Familia Myth: Journey to Hero Chapter 12 (Patreon)

Hey friends and fans, Kairomaru is bringing you another chapter of Familia Myth: Journey to Hero! Time to get Lili out of Soma Familia! After that? Well, we need Eina’s approval of bringing her into the relationship, of course. Then some shopping, Lili shouldn’t have to wear old clothes that barely fit! Beyond that? Well, Bell might find himself with some extra time on his hands.

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So, without further delay, please enjoy.

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Chapter 12 – Soma, Conversion, Dance?

“We’d like a word with Soma.” Hestia requested of the guard at the Soma Familia’s home gate. Lili was at her side and Bell was on the Prum’s opposite side, just in case.

“Arde? What the hell?” The guard blinked at seeing the Supporter with a Goddess.

“I’m leaving the Familia. Lady Hestia is going to be Lili’s new Goddess.” Lili informed the guard firmly.

“As I have business with Soma, I don’t think you have any reason to try and stop me from seeing him, correct?” Hestia raised an eyebrow at the guard.

“I…well…this is…” The guard didn’t seem to know how to respond to the sudden situation.

“I’ll open the gate.” Lili was clearly tired of waiting and unlatched the metal gate herself. The guard squawked at the brunette for just opening the gate for others, but Bell looked directly into the older man’s eyes until he backed down.

The trio walked across the courtyard unimpeded. Lili opened the front doors for them as they made their way inside. Several members of the Soma Familia blinked, or outright gaped, at seeing someone not of the Familia inside the main building. None of them seemed like they were going to try and stop them, since Lili was clearly leading Hestia and Bell. Not to mention, Hestia wasn’t trying to hide her natural Divine Aura at all. Every mortal that looked upon her instantly knew that she was a Goddess. None of the Soma Familia members were eager to try anything because of it. This lasted until they got to the top floor and approached Soma’s office directly.

“Arde?” Zanis had been coming down the corridor when Lili, Hestia, and Bell had finished climbing the stairs. “What is the meaning of this?! You two shouldn’t be here!” The Captain of Soma Familia declared with a sharp glare.

“I have business with Soma involving Lili and her conversion to my Familia.” Hestia informed the man, her Divine Intuition still going off slightly at the sight of the man. He was definitely doing something wrong; Hestia was sure of it. “Move aside so that I may speak with Soma.”

“Conversion?” Zanis scoffed at the mere thought. “I’m not sure if Arde has told you, but conversion from the Soma Familia requires a ten-million Valis leaving fee and the conversion itself has to fit into Lord Soma’s schedule.” He looked at the Prum with disdain. “If Arde doesn’t have the money, then I’m afraid she can’t convert. I’ll have you both shown out. But Arde, we’ll be having a long discussion about you breaking the rules and bringing non-Familia members into the headquarters.” He reached took a step forward and his right hand reached towards Lili.

“You will not lay a hand on my Familia.” Hestia stepped between Zanis and Lili, physically stopping the bespectacled man from getting closer.

“She’s of Soma Familia, as the Captain of her Familia, her discipline falls to me.” Zanis narrowed his eyes at the short Goddess.

“Lili is converting to our Familia, just move aside.” Bell had quickly realized why Hestia didn’t like this man. Something about him just screamed ‘creep’ and ‘shady’ in ways that Bell had never seen before.

“You know you’re both considered trespassers, right?” Zanis growled at Bell and Hestia. “I could have the entire Familia armed against you with a single order.” His right hand gripped the hilt of the sword on his waist.

Bell reacted the instant that Zanis partially unsheathed the blade. He stepped into the other man’s guard first. He grabbed the arm holding the still mostly sheathed sword to prevent Zanis from drawing the blade. His right foot got behind Zanis’ foot and with a move he’d learned from Tiona, he threw the Level 2 to the floor.

“Gah!” Zanis squawked at the sudden takedown. As a Level 2 he wasn’t injured more than a slight bruise by the move, but his pride was substantially wounded.

“Don’t draw your sword against my Goddess!” Bell nearly growled at Zanis. No one threatened Hestia like that!

“You little!” Zanis spat as he stood up. “Guards!” He bellowed and a few seconds later multiple Soma Familia members rushed into the corridor carrying weapons. “Seize them!” The guards rushed towards Bell and Lili, even in the confusion of the sudden call from Zanis, they still knew Hestia was a Goddess and therefore wouldn’t harm her.

“Stop.” Hestia spoke before Bell or Lili could draw a weapon to fight back. A presence filled the corridor and all of the Soma Familia members stopped in place.

“What are you doing?!” Zanis demanded as he drew his own sword. “I said seize them!” He moved two steps forward with a snarl before his eyes met Hestia’s.

“You will stop.” Hestia stated calmly, a visible aura forming around her. The slightly glowing aura was a myriad of colors, like someone had mixed up a rainbow. She had let out part of her Divinity, the source of her natural Divine Aura, and the core of her Divine Existence. It wasn’t her Arcanum, that involved invoking her powers as a Deity and would send her back to Tenkai automatically. This was merely Hestia no longer hiding her true nature in any way, shape, or form.

The effect was immediate. Every Soma Familia Member was prostrated on the floor, their foreheads pressed against the wood. It wasn’t a matter of choice. Every single Mortal Existence automatically submitted to the Divine when it was presented to them. There was no thought, no consideration, no hesitation, only the instant response of bowing as low as possible and keeping their eyes on the ground. Only at the Deity’s decision would the mortals be allowed to look up to gaze upon them or speak to them.

