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

The noise on the street temporarily interrupted the conversation.

I couldn't help but ask Mihel and the others this question.

"Well... I might feel the same way as Takemikazuchi. It's because I've fallen in love with her that I hope she can find a partner, start a family, and that she can stay by my side and protect me until the moment she ascends to the heavens... I would like to be a god by her side to protect her."

"Hey, don't overthink it. Mih and Takemikazuchi are examples of that!? If it were me, I'd make every girl I fancy my personal concubine! A harem is a man's romance, don't you think, Bell?"

Mihel looked up at the blue sky and said, while Hermes let out a flippant laugh that sounded somewhat serious. "You're saying that again..." Mihel smiled with his eyebrows down, and I, seeking his approval, couldn't help but smile wryly.

"—Bell, gods, our love is fleeting."

then.

Mih, still smiling, told me.

"Because we have lived through a long time, falling in love and feeling affection is only a matter of a moment. Many gods will fall in love with you... with your children at first sight."

"At the same time, this period of time is very short for us, even though it may be a lifetime for you."

I opened my eyes wide, and the gods Mihe and Hermes successively enlightened me.

For the gods who live in eternity, the time we spend with them is but a fleeting moment.

That should have been a sad thing, but Mihe and the others spoke in a very calm tone.

"It can't be said that's the reason... Anyway, I hope you can face the god's courtship properly."

Mih narrowed his eyes.

"Bell has someone he admires, right?"

"I……"

"You don't need to be in awe of the gods, subservient to them, or be manipulated by their whims. Just be honest with your own heart."

Seeing my wavering, Mih reached out his hand.

They gently patted me on the head.

"All you need to do is be honest with yourself."

Then he patted my head and said this.

"I think most gods would accept this."

"..."

Therefore, please do not run away from the love of the gods.

"You can refuse, or you can accept, just please don't be afraid," Mih said with eyes that seemed to see through everything.

I looked up at my idol, who was taller than me, and my eyes couldn't help but sway.

I couldn't utter a word and lowered my head.

Mih didn't scold me for this; he just gently stroked my head. My emotions seemed to become unsettled, and I didn't understand why. My vision as I looked down at the ground almost turned wet.

Under the smiling gaze of Hermes, I relied on the gentle hand of the deity, unable to answer anything.

*

"Damn it~, that Bell guy~~!"

Hestia, her eyes brimming with tears, walked step by step down the avenue.

Arriving at North Street, which stretches due north from the central square, she ran out of the mansion, dodging adventurers in armor who were heading to the dungeon, and wandered aimlessly through the city.

"Ultimately, Bell just respects the gods too much! I'm really happy that he respects me...!"

She complained to Belle in a loud voice that could be heard by anyone passing by, ignoring the stares of those around her.

"What's so great about us?! We just laze around whenever we get the chance, we'll stay in our rooms and eat tons of fries, and sometimes we'll try to show off in front of the kids until we're exhausted!"

That must be you. The atmosphere among the passing demi-humans was filled with the same unspoken sentiment.

"The other gods only laugh themselves silly over the stupidest things, what else can they do?! They don't need to worship us at all! Hey, you think so too, right!?"

"Uh, this..."

Hestia yelled at the unfamiliar orc youth who happened to be passing by.

"Right, right?" The little goddess closed her eyes and nodded. The citizens of Orario were already used to the gods' sudden strange behavior and pretended not to see it.

"Can you not be so distant? Can you not be so overly respectful?!... Bell, you spineless bastard..."

She first shouted excitedly, and finally murmured softly.

His words were drowned out by the sounds of the crowd passing by on the street.

In the end, Hestia started swearing incoherently, using words like "stubborn!", "all talk and no action!", and "rabbit head!"—words that were hard to decipher and weren't really insults—as she walked listlessly down the street.

"Ah! Hestia!? You've come at the perfect time!"

"Hmm...? Auntie?"

As Hestia walked along, sighing, someone called her name.

Looking up, she saw a voluptuous orc woman waving at her from a fork in the road.

He was a colleague of the potato ball vendor.

"What's wrong, Auntie?"

"Well, the shopkeeper just said I need to go outside the city right now to collect herbs for making potato balls..."

"Herbs? Can't we just buy them at the exchange?"

"They say they want to cut costs, but they don't have enough manpower..."

Seeing the orc woman's apologetic expression, Hestia scratched her cheek.

Although Hestia thought to herself, "I'm off work today...", she had already run out of headquarters and couldn't go back right away. Since she had nothing to do now, she decided to help out.

She told the other person that she was willing to help, and the colleague apologized while also appearing very happy.

"But, Auntie. I am, after all, the chief deity of the [Family], so I cannot leave the city."

"Ah, right..."

Hestia moved the cart, cages, and other tools from her current location to the north gate of the massive city wall, while expressing her concerns.

Adventurers belonging to Orario, including their factions and their chief god, find it difficult to leave the city.

Because the labyrinth city is very sensitive to the issue of its combat power leaving, to put it extremely, if high-level adventurers who have been trained through the trials of the dungeons—such as the Loki Familia, the largest faction in the city—leave the city and then directly become its enemies, the situation will be dire.

Orario is called the "Center of the World" primarily because it is protected by the world's top military forces. They use every means to prevent the city from losing its protection and from gaining threatening enemies. Therefore, any "Familia" wishing to leave the city—especially high-ranking factions—must undergo strict scrutiny and complicated procedures by the guild. Even the main deity is extremely difficult to obtain permission to leave. This is because even if a member leaves the city, as long as the main deity remains, they can be used as a restraint or a hostage. Apart from special cases like the Hermes Familia, it can be said that no one can freely enter or leave the city.

