I do not own Danmachi or the story made by the original author.

ALSO, I have some things I wanted to explain so read this chapter slowly so that you can understand what I am talking about at the end.

Thank you

Stepping Into a New World

Bell had already prepared a backpack the previous day as he wanted to leave without having to worry about anything being left behind. He had packed for himself some extra pairs of shirts, pants and underwear, he also definitely made sure to bring his teeth-cleaning twig with him, hygiene was important after all. He also made sure to bring some cutlery with him.

There was nothing more than a wooden bowl, cup, spoon and fork as he needed something to eat from if he ever had to hunt instead of staying at an inn, though he hoped that the latter would never happen as he was afraid of bandits appearing.

And so, after waking up at an early sunrise, he showered himself in cold water so he could feel the elation of morning energy. After doing so, he changed his clothes and began to mentally prepare himself for what he was finally going to do.

"Today is the day… The day I finally begin my adventure!"

Bell clenched his fist and grinned from the excitement he was feeling. This was it. The first step he took out of the village would be his first step to embrace the new world he so desperately desired. He wore his backpack and opened the door out of his room.

As he began to climb down the stairs, he started remembering the times he spent with his grandfather in this house. He remembered how both of them would be making breakfast together while they both discussed his progress regarding his training. He remembered how his grandfather would tell him the stories of the brave and adventurous men who set forth on their journey's and returned home as heroes. He smiled at those memories as they were something he cherished dearly.

But what really made him beam was the memory of when his grandfather had asked him if he wanted to be an adventurer.

"Bell, do you want to start training to become an adventurer?"

It was something he would be grateful for the rest of his life.

As he reached downstairs and began to walk towards the door, he held onto the handle of the door and stopped. A sudden sadness washed over his face even though he was smiling a few moments earlier. He was still facing his only way outside, but his attention was to the room behind him, his eyes had lowered when he recalled the news of the death of his grandfather, how no one was even able to give him a grave since his body could not be found.

He struggled with those thoughts as they would be with him for a long time; however, he could not bring himself to avoid everything anymore and so he raised his head with courage.

"Grandpa… I'm about to leave for a while. I promise you that I will become someone who everyone can rely on. I will become a Hero."

Bell softly spoke to himself as he made an oath to his now deceased grandfather that he would become stronger so that he could protect everyone. As he finished, he took in a deep breath, removed his frown and replaced it with his childish expression for adventure.

He may have grown older, but deep down in his heart, he knew that what he wished for was something that only happened in fairy tales, but that didn't matter. He would continue believing in what his grandfather had taught him.

Though he would still be a bit embarrassed if someone found out about his thoughts. He was just too pure and innocent in that sense.

He began to slowly open the door as the rays of sunlight began to penetrate into the house. Those rays eventually pierced his eyes and blinded him for only a brief moment, as his eyes adjusted, he could see the garden of his house.

There was now fresh green grass that had been recently trimmed and there were some flowers of various colours growing along the inner-border of his fence. There was now also on one side of the garden a tree in place of a small seed which he had planted just before his grandfather had died. It was a peach tree which was around 14 ft in length, although it did not bear fruit this year as it would need to be at least a year old for anything to begin growing. However by the time he returned, he imagined himself sitting under a small tree under the heat of summer and eating some fresh peaches.

He returned his attention to the world and walked outside, closing the door behind him and not intending to look back anymore.

As he walked through the village, he began to inspect around and found that there was nobody outside, either ploughing the farms or picking more ripe fruits. It was odd because most of his village would be awake at this time, even though they had celebrated the previous night before.

As far as he knew, the villagers were not the type of people who were allowed to sleep in anymore; the women would make sure of that. They would make it their duty to have all the men in the village ready by sunrise and be fed well enough to go and train with Bell.

Although, unbeknownst to him was the other reason behind their wake up call. The wives mostly, had actually loved the fact that their husbands had this sort of energised look to them since they had started training. There was also the added benefit that they became way more learner, hence more attractive.

That's right, the wives had created an unspoken rule which decided that there was no way they would let their husbands ever stop training. That old pervert had finally done the women some good ever since he had arrived with Bell in this village; they would never admit that though...

Anyhow, it was still strange that he had not even seen a single soul outside.

However, when he had reached the main path before the entrance of the village, he became shocked after seeing that almost all of the villagers were ahead of him with an affectionate gaze directed at him.

"Don't think you were going to leave us without first saying goodbye!"

"There is no way that any one of us is missing your big send off!"

Bell's mouth had gaped when he understood that everyone there had waited for him to come out of his home. He couldn't believe that not some, but everyone was there, waiting for him.

"How long have they been waiting for me?"

"Everyone I-"

Bell was trying to form some words into an apology after guessing that he had troubled everyone by being late, however his apology had been interrupted.

"Oh hush Bell. We are here because we want to be, so do not start apologising for something pointless."

Bell had flinched a step back after being sternly lectured to not apologise, but he was surprised by how the elderly woman who had appeared from the crowd had known what he was going to say.