Zanis was no different. He was a mortal man. The Captain of the Soma Familia had dropped his sword and prostrated himself before Hestia’s Divinity just like all the others. There were no other thoughts in his head other than submission. Even though he’d been wrathful a mere moment ago, filled with anger and about to use violence, now he had no intentions of anything.

“Let’s go.” Hestia, still glowing, moved past the prostrated Adventurers as she led the way towards the double doors just down the hall. Bell and Lili followed, the only two that Hestia had spared from her Divinity. The doors were opened and Hestia walked into the large room to see the God known as Soma mixing something in a large cauldron with a stirring rod. “Soma, it has been a very long time.” She greeted her fellow Deity.

“Hestia?” Soma turned his head only slightly to look at the Goddess. “I wondered why someone else’s Divinity was released in my home.” His tone was light, uncaring even, as if his focus wasn’t really on the here and now.

“Go on.” Hestia smiled at Lili and the Prum smiled back to her.

“Lord Soma, I’m asking you to allow me to convert to the Hestia Familia, please.” Lili bowed as she made her request. Soma made no indication that he’d even heard her at all. He just continued to mix his concoction without a care. Lili bit her lip; this was how it always went. She’d begged and pleaded with Soma before to just outright remove his Falna from her. But the Wine God never listened. He only cared about making his wine and left everything else to Zanis. “Please, Lord Soma, I want to convert!”

“Soma…your child is calling out to you; don’t you hear her?” Hestia questioned the other God. When Soma merely glanced at Hestia for a second before resuming his mixing, the Goddess was understandably annoyed. With her Divinity still released, Hestia walked over to Soma and crossed her right arm over her chest, her right hand hovering near the left side of her head.

SMACK

Soma’s head whipped around from Hestia’s backhanded slap across the face. The Wine God staggered and nearly lost his footing as he grabbed onto his nearby desk. His hand came up to cup his injured cheek as he looked wide-eyed at Hestia. The Goddess stared him down with disappointment and anger in her blue eyes.

“Hestia?” Soma blinked at the violence of the Goddess of the Hearth, Home, and Family.

“Have you gone blind and deaf, Soma?” Hestia questioned the Wine God with a cold look on her normally cheerful face. “Your child is calling out to you, but you ignore her. Your Familia is filled with violent alcoholics that’re addicted to your brew, yet you do nothing. People are being hurt by your children, but you stay cooped up away from all others and take no responsibility. What has happened to you?”

“Hah…” Soma finally looked like he was in the here and now. His dark eyes focused and attentive as he looked at the short Goddess. “What merit is there in the words of children that’re so easily consumed by a lust for wine?” Soma questioned with a heavy disappointment in every word. Hestia looked curious at his words, but didn’t change her expression. Bell was confused at the shift in the God’s tone and his words. Lili, however, knew what Soma was speaking of and looked down at the floor.

“What’re you doing?” Hestia questioned as Soma pulled down a jug and grabbed a goblet. Soma didn’t respond, her merely uncorked the jug and began pouring the liquid inside into the empty goblet.

“Is…Is that your wine?” Lili’s head shot up as she saw what Soma was pouring into the cup. She couldn’t forget that smell. Even though she’d freed herself of addiction and focused solely on earning enough money to leave the Familia, the Divine Wine had passed her lips before and left a mark on her.

“If you can drink this and still make the same request, then I’ll hear you out.” Soma spoke directly to Lili as he held out the goblet to her. Hestia almost wanted to knock the cup out of Soma’s hand, and maybe slap him again too, but Lili took the cup into both hands before she could. Bell had never tasted Divine Wine before, not even the failed stuff that could occasionally be found around Orario, but just by Lili’s reaction, he knew this must be powerful stuff.

“Drink it…” Lili looked at the wine in the cup. A heavy weight seemingly settled upon the room as Lili’s hands trembled slightly. ‘I have to…I have to drink this…to be free.’ She brought the goblet to her lips and downed the Divine Wine quickly. Soma watched on, unmoving and silent, as Lili finished off the cup. The moment that she finished the wine, her vision began to blur. Her cheeks turned reddish and she mumbled out incomprehensible words. When Lili dropped to her knees and then lay on the floor with light giggles escaping her, Soma’s eyes once more filled with disappointment and became unfocused.

“Lili?!” Bell wanted to rush to her side, but Hestia stopped him with her hand on his arm. “Goddess?”

“She has to overcome this, Bell.” Hestia shook her head while watching Lili. “She can’t free herself of this place without rejecting what tied her here for so long.” The Goddess spoke, her blue eyes showing both understanding and belief in Lili.

“Lili…” Bell watched as Lili mumbled and continued to lay on the floor.

Barely noticed was Zanis and all the other Adventurers from the corridor standing in the doorway. Hestia had reined in her Divinity and all of them had been free to move again. Zanis had rushed towards Soma’s office along with the others. They’d seen Lili drink the Divine Wine and all of them knew it was over for the girl. Zanis smirked at the inevitable outcome and kept his sword in hand. He’d end Arde’s rebelliousness quickly once Soma sent Hestia and Bell on their way.

In a haze of happy, drunken stupor, Lili floated. Everything was fine, everything was good. Basking in this euphoria was amazing and made all the troubles of life meaningless. What more could anyone ask for? The image of Bell appeared in Lili’s mind and she realized what was wrong. ‘No…no, I don’t…I can’t…’ The Prum would’ve shaken her head if she could. ‘I won’t, I refuse to give in.’ Lili mustered up all of her willpower, every scrap of courage she had, her hopes and dreams that had all been nearly shattered by Soma Familia. She also focused on what she truly wanted. A life, a real life, a home and family, people that she could depend on, and that could depend on her. Tears fell from Lili’s eyes as she lay on the floor of Soma’s office.

