AN: Hey everyone. Here's the next chapter.

"Bell. I'm going to break my one rule. Just this once. For you. Would you join my familia?"

Bell's mind was reeling. Had he heard that correctly? Surely he hadn't. There was no way that was right.

Alise and Ryuu weren't doing much better. Both completely stunned that their goddess had offered this. Alise couldn't have had a bigger smile if she tried. This was exactly what she was hoping for. She would have never considered this before, but Astrea was right. Bell was different. There was just something about him that drew Alise in. Something she couldn't escape. Hearing that Bell would have a chance to stay with her and join her familia filled her to the brim with joy.

Ryuu on the other hand, was not convinced. Yes Bell had saved her goddess, but surely that wouldn't be enough to permit him entrance to the familia. While she would admit that Bell was nothing but polite and respectful to her over the past week, that didn't mean she was ready to live with him. Everything was happening to fast for her.

"I...I..." was all Bell could manage.

Astrea, having seen that her invite overwhelmed poor Bell, got up and walked over to his side. She knelt down in front of him, and took his hands in hers.

"Bell, please consider my offer. You are far too special to end up in an orphanage. If you join my familia, we can help you achieve your dream of being a hero. We can train you, and help you grow. You'll be safe and cared for with us."

"I agree. Please Bell, won't you stay with me?" Asked Alise. Doing her best attempt at giving Bell the puppy dog eyes.

Meanwhile Ryuu could only sit quietly and watch, her brain still trying to comprehend that a boy would be living with them. With her.

"O...Okay. I will" said Bell, his smile starting to grow. "I'd love to! Thank you goddess!" Said bell as he launched himself at both Alise and Astrea for a group hug.

.

The day had gone by pretty quickly after lunch. Ryuu had turned in the quest, while Alise went home to inform the other members that a new arrival would be showing up later in the day, leaving out a rather important detail as she did so.

Bell and Astrea were currently at the guild, registering Bell as an official member of her familia. This caused quite the stir as it was well known that the Astrea familia did not accept men. The guild was having a field day trying to get this all processed. Once it was complete however, no one could deny the pure happiness shown on the boys face.

"So what do we do now goddess?" Asked a still very excited Bell. He was practically jumping up and down"

Astrea could only giggle in seeing his excitement. "Now we head home and introduce you to the others. Later tonight I will also bestow my blessing upon you."

"Goddess, are you sure the others will like me? Miss Ryuu didn't seem overly happy about this" Bell said with a little nervousness.

"She will come around soon enough. As for the others, it will definitely be a surprise, but I think once they meet you they will accept you (I hope)" Said Astrea, saying that last part to herself.

Soon enough they arrived at what Bell could only describe as a palace. It wasn't the biggest place in town, nor was it the most extravagant, but to Bell it was beautiful. A large mansion with excellent craftsmanship. There was a gate at the entrance, golden in color. Beyond the gate was a set of stairs leading up to the front doors. Pillars with torches atop lined the way up. All in all it was a magnificent place. Bell could most certainly get used to this.

Upon entering the mansion, Bell was hid behind his goddess. Alise had called a meeting of all the members in order for everyone to meet the new recruit. All in all there were eleven members, not including Astrea herself. They were all excited to meet there new member, and get to know her.

"Good evening everyone." Said Astrea, starting her speech. "I have some rather exciting news. As you have all heard, we have a new member joining us tonight. This will probably come as a bit of a surprise but please trust in me and all will be explained."

Earning herself a few puzzled looks, Astrea stepped to the side to reveal a very shy boy. He did his best to smile and give out a small bow, but all he received in return was complete silence.

"Um Goddess, who is this" asked one of the members, not sure exactly what was going on.

"Everyone, please meet Bell Cranel, our newest member" said Astrea with a smile. "I know you are all wondering why I have let a boy join our familia, so let me get right into it"

As Astrea explained the story of how she had been attacked, and what Bell went through to save her, many of the members could only stare at the boy in awe. Had this story not come from their goddess herself, they probably wouldn't have believed it. Astrea continued to talk about the journey back, and with Bell's permission, she had told them all everything Bell said about his Grandpa, and how he was now alone with no friends or family.

Alise also did her part as captain and vouched for the boy. Having explained her side of the journey back, and how much she handed bonded with the boy.

The combination of Astrea herself promising this boy to be different from the rest, and the captain of the familia vouching for him as well, was enough to convince the rest of the familia to at least give Bell a chance. And so with the introductions complete, a special dinner celebration was held to welcome Bell to the familia.

