Although it was already past time to get up, morning cuddle time was non-negotiable.
So what now that she was awake?
Well—she could just continue it on the sofa.
Hestia pulled Bell back into the basement room, had him sit down on the sofa, then stretched out and rested her head on his lap.
Thankfully, Bell had already calmed down. Otherwise, this would've been a social death sentence.
"Bell-kun, even if you've set your goal already, don't rush it."
Hestia was genuinely worried he might get too obsessed with leveling up.
"Level 10 isn't something you can just reach easily. What matters most for you, Bell, is one thing—'be careful.'"
"The Dungeon doesn't welcome gods. We're forbidden from entering. If a god steps into the Dungeon, it will immediately react and try to hunt us down. If you're ever in danger down there... I wouldn't be able to help you."
Bell knew that well. The Dungeon hated gods—it never let any who entered leave unscathed.
That was just the way things were.
"I understand."
"So, Goddess-sama, let's make another promise. I won't act recklessly in the Dungeon. I'll level up step by step, in proper order. In exchange, you must promise not to enter the Dungeon under any circumstances."
Bell wanted to cut off any chance of Hestia ever setting foot in the Dungeon again. No matter what the reason—even if it seemed important—it was absolutely forbidden.
Hestia went quiet.
She honestly wasn't sure whether she could stop herself from rushing in if she found out Bell was in danger.
But Bell refused to back down.
"Goddess-sama, you must never go into the Dungeon—no matter what you hear."
Seeing how firm he was, Hestia gave up trying to argue.
"Alright. No matter what I hear... I won't go into the Dungeon."
"But—if I ever don't see you return from it, Bell, I'm going straight back to Tenkai."
Even though she had agreed to Bell's request, Hestia had one of her own.
As long as Bell returned safely from the Dungeon, everything was fine. But if he disappeared—if he never came back—then Hestia had no intention of staying in this fascinating lower world.
That statement placed a heavy, silent weight on Bell's shoulders.
And he knew it wasn't something he could run from.
"Alright. I promise, too. No matter what happens, I'll make it out of the Dungeon."
Hestia's serious expression finally softened, and she smiled once again.
She hadn't said those things lightly.
If Bell couldn't return from the Dungeon, she wouldn't remain in Genkai. She might even choose never to descend from Tenkai again—just like the goddesses she'd seen return home in the past.
Never assume a goddess is frivolous.
Many of them are known for their unwavering devotion—so devoted, in fact, that they refuse to accept anyone else ever again.
Most of the goddesses Hestia knew who had returned to Tenkai were just like that.
And once, she had asked them why.
"You're really not going back to Genkai?"
The answers she got were shockingly unanimous.
"Why would we go back? To meet another so-called fated one?"
"One is enough. One is all it takes to remember. Why would we need more?"
"We're not goddesses of beauty or love—why go chasing after so many encounters?"
"And besides, for us, the first is what truly matters. Chasing after more just makes you forget the most important one."
Hestia remembered how radiant those goddesses looked when they spoke those words.
There was a time when she didn't understand them. But after meeting Bell, she had started to.
Mortals in Genkai might be fragile, unlike gods who enjoy eternal life. Yet it's those same fragile mortals who often shine the brightest. That brilliance—the way they lived—was something gods could never have. And that's why the gods descended: to seek a true encounter.
But an encounter, by its very nature, only counts the first time.
Everything after that—can you even call it an encounter?
'Are you really looking for love? Please. Don't make me say what's actually going through your head.'
Most goddesses weren't creatures of passion. Those who returned to Tenkai almost always clung to their first and only encounter.
The reasons for their return were varied.
But even if offered the chance to descend again, many of those goddesses would still choose to stay in Tenkai, guarding the pure memories they carried with them.
So, Hestia made her own decision too.
She would not seek another encounter.
Bell could tell that Goddess-sama wasn't joking. But that didn't mean he was ready to die in the Dungeon either.
After all, he was a guy who was terrified of death.
"Well then... I'm heading out, Goddess-sama."
"Hmm, alright."
After curling up in Bell's arms for a bit longer, Hestia stood up as well.
She wanted to move forward alongside him—she couldn't let him be the only one striving.
As she watched him leave, Hestia gathered her own resolve.
"Okay! I'll work hard at Hephaestus's shop today too!"
...
After parting with Goddess-sama, Bell headed straight for the Dungeon entrance.
'The pressure's... kinda overwhelming.'
Going into the Dungeon alone—yeah, that was rough.
If he ever got into real danger, getting out would be close to impossible.
But in this moment, Bell was unexpectedly calm. Serious.
This wasn't a game. He only had one life. If anything happened to him down there... Hestia would go back to Tenkai.
And from the look on her face, she clearly didn't intend to come back down.
He couldn't let that happen.
'I hate stories with bad endings.'
'Back when I was grinding for Futaba's 250 lines in Persona 5, it was because I couldn't stand things not ending right.'
'Don't they know I've got OCD?'
Bell had never been ambitious. But that didn't mean he was without desire.
It was precisely because he understood his own limits and background that he had buried those wants. He wasn't someone who could easily fulfill his dreams.
But now—now he had one powerful, undeniable desire.
'I'm going to marry Hestia!'
'I want her body!'
'And not just for a few decades. I want her forever!'
One thought after another surged through him, each one more intense than the last.
And so, in that moment, Bell began to seriously consider how he would tackle the impossible—becoming Level 10.