Familia Myth: Journey to Hero Chapter 32 (Patreon)

Hey friends and fans, Kairomaru is bringing you another chapter of Familia Myth: Journey to Hero! The Hestia Familia is making moves for their future growth! Yay! Welf is working hard to forge new equipment for the Party as well. What will he make with his new Blacksmith Developmental Ability? Bell gets his completed order from Neith Textiles and has a delivery to make! I’m sure the recipients will be surprised! Promises must be kept, after all!

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So, without further delay, please enjoy.

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Chapter 32 – New Equipment and Promises Kept

“Bell~” Eina moaned lowly as she lay on her back, her arms and legs wrapped around Bell as they moved together.

The lovers had barely been able to keep their hands off of each other over the course of Eina’s days off from work. That included this morning, as Eina had woken up to a soft kiss from Bell. The Half-Elf wouldn’t let it end with just a kiss though and had gently pulled Bell on top of her. Now the two had been making love for almost an hour already and both Eina and Bell reveled in their love and the pleasure they gave to each other.

Bell felt Eina tighten around him, pulling him closer as she moaned. He pushed forward, making sure to reach her deepest spot, and hit his peak with her, filling her womb to the brim with even more of his thick seed. Bell kissed Eina’s lips, her cheek and then her neck as she let out a blissful cry of ecstasy at the heat that filled her once again, her legs locking behind Bell’s waist to make sure that he couldn’t pull out. The two lay together in the afterglow, just holding each other close and sharing soft, sweet kisses for several long minutes.

“I love you, Eina.” Bell murmured to her softly, kissing her ear.

Eina cooed at the sensation, her ears being sensitive to the touch of Bell’s lips, and kissed his cheek in return. “Love you too, Bell.”

The two just laid together for a while longer until Eina eventually let Bell go, slowly unwrapping her legs from around his hips and her arms from around his shoulders. Bell got out of the bed and then softly picked Eina up, carrying her out of the bedroom and down to the bathing area with the large tub so they could wash each other again. Eina snuggled into him with a smile of love and contentment on her lips.

At the breakfast table, both Lili and Hestia and knowing grins on their faces as they saw Eina practically glowing again this morning.

“Just making sure, Eina?” Hestia teased the Half-Elf playfully.

“She must be.” Lili said with a giggle. “Master Bell has been doting on her every night and morning.”

Neither the Goddess nor the Prum said anything about their own afternoon activities with Bell. Their lover making sure to express his love and affection for them passionately when he returned from his date with Ais, Tione, and Tiona. The three women just giving each other soft looks and warm smiles.

“I just want Eina’s days off to be filled with all of the love we possibly can.” Bell chuckled and kissed Eina’s cheek.

Eina’s radiant smile was followed by her kissing Bell’s lips before happily returning to her breakfast.

As the four of them ate, talk about their plans for the day naturally came up. Hestia was planning to cook a large meal for all of the women that had expressed genuine love for Bell, since they would be coming over in the afternoon today. Bell and Lili would be heading to Welf’s forge to check out his progress on their new equipment made from the Goliath materials. Eina planned to enjoy her remaining day off with some reading and music. Hestia had a small handheld harp in her office just for Eina to play whenever she felt like it. Their home would be filled with the smell of Hestia’s delicious cooking and the beautiful sound of Eina’s music when everyone arrived.

As Bell and Lili prepared to head out after breakfast, they both kissed Hestia goodbye. Eina got a kiss from Bell as well, and a hug from Lili. Then Bell kissed Lili, just because he wanted to, making the Prum giggle and interlace their fingers. Hestia beamed at the love in her Familia and hugged both of them close (Lili’s face pressed into her tits from the height difference as Hestia stood on her tiptoes to hug Bell easier) and only let them go when she’d had her fill of affection.

“We’ll be back in a while, Hestia.” Lili smiled as she and Bell headed down the street together, hand-in-hand.

“Don’t be late!” Hestia waved to the pair with a smile.

“We won’t!” Bell assured her as he waved back to his Goddess lover.

-Welf’s Forge-

The rhythmic sound of hammer striking metal was heard as Bell and Lili approached the smithy. In a lucky coincidence, the hammering stopped a few seconds before Lili and Bell reached the door. With Welf either taking a break from working or having just finished, Bell peeked into the open door, feeling the heat coming from inside, and spoke up.

“Welf? Are you free?” Bell asked politely before stepping inside.

“Sure thing, Bell, come on in!” Welf called out as he hung up a piece of newly forged armor to let it cool properly. “Little Lili is here too? That’s great!” He smiled at the Prum. “I can get both of your opinions on the new gear.”

“Mr. Welf.” Lili greeted with a nod, knowing that Welf wanted her to be less formal, and enjoying the little back and forth she had with her friend.

Welf just rolled his eyes at Lili, not giving her the satisfaction of a retort. He knew that she addressed him like that on purpose and was determined to get her to be informal with him over time by not reacting to it.