“Please…” Lili whispered out.

“Hmm?” Soma’s gaze turned back to Lili.

“Please…Lord Soma….” Lili had tears pouring down her reddened cheeks as she sat up from the floor. “I want to convert!” Soma’s eyes refocused at her declaration. All of the Adventurers in the doorway gaped in shock that Lili could speak coherently after drinking the Divine Wine. “I know I’ve made mistakes. That I’ve done bad things. But every single mistake has only made me realize that I don’t belong here!” Lili cried out to the Wine God. “Please, Lord Soma, let me leave the Familia! Let me follow my own path!” She looked into Soma’s eyes as her own spilled tears of pain, misery, and self-loathing.

“Lord Soma!” Zanis stepped into the room. “Don’t listen to her spiel! She’s clearly…”

“Hush, Zanis.” Soma cut off the Captain of his Familia. He walked towards the kneeling Lili. “You want to convert?”

“Yes, Lord Soma, please.” Lili looked into his dark eyes unflinchingly and without doubt.

“Very well.” Soma agreed and Lili couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face, even through her tears.

“That’s not possible.” Zanis denied what he was seeing, moving towards Lili with his sword raised. “How dare you ruin my perfect system?!” His attempt at an attack was stopped cold by Bell’s fist smashing into his face. There was a sharp crack as Zanis’ nose broke from the punch and gushed blood. He dropped his sword as he hit the floor, cradling his face and nose.

“Enough.” Soma’s Divinity was released and focused entirely upon Zanis. The man quickly rolled onto his stomach and put his face to the floor in submission to his God. “Chandra,” The Wine God looked to a man with dark hair and a thick beard that was wearing an orange shirt and dark pants.

“Yes, Lord Soma?” Chandra, the Vice-Captain of Soma Familia, bowed at the waist.

“Take Zanis to the basement and lock him up. We’ll deal with him later.” Soma ordered and Chandra instantly complied. He muscled Zanis to his feet and restrained his hands. The injured Captain was marched out of Soma’s office and towards the basement. The rest of the Soma Familia Adventurers following the Vice-Captain after a mere look from Soma and feeling his will through his Divinity and their connection to it through their Falna.

“Your choice in Captain leaves a lot to be desired, Soma.” Hestia commented after Zanis was taken away.

“Did I really give him my Falna?” Soma seemed like he honestly couldn’t remember who he had given his Falna to in the last few decades.

“Lord Soma?” Lili looked up at the God. “Can I really convert?”

“Yes,” Soma nodded while motioning to a stool in the corner. “Bring that over here and sit down. We’ll begin the conversion.” Lili was quick to comply and was sat upon the stool in the middle of Soma’s office in moments.

“M-Master Bell?” Lili turned to look at Bell over her shoulder. “Could…could you look the other way for a bit?” She requested bashfully.

“Oh, right…” Bell quickly turned to look out the door and into the corridor.

“Thank you.” Lili blushed as she turned forward and pulled off her shirt. It was one borrowed from Hestia, so it was loose on Lili’s smaller frame. But she wore nothing beneath it and she wasn’t sure that she was ready for Bell to see her bare back, much less possibly getting a glimpse of her breasts.

Lili’s back appeared blemish free without a mark on her. Hestia cocked an eyebrow at that, wondering where her Falna was. Soma removed his gloves and pricked his right index finger with a needle. A drop of his blood fell onto Lili’s back and the black lines and hieroglyphs of her Falna appeared a second later. Soma ran his finger over the symbol of his Falna, a pair of goblets and a crescent moon, and traced the image. The Falna glowed as the various other lines and hieroglyphs all turned from black to a bright white. Soma stepped back and Hestia stepped forward.

“This will just take a second, Lili.” Hestia promised the girl with a smile. She removed her white gloves and also pricked her finger to draw blood. She first traced over Soma’s glowing symbol to remove it. Once the Falna was just a glowing set of hieroglyphs containing all of Lili’s stats, Hestia began to trace her own symbol, a hearth and flames, onto the Prum’s back. With a happy grin, Hestia gave her Falna to Lili and made the girl part of her Familia. “Do you have any paper, Soma?” Hestia asked the Wine God. Soma picked up a blank paper from his desk and handed it over to the Goddess without a word. Hestia nodded her thanks and placed the paper on Lili’s back. A circle of her fingertip and the new Falna was completed and finalized. “Welcome to my Familia, Lili.” Hestia hugged the girl warmly.

“Thank you, Lady Hestia.” Lili leaned into the hug with a smile. A moment later the two separated and Lili put her borrowed shirt back on. Taking the paper from Hestia, Lili saw her Status for the first time in a long while. It was what she recalled from the last update six months ago, since Hestia couldn’t update her Status while giving her a Falna at the same time.

-Status-

Liliruca Arde

Level 1

Strength – I 42

Defense – I 42

Dexterity – H 143

Agility – G 285

Magic – F 317

Magic

-Cinder Ella-

Transformation Magic – Incantation: ‘Your wound is mine. My wound is mine. Echoing message of midnight.’

(Enables the user to transform into anything around their own size.)

Skills

Artel Assist – When the user is carrying a certain amount of weight, this skill will help compensate in abilities. The amount compensated depends on the weight.

