Is it wrong to try to meet someone in a dungeon?

This must be the kind of guy the gods call a 'tsundere senior or boss,' I thought to myself, staring at him. Then he said, 'What's with that look you're giving me? It's really annoying!' and kicked me. All I could do was let out a pathetic scream.

He knelt down on the ground and suffered for a long time.

The Master has always refused to eat late-night snacks.

This is the same as usual.

So I stood up and proposed the "compromise" I had prepared beforehand.

"Then, let's go with 'equivalent exchange'... Could you perhaps give me some guidance and training occasionally?"

"What?"

For the first time, the Master's eyebrows curved into a surprised shape.

"Whenever you have time, that's fine. I'd like to exercise in the morning."

Just like the transformation (training) during dating, and the battlefield (Fólkvangr).

I said that with a smile.

My master just watched me quietly like that.

"Ah, so 'magic' can't be used only in the mansion...! No, is that not allowed?"

I hurriedly added.

"...You insatiable bastard."

The master, who had been pausing his movements, finally smiled slightly.

"Fine. Since you're asking for that level of compensation, I accept."

"R-Really!? Thank you, Master!"

"I won't show any mercy. You'd better be prepared."

"good!"

After thanking him, I nodded repeatedly with delight.

Suddenly realizing I would wake Welf and the others, I hurriedly covered my mouth with both hands, but Master closed his eyes, curled the corners of his mouth, and maintained a calm demeanor as he reached for the plate.

Right in front of me, she was quietly and elegantly sipping her soup.

I was indeed happy, and a smile involuntarily appeared on my face.

Alright, good luck with your morning training session with Master!

◇

"Bell...? Why... is he in Midgard with the [White Demon Wand (Hildesleyf)]...?"

— Keep going, that's what I originally thought, but…

The moment I encountered the fairy lady with the wooden sword in the courtyard at dawn, all the joy and warmth I had felt yesterday vanished, and my whole body turned to extreme cold.

Specifically, it was because of the confrontation with Ms. Ryu's sky-blue eyes, which had lost their light and warmth.

"From now on, I'll be in charge of training this stupid rabbit. You're out of here, [Swift], get lost!"

"You...you bastard! Bell would never abandon me for you! What you did was too cruel! Bell's morning training opponent should be me!"

"How come you haven't noticed yet that he disliked you because of your gentle and refined manners, little girl?"

"Ryu-Miss Ryu!? Master!? Why are you arguing!? Wouldn't it be better if the three of you trained together!?"

As Miss Ryu immediately raised her wooden sword, Master looked down at her with disdain, his long, thin chin pointing towards the sky.

The atmosphere between the two of them had reached below zero. I hurriedly tried to mediate, but the icy chill still hadn't dissipated.

Not long after, the training of the double fairies, which was like an opposing force with no tolerance or pity left, began. I was dragged into it and screamed and almost lost my life.

"It's Bell's fault"

"It's Lord Bell's fault."

"It's Bell's fault"

"I... I don't really understand the bond between master and disciple..."

"Master's love can sometimes be more passionate, stricter, and more stubborn than that of a lover or partner, Lady Haruhime..."

"Bell deserved it!"

Lady Hestia, Lily, and Welf, who were visiting the courtyard, sighed. Miss Haruhime was at a loss and looked at me with a knowing look. Meanwhile, Mr. Alfred and the others from the guardhouse laughed as they looked at me, who was being treated as a metabolic waste.

All I wanted was to feed my master, but I never expected it to be so difficult!

I thought that with the addition of another fairy-level adventurer, Miss Ryu would also benefit, but I was so wrong!

As I cried out in my heart, before my consciousness was severed, I heard my beloved grandfather's motto.

"That fellow was bred by me... Everyone probably thinks that."

The Master's love is very intense and strict... it's really very heavy, Grandpa...

◇

"Bell...two? Three? Having three relationships at once? Are you having an affair...?"

"No way! Miss Ais...!!"

Sometime after that.

Having learned about Master and Ms. Ryu's morning training, all I could do was wretchedly and loudly defend myself to Ms. Ais, who was pale with despair.

Volume 19 Bonus: Conviction! Atonement! Tomorrow and an accident—no one knows which will come first!

"Go! Go! Go! Go!"

Note: The cheers of support from onlookers are in the Kagoshima dialect of the Edo period.

“Guwaa!?”

With a loud slap, Hestia's angry hand exploded across Seele's left cheek.

"Thump-whoosh────!!"

"Ugh!?"

With a thud, Lily's projectile (rocket head) struck Seele directly in the abdomen.

"Th-this...!"

"...Miss Haruhime is so kind."

Finally, Chunji patted Seele's forehead with one hand, making a cute sound.

Seele kept her eyes tightly closed. In her heart, she rubbed her forehead, which didn't hurt at all, and a look of disbelief appeared on her face as she faced this fox-woman (Renard) girl who was desperately seeking revenge.

At noon, in a room of the "Hot Pot House," the headquarters of the Hestia Familia.

Seele visited the place and held a "implementation meeting" as a "reproach meeting".

"Waaaaah... It was just a nominal apology meeting, but I got a really bad beating... So it turns out that Lady Hestia's so-called conscience faction was all a lie... Waaah~"

"What are you even talking about! I'd love for you to thank me properly!"

"Yeah, yeah! This is already being lenient with you!"

