The Tale of a Legendary Adventurer

Disclaimer: I do not own Danmachi

Chapter 1

The city of Orario was a marvel to behold by any standard, from the unwavering walls that protected its countless inhabitants, to the inhabitants themselves. The endless streets were forever alive with people of all races, some of them normal, living out their lives to the fullest, but then there are also the adventurers. These warriors risk their lives every day to get stronger, venturing deep into the deadliest place known to man, the dungeon, in search of something to defeat. They challenge the toughest monsters ever to walk the world, keeping them from escaping their spawning grounds and wreaking havoc on the civilians above them, but this wouldn't be possible without their blessings… As you see, the great city is not only the home of mortals, but also the home of many divine beings who descended to the world in search of entertainment. Here they bestowed their blessings onto the adventurers, giving them the tools to better themselves and push back the terrors of the dungeon.

Although living in the city graced by the presence of gods can ensure an exciting life, there are still those who prefer the peace outside of the walls… or those who have no other choice…

On a mountain far away from Orario, you can find a small village constructed in a clearing, making use of a local stream for water and the fertile land for growing their food. There was nothing significant about this village in particular, fields of rice and other crops surrounded it along with a small grouping of trees which supplied the resources to build the few houses that could be seen. None of these houses stood larger or prouder than the next, each one being just enough for the people within to feel comfortable and safe while they tried to live their lives. These people were of varying age, but they all seemed happy and worked together to help each other survive the trials thrown at them, like one big family.

Within one of these houses, two men sat at a table having a serious conversation, or rather an argument. The younger of the two seemed at least ten, maybe fifteen years junior to the old bearded man that sat with him, but it was clear he didn't reside in the village. He wore a somewhat loosely fitting shirt sharing the same light brown colour as his pants, of which were tucked into his almost knee length brown boots. A green coat was layered on top with a brown belt wrapping around the outside of it, maybe holding it all together but looking strange none the less, as well as a pair of almost elbow length gloves the same colour as his belt. A reddish scarf also hung around his neck, but the most noticeable piece of his attire sat atop his head; a hat of the same brown as his gloves with a single large feather attached to its left side. The man himself looked normal, having no scars or other unusual features except for a pair of orange eyes along with long blonde hair sticking out the edges of his hat.

Whereas this man looked as if he had never worked a day in his life, wearing clean, expensive clothes, the same could not be said for the old man across from him. His attire consisted of typical farming clothes, a white shirt and blue overalls, and his face was rough with a beard and moustache matching the grey colour of his hair. His eyes seemed sadder than most, clearly having lost the colour that they used to have but they held a determination most men wish they could possess. The expression he wore displayed his annoyance at the discussion they were having, clearly having heard it before, but still unable to avoid it.

"You have to see the potential in the kid Zeus! Every time I come visit he's showing more traits of his parents, and he's still getting stronger at an unbelievable rate! You have to start training him!" pleaded the younger man, frustration clear in his voice.

The now identified Zeus, another one of the world's many heavenly beings, simply sighed in response, leaning back in his chair and gently stroking his beard while contemplating the points being presented in front of him. Yes, he had heard them all many times before, but he couldn't ignore them because he knew they were correct. Every time his friend visited, they ended up having this exact same conversation, but each time, the points being made became truer and truer. The topic of this discussion being the child Zeus was raising as his own grandson, after the boy's parents met an untimely end.

The boy had only just reached his eighth birthday, but he was already showing the signs of becoming a powerful adventurer. His physical abilities could rival that of an adult, being able to carry heavy logs of wood with ease, while also having the magical aptitude of a semi-experienced mage, something that should be impossible for a child of his age. Zeus speculated that it was because of who his parents were, for they had been the two strongest members of his very own familia, the familia that used to be known as the strongest in the world. His father was a legendary swordsman, a man famed for his ability to defeat anything with his sword skills, whether they be monsters or other adventurers. His wife, the boy's mother, could be found right next to all the way. She was extremely powerful in her own rights, being able to master many different types of magic and manipulate them to perform exactly how she needed them to. When together, they were invincible… except for the one time they weren't…

Zeus could see more of their personality traits and abilities emerging from within the boy as each day passed, this being both a happy and sad thing for the old god to see. Ever since the destruction of his familia, the guilt of sending them into their final battle never left him, how could it with a reminder living under his roof in the form of the boy. His dreams were haunted by the faces of his old family, laying there dead as the beast of the sky viewed his work, and the looks of the kid's parents as they realised they wouldn't be there to raise their beloved son. It broke his heart every time. This was why he refused to train him; he didn't want him to meet the same fate as his parents…

"I know Hermes… but I can't," the pain in his voice grew as he tried to finish his sentence, "If something were to happen to him… I'd never be able to forgive myself…"

The atmosphere of the house shifted from one of anger and frustration to one of sadness and guilt. The smartly dressed man, Hermes, another god of the world, could only watch as the events of the past once again filled his old friend's mind. He never meant to bring back such pain, but the topic was too important to leave alone. The world needed a hero to finish what had started, and who better to do this than the son of those who failed in the first place. Even though it sounded heartless, it was the only way.