-Status-

The paper was quickly burned in the fire underneath the cauldron. Lili bowed to Soma in respect. Bell happily took her hand as they headed for the doors. Soma watched Lili go for a moment before turning to Hestia.

“I feel as though I’ve wronged that child.” Soma spoke plainly, no inflection in his voice at all.

“You did.” Hestia confirmed with a side glance at the other Deity. “Being in your Familia put that girl through hell. She’s stronger from it, but in the worst way to go about it. You might want to take a long hard look at what that says about you and your Familia, Soma.”

“…” Soma was silent at Hestia’s words, but his eyes had remained focused the whole time. Perhaps he’d been to wrapped up in his wine making, to disappointed in his children rather than trying to help them. Maybe it was time for a change?

-Hestia Familia Home ~ Evening-

“Remember what I said when you first introduced Miss Arde to me, Bell?” Eina questioned her boyfriend with a raised eyebrow.

“I didn’t really expect this to happen, Eina, I swear.” Bell shook his head at the lovely Half-Elf.

“Lili doesn’t mean to be a bother.” Lili looked off to the side. “Master Bell has been so kind to her, taking care of her, she couldn’t help but fall for him.”

“I understand…” Eina let out a gentle sigh. “He’s got a heart of gold. What girl wouldn’t fall for him if given enough time, right?” She giggled with a smile. Lili smiling back as her cheeks turned red.

“Yeah…” Lili admitted as she caught Bell’s eyes. The white-haired young man smiled back at her and Lili felt the butterflies in her stomach again.

“That’s why we’re talking this out.” Hestia smiled warmly at the three of them. “To see if we can make this work between us.” She held Bell’s hand with love practically pouring from her eyes. “We all love Bell. It doesn’t make sense to fight amongst ourselves and hurt each other. We can all love him and be loved in return.”

“Lili agrees!” Lili smiled from her spot beside Bell on the couch. The Prum happy to be held close to his side as she laid her head against his chest.

“It would be counterproductive to fight each other when Bell loves us all.” Eina agreed as she rested her head on his shoulder while Bell wrapped his arm around her waist. “But I do think there should be some kind of limit. Even Bell can’t be attentive and loving to too many women all at once.” The Half-Elf mentioned after some thought.

“I never expected to love three amazing women at all.” Bell kissed the top of Eina’s head and then kissed the top of Lili’s right after. “Even with grandpa’s stories of heroes and harems and such.” Left out was that he’d rather enjoyed those tales growing up during his early teenage years.

“Mhmm~” Eina hummed at the affection as they cuddled.

“I think we can all agree to that.” Hestia laughed melodiously before leaning forward to capture Bell’s lips for a quick kiss. “Maybe a hard limit of ten?”

“T-Ten?!” Bell nearly choked at the number. That was a lot of women!

“I was thinking around six or so?” Eina blinked at Hestia’s number. Was she planning to make this a harem for Bell or herself?

“Maybe just split the difference and say eight at most?” Lili offered from her place snuggled up to Bell’s side. “Lili can deal with a family that size, she thinks.”

“I think that’s more than enough.” Bell agreed with the number. Not like he’d ever have that many girlfriends/lovers/wives or anything. He may have some kind of crush on Ais, Tiona, and Tione, but he knew he was so far below them as an Adventurer that he’d never be considered a romantic prospect.

“That’s settled then.” Hestia nodded and Eina agreed with a gentle smile as she kissed Bell’s cheek.

“We’ll have to get to know each other better, Lili.” Eina smiled at the Prum girl.

“Lili would like that, Miss Eina.” Lili nodded to the Half-Elf.

“Just Eina is fine, Lili, we’re going to be family, no need for formality, right?” Eina’s smile was beautiful and Lili felt her cheeks flush slightly.

“Y-yes…Eina.” Lili agreed before burying her face in Bell’s chest.

“Ooh, idea!” Hestia giggled and got the three’s attention. “You said tomorrow was your day off, right, Eina?”

“Yes.” Eina confirmed as she lay against Bell.

“Well, we still need to buy Lili a new wardrobe.” Hestia smiled at Lili and got a smile in return. “So, why don’t we make it a girl’s day and get to know each other better?”

“That sounds like a lovely idea.” Eina agreed with her own smile.

“Lili would like that.” Lili’s own adorable smile practically lit up the room.

“Then tomorrow is a shopping trip for us ladies!” Hestia cheered with a beautiful laugh. “Bell, you’ll have to take tomorrow off from the Dungeon.”

“That’s fine with me.” Bell shrugged at taking a single extra day off for the first time. “I want you three to enjoy yourselves as much as possible too.” He squeezed Lili and Eina into his sides gently. “I want our little family to be happy.”

“Bell…” Hestia cooed and quickly sat in his lap. Their lips met again and they enjoyed sharing their affection. When they separated, the two smiled lovingly at each other. A second later and Eina hummed in approval as Bell kissed her softly. The Half-Elf giggled cutely when they parted.

“Master Bell…” Lili leaned up and readily accepted the kiss. Bell’s kiss was warm, gentle, and filled with his love and affection for Lili. The brunette easily melted into it and wouldn’t have minded a bit if the kiss lasted forever.

After a delicious dinner filled with conversation and laughter, Bell walked Eina home. The two shared a deep kiss in front of Eina’s apartment that left both feeling like they were walking on air. Bell had walked back home with a wide smile on his lips. When he returned, he found Hestia and Lili on the couch together. The glow he could see from the other side of the furniture made him stop though. Clearly Lili was getting her first Status Update from Hestia and Bell knew that Lili wasn’t ready for him to see her topless.

