While following Finn Deimne, Bell Cranel is walking towards the table where sits the most prominent figures of Loki Familia. Ever since he was introduced, murmurs and whispers started resounding the place. No one expected Loki Familia to have a new member and no one seemed to know who the boy was, except for a certain werewolf.
"HÃNN! Why'd you let a rabbit join us?!" scoffed Bete, gathering the attention of everyone else. "A weakling has no place in our familia!"
The dining hall was in silence once again, observing the clash between the two high-level adventurers.
"You've heard about him too, Bete. I think that's more than enough to say that he deserves to join us, don't you?" spoke Finn.
It was always a pain to deal with Bete when he started targeting the weaker members. Some started to notice that, deep down, he was caring for the familia in his own way.
"Hunh! Even the guild thinks he's lying! He's probably trash who would die the moment he gets in the dungeon!" he snorted, still not ready to back down.
"Are you saying that Loki cannot see a lie?"
"Tch!" Bete clicked his tongue and left the hall, returning the atmosphere to its former state.
As he walked away, Riveria got up from her seat and walked towards Bell.
"I'm sorry about Bete, he shouldn't have said that. I'll have a talk with him later." she said, ashamed by the behavior of one of the executives.
Riveria a high-elf with green hair and green eyes, whose beauty is said to make even the gods feel jealousy. In Bell's opinion, her beauty could rival even with Goddess Freya. He also knew about her lineage and her position as the Princess of Alf, but that didn't matter much to him. Her elegance, politeness, and strength were something that he could admire though.
"Don't worry, it was not your fault. I won't hold a grudge against him either." reassured Bell with a smile.
He wanted to get along with the other members of his new familia, and wouldn't throw that away just because of this.
She nodded at his words with a slight smile.
"We've met before, but we haven't been properly introduced. My name is Riveria Ljos Alf. Please, call me Riveria."
"Nice to meet you, Riveria-san. I hope we get along!" he said with a slight bow.
In the end, she was still a Princess and Bell knew how elves were a proud race. Even if she wouldn't mind, the lack of proper treatment could only bring trouble.
"Let's go to the table, the others are eager to meet you."
Bell accompanied her to a table that was composed by the Goddess Loki and six first-tier adventurers, excluding the Captain and Vice-captain of Loki familia that were walking beside him. He could recognize a dwarf known as Gareth and a Golden-haired girl known as Sword Princess. A familiar werewolf with red hair and golden eyes was also there.
The first to approach him, though, was a girl with medium black hair and brown skin; an amazon.
"It is true then… You reached the sixth floor without a falna! Amazing!" she exclaimed.
"Yeah… I guess I did. Haha."
"By the way, I'm Tiona. That one there is my twin sister, Tione!"
"Glad to meet you, Tiona-san. Tione-san." he greeted.
"C'mon kid, take a seat. Lets eat!" urged Loki.
Bell sited between Riveria and the werewolf girl. On his front was Finn, who was sitting between Tione and Gareth. Loki was on one of the ends of the table. The elf Mirelia was sitting beside Riveria and Aiz was right in front of Tiona, at the end closer to Loki.
"We haven't spoken yet. I'm Yue, Yue Fannett! Nice to meet you, Bell-san!" spoke the werewolf.
"Please, just call me Bell." He smiled and she nodded. "Yue, are you, perhaps, a younger sister of Rose-san?" asked the white-haired boy.
The similarities were too big to ignore. She seemed like a younger version of Rose; she even carries the same name. The biggest difference is her body, which she undoubtfully trained to exhaustion giving her proportions and strength of a high-level adventurer.
"Oh? I see that you've met big sis. He-he"
"Yeah… She is my advisor." He commented, taking a sip from his juice.
"hah… I feel sorry for you." she sighed.
"haha. She is not bad, in fact, I'm glad she is my advisor" he smiled.
"Really?" she raised her eyebrow at his words.
"Yeah, really." nodded Bell.
