Chapter 6: SIDE STORIES 1
[Hestia and Hephaistos ]
It was during the night when Bell dined at the Hostess of Fertility.
A petite Goddess wearing a short white dress sat in an office, holding a half-drunk cup of tea. Her eyes conveyed sincerity without any deception. Another Goddess with short red hair and an eyepatch stood in front of her, staring flatly.
"Hestia..." The red-haired Goddess massaged the bridge of her nose, her tone filled with disbelief. "If this is another attempt to trick me into helping you again, then forget it."
"That's not it! I'm very serious here," Hestia retorted, slightly pouting.
Sure, she used to be a no-good knobody, relying on Hephaistos's kindness until she was eventually kicked out. Even after all that, Hephaistos was still kind enough to give her the ruined church to live in. It had fallen apart back then, but there was a small room for her and running water for her day-to-day life. There was no way she would trick her best friend after all she had done for her.
"Then tell me this..." Hephaistos sighed. "You're really saying that you want me to personally forge a weapon for your child. Not my children, not even my executive blacksmith, but me."
"Yes," Hestia nodded firmly.
Hephaistos continued, "And for the payment you offered... a service? One that would let me duplicate anything as much as I want?"
"Yes," Hestia nodded again.
Hephaistos stared at Hestia for a moment before offering her small friend a sad smile. "It seems the harsh situation has really messed with your mind. If you want to borrow some Valis, just say so."
"No! That's not it!"
It's essential to keep in mind that Hephaistos rarely ever came out of her office or forge, preferring to stay inside to either train her children in the art of forging or work on her personal projects. Because of this, she had never heard about the rumor of the rabbit with a pouch that had started spreading around the city, a rabbit that was actually Hestia's first child.
"Fine, it's best to just show you," Hestia huffed, reaching for a small pink purse. To Hephaistos' surprise, she pulled out a body-sized standing mirror from the tiny purse.
"This is the Duplication Mirror!" Hestia said cheerfully.
"...What?" Hephaistos was dumbfounded.
"This mirror can copy anything reflected on it," Hestia explained to Hephaistos. "Look, just give me something to demonstrate how this mirror works."
"...okay?" While she still had doubts and concerns about Hestia's mental health, she complied with Hestia's request. Walking towards her drawers, she picked a small ingot of adamantite and gave it to Hestia.
Hestia promptly placed the ingot in front of the mirror, and to Hephaistos' surprise, she casually put her hand inside the mirror, pulling out another ingot of adamantite.
"Tadaa~" Hestia beamed, showing Hephaistos the new ingot from the mirror. She handed over the borrowed ingot and the one from the mirror to Hephaistos.
As the Goddess of Blacksmith, Hephaistos could easily identify and evaluate any forging-related materials. To her surprise, once again, she couldn't find anything unusual with the ingot Hestia got from the mirror. It had the same weight, feeling, and appearance as the original ingot she had. The only difference was a small detail on the duplicate ingot that was mirrored.
"See! I told you so," Hestia puffed her gifted buxom while cheekily grinning.
"...I see, this is amazing," Hephaistos murmured, narrowing her eyes. "Is there any limit to this mirror?"
Hestia put her hand on her chin, humming. "Not that I can think of, anything is possible to duplicate with this mirror..."
Hephaistos, in return, raised a brow. "Anything? Including Valis?"
Hestia chuckled and waved her hand. "It's useless on Valis, as every dupe would basically get mirrored."
"But what if you just duplicate the mirrored dupe again then? Wouldn't that fix the issue here?"
Hestia opened her mouth, closed it again, before closing her eyes in pondering.
Hephaistos sighed, then continued, "Hestia, even if what I told you wouldn't work. This ingot you just duplicated is worth some hefty Valis on its own. You could duplicate valuable items and sell them afterward for a good amount of Valis. Do you get what I meant here?"
"I could get rich by selling the dupes?" Hestia tilted her head.
"Yes and no," Hephaistos crossed her arms. "Listen, you might get rich at first, but putting a good amount of those items into the market would ruin their value, skewing it so bad it would drop their value to the ground."
"What should I do then?"
There was a pause between the two of them before Hephaistos offered Hestia something.
"Let's make a contract then," Hephaistos said. "I will make a weapon for your child, in return, you let me use the mirror once a month for a year to duplicate a fixed amount of items"
"Sounds good to me," Hestia perked up as the counteroffer was fair enough.
But then Hephaistos grabbed her friend's shoulders. "But, you have to promise me not to tell anyone else about this, and please, for the love of everything in this world, do not flood and crash the market with the duplicate items!" She said as she shook the petite Goddess.
