"Booya, I could kiss you, Lady Hestia!"
Bell couldn't help but join the laugh of the Stardust Garden as Hestia flailed her arms around in a panic. The reason? Solaris had an iron grip on her as she began kissing their goddesses' cheek before rubbing her own cheek against it like an overly affectionate, hyperactive cat. Hestia seemed to be torn between returning the gesture with her mouth quivering or trying to get away. The latter won out as she pushed against Solaris' face with a red face. Soon enough the captain grumbled as her goddess wiped sweat off her forehead with heavy breath.
"Why are you celebrating?!" Hestia asked with indignation, throwing her arms in the air as guilt filled her eyes. "I should've tried harder!"
"No, no, our captain has a point. This is optimal," Kojiro commented with a lighthearted smile, patting her head before it was swatted off by the goddess.
"Is it?" Everyone turned to Kaguya who took a sip from her tea with a frown. Setting her cup down, she twirled her prosthetic hand at them, "Cause the way I see it, there's too many factors against you." She pointed at each of the Hestia Familia with a raised eyebrow."Unless one of you plans to fight a second time, most likely injured too, all of you have to win one fight. Eris on the other hand can just switch after winning once."
Haruhime and Bell shared a nervous look. If she put it like that, it was quite the daunting task. From what information he recalled, the Eris Familia had some level three in their employ, as well as their captain being a level four. Then there was the bandaged man. There was absolutely no information about him, but the aura he radiated... it felt like he was the most dangerous of them all. Of course someone like Solaris only let out a snort, uncaring about the daunting odds, and shot her arm up with a wide, almost feral grin.
"No better way to shove it up their asses!" She shrugged nonchalantly. "'sides, gambling is bad! It was the best way out!"
"Unless young master does it."
"Unless Bell does it, yeah!"
Solaris raised her hand, to which Kojiro responded with a high five and a small smile on his own. Bell laughed awkwardly. He liked to think this was just a joke, but considering his actual luck... Not that he wanted to rely on it, but he couldn't deny anymore that it was supernatural after everything that happened so far.
"So how much time until it starts?" Alise asked, turning to the gods in the room. The two deities shared a look, Astraea having a mask of neutrality while Hestia bit her lip nervously. It was the former who slowly nodded before responding to them.
"Three weeks."
The mood became strained from just two words. Bell bit his thumb with worry. It was way more time than they expected but it was still only three weeks. Most people in the best case scenario would be able to up their status by two ranks at best. Which wouldn't be remotely enough for what they needed. While yes, Kojiro and Bell broke all sorts of records, that only became harder the higher their level was. And they couldn't rely on whatever good fortune they possessed to have some amazing growth in that time. There was the idea to go on an expedition and take down a powerful monster but that idea had its own risks. In the dungeon, there was no supervision. Anything could happen in terms of insidious plots. On top of that if they got too injured, their chances to win this War Game plummeted down.
"We'll make do," Kaguya announced, cracking her neck with a sigh with her eyes closed. Haruhime and the others blinked, with the former tilting her head.
"We?"
"That's hell you're walking into," Kaguya idly commented, opening her eyes and giving them a pointed, half lidded look. As if pitying them with a lazy smile. "Might as well make sure you idiots get used to it."
"Yup. Might not do much, but we gotta get your odds up." Lyra agreed, her arms crossed behind her head.
"We already know how to split you up!" Everyone turned to Alise who clapped her hands together a few times. Then she turned to the first team the Astraea Familia decided on. "Arash and Kojiro will stay here in Orario, doing some training in the dungeon."
The two men in question turned to each other with smirks, raising their fists and bumping them into each other. Bell could understand why they were paired up. While Kaguya would make sense as well, with their similar origins in terms of martial arts, Arash and Kojiro already knew each other from before. Still, he frowned. The way Alise phrased her sentence... As if reading his mind, the captain turned to the rest of them, putting her hands on her hips.
"The rest of us will leave the city and split up. Haruhime with Kaguya, Alise with me and Bell gets to have two cuties at the price of one!"
She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively at Bell, who couldn't help but blush. Glancing at Ryuu, he could see she reacted the same way. Lyra on the other hand, despite lacking eyes, seemed to roll them in exasperation, muttering something under her breath that sounded a lot like 'go explode'. Solaris pumped her fist, grinning at her fellow captain. Haruhime smiled weakly at Kaguya, who only responded with a curt nod. But then the Renard blinked before raising her hand with a worried frown.
