Chapter:72 - Is it wrong for a Godslayer to Have a harem goddesses

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"I'll help you out, I guess. Shouldn't have an outsider doing our work, after all."

"As will I," a new voice said from behind.

Godou turned just in time to see Ryuu walk into the kitchen, her waitress outfit already donned.

"Thanks!" Bell said cheerfully.

Ryuu shook her head. "This is our job. No need to thank us. Though I believe we need to talk to Syr after this, Godou."

"You handle that," Godou said with a chuckle. "Syr only listens to you and Mama Mia, after all."

For a while, all they did was wash dishes in silence. Godou was more than aware of the furtive looks that Bell was sending towards him and Ryuu, but said nothing of it. The boy was a self-proclaimed adventurer. If he could find the bravery to enter the Dungeon and kill monsters, then surely he could find the bravery to ask two fellow dish-washers a few questions.

"Ryuu, Master Godou."

Idly, Godou wondered if Hestia was the one that had put Bell up to address him with such respect.

"Were the two of you adventurers?"

"Yes, a long time ago," was Ryuu's response.

"Nope," was his own.

"How...how do you become strong?" Bell asked. "How do you Level Up?"

Godou kept quiet. He didn't know how to answer this. He didn't know how the Falna worked, after all.

"You seem to be mistaken about something, Bell," Ryuu informed him. "You do not become strong by Leveling-Up. You Level-Up by becoming strong. Your abilities are capped by your Level. To increase your Level, you must prove that you are worthy. Defeat powerful enemies. Complete dangerous quests. Accomplish feats that will impress the Gods. That is how one Level-Ups. Only by surpassing your own limits, will you be able to break past the barriers that are imposed by your Level."

This was news to Godou. And judging by Bell's face, it was to him as well.

"But how do you do that? How do you defeat an opponent that's far stronger than you?"

Ryuu looked to him. "What?" Godou asked.

"I believe you can answer his question better than I can, Godou. You seem like the type of person that has defeated many strong enemies."

He frowned. She wasn't wrong, but he didn't like how she'd seen through him so easily.

"If you can make it bleed, then you can kill it," he said. "There is strength. There is power. There is strategy. There is tactics. A battle is determined by all kinds of variables. If the enemy is superior than you in one, rely on another. Use your strengths against their weaknesses. A battle is more than just stats and numbers. I said that to you the first time we met, didn't I? Levels are just a number."

Bell was staring at him with adoration. Godou felt a little sheepish. It'd been a while since he'd given out advice like that.

"Godou is correct. You must go on an adventure. And you need not be on your own. Form a party. Multiply your strengths and cover your weaknesses. That is another way to defeat more powerful foes. Whatever the case, Leveling-Up is a result of exceeding your limitations," Ryuu added.

"Is that how you became so strong, Master Godou?" Bell asked.

Godou grunted. "It wasn't by choice."

"You must have gone on many adventures then, Master Godou," Bell said enviously, not really realizing his reluctance on talking about this particular topic.

"Not alone," he said wistfully. "Find good teammates, Bell. They help you grow. In more ways than you can ever imagine."

"Yes," Ryuu agreed quietly, "they do."

Finally, Bell seemed to realize the mood had darkened quite a bit, and looked a bit guilty. Godou was aware that Ryuu had her own troubles in the past. And after that particular response, he realized that he and the elf might have more in common than he'd initially thought.

"I want to go on an adventure," the boy suddenly declared. "I want to become strong, to make Lady Hestia proud. I want to become a Hero."

A Hero. Godou wondered if the boy truly knew what the word meant.

"That is a good goal to have, Bell Cranel," Ryuu remarked. "There are many who become adventurers for worse reasons. Do not lose sight of it, grasp it with all your might, and it may happen sooner than you think."

"I won't give up," he said. "I know what I need to do now. I'm going to have my own adventure!"

Godou kept very quiet. He didn't want to step on the boys dreams, but...there was a reason why so many legendary heroes met tragic ends. That was what it meant to become a Hero and to go on adventures. It meant overcoming hurdles and exceeding limits until one day...they couldn't.

He looked to Ryuu. She had a small smile on her face as Bell continued to express his determination. But the only thing he saw in her eyes were worry.

Godou wondered if the eavesdropping Syr shared the same sentiment as him and the Elf.

XxXxXxXxXx

It happened when Godou was covering for Mama Mia at the bar while she used the bathroom.

The door to the Hostess slammed open with enough force that it caused everyone in the tavern to turn their heads and stare.

Godou stared.

He had been more than prepared to never see her again.

Red, fiery hair.

A fox-like grin.

And a lone finger pointing towards him.

"What are you doing, washing mugs and pouring beer, Kusanagi Godou?" Loki shouted, her smile never dropping. "Pack your bags and say your goodbyes! There's an Expedition tomorrow, or don't tell me you've forgotten about our little promise?"

No.

No no no no no.

This wasn't suppose to happen.

She couldn't just bust in here, pretending that nothing had happened.

He'd told her the truth and she'd called him a monster.

Ending their relationship had been his goal, one that he'd accomplished, if his memories served him right. She had been afraid of him. Terrified of what his existence meant to her own and the rest of the world's. She was supposed to have become his enemy.

"Loki?" he asked in disbelief.

"What? You can't possibly have forgotten about me after two short weeks now, have you?"

She was a stubborn one, wasn't she?

He'd killed her brother. Waved around his prized weapon as a spoils-of-war.

So why was she still here?

Was she stupid? Unaware that he could end her eons-long existence?

Or was she arrogant, and simply refused to believe him despite all the proof?

And just for a moment, he saw that smile falter.

It told him all he knew. She was still uncertain. She was still scared. But yet, here she was.

She just couldn't give up now, could she?

Why?

Why did she have to b

e so god-damned sincere?

Her grin grew into a wide beam that showed off her teeth.