The woman in question was the wife of a now long gone husband who had died many years ago in the past. She was around 60 in age and had almost white hair with the exception of a few grey hairs still left to turn white themselves; she wore a simple full white dress with full sleeves, and on top of it, there was a simple brown garment that lightly rested on her shoulders. Bell had known her for as far as he could remember.

Since he was just a small child, he had to be taken care of by others when his grandfather had to work on the farm; so she being as persistent as she was, had told Bell's grandfather to give the child to her. In her mind, his grandfather was the least capable person of raising Bell, so her taking Bell was actually something good.

"My goodness Bell, you never change. You ought to learn when people are being generous, just accept their kindness and be done with it."

Bell's cheeks began to tinge red in embarrassment from the severe lesson he was receiving from who he could almost consider his grandmother. She was always a strict lady, but she was kind and she cared for him deeply.

He could not bring himself to say anything in front of her.

"There is no helping it is there? But still… It is the same reason why we all love you."

The old lady's stern attitude had now disappeared and had been replaced by a warm, nostalgic voice which would soothe the heart of any who listened to it. She slowly approached Bell and raised her hands while cupping them on Bell's gentle visage, encouraging him to look into her eyes.

"Bell, cherish those who have genuinely chosen to be your friends or closest to you and never take their kindness for granted. If you do so, you will realise that you can place your faith in them while they can also place their faith in you. And so, you learn to rely on each other when difficult times approach."

She then smiled.

It was a gentle smile that told the young man that she had experienced a lot in her life as she strolled along her years; that he should remember her words, as one day, he would need them.

Bell could only gaze into the elders' dark eyes which had now lost their youthful lustre. Her words held such resolve and purpose that when faced with them, he felt himself losing his strength; yet he persevered. He gently held onto to old lady's hands that had carried his head high and began to grin with his childlike innocence,

"Right! Thank you for your kind words, lady elder."

Even though he spoke with a cheery tone, his eyes held a level of affection that told the elderly woman that he had taken her words to heart. As a sign of approval, the older woman then patted and gently ruffled Bell's hair endearingly.

"That is good to know, Bell…"

She then let go of the boy with a heavy heart as she knew that Bell was now all grown up. Sure he may still act like a child and may appear like one too, but he had raised the spirits of the entire village and had driven them to work harder for themselves. He was no longer the boy she had cradled long ago, but a young man who was now stepping forward for something greater than the life he could have possibly lived.

"Hey Bell! Are you just going to stay there and not say goodbye to us?"

Bell then looked over to see the rest of the villagers waving at him so that they could have their say as well. He then gave a weary glance back towards the elder who's hands he had let go of and silently asked for her permission to go and give his final goodbyes.

"I have no more advice to give to you, Bell. You can go now." replied the elder in an aged tone.

The elder had understood Bell's expressions and kindly let him go.

Bell then bowed to her and left to talk with the rest of the villagers. As he did, the elderly woman then took a deep breath and sighed at the entire situation.

"Bell… You really are such a special child. I hope you do not lose yourself on your path to being an adventurer."

And with that thought, she took a seat on a nearby wooden bench and watched the entire scene between the young man and the villagers unfold. She just prayed for the child's safety on the road ahead.

"You kept us waiting long enough kid."

The villagers had started teasing Bell for keeping them up for this long, but it was only to uplift the sorrow they felt for someone who was about to leave their village; especially if that someone was Bell.

"Sorry about that…"

Bell in response had wearily smiled as he apologised for causing trouble, but one could hear the slight pain in his voice if they really focused on listening to his tone. He was also going to miss everyone as well.

"Nevermind that, we have some gifts for you Bell. We're sure that you'll like them!"

Bell was surprised that the village had prepared some gifts for him as he was someone who rarely ever accepted anything from anyone. He would see to the needs of others before himself, so the thought of receiving gifts was something he would never expect from anyone, especially his fellow villagers. He couldn't help it, he was just too kind to understand how grateful others truly were to him.

"Gifts? You don't have to give me anything. I already have enough to ta- OW!"

As Bell was bluntly explaining his situation, he was instantly smacked on the head by one of the women who were standing right behind him. In her hand she held a wooden spoon for some reason and was most likely the item she used to snap some sense into Bell.

"Were you saying something Bell? We didn't quite hear what you just said..."

As Bell tried to recover from his severe pain, he felt a frigid aura approaching from his back, warning him not to say anything that he would normally give as an answer. He was on full alert, desperately searching for an answer in his mind to calm the situation, however, the more time he spent thinking, the intenser the aura became. So he mustered the only answer he could give…

"N-nothing!" Bell nervously exclaimed.

It was quite the laughable response from someone who had been able to fend himself against 30 people at full force and yet, he felt something far more menacing in the aura of a lady who was waiting for the right answer.

"Good. As we were saying... We have some gifts for you. I can confidently say that they will help you during the first few days of your journey."

Bell remained silent as he stiffly listened to the scary woman who was holding her wooden spoon. In his mind, he was not going to say anything else to provoke her anger and just wait for everything to settle. Though, he was confused and a bit curious as to what everyone was going to give him.

The villagers made way for an elder who was walking towards Bell. With the elder was another young man who was carrying something wrapped in sheets of white cloth and 2 rough brown bags. He could not tell what they were but he still tried to guess as to what they could be.

