My Goddess is a Tsundere

Bane smiled as he walked home, his gaze fixed on the number that lingered in the corner of his vision. 1,500, it read. He had lost a lot of potential income because of Luna, and that thought still raced through his mind. But thanks to that setback, he had pushed forward and defeated the red slime, acquiring many new abilities in the process.

The sun hung low, barely peeking over the distant mountains. Night would soon fall. In the fading afternoon light, Bane glanced down at himself and picked at his skin. I can't remember the last time I bathed, he thought, wiping at his dry, dirty skin. No matter how much he scrubbed, a layer of grime seemed permanently glued to him.

I have time. I'll go bathe really quick. The slums had free communal baths, but by some cruel twist, they often left you dirtier than before. Bane had experienced this firsthand. He decided to head to a bathhouse closer to the city center, one he'd seen many times growing up but had never entered. Steam billowed from the roof of the building, an alluring sight for the grime-covered Bane, who was caked in slime and dirt.

He stepped cautiously into the wooden bathhouse, where a beautiful woman with blonde hair, dressed in a tan robe, greeted him at the front desk.

"Welcome to Limpar, the highest-rated bathhouse in all of Gren!" she said cheerfully. Bane believed her; the brown wooden interior complemented the red rugs and lush greenery perfectly.

"Hello…" Bane hesitated. This was his first time in a place like this, and he had no idea what to do. The woman, sensing his uncertainty, maintained her smile and asked, "Are you here for the communal baths?"

"Yes," Bane nodded.

"Access is 100 Shill, and cleaning products are another fifty," she explained, pulling a small bar of soap from under the counter.

"Okay, I'll take one bar of soap and access," Bane said, reaching into his pocket as if fishing for coins. In reality, the System's Bank activated, and 150 shill appeared in his hand.

Amazing, he thought, handing the coins to the woman.

"The men's bath is that way," she said, gesturing to the left hallway. Bane walked into a room with storage boxes for clothes. He peeled off his dirty armor and made his way to the bathing area.

Sitting before a large wooden bucket, Bane scrubbed his body first with a sponge, then with the soap, and finished with another round of soap. Finally, he dunked his entire head into the bucket, scrubbing his hair and face vigorously. When he pulled his head out and looked at the blackened water, he muttered, "Disgusting."

Standing up, Bane examined his body, marveling at the smoothness of his skin. The sensation was almost alien to him. Returning to his stored armor, he hesitated. It reeked, and putting it on would undo all his efforts to clean himself. But he couldn't walk around naked.

"Ah," Bane sighed heavily and reluctantly donned his dirty armor.

"Thank you," he said as he passed the front desk. The woman who had greeted him earlier waved as he left. By the time Bane stepped outside, the sun had fully set, and the night sky was blanketed with stars.

He made his way back to the faction building, knowing Eir would be waiting.

"I'm back," Bane called out as he walked through the still doorless entrance. Inside, he was taken aback. The interior of the faction building had been cleaned. Previously, the floors had been littered with wooden planks and eroded stones, but now they were nearly spotless.

Bane remained cautious as he walked around. Even with the clean floors, he worried the roof might cave in at any moment.

He continued to the back room, where Eir sat tall and proud in her chair.

"Welcome back, Bane," she said, her eyes closed and a prideful smile on her face.

"Eir, how did you do this?" Bane asked, looking around the nearly immaculate room. The fireplace still looked decrepit, but the rest of the space was transformed.

"I hired some of the slum folk. I gave them the job of cleaning up the house," Eir explained. Bane nodded slowly. He had been like those slum folk in the past, taking odd jobs for meager pay just to survive.

"I see. How much did you pay them?"

"100 shill each. There were five of them. I still have a few hundred shill left," Eir said with delight.

"You didn't force them, right?" Bane asked, concerned. The pay seemed too low, and he pitied them.

"Who do you think I am, a tyrant? I offered, and they gladly accepted. It only took them an hour or two."

"I see. Well, they did a great job," Bane said, glancing around the room. The wooden plank he had used as a pillow the night before was gone. We need to get beds or move, he thought. While their living conditions had improved slightly, it still wasn't enough to satisfy either Bane or Eir.

"Enough about that. How was the dungeon?" Eir asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement. Bane considered whether to withhold any details, but he knew she could check her status herself if she wanted.

"It went... okay..." Bane explained the incident with Luna in detail, openly sharing his embarrassing defeat and the skills he had gained. He told her about the quests but chose to withhold the Fast Travel ability he had unlocked after completing the first floor. The ability was so extraordinary, and without fully understanding it himself, he didn't want to try explaining it yet.

"Wow," Eir said, at a loss for words. She knew the System was a game-changer, but its effects were surpassing her expectations. She could envision a future where Bane would become one of the strongest.

"So, what's next?" Eir inquired. "Are you just going to try and avoid this Luna bi—" She stopped herself, calming down. Learning about Luna had filled her with fury.

"Yeah, I'm going to try and avoid her. But she won't stop me from getting stronger. I feel like I'll soon be able to hold my own against her," Bane said, though he noticed a hint of ego creeping into his words.

I am not strong, he reminded himself. That had become his mantra. He couldn't afford to get ahead of himself.

"What about you? Do you have any plans?" Bane asked.

Eir stared at him, confused. "Did you bathe?" she asked, completely ignoring his question.

"Yes, after the dungeon today. There's this place called Limpar," Bane replied.

Did she just notice?

"Anyway, do you have any plans? If not, I have a favor to ask of you," Bane said hesitantly. Asking something of a god was considered incredibly rude.

Eir thought for a moment. "No, my only plan is to visit this Limpar place you mentioned. What's your favor?"

"Could you speak to the slum workers you hired? I want you to ask them how much it would cost to repair the rest of this building," Bane requested. Eir nodded.

"Of course. Is there anything else specific you want to know?"

"No, just the cost of materials and labor," Bane said. He wanted something to work toward. While he was constantly leveling up, having secondary goals like repairing the house felt satisfying.

"I understand. I'll let you know tomorrow," Eir said.

The two of them left the faction building together, scouting out food stands in Gren. "Where else have you eaten? Those noodles were really good," Bane asked. In truth, it was the best food he'd ever had. Coming from communal slop to a successful street stand made a world of difference.

"Hmmm…" Eir hummed, thinking about the food she'd eaten since arriving in Gren. "How about this kebab stand? It's just up ahead," she suggested.

"Sounds good to me," Bane said, observing the vibrant nightlife of the inner city. There were no slum inhabitants in sight, and the paved road was lined with stands and illuminated by contained fires and lanterns. The pathway was brimming with life—a stark contrast to what he and the other slum dwellers were missing out on.

After weaving through the crowds, they reached the kebab stand Eir had mentioned.

"Why are there so many people here?" Eir asked, looking around anxiously. "It wasn't this busy last time."

"I'm not sure," Bane said, wondering if the atmosphere was always this lively. Soon, their questions were answered.

The night, which had been overcast, suddenly cleared, revealing a bright, blue supermoon. The stone path fell silent as everyone gazed up at the mesmerizing sight.

"Awoo!" Wolves howled in the distance, adding to the enchantment.

It's just like back then… Bane had experienced this once before, back when his mother was still alive. He looked up at the glowing moon, a tear running down his cheek.

I miss you, Mom. But he quickly composed himself, turning the moment into one of resolve. I will make you proud.