Hey everyone, Rice here. This originally came about as an idea that wouldn't quite get out of my head, and now it's here as a full-blown story. Enjoy! More notes at the end.
"Goddess?" Bell asked, lying face down on the bed, his voice slightly muffled.
"Hm?" Hestia grunted from her position on Bell's lower back, "What is it?"
"Well…" He trailed off, looking for the right words. "All my stats have been going up for the past week, except for my magic. When will that change?"
"Bell, haven't we talked about this before? Just because you have my blessing doesn't mean you can use magic. It's pretty rare, you know?" Hestia's hands pushed glowing hieroglyphs down and onto a small sheet of paper laying lightly on Bell's lower back, engraving his updated status on the sheet.
"We're done, now up." She patted his shoulder blades lightly, shifting her weight to get off his back.
"I know magic is rare," Once Bell sat up, he was handed the small page. He clicked his tongue once he was done reading through, dissatisfied with his miniscule improvement. He looked up at Hestia. "But I just really want-"
"You really want to use magic, right? I understand, Bell, but it's not that easy." Hestia lightly sighed, trying to lessen the sting of rejection that went with her words.
"Listen. Magic is fickle. There isn't really any rhyme or reason as to who gets to use it; it's either you're lucky or you're not. Even if you can use magic, there's no guarantee you'll have enough mana for it to be useful at all." In contrast to her serious tone, Hestia sat on the edge of the bed, swinging her legs like a young child.
"That's kind of harsh, Goddess." Bell's grin was forced and half-hearted. He was obviously expecting better news.
Hestia laid a hand on his still-bare shoulder, giving a small smile.
"You're still young, you have plenty of time to grow. Look at this progress," she gestured to the paper that was still limp in Bell's off hand, "It may not be much but it'll add up with time. And if I say so myself, for an adventurer of just one week you've got potential."
Bell's eyes lit up.
"Really? You mean it?"
"Yes, I do. But don't let it get to your head, if you overestimate yourself you'll die." Hestia looked away. "And if you die, I'll be sad, so make sure to be careful, okay?"
"Okay. I promise I'll be careful."
"I'm gonna die!"
A loud roar shook tiny granules of rock from the ceiling and Bell ran faster. Thumping footsteps vibrated in his chest as he gasped for more air, desperately tracking the dungeon corridor.
He was only in the lower fifth floor, there shouldn't be monsters this ridiculously strong for at least ten more levels!
As he rounded a particularly sharp corner, Bell glanced back just in time to see the massive hulking form of the minotaur chasing him slam skidding into the wall and barrel towards him again.
With a yelp, Bell drew on the last dredges of his energy to pump his legs faster than he ever had before, hoping against all odds he'd find a way out.
No such luck.
He turned another corner and abruptly realized that it came to an end. He whipped around to look for another escape route only to see the monster cutting him off. The only thing he could do was back up.
As he hit the wall that stopped him from going any further, Bell cursed his luck. The minotaur, realizing its prey couldn't run any more, huffed loudly and lumbered laboriously forward.
His legs gave out as the monster got closer, filling up his vision until it loomed over him, a monstrously large shadow. He had never been so scared. The hopelessness of his situation weighed down on him so much it felt he would die from asphyxiation before the minotaur could even get to him.
He wasn't leaving here alive. He wasn't going to go back to the small room in the abandoned church with his goddess waiting for him. He was going to die.
'I never even got to learn any magic-'
Just as it was about to bash in Bell's skull, the minotaur froze. Literally.
Shards of ice crept across the surface of the monster's skin until it was completely encased; a perfect ice statue.
Bell sat, stunned and immobile, as soft, almost delicate footsteps echoed closer down the hall. With a metallic clink of metal on ice, the minotaur statue shattered into a thousand glittering shards, allowing Bell to see the one who saved him.
He was barely able to take in her staff, long green hair, and pointed ears before his mind caught up to him.
With a startled and panicked scream, Bell tore out of the dungeon corridor and towards the surface, ignoring the startled look on the elf's face.
"Wait-"
"He's already gone, Riveria, might as well give it up."
Riveria tore her gaze away from where Bell had disappeared to the tall man who had spoken, heaving a sigh as she did.
"I didn't realize you'd followed me so far, Bete. You should have known I didn't need help."
Bete shrugged, hands shoved in his jacket pockets. His lip curled as he threw a glance over his shoulder. He was obviously annoyed.
"Wish I didn't, just so I wouldn't have to see that wimp run away like his ass wasn't just saved. Heh, guess I can't blame him. You probably scared him more than that weak-ass minotaur did." Bete laughed and started to stalk off, shoulders hunched forward and gait lazy. He lifted one arm as a parting gesture before rounding the same corner Bell had taken earlier.
"Bete-" For the second time, Riveria was ignored and interrupted. Left on her own, her eyes drifted back to the battered and broken walls of the dead-end.
"And there's not even a magic stone left."
Riveria's eyes traced the spot where the young boy had sat, shivering, just minutes earlier. His white hair stood out, perhaps she'd be able to spot him again in the future and apologize.
"I'm not really that scary, am I?" The words sounded unconvinced and half-hearted even to herself. Riveria sighed again. At least it was most likely a memorable encounter for the both of them.
She turned and left the dark corner of the dungeon, leaving it empty but not unchanged.
"So you don't know who it was?"
Bell had rushed into the Guild lobby, calling for Eina before he was even fully through the doorway. He looked fine, if a bit tired, so she wasn't all that worried until he actually started explaining what had happened. Aside from the irresponsible nature of venturing to the lower fifth, the rest was an unfortunate happenstance that wasn't Bell's fault. So, she only lectured him a bit.
