Familia Myth: Journey to Hero Chapter 44

Hey friends and fans, Kairomaru is bringing you another chapter of Familia Myth: Journey to Hero! After speaking with Chigusa in the morning, Mikoto seems a little off all day, making her Familia concerned. The Hestia Familia is a warm and welcoming place, and they look after each other, so even as Mikoto tries to keep things to herself, her Familia will stealthily follow along, just to be safe. But as things progress, will the Hestia Familia be drawn into another conflict?

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So, without further delay, please enjoy.

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Chapter 44 – Pleasure District, Forlorn Fox

Mikoto snuck out of the Hearth Household after dark, slipping through the semi-full Hearth District—the half that was complete and had both residents and customers of the various bars, restaurants, and other shops that were open this late—making sure that she didn’t draw any attention to herself. Once she was clear of the district, Mikoto headed east towards Babel Tower, moving through the evening crowds that were mostly barhopping or going to one event or another within the sprawling city. After crossing through the park areas surrounding the edge of Babel Towers central plaza, Mikoto made her way down a side street heading southeast before she spotted Chigusa waiting for her next to a specific shop.

“Chigusa-dono! My apologies for making you wait!” Mikoto apologized to her friend with a slight bow. “Let’s go.”

“Yes.” Chigusa agrees instantly as she and Mikoto continue down the side streets together.

On a suspended walkway between two of the multi-story buildings lining the side street, three figures watched on as Mikoto and Chigusa headed down the street.

“Lili thought Mikoto was a bit off ever since she talked to Miss Chigusa this morning, but…” Lili said as she followed the duo with her eyes.

Bell watched on in concern. “Yeah…”

Welf nodded once. “What…” He trailed off, not sure how to ask the reason for Mikoto sneaking out and keeping secrets from the Familia.

The three leapt down from the walkway and started following Mikoto and Chigusa at a distance.

The crowds continued to get larger as Mikoto and Chigusa headed down one side street and then onto a larger one. Lights could be seen in various colors and a large wall with a gate was at the end of the street. The large sign above the gate dubbed the area beyond as the Entertainment District. Hundreds, if not thousands of men and women wandered the streets beyond the gate, the streets of the circular district all lined with various types of brothels, many sections focused on brothels from specific parts of the world.

“Umm…” Welf couldn’t believe where Chigusa and Mikoto had ended up. “Any idea why those two have come to the Entertainment District of all places?”

Bell and Lili both shook their heads, completely at a loss as to why Mikoto and Chigusa would come here secretly like this.

All three followed after the two young women, keeping together to avoid being propositioned by any of the people walking the streets.

“Happy hour is about to begin~” A lovely blonde-haired woman in lacey lingerie called out, holding a sign in her hands with the name of the brothel she worked at displayed.

A Hume Bunny woman wearing a tiny, black leather crop top that barely held her large breasts and equally small, black leather short shorts with fishnet stockings on her legs called out to the crowds on the street. “Our specialty show is about to start! Don’t miss it~”

Chigusa and Mikoto both gulped and walked closer together as they saw the…things…going on within the Entertainment District. Men and women were approaching each other, getting extremely close, or even more! Mikoto felt her face burn as she watched an Adventurer man be led into a brothel by three Cat Girls, all three women wearing very skimpy and revealing clothing.

“This is…” Bell had quickly realized what this part of the Entertainment District was dedicated to.

“Yeah…” Welf nodded once. “We should make sure that we don’t get split up.” Seeing Mikoto and Chigusa making their way through the crowds, Welf led the way, being the physically largest of the group. “Let’s follow them before we lose them in the crowds.”

Bell agreed instantly, focusing on their current task. “Right.” The three moved a bit faster, Welf waving off multiple women that came to try and make offers before they could be slowed down. “Still, I didn’t realize Chigusa and Mikoto were headed to the Pleasure Quarter of the Entertainment District. Goddess always did tell me to avoid the southeast of Orario at night, though.”

“It’s normal for you not to know about this place, Master Bell.” Lili said as she spread her arms wide to block two more women from approaching Bell. “This part of the Entertainment District is completely shut down during the day. No one is even walking around this area until evening.” Lili kept her eyes on Mikoto and Chigusa as they were approached by two men. “That said, what’re those to doing here? They’re not selling themselves for money, are they?”

Bell flinched just slightly at the thought, before he shook it off.

“I doubt that, Little Lili…” Welf motioned towards Chigusa and Mikoto, as even from this distance it was easy to see Mikoto’s face turn dark red as she was propositioned. “Look, she’s quivering like a leaf in the wind.”

“No chance.” Lili agreed with a nod before they all watched as Mikoto grabbed the extended arm of the man trying to proposition her and shoulder throw him onto the ground with a yell.

“Please don’t touch me!” Mikoto cried out, leaving the stunned and dazed Adventurer on the ground. “Let’s hurry, Chigusa-dono!” Mikoto grabbed Chigusa’s hand and started rushing off swiftly through the crowds.

Welf took off with Lili and Bell. “Not good… We’re losing them! Let’s go!”

“Yes!” Lili was right behind Welf.

“Yeah!” Bell agreed, only to feel someone grab his wrist from behind. “Huh?”

Only a minute later and Mikoto and Chigusa had been brought to a stop as two Gods were now chatting them up.

The God on the right wore stylish clothing and had a bright smile on his face as he lightly held the end of Mikoto’s long ponytail in one hand, letting the silky, raven locks caress his palm. “I never would have imagined getting to meet the one and only Mikoto-tan in a place like this! Black-haired girls really are great…” He seemed rather besotted with Mikoto’s looks.

“Far East girls a so cute!” The God on the left, also dressed in current fashionable clothes of good quality, declared with a warm grin as he leaned close to Chigusa.

