A/N: This is my first fan fiction ever, I'm not even a creative writer as a hobby. I'm just bored during quarantine and figured I'd give it a shot. I am open to constructive criticism though.

I want to be fully transparent, and there are events and parts of this story that I read read in other stories and they gave me inspiration for getting the plot moving. I only plan on using this inspiration in this first chapter because I feel like they worked perfectly with how I envisioned this story. But from Chapter 2 on, I plan on being original with the story, or at least as much as I can be. I haven't read every fanfic for DanMachi so I can't promise there wont be any other similarities.

While I used some events as inspiration, I tried to avoid using the same wording except where necessary. I hope everybody can be understanding.

For those who are curious, and for me wanting to give credit, I will put the stories, authors and events that gave me my inspiration at the bottom so we can avoid spoilers.

For those that read this Story I hope you enjoy.

Affinity7208


Chapter 1

Faith, Trust, and Other Delusions

A couple of months have passed since the Hestia Familia expedition and since then, Bell has recovered both physically and mentally. His desire to get stronger and to become a hero who can protect what he holds most dear burns stronger than ever. The fight with the Juggernaut had terrified him, but the thought of losing those he cared about to the dungeon's monsters forced him to overcome his fear and to enter the labyrinth again.

As Bell was leaving the dungeon, having trained alone for several hours, he exchanged the magic stones he collected and decided to head to the market before returning home to eat with his Familia.

Rounding the corner of the alley he had cut through to get to the main street of the market, he noticed Riveria leaving a store on the other side of the street. Deciding to say hi to the High Elf who had saved his life and healed him and his party members numerous times before, he called out to her.

"Lady Riveria! How are you?" he shouted as he jogged across the street.

Riveria looked over to where she had heard the voice coming from, she was surprised to see a white-haired boy running towards her.

"Mr. Bell Cranel. What are you shouting for?" She asked with a slight smile at the boy who was always so energetic.

"A-Ah, sorry about shouting your name Lady Riveria, I just-".

"Please, you don't need to be so formal with me Mr. Bell Cranel. We are both adventurers after all." she said, cutting Bell off.

"Ok, Ms. Riveria. Then please just call me Bell." He replied while scratching the back of his head, which was a clear sign that he was either nervous or embarrassed.

"Very well Mr. Be- Bell." This is going to take some getting used to she thought to herself.

"So what brings you out to the market this evening?" Bell curiously asked.

"I needed to order some supplies to restock our inventory." She replied hoping that bell wouldn't realize which store she had just left.

"Supplies? From a wine shop?" Bell tilted his head with a quizzical look on his face.

Hmm, of course he would notice. How could he not? I guess it was too much to hope for. Riveria thought to herself before sighing.

"Well, what I said is true, the main reason for my trip here was for supplies. However, Loki gets… temperamental when she runs out of wine so… here I am." Riveria said shamefully as she was caught buying wine for their alcoholic Goddess.

"Oh, I'm sorry I asked. Well, do you need any help carrying anything?" Bell asked as he tried to change the subject.

"No, everything gets delivered to our home. It was very kind of you to offer though." she said before continuing. "I would appreciate it if you didn't mention this to anyone." Looking at the young man before her, to which the Bell agreed.

"What brings you here to the market while dressed for the dungeon." Riveria asked as they began walking around the market.

"I just returned from the dungeon, I went down to train alone for a while, and now I need to pick up some ingredients for dinner tonight because it's my turn to cook." He casually said as he looked over some fresh vegetables at a stall.

"Oh? I think I just heard something interesting. Can you cook?" She glanced over at Bell with a skeptical look in her eye.

"Eh… Yeah, I guess, I'm ok at it. I only know what my grandfather taught me, but it wasn't much." Bell replied while scratching his cheek with his index finger, before purchasing a few vegetables.

While smiling inwardly as the two moved to the next stall, Riveria found it interesting how Bell could never hide his embarrassment in any situation because he always scratched his head or cheek.