"Bell..." The elder faintly called.

"Y-yes elder!"

Bell immediately snapped out of his thoughts and responded to the elder, not hoping to show any disrespect to someone who himself and many in the village respected. The old man then cleared his throat in order to ease the young man who was in a bit of a daze.

"Ahem… Bell, knowing that you were about to leave today, the village as a whole decided to give you some items that may help you in the beginning of your journey. It may not be much, but even if it helps a little, we ask that you accept them with open arms."

Bell was slightly taken aback by the elders' explanation, his words had carried a weight that Bell could not disagree with since they held the kindness of the entire village. He could no longer see any reason to refuse their sincerity.

The elder then began to rummage through the arms of the young man who was beside him, carrying the gifts which were to be given to Bell. He then seemed to have found what he was looking for and grabbed a rough, two-hand sized bag that had been tied with a thin rope at the top.

"Ah, here it is. First off Bell, we would like to give you these rations for the journey ahead; they are made of crushed and rolled oats and have been coated with our homemade syrup. We know you do not have much of a liking for sugar, so we have made it only mildly sweet. Have a try and see how it tastes."

The elder then handed one of the slices of baked oats, hoping to see if it was to the boy's liking. What the elder had said about Bell was true, he never really liked overly sweet things as they ruined his appetite. However Bell knew that the reason they probably used syrup was to make sure that the rations remained preserved for a while, oats themselves were something with a shelf life of upto 1-2 weeks; by adding syrup, it had probably increased to around 3 weeks. Still, Bell was somewhat anxious to try a piece as he did not want to say anything bad about the food the villagers had prepared for him.

He took a small bite to test what the elder had given him, and to Bell's surprise, it was not that bad, in fact, it was tasty. The sweetness was very mellow but had been complimented by the richness of the oats; it was also soft and chewy which made it fun to eat.

"This is delicious…"

Bell couldn't help but mumble as he kept thinking of the after taste of freshly baked oats in his mouth, it was nice.

"Oh, so you do like them. I have made a recipe list and placed it in the bag for you. You can make some more for yourself later on your journey."

The elder then leaned in suspiciously close and whispered in Bell's ear.

"If you can find a lady for yourself, you can make some for her as well."

Bell was caught off guard by the elder's words and began to uncontrollably cough to clear his throat in order to calm himself. To Bell's dismay, the elder began to chuckle under his breath as he had felt amused by the young man's reaction, though he found it more interesting to see that the young man had not denied his words either.

"E-Elder, i-is there a-anything else?"

Bell had become a stuttering mess after those words but he maintained his composure as best he could; he felt that if anyone had heard that advice just now, this entire farewell would end rather differently. Although, a certain other elder who was sitting on a wooden bench had managed to discern what the conversation had been about and she gave a silent glare that would give Bell a shiver down his spine. The eldelry man however just shrugged it off and continued on.

"Ah yes, there are still a few things left. Give me a moment."

The elder began searching for what he wanted to give Bell next and managed to find what he was looking for. It was something wrapped in one of the white pieces of cloth but was relatively small. The elder then removed the cloth to reveal 5 vials with some transparent red liquid inside; Bell's eyes shimmered in curiosity as he had realised what they were.

"These are 5 healing potions that we wish to give you. Well, this is actually a gift from your lady elder over there who is glaring at us, but still, a contribution from the entire village."

Bell had only heard about what healing potions were and what they were capable of from his grandfather. However it was something he never studied in detail since he barely had any talent in potion-making, he was only taught how to apply potions on a basic level. But his grandfather had managed to teach him something on first-aid by showing him a few common plants and herbs he could easily find and instructing him on how he could use them to treat less severe injuries. Potions may be the better solution, but they are far more costly and yet they could be the entire reason for avoiding death in many deadly situations.

"Now Bell, I know you may feel bad about taking these, but don't. If your grandfather taught you anything, you know as much as I do how necessary these are. If not for yourself, then use it for others; you never know when someone else may need them."

The elder had guessed what the young man in front of him had been thinking since he could see the slight frown over his expression, nevertheless, he had figured that Bell would realise what the deeper meaning behind his reasoning was. It was the same lesson the lady elder had given Bell but said in the form of an example, he had to realise that there will be times where he has to help others first rather than just lose himself in his own thoughts of consequences.

Well, the elder realised that sooner or later, Bell would face hardships that will make him question his own beliefs.

In other words, they will be ordeals which will place everything he cares about on the line.

Now the elder himself did have his fair share of problems in life, but the words Bell's grandfather had told him in one of their daytime chats made him a bit concerned for the boy's future.

"The person who faces the greatest of challenges always has to face the deepest pain."

It was then he realised what the child's grandfather had meant. What Bell dreamt of was something bigger than what he himself did in life, but Bell could still turn around from his dream and not hurt himself as long as he does not become involved in anything considerable.

However, if Bell decided to keep moving forward with his goals and was later defeated, it would crush his dreams and cause him suffering till the end of his days, always feeling as though he could have done something better to avoid his failure.

