Is it wrong to be a Hero in a dungeon?

by L33t Horo

Emiya Shirou thought he had died on his last mission... now he is in the land of Orario and joined Bell and Hestia.

2. Chapter 2

Is it wrong to be a Hero in a dungeon?

Authors note: there will be very little action on this chapter. But it will be long.

Chapter 2: Machinations of a Goddess

Bete was livid and felt humiliated.

After all that talk he did about weaklings and for them to know their place it was a freshly minted adventurer from a minor Familia who had bested him.

He was a level 5 adventurer, he should have crushed that gnat effortlessly.

The newbie was a level 1 it was a foregone conclusion who would had to win.

Now he was the laughing stock of his Familia, he talked big and got served. Everyone avoided looking at him because if they did they would find themselves unable to hold their laughter.

How had the brat beaten him?

Power?

No… that guy was not a power type… he grunted from the strain when he blocked his attacks.

Technique?

Probably, he was very well versed in combat and was very good at predicting his moves and acting accordingly.

Experience?

He was freshly minted… so that seems unlikely.

However Bete forgot to factor something into account… just because Shirou was newly minted as an adventurer did not mean that he had no prior experience.

Due to him fighting creatures and beings that were more powerful than himself could ever hope to be he was used to fighting with that kind of handicap, Bete was strong and skilled… but he was not Heroic Spirit or a Undead Apostle.

Also Bete did not know that Shirou's magic that allowed him to make the swords he fought him with, had an interesting effect. When he traced a weapon he also traced the wielder's abilities and power to use the blade as if he was using it himself… that was the reason Shirou was able to cut down Gilgamesh when he used Kanshou and Bakuya in his reality marble back then… he had effectively reproduced Archer's strength and combat proficiency.

"Maybe I mouthed off too much… maybe I was wrong and I got too full of myself… maybe levels aren't a that there is to measure a person's worth… but if not… why even use a Falna? Why bother at all? Could it be that it's not that they were weak but just people who were learning how to grow? Arggv damn it now I don't know what is what" Bete thought as he paced around.

Aiz was one of the few people who didn't mock him for his defeat, she did however said that he got his just desserts for going on about that and that he should have more empathy for others, as the guy that fought him didn't humiliate him further by mocking him or anything, if anything he helped them carry to idiot back… a totally unnecessary action but appreciated regardless, as his companions were there and would have done so regardless.

To say that mad was an understatement.

At first she thought that Hestia might had used her Divine powers to further enhance Shirou, but stopped that train of thought. Hestia was a straight shooter so it was rather unlikely. She didn't know what was what and was angry because she had no one to direct her anger at.

She was also angry that her child had been mocked in such a way, he was a level 5… such a defeat by a newbie was unprecedented and to be honest, an impossibility. Still, even if she was mad about that she thought it served as a life lesson for Bete, that Wolfman looked down on newbies way too much and needed an attitude adjustment,however he had an over inflated ego and thought that he was right… and then this happens that undermines that belief.

He had secluded himself in his room for a few days refusing to go eat, a few of his comrades left some plates of food for him tough.

Aiz Wallenstein decided to pay the Hestia Familia a visit and see if she could learn more about the white haired youth and the red haired young man.

"Bell sharpen your senses… more! More… you got to completely block any and all unnecessary thoughts, all you have the only thing you should be seeing is the boundary between life and death… think 10 steps ahead and seize even 5 more seconds of survival!" a voice yelled.

Bell was flung to a wall but rather than hit it he used it as a springboard and launched a counter attack.

"good... you are learning, that was a good strategy…. Okay, that would be enough… it seems we have a visitor" Shirou said.

Bell turned around and blushed as he saw her.

"Welcome… is there something we can do for you Aiz Wallenstein-san?" Shirou asked.

Bell was a mess as he was shocked of how formal Shirou was.

"Yes… I would like to ask you two some questions… but before that… I wish to apologize for my teammate's behaviour and also… apologize to you Bell, in my haste to kill the monster I did not notice you behind and had you covered in blood" Aiz said.

"Ah… I think that would also be my fault… I did decapitate the monster after all" Shirou said awkwardly.

Hestia was looking at them… feeling a tad angry due to Aiz being here and taking Bell's attention from her.

Shirou was a bit awkward around her, it was like he knew her or something… perhaps a former lover?

She didn't think so, the looks he gave her were painful… like he was reminded of something sad.

Maybe she looked like someone he knew?

Yes that seemed more likely.

"You two train this way a lot?" Aiz asked.

"Since Bell is a total novice, yes… so I am getting him ready to deal with things beyond his current abilities, that is to say I am training him in techniques and tactics so he can deal with monsters stronger and faster than him, this way he will be able to take even stronger monsters and be able to at least flee" Shirou said.

"I see… that is indeed a good idea, and he is taking the training well… I can see he had grown a lot very fast since I last saw him, you are a good teacher" she said.

"Not at all… he is just determined, he pushes himself harder to reach his goal" Shirou said.

"And that is?" she asked.

"Not my place to say" Shirou said with a shrug.

"Aiz… may I perhaps ask you for a favor?" Shirou asked.

"depends on what it is" She said.

"Can you perhaps spar with Bell from time to time? Is good that he trains with me but it would help him grow better if he fought with other people" Shirou said.

"Eh?! I… is that okay?" Bell asked.

"Am I… no good?" Aiz asked.

"No… No! Is not that… I mean yes… I would like to spar with you" Bell said.

On the background Hestia was biting a pillow furiously at this development.

They decided that next week would be good.

After she said her goodbyes both Shirou and Bell went out for a quick shower and returned back to their little room in the church.

Hestia was glaring at Shirou and called Bell a "cheater" for some reason.

He had to say… this Goddess was not a bad one.

He had a question on his mind tough.

"who was it that was observing us at that time?" Shirou thought.

While it had no blood lust or killing intent it was, however, unnerving as it felt that whoever was looking at them them was targeting them.

"no… not us… Bell" he reasoned.

"Shirou… shouldn't you update your Falna? I am sure that after all you did your stats should have increased a lot" Bell said.

"I think so too… I guess I had been postponing it a bit" Shirou said.

Hestia then had him vet ready as she straddled Shirou from behind, she pricked her finger and the a drop of blood fall on his back.

Shirou's status on the Falna had made a huge leap!

Right now his Agility was on a G rank while his strength and stamina both where on the D rank, his magic also had increased oddly enough, they had yet to see him cast any magic… now his magic was on D rank… none of his skills had increased much save for Mind of the eye ( true ) which was at C rank.

Bell's status also were rather absurdly high! It seems that his training with Shirou had paid dividends! His speed was on H rank, his strength was on I and his defence as well…. There was no change on his magic tough but other than that the both had grown fast.

Too fast.

People would get suspicious of them both, not to mention jealous of their growth curve.

She was bitter because she understood WHY Bell was growing so fast...

She accepted it but it did not mean she had to like it at all.

Shirou's case was different… she couldn't understand him that well, but it didn't matter, she will in time.

After all… they were her children… her Familia.

Hestia sighed… maybe she should get something for Bell? As a way to congratulate him for his hard work?

But… she didn't want to slight Shirou either.

"You know… I really don't need anything, if you wanna treat Bell you should do it" Shirou said.

"Gah!" Hestia shouted in shock "How… when…?"

"is written all over your face, don't worry about it, I think he would be happy to get something from his Goddess" Shirou said with a mind smile.

Hestia pouted at being read so easily.

She was deep I thought when she remembered something… the party that was going to be hosted by Ganesha!

Yes, if she went there she could also talk to her and maybe just maybe…

Shirou and Bell went out for some dungeon crawling that evening and came back late into the night.

They brought a LOT of magic stones of medium and large sizes and quite a bit of monster drops.

Bell wondered about something.

How did Shirou got those 2 swords on his fight with that Wolfman… and how did they appear on his hands when fighting the Minotaur?

Why did his magic skill grow when he had yet to use any magic?

Should he ask?

He was curious.

"Is there something you wish to ask?" Shirou said.

"Ah! Yes… no… I mean… ah… sorry was it that obvious?" he said.

"somewhat, go ahead… ask away" Shirou said.

"How did you get those weapons… and why did your magic skill increase we you haven't used magic at all yet?" Bell asked.

"I have actually" Shirou said.

"Eh?! When?" Bell said in shock.

"those swords… my magic is the complete recreation of any weapon I have ever seen" Shirou said, leaving a few things out.

"That is amazing! No wonder you didn't ask for any equipment! You can just make your own" Bell said in awe.

"Don't say it to anyone ok? I rather have this a secret… blacksmiths wouldn't like the fact that I don't need to buy anything at all" Shirou said chuckling awkwardly.

Bell nodded understanding.

They went to the Guild Exchange and got quite a loot, however the noticed something.

They had little space to carry their loot.

Also Bell got into trouble

"What floor?!"

"Agh!" Bell let out a scream. The cause of his pathetic squeal was a frowning Eina Tulle fuming with anger and glaring right at him.

Bell and Shirou had made a triumphant return to the Guild after prowling the 10th floor. He'd gotten the money from all of his magic stones and drop items at the Exchange and went to give his adviser an update with a big smile on his face. But the second he said, "10th level," his good mood came to an abrupt end.

"What is with you?! Does nothing I say stay inside that thick skull of yours?! Going from the fifth to the 10th?! Are you insane?!"

"S-s-s-s-ssorry!"

Wham! Eina slammed both of her hands down onto the table. Her emerald eyes burned, her head leaning to the side. Bell was little more than a frog being stared down by a python.

Elsewhere

These were the gods and goddesses who came to Gekai looking for entertainment. They came to the passionate city Orario seeking the "unknown" even more than the adventurers. That was them to a T.
They were gathering in a specific part of the city.

Gods didn't normally get together in such high numbers.

"Yo!"

"Eeeeh! Long time! How long has it been?"

"'About four hundred years, I reckon."

"Ohoh! That long? You've changed quite a lot since then!"

"Sorry to change the subject on you, but is the Celebration really here?"
One overly extravagant building stood over the group of overly extravagant gods assembling in the street.

Standing among the lights of Orario, this thing was just plain weird. It was so out of place, it was almost mysterious.

The building was a massive, thirty-meter, human-shaped statue with an elephant's head sitting cross-legged in the middle of the city block.

The base of the building was surrounded by a stone wall.

The statue sat proudly, puffing out its chest. It was famous for inspiring a sense of wonder and uneasiness within anyone who saw it. Magic stone lamps lit up the statue from many angles.

The elephant stood out against the black night sky.

It might have come as no surprise, but this building had a history.

It was built by the handsome, dark-skinned god Ganesha. Who knew what he was thinking when he burned through his Familia's savings to build this monstrosity.

This statue, Aiam Ganesha, was the home base of Ganesha Familia.
Even the members of his Familia didn't like it. Most of them teared up a bit as they went in and out, thinking how their hard work had gone into paying for this thing. The icing on the cake? The entrance to the building was in the crotch of the statue.

"What's Ganesha doing?"
"Ganesha really goes all out!"

The group of extraordinarily lavish people filed into the building through the crotch, laughing all the way.

Every one of these "people" was a god or goddess.

They had come for Ganesha's "Celebration of the Gods."

A Celebration of the Gods was basically a large party put on by a god for other gods living on Gekai. There were no rules about who hosted and who attended. The Celebration was hosted by a god who wanted to throw a party and was attended by gods who wanted to come. It was all done on a whim.

"Everyone! Thank you for coming today! I am Ganesha! I am overjoyed at the attendance of this Celebration! I love you all! I do have one small announcement to make: The yearly festival put on by my Familia is only three days away! Please encourage your Familias to attend!"
The great hall was only lightly decorated, completely different from the lavish exterior of the building.

Ganesha, wearing an elephant mask and dressed to match his statue, greeted his guests in a booming voice from the top of a stage in the middle of the hall. The gods in attendance by and large ignored his greeting and continued talking among themselves.

The party was set up to be a standing buffet. Tables with white tablecloths lined the great hall. An array of fresh food filled the hall with a variety of mouthwatering smells. Soft echoes from the shoes of both the attendees and the staff thumped from all directions. A band sat behind the stage, waiting for the signal to play dance music.

Almost all of the deities in Orario were in attendance tonight.

Invitations to the Celebration had been disturbed by the host's Familia. The number of guests was determined by their resources.

Ganesha Familia was very prominent in Orario, so he was able to send an invitation to every single god and goddess within the city wall.
Hestia included.

"Hey! Mr. Waiter! Bring me a stool! Quickly!
"Y-yes!"

Hestia was busy raiding the food tables under the din of conversing gods when she summoned a member of Ganesha Familia.

She was not tall enough to reach a particularly delicious-looking dish in the middle of a table.

Mine! Mine! Mine!
"…"

Her arms flew around from dish to dish as she gathered as much food as she could onto her plate.

Unable to say anything, the waiter just watched her in action.

Hestia had no plans of slowing down—it was a buffet, and she was going to take full advantage of it. Hestia Familia was among the poorest of the poor Familias. She was most likely the bottom of the barrel of all the gods in attendance. But Hestia didn't mind. She had no problem working so that Bell had enough energy to work in the Dungeon. Working in shops and doing odd jobs was just part of her life now.

However, she was the only deity there not wearing extravagant clothing. She was wearing her usual garb but had tried her best to make her clothes look more formal. It didn't fool anyone.

"Hey, isn't that Loli Big Boobs?"

"Wow, she's still alive?"

"I've seen her. She's working part-time in the northern south block. The children were patting her head."

"That's our Loli Lady!"

Of course, Hestia stuck out like a sore thumb. Shoveling food into her mouth and wearing ordinary clothes, she attracted a lot of attention.

Hestia knew they were making fun of her, but she decided to ignore everything and keep her mouth shut. At least until she found more good food.

"Just what do you think you're doing…?"

"… mmhnngg… mm!"

A very tired voice hit her from the side.
Spinning around with a mouthful of pastries, Hestia saw a goddess with flaming red hair and wearing a dark crimson dress standing next to her.

Her face was thin with a sharp chin, showing her strong will. In fact, even the golden earrings she was wearing could not compete with her sheer beauty.

However, Hestia couldn't help but notice black skin covering half of the goddess's face over her right eye.

A bandage covered most of it. She stared down at Hestia with her left eye. It was wide and looked shocked.

Hestia gulped down the last of the food in her mouth.

"Hephaistos!" Hestia called out to greet an old friend.

"I'm happy to see you, too, Hestia. I'm glad you are well… I'd be happier if you wore something a little more appropriate."
Hephaistos shook her head and rolled her eye.

The magic stone lamps on the ceiling shone down upon the one-eyed goddess. Her waist-length hair sparkled as if it were woven with sugar.

Hestia took a moment to admire Hephaistos's beautiful red hair before going up to her with a big smile on her face.

"I'm glad I came! I was right to come."

"What? I'm only going to say this once: I'm not lending you one val."

"How rude!"

Hephaistos glared at her "friend" as she snapped a warning.

She was the goddess who had looked after Hestia before she met Bell, the one who had kicked Hestia out of her Familia's base. Their relationship was still a little tense.

While they had been friends for a long time, Hephaistos had lost her patience with Hestia because she hadn't formed her own Familia, hadn't worked, and had become a burden.

However, even after evicting her, the needy goddess would always come back asking for money. Whether it was "I can't find a job" or "I can't find a room that keeps the rain out," Hestia always had a sad story to tell before asking for help. She'd pushed Hephaistos as far as she could.

Hephaistos had a serious problem on her hands. She couldn't leave her friend out on the streets with no money, but she also couldn't keep helping her with every little thing.

In the end, she gave Hestia the room under the church and found her a part-time job. The only thing Hestia did by herself was induct Bell into her Familia.

She acted mature and independent when she was around Bell. But on her own, she was a lazy goddess who couldn't get anything done on her own.

"Do I look like a goddess who would do that?! Sure, I needed your help in the past, but thanks to you, I'm doing fine on my own! I don't need to eat from anyone else's plate anymore!"

"Weren't you doing that just a second ago?"

"T-this food will just be left over… If it's just going to be thrown away, I should at least put it to good use, yes?"

"Ho-ho! That's a great way to put it. I'm so happy you've changed, my tears of happiness just won't stop."

"Gyuuuu…"

Hephaistos scoffed through her nose at Hestia's pained face.

Click-click, click-click. High-heeled shoes echoed as another goddess approached them.

"Hee-hee… Still the best of friends, I see."

"Eh… F-Freya?"

Hestia turned around to see emerge from another group of deities a goddess so beautiful that she made the others look normal by comparison. The floor was her runway. Everyone else was there to admire her.

Her skin was the color of fresh fallen snow and just as smooth. Freya's arms and legs glided through the air as if she were swimming, her perfume getting the attention of other gods as she drifted past.

Their eyes fell on her luscious derriere, the cloth holding it in place stretched way too thin. Her gold-trimmed, full-length gown was open in the front. With only one layer of fabric over each breast, she proudly showed off her full shape. Her cleavage was bright pink, like she was too warm.

She had the perfect body; better proportions did not exist.

Long eyelashes surrounded calm eyes that radiated confidence.