"Bell, I'm curious, what pushes you to train so hard and how is it that you have gotten as strong as you are so quickly?" After seeing his SS level stats at level one, she had been curious about the boy ever since the fight.

Bell chuckled as she asked him one of the most commonly asked questions that he gets. Normally he just tells people that he's not sure, but he thought about it this time for a few moments.

"Was my question funny?" Riveria asked with a sense of confusion as Bell chuckled to himself.

"Not at all Ms. Riveria, it's just that Aiz asked me the same thing a few months ago." He said as he looked over at her.

"When you guys first began training together?" she knowingly asked.

"Y-You knew about that?" panicking at the thought of their secret training sessions being revealed, Bell couldn't help but fumble his words.

With a slight grin and one eye closed, Riveria looked at the frightened Bell's frightened visage before replying.

"Yes, when we all watched you fight the minotaur back when you were Level 1, Finn and I recognized Aiz's fighting style. Don't worry, we have no intention of stopping you two."

After a moment, Bell's face returned to normal and he decided to answer her question.

"I have goals, people who I want to stand as equals with, people who I want to surpass. That's what drives me to train so hard. If I'm being honest, after my last expedition, I was terrified of going back into the dungeon. It took a little while, but I overcame that fear. I decided that I didn't want to lose anyone that I care for to the dungeon or its monsters..."

Riveria thought to herself; What happened to him in the dungeon that would leave him afraid to enter it again? But she left that question for another time as Bell continued to answer her question.

"...When I was younger, my grandfather used to read me the tales of ancient heroes and I fell in love with those stories. I wanted so badly to grow up to be one of those heroes. I want to be the guy who can overcome his fears and go on an adventure only to come out on the other side stronger than I was before despite how terrifying or painful it might have been."

Riveria could only listen as Bell expressed his goals and desires so openly. She was taken aback by his explanation.

"I don't know if I explained that very well, I'm not the best with words." He said after he finished explaining it to Riveria who looked like she was lost in thought.

"No, you explained it quite well Bell." She said as her demeanor returned to normal. "But that doesn't explain your rapid improvement or growth."

With a slightly frustrated look on his face. "I wish I could give you an answer Ms. Riveria. I honestly don't know the reason for my abnormal rate of growth, though I wish I did. If I did, I could hopefully help my Familia grow as well."

Riveria could see in the young man's eyes that was telling her the truth. He really doesn't know, that's strange. If I had to take a guess, it would have to be a skill or ability that affects his growth. He is the only person that I have seen or heard of who could break the 999 barrier on a status.

"Bell, this is not my place to say, and you should take my opinion with a grain of salt, but I think that you should speak with your goddess. She may know more than she is telling you." she said cautiously.

Bell looked at her with a confused look on his face. "What do you mean?"

"From what I know, your rate of growth isn't normal, nobody should be able to grow as fast as you are able to. The only thing that I can think of that would explain your growth is having an exceedingly rare or unheard-of skill or ability. And if you are unaware of such a skill or ability, I'm just guessing that maybe you haven't been told about it." She explained.

Bell's face slowly contorted as he began to consider the possibility.

"Thank you Ms. Riveria for keeping me company, and thank you for talking with me. I enjoyed it, and you have given me something to think about, but I need to return home and start cooking."

Bell tried to hide his distress at the possibility of being kept in the dark, but the Elf who was like a mother to the seemingly emotionless Aiz as a child could easily sense that he was troubled.

"Your welcome Bell, I rather enjoyed talking with you as well. You are an interesting young man with an incredibly strong will." Riveria told the young man while trying to comfort him and relieve some of his anxiety.

After the two said their goodbyes, they parted ways and made their way back to their respective homes. Bell thought about what Riveria had told him and wondered if he should press Hestia for answers. Riveria on the other hand was thinking about what the Bell had told her and was impressed by his motivations and reasons for getting stronger. It wasn't until she was almost home that she began to worry about telling him that his goddess might be hiding something from him.