That memory however was something for later to recall and right now, it was his responsibility to make sure the young man was ready for his journey. He focused his attention to Bell and saw that the young man had accepted what he had said.

Besides, the old lady had already given the young man some good advice about having those who walk beside each other, those who are closest to a person are the ones who can save someone from their suffering.

On the other hand, Bell was a bit hesitant to take the vials but accepted them as soon as he felt a familiar menacing aura from behind him. He could almost swear that the world was against him at this moment because no one accepted his concerns, but that was him only distracting himself from the fear he was feeling. The pain of that wooden spoon smacking his head was something he didn't want to feel again, so he took the vials, placed them in his bag and didn't complain.

"Next is…"

The elder had begun to decide which one of the gifts he wanted to give first. He smirked when he decided to give the second brown bag the young man was carrying for Bell. He was willing to see the reaction the boy would have this time as he noticed Bell was tired from seeing anything valuable being given to him.

The villagers who were at the front of the crowd saw the smirk on the elder and had realised what he was thinking, they also began snickering at the thought of what they were about to see.

Bell was a bit confused by what some of the villagers in the front were doing. They had turned their heads and were… Shivering? It was still around the end of summer though…

"Here, 10,000 valis." merrily declared the elder.

"WHY?!"

Bell instantly dreaded and dropped on all fours as soon as he heard the number, marveling as to why everyone in the village was giving him this much money. Now, the entire village tried to hold their laugh, they really did... But one crack of laughter resulted in everyone bursting in tears.

"The kid actually dropped! Hahaha!" It was a hysteric which was mischievous altogether.

It was just too funny to see how much Bell was being forced to face the effort of his kindness. Normally, he would just find a way to divert any sort of reward, but because he was leaving, there wasn't any way for him to refuse, especially after being lectured by both the elders not to reject anything.

Never in his life had he owned or even seen 10,000 valis and on top of that, he was also now in possession of 5 potions which were expensive in their own right, at least the mid-quality ones were. As much as it pained him to take these gifts, it made him feel very indebted towards the villagers who could show this much care for him, it made him glad that he knew such warmhearted people.

With a weak heart, Bell was now lifting himself off the ground from the damage he had just taken by the psychological attack his fellow villagers had thrown his way. He wearily stood up and just took the bag without having the need to show any sort of resistance anymore, hearing the villagers settle down from their sudden burst of laughter.

"Sorry Bell, I just couldn't help myself. Hehe…"

The elder was now apologising seeing that he had his fun with Bell, it was a good way to lift everyone's moods as well so no harm was done… At least to the villagers.

"Elder…." Bell just dejectedly sighed.

He just couldn't believe that they had done this to him, but with a slight blush and some will power, he just sighed as the situation continued to unroll itself. He put his backpack down and placed the money into it as he didn't want people to notice him carrying this much money, he definitely didn't want to run into any bandits after all. The elder seeing that the young man was about to place his bag on suddenly abrupted Bell's actions.

"Wait Bell, don't put on your bag yet."

Bell tilted his head in confusion as he didn't understand why the elder had stopped him, yet he still waited to see what he meant. The elder had then stared at the final piece of cloth the young man beside him was holding; he was now holding a stoic impression on himself as he knew what he was about to give to the child. Bell had slightly stiffened from the silent demeanor the elder in front of him was showing, but remained steadfast for what was coming.

The elder then removed the cloth to reveal 2 weapons sheathed in their respective scabbards and a leather body and leg holster; Bell had become silent as he was observing the weapons that the elder had just displayed. In reality, they were nothing special and could be found in any market or by traders, but to Bell, they were something special and wondrous as he had never even held a blade before.

He was just too young to be dealing with weapons so he was only able to use self-carved or just ordinary branches from a tree; anyone could tell just by looking at him as to how much he wanted to hold one.

He didn't even complain about how much the village would have had to pay this time; to him, a weapon was the sign of a warrior, it was held by those who faced many challenges. They were not something to be messed around with.

When held by the elder, they were now clearer to see. One was a short sword which was around 19 inches in length; the hilt had a simple polished silver cross-guard along with the same coloured rounded pommel, and it had a black leather grip which had been encased with rope to increase its durability. With it was a black wooden scabbard which had a brass locket and chape.

On the other hand, the second weapon was a knife which had a length of around 13 inches; it also held a similar appearance as the short sword, but this knife had a dark brown scabbard instead.

The elder had noticed Bell's silent demeanor and took it as a good sign for the boy's temperament, so he called for him.

"Bell, would you mind coming closer and turning around for me. Also could you take your coat off as well"

Bell snapped out of his thoughts and did as the elder had instructed. He had turned around and waited for what was going to happen next; he then took off his brown coat and placed it on the floor.

However it surprised him that the elder had begun to help him by placing the leather holster over his head and then strappening it to secure it on his body. It went over both of his shoulders, forming a cross along his chest and rounded along his waist. There was one buckle on each side, making it possible to hold only 2 weapons on each side.

He was then given the leg holster so that he could strap it on himself, he opened the small bag compartment to see that the pouch had been divided into 3 separate sections. 2 of them were small and narrow which could only seem to fit in 2 vials and there was 1 large section in which he could fit anything larger if he wanted.