Bell marveled at the new gear he saw spread out over a table on one side of the smithy. “Is this all ours?” He looked over at Welf with bright eyes.

“Hah!” Welf laughed at Bell’s clear excitement and appreciation for his work. “Damn right it is! Some of the hardest work I’ve ever done, so far, but I’ve really gotten to try out my new Blacksmith ability thanks to these Black Goliath materials.” He handed one of the pieces of armor to Bell, a vambrace. “Try this on and tell me how it feels.”

Bell did as Welf asked and strapped the vambrace onto his right forearm. “Hmm, it’s slightly heavier than my last one, but not enough to be an issue.” He smiled at Welf, feeling a noticeable increase in ‘power’, for lack of a better term, from the vambrace he had on compared to his previous one.

“Good, good.” Welf let out a small sigh of relief. “I did my best to make sure the weight wouldn’t be too much more, but the density of the Goliath Tooth fragments I used to forge it make it heavier than the previous version.” Welf gave Bell a grin. “But I can guarantee a definite increase in durability and protection from the previous armor.”

Welf reached over and pulled a small breastplate off the large table. “This one is yours, Little Lili.” He presented it to her with a smile. “Try it on and let me know how it feels.”

Lili accepted the breastplate with a small smile. “Thank you, Mister Welf.” The two shot each other a quick look at their normal back and forth with smirks. Lili put the new breastplate on, enjoying how thorough Welf was as their Party’s blacksmith, and how much care she was being shown by both Bell and Welf. It was so different to all the years she’d spent in Soma Familia. ‘Having people that really care about you is the best.’ She smiled to herself as she secured the armor and let the weight settle on her. “It’s my first time wearing an actual breastplate, but the weight doesn’t feel too heavy.”

“I was hoping you’d say that.” Welf nodded to Lili with a grin. “I made it a little thinner than Bell’s to reduce the weight, since our Little Lili is so small.” He shot Lili a smirk as she glared at him for a second. “Still, with my new Developmental Ability, everything I make will be Superior Grade, at minimum, from now on.” Welf promised them both with a serious look on his face.

“Thank you, Welf.” Bell gave his friend a grateful smile and a nod.

“Thank you,” Lili looked like she was debating with herself for a second before releasing a short sigh. “Welf.”

Welf smiled widely at both of his friends (only partially for getting Lili to be friendly and informal with his name) and motioned to the rest of the equipment on the table. “I can’t do anything too crazy with Blacksmith just yet, since it’s still only at I Rank, but everything here is a Superior Grade piece of equipment with a minor enchantment on it.” He pointed at the vambrace that Bell had just taken off and set back on the table. “The vambraces and breastplates are all enchanted with extra durability for added protection. The greaves…” He pointed to three pairs of greaves, each a different size. “Are all enchanted with a minor agility buff that should help keep us a bit faster and more mobile in the Dungeon.” Welf smiled at his latest creations with some pride, his smile only got bigger as he saw the sparkles in both Lili and Bell’s eyes as they looked over the new equipment. “And each piece is lined in the back with some of the Black Goliath skin, meaning that even if something manages to get through the metal, the skin’s natural toughness should stop any cut or puncture from happening.”

“This equipment is amazing, Welf!” Bell praised his friend brightly as he looked over the armor he’d soon wear into the Dungeon. It was a slightly off-white right now, but Bell was certain that once Welf finished it up, his set would be as white as his previous version, the small lines where the red accents would be were already forged into the metal.

“Lili agrees, Mister Welf! You’ve really outdone yourself!” Lili complimented, going back to more formal address just to bug Welf. “The Black Goliath Tooth used to make this steel is already much stronger than most materials a Party like ours would be able to afford. It’ll save us time and costs replacing it for the foreseeable future, I’m sure.”

Welf shook his head with a chuckle. “The idea is to keep us protected. The bonus of not having to replace it often is just that, a bonus.”

“You made Lili some bolts?” Lili asked as she saw five bolts that looked fairly normal, aside from the white tips with different colors on them. “They look a bit different from Lili’s normal bolts.”

“They should.” Welf looked down at the bolts and then picked up the one with a white and yellow tip. “This is a Magic Bolt, specifically a Lightning Magic bolt.” He saw both Lili and Bell’s eyes widen at what he’d made. “I’m still not a fan of Magic Swords and how unreliable they are, but I know I can’t improve if I don’t accept every part of myself. My knowledge, my skill, my experience, and even my blood…I need to accept all of it to become the greatest Blacksmith that I can be.”

Bell placed his hand on Welf’s shoulder and gave him a supportive smile. Welf nodded to Bell, appreciating his friend’s support.

“Thank you, Welf.” Lili didn’t even hesitate this time to use Welf’s name. “Lili will put them to the best use that she can.”

