Chapter 700

"Feels a bit stronger than us, but the gap isn't that large."

Bell thought for a moment, then answered.

"Mm."

Liliruca nodded, agreeing with the boy's words.

"That Kashima just isn't clear on his own role and responsibilities in the party; his combat technique is still quite commendable."

Broly evaluated with a sentence.

He didn't know that the god Takemikazuchi was a martial arts master in the Lower World.

Able to defeat a Lv. 3 Adventurer bare-handed without using divine power.

"Lili, if you were to solo him, what do you think your chances of winning would be?"

Broly asked the Pallum girl again.

"If I'm wearing the equipment Miss Chun forged for me, I feel I have a very good chance of winning."

Liliruca thought for a moment before answering this question.

Besides ability values and combat technique, equipment is an even more important factor in strength.

The equipment of Takemikazuchi Familia members is a bit poor.

Of course, one could also say that Adventurers who wear equipment worth millions of Valis at Lv. 1 are comparatively rare.

Liliruca updated her ability values today; if she wears the fine equipment forged by the Hephaestus Familia Captain Blacksmith, the One-Eyed Craftsman, and the opponent lacks equipment of the same quality, she probably can't be beaten, even if they're a level higher.

"Since that's the case, no need to go play dirty."

Seeing the Pallum girl so confident, Broly dispelled the thought of going to play dirty on the Soma Familia Captain.

Better to be fair and square if you can be; the prestige established by defeating an intact Captain who's been promoted is different from defeating a crippled one.

"Alright, let's clean up, then go pick up Lady Hestia, and head to the Hostess of Fertility to eat."

Broly spoke, then walked toward the House.

"Broly-san……"

Bell spoke up.

"Got it, you want to go find that Miss Anna, right?!"

Broly didn't wait for the boy to finish, directly cutting in.

"Mm."

The white-haired boy replied, scratching his head a bit embarrassedly.

"Say, Bell, what stage have you and that Miss Anna developed to?"

Liliruca asked with some curiosity.

"Uh, last night, Miss Anna, she took the initiative……"

Bell's face was red, stammering.

"She took the initiative to kiss you?"

Liliruca pursued the question with interest.

"No, she took the initiative to hold my hand."

The Pallum girl fell silent; this hand-holding sounded like she'd reached first base; truly worthy of a pure innocent little virgin!

"Then Bell, you do your best; let's see when you'll take down that Miss Anna."

Liliruca lost interest, encouraged the other party with a sentence.

"Ah, taking down or whatever, still a bit too early."

Bell was a bit flustered, subconsciously changing the topic, while also being a bit curious.

"Miss Lili, don't talk about me; how about you and Broly-san, how's the progress lately?"

He asked.

"Eh?!"

The Pallum girl didn't expect to be counter-questioned, froze for a moment, thought, then puffed out her chest and answered: "Of course it's progressing rapidly; we've already been completely open with each other, sleep in the same bed at night, and I'm afraid before long our child will be born!"

"Ah?!"

Hearing this, the white-haired boy was extremely shocked.

"So, Miss Lili, you and Broly-san have done that kind of thing, the making children thing together?"

He asked a bit excitedly.

"Ah, making children together, that, of course."

Liliruca averted her gaze, answering somewhat incoherently.

"Then can you tell me, the general procedure?"

A fourteen-year-old pubescent boy is still quite curious about zero-distance male-female matters, couldn't help but start inquiring the Pallum girl.

"Eh, this kind of private matter, how could I possibly tell you?!"

Liliruca directly refused; she hasn't actually done it, what would she say.

"Ah, really can't reveal a little?"

Bell was a bit disappointed; he wanted to take notes, accumulate experience for the ladder to adulthood.

Broly watched from the side, finding it a bit speechless, couldn't help but speak: "Bell, don't listen to Lili's nonsense."

"Eh, Broly-san?"

"We have indeed been completely open with each other, and sleep together at night, but the making children thing hasn't been done yet."

"Eh, not done?"

"Mm, not done."

"Then why don't you do it?"

The youth asked with some curiosity.

"Physiological reasons, plus another reason."

Broly had no intention of explaining further.

"Alright, Bell, if you want to go on a date, then hurry up and go."

He waved his hand at the youth.

"Uh, okay."

Bell left dejectedly.

"Lili, why did you deceive Bell like that?"

After the youth left, Broly looked at the Pallum girl with some confusion and asked.

"Bell is younger than me, he asked about the progress between you and me, I subconsciously just answered him like that."

The Pallum girl answered somewhat embarrassedly.

"Don't do that next time, Bell's personality is weirdly serious."

Broly said a sentence, then took the Pallum girl to bathe together.

"You say Liu and that kid Broly are very intimate?"

In the Hostess of Fertility's back alley, Freya listened to Allen's report after he had returned, and asked with some surprise.