“All done, Lili.” Hestia smiled as she handed over the newly updated numbers to Lili. “I think you’ll be surprised.”

-Status-

Liliruca Arde

Level 1

Strength – I 81

Defense – H 123

Dexterity – G 232

Agility – F 383

Magic – E 402

Magic

-Cinder Ella-

Transformation Magic – Incantation: ‘Your wound is mine. My wound is mine. Echoing message of midnight.’

(Enables the user to transform into anything around their own size.)

Skills

Artel Assist – When the user is carrying a certain amount of weight, this skill will help compensate in abilities. The amount compensated depends on the weight.

Harvester - When breaking down monsters the user is more likely to acquire a Drop Item and higher quality ones too. Also enables the harvesting of other monster parts for material.

-Status-

“Lili’s stats went up so much!” Lili exclaimed at seeing the update. “LILI GOT A NEW SKILL!!!” She saw her new Skill and nearly exploded with excitement.

“Of course.” Hestia’s melodious laughter rang out as she pulled Lili into a hug. “Your experiences and Excelia don’t disappear just because you don’t get a Status Update. So, you just got the last six months all added at once.”

“Oh…that makes sense.” Lili blinked at never having considered that. It made sense though. Excelia was experience made manifest, every action taken to improve any Basic Ability stat added to it. Since experiences couldn’t be taken back, it stood to reason that Excelia couldn’t disappear. “Lili has heard of her new Skill before.” She read over the Skill again to make sure. “This is a Skill that a lot of the top Supporters in Orario gain eventually. With it you can try and extract parts of a slain Monster that aren’t its normal Drop Item. If Lili is careful, we might be able to harvest multiple Drop Items and other materials from the Monsters that Master Bell slays in the Dungeon. We could make so much money from that!”

“Congratulations, Lili!” Bell smiled from where he still stood next to the door.

“Master Bell!” Lili squeaked cutely, but calmed down a second later as she realized he couldn’t see her topless form because of the back of the couch. “Thank you, Lili is very excited!” She quickly put her borrowed shirt back on to cover herself.

“We’ll do everything we can to support you and your growth, Lili.” Hestia kissed the top of Lili’s head as she held the Prum girl.

“Absolutely.” Bell sat next to her on the couch and Lili blushed with a happy smile as she was hugged by both Hestia and Bell.

“Thank you so much.” Lili immersed herself in the love and warmth of her new family without restraint. “Um…can Lili…sleep in Hestia and Master Bell’s bed with them tonight?” She requested while poking her index fingers together cutely.

“Of course, Lili.” Hestia agreed readily.

“Whenever you want, Lili.” Bell kissed the top of her head and squeezed her gently.

That was how a smiling Lili found herself sleeping between Bell and Hestia in the master bedroom a short time later. Her head on Bell’s bare chest, over his heart, and Hestia pressed up against her back. After good night kisses, the three got cozy and drifted off. It would be a busy day for Lili and Hestia tomorrow. Bell would have some unexpected free time and wasn’t sure what he’d do beyond taking in his gear for maintenance.

-Dungeon ~ Seventeenth Floor-

“It has been a long time since I prowled this floor.” Ottar mumbled to himself as he walked through the cavernous labyrinth.

In just his normal sleeveless blue top, dark gray pants, and black boots, most wouldn’t think he was properly protected for being in the Middle Levels. His only armor was a half breast plate strapped to his chest, over his heart, and the two large steel gauntlets on his wrists. On his waist were a pair of massive steel greatswords. Nothing compared to his normal equipment, both were only of the Superior Grade with a minor enchantment for their durability, but they would lay waste to most of the Middle Level Monsters if wielded with some skill. Over his right shoulder was the strap of a rather large backpack. It contained a great number of rations and plenty of water. Powerful the Level 7 Adventurer was, but even he needed to eat and drink.

He was given a task by his Goddess that would take some time. To make Bell Cranel face his trauma against Minotaurs, he’d been given free reign to do so however possible. So, he’d engineer a situation which the boy couldn’t run away from. He’d train up a Minotaur and then force it up the floors until it got to the Upper Floors where he could have the beast corner Bell. Those that did not try would never achieve. That was just how life was.

‘Goddess Freya is like a wind that embraces the earth. Wind cannot be contained, possessed, or stopped. Above all, wind needs no companion. Wind is equal, fair.’ Ottar thought to himself as he walked along the corridor and approached the next intersection. ‘But if the wind yearned for an open sky…’ “Heh…childish.” The Boaz man chuckled to himself. A loud crash and the thudding of heavy footfalls got his attention. “Hmm?” He listened as the loud stomping got closer and closer.

“Mrrrggghhh!” A Minotaur growled as it stopped around the corner with an axe-shaped landform in its right hand. “Uwaaaahhhhoooo!” The Minotaur roared at seeing the incredibly tall Adventurer.

“At last…a Minotaur.” Ottar was thankful that it hadn’t taken him more than a few hours to find one. The Monster charged him with a power leap and swung the axe-like landform down on Ottar with all of its strength. In response, the Level 7 Adventurer merely raise his left gauntlet to block. The stone weapon shattered like glass against Ottar’s insanely high defense. The Minotaur’s red eyes widened at seeing only the handle of its weapon still intact. “Excellent.” The Boaz man remarked. “You have been chosen.” He shot a sharp glare at the Minotaur and the Raging Bull Type Monster backed up a few paces instinctively.

“Goh…guh…” The Minotaur huffed as it assessed its opponent.