"No, but if it helps I can describe her," Bell scratched the back of his head, looking somewhat sheepishly down at his lap, and continued as a soft mumble, "she was really cool, so I remember."
Eina grinned a mischievous smile, leaning forward slightly. "Does Bell have a little crush on his saviour?"
Even though her tone was positively dripping with playfulness, Bell's face went a deep red and his shoulders hunched forward a bit.
"No no no!" Bell waved his hands frantically in front of him, almost knocking stray paperwork off the table in between him and his advisor. "She was just really strong! I want to be like that."
Eina covered a soft giggle with her hand. "If you say so. Okay, let's try and figure out who helped you out. You said they used magic?"
Bell nodded.
"Yes, the minotaur froze and shattered with just a tap of her staff," his eyes betrayed the awe his words concealed.
"I think I've got an idea, but I'll need you to describe her just to make sure."
"She was tall, taller than me, and she had long green hair, like jade. She was an elf, too - her ears were pointed." Bell's eyes were scrunched closed, digging through his memory.
When Eina laughed out loud before managing to get herself under control, Bell almost felt insulted. It was obvious she wasn't laughing at him though, so he simply sat bemused and stared as she recovered.
"My apologies, Bell. I know who you're talking about, she and I are actually acquainted. I found it funny you didn't know who she is, she's quite famous after all. The woman who saved you is named Riveria Ljos Alf, though she's also called Riveria Nine Hells. She's level 6 and the Vice-Captain of the Loki Familia." Eina covered the remnants of her laughter with her hand once again, eyes swimming with mirth.
Bell's eyes grew wide. The Loki Familia was one of the strongest familias, not to mention that Level 6 was also exceedingly rare.
"Miss Riveria is well known for her gift for magic and is one of the strongest adventurers in Orario and Babel. She's the only person known to be able to change the length of chants and amount of mana used for spells, and because of that she's able to use more than the usual three spells per person."
It seemed Eina was done with her explanation, as she stood up and gestured for Bell to follow her to the exchange desk.
"You need to remember, Bell, that you're not a free adventurer. You've been blessed by the Goddess Hestia and bear her falna on your back. That means you're tied to her for the rest of your career as a dungeon crawler, and possibly the rest of your life. It's hard for people from different familias to mix, you know this.
"I can't recommend that you pursue Miss Riveria romantically for that reason. However, if it really is just admiration like you say," Eina paused as Bell emphatically nodded his head, looking embarrassed again, "then I think Miss Riveria is an excellent role model for your growth. Got it?"
Bell bit his lip and looked away, the blush that painted his face fading. A role model was good, but for some reason it didn't feel like it quite described what he felt. His image of strength was now muddy and vague, undecided. One encounter with Miss Riveria had shaken Bell's core beliefs about power. Whatever it was, the desire to reach her level was burning with intensity.
Bell passed his advisor to exchange his meagre crystals for the day's earnings. Receiving the small coins, he idly flipped them over in his hand, making calculations. It was just over a thousand valis, so it looked like he'd have some rough times ahead.
Just as he had turned to leave, Eina held out a hand to his chest.
"Bell, you've done well for someone who's only been a Level 1 adventurer for just two weeks. Surviving a minotaur attack is no small feat. So cheer up! If you get stronger, you might just be able to get Miss Riveria to notice you." Eina gave him an encouraging smile, and Bell's spirits lifted.
"Thank you, Miss Eina! You're the best!" With a shout and a wave over his shoulder, Bell left the Guild building, heading home before the last of daylight faded. Taking a route he knew by heart, Bell let his thoughts wander.
The events of earlier in the afternoon weighed heavily on his mind. It was made painfully clear that he was pathetically weak. Sure, a minotaur may be out of his league, but Miss Riveria killed it with literally just a tap.
Bell ignored the calls of street vendors trying to empty the last of their stock for the day, turning off West Main towards his and Hestia's shared home.
It wouldn't do him any good to dwell on his weakness, though. The only thing he could do was keep his head high and push himself more in the dungeon.
Eina would yell at him for going deeper than the third floor on his own again, but in his eyes it was worth it. He was the only member of the Hestia Familia, he couldn't afford to take things easy when he had to support his goddess.
Bell's jog slowed as he approached the abandoned church that served as the Hestia Familia's headquarters. He idly noticed that the door was left slightly ajar, a bad habit of Hestia's when she came home from a long day of work.
The near-death experience Bell was subjected to made him seriously reconsider his priorities. He used to want to be an adventurer just to pick up cute girls, but Bell now realized that mindset would only hurt him in the long run. The dungeon was a dangerous place, he knew, but it would take time for him to shake off the conditioning of a decade of ambition.
That would come later.
"Goddess!" Bell called out, creaking open the door that led to a cozy living space. "I'm back!"
There wasn't a response, so he pushed further into the room, eyes curiously roving over the messy bed and dirty table.
As he walked towards the bed, a small missile shot out from underneath straight at him.
"Bell!" Hestia launched herself into Bell, laughing in delight.
"Waah!" Hestia's momentum sent both her and Bell tumbling to the ground, landing in a tangled heap on the cold stone floor.
"Bell, you're back!" Hestia lifted her body up from Bell's lying on the ground, beaming a brilliant smile at him.
"Yeah, I'm home," Bell breathed. After such a long day, it felt good to be back.
"Come on, let's eat! I got a lot more customers than usual today so I got some extra fried potatoes as a reward." Hestia pulled Bell up with a surprising amount of strength. He let out an appreciative 'Ooh' at the small hoard of food Hestia pulled out from a small bag.
