A refreshing fragrance drifted around him.
It was a scent Bell had never known before, sweeter than any flower. It made him think of starlight falling onto a still lake, flowers blooming in its wake. In that unique fragrance, all his exhaustion melted away.
Bell slowly opened his eyes.
What he saw first was Astraea's sleeping face, completely unguarded. Her hair was a little disheveled, her brows relaxed, her expression tranquil like the surface of a calm lake. With each soft breath from her rosy lips, her chest and the simple-colored fabric over it rose and fell in gentle ripples.
Night had already settled outside the window. Astraea had clearly been tending to him for a long time, eventually drifting into sleep without noticing.
Bell looked at the adorable, completely different side of her and smiled faintly. He brushed her hair into place, slipped off her small boots, and pulled the blanket over her so she could rest comfortably.
After finishing, he quietly stepped away from the bedside. A faint blush colored Astraea's cheeks. Who knew what she was dreaming about...
...
Thanks to the Goddess's care, Bell's wounds had healed, and his fatigue had vanished. What remained now was the hunger that followed a hard-fought battle.
He headed toward the kitchen—only to have Lefiya stop him.
"You're finally awake… I made these bento for you."
Bell accepted the box she offered. The variety of dishes arranged inside looked delicious enough to make anyone hungry.
"Thank you, Lefiya-san."
"T-they're just leftovers! I didn't make them especially for you!"
Lefiya stammered, flustered. "Eat them while they're still warm… I-I have things to do, so I'll go now!"
Bell watched the golden-haired Elf flee in a panic and let out a quiet chuckle.
Two members of the Astraea Familia approached.
"You're finally awake… If you'd slept a few more hours, we would've been eating leftovers for tomorrow's dinner." The Demi-Human girl who had once led the formation muttered her complaint.
"…Didn't we promise that Elf we wouldn't mention it…?" Ulanda, wielder of curse magic, protested in a trembling voice.
Bell got the general idea from the warm dishes in his hands. Lefiya must have worked with the others, cooking fresh meals at intervals while waiting for him to wake up.
"We're not supposed to say it? Anyway, Cranel-san, thank you for saving Astraea-sama."
"Can't believe you got away with it… I hate to admit it, but without you, Astraea-sama really would've left us… I'm grateful too…"
Both girls expressed their thanks.
Bell accepted their words honestly and headed toward the dining table.
Their voices drifted behind him.
"Astraea-sama trusts him that much… It's frustrating… but he did save us, so I can't hate him…"
"Try saying that to his face… Anyway, what's Captain Cecil doing?"
"She's been in the forge, saying she's making a gift of thanks…"
"And Astraea-sama?"
"She hasn't come out of that room at all. D-don't tell me Bell Cranel is doing something to her?! N-no… unforgivable!"
"Hey—put that curse magic away! Ulanda, what are you trying to do?!"
Bell ate while watching their chaos unfold, unsure how to respond.
"Cranel-san, you're awake."
Ryuu and Laurier stepped into the room together.
"Ryuu-san and I checked the Evilus secret passage. No monsters or members remain." Laurier reported their findings.
The enemy hadn't been a large organization—more like a gathering of accumulated hatred. In the past, they had likely all been judged by the Astraea Familia.
Bell nodded. "Thank you for your hard work, Laurier-san."
Without the Viola and that mutated Venenthes, the remaining enemies were nothing more than a disorganized mob. The real problem was the group selling those creatures. Just ten Viola and a single pitfall creature had sold for a sky-high price.
How large was that organization? What were they planning to do with such money…?
Bell couldn't see the whole picture yet. He decided to report the details to Finn before deciding his next move.
"Cranel-san, thank you for saving Astraea-sama."
When Ryuu returned to the mansion, the incident had just ended.
The sight of the youth—covered in wounds yet standing like a hero—remained deeply etched in her memory.
Just as Ryuu offered her thanks, Lefiya burst in.
"What did you do to Goddess Astraea?! Why is everyone in Astraea Familia ready to kill?!"
Bell gave a helpless smile and answered honestly.
"I didn't do anything. I just woke up and found the Goddess sleeping beside me."
"W–what?! Isn't that already a huge offense?!"