It is easy to get in, but extremely difficult to get out.

This is the unwritten rule of Orario and the consensus of the residents of the labyrinth city.

"I can help you before you leave the city..."

The ever-advancing Hestia Familia has now become a mainstay faction in the city. Hestia walked into the North Gate Square, where merchants and countless carriages were gathered, and said that as a chief god, it was impossible for her to leave the city now.

At the massive north gate, guild staff, members of the militant faction providing assistance, and two guards were questioning each merchant and carriage attempting to leave the city. Anyone without a travel permit would be immediately arrested.

After meeting up with fewer than five fellow workers who held guild-issued licenses, the orc woman rested her chin on her hand, looking troubled.

—At this moment, the square in front of the gate suddenly became lively.

Hmm? Hestia turned her head to look.

"I am Ganesha!!"

"Ah, Ganesha."

No need for confirmation; just from that voice and presence, you can immediately tell which male god has appeared through the door.

He had light dark skin, a tall and muscular physique, and black hair. The most striking feature was the elephant mask he wore on his face.

When the main god of the Ganesha Familia, a major Orario faction boasting the largest number of members in the city and possessing many high-level adventurers, appeared, not only the surrounding citizens and merchants, but also their orc colleagues and fellow workers applauded and smiled.

"Hmm! Is that Hestia over there!?"

"You don't need to speak so loudly every time, Ganesha. But what are you doing here? Weren't you drafted into the battlefield?"

Hestia walked toward Ganesha, who was striking a mysterious pose.

Ganesha arrived at the square in front of the gate, rode his horse with two members, and with a shout of "Hah!" jumped from the horse onto the stone ground.

"It's a long story. The war was almost over, so I came back."

"It's really short."

"Next, we need to bring the captured soldiers of the Kingdom of Lachia into the city. There are too many of them; the front lines can't hold that many people."

"Oh, really? But is it alright for you to leave the battlefield? Ganesha, you have a lot of people on your side, you must be the core fighting force, right?"

"What's the big deal? You don't need to worry about the battlefield! My super-smart and capable team members stayed behind and are still fighting bravely!! In fact, they probably thought I was too noisy and sent me back to the city!"

"You get this kind of treatment in your [Family] too?"

"Because I am Ganesha!"

Seeing Ganesha yelling and posing nonstop, Hestia looked defeated by him.

Hestia had a wide circle of acquaintances in the heavens, and she was somewhat acquainted with him. It should be said that Ganesha's presence as a male god was so strong that it couldn't be ignored; just looking at him made one feel hot.

When the two guards were also exasperated by the God's pointless enthusiasm, it was Ganesha's turn to ask questions.

"So, Hestia, what are you doing now?"

"Oh, well, here's how it is..."

After a brief explanation, Ganesha smiled, revealing a set of dazzling white teeth.

"If that's the case, I grant permission! Hestia, go!"

"Wait... for Ganesha!?"

As Hestia was still in surprise, the two guards began to protest to the chief god.

"What are you saying? You made this decision without even asking the guild...!?"

"I'm Ganesha, the group admin! French fries are the life-giving elixir of the city; if we don't get to eat them, someone's going to cry again today! I won't allow that to happen!"

"What the hell are you talking about?!" the group members shouted, but Ganesha refused to change his mind.

Judging from his words and actions, Ganesha was an extraordinary and exceptional being, even among the gods. However, the cheers and applause around him revealed the deep trust and faith the city's inhabitants held in him.

Just as he openly calls himself the "Group Leader," he greatly favors the inhabitants of the lower realms. His "Family" is among the first to collaborate with the governing guild, diligently assisting in organizing events and maintaining order. In fact, one of the gatekeepers in sight is also a member of the "Ganesha Familia."

His words carried great weight, and the two gatekeepers who overheard the conversation were taken aback.

"If the guild finds out, a warning won't be enough!"

"Just don't get caught, member A!"

"You've been completely exposed!? How many people do you think are watching right now!? And there's even a little one named Mondaka!?"

The main god and his retinue argued for a long time, but in the end, the group members had to admit defeat.

Ganesha gave Hestia a thumbs up.

"Is it really possible, Ganesha?"

"Hmm, you're not a god who disrupts discipline, you're a goddess who brings smiles to children! Alright, go!"

Seeing Ganesha smiling under the mask, Hestia's expression softened, and she gave a thumbs up.

With the help of Ganesha's family members, who wore wry smiles, and the guild staff, whose expressions were not very pleasant, Hestia and her fellow workers stepped out of the city gates.

"Although Ganesha was a strange god, he was indeed a good god—"

"Yes—it's a bit noisy, but the people are really nice."

Hestia followed behind the group of travelers and merchants leaving the city, chatting and laughing with the orc woman. They talked about a male god with a strange and peculiar appearance, beloved by children, and soon they emerged from the massive city walls and arrived outside the city.

Before me unfolds a well-maintained transportation route and lush green grasslands. In the distance, majestic mountains rise, with a forest at their foot.

Seeing the gray clouds piling up in the northern sky, Hestia was thinking that it might rain—

"They actually came all this way, what if they get caught...!?"

"I have suppressed my divine power to the limit; they won't immediately realize I'm a god!"

"The noise is too loud!? Seriously, how stupid are you to think you can just try to break through head-on without any strategy...!"