So, I slept like two hours last night, which is why I really should be deathly tired right now, and I am, but only in a physical sense. My brain doesn't seem to realize it probably should currently be resting. It's like, "Nah… those two hours of sleep was actually just a short nap. Let's stay up another 15 hours. It's cool." All the while my body is like, "Argh! I'm dying! Need. Sleep. Please…"

Chapter 10 – Crozzo in Name Only

Posted: 25-05-2019

Last updated: 26-05-2019

A hammer struck, over and over, slowly moulding the piece of metal it was striking into a weapon.

Not any weapon either. It would take the shape of a sword, but one powered by magic, and the explosive kind at that.

His ancestors had considered the magic a gift, but to him it was nothing but a curse.

Welf didn't know why he was the only one in the family who still possessed the skill, originally gifted to his family by an ancient spirit. All he knew was that he didn't want it.

He'd been shown true craftsmanship by Hephaestus. And his so called 'magic sword creation' was nothing in comparison.

It might have possessed a lot of destructive power, greatest amongst all magic-sword smiths in fact, but the craft lacked heart. There was no finesse to creating magic-swords. No skill. All he needed to do was activate his skill, strike a piece of metal for a few minutes... and that was it.

Not that he would ever attempt it – his honor as a blacksmith wouldn't allow it – but theoretically it was possible to fashion one of his magical constructs into a spade, bucket, or any other random item, and the piece of metal would still have the same destructive properties as a magic-sword.

That was the difference between Welf's magic-sword craft and any other magic-type smith. The art of magic-sword creation normally required expensive materials and a high theoretical understanding of both smithing and metallurgy, along with an exceedingly high level of magic-power.

Welf had none of these things, and yet he could craft weapons the likes of which even a first class adventurer would balk at facing. It was all because of a single skill, buried deep within the Falna on his back.

That was part of the reason Welf hated his skill to such a degree. The weapons it allowed him to create could take the lives of hundreds of people in a matter of seconds. The blast would seek to incinerate anything standing in its path, be they friend of foe, and the worst part was that once the destruction was over and done with, the sword would leave its wielder, disintegrating into dust.

So then why? Why was he now making one of his hated magic swords? Even though the mere sight of it filled him with distain and just general disgust.

One could say he had been spurred into doing it. For the first time in his life someone had managed to, if not completely change his view on the ancient craft, then at least changed the way he thought of what it could do. He still considered it a curse, but maybe, just maybe, it was a little more than just a curse.

Bell, of course, had been the source of Welf's new way of thinking, and he'd only said a few words.

It happened just a few hours ago.

*A few hours earlier

"You ruined your armor again?" Welf sounded tired.

Bell, who so far had destroyed four sets of Welf's armor – this was the fifth – scratched his head sheepishly. "Yeah, sorry. It's good armor... it's just..."

"Yeah, yeah." The smith muttered, somewhat sullenly. "You wouldn't let me follow you into the Dungeon yesterday. Originally I'd been a little offended; thinking you thought I wasn't strong enough to follow you to whatever floor you had decided to visit." He paused, mulling something over, before seemingly reaching a decision. "But if whatever you fought was capable of reducing your armor to its current state then perhaps it was a good thing I didn't come along. What did you fight anyway?"

Bell was quiet for a while before answering. "Minotaurs."

"You fought a Minotaur?" Welf wondered, sounding surprised. "Arn't they like, super strong?" Welf honestly wasn't sure why he was even surprised. Minotaurs might have been the very strongest among third class adventurers, but from the way Bell fought he was most likely already at the very pinnacle of Level 2. Logically he should have been able to handle monsters like Minota-wait a moment.

"Did you just say Minotaurs" Welf started uncertainly. "As in, more than one?"

"Ah," Bell scratched his head again. He tended to do that when being questioned at times, Welf had noticed. "Yeah... there were four of them... I think."

Welf just stared at him.

Damn! That was impressive. He'd actually never seen a Minotaur, but he sure had heard about them. Generally, only veteran third class adventurers tended to go after Minotaurs, and even then they generally only hunted in groups.

And yet Bell – at the age of 14 he had to remind himself as he sometime forgot Bell was younger than him simply because of how mature the other boy acted – had singlehandedly defeated a group of them.

