by Fujino Omori
Something seems missing in this interaction between a former member of the nobility and the furious goddess.
“Haruhime…I forgot to mention this before, but there are rules in my familia. Of course impure relationships between boys and girls are off limits, but that includes holding hands!”
“Ehhhh?”
The goddess’s words hit Haruhime like a brick wall.
But, um, this is the first time I’ve heard that rule…
I’ve got a feeling that not being allowed to take hold of each other’s hands might cause problems in the Dungeon…
“I was one of the top three virgin goddesses of Tenkai! Morals are important and will be protected!” the goddess declares. Haruhime doesn’t know what to do; she just keeps glancing between Lady Hestia and me until her head droops.
“I have no excuse, Lady Hestia…I shall be more careful in the future.”
“Good. As long as you understand, that’s fine.”
Haruhime looks really depressed as the goddess solemnly nods above her.
She makes herself as small as possible, saying that she will obey the rules of the familia and turns her back to meWait, what’s that?
A flash of gold coming from below her waist. Her tail zips toward me.
It wraps itself around my wrist like it has a mind of its own.
“…”
“…”
“…”
Her soft tail squeezes my wrist a few times, while the goddess and I stand there completely silent.
Haruhime’s body language is so downtrodden and compliant, but the fox ears on top of her head are flicking around in all directions.
“HIYAA!”
“EEEEEK!”
The goddess’s second knife-hand strike knocks Haruhime’s tail to the floor.
The renart girl lets out a cry.
Lady Hestia descends on her like a raging inferno. Haruhime’s on her hands and knees, bowing over and over while apologizing with all her might. I take in the spectacle, sweating under the early summer morning sky.
“Is everyone listening? I won’t tell you not to form relationships, but morals must be respected.”
The goddess has gathered everyone together after breakfast and makes an announcement.
We’re in the manor’s spacious living room. All of us were summoned to the main table before going into the Dungeon.
Today is the goddess’s first day off from her part-time job in a while. She makes eye contact with each of us, one by one.
“So that’s why opposite genders are forbidden to physically touch each other. Hand-holding is a definite no-no.”
“That’s tyranny!”
The goddess’s eyes were closed as the words rolled off her tongue. However, Lilly is quick to object.
Haruhime, the one who caused this meeting, looks really sorry. Still dressed in her maid outfit, she served tea to everyone before quietly taking a seat in her chair, trying to stay as unnoticed as possible.
Well, all familias have rules that are decided by their gods and goddesses, and this seems to be one of them…but I think that forbidding physical contact between boys and girls is going a bit too far…
“In that case, Lady Hestia is also subject to this rule, yes? Lady Hestia must never touch Mr. Bell or Mr. Welf for any reason!”
“I-I’m a goddess!”
“That doesn’t matter! How can a goddess expect her followers to obey a rule that she won’t obey herself?”
She’s right—my Status will never be updated! Other objections flow in from around the table, asking her not to make such strange rules out of the blue as Lilly and the goddess’s argument spreads like wildfire.
Mikoto is just as riled up as I am; I can see the sweat rolling down her cheek. Welf sighs to himself.
“A-anyway, all unnecessary contact is forbidden. That includes relationships with members of other familias!”
“Huh?!”
That last bit got my attention real quick.
“What’s with your surprise, Bell? That should be common sense. Does this mean there’s someone you like in a different familia? And even if so, there’s no way you’d want to be in a relationship with her, right?”
“No, well, that’s…that’s not what I meant…”
Wow, her words were sharp. How can I respond to that?
Getting involved with someone in a non-friendly familia, basically having a forbidden love, only puts the familia in danger. What she’s saying is absolutely right, it is common sense. It’s obvious, but even so…
I look around the table, and surprisingly Lilly’s gone quiet. She was so adamant before, too. Haruhime is glancing uncomfortably between the goddess and me while Welf’s rubbing the back of his neck. “Here we go again…” he says under his breath.
Well, he’s not wrong…
I look down at the table and give up trying to object to the goddess’s rule.
“If I may, does this precedent also apply to deities?…As in, is it wrong to harbor feelings for one of them?”
Mikoto slowly raises her trembling hand.
Her cheeks have gone red, too. All of us, the goddess included, are caught off guard by her question.
“Oh, that’s right. You have a thing for Také…”
“I-I’m not asking just about Lord Takemikazuchi! I-I just…!”
“I’m not one to get in the way of that! Actually—that’s it!”
A light flicks on in her eyes. She must’ve thought of something. Even her twin black ponytails flip into the air.
“That should be encouraged! Deities and children forming couples sounds great to me! Of course, there are a few deities who should be avoided at all costs, but nice ones like Také, I see no problem with that at all!”
“C-couple…?”
I shrink back in my chair as the goddess’s voice goes up an octave, the words spewing out of her mouth.
Haruhime still isn’t used to the goddess’s vocabulary and tilts her head in confusion. Lady Hestia turns to me, her eyes sparkling.
“It’s just like those stories from before we came down to Gekai! Many romances happened between fairies and children! Isn’t that right, Bell? Don’t you think having that dream sounds wonderful?”
