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

"Why are you suddenly asking this?"

"It's nothing, I just thought we might have a long-term relationship in the future. After all, you chose this child, so we should get to know each other first."

"...He was a human boy with white hair and red eyes. His name was Bell Crane."

"White hair and red eyes... Hmm, could it be that one?"

"what?"

Hestia stopped the quill that was sliding across the parchment and looked up.

In the direction of Mihe's gaze, in a corner of the hall, a white-haired human boy called out to a guild employee.

"Bell..."

"I knew it. Was that... giving something to someone?"

Under Hestia's and the others' watchful eyes, Bell nervously opened the small box in his hand to show it to them. The half-elf girl, dressed in a pretty guild uniform, carefully examined the items inside the box, said a few words to Bell, and then chuckled softly.

"Giving a gift to a woman, huh? Haha, your kid's got some ideas."

"..."

Hestia did not answer Mih's question, but kept staring at the scene.

Belle, her cheeks flushed, lowered her head to hide her embarrassment after the girl pressed her nose.

(Oh, so that's how it is.)

She cast a cold gaze at the scene, muttering to herself.

In other words, all the reason he rushed to the dungeon early in the morning to earn money was to give that beautiful half-elf girl a gift.

Hestia's mood plummeted.

Seeing Belle being mocked and laughed at by the girl, and hurriedly waving her hands with a red face, her resentment grew stronger.

"snort!"

"Hmm...? Hestia?"

"Sorry, Mich. I'll head back now."

Hestia rudely handed the completed form to the window, told Mih first, and then walked out of the guild headquarters alone. She didn't even care about Bell, who hadn't noticed her presence at all, and quickly crossed the courtyard in front of the headquarters.

(This is infuriating—it's really upsetting...)

Hestia thought to herself as she walked down Northwest Street.

She already knew why she was unhappy.

The goddess (Hestia) developed a possessive desire. Not towards anyone else, but towards Bell.

She developed an unwavering attachment to her first benefactor—the one she had longed for. She would immediately become unhappy if he showed kindness to anyone other than herself. "Don't touch that child, just look at me," this childish stubbornness lingered deep within her.

Hestia wasn't sure if it was because the other person was Bell that she acted this way.

She could only vaguely imagine that if the first person to form a contract hadn't been Bell... if she hadn't first encountered him, she wouldn't be in such a state of turmoil.

(That idiot Bell...)

A complex mix of emotions churned within her, and Hestia unknowingly returned to headquarters.

She stepped into the room, went to the far end, and then jumped onto her bed in one gulp. Her eyebrows remained at an unhappy angle as she angrily pulled up the blanket, piling it into a small mountain.

Hestia banished the thought of Bell from her mind and tightly closed her eyes in the dimming light.

◆

Clang clang clang.

The soft clinking of cutlery came from outside.

The tickling sound gently awakened Hestia, who slowly opened her eyes in the dim light.

She blinked repeatedly, then slowly raised her hand and pulled back the blanket covering her.

Hestia suddenly peeked out from one end of the blanket, the magic light shining on her face, causing her to close her eyes.

"..."

Her head was spinning, and in her dim and blurry vision, she immediately spotted a white figure.

The figure moved back and forth between the dining table and the kitchen several times, walking carefully on the floor without making a sound.

Soon, the delicate aroma of the soup wafted over.

"..."

She slowly sat up, lifting the blanket and another quilt covering her.

The white-clad figure immediately noticed Hestia and turned to walk to her side.

Good morning, gods.

"……Um."

Hestia nodded, responding to Bell's gentle smile.

Looking up, Hestia saw that it was past seven in the evening. After a few seconds of stunned silence, her mind still hazy, she shook her head to clear her head.

Her hair, tied in pigtails, swayed wildly to the left and right.

"...Did you prepare this?"

"Yes. Because I thought the immortals looked very tired... I'm sorry, I took the liberty of cooking rice."

On the table was a simple salad with peeled potatoes and freshly cooked soup.

The soup was poured into a cute wooden cup, steaming warmly.

"...You came home much earlier than usual today."

Hestia refused to acknowledge the scene before her; such a trivial matter had already filled her heart with warm joy, and she couldn't help but speak with a hint of sarcasm.

"Did something good happen?" She continued speaking without looking at Bell. Bell was startled at first, looking somewhat embarrassed, and then blushed slightly, her gaze wandering around before temporarily looking away.

With his back to Hestia, he took something out of the cabinet and brought it back to Hestia.

"Uh, um... Immortal, this is for you."

“…Huh?”

What was presented to Hestia was a small box.