Bell was adding the final touches to the stew that he was preparing for dinner while Welf and Haruhime were setting the table and carrying out the food. After his discussion with Riveria earlier today, he had decided that he would ask Hestia about his growth, but that he would wait until after dinner.

"Thank you for making dinner tonight Master Bell. It smells wonderful." Haruhime said as she walked towards him to grab the main course of the dinner. He smiled and thanked her, but she noticed that his smile seemed a little forced.

"Is there something on your mind?" She asked in a caring tone.

"Ah, no I'm just a little tired after training in the dungeon today. Thanks for your concern Haruhime."

He smiled and placed his hand on her shoulder as he told her thank you. Hestia had walked into the kitchen to ask how much longer until dinner, but once she saw Haruhime with Bell's hand on her shoulder Hestia did what she usually does.

"Bell, Haruhime, I've told you before that flirting is not allowed! I need to keep a closer eye on the both of you from now on." Hestia said in a loud, stern voice.

Haruhime, who can be easily frightened, nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of the small goddess's voice while Bell rolled his eyes and grabbed the pot of stew, and moved to the dining room. The rest of the dinner was uneventful and they all had their own conversations and enjoyed their night unaware that this was the calm before the storm.

As Bell finished his meal, he looked over at his goddess who had already scarfed down two helpings of stew and bread.

"Goddess, can I speak with you?" he asked, feeling a little nervous.

"Of course Bell, what is it?" she asked while munching on another piece of bread.

Telling his goddess that he would like to speak with her in private, the two went to the living room while the rest of the Familia finished eating and started to clean up.

"So what is it you wanted to talk to me about Bell?" Hestia asked unsure as to why there was a need for privacy.

"Goddess, I have a feeling that you know more about my growth than you have been telling me. I need to know the truth." Bell spoke calmly but his eyes showed just how determined he was to find out the truth and this caused Hestia to panic slightly.

Did one of the others tell him or put him up to this? No, that can't be it. Even the thief supporter or the sly fox who are always after my Bell wouldn't break their vow of secrecy. But if he does know why didn't he ask about his skill? These thoughts raced through Hestia's mind.

"W-W-What are you t-talking about Bell? We've been over this before, I don't know what causes your abnormal growth." Hestia replied but she couldn't hide the panic in her eyes when Bell asked her about his growth.

Noticing her panic and stutter, Bell felt that he was onto something, so he decided to push his goddess to come clean.

"Goddess, I know that my growth isn't normal. If it was, there would at least be a few others who could do the same. It must be a skill or something that allows me to grow so fast." Bell argued, and after hearing bell mention a skill, she was sure that someone had at least hinted at it. She decided to half answer him.

"Fine, yes I know the reason for your abnormal growth rate and I only kept it a secret because I didn't trust you to be able to keep it a secret if someone had asked how you could grow so quickly." Hestia was hoping that Bell would understand why she could keep it a secret.

She's right, when I first became an adventurer I wouldn't have been able to keep a secret, but that was months ago and she still doesn't trust me? Bell thought to himself while trying to keep his frustration in check.

"What is the reason behind my growth, if you know then as the captain of this Familia I also have the right to know." Bell stated firmly still struggling to control his frustration which was quickly turning into anger.

"No, I still don't trust you to keep it a secret. The rest of us decided that keeping you in the dark is for the best." Hestia caught what she said too late and now Bell knew that the others already knew about his mystery skill.

Hearing that the others knew the reason for his fast growth and that he was the only one to be kept in the dark angered Bell, with his mind racing trying to organize his thoughts, he could only stand there for a moment.

My Goddess doesn't trust me enough to tell me about my own growth, but she told the others? How could she trust them more than me? Why hasn't anyone told me about this, do they also not trust me?

Bell quickly turned around and threw open the doors of the living room and rushed into the dining room where everyone was still present except for Lili who was in the kitchen making tea. When Bell stormed into the room the others could only look at each other in confusion before looking back at Bell when he finally spoke.

"Is it true? Do you guys all know the reason behind my rapid growth?" Bell asked in a half demanding, half pleading voice. He didn't want to believe that his friends could keep a secret like this from him.