"Bell, this is Mirelia Marc. She is a great friend of mine, if you ever need to learn anything about magic, she is the best at it." Said Riveria, pointing at an elf with bright purple hair and purple eyes.
"Please, Riveria. I can't even come close to you. Welcome to our familia, Bell. I hope you find it unjoyful."
"Yes. I'm happy to be here." he smiled brightly.
Bell had seen her before while walking to Loki's office, but they hadn't been properly introduced. Her beauty too was breathtaking. Elves are known for their beauty and seemingly perfect features, but Riveria and Mirelia are just leagues above.
But now that Bell thinks about it…
'Why does Loki Familia have so many beautiful girls?' he asked himself, but something trailed him from his thoughts not long after.
"Tell us, lad. How did you survive the dungeon without a familia?" It was Gareth who asked.
The chattering at the table started to cease and some leaned forward to hear the boy's answer. A particular golden-haired girl seemed to be more interested than the usual.
"Was that such a big thing? Aside from the training my grandfather gave me, I just used to fight monsters on the branches around my village. I guess that made it easier for me."
Bell answered honestly, he was just doing what he used to. Nothing too special about it.
"How long you took?"
A meek voice resounded through the table. Once again, the conversation stopped and everyone started to pay attention. It was the Sword Princess who spoke, Aiz Wallenstein.
"Huh?"
"How long you took to go that far?" she repeated the question, just strong enough for the ones at the table to hear.
"Oh. That was on my third day." The executives gasped in amazement. "Uh-m… I didn't get much further after that, though." Bell then gave a gentle smile, hoping to divert the subject.
"Amazing…"
"Tell us more about your village!"
"What makes you so strong?"
"Impressive, kid."
But little did he know the amount of questions that he would have to answer.
After having breakfast with the executives from Loki Familia, I became acquainted with several other members from Loki Familia. I have no complaints about any of them and I'm glad that I joined this familia.
Goddess Loki said that she wanted to speak with me, so I'm now heading to her room. Today, I plan I'll move my things from the hotel and inform the guild about my new familia. Riveria said that she has a few errands to run in the city, so she would accompany me to the guild; It was needed for a representative of the familia in question to confirm that a new member was added. Yue also offered to tag along, probably because of her "big sis".
*knock *knock*
Arriving at her room, I knock on the door.
"Com'in" she says, allowing me to enter.
"Excuse me, Loki-sama"
"Ya to have fit right in with the others." Remarked Loki
I nodded with a smile. "They're nice people."
She had a grin on her face. For some reason, Goddess Loki and the other top executives from Loki familia seem to be putting extra effort so that I become comfortable with the others, despite my circumstances. I think back on everything that happened, trying to find out why. Maybe they just don't want to anger Goddess Freya? Or maybe it's just who they are… The latter seems more plausible; Freya Familia has just faced punishment, so I doubt they would make a move against the second strongest Familia. The gap between the two of them is not that large either, so I don't think Freya would go that far just because of me.
"Now that the contract is active, Freya will wanna have it. Ya can take it to her when ya can." Loki said, handing me the parchment.
"Loki-sama… About my skill, should I tell her too?" I asked.
"Yeah… That's a problem…." I hear her mumble. "If Freya asks about it then we'll have to tell, but for now lets save it for a surprise, yes?" smirked Loki.
I sighed. These Gods and their schemes... I think I should just get used to it.
"I'll be taking my leave then, Loki-sama. See you later!"
"See'ya later, Bell-tan!" she said.
I left her room and took a last look at the contract. From what I see, it seems to be awfully disadvantageous to Loki Familia; I don't know what is this "Eagle feather robe" though, it's probably something valuable.
Now going down the stairs of the manor I head myself to the entry, where I'll wait for Yue and Riveria. It shouldn't take long for them to arrive.
After ten minutes, I see them coming to me in unison and we start walking through North Main Street. We'll be stopping in a few stores along the way before heading to the guild. It seems that Loki Familia will be going on an expedition to the deeper floors in a few weeks. They've barely arrived from one and are already making plans for another. I wonder if this is also the routine of a familia from the lower ranking.
