chapter 9

Ding,

A noise was heard to signal a customer, He and the sole member of his familia stop the discussion they had going on to attend to the upcoming customer.

"huh!" He made a surprised noise as he hadn't expected another god to come to his store. Gods never came to buy in his store as there was no need to do it. All that he sold were potions that gods didn't need, his only customers were children of the "lower world". He would be surprised if a god entered his shabby store but this god surprised him even more as he didn't look like the ones that had thrown their pride out of the window to work, Like him. His kin had a Robe that looked extremely expensive, he also had gauntlets and a mask, which also looked expensive specifically his gauntlets. It looked like it was made from a special material, it also had gold linings and jewels embedded in it. He looked like those extremely rich gods that lived on the tower of babel, he was so out of place in this shabby shop that he even began to suspect something.

"Hello there, I was passing by and manage to hear that you were in a financial crisis. So I would like for you to come work for me. My Familia will be going on a big expedition soon so they need a lot of potions for the expedition. I will be paying you handsomely, I would also be paying the debt that you owe once you work under me. What do you think?" The masked God said

Miach began considering if he accepted the proposal. It was a very enticing proposal but he didn't understand why the god in front of him wanted him to work under him and not work by contract. He knew that this was once in a lifetime opportunity and didn't want to let it go, but still, he had his pride as a god even if he had thrown most of it. He still was a god and didn't want to work under someone even if said someone was a god. He still had a little bit of pride left, unlike a certain chibi goddess that had completely thrown her pride away and worked under humans as a part-timer.

Ainz seeing that Miach kept quiet so he decided to change his proposal, well that's what it looked like for Miach.

"Well, how about we do it like this, you will need to supply me x amount of potions daily, I will supply you all the material you need. Just tell me the name of the materials and the amount and I will get it as soon as possible. I will also remodel your... this shabby shop to a more presentable shop. Also, I will be constructing a workshop specifically so that you can make potions. Don't worry about it though I will not be deducting those expenditures to you."

To Miach those words were like finding an oasis on the dessert. He felt that this was the last proposal made by the god in front of him. He wanted to tightly grasp on the hopes given to him but as he was going to make an impulsive or great decision by saying he accepted, he was stopped.

"Miach-sama please think this through and don't make a rash decision." Naaza the sole member of his familia stopped him from accepting this opportunity and pulled him to the corner, not before asking Ainz for permission.

"Kami-sama can you please wait a little bit so that we can consider the proposal. " "mhm"

"Miach-sama if you're doing this for me again please stop and think things through. Although this might sound rude permit me to ask these questions. Why do you think he picked you specifically to supply him potions when there are a lot of gods that have a reputation bigger than yours for selling potions?"

'Yeah, what she said makes sense, why would that god specifically pick me to supply potions to his familia when there are other Familia's that make potions.' Miach thought but as he was a god that didn't like to make bad assumptions about others he came to a more tame conclusion to what his follower came with.

"Maybe, The other gods already have their hands full by dealing and making potions for bigger familia's and other adventurers, that they can't focus on taking a contract like that," Miach said what he thought to his follower but it seemed that she still hadn't fully believed that explanation.

Naaza had a doubtful expression plastered on her face as she wasn't fully convinced. So she asked another question.

"Then if that's it, why do you think he wants to help us pay the debt, remodel our shop and even build a workshop for us?"

"There is a possible reason for paying our debt. I think he wants to pay the debt so that we can focus on making the productivity of the potions higher. Let's see here, If He doesn't help us pay the debt the potions that he will be receiving will be less, As we would make potions but not give all to him. we would likely stalk up potions in the store for some quick money so that we can pay our debt and keep living the day by day. Maybe that's also the reason for the workshop. He already saw and heard of our economic situation, so he likely concluded that we don't even have a proper place to make our potions.

"Miach-sama but isn't that contradicting. If he wants us to focus on making the potions why would he remodel our shop?"

Ah, this girl of his. It seemed like she didn't trust the god that proposed it. So she was incessantly finding excuses so he turns down the proposal.

"Well you see, some of the richer gods don't like to lose face, I'm sure that's why he wants to remodel the shop. If he didn't, it would seem, he, as a god that had plenty of money was a miser. He would become the laughing stock of other gods if word ever came out that he was the one to make the contract and not his children. It would seem like he came to make a contract with me just so that he can get things cheaper." After he gave the reason he thought of they went to the proposer.

After coming to the god it seemed that Naaza was still distrustful of the god. So he asked a question before he accepted the proposal.