Her beauty transcended beauty, to the point that no one else even came close.

The Goddess of Beauty gently swished her silver hair as she glided up to the other two goddesses.

"Why are you here…?"

"Saw you standing here. Thought I'd say something like 'It's been ages' and invite you to walk around the great hall. Something like that."

"D-don't say it like that, Hephaistos…"

"Am I disturbing you, Hestia?" a smiling Freya asked the shorter goddess as she stepped into their conversation.

"It's not that…" Hestia fought back an irritated twitch in her lips. "I just don't like you very much."

"Hee-hee-hee. That's what I like about you."

Oh please. Hestia crossed her arms and looked away.

Being the Goddess of Beauty, Freya was a lady among women and always carried herself as such. She was always a head above the rest.

Freya had the ability to make others stop and wonder at her charm and grace.

Even whimsical gods fell under her spell. The children on Gekai became enslaved by her smile alone.

However, Hestia couldn't stand Freya's personality, or other gods like her.
She did her best to avoid them.

"Hey! Fei-Fei! Freya—! Itty Bitty!

"Then again, you're not so bad compared to a few others I know…"

"My, my, aren't you tense."
Freya's smile widened as she turned to face the newcomer, who was flailing her arms and half jogging up to the group.

She had vermillion-red eyes and hair. She'd changed her hairstyle from a simple short ponytail to a stylish inward spiral just for the Celebration. She was sporting a sleek black dress.

She might not have looked like much standing next to Freya, but her face was on par with Hestia and Hephaistos in terms of charm.

"Yo! Loki."

"Why the hell are you here…?!"

"Wassamatta? Am I not allowed to greet ya without a reason? It's a Celebration, no? It'd be rude not to say hi. Get with the program, Itty Bitty."

"…!…!"

"That's quite the scary face, Hestia."
Loki was two heads taller than she; all Hestia could do was turn a cold shoulder.
She had nothing to say to Loki.
Loki was the enemy.

"It really has been a long time, Loki. Didn't think I'd see Freya or Hestia today, either. The Celebration has been full of surprises."

"Yeah, it's been forever… Been forever for most everyone here tonight, though."
Loki's eyes were so long and thin that they usually looked like lines in the middle of her face. But she smiled as she opened them just enough to get a good look at Freya.

One of Ganesha Familia's waiters arrived with drinks. He froze on the spot when Freya turned to take a glass. Smiling at the dumbstruck man, she took a long sip.

"Have you really not met up anywhere?"

"We did see each other the other day. Wasn't much of a chat, though."

"You're one to talk. I made myself open to conversation, not my fault."

"Hmm. Oh, Loki, I hear about your Familia all the time. Things must be going well?"

"Waaa! To hear someone with a Familia as good as yours say that… I must be moving up in the world… But yeah, my children are my pride 'n' joy. Mind if I brag?"

A tinge of pink covered Loki's face as she shyly scratched her head. Loki hid her feelings from the members of her Familia, but that was more difficult here.

Hestia had been listening to the conversation and thought this would be the perfect time to gather some information.

"Hey, Loki. I have a question for you about someone in your Familia, Wallensomething or other."

"Oh! The kenki! I would like to listen in, if you don't mind."

"What's this? Itty Bitty has a question for me? Someone look to the sky! Is it Armageddon? Ragnarok? Did Hell just freeze over?"
Hestia clenched her teeth. I'm gonna tear this bitch in half!

"… Here it is. Does the kenki have a boyfriend or some kind of special companion?"

"Moron, she's my favorite. I ain't giving her to anyone, ya hear? If anyone else tries to put a hand on her, I'll mount their head on my bedroom wall."

"Tsk."

"Strange time for ya to tsk at me."

Hestia got the information she was after. Aiz Wallenstein was being fiercely guarded by Loki.

She felt the same way about Bell. If only Aiz had someone special she wanted to protect… An evil smirk popped up on her lips.

Hephaistos stood by, watching the conversation unfold. Sensing the tension rising, she jumped in to change the subject.

"I know this is a little late, but it feels strange to see you in a dress, Loki. Don't you usually wear men's clothes?"

"Hee-hee, about that. A little bird told me a certain Itty Bitty was gettin' ready to go to a party…"

Hestia glared at her. Loki didn't seem to care. She bent over so she could talk directly into Hestia's face.

"Heard she was too poor to wear a dress, thought I'd laugh at her."

You bbbbbiiiitttttttcccccchhhhhhhh!
Hestia locked eyes with Loki, her face getting redder and redder. She might explode at any moment.

It was always like this. They hadn't known each other very long, maybe a hundred years. However, whenever Loki saw Hestia, she had an undeniable urge to tease her… She would do anything she could to make a joke at Hestia's expense and would go out of her way to do so.
The reason was quite simple: Hestia had what she didn't. It was all because of the two lumps on Hestia's chest.

"Ha-ha! Nice one! To make me laugh by making fun of your complex in front of everyone! Loki, you're a comedic genius!"

"Wha'd ya mean?"

"Oh, sorry. Not comedic, you're a genius at digging holes. Like the grave you are standing in!"

Now it was Loki's turn to flame up. The goddesses scowled at each other, their faces getting redder with each breath.
Loki's black dress was very low cut with no shoulders. It was almost sad how little shape she had, other than her quivering rib cage.

"So it begins…," muttered a cross-armed Hephaistos as her eye went from one goddess to the other.

Freya held her glass of fruit wine as she looked on with a smile. The fireworks were about to start.

The two goddesses stood with their well-above-average busts bulging from their elegant dresses on the sidelines.

"How many men have fallen off the cliff of despair that is your flat chest? Ha-ha! See what I did there?"

"Not funny at all, you hagggggg!"

"Kiyaaaaaaa!"

Loki lunged at Hestia, her eyes leaking tears.

Getting a good grip on Hestia's cheeks, Loki pulled as hard as she could. Her face expanded out like taffy, soft and squishy.

Hestia tried to fight back, but her short arms couldn't even come close to grabbing Loki. She futilely swatted the air, her cheeks shiny with tears.

"Oh, what have we here?"

"Looks like Loli Big Tits against Loki No Bits…!"

"Ten elixirs say that Loki walks away frustrated!"

"All of my star chips say that I'll be the one to comfort her!"

"Make a real bet, moron!"

More and more gods came to watch the catfight unfolding in the great hall.
Hephaistos's head drooped past her shoulders. She was already fed up with Hestia and Loki, now there was an audience to this brawl.

Loki was shaking Hestia's entire body with her death grip on the smaller goddess's fluffy cheeks. Left, right, up, down, she shook Hestia in all directions.
Shaking, shaking, and more shaking.

"… hee… hee… I'm thinkin' ya've had enough for today…"

She's twitching all over!

Sad that she couldn't finish the job, Loki dropped Hestia to the floor and turned her back.

Loki didn't even glance at the girl as she collapsed to the floor, just walked away. Loki's body twitched as she started to make her way across the room.
It was not a victory lap.

"Hmph… Don't be looking so pathetic next time, loser. Tuck your tail and run!"
"I'll do ya in next time, ya hear me? Next time!" Loki bolted for the door, leaving a trail of tears in her wake.

"Just as I thought…" A murmur spread through the crowd of gods who had come to witness the fight. With the show over, they went back to their own conversations and drifted elsewhere.

"Loki's really rounded out…"

"Rounded out? She still looks like a little kid…"

Hephaistos could only raise an eyebrow at Freya's comment.

Freya perked up the tips of her mouth as she ran her fingers through her silver hair.

"Before coming here, gods used to fight one another to the death for fun. This is a lot cuter. Not even dangerous."

"Well, yes. That's true. You've known Loki for a long time, right?"

"Very much so, about as long as the two of you."

Hephaistos helped a wobbly Hestia to her feet.

"We're not as close as we once were," said Hephaistos with a weak smile.

"Looks like Loki's taken a liking to the children. Maybe that's why she's changed"

"I hate to say it, but she has that in common with me."

"Ohh? Didn't you say 'I don't look at the children like that' not too long ago? Did that new boy, Bell, change that?"

"Hee-hee, maybe so. He's a really good boy. He's wasted on me… but I also obtained another one not soon after, he is pretty good too"

"If I remember right, he's a white-haired, red-eyed human boy, yes? You came and told me right after you started your Familia. I was shocked, really, but who is the other one you speak of?"

Freya's ears twitched as she heard the news.
She set her empty glass on the table and swished her hair.

"I bid you Farewell."

"What, already? Do you have somewhere to be, Freya?"

"I got the information I came here for, so there's no point in staying."

"… You didn't ask anyone anything today?"

Freya and Hephaistos had been together since the start of the Celebration. Hephaistos was confused about her friend's sudden departure and tilted her head.

Freya ignored her and instead cast her eyes on Hestia. Her smile was still there but was now somewhat different from before.

Hestia blinked a few times as Freya's aura changed.

"… And I've gotten bored of all the men here."

Don't you dare!

"…"

She gave a nod as a simple good-bye and disappeared into the crowd.
The remaining goddesses watched her leave before looking at one another. They exchanged an awkward laugh and a shrug.

"Freya really is the Goddess of Beauty… no respect."

"She's in control of love and desire. Someone's bound to want her help…"

"She has a Familia. She just doesn't see what is right under her nose. To think she might become a rival… makes me appreciate the children that much more!"

"She could recruit new members just by smiling…"

Hephaistos let out a deep breath and scratched the bandage covering her right eye.

It was a habit she'd picked up. Whenever she wasn't satisfied or couldn't accept something, her hand just went there on its own.

Hestia let out a small "hmm" through her nose, watching Hephaistos closely.

"Anyway, what are you going to do now? I'm going to walk around, talk to a few more people. Are you going home?"

A light snapped on in Hestia's brain. Her shoulders jumped when she realized she had almost forgotten something very important.

"You could stick around for a while? Have a drink or two?"

"Um… yeah… well…"

Hephaistos's expression changed when she saw Hestia start fidgeting. She'd seen that many times before.

Ignoring the blast of suspicion bursting out from under Hephaistos's flaming red hair, Hestia made up her mind. She cleared her throat.

"I… um, have a favor to ask you."

"…"

Hephaistos's left eye narrowed, sharp as a dagger.

The carefree Hephaistos was gone in an instant. She was engulfed in a much more serious aura.

It was the same one she'd had when flat-out stating that she wouldn't be lending any money.

"You ask now, after what you said earlier?

Think back—what did you say?"
"Umm… What was it again?"

" 'I don't need to eat from anyone else's plate' ring a bell?"
Hestia smiled and nodded, not arguing the point. She had said that, after all.

Hephaistos looked at her as though she had just climbed out of a toilet. While Hestia wanted to take back her earlier statement, she clenched her jaw and waited out the awkward silence.

This was the reason Hestia had come to the Celebration in the first place. She might lose a friend for it, but she had to try.

"… Okay, I'll play your game. What. Is. Your. Request?"
Hephaistos stared down at the short goddess, her red hair and eye on the verge of bursting into flames.

Hephaistos was known as the Goddess of the Forge when she resided in Tenkai, the upper world. The Familia she created on Gekai didn't rely on the income of adventurers in Orario to survive.

Even still, there was not a single adventurer in Orario who didn't know the name Hephaistos.

She had created a brand.

Her Familia was home to many specialists capable of creating weapons so strong that even a hundred others wouldn't measure up. These smiths forged high-quality weapons known around the world.

Hestia had come here today to directly ask the president of Hephaistos Familia for a favor.

She took a deep breath and said in the strongest voice she could muster:
"I would like you to make a weapon for Bell… a member of my Familia."

Back to Bell and Shirou

Bell's POV

We join the countless groups of adventurers as they climb the winding silver staircase. After the last few steps, everything changes. The walls look man-made; even the smell is refreshing.

This is the basement of the white tower, Babel.

The room is like a giant wheel resting on its side, but with no spokes. Seriously, thousands of adventurers could be in here and still have room to breathe.

It's hard to believe that we were standing directly above the most dangerous place in the world. The monsters are right below us. Maybe that's why it looks like a giant shrine. If someone told me this place was supposed to be used as an altar in a ceremony to honor the gods, I'd believe it.

The walls are a mix of blue and white. They're dotted with stone plaques inscribed with names. Probably adventurers from a time gone by.

There are many long, thick pillars scattered all around. I can't count them all, too many. A grand mural covers the ceiling of the chamber from end to end. It is the most subtle and soothing picture of the sky I have ever seen.

I'm perfectly safe from this point on. I can feel adrenaline leaving my body. Unfortunately, it was keeping the pain from my injuries at bay… Gonna be sore tonight…

… Huh? What's that?

All the adventurers and supporters are clearing a path… What's behind them?
Isn't that a cargo box…? It's very large; several people could fit inside. It's on wheels with a long handle wrapping around the front. There's another one! A whole row of them!

Aren't they used when groups go on "expeditions" to the lower floors?

I suppose they would be handy to carry food and supplies. It takes a long time to come back up.

Did that one just move?! I heard it!

The adrenaline's coming back…

Okay, calm down. Let's watch it, see if I'm just hearing things…

It moved again! Something inside is alive and trying to get out. Should I go take a peek?

Wait… What if…?

The cargo box looks more like a cage. Now why would there be a moving cage? Unless…

There's a monster inside it?
I just hear a soft growl coming from within the box. It has to be a monster.
Is it okay for a monster to be… here?!

The Guild manages this tower. They control the lid of the Dungeon. In ancient times, the monsters would emerge almost every day—I'm sure that caused a lot of problems! So this tower was built to keep them down there. It's our guard tower.
Nowadays, adventurers have Falna, so we go and hunt them. On the other hand, they can still come at us in waves. I've heard that the Guild is very strict about the tower, their base. They do many things to keep us safe.

So they would never allow anyone to bring a monster out of the Dungeon.
Monsters should not be in here, ever.
Here comes another cargo box, coming up the spiral stairs! This is insane! What do I do? What do we do?

"They doing that again this year?"

"Monsterphilia, yep."

"Is there a point to it? I'm surprised people haven't gotten bored."

"Yearly freak show… Pointless."

"Ganesha Familia puts a lot into it. Even the Guild goes along with this, every single year."

"Sounds just like Ganesha, doesn't it?"
All these voices in the crowd. They're not frightened… they're bored?
Monsterphilia…

So the monsters that are being pulled up here one after another have something to do with this fair?

All of the people pulling the cargo boxes are wearing an emblem with an elephant's head. Looks like I'm not the only one interested—everyone's eyes are on them.

Wait a minute… Isn't that Eina?
Mid-length brown hair, pointy ears…
Yep, that's my boss standing over there. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.

She looks really serious. Ah, another Guild worker. I guess they're talking about where these monsters need to go?
She must be on the job.
She's even got paperwork in her hand. I'd better leave her alone.

If that guy I overheard was right, the Guild is in charge of these cargo boxes.
The fact that Guild workers like Eina are here proves that something is going on, but it's under control.

There are so many things I want to ask her, but I'll wait for another chance.
She'll be angry at me if I get in the way. Don't really want to ask anyone else around here, though… They'll just laugh at me for not knowing.

I should just go. I can get answers later.
Besides, I probably smell horrible. My clothes are still soaked with sweat.
With one last glance in Eina's direction, I go up the stair and to the showers.

I wonder if the goddess will come back today. She left to go to a friend's party two days ago. She said she'd be gone for a few days, so I'm not too worried, but still.

I probably miss having her around more than she misses me.
I wonder what she's doing right now…

Don't really want to ask anyone else around here, though… They'll just laugh at me for not knowing.

I should just go. I can get answers later.
Besides, I probably smell horrible. My clothes are still soaked with sweat after all.

With one last glance in Eina's direction, I go up the stair and to the showers.
image

"Thank you for your hard work today."
A Guild receptionist saw me off as I left.

After my shower, I made the trip to Guild headquarters to exchange my magic stones and drop items for money.

I knew Eina wasn't there, so I got in and out as fast as I could.

"The sun is already going down…"
Golds and reds fill the evening sky.
From the front, headquarters really looks a lot like the basement of Babel Tower, now that I think about it. One step out the door and the noise of Main Street is already surrounding me.

Going around the monument on the front lawn, I pass through the front gate and into the throng of people already outside. There's a good mix of races out on Main Street tonight.

Actually, there are eight Main Streets in Orario. Every one of them starts at Babel and stretches all the way out to the city wall. I like to think of the city as a big cake with eight slices.

Each Main Street is named for the direction it goes from Babel Tower, like North Main or Southeast Main. The goddess and I live under a church between Northwest Main and West Main. The Benevolent Mistress, where Syr works, is located on West Main.

The Guild headquarters is here, too, so most people on this street are adventurers.

Adventurers and their supporters need the Guild for many things like paperwork, the Exchange, etc. I'm in here a few times a day, everyone else at least once a day, I'm sure. Out of all the Main Streets, West Main has by far the most adventurers.

Therefore, there's a lot of competition for shops and bars to get a spot on this street. Adventurers need supplies and a good place to relax, and they have money. This street is lined with weapon shops, armor shops, item stores, and lots of bars.

The places off of Main Street are a little shady, but you never know what you'll find in one of them. There are a few hotels here and there as well.

