The Cure
DISCLAIMER: Danmachi belongs to its respective owners. Everything that occurs in this story is of my own creation and the characters abide by the fictional laws in the setting.
Author Note: If you'd like to support me, please consider joining the dis cord server (42SQENPj54) or supporting my Patron (IreJasmine)
Chapter 3: An Opportunistic God
Part 5
The next morning was an awkward affair, not because Alfia's nightgown had been thrown away somewhere during the night and Bell had been the first to awake to his aunt's nakedness, but because of the inn keeper asking unwanted, and unneeded, questions to Bell during breakfast about his aunt.
Thankfully, they would only be staying one night longer.
After breakfast, Bell memorized the location of the Guild and left the city's map in the hands of his aunt for her to use, as he was certain she would need it more than him.
Once they were on the streets, Bell hesitated for an entire minute whether to separate from his aunt or stay by her side until she was done with her tasks, but the decision was taken out of his hands after she chopped his forehead, and with a glare, Bell was sent on his merry way to the Guild.
Really, that child.
For all his self-forced maturity, he could still be quite childish when it came to her.
Not that she wouldn't have it any other way.
With a rare smile, Alfia went about her own merry way.
- 0 – TC – 0 -
Orario was, is, a bustling city that anyone not familiar with the way the streets were laid, would've gotten themselves lost in minutes and while Bell was one of those not familiar with its infrastructure, the grueling training under his aunt's allowed him to easily navigate the bustling streets without getting lost.
His journey to the Guild was a slow one as he'd taken a somewhat touristic route to see more of what the city had to offer, his crimson eyes more than once locking onto other adventurers and making him feel giddy inside as he would soon join their ranks.
And no, he was not looking more at the adventurers than the buildings because buildings weren't women.
No sir.
Don't look at him like that! It was not his fault his aunt was the only female contact predominating the majority of his pubescent life.
It was during such ridiculous thoughts and while he was looking at another group of female adventurers on the other side of the street that he accidentally smacked his head against someone's else with a resounding crack.
"Ooogh, I'm, ugh, sorry," Bell replied holding his forehead and looking at the person he'd collided with.
"I knew I said I needed something to wake me up," The person replied holding her own forehead in pain and looking back at Bell with her own teary red eye, "But I didn't mean it in this way."
"Oh Gods, I'm so sorry miss…?" Bell ignored the throbbing pain in his forehead to help the red-haired woman stand straight and look at where he'd hit her, and he found the spot not a second later for it had an angry red mark already.
"You don't know?" Her question went unanswered as Bell focused deep within himself at his own 'noise' as his aunt had taught him, and made it vibrate until it surfaced to the palm of his hands which he gently pressed against the red spot on the woman's temple.
"Ohh, that's… That's nice." Her voice trembled followed by a deep exhalation as the headache she had for the entire morning disappeared along with the throbbing pain on her temples.
"I'm so sorry for that, I wasn't looking where I was going," Bell apologized profusely after he was done using what little bit of magic he could use without a Falna, something he achieved only thanks to his aunt's extreme teaching methods. "It doesn't hurt any more, right?"
"No, and it's alright, I wasn't looking where I was going either," The red-haired woman replied and straightened her white shirt with high collar.
"Ah, I'm glad, not that you weren't looking either but that it doesn't hurt I mean." Bell stumbled awkwardly over his words.
Talking with another woman besides his aunt wasn't as easy as the old man said it would be!
A cloud of despair rolled over Bell's head as the red-haired woman giggled into her gloved hand at his awkwardness, "You're new to Orario, aren't you?"
"Hai… Only been here for a day," Bell scratched his cheek as he replied and received an appraising look from the red-haired woman.
"Based on how you're dressed, you're seeking to become an adventurer, no?" Her eye roamed his eastern ensemble, stopping at his waist where the simple longsword rested for a moment longer before returning to Bell's face.