"Before I accept, I would like to ask you the reason you picked me to supply you with potions." The god tilted his head after the question was asked

"Oh, it seems that you are not fully convinced are you. Well, let me start with how I heard about you, Miach." Ainz began to tell his encounter with some adventurers at the tower of babel and then proceeded to tell how by coincidence he got to hear about his economic crisis.

"I'm a fellow god that just came yesterday, So I don't have connections to other gods that make potions. I also agreed to chose you as my supplier when I heard the adventurers say that you were a kind god. And it seems you are one" Ainz said as he looked at naaza's arm.

"hahaha! Do you think so? I'm flattered, to say the least, Then I accept." Miach was happy that his kindness had brought him good luck. Although he still would be happy even if it didn't.

Even Naaza had a smile plastered on her face. 'It looks like our suffering will be ending now my child, so don't worry anymore.' Miach thought as he looked at the innocent and gleeful smile the child of his had.

"It seems that she lost her arm in a battle right. Would you like to recuperate your hand, young miss?" Ainz said as he kept looking Naaza's hand that was made of silver.

Both Naaza and Miach froze at the mention of Naaza's hand. Even the potions he could make could not regrow Naaza's hand so how did the god in front of him look so sure that it could be recovered.

Miach saw that Naaza was trembling and she had tears in her eyes. 'It seems she is in a state of shock, excitement, fear, and despair. She has been given hope that she can recover her arms but she also feels fear and despair because of the trauma she has."

Miach was a bit mad as it seems that his child was given false hope and was being lied to. As even he, a god of medicine, could not recover her arms now to say some random god that just came by for some contract for potions. If he really could recover her hand then why would he need potions from him?

"I don't really like other people lying to my children, so, please kindly take your leave before I get angry. And before you say anything, I will ask you. Did you just come here to play with us? If you have something that can recover her arms, why would you want potions from me?"

"No, I didn't come to play with you. All that I said can be taken to be true. And, yes I do have some people that can make potions but it's not enough for my Familia. And I will tell you a secret. They all developed an ability to make potions that can restore health and regrow any missing limbs of the user. If you don't believe me, tomorrow I will send you one of my children so that you can confirm it. Well then, I will be on my way as I have things to do." That's all Ainz said and turned about to leave.

Miach felt that he was telling the truth, or that's what he wanted to believe at least. It was true that children were special as they could surpass a god here in the lower world, so there might have been a potion that could regrow the right arm of his child.

"wait! I... I will be trusting in you and I'm sorry for the false accusation I just made." He apologized if this was true then he was risking the chance of not seeing it for himself and losing it all, So he grasped on the hopes he was given."

"Do not worry," Ainz said as he left through the door.

Sigh, Miach sighed as he felt exhausted. It seemed like if he had let Ainz go without apologizing it would be a close call that he would lose the chance of improving the Familia's income and his precious child arm to be recovered.

Sniff, Sniff. sob

"ahh... aaahhh. Miash-shama ish it thru? Can I Recover my right arm?" This child of his was crying as a newborn baby cried for his mother.

"mhm," It seems that he also had tears in his eyes. How much did he love her, he went into bankruptcy because of her, He would do anything for his children but they still left. she was the only one that stayed so he tried to do his best every day so that they could live without any problems but he was having a difficult time.

It seems that tomorrow will be the day that his... No! Their situation will change. He was glad he accepted the proposal.

----

Ha, Ainz mentally sighed as he came out of the store. It seemed that the situation went all according to how he planned it... well there were some minor changes but it still came out good.

'I get to have a god make potions for me. I will also have information as he will be doing the potions in the workshop I will make for them. I will be surveilling him through magic. I will also have someone spying on his actions during the process of the day.'

Ainz had carefully planned how to begin and to carry the conversation so that the god worked for him. First, he told Miach to work under him and he knew that would fail, but he wanted to get a reaction from the god. After that, he established themselves as equals. After that, Ainz made Miach see as he was in a higher position by giving a lot of benefits. But that was only from Miach's perspective as the only benefit he would receive that Ainz wouldn't have any profit was the remodeling of the shop. At the moment that Ainz thought of giving him the workshop, He already had in mind that it was to collect information while Miach was inside it. Also for him to get more information he had to let out tidbits of information too. At first, Ainz hadn't thought about it but after a while, he concluded that Miach potions were so weak that they couldn't even restore a hand or were specifically made to regain health and not to regrow last body parts.