“A-A-Apologies, milords!” Mikoto stuttered out at the two very forward Gods. “B-But we have an important mission!” Her face was a dark red from her flustered blushing.

Chigusa took one of Mikoto’s hands, looking almost as uncomfortable as her friend. “Wh-What should we do, Mikoto?”

Mikoto shook her head. “I-I can’t just throw Gods like I did to that other man!” That would definitely cause a large amount of trouble, since it was almost guaranteed that the God in question would demand compensation from her Familia.

“Could you please stop fooling around, sirs?” Welf requested of the two Gods as he and Lili approached.

“Welf-dono? Lili-dono?” Mikoto looked at her Familia members, shocked to see them both there.

Lili shuffled forward, putting herself between the two Gods and both Mikoto and Chigusa. “Well then, sirs… Can you really afford to be loafing around here? The night is short, isn’t it?”

The God on the right pounded his fist onto the palm of his opposite hand. “Oh yeah, you’re right!”

The God on the left was already walking towards the next group of ladies that had caught his eye. “We finally got a night off from our duties to our Familia, we have to make the most out of it! Let’s cut loose! Hurry, hurry!”

The two Gods were quickly across the street chatting up a group of women that seemed MUCH more receptive to their attentions.

The four moved to the side of the street before Mikoto managed to speak up again.

“Umm, why are you here?” Mikoto asked Welf and Lili.

“Because you’ve been acting odd since this morning.” Welf answered simply, giving Mikoto a slightly amused look at the obvious question. “You must have had a reason for coming here, right? Let’s hear it.”

Mikoto and Chigusa looked at each other, neither saying anything for a long moment.

“Can you not talk about it?” Lili asked the two women curiously.

“No, it’s not that…” Mikoto finally spoke up, but her violet eyes were looking down, as if unable to meet Lili or Welf’s eyes. “It’s just… This is our personal problem, so I’m unsure if I should get you caught up in it too…”

Welf smiled understandingly at Mikoto. “We’re all in the same boat together. That’s what it means to be Familia. You don’t need to hold back or hide things from us.”

Lili agreed with a little nod and a smile for Mikoto. “That’s right. Don’t’ be so cold.”

“Mm.” Mikoto nearly had tears of gratitude in her eyes as she gave Lili and Welf a short bow. “Yes. Thank you very much.”

Chigusa, seeing that Mikoto wanted to rely on her new friends and Familia members, began to explain the situation to Welf and Lili. “The truth is, there is an acquaintance we have from our homeland. Several years ago, she went missing and an Adventurer we know recently informed us that someone who closely resembled her was seen in the Pleasure Quarter.”

“Can you really be sure with that little to go on?” Lili asked Chigusa and Mikoto, not wanting to stomp on their hope of finding their old acquaintance, but the information was rather vague.

“She is of an uncommon race. There were several traits and unique characteristics that we could not ignore.” Chigusa said as both she and Mikoto gripped their hands together tightly. “Unlike us, she is of a truly high status. We thought there was no way that she’d be in a place like this…but we needed to check with our own eyes first.”

Welf let out a slow exhale of breath. “I see.” It was their concern and longing to see their old acquaintance that had driven Mikoto and Chigusa to come to the Pleasure District.

“Lili understands the situation. However, you were imprudent.” Lili said to both Mikoto and Chigusa, her eyes sharp as her own past experiences resonated with the things that she’d heard about the Familia that ruled over this part of the Entertainment District. “The entire Pleasure Quarter is under the thumb of the Ishtar Familia. Lili doesn’t know the details of how it ended up this way, but around five years ago, several different Familias were driven to destruction and several different Goddesses were sent back to the heavens.”

Both Mikoto and Chigusa flinched at that information. Because it had happened three years before the Takemikazuchi Familia had arrived in Orario, they hadn’t known anything about it.

“In the worst case, your actions here could be interpreted as investigating the Ishtar Familia. This is a faction with tremendous capital and numerous members to call upon.” Lili cautioned Chigusa and Mikoto about the potential consequences of their actions. “Lili is certain that you’re worried about your acquaintance, but please refrain from careless actions.”

Mikoto bowed her head. “My apologies…”

“I’m sorry…” Chigusa also bowed her head in apology.

Welf noticed that several people on the street were glancing at their group. “For now, we should keep moving. Standing around in one spot is drawing unwanted attention…” He looked to his left and then is right and then behind him. “Wait? Where’s Bell?!”

“HUH?!” Lili was quickly looking in every direction for her boyfriend.

Mikoto and Chigusa both looked confused.

“It was just you two the whole time…” Mikoto said to Welf and Lili.

Lili put her hands on her cheeks, her eyes wide. “N-No way…!”

-Pleasure District-

Bell was surprised at how hard it was to get the woman that had grabbed him to let him go. “Um, ma’am, I really need you to let me go.” He could force her off, but since it didn’t seem like she was an Adventurer, he really didn’t want to hurt her with the vast disparity in strength between a Level 3 and a non-blessed person.

“Nooope!” The lady of the evening, a very lovely woman with long auburn hair and a revealing dress with flower ornaments on it, denied Bell with a bright smile. “I’ve taken a liking to you, so I’m not gonna let you go!” She wrapped her arms tighter around Bell’s right arm. “Let’s have some fun together~” She winked at Bell invitingly.

“Umm…” Bell was about to politely refuse her, but was cut off by another lady of the evening.

She had black hair, cut short, a lovely face with a beauty mark at the corner of her left eye, and wore a black dress with a very low cut to show off her cleavage along with black evening gloves. “Oh, what’s this? He’s very handsome~”

“I know, right?” The first women said with a giggle.