Welf gave Lili a grin. “I’d hope so, Little Lili, those aren’t easy to make, you know?” Lili deadpanned at Welf’s tone and the blacksmith snickered for a moment. “Use them as a last resort. They’re fairly powerful for being one use each. Aside from an Infant Dragon, a single one of these can easily take out any Upper Floor Monster, maybe even multiple of them. Against Middle Floor Monsters, it would definitely kill an individual Monster of a few species, but against Level 2 Monsters, I don’t think I can guarantee a kill if they’re uninjured. But it’ll certainly put them close to death, making them easier to finish off.” Welf gave Lili a thumbs up and a smile.

Lili looked over the five different bolts. “The white and yellow is Lightning, but what’re the rest?”

“Blue and white is Ice Magic. Red and white is Fire Magic. Green and white is Wind Magic. White and black is Light Magic.” Welf explained, pointing to each bolt in turn.

Lili made sure to memorize the colors and which element of Magic they each unleashed. These five bolts could very well end up saving their Party in the future. She would treat them with the care and seriousness that they represented.

Welf reached over to a sheathed shortsword on the end of the table and pulled it free of its scabbard, showing it to Bell. “This, is yours, Bell.” He handed the weapon to Bell with a grin. “Made from Black Goliath Tooth and Nosteel, it should last a good long while.” The Nosteel, coming from the Lower Floors, had been a bit pricey, but Welf knew it would bond well with the tooth fragment to create a more powerful alloy, so he’d bitten the bullet and bought some from the Hephaestus Familia stock which all of the smiths in the Familia could access.

“Whoa…” Bell held the shortsword as his rubellite eyes ran up and down the blade. “This thing is…strong.” He didn’t know how else to describe it. Much like Ushiwakamaru that Welf had forged from the Red Minotaur’s horn, this blade had an almost aura about it. Being a shortsword, it would also be better able to deal with Large Category Monsters than Ushiwakamaru could. It would make a fine addition to his Adventurer kit. “You’re amazing, Welf.” He couldn’t help but offer genuine praise for such a weapon.

“Heh, thanks, Bell!” Welf had a bright smile on his face at the praise for his work. Not a Magic Sword, but his own work, in his style, and through his own skill. The craftsman in him couldn’t be happier. “It’s got a minor enchantment for sharpness on it that raises its overall attack power. The alloy of Black Goliath Tooth and Nosteel is already so strong that it seemed redundant to add a durability enchantment to it.”

Truth be told, the knife probably reached Skillful Grade just from the combination of the materials, the enchantment, and Welf’s sheer skill as a blacksmith. But Welf wasn’t overly concerned about the Grade, only in creating the best weapon that he could for Bell, his friend.

Bell admired the shortsword for a bit longer before looking at Welf. “What’s it’s name?” A blade this amazing was surely deserving of a name.

“I was thinking something like…Zan Kyojin, maybe?” Welf offered as he looked at his creation. “It was forged from the remains of a giant, after all.”

“Hmm, that’s not too bad…” Bell didn’t really get Welf’s naming sense, but it wasn’t a horrible name.

Welf nodded and offered a different name just in case Bell didn’t like the first. “We could call it Kurotan, if you prefer? Seeing as it was made from the Black Goliath’s tooth.”

Lili deadpanned at Welf’s second name. “Zan Kyojin seems more respectable.”

“Really?” Welf looked between Lili and the shortsword. “If Bell likes that better, it’s fine.”

Bell sent a thankful look at Lili, getting a small grin from her in return. “Yeah, Zan Kyojin sounds good.” He sheathed the shortsword, looking forward to trying it out once the Party returned to the Dungeon.

The trio talked for a while as Welf took a break. Bell and Lili learned that Welf would need a couple more days before he was finished with everything, but that once he was done, then he’d be ready to dungeon crawl with them right away. Neither Lili or Bell wanted to rush Welf, so it was no real issue for the Party. Once Welf got back to work, Bell and Lili excused themselves and headed for Neith Textiles to pick up Bell’s order.

-Neith Textiles-

“Mr. Cranel, it’s good to meet you!” Akila Sami, Captain of the Enith Familia, greeted Bell when he and Lili were led into the back by one of the shopkeepers. “You brought us quite the impressive materials to work with.” She tossed her dark hair back a little as pleased smile formed on her lips. “It’s been the most fun that our Familia has had in a while.”

Bell smiled back at the lovely woman. “Thank you for finishing the order so quickly.”

“Of course.” Akila waved it off as no issue. “We’d like to demonstrate the capabilities for you, before we complete the sale, just to ensure that you’re fully satisfied with our work.”

Bell and Lili looked at each other for a second, a silent conversation held between them with just their eyes, before they both agreed.

Akila beamed at the pair and called out for the products to be brought out.

A set of mannequins were brought out, each of them donning one of the items that Bell had ordered made from the Black Goliath’s hair or skin. There was a black cloak, a black robe, a white battle dress, a white shirt, two black shirts, one much larger than the other, and two pareos with familiar designs, but woven into a black base material that was obviously the Black Goliath skin.