Bell was trying his best not to be overwhelmed being the only boy in the room. When the dinner first started, he was sat between his goddess and his captain. While the other members were willing to give him a chance, none wanted to be the first to step up and meet him. Seeing this, Alise sent a small signal to her vice captain to break the ice.

Bell was about to take another bite of food, when he was suddenly approached by someone new. She had long, straight black hair. She was wearing some sort of formal dress Bell had to guess. It was decorated with flowers. It was a dark crimson color, the same color as her eyes. As she approached, Alise introduced her.

"Bell, I'd like you to meet our vice captain, Kaguya."

Bell, looking rather nervous, slowly stood from his seat and gave a small bow. Seeing his nervousness, it was enough for Kaguya to relax herself and put on a smile.

"Hello Bell. If what Lady Astrea has said is true, I must thank you for what you've done" said Kaguya.

"Oh... it was nothing really." Replied a shy Bell, looking away to hide his embarrassment.

"May I ask what you plan on doing now that you are in Orario?" Asked Kaguya

"Um. I'm here to..." mumbled Bell

"I'm sorry I didn't quite catch that. Could you say it again?"

"I'm here to... be a hero.." said Bell, still looking away. He didn't want his new familia to laugh at him on his first night.

"Well I think that's very noble of you Bell. There aren't many heroes left." Said Kaguya, giving him a smile.

Hearing that he wasn't going to be laughed at, Bell picked his head up and looked Kaguya directly in eyes.

"I'll be the best hero of them all!" Exclaimed a newly excited Bell.

As their conversation carried on, and got a little more relaxed, the other members decided it was their turn to meet him as well. One by one Bell had been introduced to everyone in the familia. Some were excited at the new experience, while others were skeptical.

As the celebration came to a close, and each of the members had said their good nights, Bell followed Astrea to her room. He was to finally receive his blessing.

"Okay Bell. I need you to take off your shirt, and turn around."

"Yes goddess... is this going to hurt" asked Bell

"No Bell. You have nothing to fear. Now, let's begin"

As Astrea pricked her finger and a drop of her blood hit Bell's back, he could feel an immediate cooling sensation rush through him. As Astrea finished up, she handed Bell his new status sheet to show that he was now official.

Name: Bell Cranel

Level: 1

STR: 0

END: 0

DEX: 0

AGI: 0

MAG: 0

SKILL:

MAGIC:

"I don't believe it. I'm part of a familia! Grandpa, if only you could see me now. See how far I've come in only a week sense you've been gone! I promise you, that when we meet again, I'll be the hero you told me I would be!" Shouted Bell

"I'm happy to see you like this Bell. I meant what I said at lunch today. I will do everything I can to help you reach that dream. Until then, I think it's time for bed. You are still a growing young boy after all." Said his goddess in a motherly tone.

"But I'm... I'm not even tired" Bell said, yawning halfway through. His eyes starting to grow heavy. "Maybe... maybe just a little rest"

The days excitement had completely worn the poor boy out. He nearly collapsed in exhaustion had Astrea not caught him. As she picked him up, she carried him to his room. Much to her surprise, Ryuu had been waiting outside Bell's room.

"Good evening Ryuu, is there something I can help you with?" Asked Astrea.

"I was hoping to speak with him, but I see that will have to wait"

"He's had a very long day, let's let him rest until morning. You can talk to him then."

"Yes goddess. Goodnight" And with that, Ryuu left to her own room.

I wonder what it is she wanted to talk with him about. She was oddly quiet during dinner. Even for her.

Astrea shrugged it off, figuring she'd find out sooner or later anyways. As she entered Bell's new room. She placed the sleeping boy on his bed. She silently wished him sweet dreams, and was about to leave when she focused for a brief moment on Bell's hair. It was a complete mess, but at the same time, it looked perfect. Soft and inviting. And so, just like her captain before her, Astrea found herself running her hands through Bell's hair without even realizing it. It was just so comforting. She couldn't quite figure out why, but in that moment it didn't matter. She was beginning grow tired herself. Reluctantly, she left Bell alone and returned to her room to turn in for the night.

.

Bell awoke the next morning, excited to start his first day as an official member of a familia. He dressed as quickly as he could. Picking an outfit wasn't hard. He only had the one. As he finished, he turned the knob on his door and was about to step out into the hallway when he came face to face with someone who was about to knock on his door.