After doing so, he lifted his coat back up and wore it to see how the strap felt under it and honestly, it didn't feel too bad. It was a little awkward, but something he could easily adapt to over time.

"This doesn't feel too bad..." Bell whispered his concerns.

Because the elder was close, he heard what the boy had said and only served to clear his worries.

"Oh that? do not worry, over time your movement will wear the strap down and make it feel much smoother."

Bell had become a little embarrassed after realising that he had mumbled his thoughts out loud, but he remained quiet from the excitement of suddenly glancing at the 2 blades the young man was holding beside the elder.

The elder then grabbed the first weapon which was the short sword and placed it in front of Bell. Bell was now taking a deep breath to relieve himself and focus on what was in front of him. He took the weapon from the elder's hands and separated the scabbard and hilt to reveal the blade in front of his eyes, he saw that he was holding a glistening single edged blade that had been polished to reveal its hidden lustre.

He silently raised the weapon to the sky and unnoticeably narrowed his eyes, focused on observing the craftsmanship with which it was made and the extravagance it held when reflecting the radiant rays of a new day. It blinded Bell to no end, to see himself wielding a weapon that will slay the monsters and protect the weak.

The crowd only saw Bell with interest as they perceived that the young man was only overcome by the new weapon he was now holding, it was not unusual for someone his age to have those tendencies after all.

However, there were only a select few from the older generation and those who had trained with Bell that actually noticed something else entirely. Their gazes slightly widened at the surprise of seeing Bell's own eyes.

They realised that those eyes were not the eyes of some child who was excited about having something new. No... Those eyes held a seriousness that was beyond the years of someone his age, it was if they held a pure, unbreakable faith in what they had always envisioned.

His memories of the countless tales his grandfather had recounted to him, the onslaught of hellish training he had made himself go through and the joys of having a family who cared for him. It was if those experiences had all converged to this moment, screaming at everyone, that what they were witnessing was only just the beginning…

"…"

"…"

However, those thoughts only lost themselves as they saw that the young man was now lowering his weapon and started to swing it away from the villagers direction. Bell had started to test his blade to see whether it was the same as using a stick which he had used for so long for training.

When he swung the short sword, he felt a heaviness in his wrist which made him slightly lose control of how far and where he wanted to swing, it was enough to loosen his grip. He may not be skilled, yet he was still experienced enough to know how to use a weapon, so he could tell he needed to practice and learn to adapt to the weight of what he was holding.

"Bell, how do you like your first experience with a sword?"

The elder had interrupted Bell and brought his attention to what was going on around him. He could tell that the boy had been completely drifting into his own dreamworld in a sense and only assisted him by breaking him free of it.

Although… What he felt when he saw the child holding the sword towards the sky…

"What was that feeling?"

His thoughts were quickly interrupted however when the boy in front of him had formed his response.

"A-Ah… Um, It feels amazing... I've always wanted to hold one. Thank you elder!"

Bell was a bit red-faced when he realised that he had dozed off into his own world and that everyone was staring at him. The realisation made him stutter his words and flinch with a swing of shyness, but he was still grateful that the elder had given him something he always wished for.

"Haha, no need to worry about that, child; here is your second weapon."

The elder had grabbed the knife from the villager's hands and turned to give it to Bell. Before Bell had grabbed the knife in front of him though, he slightly lifted the right side of his coat and began to fit the scabbard of the short sword into one of the buckles of his holster.

After doing so, he turned his attention to the elder who was standing while holding the knife. Bell took the knife and unsheathed it from its scabbard and saw that it had the same shimmer as the previous blade, but it was much thicker and sturdier in appearance. It honestly felt heavier than it looked so it must have been made out of some other material that was different to the short sword.

Bell also tested the knife and found that it was well balanced, yet because it was heavier than what he thought, it threw his concentration off. It would be something he would need to get used to as well.

But before Bell could voice any of his thoughts, he heard the familiar screaming of the children who had come to adore him from a very young age.

"BEEEEELL!"

Bell was a bit surprised by the turn of events, he saw the children hurriedly running towards him and not stopping. They were not slowing down… Wait… Are they going to-!

Before he could even figure it out, one child had jumped on him and then without stopping, a barrage of even more children jumped at him, forcing him to lose balance and eventually fall to the ground from the weakness he felt for them.

"They finally made it."

The elder had been waiting for the children to arrive as they also wished to give Bell a final goodbye. Honestly, those kids had been in tears when they found out that Bell was leaving and some would start stubbornly arguing that they didn't want Bell to go so soon.

Alas, they eventually settled down but would still be upset that their "big brother" was about to leave, so the villagers had come up with an idea that brought a smile to the children's faces...

Bell remained on the ground as he had been buried by the children while they were giving him a group hug. However, he saw that some of them were about to cry and realised what those tears would be for, so he began to praise them.

"Wow, everyone is awake, and so early as well. You all are so grown up now!"

Bell had turned himself into a positive ball of energy so that he could uplift the children's spirits, and it appeared to be working. The children had heard Bell's praise and were stubbornly stopping their tears from flowing so that they could talk to him.