“You can keep fighting like that, but if that’s all you’ve got…” Ottar pulled one of the greatswords from the holster on the back of his waist. With a half-hearted toss, the massive steel sword stuck into the rocky ground next to the Minotaur. “It’s okay. Use that.” Ottar practically ordered the Minotaur.

“Mrgh…” The Minotaur looked between the greatsword and the Adventurer. Minotaurs weren’t intelligent in the same way as Beastmen, Elves, Humans, Dwarves, Amazons, or Prums were. But they were far from stupid. When they killed Adventurers, it wasn’t uncommon for them to steal whatever weapon the dead Adventurer had on them. Stories of Minotaurs with swords, axes, clubs, maces, and the like were well-known. When presented with such a formidable weapon to use, no Minotaur would pass it up. The Minotaur grasped the handle carefully and pulled it from the ground. Getting a feel for the weight, the Monster immediately lunged towards Ottar with a powerful overhead swing.

Ottar merely smacked it aside like it was an annoying insect.

“Guoh?” The Minotaur blinked before stepping back a bit to reset.

“Bell Cranel, if you are truly worthy of her love…survive this.” Ottar challenged the boy as he stalked towards the Minotaur to begin its training.

-Next Day ~ Gioia Square-

“Hmm, what to do today?” Bell had just dropped off his equipment to the Hephaestus Shop he usually went to for maintenance. With the girls spending the day together shopping, he had a lot of time to kill. Ais had informed him during their last training session that today would have to be skipped because Loki wanted her to go somewhere with the Goddess. So, he didn’t even have training this morning. With nothing else to do, he walked along until something caught his ear. “Music?” He followed the sound curiously. It wasn’t uncommon for Bards to play in the squares to make a little Valis. But this sounded different. It was only after Bell entered the square properly that he saw what was going on. “A dance?”

It was true, the square was filled with music and many people were seen dancing freely. The musicians playing were clearly in good spirits and being led by an older-looking man with salt and pepper hair and a matching beard. He had gold bands on his wrists and forearms, was decked out in a leather vest with an orange sash over it, loose-fitting pants that started dark red but faded to black further down the legs. In his hands was an ornate veena that probably cost more than Bell had ever made in the Dungeon.

“Wait…” Bell took a moment to think. “I know him, that’s Arthur Harkness, the Yoddha Geet! He’s Level 5 and the Captain of the Saraswati Familia!”

The Goddess Saraswati was a Goddess of Knowledge, Music, Art, Speech, Wisdom, and Learning. Her Familia was one of the larger ones in Orario and often called upon for music during the various celebrations around the large city. The Ganesha Familia were allies with the Saraswati Familia and the two Deities got along well from what little Bell knew. He’d heard that the members of the Saraswati Familia sometimes played and set up impromptu dances just for fun and to liven up the city. He’d never stumbled upon one until now though since he was usually in the Dungeon all day.

“I wonder if the rumors of the Captain causing mischief are true?” Bell thought back to some of the rumors he’d heard from both Hestia and Eina. Arthur was apparently known for occasionally going a bit too far with fun and revelry and causing incidents. Some of them mostly harmless and others that the Guild had fined the Saraswati Familia for when the man went overboard.

Deciding to at least check it out since he’d never seen one of these dances before, Bell made his way along the edges of the square. Stalls were selling food and drinks, probably much more than normal given how happy the owners looked, and the music really was great. It was energetic and really made one want to move with it. Bell had never danced in his life, but even he found his head moving along to the beat before he realized it.

“Isn’t that?” Bell blinked at seeing a familiar face among the crowd. His red eyes met the eyes of Tione Hyrute as she stood at the edge of the dancing crowd. This was probably the first time he’d seen her out of her normal Adventurer clothing. Not that the short dress the Amazon was wearing covered much more skin. The white dress only went down to mid-thigh, had a plunging neckline that exposed her cleavage, two strings tied behind her neck held it up and left her back bare as well. Around her neck was a choker with a silver crescent move charm on the front. She also wasn’t wearing shoes, but that was fairly normal for Amazons. From what Bell had learned about the all-female race, skimpy clothing and little to no armor was simply part of their culture.

Tione smiled at seeing him and beckoned him over. Bell walked over to the lovely Amazon without a thought. They were at least friends now and Bell was happy to see someone he knew. He smiled at Tione as he stopped in front of her.

“Hey,” Tione grinned at Bell. “I saw you looking from over there.” She teased him slightly.

“Ah, it’s just I’ve never seen you outside of your Adventuring clothes.” Bell rubbed the back of his head with a smile. He was getting a bit better with Tione and Tiona’s teasing nowadays…sort of. “You look pretty, Miss Tione.” He complimented her sincerely.

“Oh? You like it?” Tione grinned wider at him. She moved her hips a little to the beat to show off her curves and how much the little dress showed off. “I’m glad I wore it then.” Her grin was downright predatory when she saw Bell’s eyes run up and down her body. “You wanna dance?” She motioned toward the dancing crowd with a tilt of her head.

“I-I-I’ve…never danced before.” Bell shook his head.

“Don’t worry about that.” Tione laughed at him before taking hold of his wrist and dragging him into the crowd.

“Miss Tione!” Bell cried out in surprise. Before he knew it, he was dancing with Tione. He was unsure of what he should do and looked to Tione for instruction.

“Relax…” Tione laughed at how nervous Bell was. “Just go with the beat…forget about everything else.” She began to move and Bell was once again reminded of how much skin her little dress showed. Hips, curves, her thighs, Bell’s eyes continuously followed the motions as he loosened up and began to move with the music. “There you go.” Tione encouraged as she performed a little twirl sending her long hair swinging in an arc. Unbeknownst to Bell, the music the bards of the Saraswati Familia played was known to free listeners from some of their inhibitions, making them more festive and easygoing than they might normally be.