Adventurers are going in and out of shops all over the place. I've got some time to kill, let's see what's around. The goddess isn't home, so no rush.

"Hm? Oh, if it isn't Bell?"

"Ah! It's nice to see you again!"

A person walking toward me on the stone road called out.

Tall with a strong chin and a high nose, the young man has the look of royalty.

His presence feels different from a human or demi-human, even in a plain gray robe.

His absolute perfection sets him apart from everyone else on the street. Anyone can tell immediately he's a god. He's the only god I know personally—other than Hestia, of course. His name is Miaha. I'd better bow and say hello properly.

"Hello, Miaha. Are you out shopping?" Bell greeted.

"Yeah, picking up a few things for dinner myself today. What are you up to?"

"I'm just looking around… I don't have any money with me, so I'm window-shopping." Bell said.

Shirou had decided to take a long soak.

"Ha-hamm, I can relate. Everyone in a small Familia has to work hard, even the god."

He smiles at me from above two large paper bags, one in each hand. His smile is very soothing; he's an all-around cheerful god. Add in his ocean-blue hair, and he's an attractive man. I have to admit it.

The gods all look different—some very young, while some look almost middle-aged—but one thing they all have in common is an absolutely perfect face. A lot of us are jealous of them because of it; include me, just a little.

His wide smile is infectious, just like Hestia's. Wait! Maybe he knows something about her.

"Can I ask you a question, Miaha? Do you know where Hestia is right now? She went to a friend's party two days ago, and she still hasn't come home."

Hestia… hmmm. No, I'm sorry. I haven't seen her, either. I don't think I can be of much help."

"It's okay. Please don't worry about it."
A god apologized… to me? And he lowered his head! No no no. Head down, now!

"Two days ago… That's most likely Ganesha's Celebration. Unfortunately, I couldn't attend the event myself. If I had, I might have more to tell."

"Miaha, were you not invited to attend?"

"Ah, no. I got an invitation. But my Familia is struggling for money at the moment. I can't leave them at this stressful time, it wouldn't be right. I was hard at work creating a new compound. No time to go to a drinking party anyway."

I'll be frank when I say his Familia is a lot like mine, struggling to make ends meet.
That's half the reason I know Miaha—we are both in bottom-of-the-barrel Familias.

"Bell, I'd like you to have these. It's a sample of what I was working on the other night."

"Are you sure?!" he asked.

Transferring both bags to one arm, he casually reaches into the fold of his robe and takes out two small test tubes filled with a dark blue liquid and hands them to me like it was nothing. I take them almost as a reflex.

The syrupy potion slowly swishes around in the vial. Looks like deep ocean molasses.

"Miaha, are you sure this is okay?"

"What's wrong with giving a neighbor a cup of sugar? It's no problem."
He ignores my bewilderment and lets out a hearty laugh.

He pats my shoulder with his free hand and steps to the side.

"Well, I hope to be seeing you at my Familia's shop again real soon, Bell."
He waves one more time before turning around and continuing on his way.

Did that really just happen? I'm so happy! There he goes, into the crowd. I bow one more time as a send-off.

These potions recover physical strength. I'm sure they'll come in handy. Now where to put them…? Ah! My leg holster would be good. There we go.
Miaha's Familia makes items like this. Their store is very small, but they are a very specialized group.

I don't know too much about what goes on behind the scenes, but I know that each Familia in this business has its own recipe. They constantly look for new ways to get an edge on the competition. I like Miaha Familia's potions. I go there when I have enough money to pick one up.

His Familia is a good example, but there are many Familias doing the same thing with other items and weapons.

Some Familias produce items, and some are filled with smiths who make armor and weapons. I even heard about one that brings in fresh fish from the ocean. At first, I thought that Familias were just groups of adventurers, but that's not always the case.

Gods need to make a living. How they do it is completely up to them.

The god chooses exactly what their Familia is going to do. That decision in turn affects the market they go into.

"Gekai's food is delicious, so I'll open a restaurant!" Kind of like that. They could even start their own country. They can do almost anything.

But competition among members within a Familia and from other Familias is also very strong. Fights tend to break out. Without some strong adventurers to keep the peace, a Familia can fall apart. It might not even get off the ground. Familias need strong leaders, and adventurers fill that role pretty well.

Becoming an adventurer was perfect for me because it's a good way to make money. Okay, okay, I had a few more romantic reasons for wanting to be one, too. But I'm not trained to do anything else.

Here I am, walking to the left down Main Street, thinking about how I'd look working in one of these shops… Ha-ha, don't think so.

"…"

Getting close to the good weapon shops now. There are some really strong-looking adventurers around today. Ah! There it is!

The weapons shop in front of me is twice the size of its neighbors.

Not only that, it's painted to look like an inferno. It's impossible to miss this place.
There is a strange-looking sign above some really thick doors. "Hφαιστος"
I can't read those characters, but I know their meaning. It's the logo used by a world-famous Familia of smiths.

I don't think anyone's watching me…

Let's have a look-see at their display window.

One sheet of clear glass is between me and all sorts of sharp, shiny objects. Oh yeah, they make weapons, good ones. That one's got an emerald green blade! Those twin swords look awesome! The reach on that buster sword… it's huge!

There's even a rapier inlaid with gold plating!

Ohhhhh, there it is!

This display is genius. The tip of the dagger's white blade is thrust into the center of a treasure chest–like box. Magic stone lamps light it up from the top down. It's like that dagger itself is the treasure, and I just found it. Its finely honed edge looks just as potent as the claw it was forged from. Not only is the blade a thing of beauty, it's just as powerful as the longer blades on display.

That's a lot of zeros on the price tag…
I would look so awesome with this…
Kind of sad to admit, but I've been coming by this window on my way home for a while now. Just to look at this work of art.

It's a top-class weapon used by the average adventurer.

I know, I'm a dirt-poor adventurer using a weapon purchased with money borrowed from the Guild, but I want to touch that one. Just once, just to see how it feels.

… I want it bad.

I'm sure other adventurers would laugh and say, "Yeah, in your dreams!" if I told them I want this dagger.

If I keep trying to catch up to Ms. Wallenstein, maybe the day I can hold this amazing weapon will come.

With that dagger in my hand, I'd be unstoppable. Slash this way, cut that way, monsters dropping like flies.
I've been staring into the glass for so long, I'm surprised it hasn't started melting…

Shirou got out of his long soak and saw Bell staring at the weapons in display.

"Not bad… those weapons are well made" Shirou said as he recorded them into his reality marble.

"Too bad they are so expensive, even if we saved so much our expenses and taxes take a lot" Bell said.

Shirou nodded but said nothing, Bell kinda envied Shirou not having to worry about equipment weapons.

"Did you found out where Hestia went of to? It had been 2 days since we last seen her so I am a bit concerned" Shirou said.

"Yes… she is most likely at a party hosted by Ganesha, his parties tend to be rather extravagant and last a while" Bell said.

"I see, well as long as she is okay there should be no need to worry" Shirou said.

The question is, how could they earn and save more money?

While the money they made was enough, expenses piled up, such as food, weapon and armor maintenance, city taxes for the Familia, money that goes to the Familia's coffer for use of the Familia and the Goddess (which she really didn't care much, she only asked for a measly 10 percent of what we had at hand), not to mention clothes and whatnot.

So Bell was making do with an ordinary knife and a rather cheap armor that provided only the barest of protection.

While Bell's skills had shot up immensely due to his training and him basically soloing the dungeon (Shirou was there just as backup) his stats had increased, however they needed an edge as they were taking too long on gathering the spoils of their victories.

It was then when Shirou noticed they the city looked somewhat livelier..

"What's going on?" he asked.

"There is an Event hosted by the Ganesha Familia… 'Monsterphilia' or something… not sure what it is about" Bell said.

Shirou didn't care about it so they just went back home, hoping for the goddess to come back safely.

Close by

"How long do you plan on doing that?"

"…"

While Bell was drooling over a weapon on display on the first floor of the weapons shop, a very irritated red-haired goddess was sitting behind a desk on the third floor above him.

Hephaistos, dressed in her Familia's uniform, had had enough. Her frustration poured into every syllable of her words.

The source of her annoyance was on the other side of her desk, a goddess on her hands and knees with her face pressed onto the floor. It was none other than Hestia.

They were on the third floor of Hephaistos Familia's main store located on Northwest Main.

The store was the base of operations for her Familia's world-famous brand. The third floor was devoted to management and currently packed with tension.
"You realize I'm very busy?"

"…"

"You may be very quiet, but I can't concentrate on paperwork with you there. Don't you get it?"

"…"

"Hestia?"

"…"

"… haa…"

Hephaistos could only sigh at the lump of a goddess on the floor, at her friend who had not moved from that position.
For an entire day.
That's how long Hestia had kept her head down, plastered to the floorboards.

On the night of the Celebration, Hestia had asked her to have her Familia make a weapon for one of her members.

Hephaistos dismissed it immediately.
Even though she didn't brag about it, the smiths of Hephaistos Familia were known as the best in the business. She had a reputation to uphold. Run-of-the-mill adventurers and Familias didn't have the resources to buy her weapons.

To have her smiths make a weapon just for a friend was out of the question. To request her smiths' sweat and blood to produce anything under those terms would be an abuse of power. Completely taboo.

Hephaistos had told Hestia many times, and as directly as possible, to come back with some money if she wanted to make a custom order.

However, Hestia hadn't given up and kept on asking. Every time she asked, her head bowed lower and lower. She'd been persistent since the start of the Celebration, and Hephaistos was at her limit.

Hestia showed no signs of giving up, or of even raising her head.

Hephaistos had told her to do whatever she wanted and gone back to her Familia's home base. She'd been planning to ignore Hestia until she gave up. Hestia was bound to get hungry and go home at some point.

That was two days ago.

Hestia was still pleading.
Why is she doing this…?
Hephaistos looked down on her with a questioning eye.

She couldn't understand what drove Hestia to keep that pose, even while Hephaistos was trying to sleep. It was quite a shock when she woke up. She nearly fell out of her bed.

She'd asked for many things before, but something was different this time.
Hestia's strong will, her obsession, was shining through.

"Just what is that pose? You've been doing it since yesterday."

"… Dogeza."

"Do-ge-za?"

"Také told me this pose has the power to make people forgive whatever you have done and grant any request."

"Také…?"

"Takemikazuchi…"

"Aaa…," said Hephaistos as the face of the god in question floated into her mind. She knew that if Hestia was taking his advice, this could be a real pain.

I can't take this anymore…Hephaistos sighed. She couldn't focus on her paperwork. So, she set her feather pen on the side of her desk and piled up the papers that still needed her signature.
The sun cast long, golden shadows across the room. Night was almost upon them.

Hephaistos glanced outside before straightening her always perfect posture. Taking a deep breath, she cast her gaze onto the back of Hestia's head.
"… Hestia, tell me. Why are you going this far?"

Her finger lightly scratched her eye patch as she posed her question.

"… Because I want to help him!"
Hestia didn't look up, only raised her voice loud enough to be clearly understood.

"He's changing, and quickly. He—Bell has a goal, and he's chosen the hardest path to follow. It's a dangerous path, that's why I want to help! I want to give him the strength he needs! A weapon that will clear a path for him!"

Hestia kept talking with her face to the floor, never looking up.

A god asking another god for help. Hestia had to reveal her true intentions. It was impossible to hide anything from a god. She bared her entire being in an attempt to persuade Hephaistos to change her mind.

"He is always helping me! I feel like I am living off his hard work! I'm his goddess, but I haven't done anything godlike for him! Even my other child has done so much for him… training him,teaching him tactics and giving him confidence"

Hestia's whole body tensed as she squeezed out her next words:
"… I hate being useless…"

Her voice was weak, but it was enough to reach Hephaistos's ears.
At that moment, the truth in Hestia's words convinced her to act.
"… All right. A weapon shall be made for this… boy."

Hestia's eyes shot open as her head popped up. Hephaistos shrugged.
"If I didn't say yes, you'd never move."

"… Yes. Thank you, Hephaistos!"
Hestia tried to jump to her feet, but after spending a day facedown on the floor, her limbs weren't ready. She fell back to her knees, an innocent smile on her face.

Hephaistos sighed again, but this time it was lighthearted.

She knew she was being too nice to her, but Hephaistos saw a change in Hestia. She felt no animosity helping her like this.

At least Hestia wasn't shut up in a room in her shop anymore. Thinking of the difference between those days and now made her smile despite herself.

"But let me say this: You will pay back every single val, understood? I don't care if it takes one hundred years, you will repay me."

That didn't mean she was going to give the weapon to her for free.

Even though Hestia was taking advantage of her own resources to get what she wanted, the world-famous Hephaistos Familia was taking action. Hestia had to work for it.

However, Hestia had shown resolve. Hephaistos nodded to herself as she stood up from her chair, walked over to the still-kneeling Hestia, and softly poked her nose.

"I know, I know. I can do it if I try. And I'll prove to you that my feelings for Bell are the real thing!"

"Ha-ha, I'm looking forward to it."

Hephaistos was only half listening to Hestia's bold words as she walked over to a shelf at the other side of the room.

Mostly used for decoration, the shelf held a line of brand-new short hammers of varying colors.

"What does he use?"

"Umm… He uses a knife…"

Hephaistos muttered, "Is that right," under her breath as she picked up a vermilion hammer from the display shelf.

The hammer had no useless decorations or markings—it was designed to be used, not seen. Hephaistos slid the tool into a pouch strapped around her waist.
Next, she walked farther down the shelf to a clear crystal case and opened the lid. The case contained a mix of assorted metals and alloys. She selected one that sparkled a light silver hue, mythril.
Lighter and stronger than iron, mythril was also far more malleable and easier to work with.

It was the best metal for a female blacksmith's thin arms, with no special abilities, to shape.

"H-Hephaistos? Are you going to make it yourself?"

"Yes, of course. That should be obvious. This has nothing to do with my Familia. It's a private request between us. I can't let them get involved."

This was the main store of her Familia's business, but it was equipped with a rather small forge and workshop on the first floor. Hephaistos was planning to go there to make the weapon herself.

She shot Hestia a look with her good eye as if to say, "You have a problem with that?"

Hestia shook her head and arms, indicating, "Not one." Her face beamed with youthful energy.

"Why would I have a reason to complain? Bell will get a weapon made by the most famous blacksmith in all of Tenkai! In fact, I couldn't ask for more!"

"Have you forgotten? This isn't Tenkai, I can't use my 'power' here."

The gods and goddesses had a mutual agreement. All of them were forbidden to use Arkanam while on Gekai.

Hephaistos had made hundreds of weapons and pieces of armor for gods while living in Tenkai. But down here, the Goddess of the Forge was on par with an unblessed child, just a human in terms of strength.

"You think I care? I'm so happy you're doing this!"

"…"

She didn't doubt Hephaistos's skill. Accepting her work with no conditions still made Hephaistos uneasy. It was written all over her face.

What bothered her most was that she didn't care.

"… You will be lending me a hand. I'm not going to let you just sit around."

"You can count on me!"
Hiding a small smile with her fingers, Hephaistos turned to leave.

Hestia followed her, bouncing up and down like an excited puppy.

Got to follow the customer's wishes, don't I?
Hephaistos was changing her mind-set from the leader of the Familia to that of a craftsman.

The blade that Hestia desired…
A blade that would clear the path for an adventurer.
A blade worthy of the name "Hephaistos."

… Easier said than done…

Hephaistos dug through her memory to recall as much information about the boy as she could.

Bell Cranell. Human. A barely fourteen-year-old boy.
He was the only other member of Hestia Familia. He'd received his Falna little more than two weeks ago.
Basically, he was a greenhorn as far as adventurers were concerned.

A high-quality blade useable by the most inexperienced of adventurers…
This was a very difficult problem.

Adventurers who tried to use too strong of a blade suffered for it. Their growth stopped as they tried to master the weapon. They couldn't wield it in battle. To put it simply, they were not ready.
On the other hand, if she made a poor blade, it would damage the name "Hephaistos."

Hephaistos considered herself a smith before a god. She took a lot of pride in everything she made. She wouldn't allow herself to produce anything less than the best. It was her policy.

Anything worth making was worth making well. She decided to put her heart and soul into making the perfect blade.
She was between a rock and a hard place.

Well… how shall we do this?

She called on the knowledge that came from making countless other pieces.
It may be for a friend, but this order is a real pain in the ass…

Hestia looked on with bubbly eyes as Hephaistos went to work, cursing the whole thing.

The next day

The goddess left three days ago. She's still not back.

It felt a little lonely eating breakfast without Hestia in the room this morning.

I am going back to the Dungeon again today… need to save more money.

The goddess left three days ago. She's still not back.
I felt a little lonely eating breakfast in an empty room this morning. Going back to the Dungeon again today.
I have a job to do; it doesn't matter if she's here or not. Besides, I want to surprise her with a big pile of loot when she gets back. "Hey! Look how much I earned while you were away!" I can see her face now… Got to get the loot first, though. Quick check in the mirror; everything looks in order.

