Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?, Vol. 6

by Fujino Omori

  Bell thought about it.

  Just the two of them, he exploring the wonders of the world with Hestia.

  Listening to the wind blow through a forest, sitting on top of a hill under the blue sky, feeling a sea breeze on his face while exploring a port town.

  She’d be wearing a one-piece dress and a fancy hat, he’d be carrying the bags from that day’s shopping. They’d walk down the street, smiling.

  Such warm, inviting thoughts.

  How wonderful would this journey be? Living a new dream?

  It was possible; the two of them could have this future.

  But…!

  His heart might have been swayed by Hestia’s words, but images of all the people he’d met in the city suddenly surged through Bell’s mind.

  People he’d laughed alongside. All the girls who had shared smiles with him.

  All of his days as an adventurer, all of the chance encounters—he remembered everything.

  I—

  A new image took over his heart.

  The start of it all, meeting the knight with blond hair and golden eyes.

  The side of her face, blond locks flowing. His heart couldn’t leave that behind.

  “…”

  Hestia’s expression gradually disappeared as if she were reading the boy’s thoughts like a book.

  Her lips tensed as she reached out and grabbed ahold of both of the boy’s hands.

  The deity asked the surprised human a question:

  “Bell, do you love me?”

  Bell’s voice cracked in confusion.

  “Huh?!”

  “This is important.”

  Blushing a light pink beneath her eyes, Hestia kept talking.

  “If you say you love me, I’m ready to do anything. If I believe your words, all other petty emotions mean nothing and I can do anything you ask! I can fight!”

  She squeezed his hands.

  “I love you very much, Bell! You’re just so cute, I can’t help it. I want to live with you forever, always be by your side…I don’t want anyone else to have you.”

  Her fingers shook.

  “What do you think about me?”

  Then she asked her question again.

  Now blushing profusely, Hestia once again locked eyes with Bell and looked at him with all seriousness.

  Bell, too, had turned bright red. But he had no clue what the goddess was trying to say.

  “I-I revere you…”

  “That’s not what I’m talking about!”

  Bell’s shoulders drooped as Hestia yelled in his face.

  The explosions, footsteps, and shouting were still raging around them. Despite that, Bell’s mind raced as he tried to figure out what she was asking, what the goddess wanted to hear. What did she mean by the word “love”?

  Hestia’s eyes quivered as if something important had just broken inside her. Something so important that they might not be able to continue as deity and follower.

  Desperately holding onto her last shred of hope, Hestia saw Bell’s lips open to speak—

  Ka-booom!

  “?!”

  The shock wave from an explosion at the entrance to the sewer overtook them.

  Bell quickly forced his body up to shield Hestia from the debris. A moment later, the outlines of mages and adventurers appeared in the cloud of smoke.

  “Found them! In the sewer!”

  “After ’em!”

  “?!”

  Their pursuers had found their hiding spot. Bell jumped to his feet with Hestia in his arms and took off once again.

  The white-haired boy made a beeline for the exit on the opposite side of the tunnel.

  “Not once, but twice…You’ve gotten in my way for the last time…you bastards!”

  Hestia’s rage swelled up within her, morphing her face into a hideous visage. Bell took his eyes off her in fright.

  Explosions went off in her eyes.

  “Now I’m angry! Bell, I’ve had enough of this!”

  “Y-yes?!”

  “Southwest—go southwest!”

  Bell didn’t dare do anything else. Hestia had never barked orders before.

  He made a hard right, diverging greatly from the path to the Guild in the west. Even here, Bell tore through the back alleys and side streets. None of their pursuers were expecting this turn of events and stumbled before adjusting their own trajectory.

  “…”

  “…”

  They raced forward in silence. Bell was secretly relieved that their previous conversation had been left unsettled.

  Perhaps Hestia felt the same way. Rather than bring it back up, she shoved her red face deep into his chest.

  Bell could feel her shaking in his embrace, much like his own.

