"Um… Haruhime-san!"
As soon as he entered, Bell stood in front of Haruhime, his hands tightly clenched into fists from nervousness: "Haruhime-san, why are you here?"
Facing Bell's direct question, Haruhime was momentarily speechless.
Outside, Takatsuki and Aisha had already discussed some matters about the evening.
"Is it really necessary for you to do this? To lie to that kid."
Aisha looked at Takatsuki in confusion. She had clearly told him that Ishtar Familia would never allow Haruhime to be redeemed, but Takatsuki still insisted that Aisha cooperate with him in deceiving Bell, saying that she could be redeemed with money.
"It's necessary. Just help me, that's all."
No sooner had Takatsuki finished speaking than the two heard a girl's sobbing from inside the room.
"Haruhime!"
Aisha immediately pulled open the door and rushed in, pushing aside the foolishly standing Bell and shielding Haruhime.
"You brat! What did you do to Haruhime!"
Bell was also stunned by this display, pushed onto the tatami mat. He only reacted when Takatsuki walked over and helped him up: "No, I…"
Fortunately, Haruhime also reacted at this moment, pulling Aisha in front of her: "Sister Aisha, no, Mr. Bell didn't bully me. Haruhime just feels very happy."
Aisha turned her head to look at Haruhime behind her. Although she was crying, her lips were indeed curved into a happy smile. This was something she had never seen. Ever since Haruhime came to Ishtar Familia, she had always seemed resigned to her fate, like a puppet who had lost her soul.
"Young man, let's go out first. I agree to your request."
Aisha only thought for a moment before understanding what had just happened, then greeted Takatsuki.
"Good luck, Bell."
Takatsuki also patted Bell's shoulder, then followed Aisha out, leaving the young man and young girl behind.
Walking outside and closing the door, Aisha led Takatsuki out of the attic. If Takatsuki didn't know she didn't smoke, he wouldn't have doubted that Aisha would pull out a cigarette and light it up right then.
"Haruhime has been with Ishtar Familia for a long time. This is the first time I've seen her smile like that."
Aisha turned her back to Takatsuki, looked up at the moon in the sky, and suddenly said, "Although it's a false happiness, she knows it herself, but that's enough. I agree to your request."
Bell and Haruhime didn't chat for long today, and Takatsuki didn't continue to eavesdrop. However, just as Takatsuki expected, Bell came out and immediately asked Aisha how much money was needed to redeem Haruhime.
"Kid, the price to redeem Haruhime is so high, even if you sold yourself, you couldn't afford it."
Although Aisha agreed to Takatsuki's request, she still didn't directly answer Bell.
"Please tell me! No matter how much it is, I will definitely redeem Miss Haruhime!"
Aisha softly uttered a number: "Ten million."
…
Although the price of ten million was very high and initially startled Bell, it didn't discourage him. After knowing the exact amount, he still made a promise to Haruhime.
"Takatsuki-nii!"
On the way back, Bell suddenly said to Takatsuki, "I want to go on an adventure alone, is that okay?"
"Why?"
Bell walked beside Takatsuki with his head down, not directly answering. Instead, he began to talk about their conversation from that evening: "Miss Haruhime said that for heroes, prostitutes are a symbol of a hero's downfall, and it's like that in many hero tales. But I think that's wrong! That's not the hero I aspire to be!"
"Kind, strong, able to lend a hand to everyone who needs help. Although I'm still far from it, that's the hero I aspire to be. Miss Haruhime, because of her identity, although she yearns for a hero, she never dares to hope that a hero will appear to save her. So, I will become her hero!"
"I'm still too weak now. Although everyone in the Familia won't hesitate to help me, I shouldn't make everyone pay for my dream. Moreover, Fu Hua's injuries are more important, so I want to go on an adventure alone. I want to personally raise the money to redeem Miss Haruhime!"
As expected of the protagonist, Takatsuki covered his mouth, looking at Bell eloquently speaking in front of him. The effect was even better than he had imagined. Was it because the two of them were truly so compatible?
The original Bell, due to his single-minded admiration for Ais, neglected his feelings for others. But now he was completely a boy experiencing his first love, and his dream was incredibly firm.
Since ancient times, countless people have had dreams, but how many have firmly stuck to their beliefs and paths, and persevered?
"You can, but don't forget, everyone in the Familia will support you. If you have any difficulties, tell us anytime."
For different people, these same words would have different effects. Is not having money considered a difficulty?
But for Bell, he wouldn't nitpick or exploit linguistic loopholes. This matter was not just about saving one person; it was also about his firm conviction in his aspirations.
"Yes!"
Upon returning to the base entrance, Takatsuki was still sighing that Bell's problem was finally resolved and he could finally stop worrying. Just as he opened the door, he felt a blast of cold air.
"Where did you two go?!"
Hestia stood in the middle of the living room, her aura almost blowing her hair up. And the other four girls… the four of them sat on the sofas on either side. Mei's body also seemed to be emitting black aura; Takatsuki even felt he could see a ghostly face.
This felt a little off.
Takatsuki and Bell immediately sensed the unusual atmosphere. Bell was so scared he could barely speak, but Takatsuki quickly composed himself and calmly replied, "We went to help Bell with his studies and improvement."
Hearing Takatsuki's words, Hestia's mood worsened: "Went to the Entertainment District for improvement!?"
So she knew, after all. But how did she know?
"I didn't expect my child to have grown so much, able to deceive a god by hiding it from divine authority."
Mortals cannot deceive gods doesn't mean mortals cannot lie in front of gods, or that gods can see through whether someone is lying. This ability can only determine yes or no.
Concealing part of the truth is not lying. Ultimately, the concept of lying itself is too subjective. When a person genuinely believes what they are saying, it naturally appears as truth to them. After all, a god's authority can only determine whether the other party subjectively believes they are lying, not objectively compare it to facts.
So, many people can use this confidence in their own abilities to deceive gods.
"In fact, that's exactly what happened. If you don't believe me, Hestia, you can take Bell to update his Falna and see. If there's no change, I'm willing to bear all consequences."
There was no point in saying more now. Takatsuki decided to let the facts speak for themselves. In reality, he wasn't sure if Bell's determination would generate skills for him, but he felt he had done enough. If this still didn't work, he could only let fate decide.
"Ah—!"
Hestia let out a strange cry: "Fine! If Bell hasn't changed, then just wait for my punishment, Takatsuki!"
"Takatsuki-nii…"
Bell looked at Takatsuki with some panic. Takatsuki patted his back: "Go on, don't worry! Think about the decision you made earlier; the Falna will help you!"