"You know it wasn't your fault, they all went into that battle knowing it could be their last… they wouldn't want you to blame yourself like this… and I know Bell doesn't blame you"

The words attempted to sooth the depressed god, but he had heard them many times before. Zeus knew deep within himself that no one in his familia would have blamed him for what happened, but he still couldn't forgive himself. In his eyes, he had failed them, it was his job to protect them, but he couldn't, and now they were all gone… except for Bell…

The kid meant absolutely everything to him, the way he looked when hearing a new story, or even an old one, could melt the heart of the coldest people- no, the coldest gods. He cherished every moment he got to spend with him, watching him grow big and strong like his parents would have wanted him to… how could he send him towards the same fate that met them…

"I-I just can't lose him too Hermes…", his voice trailed off in defeat, knowing that his actions were selfish.

"I know… but one day he's going to become an adventurer, you can see it in his eyes, and you'll regret not preparing him for it. That feeling will be worse than anything you have ever felt"

The statement hung in the air, neither god making any attempt to build upon or dispute it. The saying 'the truth hurts' was never as right as it was at this very moment. Zeus was trying his best to convince himself that his actions weren't selfish, that they were what was best for Bell, but that wasn't true… they were only what was best for himself…

As he came to this revelation, a deafening scream cried out somewhere in the village. Instantly rushing towards the source of the disturbance, both gods approached a group of villagers consoling a distressed woman. It was hard to understand what she was trying to say through her sobs, the shock of whatever happened prevented her thoughts from sorting into any kind of order. Looking around nervously, neither god could see Bell. The kind-hearted boy would have been at the woman's side instantly if he had heard the commotion, this meant he wasn't in the village, causing both gods to fall into a state of panic.

Before they could try get any information from the woman, another scream sounded out, although this time it was far more distant. Quickly checking to see that the woman was being cared for, the gods rushed off towards one of the rice fields, some of the men of the village following close behind with whatever weapons they could find.

Once they all reached their destination, the sight they saw could have been plucked straight out of a story book. In the middle of one of the rice fields surrounding the village, a young, white haired boy no taller than four and a half feet stood with an old sword in hand. Behind him, collapsed on the ground was a little girl around the same age as the boy, albeit slightly younger. She was clearly terrified of what was happening in front of her, tears swelling up in her eyes as she hid behind the figure of the boy. In front of them both, two goblins about the same size as the boy stalked closer and closer, each carrying a wooden club in their right hands. They wore expressions of pure hatred and rage, but it seemed to be focused more on the boy than the girl hiding behind him.

Wanting to rush in and save them, Zeus was about to sprint over to the two children when an arm shot out in front of him, preventing him from doing so. Looking to his right, he saw that the arm belonged to Hermes, although his face was fixated onto the situation in the field. The action had also prevented the men that had come with them from entering the battle, none of them wanting to anger a god in fear of what could happen if they did. Feeling his own anger begin to swell up inside of him, Zeus was about to throw Hermes to the side when he heard him utter a single word.

"Look"

Turning back to the fight, nothing much had changed except for the distance between the foes, but neither party made the first move. Finally realising that the situation the children found themselves in was unusual, Zeus took the time to appropriately assess the area. The two goblins were clearly enraged, but they also seemed… scared? Usually a monster of such low calibre would charge straight into a fight, not giving much thought on how to kill their opponent except for hitting them until they stopped moving, but these two were being cautious… as if they knew the previous tactic wouldn't work.

Shifting his gaze over to the two children, the small girl was still hiding behind the boy, her whole body looked to be shaking out of pure terror meaning that she would be no help in the altercation, but the confidence in the boy's stance all but said he wouldn't need any help. Holding his sword in front of him, he looked to be analysing the goblins just as much as they were analysing him, his face couldn't be seen but it was undoubtably one of concentration.

How had this stalemate lasted so long, considering they may have been like this before the rest of them had even arrived. Something must have happened before they reached the field… then he noticed it. Glancing past the goblins, Zeus noticed something else in the field, lots of somethings. Littered across the ground behind the goblins were bodies, at least ten or more but definitely bodies, none of which were moving. His first thoughts were that the goblins had already claimed the lives of some unfortunate villagers, but upon further inspection, he could see that the bodies didn't look human… no, they looked like goblins. Refocusing on the white-haired boy, he could see blood sprayed across his clothing, but he didn't seem injured at all, holding his sword and ground without any difficulty. Speaking of his sword, a dark, almost black liquid was running of off its blade onto the hands grasped around its hilt, but their grip never weakened.