"O-O-Okay."
Thanks to the insight of the Goddess of Blacksmith, the world was spared from a financial crisis caused by the naivety of the Goddess of Hearth.
As Hephaistos was writing their agreement down on paper, Hestia suddenly remembered something that Bell had told her prior to lending the Duplication Mirror.
"I remember now, what Bell told me!"
Hephaistos stopped writing. "What is it?"
"Bell told me it is possible to...duplicate ourselves too. Our reflection might even gain their own sentience and try to replace us in the real world," Hestia recited what Bell said before.
Hephaistos was startled, her mouth hung open. She glanced at the mirror, which incidentally was placed just several steps away beside her. She watched her reflection closely.
Then her reflection grinned and winked at her.
Hephaistos jolted and scrambled her way out of the mirror's reflective view. "Hestia, cover that thing up quick!" She said in panic with a tone higher than usual.
...
[Steamy Night With Yourself]
"Nyow..." Anya twirled around with her Copy Robot, and in one swift move, she threw a blanket over the two Anyas, hiding them from view for a split second. The real Anya and her duplicate held hands, their faces close to each other. "Guess who's the real me, nya!" they both exclaimed in unison.
In the living room of the Hostess of Fertility, the staff, except for Syr who lived in her own place, were gathered after closing time. They were having a blast playing the "guess-who-the-real-one" game using Bell's Copy Robot. They had borrowed the strange doll to help with their work. Mama Mia even offered to pay for the Copy Robot's fair share, which Bell finally accepted after they insisted he take it. Now that the work was done for the day, they were just playing around with the Copy Robot.
Laughter and jokes filled the room as they munched on the delicious snacks prepared by May, the local catgirl cook. But May herself seemed somewhat moody, occasionally pouting and huffing while glancing at the Copy Robot. Her attempted glare came across more cute than threatening.
"This doll is absolutely awesome," the real Anya exclaimed, jumping behind her copy and playfully grabbing her duplicate's chest. "Just look at these babies, nya! Tight, well-shaped, and soft, just like the original, nyahahaha!"
Chloe chuckled at the sight of Anya essentially groping herself, "This takes 'touching yourself' to a whole new level."
Lunoire blushed slightly, murmuring, "Umm, this looks... improper."
"I agree, we should stop," Ryuu added, feeling a bit uncomfortable.
"Oh, lighten up a bit, nya! It's not like we went too far... or should we?" Anya's mischievous grin appeared.
Hearing this, Ryuu quickly responded, "Anya, no."
"Anya, yes!" Anya retorted, turning to her copy. "If you're just like me, then we must share the same... spot." She murmured suggestively.
The Copy Robot smiled and slowly stepped behind Anya, wrapping her arms around her from behind.
"Nya?" Anya was confused, but her confusion was short-lived.
...chomp.
The Copy Robot playfully nibbled Anya's cat ears, and its nimble fingers traced the contours of her ears, Anya's mind was consumed with a whirlwind of sensations. Each gentle scratch behind her ears sent tingles down her spine, and the soft rubs of its chin against her fur made her melt into a blissful state of surrender.
Anya's eyes fluttered closed, and her breath became ragged as she surrendered herself to the pleasure coursing through her body. The Copy Robot had found her most sensitive spots, and it seemed to know exactly how to push her buttons.
Unable to resist the pleasure, Anya crumbled to the floor, becoming a flustered puddle under her own copy's techniques.
"I'm out," Ryuu deadpanned, ready to leave the scene.
But Chloe had other plans. "Oh no, you don't!" She pushed Ryuu toward the Copy Robot.
Although taken by surprise, Ryuu managed to avoid crashing into the Copy Robot, but her hand accidentally pushed its nose.
CLICK
In an instant, the Copy Robot transformed its appearance from Anya's to Ryuu's. Initially, it didn't seem like a big deal, but Anya, still on the floor, wanted everyone to experience the same sensuous delight she just had.
"Do the same to her, nya!" Anya shouted at the Copy Robot.
Following her command, the Copy Robot acted accordingly. Ryuu, feeling her dignity threatened, tried to run, but to her shock, the Copy Robot was just as fast as she was. She was tackled down by her own copy, which now straddled her body.
"No," she protested, but her copy's strength held her down. Helpless, she watched as her copy's face drew near, and her protests slowly turned into whimpers, "Nonononononononono~!"