My leg holster has the two potions I got last night. My dagger is strapped to my lower back. Slip the backpack on over my armor, and I'm ready. Come on, Bell, you can do this!

"We are heading out."

There's no one to hear me, but I feel like I should say good-bye anyway. Here I go.
My leg's back to normal. Today's the day I go back to the lower fifth.

A few days ago, I got carried away and went down there. It didn't turn out so well.

I ran away crying, literally. It'll be different this time. I don't know exactly how much, but my status is much higher now. Well, just to be safe, maybe I should talk with Eina before going into the Dungeon today…

Before I know it, I've climbed out of the hidden room under the church along with Shirou and walked my usual path through the ruins. I love how morning feels, so fresh and ready. Ah, already on West Main. Time is flying this morning.

Should loosen up a bit before getting to the Dungeon… A morning jog sounds good. This morning looks a lot like the morning I met Syr. The sun is in the same place, people are going about their business. I can run faster than this—speed up, man, speed up.

Yep, they're the same two animal people talking on the corner. Someone's setting up the terrace. The girl who was in the second-floor window of that shop isn't here today, though.

"Oi! Wait up nya, white-head kid!"
White-head kid…? I haven't heard "kid" since… Where did that voice come from?
Isn't that The Benevolent Mistress? And that's the catgirl waitress. Running over, her thin tail swishing, waving her arms like a maniac…

… Behind her, isn't that the elfess who works there, too?

I remember the voice that called me "kid" all too well. It was that or "tomato boy," and other things I'd rather not think about.
Is she really talking to me…? I returned Syr's basket on my way home last night…

I point at myself and mouth, "Me?" The catgirl is still coming this way at full speed, nodding.

"Good morning, nya! Sorry to call nyou out like that, nya!"

"Ah, um, morning… Can I help you…?"
She's bowing to me. Okay, I can do that, too…

That's a very rehearsed bow, must be for work. She's about to say something.
"Got a favor to ask nyou. Here, nya!"

"?"

"Syr is nyour friend, white-head kid. So I want nyou to give this to her, nya!"

It's a cloth coin purse with a metal clasp. I've seen this style before. It's popular.
There's an unfamiliar emblem engraved on the clasp, and I can tell right away it was made by one of the Familias. The purse itself is purple, kind of cute and girlie.

Yeah, it's cute and all, but I don't understand…

Give this to Syr? What's going on?

"Ahnya. You are not being clear. Mr. Cranell is confused."

Ah, the elfess. She was the one on the terrace this morning. Maybe she can tell me what's up…

… Hang on, she said, "Mr. Cranell"! She remembered me. Me!

Shirou looked at the interplay going on with these people

"Lyu, nyou're stupid! Syr forgot her wallet, playing hooky to go to Monsterphilia, nya. She nyeeds it, so I'm asking him to take it to her. Nyou knew that, right, white-head kid?"

"That is how it is. I apologize for the confusion."

"Ah, no, I got it now. That's what's going on." Bell said accepting the request.

The elfess named Lyu ignores her coworker's pouting face and gives me a short, repentant bow. I lower my head, too; she sorted it all out for me.

The catgirl looks dejected, like she was left out in the cold. Her tail hangs limp, and she looks at the ground. I hear a small "hm" come from her nose. Is she angry at me?

"Please pay her no mind. Are you sure it is okay to accept our request? Ahnya, the other employees and I are too busy preparing to go after Syr ourselves. I know we are interrupting your plans for today…"

"It's not that big of a deal, but is it true Syr is skipping out on work?"

"Ahnya did not choose her words well. Syr is not playing hooky. Her situation is different because she doesn't reside at our establishment like we do."

I knew Syr wouldn't skip work. She seemed to really enjoy it. Sounds like she has a day off or something. She doesn't live at the bar, which means that she doesn't need to work every day like these two. I bet that dwarfess, Mama Mia, had to give permission, though.

So she's bound to have a day off here and there, right?

And it sounds like she went to some kind of festival…

"Monsterphilia…?"

"Yes. She went to see the opening events today."

I heard those words in the basement of Babel Tower.

"Do you not know? All residents of Orario know about this event."

"Actually, I haven't lived here very long… Could you tell me about it?" Bell asked.

Shirou listened in.

"—Nyay! Me will tell nyou about it, nya!"
As soon as I asked, the catgirl suddenly jumped in between us. She looked so depressed two seconds ago… Where did this energy come from? She's talking really fast, too!

"Monsterphilia is an event put on once a year by Ganesha Familia, nya! We fill the stadium for a day and tame the monsters, nya!"

"Huh?… T-tame?!"

What the hell is she talking about?!
Taming the monsters? Keeping those vicious beasts as pets?!

"It's nyot really that strange, nya? Nyou're an adventurer, nya, aren't cha, white head? Nyou have seen when a slain monster wakes up with a look in its eyes. It wants to be our friend, nya!"

"Uh… no. I can't say I have…"

Should I believe her? Can I? I must look confused, because Lyu speaks up again.

"Taming has been recognized as a skill. I am being brief, but a person proves him- or herself more powerful than a monster. In turn, the monster obeys that person's commands."

"The monster obeys their commands."… Sounds like I'm in another world.

"The monsters in the Dungeon have bad tempers, nya! So usually monsters already above ground are tamed. But Ganesha Familia's tamers are good! They break the Dungeon-born monsters, too, nya!"

Ganesha Familia… I've heard that name before. They are probably the most influential Familia in Orario. I've heard there is a ton of members, too.

"So, basically these tamers fight a monster until it submits. And people watch?"

"That's right, nya! Like a really big circus!"
Except much more dangerous… Yeah, I got it.

"We wanted to go, too, nya! But Mommy Mia said nyo nyo… Syr said she'd buy us syomething, but she forgot her wallet, nya! She smiled and waved, but nyo money! Careless girl, nya!"

"Ahnya, I don't believe you are correct…"
Ehh, I got this figured out. Syr can't buy souvenirs, or anything else, without her wallet. I owe her, so it's the least I can do to take this to her.

"I believe that the area around the stadium on East Main will be very crowded. If you head in that direction, you should find the stadium easily."

"Syr just left, nya! Nyou can catch up!"
"Sure thing."

My heavy backpack would get in the way, so I ask them to keep it at The Benevolent Mistress. I can swing by later to pick it up.

Clutching Syr's wallet in hand, I make my way toward Babel Tower. I'll need to go beyond it, but it should be a straight shot from here.

Monsterphilia… I wonder what it's like…
Maybe I should check it out later?

Bell looked at Shirou.

"I don't care either way… but it might be interesting to watch" Shirou said.

"It's not that big of a deal, but is it true Syr is skipping out on work?"

"Ahnya did not choose her words well. Syr is not playing hooky. Her situation is different because she doesn't reside at our establishment like we do."

I knew Syr wouldn't skip work. She seemed to really enjoy it. Sounds like she has a day off or something. She doesn't live at the bar, which means that she doesn't need to work every day like these two. I bet that dwarfess, Mama Mia, had to give permission, though.
So she's bound to have a day off here and there, right?

And it sounds like she went to some kind of festival…

"Monsterphilia…?"

"Yes. She went to see the opening events today."

I heard those words in the basement of Babel Tower.

"Do you not know? All residents of Orario know about this event."

"Actually, I haven't lived here very long… Could you tell me about it?"

"—Nyay! Me will tell nyou about it, nya!"

As soon as I asked, the catgirl suddenly jumped in between us. She looked so depressed two seconds ago… Where did this energy come from? She's talking really fast, too!

"Monsterphilia is an event put on once a year by Ganesha Familia, nya! We fill the stadium for a day and tame the monsters, nya!"

"Huh?… T-tame?!"

What the hell is she talking about?!
Taming the monsters? Keeping those vicious beasts as pets?!

"It's nyot really that strange, nya? Nyou're an adventurer, nya, aren't cha, white head? Nyou have seen when a slain monster wakes up with a look in its eyes. It wants to be our friend, nya!"

"Uh… no. I can't say I have…"

Should I believe her? Can I? I must look confused, because Lyu speaks up again.

"Taming has been recognized as a skill. I am being brief, but a person proves him- or herself more powerful than a monster. In turn, the monster obeys that person's commands."

"The monster obeys their commands."… Sounds like I'm in another world.

"The monsters in the Dungeon have bad tempers, nya! So usually monsters already above ground are tamed. But Ganesha Familia's tamers are good! They break the Dungeon-born monsters, too, nya!"

Ganesha Familia… I've heard that name before. They are probably the most influential Familia in Orario. I've heard there is a ton of members, too.

"So, basically these tamers fight a monster until it submits. And people watch?"

"That's right, nya! Like a really big circus!"

Except much more dangerous… Yeah, I got it.

"We wanted to go, too, nya! But Mommy Mia said nyo nyo… Syr said she'd buy us syomething, but she forgot her wallet, nya! She smiled and waved, but nyo money! Careless girl, nya!"

"Ahnya, I don't believe you are correct…"

Ehh, I got this figured out. Syr can't buy souvenirs, or anything else, without her wallet. I owe her, so it's the least I can do to take this to her.

"I believe that the area around the stadium on East Main will be very crowded. If you head in that direction, you should find the stadium easily."

"Syr just left, nya! Nyou can catch up!"

"Sure thing."

My heavy backpack would get in the way, so I ask them to keep it at The Benevolent Mistress. I can swing by later to pick it up.

Clutching Syr's wallet in hand, I make my way toward Babel Tower. I'll need to go beyond it, but it should be a straight shot from here.

Monsterphilia… I wonder what it's like…
Maybe I should check it out later? After we deliver the coin purse and do a bit of dungeon crawling.

East Main Street was alive with the songs and voices of the citizens of Orario.
It was now nine o'clock in the morning.

While most adventurers were already prowling the Dungeon, throngs of townspeople were gathering on the streets.

A line of food stalls ran down the middle of the street, another two lines along the sides. Sounds and smells of their various confections spread out over an ocean of humanity. The street itself was decorated with long ribbons and vibrant flowers.

Flags of many colors flew in the morning breeze. Some of them had the silhouette of particularly vicious monsters printed on them. The others had an elephant's head, the emblem of Ganesha Familia.

A young animal boy, his face red with excitement, pulled his mother's arm as they plunged into the crowd. The sun itself seemed to be celebrating the day, its bright yellow beams lighting up the sky.

East Main had been completely transformed by the fair.

"…"

The line of fairgoers ran from the east gate all the way up to the stadium itself. A pair of silver eyes watched them inch along from above the street.
From the second floor of a café, to be exact.

The café had a wooden interior and a very laid-back atmosphere. One woman was sitting at a table next to a glass window facing the street. She was wearing a navy blue cloak to prevent her face, and snowy-white skin, from being seen.

However, one layer of cloth was not enough to contain this person's beauty.

Even though her face was well hidden under a hood, every set of eyes in the café was trained on her. Whenever she would trace the lip of her cup with her delicate fingers or her elegant chin peeked out from under her hood for a moment, everyone around her held their breath. Many people who happened to see her stopped and stared.

All of them were fascinated by someone doing almost nothing. Freya, the Goddess of Beauty, ignored them and kept her eyes on the street below.

"…"

She was watching the many people of Gekai, the children.

Humans, animal people, dwarves, elves. A few adventurers were sprinkled in among the colors of these different races.
Freya thoroughly scanned them with her sharp eyes.

Creaks in the wooden floor announced the arrival of a few customers.
Freya stopped the examination and turned to greet the newcomers.

"Yo! Sorry to keep ya waitin'!"

"Not at all. I just got here myself."
Freya smiled under her hood at the person waving at her from the head of the stairwell.

The newcomer's hair was not the bright flame of Hephaistos's, but a more subdued shade of red, the hue of an evening sky. It was tied back into a small ponytail. Her shirt and pants were worn out and faded. If Freya had not known her, she might have thought this person was male.

Fighting back a yawn and with tears in her eyes, Loki smiled back at the cloaked figure.

"Haven't had breaky yet. Mind if I grab a bite?"

"Do as you please."
Loki pulled up a chair across from Freya and sat down. Freya continued to smile her usual smile, not reacting to Loki at all. The two of them had an air about them, like friends who had known each other for a very long time.

"I heard you had quite the night after the Celebration. Crawled into a bottle and passed out, did you? Hee-hee-hee, Hestia's something else, isn't she?"

"Where'd ya hear that, boobs for brains?"

"I overheard some of your cute children. They had themselves quite the laugh."

"Those bastards, always havin' a good time without me!"

Freya had invited Loki to this café to talk at nine in the morning.

It had been a few days since the Celebration. The two goddesses were only here because of Freya's request.

"So when are you going to introduce that girl standing behind you?"

"Eh, ya need introducin'?"

"This is the first time for us to meet face-to-face."
Loki had not been alone when she entered the café.

Standing like a guard behind Loki with her sword's sheath clutched in her hand was a young girl with blond hair and golden eyes that even Freya, the Goddess of Beauty, had to notice.

"'K then, this is my Aiz. That 'nough for ya? Aiz, this is a goddess, ya should at least say 'ello."

"… Nice to meet you."

Freya muttered, "Kenki," under her breath as her eyes skimmed over the girl.
Aiz Wallenstein. She was the female swordsman who was responsible for Loki Familia's sudden rise to notoriety, even among the gods. Her name and reputation were known not just in Orario but were spreading around the world.

Indeed, she needed no introduction.

A girl with her looks did not usually go into a dangerous profession like adventuring. Someone who didn't know her face would never guess that she had slain countless monsters and trodden on just as many of their corpses.

"Ya can take a seat," said Loki as the girl with a thin, delicate face nodded and pulled out a chair to sit down.

"She is very cute. And also… Yes. I can see why you have taken a liking to this one."

Aiz's golden eyes met Freya's silver ones. Aiz kept her face emotionless as she lowered her head in a polite bow.

Her nickname was perfect in some ways, completely wrong in others. Freya's smile flexed for a moment thinking about it.

"Can I ask why you brought the kenki here with you?"

"Fu-he-he-heee… It's the Fair, yah? What better time for a date with my Aizuu?"
Loki's eyes twinkled, a vulgar smile on her lips.

"Well, that and she's finally back from an expedition. She'll be back in the Dungeon in no time. That's just her."

"…"

"Someone's gotta tell 'er to relax, don' they?"
Loki patted the girl's head as she spoke. Aiz looked down, deciding not to speak up.

Freya looked at the warmth in Loki's thin eyes and couldn't help but remember how she was before coming here. Loki had been quite the troublemaker in Tenkai.

"Well, then, I think it's about time ya tell me why I'm here."

"I just wanted to chat. It's been a while."

"Lyin' through yer teeth."
Loki sent a smirk at Freya, still smiling under her hood. She matched Freya's tone to the letter. The "old friends" aura was gone.

A waiter was unlucky enough to come to take their order at that very moment. Stuck between two lightning rods, he stood silent and motionless at the head of the table as if he had been chained down.
As for Aiz, she kept her face devoid of emotion and chose to watch quietly from the side.

"I'll ask ya again, why?"

"I don't understand. What's the matter, Loki?"

"Come on, moron."
Freya turned to the waiter, still motionless at the head of the table, and flashed him a smile. The man's eyes opened like floodgates, his face turning beet red. He broke out in a cold sweat before quickly turning around and wasting no time leaving the area.

Loki watched him leave for a moment before returning her raptor-like gaze back to Freya.

"Ya been strange recently. Ya claim not to be interested in the Celebration, but poke yer head in at the last minute. Say yer there for information? Ya don' care about that, ya never have… What are ya scheming?"

"Scheming…? Why do you make it sound so evil?"

"Shut ya mouth."
Loki followed it with saying that strange things happened when Freya acted like this. She went on to say that if it got in her way, she'd end it herself. Loki didn't blink, her red eyes adding weight to her words.

Freya didn't back down, meeting Loki's eyes with her own. The look on Loki's face could have killed a serpent, but Freya took it head-on smiling. Invisible sparks flew; the pressure of their conversation filled the room. The café emptied in no time flat.

Aiz had a front-row seat to the clash of goddesses that seemed to go on forever. Until…

Loki got tired and backed down.
The tension instantly evaporated, and Loki continued in a more relaxed voice:

"A man, isn't it?"

"…"

Freya didn't answer, just kept smiling.
Loki took it as an affirmation.

She let out a deep, long sigh. She had seen this too many times already.

"So… Ya got an eye for a child already in another Familia, I take it?"

All of the gods and goddesses knew about Freya's "habits" when it came to men.

Once a male on Gekai caught her eye, she made a move. Her beauty was powerful enough to make her target her own. Exactly how many men had fallen under her spell, no one knew.

Loki reasoned that Freya's target was most likely not in her Familia. Therefore, the reason she came to the Celebration in the first place was to figure out whose Familia the target was in.

Obviously going after someone already in another Familia, to take them away from it, would not go over well. The god of the other Familia would not sit by and do nothing. Freya was picking a fight. If the other side was strong, she'd get rejected and wallow in despair until she found her next target. She was being cautious, gathering information before she made her move. That was what Loki was thinking, anyway.

Freya didn't try to deny Loki's words.

"Jeez, woman. Is that all ya think about? Ya'll go after anyone, young or old?"

