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

"Want it?"

"—Please be sure to train with me!!"

Before Miss Ais could finish speaking, I eagerly interrupted her.

I completely forgot about Orario's current situation and my promise to Leon-sensei, and answered with a flushed face.

Miss Ais was startled at first, then narrowed her eyes.

"I understand...then please take care of me?"

She said this, and made this promise to me.

A smile instantly bloomed on my face, and my mood seemed to rise to the clouds, as if I were floating on air.

Training with Miss Ais! Training with Miss Ais!

Even though it's only for two days, I can be with that person again!

I was looking worried when I first returned to Orario from the "school district", but now I'm jumping around in the street with great joy.

Thinking about it, I realize I'm quite realistic. Ever since I said goodbye to Miss Ais on the city wall, I've happily embarked on my journey home.

It was already evening.

As winter approaches, the sun sets much earlier, and the western sky is already tinged with orange-red.

Since I haven't gone back yet, everyone must be worried about me. I should hurry back.

(Regarding my promise to Professor Leon, it seems that besides Lady Hestia, she wants me to keep it a secret from everyone else. I also need to deliver this 'letter' that Lady Baldr asked me to pass on... But in return, I will tell everyone everything I saw and heard in the 'school district'... As for my relationship with Miss Ais... I guess there's no need to tell anyone, hmm!)

Well, that's the one, right?

After all, it's not something that needs to be publicized, is it?

It wouldn't sound good if word got out that leaders and cadres from different factions were secretly meeting.

It's definitely not because I cherish this promise that's only between the two of us and plan to keep it to myself, that's why I won't tell anyone else!

I smugly armed myself with fallacies and soon returned to the "Hall of Hearthfire".

"Lord Bell, kneel properly."

"Bell, please kneel down."

Then, for some reason, I was forced to kneel in the center of the living room.

For some reason, both Lily and Miss Ryu looked down at me with cold eyes.

I stared at my knees, cold sweat pouring down my back, my mind constantly asking myself, "Why, why, why?"

"It seems you're hiding something from us. Tell us the truth."

"That was all... Because of certain confidentiality obligations, I could only tell God..."

"Besides that, there's something else you're hiding from us. Specifically, you smell like you're keeping secrets from Lily and the others—you're dating or having secret rendezvous with other men, and so on!"

"How can it be so specific!?"

About an hour ago, I returned to the building and explained the various things that had happened in the "school district" to everyone while eating at the dining table. After the meal, everyone peacefully cleaned up the dishes together. But then, with an attitude of "let's have a serious talk," they took me to this living room without saying a word.

Miss Ryu interrogated me using the methods of a righteous faction, while Lily displayed the keen intuition of a master detective. Faced with this frightening yet incisive conclusion, all I could do was tremble with fear.

"Bell, you're not one to lie. While I consider this a virtue, sometimes you need to be appropriately disciplined. And that moment is now."

"In short, it's now obvious that you've been hiding something from us, so please tell us the truth, Lord Bell! You haven't been seducing any female students other than Lady Nina in the school district again, have you!?"

"No, no!? Absolutely not!"

"Hmm~ You're not lying, but I have a feeling you're hiding something more important~"

"Miss Seele, why are you still here!?"

As Ms. Ryu and Lily pressed me from the front, I tried my best to explain, but then Ms. Hill suddenly appeared from the side and put her hand on my shoulder, causing me to scream in pain.

Welf, sitting in the living room, looked dumbfounded, while Miss Megumi shook her head frantically, trying her best to stop the bewildered Miss Haruhime from stepping forward, as if to say, "A wise man does not stand under a crumbling wall."

Realizing that no one would come to my rescue, I seized a fleeting moment of opportunity—though it was a terrible thing for a leader to do—and made my escape.

"I...I need to go to God's room!"

"Ah—! Lord Bell~~!"

I dashed down the corridor like a rabbit, leaving Lily's calls far behind.

Mr. Finn, I'm definitely not cut out to be a captain...! Although it's too late to say that now!

I rushed up the stairs, utterly disappointed in myself for procrastinating and running away at the last minute.

"Bell, come to my room alone later."

During dinner, the goddess gave me these instructions. Now, her shrine is an invaluable refuge, so I hurriedly knocked on the door.

"Then, Bell-kun, quickly tell us everything you've been hiding!☆"

Then I despaired.

Upon entering the room, I saw Goddess waiting with a beaming smile, and her first words were this command. I had no choice but to tearfully confess what had happened between me and Miss Ais. And I was kneeling on the floor.

It's basically just that the execution ground was moved from the living quarters to the shrine!

"Now that things have come to this, Miss Warren actually wants to have some secret, blush-inducing training with you~~~~!? How could I possibly allow you to go?!"

"Ah—just as I expected!!"

"I've already kicked you out of the base, I really admire your stubbornness! Every time I'm not looking, you sneak out and kidnap Bell-kun...! As long as I'm alive, I will never allow the two of you to train alone!"

It seems that Lady Hestia, like Lily and the others, saw through my concealment a long time ago.