"Riveria-san, I know that there is another executive that I haven't seen yet… Where is she, if I may ask?"
If I'm not mistaken, her name is Satomi Saito "Blink" and an Lv. 5. For some reason, I've never seen her while I was in the Twilight Manor.
"She is the most isolated person from our familia. But you'll come to meet her, don't worry." reassured Riveria.
I couldn't help but think that the high-elf was being vague, but I never expected for her to tell everything to a newcomer like me either. I decided to shrug off for now, but I'm certainly curious about it.
After placing orders for a few materials that are lacking for the Manor, Riveria decided to stop by the Dian Cecht Pharmacy. It's been a little while since I've been there. After learning about the incomes of the dungeon, I decided that it was better to not take so many risks and avoid using any potion to heal myself. Now that I have a place to stay and don't have to spend any valis with food, that was bound to change. I could focus on getting stronger, instead of worrying about money. As of now, I have a little more than 85,000 valis, so I'll use this opportunity to resupply my stock of potions.
Arriving at the Pharmacy, I see Airmid behind the counter attending a group of adventurers. We decided to wait until it came to our turn.
After a few minutes, Airmid turned towards us and tilted her head.
"Riveria-san and… Bell? I didn't know you were from Loki Familia."
"He's just joined us yesterday; we are going to register him at the guild after this." clarified Riveria.
I can see Airmid's face losing its color and her eyes widening.
"H-eh! B-but that would mean…-" she stuttered.
Riveria only nodded at her remark.
Seeing how much Airmid is glaring at me now, it seems she is not happy about it. To that, I could only give her the brightest smile I could muster.
"Ne-nee. You are a daring one, aren't you Bell?" It was Yue who spoke with a teasing tone. "You didn't tell her that you didn't have a falna and now you are trying to seduce her with this smile of yours. he-he" she chuckled.
"W-what are you talking about, Yue. It's nothing like that!"
I'll have to learn how to deal with the teasings of this girl. Thankfully, it seems I wasn't the only one affected by it, as Airmid has a little blush herself.
*ahem* she cleared her throat and proceeded to speak.
"So, what do you guys need?" she finally asked, moving to the next topic.
In the end, Riveria made an order for 70 elixirs, 180 High potions, and 700 Potions. And that was just a resupply for the restoration of health, there were still mind potions to buy. I paled at the numbers, making a rough calculation in my head, all of that should get close to 60,000,000 valis, but it seems like this is something common for them. Thinking about it, it makes sense for a big familia to buy goods in large quantities in exchange for a discount. Everything will be delivered at the Twilight Manor in due time.
I, however, decided to just buy another five vials of potion. I still haven't used the high-potions that I bought so there is no need for that. I also saw something interesting in a shelf and decided to buy it. And so, after saying goodbye, we walked to the guild's headquarters.
The Dian Cecht Pharmacy is pretty close to the guild, so we arrived in no time. Crossing the entrance, I can see Rose-san standing by a counter with her arms crossed and the typical bored expression on her face. Seeing her and Yue right beside me, I wonder two sisters that look so similar can be so different in the way that they act. Looking at them, I could say that my advisor must be around ten years older than her sister. Would that be able to justify it? No, they may look different on the surface but on the inside, I think they are pretty similar.
While walking to her, Rose-san finally noticed our presence.
"Bell. Didn't expect you to take so long today." She nonchalantly spoke.
"Morning Rose-san. Were you waiting for me?" I asked, fully knowing the truth. She probably was already imagining the worst.
"You wish." she rolled her eyes. "What are you doing with Riveria Ljos Alf and that girl?"
"This girl" huh. So, she acts disinterested even with Yue.
"I'm here to register Bell as an adventurer and member of Loki Familia." answered Riveria.
Rose's eyes widened a bit. She barely expresses anything, but looking close enough is possible to notice subtle changes. Looking at Yue I can see her with a broad smile while staring at Rose-san, which returned the stare.