“Firstly, the hair and skin you brought have some very interesting properties.” Akila started off as she motioned to the finished pieces. “For example, piercing and slashing attacks are completely nullified, or at least nullified up to the strength that our Familia can bring to bear.”

Two members of the Neith Familia with swords approached the cloth armor and started slashing and stabbing at the pieces. Bell and Lili looked horrified, only to notice that no damage was being done to the cloth at all. The cloth still looked completely pristine after the two men stopped attacking.

“No penetration, but I’m afraid…” Akila held her hand over her stomach and grimaced. “The blunt force is still quite painful.” She clapped her hands and two more members of the Neith Familia came over, these two women had bows and quickly nocked arrows before firing repeatedly at the items. Lili and Bell both blinked as every single arrow bounced off the cloth without leaving a mark. “And finally!” Akila smiled as she took the places of the two archers and pulled out a knife in each hand. These weren’t ordinary knives though, as one had a white blade with an orange line going along each side, and the other was a blue blade with a white design on running along the spine. With a swing of the orange and white knife, a fireball shot at the black cloak.

Boom

Flames swallowed the garment, only to die out a second later as they couldn’t burn the material.

“Fireproof!” Akila beamed at Bell and Lili as she swung the second knife this time. “And again!”

A bolt of lightning leapt from the blade and blasted one of the pareos. The garment crackled as the electricity washed over it and almost seemed to slide off without doing any harm or even transferring through the cloth. Akila swung the knives twice more each, sending fire and lightning at the other items, only for the same result to happen every time.

Bell and Lili were clapping at this point. The sheer craftsmanship and confidence in their products made it clear why the Neith Familia had such a good reputation with the Guild and Adventurers in Orario. Bell would have to make sure to thank Eina again for recommending this shop.

With the demonstration over, Akila had her Familia members quickly gather up all of the items and fold them neatly, before wrapping them in properly labeled packages. Bell had to give names for the labels, but could only smile as he saw all of the packages gently placed in a large paper bag with the Neith Familia’s emblem on it. Then the total came and both Lili and Bell nearly cringed at the amount.

‘I’m so glad that I provided the material myself.’ Bell thought to himself as he paid for the Neith Familia’s expert work. If he’d had to purchase something of the same level as the Black Goliath Drop Items, the Hestia Familia couldn’t have even come close to affording it.

Lili smiled as she held Bell’s hand while they walked down the street back towards their home. “This has been a fun little errand run, Bell.”

“It really has, Lili.” Bell smiled at her, gently squeezing her hand in his. “Thanks for coming with me.”

“Lili loves spending time with you, Bell.” Lili returned his smile with one of her own and stood on her tiptoes to kiss him. “Lili loves you so much.”

“I love you too, Lili.” Bell kissed her again and then left another kiss on her forehead, making Lili giggle. The couple happily walked back home with a warm smiles on their lips.

-Hestia Familia Home ~ Afternoon-

The large Oikos-style home was livelier than ever as all of the women that had feelings for Bell had gathered to talk and figure out the relationship that they were trying to make work. But before any serious discussion would take place, Hestia was going to feed everyone!

Ryu sat on Bell’s right side, her cheeks pink as she held his hand and leaned against him, her smile was irremovable though as she enjoyed their closeness. Ais was on his left side, also holding Bell’s hand and laying her head on his shoulder, a soft smile on her lips as she enjoyed being so close to the one she loved. Tione was on Ais’s opposite side, a grin on her lips at how much Ais was clearly enjoying cuddling up to Bell. Eina was sitting next to Ryu, a gentle smile on her face as she played the small harp in her lap, filling the air with pleasant music. Tiona was sitting on the couch directly across from Bell, smiling at him brightly as she occasionally sniffed the air, the delectable aroma of Hestia’s cooking teasing her nose. Lili was helping Hestia finish up in the kitchen so that the group could eat sooner.

Bell could only relax on the couch and just enjoy being cuddled up with the ones he loved. ‘Definitely not something I’ll complain about.’ He thought to himself as he gently ran his thumbs over the back of Ais and Ryu’s hands. With Eina’s soft music filling the air, Bell was almost dozing off as well. He was warm, comfortable, and with his loves. Bell knew he’d be perfectly happy to fall asleep like this every night if he could.

“The food’s ready!” Hestia called out from the doorway to the dining room with a bright smile on her face. Her Domains of the Hearth, Home, and Family were practically shining and making everyone feel at home.

Once the food was served, Bell, Lili, Eina, and Hestia shared a small, knowing smile between them, just waiting for the reactions.

“It’s so good!” Tiona exclaimed after her first bite. “I’ve never had food this good before!”

Ryu marveled at the meal, never having tasted food even more delicious than what the cooks at the Hostess could produce. “It’s truly delectable.”