"Anyways, why are you back so early?" Hestia asked, plopping down on their ripped couch. "Normally you'd get done in the dungeon at sundown."
Bell laughed nervously, rubbing one arm with the opposite hand.
"About that… I kinda ran into a minotaur while I was in the dungeon today. Ah, but I was saved by someone from the Loki Familia, so I'm fine," Bell admitted, avoiding eye contact.
"A minotaur?!"
Hestia looked Bell up and down, checking for any visible wounds. There weren't any.
"It had run all the way up to the fifth floor. I was just about dead meat when Miss Riveria used her magic to save me." Bell had his eyes closed, savoring the taste of his food. "She was incredible, I wish I could use magic like her," Bell stopped there, having opened his eyes and seen the irritated look in the goddess' eyes.
"Ah, Goddess? Is something the matter?"
Hestia huffed, looked away, and mumbled something under her breath.
"What was that? Could you say it just a bit louder?"
She turned back to Bell, a cute pout on her lips.
"I don't like Loki," Hestia grudgingly admitted, looking pained at the very mention of the other goddess.
Bell laughed softly.
"Is that all?"
Hestia's pout grew more pronounced.
"You shouldn't worry about that kind of stuff. We're celebrating tonight!" Bell raised one of the last potatoes towards Hestia in a toast.
She sighed. "Yeah. Life has been looking up!" Hestia pumped a fist and munched on her last snack moments later. Once she was done, she stood up, brushing stray crumbs off her dress and legs.
"So, you want to update your status tonight?" Hestia asked, an eyebrow slightly raised and a small smile on her face.
"Yes, please!" Bell immediately shot up, already starting to pull his shirt off and head for the bed. No matter how often it happened, it was always invigorating to get his status updated. Going back into the dungeon stronger the next day was amazing.
Bell sat down on the edge of Hestia's bed, digging into a pile of parchment sheets for a fresh page for his status to be imprinted on. Once his goddess had her needle ready, he handed her the sheet of paper and laid face down in the sheets.
He felt a light weight settle on his lower back and heard the familiar hum of magic as Hestia's blessing activated. He closed his eyes, pressing down the bubbling excitement that always came with an update.
He was jostled when Hestia let out a strangled gurgle and her weight shifted like she had leaned back in shock.
"Goddess, is something wrong?" Bell asked, somewhat concerned.
"A-ah, no, nothing is wrong! Everything is perfectly normal!" Hestia let out a forced laugh, voice sounding high pitched in distress.
"If you say so," Bell muttered, unconvinced. Hestia didn't respond, choosing to simply continue the updating process. It was silent for several more moments.
"What?!"
Hestia's shriek startled Bell, and he pushed himself up with his forearms, nearly forcing Hestia off his back in the process.
Bell twisted his neck to look at his goddess, taking in the weird half smile on her face and cold sweat breaking out on her forehead. Her face was a mask of total confusion.
"Goddess, I'm getting worried, tell me what's wrong," he pleaded, still not fully turned around.
"Well, uh, you see," Hestia stuttered, avoiding eye contact. "Um, don't take this the wrong way and overreact, but your magic stat…" she trailed off into a mumble, the rest of her sentence fading and inaudible.
"What about my magic stat?"
"...It's gone up by 50 points."
"What?!" Bell shot into a sitting position, turning fully to face Hestia, his eyes wide with shock. "But I don't even have any spells to use, how does that work?"
"I don't know, that's why I'm so confused!" His goddess pursed her lips and folded her arms under her chest, looking incensed at her lack of understanding.
"Ugh, we can figure this out later, lay back down so I can finish writing down your status." Hestia pushed on his shoulder, guiding him back into the soft mattress.
The two sat and laid respectively in an uncomfortable silence for several minutes until the glow on Bell's back faded and Hestia tapped him on his shoulder, the signal for him to get up.
Nothing was said as Bell was handed his status sheet. His eyes grew wider the further down he read.
His agility shot up a whole letter grade! That was almost five times the most he'd ever improved before! It wasn't just his agility, too - his other stats all increased by at least twenty points each.
"Goddess, what- is this normal?" Bell's wide eyes met Hestia's, and she shook her head slightly.
"No, it must be because of your run from the Minotaur. There's no other way to explain it," she explained, rubbing her elbow self-consciously.
Bell's eyes traced his status again, nodding slowly. It made sense in a convoluted sort of way.
However, there was still something else.
Magic: I 53
There was no explanation for the sudden dramatic increase in his magic stat. It was higher than his defense now! His skills and abilities section was completely blank, too, not even a smudge of ink out of place to offer a solution.
Bell's brow furrowed in thought.
Maybe it had something to do with his encounter with Miss Riveria…?
Seeing his confusion, Hestia tried to give him some relief and ruffled his hair.
"Don't worry too much about it, Bell. If even I can't figure it out, it seems like it'll stay a mystery for a while." Hestia shrugged, hand still in his hair. "Hey, this is kinda soft. Maybe that new shampoo was a good buy."
Blushing, Bell ducked his head and pushed his goddess' hand away from his hair.
"That's embarrassing, Goddess."
"Hehe!"
"Don't look so proud."
Hestia pouted.
"Look at it this way, next time you go into the dungeon you'll be so much stronger you won't even need magic! Then not having any spells won't matter." Hestia flashed him an encouraging smile, standing up and pulling a pose as if she'd just vanquished a powerful monster.
Chuckling, Bell nodded his head.
"Thank you, I hadn't thought of it like that. I've had a long day, though, so if it's alright with you could I get some sleep?" Bell's eyes were drooping, the physical and mental exertion finally catching up to him.