The reason he concluded that, was the moment he saw the girl that had dog ears wearing a metal gauntlet... well that's what he thought at first but then he saw that it was a hand made out of metal, It was then he realized that he was in potion shop and a girl had a hand made out of metal. the only conclusion he could reach was that she had lost her hand in battle and the potions couldn't help her regrow another one. It was then that it occurred to him to take more advantage of the situation. He told Miach about the potions that his potion maker could do, just so that he could leave a spy on Miach's side. And it seemed it worked as he accepted the proposal without even demanding even more benefits.

Now he would just need to pick a suitable person that he could send. He had a few people inside nazarick that could make potions that were from the new world. They all had sworn loyalty to him so he thought it was safe to pick one of them to work alongside Miach.

'Now then, what should I do? Do I dive deep into the dungeon? No, I can't do that right now I still have to find an inn so that we can stay for the night. Although it is unnecessary as we all do not need sleep, it would seem weird that we didn't find an inn for the night. So let's do that after' Ainz began to go to his last destination for today.

-------

It was already night as he was running in toward his home. This was his first time coming so late home, so he imagined how his goddess must be worried for him.

Yesterday, there was a dungeon outbreak and a lot of people died trying to suppress It. He was scared, his hands trembled and his feet almost gave out when he saw that monsters came out of the dungeon in masses.

He was just a beginner adventurer, so he stayed outside with the rest of the level 1's. He saw how fiercely adventurers fought for their life, While some were also scared like him and tried to run away but they all got killed while running. All those that tried running away died first as they were vulnerable to any attack the monsters made. He didn't know if it was because he was terrified he didn't end up running and he was thankful for that because of he ran he would end up dead.

He also didn't know why he began fighting, wasn't he terrified of losing his life? Or was it because he was terrified of losing his life that he fought on to stay alive? was it the same for everyone else?

After the outbreak was finished he stayed there a long while until adventurers began returning from the dungeon. He saw that some adventurers dragging their partners who had lost a part of their body or were critically injured. He also saw some adventurers that as soon as they came out of the dungeon they laid on the floor to cry. He could feel the anguish they felt of losing someone dear to them. That day the whole city felt that their heroes were in deep anguish.

After seeing some of the adventurers that came from deeper floors body state, He was grateful that he wasn't high level at the moment. He also felt mortified and even thought of quitting as an adventurer. His Fear and despair came to hit him hard like waves on the ocean.

It came to the point that he even went and stood in front of the guild headquarters to resign but a conversation he heard by chance stopped him from doing something foolish.

"Do you think that there will be dungeon outbreaks every time now?"

"Don't mention it! It makes me shiver in fear every time I hear outbreak now. And why do you ask that? You know that outbreaks like this are very rare."

"It's just... you know... I heard some of the adventurers on the deeper floor saying that it seems that another monster of unimaginable strength was created by the dungeon, and its strength could be compared to the ones of the three great quests. I even heard someone said that the power it radiated was higher than the monsters of the three great quests combined."

"No way... How is that even possible."

"Also some higher-level adventurers were saying that the ones who are quitting right now are stupid because the outbreaks will keep happening and they will lose their powers so they would not be able to even defend themselves."

"You think that they will lose their power?"

"You think that gods will want people who already lost their will and spirit to fight? Do you even remember why the gods came in the first place?"

"Oh, yeah you are right, gods descended and gave their blessing so that we can prosper and fight back the monsters."

"yeah, the only people that will stay with the blessings of the gods will be the brave people who will keep fighting to the end and people who have skills like potion-making and blacksmiths. Do you think we front liners have options to choose from?"

" So it is a foolish decision that people are making right now and when the time for another outbreak comes. They will panic and regret the choice that they made."

After listening to their conversation he understood what would happen to him if he quit. Although, he thought that his goddess would not be that awful to take away her blessing. The notion of her taking away the blessing she gave scared him. All kinds of bad thoughts came to mind, from how he would lose his only family that was his goddess if he didn't fight, or how he would need to escape from here if he didn't want to fight and go back to the village he came to go back to and be alone again.

So he made his conviction that he would keep fighting even if it scared him. So that his goddess wouldn't need to suffer when another outbreak came to be. He decided to work hard to get stronger and stronger so that when the time came he would be strong enough to protect his goddess from any harm.

His will was so strong that he unlocked a skill and he didn't even know about it.