"Fine, let's get this over with." sighed Rose.
After urging us to follow her, we started getting the papers in order and my situation at the guild was regularized. After my registration, I also used the moment to trade the magic stones I've been stacking, I received 19,817 valis for those. The whole process was pretty simple and before long I was in the hotel room gathering my things. After this, I'll take everything back to the Twilight Manor and call it a day. There was still enough time to go to the dungeon, but I decided against it. This little time will be more valuable if I use it in another way. Getting to know my familia is something important, so maybe I'll do just that.
After a good night of sleep, I began to slowly open my eyes. Over the years I learned to always wake up in the early morning, except for times when I'm too tired to even realize. Getting up from bed, I start to get ready for the day. Today is to be my first time in the dungeon with a falna on my back. When I received the goddess blessing, I noticed an increase in my strength, but I can only know by how much while tackling the dungeon and pushing through the seventh floor.
Leaving my room, I was met by a pair of Amazons. They were Tione and Tiona, one of the people I had become friends with.
"OH, Bell! Didn't know your room was here!" exclaimed Tiona.
It seems that even at this hour of the day she is as cheerful as always.
"Yeah… Loki wanted my room to be closer to hers, so I'll be staying here for now." I explain.
Tiona showed a troubled expression as if thinking hard about something.
"Hmm… I thought Loki only liked girls, though. But I can see why she would go for you too!" she blurted.
I laughed.
"I'm sure it's nothing like that, though." I laughed.
But Tiona said something interesting… Loki likes girls. Would that be the reason why there is so many of them in this Familia?
"hm. If you say so…" she uttered. "Are you heading to the dining hall? Want to come with us?" she asked.
"Sure, I don't mind…"
"Let go!" she smiled.
"So, you seem to be going to the dungeon today…" spoke Tione while eyeing me.
I nodded. "I'm curious about the falna, maybe I'll manage to get down one more floor."
"Don't rush too much, Captain would be displeased if you get hurt." she warned.
"Sure thing." I smiled.
Her reason seemed suspicious to me, but I'll just shrug off.
After a little walk through the corridors, we reached the hall. Now would be the time to part ways.
"All right. See you later, Tiona. Tione." I waved at them.
"Eh! I thought you were coming with us…" spoke Tiona.
Does she mean…
"Oh. I can't go to the table of the executives. Don't worry, I'll find somewhere else." I reassured.
"Is that it? Lefiya and the others eat with us all the time, there is no problem at all!" argued Tiona.
"B-but I-"
"Just come with us already, I'll lose my seat beside the Captain."
Tione dragged me to their table and I sited between Aiz Wallenstein and Riveria. The food was good, as it was last time. Despite being surrounded by first-tier adventurers, I found myself comfortable in their presence. For some reason, though, I saw an orange-haired elf growling at me while mumbling something I couldn't understand. I decided to ignore that for now.
After breakfast, I decided to take a detour and head to the Hostess. Seeing that the pub doesn't seem to be so packed with customers, I go to the counter.
"Good morning, Mama Mia. Is Syr around?"
She raises her eyebrow at my question while cleaning some glass. She then moves her head towards the kitchen.
"Make it quick. An' make sure ya buy sometin'."
I nod at her with a smile and head to Syr.
I wonder how many waitresses from the Hostess know that she is actually Goddess Freya. Mama Mia probably knows, as she is the former Captain from Freya Familia. The others don't seem to have a clue about it, though.
Getting to the kitchen, I see her washing some plates.
"Hello, Syr. Good morning." I greet her.
"Oh! Good morning, Bell. Are you here for your lunch? I thought you wouldn't come anymore, as the Hostess is quite far from the Manor…" she spoke while looking to the ground.
"Don't worry, I'm not here for that. It's just that I have to give you my promise. I understand if you can't take it now."
A blush came to her face as she tried to hide it with her hands.
"Do it later, please." she said.
I nodded. "Don't worry, I'll keep coming here to visit you." I reassured. "Have to go now, goodbye."