"Leave the city? Isn't that... ?" She voiced out her and by extension Bel''s concerns, trailing off when Kaguya sent her a flat look. After a moment of silence, the Senbonzakura relaxed and shrugged nonchalantly.
"Dangerous? A bit, yes. But we need our privacy and each of you has specific needs. We picked out good spots ourselves." She twirled her hand at Haruhime. "Besides, our enemies will have a harder time ambushing us and spying on us out there than in the dungeon itself."
"But Kojiro-" Bell was about to object when his teacher put his hand on his shoulder. Kojiro shook his head with a relaxed demeanor.
"Will be with Arash. I like to believe he will have an easy time protecting poor old me."
The archer in response chuckled as well as he raised his bow in demonstration.
"Also I don't want to accidentally hit someone out there with my arrows."
"Pff. You. Accident. Funny joke."
Everyone gave Ryuu a look, as she was the one who actually snorted in amusement. Ryuu blinked, looking around in the room before awkwardly clearing her throat, pulling her hood down to cover her face more. Alise cooed, spreading her arms open to hug the cute elf. Naturally one punch to the face later, the captain acted as if nothing happened despite the imprint on her face as she raised her hand to motivate the room.
"The training plan is up to your respective teacher! We got bags prepped already so no need to go on a shopping trip! The earlier we leave, the earlier we get some training in!" Taking in a deep breath she drew her sword and pointed it at the ceiling. "Do what you must! Adjust the balance! Until the day we become stars! Leave a gleaming trail on this earth like a shooting star! I swear on the sword and wings of justice!"
"I swear on the sword and wings of justice!"
Bell and the others couldn't help but raise their fists in response, pumped up themselves as the Astraea Familia did their usual thing. For some reason it energized the room more than usual. Maybe because of what was at stake. Maybe because their bonds grew over the short amount of time the two Familia lived together.
"...Okay, first thing I'm gonna do is come up with a Hestia brand speech for the War Game," Solaris muttered to herself once enough time passed, causing the room to devolve into laughter. It was probably because of how serious she sounded or because of her timing but Bell actually felt tears form as his lungs started to burn while he doubled over.
"Please focus on training!" Hestia yelled, throwing her arms up in irritation. Then she paused before turning to Astraea with a frown. "Wait, if they are all gone, what are we doing?"
"While I'd like to think Eris isn't crazy, going after us gods is a common tactic." Astraea's frown turned into a smile as she clapped her hands together with a small giggle. "Don't worry, I made sure we would be safe."
The Astraea Familia seemed to be in the know, nodding in agreement. Bell and the others of the Hestia Familia on the other hand were more confused. The former tilted his head, a bit of guilt dwelling up in his chest. He completely forgot that deities usually weren't allowed to leave the city. Besides, since they were splitting up, they would be less likely to be able to defend Hestia. Said goddess seemed happy at first for having a safe haven but then her smile turned into a frown as she crossed her arm.
"With whom?"
"She is the safest to be with, given the circumsta-"
Before she could finish, Astraea was grabbed by her shoulders, with Hestia staring at her with an empty expression.
"With whom?" She repeated, her voice barely a whisper, as if trying to contain her emotions. The goddess of justice tilted her head with a small frown in response.
"Freya. Why, is that bad?"
"Oh." Hestia blinked before coughing into her knuckle after letting Astraea go. An awkward laugh escaped her as she wiped her forehead. "Here I thought you were going to say Loki. Phew!"
With the mood lifted, the spectators chuckled a bit as Astraea let out a sigh, rubbing her temples with slight exasperation.
"While I do want you two to play nice, there's a time and place." She raised her hands as if holding something in each. "The alternatives are Ganesha and Hermes but they are too busy already."
"And it's Ganesha and Hermes," Hestia replied dryly, as if their names were more than enough to express her displeasure with them. Not that Bell understood that well. He never met the former at all and the latter was rather short of a meeting. Yet Astraea seemed to share the sentiment with Hestia, an awkward laugh escaping her.
"No comment." She cleared her throat. "Anyway, Freya on the other hand usually never has anything to do. Not really anyway."