The young girls (loli group) scolded Seele for covering her cheeks and stomach with her hands and pretending to cry loudly.

Now, Seele is acknowledging and reflecting on her actions from the "Goddess Festival" to the "Factional Wars," and is "settling" things with all parties involved. Not only the "Goddess Alliance" led by Hestia and others, but other factions have also gone and are receiving various punishments. Specifically, they are being forced to become errand runners for the goddesses, providing unpaid services (unpaid hospitality) to the male gods in taverns, and, like recently, being slapped by Hestia.

No relatives (Otahs) shall be allowed to accompany her; only Seele herself shall atone.

"While I'll forgo corporal punishment, I (my servant) won't be as forgiving as Hathor and the others! I (my servant) will make this humiliation suffered by the queen (Freya), who was dumped by a boy (Bell) for the first time in 600 million years, a source of endless ridicule for the rest of my life!"

"Lady Hestia, what a cruel act this is...!"

Just as the laughter was about to erupt, Haruhime trembled as Hestia, on the verge of bursting into laughter, delivered her ultimate declaration of shame. For an immortal god, this was indeed the ultimate punishment. Lily, who was completely subservient to the main god, also smugly told Freya, "Serves her right!"

Seele, who obediently accepted the punishment, now wore a displeased expression.

"...Is that alright, everyone? Perhaps I am 'your future' right now?"

"...? W-what?"

As Seele slowly stood up, Hestia and the others felt a terrible sense of foreboding.

Seele, who has been obediently accepting her punishment so far, is a different story from others, except for those who share Bell's "fellowship." The warrior (girl) who suffered a failed romance begins to seize the opportunity to tell the truth.

"My current predicament is the result of a once-in-a-lifetime adventure: 'confession'! For those of you who have fallen for Mr. Bell, or are in love with him, this is also an unavoidable path!"

"Hmm!?"

"Speaking of which, Lady Hestia, Miss Lily, and Miss Haruhime all lacked the courage, they couldn't even confess their feelings! Between me, who died on the battlefield, and all of you who never even saw the battlefield, who should truly be laughed at?!"

"Th-that's...!?"

"I assert! Lady Hestia, you are the losers of this era... no, you are the 'losers of the heroine'!"

"The female protagonist is a loser!?"

Crack! Hestia and the others, who had been mocked for lacking any fighting spirit (the heroine's power), were struck by a violent bolt of lightning. While the situation seemed to have reversed, it was merely a shift in the argument; the question of who was truly "superior"—the heroine as a love warrior or the current power sequence—was simply undeniable.

"...Fortunately, Lord Welf was out with Lord Bell..."

While Seele and the others were engaged in an ugly debate about love warriors (the female protagonist), Fate, who had been observing the situation from a distance, revealed his distant gaze.

The title is taken from Henry Slesar's short story "The Countess's Jewels".

I feel that "The future is unpredictable" would be a more appropriate translation; why is the title so long?

Volume 19 Bonus: The Great Goddess (Eden) Declaration, This is 'Youth (Aoharu)☆'

"【Stats】Update? Hmm, this isn't something you can just do casually. As mentioned before, combat skills training for combat-oriented students receives preferential treatment, and the update of 'Pharna' is done as a team. It's scheduled regularly. However, if you want to do it individually, you must apply through a special document, so please be aware. If you don't apply early, it's possible that it will be kept postponed for a month at a time."

"I see... No matter how many gods there are, the number of students is still astonishing."

Shortly after enrolling in the "school district" (tentative name), I spent my days asking Nina questions that I still have to ask now. While I was grateful to her for teaching me all sorts of things like a teacher, I was also overwhelmed by the amount of information—so I made some notes in the notebook I received.

Just then, a student eager to get ahead happened to pass by and accidentally bumped into Nina's back.

"Wow!?"

"Nina!"

I quickly moved around to face her as she was thrown into the air and caught her firmly.

In the moment I was relieved to see that she wasn't hurt, Nina, who had buried her face in my chest, gradually turned red in the ears. I also felt ashamed and blushed at the soft touch of her body. My own ears, hidden inside her wig, were also very hot. I put my hands on Nina's shoulders and hurriedly let go.

"Are you alright, Nina?"

"Um, um... It's nothing, but..."

"...Um, Miss Nina?"

Nina looked shy and bashful, then stared intently at my head without moving.

Moreover, he glanced briefly at his waist area.

Not long after, she suddenly became somewhat lost. W-what's wrong?

"I...I...I had to go because Professor Leon needed me. Sorry!"

I felt a little embarrassed, and to hide my shyness, I left the place.

"Sigh..."

After Rabbi left, Nina sighed unusually.

Rabbi: derived from the English word "Rabbit".

The human girl spotted her in that way and started talking to her.

"What's wrong, Nina? You, a top student, are sighing like you're troubled by love."

"Romance...!? No, Alisa-senpai!...I think it's...not quite the same..."

After being pointed out by the older, bespectacled "supervisor" from Badrband, Nina blushed deeply, her voice quickly becoming low. The girl called Alyssa adjusted her glasses and smiled.

"As the president of Professor Leon's fan club, I know everything about the scents of romance! Come on, tell me about them!"

Faced with her senior's approach, Nina, unable to hold back any longer, blushed and began to speak hesitantly.

"Um... just now, and in places like the dungeon, our bodies were practically pressed together... but Lavi-kun, his ears and tail, didn't react at all..."