The others in the room sat in stunned silence for a moment just staring at each other. They had all told Hestia that this would blow up in their face one day, and that day just arrived. Lili rushed back into the room to ask what was going on, but Haruhime spoke up first.

"Yes Master Bell, We all know the secret of your rapid growth." Haruhime spoke with a pained expression of regret on her face as her ears and tail both drooped down, however, she looked him straight in the eyes as she spoke refusing to look away in shame.

"Goddess Hestia swore us to silence after she had told us." Welf spoke next.

"I'm sorry Mr. Bell, this isn't something that we wanted to keep secret from you, but we couldn't defy our goddess's orders." Mikoto was in a deep bow as she apologized.

Hestia walks into the room after she hears the others confirm that they knew what caused his growth.

"Why are you guys telling him that you knew? This was a secret!" Hestia was furious that the others would roll over so easily, but she refrained from screaming, well she tried.

"YOU GUYS HAD NO RIGHT TO INTERFERE!" Hestia had lost all composure, but before she could continue Welf spoke up again.

"C'mon Hestia, he has the right to know about his skills. Besides, I never liked the idea of keeping something like this a secret." Welf told her and both Mikoto and Haruhime agreed.

Lili who had remained quiet up to this point finally decided to voice her opinion in support of her goddess's decision.

"Mr. Bell would have likely told anyone who asked him if he knew about his skill, and this would cause all sorts of problems for us if another god had found out." Lily said, trying to argue her point.

Bell is at a complete loss after all of this. His friends kept a big secret from him which hurt, but at the same time, he understood that their goddess had sworn them to secrecy. What hurts him the most was how little both his goddess and Lili trusted him. With his emotions spiraling out of control, Bell turns around and starts to leave the Hearth Mansion. Lili and Hestia tried to run after him but were quickly stopped by the others.

"What are you guys doing?"

"Move! We have to go after him!"

Both Hestia and Lili yelled at the others.

"No, let him clear his head." Welf said, clearly frustrated and annoyed.

"Welf is right. If you guys force him to talk right now, someone is bound to say something that they will regret." Mikoto exclaimed, trying to back up Welf.

"This is all of our faults. We shouldn't have been keeping secrets like this from each other. Master bell will be back and then we can talk." Haruhime said to the others but was mostly talking to herself.


After leaving the Hearth Mansion, Bell's mind was racing, but the same question kept popping up in his mind, 'why don't they trust me?'. Needing to clear his thoughts he walked through the city and maybe out of habit, or maybe he instinctively knew to come here, he ended up at the door of the Hostess of Fertility. When he realized where he was, the door swung open and he was greeted by a female Cat-Person.

"Ah, nyallo there Mr. Cute Butt! Did you come here just to see little 'ol me nya?" Chloe asked in her usual fashion, leaving Bell unsure if she was being serious, or just joking with him.

Bell smiled and said hello as he was led to his usual seat at the bar. After he sat down, Chloe mentioned that he didn't look so good. Bell could only give her a half-smile and ordered an ale.

Syr brought out his ale with her usual cheerful attitude.

"Good evening Bell! How are you doing tonight?" she asked but could see that something was troubling the young man who had captured her heart.

"Hey, Syr. I'm fine, just got some things on my mind and I was hoping to talk to Ms. Ryu about them." He said trying his best to match her cheerful attitude because he didn't want to worry her.

"Oh, well we are busy right now because it's a full house, but if you don't mind waiting until after closing, I'll make sure she comes and talks to you." She said with a smile, but internally she was a little saddened that Bell hadn't asked to talk to her.

"Yeah, I can do that. Thank you Syr, I really appreciate it." He said before taking a drink as Syr turned to find Ryu to let her know what was going on.

A little while later Ryu brought Bell another ale and commented on how it was unusual to see him drinking. He simply told her that it's been a long night and that he would tell her about it later, to which she bowed and carried on with her duties.

