The carriage wheels rolled on, and inside the cramped cabin, the boy was going through an unexpected ordeal.
"Why did you choose such a narrow carriage?"
Bell asked helplessly.
There was a phrase that perfectly described his current situation: held on both sides.
On his left sat Cecil, dignified in appearance and resolute in bearing, like a vivid flower blooming atop a distant volcano.
On his right was Astraea, a Goddess more beautiful than the starry sky, gentle and loving. Along with her unique fragrance, the high peaks that framed that deep valley were swaying ever so slightly.
Bell had not made a move, but the narrow seat had forced him into being held on both sides.
"It cannot be helped. We are sneaking into Orario, after all. A shabby carriage like this is less likely to draw suspicion."
Astraea explained softly.
The carriage was not bumpy, and the journey itself had brought no discomfort.
There was only one bench inside. For Astraea and Cecil alone, the space would have been more than enough.
But with Bell added in, it became terribly crowded.
"Astraea-sama, I really should get out and run!"
Cecil lowered her head, not daring to let the boy see her current expression.
The places where their bodies touched felt like a battlefield rumbling with thunder. Every sway of the carriage sent a shy, electric tingle through her.
"We have to hide our identities, Cecil. Your face was seen during the War Game. Do you really want to cause trouble for Bell?"
Astraea gently laid out the situation.
If people learned that the Goddess of Justice had visited Orario again, the Guild would surely be forced by public opinion to take action.
Astraea was not yet prepared to settle here. In a serious case, conflict with the Guild could break out, and Bell, as the Goddess's lover, would certainly be dragged into it as well.
"I understand..."
Cecil pressed her lips together.
"Cecil-san, you can switch places with me."
Bell offered a solution.
As long as he sat at the edge, he would only be in contact with one woman.
"No, this is fine!"
Cecil answered firmly.
Although her loyalty to the Goddess was not as extreme as that of certain members, as a blacksmith, Cecil did not want her body, one long accustomed to iron, to have any negative effect on the Goddess.
Besides, faced with the current situation, Cecil was only a little embarrassed. She was nowhere near disgusted.
"Cecil really does have a reserved maiden's heart."
Astraea said with a smile.
When she first met Cecil, it had been like taking in a stray kitten.
As time passed, Cecil had gradually matured. Bell's arrival had only sped up that process, giving the lost blacksmith a soul of steel.
"Astraea-sama, please stop..."
Cecil's cheeks were burning terribly.
She had long since grown used to the heat of the furnace, yet she could not control the heat on her face at all.
Every touch felt like a spark catching fire, and the steady rise and fall of the boy's breathing was clearly felt right beside her.
Judging by their posture, the Goddess should have been enduring the same embarrassment. So why could Astraea-sama remain so composed?
Just as Cecil was wondering this, the carriage suddenly veered without warning.
"I'm sorry, Astraea-sama! A blood-soaked catperson suddenly flew out from over the wall and startled me..."
The girl driving the carriage apologized in a voice no one else could hear.
"I-I'm fine... Keep going..."
Astraea's tone was somewhat flustered.
Because of the sudden turn and stop, the three people inside the cabin were jolted as well.
Bell fell toward Astraea. To avoid hitting his head and injuring the Goddess, he used his high [Agility] and [Strength] to react in the nick of time, lowering his head.
Thanks to Bell's effort, nothing should have happened. But Cecil, thrown by the impact, squeezed against him and caused what followed.
As a result, Bell's head sank into Astraea's chest.
The softness, as if it could embrace all things, absorbed the impact and left only a gentle sensation tinged with a sweet scent.
Although it lasted for only a brief instant, Bell still caught a glimpse of the gate of truth that countless male Gods dreamed of.
"Astraea-sama, are you all right?"
Cecil adjusted herself and asked.
The carriage quickly resumed moving, and Bell soon left that land of tenderness.
Cecil's level was not high, so she had not clearly seen what had just happened.
"Mm..."
Astraea had completely lost her earlier composure.
She unconsciously brought her feet together and curled her curvaceous body inward, like a kitten tasting something new.
"Astraea, just now..."
Bell tried to apologize, only for the Goddess to gently nudge him with her elbow.
"I'm fine, so... please do not say it out loud..."
Astraea's voice was very soft, and that gentle, bashful tone reached only the boy's ears.
They were lovers. This degree of physical contact was nothing.
She was wearing clothes. What the boy had touched was only fabric.
And it had lasted for only a moment. There was no need to dwell on such an accident.
Astraea kept trying to convince herself, but her pounding heart refused to accept any of those excuses.
"What happened just now?"
Cecil asked in confusion.
"N-nothing..."
Astraea realized she was even more flustered than she had thought.
She used the boy's body as cover, avoiding letting her Familia member see her burning cheeks.
"Actually, I was just about to ask whether the two of you could give me a strand of hair."
Bell came to his lover's rescue.
Although Astraea appeared very loving, when it came to romance, she was still a spotless blank page.
Bell felt lucky about the unexpected encounter, but he also cared about the Goddess's feelings. He would not press the matter and trouble Astraea further.
"A strand of hair?"
Astraea understood the boy's consideration, and the fluttering in her heart grew even stronger instead.
"Mm..."
Bell roughly explained the forging matter to the two of them.
"For something so small, of course."
Astraea offered a strand of her walnut-colored hair.
She glanced at her Familia member, who had fallen into thought, and said softly, "Cecil."
"I-I understand... If it can help..."
As a blacksmith, Cecil understood better than most that this was not merely a strand of hair, but a symbol of encounter and bond.
After hesitating for a moment, she still handed the boy a strand of her aqua-blue hair.
The cramped space gradually returned to silence, while both the Goddess and the girl quietly nursed their embarrassment.
The warm atmosphere inside the carriage made the feeling of being held on both sides even more real.
Astraea had originally thought ahead to the tea party and believed she could overcome that unfamiliar shyness.
But now, even she did not know what exactly was waiting for her up ahead.