Just like Miss Hill's situation, the inhabitants of the lower realm cannot lie before the gods.

I was dejected, resigned to the fact that my special training with Miss Ais was going to be canceled. Just then...

"...Although I really want to say that...the timing is just too bad."

The deity softened his tone and muttered with a sigh.

I cautiously raised my head and saw God sighing over the letter in his right hand.

"That's the letter Lord Baldr wrote to you before dinner, right...? What did it say?"

"...Various kinds. Like the 'adventure' you and Leon agreed on, or the 'guardian communication' between the gods, and so on."

When I asked him, the God was clearly just laughing it off.

Just as I was wondering what was going on, her black hair, tied in pigtails, started twisting and turning as if she were annoyed.

The God, whose gaze shifted between the letter and me, sighed heavily again and said...

"Alright... I approve of your special training with Miss Warren."

“Eh!?”

"I'll explain things to the support staff. You just focus on your one-on-one training and work on improving yourself."

"Eh!? Is it really okay!?"

"However! Absolutely no weird things allowed! I only approve special training! If you go out to buy fries and have a date while doing something like before, or do anything lewd, I'll immediately call Miss Hill to send out Mighty Guy and the others!"

"Yes, yes! I understand!"

After delivering a double shock, God showed me the most terrifying 'Hell Drawing (If)' in the world, which terrified me so much that I swore an oath to this divine will in the blink of an eye.

I didn't know whether to feel happy, relieved, or sweating profusely; my emotions were in complete turmoil. But in the end, I focused my attention on the 'letter' in God's hand.

What exactly did Lord Badr write in his letter to Lord Hestia?

Could it be that there was something in that 'letter' that made God have to turn a blind eye to my and Miss Ais's training?

After putting the 'letter' into the drawer of the side table, the deity took out a 'needle' instead.

"Bell-kun, let's update your [stats]."

"Eh...updating [stats]?"

"The expedition has reached level 29, so it should be reflected in the experience points."

"After all, the reason I called you to Kamuroku was for this very thing," she added.

After she said that, I had no reason to refuse.

I nodded awkwardly and took off my shirt. Just as I was about to sit down on the chair with my upper body bare, Goddess suddenly said, "Come to bed today!" So I had no choice but to lie down on her bed in great fear.

With a whoosh, God straddled me as I lay prone.

"Speaking of which, weren't you always updating in an empty room? Why are you updating in God-sama's room today...?"

"Of course, it's because Miss Hill sneaks up to peek! During the 'Charm' session, I already did whatever I wanted to your back, but from now on, I won't let her touch even a speck of dirt on Bell-kun, nor will I give it to her! Bell-kun's chastity will be protected by the Virgin Goddess (me)!"

"It's a bit dirty, grime-ridden..."

As the goddess dripped divine blood, she yelled, "I'm so angry!" and thrashed about. Her words made me blush.

Although it's a bit late to say this, I truly feel that God really cares about me.

It even felt like she was treating me like a princess.

"I was really startled by Hermes and the others. They actually put on some kind of 'Urban Sports Festival.' And of all times, it happened to be when you went to the 'school district.' Sorry, Bell, for making you worry."

"Ah, no, it's not your fault, Lord God..."

"It's our fault. And I'm really worried about you. I was afraid you'd be caught in the middle, confused and disoriented, between the 'school district' and Orario."

After that, we chatted about all sorts of random things while we were performing the update ceremony.

At the same time, I also felt that this aimless chat with God was a very precious time.

Shortly after, the [ability stats] were updated.

I received renewal paper from God, on which were written the universal language translated from the sacred text engraved on the back.

Bell Craney

Lv. one

力量：G222→258　耐久：F340→349　灵巧：G245→287　敏捷：F311→368　魔力：I98→H107

Luck: F Abnormal Resistance: G Escape: G Combo Attack: I

"magic"

【Flame Lightning】

·Quick attack magic.

"Skill"

Hero's Wish

• Possess the power to carry out subjective actions.

[Bullfighting Instinct]

• When fighting against bull-like creatures, all stats receive a huge boost.

【Beauty and Inflammation Relief】

• The protection of virgins.

• Activated when affected by a charm effect. Grants a significant boost to all stats.

Automatically restores physical and mental energy.

It's been a while since I updated my [Ability Values] after the 'Faction War'. Since then, I've had the special internship in the 'School District', the 'Expedition' on the 29th floor, and today's light simulation battle with Miss Ais. After adding all these experiences together, my overall ability proficiency has increased by about 150 points.

The ability stats have indeed improved, but...

Compared to the past, the update value has decreased significantly this time (though Lily and the others may still complain that "it increased too much").

Specifically, it's roughly equivalent to the ascent during the exploration of the 'upper level' after meeting Miss Ais.

Rather than saying there's no room for growth, it's more accurate to say...

"The bottleneck at Lv.5... is it the 'watershed between second-tier and first-tier adventurers'?"

"right……"

"Families whose 'capacity' has been elevated to this level will likely find it difficult to grow as rapidly as before. To climb to the next stage, they must face even more rigorous trials and great achievements."