It was around 10 o'clock at night when the last customers finally left, and Mama Mia decided to close down the tavern for the night. As a thank you for letting him stay there after hours to talk with Ryu, he offered to help the girls clean up the place and get it ready for the morning. After everyone finished with their assigned cleaning duties, the other waitresses made their way upstairs and went to bed, while Bell, Ryu, and Syr sat down at the bar to talk. Bell had hoped to talk to just Ryu, but having Syr stick around didn't bother him all that much considering they were friends.

"Mr. Cranel, what is it that you wished to discuss?" Ryu asked in her usual calm demeanor.

"Yes Bell, what's on your mind? It's unusual to see you drink alcohol." Syr jumped in, not wanting to be left out of the conversation.

Bell told the two young women about what had happened tonight, though he left out his conversation with Riveria, and how he hated being kept in the dark about his skill. He explained how he didn't truly blame the rest of his Familia members as they were sworn to secrecy by their goddess, but what really bothered him was the lack of trust from both his goddess and Lili.

As the two waitresses were listening, Syr's curiosity was piqued when she heard that he had a secret skill.

"Did they tell you about the skill and what it does?" Syr asked curiously.

"They confirmed that I have a skill that I don't know about, but they didn't tell me anything more about it. Even if they had, it isn't something that I should openly discuss. Sorry, Syr." Bell said apologetically.

"Mr. Cranel is right, a person's skills and status shouldn't be openly discussed. He really shouldn't be telling us." Ryu commented, but she knew that Bell trusted her implicitly and that she felt the same about Syr.

"I'm not sure what to do. I don't know if I can be a part of a Familia that doesn't trust me, and even if I could, my trust in Hestia has all but disappeared…"

Both Ryu and Syr could hear the pain in Bell's voice at the loss of trust in his goddess and his Familia.

"...How can I lead a Familia when the trust that we had in each other has been broken?"

"Mr. Cranel, I am sympathetic to your troubles, but I believe that you need to rest and organize your thoughts and emotions. You can try talking to your goddess and Familia tomorrow." Ryu said believing that in his current state, his emotions might win and make him do or say something that he will regret.

Bell agreed with Ryu and as they got up, Syr mentioned that she was heading home and had a friend waiting to walk her home. Bell thanked her for listening and gave her a hug, which surprised the older girl but made her smile before she left the night. As Ryu and Bell walked to the door, Bell decided he wanted to ask something of his friend now that they were alone.

"Ryu, can I ask you for a favor?"

"If it is something that I can do, of course, Bell."

"Would you come over tomorrow morning and sit with me when I talk to my Familia?"

"This is something that is very personal and should be kept private. Why would you want me there?" Ryu asked as she was genuinely surprised by the request.

"I need someone who is calm and level-headed to keep me from letting my emotions get the better of me." Bell said with a pleading look in his eyes.

Ryu could see how important this was to Bell by the look in his eyes, however, she didn't feel like it was the proper thing to do. Ryu's desire to be there for him like has been for her wins in the end and she reluctantly agrees, telling him Mama Mia isn't going to be happy.


Freya, learning about Bell's problem through Syr, is happy to hear about this fortunate turn of events in the Hestia Familia. She begins to plan a way to get Bell to willingly join her Familia. She doesn't wish to charm him because he is her Odr, and she wants to be equals with her destined partner. Freya is curious about this mystery skill, but this curiosity is overshadowed by the fact that her wait to finally be with her destined mate is finally almost over.


The next morning as the sun was just rising over the horizon, Bell was already awake, he couldn't sleep much last night. He was trying to figure out what to do, what he should do. After hours of agonizing over his problems, he had made up his mind, now all he could do is lay on his bed, and wait for Ryu.

A couple of hours later, the sun has finally risen over the city walls and it's a warm summer morning. Ryu is standing outside of the Hearth Mansion taking in the warm breeze as she mentally prepares for what is to come.

Ryu knocks on the door and a few moments later it opens and she is greeted by Mikoto. Mikoto's eyes open wide as she is greeted by the Elf who she has idolized ever since she saw her fight the Black Goliath on the 18th floor a few months before.