"Bye, Bell!" she waved.
Leaving the Hostess with a few snacks, I can finally head to the dungeon. There are two things I must figure out today. The first is how much stronger I am just because of the presence of a falna. And the second is just how effective my skill "Noble Impetus" is.
I'm now on the staircase to the first floor of the dungeon. Today, I'll just repeat everything I've been doing during the past few days and observe if there is any difference. So, I'll get to the fifth floor as fast as I can and start cleaning the 'trap rooms' from there. As floors go down, the size of the floors goes up, but the number of 'trap rooms' also diminishes as they become more subtle and scattered along the floor. I take the first step to go down, expecting to reach somewhere that I could not before.
…
'I'm so stupid! Why did I have to go down one more floor?'
The journey to the seventh floor was simpler than he expected. His endurance after receiving a falna skyrocketed, now Bell was finally able to keep fighting monster after monster without getting so tired. That gave him the confidence to keep going further, but the dungeon is not that simple.
He is now on the end of the eighth floor completely surrounded by monsters. This is not even a 'trap room' but the monsters from this floor far outclasses the ones from the branches in strength, intelligence, and coordination. At first, it was just a couple of Goblins and Kobolds; but despite the difference in strength, he could overcome that. The problem was when a roaming Killer-Ant appeared to make his life miserable.
The Killer Ants aren't a natural monster from the eighth floor, but it is not unusual for monsters to go up or down a floor or two. Bell decided to eliminate the Ant as fast as he could and he dealt great damage to the monster, but before he could finish it off, the goblins made suicide attacks to prevent him. Naturally, in her last breath, the Killer Ant called for backup before he could stomp her head. And that's how he got surrounded.
'No, that's not the problem. I should have just saved the Ant for last.' He thought.
Thirteen Killer Ants are in the room. Five strong goblins and Seven kobolds.
'At least there aren't any War Shadows that crossed the floors.' He tried to be optimistic.
Too bad it didn't last long. Three War Shadows just entered the room.
'What a joke.' He muttered.
There is no way Bell can leave this room without taking damage. But he has two high potions. That should be his ticket to get out alive. So, he will eliminate the most dangerous monsters as fast as he can, even if he has to sacrifice his own body a little. There will be time for healing later.
This time, he'll save the Ants for last making sure to not damage them at all. Those he will kill in just one move. If another they call for back up again, he is finished.
Three Killer Ants are jumping at him now, he runs to the one coming from left and slides on the ground right under the monster. Finding an opening in between the shells, he pierces it with his short sword shattering the magic stone. The path is clear for him to face the goblins, but it won't be easy; they're stronger and smarter. He has to do something they would never expect.
Bell sheaths his weapons; He'll just dodge their attacks for now. Reaching his pocket, Bell grabs two vials; a red and a black one. The red, he decided to drink it. The black one, he threw to the ground closer to him.
*crack*
Upon contact, a cloud of black smoke started engulfing the place. The monsters can't cooperate if they can barely see each other. The red potion, on the other hand, allows him to see even when visibility is compromised. The whole set costed Bell more than twenty-five thousand valis. But he knew it would be worth it. The items are very useful for solo adventurers while facing large groups of small monsters. It wouldn't work so well in the floors below because of the size of the rooms. But on the eighth floor, it was still good enough to give him an indispensable advantage.
And now, the slaughter can finally begin.
The five goblins, completely apart from each other could do nothing to stop Bell from taking off their arms, legs, heads, and breaking their magic stones. Bell had to endure a few scratches here and there, but nothing deep enough to compromise his mobility. The War Shadows are another problem, though.
"Uhgghh!"
The back of his left leg was injured by the humanoid monster. His response was, as the War shadow was passing through, to crave the sword he was holding in reverse grip on the creature's exposed chest. This injury was a problem, but he couldn't lose any time. Kicking the ground, he rushed towards the next War Shadow. The smoke in the room was starting to subside, he had to make it quick.