"Yes, Mistress Xier (Goddess current form), that female elf was very concerned about the relationship between the boy you took a liking to and the Pallum girl beside him when she went to deliver food at noon, and when she went to the Hestia Familia in the afternoon, she even happily practiced sword together with that boy from the Hestia Familia......"

Allen reported in detail the situation he saw today, and focused on describing the coordination of the Saiyan boy and the female elf's sword dance, as well as the joyful expression on Liu Li Ang's face after they stopped.

"This isn't strange either, after all, that kid Broly originally also wanted to encounter Liu."

Freya spoke, her expression becoming somewhat strange.

"However, Liu has always been cold to that kid Broly, would she really show that kind of expression?"

"Mistress Xier, there is a saying: know the person, know the face, but not the heart."

"There is such a saying, but I understand Liu, she is not someone who acts one way to your face and another behind your back."

"Mistress Xier, the content I speak of, all belongs to what I personally saw and heard."

"Mr. Allen, I don't mean to not believe you, perhaps, there is some misunderstanding in this."

Allen still wanted to say something, but was stopped by the gray-haired girl's serious gaze.

"Go bring Miss Helen over."

"Yes."

The cat person youth bowed his head in reply, turned around, and left.

Not long after, the female elf returned to the tavern.

"Liu, did you encounter something good? Why do you look like you're in a happy mood?"

Freya walked over, in Xier's form, and actively inquired.

"Mm, I did encounter a good thing, I learned an exquisite sword technique."

Liu nodded, looking at her friend, then continued.

"Also, I inquired about Broly's opinion of you?"

"Eh?!"

Freya Xier's mouth gaped slightly, and she hurriedly asked: "What kind of opinion?"

"He said you are a gentle and cute girl, and the cooking you make is very delicious."

Liu spoke the situation she had inquired about.

"Is that so......"

The gray-haired girl twirled the hair at her temples around her finger; although she heard it from Liu's mouth, Liu's personality is serious and she wouldn't lie, so this should be the truth.

She was praised; of course, since the cooking and such is done by the children below, therefore, she felt somewhat guilty to some degree.

"Of course, he also said he likes it very much, not just the cooking, but you as a person too."

【Xier Fu Luowa, Happiness Value Rise......】

Broly, who was currently scrubbing Liliruca in the bath, at this time received the tavern quest board girl's happiness value rise information.

"So, Liu, you went to find Broly, was it just to inquire about this for me?"

The gray-haired girl leaned over, looking at the elf lady's facial expression from the side, from bottom to top, and asked.

"Uh, this isn't it, I wanted to help you inquire about the other party's character."

Liu replied.

"How is the situation?"

Freya Xier pursued the question.

"He is comparatively generous, willing to teach precious sword technique skills to me, so I subconsciously skipped this aspect of inquiry, and instead asked about his opinion of you."

Liu's face was a bit red, she always felt she wanted to do a piece of proper business, but was disturbed by other matters, and did the thing of skipping the proper business.

"So, I can understand it this way, Liu you were contacting that kid Broly for my sake?"

Freya Xier felt she had already grasped the reason for Liu's behavior.

"Uh, that's correct."

Liu did not deny it.

"But, why?"

"Haha, does this still need asking why? You are my friend, I worry you might like a terrible guy, taking this kind of action isn't it what should be done......"

Liu's voice trailed off; she looked at her friend's smiling expression and suddenly realized something.

"Xier, are you teasing me again?"

"Ah, no such thing; I'm simply leading you to speak your real thoughts of caring for me."

Freya said with a smile; in Xier's state, her feeling toward the emotion of being cared for by others was even more profound.

She could be certain this was not because she was the goddess Freya that she attracted others' affection, and this feeling was what she enjoyed most.

She liked Liu, this child who was once of the Astraea Familia, and even liked those former companions of hers whose souls had shone, girls who likewise held a justice heart.

Five years ago, she felt regret for those children's deaths, and occasionally had the thought that it would have been better if she had taken them from Astraea's hands back then.

"So, Liu, what is your own opinion of that child Broly?"

Facing Liu, who had puffed up a bit angrily because of her teasing, Xier leaned in and asked.

"Broly-san is a swordsmanship master, generous and very good at instructing people in swordsmanship."

Liu wasn't truly angry either; she quickly recovered and answered.

"I'm not asking that kind of opinion, but, hmm, do you have any feeling toward that child?"

"What feeling?"

Liu was a bit puzzled.

"The feeling of liking between men and women."

Xier, helpless at the girl's dullness, pointed it out directly.

"Ah, how could that be possible? I wouldn't like the person you like."

Liu denied directly.

"Eh, are you disliking me?"

Xier widened her eyes and asked.

"Ah, what does that have to do with disliking you? Liking the person your friend likes is immoral behavior, isn't it?"

【Well then, so it's that the elf's moral sense is too strong.】

"Then if I don't like Broly, would you like him?"

Xier changed her way of asking.

"Then I probably wouldn't pay attention to him; he'd just be an ordinary customer who patronizes our tavern."

Liu answered.

"Ah, then what if he actively pursues you?"

