Chapter 280: You Better Explain Yourself, You Brat!

"There are only two things I need to remind you of."

"And then, since the 'Sword Princess' is bound to act recklessly in the near future—which might expose too many of my hidden abilities—I've got no choice but to deliver the Rune Stones now."

Bell had originally planned to wait a little longer before making the delivery. But with things turning out like this, he simply had no choice.

If he held onto them any longer, and Ais pulled another stunt like this, the rest of Loki Familia might pull off something wild again—like what they did during the Nine Hell incident.

And he couldn't always count on luck. Sooner or later, he'd slip up.

Once those special Rune Stones were exposed, trouble would come crashing down on him one after another.

To avoid that kind of disaster, Bell decided it was better to deliver the order in advance.

With a snap of his fingers, five spatial waist pouches appeared on Finn's desk.

"All the Rune Stones are in these five pouches. I've included descriptions and instructions for each type inside."

Finn's mouth twitched slightly. Sure, he had been eagerly awaiting the spatial pouches, but right now, all he felt was speechlessness.

Ais, you've even managed to scare Bell-kun.

Just look at him—he tossed those pouches down like they were poison or something.

Finn wanted to say something to explain that Ais didn't always behave like this… but the words just wouldn't come.

What was there to say?

Ais's actions had practically smacked Bell in the face. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been in such a hurry to hand these over.

"Well then, I'll take my leave."

Having completed the delivery, Bell turned to leave.

"P-Please wait!"

He paused and turned his head. The one calling out was a girl, slightly out of breath.

She was a fox girl with a delicate, oval-shaped face, dressed in a soft cherry-red kimono. She looked like a refined, old-world girl with a quiet, bookish charm. On her head twitched a pair of golden, furry ears, and behind her swayed a golden tail—nervous and unsettled, perfectly reflecting her mood.

Her face was filled with worry and unease, and to Bell, she looked like a shy, introverted bookworm.

'Have I ever interacted with her before?'

Bell couldn't help but wonder.

He definitely knew Sanjouno Haruhime. In person, she was much cuter than any two-dimensional image—few could stay indifferent to such a charming fox girl.

But he didn't recall ever having any personal connection with her.

"Is there something you need?"

Bell asked casually, a bit confused.

"..."

Haruhime opened her mouth. She was finally face-to-face with him, but couldn't seem to find the words.

Her golden tail, which had been swaying nervously a moment ago, now drooped low.

"???"

'Did I say something harsh just now?'

Bell was baffled. All he did was ask if she needed anything—how did that end up upsetting her?

Haruhime took a few deep breaths, then gathered her courage and spoke.

"Do you... remember me?"

—Sanjouno Haruhime. A rare exception in the Ishtar Familia, still retaining her maiden status. I'm the one who passed your information to Loki-sama. Of course I remember you.

"Huh? You... you're the one who told Loki-sama?"

"Well, sort of. When I first arrived in Orario, I made it a habit to wander around different Familias, seeing if I could dig up any interesting intel. I was originally aiming to work in intelligence, after all."

"I... I see..."

Haruhime's expression froze. She hadn't known the truth—that the information had come from the very person she viewed as a hero.

Seeing the devastated look on her face, like she'd just been struck by lightning, Bell's eyes flickered slightly—but he said nothing. He simply gave a faint smile.

"That's all there is to it."

"Don't think of me as some kind of savior. I saved you for my own reasons. There's no need to put me on a pedestal."

Bell didn't try to sugarcoat anything. He just calmly laid out the logic behind his actions.

With that, he turned to leave.

"Hey! Kid, hold it right there!"

Loki, seeing Haruhime on the verge of tears, angrily called out to Bell as he prepared to walk away.

"Why didn't you just tell the truth?"

"I did. What I said was the most honest version of the truth there is. You know that better than anyone, don't you, Loki-sama?"

"Like hell you did, you damn brat!"

Loki jabbed a finger toward Bell, fuming.

"You reek of lies from head to toe. You think I can't see through you?"

"You introduced Haruhime to me, spilled the secret about her hidden magic—don't tell me you only did it for your own gain. Didn't you choose my Familia because it was the safest place for her?"

Bell sighed softly at the sight of Loki's rising anger.

"Feeding a girl unrealistic hopes is the cruelest thing you can do."

"Loki-sama, even if you knew... you didn't have to say it out loud. Couldn't you have just kept it a secret?"

Loki spat on the ground and yanked Haruhime—whose eyes were red and filled with tears—closer.

"Bullshit!"

"Denying what you've done, right in front of a girl like her—now that's what's truly cruel."

Looking at Sanjouno Haruhime's tear-filled eyes, the sympathy Bell had been holding gave way to helpless resignation.

Who wouldn't feel compassion for a girl who had suffered so much in this world?

Anyone who had heard her story would have sighed at the tragedy of her life.

And when Bell was given the chance, what he did was simple—he joined forces with Loki-sama to remove the root of that tragedy: Ishtar-sama.

Then he found her a place where she could finally live in peace—the Loki Familia.

In the end, Bell could only take a step back and sigh.

"I admit it. After learning about her past, I did push things in that direction."

"I used the intelligence I had, and your craving for rare talents, to get rid of Ishtar."

Those simple words made something click for Loki.

"And if I hadn't been willing to act?"

Bell's shadowed eyes swept across Loki as he delivered a line that stunned the room.

"Assassinating a goddess whore is a lot easier than you'd think."

...

(100 Chapters Ahead)

p@treon com / PinkSnake