Ryuu's heart raced as the Copy Robot's lips brushed against her ear, sending shivers down her spine. The playful nibbling on her sensitive earlobe made her cheeks flush with embarrassment and excitement.
"W-Wait no, s-stop...," Ryuu managed to stammer between gasps.
But the Copy Robot seemed undeterred, its actions growing bolder. With a mischievous glint in its eyes, it trailed delicate kisses down Ryuu's neck, eliciting soft moans from her lips. The sensation was unlike anything she had experienced before, and she found herself torn between stopping it and giving in to the pleasure.
"Awawawa..." Lunoire covered her face with her hands, but still peeked from the gap between her fingers.
"Oho..." Chloe meanwhile still grinning while occasionally laughing.
On the other hand May pulled her hat down, covering her eyes. Tinge of red coloured her cheeks.
The Copy Robot then seemed had enough of teasing Ryuu. The Copy Robot then stood up, leaving Ryuu who breathing haggardly, blushing like crazy, and with messy Pajama. Then someone put their hands on The Copy Robot's back.
It was Anya!
"Go get her!" Anya said as she pushed The Copy Robot at Lunoire.
"Aaah no!" Fortunately Lunoire managed to dodged at last second. But unfortunately for Chloe
THUD
CLICK
The Copy Robot came crashing down to Chloe and she clicked the Copy Robot's nose, changing it appearence to her. She stiffly turned her head to Anya who smiled mischevously and a blushing Ryuu who stared at her sharply.
"Uh....Mercy?" She wryly smiled.
"No!"
"Nyo!"
Chloe's heart raced as her copy slammed her hands against the wall, trapping her in place. She tried to lean away, but the Copy Robot's strength was overwhelming. Her breath quickened as she felt the warmth of its body pressing against hers, sending shivers down her spine.
The Copy Robot leaned in closer, its lips gently brushing against Chloe's neck. A soft gasp escaped her lips as it placed a tender smooch on her skin. The sensation sent tingles throughout her body, and she found herself completely captivated by the robot's touch.
Her mind was filled with a mixture of excitement and uncertainty. She knew it was just a doll, a mere copy of herself, but the way it was touching her, the way it was making her feel, was undeniably sensual and enticing.
"Wait... j-just wait a minute!" Chloe tried to muster some resistance, but her voice faltered.
The Copy Robot responded with another gentle kiss, this time trailing along the curve of her neck, making Chloe's breath hitch. Its actions were slow and deliberate, teasing her senses and leaving her wanting more.
That night, the Hostess of Fertility was filled with...passion, with only Lunoire and May choosing not to join the fun and immediately running away as soon as Chloe was cornered. This left the fate of the two catgirls and an elf in the mercy of the Copy Robot.
Later, when Bell came to visit again, they came to know that the Copy Robot had malfunctioned a bit. According to Bell, the settings related to psychology were cranked up in a weird state. He asked them what had happened.
With some blushing and awkward smiles, they refused to elaborate.
...
[Lili's Bizarre... Friends]
Liliruca, Lili, Arde, was running as fast as she could. Behind her, three men were chasing after her. They were fast, faster than her, but Lili was a crafty girl, using alleyways to her advantage. She took turn after turn, hoping that her chasers would lose her in the maze. But then, she felt something hard hit the back of her head as her pursuers began throwing rocks at her.
Stumbling and rolling several times, Lili painfully came to a stop after colliding with a wall. "Gotcha, you little shit," one of her chasers celebrated. The men surrounded her, forcefully taking her backpack and rummaging through its contents. They discarded anything they deemed useless and snatched anything valuable.
One of the men crouched down, sneering and mockingly smiling at Lili, who was still biting her lower lip to endure the pain. "This wouldn't have happened if you had just been a little good girl," he scoffed.
Another man scowled as he held a small bag filled with Valis she had earned today. "I expected much more from this lil shit..."
"Hey boss, how about we check her body? I'm pretty sure she's hiding more on her," one of the other men suggested.
"You're right, hold her down," the leader ordered.
Lili's eyes widened in horror. She struggled with all her might to free herself, but these men were level 2 adventurers, far stronger than her. Tears streamed down her face as she realized that her attempt to deceive them by giving only a small portion of her earnings had failed miserably. They had been on to her, one of the men having stalked her for most of the day.
The man who had been stalking her was the one who disgusted her the most. She always felt his leering gaze upon her, and he was prone to get uncomfortably touchy when threatening her. Now, he held her down, rubbing her shoulder in a disgustingly invasive manner, his disturbing smile making her shudder.
Lili closed her teary eyes, giving up and hoping they would take her Valis and leave her. But then...
