As the moon hung high over the night sky, its pale light washed over the rooftops of Orario, mingling with the warm glow of magic lamps that lined the cobblestone streets.
The city was quieter now... its usual bustle softened to murmurs and footsteps echoing between stone walls.
Merchants were shuttering their stalls, while a few late-night adventurers made their way toward taverns or home, their armor clinking faintly under the gentle breeze.
In the abandoned church, Belle Cranel sat quietly on the worn couch, her shirt off as the faint blue glow of divinity filled the dim space.
The air shimmered with energy as Hestia's divine blood merged into the runes on her back, the symbols dancing and rearranging themselves.
The light painted the cracked walls and wooden beams in shifting hues of blue and white until, at last, it began to fade.
Hestia exhaled, relief mixing with pride, as she grabbed a nearby parchment and began copying the glowing runes.
When the last symbol vanished, she wiped a small bead of sweat from her brow and turned to her child with a bright grin.
"Here you go, Belle... your updated status!"
Her cheerful voice filled the quiet room as she proudly held out the parchment, her twin tails bouncing with her enthusiasm.
========================================
Belle Cranel
LV 1
STR: H 172 ---> D 524
END: G 252 ---> C 640
DEX: H 181 ---> D 538
AGI: G 223 ---> C 601
MAG: I 0
SKILLS: [Tenebris Vitalis]
[Liaris Freese]
MAGIC:
========================================
A total increase of 1,475 status points... and even with her MAG stat still at zero, her growth in this update surpassed Judas'.
The training with Alfia certainly played a part, but Belle knew the real leap came from that brutal fight against the Minotaurs.
'I can now level up whenever I want.'
The kind of life-or-death struggle that left her body broken yet her spirit burning stronger than ever.
'With this, I'm one step closer to him.'
Her fingers lightly traced over the numbers on her parchment, a bright, almost childlike smile tugging at her lips.
Still, her gaze eventually drifted down to the line that stood out among all others... [Liaris Freese].
'Did this really manifest because I fell in love with him...?'
A pink flush crept across her cheeks.
She could almost hear Hestia's teasing laugh already.
Unlike in the original timeline, Hestia hadn't kept the truth of this "cheat" skill from her.
With Alfia... her terrifyingly strong aunt by their side, Hestia had no fear of Belle accidentally spilling secrets that might endanger them.
If some fool dared to covet or try to kidnap Belle for her ability... well, they'd have to pray they survived the merciless fists of Alfia first.
Still, even with that security, Hestia had been clear...
"Don't go telling everyone about it, okay? Just because we can handle trouble doesn't mean we should invite it."
Watching her child's face grow redder by the second, Hestia placed her hands on her hips and tilted her head.
She knew that look all too well.
"Hey, Belle," she said, breaking the silence.
"Can I ask you something?"
Belle blinked, lifting her head from the parchment.
"What is it, Goddess Hestia?"
Hestia squinted slightly, curiosity... and maybe a little mischief... sparkling in her sapphire eyes.
"Can I come with you and your aunt tomorrow during training? I want to meet this boy you keep telling me about."
"Eh?"
Belle blinked.
....
It was still very early in the morning.
The sun had yet to rise, and the faint chill of dawn lingered in the air.
Yet that didn't stop the people in the abandoned church from dressing up and preparing for the day ahead.
The sound of rustling clothes and muffled footsteps echoed through the quiet hall.
"Hm? You want to come with us to our training session ?"
Alfia asked, glancing over her shoulder with a raised brow.
Hestia stood at the doorway, already dressed, her blue ribbons swaying slightly as she puffed her cheeks.
"This is the only day of the week where I don't have work. Instead of sitting here all day doing nothing, I might as well join you."
She crossed her arms, tilting her head with a mischievous smile.
"Also, I wanted to see this Judas guy who stole my Belle's heart... to see if he's a good person or not."
Alfia's expression didn't change, though one could almost feel the faint twitch in her brow.
"Well, considering that he's one of Loki's children, I very much doubt it."
Hestia continued.
"But just in case, I want to see for myself what kind of guy he is. Depending on my evaluation of him..."
She paused dramatically, eyes narrowing.
"...I may or may not allow a relationship between the two."
Her reasoning hung in the air like smoke.
For a moment, Alfia said nothing.
Then her silver and green eyes opened slightly, glinting with quiet amusement... and a hint of danger.
"Alright," she said at last.
"Just don't be noisy and stay out of the way. Otherwise..."
The edge in her voice sent a chill down Hestia's spine.
The tiny goddess immediately stiffened, sweat forming at her temple.
"I-I'll behave."
She said quickly, raising her hand in surrender while taking a cautious step back.
"Good."
Alfia turned away, adjusting her cloak, before adding in a calm but firm tone,
"And by the way... the one who will decide Belle's future suitor... is not you. It's me. Got it?"
A motherly, yet intimidating aura radiated from her, sharp enough to make even a goddess of hearth and home take a step back.
"Y-Yeah, sure, whatever you say."
Hestia muttered under her breath, pouting.
Just then, a familiar voice echoed softly from the other room.
"Hm? Are you guys talking about me?"
Belle stepped out, already dressed and bright-eyed despite the early hour, her white hair gently reflecting the faint glow of dawn.
"It's nothing you need to worry about."
Alfia replied smoothly, turning away before Belle could pry further.
She grabbed Belle's status sheet from the table and glanced at its contents.
'I knew it... bringing him definitely increased her growth rate.'
A small smile graced her beautiful lips... any man would be entranced if they saw this scene.
'Because she had slain a group of minotaurs, she had now gained the feat required for a level up.'
Of course, Alfia had advised Belle to raise her status values as much as she could before getting too excited and leveling up hastily.
Alfia halted her steps, turned toward Belle, and slowly opened her eyes.
"What you did yesterday was reckless... I know I'm training you to become the Last Hero, but if you had made a mistake and died... I would have..."
She didn't finish her words.
"Mother..."
Noticing the worry in her aunt's voice, Belle hung her head low.
Seeing this, Alfia exhaled softly and gently placed her hand on her niece's head.
"I'm proud."
Hearing this, Belle's eyes widened, and she slowly lifted her head.
"I knew the risks involved, and it's hypocritical of me to reprimand you... but I can't help but worry."
Seeing the expressions on Belle's and Hestia's faces, Alfia couldn't help but sigh.
"Look at me... it seems my resolve has weakened after seeing your success."
She said, patting Belle's head once more before turning away.
"Forget I said anything."
Alfia said as she coughed into a handkerchief.
When she pulled the cloth away, a bright streak of red stained the pristine white fabric.
Her brows knit.
For a moment, just a brief moment, her fingers trembled.
Then she crushed the handkerchief in her hand, knuckles whitening.
'Just hold on a little longer.'
Her breathing steadied, as if she were wrestling her own body into obedience.
The pain gnawing at her lungs, the weakness spreading through her limbs... she refused to acknowledge any of it.
'This is not the time to be soft.'
There was no room for hesitation, no room for fragility.
Fighting a battle that no one else could see, Alfia straightened her posture and steeled her heart once more.
The world only saw a calm, unshakable warrior.
Only she knew how much it cost to maintain that facade.
"Let's go."
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