Chapter 1 - An Important Meeting
A few days after the Xenos escaped back into the dungeon, Fels requested the Hestia familia's assistance with a diplomatic mission. The goal was to establish a formal understanding with the Xenos so that Rivira will be more secure. The original plan only involved Fels who would meet with the Xenos on the 19th floor. However, Ouranos felt that Bell would be a great addition to the mission given the respect he earned with the Xenos. Although Bell had not trained for his battle with Asterius, he agreed to the mission. He and his familia members definitely wanted to see Wienne, and he also was looking forward to spend more time with Lyd and Gros to talk about his dream of mutual cooperation and coexistence. To get buy in from Riviria, the group would first head to Rivira to meet with Bors Elder, who had agreed to discuss the secret mission with them.
The beginning of the trip was relatively uneventful for Bell and Fels, and they already knew that the 17th floor boss was recently defeated. However, Bell was quite happy with the opportunity that the mission gives to his familia members. They have been frustrated because they were unable to provide much assistance against the high-level opponents. Bell realized that this mission should allow Welf, Mikoto, Lili and Haruhime to gain useful experience. To support his familia members, he actually helped Haruhime carry some of the gear so that she could get in on the fighting.
At the beginner levels, Lili expedited matters by drawing out numerous monsters by using Cinder Ella. To make the trip more enjoyable following the initial battles, Lili also used Cinder Ella to turn into Ais to embarrass Bell. The trick worked, and Bell turn bright red when 'Ais' whispered some adult talk in his ears.
As they descended into the mid-levels, Bell focused on protecting Haruhime after she used Uchide no Kozuchi to level up Welf or Mikoto. With the level boost, Welf had a good victory versus silverbacks on the 12th floor and then a minotaur on the 16th floor. On the 13th floor, a level-boosted Mikoto defeated an infant dragon by herself using Futsunomitama.
When they arrived at Rivira, Bors quickly guided them to a quiet location to discuss the mission. After expressing a lot of concern and mistrust of the Xenos, Bors did agree to give negotiations a chance. They finally gained his support when they convinced him that the Xenos were attacked first by the Ikelos familia and they were simply avenging their friends.
When the group got down to the 19th floor, Lyd and Gros were there to greet them. They then happily reunited with Wienne, who literally jumped into the arms of Bell and Haruhime. During their happy reunion, Asterius walked in, causing Bell to prepare for battle. However, Asterius quickly assured Bell that this was not the time for their match, and suggested a time and location for their final match.
The meeting went as well as could be expected. A truce was agreed to, as the Xenos agreed to stay away from Rivira. Also Fels and Bell have been assigned as neutral mediators in any future disagreements. A feast was prepared for celebrating the truce, and everyone cheered for the eventual normalization of relations. Bell and Fels went off with Asterius, Lyd and Gros to discuss the hopeful future. The Xenos believed in Bell and hoped that his vision of mutual coexistence and cooperation can become a reality. Wienne, Haruhime and Bell also had some quality time to catch up. Wienne really misses her time at the Hestia familia home, and she also hoped that she can return to the surface world. As the celebration was coming to a close, Gros announced some urgent news - Rivira is under attack again, but this time it is by a party with earth magic and an unusual magic. Everyone immediately started heading towards the entrance back to the 18th floor.