YOU AND I: THE EVE OF WAR
Level 2
Strength: SS 1088 Defense: SS 1029
Dexterity: SS 1094 Agility: SSS 1302
Magic: A 883
They’ve really shot up…
Straddled atop Bell’s back as he lay face down on the bed, Hestia looked down at her follower’s updated stats with a troubled frown. It was two days before the War Game, and considering that he would be traveling tomorrow, Bell had completed his training and returned to Hestia at the home of Miach Familia. While leaving Apollo’s mansion, Lord Miach had informed them they could use it as a base of operations.
He hadn’t told her yet, but looking at Bell’s new stats, Hestia could guess he’d been training with Aiz again. It was just like a month ago during Bell’s last update as a Level 1 before fighting the minotaur. Bell’s agility, in particular, had become so absurd that Hestia found herself wondering if there was a rank beyond SSS that they would soon see. However, she decided all this was too much to explain to Bell, so she decided not to.
“…All right, Bell. This is our bed. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Okay, then—wait, our bed?!”
“Yeah. They said this is the only one they’ve got.”
That wasn’t even close to the truth. It was only because Bell had been spending every night with Aiz lately that Hestia felt she had to do something drastic. Bell suggested that he would sleep on the floor, but Hestia insisted he needed to get some decent rest for the War Game. Miach and Nahza tactfully said nothing.
And so the two lay side by side in a bed really only designed for one, the soft glow of the magic-stone torches illuminating the room.
“…Do you hate me for this, Bell?”
The exhilaration only lasted a moment. After a while, Hestia turned onto her side and asked Bell that question. It was she who had decided to accept the terms of the War Game after all, without securing Bell’s agreement first. It’s not like she planned to lose, but everyone, Lilly and Welf included, had pinned their hopes on Bell, and if things went badly, this might be their last night together.
After a moment’s silence, Bell answered. “No,” he said, lying on his back. “I don’t want to let that person win, either.”
Hestia looked over at the boy’s firm, determined expression as he stared up at the ceiling, and after a moment of surprise, she smiled.
“You know, you’ve gotten a lot cooler lately.”
“Huh?”
“Nothing,” said Hestia, nuzzling the boy’s shoulder to hide her blushing cheeks. “Good luck.”
“Thank you.”
When the two of them fell asleep, their fingers were softly intertwined.
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