"Yeah! We want to be strong and cool as you, so this is easy!"

One of the boys in the group had spoken up and had managed to bring a sense of happiness in Bell. Bell himself was caught off guard by the praise and had started to scratch the back of his head with an almost toothy grin.

He was happy that these children were looking up to him and that his efforts had encouraged them to be like him. It was a beautiful feeling that had welled up inside of him and filled him with joy.

"Oh? So you all want to grow up and be like me… How's this then!"

Bell had started to go along with the children's whims and began to stand up to show how strong he was, no one could stop him and had eventually fallen on the ground as well. He made sure that no one was hurt.

The villagers had started to chuckle at the display and a nostalgic smile had begun to grow on their faces, they were going to miss these little scuffles that Bell would have with the kids.

The elder had then coughed to gain everyone's attention and stopped what they were doing to approach the matter at hand.

"Ahem... Dear children, did you not want to give something to Bell as well?"

With a sudden realisation, the children then started to scurry around, which was quite adorable, and had begun to line up in a row while one girl had run towards the crowd to in turn receive a two-hand sized sack from them. She then quickly ran back towards her fellow friends and stood in front of Bell with a cheerful look.

Bell was only confused by what he saw because he only thought that he was going to get what was in the bag the girl was holding. But it seemed as though something else was going to happen since they had all lined up together; as a result he knelt down so he was at their level.

To his surprise, the girl in front of him suddenly hugged him and nugged her head into his shoulders as though she was seeking comfort in him; it was only for a few seconds but then she let go and stood in front of him once again. She held out her hand, which only to Bell's startlement, had revealed something in the girl's hands.

It was made of 3 leather strands which had been braided tightly together to form a single bracelet. One strand was white, the other was brown while the last was black. On each side of the strands were small wooden beads that had been placed there so that it was easy to tie the ends together.

"Big brother, we made you this bracelet so you will have something to remember us with."

The young girl no older than 9 winters gave a sweet smile which would even make the toughest of people adore such a sight. Her braided light brown hair and huge dark brown eyes would only serve to purify her innocence even more so.

Bell felt a comfort and heaviness in his heart which would leave him too dazed to even stand up. Such a simple gesture only made him smile at the girl with a soft and comforting look which reassured the girl that he was thankful for the gift.

However, his smile only passed the young girl's gaze as she continued to excitedly explain what the bracelet meant.

"Ok, so we made you a super special bracelet."

"Super special?"

Bell was a bit surprised by the words the girl used to describe his bracelet, but he still let her continue seeing how cheerful she was.

"This white colour is you, the brown one is for everyone else and… oh the black one is us!"

The young girl was speaking in the most endearing voice which made Bell beam brighter by the cheery tone he was hearing. The way she was explaining everything was just so heartwarming and seemed to make everyone's spirits lift higher, it was just too precious.

However, Bell was lost on what he was being told about the bracelet as he didn't fully comprehend the meaning of what was being said. Seeing the confusion on Bell's face, the elder stepped in to elaborate on the purpose of the bracelet.

"Bell, let me explain. You see, this bracelet is meant to represent your bonds in life; the white thread is meant to represent you as a person, the next is the black thread which represents your bond with this village…"

The elder at the same time nodded towards the children. Bell turned to see what that nod meant and to his astonishment, he found that the children had placed their left or right arms in front of them and revealed to him that they were also wearing bracelets. These bracelets were of the same design as Bell's but were completely black in colour.

Even the girl next to him who had a bright and toothy smile showed him the bracelet she was wearing.

"Everyone…"

Bell was now wide-eyed by what he had realised, the children had made him something this meaningful so that they could all remember each other when they were separated. He wanted to say something, but the elder only continued with his explanation.

"And the brown thread is the representation of those who you will choose to be closest to you on your journey."

Bell was only silent as he only looked at the elder with a hushed expression. He could not believe that everyone had chosen to do something like this and yet, he was a bit curious as to why the colour brown would represent those who were closest to him. But out of the corner of his eye, he saw the young girl walking towards him and held out the bag she had gone to get from the crowd.

Bell took the bag off her hands and opened it to find a few brown bracelets of the same design inside of it. It was just one shock after the other for him as he really was just speechless from what the children had done for him, if he didn't know any better, he was probably on the verge of tears at this point.

"Bell, since you are leaving for your journey, we are sure that you will meet many people along the way, and as such… If you find someone who you want to remember, then give them these bracelets as a gift."

The elder's tone had changed from someone who was only explaining something, to that of an experienced caring old parent that would ease the heart of their child; it gave Bell a peace that calmed his emotions and relaxed his expression.

He turned around towards the children who were still formed into a row in front of him and gave them a gentle smile.

"Thank you." he said with a calm demeanor.

The children had tears welled in their eyes like before, but wouldn't let them flow because they wanted to be brave in front of the person they admired, yet Bell could tell from their expressions that they were sad; so he widely held out his arms to let them know that they could give him a hug and he wouldn't mind.

After seeing that gesture, the children could not hold it in anymore and ran towards Bell while calling his name and openly crying their eyes out.