A Cat Girl, her curvy body barely covered in a fur bikini, leaned in with a purr. “Is this your first time here~”

Bell nearly vanished right before their eyes as the first woman’s grip had relaxed enough for him to slip his arm free. “I’m here with other people, so please excuse me!” He apologized to the three women as he ran down the street in the direction that he’d seen his friends go earlier. He scanned the crowd as he ran, but didn’t see any hint of his friends, so he turned a corner and went a street over, only to have to swerve out of the way of some very forward women standing outside a brothel that tried to grab hold of him. He ended up running down the second street and then the third before he finally slowed to a stop and took a few deep breaths. “I can’t find them…” He blinked as a pink flowers petal fluttered before his eyes.

Before Bell’s eyes was a street of Far Eastern-style buildings, each with red lanterns hanging from. The streets were calmer here, the patrons looking through wooden bars into tatami-mat covered ‘display rooms’ where various courtesans in all manner of kimonos waited to be chosen. While there were still several women, many showing off cleavage and leg, outside attracting customers to the various establishments, it was much less frenzied than the ‘happy hour’ going on a couple of streets over.

“There were a lot of people from various places in the world, and with all the activity…it was almost like a different place from Orario altogether. But here…” Bell took in the calmer night life and the way the flower petals floated through the air on the gentle breeze. “…it’s almost like the flow of time is different here.”

Rubellite eyes met dark green and Bell stopped in his tracks. Long, soft-looking blonde hair, two cute, fluffy fox ears, a soft and lovely face free of blemish, a red kimono with two large black leaf patterns, the fluffiest golden fox tail swayed softly one time.

Time seem to have stopped for just that instant as the two looked at each other.

‘A girl with fox ears and a fox tail? A Renard?’ Bell thought to himself as their eyes had yet to leave one another. While he wasn’t anywhere close to knowing all that much about Renards, Bell did know that the vast majority of them lived in the east or the Far East. Seeing one in Orario was actually very rare, and yet before his eyes a beautiful Renard woman sat, looking right back at him.

“Oh? Is that you, Bell?” A familiar voice broke Bell’s gaze away from the beautiful Renard woman.

“L-Lord Hermes?!” Bell exclaimed in shock at seeing the Messenger God again.

Hermes tipped up the brim of his feathered hat with a little smile on his face. “Lovely night, isn’t it? To think that I’d meet you in a place like this.” He put his hand on his chin with a thoughtful nod. “But you’re a young man, I suppose it’s natural.” He leaned in with a smirk. “Just don’t let Hestia find out~”

Bell’s hand moved before he’d had a conscious thought as he grabbed Hermes by the collar and stared sharply into the God’s eyes.

One should never raise a hand to a Deity; the consequences should the Deity unleash their Divinity were never good for the mortal in question. And, if you’d truly lost your mind, taking the life of a Deity’s mortal form would assuredly lead to untold spiritual suffering whenever your life came to an end. For these two very important reasons, mortals never aimed physical harm at the Deities. Even if they truly wanted to, it was a taboo above all other taboos. The only exception was when the Deity in question allowed their followers to vent; as some Deities actually took amusement in annoying their Familia members and then suffering the consequences.

Thankfully, for Bell, Hermes was one such Deity.

“Whoa! Whoa! Okay! I get it! I get it!” Hermes promised, seeing the anger behind Bell’s rubellite eyes at the mere insinuation that he would EVER cheat on Hestia or any of his girlfriends. “I took the joke too far! Sorry!” He waved his free hand between them as if to ‘clear the air’ of the bad joke.

“Hah…” Bell exhaled long and slow as he let go of Hermes’s collar and the Messenger God straight out his wrinkled clothing. “Sorry, Lord Hermes.”

Hermes chuckled and waved it off. “No, no, Bell. That one was my fault, think nothing of it.” He glanced into the ‘display area’ that Bell had been looking into. You seemed very focused on the ladies for not being here for some fun. Did one catch your eye?”

Bell turned to look back at the Renard woman, but she was no longer where she’d been. ‘She’s gone?’ Even looking among the other women, there wasn’t a trace of the Renard to be found.

“If you want…” Hermes leaned in with a grin. “I could teach you how to pick out the best ones.” He offered with a thumbs up.

“No.” Bell deadpanned, his tone so flat that Hermes almost swore it went perfect monotone. With a sigh, Bell looked at Hermes, taking notice of the package underneath the God’s right arm, cradled to his body securely. “What are you doing here, Lord Hermes?”

Hermes shook his head twice. “Now, now, Bell. There are some questions that you shouldn’t ask in a place like this.”

Bell, not sure why, maybe feeling just a little vindictive, spoke up with a flat expression. “I’m telling Miss Asfi the next time I see her.”

“Gkh!” Hermes visibly flinched. “H-Hey now, Bell…” He coughed once. “Let’s do each other a favor and agree that we never saw each other here, sound good?”

“Yeah, sure.” Bell agreed, still remembering Hestia’s warnings about not getting caught up in Hermes’s ‘shenanigans’ if he could help it.

“Excellent!” Hermes smiled as he reached into his pocket and pulled something out. “To validate our pact between sensible men, I’ll give you this.” He placed the small vial with white caps on each end into Bell’s hand.

Bell looked at the small vial and the curious red liquid inside. “What is this?”

Hermes’s smile became a grin. “An aphrodisiac!” He gave Bell a thumbs up while the Adventurer nearly choked on his own breath. “Use it at home if you want!” Hermes put the index and middle fingers of his left hand against the brim of his hat to give a little salute as he took off. “See you later, Bell!”

“H-Hey! Lord Hermes! I don’t need this!” Bell called out to the God’s back. Hermes blatantly ignoring him made Bell give chase. ‘There’s no way I can just pocket this! Hestia, Eina, Lili…they’d want to know where I got it and I’d have to tell them and…’ Bell just shook his head, not wanting to deal with such a headache. He chased after Hermes, having seen him disappear around the next corner, but as he turned, he came face-to-face with a beautiful Amazon woman and had to pivot to the side to avoid crashing into her.