Welf wondered if he would ever become so powerful. He didn't think it was particularly likely. He'd still need to reach Level 2, yes, so he could acquire the Blacksmith development ability, but still he somehow lacked that natural grace Bell always showcased when wielding that sword of his. It was a grace Welf doubted he himself would ever be granted.

"Well, either way. I'll start on a new piece of armor for you immediately."

"I appreciate it. Do you have the resources, or do I need to buy something?"

"No, no." Welf shock his head. "I have everything I need." The first few times he'd crafted Bell's armor the boy had offered to pay, but Welf had graciously declined. Ever since joining Bell's party he'd almost doubled his daily income, and to be clear that was after splitting the earnings equally between him, Bell and Lili. Not to mention Bell always let him keep any high level materials they found, assuming they could be used for crafting.

After all that it felt kind of greedy to demand payment for the armor he provided.

He profited far more by working with Bell after all, than the other boy did, working with him.

"I'll be done in an hour or two. You're welcome to wait here if you want to." He gestured towards a couch in the corner.

"Ah. Actually I promised someone I would stop by a certain pub whenever I had the time and I guess now is as good a time as any. Why don't you come with? We won't be going into the Dungeon anymore today anyway, so you might as well take a pause and finish the armor tomorrow."

"Well, why not." Welf put down his blacksmith tools and put on his jacket. It was brisk out. "Where are we going?"

"The Hostess of Fertility. Ever heard of it?"

"You kidding me? Of course I have. The place is pretty popular."

Bell smiled, nodding his head. "Let's go then."

On the way there they discussed small things. Like what Bell thought of Orario and where he'd been living before moving here. In response Welf told the white haired adventurer about his time in Rakia, what it was like living there.

"Oh, yeah." Bell started, sounding completely unconcerned. "You're a Crozzo huh? You know, I've heard rumors. They say you are capable of creating some really powerful magic swords but that you for some reason choose not to."

"Well, yeah... that's true."

Bell must have heard a little of the heat and bitterness in his answer as he raised his hands in the air as if trying to defend himself from some invisible enemy. "Again, maybe it's none of my business, and obviously if you don't want to talk about it you don't have to, but I guess I'm just a little bit curious as to why?"

Welf never liked talking about his so called gift. When he first arrived in Orario a whole lot of people tried to get him to make swords for them, offering frankly ridiculous things in return. He turned them all down of course. But it got somewhat tiring when people wouldn't take no for an answer. He was really lucky he'd ended up in Hephaestus' Familia. Any other, smaller Familia, would likely have been swallowed whole by all the people demanding he make magic swords for them.

Welf turned to the other boy, regarding him carefully. Bell wasn't one of those people though. One couldn't detect a hint of greed in his eyes, it simply wasn't in his nature. He just looked curious.

Welf sighed. "I don't know why, but amongst my Family I am the only one still capable of making magic swords. As to why I don't make them anymore... well... I just don't like them. They hurt my pride as a smith."

Bell seemed to mull that over for a while, before asking. "What do you mean?"

"I've always held smiths in high regard. As a kid I found there was just something so... inspiring about the way they could work on a single item for hours on end without tiring... I don't know. It's hard to explain." The sigh he released this time was even more explosive. "But the same can't be said about my magic sword crafting ability. It's crude, without an ounce of finesse. Plus, what I hate the most about them, about all magic swords. They break. Maybe not immediately, maybe they'll last a few swings, but sooner or later they all break, effectively abandoning their wielder." Welf clenched his fists. He was getting angry again. "That's quite different from normal swords, which can last their wielder a lifetime."

Bell had been nodding along throughout the explanation, not saying anything. When Welf quieted he decided to speak up. "So, your main reason for avoiding your unique craft is because magic swords break when wielded?"

"Well, there are other things, but I suppose that's my main concern."

"Then... why don't you make one that won't break?"

Confusion raced through the young smith as he absorbed the words. "What?"

"Make one that won't break."

"Well, if that was possible it's obviously what I'd have done, but it's not. Of course they can last longer depending on the quality, but eventually their magic power will run out, and they will break. That's just how it works."

They had both stoped in the middle of the road, Bell with a smile on his face and Welf with a slight scowl.

"Says who?" Bell crossed his arms. There was a glint to his eyes. One that was hard to miss but difficult to interpret.

"Again. I'm not sure what you mean. It's simply not-" woah! He was close. Way, way to close. With one hand on the smith's shoulder, Bell moved forward while at the same time pushing him down a little, making it so that even though Welf was way taller, they were at eye level.

