The warmth and buzz of the tavern grew louder as the evening wore on. mbers of the Loki Familia had claid a large corner table—half of them already laughing, the other half drinking like it was the end of the world.
Bete Loga, slouched near the end, took a long pull from his tankard. His yellow eyes drifted lazily across the room—until they landed on Bell.
His lip curled.
"You've gotta be kidding ," he muttered, just loud enough for nearby tables to catch it. "Isn't that the white rabbit who got stomped by a little girl?"
A few chuckles rippled from the nearby Loki Familia mbers. Bell tensed, a mix of embarrassnt and frustration bubbling in his chest.
But he wasn't the only one who heard.
From the seat beside Riveria, Lyra slowly turned her head. Her fork clicked against her plate.
She stood, deliberately, hands on her hips. "Who are you calling little? I'm telling you, I'm 42!"
Bete's eyes glead with mischief. "If 42 years old isn't a little for an elf, then I guess Riveria here must be a grandma. I an, she's—"
Before he could finish, Riveria's staff shot out, swift as lightning, and knocked Bete's head to the side with a loud thwack.
Bete's eyes went wide, and he froze, blinking a few tis then started to rubb his sore head, glared at Riveria. "What the hell—?"
"I am teaching you not to be rude."Riveria said while taking back her staff.
Looking at Bete's expressions The Loki Familia table erupted into laughter,Lyra, anwhile, grinned from ear to ear.
"Well, that was satisfying," Lyra said, crossing her arms. "Maybe next ti, Bete, you'll think twice before making fun of an elf."
Bete growled but wisely stayed silent, his pride temporarily deflated.
While everyone was laughing
Bell groaned and slumped over the table, burying his face in his arms. "I should've just stayed ho…"
Luthar watched him for a mont, then said quietly:
"are you thinking about running away without paying"
Bell froze.
"It's not that"Bell started to think did he really look that unreliable he just wanted to get out this place so soon as possible.
The rest of the al passed in relative peace—at least, no more flying insults or staves. Bell managed to eat most of his food, though his appetite wasn't all there. Every now and then, he'd glance at the Loki Familia's table, but after the earlier embarrassnt, they seed to lose interest.
Luthar didn't speak again. He sat quietly, sipping from the straw beneath his mask, seemingly unbothered by the noise around them. Bell found that oddly reassuring.
By the ti they left the Hostess of Fertility, the streets were darker, lit by warm lantern glow and the last stretch of twilight. Bell walked a step behind Luthar, still stewing over everything Bete had said.
but by the ti they reached at the church gate, a familiar figure was standing in the doorway—arms crossed, foot tapping.
"Hestia…"
The tiny goddess squinted at them. "You're late! I was starting to think I'd have to co looking!"
Bell laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry, Syr invited us for dinner…"
Luthar walked past the gate without a word. Hestia glanced at him, then back at Bell.
"who is Syr you shouldn't go with strangers" she started to complaint Soon she Hard girls na
"She is not stranger." Bell try to correct her but completely fail.
She stepping aside to let him in. "I have to tell you multiple tis don't go with beautiful girls. now co insight so I can update your status !"
Inside, the church was quiet again. The fire crackled low in the hearth. Bell slipped off his boots and glanced toward the dark corner where Luthar had already disappeared.
He looked down at his hands. Still trembling slightly.
He clenched them, recalling the earlier embarrassnt.
Later on the sa night…
Bell sat on the edge of the bed, shirt off, his back to Hestia as she gently traced her finger down the middle of his spine.
"Still thinking about earlier?" she asked softly.
He didn't answer.
Hestia sighed, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "You don't have to carry it all, Bell. People say dumb things. That wolf guy? He's always like that."
"It's not just him," Bell whispered, staring at his clenched fists in his lap. "Everyone looks at like… like I'm a joke. I just… I want to be soone who can stand on his own."
His voice trembled.
"I feel like I'm completely useless, if not for you I wouldn't able to beco adventure and if Mr Luthar didn't help yesterday I probably would have died"
Hestia's hand paused. A warmth, faint but steady, pulsed under her fingertip.
She blinked.as noticing the change
He didn't notice.
"I want to be like sword princess or Mr Luthar," he continued, voice rising with conviction. "I want to be strong and able to help people around ."
A sudden glow lit up Bell's back. Intricate symbols, ancient and alive, shimred into view beneath Hestia's touch. They pulsed like a heartbeat—his heartbeat.
Her breath caught. "Bell…"
He blinked, turning slightly. "Did sothing happen?"
Hestia hesitated. "nothing," she said carefully.
she said "Let just copy your status first, can you put stay in yourself"
She retrieved a fresh sheet of parchnt and a quill from the nearby desk, her heart pounding. Sitting down, she began transcribing Bell's current stats—but when she reached the skill section, her hand trembled slightly.
The na glowed on his back with divine weight.
[Realis Phrase]
A skill that evolves with desire. Grows stronger the more he longs to reach soone.
She glanced back at Bell, who was sitting quietly, still watching his hands.
"…Hestia?"
"I-it's nothing," she said, forcing a smile. "All done. You've grown stronger again."
She folded the status paper, keeping the skill portion covered with her hand.Feeling it was not the ti yet.
"You really want to protect everyone, huh?" she whispered, eyes soft.
Bell nodded, unaware. "Yeah."
Hestia moved toward him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders from behind. "Then just keep chasing that dream. One step at a ti."
He closed his eyes, leaning back slightly. For once, the shaking in his hands had stopped.
When he finally went to sleep, Hestia remained seated near the bed, staring down at the copied status in her lap. Her fingers hovered over the words.
"…[Realis Phrase]," she murmured.
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