“Miss…” Bell was about to speak when Tione was suddenly much closer as they danced together, but the Amazon placed her index finger on his lips.

“Tione…you don’t need to be so formal.” Tione looked him dead in the eyes until Bell nodded. Getting the response that she wanted, Tione was all smiles again.

“Tione…you’re very close.” Bell mentioned as they continued to move with the music. It was true, the Amazon was practically pushing up against him now.

“And?” Tione grinned at the other Adventurer. “Loosen up, Bell…just enjoy the dance.” Normally that advice wouldn’t work on Bell, but with the music playing from the bards he just shrugged and went with it. “Hmm, see, it’s not so bad to let go.” She smiled at him as she pushed up against him, her large tits against his chest as they moved together.

“Yeah…it’s not bad.” Bell agreed as he just went with the music, the beat, and whatever felt right. His hands found her hips and Tione grinned. With another twirl, her long hair brushing his face, Tione’s back was to him and she leaned back into his chest as they danced. Bell’s hands quickly finding her hips again as they moved together.

When the song died down the two Adventurers separated to clap for the bards. As the bards switched what they were playing, both Tione and Bell smiled at each other. Neither was feeling any kind of nerves or awkwardness thanks to the music.

“Having fun now?” Tione questioned as she leaned forward a bit, inadvertently or maybe even purposefully, showing off her cleavage to him.

“It’s a blast.” Bell agreed, though his red eyes did take a glance at what Tione was showing off.

“Tione, there you are!” Tiona emerged through the crowd and then noticed Bell. “Hey!” She beamed at him and quickly wrapped her arms around his left arm with a laugh. “I didn’t know you were going to be here!”

“I just stumbled upon the dance.” Bell chuckled at Tiona’s exuberance and energy. She was wearing a golden-yellow top that was similar to a bikini, showing off some of her breasts but with more frill than anything Bell had ever seen her in. On her hips was a matching skirt that was short, maybe reaching mid-thigh if the spunky Amazon was perfectly still. Around her neck was a necklace with a yellow and orange charm in the shape of a stylized sun. “You look good in that, Tiona.”

“Thanks!” Tiona giggled as the music started up again. “Ooh! You wanna dance?” She smiled brightly at Bell.

“Sure.” Bell returned her smile and Tiona laughed.

“Hey now, you can’t steal your sister’s dance partner, Tiona.” Tione gave a little pout at her twin.

“Who says a dance is only two people?” Tiona waved off without a care. “Let’s just dance how we want!” The spunky Amazon cheered and began to move to the music.

“Alright, why not?” Tione shrugged as she did a quick twirl, the tips of her long hair brushing across Tiona and Bell, before she took Bell’s back. Amazons weren’t known for being shy. If anything, the vast majority of the all-women race was incredibly forward and upfront about what they wanted or desired.

“Eh?” Bell suddenly found himself the center of an Amazon sandwich. Tione pressed up against his back while Tiona had happily put his hands on her hips and was swaying to the beat. The inhibition-freeing effects of the music was picking back up fully now and the three were quickly back to enjoying themselves.

“Hehehe, dancing is fun, huh?” Tiona laughed as they moved together around a small area as they danced.

“Yeah.” Bell agreed instantly. “I never knew I’d enjoy it so much.”

“Are you sure it’s not because of your dance partners?” Tione teased as she pressed herself against his back, her large tits nearly spilling out of her top as they molded to him. Her hips were moving side-to-side with the beat of the music even as she teased him.

“Maybe?” Bell laughed as matched her motions and made Tione smile at him.

“Tione, spin and press your back to Bell’s chest.” Tione laughed as all three had completely relaxed and given in to the music.

“Okay~” Tiona giggled as she spun with a swing of her hips and her back was facing Bell. She happily leaned back into Bell’s chest as his hands found her hips again.

The movements of the three synced up even better now as they moved with each other. Bell held Tiona’s waist as the younger Amazon twin put her hands behind her head and swayed her hips to the beat, shaking her booty in the process. Tione’s breasts were practically dragging up and down Bell’s back as they moved together, her own booty bouncing to the music. Without warning Tione’s hands stopped running up and down Bell’s chest and reached for her sister.

“Tione!” Tiona laughed as her sister’s hands covered her breasts and pulled her flush against Bell.

Now they couldn’t do much more than sway and grind against each other. The music continued to play and Bell, who would most likely have been locked up from nerves without it, just went with what the Amazon sisters wanted. He felt Tiona’s ass bouncing against him and Tione’s body pressed against his back as she mimicked his movements while teasingly playing with her sister’s tits. Tiona laid her head back on Bell’s shoulder with bright laughter. Tione rested her chin on his opposite shoulder with a giggle.

“I think Bell has a severe case of Amazon Fever~” Tione teased as they continued to dance.

“Then we’ll have to fix it~” Tiona giggled as Tione gave her handfuls a playful squeeze.

“I don’t think that’s a real sickness.” Bell chuckled as he enjoyed dancing with Tione and Tiona.