“Um, s-sure…”
All I can do is nod with all the attention suddenly on me.
Romances between fairies and humans or demi-humans are a common thread in stories dating back to the Ancient Times.
Unfortunately, most of those fairy tales and stories of heroes end in tragedy.
I pause for a moment to collect my thoughts, but Lilly jumps out of her chair with something important to say.
“Don’t be fooled, Mr. Bell! Being with a deity is a recipe for disaster! Age is a foreign concept to immortals, and their love is intense! Death will become the only escape from a clingy relationship that will last until the end of your days!”
“Hey! What do you think we are?”
Lilly passionately refused to even consider talking about a romance involving the gods of Deusdia. Once her rant comes to an end, Lady Hestia looks at Welf.
“Any thoughts?”
“I think…what you’re saying is right, Lady Hestia.”
“Seriously, Mr. Welf?”
“There’s no need to call it a ‘forbidden love’ or anything like that. Deities take care of us, show their affection their own ways. If they want to change the nature of the relationship, then it’s not all that weird. At the very least, that’s what I’d like to have happen.”
Lilly’s jaw drops. Even I’m surprised by Welf’s confession.
“Huh? I didn’t know you had a thing for goddesses, Welf…”
“I only have eyes for Lady Hephaistos.”
“Oh-oh-oh! Yes, children with that kind of straightforward mind-set are so rare these days! Welf, I’m rooting for you!”
“Th…anks?”
I remember hearing something about that on the eighteenth floor when he was talking with Tsuba
ki…This is quite a shock. Hestia is beaming at him, enthusiastically patting him on the shoulder, since Welf is sitting right next to her.
He’s so much taller than she, and yet he just sits there, watching with confusion as the goddess shows no signs of slowing down.
“Did you hear that, Bell? The power of love can break down barriers between races and gods!”
She’s beside herself with joy as I sink into my chair as far as possible.
When did this meeting become about mortals having relationships with gods?
The ones agreeing with the goddess are the calm, cool, and collected Welf and the blushing Mikoto.
Of course the still-standing Lilly, as vocal as ever, is against it. I can’t get a good read on Haruhime. She’s saying nothing either way, but judging by the look on her face, I’d say she doesn’t agree with the goddess.
The familia is split into two camps, and the goddess is looking at me with expectation in her eyes.
“So, Bell, what do you think?”
“M-me…?”
“Y-yes…Like, say if I were a different familia’s goddess and—Oh, no no no no no no!”
Her face turns beet red, her hands waving back and forth. “A-hem!” She clears her throat.
Then she directs her unblinking gaze onto me.
“If another goddess offered you her love…what would you do?”
The living room goes silent, the goddess’s question hanging in the air.
Everyone is waiting for my answer. Lilly gulps and leans forward in her seat. Welf and Mikoto appear interested as Haruhime looks on, her restless tail twitching behind her.
Just like Lilly, the goddess waits with bated breath, her mysterious blue eyes locked on me.
I have to say something before the atmosphere gets too heavy to breathe.
“I’d, um, turn her down…”
There was nothing to think about. It was just a matter of getting the words out.
The goddess flinches.
Lilly’s and Haruhime’s eyes fly open. Welf and Mikoto look genuinely surprised, too.
Something about everyone’s reactions feels…strange. I try to explain my answer as the mood gets increasingly uncomfortable.
“I just don’t think about goddesses that way…I’d be happy, sure, but it doesn’t make any sense. It’d be too overwhelming.”
A relationship with a deusdea? They’re not like us—they’re gods.
Welf and Mikoto seem to have a different opinion on the matter, shockingly so…But, yeah.
They’re special beings who should be revered, worshipped, and respected.
I’m more than happy to interact with them as part of a familia, as a “child” of Gekai, and as a member of their family, but…I believe there’s a line that shouldn’t be crossed.
“B-Bell…”
The goddess’s body language changes so quickly I can practically hear the slam of her mood hitting rock bottom.
Her face is down; her entire body is shaking…She rockets to her feet.
“Bell, you moron—!”
“G-Goddess—?”
She dashes toward the living room door at full speed, her voice still echoing around the living room.
She covers her eyes with her forearm, and I watch her run out into the hall, leaving the door open behind her. She just keeps going, all the way up to the front entrance and through the gate.
I’m halfway out of my chair, ears still ringing.
“Bell…you’re denser than I thought.”
“Huh? B-but…goddesses are goddesses…!”
From the living room window, I catch a glimpse of her running down the street. Welf comes over to me as I’m trying to decide if I should give chase or not.
Even I can hear the confusion in my voice as Lilly and the girls come to join us.
“You make a valid point, Sir Bell. There are people who respect deities, but…”
“Yes, but the same is true of many devout followers…”
Mikoto sounds like she’s having difficulty choosing her words, and Haruhime looks just as confused. Even Welf is glaring at me—“Why’d you have to go that far?”—as if all of them seem to think my opinion of deities isn’t normal.