Once again he was reminded of just how red Bell's eyes were. Like little ruby's, almost seeming to shine under the sunlight. "Just because it hasn't been done before doesn't mean it's impossible," he started, dead serious, "if magic swords disappoint you so because they vanish and abandon their wielder after being used, then why settle for such a magic sword? Instead, make one that will never break. That will follow its wielder until the very end."

*Back to the present

Welf hefted the large sword he'd just crafted onto his shoulder before walking over with it to his desk, looking it over. He didn't dare test it. Not inside his own smithy at the very least, as a single swing would likely destroy the entire building.

Instead he stopped to inspect it, looking for imperfections. When he found none, he smiled in satisfaction.

Perhaps he'd been looking at his craft entirely wrong, all this time. Perhaps it wasn't about its simplicity, but instead about his own inability to make it into something more than it already was.

Who said the sword had to break? Who said its destructive power couldn't be managed? Controlled?

Welf still very much hated the craft he'd been gifted, hated what it stood for, but for once in his life he considered it more than just a burden.

If logic, commonsense, and just general expectations demanded the magic of his craft acted a certain way, then he'd break those expectations. He'd go against them and forge a magic-sword the likes of which no one had ever seen before.

A magic-sword he could be proud of.

*The next day

"Morning Lili."

The small girl jumped slightly as I spoke up behind her, before spinning around. "B-Bell-sama! Don't scare me like that!"

I scratched my head awkwardly. "Sorry, although to be fair I called out to you two times before reaching you and I wasn't exactly quiet in my approach." She seemed jumpier than normal. "Something on your mind?"

She looked like a deer caught in the flash of a light spell for a moment, before she shook her head wildly from side to side. "Bell does not have to worry! Lili is completely fine. She was just... mulling some things over."

I studied her for a moment before nodding in acknowledgement, letting the matter drop. If she didn't want to talk about it she didn't have to.

"So... where's Welf?" It was rare to arrive before him actually. He was an early riser. The very definition of a morning person.

"Oh, actually." She sounded slightly uncertain. "Welf-sama told Lili he wouldn't join us today. Not entirely sure why. He just said he was working on a project. He said he would join us tomorrow though."

Huh. Guess my little speech had really worked.

I honestly felt kind of bad about that. I had no idea if it was actually possible to create unbreakable magic-swords in the first place. Welf had never managed it the first time, so it was difficult to tell if it was at all possible.

I felt like I'd manipulated him into doing something he might never achieve. He hated magic-swords. I knew this. But at the end of the day I would need those weapons mass-produced eventually, as the Dungeon wouldn't stay silent forever, so I felt my small manipulation of my friend could be excused.

They wouldn't do much against the Celestials of course, but they would be useful in quelling the waves of smaller monsters which would eventually push their way to the surface.

Well, small in terms of the power I'd possessed at the time. They were still all at the very least Level 4 to 5.

Lili brought me out of my thoughts. "Bell-sama?"

I'd been spacing out... needed to stop doing that. "Ah, yeah. Shall we go?"

Lili nodded, turning in the direction of the Dungeon entrance...

And then her stomach growled. It was a loud, deep sound, reminding me strangely of a dogs growl.

"Wow." I tried to keep the smile from showing on my face but didn't quite manage. "You hungry?"

The small girl opposite me wouldn't meet my eyes, while at the same time a small sheen of red could be seen on her cheeks. "Lili didn't eat much yesterday... and didn't have time for breakfast either. But she isn't too hungry yet. She can wait till after we're done in the Dungeon."

Of course she wouldn't admit to being hungry. She was still wary around me, even to the point she avoided eating things i offered and just generally didn't seem to want to eat around me, which was most likely an unconscious defensive mechanism on her part.

But I didn't want her going hungry simply because of her distrust. It was kind of my fault after all, that I still hadn't earned her trust. Guess her first impression of me had been worse than I thought.

Hm... maybe we could... "You know what. I'm actually a little hungry myself. How about we go somewhere to eat? My treat."

It looked like she was about to answer in the negative but then her stomach growled, again, even louder this time. With a prominent blush overtaking her features she nodded uncertainly.

"Great! Just follow me. Ever heard of the Hostess'?"

"Here you go!" Syr sang as she placed a plate in front of me. "Enjoy!"