"Of course!"
As Bell shedded his armor and plopped down on their couch, Hestia ran her finger back over his status sheet, a pensive look on her face.
With a small glow, the previously empty skills slot was filled with the two entries that Hestia was sure would cause her migraines in the future.
Realis Phrase: Rapid growth. Continued desire results in continued growth. Stronger desire results in stronger growth.
Adaptive Channels: Increase in mana efficiency and recovery. Effect grows in power with the user's level and magic stat.
'Seriously, what kind of cheat abilities are these?! If Bell really looks up to that Riveria woman so much, he'll leave everyone else around him in the dust!'
In a technique mastered by Hestia through countless years of practice, she promptly pushed the thoughts from her mind and went to the couch to snuggle with Bell.
'Well, tomorrow's problems for tomorrow's me.'
Bell woke up the next morning energized, ready to redeem himself in the upper levels of the dungeon after the incident the day before.
He grabbed the coat he liked to put over his leather armor and made his way out the door as the first rays of sunlight peeked over the walls of Orario.
Morning condensation still peppered the ground, the cool dawn breeze rustling through his hair and clothes.
A perfect morning for dungeon crawling.
As he made his way towards West Main, Bell began to feel a sense of unease creep onto him through a stiffness in his shoulders and a tingle on the back of his neck.
He felt something was wrong, but couldn't pinpoint the reason. It was like someone was watching him, but there wasn't anyone else out this early in this part of town.
It put him on edge, so he ducked into an alleyway for a brief moment, keeping a lookout for anyone prowling the streets or buildings. When the unease stayed and Bell was simply crouching in an alley, he felt a little dumb.
He awkwardly walked back out onto the street he left, thankful there was no one around to see his embarrassment but still on guard.
The tension in his shoulders built the longer he walked and the breeze carried an eerie chill it hadn't before.
When he reached West Main and joined the morning crowd of adventurers, the feeling all but went away. Bell nearly sagged in relief.
Bell made his way down the street heading to Babel, weaving through small streams of people and crowds gathering in front of shops.
Abruptly, the sense of unease from earlier slammed back into Bell, strong enough to stop him in his tracks. His head swiveled, looking around for signs of a threat - there was definitely someone watching him, and it didn't feel like a friendly gaze.
"Excuse me!"
A tap on his shoulder snapped Bell out of his trance and he whirled around to face the one who'd spoken up, startling a petite silver-haired girl into shying slightly away.
"Ah, I'm so sorry!" Bell apologized, bowing his head to the girl he'd scared. "I've been tense all morning. Please forgive me!"
"No, there's nothing to forgive!" The girl bowed her head back. "It was my fault for startling an obvious adventurer."
Straightening, Bell waved off her concerns with an awkward chuckle, nervously shuffling his feet. He had no idea why this girl had called out to him.
Sensing his bewilderment, the girl rummaged in an obscure pocket of the apron she wore. Digging out a small magic stone shard, she offered it to Bell. It was barely bigger than his fingernail, obviously from a monster that lived in the upper floors.
"Here, you'd dropped this."
Bell held the stone gingerly in the palm of his hand, staring at it in confusion.
"Ah, thank you? I was sure I turned all these in yesterday, are you sure you saw me drop it?" Bell asked, skepticism evident in his voice.
Now it was the girl's turn to look confused.
"I thought it was you, but I guess I could've been mistaken. Well, it doesn't matter, you can have it anyways! Think of it as a gift!" She quipped, recovering remarkably quickly.
Bell raised an eyebrow. Magic stones were worth a lot, even the smaller ones - it didn't make sense to just give one away for free. Well, he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.
"Thank you." Bell closed his fist around the gem and tucked it into a pouch on his waist.
"In return, come visit me here while I'm at work tonight! I'm sure you'll be really hungry after being in the dungeon all day long." She gestured towards the large pub behind her, a simple sign reading "The Hostess of Fertility" hanging above the doorway.
Dammit.
Bell cursed his trusting nature. After accepting her gift, it would be rude to refuse her offer.
"Then I'll drop by for dinner. I'm in a bit of a rush, though, so I uh, I gotta go," Bell sputtered, gesturing towards Babel jerkily.
The girl giggled into her hand. It was obvious he was trying to get out of their conversation.
"Yes, of course. Good luck!" She waved at him as he took off down the street.
'That was weird,' Bell mused, setting the encounter behind him.
He flowed through the parties of adventurers outside Babel's entrance, making a beeline to the dungeon's entrance. He had work to do.
On the lower third level, Bell was beginning to run out of space in his bag for the magic stones of monsters he'd defeated. True to his goddess' words, he did feel stronger and faster, but it wasn't drastic enough to warrant any unusual attention.
Bell continued through the dungeon, dipping his toes into the fourth level. The growling of his stomach reminded him of the fact that he had neglected breakfast, and forgotten to bring lunch. He'd have to deal until his visit to The Hostess. Maybe he should thank that girl, after all.
He rounded a corner and nearly walked into a small group of kobolds and goblins. They were numerous enough to make him pause, but not enough to deter him from making his way forward. He drew his knife.
The first kobold charged him, but Bell ducked under its attack and slid past, slicing a gash in its abdomen on the way. The kobold collapsed, clutching its stomach and Bell seized the opening. One simple stab in the back later, it stopped moving.
Two goblins came this time, tiny hands swiping at his legs. Bell jumped over one, using the momentum of his fall to drive his blade into one goblin's brain. The other, disoriented from its miss, was quickly taken care of as well.