A Killer Ant launching at him fell where he once was; Bell was now running at full throttle against the second humanoid, he opted for a diagonal slash with his right short sword. The monster dodged the attack, but that was a feint. The real attack was a spin and slash with his left one. From what the monster could see, there was no opening in his attack, the movements from his two swords were protection every place where the monster could inflict a mortal wound. All that was left was for him to die with the powerful horizontal strike.
A couple of Killer Ants are on his way towards the next War Shadow. Bell just dodges and kicks them. Some of them made a few marks of his arm, he just shrugged off. One of them, though, was one stupid enough to launch and jump at him from the front. Bell just cut it in half from head to gaster. That made a strange liquid spill on him.
'Ugh. Disgusting monster.'
Taking advantage of the moment, another Ant made a cut on his back waist.
"argh!"
He ignored it the best he could and moved to the next target.
While closer to the third War Shadow, the monster swung first its claws to the boy's head with he blocked. The second attack was meant to pierce through his heart. He happily accepted the strike, fully trusting the quality of his armor. And, just as he expected, after the failed attack, the war shadow was now ready to meet its end. After killing the War Shadow, an annoying ant fell over him tried to bite his face.
"Urgh!"
That was blocked with his left arm, but not without damage. He used his right sword to pierce through the annoying ant's head.
There are only ten Killer Ants, but the smoke is completely dispersing now. He still has the advantage of visibility, though. He was now observing the position from his enemies, trying to find the best move.
"Now is the time to take the high-potion." He concluded.
Drinking every drop from the potion, Bell felt his wounds - even the deeper ones - slowly starting to close. He just needs to buy enough time and then, by the time he is fully healed, these Ants will not stand a chance.
I'm again drenched in monsters' blood and, again, other adventurers are looking and snickering at me. The fighting against those Killer Ants was more difficult than I anticipated, even now a have some small cuts on unprotected parts of my body. Marks of claws and teeth also ornaments my armor.
I sigh.
'How could I underestimate the dungeon by that much?'
Looking at my condition, I sigh again.
I can't go to Goddess Freya like this, I'll have to rent a shower room in the Babel Tower and take a bath.
I'm now climbing up the stairs to the great hall. On the Babel Tower, there are many rooms and services that can be used by adventurers; One of them is the showers.
After cleaning myself, Ottarl appears before my eyes and urges me to follow him. It seems Freya got my message.
Most of the way, the journey was enjoyed in silence. None of us would say anything, until…
"Keep getting stronger and lady Freya will be pleased." he spoke
I nodded. "I will."
He glanced at me at my words.
For some reason, it didn't seem like he cared about proper treatment. In fact, he probably is more comfortable without them. And so, we made our way to Freya's private room.
After crossing the doors, I bowed and greeted her.
"Good evening, Freya-sama. I hope that I didn't make you wait."
"Don't worry, I was rather enjoying your time in the dungeon."
"You were watching?"
"Of course. Fufu." She replied.
"By the way, you didn't have to rent a room and take a shower just for me, Bell ~ You could just do it in my room instead. -heh-he." teased the goddess. "I like your smell though, so I won't complain," she added.
I can't help but blush at her words.
*ahem* "I suppose this should stay with you?" I said while giving her the signed contract, trying to move to a less embarrassing subject.
"Thank you, Bell." She said, taking the parchment from my hands.
"If you don't mind me asking, Freya-sama…"
"Go on." she urged.
"Why did you write the contract that way?" I questioned.
"Excuse me?" she raised her eyebrow.
"You could have easily written "At the end of a year after the bestowment of the falna", but you decided against it. There is no clear deadline in any of the words."
.
A truce between Loki and Freya Familia occurs as long as the contract is valid, which means that it could extend for more time than anticipated.
Loki receives the "eagle feather robe" when the contract is completed, also meaning that the moment is not yet defined.
And; After a year of the bestowment of the falna by Loki, I will transfer to Freya familia. That means my transfer could be done in two years time and the contract would be valid until then, for example?
.
"Fufufu." she laughed.
"You told me there would be no more plots, right?" I reminded her.