As if a veil of mist had been lifted, the entire situation became crystal clear. The goblins had attacked the people working in the field, thinking that their superior numbers would guarantee them an easy victory, but what they hadn't been counting on was the presence of someone who could defend themselves in a fight. The majority of them must have used their usual tactic, and died trying, leaving the last two of them to try and defeat their opponent with much less of an advantage than what they started with. Now both parties were waiting for the other to make a mistake that would ultimately decide the final outcome.

The goblins had now gotten so close to the children that they could almost reach out and touch them, but they were still hesitant to make a move. The anger they were feeling must have been immense, watching the rest of their companions being cut down by what looked like such a weak opponent, none of them being able to even touch the boy before he had ended their lives. The only thing holding them back was the fear they felt, even though they had come into the fight already tasting the success of their cowardly attack, they now found themselves backed into a corner, unable to see anyway for them to escape.

The stalemate looked as if it would go on forever, until one of the goblins finally snapped. The overwhelming rage and fear within the beast forced its body to move, lashing out at the boy in an attempt to deliver the pain that its brothers had failed to inflict, but all he was actually doing was sealing his fate.

The goblin raced forward, swinging the club over its head in an attempt to bring it down onto the boy. The attack lacked any thought, being brought on by nothing more than emotion, the same thing that had already got the rest of them killed, except this attack was far more desperate. Its speed was lacking, relying solely on the strength that the monster could muster, causing the attack to become predictable, and predictable it was.

As the club neared its target, the boy shifted his weight onto his left foot, twisting his body and swinging his sword in an upwards arc, aiming just past the club itself in favour of a different target. The speed of the action was much faster than that of the goblin's attack, causing the club to narrowly glance past him. The next thing the monster knew was a feeling of searing pain as it collapsed onto its knees, moving its left arm to clasp what was remaining of its right, as a thud was heard nearby. The severed hand of the goblin had landed not a metre away, still griping the club that it wielded. The counterattack of the boy had passed straight through the lower part of the beast's arm, slicing clean through and severing it, effectively disarming it of its weapon and arm all at once.

The remaining goblin made to move in and assist its fallen comrade, hoping to save the life of its last brother, but it was nowhere near fast enough to do so. With one swift movement, the head of the downed monster was separated from the rest of its body, leaving it to sink down to the ground where it laid unmoving.

Fear… unbridled fear was the only thing coursing through the body of the last goblin. Its entire horde had been cut down by one child, one human child, and now it was left to fight alone with no hope of winning. Fortunately, it wouldn't have to live with these feelings for long.

With the battle being whittled down to a one on one fight, the white-haired boy took the offensive and used the goblin's current state to his advantage. Before it even had a chance to raise its club, the boy had driven his sword straight through the middle of its chest, piercing and utterly destroying the magic stone at its centre. Its body went limp, the only thing holding it up being the sword still through its chest, and as it was removed, it fell to the floor, never to cause any more pain or grief again.

Everything became quite for a moment, the rescue party continued to just stand there, not being able to comprehend what they had just witnessed. None of them were able to move, still in a daze as they replayed the event over and over again in their minds, trying to figure out how the boy had done it. The only thing that snapped them out of their thoughts was the sound of crying. As they refocused onto the space where the battle had just happened, they could see the boy crouching down, hugging the girl as she cried into his shoulder.

Zeus looked on, proud of the boy he raised, for not only had he defended his friend with his life, but once it was all over, he spent no time boasting before he checked to see if they were ok. He was truly the most kind-hearted person the god had ever met, even in his long life upon the higher plain. Hermes seemed to be thinking something similar as he smiled, viewing the scene in front of him as proof of everything he had said. The boy would only get stronger, and eventually, he'll be the best adventurer in the world.

Finally breaking out of their astonishment, the men rushed over to the children, checking to see if the little girl was alright and praising the boy for not only protecting her, but the entire village from the goblin horde. The white-haired boy was receiving handshakes, pats on the back as well as the occasional hug, all the while trying to diminish his own achievement, insisting that it wasn't that much of an accomplishment and that anyone would have done it. All his humble attitude got him was more praise as he was repeatedly told that what he had done was nothing short of a miracle.

The last ones to reach the boy were Zeus and Hermes. The men separated, giving them the room to get to the child. Even after fearlessly facing the group of monsters, the boy didn't feel half as nervous as he did when the two gods approached him, one of which was his guardian. Would they be proud because of what he'd done? Or scold him for risking his life, even though it was to protect someone.

