Danmachi: Westward Cloud [Complete]

[Vol.3] Quest 266.6- Love Is Complicated

The next morning.

“Hmm… It was a good idea to seal your Falna for the night, you were being more rough than usual.” Artemis said rubbing her hips and leaning on Cirrus. "You even broke the bed frame."

“My apologizes, but you really lit a fire in me, and I wanted to love you as much as I can,” Cirrus said with his arm around her. "Besides I couldn't have broken it without you and your sweet whispers in my ear."

“Hmm..." Artemis face was bright red. She was remembering the look on the inn owners face when Cirrus told them about the bed. "W-well, knowing Ai, I’m sure she’ll love it.”

"I am sure she will, you know she liked a bit of rough play."

"Have you tried rubbed her lower back at the base of tail and lightly bite one of her ears she gets a bit submissive?"

"I have, she also gets that way if you pull on her tail with the right amount of force."

"Ah, now I see." Artemis nods. "So that's why you do it when she begins to get rougher."

"Yeah. The rougher she gets the more scratches we get."

"I thought you loved her scratches and love bites?"

"I do, yours and hers but between us I liked yours more."

"Oh~ why is that?"

"Because when you begin to scratch and bite me I know I am making your night."

"Then do you wanna make my morning?"

"A great offer, an amazing offer I can't refuse but I have a date with Ai today, I need all my stamina."

"Then about just a kiss?"

"Of course. I'll spoil you just a bit more."

The couple kissed for a while before stopping. They walk together when they came across Bell and Syr again walking out of an inn.

“Seems we keep meeting,” Cirrus said to Bell and Syr.

“I-it’s not what you think!” Bell said with a fluster on his face.

Cirrus looks at Syr, and she nods her head.

“Well, whatever, put on your disguises unless you want more people to find out alright.”

“Will do,” Syr said, nodding to him.

‘Seems Freya is taking her time… that’s nice.’

“See ya.” Cirrus waved goodbye, as did Artemis.

Walking back to the pub, Bell dropped off Syr and headed back home. Syr enters the pub to find the others waiting for her with bruises all around.

“Syr!” Ryuu shouted. “You are all right!”

The rest came as well.

“I’m fine! Thank you for helping me!”

“S-so your date with him… did it go well?” asked Lunoire.

“The bait has been cast and now I wait to see if the fish bites!” she said, going upstairs.

“W-what do you mean meow?” said Chloe.

“Yeah!! We fought the Freya Familia, you know!!” shouted Lunoire. “So give us—”

“More work? Sure thing! Now git!! All of you have a lot of work to do!!” shouted Mia, cutting Lunoire off.

“Y-yes!!” they shouted and got back to work.

Walking up the stairs, Mia knocks on the room to change and enters it.

“So… your kids really banged up mines, Lady Freya.”

Syr begins to change clothes.

“I am sorry about that, but I wanted to talk to him alone.”

“… And how did that go?”

“Good, far better than what I had expected.”

“So you two an item or…”

“That is up to him. He did not reject me, but he did not accept me. He knows who I am, and he still accepted that of me. I will continue to be Syr until I get a place in his heart. If Artemis can do it, then I can as well.” A big smile grows on her face. “… If only I wasn’t a goddess, this would be so much easier.”

“That’s the first time I have seen you smile, with nothing perverted behind it.” Mia smiled as well.

“Fufu was it? Maybe this form has affected me as it does Horn… she is also someone I have to deal with."

“Well, you can do it after your shift is over.” Mia then left the room.

“… I wonder what he has planned that requires my help?” Freya said to herself as she changes into her waitress outfit. “Knowing it’s Cirrus, it must be something special.”

Back at the Hestia home.

“…”

“W-what do you think happened?” asked Lili.

“He looks lost in thought?” said Mikoto.

“He just came in and simply stared up into the ceiling,” Haruhime said. “Hestia also couldn’t get anything out of him. He just kept quiet and thought to himself.”

They looked at Bell when Hestia came back in.

“Alright, Bell!! I’m going to get that information out!!” she went and grabbed him, but he didn’t seem to mind.