"But that was after I wrote it, was it not?" She retorted.
I sigh.
"What are you planning now?" I asked.
"That's a secret, Bell-kun~" she playfully said, covering her mouth.
This Goddess… Plotting is like second nature to her; I doubt she can stop it. But that is also part of her charm., I guess.
Still, I don't understand her contradictory actions. But that must also be one of the reasons Loki Familia was so ready to accept it. If the contract didn't give them even a little maneuverability, it would be painfully disadvantageous. They'll certainly use all of this truce time, to make their move and gauge what I can do for them or for Freya.
"Well. I'll be taking my leave, then." I bowed.
"Wait, Bell." She started. "I have a present for you." She smiled while walking to a bookshelf.
"Please, Freya-sama. You don't have to." I told her while shaking my head.
"Don't worry. It's just a book. he-he" she said. "Please, take this as an apology. I'm sure you'll like the read. You can return it afterward." she grinned.
Well, if it's just a book then there is no problem. I suppose.
"Thank you, Freya-sama. I'll make sure to return it to you." I bowed again while taking the big white book that has no title on its cover. That made me curious.
She nodded. "Goodbye, Bell." she slimed.
I wave at her and put the book in my bag.
I will be stopping by the guild before heading to the Twilight Manor, so I still have to walk about 9 km before resting.
"ahh."
I sigh.
I am finally in the Twilight Manor resting on my bed. After trading the magic stones at the guild, I received 11,483 valis. With that much, a sole adventurer could easily live in the city. It would be hard for me to consistently do that much though. I wish to get stronger but that will never happen if I'm dead.
I am now waiting for my first status update. Goddess Loki said that she wants to keep close track of my progression, but now she is updating the status of the other members of our familia. Deciding to read something in the meantime, I reach out for the book Goddess Freya gave me. It is certainly different from the ones I've seen before.
I open the book and see written words on the first page.
Chapter 1: Modern Magic Even Goblins Can Understand
'Does Goddess Freya wish me to learn magic?' I wonder.
The first paragraphs of the book say nothing that would help me with that. But occasionally, there are some symbols appearing between the lines. Could they mean something if I start to put them together?
I flip to the next page. Something interesting crosses my eyes.
Magic is interest. This is a vital factor for all acquired magic. What holds your interest – what do you accept, hate, want, grieve for, worship, swear to, long for? The trigger is already within you. Your Falna will carve your soul into a blazing sun.
I blink. And then I see myself. I flip the page again.
If you desire it, answer. If you desire it, break. If you desire it, focus! A terrible mirror of truth lies before you.
My vision is contorting. Everything is turning dark. My mind is blank.
.
.
What is magic to me?
I don't know.
But it's something great and mysterious.
Something unknown, a mysterious power used by heroes to come back from near death.
Strong, violent, uncontrollable, overwhelming.
.
What is magic to me?
Power
Great power.
Both a weapon and a shield.
An element that will help me at every moment.
.
What kind of a thing is Magic to me?
A thing?
Magic is a force that has no color;
It had no sound, taste, or smell.
Something invisible, yet powerful.
It is just in the air.
Something that I can use to protect those I care about.
.
What do you seek in magic?
If I can… If I am worthy enough…!
I want to become a hero.
You are such a child… -Bell!-
"Bell!" "Wake up!" "Bell!"
I slowly open my eyes and see Goddess Loki gripping my shoulders while swinging me back and forth.
"What is it, Loki-sama?" I utter.
"I told ya to wait, but decided to sleep instead." she huffed. "An' ya slept while readin' a… book?" Loki tilted her head.
"ey, Bell. Do ya know what that Is?" asked Loki.
"huh? No, why?" I answer.
"That's a grimoire, kid. Wher d'ya get it?" she questioned.
"A grimoire…" I mused. "Goddess Freya gave it to me."
A frown appeared on her face and she seems to be even more annoyed than before.
"th- t ny—hm- g-sss- y- id- sw a- -ll -hr" I hear her mumble.