They’re not criticizing me, but I feel like the odd man out here.
“If, just if…Just as an example.”
A few moments of heavy silence pass. Then Lilly looks up at me.
“Just on the off chance that perhaps Lady Hestia secretly has feelings for a human here on Earth…Mr. Bell’s choice of words might have hurt her feelings.”
It took her a while to get to the point. I watch her eyebrows sink on her face as my eyes get wider with every word.
“…Hey, Bell.”
Welf was watching me from the side and speaks up.
“What are you so afraid of?”
“…!”
I can’t breathe.
Welf’s question cuts right through me. My hands clench into fists before I know it.
After a few more heartbeats pass, I still don’t have an answer for him. I look away from everyone.
“…I’ll go find her.”
I leave the living room like a prisoner escaping from jail.
I feel their eyes on me, but no one says anything as I race out the door.
“Li’l E, you sure that was a good idea? Sayin’ that.”
After Bell had left the room, the remaining four members of Hestia Familia stared at the open door for a few moments before Welf turned to face Lilly.
“…Lilly doesn’t care. Lady Hestia is our goddess as well. Things will never settle down without straightening this out…and she’s always sticking her nose into Lilly’s business, like the other week.”
Welf wanted to make sure that she was okay with helping her rival. Although she whispered the last part under her breath, she turned to answer him right away.
Mikoto and Haruhime knew immediately Lilly wasn’t being completely honest and grinned wryly. However, their slight grins were on the verge of bursting into laughter.
Welf couldn’t hold back a smile, either.
“Well, I guess this means Dungeon prowling ain’t happening today.”
“I believe so, too.”
Mikoto nodded after Welf’s proposal. There weren’t any objections.
The boy and the goddess would make amends soon enough, and they wanted to be at home to welcome them back.
I go into the city to look for the goddess.
Lots of adventurers are already on their way to the Dungeon, making the streets lively and crowded. Even everyday citizens are busy setting up their shops, and the horse-drawn taxis are starting to flow in and out of the main routes throughout the city.
The sky above Orario is clear again today. However, there is a cluster of gray clouds gathering to the north. The mountains up there might get some rain today, I think to myself as I weave my way in and out of traffic at a slow run.
There aren’t any clues as to where the goddess went after leaving home. I can’t exactly comb the city until I find her; it’s much too big for that.
I can’t get the look she had on her face out of my head. Lilly’s words are replaying over and over. Ignoring the sharp pain in my chest, I ask storeowners and passersby if they’ve seen a young-looking goddess come through this way.
“Oh…? Well, if it isn’t Bell.”
“That’s him all right. Hey, Bell!”
“Ah…Lord Miach and Lord Hermes?”
I come across the two gods by coincidence when I’m halfway through the Western Block.
Lord Miach is pushing a four-wheeled cart full of potions and other items while Lord Hermes is wearing his usual wide-brimmed feathered hat. He must’ve snuck away from Asfi because I can’t see her anywhere. She usually shadows him like a bodyguard.
One deity with long navy-blue hair, the other one with shorter, vibrant orange hair, and both so handsome that I wouldn’t be surprised if an artist had carved their faces out of stone.
I say good morning to them but can’t help thinking this is an unusual pairing.
“May I ask what you’re doing this far out on a side street?”
“Well, I’ve just been offered a part in a scheme. This man here would like to use my familia’s wares to make an easy valis or two, and I was trying to find a way to turn him down.”
“Oi, oi! Miach! Why do you have to say something like that? I’m not scheming at anything!”
Lord Miach says it all with a grin on his face, but he’s holding back a laugh. There’s no hint of seriousness in his voice. Lord Hermes is laughing, too, so it was probably just a joke. I’ve heard that Hermes Familia is like a jack-of-all-trades. Whether it’s Dungeon prowling, a delivery service, or economic ventures, they’ll try anything to turn a profit. He probably wanted to ask Lord Miach some business questions.
I feel a smile growing on my lips when suddenly I remember why I’m here. So I ask the two of them.
“Hestia? Hmmm, sorry, Bell. I haven’t seen her.”
“Same here. Sorry I’m not much help.”
“I-it’s not a problem. Thanks for listening, but I should get going…”
I stutter an apology and bow my head. I’m about to turn my back and leave when, at that moment—
“Bell.”
Lord Miach gets my attention, his calm gaze looking right through me.
“If you’re not in a rush, we’ll listen.”
“Huh…?”
“We’ll offer you some advice, Bell. There’s something on your mind, isn’t there?”
Lord Miach smiles as I look back at him in shock. Lord Hermes is grinning with his eyes.
…They read me like an open book; they can see into my heavy heart. Then again, maybe I’m not that hard to figure out.
The two gods look down at me like fathers watching over their child. I hesitate for a few heartbeats. In the end, I avoid telling them what happened at the manor but go straight to the question at hand.
Are deities capable of love? More specifically, how do they feel about us mortals?
“Lord Miach, Lord Hermes…Do you—do gods fall in love with people? As in, do you become more than friends, something like lifelong partners…?”