Lefiya puffed out her cheeks in outrage.
"C-Cranel-san… don't tell me even Astraea-sama…"
Ryuu frowned, her expression complicated.
"Heh heh…"
Laurier brushed back her golden hair and smiled.
"Come on, confess what you did to the Goddess!!"
"Unforgivable…"
Aside from their captain, the members of Astraea Familia all crowded in.
Just as the atmosphere was reaching peak chaos, the Goddess herself slowly walked into the room and spoke softly:
"Since everyone is so fired up, why don't we have a little trial?"
The moment Ryuu saw Astraea smile, an old friend's words came back to her—that even without divine power, the Goddess could make someone cry using only her swordsmanship.
She excelled at training people, drawing out her Familia's potential in dire situations.
A faint unease rose in Ryuu. "Astraea-sama… what kind of trial?"
"No fight, no friendship. Since everyone's full of energy, of course we should spar. But Bell is still recovering from heavy injuries.
Ryuu, I'll leave this task to you."
Astraea smiled gently, offering no room for refusal.
Earlier that day, after seeing the boy's grievous injuries, Ryuu had taken the initiative to request an update.
The Excelia she accumulated throughout their long travels had elevated her to Level 5.
To help Ryuu adjust to the changes in her [Weapon] and remove any discomfort, Astraea proposed this trial.
"Considering combat strength, Ryuu will take on everyone else alone. Their levels may be low, but don't underestimate them."
"..."
Ryuu looked at the eager girls and could only fall silent.
"Eh? I'm participating too? I'll do my best!"
Lefiya only needed one glance at the boy to find courage rising in her heart.
"Hey… that golden-yellow Elf's aura is totally on par with Ulanda's!"
"Well, they're both fighting their love rivals, after all."
"W-what are you saying?!" Lefiya hugged her staff, protesting at the Astraea Familia girls.
Ryuu headed toward the forest clearing, feeling helpless.
Just when she thought this farce would end quickly, Laurier—who had already concealed herself—launched the first surprise attack.
"?!"
As if determined to prove herself the blonde Elf most loved by the boy, Laurier's aura was shockingly fierce.
Her rapier clashed with Ryuu's wooden blade, followed immediately by bursts of black and white magic power.
Faced with that brilliant dance of sword and spell, Ryuu couldn't help but furrow her brows.
Even though it was a many-versus-one assault, under the Werewolf girl's command their coordination was flawless.
Laurier, hidden from sight, understood the gap in their abilities well. She always seized openings, and if her ambush failed, she withdrew instantly.
Maybe Ryuu shouldn't have told her about the dyed hair…
After sharing the casino incident and the fight against Evilus—and since Laurier was the youth's lover—Ryuu had revealed her identity out of trust.
In the end, it only ignited Laurier's fighting spirit even more.
"I don't care at all about some position in a boy's heart…"
Ryuu drew back her rapier. If she really said that out loud, the Goddess would surely cover her face and insist it was nothing but a blatant lie.
Beyond stealthy ambushes, the curses that could bind her movements were just as troublesome.
Why would a Familia devoted to justice have someone capable of using curse magic?
Ryuu kept the question to herself as she slipped out of the curse's range.
Arrows of light immediately chased after her.
Lefiya.
Ryuu knew she was a member of Loki Familia, but she truly couldn't understand why this golden-yellow Elf radiated such intense fighting spirit.
Could it really be as Astraea Familia claimed—that she saw Ryuu as a romantic rival?
If that were the case… did she also have feelings for that boy…?
The light arrows chased Ryuu's silhouette, weaving between trees as they darted through the forest.
Shyness, confusion, frustration…
Those emotions tangled with the unfamiliar sensations brought on by her recent upgrade, pushing Ryuu steadily back.
Under the night sky, a true battlefield of tangled emotions intensified.
"Everyone, keep up that spirit. There's plenty of potions waiting for you."
Astraea waved lightly and turned to walk away.
This was merely a trial for her children—certainly not a scheme devised just to monopolize the boy.
That was what the Goddess told herself.
With her heart fluttering uneasily, she slowly made her way toward Bell.
In the quiet of the night, the faint blush on her cheeks betrayed everything.