“Hm?” The Amazon woman looked at Bell curiously. She had bronze skin, like many other Amazons, purple eyes, and long black hair that covered the right side of her face. Her clothing was reminiscent of a dancer, with sheer, purple pants that were see through, allowing one to see her white bikini-like garment beneath. Her large breasts were covered with a purple breast wrap, leaving almost her entire body exposed, from her ample cleavage to her flat stomach and her trim waist that gave her an hourglass figure. She wore golden earrings along with various gold decorations around her chest and belly that seemed to be attached to the purple and gold collar around her neck. Her wrists each sported a golden bracelet as well to finish off her look.

Bell bowed to the woman. “I’m sorry about that. I was in a hurry trying to catch up to someone.”

The Amazon woman cocked her right hip and place her right hand on it, clearly showing off her curves, as she grinned at Bell. “You’re new around here, aren’t you? You seem a little wound up” She giggled softly as she sauntered over to Bell, the sway in her hips meant to draw the eyes while she walked around him, taking in his physique with her eyes before she leaned in as Bell turned around to face her again. “You can call me Aisha. And you are?” She asked with a little purr in her voice.

“I should…” Bell tried to tell the woman that he needed to go, but her hand caressed his cheek as she leaned in until their faces were mere centimeters apart.

“How about you buy me for the night?” Aisha suggested, her voice practically dripping with temptation. Her long hair covering one eye giving her a rather sensual look as she stared into Bell’s rubellite eyes. Before Bell realized it, Ais’s had taken his right arm in her grip and placed it behind his back, while at the same time her right leg slipped between his legs and her thigh pressed upwards against him.

Bell blinked at the sudden move but found his voice quickly enough. “No, thank you, I’m actually not here for that.” He tried to move, only to realize that he couldn’t budge the Amazon’s hold on him. ‘Huh? Why can’t I move?’ It only took a second for the obvious answer to come to Bell. ‘She’s an Adventurer too! At least Level 3 like me!’ It was the only way her strength could match his, even if he’d only become Level 3 recently, his over the limit stats from Level 1 and Level 2 made him much stronger than any new Level 3 would normally be.

Aisha giggled as she ran her right hand through Bell’s soft white hair. “Oh, you don’t have to fight it~” She managed to surprise Bell as she pulled his face down into her impressive cleavage.

“Mmh!” Bell’s eyes widened as he knew that this would look VERY bad if anyone he knew saw him.

Voices from behind Aisha got the attention of both the Amazon and Bell.

“Tonight was a bad haul.”

“Not a single decent male among them.”

“Who do you have there, Aisha?”

Four more Amazons stopped a short distance from Aisha and Bell, all wearing rather skimpy outfits, as was common for their culture, each in a distinctive color and pattern, green, blue, pink, and orange.

“Is that your client for the evening?” The Amazon in green asked with a playful grin.

Aisha grinned, maneuvering Bell to the side slightly to show his face to her friends. “I just ran into him. He’s got a rather handsome face with just a bit of that boyish cuteness left over, don’t you think?”

The Amazon in blue leaned forward and licked her lips. “Oh my He IS goodlooking”

“So cute” The Amazon in pink said, her voice breathy and filled with smoldering heat. “First time in the Pleasure Quarter, sweetie?”

The Amazon in orange stepped closer and leaned forward to look closer at Bell’s face as Aish maintained her hold on him. “Oh… Hey, um, Aisha… Doesn’t this yummy snack look like ‘Rabbit Foot’?”

Aisha’s left hand took hold of Bell’s chin and forced him to look her in the eye. Now that she was actually looking for it, this WAS the famous ‘Rabbit Foot’, Bell Cranel.

“The one from the War Game?!” The Amazon in green asked, excitement filling her voice.

“I think you’re right; he has the white hair and the red eyes~” The Amazon in blue said with a grin.

The Amazon in pink nearly sounded hungry as she spoke. “You’re telling me that’s the Record Holder for fastest Level Up from Level 1 to Level 2 and from Level 2 to Level 3?”

All five of the Amazons’ eyes were practically glowing with desire now.

“Well, lucky me!” Aisha declared as she pulled Bell’s face back into her tits. “I found him first; so ‘The Slayer of the Sun’ is all mine!” She was practically licking her lips already!

“Aww… No fair, Aisha!” The other four Amazons whined at their friend.

“You have the wrong idea…” Bell managed to push back, making Aisha blink as his strength nearly matched her own, despite his recent Level Up. “I was just here looking for a member of my Familia.” He’d almost managed to get out of Aisha’s grasp when the Amazon in orange pulled the little vial out of his hand.

She grinned at Bell as she held the vial between her index finger and thumb. “Yeah… We might’ve believed you if you didn’t have this in your hand.” She smirked and lightly swished the red liquid inside. “You’ve got top notch stuff here~”

‘Damn it, Lord Hermes!’ Bell cursed the Messenger God in his mind. Even when Hermes wasn’t trying to mess with him, he STILL got the wrapped up in a misunderstanding!

“You’re coming with us!” Aisha said with a heated grin.

“If you’re trying to fool us, you shouldn’t have such an obvious giveaway~” The Amazon in green said, taking Bell’s left arm.

The Amazon in blue took hold of Bell’s left leg when he tried to pull away, pulling it up off the ground and holding it in her arms. “Don’t worry, we’ll ALL enjoy ourselves tonight~”

“W-Wait! This is a misunderstanding!” Bell tried to explain. Even as he tried to struggle out of their grips, he realized that all of them were Level 3 and he was being overpowered by Adventurers equal to him in Level.

“Sure it is, sweetie~” The Amazon in pink purred out as she took Bell’s right leg into her arms, leaving Bell suspended in the air as the four women carried him off.