They didn't want him to go, they wanted him to stay and keep on telling them amazing stories under the starry night sky and have fun while playing with each other during the sunny afternoons.

They kept on crying…

They looked horrible. Snot was running down some of their noses and their cheeks had been flushed red from the drenching tears that kept falling from their puffy eyes.

But that was okay… They were still young and could get away with things like that.

Everything was fine.

Bell could only look at them with affection as they huddled towards him, and he continued to remain where he was until they stopped. He was filled with thoughts of gratitude for what everyone had done for him and so he smiled with an honesty that would soothe the hearts of those who saw it. It was as if he was almost in tears as the moisture glistening his eyes could only reflect as much.

"You have all done so much for me." he thanked them in a gentle tone that would not be heard by many.

The villagers could only watch the scene unfold in front of them. It was a moment that only needed to be shared by the children; there was no need for them to interfere.

And so they only watched...

Extra: A Goddess' Descent

Under the night sky which had been glazed over by the infinite stars, a certain village had been celebrating the joys of summer, and in particular, the coming age of a child who would set forth on his journey the next day.

Laughter pursued as this child interacted with the many villagers and children who had always been at his side.

However, unbeknownst to them was the fact that a star had fallen from the heavens; signifying the arrival of divinity.

To be more specific, it was a Goddess.

The star had left a piercing trail of blue light as it flickered away to some region of the earth.

All it left was a fine arc of stellar light…

On a distant grassland, monsters roamed the earth as they lived independent of their "Mother". They hunted, ate, bred and nurtured as they continued to live on, never hoping to return to what their instinct referred to as "Home".

It was quick. The star that had fallen was approaching, streaking across the land as if in search of where it wanted to be. The monsters could only watch as they realised what this was, their instinct told them to run because it was the very same instinct that their "Mother" had given them to be wary of.

And so they quickly scattered away.

The star had suddenly stopped, it almost felt unreal to see something so celestial behaving so tempered. If anything, one would have expected a bang, and yet it only hovered, slowly descending from its height and landing calmly on the earth.

It was then that the sphere of pure light had slowly started to transform into the shape of a human; the light then shattered, fragmenting itself into countless particles of stardust. All that was left was a single girl who stood on a grassy field which tickled her bare feet.

She was beautiful.

Her eyes held a depth that was deeper than any ocean, and yet they held an intense luminous shine like that of sapphire. One could forever gaze in those eyes as the brilliance they held was not like any other.

Her raven black hair spilled over her frail yet lively back. She was small, almost like a child but had a mature outlook when one saw her beauty and the curvatures of her body. However, it was mainly hidden by the pure white chiton that she wore, which covered her front and left her upper back lightly exposed.

Her frail arms were left bare with her shoulders acting as hooks for the the plain silver brooches she wore on each shoulder, holding her dress together. The garment draped low, covering her also frail thighs but left her knees barely uncovered; the rest was exposed to the elements.

To finally finish it off, she wore a belt of cloth around her waist and a string of dark blue around her arms which went under her lower chest to fasten the dress all together.

She then gently raised her eyes to see the world around her and became infatuated with what she saw.

Her soft and supple cheeks that were lightly toned, almost seeming delicate to the touch, flushed red from the amazement she felt from her surroundings. The fresh sting which came from the aroma of grass, the gentle breeze that fluttered her dress and silky black hair, and the sight of endless fields with trees that led to the horizon, all of it was bewildering.

She then took a careful step forward but slightly flinched from the cold blades of grass she felt under feat. Even so, she then took another step and another until she began to skip and twirl with delight, absorbing the various senses of the world around her as she smiled happily

"It really is different from the heavens!" she praised excitedly.

For the longest time she had waited for her turn so that she also could experience the mortal realm. She could only stare above, admiring the grand sky from whence she came and concluding her expressions to that of an explorer who had finally found what they were searching for all this time.

"So this is where everything begins…" she quietly whispered

As excited as she may be at the new prospect, she slowly began to think about her situation as she now had no usage of her arcanum in the lower world. If there was any clue to her being weak, it was her delicate arms and legs that had not trained themselves to face the constant fatigue of a tired body.

She had slightly sweated after her dance along the fields, but had only realised that she was actually breathing slightly quicker to catch her breath, it was an odd feeling, yet one that made her realise her situation.

After all, the deities had decided to restrain their powers before descending and spend their time among the mortals. Nevertheless, she was satisfied with what she had because of her time spent in the heavens, it really was boring up there...

"Hmm… I shouldn't have landed too far…" the goddess started to scour her surroundings as if she had planned for such an event.

She could feel the breeze continually brushing her hair as she kept on turning her gaze from side to side in search of what she was looking for. She then saw it…

Under the moonlit sky, a great distance ahead, she could see a tower that had subjected itself to pierce the sky, as if attempting to reach the higher worlds; it was a unique sight as the tower's surface had reflected a dull light, clearly screaming at the world as to where it was.

She had found what she was searching for because that certain tower held a special meaning in the hearts of the gods as well as mortals.

That's right, she had started to stroll in its direction as it was where she wanted to be,

The Labyrinth City, Orario.

And so she continued to walk…

It was still morning, but now dawn had just passed and light enveloped the entire village.