  Going southwest, as Hestia had instructed, was surprisingly easy.

  The enemy’s net was so much thinner than before, but the two of them didn’t even have to engage enemies in combat to escape it. Crossing West Main, the two entered Orario’s sixth district, located between West Main Street and Southwest Main Street.

  Hestia guided Bell through streets filled with startled onlookers until finally arriving in front of a rather ornate building.

  “Wait, isn’t this…”

  A gate of tall iron bars protected the entrance to a well-maintained and flourishing garden. A stone structure stood in the middle of it all. A large emblem hung on the gate, a bow and arrow eclipsing in the sun. Bell couldn’t speak; only a small grunt of surprise escaped his mouth.

  Hestia had led him to Apollo Familia’s home.

  “We’re not here to take over, out of the way! Shoo! Shoo!”

  Several guards approached Bell and Hestia as they attempted to open the gate, spears at the ready. Hestia simply brushed them aside, glaring at each of the guards in turn. Suddenly, their path was clear.

  Even more members of the Familia were standing outside the stone building, as if to demonstrate how many reserves were still waiting for orders to deploy. Once again, Bell was taken aback by yet another demonstration of military might.

  Many sets of eyes watched the two fugitives make their way through the center of the garden. All of them wore the same look of anticipation. Creak! The joints on the front door sounded as Apollo emerged.

  “My, my, Hestia. What are you hoping to accomplish, coming all the way out here like this?”

  The deity walked down the front steps of his abode, his perfectly polished teeth sparkling in the sunlight. Hestia watched him descend, fury emanating from her eyes.

  Apollo made his way through his army of adventurers, the young prum Luan at his side. The two came to a stop directly in front of Bell and Hestia.

  Hestia’s aura of pure hatred made Bell and Luan uneasy, looking anywhere but at the goddess. Their faces glistened with a cold sweat. The two deities, on the other hand, didn’t even blink as they faced each other.

  “…Prum boy, that glove, please.”

  “Eh…Um, sure.”

  Hestia’s tone didn’t allow for dissent. Luan nodded and removed the glove from his right hand.

  Hestia snatched it from his grasp and in one clean motion slapped it against the side of Apollo’s face.

  ““?!””

  Snap! The reverberation of cloth on skin filled the quiet garden.

  Hestia used every muscle in her body to deliver the blow; even her twin black ponytails flew through the air as her arm finally came to a stop. Bell and Ruan watched in stunned silence.

  Despite the red blotch on his cheek, Apollo’s grin never changed. Hestia took in a deep breath and yelled with everything she had.

  “Fine! You want a War Game, you’re gonna get one!”

  Bell saw the corners of Apollo’s lips curl upward.

  “All of the divine witnesses know it shall come to pass—my friends, a War Game!”

  Doors and windows of the stone building flew open the moment Apollo raised his arms. Gods and goddesses emerged one after another.

  “
YAAAAAAAHHHHHH!”

  As if they’d been waiting for this moment, even more deities jumped down from the trees or appeared from behind bushes in the garden.

  Bell, Luan, and all the members of Apollo Familia who were on standby didn’t know how to react. They looked around with wide eyes as the garden suddenly came alive with divine voices.

  “Get this cleared with the Guild!”

  “Will need to open an emergency Denatus! Everyone’s invited!”

  “This is so exciting—!”

  “Been a long time comin’!”

  A sudden whirlpool of excitement enveloped the humans. The gods were starving for entertainment and now there was going to be a show. Loki’s voice was right in the thick of it as the deities started to organize the War Game.

  “It’s settled, then. The finer details of our Game will be decided at Denatus. The day shall be announced later…Let’s enjoy this, Hestia?”

  Apollo sneered at Hestia without the faintest hint of fear or anxiety amid the chaos around them.

  Apollo turned his back on her and went back inside his abode with Luan in tow.

  “G-Goddess…”

  Bell watched the god ascend the stone steps, his body frozen in place. Even his voice lacked substance.