The Amazon in orange gave Bell an easy smile. “Please, allow us to show you to our humble home.”

Not a single person on the street tried to stop the five Amazons as they carried Bell towards the large tower in the center of the Pleasure Quarter. Some outright laughed, having seen a man talk up more Amazons than he could handle and be carried off in a similar manner before. It was something that happened just often enough in the Pleasure Quarter that no one thought it was strange enough to warrant a second look.

“Seriously, you have to believe me, that’s not mine!” Bell tried to explain the presence of the aphrodisiac without breaking his agreement with Hermes—though he was sorely tempted to right now—as he was carried away. As they crossed the outer gate of the tower, Bell blinked up at the structure. “Babel?” He couldn’t help but compare the two large towers, but this one was clearly different from the ‘lid’ of the Dungeon.

“Welcome to our home and our Goddess Ishtar’s castle—Belit Babili.” Aisha welcomed Bell as they threw open the two large front doors and carried Bell inside.

“I get him next after Aisha!” The Amazon in orange called dibs.

The Amazon in blue took issue with that, however. “What’re you talking about? I get him next!”

‘Ishtar Familia’s Home?!’ Bell nearly screamed in his mind. He still recalled the way Eina had blushed when she’d gotten to Ishtar Familia while explaining all of the largest Familias in Orario to him back when he’d first arrived in the city. The vehement warning that she’d given him now made A LOT of sense!

As if summoned by Bell’s thoughts a voice called out from the landing overlooking the entry way. “Aisha? Is that man your catch for the night?” Ishtar, draped in her orang silks and golden jewelry, her kiseru pipe in her right hand with a wisp of smoke rising from it, looked down at the five Amazons and Bell.

“Lady Ishtar.” Aisha greeted her Goddess.

Bell looked up at the Goddess, never having seen her before.

“Please don’t look at Lady Ishtar’s face!” The orange-clad Amazon nearly slammed Bell into the ground as she covered his face with her body, her tits pressed up against the right side of his face.

“Come on! Please don’t take this one from us! It’s not fair when they fall under your spell!” The Amazon in blue pleaded to their Goddess. “Please?!”

“Mhm!” Ishtar seemed amused as she closed her eyes. “I have a client to attend to this evening. I have no time to spend on a young man.” She did see the white hair and rubellite eyes though and that gave her a moment’s pause. “However…” She took a short drag of her pipe and then exhaled the smoke, nearly laughing as all five of the Amazons tensed up, expecting her to take their prey. “As you’ve brought the, currently, most famous Adventurer in Orario to our home. After you’ve had your fun, make sure to bring him to me for a proper introduction.” She ordered with a smirk as she walked away, the Vice-Captain of the Familia, Tammuz Belili, following behind her as he always did.

Bell, able to see Ishtar with one eye, couldn’t help but compare her to the only other Goddess of Beauty that he knew. ‘So that’s Lady Ishtar? She’s different from Lady Freya.’

Once Ishtar was gone, the five Amazons swiftly carried Bell upstairs to a ‘waiting room’ after seeing the plaque on the first floor that informed the five Amazons that all of the private rooms were currently in use. Bell was set down on a couch and surrounded by the five women, all looking at him with smoldering, hungry eyes.

“Unfortunately, all of our private rooms are full right now.” Aisha told bell with a grin. “You can wait here until one opens up. Though, personally, I don’t mind if we get started right here…my little bunny~” She purred at Bell, referencing both his Title and his looks.

Bell glanced at the five Amazons surrounding him, not seeing an opening to slip through. “Uh, what do I have to do for you to let me leave?”

Aisha smiled at Bell sultrily, the other four Amazons all grinning as well. “What? Do you now know the Amazons’ nature? We have an instinctual taste for strong males.”

The orange-clad Amazon leaned over the back of the couch to whisper into Bell’s ear. “We like to capture our men and devour them whole~” She lightly blew against Bell’s ear.

“You’re not leaving until tomorrow morning…maybe the day after, if you’re lucky~” The Amazon in blue said while licking her lips.

“We’re going to suck the life right out of you… Wear you down until you can’t take it anymore~” The pink-clad Amazon said in her breathy, seductive voice.

“You may never want to leave after you have a taste~” The Amazon wearing green told Bell with smirk.

Aisha leaned in, her face very close to Bell’s. “That’s just how we Amazons are.”

Bell blinked and shook his head once. “That’s not how Tione and Tiona are at all.”

That actually got a reaction from the five women as they all blinked at Bell.

“Tione and Tiona…?” The Amazon in orange said, looking at Bell with suspicious eyes.

“They Hyrute Sisters?” The green-clad Amazon looked between Bell and her friends. “How would you know them? You’re in different Familia.”

“They’re my girlfriends.” Bell answered with such blatant honesty that none of the women could doubt him.

Aside from Aisha, the rest of the Amazons briefly flinched and took a step backwards, now looking at Bell as if trying to measure if it was worth proceeding. There was an inherent risk to messing with another Amazon’s chosen male if they’d actually chosen a real relationship over just fucking or for breeding to get a daughter. The fact that Tiona and Tione were both Level 6, the current strongest Amazons in all of Orario, mad Bell ‘off limits’ if the sisters made their relationship with him known.

“Strange…” Aisha said as she briefly pulled Bell’s shirt upwards, exposing his torso—which she drank in with her eyes as she scanned his skin—before she dropped the shirt back down. “I don’t see any marking on you. No tattoo, no scar, no ring… Have you even consummated this ‘relationship’ yet?”

Bell wasn’t normally the type to discuss such things with others, but in this situation, if it would get him out of here, he’d make an exception. “Multiple times.” The honest and firm tone made it clear that Bell wasn’t lying.