"Oh, good morning Miss Ryuu. Can I help you with something?" Asked Bell

Instead of a reply, Bell was met with the end of a wooden sword, only an inch from his neck. Startled by the quick action, he jumped back into his room

"Ahh! What was that for?!" Shouted Bell

"Have you ever held a weapon before?" Asked the elf, ignoring Bell's question.

"Um. No I haven't. Why do you ask?"

"If you are going to be a part of this familia, you will need to learn how to fight. Not only do we uphold the peace, we are also a dungeon exploration familia. As such, you will need to learn how to both defend from, and attack both monsters and other people." Said Ryuu in her usual stoic voice.

"Right! I understand. I'll do my best!" Exclaimed Bell

"Good. Then we'll start right now. Follow me."

As Bell followed Ryuu through the mansion, and into the courtyard, he could see a few other members sparring amongst themselves.

"Grab a weapon from the training rack. Whatever one you want is fine" said Ryuu, pointing to a rack with various kinds of weaponry. As Bell looked over his choices, most of the items were either too big or too heavy for him to use. The only thing he figured he'd be able to swing was a pair of daggers. Grabbing them off the rack, he readied himself across from his opponent. With a nod to Ryuu signaling he was ready, the match began.

In the blink of an eye, Ryuu launched herself forward. Bell didn't even have a chance to raise his daggers to defend as he was met with the end of her wooden sword to his gut. Dropping the daggers and kneeling over, he coughed a few times from the sudden pain. Ryuu, not giving Bell a chance to recover struck him on the back and knocked him flat to the ground.

"Your enemies will not give you a chance to recover. You should have learned that part already. Get up." She said in a rather cold tone.

As the match went on, if one could even call it that, one by one the other members had gathered around to witness the beating their newest member was receiving. Whispers started to float amongst them.

"This is a little harsh, even for Ryuu." Said one member.

"Yeah I think maybe someone should stop her" said another.

Seeing the commotion outside, Alise and Lady Astrea, who had been in a meeting, decided to see what was going on. As they entered the court yard, they were greeted with the sight of a bloodied and bruised Bell. He had long sense abandoned his daggers and was defenseless at this point. Lady Astrea could only gasp at what she was seeing, raising a hand to cover her mouth.

As Alise saw Ryuu prepare for another strike, she burst forward, drawing her own sword as she did. She had just managed to block the blow in time. Ryuu quickly looked up, surprised by the interruption. She was met with a roundhouse kick to the chest that sent her flying back a good distance.

"That's Enough!!" Shouted Alise, snapping Ryuu out of the daze she had been in. As Astrea rushed to Bell to check his injuries, Ryuu could only stare in horror. Had she really caused all this? Bell was covered in bruises and bleeding from a few places. Nothing was life threatening, but he would need some time to recover. Frightened at what she had just done, she dropped her sword to the ground and slowly started to back up.

"I...I'm sorry" she said quietly as she turned and ran into the mansion.

"Kaguya, please grab Bell and bring him inside. His wounds need healing." Said Alise. Looking down on the poor boy. She should have seen this coming. Ryuu was too quiet yesterday. She knew something was wrong. When it came to expressing emotion, Ryuu wasn't exactly the best at it. She tended to bottle things up and they would come exploding out.

"Yes captain" said Kaguya as she scooped Bell into her arms and headed inside.

Bell was given a healing potion to drink, and several poured on his body. He was then wrapped in a few bandages. He took the rest of the day to recover. Astrea made sure that at least one member was with him at all times in case his condition worsened. He had told her several times that that wasn't necessary as he was feeling much better, but Astrea wouldn't budge on the matter. Several of the watches she had done herself.

As dinner time arrived, everyone was gathered around the table to eat. Everyone but one. Ryuu had not come out of her room sense the match that morning. Several members had tried to talk to her, but they received no answer. Astrea, not wanting the day to end like this, sent the one person she guessed could help Ryuu out of her current mental state. That being the boy that put her into it. With a tray of food in his hands, Bell headed off to Ryuu's room.

As he arrived, he set the tray down and gave a gentle knock. Not receiving a response, he knocked again a little harder.

"Miss Ryuu, I brought you some dinner in case you were hungry" Said Bell in a quiet voice.

He waited for a few moments, but yet again, no response came. Sighing to himself, he put the food in front of her door and turned around to leave. He had taken a few steps when he heard the door behind him slowly open.

