On the street.
The goddess Artemis was about to settle in Orario, and passersby were all talking about it.
Bell walked toward the tavern without picking up his pace.
He didn't know what Syr was planning, but he wasn't worried.
If it were truly something serious, Syr wouldn't have sent Anya to stop him.
Besides, everyone was resting today anyway. He decided to go along with Chloe and the others' trick and see what they were really up to.
Before long, the two Cat People girls caught up to him.
"Young man, wait, nya."
While keeping some distance, Chloe suddenly came to a stop.
"Nya? What's wrong, nya?"
Anya, who had been running alongside her, asked in confusion.
"Ugh, nya... a wicked thought just crossed my mind, and I almost gave in, nya..."
Chloe stared fixedly at Bell's back, her expression clearly shaken.
"You're just drooling over that white-haired body, nya! Uwah... how can you call yourself a great detective like this, nya? Hurry up and chase him, nya!"
Anya dragged the somewhat reluctant Chloe forward, chasing after Bell.
Their speed was already close to that of first-class adventurers.
A few seconds later, the two Cat girls blocked his path once again.
"Detective Anya-san, will you come with me to find Syr and complete our first request?"
Bell deliberately emphasized the word "detective."
Anya blinked, her tail standing straight up in excitement.
"Nya~ nicely said, assistant, nya."
"You're way too easy to deal with, nya..."
Chloe complained, looking exasperated.
"Chloe-san, why did Syr ask you to delay me?"
Bell went straight to the point.
Anya's eyes widened in shock.
"Wha-nya? How did you know that, nya?!"
"You just said it yourself, nya!"
Chloe let out a long sigh.
She licked her lips and slowly stepped forward.
"Young man, there's actually a very important reason behind this. It can't be known by anyone else, nya."
"I understand," Bell said cooperatively, stepping closer and lowering himself slightly.
The distance between them gradually shrank.
Chloe rose onto her tiptoes and brought her lips close to the boy's ear.
"If you don't ask any more questions, I can sleep with you tonight, nya~"
A voice as sweet as honey brushed against his ear.
This was not what Bell had expected.
Faced with such a blatant honey trap, he gave a helpless smile.
"You really shouldn't say things like that so casually..."
"Huh, nya? You actually resisted the temptation of a cute cat girl like me, nya?"
Chloe frowned and took a wavering step back.
"It may be true, but hearing Chloe-san call herself a cute girl feels a bit strange, doesn't it?"
Bell glanced at her delicate face and muttered lightly.
"If it's come to this, I'll have to use my final trump card, nya!"
With a mischievous grin, Chloe shifted her footing.
In the next instant, a cloud of pink mist rose from her hand and completely engulfed Bell.
"Nya? What's this, nya?" Anya asked curiously from the side.
"Fufun, nya~ This is my ultimate weapon, [Bewitching Fragrance], nya!"
Chloe shook the small pink bottle in her hand as she explained.
"I worked really hard to get this. Once the young man smells it, he'll be completely captivated by me, nya!"
"Uwah... that sounds kind of scary, nya..."
Anya recoiled a few steps in alarm.
"I'll stay with the young man all day, nya. That way, the task is done too, nya."
Smiling, Chloe stepped forward and opened her arms for a hug.
But in the next second, Bell nimbly slipped out of the sudden embrace.
"Huh, nya? Huh nya nya?! Why isn't the [Bewitching Fragrance] working, nya?!"
Chloe frowned in shock.
What she didn't know was that Bell's [Liaris Freese] had a special interaction with charm-type effects.
It wasn't outright immunity, but something closer to partial resistance or even subtle counteraction.
Bell himself hadn't realized this either.
If the effect hadn't been so weak, and if the fragrance hadn't lacked a specific target, Chloe herself would have been affected instead.
"You talked it up so much, and it turns out to be a fake, nya? Let me take a look."
Anya reached out toward the pink bottle.
As a cat person, she was naturally curious about small gadgets like this.
"H-Hey, that's my stuff, nya! Stop grabbing it! Are you an idiot, nya?!"
Chloe's reaction only fueled Anya's competitive spirit.
Under Bell's somewhat speechless gaze, the two cat girls began playfully wrestling over the pink bottle.
As expected, there was a sharp crack as it fell to the ground, the glass shattering completely.
Pink mist spread around the two of them.
"Chloe-san? Anya-san? Are you two alright?"
Bell asked softly.
He was also curious about charm-related effects, so he hadn't stopped them.
When the mist finally cleared, both cat girls were smiling.
Anya stood in place, grinning foolishly as she stared up at the sky.
"Fufun, nya... so many pink croquettes, nya... they're flying all over the sky, nya... they look so tasty, nya..."
On the other side, Chloe clung to Bell's arm, wearing a dazed, blissful smile.
"Hehe... to think this could break through my abnormal resistance, nya... I feel so happy, nya... all those dark days are finally behind me, nya..."
"....."
Rather than complaining, Bell's first thought was that the [Bewitching Fragrance] had actually worked.
And yet, it hadn't affected his thinking or his vision at all.
Did he have some kind of special resistance to charm-type effects?
Bell quietly noted that possibility for later.
With a helpless smile, he supported Chloe with one arm and took Anya by the hand with the other, guiding them into the shade of a nearby tree.
After resting for a short while, both of them gradually returned to normal.
"Huh, nya?!"
Anya sprang up from the grass. "So we were tricked, nya! White-hair is way too sneaky, nya!"
"I didn't do anything... and I stayed with you the whole time. I didn't just walk away,"
Bell calmly explained what had happened.
"I won't fall for that again, nya. Chloe, get up, nya."
Anya shook her partner.
Chloe, however, was still clinging to Bell's arm like a small kitten.
The two of them leaned together against the large tree.
"Mm, nya... I don't really care anymore, nya. Even if the task fails, it's fine, nya..."
Chloe sounded as if she had sunk into a soft dream, her whole body limp.
"Nya? D-did she actually get charmed, nya?! If that's the case, I can only use the final method, nya."
Anya raised her hands like claws.
"White-hair, duel me, nya! If you win, you go find Syr, nya. If you lose, you have to listen to us, nya!"
As if reacting to the last part, Chloe suddenly stood up as well.
"I agree too, nya."
"....."
Bell looked at the two of them, both brimming with excitement.
Before he could even voice a refusal, a male god suddenly appeared beside them.
"Interesting!"
"This battle shall be witnessed by me, Hermes!"
...
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