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

Since it was Hephaestus who invited him, Bell couldn't really refuse.

Of course, he also had a lot he wanted to say to Hephaestus. So he walked over to the sofa and sat down beside her.

"Bell, I already heard from Hestia about your reason for moving forward."

Bell wasn't particularly surprised. After all, among all the gods, Hestia had the closest relationship with Hephaestus and spent the most time with her. Naturally, she would share some of her secrets.

It was the kind of thing even ordinary best friends would do.

So, Bell simply took a deep breath and looked at Hephaestus more seriously.

"Since Hephaestus-sama already knew… then why did you still… do that?"

"Do that? You mean the blessing I gave you?"

Bell truly didn't understand. If Hephaestus already knew Hestia's feelings and his own reason for becoming stronger, then why would she involve herself at all?

Seeing Bell's confusion, Hephaestus remained calm, without the slightest hint of guilt.

"If all you wanted was to spend a few decades with Hestia, then no matter what, I wouldn't interfere."

"But your goal is to spend even longer with her. That's why I let go of that part of me that wanted to stay out of it."

"...So that's what it was."

No wonder Bell had felt that the blessing from Hephaestus seemed so abrupt. He hadn't expected the real reason to be this.

The gods had a poor grasp of time. They'd existed in the world for so long that many of them had already gone mad.

To them, time was both the cheapest and the most precious thing.

Cheap in the sense of their time in Tenkai; precious when it came to their time in Genkai.

As Bell seemed to grasp the meaning behind her words, Hephaestus crossed her legs, rested her chin on one hand, and turned to look at him.

"If you're fighting for more time… then I won't give up on this feeling I have for you."

Bell hadn't expected Hephaestus to say something like that. It made him realize—again—just how different gods and humans were in how they thought.

He paused for a few seconds.

"Hephaestus-sama… you really don't mind?"

"If it were another god, I definitely would. But if it's Hestia… then I can only admit I was one step too late. She's the one who discovered you first. I came after."

If she had been more forward-thinking, Hephaestus would have snatched Bell away before he ever joined Hestia's Familia. But even gods couldn't see the future—if they could, wouldn't they all be cherry-picking the most gifted children in Genkai?

Hephaestus sat up straight and leaned against the back of the sofa. Turning slightly, she pulled Bell closer to her side.

"The first time I felt something for you… was that morning."

"You little pervert, you couldn't even control your eyes that early in the morning. Peeking at a goddess's body the moment you woke up."

Bell looked a little embarrassed. He really hadn't been able to stop his eyes that morning.

Usually, he could control his emotions—and his gaze—but that morning, Hephaestus wasn't even awake...

And to be fair, he hadn't expected her to be asleep there in the first place.

Hephaestus chuckled softly and gave Bell's embarrassed cheek a gentle pinch.

"Of course, it just made me think you're a bit of a pervy kid."

At that, Bell pulled away from Hephaestus's arms. He felt the need to explain himself.

"Hephaestus-sama, actually, back then I..."

"No need to explain."

Before he could finish, Hephaestus reached out and covered his mouth.

"It's not a bad thing for boys in Genkai to have thoughts like that. It just happened to catch my attention."

"The whole 'lecherous brat' impression started then. But after you helped with my right cheek, I did start to see you a little differently."

"Uh... Hephaestus-sama, isn't that just returning a favor?"

"Idiot."

Hephaestus rolled her eyes at him. Did he really think she was that shallow?

"What gods care about is that single moment of being moved—because gods don't change. So anyone who can change a god ends up etched into our memory forever."

"To us gods, a fleeting heartbeat means eternity."

'So that's how it is...'

Bell hadn't expected gods to think that way.

A moment of emotion meant forever—that truly was a difference between humans and gods.

Although this didn't apply to every god. A goddess like Ishtar was a clear exception. But for most goddesses, that single instant of emotional stir was an eternal encounter.

"That's why gods are always chasing after encounters in Genkai."

Now Bell finally understood why Hephaestus had approached him so directly.

"And you… you're not just looking for a few decades. You're hoping for eternity."

Her words made Bell take a deep breath.

"I really am chasing eternity."

After living a short life once before, now that he had another chance, he naturally aimed higher.

"My goal is to reach Level 10—a demigod. I want to spend even more time with Goddess-sama."

That was exactly the kind of answer Hephaestus had hoped to hear.

"Only Hestia?"

"...Before, there was only Goddess-sama."

"Then it sounds like you've got more thinking to do."

With that, Hephaestus left no room for Bell to back down.

If even a god had made up her mind about falling for a mortal, what excuse did a mortal like him have to hesitate?

"I... I also want to spend more time with Hephaestus-sama."

The words felt awkward coming out, and Bell couldn't help feeling self-conscious.

"Hephaestus-sama, this is the first time I've ever felt this—"

"Mm!"

A face suddenly leaned in.

Bell froze.

Soft lips pressed against his, freezing his thoughts entirely.

When they finally parted, a blush had bloomed across Hephaestus's lovely face.

"It's okay to be bold."

"I give you permission to have those kinds of thoughts."