"Uh... Syr-san?" I sighed. "This is a bit more than I ordered."

"Come now Bell-kun." The girl chided me, a bit over dramatically in my opinion. "You're a big boy. You need to eat!"

I sighed again, only this time there was a slight smile on my face. "You sure you just don't want me to eat more and therefore pay more?"

Syr gasped dramatically. "I would never take advantage of my costumers like that!" She sounded genuinely offended... which of course only meant she was a good actor. "I just want you to be healthy! You're always so thin. You need to eat more." The peppy waitress turned to Lili. "And what about you? Is the meal to your satisfaction?"

Lili, at least, had a normal sized meal. "Yes. Thank you very much. It's delicious!"

"Told you so, didn't I?" I told Lili, raising my glass and after a slight pause she touched her's to mine, making a toast.

The Hostess was relatively packed, it almost always was really, but not nearly as rowdy as it tended to be towards the evening. It was still technically a pub, but during the morning and day it acted more like gaudy restaurant, still selling alcohol of course but not as strong. It wasn't until later that people started drinking for real.

I wasn't sure why either, but the pub housed a surprising number of adventurers for some reason. Guess we weren't the only ones who'd decided to have a bite to eat here, before heading for the Dungeon.

You could tell apart adventurers from civilians mostly by how they were dressed, however, luckily enough I'd finally reached a high enough level to be able to sense the people around me.

It wasn't a specific skill I'd acquired, but an ability all adventurers technically had. It was just a matter of learning to sense divine power, or to be more specific, excellia. It required control, and a closeness to the falna on your back which normally took years to build. In fact, it had taken me years, back in my original body.

Irritably enough I hadn't been able to use this ability when first acquiring Hestia's blessing, but had needed to reach a high enough level first. Guess I needed to possess a certain amount of excellia myself before I started being able to sense it, or at least that was my theory.

I scanned the surroundings, picking out the adventurers from amongst the civilians. Mia didn't appear to be in, as her presence likely would have stood out to my senses like a miniature sun. Not counting Ryuu and the other waitresses, most of the ones gathered were Level 1, with a few Level 2's added to the mix. No Level 3 though, which was to be expected considering how rare they were.

Of course it was in that moment that a presence far surpassing all others entered my awareness, and suddenly I felt like I was suffocating. It felt like a massive, invisible boulder was bearing down on me, trying to crush me beneath its great weight.

With a grunt of exertion I turned my senses off, before taking a few seconds to recover my bearings. Holy hell. I'd been the strongest for so long that I'd completely forgotten what it felt like to meet someone so completely out of your league they could likely crush you as easily as you would crush a bug.

When Finn Deimne entered the bar, I wasn't at all surprised, nor when the rest of the Loki-Familia followed behind him.

So last chapter I received a review stating that Bell surpassed the stat limits on all his stats in cannon before leveling up and that this didn't happen in this story, which... is not true. I suppose it was a bit if a mistake not to make clear what Bell's stats looked like moments before reaching level two, so I figured I should add them here below.

- / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / -

Bell Cranel – Level 1

Strength: 1012 (SS)

Endurance: 892 (A)

Dexterity: 1346 (SSSSS)

Agility: 1298 (SSSS)

Magic: 323 (F)

- / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / -

As you can see his stats where just as ridiculous this time around as they originally were, if maybe even more so (not including magic).

I know some of you were looking forward to the confrontation with the Soma-Familia, but sadly that might take a few more chapters than originally anticipated. A few chapters ago I wrote that there would only be one or two more chapters before the action starts, and well, let's just say I somewhat miscalculated, as I'm afraid you'll have to wait a little longer.

So next chapter will be introducing the Loki-Familia, along with a little more about Syr and Ryuu. Then it's time for the Monster Feria, which I might have to split in half, depending on its length. And then, finally, stuff will start for real.

And also, you can disregard what I wrote about honorifics last chapter in the authors-note. I realized that some of the future scenes won't work as well unless I make regular use of honorifics the same way they are used in the manga (with a few changes to Bell's own usage of course). I realize so far I've been kind of bad at using them so I'll likely go back to earlier chapters some time in the future and add the correct suffixes wherever necessary.

Ugh... honorifics are such a pain.

Haven't had much time to look through this chapter so there may be more mistakes than usual. Please point them out if you find any.