Aisha stared into Bell’s rubellite eyes for a moment before a sultry smirk crossed her lips. “Well, I’m sure they wouldn’t mind a bit of friendly Amazon competition~”

Heavy footsteps outside of the waiting room got everyone’s attention before Bell could correct Aisha about just how wrong her assumption was.

“I think I smell some fresh meat!” A loud voice said before the two doors were forced pen and a large Amazon entered the room, her size making opening both doors necessary. She had short, dark brown hair, a nearly oval-shaped head, her eyes were reminiscent of a toad’s and her body, unlike the vast majority of other Amazons’ wasn’t trim and toned for combat, but was bulky and heavy, looking rounded in all aspects. She wore a green shirt and pant with a wide pink sash around her waist, a pink heart design on the front of her shirt, and gold trim along the hems, her wrists each sported a thick golden bracelet as well, and in another difference between her and most other Amazons, this one wore boots on her feet.

“What do you want, Phryne?!” Aisha demanded, putting herself between Bell and the large, toad-like Amazon.

“Where are your manners?” Phryne asked with a scoff at Aisha. “That’s no way to talk to the Captain of your Familia!” Her eyes locked onto Bell and a—rather disgusting—grin crossed her lips. “I heard you had come in with a man and got curious. But seeing that it’s ‘Rabbit Foot’ the one called ‘The Slayer of the Sun’…I thought I’d like to have some fun with him.” She laughed lowly.

Bell felt a shiver race up his spine.

The Amazon in pink nearly snarled at Phryne. “Like hell! Every time you ‘have fun’ the males end up ruined or worse!”

The green-clad Amazon’s tone nearly dripped acid. “Because of you, the males avoid this place like the plague and we have to drag them back here, and that’s all your fault, you lumpy cockroach!”

“Is it really my fault that I’m the only one that can satisfy?” Phryne questioned, her tone mocking the other Amazons. “Perhaps my beauty is just too much for them?”

Phryne snarled right back. “Don’t you sass me! A bunch of ugly tramps like you are just jealous of my bewitching allure! Even Lady Ishtar can’t compare to all this!” She ran her hands down her body.

“You should try looking in a mirror, you bloated toad!” Aisha shot back with a fierce glare.

“There’s nothing uglier than another woman’s envy!” Phryne punched the floor, shattering he marble with her bare fist. “None of you hideous bitches can match my beauty or my strength!”

‘They’re distracted.’ Bell noticed that no eyes were on him right now. He glanced towards the nearest window and estimated the time it would take him to get through it. “Rise.” He whispered under his breath and felt the rush of Vesta Enhance throughout his body a half-second later. In a blur he was across half the room and leaping towards the window.

“Our prey is getting away!” Aisha yelled, getting her friends to look towards Bell.

Phryne tried to rush towards Bell. “Who’re gets him first keeps him!”

Crash

The window smashed easily from the speed that Bell hit it with. Looking down, Bell easily adjusted his body and landed on the ground, bending his knees to absorb the impact. For Level 3 Adventurers—as long as they landed properly—a fall from three-stories up was akin to jumping from the second-to-last stair of a staircase onto the ground. He was off like a shot before Phryne, Aisha, and the other Amazons even landed.

‘Run! I’ve got to get out of the Pleasure Quarter as fast as I can! Run! Run!’ Bell pushed himself harder, using all of his Level 3 power and agility to clear the courtyard of Belit Babili and make it into the streets lined with brothels. He sped through crowds, making several people gasp, yell, or shriek in surprise as the wind off his body buffeted them. Bell pushed his senses hard to keep up with his boosted body, ducking around corners, leaping from the tops of staircases to the bottom without losing speed, never moving in a straight line to avoid giving Phryne and Aisha a chance to potentially overwhelm him with a burst of speed and catch up.

But the Ishtar Familia ran the entire Pleasure Quarter and the alarm had already gone out. Practically every member throughout the entire area was now looking for Bell as he tried to escape.

“Gotta hide and shake them off.” Bell knew that Vesta Enhance was going to wear off soon enough and then he’d lose his speed advantage. He just needed a place to lay low until the five minute reset for his spell was up, then he could cast it again and head straight for the nearest exit of the Pleasure Quarter. “At this point, ending up in any other part of the Entertainment District would be preferable.” Gambling, Theatre, or any other form of entertainment fell outside of Ishtar Familia’s control, so if Bell could just get to one of them, the Amazons of Ishtar should stop chasing him.

“There he is!” A woman’s voice shouted out and Bell flinched before running into a side alley, then taking a sharp turn down a narrow alleyway between two separate streets, one with a fairly tall wall on his right topped with a small roof, the other a stone wall made of brick.

“A door!” Bell opened the plain wooden door and slipped through before closing it behind him. “Huh?” He looked up at the multi-story Far Eastern building and realized that he’d somehow found his way back to at least close to where he’d met Hermes.

The sound of many footsteps rapidly approaching forced Bell to bolt inside the building. He rushed through the hallways, looking for any place to hide as he heard the door in the back garden open and several voices filling the air with calls of ‘Find him’ and ‘Search each floor’, nearly making him panic. Spotting a shoji door without any sign that it was being used, Bell slid it open and then softly closed it behind him. Doing his best to steady his breathing and be as quiet as possible, Bell heard at least three people run past the door.

“Aisha, with how fast he was running, wouldn’t he have been able to make it through the building and into the street outside again?” The Amazon that had been wearing orange said not too far away from the door Bell was hiding behind.

“Tch! He probably could…” Aisha’s voice was far closer than Bell would like as he covered his mouth and nose on the off chance that she heard his breathing somehow. “Did anyone find spot him on any floor?” She called out, only for multiple calls of ‘No’ to come back. “He must’ve run straight through the building then. Hurry up and find him before that toad Phryne does!”