After Ryu enters the Hearth Mansion, she asks where Bell's room is and informs Mikoto that he wished to speak to everyone. Mikoto points Ryu in the direction of Bell's room then takes off to gather everyone in the living room. Ryu again knocks on another door and she hears Bell's voice telling her to come in.

"Good morning Ryu. Thanks for coming." Bell sat up to greet his friend who had walked over to his desk and was now leaning on it.

"Good morning, Bell. I managed to get the morning off, but Mama Mia told me that you owe her a morning's worth of work for stealing one of her girls." She said while giving a small laugh.

"That sounds fair to me." He said while laughing as well.

"The others are gathering in the living room. Have you sorted out your thoughts and emotions?" She asked, knowing that he was still probably an emotional mess.

"Yeah, I've thought about it all night, and I have decided what I'm going to do." he said calmly while giving Ryu a reassuring smile.

The two made their way downstairs and into the living room. Everyone was there except for Hestia. The others all greeted the Elf, who they had come to know over the past few months, and exchanged pleasantries. Bell sat down and Ryu sat politely next to him, while the others shared a seat on one of the larger couches. A few minutes later Hestia walked through the doors while saying good morning and asking what was so important. It was then she noticed that they had a guest with them.

"Ah, good morning Ms. Elf. What are you doing here so early in the morning?" Hestia asked as she isn't used to having visitors before noon.

"I asked her to join us this morning, Goddess." Bell answered before she could question it further.

"Goddess, will you tell me about my skill?" Bell had asked in a serious, no-nonsense tone.

Hestia was surprised by Bell's seriousness, but she quickly recovered.

"No, I still don't trust you to be able to keep this a secret, and I definitely wouldn't tell you in front of her." Hestia said as she scowled at Ryu. "What is she even doing here anyway?"

"I trust her more than anyone else." Bell replied not trying to hide his frustration or annoyance.

Hestia lost her cool when she heard that.

"YOU TRUST THIS HARLOT OF AN ELF MORE THAN YOU TRUST YOUR GODDESS!? YOU SHOULDN'T BE AROUND HER ANYWAY, SHE IS A BAD INFLUENCE ON MY PRECIOUS BELL!" Hestia shouted, shocking every other person there. Not because she shouted, but because of what she shouted and to whom she was referring.

Ryu was shocked by the sudden outburst. Being called a harlot insulted her Elven pride, but she also considered herself to be a pure maiden at heart. Hearing this angered Ryu and she was about the scream at the tiny woman before her not caring that she was a so-called goddess. Before she could say anything Bell jumped in.

"How dare you call Ryu a harlot, and yes, I trust her far more than I trust you. At least she actually trusts me!"

Hearing Bell shout her name in front of his Familia and defending her honor made Ryu flush and a feel little light-headed.

"I am honestly fed up with you, the lack of trust, your possessiveness towards me, and unappreciative attitude towards someone who has not only saved my life numerous times but this Familia from ruin. I honestly can't believe that this is who you are." Bell shouted.

Standing up, Bell takes the Hestia Knife, sheath and all, off of his belt and slams it on the table between him and Hestia. Hestia's eyes went wide when she realized where Bell was going with his tirade.

"I can't be a captain in a Familia where the Goddess doesn't trust her captain, and I can't serve a goddess who only sees me as a posession and snaps at any girl that I might be friendly with." Bell was no longer shouting, but speaking with a clear coldness to his voice.

"I am Leaving your Familia. Please remove your Falna." Bell said with the same cold voice as he removed his shirt.

"W-w-what a-are you s-s-s-saying Bell?" Hestia was in disbelief, she thought that she must have misheard what he said. He wouldn't just leave her Familia.

"IM LEAVING YOUR FAMILIA, NOW REMOVE YOUR FALNA FROM MY BACK!" Bell shouted again clearly angry, angrier than anyone has ever thought possible, and this caused Hestia to jump back a little.