His eyes fell to the floor, afraid of meeting those of his grandfather and seeing anger, or worse, disappointment. Intent on keeping them there forever, he felt a hand rest on his shoulder and knew that he had to face their judgement. Hesitantly raising his head, his own red eyes met the proud eyes of his guardian. They held so much happiness and pride, as did the rest of his facial expression.

Before he had a chance to say something, the hand on his shoulder pulled him into a hug which he reciprocated immediately, a warmth spread throughout his body as he revelled in the contact. All doubt and worry melted away and his body finally started to feel the exhaustion from his effort, but it was worth it.

Pulling out of the hug, Zeus rested an arm around his grandson's shoulders and turned to address everyone, a massive smile spread across his face.

"I think a party is in order, in honour of my grandson Bell, who single-handedly protected our entire village from the threat of monsters!"

Cheering erupted as everyone raised a fist into the air, the rest of the day being spent preparing for the night's celebrations. A large bonfire was constructed in the middle of the village, fighting back the night as people talked, ate and danced in between coming up to Bell and thanking him for what he had done. The mother of the girl who he saved had spent most of the night praising him, exclaiming how she'd never be able to repay him for what he had done, which he of course denied, saying that she didn't owe him anything.

Halfway through the party, the men who had witnessed his fight had come and presented him with the magic stones from the goblins he slayed. They said he would need them when he finally left to become an adventurer, causing him to put on a smile that stayed the rest of night. He felt like he had been the hero in one of those stories his grandfather always told him, something he had been dreaming about for as long as he could remember. Speaking of his grandfather, he had spent most of the night talking with villagers who each had nothing but nice things to say about Bell, every conversation he had brought his more and more joy and pride.

Towards the end of the party, he found himself sat, talking with Hermes like he had been doing before everything happened. The topic of their conversation had started out as the fight they witnessed, Hermes using it as an example of how Bell was growing, reinforcing his earlier arguments concerning his needs.

"Today shows exactly why he needs to be trained! You saw the look in his eyes whenever someone mentioned becoming a great adventurer. It's only a matter of time now!"

Zeus glanced over to Bell who was currently talking with the little girl he saved, pure joy on his face as she once again hugged him for what he had done.

"You're right Hermes, I guess there's no avoiding it anymore," a sigh escaped his mouth, but the smile on his old face never left, "But I don't have the resources to provide what he needs"

"Then let me take him to Orario with me. He can join my familia where he can train and grow while surrounded by fellow adventurers"

"No! I won't send him off to that place without preparing him first. You know what horrors await him in that city"

Nodding in agreement, Hermes knew exactly what he was talking about as couple of goddesses came to mind as well as countless other things.

"Then we need to find another way, and soon"

Zeus's smile widened as he came up with an idea.

"I know just the god to help us, and fortunately, he owes me a couple of favours"

Hermes face contorted into one of horror as he realised who his friend was talking about, he quickly began to sweat drop in a very comical fashion. Oh, how he hoped it wasn't who he thought it was.

"You don't mean HIM, do you?"

Zeus simply laughed as he grabbed a drink and left Hermes, who was currently crying as he remembered all of the times THAT god caused him trouble. He made his way over to Bell, thinking about everything that had happened and all of the things that were soon to happen. Although right now, he was intent with spending the rest of the night with his remarkable grandson.

Author's Note

I hope you liked the start of this story. This is one of the few stories that I've got ideas for, another one being Fairy Tale as well as Sword Art Online. You have probably guessed that I like writing or rewriting stories, making the main character or a side character much stronger than they are in their original stories, but if you didn't like it, you wouldn't be reading it so… yeh. I try to do it in a unique way to what the typical methods are, but I do gain ideas from reading other people's stories but I never directly copy anything, it's basically when I read a story and think how I would've done it differently, which then causes me to come up with more and more ideas.

With this story, I'm going to be following the anime since I haven't read the novels and using the Wiki when I need any specific details. I plan on the main pairing to be Bell x Ais x Ryuu but I'm not quite sure how I'm going to do it yet, I may end up choosing to pair Bell with only one of them (most likely Ryuu), but the issue is, I don't really like the way their ages differ with Bell being 14, Ais 16 and Ryuu 21. I've decided to fix this by changing their ages slightly but nothing about their personalities. Bell is going to be 17 when he first arrives in Orario, Ais is going to stay at 16 but Ryuu is going to be 19, so that all their ages are closer together. Another thing is, Bell's new age means that he'll have been born before the destruction of the Zeus familia, which works well with what I've got planned, as you read above with his parents being in the familia. The last thing is that Bell knows about his grandfather being Zeus, a god, as well as Hermes who has visited them quite a lot over the years.

Feel free to review if you want to, if you have any ideas that you think I might like, let me know. Until next time, bye.