"Well, guess this is as good as any other time to get along with her... ?" Hestia muttered to herself. Suddenly someone knocked at the door, causing everyone to turn around towards it with varying degrees of wariness. Alise was the one who stepped forward, carefully opening the door as the others kept their weapons in hand's reach. Suddenly the captain let out a gasp, before slamming the door open completely. It was fortunate the entrance was big enough or else Bell would've no idea who their visitor was who was at least two meters tall. Instead he had to gape as others gasped, covered their mouths or even whistled.
"Oh my," Kaguya commented, raising an eyebrow as she crossed her arms.
It was a giant Boaz man. Short rusted hair, same color as his eyes. Boar ears were attached to his head. Despite the lack of armor, Bell could only describe the sleeveless man as sturdy. Massive. What caught his eyes the most however were the scars across the man's face. As if a five fingered claw ripped off parts of his face, the red lines seemed to pulse. It looked like it must've had hurt a lot. Yet the man stoically had his arms crossed behind his back, politely nodding at Alise before glancing at the deities in the building.
"Greetings. I am here to escort you to Babel."
Immediately Hestia snapped her head towards Astraea, poking her elbow against her friend's rips.
"She sent Ottar?!" She hissed. Naturally the level 7 could easily hear her. If he was offended in any way, he didn't show it.
"Lady Freya deemed it necessary that I ensure your safety."
"We are grateful for her decision," Astraea replied with a graceful bow. Gently tugging Hestia's arm, they walked towards him. The King stepped aside, allowing them and their Familia to leave the Stardust Garden, with the latter taking their time to bring out rather large luggage, which was no problem to top class adventurers. Outside Hestia sniffed before motioning for Bell and the others to come close. Then she tried to wrap her arms around all of them, which made a quite comedic sight.
"I'll be here when you come back," she muttered. Bell felt his heart warm up at her words. The comfort of the thought she'd always wait for them to come home. They all shared a smile, Haruhime even tearing up herself a bit. But then Solaris glanced at Ottar, who was politely standing to the side with a small glare.
"You better."
Panic flared in Haruhime's and Bell's faces. One did not simply threaten the King. Yet for an instance, Bell could've sworn the man's mouth twitched, maybe out of amusement. Bell decided to be thankful that Ottar didn't seem offended. Instead they seperated from the hug, with Hestia walking up to Astraea, who was doing her own goodbyes to her children, gently stroking each of their cheeks. Despite some of them blushing, like Kaguya and Ryuu, they all smiled back.
"Don't forget you need to take care of yourselves."
"Please, when did we ever overdo it?" Alise asked, flashing a grin as she raised two fingers. Ryuu immediately slapped her over the head before bowing her head slightly.
"Stay safe, Lady Astraea."
With that said, the two deities walked in front of Ottar. But before he followed them, he glanced at them. More specifically at Bell, who pointed at himself in surprise.
"My goddess expects many things of you."
Having said those ominous words, he left them behind, escorting the gods to Babel. As if gravity returned to normal, everyone let out a sigh of relief. Solaris turned to her vice captain, narrowing her eyes at him.
"What was that about?"
"Don't look at me, I don't know!" He shouted, raising his hands in defense. The captain hummed for a moment before shrugging it off. Meanwhile Alise let out a whistle, staring at Ottar's retreating back.
"Geez, his aura is no joke as always."
"A true warrior's aura," Kojiro muttered, his eyes narrowed as he reached for the blade on his back. Bell felt panic flare up in his chest but Arash moved faster, putting his hand on top of his blade with a casual laugh.
"You can try fighting him when this is over, for now you're stuck with me."
The swordsman had the gall to pout for a moment. Then he let out a sigh before rolling his shoulder. He regarded his Familia with a smile.
"I wish you all good fortune." He looked at Bell and nodded at him. "I look forward to your progress, young master."
"Same to you, Kojiro!" Bell shouted back, raising his hand to meet Kojiro's for a high five.
"Welp, might as well get a move on as well!" Solaris announced as the two men separated from their group.
With their bags they made their way through the streets. Bell bit his lip as he saw the commotion around them. Excitement, pity, disgust, emotions that were all over the place were directed right at them. He tried his best to ignore them, but it still bothered him. The fact they were walking in silence didn't help. But he buried this discomfort, the frustration. This wasn't the time to let it out yet. Three weeks. Three weeks and he could prove it to everyone that they were genuine adventurers. Maybe even genuine heroes in a way. He was shaken out of his inner thoughts however when he spotted the individuals waiting at the front gate of Orario.