Hestia was frightened by how angry Bell was. The others could only sit and watch the scene unfold in front of them. Hestia begins to sob as she picked up the Hestia Knife and poked her finger letting the drop of blood fall onto Bell's back. She begins working to remove his Falna, and a few moments she says "it's done" in between her sobs.

No longer having his Status, Bell felt weak, weaker than he has ever felt before, but he stood up and put his shirt back on, and quietly left the room as he went to gather his things.

After Bell left the room, Hestia who is still in shock at the turn of events looks at the rest of her Familia.

"Did Bell really just leave me because I didn't tell him about a silly little skill?" Hestia asked still sobbing.

The remaining members of the Hestia Familia could only look at her with pity as she had just lost her first child. Ryu who had been just as shocked as everyone else in the room regained her composure and stood.

"Bell didn't leave you because you wouldn't tell him about a skill. He's a better man than that and you know it. He left you because you lied to him and didn't trust him. He trusted you- no, he trusted in you, and you betrayed that trust. Learn from it and don't make the same mistakes with your other children." Ryu spoke calmly before finishing.

"Oh, and insulting me in front of him was a bad move." She said with a hint of satisfaction feeling that justice had been served for insulting her, though she did still pity the tiny Goddess.

As Hestia sat on the ground wallowing in her own self-pity, the others walked over and patted or rubbed her shoulders before gathering at the bottom of the stairs and waited for Bell. Ten minutes later Bell came down the stairs. His eyes were puffy and red, he had been crying and the others could see just how hard it was for him to leave Hestia. The sight of their former captain in pain and knowing that he had cried harder than ever before broke the girls' hearts. Even Welf couldn't take seeing the guy that he saw as a younger brother in such a miserable state. As Bell reached the bottom of the stairs, he looked at his friends and gave them a reassuring smile to let them know that he was going to alright.

Each one of his friends came up to him and gave him a hug and said what they needed to say. Mikoto was the first to come up to Bell.

"I'm really sorry about all of this. I hope you can forgive me someday." She said solemnly.

"Don't worry, I forgave you all after I heard that you were sworn to secrecy." Bell said just loudly enough for the others to hear him.

"Mikoto, promise me that you will look after the rest of them for me, they will need your strength if they are going to grow this Familia. I know that your planning on going back to Takemikazuchi's Familia, but until then please protect them." Bell whispered to her as they hugged

"I promise, I won't leave them until they grow stronger." She whispered back before breaking the hug.

Welf was the next to give bell a hug.

"I only have two things to say. First, I don't care which Familia you end up with, you better come to me to get all of your gear made and maintained. Second, how dare you leave me in a house full of women alone. I'm going to die here man" Welf said jokingly.

"Don't worry man, I'm going to need a new weapon soon anyway, and there's only one person I trust to make it. Tsubaki." Bell laughed, but Welf didn't find it amusing and hit Bell on the top of the head.

"Don't worry, I know where your forge is. But do me a favor and take care of the girls for me." Bell said in all seriousness.

Welf just nodded and took a couple of steps back as Haruhime walked up to Bell and wrapped him in a tight hug.

"Whoa, easy Haruhime, you're stronger than I am now." Bell said as he tried to laugh, but couldn't because he was being suffocated.

"Eh!? Sorry Master Bell" she said as she loosened her grip on Bell.

"Haha, it's alright Haruhime, I'm going to miss you too. I really did appreciate you coming to my room to read hero stories when I couldn't sleep." Bell said while stroking the back of her head.

"Haruhime, You always were the best at taking care of people. Please keep taking care of the others, and help Welf out when the others get too wild. Can you do that for me? And maybe one day you can accompany me and my new Familia to the deep floors." Bell asked as more tears welled up in his eyes. He really was going to miss his favorite clumsy fox.

"Of course Master Bell, I will do my best!" Haruhime responded. While she was terrified of the lower floors, she was happy that she could still be of use to her hero and relished the thought of spending time alone with him.

The last person to come up was Lili. Her head hanged low and teardrops dropped onto the floor. Bell kneeled down as he wrapped her in a hug.