"Dora?"
A small creature with a round head and stubby body suddenly appeared beside her, surprising everyone. The small creature stared at Lili while tilting its head. Lili herself didn't know what exactly this creature was, but she opened her mouth slightly and whispered, "...help."
The small creature was Mini-Dora, and it nodded its head in response to Lili's plea. Without hesitation, Mini-Dora rushed towards the man holding Lili down and bit his hand hard. The man cried out in pain as Mini-Dora leaped high and headbutted him right on his jaw.
Mini-Dora then immediately took Lili's hand, helped her stand up, and pulled her away from the men. The men stared in confusion at Mini-Dora.
Looking at her surroundings, they were trapped in a dead-end alleyway. Lili knew that running away wasn't an option as long as the men blocked their only way out. She looked questioningly at Mini-Dora, who gave her a reassuring smile. She decided to trust the small creature.
Suddenly, Mini-Dora shouted loudly, "Doraaa!!"
At first, nothing happened, and both Lili and the men were confused. But then...
"Dora!" "Dora!" "Dora!" "Dora!" "Dora!" "Dora!" "Dora!" "Dora!" "Dora!" "Dora!" "Dora!"
Many other Mini-Doras started to appear, coming from all directions. Some were behind the men, some appeared on rooftops, others emerged from surrounding buildings, and even some came from the underground sewer.
The men found themselves surrounded, with the Mini-Doras frowning at them. One Mini-Dora wearing a small military hat stepped forward and raised its hand.
"Dora!!!!"
The hat-wearing Mini-Dora shouted, and a chorus of "Dora" erupted from the others as they swarmed and charged at the men. The sheer number of Mini-Doras overwhelmed the three level 2 adventurers.
Despite their intimidating numbers, the Mini-Doras weren't particularly strong, even by level 1 adventurer standards. However, the men panicked and abandoned all reason in their desperate bid to escape from the relentless swarm.
There was also a line of Mini-Doras, with one Mini-Dora at the front handing out small pitchforks and torches. Like an angry mob, the Mini-Doras marched with raised pitchforks and blazing torches. They poked the men with their pitchforks and hurled their tiny torches.
"Ouch! Aw! What the—ack, stop it!"
"Aieee, my hair's on fire!"
"It's not supposed to bend that way! It's not supposed to bend that waaay!!"
Lili watched in astonishment as the Mini-Doras trounced her pursuers. Nearby, several Mini-Doras built a makeshift slingshot.
One Mini-Dora donned a hardhat and jumped onto the sling. "Dora!" it shouted, signaling the others. They nodded and pulled the sling before releasing it, launching the hardhat Mini-Dora forward.
"Dora! Dora!" The Mini-Doras saluted their airborne comrade.
The hardhat Mini-Dora rocketed towards the leering man and...
CRACK!
...smashed him right in the groin with its hardhat. Lili thought she heard something crack. The man's face drained of color as he crumpled, unconscious and foaming.
"Ton!" the other two men called out to their fallen comrade.
"S-Screw this, let's get the hell out of here, Chin," one man said.
"You're right, Kan," the other agreed.
They scrambled to pick up their fallen friend and fled for their lives, with some Mini-Doras still chasing after them and throwing their pitchforks.
"Dora!" One Mini-Dora called out to Lili.
She looked down and saw a Mini-Dora waving at her. She crouched down, asking, "You, you're the one who helped me first, aren't you?"
"Dora!" Mini-Dora nodded happily.
"Uhm, thank you. I don't know what would have happened if you weren't here," Lili said gratefully.
"Dora," Mini-Dora patted her leg as if saying, "You're welcome."
The Mini-Doras then helped Lili gather her belongings and even treated her bruises. She still didn't know exactly what these creatures were, but it didn't matter to her.
Lili had always been a pessimistic and pragmatic girl, never expecting help from anyone, as everything in life came with a price. But somehow, she felt that she could trust these small creatures, the Mini-Doras.
From that moment onward, a very unlikely friendship was formed between a girl desperate for her freedom and all of the Mini-Doras.
...
[Church of Hearth]
The Church of Hearth, the home of Hestia familia, had once been an abandoned old building located on the outskirts of Orario. The surrounding area was no better, with crumbling old buildings and wild plants scattered about, giving it a neglected appearance.
But times had changed. Now, the small church looked more beautiful than ever. While it couldn't match the grand scale of many other god's castles and manors, it had its own charm. Elaborate carvings adorned the modest church's exterior walls, adding an elegant touch to the structure.