She sighs not long afterward.
"Lets just update yer status. C'mon, takoff yer clothes." She grinned.
I complied and took off my shirt, leaving my upper half-naked.
I am now lying on my bed with my back exposed while Loki sits on top of me. She starts working with her blood to update my status. Hopefully, it won't take long.
"DANM, KID! WHAT'VE YOU BEEN DOIN' DOWN THERE?!" she screams. "That's more than 270 points!"
"Just killing monsters, I guess." I shrug off. Today was certainly an abnormal one.
"Yeah, right… Like I'll believe that." She said, while handing me the paper.
.
.
Bell Cranel
Age: 16 years old
Familia: Loki Familia
.
Level: 1
.
Strength: I-0 - I-59
Endurance: I-0 - I-77
Dexterity: I-0 - I-71
Agility: I-0 - I-64
Magic: I-0
.
Skill
(Noble Impetus)
. Rapid growth.
. Continued desire results in continued growth.
. Stronger desire results in stronger growth.
.
Magic
(Vim Magneticam)
. Gives the user control over magnetism and ?.
.
So. It really was a grimoire, huh.
That woman and her tricks… Well, I cannot say that I'm not happy about it. This magic, whatever it is, I just feel that it'll immensely help me. I should probably thank her later.
"Now, listen to me, Bell-tan. Don't go usin' this magic of yers without guidance. Understand?" she spoke. Her eyes were fully open now, showing me how serious Goddess Loki was.
I nodded at her.
"Ya ask Riveria, or Mirelia to help ya. Doesn't matter. But if ya try an' do this alone ya only get yourself killed, got it?" she advised.
"Ok, I promise I won't use it without someone with me." I reassured.
It's not even like I could do anything else. I don't even know what "magnetism" is, to begin with.
"Good. I'll be takin' this then." she said while grabbing the grimoire. "Ya should get back to sleep, Bell-tan." she smirked while leaving my room.
Oh yeah, I'll just heed her advice and return to my sleep.
AN:
Hello again.
I hope you enjoyed the chapter; it took a little longer but here it is.
Now I'll take a moment to talk about a few things; mainly the OC's and the ship.
So, to Loki Familia we'll have 3 girls. I wanted to add a little more balance between the male and female characters, but I understand how difficult that is especially in a story like DanMachi. Luckily, for Loki Familia, we have a good justification for only having 2 male characters as first-tier adventurers, so I'll let it slide.
About Mirelia… I first thought about her character because I wanted Riveria to have someone she could really consider a friend. In her relationship with the others girls from Loki familia she is always mentioned to be the mother figure. I was curious about where I could take her if she has someone who she trusts and can be a little more vulnerable. Mirelia being an elf is supposed to help with that. When I first thought about how she would look I imagined the bright purple hair and purple eyes… It was pretty similar to Mirelia Melromarc from Tate no Yusha, so I just decided to use her name. It should also give a more visual reference to her.
Yue. I also wanted to know more about Rose and wondered about how would be if she had a younger sister who was an adventurer. Initially, I liked her design so much and just wanted to turn her into an adventurer instead. But everything about her would end up being different, so I decided against it and went for an OC instead. That's Yue Fannett.
The third girl, Satomi... Well, there is not much to talk about her now, but she'll have a role in Loki Familia. Mainly she was created because the younger generation composed by Aiz, Bete, Tione and Tiona has a lot of power and strength but little brain. And I can't make Raul become a genius overnight... Not in this fic at least.
About the main ship.
What I can say for now is that the chances of a harem are very slim. I think that characters like Aiz, Riveria, Ryu, Freya, and even Airmid or other girls, deserve to be the main and only girl of a story. I feel like their characters are diminished if they are only part of a harem. That's why it is unlikely to happen in this story. I hope you can understand.
Up until now, we've been accompanying Bell day by day but that is bound to change in the next chapters. Longer time skips will start to occur more frequently as well. I'll try to make it as natural I can.
And that's it. Thanks for reading.