"Wait...Bell..." said Ryuu, also in a quiet voice. "Can we talk? Please."

"Of course!" Said Bell, his usual enthusiasm returning.

She gestured for him to enter, and as he did she closed the door behind him.

"I want to apologize. What I did to you this morning was not training. It was unfair. You just received your falna, while I am currently a level two. I should have held back. You see, I tend to take things too far, I'm sorry." Said Ryuu, looking down to avoid his gaze.

"Miss Ryuu you have nothing to apologize for." Said Bell, taking a serious tone.

Hearing this, Ryuu instantly snapped her face up to look Bell in the eyes.

"You were right. No one will wait for me to be ready in a fight. I learned that first hand when I tried to save goddess. If I want to be a hero, I need to learn how to fight. If this is what it takes, I want you to train me everyday!" Said Bell.

The resolve in his eyes nearly startled Ryuu. Never before had she seen such determination, such passion. Before her was a boy, only five years of age, yet he had the strongest will she had ever seen in a person. She couldn't help the small smile that graced her features.

As Bell left to rejoin the others for dinner, Ryuu sat in her room, replaying the image of Bell in her mind. Unbeknownst to the two of them, Lady Astrea had been listening to their conversation. After Bell had left, she entered Ryuu's room.

"Do you get it now? Why I broke my one rule for him and accepted him into this familia?" Asked the goddess

"I..I think I do. I've never seen a look like that before in anyones eyes. It was so.. fierce.. so strong. I couldn't bring myself to look away from him." Said Ryuu

"He is special, of that I am sure. I have no doubts that with our guidance, he truly will become a hero" Said Lady Astrea, a beautiful smile across her face.

As the night came to an end. Bell had settled into his bed, ready for sleep. Unknown to him, he was currently occupying the minds of several others in the mansion.

.

Morning came, and once again, Bell was up and ready to go. As everyone sat around the table for breakfast, the other members were making plans for the day. Some would stay behind and train, others needed to service their equipment, and a few were forming a small party to enter the dungeon. Hearing this, Bell couldn't help himself.

"I want to go to the dungeon!" Said Bell, a little to loudly given it was first thing in the morning.

"I'm sorry Bell, but it's going to be awhile before we allow you to enter the dungeon. It's very dangerous down there. Let us train you up a bit before you enter. Once you are proficient with a weapon, you'll need to get yourself a dungeon advisor so you can learn the floor layouts, and the various monsters that are down there. There is a lot to do beforehand" Said Alise

"...okay..." said Bell, sounding like a kicked puppy. The look he had given Alise nearly convinced her to change her mind on the spot, but this was for Bell's own safety.

"I know. Why don't you go with Lyra and Neze shopping. They are getting their weapons serviced. It'll give you a chance to see the town, and learn about the different shops and what they offer." Said Alise. She then turned to look at her two aforementioned members. "Is this alright with the two of you?"

"Yeah I see no problem with it. It'll give us a chance to get to know Bell a little bit" replied Lyra.

This wasn't the first time Bell had met her, but it was the first time he got a really good look. She was on the shorter side. He wasn't sure if that was due to her race or not as she didn't seem like a kid. She had pink hair, something Bell hadn't seen before. As he looked into her eyes, he could see a small grin appear on her face.

With breakfast out of the way, the group of three made their way to babel. They spent the first part of the day touring the various shops on each floor. Bell had nearly fainted when the first thing he saw cost over a hundred million Valis. He didn't even know there was that much money in the whole world. He calmed down however as with each floor change, the prices got a little more manageable until they were into the thousands, and sometimes hundreds.

He had gone with Lyra and Neze as they got their equipment repaired from their last stint into the dungeon. By now though, he was getting rather hungry. He tried not to show it, but he would subconsciously grab at his stomach, something the two adventurers could plainly see.

"Bell, are you hungry?" Asked Neze while rustling his hair.

"Always!" Exclaimed Bell with a giant smile. A smile Neze couldn't consider anything but adorable.

"Great me too. Let's all get some lunch." Replied Neze.

Seeing this as her chance to tease him, Lyra spoke up.

"My my Bell, taking TWO woman out on a date at the same time? Rather bold don't you think." Asked Lyra with a devious grin.

"... what's a date?" Asked Bell rather innocently.

Before Lyra had a chance to say anything else, Neze quickly interjected.

"It's nothing important Bell. Hey this place looks good let's go in here!" Said Neze quickly changing the subject, but not before giving Lyra a glare.

As the trio ate their lunch, they took turns answering questions Bell had about the city. After they were done they returned to the mansion.

"Welcome back." Said Lady Astrea as she watched the three enter the mansion. "So Bell, how did it go?"

"It was great! We went to that super big tower! We visited a bunch of shops and I got to see some really cool weapons!" Said Bell with no lack of excitement.

"Well I'm glad to hear it" replied his goddess.

"And then Miss Lyra and Miss Neze and I went on a date!" Said Bell with a grand smile.

Hearing this, Astrea's smile completely dropped, as did Neze's. Lyra was doing her best not to bust out laughing.

"Bell, who told you that?" Asked Astrea, her eyes instantly finding their way to Lyra. She didn't even need Bell to answer.

"Um, Miss Lyra did. Why do you ask?" Said Bell rather confused.

"Tell me Bell, did Miss Lyra tell you what a date is?" Asked Astrea, emphasizing Lyra's name.

As Bell put a hand to his chin trying to remember, Astrea was slowly making her way to Lyra, as Neze quickly left, realizing what was about to happen.

"No. She didn't. What is a date goddess?" Asked Bell, oblivious to the rage coming out of Lady Astrea.

Lyra, deciding it was time to make an exit, turned to run, only to be stopped by Alise standing behind her. Alise had heard the entire conversation. She was not happy.

"And where exactly are you off to hmm?" Asked Alise, folding her arms over her chest.

"Goddess?" Asked Bell as he had not received an answer the first time.

"I'll leave this in your hands Alise. Come on Bell, why don't you read me some of your hero stories again." Said Astrea.

"Okay!" Said a happy Bell. One mention of story time and his five year old brain would drop anything else.

Once they had left the room, Alise grabbed a hold a Lyra, dragging her into the courtyard where they could have a little "training session" and talk about Lyra's lack of filter.

.

The rest of the day had gone pretty easily. Dinner was much like it was the night before, however all members were present now. As the evening came to a close, Bell had said his goodnights, and was currently laying in bed, unable to sleep. His mind replaying the events of the day.

While he was happy having spent time getting to know Neze and Lyra, he was rather bummed he hadn't gotten to train at all. He had made no new progress towards his goals. Lady Astrea had assured him that there would be plenty of time for that, but still. He was itching to go. If he could be proficient with a weapon, he could go into the dungeon. He longed to go into the dungeon. It's where adventurers got stronger. It's where they leveled up and got new skills. How could he be a hero if he never got stronger? Having decided to start taking his training seriously, his mind finally let him sleep.

.

Waking up earlier than he had the previous two mornings, Bell had made his way into the courtyard, committed to start his training. Much to his surprise someone was already out here. He wasn't sure who it was as she was wearing a hood. As he approached, he noticed this person was not moving at all. She was simply sitting on a rock next to a pond. Her legs were crossed and her arms were at her side. As he walked up to her to find out who else was out here this early, she spoke.

"Good morning Bell"

Recognizing the voice, Bell replied.

"Good morning Miss Ryuu, what are you doing?"

"Meditating. It is good for both the body and the mind. It helps to focus your thoughts and energy. What about you? It's still early. Shouldn't you be sleeping?" Asked the elf, still not having opened her eyes.

"I came to train of course" said Bell, grabbing the pair of daggers off the rack. The same paired he had used last time.

Giving them a few swings, Ryuu opened her eyes to watch him. It was clear no one had ever taught him how to hold a weapon before, let alone swing one. Climbing down from her rock she walked over to him.

"May I" she asked, holding out her hand for the daggers.

"Of course." Said Bell, carefully placing them into her hands as not to touch her. He still remember Alise's warning.

"Hold the daggers like so" said Ryuu, demonstrating the proper grip.

After showing Bell how to hold the daggers, she continued his lesson by working on his stance next. Where to place his feet when standing still, and where to move them when attacking or blocking. Lastly, she taught him how to swing by using not only the daggers, but his arm as well. Seeing as he had a basic grasp at it, she decided to test him.

"Bell, shall we have a little match? I promise to hold back this time." Said Ryuu, showing a small amount of sincerity in the second part.

"I would love too!" Said Bell with his usual smile.

Seeing him get into position and the happiness on his face, Ryuu couldn't help the small smile that formed on her own.

"I'm ready Miss Ryuu. I want to become stronger!"

AN: As always thanks for reading! Cya next time.