated from any tree.
“A branch of a sacred tree… Your master is generous, isn’t he?”
Alfia took the branch gladly but not without some degree of irony. In her past life, and in her previous plan to attack Orario, such a thing would have been invaluable. She’d gotten her hands on one before and found, just as she’d suspected, that the inherent magic properties had been miraculous in alleviating the effects of her illness, a gift like this would quite literally have let her live longer in her attempt to die…
…Or at least it would have when Alfia had still had her Status. The fates weren’t without a sense of humour akin to the Gods themselves it seemed, the very day Hera had ascended back to heaven had been the day that the illness that’d plagued her entire life… the sin that she’d gained with her birth, by stealing Meteria’s talent… had finally been soothed. It still wracked and coursed through her, of course, but it wracked and coursed through a vessel that had been expanded all the way up to level seven. Without her status, the amount of energy and awareness Alfia put into her daily life, the amount of effort the put into anything was absolutely miniscule in comparison, to compare a level seven to a civilian was akin to comparing a level seven to the One Eyed Black Dragon. Her vessel was tremendously weakened, but not enough to ever affect her life. All the years she’d passed with Bell, she’d barely been debilitated at all.
“We seek your assistance, as you offered it once before.”
“The ones I offered it to are gone,” Alfia cracked the missive, instantly recognising the wash of power that spread through the paper from the instant the seal was broken and read through the contents quickly as it began burning in her hands. Bell let out a squark of surprise, but she was well used to such techniques, they were a worthy tool for any worthy effort, “Enyo… I see…”
“Uh, Enyo?”
To say Bell was lost was an understatement. The Elf’s glare was furious upon him, and even Alfia gaze became immediately focussed on him and just as stern.
“Bell. Don’t repeat that name, not anywhere. He was… He was… a family friend of mine and of your uncle, when we were still living in this city. But, due to an unfortunate circumstance his name is now tarnished. Letting anyone know you’ve heard it will only bring trouble on yourself, and on him.”
“Uh, umm.. er, okay?”
“So then, that would make you his daughter…?”
Now taking her turn caught under Alfia’s gaze, the elf scowled and hesitated visibly. Whatever internal debate she was having however, in the end, she was here to gain Alfia’s favour.
“Filvis,” she answered finally, nodding her head, “Filvis Challia.”
“Oh, I’ve heard of you,” Alfia’s smile twisted cruelly, “Filvis, the banshee.”
Filvis winced as if struck, her beautiful face finally showing true emotion as it twisted into a pained grimace. No matter how confused and curious Bell might have been, any questions died on his lips when he saw that look on her face. It was the exact same wretched, wrenching loathing he’d seen on Ryu when she’d told him the history of the Astrea Familia and the Gale Wind. He didn’t understand enough about Elves, but he knew for certain that whatever that title meant, it was one that cut deep to the pride elves held so tight to.
He wanted to say something, to interrupt. Filvis was a complete stranger, but she was also a guest and had come with a gift besides, this felt wrong! But this whole conversation was well over Bell’s depth and before he could find the right words, he’d lost his chance.
“It is as you say.” She nodded, bowing her head to the mocking title, wearing it as if in introduction.
Watching the beautiful elf debase herself so, lodged itself deeply in Bell’s heart. His inaction instantly became something he regretted, something he would come to look back on and promise to do better.
“Very well,” Alfia hummed, walking back to her own corner of the basement, sorting through her belongings and pulling out some paper and a strangely shaped pencil, “Alright then. Bell, be a gentleman and take Filvis-san here on a date.”
Bell reeled back, thrown for a loop. And he wasn’t the only one.
“A-Wh-ha, Huh!? Wh-Why would, why would I!?”
The calm elf’s façade was long lost now. Staring in open mouthed disbelief, Filvis gave off an appearance somewhere between shocked and outright affronted.