Bell listened as dozens of Amazons all rushed out of the brothel and into the street, only then did he remove his hand from his mouth and nose, taking a deep breath as he managed to get a short break from the pursuit. “That was close…” He breathed out. It was only now that he realized the room he was hiding in was rather small as a thin line of light filled it from a second set of shoji doors behind him. “Maybe there’s a way out through here?” Bell whispered to himself as he slid open the shoji door, only to be greeted by a soft voice as soon as he did.

“I have been looking forward to your visit, my lord.” The beautiful Renard that Bell had seen earlier greeted him, her face looking towards the tatami mat floor as she gave him a full bow from her kneeling position. “Please allow me to accompany you this evening. My name is Haruhime.”

“That’s a beautiful name.” Bell said without thinking, then immediately wanted to slap his hand over his own mouth for blurting out his thoughts.

Haruhime sat upright from her bow, a soft pink blush on her cheeks. “You are quite kind to say so, my lord.” She stood up and gently took Bell’s hand in her own. “Please, this way.” She guided Bell to another set of shoji doors and pushed them open with one hand to reveal a traditional Far East futon large enough for two, with two pillows.

Bell blinked and shook his head once as Haruhime led him into the room. “I’m not…” He tried to stop and Haruhime was held back by his greater strength, her foot slipping on the edge of the futon.

“Kya!” Haruhime squeaked out cutely as she tripped.

“Watch out!” Bell reacted instinctively, catching the falling woman and then placing himself between her and the floor as they crashed into the futon.

This led to Haruhime and Bell staring into each other’s eyes. The Renard lying on top of Bell, her kimono partially fallen open to reveal her sizeable cleavage and her bare shoulders. The two just stared into each other’s eyes for a long moment before Haruhime’s face burned a dark red and she fell to the side. Bell almost swore that he saw steam rising from her head as he sat up.

“Huh?” Bell blinked at the almost unconscious Haruhime in confusion and surprise at her reaction.

A few moments later and Haruhime recovered her wits, only to prostrate herself in a full dogeza as she apologized to Bell. “M-My humblest apologies, my lord…”

Bell cut her off as he raised both hands in front of him. “N-No, it’s fine! Please don’t worry, Miss Haruhime!”

Haruhime, her face still red, sat up and curled her fluffy fox tail around her as she partially covered her face with her hands. “You shouldn’t have had to see such mortifying behavior…”

“So cute…” Bell murmured under his breath at seeing Haruhime with her fluffy fox tail wrapped around her and her equally fluffy ears go from drooping to perking up.

He didn’t realize that the reason Haruhime’s ears perked up was because she could hear his mumbled compliment.

“I…I…” Haruhime felt her face burn more, but this was less from embarrassment and more from the genuine compliment. She wasn’t used to receiving such compliments after failing to perform her duties in the past. The last few times Aisha had stepped in when a customer complained about her passing out before they actually got to the ‘deed’ itself. As it turned out, most patrons that paid for the services of a brothel of this quality wanted their courtesan to actually perform…not pass out and kill the mood entirely.

“I’m not actually a customer, Miss Haruhime.” Bell told her with a sheepish smile. He briefly explained how he’d been picked up by Aisha and the other Amazons, only to be dragged off to Belit Babili and then escape, leading to the manhunt that he was currently hiding from.

Haruhime, now much calmer after having listened to Bell’s explanation, gave Bell a soft smile. “Allow me to reintroduce myself. I am called Haruhime.” She gave a short bow. “Who might you be, good sir?”

“My name is Bell Cranel.” Bell introduced himself with a small smile.

“You are in quite a bit of adversity, Cranel-sama.” Haruhime said thoughtfully. “If you wish to leave the Pleasure Quarter without Aisha-san and the others seeing you, I believe it will be quite difficult.”

Bell hung his head. “Yeah… I don’t actually know the way out. I was just going to run as fast as I could towards the edge and leap the wall if I had too.” Even if said well was very high and he’d be easily spotted in the attempt.

Haruhime, seeing Bell’s expression, gave him a gentle smile. “Please hide here until the establishment closes near the morning. I will guide you to a back alley that leads out of the Pleasure Quarter.” She offered him what help that she could provide.

“You’d really do that?” Bell asked, surprised by how kind Haruhime was to him when they’d just met.

“Yes. I shall be of service to you, Cranel-sama.” Haruhime said with a soft smile, glad to be able to help Bell out of his current situation. “Umm…” She covered her mouth with the sleeves of her red kimono, looking shy. “…I know it’s a bit crass to ask for something in exchange, but could you perhaps converse with me until that time comes?”

Bell titled his head slightly. “Converse?”

Haruhime nodded once. “Yes. I’m unable to leave the Pleasure Quarter, normally. Could I trouble you to share a bit with me? About you, the city outside, or whatever you’d like.”

“Ah, I see. If that’s what you’d like, I can talk with you as much as you wish.” Bell agreed with a smile. It was certainly a small price to pay to get out of the Pleasure District unscathed.

“Thank you very much!” Haruhime’s bright smile was adorable and nearly lit up the room.

Bell told Haruhime a simplified version of his life before coming to Orario, and what had set him on the path that led him to the ‘Center of the World’. “Also, umm… There was a legendary tale that I liked, so I aspired to be like the Heroes in it…” He admitted with a little chuckle.

“Would that, perchance, happen to be the ‘Dungeon Oratoria’?” Haruhime asked as she leaned forward a bit.

“Yes.” Bell admitted, only to nearly be blinded as Haruhime perked up, her eyes sparkling and a glow seemed to radiate off of her as her fluffy fox tail wagged behind her. ‘So cute!’ Bell exclaimed in his mind as he looked at Haruhime. “B-By any chance, do you happen to enjoy fairy tales and old myths, Miss Haruhime?”