Had Tiona and Tione not gotten to know Bell over the last several days, this dance would’ve never happened, regardless of the music’s natural effects. But having become friends as they helped train him with Ais, who they considered their third sister, both of the Amazon Sisters had come to like Bell quite a bit. Seeing his tenacity, his drive to get stronger, his willingness to learn everything they could teach him, not to mention his explosive growth, all of it had set off the instincts that the warrior race of Amazons had cultivated since time immemorial. Bell wasn’t strong by comparison to them, a usual trait that Amazons looked for in a man, but his sheer growth rate couldn’t be denied. He wasn’t strong right now, but he would be, and if he kept defying all common knowledge of the Falna, it wouldn’t take long either!

Without even knowing it, Bell had endeared himself to Tione and Tiona. His personality, his drive, and his sheer potential had caught their attention on multiple levels. Their instincts were plenty happy to stake a claim on Bell now and help him reach the level of power that rivaled or even exceeded their own in the future. While this unconscious factor had already made its decision, Tiona and Tione were content to train with Bell and continue to get to know him better. This dancing was just another step in that and one that all three enjoyed.

A few hours later and Bell would be walking home with a dazed expression and some rather steamy memories of the dancing he’d done with Tiona and Tione. It would only be later that he realized the effects of the music. He was also glad to be able to have the house to himself along with the large bath. Close dancing like that, under the sun especially, had made all three of them sweat a bit. While Hestia probably wouldn’t care that he’d dance with some female friends, Bell didn’t want Lili or Eina to think he was doing anything inappropriate outside of their relationship. He was not going to jeopardize his relationships by giving into his hormones or any special music!

But a small, tiny, little, animal part of his brain did remind him that it was the sisters that started it. Not to mention that a lot of the Heroes in the stories his grandfather had read to him growing up had many women that they loved.

Bell simply sunk deeper into the large tub and let his long exhale make bubbles rise to the surface.

-Omake ~ The Captain of the Saraswati Familia-

“You’re here because of the incident you caused in Amour Square yesterday.” Rhemer, a Chienthrope man and Guild Section Leader, sighed as he looked over the report of the incident.

“Yeah, I figured.” Arthur Harkness remarked as he sat in a chair across from the Guild Official’s desk. In the chair next to him was a gorgeous Goddess with flowing raven hair and a semi-dark complexion. Her dark eyes were filled with both boundless wisdom and also exasperation. Her Captain had ended up going to far…again…and now they were having a meeting with the Guild, again. This was Saraswati, the Goddess of one of the larger Familias within Orario.

“Arthur, don’t make this worse or I’m increasing how long I’m keeping your veena from you.” Saraswati warned her Captain with a look. She smoothed out her flowing clothing, all made from fine silk, before she turned her gaze back onto Rhemer.

“So, you’re admitting to knowingly playing a Spell Song that increased desires while lowering inhibitions?” Rhemer looked the Level 5 Adventurer directly in the eyes.

“I think it was the Soma Wine that lowered the inhibitions a bit more than my song.” Arthur suggested with a chuckle and a smile on his face.

“The Guild disagrees…” Rhemer didn’t look amused.

“Was the incident even that bad?” Arthur asked the Chienthrope with a put upon expression.

“You played the Spell Song while a large group of Amazons were passing through the square and started a mass public orgy!” Rhemer reminded him with an incredulous look.

“They just happened to show up.” Arthur denied blame for a random coincidence.

“You literally had all the male members of your Familia there to get laid!” Rhemer pointed at part of the report.

“That's not true!” Arthur pointed at Rhemer and raised his voice a bit.

“Oh?” Rhemer cocked an eyebrow at the retort.

“The women of our Familia were there to get laid too.” Arthur informed in a matter-of-fact tone.

Rhemer slammed his head onto his desk with a groan.

“Arthur, stop talking before you bankrupt our Familia.” Saraswati was pinching the bridge of her nose as she released a heavy sigh. “I’m also keeping your veena for a month now.”

“What? Why?” Arthur questioned his Goddess. “I just told the truth.” His veena was a custom-made Magical Focus! He used his Developmental Ability and all of his Spell Songs through it! He needed that to delve into the Dungeon and join expeditions to make extra cash.

“Do I really need to explain why?” Saraswati gave him a deadpan look.

“No…” Arthur looked back at Rhemer instead of at his Goddess. That look could be weaponized against her Familia.

“Let’s…just get to the official report, then we’ll go over the fine and the reprimand.” Rhemer looked like he wanted to be anywhere instead of in this meeting right now.

-End Chapter-

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Lili is out of Soma Familia! WOOHOO!!!

The little bean is now with a Familia that loves her and wants the best for her!

She also got her first Status Update in six months and got both a large boost to her stats, plus a new Skill!

Harvester was created by me and is a way for a skilled Supporter to help make their party even more money by getting rare materials from Monsters! Or in the case of some Monsters, multiple Drop Items! Bring in the money!

Eina has agreed to Lili joining the relationship and the girls have a day out together to get to know each other. Shopping for a new wardrobe for Lili so that she’s not wearing torn up clothes or clothing that’s too small for her! We’re taking care of our adorable Prum!

Ottar has entered the Dungeon to start training the Minotaur! Just how strong does the Captain of the Freya Familia intend to make the Monster?

Bell stumbles onto a dance put on by some members of a Familia of my creation, the Saraswati Familia! Then he sees Tione gets swept up into the music! Tiona finds them and joins in, making Bell one of the luckiest men in Orario as he becomes the filling of an Amazon Sister Sandwich!

Lucky punk…*Kicks dirt*

I hope you enjoyed the omake! The name of Arthur Harkness comes from my buddy, The Sinful, go read his stuff! If you’re curious about his Epithet, it means ‘Warrior Song’.

Let me know what you think with a review!

Until next time, later!