They watched as she dragged him to her room.

“… What do you think she’s going to do?” asked Welf.

“Something.” Said, Lili. “Well, I got to go; I have a date.”

“With who?”

“Finn seems he’s rather persistent, so I thought I’d give him a chance and we will see where we go from there.”

“O-oh… okay.” The Familia said.

“Aren’t you going to take Hephaestus?” Lili looked at Welf.

“We have one planned for tomorrow; she is pretty busy with some sudden work.”

“And you Mikoto?”

“W-we have one for today!” Mikoto said, blushing a bit.

“Haruhime I assume…”

“M-Me and Mikoto are spending the day together!” Haruhime said, a bit embarrassed. “This is our first time going to a festival and um… yes! I wanted to go with my best friend!”

“Seems we all are doing fine… well, I have to get going.”

As she walked away, she put some pins in her hair that changed her hair color.

Hestia room.

“Bell…” she said as he kneels before her while she sits on her bed.

“Lady Hestia… can I ask you something?"

“Sure, this is the first time you have spoken since you got back.”

“… Do I have a skill I don’t know about?”

“!” her eyes widen a bit and sweat dripped down her. “W-what makes you say that?”

Bell could tell she was hiding something. Hestia was never good at keeping things a secret. Her eyes darted around too much.

“Yesterday I went on a date with Lady Freya.”

“W-w-what!?!?” Hestia quickly got up and checked Bell. “She did nothing to you, did she!?”

“No.” he gently removed her hands from him. “She told me I am immune to her charm and any other goddesses due to it.”

“!?” Hestia was genuinely shocked; his skill didn’t have that effect in its description.

‘A hidden effect!? So he can’t be swayed by a love or beauty god! But it’s Freya who learned it… what else does she know?’

“Is it true?”

“… It is, I never told you because this skill is very, very special and well… I didn’t tell you because you aren’t the best at keeping secrets but now… you have grown so if you wish I will tell you in exchange you tell me what happened last night with Freya? Is that a deal?”

“Deal.”

Hestia then explained to Bell his skill Liaris Freese and its effect. Bell quickly realized the significance of the skill and why she didn’t tell him.

“So… tell me what happened that night?” Hestia looked at him with some worry in her eyes.

“Last night she confessed to me. She said she fell in love with me and wished to build a relationship.”

“W-what! why! Can’t she find someone else!?”

“She can’t. Remember when I said I am immune to charm effects? That is why she fell for me… she wants to find her Odr, one who can truly love her not for her status as a goddess of love or beauty but as Freya.”

“…” Hestia made a complex emotion. She had thought Freya was just a man-eater, but hearing Bell say that it made all the more sense now.

She wants genuine love but because of her natural charm, it’s neigh impossible. “Wait! What about Cirrus? He wasn’t affected by her charm!”

“I asked her about that as well. From what she said, he resisted it through his strength of will.”

“S-Strength of will!!” Hestia was surprised a mortal could resist her charm out of sheer will. “I-I guess the one Artemis picked has to have something special about them… So did you accept her love?” sweat formed on Hestia.

“… I didn’t give her an answer. It was the same for you. I have yet to give you an answer that would not hurt your or her feelings.”

“This is a predicament, Bell…” Hestia flopped back onto her bed.

“Freya gave me a proposal.”

“A Proposal?” Hestia sat back up. “What was it?”

“She said we could have a relationship like what Artemis and Cirrus have.”

“…” Hestia stood stone-faced. “So she is willing to share you with others?”

“She only wants true love, one that she herself has to put in effort and time into.”

‘Artemis told me that her and Cirrus’s bond were that of co-workers but over time and many hunts later both he and she looked at one another as man and woman or I guess in that case Cirrus was the one who warmed up to her as well as Ai… I will need to talk to Freya about this.’

“I will talk with Freya about this proposal. I don’t dismiss it, but… I need to iron out some stuff with her. Bell, you will need to find an answer. You may be young, but time will fly by faster than you expect.”

“Yes… I will try and come to an answer.”