“I need to learn how to cook from you, Goddess Hestia.” Tione said before taking her second bite of the meal. “It’s amazing…simple, yet deep…not overly complex…” Tione had tried her hand at cooking before, but had found herself stumbling here and there with various parts of the process. If she could learn even a bit from Hestia, she’d definitely make a huge leap in her own cooking.

“Delicious.” Ais smiled at Hestia, savoring the warm food that had clearly been made with love and care for those that would eat it. Unbidden, happy memories appeared in her mind as she took another bite. Not only was her stomach happy, but it felt like her mind and heart were being eased as well.

“Glad that you all like it!” Hestia smiled warmly at the women. Her expression and the aura she practically radiated made everyone smile as well. This is what it meant to be Home, with Family, and all gathered around the Hearth to spend time together. It was no wonder that everyone’s nerves, no matter how well-hidden, began to ease and unwind.

After the meal (which everyone had seconds of) the group moved back to the living room to talk. Everyone was much more relaxed now, their spirits eased, and their minds clear. It was the perfect starting point for a serious conversation.

Hestia smiled as she sat with Bell and looked at the other women. “We’ve all gathered here to talk about our relationship with Bell. This is just an honest discussion between us all, so don’t feel like you have to hold anything back. A relationship like this can only work if we’re all open and honest with each other.”

“We were already prepared for this.” Tione shot Bell a wink. “Tiona, Ais, and I have already decided to make this work.”

“Yep!” Tiona smiled brightly at Bell. “Group relationships aren’t all that uncommon in Orario after all.” Plus, by Amazon sensibilities, it only made sense that a strong and worthy man be with many women.

Ais smiled beautifully at Bell, having never experienced feelings like this before, but now, she never wanted them to end. “I…want to make this work, Bell.”

“Thank you for loving me.” Bell bowed to the three women from the Loki Familia, his voice filled with his love for them. “I know that inter-Familia relationships can be difficult, but I’ll do everything in my power to give all of you the love and happiness that you deserve.”

“Bell~” Tione cooed at the man that she’d fallen in love with. He was so sweet, kind, strong, and loving. Every time they were together her Amazonian instincts practically sang in joy.

“We love you too, Bell.” Tiona’s radiant smile, like warm sunshine, warmed Bell’s heart and brightened his day like it always did when he saw it. “We’ll make this work!”

“If we can talk about our feelings like this, openly and honestly, then there’s no reason that we can’t all love and be loved in this relationship.” Lili said softly, knowing that even if group relationships weren’t uncommon in Orario, this was still a sensitive subject with many feelings that had to be equally considered.

Ryu spoke up, looking directly at Bell. “Bell… I’m willing to try.” Her cheeks were pink and slowly turning red. “While this type of relationship is different from the Elven customs that I was raised with; I don’t think anyone’s feelings here are anything but pure and true.” That was what mattered when it came to love as far as Ryu was concerned. A romantic relationship had to be based on genuine love and affection for one another, a loving relationship couldn’t be built off of something so base as lust.

“That’s true.” Bell smiled at Ryu warmly. It got him a soft smile from Ryu in return. “Honestly, I had thoughts about this type of thing growing up…what teenage boy doesn’t...” He mumbled the last part and made sure not to blame his grandpa, despite the old man being the reason he even learned words like harem, polycule, and the like. “But I also know that a relationship like this can’t be rushed. It requires honest communication, time, and genuine feelings. I love all of you. I want to make you all as happy as possible. But I can admit to also being worried that I might fail or mess up in some way.”

Eina’s cheeks were a rosy red as she listened to Bell’s words, her heart felt warm as it overflowed with love for him. “I think you being honest about your fears and feelings with us is perfect, Bell.”

“Master Bell has a big heart.” Lili said with a beautiful smile. “Maybe too big for his own good.” She playfully stuck out her tongue at him from the ‘safety’ of the other couch. “But you understand that there are a lot of feelings involved. All of us have different ideas about relationships and how they should progress. That’s why we have to be honest with each other and talk things out.”

“Well said.” Ryu agreed with Lili’s words. They were all different in what they believed a relationship should entail and how it should be. “I admit that I’m nowhere near ready to proceed to intimacy…” Her blue eyes briefly darted towards the door that led to where the bedrooms where. “Beyond being close and kissing…” Her red cheeks got darker, if that was possible

Tiona nodded at Ryu’s words, understanding where the Elf woman was coming from, at least a little. “I get it. Us Amazons get to snu-snu faster than most other races. That’s just how we are. We move quickly when we find a man that we know is worthy of our love. For others though, it takes more time. There’s nothing wrong with that.” She shrugged since it seemed simple to her.

“So you can make sense when you want to.” Tione grinned at Tiona…and accepted the playful swat on the arm that she got in return. “If we want to make this relationship between all of us, that doesn’t mean we all have to be on the same schedule, for lack of a better word.” She shrugged and looked at everyone in turn. “We can all take our time with Bell at our own pace. If you’re not ready for sex, then tell him that. If you are ready for it, then just be honest and talk to Bell about it. Tiona and I have already made love with Bell. We were sure that we wanted to take that step, so we talked about it with Hestia, Lili, and Bell together. We should all move at the pace we’re comfortable with.”

