I should have realized it long ago.
Rejecting all outsiders isn't only a sign of strength—it's also a sign of weakness. Because it means shutting yourself off from communication with others.
Inferiority… it grows precisely from sensing your own cowardice.
And that feeling was the clearest reason Bell had always kept others at arm's length.
He had possessed the right to say "I like you" from the start, yet he waited until the very last moment to speak those words.
Just as Bell himself had said: with his status and position back then, confessing to a goddess would have been nothing but a joke. The words would have held no meaning. Only now—when he truly had the qualifications—did they matter.
"Boys are just stubborn about this."
Understanding the truth, Hestia felt she might die from how infuriating Bell was.
He clearly knew his own feelings—he'd known "217"—yet he kept holding it in, refusing to speak. He insisted on waiting until every condition was perfect before letting the words out.
Bell had no way to argue back. He could only accept Hestia calling him an "idiot." He knew it was true. He wasn't a clever person, and many of his actions were downright foolish.
His quick thinking only ever showed when facing monsters or certain situations. When it came to emotions, personal matters, his foolishness was exposed completely.
Maybe he had many choices along the way, but Bell knew he had chosen the most foolish path of all. As someone wracked by inferiority, yearning for strength, longing for impossible desires, he carved out a road uniquely his own.
But as Hestia said—idiot was the most fitting title for him.
"All right, Hestia, that's enough."
Hephaestus couldn't stand watching her continue clinging to Bell.
"Bell's proposal is to all of us. You and Loki already said your piece, but are you not going to let the rest of us speak?"
Hestia, who had been ready to linger and cling to Bell a bit longer, froze instantly. She lifted her head, saw Hephaestus's sharp gaze, and jolted upright as if electrocuted.
"Mngh… I wasn't even done yet."
She muttered as she stepped aside.
Hephaestus shot her a glare, then returned her attention to Bell. Her gaze softened gradually. She could understand Bell's thoughts—because in some ways, she stood on similar ground.
"Bell, I understand what you're thinking."
She didn't give a long speech. She simply understood why Bell wanted to reach a certain height before speaking those words.
"Boys and girls aren't the same. Girls can throw caution aside, but boys have many things they have to consider. That idiot Hestia can't understand—she's been like a freeloading parasite since forever."
Hestia nearly wished she could burrow into the floor.
Lies don't hurt, but the truth can carve wounds straight into the heart.
"A normal boy from the countryside, unfamiliar with everything in Orario—even the goddess he made a contract with. You didn't seek help from anyone; you only thought of working hard to create everything you wanted, all on your own."
"You didn't trust anyone—not even yourself. But you trusted your power completely, because power was the one thing that never deceived you, never felt foreign."
"So when faced with a goddess's affection, the 'strangeness' wasn't the goddess—it was you, wasn't it?"
After a long silence, Bell nodded.
"Yes. How could an ordinary person like me receive a goddess's affection? I've always doubted whether I deserved it."
"I couldn't believe in myself. In the end, I'm just an ordinary person. I've never been arrogant enough to think I could attract a goddess."
Lack of confidence. Inferiority.
These were the things that held Bell back.
From the beginning, he had treated Hestia with extreme politeness. It wasn't humility. It wasn't reluctance. It was unworthiness.
Bell always remembered one thing clearly: love between a goddess and a child of the Genkai often ended in tragedy. This truth was carved into him like a chiseled mark. It had kept him restrained around Hestia from the start.
If not for Hephaestus taking the initiative—eventually pulling Hestia into the matter—Bell would never have crossed any line with Hestia before being fully prepared. That had been his bottom line.
The goddesses present exchanged glances, each carrying a hint of helplessness.
Now they finally understood why Bell had been so restrained—because of this…
Hephaestus, having already understood Bell's mindset, wasn't surprised.
"So, Artemis as well?"
Bell instinctively looked toward Artemis.
"I wasn't the one who saved her with power. I only acted out of self-interest at the time. It wasn't a noble rescue, so I had no right to attach such arrogant meaning to it.
"When affection starts equating itself with 'saving' someone, that's when I realized I needed to keep my distance from Artemis.
"Artemis can choose impulsively. But I can't respond to impulse with impulse. That path leads to a price no one wants to pay. So I chose to wait—wait until Artemis isn't acting out of emotion alone."
As expected. Hephaestus sighed helplessly.
Once that was clear, the reasons behind Bell's past restraint made complete sense.
"You're emotional sometimes, but your rationality always suppresses those emotions."
"Especially when faced with a goddess's affection."
Freya was the one most qualified to comment.
"Yes, back then—facing me—you had 'avoid' and 'stay away' written across your face."
She had probably spent more effort than any goddess. At that time, Bell was far too difficult to approach. She had to take an entirely different approach to reach where they were now.
"Bell, your proposal to us can't just be expressed at a moment like this."
"We are goddesses. Our affection never shifts. But if you intend to formally marry us, you'll need a proper ceremony."
Freya's single statement ended the delicate topic neatly.
She didn't want to return to past troubles; she wanted to look toward the future.
Bell didn't hesitate for even a heartbeat.
"Of course!"
"I will wed all of you with the grandest ceremony possible!"
Freya accepted that promise with a smile.
"Since you've made your vow—then tell me, do the obstacles before you still matter?"
Bell drew a long breath, his gaze turning firm and unshakable.
"No. They don't. I will continue forward. And nothing will stand in the way of my resolve to advance."