The last monsters had taken the time Bell was fighting to surround him. Letting them make the first move was bad in a situation like this, so he launched at the sole remaining goblin, the weak point.
Bell's knife came down at its chest, but the goblin put a hand in front to stop the attack. The dagger pierced through the hand, but got stuck. The goblin screeched with pain as Bell tried to yank his blade out.
The other two monsters left jumped at Bell's unprotected back, both kobolds raking their sharpened claws into his muscle. Bell yelped, expecting excruciating pain, but was confused when there was just a slight sting.
The kobolds were obviously confused too, their attack had only scratched Bell's back. Not one to think too hard in battle, Bell used the opportunity to finally rip his knife through the goblin's hand, slitting its throat in the process. Blood sprayed on his clothes, but he paid it no mind as he turned to the confused monsters.
Disoriented, the two kobolds went down easily. Bell sat down on the dungeon floor, breathing hard.
'What was that?'
Kobolds' claws were sharp, there was no way that an uncontested hit from two at the same time wouldn't cause some serious damage.
'Well, now definitely isn't the time,' Bell thought, watching as another, larger group of kobolds spawned from the walls.
He entertained the idea of running away, but an image of the minotaur shattering into particles of ice flashed into his head and his grip on his dagger tightened.
He pushed himself to his feet and prepared to fight once again. He needed to get stronger, he needed to catch up. And in order to do that, he needed to push himself.
Bell charged towards the newly spawned monsters with new determination and a clearer goal in his mind.
'Shit, shit, shit, shit!'
Bell was late out of the dungeon. He'd gotten carried away on the fourth floor and lost track of time, and now his goddess was going to be furious. She hated it when he was late.
He threw open the door in the abandoned church, swiftly making his way down the stairs only to see Hestia waiting at the bottom with her hands balled on her hips.
Bell laughed nervously.
"I'm home, goddess."
"Welcome back. Why were you late?" Hestia lifted an eyebrow expectantly.
Straight to the point, looks like he wasn't getting any leeway.
"I'm sorry, I got carried away in the dungeon and lost track of time." He scratched behind his ear, shifting his gaze away from his goddess' intense stare.
"Bell, after what happened yesterday you need to be careful! I was worried," Hestia grumbled, annoyed yet unable to stay angry.
"I know, I know. Don't worry, I wasn't reckless." Bell sat down on the couch, hanging his jacket on a rack beside him. He pulled out a large bag, hints of gold peeking out the top. "And look! I got a lot more than usual today!"
Hestia, still standing, clapped her hands, thoroughly pleased at the thought of extra money. Her earlier concerns were tossed aside.
"Okay Bell, I've got something to do tonight, so let's get your status updated now before I have to go."
In half a minute of rehearsed action, Bell was once again laid on the bed with Hestia on his back. She was strangely silent throughout the process, only letting out a quiet hum of surprise near the beginning.
Once his update was done, still nothing was said.
Hestia handed him his status sheet, and his eyes bugged out.
"This is- there's no way!" Bell blinked at Hestia, who was staring into the bed in thought. "You're not pulling my leg, are you?"
"No, of course not." She plopped her feet on the floor and rummaged in their closet for a second, pulling out some sandals and a plain coat.
"Now, I said I have something to do, so I'll be going. I'll be late tonight, so don't wait up."
"Wait, Goddess!" Bell reached out, but barely missed Hestia's wrist as she walked briskly away.
"Goddess!"
Hestia paused at the doorway, turning her head to look at Bell.
"Did I do something wrong?"
Her blank expression cracked at the shaky uncertainty in Bell's voice. She sighed.
"Sometimes I have to remind myself you're just a child," Hestia said, facing Bell. "No, you didn't do anything wrong. I'm just worried about what will happen if some of the more vicious gods find out about this."
Bell nodded, comprehension dawning on his face. Certain gods in Orario were infamous for the underhanded methods they used to attract adventurers to their familia.
"If you understand that, then you'll know why I'm asking you to keep this quiet, okay?" Not waiting for a response, Hestia turned again to leave.
"Stay safe, Goddess," Bell called after her as she closed the door.
His eyes slid back to the status sheet still clenched in his off hand.
"Still, this is ridiculous. Every stat going up a letter?! My agility was at H before, but now it's in the upper levels of G! And my magic went up again, almost one hundred points this time. I can see why Goddess was worried."
Bell flopped onto the bed, heaving a sigh as his eyes traced the wooden planks of the ceiling.
Ah. That's right, he promised that girl this morning he would have dinner at her pub tonight. Well, he'd made enough money that he could afford a night of eating out.
Bell slipped his shirt and boots back on, took his jacket off its rack and followed his goddess' steps out the door.
The Hostess of Fertility, a pub that was empty and quiet just earlier in the day, was quite a bit busier than Bell had thought during the dinner rush. Cute waitresses, good alcohol, and hot food was exactly what a party of rowdy adventurers wanted after a day's work in the dungeon.
Bell didn't exactly fit the type that would frequent the place, so he sat in a rather secluded corner and took a look at the menu. His wallet felt lighter just by looking at the prices.
"You came!" The girl from earlier that morning called out to Bell, making her way to the counter where he sat. She stopped a couple feet away and hugged her serving tray to her chest excitedly.
"I said I would, didn't I?" Bell turned his attention away from the menu he held. In a moment of realization, he realized he'd never even introduced himself. How embarrassing.
"My name is Bell Cranel, it's nice to meet you. Thank you for your help this morning." He stood up and bowed slightly, trying his best to be respectful but not draw too much attention to them.
