Half-truths

"Are you crying because you think that Bell will leave you after knowing this?"

Ryder asked despite knowing that it was most likely the case and sure enough, he saw Hestia nod with a gloomy expression on her face.

"You don't need to worry, Bell won't leave you;"

Ryder reassured her with full conviction.

He did not spend a lot of time with Bell and close to none with Hestia but whatever he observed in the time he did gave him the full confidence that they treated each other like family.

Whenever Bell talked about Hestia, she had a wide smile on her face. Ryder did not think Bell would leave Hestia even after she knew that she no longer had Hestia's falna.

And Ryder made a judgement based on this.

Since Bell was his subordinate, if he wants he can command her to do anything and she would have to do it even if it was against her will.

But he was never fond of forcing someone to do something against their will and hence used command function only when necessary.

And because he was sure that Bell wouldn't leave Hestia, he did not want to force her to do so.

'Well since I would have to stay together with her, it will be better if she has some amount of goodwill towards me;'

Ryder decided and looked at Hestia who was intently staring at him.

"You know it better than me that Bell won't leave you just because of this;"

"And… even if she does decide to leave you, I'll make sure she returns back to you;"

Ryder consoled and once again wiped Hestia's face which had a few more tears on them.

"W..what do you mean?"

Hestia curiously asked after a few seconds of silence.

"...I'm sharing my vitality with Bell for her to stay alive;"

"And she'll need to continue staying close to me to stay alive;"

"You see I have nowhere to stay as you might already know that I descended to lower world just yesterday;"

"So if I stay here with you, she won't be able to leave;"

"....You won't have any problem if I stay here right?"

Ryder asked, making a sad expression, his face made him appear really pitiful especially when he said that he had nowhere to stay.

Hestia could swear she saw the image of a puppy drenched in heavy rain overlap with Ryder.

"Of course you can stay here!"

She understood how Ryder might be feeling after all she too had experience of facing a similar situation.

After she descended to the lower world from the higher world, she too had nowhere to go and had to struggle in vain to find anyone who might join her famiglia.

Fortunately she had her friend Hephaestus to freeload off of, even the place that she currently lived in was given to her by Hephaestus.

So she never had to experience the feeling of being homeless. Now that Ryder was in a similar situation to her own she was off course willing to help him.

Not to mention the fact that he saved Bell's life not once but twice hence it was her responsibility to help Ryder.

"Really?"

A bright smile appeared on Ryder's face; seeing that smile Hestia thought that she did a good deed today and started grinning thinking about it.

"Off course;"

Hestia said and tapped her chest with her first that made her big boobs bounce up and down.

Ryder eyed Hestia as if he was looking at his saviour, while he stopped his gaze from wandering towards the sight of Hestia's boobs bouncing.

"Then…in return for that I'll help you figure out why your falna disappeared from Bell's body;"

Only after hearing this did Hestia remember why she was talking to Ryder in the first place; hearing Ryder's plight she became too engrossed in sympathising with him and completely forgot about Bell.

"Wasn't it you who did it?"

Hestia asked with surprise, after all it was only after Ryder saved Bell that the falna disappeared and this was also the reason why Hestia thought that it had something to do with Ryder.

But seeing how he was shaking his head right now to her question and he did not seem to be lying either, Bell became confused.

'Was I wrong?..then wa-'

"I don't know why it disappeared but we can find it together!"

Ryder's voice interrupted Hestia's track of thoughts.

She looked at Ryder who seemed completely ready to help her and once again thought about how she was unfairly doubting him earlier and did not even think that he might be innocent.

In her sense of loss she even forgot that the one she was doubting was the same person who saved Bell.

Thinking about all this, Bell started feeling quite guilty.

Unbeknownst to Hestia, Ryder standing before her was also feeling the same feeling of guilt.

But unlike her, Ryder's guilt was close to the feeling that an adult felt when deceiving a child.

It was just too easy to deceive her!

Ryder thought.

He just showed an act of being pitiful and then told her a bunch of half truths and she believed him?

Without even trying to question him about anything else?

She was just too pure and trusting at heart, so pure that Ryder felt somewhat of resentment at himself for deceiving such a person.

Fortunately it was only for a moment as Ryder remembered that he was doing it for her own good, otherwise if Hestia came to know even a little about the truth of this world or even about Ryder… she might be in danger since she did not have a system to fool the world.

While in the middle of this thought he felt Hestia tap her finger on his shoulder which caused his attention to focus on her.

"Ummm….. Who are you exactly?.. I don't remember ever hearing about anyone like you in the upper world;"

Hestia asked, staring straight at Ryder in the eyes.