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

"..."

"I don't intend to pity you easily, and I feel it's pointless to do so. So it's all in the past, and I don't want to say anything more... However..."

Hestia paused for a moment, as if to say: Now comes the important part.

Her eyes were fixed solely on Lily as she said:

"If you do it again, or even put that child in danger... I will not let you off easily."

Lily's body stiffened.

For a moment, she didn't know how to breathe.

She forgot. The girl before her, these beings so close at hand, were "gods" who transcended human wisdom. Such transcendent beings (Deus·Dea) could turn not only Lily, but even this entire city to ashes in an instant, yet she had forgotten this crucial fact because she took it all for granted.

Staring intently into those blue, luminous eyes, Lily's heart clenched, but her resolve remained steadfast as she gazed ahead and spoke:

"...Lily swears that she will never do such a thing again. Lily swears to Lord Bell, and to the goddess Hestia... and most importantly, to herself."

The bustling street noise, oblivious to everything around us, flowed by.

The two remained silent until Hestia closed her eyes.

She blinked a few times, then gave Lily a "I know" look. Lily couldn't hold on any longer; all her strength left her. She almost collapsed onto the table.

After giving her a special warning, Hestia crossed her arms over her ample breasts and remained silent. For some reason, she suddenly became angry. Seeing the magnificent figure that she herself lacked, Lily was speechless and felt extremely uncomfortable in the awkward atmosphere.

"...Miss Supporter, let me tell you the truth."

"Please, please speak."

"I hate you. I really hope you'll stop bothering Bell."

"!"

Lily's eyes widened, but she continued:

"Need I say more? I didn't have a good impression of you the moment I heard about you. You took advantage of Bell's kindness and did whatever you wanted, and now you're acting like nothing happened, trying to please him. What are you after, you thieving cat!"

The beast ears that the "Stove Ash Woman" conjured were startled and trembled.

Lily was sweating profusely, and although she thought Lily was quite good at using metaphors, she also felt that her descriptions were not quite right.

"And why do you always have such a sour face? You look listless the moment I see you. It's making me feel depressed."

It's as if seeing Lily's face would make her lose her appetite.

Hestia glared at them and continued talking.

"I bet you're thinking about Bell, aren't you?"

"!"

"How would I know? Hmph, because I see a similar expression in the mirror all day long, even though we're not alike. Ah—, I still don't want you to stay by Belle's side!"

Then, an indescribable fluctuation began to rise behind Hestia.

The surrounding guests were all startled and began to distance themselves from the two, while Lily was on the verge of tears.

"You said you were saved by the gentle Belle and reformed yourself. Now, are you at a loss again because that child is too gentle?"

"!"

"Because the child doesn't blame you at all, you're almost overwhelmed by guilt. In my opinion, you're just being spoiled. You're really quite annoying."

Hestia's words also began to sound harsh.

She glared fiercely at the speechless little people (Palum).

"Alright. I'll take Bell's place in punishing you. Let me make this clear: you have no right to refuse. This is a simulated 'judgment of God,' so it's your honor to accept it."

Hestia snorted and said arrogantly.

Terrified, Lily could only nod reluctantly. No, perhaps she would gladly accept being judged by Bell's supreme deity. Lily anxiously awaited the next moment.

As for Hestia, she gritted her teeth as much as she could, as if she had gone to great lengths... and finally spoke with a sigh.

"Please take good care of Belle."

“…Huh?”

Hestia pouted noticeably and continued:

"Let me make this clear, this isn't for your sake. I heard about what happened from that kid, and I'm really worried about him. Or rather, I've come to realize one thing... He'll fall for someone's tricks sooner or later."

"..."

"That's why I need to ask you for a favor. Please keep your eyes open and make sure he's not fooled by a suspicious person. You mean his guardian."

Lily was genuinely startled this time. Her mind was a jumbled mess; she wanted to say something but couldn't get the words out.

Because the pair of eyes in front of her prevented her from talking back.

"And I'm not saying this to be mean, but don't think you're so great that you want others to judge you. Even God doesn't do that anymore, right? What's this talk of guilt? In the end, it's just a matter of whether you can forgive yourself."

"Don't make Bell do this kind of thing," Hestia emphasized.

"If you owe that child anything, then repay the debt as much as you can, until you are satisfied. Need I say more? That's what sincerity and responsibility are. You say you've reformed, then prove it with your actions."

She finished her lecture in one go.

The goddess's seemingly pungent oracle made Lily lower her head.

The goddess Hestia gave Lily a chance. How compassionate!

She is very generous. At the same time, she is of noble character.

Her criticism just now was probably from the bottom of her heart. Even so, she still allowed Lily to stay by Bell's side. A compassionate protector of all beings, praying for their well-being.

Lily was grateful for the goddess's kindness and silently bowed to Hestia, who was watching her.

A silence, like that of a clear spring in a forest, flowed between them.

"I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting!"

"...I approve your joining the team. I'm also entrusting you with the care of that child. However! You absolutely must not do anything inappropriate!"

"Huh?"

Hestia's stern warning, breaking the silence, made Lily's eyes widen.