Ryu’s eyes widened a little as she listened to Tione speak. The Amazon’s words made sense in the frame of a relationship like this one. Open and honest communication about how they felt and respecting each other’s personal pace with Bell was not only appropriate, it was the only way that such a relationship could work. “You really do make it sound so simple.”

“Isn’t it?” Tiona tilted her head to the side a little. “As long as we talk to each other and make our feelings known, we can build our relationship together. We could come to love each other like we love Bell~.” She giggled and hugged Ais, making the blonde blush adorably.

“Tiona…” Ais still returned the hug, even as she blushed while Tiona kissed the top of her head.

Bell swore his heart was overflowing with love for the wonderful women that had agreed to give this relationship a chance.

“Are there any other women that couldn’t make it today?” Tione asked curiously, looking at Bell and Hestia.

“No, everyone is here.” Hestia giggled a little as she snuggled into Bell’s side. “We did decide that there should be no more than eight women in this relationship though. Bell would be running himself ragged trying to make us all happy if there was too many.”

“If there is one more woman in the future, we’ll talk with her like this so she understands our relationship.” Lili said as she looked at Bell and the other women. “We should all be in agreement about how our relationship progresses in the future.”

“I agree.” Ryu nodded to the Prum. It only made sense that they made sure everyone was on the same page when it came to their relationship.

Eina agreed with Ryu, the two Elven kin had been raised with similar ideas and customs, so they got along rather easily. “I agree too. As long as we keep ourselves open to each other, we could become a wonderful family in the future.” She lightly rubbed her lower tummy and Bell’s hand softly covered her own over that special spot a moment later.

This movement wasn’t lost on the other women. Tione and Tiona both perked up, their eyes locking onto Eina’s stomach.

Ais’s eyes widened and she let out a cute sound, like she’d seen the cutest thing and wanted to touch it.

Ryu looked at where Bell and Eina’s hands were, then her blue eyes met Eina’s green. Eina gave the smallest of shrugs, just a simple ‘I don’t know yet’ in body language terms. The two Elven women shared a small smile a few seconds later. Their people had longevity but, inversely, they had much lower rates of reproduction. Any new Elf child was considered a blessing because of how long it usually took for an Elf couple to conceive. Only the most old-fashioned and traditional Elves had any problem with Half-Elves, and thankfully, outside of a few vocal Elves, Orario was free of such prejudice.

“Argonaut~” Tiona cooed as she stood up and made her way closer to Eina and Bell. “If you’re already wanting to start a family…”

Tione looked at him with eyes filled with love and desire. “We wouldn’t say no~”

“I’m not sure that would go over so well with Loki.” Hestia mentioned, having to put a bit of a damper on the sisters’ desires.

“Tch.” Tione and Tiona both tsked at the same time, each with the same annoyed look on their faces too.

Bell smiled at both of them, leaning forward to capture their lips one after another. “I do still have presents for you.”

“Oh yeah!” Tiona giggled happily after her kiss.

Tione smiled at Bell. “We’ll always enjoy you doting on us, Bell.”

Lili happily got the bag from Neith Textiles from Bell with a smile, enjoying the kiss she got in return.

Ryu blinked as Bell handed her a wrapped package with her name on the label. “B-Bell?”

Bell gave Ryu a soft look, filled with his care for her. “I’m not strong enough to protect you yet, Ryu. But I can give you something to help keep you safer until I am strong enough.”

“Thank you…” Ryu felt her cheeks burn as she looked away from Bell’s rubellite eyes and focused on the package in her lap. Her heart thundering in her chest from the strength of her emotions. Once she’d opened the paper she picked up the soft white fabric within. “A shirt…like my…” Ryu realized that it was nearly identical to her shirt that she wore into the Dungeon. “It feels soft.” The material under her fingers also felt strong, something Ryu noticed as the fabric moved. There was a small note at the bottom of the package and Ryu picked it up to read it. “Slash resistant, pierce resistant, fireproof, magic resistant…” Her eyes widened at the list of properties the simple-looking shirt had.

“It’s cloth armor I had made from the hair of the Black Goliath.” Bell told Ryu with a smile. “I hope you’ll wear it whenever you go into the Dungeon, Ryu.”

“I will.” Ryu confirmed, her cheeks red as she smiled beautifully at Bell. “Thank you very much.”

“You’re welcome, Ryu.” Bell leaned over (Hestia leaning back into the couch with a giggle) and placed a soft kiss on Ryu’s lips.

Ryu felt like she might faint as she saw the eyes of the other women on her, all of them grinning or smiling at her.