Haruhime nodded with a warm smile, her eyes closed in joy as she brought her hands together in front of her. “I love them!” She opened her green eyes and Bell saw the happiness within, a testament to how much joy the tales had given to Haruhime. “Orario was featured in so many tales, so I had always dreamed of coming here! I love the story of the knight from a foreign land who explored the Dungeon in search of a holy grail; and the story of the wizard who went into the Dungeon to save a Spirit that was trapped in a lamp!”

“The ‘Adventures of Garland’ and ‘The Wizard Aladdin’, right?” Bell asked, having heard those two tales himself.

“You know them?!” Haruhime asked with clear happiness.

Bell nodded with a smile of his own. “Of course!”

“Wow!” Haruhime was absolutely thrilled to be able to talk about the stories and tales that had brightened up her life.

“If you came to Orario, then are you originally from the east?” Bell asked curiously.

Haruhime nodded, a smile of remembrance on her lips. “Yes, I was born in the Far East. It’s an island nation, blessed with four beautiful seasons: the blossoming sakura of spring, the buzzing of bees in the lush green summer, the vibrant red leaves of fall, and the pure white snow that covers the land in winter.” She looked out the window towards the moon that was faintly visible as it made its way across the sky. “While I was not allowed outside of my family’s estate much, walking the grounds and seeing the changes of each season within the gardens was a secret joy of mine.”

Bell didn’t miss the word ‘estate’ in Haruhime’s reminiscence. “Are you a noble, Miss Haruhime?”

“Yes. My father and our family had been granted a position of high status within the imperial court. I was cared for by many helpers as a young child.” Haruhime’s ear drooped and her gaze became melancholic. “But I was disowned years ago…”

“Disowned?! Why…” Bell cut himself off quickly. “I’m sorry… I shouldn’t pry.”

Haruhime gave him a small smile for his consideration. “I do not mind. While I was told not to discuss it, as it would bring shame to our family, without going into detail, I can only say that I did something extremely untoward to the Ōkami whom we served.” She looked down at her lap as the memories came back. “Having been disowned, I was taken from the estate by someone, but we were attacked by a Monster on the road. The band of thieves who saved me then sold me here in Orario to claim their reward for saving my life.”

Bell nearly flinched. “You were sold?!”

“I had nothing to my name, save my body…so I had no other way to pay their reward.” Haruhime said as she tried to give Bell a small, though it was small and empty.

“St-Still…to sell a person like that.” Bell couldn’t understand why anyone would do that to a person as kind as Haruhime.

Haruhime’s smile became genuine, even if it was still small. “You are a kind person. It is true, at the time I was unbearably frightened and unsure, but thanks to that I was able to come to Orario, the city I dreamed of…and my ‘elder sisters’, Aisha-san and some of the other Amazons that work here, have treated me well.” Her smile faded a little as she continued to speak. “Also, the Patron Deity of our Familia, Ishtar-sama, said that I was necessary to her when she placed me here.”

Bell could practically feel the resignation in Haruhime’s voice. “Have you ever wanted to leave here?”

“Yes…I have.” Haruhime admitted after a long moment of silence. “Have you heard the story of Issen Douji?”

“Huh?” Bell couldn’t say that he knew that one.

Haruhime looked into Bell’s rubellite eyes with a gentle, forlorn smile. “It is a story passed down from long, long ago in the Far East…of a princess held captive by a demon and a warrior who saved her despite being far smaller than a normal person. I would like someone to take me by the hand and lead me to the outside world, just like the warrior did for the princess in that story.” Haruhime looked at her lap, her hands gently resting on her red kimono. “I have thought that before… Though I hesitate to even open the book that story is written in now.”

“Why is that?” Bell couldn’t help but ask.

“Because…I am a prostitute now…” Haruhime said, unable to meet Bell’s eyes. “Like the whore of Babylon that brought ruin as she sought more and more of the world to fill the void in her heart… But ever since I became a harlot like her…I became scared to ever wish for anything. If I were to desire anything, would something…or someone…be destroyed? A harlot brings ruin to a Hero’s tale. She is a being who must not be saved.” Haruhime gently clenched her hands together as they trembled slightly. “Likewise, I must not be saved either… I am not worthy to have wishes anymore.”

“That’s not true!” Bell’s voice was strong and resounded in the room powerfully. “There’s no way there could be someone who must not be saved! A Hero would never abandon someone like you, Miss Haruhime!”

Haruhime looked at Bell in surprise, his words resounding within her chest for a long moment. “…thank you very much.” She gave him a soft, warm smile as her green eyes cleared up a little, showing him the bit of relief he’d brought to her.

The blazing star of determination, desire, dreams, and goals that fueled Bell’s efforts to seek that nearly unattainable peak of True Hero burned within his chest as he saw someone before him that needed just such a Hero. The flames burned behind his rubellite eyes as he sat across from Haruhime and gently took her hands in his. No words were said, but as burning rubellite met scared, resigned green…a promise was made.

Bell Cranel would save Haruhime, whatever he had to do.

-End Chapter-

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BEST FOX MET!!!

Must save Haruhime!

Bell has met someone else that needs a Hero to save them. As his dreams, desires, and goals burn within him, ever fueling his Liaris Freese, a silent promise is made.

The Hero will save the Harlot, no matter what it takes.

While the Pleasure Quarter is practically turned upside down by the Amazons of the Ishtar Familia searching for Bell, they’ve inadvertently facilitated the fateful meeting that will see their Familia faced with a Hero.

However, Bell still needs to get home, and tell his girlfriends what happened.

Maybe he should just throw Hermes under the bus for all the shit that happened tonight? Kek!

Now that Bell has made a promise, how long before the next incident involving the Hestia Familia occurs?

Keep reading to find out!

Let me know what you thought!

Until next time, later!