Danmachi: Is It Wrong to Be the Main Character in Orario?

Bell brought the two goddesses upstairs, and only then did Hestia and Hephaestus realize that it wasn't just Loki and her three Level 6s who had arrived—there were also two unfamiliar girls with them.

One was dressed in a well-fitted outfit, clearly styled in the Far Eastern fashion.

The other wore very little, instantly recognizable as someone from the Amazoness culture.

They were familiar with the three Level 6s from Loki's Familia, but the two girls behind them were strangers.

Bell, of course, knew who they were. He pointed to the bronze-skinned girl dressed lightly and introduced her.

"This is Aisha Belka, formerly of the Ishtar Familia."

"And this is Sanjouno Haruhime, also a former member of the Ishtar Familia."

Hestia's interest was piqued immediately.

She looked over the two girls—clearly rare Adventurers. It was obvious they had already been transferred to Loki's Familia.

Since Ishtar had been sent back to Tenkai by Ouranos just yesterday, Hestia could easily imagine that Loki had been waiting for that exact moment to convert the two of them.

"Loki, what are you doing here so early in the morning? And why didn't you bring the two new kids from your Familia?"

"Why do you think I came?"

"My kids got saved by your kid yesterday. I brought them here to say thanks."

Loki rolled her eyes at that.

"Thanks?"

Hestia was a bit confused, so Bell explained from the side.

"Goddess-sama, the night before last, when Loki's Familia was suppressing the Ishtar Familia for colluding with the Evilus, these two were being chased by over ten members of the Ishtar Familia. They fled into our territory."

"So it was then."

Hestia recalled Bell mentioning that someone needed to take care of a situation outside. She hadn't expected it to be the same two girls he later recommended to Loki.

At that moment, Haruhime stepped forward from Loki's side. She bent at the waist, hands gently resting on her stomach.

"Though it's a bit late, please allow me to express my gratitude."

When she lifted her head, Sanjouno Haruhime's eyes locked onto Bell. But with his hood still drawn, she couldn't make out what her savior actually looked like.

"If it weren't for your help, Aisha and I would never have escaped that day."

Her words carried sincere gratitude—so strong that Bell could feel it. Someone like her truly didn't belong in the Ishtar Familia.

"You don't need to thank me. I only treated you like bad people passing information to Loki. Don't thank me like I'm some kind of good guy."

"This is your second life now. Take the lessons from the last one seriously and don't let it become a repeat."

Bell wasn't comfortable accepting gratitude for saving her.

He didn't consider himself a good person. He just happened to know a few things and used some favorable intel to satisfy his own intentions.

Haruhime already knew that—Loki-sama had explained it to her yesterday.

But that wasn't what mattered to her.

Maybe the boy in front of her had really used her and Aisha's intel, maybe even sold it to Loki-sama. But Haruhime still had to thank him.

'Thank you for stepping up for me that day.'

Haruhime knew exactly how harsh life had been under the Ishtar Familia.

Because of her unique skills, she was constantly forced into doing things she never wanted to do. She'd even helped carry out a lot of bad deeds. She knew she was a bad woman too.

Back when she was still in the Ishtar Familia, no one had ever stepped forward to help her.

She had even resigned herself to the fate of being a sacrifice.

But in that moment, someone did step in to help—perhaps just by informing Loki-sama of her situation. Still, Haruhime understood that if not for that, she would have had no hope of escaping the Ishtar Familia.

"Even so, I'm still deeply grateful to Bell-sama."

The hope she'd clung to came from the person standing before her. Haruhime had never forgotten that.

And then there was the pursuit the night before last—if not for this boy's sudden appearance, she and Aisha would've been dead. It was because of him that they survived the ambush.

The young man who stood up for her in that moment of danger had become an eternal hero in Haruhime's heart.

Though she had no comforting words to offer, her gratitude was unwavering.

Bell glanced at Haruhime and sighed quietly.

'For such a pure-hearted girl to live in a world this chaotic… I don't know if that's a blessing or a curse.'

Still, considering how naive this Renard was, Bell couldn't help but give a word of caution.

"Don't go trusting people you shouldn't trust."

"Now that you're part of Loki Familia, keep that in mind. Adventurers should never place blind trust in each other. Stay alert around everyone—consider that a rule you must follow."

Loki gave Bell an exasperated look.

"Oi, oi, kid, your paranoia's getting seriously out of hand."

Bell understood the meaning behind her words, but he wasn't going to change his stance.

"Whether it's out of hand or not, as a god, Loki, you should know better than anyone."

"There are too many cases where adventurers can't be judged by appearances."

"Take Soma Familia as an example—their members gave up their humanity just for alcohol. They're not even human anymore, just a bunch of desire-driven husks. When faced with people like that, Loki, do you still think I'm being too extreme?"

Loki had no comeback for that.

Soma Familia really was that rotten—worse than anything Bell had just described.

Seeing that there was no rebuttal, Bell continued.

"Always assume the worst in people. Because you never know when someone you thought was a friend might stab you in the back."

He paused.

"But when it comes to those you truly believe in, then trust them with everything."

At the end of the day, that kind of balance was hard for most people to maintain. So Bell softened his stance just a little.