The children who were once crying had now stopped and were getting their faces cleaned by each of their parents. There were tears that had been shed and laughter which had spread across the village homes.

The villagers now all stood behind the village entrance, wishing their final goodbyes to a young man who was now finally ready to leave.

"Good look Bell!"

"We believe in you and your dream! Go and show the world what you're made of!"

One could only hear the cheers and blessings being given to a single young man as he was glaring at the exit of the village. This was it, it was finally time to go.

"Bell, take good care of yourself and listen to the advice of your elders."

Bell realised the voice of the elder and remained focused on the outside world, only to turn himself around and respond to those words.

"Thank you, elder. I promise to listen to your advice and what everyone in this village has taught me. Please tell lady elder that I am grateful for everything she has done for me."

Bell paused to look around and see the villagers' smiles and the children who were holding their hands; he then looked at the bracelet he was now wearing which the children had given to him and sincerely bowed in everyone's direction.

"Thank you everyone... for everything you have done for me."

Bell then slowly raised his head to see that everyone in the village was looking at him with a determined look; it was to show that they believed in him and what he wanted to achieve, there was no more hesitation.

Bell then turned around and started to walk.

He slowly took his steps out of the village with an intent grin on his face, hoping to see what the world had to offer; from behind him, he could hear the farewells of the villagers and the ever so loud children who would scream his name with a merriness in their voice.

"Bye-bye Bell!"

"Goodbyeee!"

Bell only seemed to smile as he treaded along the path. However he suddenly felt something on his back. He could feel countless hands in a world of white, pushing his back to keep him moving forward, and out of that empty void, he could hear the spirit of the villagers, motivating him in unison.

"Go, Bell!"

Was it his imagination?

He then heard another voice, it was a voice he had not heard in a long time since he could no longer hear it again. It was familiar, so much so that it prompted him to widen his eyes in shock of who he had just heard.

"Bell..."

"Grandpa?..." Bell could only ask in response to the almost unintelligible words.

No… His grandfather had died a long time ago and this was only a figment of his imagination, yet it still felt nice to hear his voice again.

"Bell! Go and give it your all!"

It was a short but clear message and he understood what his grandfather meant, he could smile in nostalgia at the memories of his grandfather, telling him the stories of many heroes.

And he only had one answer to give…

"Right!"

Bell felt an invisible force, boosting him to run forward. He used it and began to run.

With an inspiring beam, he sprinted away towards his first journey.

So, we have reached chapter 2 of the story.

I wanted to say that I really wanted to release this chapter sooner, but like many people, life can throw your concentration elsewhere. But still, I did quite a few recaps here and there as I wanted to have a plan for the story ahead, which is another reason why I took so long.

I will be releasing chapters in an irregular time-span so be prepared for that. To be honest if I am not busy, I could even release a chapter in a week.

Anyhow, I wanted to sort of explain the plan for how I am structuring to write the chapters ahead. I also wanted to clear any misunderstandings people might have for the story as well.

First off, I am not planning on abandoning Bell's depressional state after his grandfather's funeral. As I explained before, the reason why the first chapter was so fast paced was because it was a summary/introduction to Bell's past. I will explore those memories in a sort of short bonus/extra stories or when a situation comes where he is reminded of those feelings he felt.

This version of Bell is way more connected to the village unlike his light novel version; you will be able to clearly see that in the "Extra" story of this chapter.

If you don't know what I mean, go and read the "Hey, World" chapter in volume 15 of the Danmachi light novel and see the difference in Bell's experiences from when he was a child, you will then be able to tell what I mean. I recommend reading the "Hey, World" chapter alongside the "Extra" so you can see the differences.

In addition to this, you will have most likely realised that the Goddess in question is Hestia. Ok, so I have planned to make Hestia slightly different from her light novel version and especially different from her anime version, her behaviour will actually be a bit different.

Again, I ask everyone to read the "Hey, World" chapter and compare it to this chapter's "Extra" as you will see the differences I am talking about.

Don't think that I am just re-wording my "Extra" differently to the "Hey, World" chapter, I am actually changing how Hestia is as a character. Look at the way she speaks her dialogue and how she behaves when seeing the world, they are different.

Also, if any of you are confused, Hestia is wearing a different set of clothing and there are 2 reasons for that:

1. I don't like her original clothing. Like I seriously don't get what is going on with that spiked collar and everything else, it feels weird.

2. I also wanted Hestia to carry more of her Greek appearance in this story. It is also a way for me to say that there are going to be some differences in Hestia's character.

But don't think that I will keep on mentioning her, eventually I will let go of her character as she is someone who will have importance when Bell reaches Orario. Until then, don't expect to see her story a lot.

Furthermore, Bell's life in the village will be explored as well since I have always planned for the villagers to be a big part of his motivation for pursuing his dream. Certain characters will have more of their stories revealed and there will also be chapters which are engaging in the actual time-frame of this story... You'll see what I mean.

I don't think I have anything else to mention so that's it for this chapter. If you have any questions for me to answer then please do ask, I will eventually answer them for you.

See you in the next chapter!

-Odyssey7