Tiona happily took off her current pareo and tied the new darker one on with a joyful laughter. “It has so many resistances!” She noticed small loops of the black fabric on the corners of the pareo and slipped her index fingers into two of them, finding that her fingers fit well and she could probably also fit her thumb through the loops if she needed to. “What are these for?”

“I think I got it.” Tione had her own new pareo tied around her waist, though she had left it unfolded at the moment. She hooked her fingers through the two loops on the free hanging corners and then raised her arms quickly before bringing them forward in front of her. The pareo cloth followed the motions and in almost a blur Tione was covered from the waist up in the protective cloth armor. “They’re for covering ourselves quickly to defend against attacks.” She opened her arms, letting her fingers slip from the loops, and the pareo fell back to hang from her hips again.

“That’s so awesome!” Tiona cheered and mimicked what Tione had just done, covering her upper body and head with the cloth armor in a similar blur. Tiona popped her head out of the pareo with a beaming smile. “This is so gonna help us tear up the Dungeon even more now!”

Ais had been admiring her new battle dress and reading the note from Neith Textiles about its resistances and protection when she got to the bottom and noticed something important. “It has an attribute?” She spoke just loud enough for everyone to hear.

“Attribute?” Ryu looked at Ais, given that their gifts had been made from the same material. She quickly scanned her note for the information.

“Mm.” Ais nodded once. “It has the Mending attribute. If it’s damaged, it’ll repair itself with a little Mind and some time as long as we’re wearing it.”

Ryu marveled at cloth armor with an attribute. Much like weapons and armor required the Blacksmith Developmental Ability to have powerful attributes, such as the Durandal attribute which made weapons unbreakable, cloth armor required the one that made it to have the rather rare Weaver Developmental Ability to impart an attribute onto the cloth as it was made. “These must’ve cost a fortune, Bell.” She looked at her boyfriend (and her heart fluttered at just thinking of Bell like that) with surprise.

“It’s worth every Valis if it keeps you all safe.” Bell gave her a look that made Ryu fidget a little, a spark of warmth traveling up her spine and into her brain before dropping into her stomach and making it feel like it was full of butterflies.

“Someone has earned a reward~” Tione purred out as she approached Bell.

Tiona giggled and then licked her lips. “Yep!”

“Yes…” Ais stood up with her cheeks turning pink and approached Bell too.

Needless to say, no one left the Hestia Familia Home for quite a few hours.

-Twilight Manor ~ Evening-

Ais, Tiona, and Tione had returned with smiles on their faces and packages in their hands. They climbed the stairs, heading for Finn’s office, and heard the blubbering of their Goddess as they stood outside the door. With a small sigh from all three women, Tione knocked on the door.

“Enter.” Finn’s voice was heard and Tiona opened the door. “Tione, Tiona, Ais,” The Captain of the Loki Familia greeted each of them in turn. “What brings you here?”

Ais deadpanned as she saw Loki hugging a bottle in the corner while Gareth and Riveria tried to get her to hand it over and stop wallowing in her over dramatic sadness.

“We just came back from the Hestia Familia, and Bell had gifts!” Tiona said with a bright smile, handing Finn the one with his name on the label.

Loki stood up, seemingly just now noticing Ais, Tiona, and Tione in the room. “MY GIRLS!!!” She rushed towards them, only for all three to sidestep her and send the Goddess nearly flying into the far wall. “Don’t let that rabbit playboy seduce you!” She cried out as she rolled about on the ground, holding her head.

“Bell isn’t seducing anyone.” Tiona laughed at Loki’s antics.

“We got to know him and it turned into love.” Tione sighed, a soft smile on her lips.

“Mm… Bell is sweet and kind.” Ais agreed, the smile on her lips a welcome sight to Riveria, Gareth, and Finn.

Gareth and Riveria were both given the package with their names on it and seemed just as surprised as Finn had.

“A gift?” Riveria had a delicate eyebrow raised.

“Don’t recall it being my birthday.” Gareth chortled as he started undoing the paper.

Finn chuckled as he opened his own package. “Regardless of reason, let’s see what the ‘rising start’ of Orario has sent.”

It was with some surprise and not a little confusion that the three leaders of the Loki Familia pulled out the gifts.

“A shirt?” Gareth looked it over, noticing the feel of the black material in his hands. “Not a normal one though.”

Riveria looked at the black under robe that she’d pulled from her gift. “I got a robe?”

Finn showed Gareth the shirt that he’d received. “We match, Gareth.” The two men got a small laugh out of that.

“Read the note!” Tiona beamed at them, barely holding in her giggles.

Riveria had already found the note and her eyes widened just slightly at the emblem and name on the back of the note. “Neith Textiles… These must be rather expensive then.”

“Aye,” Gareth nodded in agreement as he found his note. “Cloth armor from Neith Familia isn’t cheap.”

Finn was silent as he read over the note that listed off all the properties of the shirt he’d been gifted. “Well… I’d say we can call that favor even now.” He grinned as he finished reading the, rather impressive, list of resistances that the simple-looking shirt possessed.