Before she could even ask what was going on, Bell had already carried a chair back to the table. Hestia, without waiting for his repeated apologies, grabbed his arm and pulled him close to her.

"--ah!"

"immortal……?"

"Then allow me to greet you again... It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Supporter. My Bell seems to have received quite a bit of care from you."

Hestia boldly emphasized "mine." Her aura instantly changed, becoming like a tigress guarding her territory. Her gaze seemed to say, "Dare to make a move, or I'll devour you."

Lily was taken aback; Hestia's restraint had distorted her expression.

She is a goddess. Forgiving and of noble character, she is a noble being whom all beings should worship.

But she is not only a goddess, but also a child who never grows up.

Or rather—they are enemies.

Seeing her deliberately wrap her arm around Bell's arm and then deliberately re-issue a challenge to Bell, Lily's chin veins bulged with anger.

Lily offered her almost loyal affection, but this was the only exception.

Snap! She grabbed Bell's other hand with both of hers and pulled her towards herself.

Hestia's gaze sharpened to the point of seeming to kill, but Lily met it head-on.

"No, no, this is what Lily wants to say. Lord Bell is very gentle with Lily, he is always very kind to her."

"...!"

On one side are young girls, and on the other side are also young girls.

The two women looked like innocent and adorable little girls, yet they glared at each other with the expressions of women.

Two girls, sitting on chairs with their feet barely touching the ground, sparked a fierce argument.

(Gods, immortals!)

The pressure of her breasts on her arm... no, the emergency situation made it impossible for Bell to judge what was happening in front of her. Her mind was in complete turmoil.

In the preliminary battle between the two little girls, the goddess scored first.

"Hmm, as expected of a deity...! Only those breasts are not to be underestimated, are they...!"

"Speak clearly if you have something to say, Miss Supporter...?"

"Um, Lily, so about the future..."

After an argument, Bell spoke first.

The three of them calmed down and sat down in their chairs. At this moment, Lily looked at him with puzzlement at his golden eyes.

"Lily doesn't have a headquarters right now... a place to stay, right?"

"Yes, just like before, Lily is now staying in various cheap hotels."

Although Lily smiled shyly, Bell secretly gave Hestia a wink.

Although she looked reluctant, she nodded.

"Lily, if you'd like...would you like to come to our headquarters?"

“…Huh?”

"I should say, would you like to join the [Hestia Familia]? Although right now it's just me and the deity."

Bell was well aware that Lily could no longer stay in the Soma Familia.

"In that case," he thought. "Rather than leaving her alone, we should invite her to our headquarters." This was, in fact, Bell's own wish. Hestia had already assessed Lily's character and didn't object; she simply waited for Lily's approval.

"...Goddess Hestia, is this alright? You're being so kind to Lily..."

"...Hmph!...Don't get me wrong, okay? No matter how much I dislike it, abandoning a helpless child would jeopardize my very existence. I'm just looking after you a little before you find a new job; that's all!"

Seeing the God of War blush and turn his head away awkwardly, Bell gave a wry smile.

Upon seeing this, Lily first chuckled gently, then slowly shook her head.

"Thank you, Lord Bell and Goddess Hestia. I appreciate your kindness."

"Huh...why?!"

"Continuing to indulge in the gentleness of the two of you will make Lily uneasy... Besides, Lily is still a member of the Soma Familia."

Seeing Bell's astonished expression, Lily smiled faintly at him, then reached over her shoulder and touched her back.

It's easy to guess that she must have [ability values] engraved on her back, which made Hestia frown.

"Lily, who is still a member of the Soma Familia, cannot go to Lord Bell and Goddess Hestia's headquarters. If others find out that Lily is going in and out of Lord Bell and Goddess Hestia's headquarters, the two of them will definitely be involved in unnecessary trouble. If that happens, Lily will not be able to handle it."

"I...I don't know how to do that...ah."

Bell wanted to continue, but then remembered something and stopped.

This isn't just his problem. He has family members who will also be affected.

Bell lowered his eyelids sadly and looked at Hestia, who was deep in thought.

"Miss Supporter, the conditions for leaving the [Soma Familia] are... no, do you prohibit members from leaving? What did your main god say?"

"The god Soma didn't say anything explicitly, but... Lily thinks it will probably require a lot of money."

"Money..."

The Hestia Familia's biggest shortage is personnel, followed by funds.

Thanks to the smooth progress of the Bel Dungeon raid, my funds are much more plentiful than a month ago, but it's still just a drop in the bucket. Being able to come up with 100,000 Fali would be considered pretty good.

Besides, even if Hestia and the others could cover Lily's withdrawal fee, Lily would definitely not accept it.

"Um, is leaving a Familia really that difficult...? Some of the people I know have left their Familias..."

"It depends on what the supreme deity thinks. Some deities will accept the requests of the group members, while others will simply ignore them."

Leaving a "family" not only puts the person leaving at risk, but also puts other members at risk. The most obvious example is information leakage.

No matter how permissive a god may be, he will still be careful in managing his factions to the bare minimum. In most cases, the gods do not want their members to leave.