"Mikoto? Everyone... !"
The Takemikazuchi Familia smiled at Haruhime as she ran up to them. Kaguya rolled her eyes in exasperation, but quietly followed her as the Renard hugged her friends from her home country.
"You didn't think we'd just let you leave without a goodbye, did you?" Their captain asked, ruffling Haruhime's hair.
They weren't the only ones here however. Solaris talked to her guild advisor, catching him in a noogie. Meanwhile Alise and Lyra conversed with Syr, who was here with a large stack of boxes behind her. What caught Bell's eyes however were the last two individuals that seemed to wait for them.
"Lefiya? Aiz?"
"It felt wrong not saying goodbye," the Sword Princess responded with a small smile, nodding at him and Ryuu who was next to him. Lefiya cleared her throat, slightly blushing as she looked away with her crossed arms. Then she glanced at Bell, a hint of worry entering her voice.
"Are you sure you will be alright? Even if they aren't known for it, Eris Familia is strong."
"So are we," Bell replied in defiance. He blinked at the same time as the girls. Whoa. Where did that come from? Maybe he disliked them a lot more than he thought he already did. For some reason the Thousand Elf cracked a smirk at him.
"Hmph. At least you sound confident."
Aiz hid a giggle behind her hand. She turned to Ryuu then. For a moment her expression seemed blank. But it quickly disappeared when she extended her hand with a small smile and an approving nod.
"Train him well."
"I intend to," Ryuu responded, having only hesitated for a moment before shaking her hand. Aiz then turned back to Bell.
"I'm looking forward to how you will surprise us this time, Bell."
"Ahahaha... " He blushed a bit. Did he surprise people all the time? Judging from the pointed look he received from Ryuu and Lefiya, both weirdly glaring a bit, maybe he did. Clearing his throat, he looked away. By doing that, he met eyes with the maid from the Hostess of Fertility. With a giggle, she immediately approached him, bopping him on the nose.
"Really, you could've at least came by! It was a real pain carrying all of this over here!" She said with a huff, putting her hands on her hips. Bell stammered, his eyes going wide. Did she actually carry all that stuff on her own?!
"S-sorry. I didn't want to invo-"
She immediately shushed him, putting a finger on his lips.
"Nuh-uh! I don't care what other people think!" She pouted, looking away."Am I that unreliable?"
"N-No! Not at all!"
"Good!" Syr suddenly shone brightly, as if what she did just now was just an act. With a smug laugh she twirled in front of her giant packages. "You're going to be training hard, aren't you? Well, you're lucky then!" She spread her arms open. "Enough to last you at least two weeks!"
Bell couldn't help but pale. Her cooking. For such a long time. He shared a look with Solaris and Haruhime, both shaking their heads and crossing their arms furiously. Forcing a smile, he let out a nervous laughter.
"Err, there was no need to-"
"Thanks for the gift!"
"Yes, they will certainly need it."
The Hestia trio sent Lyra and Kaguya looks of utter betrayal. Haruhime stared at her would-be teacher with wide eyes before gulping.
"W-we do?"
In response Kaguya smiled at the Renard. It was not a nice smile as she showed her teeth.
"You will need all the protein you can get when I'm done with you."
"Ditto with Bell," Lyra commented with a grin filled with schadenfreude. Alise on the other hand patted Solaris with great enthusiasm, causing the girl to cough at the force.
"She's gonna burn a lot of calories, Imma tell you that!"
"Goodie," the victim in question muttered dryly. Shaking her head, she slapped her face a few times and gave Syr an awkward look before grabbing the offered lunches. "Alright, time to move out!"
With their goodbyes said, the group left them and the city of Orario behind. Bell exhaled as each training team went into their own carriage. waving at each other, the young man couldn't help but feel trepidation after leaning back. The last time he went outside Orario, they were attacked. He only hoped it didn't happen this time. Shaking his head he looked around. Being with Ryuu was still awkward, but at least Lyra was here to help with that. Not to mention they both agreed to focus on training first. With that in mind, Bell looked at the Pallum. Sensing his staring, she turned to him, letting out a grunt.
"So where are we going?"
Lyra smiled lazily, crossing her arms behind her head.
"Do you like lakes?"