"Hopefully, yes." Bell replied in kind to her roaming eye, taking in the woman's wild short red hair, her sharp features, and appreciated the deep cleavage displayed the open collar of her white dress shirt, black sleeves that covered every inch of skin of her arms, the tools hanging from the belt around her slim waist and the coarse-looking black pants with brown knee-high boots. "I'm sorry I didn't catch your name earlier…"
"You really don't know huh…" There was another giggle at her words, and she offered her hand for a handshake as she finally answered, "Hephaestus."
Oh.
Oh shit.
Wait, don't panic yet Bell.
Maybe she was named after the God, right? Right!?
"… The… God…?" Bell slowly asked.
A giggle and a smile were his answer.
Well shit.
"I'm so sorry Goddess!" Bell bowed at a perfect ninety-degree angle to apologize again, "It wasn't my int-"
"Ahahaha, you're one of a kind!" Hephaestus interrupted his apologetic rambling, placing her hand on Bell's shoulder and stopped him from continuing bowing. "It's alright, it was an accident."
"Sorry, I'll make it up to you, Goddess." Bell apologized one last time and straightened. "Talk about making a great first impression," Bell jokingly grumbled under his breath making Hephaestus laugh again at his antics.
"You were heading towards the guild, no?" Hephaestus asked.
"Yes, how did you…?" Bell blinked curiously.
"Guessed, I'm on my way to deliver some items there too." Hephaestus looked up in thought for a second before her red eye glinted and fell over Bell again, "I know how you can make it up to me, would you mind carrying one of those two boxes over there to the Guild with me?"
Bell didn't hesitate to make it up to the Goddess, lifting said wooden box filled to the brim with trinkets, accessories and the rare weapon here and there, most likely all made by hand by the Goddess beside him who lifted the other box with similar items.
"Now, you know my name, but haven't told me yours yet," Hephaestus started the small talk as soon as they started walking side by side towards the guild.
"Bell Cranel, I wish we could've met another way, Goddess." Bell awkwardly replied and would've scratched his cheek had his hands not being occupied by the trinket box.
"Well, you said it, I'm certain I won't forget our meeting anytime soon," Hephaestus laughed again making another cloud roll over Bell's head. "I'm surprised you can use magic when you're dressed as a far east swordsman."
"My teacher taught me well," Bell smiled with his response, "I owe everything to her, and I intend to repay it back..."
"Oh?" Hephaestus leaned closer until her shoulder rubbed with Bell's.
"She's sick and I'm looking for a cure for her, she has tried a lot of things and has given up, but I haven't, and I never will." Bell took a deep breath, "I will find a cure for her, no matter what, it's why we came to Orario."
Hephaestus didn't feel a single once of a lie in his statement, and she was somewhat moved by the young adventurer's determination. "Does her sickness have a name?"
Bell denied with his head, "No, there's several ones similar to hers but none of the treatments have supposedly worked… or I've been doing them the wrong way…"
At his discouragement, Hephaestus rubbed his shoulder with hers again, "Chin up, Bell. I'm sure that now that you're in Orario there won't be a shortage of remedies you can try for her."
"You're right, thank you, Goddess." Bell gave her a soft smile that she replicated in kind.
"Wait, I just realized, you said you arrived at Orario yesterday," Hephaestus suddenly blinked, "You used magic without a Falna?"
"Um… Yes?" Bell awkwardly replied, "From the books I read it isn't all that rare… right?"
Hephaestus would've smacked her forehead, or better yet, smacked his forehead had her hands not been occupied. "That's an extremely rare feat you've accomplished Bell, and for one so young, almost unheard of."
"Oh…"
Oh indeed.
His aunt had never mentioned anything akin to that.
Actually, she might've said it when he was younger, and he couldn't remember that time at all. Either that, or she had pummeled him unconscious during that exact lesson and he'd forgotten it with the concussion.
"Is that a good or bad thing for me, Goddess?" Bell had to ask because while Alfia had been very specific about how the Gods were very opportunistic, her knowledge was also outdated… probably.