"How rude. I do have standards."

"Leaving out all the bumbling idiots on Tenkai you pull fast ones on?"

"They have their uses. I'm quite skilled at getting money out of them."

Loki cleared her throat. The witch was putting up all of her dirty laundry. Loki raised an eyebrow at her fellow goddess. Freya shrugged, but only just enough for the fabric on her cloak to bend ever so slightly.

Thinking that there was nothing left to be said, Loki put her hands behind her head and leaned back in her chair so much that the front feet came off the floor.

Freya also let her guard down and took a sip from her now-cold cup. They both had an answer, and the mood finally cleared.

A clear, sunny sky spread out from the window beside them. The noises of the street were pouring into the café.

Freya's navy blue cloak swayed in a light breeze rolling in from an open window.

"And?"

"…?"

"Who's the guy? What child are ya after now? When'd ya find 'im?"
Loki leaned her head to the side as if to say, "Spill it."

Now she was interested. Unlike Freya, Loki loved details.
If she didn't get the goods now, she'd leave.

"…"

"I came all this way, changed my plans. I have the right to know."
Freya looked away from the goddess giving her demands and cast her gaze back out onto the street.

The hood of Freya's cloak opened enough for Loki to see her silver eyes go clear, as if she was thinking about something in the past.

"… He's not that strong. Weak if you compare him to the children in our Familias. Easily upset, he starts bawling at the simplest of problems… That kind of child."

The word "but" was on the tip of her tongue.

"He was beautiful, pure. I've never seen anything like him."

And that was why she'd fallen for him.
She heard a melody that most could not, coming from a flame within him. A soprano.

"I found him by accident. He just happened to walk across my line of vision"

As she talked, Freya thought about every detail of the second she'd first laid eyes on him. She kept her eyes on the busy street, searching for him. This was how she'd found him last time. Maybe today would be the day.
"It was just like this…"
Early morning, brisk air, fresh sunlight, West Main.
He'd come from the other end of the street—just like right now.
He ran into her line of sight, just like he had that morning.

"…"

Freya stopped breathing.
Her eyes had found a white-haired human boy in light adventurer's armor.
He jumped between people, jogged for a bit, and then stopped before doing it all again.

The boy was moving toward the stadium. Monsterphilia along with that other person.

That other child… he was dangerous… he actually sensed her intent and gaze.

Riding the river of people, he was well on his way to the circular building not too far down the road.

Freya watched him for a moment. A new smile, a scary smile, grew on her lips.

"I apologize. Something has come up."

"Eh?"

"Let's do this again soon."

Loki collapsed to the table in stunned disappointment. Freya was already out of her chair.

She adjusted her cloak as she went down the stairs and out of the building.
Only Loki and Aiz were left in the café.

"What kinda person just leaves ya hangin' like that…?"
Loki stared at the staircase for a moment, her eye twitching.

A small "hmm" escaped her throat as she turned to face the girl one seat away from her.

Aiz had her eyes glued to the window.
"What's up, Aiz? Somethin' wrong?"

"… No."

She went on to say, "It's nothing," but she didn't look away.

Her golden eyes, just like the silver eyes of the goddess before her, saw a familiar white head moving through the crowd to the stadium.

"Here it is."

"Ooooo!"

Hephaistos, still dressed in her work gear, handed Hestia a small case. Hestia let out a squeal of delight. She had bags under her eyes, but her face still beamed with energy.

Hephaistos, still dressed in her work gear, handed Hestia a small case. Hestia let out a squeal of delight. She had bags under her eyes, but her face still beamed with energy.

"Does it meet your expectations?"

"Yes, yes! Very much so! No complaints!"
The hinges of the case squeaked as Hestia opened it to have a look inside.
The case contained a dagger with a black handle and sheath.

The entire weapon was black from top to bottom. It might have looked like a simple blade, but Hephaistos had put her soul into making this weapon… with a little help from Hestia.

Completing Bell's new weapon in just under a day gave Hestia a look of happiness and satisfaction, the likes of which Hephaistos had never seen.

"Ah! Hephaistos, the blade needs a name! Can I give it one? Let's see, how about something that binds Bell and me together? 'Love Dagger' or something like that?"

"Please, no… This dagger is worth more than that. But this is your blade now…"
Hephaistos suggested "Hestia Knife," but Hestia wasn't too excited by that name.
More like she was embarrassed by it.

She blushed and scratched her head. But her level of delight was still as high as ever. Even the long ponytails on each side of her head were full of energy, swishing from side to side.

"I'll say this again: Do not go back on the loan."

"I won't! I won't!"

Hephaistos took her hair out of the tight bun she had made yesterday and started putting in pins. Hestia's energy was infectious, and she couldn't help but smile and nod at her.

However, Hestia was busy adjusting her clothes, as if she were getting ready to go.

"Leaving already?"

"Yeah, sorry!"

She couldn't just sit here now. Hestia made for the exit.

"You should rest before you go!"

Hestia didn't turn around or respond, just waved her hand as she headed out the door.

She had been waiting in a small room behind Hephaistos Familia's main store. She walked right past it and onto Main Street.

I can't wait to give this to him!
Just thinking about his face the moment she gave him the dagger made her so happy she could die.

First, he would simply smile at her, look at her with respect and admiration, and he would hold her…

Hestia's cheeks puffed up as she thought of how to set up that moment. She was walking down the middle of the road, her face stuck in the same expression, giggling to herself.

She calmed down a bit as she walked farther down Northwest Main. She decided to wait for Bell at home, rather than trying to find him in the city. Of course, she wanted to give it to him as quickly as possible, but she didn't know where he was at the moment.

Probably somewhere in the Dungeon, knowing him.

"Hmm?… Ha-ha-ha, I see…"

She'd had a plan, until she happened to see a poster on the side of a shop. No one showed it to her. It was just there. A triumphant grin grew on her face.

The poster detailed the schedule for Monsterphilia, opening today.

The yearly festival is today! Bell and Shirou had just came to Orario. If he knows about Monsterphilia, that's where he'll be! Therefore, if she went, too, chances were she could see him there.

She was in such a good mood that the idea of searching for Bell in a massive crowd didn't bother her at all.

She'd figured out how he thought. Or so she declared to herself via her new (slightly unfounded) confidence. She knew where she needed to go.
Turning on a heel, she made her way toward East Main.

"Hey! Taxi!"

She flagged down a horse cart that was passing through by waving her small hand.

The young driver neatly pulled right up at Hestia's feet. She climbed into the cart and said, "To East Main, please!" and pointed that way for good measure.

"Ha-ha, loud and clear. Are you by chance going to Monsterphilia, Miss Goddess?"

"Something like that."

The young man flicked the reins, sending the cart into motion. The sound of wooden wheels hitting the rock pavement bounced in her ears. Her seat shook with each stone.

This was a huge city. Home to the most adventurers and Familias in the world, Orario distinguished itself from the rest of the larger cities. Inside a city this large, walking wasn't the most efficient form of transportation. Horses had been brought in to help transport supplies to businesses around the city as well as assist private citizens.

The term "taxi" was first used by a god trying to flag one of them down. The name stuck and had been used ever since.

"I want to get there as fast as I can. I know it's crowded today, but can you speed up?"

"Do I look like a man who would refuse the request of a goddess?"

The young man was more than happy to oblige and urged his horse to run faster.
Since the main streets were full of people and food stands, he veered off the main road and went into the backstreets. Sometimes their path was so narrow that the cart barely fit through the gap as they rode toward East Main.

The driver, who couldn't have been more than five years older than Bell, was very friendly and kept a lively conversation going during the trip. Hestia got into the festival spirit watching all the decorations fly by their cart.

"A-ya-ya. I'm sorry, Goddess. Looks like I can't go any farther."

"Hmm?"

They had been making great time, but suddenly the cart came to a halt. East Main was only a block away, but the number of fairgoers had increased to the point that the taxi couldn't proceed.

The driver lowered his head in apology, but Hestia figured this was close enough and started getting ready to disembark from the cart.

"It's okay, Mr. Driver. I'll walk from here."
"I really do apologize. It may be a little dark, but if you use that side road, you should be able to get to East Main."
"Thanks! How much do I owe you?"

"It comes to ninety vals."
Hestia turned her purse inside out and emptied the entire contents into the driver's hands, her face glowing with excitement.

"Hee-hee. Keep the change! It's your tip!"

"Um, Goddess, this is exactly ninety vals…"

His words fell on deaf ears as Hestia half danced her way onto the side road he had suggested. He watched her for a moment, a slightly lonely look on his face. Giving up on the tip, he turned his cart around and set off to find another customer.

The side road was dark and narrow. But unlike the main street, no one was back there, and Hestia moved quickly down the path. She skipped forward, humming a happy tune and cradling the weapon case in her arms.

It was at that moment she realized she wasn't alone.

"Huh? Is that you, Freya?"

"… Hestia?"

Hestia almost ran into a woman covering her entire body with a navy blue cloak at a small intersection. Hestia could tell it was the Goddess of Beauty from a few locks of silver hair sticking out from the neck of the hood and the woman's posture.

"Did you come to watch Monsterphilia, too? Taking a back road like this, you must be in a rush."

"… In a sense, yes. There are many children on the main street, so I'm staying out of sight. Sneaking around back here is the fastest way to get around."

"Ah! Must be difficult being the Goddess of Beauty!"

Everyone who saw Freya had a different reaction, but many tended to stop and stare. She could avoid a lot of hassle by staying out of sight. That meant she couldn't ride a taxi to get around, either. This had to be her only way.

Freya smiled her usual smile. Hestia gave her an affirming nod.

"Oh, Freya, while I've got you here. Have you seen the boy in my Familia? I'm looking for him."

"…"

"He's a human with white hair and ruby-red eyes… Kind of looks like a rabbit!"
Hestia mimed out her explanation of Bell, arms becoming rabbit ears. Freya stopped smiling and went silent.

But her smile soon returned, and she told Hestia what she knew.

"Now that you mention it, I have. On East Main, not too long ago."

"Really?!"

"Yes. He was heading toward the stadium. So if you take a left up there, you should be able to avoid the crowd completely."
Accepting her directions without a second thought, Hestia thanked her with her biggest smile yet and set off.

Freya smiled a different kind of grin before continuing on her own path.
Hestia followed the road and turned left. More and more sunlight reached the street as she got closer to East Main.

It wasn't long now. Hestia picked up speed and burst out of the side street and into the throng of people on the main street.

The fairgoers didn't have any time to waste, either.

But in the waves of people, she immediately found Bell's white head trying and failing to move forward through the crowd.

"Heeey! BELL!"

"Huh?"

Is that who I think it is over there…? Oh, wow.

Haven't seen the goddess for days, and suddenly she shows up here, in the middle of this mess?

"She seems to have impeccable timing uh? Our goddess that is" Shirou said.

"Goddess?! What are you doing here?" Bell said, shocked at finding her goddess.

"Hey, don't be stupid! I wanted to see you, why else?" She comes all the way up to me, her ridiculously large boobs leading the way. That's not really an answer… She's making me a bit nervous.

"Yeah, I wanted to see you, too, but not that. Where have you been…?"

"What a wonderful coincidence, don't you think? I wanted to see you, and here you are! We must have some kind of special connection! Hee-hee-hee!" Hestia said giggling as Shirou just observed them both. Hestia was very romantically invested in Bell but the boy was too dense to notice it… and for some reason he had a nagging feeling on the back of his mind.

She's not listening… at all.
She's gone into her own little world. Where does that leave me?

"G-Goddess, you seem to be in a really good mood. What happened?" Bell asked.

"Hee-hee… You wanna know? The reason why I'm happy…" She said as she got closer.

"Y-yes?"

I swear she's smiling hard enough to power all the magic stone lamps in Orario… She's also hiding something behind her back. What could that be? Well, I'll just have to wait. She's really drawing this out.
"The truth is…"

I wait for her to continue, but she just stops.

Shirou saw it…

He was impressed at it, that gift she got for Bell.

Yes, she was a good person at heart… something made for Bell himself and only him… a weapon that held the love of a Goddess.

She looks around the fair, taking in the sights and sounds. But I don't think she's really here, in the real world. Now she's staring up at the sky.

What is going through her head?

"… Hmm. We're already out here, so I'll tell you later!"

"Ehhhhh?"

"Look forward to something really special!"

My shoulders drop; pretty sure my jaw does, too. What is she trying to do to me? Wait, what? She grabbed my hand?!
My heart skips a beat as she takes my right hand. Her skin, it's so soft… She's pulling!

"Let's have a date, Bell!"
She turns her back and looks over her shoulder with a cute little smile.

"… A date?!"

"Yep, yep! Just look at the city! Everything looks so fun! We'll have a great time!"

"Sure, but what do you mean, a date?"

"Hee-hee! Let's go, Bell! Let's go!"
I'm blushing like mad; I can feel it in my cheeks. But the goddess looks so happy.
Her silklike fingers clamp down on my hand, and she leads me straight into the crowded street.

The street vendors show no signs of slowing down. They are selling so many things! Meat on a stick; easy to carry, I suppose. Oh! Small souvenirs, key chains, accessories with Ganesha Familia's emblem or a monster on them are in that one! Aren't those… real weapons? Not the highest grade, but they're very real. Only in Orario…

Seeing that he was the odd man out he decided to let those 2 alone and explore the event.

Fireworks fired off from the stadium dot the sky. I can barely hear them over the noise on the street.

"Wait, Goddess. I have to tell you, I'm in the middle of something!"
"Oh, like what?"

"I was asked to find someone."

"Okay, then, we'll look for them while on our date! I think the phrase is two birds with one stone? Hey! Mister! Two of those crepes, please!"

"Goddess?!"
She brushes me off again… I'm in trouble now.

I can't go back to The Benevolent Mistress without getting Syr's wallet to her and say it was because I was on a date! Is this a date…? Anyway, if those ladies find out, they would hate me for sure!

And then there's…

The goddess. I can't take my eyes off her.
My hand won't relax, damp with sweat. That's nothing compared with all these new looks from the goddess.

It is strange to think, but she's acting the age she looks, going from vendor to vendor, her eyes sparkling as she points to a pastry or clothes like a teenager.

She's completely different at home, more grown-up. Her smile is always contagious, but now it's… cute.

The goddess really is a beautiful young lady. Seeing this side of her proves it.
My heart is beating a rhythm now… What have I gotten myself into?
She's a goddess!

"Bell? Be-ll?"

"Ah, yes. What is it?"

"Ahh—nn."

"… Huh?"
She's making this a whole lot more complicated…

She's holding one of the crepes that we just bought up to my mouth with that radiant grin on her face…

While she finally lets go of my hand, she's on tiptoes holding the crepe with both hands and trying to get me to open my mouth.

My arms flail as I struggle to get words out, eyes locked on the confection now inches away.

"Goddess, what are you doing?!"

"What do you mean? Say 'ah'! Ready, ahh-nn. I always wanted to try this."

"…?!"
My whole body is twitching… How pathetic…

I forgot what I was going to say, great. All right, maybe if I don't say anything, she'll get the message. My cheeks are on fire!
I know she's in a good mood, but this is absurd! Maybe it's the festival that's giving her these ideas.

"Aww, what is it, Bell? Is it because I took a bite first?"

"N-no! It's not that, it's just…"
It's a little embarrassing… and you are a goddess! I have to respect you! Respect!
Being fed like that by an otherworldly deity? I have no manners at all!
Avoid eye contact! I already look pathetic enough! Come on, think! There has to be a way out! Ah! My own crepe!

"I bought that for you! To take a bite of your crepe would be disrespectful because I have my own. Please have a bite of mine instead!"

"… You got away…"
Her smile is gone, pouting a bit. At least she lowered the crepe.
But she shrugs it off. "Oh, well." Her smile is back!

"Okay, we'll do it your way. I'll have a bite of yours."

"Eh?"

"See? Ahhh-nnnn."

"… Ah-nn."
She closes her eyes. Her thin lips are open.

Okay, I can handle this. Just bring the crepe close to her mouth…
Chomp.

Her cute cherry-blossom lips jump forward as she takes a small bite. She looks like a cute, innocent child… Stop looking at her like that! I'm blushing again!

With Shirou

He decided to see the espectacle .and sat down to see what was so good about this event that happened once a year.

It started with a big roar from the crowd.
Released from its chains, a monster howled as it charged forward into the arena, leaving a cloud of dust in its wake.

The Battle Boar stood more than two meters tall. Only a short-haired female tamer stood in its path. She nimbly rolled out of the way, her hair swinging around her head.

The crowd erupted at the display of sheer athleticism. Fifty thousand strong in the stands create a whirlpool of energy all flowing to the stadium floor.

The stadium, Anphiteatom, was located in Eastern Orario.

The curtain had just been lifted on Monsterphilia's main event. Thousands of citizens filed into the stadium to witness the spectacle.

The Battle Boar had been captured for just this purpose. It kicked off the stadium floor, intent on mauling the woman in its way. The beast's overwhelming power left cracks in the surface of the floor with each step. However, Ganesha Familia's tamer was unfazed. She adeptly dodged all of the boar's charges, much to the delight of the crowd.