"It was my pleasure! Especially since you promised to go all out tonight, I'll be getting a nice bonus from Mama Mia. I'm Syr Flova, it's nice to meet you too," Syr replied, bowing slightly back.
"Ah, who's Mama Mia?" Bell asked, puzzled at the new name dropped in Syr's introduction. He straightened from his bow and sat back down on his stool.
"That'll be me." A large, burly woman slammed a tray of empty mugs on the counter and leaned over towards Bell. "I'm the owner of this tavern."
"It's nice to meet you," Bell greeted, eyeing the woman's impressive arms warily. "I'm-"
"I heard. Bell, right?" Mia interrupted, polishing the counter at a spot where another patron had just left. "So, what'll it be?"
Bell thought for a second.
"The spaghetti, please."
Syr shot him a sideways look.
"And the special for today."
Syr smiled.
"Anything to drink?"
"Just water, please."
"Not much of a drinker? You certainly look old enough. How old are you?"
"I'm 18, so I'm old enough to drink, I just don't like the taste." It was mostly true, but he also just really didn't want to drink too much. He was a lightweight and horribly giggly drunk.
"The drinks at The Hostess are really good, I think you'd like it better than any other stuff you've had," Syr butted in. "Mama, get him an ale, too!"
"But-"
"Coming right up!"
Mia left for the back kitchens, leaving Syr and Bell alone again.
Looking into his wallet, Bell sighed. Syr slid into the seat next to him and bumped his elbow with hers.
"Sorry, Bell, but you promised. Right?" She pulled a criminally cute look, but her eyes gave away her cunning nature. "Anyways, I've got to get back to work. Bye!"
Bell grumbled under his breath as she walked off.
'Well, I skipped breakfast and lunch, so maybe it's a good thing.'
Bell idly half-listened to the chatter around him, watching the waitresses flit like flies to and from tables, taking orders and clearing dishes with an efficiency that spoke volumes of their experience.
His attention was snapped back to the counter when Mia came out of the kitchen holding a mug of ale nearly overflowing and several large plates of food, even more than what he'd previously ordered.
She set them down in front of him with a thump and Bell's stomach growled. Mia laughed loudly, clapped him on the shoulder, and walked back off into the kitchen.
As soon as she left, Bell started eating, letting out an appreciative hum at the taste. He'd been hungrier than he thought. He ate quietly, mind still mostly on his rather startling recent improvement.
He was halfway through his meal, drink untouched, when the doors to the Hostess banged open and a large group of adventurers walked in.
Bell's eyes traced the group, as did most of the other patrons in the tavern. It took barely a second to identify them as the Loki Familia, and as he did, Bell's heart jumped into his throat.
When a head of long green hair swam into his vision, Bell ducked his head, keeping his eyes locked onto the elf. He took another bite of his food nearly without thinking, watching as Riveria sat next to a short blonde prum at a table in the middle of the room.
She was facing away from Bell, but he still had a view of her profile from where he sat.
Why were they here?!
Whispered conversations that were entirely too loud to be polite told Bell they were regulars, something about their goddess liking the food and drink.
Bell turned away, his back to their table, and continued to eat with his ears open.
"Ahh, it feels good to be back in here after such a long trip!" It wasn't a voice Bell recognized, but sounded like it came from one of the Amazon sisters he'd seen earlier.
"Some hot food an' alcohol'll do me a world of good, I say!"
"Loki, you weren't even down there, there's no reason for you to celebrate."
Was that-?
Bell chanced a look over his shoulder.
It was. This was his first time hearing her voice.
Riveria scolded her goddess, giving her a disapproving look, but Loki waved it off with a laugh and a smile.
"Ah, ye'r no fun. Mama Mia, we'll have our usual!" Loki called to the back, getting a loud grunt in response.
Bell's eyes were still stuck on Riveria, who pinched the bridge of her nose and let out an irritated sigh.
Realizing that he was staring, Bell jolted and went back to his meal. The group chatted and laughed as they waited for their food, the initial marvel that was the familia's arrival wearing off quickly.
Soon enough, food and drink was handed out and the celebration of a successful dungeon dive was well underway.
Bell idly noticed that Riveria pushed away all attempts her goddess made to get her to drink alcohol. It seemed they shared a mutual distaste for drinking.
Once again, Bell was jolted out of his staring, but this time by the loud slam of a mug on a table. A large werewolf had slammed his drink down, a slight redness on his cheeks. He was obviously already tipsy.
"Hey, Riveria, you remember what happened yesterday? You know, with the minotaur?" Bete prompted, unnecessarily loudly.
"Eh, a minotaur? We didn't hear anything about that," a petite Amazon chimed in, leaning forward in interest.
"It wasn't a big deal. It was dealt with." Riveria waved a hand dismissively, taking a small sip of her water.
Not a big deal? He had almost died, and a minotaur was insignificant enough that she hadn't even mentioned it to her familia? Bell wasn't sure whether he should feel hurt or angry. Anger at himself won out, for grossly misunderstanding the priorities of a first-class adventurer.
"Ha! I'll bet you just didn't want everyone to hear about that kid," Bete laughed, knocking back another mug of whatever alcoholic drink was nearby. Bell tensed.
"A kid? Ya gotta tell us now, Mama."
Riveria's hand came down on Loki's head, and the goddess' forehead smacked the table. She laid there, groaning in pain.
"I told you not to call me that."
"What about Rivey?"
"No."
"Ow! That hurts," Loki's head still hadn't left the table, and her hands rubbed the sore spot that Riveria had smacked again.
"Loki's right, though. You should tell us," the same Amazon from before pressed, taking a bite out of her food. "What do you think, Ais?"
The girl in question looked up from her food and tilted her head in thought.