“This couldn’t have been purchased by a small Familia, could it?” Riveria could admit to being impressed in the under robe that had been gifted to her.

Gareth laughed as he held up the cloth armor. “Well, I wish we’d had this on the last expedition! Might’ve gotten out of there with a lot less injuries!” He’d certainly be wearing this under his normal armor from now on. ‘Not exactly eager to get my guts perforated again.’ He still recalled the pain of the Demi-Spirit’s vines stabbing through him when they’d all fought for their lives on the Fifty-Ninth Floor.

“Indeed.” Finn smiled as he looked at the black shirt. “Simply wearing this beneath our regular gear and armor will make quite the difference. It could prove rather vital in dealing with our current situation.” The remnants of Evilus, and the red-haired Tamer woman that had something to do with all of these Spirits and irregulars happening within Orario and the Dungeon, were proving to be more than just dangerous. Any extra protection or advantages they could get would be taken and put to the best of use.

“I must admit to being impressed.” Riveria smiled gently. “Mr. Cranel pays his debts and fulfills his promises quickly and fully.” She let a small laugh escape, a beautiful and melodic tone. “Perhaps a bit of an over repayment, in fact.” She’d happily add the under robe to her normal gear. Being protected from fire, magic, slashing, and piercing attacks would be an immense boon for a Mage that needed to turn the tides of a battle to save the lives of their comrades.

Loki had seemingly sobered up a bit as she watched her children open their gifts. She’d definitely noticed that both Tione and Tiona had darker pareos on than the ones they’d had before. Ais also had a folded up garment under her arm, and judging by the color, it was probably a new battle dress given to her by Hestia’s little bunny. “Well, at least he can pay you all back properly.” She still pouted a little. That rabbit was seducing her best girls! ‘It’s not fair! I wanted to get showered in their love and affection!’

“Loki, if you’re done with you tantrum, perhaps you could do a few Status Updates tonight?” Finn suggested with a smile, though his eyes told her that she’d been slacking on her godly duties. “You’ve been moping ever since Ais, Tiona, and Tione confirmed their relationship status with Mr. Cranel.”

Loki tsked and crossed her arms. “Me and the shrimp don’t get along! Why should her little rabbit get to date my girls?” She shuddered as soon as her eyes caught the outright glares that she was getting from the said girls. “Okay, okay! I get it!” Loki held up her hands in front of her. “At least I’m the only one that can give you Status Updates, my adorable girls!” She declared with a proud smile on her face.

“Yea, yeah, come on!” Tiona took Loki by the wrist and started dragging the Goddess out of Finn’s office. Tione and Ais followed behind the two, both wanting to get a Status Update since Loki’s moping had been preventing them since the y returned from their expedition.

Several minutes alter and the entire Twilight Mansion nearly shook from a booming exclamation.

“TIONA’S LEVEL 6?!” Loki’s voice reverberated throughout the towering red building.

It would be a night to celebrate for the Loki Familia it seemed.

“YOUR LEVEL 6 TOO, TIONE?!” The second exclamation was just as loud as the first.

“Gareth, help me hide Loki’s booze.” Finn requested as he stood up from his desk.

Gareth stood up as well with a sigh. “Yeah, we best, or she’ll be blackout drunk within the next hour.”

Riveria sighed heavily while pinching the bridge of her nose.

They were all thrilled that more of the younger members were leveling up…but Loki was just too much when she drank in celebration.

-End Chapter-

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More Eina Fluff! Yay!

Gonna make Eina a Mama!

The cloth armor made from the Black Goliath’s Drop Items turns out to be very strong! Kek!

Bell makes sure to protect the one’s he loves the best way that he can right now. He’s such a kind and loving boyfriend, isn’t he?

The polycule/harem has a talk about the future of this growing relationship. Communication is absolutely essential to any relationship and even more so to a multi-partner relationship like there’s.

Welf is making some very nice new equipment for the Party too! New armor made from the Black Goliath’s ridiculously strong tooth. A new and powerful shortsword for Bell to give him another option in the Dungeon! And even five Magic Bolts for Lili’s bowgun! He’s really outdoing himself as he starts delving into his newly acquired Blacksmith Developmental Ability!

If Bell is disarmed of his spear, he can dual wield the Hestia Knife and Zan Kyojin, if either of those is knocked from his hand, he can switch it with Ushiwakamaru to maintain his boost from his Dual Wield Skill! You can never take all of Bell’s weapons! He’ll take you down before you’re able to disarm him of everything! *Cackles*

Loki finally stops moping about Ais, Tione, and Tiona being with Bell and does some Status Updates, only to discover that both Tione and Tiona have Leveled Up to Level 6! WOOHOO! Go Amazon Sisters!

But when everything is looking up, will a certain someone’s greed and passion ruin things?

Keep reading to find out!

Let me know what you thought!

Until next time, later!