  The difference between the groups in terms of numbers and resources was astounding. This was a fight that couldn’t be won. Visions of the tragedy that was about to unfold flared up in Bell’s mind.

  Hestia turned to face him with vigor.

  “Bell, one week.”

  She looked up at her follower, the boy’s face getting paler by the moment as she continued.

  “I will find a way to delay the War Game for one week.”

  “Huh…?”

  “During that time, Bell, become as strong as you can. Stronger than any of the people who attacked us today—become stronger than ever! You can do it!”

  Hestia was betting everything on Bell’s potential, the Realis Phrase skill.

  Bell looked into his goddess’s eyes. There was no shadow of doubt. She completely believed in him, and that was terrifying.

  “Bell! Lady Hestia!”

  “Welf?!”

  Welf came through the iron gate in front of Apollo Familia’s home.

  The young man had followed Bell’s pursuers and then heard the commotion coming from this location to find them.

  “Li’l E went back to…No, no, was taken back to Soma Familia.”

  “?!”

  “The other guys got in my way, couldn’t help her…I’m sorry.”

  This unexpected news left Bell and Hestia reeling in shock.

  How? Why now? Was she safe?—Bell’s spirit ignited, question after question burned through his mind. But it all came down to one thing: He had to rescue her. He needed more information; he needed to talk to Welf.

  However, Hestia’s hand wrapped itself around his elbow before he could take his first step toward the redheaded man.

  “Bell, do as I say.”

  “B-but–?!”

  “I swear to you, I will rescue our supporter. So please—have faith in me.”

  Hestia cut off Bell’s attempt to argue.

  The goddess believed in her child; all she asked was that he believe in her.

  Bell’s veins burned with adrenaline, but the look in Hestia’s eyes cooled the flames. The muscles in his tense body relaxed until finally…he chose to believe.

  All of the emotions that raged through his mind just a moment ago now at ease, he nodded.

  “Bell, please give me my knife before you go.”

  “Here.”

  “Welf, I apologize, but I’ll need your strength to rescue our supporter.”

  “No need for apologies. I’m ready for anything.”

  All instructions given, Hestia looked up at Bell one more time.

  “The rest is up to you. Now get moving.”

  “Yes!”

  With that, Bell dashed from the noisy garden in front of Apollo Familia’s home as fast as his feet could carry him.

  There was only one week.

  He had until then to get stronger than his enemies—stronger than Hyacinthus.

  The Status on his back felt hot as he ran. Fatigue, mental strain—none of that mattered to him anymore. He set a course for the tall tower in the north where the Sword Princess was waiting.

  CHAPTER 4

  THOSE WHO GATHER

  The news that a War Game would be held spread like wildfire among the gods.

  Of course the adventurers and citizens of Orario couldn’t help but notice the jubilant and high-spirited deities all around the city. It was no time at all before every living thing on the surface of the Labyrinth City knew what was going to happen.

  Something else transpired just mere moments after Hestia and Apollo’s announcement had been made official.

  “That’s it, that tower has to be…!”

  Bell had left Apollo Familia’s home at a dead sprint and worked his way through a city much more active than usual. Weaving through unfamiliar territory, he arrived at the northernmost block. One month ago now, he trained with her on top of the city wall. Doing his best to remember the landmarks she taught him, Bell desperately searched to find the building she called home.

  The white-haired boy practically flew down North Main Street, furiously pumping his arms in perfect rhythm with his strides. The side streets webbed out around him; his eyes desperately scanned for something familiar.

  He turned into one side street filled with decorative houses and well-known structures. Bell kept his eyes on the rooftops, trying to find the one that was higher than the others. A few more turns and suddenly he found himself outside Loki Familia’s home, the Twilight Manor.

  “You there, halt!”

  “State your business!”

  “Let me talk to Aiz…Let me talk to Aiz Wallenstein!”