This battle was very similar to a bull fight. An attractive person in flashy clothing faced down a beast armed with a whip and a cape. The beast charged many times, but the tamer dodged by the smallest of margins.

It was her mission to tame the beast, not kill it. Seeing her calm demeanor in the face of life-threatening danger inspired awe and respect among the audience.

They wanted to see more. They applauded every time the tamer emerged from a charge without a scratch on her.

The monster's bloodcurdling roars were amplified throughout the stadium by magic stone microphones to make sure even people in the upper deck seats got the full impact of the show. The stadium was absolutely electric.

"They've started…," Eina muttered to herself after hearing the noise erupt behind her.

"Oh… Eina-san! Fancy meeting you here" a voice called from behind.

She turned around to find him, Bell's companion and second member of the Hestia Familia.

"Shirou-san, I didn't imagine you would be here, heard about the event?" She said.

"Yes, when Bell and I passed by the pub, he was asked to deliver a coin purse to one of the girls that work there, she forgot it apparently" Shirou said with a shrug. "what about yourself? What are you doing here?"

"The Guild is in charge of the event… I am working as an usher right now" she said "Here let me take you to a seat" she said with a smile.

He was taken back by this, he would have tought it was a blood spectacle but in truth it was a monster Taming event of sorts.

It was then he sensed something off…

A particular scent… the same one of the one that had targeted them before in the street… it smelled of honey and roses.

"Eina-san, would you mind saving my seat? I will be back in a bit" Shirou said as he left.

She pouted slightly at this bit accepted.

He was good company to have around and she felt... comfortable with him.

Massaging her temple, she went back to where her coworkers were stationed at the base of the stadium.

"What the hell's going on over there?"

"Complain all you want later, get some people over there now."

"…?"

The mood had changed; voices were raised everywhere.

Eina's eyes narrowed as she walked up to the group. "Excuse me, what's going on?"

"Guild staff stationed at the west gate collapsed for some reason."

"… Huh?"

"They're awake, but they're all sitting down on the job or lying on the floor… Could just be a bad hangover from last night. But everyone's too far gone to do their job, so we're sending some more people over there." The animal people Guild employee rolled his eyes in frustration.

But Eina felt a cold chill in her chest. She wasn't just nervous now, her whole body started to tense up.

Am I overreacting…?

Another roar from the crowd echoed over the stone wall behind her. She looked up at the top of the wall, trying to steady herself.

However, a different echo, one from a monster's roar beneath the ground, reached her ears as well.

Basement of the Arena

It was a dark, dirty room with almost no light.

A single magic stone lamp hung from the ceiling, casting long shadows over everything in the room. Boxes standing a square meter tall lined the dusty, dank storage room. Different types of weapons and items hung on the walls.

Many cages were in here as well. The sound of chains echoed as the beasts inside the cages fought against their restraints. The iron cages were built in a lattice pattern. Monsters stuck their snouts out of the openings, baring their fangs and howling.

The room was under the stadium's main stage. It was being used as the monsters' waiting room.

Their cages would be moved to the surface by a staff member when it was their turn onstage. A tamer would be waiting for them when their chains were broken.

"What are you doing? We're ready for the next one! Why won't you raise it?!"
Clop-clop-clop. Sharp steps in high heels echoed off the stone floor outside the storage room just before the door opened to reveal a female member of Ganesha Familia. She was the team manager for monster transportation. Her assistants never missed a beat, so when the next cage failed to show up on time, she rushed to investigate.
She was ready to scold them, but no one responded.

"W-what's wrong? Hey!"
Her team members were on the floor all over the room.

The four men she had left in charge were sitting down, leaning against boxes with absent looks on their faces.

She ran to the closest one, fearing the worst. He was breathing. No injuries, either. Going to the rest of the team, they were in exactly the same aloof state. However, they were alive.

The only problem was that all of them looked like puppets that had their strings cut. There was no strength in their bodies at all.

"Ah… ah."

Monster poison…? No, it can't be… What the hell did this?!

All of them were murmuring something. Their faces were beet red. Their eyes weren't focusing.

She had never seen anything like this. A chill crept through her body as she realized she didn't know how to help them. How could she cure what she was seeing for the first time?

What happened here…? She stood up and scanned the room, ignoring the howling and thrashing beasts still locked in their cages.

"—"

The air behind her suddenly shifted.
It was not an aggressive sneak attack, more like one friend creeping up on another. There was no intent to harm, which was why the woman was too slow to react.

Someone was standing behind her.
"Please stand still?"

"—ah."
A quick swish of cloth, and suddenly she couldn't see.

Her eyes were covered by delicate fingers that were smooth to the touch.
A heartbeat later, her whole body froze in place, limbs shaking ever so slightly.

A sweet smell licked her nose, a soft body pressed against her back, warmth enveloped her skin. All of her senses were paralyzed by a "beauty" she couldn't see.
It was an overwhelming "charm."
A "charm" she couldn't comprehend.
She couldn't fight back, she couldn't resist.

Her mind was going blank, thoughts evaporating all at once.
Her freedom was gone.
"Where is the key?"
"—e."

"The key to the cages—where is it?"
The voice whispered lightly into her ear, but the sound consumed her consciousness. Her head leaned forward, her neck unable to support it.
She could not fight the words in her head, and she obeyed.

Her shaky right arm reached behind her back to grab a key chain strapped to her belt. The keys shook violently in her jittery hand. She raised the keys up to her shoulder.

"Thank you."
The hands covering her eyes left as the keys were taken from her hand. But her eyes didn't trigger. The girl did not see anything.

The presence behind her withdrew. Without its support, her knees buckled, and she fell to the floor, landing softly on her rear end.

She had fallen victim to the same "charm" as her team and joined their fate.

"My apologies."

Freya left the girl behind and walked farther into the storage room.

Guild staff and the "fierce members" of Ganesha Familia had been guarding the west gate. She had rendered them all helpless in order to come this far.
Freya didn't have the ability to fight anyone. She was just one of the many gods on Gekai. She had no special powers.

But she had her beauty. She literally was beauty itself. She had a power that couldn't be controlled by reason. Other gods fell under her spell; humans and demi-humans didn't stand a chance. She had the overwhelming ability to put anyone in a trance on a whim.
This time she was using it to have a little fun.

The gender of her victims didn't matter. Their consciousness would leave them; they would forget they had bones to stand on. They became infatuated with her "charm."

As long as she was careful not to be seen, this level of infiltration was well within her power.

"…"

Freya stopped in the middle of the storage room.

Monster cages were lined up all around her, their occupants howling with renewed vigor. She listened to the explosion of beastly roars around her.
However, as soon as she lowered her hood, all of the beasts went silent.

Her beauty had ensnared them, too.
Skin the color of freshly fallen snow filled their eyes. Freya's silver hair and silver eyes hypnotized the monsters into a passive state, their muscles shutting down.

Even vicious monsters were not safe from her "charm."

"… You'll do well."
She looked over all of them individually before stopping at one particular cage.
That monster was covered in a thick white coat of fur. Its arms were massive and its shoulders broad with bulging muscles. A line of longer, thread-like fur that matched Freya's hair color perfectly ran down its back ends in what looked like a stubby tail.

The wild silverback locked eyes with the Goddess of Beauty, its breathing getting heavier and heavier with each passing second.

"Come out."
She opened the lid of the cage with the key in her hand.

The monster obeyed Freya's instructions and stepped out of the lattice cage. The chains restraining its arms and legs jangled at its feet.

She had released a monster. She knew how dangerous this could be.

While she was pulling the strings, little details like that meant nothing to her.
She'd come here for one reason.
That boy is right outside…
Her target was Bell Cranell.

Ahh, but it's a pity. I wanted to watch him grow a little while longer…
She knew Bell was growing at an alarming rate. She didn't know why, but she could see he was improving by leaps and bounds.
No one could keep a secret from a god.

… I want to play with him.
Freya laughed to herself like a little kid.
She wanted to play a joke on the one she loved, just as if she were an immature child. But she couldn't stop. Her love at first sight was driving her forward like a twinge of pain deep in her chest every moment she couldn't be with him.

She wanted to see him scared, see him cry, but above all, she wanted to see his courage.

"Fhaa… fhaaaa…?"

Freya lovingly stroked the cheek of the silverback, its nose flaring with each swell of air. She paused for a moment as a new thought went through her mind.
What if this monster accidentally killed Bell because she let it loose?
She hadn't thought of that but quickly shrugged it off.

If Bell died today…
I'll go after him.
If his spirit left Gekai, she would chase it to the ends of time and space.
I will hold him.

Once she caught him, she would hold him against her passionate breasts.
Her eyes glowed with love and tenderness, but her face showed a love of cruelty. An absolutely evil smile unrolled from her lips.

She held the silverback's head with both hands, evil smile and all. Every muscle in the monster's body pulsed with energy.
So…

She leaned forward and placed her lips on the creature's forehead.
Wait for me?

A roar erupted from the storage room.

With Shirou

He was following the scent of roses and honey he had associated with whatever had their sights on Bell, he then found that the scent had stopped moving.

"I see… so it is this way"

He was going Iin when he noticed people unconscious on their feet.

The feeling of danger just went up when he saw that this was were the monsters where being kept.

He heard metal being broke and boxes being broken by the dozen… many monsters had broken free and where now running out, the situation had turned to the worst… and the scent was still there.

Shirou gritted his teeth, but between the people who might be in danger and catching this mystery person… there was no more obvious option.

"Trace on"

A red spear appeared on his hands, he needed to fight and move as fast as possible and there was one hero he knew that could fit the bill.

The arena was a pandemonium.

The master where all over the place and people were terrified.

A little girl and her sister screamed as a monster jumped to attack them.

The older sister turned her sister away and was going to use her body to shield her and buy her time to flee.

A ray of a red light streaked in her field of vision.

The large monster was stopped by a crimson spear.

With a grunt the red haired man flung the monster away.

"Keep going I will cover you, find shelter now" the young man said.

The girl nodded as she rushed off.

9 more monsters appeared… they seemed really strong, probably level 2 monsters… or low level 3.

"Do you need assistance?" a new voice said.

"Aiz… while not nesesarily I welcome it all the same… make sure they don't get close to the civilians" Shirou said as he lowered his body and took a runners stance.

Aiz noticed the change in his combat form, she was sure he was a swordsman but he was now using a spear… and by the looks of it was of rather high quality too.

She was interested in this gap between what he should be and what he is.

A novice that could fight on par with pros… a novice who had weapons that many would kill for.

Well it didn't matter to her either way, she had been asked to protect the innocent… she had to keep her Familia's honor and prestige.

He shot out like an arrow.

One second he was next to her, the next was next to the monster's side.

A single blow.

It took one single one-armed thrust to blow its head off.

He then used the spear to vault out of the way and landed in a couching stance, then, with both hands, swipped away flinging the monsters away from the stands.

Aiz took the opportunity to attack, it wouldn't do to be outdone by her junior.

It was a carnage as both killed the monsters in manners of minutes.

They exited the arena to find there where monsters that had managed to break into the city proper, this would make things more complicated.

"Gya!" a familiar sounding voice yelled.

It was Eina and she was in danger.

A large reptile had her cornered

"Aiz, take care of the other side… I got to save her" Shirou said as he left without waiting for her reply.

"Understood" she said, not caring it the least that he heard her or not.

Eina closed her eyes expecting to die right there… she never would have tought she would die due to a monster attack, she was a worker at a Guild… interacting with monsters only happened when adventurers dropped their items in exchange of Vali.

The monster opened its jaws to swallow her.

She cried… she was gonna die and she never even had a boyfriend yet… oh gods… she was gonna die a virgin!

She could fell the warmth and the stench of the monster's jaw as it grew closer.

"Someone. .. someone please… save me" she thought desesperately.

Flick

He felt a warm liquid spray her face, she was afraid to open her eyes.

She heard sounds of struggle and then silence.

"Eina-san, are you okay?" Shirou's voice asked.

Eina opened her eyes… in front of her was Shirou with a red spear that had something sticking on it… and he was covered with blood.

"Thank god you are alright… a second later and then… well it doesn't matter… you are safe, now get out of here and find shelter" Shirou said.

Eina nodded with a slight blush as she left the streets to a nearby safe house.

Shirou flicked the brain matter on the spear off as he joined the other adventurers to clear the area.

After killing all the monsters in the area they did an inventory… to see what they had killed and compare it to the monsters that they held.

"All monster are accounted for save for one"

"Which one would thay be?"

"Silver greyback"

With Bell and Hestia a few minutes ago

Bell and Hestia were walking around both looking at the stalls and having a fun time (Hestia) and looking for Syr (Bell).

The whole place was lovely and noisy.

It was for that reason that when the atmosphere changed… he knew something was going on.

Just now, something…

Something reaches my ears.
It's not the din of the festival; it's sharper, tenser.

"… A scream?"
Just as the words leave my mouth, a tidal wave of sound overtakes us.

"MONSTERRRRRRRRR!"

The peaceful street erupts into an explosion of panic at that one word.

There it is.
A monster is at the end of the street, coming from the stadium.
It's charging down the stone road, all of its white fur standing on end.

The monster, the silverback, was enraged.
A storm within, muscles firing off at full strength, it breathed with enough force to blow everything out of its way. It wanted her, and it wanted her now.
It was looking for a goddess.
The last it saw of her silver hair was outside the stadium, disappearing into a crowd. The completely charmed monster rushed after her with more strength and power than it had ever had before, almost as though it was being pulled by an invisible chain.

Her love!
The goddess's affection!

The monster's purest, most basic instincts had taken over its body and driven it forward.

A monster's instincts didn't waver. Its quest for a goddess's love consumed it.
"Gaaaaahhhhhh!"

"Heeee!"

The silverback advanced down the street, swatting carts and boxes out of its way.
A crying horse managed to get out of the way. The driver of its cart wasn't so lucky. He was launched skyward and tumbled to the ground. The horse wheeled the empty cart back around to its master as the silverback charged by.

It was losing the scent of the goddess. Her sweet aroma was gone. Had it made a wrong turn?
The silverback stopped for a moment and tried to find her scent again. It looked in every direction, taking in big huffs of air.
Many people filled the streets once again—people running, people in shock, people screaming at the top of their lungs.

The silverback was enclosed in a circle of humanity.

The silverback's eyes skimmed the crowd before suddenly coming to a stop.
Its eyes had locked onto a point, a certain someone.

It saw "her" with bloodshot eyes.
A small girl with black hair and blank eyes staring right back at him.

A being clearly different from the others around her.
Someone on a whole other plane.
Someone with the same qualities as the "goddess" he pursed.

A voice climbed into its ears:
"—Could you chase the small one?"
Those words whispering in its ear were hers.

—Found you!
The silverback took one big step toward the wide-eyed little girl.

It takes a step forward.

"… B-Bell."

I grab the goddess's hand and take one, two steps back.
Every hair on my body is standing up. I haven't felt like this since "that" day.
A white body, silver hair running down its back. Its presence is overwhelming.
It has the eyes of a beast, no rhythm or reason. And it's looking at me and the goddess.
I can't breathe.

Why is there a monster here? What is happening? I've asked those questions before…
I'm facing something that shouldn't be here. It's the Minotaur all over again. I'm sweating, shaking just as hard as last time.
One of us is going to get overrun!

"—Do your best."
Where did that voice come from…?

My ears are ringing from all the commotion.

Bell knew that he couldn't win as he currently was, his equipment was subpar and this monster was around the same in power as the Minotaur.

"Ruguguu…!"

The sun is shining through all the flags on East Main. They look so out of place in this chaos.

I feel like an island in this torrent of panicked screams.

Now that I got a better look at the howling monster, it doesn't have a tail. It's just a thick stripe of long silver hair on its back. Chains are still shackled to its wrists, but they look like they were torn apart. Metal being dragged across stone—I hate that sound.

Silverback…

Eina has told me about many types of monsters. This is one of them for sure.
She also told me it's born far below the lower fifth—way out of my league.
It really is the Minotaur all over again. I won't be able to lay a finger on this thing!
Warning bells are going off in my head. It's time to go.

Bell grabbed Hestia in a princess carry and dashed out, even if his skills and equipment was subpar he at least was confident on his speed.

"Gyaa…!"
It's moving again!
It bends its knees, turning its body right toward me and the goddess!

—It's coming!
Here comes a massive fist! I have to move!

"!"

"Uwaaaa!"

Dive to the side! Grab the goddess and launch!

I got her, but there's no time to make sure she's safely tucked in my arms. Hesitation was the enemy here... I feel her screams against my chest. Bam! My shoulder into the stone road. Roll, now!
Two, three rolls and stop! That should be far enough, the monster already flew by.

Get up and protect the goddess, now!
Okay, she's behind me. The beast has to go through me if it wants her.

"Urrrrnnnn…!"
It's back up and coming this way!
Its eyes are fixed on me! Here comes another charge!

Why?!
It didn't even hesitate! Just found me again and charged! The goddess will get trampled! I yank her hard to the right and out of the beast's path.

Huh? It changed direction?! In mid-charge?! So the silverback isn't locked onto me…

Oh shit…
It's after the goddess! And now it's airborne!