"I think… I would like to know what happened."
Tiona let out a cheer, looking expectantly towards Riveria.
"Let me get this," Bete butted in, voice still obnoxiously loud.
"So this puny minotaur runs all the way up to the fifth floor, right? Naturally, Miss High-Strung over there," Bete jabbed a thumb in the elf's direction, ignoring the glare she sent him, "ran after it. Always the Good Samaritan.
"Anyways, the minotaur ended up chasing this punk-ass kid through the whole floor like a game of tag. It was pathetic! I swear he tripped a couple times too," Bete paused to laugh with the party, then took another swig from his mug.
Bell's hands had begun shaking at this point, eyes locked on the werewolf.
"Bete, I'll take over from here, you're being-"
"Shut up, old hag." Riveria's glare had turned murderous at this point, but Loki held her back from doing anything more. Still, Bete had to clear his throat before he continued.
"Where was I? Oh yeah, the brat just kept running, and running, but then he hit a dead end. He didn't even try to escape anymore, just collapsed like a coward! Weakling," he spat, grumbling into his mug.
"This really needs to stop-"
"And then right before the big cow was about to crush the kid, High-And-Mighty just used her weakest spell and it was dead, just like that," Bete cut Riveria off again, getting even louder.
Bell's mind was reeling. That was her weakest spell?! He couldn't even comprehend what her strongest would be like at his level of strength.
"But the best part is," Bete continued his story, "the kid didn't even stick around to say thanks! Once he saw who saved his sorry ass, he took off screaming! I bet the hag over there scared him more than that weak-ass minotaur ever could!" The entire table erupted into laughter, Loki nearly falling out of her chair clutching her midriff.
It didn't escape Bell's notice that the only one not laughing was Riveria herself. She looked troubled, at that. Even the sword princess was covering a slight giggle with her hand, though she could've been laughing at Bete, it was hard to tell.
"Big bad scary elf comes to save the day but ends up making things worse! I bet he's traumatized, now. But it doesn't matter. It's not like he'll ever be anyone, anyways. Kid was the newest of newbies, I could tell. Looked like he wouldn't ever make it past floor five, let alone level up. He'd never be worth the elf's time, her efforts in saving him were wasted."
By this point, Riveria was absolutely apoplectic, eyes burning with a righteous fury. She stood up menacingly.
"I'll have you know, Bete, that-"
Bell didn't stay to listen for more. He'd had enough. Not even paying a thought to the food and unpaid bill left behind, he shot out the front door like a missile, running as fast as he could towards the only place he knew he could let out steam; the dungeon.
He cursed his weakness, his naivete, his horrible luck, everything that had led to this moment. He knew he was weak, goddammit. He knew he wasn't worth Miss Riveria's time. But he still wanted to change that, regardless.
'Dammit!'
He kept running into the night.
Riveria's eyes caught the flash of white as Bell fled the tavern and her heart dropped. She ran out alongside a young silver-haired waitress, but he was nowhere to be seen.
Had he been there the whole time? Heard everything? And she had sat there, barely offering any real resistance!
He must've been unimaginably hurt. Her previous resolve to find the young adventurer and apologize nearly tripled in intensity.
First, she had a dog to discipline.
Eyes that promised pain turned on Bete.
Several minutes later, with Bete tied up and gagged, Riveria approached Mama Mia behind the counter.
Seeing the way he'd left, Riveria had assumed Bell had neglected to pay for his meal. It was the least she could do to make it up to him by covering his tab.
"Mia?" She asked, catching the attention of the owner.
"Miss Riveria, what can I do for you?"
"That young adventurer that ran out earlier, the one with white hair - I'd like to pay for his tab."
Mia raised an eyebrow, pausing in her work.
"Oh? Little Bell Cranel? What brought this on? You two know each other?"
"Not necessarily, no. It was the fault of our Familia that he ran out, so I feel it is my responsibility to compensate him, even in a way as small as this." Riveria looked towards her table, Bete having passed out while Tiona laughed at him.
"Alright. If the kid comes back I'll tell him you covered for him. You need anything else?"
Riveria shook her head. "No. Thank you for your help. How much do I owe you?"
Mia listed off a number and the elf fished through a pouch of coins she'd brought for the right amount. Once it was handed over, she inclined her head towards the stout woman and turned to walk back to her table.
Even when she'd sat down, her mind was still on the white-haired adventurer her familia had so repeatedly wronged. Guilt weighed on her.
Even when their group had left the Hostess of Fertility and made their way back to the Twilight Manor, her thoughts did not leave the consequences of her mistake.
She needed to apologize.
Bell had no idea how long he'd been in the dungeon or how far down he'd gone, only that he was running on fumes and couldn't stop. The dungeon corridors were devoid of adventurers, upper floors were normally deserted at night.
As a result, Bell flowed from one monster encounter to the next with scarcely a break to rest in between. He barely registered killing each monster, flashes of the werewolf's words from the Hostess echoing in his ears louder than the sounds of battle.
During his battles, Bell felt the impacts of monster attacks connecting, dulled just like his earlier encounter with the kobolds. He paid it no mind and kept fighting.
"I will become strong!" Bell yelled out, stabbing an ant through the head, its body spasming and dropping to the ground.
Bell's shoulders heaved with each breath he took, and his eyes surveyed the now-empty room.
"I need to," he whispered into the silence. A light of clarity returned to his mind, and he abruptly realized the situation he was in.
Panic bubbled in his head before he managed to push it down. Panicking would only cause him to make potentially fatal mistakes.