Alfia’s gaze turned back to the pair, the answer, because I just told you to, clear in her expression, but -unusual for her- she elaborated regardless, “It’s going to take me some time to craft a reply to your father, and I hardly intend to do it with the two of you hanging over my shoulder. Bell’s new to the city, and I presume you’ve been here for some time longer, you can show him around. Besides, where he’s from there’s only humans around, it would be good for him to get used to dealing with elves.”
“Uh, wa-wait, wait, that’s, you don’t need to, Challia-san, if y-”
“P-Please…” Filvis winced horribly once again, reeling back from his words this time, “I don’t want to hear a human use my tribe’s name.”
Her point proven immediately, Alfia smirked in amusement as Bell stammered an apology, bowing his head and making a show of how contrite he was towards how poorly they’d treated their guest since she’d arrived.
In the end, whether out of pity from the way he was so desperately trying to assuage her feelings, or simply due to her directive to gain the Maiden of Silence’s co-operation, Filvis sighed deeply, dropped her cloak on the bed and agreed to accompany the young adventurer around the city. Following very awkwardly after her, Bell headed off into the morning and into his third date already since arriving in Orario. Somehow, he didn’t have particularly high hopes that this one would be better than the others.
…
Watching the door click shut behind them, Alfia sank comfortably down onto the couch, if she’d been anyone else, she would have let out a rather self-satisfied laugh, but instead she simply enjoyed the onset of silence.
So, he was calling himself Enyo. She didn’t know very much of the language of the Gods, but she knew enough to piece together something that obvious- The Destroyer of Cities. He really wasn’t bothering with subtlety at all it seemed.
It was laughable really. Or it would have been if laughter wasn’t such an obnoxious sound. She revelled in smug satisfaction instead.
It really went to show that despite how often the Evil Gods gave their tirades about the singlemindedness and rigidity of their Good brethren, they were the truly myopic ones. At least the Good Gods saw nuance in their judgement, this Enyo had really approached her all these years later expecting her to help him in bringing Orario to its knees.
Perhaps someone else would consider that a forgivable mistake, after all, she and Zald had only never told the Evilus of their true plan. They’d approached them with stories of their Familia’s betrayal at the hands of the Loki and Freya Familia’s and reached out claiming to an urgent hate, a desire for revenge against the city that betrayed them. It had been convenient at the time, and it seemed it would suit her purposes all these years later.
How ridiculous.
He must have had someone watching her all this time, likely one of the villages had reported back when she was on the move, that the Maiden of Silence was returning to Orario. And he thought that was for revenge? That she’d spent all these years away, biding her time and stewing in anger, that Bell was somehow her tool for that? Of course he’d think that, she scoffed, from what she knew of the Evilus from her time, that was surely how he’d lived however many tens or hundreds of years of his life until now.
The Evil Gods truly couldn’t understand mortals, could they?
Alfia truly did burn for revenge. She truly would delight in bringing the city to its knees. She would thoroughly enjoy crushing Freya, Loki, and all the others that had betrayed her.
But just because she would happily crush Orario, didn’t mean she didn’t also want to save it.
She wasn’t here to continue Zald’s work. She was here to finish it.
She hadn’t brought Bell with her to act in her stead. She had brought him here to become the Last Hero.
And of course, a hero had no need to consort with the Evilus.
That was unfortunate for Enyo, because despite seeking her out as an ally, he would serve her far better as a stepping stone in Bell’s legend.
She would have to drag this out, she considered. No matter how fast he was growing, Bell was still only level 1, any plot to destroy Orario would surely involve player far beyond him in power. Even that Filvis girl, if the rumours she’d picked up on were correct, she should have been at least level four, unless she was hiding her level ups. This was certainly not something her beloved and adorable Bell would be ready for just yet.
If worst came to worse, she herself could take a part in it and actively slow proceedings. It wasn’t as if she was unaccustomed to wearing the villain’s mantle, and while she couldn’t help but worry about how Bell would struggle with the act of killing her, if her death would cast him as the Hero he wished to be, then she would accept it gladly.