Xier asked again.

"Mm..."

Liu was stumped by this question; she thought of the situation where the boy held her hand to instruct her — that was still the first time she had such intimate contact with the opposite sex besides slaughter; she felt a bit unaccustomed, yet not disliking it, but to say that was liking would be too far-fetched.

"Probably not; with my personality, I'd likely give a cold face to someone I don't know; after hitting a wall a few times, Broly-san definitely wouldn't continue hot face cold butt, pursuit is unlikely to continue, and I also wouldn't haphazardly like a stranger."

"Mm, Liu, with that attitude of yours not hoping to produce encounters with others, you won't be welcomed or liked by the opposite sex, you know."

"I also don't have any need for others to like me."

"That way you won't get married in the future."

"I also won't marry."

Xier looked at Liu and sighed; an elf girl who didn't yearn for others' love was truly pitiful.

"I've decided!"

She suddenly said.

"What did you decide?"

Liu looked over a bit confused, not understanding why her friend was making such a fuss.

"I decide that after you, Liu, have someone you like, I'll also properly support you to encounter that person."

"Then you might wait forever."

"Don't say that; what if in the future you encounter someone who moves your heart? Alright, I'm going to work."

【The person one likes, huh...】

Liu shook her head, feeling that a self like this would neither be liked by others nor be able to like anyone else.

Of course, except for the liking between friends; Xier, Ania, Miya-mama, and the others are all people she likes.

"Right, Lili, why did you stop me at noon from saying you're my future wife?"

After bathing, on the road to find Hestia, Broly asked.

"Broly-san, you really are stupid; the elf race has mental cleanliness, and Miss Liu is clearly the type with cleanliness; if you directly told her the truth, believe it or not, you and her absolutely have no possibility of encounter."

"Uh, so, Lili, you mean she might not agree to become my future wife?"

"Well, that depends on whether Broly-san can make Miss Liu like you.

Besides mental cleanliness, elves' obsession with partners is also famous.

Once they like someone, they won't easily give up."

"Uh, but is that okay?"

"So, Broly-san, you don't want to encounter Miss Liu anymore?"

"No, I still want to encounter her, just want to encounter more sincerely."

"Hey, Broly-san, don't be so greedy; you can't have it both ways."

The Pallum girl was a bit helpless.

"If you want to encounter multiple girls, you have to conceal the real situation more."

"But won't they get angry once they find out?"

"That's why you have to wait until they've fallen for you, until they discover they can no longer turn back."

Liliruca spoke fluently and at length.

"Just like me — when you met me, you didn't tell me you liked Lady Hestia."

【Not just Hestia...】

"Alright, I've learned my lesson."

Broly nodded, deciding to keep it hidden for now.

The evening meal was settled by Miss Liu; Broly merely ate a casual 120,000 valis' worth.

"You really can eat, Mr. Broly..."

Before, when she didn't have to pay herself, she hadn't felt it; but now that she needed to foot the bill, Liu gained a real understanding of the Saiyan boy's appetite.

"How about I pay instead?"

"No need, I said I'm treating."

【After all, I'm a Level 4 Adventurer; even though I don't dive the Dungeon much anymore, I still have a million in savings.】

"Then next time, I'll treat Miss Liu to a meal."

"Sure."

Liu didn't refuse, paused a moment, then added another line.

"But you have to bring Xier along."

"No problem. By the way, Miss Liu, are you coming to find me for training tomorrow?"

"Eh? You have time?"

"These next two days, I should be free."

"Good, then I'll come bother you again tomorrow."

Liu nodded, taking the bill for the Saiyan boy's tab at her own tavern, and went to settle it.

"Miss Ais, do we want to go out and play together again tomorrow?"

At the Loki Familia Residence, Twilight Manor, Lefiya took the initiative to seek out Ais and ask.

"Tomorrow? I want to go find Mr. Broly and practice sword with him."

The Sword Princess girl thought for a moment, then replied.

"Eh? You made plans with Mr. Broly?"

Lefiya asked in surprise.

"No."

Ais shook her head.

"Ah, then does Mr. Broly have time tomorrow?"

"That's why I'm going to the Hestia Familia Headquarters tomorrow to ask."

"Then I'll come with you."

Lefiya proposed.

"Mm, that works too."

Ais didn't refuse; after a silent moment in the residence corridor, she asked again: "By the way, Lefiya, do you know where the Hestia Familia's headquarters is?"

"Eh? Miss Ais, you don't know?"

Hearing that, the elf girl asked in surprise,

"I don't. Before, it was always Mr. Broly coming to find us, or we'd agree to meet at the Central Square, so I never asked."

"Uh, then tomorrow, let's go together to the Hostess of Fertility on West Main Street and ask Miss Xier."

Lefiya recalled the time Hestia gave the tavern girl's address, and so she said.

"Okay."

Ais nodded, looking at the elf girl, and praised her: "Lefiya, you really have good ideas."

(Chapter End)