Bell looked back at the corpse of the ant he'd just killed. If there were killer ants, that meant he was on the seventh floor, the furthest he'd ever gone.
He needed to decide if he would stay and fight longer, or make his way back towards the surface.
The urge to run away was strong, but at the same time, Bell realized that this was a perfect opportunity to push himself. If he'd been able to survive all this time alone down here practically in a trance, he'd be able to handle himself in his right mind.
He couldn't afford to be lazy. The minotaur proved that, and so did that asshole at the bar.
He couldn't afford to become complacent, he needed to fight in order to close the gap between him and Miss Riveria. She was his ultimate goal, now. If he could stand by her side as an equal, he wouldn't need to ask for anything else.
The pain he felt now only cemented his resolve.
His mind made up, Bell squared his shoulders and headed further into the seventh level.
Several small skirmishes later, Bell took a break to rest, leaning against a wall to catch his breath. His head twitched towards a section of the wall behind him as a cracking noise flooded the corridor.
Knowing at least one monster was about to spawn, Bell rushed to the large crack, piercing the core of the war shadow that spawned before it even touched the ground.
His swift action saved him, as two more spawned from the other wall and ceiling. Three would've been too many to take on at the same time.
Bell eyed the long claws of the shadow nearest to him, raising the arm that didn't hold his knife to his midriff, adding an extra layer of defense.
The shadow rushed with startling speed, slicing a hand down from above. Bell sidestepped, bringing his knife up as he did. The blade dug into the upper arm of the monster and it shrieked.
Keeping an eye on the other shadow, Bell capitalized on the first monster's pain and dug his dagger's point into the highest point on its body he could reach; its neck.
As the shadow dissolved, a clink from below grabbed Bell's attention. A claw had been left as a drop item, and an idea sprouted in his head.
Bending his knees and keeping his center of gravity low, Bell blindly fumbled his off hand on the ground, trying to grab the claw. It dug into the palm of his hand as he grasped it, but again - the sensation felt dulled.
Bell burst forward as fast as he could, using his crouched posture to conceal the stolen claw from the last remaining shadow's sight.
It screeched a challenge and rushed to meet him.
Bell altered his course at the last second, shooting past the shadow with a roll, loose rocks and sharp protrusions digging into his back.
He sprung back up while the shadow was still disoriented and launched the drop item at the monster's back. It embedded into its spine, sending the shadow reeling.
Using the distraction, Bell jumped at the shadow and his knife tore through its vaporous head. The last shadow dissolved and he fell to the ground, exhaustion catching up to him.
He needed to take a break. No matter how much stronger he'd gotten (and he was still marveling at how much difference one status update had made), he would die if he was too tired to fight.
Bell dragged his body towards the nearest wall, using it to prop his torso into a sitting position as he panted.
His eyes continually scanned both ends of the corridor he rested in, keeping watch for signs of approaching or spawning monsters.
After several minutes of rest, Bell's breathing had slowed and he was able to haul himself to his feet. He could rest more as he walked. Staying in one place alone in the dungeon was a death sentence.
He trekked through several empty corridors, idly wondering what time it was. It was well past sundown when Bell had entered, and judging by his physical state at least a few hours had passed since.
Maybe it was time he headed back up to the surface. It seemed like he was recovering quickly, though, so he could take his time.
Bell slowly wandered back up through the sixth level, encountering several more groups of war shadows and frog shooters, slaughtering them all indiscriminately.
By the time he walked back out the entrance of the dungeon on the first floor, Bell was covered in blood, taking slow, shuffling steps like a zombie. He lumbered towards the abandoned church, eyes half-closed.
When he finally approached the beaten down doors of his home, the first rays of light were once again peeking over the walls of Orario. He'd been out for a full day.
Bell made his way through the main isle of the church, leaning on battered pews for support. He all but fell down the stairs to his living space, then shrugged off his armor, uncaring of the clatter it made on the stone floor. He didn't bother to pick it up.
The small lump under bed sheets shifted and groaned, but didn't get up. Bell made his way over to his goddess and collapsed on the bed.
He drifted off to sleep almost instantly, staining the sheets with the blood left on his clothes.
Hestia's shriek woke Bell up with a jolt. He launched to his feet, or tried to, but collapsed back on the bed he'd slept in.
"Bell! Are you okay? What the hell happened to you?!" Hestia frantically pulled him into her arms, ignoring the strangled grunt of pain that came from his throat. His eyes fluttered shut once more as he laid down again.
"Goddess." Bell's voice was soft, hoarse, and firm. He reached a hand out towards the ceiling, making a fist as if to grasp something. "I want to be strong."
Hestia was speechless, staring in muted, open-mouthed shock at the man beside her. She didn't have time to gather her wits to form a response before he was asleep, chest rising and falling softly under her arms.
The goddess sighed and untangled Bell from her, positioning him delicately on his back. She flopped down beside him and shut her eyes once again, joining Bell in sleep shortly.
Bell dreamt of an adventure, delving into the deep reaches of the dungeon with dagger in hand, and smiled.
I'm very pleased with how this turned out, I think it's got the potential to go somewhere great. Thanks goes to LennieCommy, who helped me practically through every step, Curse of Whimsy who helped me with my editing, and Belial the Liar who hyped me up. Check them out, they're far better writers than I am.
This chapter was pretty long, a solid 9000 words. I expect that in the future my chapters will be a little bit shorter. Please leave a review if you enjoyed, and if you want an inside scoop on the writing of everyone I mentioned earlier and my own stories, join our discord. I'll put the link down below, just remove the space and type it into Google.
discord. gg/MbJmUzGG
Thanks for reading, everyone! I'll see you all next chapter.