Hestia's eyes widened, momentarily speechless, before she slowly accepted the small box.

Open the lid, and inside is a pair of hair accessories.

A small silver bell is attached to a ribbon decorated with azure petals.

"Bell, this is...?"

"I... I think the headband the deity is using now looks old, uh, how should I put it..."

So I wanted to give you a gift…” Bell said in a barely audible voice.

Hestia was truly stunned this time. She looked up at the boy's flushed face, which was slightly lowered and hidden by his bangs, with her still wide eyes.

She remembered the box containing the hair ornaments. It was the same box that Bell had shown to the half-elf girl at the guild headquarters.

So it turns out that it wasn't meant to be given to a young girl, but rather to ask her if the gift was good or bad—to solicit the opinion of a woman of the same sex to see if the gift would please her—is that right?

Remembering how Bell was mocked by the girl, Hestia realized that she had misunderstood.

(And he saw me like that...)

Seeing Hestia's expression just two days ago, gazing longingly at the shop window on Northwest Street.

The ribbon was so similar in style to the hair ornament of the ceramic doll she was staring at that Hestia understood everything.

"I... I didn't mean to hide it, I just felt like I shouldn't say it out loud, um... I'm sorry."

"..."

Hestia smiled quietly as she watched Bell stammering to himself.

Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she felt a pang of regret.

She herself gave up on giving Bell a gift so easily, but he didn't give up at all.

Bell's feelings were far more sincere than his own, and so tender.

"Did you spend so long in the dungeon just to deliver this to me?"

"Uh, yes... you could say that."

"You're so silly..."

"It must be expensive," Hestia thought, looking at the finely crafted hair accessory.

To earn money, they explored the maze from morning till night for several days in a row, returning exhausted and looking like a ghost. They must have encountered dangers along the way.

Hestia closed her eyes, and a smile gradually bloomed on her face.

"Bell".

"Uh, yes."

"Can you tie this for me?"

"Huh?"

"This is a gift from you. I hope you can tie it for me."

Seeing Bell start to panic, Hestia smiled sweetly and took his hand.

She led Belle to the dressing mirror, sat down in a chair with her face directly upwards, and smiled as she urged Belle, who was standing behind her.

Belle was terrified and didn't know what to do. Finally, she seemed to have made up her mind, nervously took the hair ornament, and carefully began to work on it.

"Bell, thank you. ...And, I'm sorry."

"what?"

"Hehe, it's nothing."

Bell touched his hair cautiously, which made Hestia smile.

She watched the boy frantically tying his hair in the mirror, listening to the calming sound in her own heart.

Whenever those hands stroked her dark hair, she would squint her eyes like a cat, surrendering herself to this comfortable moment.

"...Hey, Bell."

"Um?"

"I'm so happy to have met you, to have you as my first family member..."

Hestia calmly told Bell this, and his hand paused for a moment.

After a moment, he smiled slowly, sincerely, and carefree.

"I am also very fortunate to have met the gods."

Hestia blushed and responded with a smile to the smile reflected in the mirror.

—I will definitely come to like this child.

The little goddess understood this.

At this moment, Hestia only wished to watch over him forever and quietly observe the story etched on his back.

Soon, it appeared on the crookedly tied pigtails.

The small silver bell rang out with a clear, melodious sound.

Postscript to Volume 4

"Powerful!" "Cool!" "Awesome!" "Star Emperor Cross Sword!" The author has had these kinds of memories of blacksmiths since childhood, so he had long decided that the protagonist's partner had to be male. This episode finally brings him into the spotlight. In a work filled with female characters, this is quite poignant.

The blacksmith featured in this book is neither particularly strong nor cool, and he can't even wield the Star Emperor Cross Sword; he's just an obscure and neglected blacksmith. However, when writing the original manuscript, this character was transformed into a passionate craftsman who would start moving and talking on his own as soon as he started forging iron... That's what the author thought.

In my opinion, hearing about blacksmiths in fantasy stories always excites me, probably because I imagine them huddled in their dimly lit workshops, before the glowing furnace, striking resounding blows, pouring their hopes and anxieties into their work, single-mindedly crafting weapons. No matter how composed they try to appear, blacksmiths are perhaps forever a embodiment of passion.

The moment they walked out of the workshop, holding the only weapon in the world, and handed it over... I know I won't have the chance to witness that, but I still can't help but dream about it.

This fourth volume serves as a transition between stories, so it includes polished and revised short stories previously published in GA Bunko Magazine. Chronologically, "Quest × Quest" appears between Chapters 2 and 3 of Volume 3, while "The Bells for the Goddess" begins before Volume 1. I hope you enjoy it.