The surrounding area had undergone a remarkable transformation as well. The rubble and wild plants were cleared away, making the place more inviting. The once prevalent cracks were now nowhere to be seen, replaced by a freshly paved ground that looked brand new.
A row of trees had been thoughtfully planted, adding a touch of nature's beauty to the landscape. Along the roadside, vibrant flower beds had been carefully tended, adding even more allure to the scenery.
The place exuded a sense of peace and tranquility. It had evolved from an abandoned relic to a picturesque haven, capturing the hearts of those who came across it.
But the beauty didn't stop there; inside the church was just as stunning, if not even more so than the exterior. As one stepped through the entrance, they were greeted by a breathtaking sight. The interior was adorned with exquisite marble tiles that seemed to sparkle under the soft glow of the chandeliers.
On either side of the nave, magnificent stained glass windows depicted the heroic journey of a group of heroes led by a charismatic clown. The colors of the glass danced with the sunlight, casting a kaleidoscope of hues across the floor. Each pane told a story of bravery and camaraderie.
But perhaps the most enchanting feature of all was the ceiling, which appeared as if it were an open sky. During the day, fluffy clouds drifted gently across the dome, and as night fell, the ceiling transformed into a mesmerizing night sky, studded with glittering stars. This was made possible thanks to a gadget hidden from view that Bell had placed projecting the sky onto the ceiling.
At the front of the church, just behind the elevated podium, a door concealed a passage leading to the personal living quarters of Hestia Familia. As one opened the door, they were met with a small room fitted with several buttons, each marked with a number. Bell called this small room an elevator, a moving platform that would take them down to their living quarters.
Down below the church was where Hestia Familia lived. It consisted of several levels that included many bedrooms for future members, a living room, bathroom, kitchen, dining room, library, training ground, and an office for Hestia. Being underground, it would be normal to assume that these living spaces would be tight and cramped. However, Bell and his Mini-Doras managed to turn the underground spaces they dug into a magnificent and spacious area.
It was not only roomy but also bright and beautifully decorated, matching the elegance of the church upstairs. Every room, hallway, and corner of this underground place was adorned with beautiful decorations. They even had a spacious bathroom with a large hot tub, sourced directly from an underground hot spring they discovered during the renovation.
Every now and then, some Mini-Doras would wander around here. As Hestia Familia currently consisted only of Bell and Hestia, the Mini-Doras were there to help with various chores around the house. Sometimes though, they could be found relaxing in the bath, reading books in the library, or just playing around. Bell allowed them to do as they pleased since they had already been such a big help to him.
A delivery man stood outside the Church of Hearth, utterly surprised by the transformation of the once dilapidated surroundings into a truly beautiful place. He couldn't help but think that if more people knew about this place, it would surely become crowded with visitors. The delivery man knocked on the church door and patiently waited for it to open.
As the door creaked open, the delivery man caught a glimpse of the stunning interior of the church. But what truly astonished him was who opened the door - it was a Mini-Dora, or rather, four Mini-Doras stacked atop one another like a totem.
"Dora?" the Mini-Doras inquired.
The delivery man offered a small smile, trying to maintain his professionalism. "Uh, I have a package for... Bell Cranel," he stated.
"Dora!" the top Mini-Dora nodded in acknowledgment.
"Okay... can you sign here?" The delivery man handed a paper and a pen to the Mini-Dora.
"Dora." Mini-Dora signed the paper and accepted the package.
"Thank you... have a nice day then," the delivery man said, feeling a bit awkward.
"Dorara!" The Mini-Dora waved at the delivery man cheerfully.
The Mini-Dora totem then marched inside, carrying the package with them. They carefully opened the package and found a case containing an old music instrument, along with a small piece of paper. The paper bore the name of Bell's hometown village head and some lines about an heirloom.
The top Mini-Dora just shrugged. If it truly was an heirloom, they would store it safely inside the storage room. They opened the case and discovered an old string instrument - a violin. Despite its age, it appeared to have been treated with great care.
The Mini-Doras inspected the violin closely, ensuring it hadn't been damaged during the delivery. Upon closer examination, they noticed some words carved at the bottom of the violin. The carving was quite old, making only half of the inscription vaguely readable.
It was written in the language of the Far East.
"Minamoto S—"
-[Side Stories 1 END]-
Duplication Mirror: A gadget that grants the user the ability to duplicate anything, with the only drawback being that the duplicated items are mirrored to the original. It can also duplicate living beings, so users must exercise caution, as living duplicates often desire to replace their original counterparts in the world.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone