The Close Relationship Between Charlie and Aiz

The sun rose from the eastern horizon, illuminating the high city walls of Orario.

After preparing breakfast for two, Charlie ate with Aishia.

"I'm going to the Goibniu Familia, can you keep an eye on the house, Aishia?"

"Mm."

Receiving Aishia's approval, Charlie opened the door and walked out of the house.

"There are more gods and goddesses than usual today... Maybe it's related to the Banquet of the Gods tonight."

Among the crowd of pedestrians, Charlie had seen several gods and goddesses before. However, since he left Aishia at home, the gods didn't notice anything unusual about him, and he didn't draw as much attention as he had before.

At most, a few goddesses would occasionally try to approach him. With his good looks, it was no wonder he left a distinct impression on most women, including the goddesses.

It wasn't strange for the goddesses to have intimate relationships with mortals. After all, their goal was to descend to the lower world for fun.

Not only the Goddess of Beauty would engage in sexual relationships with men; many of the goddesses did the same. Only the three Virgin Goddesses would not partake in such activities.

"So this is what it feels like to be popular, huh... I used to only envy them; now that I've experienced it myself, it turns out being popular isn't always fun."

Hiding behind a house, Charlie peeked out to see several goddesses pass by without noticing his hiding place, and he sighed in relief.

"Even though I've turned them down, they're so eager, aren't they? I have to admit, they're very thirsty for handsome men."

After ensuring the situation was safe, Charlie emerged from his hiding spot and hurried toward the Goibniu Familia.

"If this is already troublesome, I can't imagine what will happen at the Banquet of the Gods tonight. I hope they can act more gracefully so they don't lose face in front of the other gods."

On his way, Charlie was bumped into by a goddess who was rushing. Before she fell, he reached out to catch her hand.

"Ah, I'm sorry for bumping into you; I'm in a hurry to get to work, or my boss will scold me."

The goddess was none other than one of the three Virgin Goddesses besides Artemis and Athena, Hestia.

"It's okay, just be more careful next time, Goddess Hestia."

"You know me?"

Hestia was surprised that the white-haired young man resembling Bell would recognize her.

"Yes, I learned about you from Goddess Aphrodite."

"I see... So, you're Aphrodite's child. Tsk, is she looking for a child resembling my Bell-kun? That's a possibility."

The lack of information led Hestia to misunderstand and think that the young man in front of her was a member of the Aphrodite Familia. After all, she had boasted about how great Bell was in front of Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Demeter, and other goddesses at the Divine Bath a week ago.

So she wasn't surprised that Aphrodite took in a child resembling Bell into her Familia.

"Aren't you in a hurry, Goddess Hestia?"

"Ah, I forgot. See you, child resembling Bell-kun!"

After being reminded, Hestia didn't even have time to ask the other's name and hurried off to her part-time job.

"The Hestia Familia is so poor that the main god has to work part-time."

Glancing at the figure of Hestia that had disappeared, Charlie continued with his business. He didn't try to explain the other's misunderstanding.

❀❀❀

Charlie walked out of the alley leading to the Goibniu Familia workshop.

He had just picked up the Damocles Sword, the Eclipse Aegis Cloak, and his ordered items. On his way home, he saw a blonde girl sitting on a bench under one of the many trees.

"Aiz? She looks gloomy."

Thinking there was no urgent matter, Charlie decided to chat with Aiz for a bit.

"Good morning, Aiz."

"Charlie."

Aiz snapped out of her daydream, and when she looked up, her eyes lit up upon seeing that it was Charlie who had come.

"May I sit next to you?"

"Mm."

"Excuse me."

Charlie sat on the bench; they were very close but not touching.

"Something happened, didn't it?"

"How did you know...?"

"Your expression gave it away. Anyway, I don't mind hearing your complaints. I may not be able to provide a solution to your problems, but sometimes venting to someone else can make you feel better."

"..."

Aiz stared at Charlie in confusion. In her eyes, the figure of the young man in front of her seemed to overlap with her father. Finally, she decided to express her feelings.

"My progress is very disappointing... Bla... Bla... Bla..."

After coming back to the surface, Aiz was eager to ask Loki to update her status. However, she was disappointed with the results.

This progress could only be described as something sad.

All abilities increased by one digit, and the total didn't even reach 20 points, with Magic Power not moving at all.

It was an expedition; Aiz had killed countless monsters, yet in the end, she only made a slight increase.

This might be because she had reached her capacity limit.

Moreover, if she killed Level 4 monsters with Level 5 strength, she would gain very little Excelia, but Level 5 enemies were too rare, making it increasingly difficult for adventurers to level up.

In fact, it wasn't just Aiz facing this problem; all First-Class Adventurers were experiencing it and struggling to level up due to a lack of strong enemies.

"Charlie, what level are you now?"

Aiz looked directly into Charlie's eyes and asked.

"..."

Charlie wanted to lie and say he was only Level 2, but the look in the girl's eyes made his conscience feel guilty if he told a lie.

"Can you promise to keep what I say a secret?"

"I promise."

Hearing this, Aiz already had a guess in her heart.

"Level 3." Charlie said briefly.

"...!!!"

"How can I become as strong as you?"

Aiz looked at him with shining eyes.

"Can you tell me? I'll do anything!"

She leaned her upper body forward, closing the distance between herself and Charlie. They were close enough to hear each other's breaths.

Her golden eyes were filled with desire.

"You've seen my Status, right? My growth speed is thanks to the effect of the Skill The Chosen Savior. Sorry, I can't help you."

"No, I'm sorry, I got too excited."

Aiz's enthusiasm dimmed upon hearing that. She remembered the Skill that Charlie possessed.

"There must be a reason behind your desire to become stronger quickly, right?" Charlie asked with concern.

"Mm." Aiz nodded softly, not explaining further.

Seeing her like this, Charlie felt troubled.

This was more of an obsession than a longing. There was motivation in her heart pushing her to become stronger.

This in itself wasn't a bad thing, but if her motivation was too strong, it could sometimes become a burden.

Once Aiz failed to make progress, she would easily develop various negative emotions within her heart, which would lead to significant problems.

"I don't understand all the pain you're feeling, but at least when I'm with you, I want to make you feel better. I don't want you to be sad."

While saying this, Charlie gently stroked her golden hair.

Aiz was shocked by the feeling of his palm caressing her head. Nevertheless, she didn't resist and let him.

Of course, this affectionate action became a spectacle for those around them. After all, Aiz was a well-known figure in Orario. Now seeing her act spoiled like a kitten in front of a young man would surely cause quite a sensation.