My legs move on their own. I have to get in its way, since the goddess is helpless. Before I know it, I'm between the two of them, but the monster doesn't even glance my way.
It does, however, send an arm.

"—Gwahhhh?!"

"Gugooooooo!"

I succeed in getting the goddess out of the way of a wrecking ball. Unfortunately, I take that wrecking ball square in the ribs.
It hits my armor, but it isn't strong enough to stop the crushing blow from coursing through my body. I… I can't breathe!
Oh, the punch sent me flying… That's why everything's upside down and blurry… damn it… he was sure he would have blacked out if it wasn't for Shirou's training, he had managed to diminish the blow somewhat and even if he wasn't at a 100 he could still move, even if he was in pain.

… Ah!

I fly through a food stall! Shattering a hole in it on impact, by the looks of things; splinters of wood are all over the place.
Oh wow… Here comes the pain… Come on, body, I need you. Okay, legs are still outside the stall, get on your elbow… Dah! Ribs… Slow and steady. That's got it…

"Ekkkkkkkk!"
East Main has fallen into pandemonium.
I hear people screaming. I see blurs of them running away.

It kind of looks like that time all those spiders hatched at once, all scurrying away. The fairgoers are all disappearing into buildings and down side roads.
Why is no one helping the goddess?

"…!"

"Fhaa… haaa…!"
There she is, standing frozen in front of the monster.

She's cornered!

"Gh…! NOOOOO!"

I ignore the pain pulsing through my body and charge straight for the silverback with tears pouring out of my eyes.

The chains! If I can just grab onto the chains!

"Gahh!"

The metal pulls taut as I grab the end, stopping the beast in its tracks.

The monster looks back with its sharp eyes and pulls its arm forward.
I can't hold it long! My arms are numb, fingers are on fire!
"Ugh…!"

"Gigyaaa!"

This isn't even a contest. I may as well not even be pulling; it's too strong.
But I have to try! Every ounce of strength—! Lost it!

"Gyaaahhh!"
Its arm shoots backward, the chain flying over its head! Now's my chance!

His back is turned to the goddess! Run! Got her hand!
"This way!"

—We are sitting ducks on the main street!
I pull the goddess behind me and make a break for the back roads.
It's coming after us! I can hear its howls!

Here comes another long chase… When will this end?!
"Why is it after you!?"

"You think I know?! Never seen it before, ever! I haven't done anything!"

I have a strong grip on her thin little hand. We're yelling and running through narrow streets as fast as we can. She wants to know the answer to my question even more than I do, by the sound of her voice. She's grabbing onto my hand, too…

I can still feel the presence of that monstrosity behind us. It's not going away.
It's set its sights on the goddess, and it's not giving up.

I've never seen a monster act like this, endlessly pursuing one target. It's like it's being manipulated by something smarter…

What the hell is going on?!

I lead the goddess on a sprint through the back roads with all these thoughts running through my head.

These narrow, dark backstreets are doing nothing to calm my nerves. I can see the sky among the tall buildings around us, but there's no light down here.

We ran south from East Main when the silverback attacked. We're running in circles through the side streets between East and Southeast Main.

I have no idea where we are. There was no time to remember the route.
I take a glance behind me to check on the goddess. She doesn't look good. She's definitely in a good deal of pain. I can't see the monster behind her in the maze of dark streets.

But I know it's here.
It's following us, I can feel it.
Speed up! That's the only way to lose it!
Eyes front! Left, right, right again! We need to get away!

"…! Bell, no! Not this way…!"

"Eh?!"
The goddess's voice brings me back into the moment.
We just rounded a big corner. Now I know what she meant…

"—"

The narrow roads have ended, but a total mess stands before us.
The roads twist, overlapping and intersecting who knows how many times.

Pieces of buildings randomly stick out into the street, stairwells snake through the entire block. It looks like a mass of rooms got mixed together and dumped onto this spot.

It's a dungeon, built by human hands above the ground. A labyrinth town.

"Daidaros Street…!"

It's a dirt-poor residential part of town where nothing makes sense.
I heard that the streets are so complicated that once you get lost in there, you'll never find your way out. Daidaros Street was named after the architect who designed this jungle. In terms of losing your way, it is very much a dungeon.

The artificial labyrinth spreads out below me, all the way to the city wall. The goddess and I stop at the top of the road that leads down to the entrance.

This is insane! If we go in there, we'll be fighting a dungeon and a monster at the same time!

The goddess is out of breath, her hands on her knees, shoulders heaving. We lock eyes for a moment, we're in tough shape. She knows it, I know it. Her eyes are shaking…

"GAAAAHHHHHH!"

"!"

The monster is behind us!
We have no choice now. I grab the goddess's hand and run downhill, straight into Daidaros Street.

The street becomes a wide stairwell. A dark brick jungle looms ahead.
We rush in. The thick, humid air weighs us down almost immediately.
Several shabby stone shacks litter the main entrance of the residential… no, labyrinth town. Many magic stone lamps dot the sides of houses, weakly spitting light onto the street. There are people out walking around above and below us.

They look like they know their way around these impossible pathways.

That woman sees us! Maybe she'll help… or not. As soon as she sees the silverback, her eyes triple in size before she runs away. Others are doing the same. Why is no one helping us?!

"Guugaahhh!"

It's catching up. How long can the goddess keep this up? She doesn't have Falna, like me.

Actually, she has kept up very well. But we have to keep moving, and she's falling behind. Even now the beast is reaching for her!

"Goddess, this way!"
"O-okay…!"

We take a quick turn off the main road, in a completely different direction. This one goes up at a steep angle, but it also has branches. I pull the goddess into the closest turn. We've changed directions again! Change again and again, how many times now?
Did we lose it…?

We keep changing direction. Maybe it took a wrong turn and got lost?
I take a look over my shoulder, past the goddess. It's not there. Maybe now I can finally catch my breath…

"—"
Something doesn't feel right.
Small vibrations are traveling through the walls. I hear bricks cracking…

They are still a long ways off… a shadow?
Son of a bitch!
I can see a blotch of white on top of a building in front of the sliver of blue sky.

That's not a cloud…
It climbed to the top! It must have ignored the roads altogether and jumped from rooftop to rooftop like a wild animal swinging through trees! It's coming after us from above!

It dives straight down like a bullet.
"Gyaaaaahhhhh!"

"!"
"Ah!"

A sneak attack from above! It's going to land right on top of us! I have to let go of the goddess! It'll crush us both!
It hits the ground with a bang, debris flying in its wake. The goddess and I get out of the way, but the beast is between us!

It's facing me, and the goddess is backing up! Quick, before he turns around, I have to do something!

"Uhhhaaaooooooorrrrrrrr!"
I take that blast of air and monster spit to the face. Nice teeth…

"—Hyaiiii!"
It's not attacking… Was that a warning? Trying to scare me?!

Well, it worked. I can't move a muscle. Everything is clamped down. The beast's feral roar did what it was supposed to:
Scared the absolute shit out of me.

"Ragyaaa!"

That thing isn't fooling around. This feels like…

The lower fifth, below another beast, roaring in my face. The Minotaur… standing over me, drooling.

I can hear that mad cow's howl… I just want to curl up, make it all go away… I was not like Shirou who managed to kill it… I was so weak… I felt like I had wasted Shirou's time asking him to train me.

"—Uuhhmm… aaaahhh!"
I'm standing at a fork in the road.
An enemy is in front of me. An enemy I'm not strong enough to cut. In the shadow of despair, the Minotaur. I want to get away.

There is a person over there. A very special person only I can protect. I can still feel her soft hand in mine, but it's gone. I have to save her.

I'm scared—

Fear and duty. Cowardice and purpose. Instincts and emotion in opposition, unite.

I'm scared—
An undeniable impulse reaches out to a sense of responsibility.
I'm scared, but—
Even in the face of all of this…

—I'm a man, aren't I?!

… even the smallest part of a man's resolve will not allow him to retreat.

Go!
Go!
GO NOW!
YOU HAVE TO!
DO NOT LEAVE "HER" BEHIND!
"YAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

You listen to me, beastie. I'm not going anywhere!

I have no fear. I feel only courage in my veins. Forward!
Here I come, silverback!
"Gyaahhhhh!"
It's moving to counter.

Its tree-trunk-size arm whips forward, the chain still latched to its wrist like a whip. My body twists on instinct, dodging the blow. I thrust my head down. Its sweeping right fist goes just over my neck.
I draw my blade. This is my chance.

A clear shot at the ribs under its arm. Thrust with everything you've got!
"Uhaha?!"

But…

Kishnnnn. My metal blade screams in pain.

The shock of impact shoots up my sword arm, my right wrist jammed.

My blade was rejected. It couldn't pierce the beast's white fur. For some reason, silver specks are sparkling where my blade hit.

—The blade! It's broken?!

That realization hits me like a bolt of lightning. My blade is in pieces, floating away. The back of my throat is twitching…
I can't hurt it! My attacks aren't strong enough!

That moment seems to last forever, just me watching shards from my blade fall. Next thing I know, I'm in the air.
"Dahhh!"

The beast grabbed me with both of its hulking hands and pinned me against the wall.

All the air in my lungs leaves on impact. Eyes open as wide as they can go.

"Guruuuu…!"
The silverback's malicious face is just inches away from mine.
It bares its fangs before I wrap my head around the situation. Its mouth is big enough to take my head off in one bite. Sheer terror floods my face.

"Beeelllll!"

Is it going to end like this?
Me squirming around and the goddess's voice screaming in my ear? I twist my body over and over, thrashing my arms to break its grip.

—My hand hits something!
There's a magic stone lamp just below me!

No time to think. I yank the lamp out of the wall with one hand. I know the brightness control is on the back. Now if I can just reach the dial… There! Up to max output!

The palm of my hand suddenly becomes as bright as the sun. I can't even keep my own eyes open. I shove the blazing lamp into the beast's eye.

"GYIIGAAAAAAA!"

The silverback roars in pain, letting me go to clutch its eyes. The monster staggers a few steps backward.

I fall to the street with a thud, finally free of the thick fingers crushing my shoulders.
My entire body is in pain, but that doesn't matter right now. The goddess runs up to me with tears in her eyes. Before she can say anything, I grab her hand and take off running again.

"Bell…?"
"…!"

A pain that I can't describe surges through me.

I can't protect the goddess, no matter how much courage I muster.
I'm too weak to protect her…
Tiny, weak, feeble, delicate, soft, piece of trash, little punk, disgusting, nauseating.
I thought I had gotten over that night, but those words still haunt me… I feel as my being is being swallowed by quicksand as I feel my soul being devoured by the pain of being inadequate.

I can still hear that animal guy's voice ridiculing me in front of Ms. Wallenstein. Over and over and over.
It's exactly the same… he was right, Shirou shouldn't have had to stood up for me…

I was too weak then; I'm too weak now. This is too painful to take… I want to cry.

"Uwwwwaaaarrrrrr!"

The beast howls in the distance.
The very walls of Daidaros Street are shaking. The beast is angry.
It's still coming.

At this rate…

It'll find us for the third time. There will be no escape.
What do I do…? What the hell can I do?!
How can I help the goddess? How can I protect her? How…?

Then, the answer comes to me. So simple.
A simple thought shows me the way. Something even a weakling like me can do.
Just as long as the goddess gets away, that's all that matters… even if I die she will be fine.

I know Shirou will take care of her.

"Hey, Bell, what's with that look…?"
The goddess manages to ask me a question through her ragged breaths.

I have a plan; I'll see this through. The look on my face must have made her nervous. I heard it in her voice.
But I don't answer her, just turn right at the next intersection.

This road has a gentle downward slope. A new path framed in black stones opens next to it, a long tunnel that leads underground. It must be a drain. I can see a light at the other end, which means that this tunnel opens at the end of the block. It's an escape route.

I silently pull the goddess ahead of me and push her into the tunnel. She looks back over her shoulders, surprised to be ahead of me.
I give her one last push before stepping back to the tunnel entrance and sliding the iron gate shut.
"BELL?!"

"Goddess… I'm sorry."
The bars create a cold world between us.
My face looks grave. It takes every fiber of my being to squeeze out my next apologetic words.
"Goddess, please go on without me."

"I… Wait, what are you going to do?!"

"… I'll draw the monster away, buy you some time." There is only one way for someone as weak as I am to protect her.

I'll be a decoy.
I'll lure it away from here, giving the goddess enough time to escape to safety.
I don't think she understands my plan…

She's just standing there with a startled look on her face.
"What are you saying, you idiot?"

"Please, Goddess. This may be the last time I see you, so please listen to me." Bell said with a painful smile.

"No! Absolutely not! I forbid you! Open this gate now, Bell!" Hestia yelled frantically.

"Goddess…"
She furiously shakes her head from side to side. She won't go willingly…

She's trying to squeeze her small body between the bars and frantically calls my name.

I'm so happy she cares about me this much… and sad at the same time.
There's no time. I get down on my knees and look her in the eyes. I have to make her understand.

"Goddess… I… can't lose my family again… so please… grant me this selfish request"

I bare my heart to her, everything.
It was before I came to Orario, before I met the goddess.

I lost my grandfather, my only family.
He was killed by a monster. He was attacked when he left the village on an errand.

I wasn't there, I couldn't do anything. One of my neighbors told me what happened.

I still feel the void left by his death. Even now I have a painful hole in my heart that he used to fill.

My heart has probably been craving a family since then.

"I'm scared of losing my family… not being able to protect anyone."

I came to Orario to meet the girl of my dreams, the one I was fated to be with. That is not a lie. But it was my bond with my grandfather that pushed me this far. I came here to honor it, preserve it.
But, secretly even more than that, I wanted something else. To feel the warmth of a family.

The goddess gave me a new bond and family, a Familia.
I wanted a family.

"So please, Goddess. Let me protect you, my family!"
I can't protect her, but I said that anyway. No, I said it because I can't.

The goddess stands and listens, a look of pure agony on her face.

"… Please, get out of here quickly. Find Shirou, he might be able to help."

"B… Bell!"

I've said my piece. I stand up.
The goddess's eyes are filled with tears, her face twisted. She looks at me, about to break down.

"… It will be okay. You know how good my Agility is. I'm an expert at running away."
It takes all I have to force a reassuring smile to my lips.

I take one step back, spin, and sprint back up the street.

She cries out over and over, but I don't look back.

I yell, "I'm sorry!" back to her. I'm sorry for being a useless weakling…

"…!"

I rub the tears out of my eyes with my arm as I run back up the sloping road.
I'm back to the intersection. The monster isn't here, but I back off into the shadow of a wall. Keeping an eye on the rooftops, I reach into my leg holster and pull out a tube of one of Miaha Familia's marlin-blue potions and down it in one gulp.

The pain melts away. Strength once again fills my body.

I'm calm, focused, ready.

"Ruaaaa!"

Here it comes from the other side of the block.

I jump into the middle of the intersection, make sure it sees me run to the other side.

"Uuhh…?"

"Hey! Over here!"
It looks in all directions. The goddess is nowhere in sight. I yell even louder to get its attention.

The silverback stops in the intersection for a moment, looking down all three of the roads. It pauses, looking down the path toward the goddess. I hold my breath.

"… Gyaaaaaaa!"
It worked!
It's coming after me. Time to get out of here!

Daidaros Street really is a maze. Everything looks the same: roads go in every direction, sudden staircases. It's enough to make me wonder if I've already come through here. I can't even tell which way is north.

While running this way, I noticed a few red arrows painted on the walls. They're ariadne—street signposts, probably painted by the locals. They must lead to the entrance of the labyrinth block. The goddess should be able to get out of here easily if she can find one.

On the other hand, they might lead to the core of the maze. Either one is safer than being around me.

I decide to follow the ariadne for a while. It's better than running around with no idea where I'm going.

"…"
We're being watched.

There are people hiding in the shadows, watching from windows of their homes. All their eyes are following the monster and me as we tear through the streets. They're scared.

Just who the hell is that…?
One set of eyes is boring into me. I can't ignore it. It's completely different from the rest; this person isn't afraid… and to make it worst it was familiar.

They've been watching me since the beginning of the chase. It's making my skin crawl. I can't shake it.
It's almost like they're observing me…
I can't describe this cold feeling flooding into my throat. I cover my mouth to cough.

"Gyaruuu!"

"Gahh?!"

The silverback caught up to me before I could make it to the next intersection. I couldn't dodge his ambush from above and went rolling down the street. Rolling, rolling, rolling. I emerge from the road into a large open space when I finally stop.
It must be some kind of a park. A lot of roads and stairwells lead to this spot.

There's even a shabby-looking fountain in the center spewing water into the air.

"Gyaraaaaa!"

The silverback bursts through the road I rolled out of. It's even angrier than before—losing the goddess must have enraged the beast further still. And it's coming right for me!

Somehow, it's figured out how to swing the chains on its wrists around like metallic whips. Dodge left, right, dodge dodge dodge!

The combination of its incredibly powerful arms with the metal chains is absolutely brutal.

"—?!"

After all of that, it gets me.
The blow was aimed at my head but strikes me square in the chest. A shriek of pain shoots out of my lungs.
I succeed in blocking the chain with what's left of my dagger, but the shock of the impact radiates through my body.

Red sparks fly from my blade as the beast pulls back the chain. The next moment, I'm spun to the ground like a rag doll.

"AH, gyhhhh?!"
I peel my torso off the ground with shaking arms. My body won't listen to me. I can't move forward.

This is hopeless; I can't touch the monster. Not even close.
I'm just staring at the stones in the road, in pain both physically and mentally.

I slowly force my neck upward to find the silverback. It's standing next to the fountain, growling and holding a chain in one hand. It's spinning. I can hear the chain whistling through the air. Here comes the final blow…

I don't want to die. I'm not ready to die. But this is hopeless. Part of me has already given up.

My strength is gone, my will almost broken. My neck feels like it could snap.
I wonder if the goddess got away… That's the only thing on my mind now.
It was like this then, too…
Just like this.
When that person came…

When Aiz Wallenstein and Shirou saved my life.

But they won't save me this time. I would have liked seeing her face one last time. On the other hand, I'm glad she's not here… Sorry Shirou, this seems to be as far as I could go… take care of Hestia for me will ya?

She won't see me in this pitiful position again.

Thinking about that moment just made me more depressed. I drop my head back onto the street in shame.

"Bell!"

"—"

Time freezes.

A voice pierces the fog in my head and grabs hold of my heart.

I raise my head. I can see clearly again. What I see makes my blood run cold.
Someone has come to help me. It wasn't "her," but it's someone very important to me.

Hestia looks down at me, struggling to catch her breath.

Why? Why did you come back?
That question resonates over and over in my head. I can't express the feelings that swell up in my chest.

"Ugyaruuu…"

Then, things go from bad to worse.
The silverback has found what it was looking for. Its eyes shift from me to its new target: Hestia.

And then those wide eyes focus on her.
The goddess is hunched over, trying to catch her breath. She's an easy target for the silverback. It springs into motion a heartbeat later.

"Goddess!"

I run.
Breaking all of my limits, I run.
I force my beaten and battered body up, closing the distance to the goddess in less than a second.

I pluck her thin frame from the clutches of the beast and hold her tight.

"…!"

Its meaty hand grazes through my field of vision as I half carry the goddess into the closest road leading away from the park.
At least, I thought it was a road. We dive into a sharp stairwell at full speed and tumble down the stone steps.
The world spins again and again, screams stuck in my throat.

"G-Goddess?! Are you okay?"
"Yes… I'm fine."

We land on a particularly wide step with a thud. Fighting back the pain in my own body, I make sure she isn't hurt. She looks dizzy, her head is flopping around, but her voice is clear.

I'm relieved for an instant, and then I let her have it.

"Why are you here?! I told you to run away, far away! Now luring it away was meaningless…!"

The goddess's clothes are soaked with sweat. She must have run all around Daidaros Street looking for me.
Either she predicted that I would follow the ariadne, or she followed the eyes of the onlookers and the howls of the silverback to find me.
Why did she come back?! All of my emotions are mixed, turning my voice inside out as I speak.

"… You really have no clue, do you?"
That's what she says to me.
She wipes her dirty face with her arm and gives me a nice smile.
"I can't just run away and leave you behind, now can I?"

"…!"

"You want to protect me? Right back at you."
She doesn't stop there. She silently mouths the words:
"You made a promise, right?"

"—Ah."
I remember.
A promise that I should never have forgotten.

I made her a promise on that day. I swore to her.

—"Please don't leave me alone."—

"… I wasn't going to leave you alone, you would have Shirou to protect you, but like this, both of us will…"

My face may have relaxed, but those words nearly tear me apart.
Sensing that I can't finish that sentence, the goddess puts on a strong face and says in an equally strong voice, "It's too early to give up, Bell."

"Eh?"

"I have an idea."

She reaches into the back of her robe and pulls out a small case.

She beams a triumphant smile when I look at the case. She starts to open it.
"Ah!"
"Huh?"

She freezes with her hand over the lid.
She looks up behind me, her mouth half open.

I follow her eyes to the top of the stairwell. A wild silhouette is diving right for us!

We lock eyes for a moment, our faces instantly pale.

"GYAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"
"AHHHHHHHHHH!"
I grab what I can of her and jump.
The silverback lands hard, turning the spot we'd just inhabited into a crater. The goddess and I run as fast as we can down the last part of the stairwell.
She overtook me? When did the goddess get this fast?

Did she just say she wanted to protect me?!

"Kyaaaa!"

"G-GODDESS!"

The goddess yells as she trips over a stone in the road.

Time slows. Her hands are straight up, falling forward. I burst forward to catch her before she crashes to the ground. The silverback is right behind us.
"Sorry to be rude, Goddess!"

"Wahh?"
No time for complaints.
I hold her in my arms, completely violating all manners. My arms are wrapped under her shoulders and knees as I pick up speed.

I'm carrying her like the heroes carried the princesses in those stories. Her face is bright red against my chest.

"Sorry, Bell. I know this is hardly the time, but I'm sooooo happy right now!"

"What the heck are you saying, Goddess?!"
We're inches from death and she's happy?! I don't understand at all.
I keep running. I have to ignore my confusion to survive this incident. The goddess swings her arms around my neck, and I tighten my grip on her. I summon every ounce of energy I have left to keep running. It helps that the goddess's body is unbelievably light. I make my way through the labyrinth at a full sprint and somehow manage to pull away from the monster.

But.
Luck abandons us at the last moment.

"A… dead end…"

Three tall houses surround us, the long road having ended in a cul-de-sac. There is only one road in here, and there's no point turning back. The monster has us cornered.

I set the goddess down before taking a quick look around. Several of the residents are looking down at us. They quickly hide when they notice I can see them.

Monsters are scary. I know that they aren't helping us because they'll get dragged into this situation and possibly eaten. I don't blame them for hiding.
After all that running, we can't get away.
The goddess scratches her chin, like she's thinking of something. I drop my head in despair.

"… No, this is good."

"EH?!"

She only whispered those words, but I do a double take when they reach my ears.

She looks up at me with a confident smile, diminutive stature and all.
"Bell, you will slay that monster."

"… uh?!"

"I will update your status right now. You will use up that power to take it down."
Sure, she could update my status, and I would stand a better chance in a fight than before.

However… it won't be enough.
The silverback is a lower-eleventh monster. I only just got out of the sixth alive on my own without assistance.

That's five floors' difference. An adventurer's strength can be measured by the number of floors they've conquered. By the same token, a monster's strength can be measured by the floor on which they are born. The difference in floor is the difference in power. Even if I got a little stronger from a status update, I obviously still have a long way to go to be on par with the silverback.
I wouldn't measure up in a fight. And on top of that…

"… I can't, Goddess. You saw it, too, right? I can't scratch that monster. Even if I got a little stronger, I wouldn't be able to land a killing blow on the silverback."
The problem is with my basic attack strength.

When I put all of the Strength of my current status into what was supposed to be a killing blow before coming into Daidaros Street, it was blocked by the silverback's fur.

Even with a stronger status backing up the weapon in my hand, I don't think it can penetrate the beast's defense.

"I… can't slay it."
My head falls as I mutter those words. I'm so pathetic.
All of those abusive things that animal guy said. All the other customers trying not to laugh and failing. I can see everything in my head so clearly, and all of it is telling me just how weak I am.
I can't hurt the silverback, let alone slay it. I just can't.
To top it all off, I have no confidence whatsoever.

"What if your attacks get stronger?"

"—Eh?"

"Could you slay it if you could do damage?"
She asks before opening the case in her hands. She removes the contents and holds it out for me.

A black knife encased in a black sheath rests in her palm.

I slowly reach out to take the weapon from her. I stand there almost in shock as I take the blade from its protective cover. The handle and sheath are black; the blade is no exception.
The black knife doesn't curve like a claw. It's straight as an arrow.
Plus, a series of complicated markings decorates the edges.
It starts glowing a deep purple in my hand, almost as if the "god knife" is responding to my touch.

I stand there, admiring the weapon and its beauty. It feels sacred, as if it was created by the gods themselves.
I look back up at the goddess. Her crystal-clear eyes meet mine.
"Bell, what happened to the boy I know? Didn't you go deep into the Dungeon looking to pick up girls just a few days ago? What happened to the Bell who swore to get stronger, to never give up on his dreams? Where did he go?"
The goddess pulls her shoulders back and keeps talking like we were back at home.

"I believe in you. I realize I'm not part of that 'adventure.' I know that. If adventurer Bell Cranell is really after a monster of a woman, Wallensomething or other, then a monster like this shouldn't be a problem."
Her face is dead serious.
"I'll help you win. I'll make you win."

"You might not believe in yourself right now. How about believing in me? And I believe you can do this."

I feel like I'm about to burst into tears. The tip of my nose is numb. Waterfalls might be building up in my eyes.
She's smiling back at me. I wipe the tears from my eyes with my sleeve and nod a "Yes" in reply.

The sun was brightly shining overhead.
The large ring of light in the sky cast many deep shadows over the roads of Daidaros Street and the many races of inhabitants living there.

The sun's rays were particularly strong on a long, dead-end road.

Faster, faster, faster! Hurry!
Hestia's fingers were a blur as she muttered under her breath.
She sat behind a kneeling Bell, working furiously to update his status.

Bell had removed his badly damaged light armor, leaving behind only a black undershirt. Hestia placed a drop of her blood onto the back of his shirt; one layer of fabric was not thick enough to keep her from writing hieroglyphs into his skin. Her hands did not slow down.
It was unnecessary to follow them with her eyes. All she had to do was find the excelia within him and draw it out to change his status. As long as she could locate his excelia, one inner shirt wasn't going to get in the way.

Listen up, Hestia, this is important.
Hesita's nerves were on ice. The monster could come at any moment. Hephaistos's voice ran through her head.

This knife has your hieroglyphs, your blessing. This weapon is alive.
The "Hestia Knife" was forged from Hephaistos's mythril and engraved with Hestia's blessing. It was a blade with its own status.

There were so many hieroglyphs on it that the entire weapon turned black.
It is the same as a child who received Falna. The weapon will grow stronger using the wielder's excelia along with him.

The knife was engraved with Hestia's hieroglyphs—only someone with her blessing could wield it. This made it unsalable and useless as a weapon. Hephaistos told her one more thing:
If the wielder gets stronger, so will it. As an adventurer gets stronger, he will unlock more and more of this blade's potential.

It was the perfect "high-quality blade for newbie adventurers."
An ever-growing partner, it would never be too strong or too weak for its user.

Right now, this weapon is about as powerful as tissue paper. However, it will take its first breath when it reaches the boy Bell Cranell's hands and grow from there.

If the blade's user stayed weak, so would it. But if the user became the "most powerful" adventurer, it would become the "most powerful" weapon.

A weapon that can instantly become the best is bad for business. It'll put us smiths out of a job. I won't be making another one of these, ever.
She might have complained throughout the entire process, but Hephaistos had made her wish into reality. Hestia thanked her many times over.

Now, the "Hestia Knife" was growing alongside Bell. She was making it into a weapon that could slay the silverback.

The only problem is…

Bell's skill, Realis Phrase. How much would he grow, and how much stronger would the weapon become?

"Goddess! It's here!"
"!"

It rounded the corner of the long road, spotting them immediately. Hestia's heartbeat shot through the roof.
At the same time, she finished the last stroke. Bell's status update was complete.

Bell Cranell
Level One
Strength: G-221 → E-403 Defense: H-101 → H-199
Utility: G-232 → E-412 Agility: F-313 → D-521 Magic: I-0

…?!
Bell's status had grown over 600 points?!
His growth knew no bounds. And he was still getting stronger. This was anything but a normal growth speed.

The flames of jealously toward Aiz burned in Hestia's heart, but she also felt reassured.

With this much…
The weapon had become very potent.
The black blade was pulsing dark purple light in his hand. It was alive and well.
It's all up to Bell now!

She put her hand on his back and put all of her strength into a big push to give a boost.
"Now, go!"

His heart beat in his ears. His feet were enveloped in heat. But his head was clearer than it had ever been.

He had crouched down while Hestia updated his status. His body was ready to take off at a full sprint.
Power filled his legs, right knee up and ready to blast off.

"GYAAAAAAAA!"
The monster stood directly in front of him at the end of the road. Its enraged howl echoed down the long street.
Silverback. The monster that, even with his updated status, was Bell's worst nightmare.

Victory was a long shot. Bell himself wondered if he really had a chance.
However, even if he didn't believe in himself, he could put his faith in Hestia's words and Shirou's training.

He sprang forward, his goddess's words filling him with determination and courage.

"—"
The silverback fell silent.
Bell had never moved this fast.
Six hundred status points had given him speed like nothing before. Despite the distance still separating them, the silverback knew at that moment it wasn't fast enough to defend against a killing blow.

Are you listening, Bell? Remember what I'm about to say. Don't do anything reckless, though. Understood? Eina's voice ran through Bell's head as he cut through the air toward his target.

No matter how strong, no matter how thick their defense, monsters all have a common weak spot.

Bell still remembered Eina vigorously explaining the basics to him, pointing at him.

If you hit it, even a dragon will fall. It's their one true vulnerable spot.

He remembered, very clearly, Eina's voice telling him what to do next.
One strike. If you can pierce their skin with just one strike, any monster can be slain by an adventurer's blade.
The place that made a monster a monster, their one and only "core."

I don't need to say any more, right? Yes, the one thing all monsters have hidden in their chest—

Their magic stone. Cutting it was the most effective way to slay any monster.
Bell saw his target, a point on the monster's chest.

The beast charged forward, feet pounding the street. The silverback's arms lightly shook in the air. Bell used what time was left to line up his strike, his eyes focused on that one spot.

The "Hestia Knife" blazed purple in his grip. Its newfound strength gathered into the tip of the blade and sent a beam of light into the heavens.

He made the world vanish.

Everything was pushed away… he only had to worry about the one single thing he had to do.

Defeat it.

Failure is not an option

Defeat it.

Failure will mean she will have to suffer.

He made her a promise that day.

And so…

He locked into the target.

All the power gathered in the blade, all of the strength in his body, every last drop of energy went into this thrust.

Muscles tore and bones cracked as Bell's dagger pierced the monster's chest, his body sticking out like a spear.

"YAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"

Penetration.

"Gyaaa!"

The black blade struck the monster's chest head-on.
Bell felt the dagger hit something harder than flesh or bone. It sent a wave up his arm.

The silverback's eyes went wide as it started to fall backward.
"—?!"

Bell's momentum carried him up and over the monster. He let go of the knife and went flying.

He couldn't slow down. Bell didn't have time to prepare for a hard landing. He had focused everything he had into one attack to finish it off. However, his body reacted on its own. He flew in a perfect arch, curling up into a human bullet.
He was on the ground before he had time to take another breath.

"Guhheee?"
He hit the ground rolling, finally coming to a stop after seven somersaults.

Getting up, starry eyed and dizzy, Bell took a few deep breaths before turning around.

The silverback was on its back, arms and legs sprawled out in the middle of the road. A piece the monster's body started to collapse, the black blade standing straight up out of its chest. Time was standing still.

The magic stone at the monster's core was shattered. More and more of its body collapsed in on itself before turning into ash. It flickered for a moment before being carried off by the breeze, leaving no trace behind.

Click click. The "Hestia Knife" hit the stone road as the last of the beast disappeared. The weapon lay in the middle of the street, glowing purple.
Cheers erupted from all around him.

Bell's battle with the silverback had moved the residents of Daidaros Street who had watched it from a safe distance. People who had hidden in the shadows and behind windows now came out of the woodwork in droves, clapping and cheering at the top of their lungs. Even the stadium hadn't been as alive with glee as this corner of the labyrinth town.

A smile appeared on Bell's face in the middle of all the applause.
He looked back to the end of the road to grin at the goddess, to say, "I did it!"

That's when he saw her body collapsed on the ground.

"Goddess?!"
Bell grabbed the "Hestia Knife" before running to her aid, his face pale and breaking out in a cold sweat.
Her light body was limp in his arm, her eyes closed. Bell's face turned yet another shade of white. Bell gently picked her up and ran out of the alleyway to a glorious send-off of cheers.

Elsewhere

"I hurt Hestia… but what's done is done."
Came a voice from the roof of a house overlooking the dead-end road.
Freya was talking to herself. She had been watching Bell from the best "seat" on Daidaros Street.

Her silver eyes locked onto Bell as he held Hestia tightly against his chest.

It was then when she felt herself be moved by force.

Shuck shuck shuck shuck shuck shuck

Over 10 swords had rained down where she was previously seating. Her face morphed to one of abject fear.

Someone had attempted to kill her.

A person with a rock like body and standing over 2 meters tall had jumped and protected the goddess.

He has a brown hair, rust colored eyes, and a pair of boar ears.

And right now he was looking furiously for the one who dared bare their fangs at his goddess.

He went and took a look at the blades.

They were of superior quality, define tell something that you could find in the high tiered stores of Hepasthus.

As he examined them they vanished into flecks of light.

"What in the world?"

Chapter end