"Both, Bell, both." Hephaestus sighed, "If you had any knowledge in crafting, I would've already offered a place for you in my Familia just because you were able to use chantless magic. Any other God would've snatched you right up just for that too, and there's no telling whether you'd ended in a good or bad Familia."
Bell mulled Hephaestus words, the last few leaving him perplexed, "There are good and bad Familias?"
Hephaestus leaned closer to his side to whisper, "You didn't hear this from me, but yes. There are good and bad Familias Bell." She leaned back, jostling her box to fix her grip before continuing, "Some Gods only have a Familia because of the economic comfort it brings them, like the Soma Familia, others are drunk with power like the Apollo Familia, there's the Freya Familia whose Goddess is known to be very hard to deal with, even for other Gods like me."
Bell nodded along to Hephaestus words, and in a moment of stupid clarity asked, "And how would you consider yourself, Goddess?"
Hephaestus blinked, not expecting in the least such a direct and blunt question, but it only added to the boy's uniqueness. "I am another opportunistic God, but one that loves her Children equally and tries to nurture their craft instead of living off from it."
Huh, what an honest response.
"You are kind too, Goddess," Bell smiled as those words left his mouth, not realizing the impact they had on Hephaestus opinion of him.
And while she would've liked to give her response to his compliment, the sight of the Pantheon right in front of them stopped her.
"We're here, Bell. I'll have to impose on you for a little bit longer, you don't mind, right?" Hephaestus motioned with her head to the Guild which Bell assented with a nod and followed behind the Smith's Goddess who was received inside the building with various waves from the other adventurers in the lobby.
They continued forward until she placed her box on one of the many Guild counters, a beastkin man with round glasses coming from the back with a clipboard in hand to attend her while Bell placed his box beside hers.
"Lady Hephaistos, it's nice to see you in good health," The bespectacled beastkin member started, "Are these the items requested by the Guild?"
"Down to the very last one of them," Hephaestus grinned, patting the corner of one of the boxes, "All that's missing is having them appraised by a runemaster for their enchantments and you're set."
The beastkin male hummed as he nodded, "Thank you for your hard work, Lady Hephaistos, it's a shame there's no runemaster in your Familia anymore."
Hephaestus smiled sadly, "Time isn't kind for you folks." A minute of silence that left Bell wondering what that exchange was about occurred before Hephaestus continued, "I'm sure another one will appear in time."
The beastkin sagely nodded before his bespectacled gaze settled on the quiet Bell, "One of your new Children?"
Hephaestus laughed, "I wish, no. He's helping me by pure coincidence. He's here to become an adventurer, could you help him with that?"
The bespectacled beastkin raised an eyebrow but nodded in the positive nonetheless, "If you give me a minute to get the forms, sure."
"Please take your time," Bell kindly replied which earned him a few brownie points with the Guild staff before he went to retrieve said forms.
"I guess this is goodbye, then?" Hephaestus stated, crossing her arms.
"Hai, it was nice meeting you, Goddess. I hope we don't have another impactful meeting next time…" Bell earned himself another round of laughter from the Smith's Goddess.
"I wouldn't mind it happening again if you can cure my morning headaches away," Hephaestus joked along causing Bell to chuckle.
The Guild beastkin returned at that moment with the forms in hand, both eyebrows raised to his hairline as he watched Lady Hephaistos laugh with the newcomer. It wasn't rare to see her smiling, but earning her divine laugh? That was like finding a needle in a haystack.
A very big haystack.
"Ehem," The beastkin coughed to gain Bell's attention who bowed one last time to Lady Hephaistos before standing across the Guild member. "Do you know how to write?"
"Yes,"
"Good, fill these forms then."
Bell took the forms, reading both to the end before filling them in with the information required of him.
Name, age, race, previous experience, area of expertise, notable details about himself, what kind of Familia was he looking for, and so on.
"Do Gods have access to this information?" Bell asked once he reached the notable details about himself section.
"Only if the adventurer gives permission, otherwise it's restricted to Familias they've applied to only."
"I see, thanks." Bell hummed out, filling in the rest of the information under the watchful gaze of the Guild staff, "I was wondering… Is there any kind of restriction for exiled adventurers?"
"Huh? / Eh?" Both the beastkin and Lady Hephaistos who was just about to leave voiced out their surprise at the question, and Bell continued.
"I mean, there was a retired adventurer in my village, and they said they were exiled from Orario… I was curious if there's a time limit for that exile order or any other sort of restriction…"
Technically not a lie, but also not the whole truth.
Alfia was a retired adventurer, and she was exiled from Orario, and he was curious about her exile order.
"Well, it depends on the reason for the order. Would you happen to know that adventurer's name?"
Bell paused for a second, and for the first time since they met, Hephaestus felt Bell lie with another truth, "No, they only said they belonged to the Hera Familia."
"Hera Familia huh, that's a name I haven't heard in a long time…" The beastkin scratched his chin in thought, "It's not so much that they were exiled but more of driven out by the current top Familias, there's no restraining order if they want to return back to Orario, so long as they don't incite the top Familias anger, again."
Bell blinked, "Come again?"
"There never was an exile order, at least not an official one. That was purely word of mouth used by the top Familias fifteen years ago."
…
…
…
Bell slid the filled forms in eerie silence that made the fur on the back of the beastkin's neck stand, and when the young adventurer spoke, it was like the world had given up on all sound except for his faint voice, "I see. Thank you."
It was jarring to both the Guild staff and Hephaestus how it seemed the world had lost its noise as Bell's nails tapped the wooden counter in thought, the sound echoing in the deafening silence despite how busy the Pantheon was at that time of the day.
Even their own breathing and heartbeats felt distant in their own ears.
"Is that all I needed to fill to become an adventurer?" Bell quietly asked and the beastkin quickly nodded in the positive, not trusting his voice to work at the moment. After another long minute of deafening silence, Bell finally pushed his emotions back under control and sound slowly returned to the world, no longer giving the creeps to the staff and the goddess that had yet to leave due to her curiosity.
"I was told at the gate that I had to deliver these permits at the Guild?" Bell brought out the two forms made by Rad, one for himself and the other for Alfia which he handed to the nervous receptionist.
In all her godly curiosity, Hephaestus couldn't help sneaking a peek at the forms and her eyes comically widened when she saw the name on the second one.
A name she hadn't seen for a very long time.
And suddenly everything made sense.
His prodigious achievement of being able to use chantless magic without a Falna, the sickness of his supposed teacher, his age, the reason for asking those specific questions earlier, even the power he just displayed!
Forget him being one of a kind! He was even rarer than that if her suppositions were correct.
"Bell?" Hephaestus called his name and the young boy turned around in surprise to see the goddess was still there while the Guild worker went over the permits. "Come here for a second, I need to have some private words with you."
The Guild worker noted the seriousness in Lady Hephaistos voice, "I will be at the back legalizing these permits for you, call for me when you're done."
Bell nodded and was left alone with the suddenly serious red-haired Goddess that had been kind to him. "Yes, Goddess?"
"I want you-"
"Eh?"
"And your teacher to join my Familia. I don't care if neither of you have any aptitude for crafting, if you two are who I'm thinking you two really are."
Bell's wildly beating heart returned to normal after Hephaestus finished her sentence, "Um, what?"
"The teacher you spoke about and the exiled adventurer you were talking about, it's Alfia, 'The Silence', right?" Hephaestus hard stare forced Bell to stand straight.
The young adventurer thought about lying to the Goddess but after a moment's thought, "Yes."
Hephaestus nodded, grateful for his honesty, "And you're related to her, in one way or another, right?"
"Yes."
"You asked me what kind of Goddess I was, and I told you I was an opportunistic one," Hephaestus gave him a rare, ambitious smile, "So I will ask you again, will you join my Familia?"
- 0 – TC – 0 -
Author's Note: More, very, very soon!