After he entered an abandoned church, that had no door at the entrance, he came out of thought. After he entered he felt relieved that he was home. Although, said home had holes on the roof and grass was already growing from the broken ground. Entering passing rooms and entering deeper he came in front of a sofa where his goddess laid.

"Goddess, It seems that you are exhausted so go the bed and rest." He said softly.

"Bell-Kun why are you late? carry me to bed." She responded but bell saw that she responded while still asleep.

It seems that she is tired but it's not appropriate for me to carry her to bed. What should I do?

Ahh, let's just carry her.

bell picked Hestia out of the sofa and carried her from the sofa to the bed that was in another room. Not without stealing glances at her well-developed breast. she looks like she could be my little sister if she were compared with me if it weren't for her breast. He once heard some gods calling her an oppai loli. he didn't understand what they were talking about, He even thought ' what the heck does loli mean'

After gently placing her in the bed he covered her with the bedsheet.

He went back to the sofa and laid down, he closed his eyes and thought about the ceremony that would be made tomorrow to say goodbyes to the ones who lost their lives.

------

"ll-un... ell-Ku... Bell!" It seems that the goddess is talking to me. Amid his sleep, he heard a sweet voice shouting for him to wake up.

"what is it, goddess?" Bell said as he wiped his half-shut eyes.

"Let me update your Falna before you go to the dungeon. you fought bravely that day so you must have gotten stronger. I will not have time later as I need to prepare for the ceremony that will be done today."

"Ok goddess... "

" First let's move to the bed as I can do it better there."

I went to the bed and laid face down. After I laid down, the goddess jumps on me and used me as her chair.

She began rubbing my back, going over the same spot once, twice, many times as she relaxes my skin.

Ping... The goddess pulls out a long needle and pricks her finger with it. A drop of blood falls on my back.

The red drop sends waves through my body as the blood sinks on my skin.

She began to knead on the spot where the blood had landed and worked down slowly from the left. She changes the markings that my back showed.

The markings that my back showed was my status, my Falna.

A god's blood is used to write hieroglyphs to a body and make a person's ability rise.

Only gods have this power.

After she finishes I get out the bed I put on some normal clothes because mines were taken somewhere while updating my Falna.

The goddess reaches for a piece of paper to write down my new status. The gods learned a bit of our written language to help us out. Since I can't read hieroglyphs myself; no one can.

"Here, your new status."

I take the paper from her outstretched hand.

Bell Cranell

level one

strength I - 77- I - 88 Endurance I-13 - I-15

dexterity I-93- H -130 Agility H-148 - H-174

Magic I-0

Magic () Skills ()

This is my Falna on my back, my status.

Let's see... My strength, endurance, dexterity, and agility went up this time... wait a sec, what's up with my dexterity and agility!? My dexterity went from I-93 to H -130 and my agility went from H-148 to H-178! my dexterity went up to 37 points and my agility went up 30 points just from yesterday.

It must be because I had to do my best to dodge incoming attacks from everywhere and move from place to place as fast as I could so I didn't get encircled and killed by monsters, I was doing it for who knows how long until all the monsters got killed.

My endurance did go up just by 2 points, it must be because I got hit once.

He still hadn't gotten any magic skill nor any points for it.

"Um, goddess? when do you think I"ll be able to use magic?"

"Even I don't know that. People who can use magic have high intelligence in their excelia...You don't read too much, though, do you, bell?"

"No..."

The only books I have read are stories of heroes, and nothing more, and even that, was in the past when I was with my grandpa.

"Goddess, there seems to be something in my skill slot. It looks like something got erased..."

"Hmm... Oh! some ink got in my hand, and it got smudged, It's still open like normal, don't worry."

"Just my luck...Ok, bye, goddess, I'm going to the dungeon a bit early so that I can return to the ceremony today."

---------

Hestia gave Bell a send-off. Once he was gone she let out a quiet sigh but heavy sigh.

She picked up his status sheet and compared it to the one written on his back.

"Children change so fast... Completely different from us."

she took another look at bells back.

specifically, she looked at his skill slot.

Bell Cranell

level one

strength I - 77- I - 88 Endurance I-13 - I-15

dexterity I-93- H -130 Agility H-148 - H-174

Magic I-0

Magic ()

Skills = Realis phrase- Fast growth as long as the desire lasts.

The strength of the effects corresponds with the level of the user's feelings.

As a side effect, it makes the user immune to charms

'Why did bell have a skill like this, has he fallen in love with someone that fought with him on the dungeon outbreak?'

'No bell, I will not allow it!'