CHAPTER 400: CHAPTER 400: I WON’T GIVE UP

Bell had no good way to deal with such a stubborn fool. He didn’t want to deceive a girl like her, nor did he want to lead her on. But she had already fixated on him—and that left him with little choice.

He was certain she believed in him just for the sake of believing, but that conviction of hers was stronger than any reasoning. Even a scumbag would shake his head at a situation like this. She was just too easy to fool.

But the thing was—Bell didn’t want to fool her.

So, he decided to stop trying to lead her away. If the first and second attempts had failed, there was no point in trying again.

All he could offer her now was one response:

"Do as you like."

What else could he even say?

To Haruhime, those words brought unexpected joy. She knew Bell was once again trying to push her away, just like before. And now it was confirmed.

’Loki-sama was right... Bell-san really does try to make people hate him on purpose.’

As for the reason behind it—Haruhime understood that too.

"It’s true, just like you said—I don’t want Captain Finn and the others to die here. Their worth isn’t meant to end in this place. They shouldn’t die here. But I still won’t interfere with their choice. That won’t change."

Bell had no intention of meddling in their trial. The decision to challenge the Spirit was theirs, and now that they’d chosen, they had to face the consequences head-on.

But this time, Haruhime wasn’t the least bit worried. Because Bell-san had said earlier that he didn’t want them to die. That meant those words were a "lie."

And not interfering with their choice didn’t mean he wouldn’t support them. Those were two entirely different things—Haruhime knew that very well.

’I knew it. Girls really are scary once they grow up.’

Bell shook his head slightly, then reached out his hand.

"Give me the Straw Doll. I’ll set a coordinate."

"Okay."

Haruhime immediately pulled the "Straw Doll" from her space belt.

Bell took the decoy, glanced around the tent, and placed it in the center. After that, he began setting a spatial coordinate, linking it to the Straw Doll. The setup was completed quickly.

"Place it properly. If you suffer a fatal injury, you’ll be transferred back to this tent. You can also trigger it manually after casting your magic. But you’ll need to strike a vital spot precisely—if you miss even a little, it could end up being lethal."

The Straw Doll didn’t care whether the injury was intentional or not. As long as it registered as fatal, the transfer would activate. That was both its strength and its weakness. But if used well, it could absolutely save your life.

Haruhime immediately understood what he meant. After casting her magic, she’d be an easy target. So instead of waiting for someone to protect her, she’d deal a fatal blow to herself right afterward to activate the Straw Doll and escape.

’I need to prepare a small knife.’

To make the wound lethal enough, she’d have to ask Aisha which spot to stab.

"Is that enough of a reminder?"

"Yeah, it’s enough."

"Then I’ll be going."

Bell was never good at dealing with girls. Honestly, the only ones he really spent time with were Hestia and Hephaestus. He rarely interacted with women—same in this life, and in the one before.

"Please wait!"

Bell’s steps halted, and his body froze.

Haruhime was pressed up right behind him. Thankfully, he wasn’t a virgin anymore—otherwise, this much pressure would’ve absolutely crushed him.

"Bell-san, thank you so much for saving me back then. There’s a lot I want to say... but for now, I just want you to know—I won’t give up."

Those words hit like a full-on frontal assault. Bell’s eyelids twitched violently.

’...I’m doomed.’

"Ah!!!"

This time, the scream didn’t come from Loki, but from Hestia.

Seeing her beloved child being embraced by another fox girl—Hestia completely lost it. Bell had already turned her down multiple times, and yet this girl still shamelessly threw herself at him. It was infuriating!

"Loki! What’s wrong with your kid?! Why is she always targeting mine?!"

"Hey hey hey, what do you mean ’always’? The only one who’s into that boy is Haruhime. The rest of my children couldn’t care less, so don’t go getting ideas."

This moment mirrored one from the past exactly.

Loki sat back, legs crossed happily, watching her child go all-out on Bell. Seeing Hestia fume with rage only made the wine in her heart taste sweeter.

’This is amazing! I’ve been holding it in for so long—finally, a chance to let loose!’

Watching her child fling herself at Bell like a moth to a flame... well, it was hard not to react. But what could she do? Haruhime had her sights set on that boy, after all.

"Mmmgh..."

Hestia’s face turned bright red with fury—but there was nothing she could do.

Even Hephaestus, standing nearby with her fists clenched tightly at her sides, couldn’t stand the sight. This wasn’t something only Hestia found unbearable—she felt it too.

Her lover was being relentlessly pursued by other women—relentlessly, with no way to shake them off. How could she not be angry? But unlike Hestia, Hephaestus still had her reason. She knew now was the time to stay calm.

There was a time gap between gods and the children of Genkai. Bell understood this deeply. That was why he kept his distance from others and avoided forming attachments. If it weren’t for how persistently Loki’s child chased him, Bell would’ve likely pushed her away a long time ago.

"Tsk... I’m not exactly fond of that kid, but if Haruhime really likes him, I won’t stand in her way. As for that thing he’s so worried about—if there’s a solution, maybe he’ll stop resisting, huh?"

Loki understood Bell’s fears. But was it really unsolvable? Not necessarily.

Methods of achieving longevity had existed since ancient times. Of course, many came with heavy prices—like becoming undead and losing your flesh.

But if crude methods existed, then less crude ones had to be out there too.

"!?"

That one comment sent a wave of panic through both Hestia and Hephaestus.

To them, this was absolutely not good news.

...

(100 Chapters Ahead)

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