But those were considerations for later, for now, she would write back and give great thanks for the sacred branch. And she would request to know where he’d gained it, if she could lend his knowledge, hint at a desire to access his supply. Enyo had no need to know that such gifts were unnecessary for her as she was now. Let him think he had leverage over her, let him think he could control her and take her life in his hands.
She would only smile all the brighter when Bell destroyed him.
Oh, what a fitting chapter that would be for Bell’s legend! How exciting this would be! She, could hardly wait!
“Ahhh Enyo, you don’t need to worry,” she whispered to herself, as she paced around the room, putting pieces of a plan slowly into place, “Bell is a man who wants to be a Hero. I know he’ll save Filvis from you.”
Really, it just went to show how disgusting the Evil Gods were, to their own children, no less. He’d involved an elf of all things in this ridiculous scheme of his? She couldn’t even begin to imagine what leverage he must have over the poor girl, clearly her loyalty to him must be almost beyond words. Elven pride was not to be underestimated, it was their blessing as much as a constant curse, it was why parties trusted elves so implicitly, why the act of simply surviving after her friends died had led Filvis to be termed “The Banshee” and why every left in the city would scowl if they heard her name. To break an elf’s pride this thoroughly, to drag her through the muck, into murder, terrorism and a mad plan to destroy a city… Alfia could only imagine the girl was suffocating with self-loathing every single day.
She wouldn’t directly interfere; she wouldn’t guide Bell’s hand. His path needed to be his own. But if she let him build a connection with this poor elf, if she pushed them together in whatever small way she could- she was sure that Bell could change the girl’s fate. After all, wasn’t that the job of a Hero?
---------------------------------***********************---------------------------------
Bell had never been particularly popular with women before arriving in Orario. There hadn’t been many in his tiny hometown to begin with, and those that were there tended to be scared of Alfia, which hadn’t improved things.
Arriving in the dungeon city had been his big chance to start anew. He’d come with his head held high, pushing himself to try change his fortunes. Chief among his desires had been to prove himself to the woman who’d helped raise him, as well as his yearning for a family and a place to belong that the young adventurer never quite managed to find out how to put into words.
But beyond that, more tangible than any of that, he’d had a heart bursting with stories from his Grandfather and from his own dreams! Dreams of adventure and heroism, of love, encounters with beautiful women and of aiming for a harem, a “man’s romance” as his Grandfather has explained it! His goals and his perspectives had shifted a little since then, but in those regards, Orario had certainly not disappointed.
By his rough counting, he’d been in the city for just over a month now, and in that time, he’d managed to win himself three dates with three different women, each of them stunning beauties in their own right, the kind of women any man would fall over themselves for a chance just to talk to!
If he’d heard that story before arriving, he could only imagine how his previous self’s eyes would have lit up in wonder, and how his desire to journey to Orario would have blazed only hotter.
The problem however, Bell had learned in the time since, was the context of those dates.
His time with Eina had been pleasant, if platonic. While there’d been the horribly embarrassing experience of running into his Goddess and finding her secretly working a second part time job in one of Hephaestus’s shops, that had been the only real hiccup. She’d taken him to an armoury he didn’t even know existed, he’d brought a set of armour that felt perfect for him and she’d given him an armguard. It hadn’t been the romantic date of his dreams, but it had been a warm and comfortable time with the advisor he cherished (if occasionally infuriated), and he thought they’d both had a good time.
His next date had been with Hestia, and it had been an absolute unmitigated disaster. He still had absolutely no clue what had set the horde of Goddesses after them, or why they’d so persistently chased the pair across half the city, but it’d absolutely ruined any of the plans he’d put together as well as his attempt to show his appreciation for his Goddess… of course… for being a disaster, Bell didn’t have particularly sour feelings about the night. While the date had gone badly, and he’d lost control of his emotions to the point of outright weeping into his Goddess’s chest, everything else that’d happened that night had been the greatest experience of his life- rivalled only by joining the Hestia Familia and meeting Ais Wallenstein in the dungeon.
And unfortunately, any hopes that Bell may have had towards this latest date he’d found himself abruptly thrust into with the elf that’d so suddenly shown up on his doorstep was quickly scuttled. In spite of his efforts, Bell had a very distinct impression that Filvis was not enjoying their date.
There was nothing unpleasant about Filvis’s actions. But there was nothing particularly pleasant either. Walking at a steady pace, and a few very intentional strides ahead of him, through the city, she went through the motions with clinical, professional acumen. Whether taking pity on him, or to please Alfia or both, she had agreed to take him on a date, to show him around the city. And so, with all the pride of an Elf, despite her previous distaste at the idea of it, she did so dutifully and thoroughly, if not with any enthusiasm.
Over the next hour, Bell became intimately aware with every facet of Orario that a level 4 veteran Adventurer could possibly imagine would be relevant or useful to a young rookie. The only gap in her explanations or her diligence came when they arrived within sight of a quiet looking area in the south-eastern side of the city with lanterns hanging unlit from the windows and countless Amazons lounging lazily around- there Filvis’s only instruction was that he must stay away, and any further attempts Bell made in questioning her were pointedly ignored.
The tour finally drew to a close as she walked him through the high market road that served as a hub for the clinics, stores and homes of the city’s most famous and revered apothecaries or healers, most prominent of all being the brilliant white palatial estate of the Dian Cecht Familia, home of the Dea Saint, who Bell was informed could work healing magic almost to the level of being considered a miracle. Predictably, just like walking through the Hephaestus Familia’s main shops, everything here was well beyond the price range Bell could afford to the point where he was left staring in wide-eyed disbelief at the rows of potions, each single one representing a week’s worth of life-threatening work for him, meant to be consumed just as readily as any other dungeon tool. In short, he walked gingerly past them and made very careful not to either touch or get anywhere close to knocking over anything along that entire street.
And with that, Filvis finally drew to a stop ahead of him, for the first time unsure of herself and what to do next.
Turning towards him, she questioned just how long exactly a date was supposed to be. Reminding him, with just a slight edge in her voice, that this was her first ever date.
Bowing again, he apologised once more.
She dismissed it. Explaining with a sigh that he had nothing to apologise for, she had done as was requested and done so willingly.
He offered to buy her something to eat, or a coffee.
She rejected that. Apparently, she’d already eaten before she’d come, and had no desire for more yet.
Without any other ideas, he finally suggested that perhaps this was long enough? They’d seen the city and they were only waiting for Alfia to draft her reply anyway, surely she’d be done by now.
To that, Filvis nodded, and they made their way back towards the abandoned church.
It was then however, without the duty of guiding him to keep her occupied, that Bell’s persistently earnest personality and gracious enthusiasm managed to at last draw her into a proper conversation. Without anything else to talk about, walking with slightly lighter hearts back towards their destination, he told her about his time so far as an adventurer and his time in the dungeon, and slowly, just a little, she shared him with a portion of her own in return- telling him stories of her exploits in the upper levels, and of the floors that still awaited him.
For all his flaws and naïveté, and despite the fact that he was associated with the Maiden of Silence herself, there was no mistaking Bell’s kind-hearted soul, nor how eagerly he listened to every scrap of information she shared about her adventures. Filvis doubted she still had the heart of an Elf, but what still remained of her Elven nature, couldn’t help but resonate with him just a fraction. Just enough to humour him for ten minutes until they returned to his home.
And, of course, when they arrived, she reminded him once more -making herself extremely clear- that despite what he may or may not understand, the situation around her, and around her father was serious and deeply personal. It was not his to share, and it would only cause problems for Alfia if he did so. He must make certain to never mention her presence at all.
---------------------------------***********************---------------------------------
“W-Woah… White-hair, he’s really eating it-nya.”
“I can’t believe it…”
Ryu, realising she was apparently the only waitress actually doing any work this morning, arched an eyebrow at that comment. Crossing the inside of the kitchen over to where Anya, Chloe and Lunoire (three of the Hostess of Fertility’s five main waitresses) were currently shirking their duties to peek into the main hall at where Syr (the other main waitress, also not working) was currently humming a happy tune, seated across from Bell Cranel, the rookie adventurer that Syr had recently fallen head over heels for.
Syr prepared lunch for Bell each morning before he left for the dungeon, and Bell had come to collect this day’s lunch just as he normally did, albeit later than usual. As Ryu understood it, today was a day off for him, which was why Syr had instead prepared a breakfast for him and why he was currently eating it across from her right in the middle of the dining hall. Ryu was happy for them both, of course. She didn’t know Bell particularly well but, from the short conversation they’d had outside the Astrea Familia home, he’d seemed well intentioned, and she’d only heard good things of him from Syr since.
Which left her confused as to why exactly all her colleagues had abandoned their duties to watch the two lovebirds, and why the two catgirl’s tails were twitching so wildly in the air.
“She cooks for him every morning,” She reminded them, “This is normal.”
“Sure, but… I never thought he actually ate it!”
“Right! I thought he just tipped it out when he got to the dungeon-nya!”
“Yeah! Yeah! Or, or used it to fight the monsters-nya!”
Eyes wide with shock, Ryu jolted in place, insulted and offended, outraged at even hearing such slander against the food that Syr had worked so hard to prepare for the man she loved! Rising herself up to her full height, she stomped furiously towards the three gossiping busybodies, fully prepared to defend her friend’s honour!
“!”
And then she stopped. Her mouth opened and closed but she couldn’t find the words to argue. They weren’t wrong, per se… Syr was kind, she was caring, she was beautiful, smart, playful and even a little scary when she wished to be, there were countless reasons Ryu could think of as to why Syr was the most popular waitress in their bar and a famous name throughout the city besides. But her cooking was not one of them.
To put it kindly, Syr’s cooking was what might be generously termed an affront to life itself.
It was crunchy when it was meant to be smooth, squishy when it was meant to be hard, somehow both cooked and raw at the same time, and there was always that same lingering pungent aroma that left none in doubt that the silver haired girl had recently been at work in the kitchen once again. None of the other wait-staff ever touched the meals she made. Even Ryu, for all that she cherished Syr, had only done so once (and had subsequently been out of action for the rest of the day).
And yet, just a few meders away from them, in the middle of the dining hall, Bell Cranel was happily shovelling through a full plateful of what appeared to be gelatinous, purple goop. Rather than suffering through it, he seemed like he could barely get enough of it.
“Hmph.” The elf smiled contentedly, grabbing hold of the catgirl’s tails with one hand and Lunoire’s ear with the other, dragging them away back to work, “That’s the power of True Love, of course.”
Ryu, as with most elves, was very much a romantic.
---------------------------------***********************---------------------------------
“I’m really sorry I didn’t make lunch for you yesterday, Bell-san!” Syr repeated for the third time as the young adventurer finally polished off the massive-stacked breakfast she’d made him as way of apology, “I really wanted to, I just got caught up at home, there was something urgent I needed to take care of, I couldn’t get away.”
“It’s fine, it’s fine, really!” he assured her, again for the third time, “Ryu-san made lunch for me instead, and, and well, you guys really don’t need to, I really appreciate how much you do for me as it is!”
“Hehe, well you just keep coming for dinner anytime you’re celebrating something and we’ll be even!”
That was definitely going to be hard on his pocketbook. But he could hardly say no after the way she’d just treated him to breakfast, so Bell simply nodded. Collecting his plate and pushing it aside, Syr rested her head on her hands, humming lightly for a moment as she gazed at him. She knew she’d be called back to work soon, she wasn’t meant to be taking even this long, but she couldn’t help it. She was determined to enjoy this for as long as it took Mama Mia to notice she was shirking.
“Mhmmm, so tell me, how’d you wind up in the Hestia Familia anyway? I’d never heard of them before you came along, did you know Hestia-sama before you came to Orario?”
“Oh no, hah, I was really lucky to meet her! I told you how I came here with my mother’s-sister, right? Well, we were staying in a hotel originally, and I was looking for a Familia that would take me…” Bell paused a moment, blushing slightly and looking down as he pulled out the painful memory of his past. Normally this wasn’t a topic he would have wanted to talk about. But Syr was always so kind to him, he couldn’t help but want to be honest, “I, er, well, it didn’t go very well. I spent a long time just… Well, I looked all over and nowhere I applied to seemed interested in taking me.”
With some trepidation and embarrassment at opening up about his past failures, Bell slowly spent the next several minutes telling Syr all about his earliest struggles after arriving in Orario.
How he’d applied all over the city.
How he’d been shown the door time and again.
How he’d passed the days and nights facing his sense of inferiority, the sense of being unwanted by anyone in the entire city.
The chance encounter he’d had with Ryu.
And, how Hestia’s kindness and warmth had saved him.
“Bell-san… I’m sorry, I never knew you’d had it so hard…” reaching out, she brushed his hand gently with her own, her face burning red for a moment at the contact before gathering her courage and grabbing his hand with her own, squeezing it gently as she spoke, “I thought all the dungeon seeking Familia were always hiring, the Loki or Ganesha Familia, why would they turn someone like you away?”
“I uh…” with his ears burning red from the way Syr was so gently holding his hands, compounded with the fact that her question was unintentionally asking him to explain his weakness, Bell struggled for a response, “I… guess, I just wasn’t, er good enough?”
“What about the Freya Familia?” she asked in a gentle whisper, “Why did you not apply there? I’ve heard Freya-sama is always on the lookout for adventurers with such amazing potential like yours Bell-san!”
“H-Ha-Hha… Apparently not?”
“Huh? What do you mean?” Her hand was squeezing his just a little tighter now, “Bell-san?”
“I-er, ahh, well, I did apply to the Freya Familia. I never even saw Freya-sama, they just scoffed and turned me away at the gate. I guess I jus-ah!”
Bell blinked. Syr was looking at him just as kindly and tenderly as ever. Her gaze was practically overflowing with compassion at hearing the struggles he’d had finding a Familia… But, just for a moment… just for an instant… he was almost sure he’d seen her eyes flash.
“They turned you away? Th-That’s… that’s horrible, that must have been a terrible experience… and that happened long before you even met Hestia-sama? Oh Bell-san, I can’t even imagine… You don’t happen to remember which of the guards you talked to, do you?”
“WH-ah!? Er, ah S-S-Syr-san! M-My hand! You’re, you’re squeezing rea-really hard!”
For some reason, as Ryu was dragging her back towards her duties, Anya Frommel suddenly had a strange sensation that her brother was in great danger.
---------------------------------***********************---------------------------------
A/N: I understand it’s a bit of a cliché in Danmachi stories for Bell to get a skill after sleeping with a girl, and obviously skills don’t really get handed out all that easily… but still, it feels to me that making an eternal commitment to a Goddess and deflowering a Celestial Virgin would be more than cause enough to cause his soul to grow. My aim with this skill was something akin to the oaths in “The Faraway Paladin”, essentially the greater the oath the stronger the power, but the more difficult the duty. So, this skill gives Bell the potential for great power, but it also comes with an important duty of protecting the words he swore to his Goddess.
I think for someone like Hestia, an oath of commitment and companionship matches her exactly, but that’d be different for different Goddesses. Artemis might want something similar to Hestia, while Welf may have to offer a something much more tangible to prove a similar devotion to Hephaestus and Astrea would likely care more for an oath of everlasting intentions. But I imagine Freya has no end of men willing (and truly meaning) to offer her an eternal oath, the kind of commitment that would form an everlasting bond with her would be quite different, I think. Either way what kind of Hero might have such pledges to multiple Goddesses? An interesting idea, I think.
Anyway, Filvis! And the potential for her fate to be changed! There’ll certainly be more developments there.
- 3
- 4
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

A Waning Silence