  A man and woman immediately blocked the intruder’s path at the entrance to their home. The boy pleaded with them to allow him to meet with Aiz.

  The male guard took a look at the frantic boy’s face, his eyebrows sinking lower and lower as he started to connect the dots.

  “You, Little Rookie…? What’s the big idea, trying to meet with her?!”

  Bell’s white hair and red eyes must have tipped him off. The guard immediately came to the defense of his ally, trying to protect her from this outsider. However, Bell couldn’t afford to back down.

  The boy asked the guards many times to let him see Aiz, but he couldn’t explain himself. The guards’ voices grew steadily louder and angrier as the boy’s pleas became more and more desperate. It didn’t take long for other members of the Familia to make their way outside.

  “…!”

  A group of twenty adventurers emerged from the building that was built like a wall of spears with several towers reaching out to the sky. They spread out just behind the two guards, ready to defend their home against the intruder. Bell’s situation had just become that much more perilous.

  The new arrivals started shouting threats, calling him “pitiful,” “shameless,” and “reckless,” among others…They already knew that Hestia Familia would be taking part in the War Game and believed he wanted to convince Aiz to join the fight—a fox recruiting a tiger for her claws. They would do everything in their power to drive him away. Their desire to protect their ally quickly turned to anger—how dare he use her for his own gain?

  Fear consumed the boy’s body as he took a step back out of reflex.

  He knew full well that what he was doing was shameful.

  But he was unwilling to turn his back.

  He only had a small window of time to get stronger, to overcome the gap that separated him from his new enemy. The only way he knew to become stronger than Hyacinthus in time was to learn from Aiz once again. Just like how she had made him strong enough to take down a Minotaur.

  The fact that Lilly had been kidnapped was still eating at him inside. Instead of rushing to save
her, he was standing out here getting yelled at. Every moment he wasn’t making progress to rescue her or getting stronger felt like an eternity.

  “Let me see Aiz!” he pleaded with the mob again, bowing over and over. Every muscle in his face was squeezed to its limit.

  “What’s all this?”

  A voice cut through the chaos.

  The mob of adventurers immediately fell silent. Bell stopped moving, his eyes glued forward.

  A top-class adventurer, the Amazonian girl Tione Hyrute, walked out onto the lawn. As was normal for her race, she wore clothing that exposed a great deal of her wheat-colored skin. Her long black hair swished back and forth over her shoulders and down her back as she approached.

  The mob quickly parted, allowing her to pass. She walked directly up to Bell.

  One of the guards leaned close to whisper into her ear and explained everything that had happened so far. The Amazonian girl’s eyes flashed at Bell.

  “Be gone from here. I cannot allow this mockery to continue.”

  “…?!”

  Tione showed no sympathy. She had delivered the will of Loki Familia in place of their leader, Finn.

  Her tone was cold and her stare showed no willingness to listen. Bell cowered in her presence. She crossed her arms, aura unyielding and overwhelming. A moment later, she grabbed both of Bell’s shoulders and pushed him away from the front entrance.

  “W-wait! Miss Tione?! Please, just hear me out…!”

  Bell was forced to step backward to stay upright. Her strength overpowered him in no time as Bell was driven farther and farther away from his last hope.

  His body shook, trying to push forward, when Tione leaned in close.

  “—Turn right from here and go two blocks down that street.”

  “!”

  Her voice was quiet so as not to be overheard by the onlookers.

  Tione ignored the look of shock on Bell’s face and gave him one last shove into the street.

  Her face might as well have been carved from stone, emotionless as she stared at him for a long moment before turning her back. Bell watched her long black hair dance behind her, unable to move or speak. The Amazonian girl walked swiftly back through the mob and into the building.

  At long last, Bell’s muscles started to respond. Slowly at first, he backed away from Loki Familia. Feeling the angry glares of the adventurer mob, Bell backtracked down the same street that he had come…The boy took off running the moment he was out of sight.