"I'm sorry Mr. Bell, Lili only wanted to protect you." She said as she cried into his shoulder and wrapped her tiny arms around his neck.

"It's ok Lili, I forgive you. I just wish that you could have trusted me a little more. You are a strong leader and better with money than anyone else I know. If you want to make it up to me, help Welf and the others grow this Familia and make them strong. If you do that, I'll be the first one in line to congratulate you. Also, help Hestia for me, please. Keep her from making the same mistakes again." Bell said as he spoke from the heart. He truly believed that she could make his dream come true.

"I will Mr. Bell, I promise!" She said wiping the tears from her eyes.

"I don't want you guys thinking that we won't see each other again. Whenever we all have free time, we can always meet at the Hostess of Fertility and have dinner together like old friends." Bell said to try and lift the mood.

After saying their goodbyes, Bell and Ryu headed towards the door. Bell stopped for a moment and looked over at his former goddess, who was now sitting in a puddle of her own tears, before finally moving to leave.

Bell and Ryu would be leaving the Hearth Mansion for the final time.

After the pair left the gates and traveled down the street far enough to be out of sight of his old home, Bell stopped and broke down into tears again. Ryu stopped a few steps ahead of him and patiently waited. A couple of minutes later Bell started moving again as he wiped the tears from his face.

"Will you be alright Bell? Ryu asked, but she knew that he was strong, and would be just fine.

"Yes, I'll be alright. Thank you, Ryu. Thank you for being there with me." He said. Even though he lost control of his emotions when Hestia insulted her, having Ryu there with him gave him strength and comfort.

"Where are you going to be staying until you find a new Familia?

"I will probably just rent a room at a cheap inn. I don't know how long the search will take. When I first got to Orario, nobody would take me in." Bell said as he remembered the last time he searched for a Familia.

"Nonsense! I can't have you staying at some overpriced roach farm. You can stay at the Hostess, I will convince Mama Mia. Besides, I doubt it will take you long to find a Familia now. You're quite famous." Ryu told the truth, but she was just trying to cheer him up.

Ryu and Bell arrived at the Hostess of Fertility before the lunch service started, and after some convincing and some pleading, Ryu had talked Mama Mia into letting Bell stay in the attic rent-free, with the exception that he had to help clean the place at night and help in the mornings, plus the mandatory purchase of at least one meal a day. Even though she would never admit to it, Mia liked the boy and this was just her way of showing it.

Bell got settled into the attic room, which was surprisingly clean. It wasn't very large, but it had a bed and a dresser, and there was a shower on the second floor that he could use. Overall, he had everything that he needed.

All of the waitresses had heard what had happened but these girls were used to keeping secrets. Each of them had their fair share as well. But that didn't stop the girls from teasing their new live-in 'boy toy' as Chloe liked to call him. As night fell, Bell ordered his obligatory meal, and after closing helped clean up the tavern before saying good night to Syr, Ryu, and the other waitresses and going to bed. He had to be up early to help prep the tavern for business and then start looking for a new Familia.


It was late into the night, and while swirling around the wine in her glass, Freya gazed out over the city looking at a certain soul that normally shined bright and clear, but right now it was dimmer than usual with a slight cloudiness to it. Of course, Freya knew the cause of this and had been planning for this eventuality. Taking a sip from her glass, Freya decided that it was time to make her move on the boy before anyone else could.

"Ottar, tomorrow morning I want you to meet with the boy and bring him back here. I would like to have a talk with him about his future. You may take your leave and get some rest, I will be retiring for the night." Frey said with a hint of amusement.

"As you wish My Lady." The Boaz replied.

As Ottar left the room, Freya moved towards her bed chambers and began to strip. The excitement of getting to speak with Bell face to face was too much for her to endure. She decided to relax herself in private before falling asleep in the hope of making the morning come sooner.


Bell was rushing about trying to help get the Hostess of Fertility prepared for another day of business. It was still quite early in the morning; Syr wouldn't be there until later and Ryu was out getting supplies. Anya was giving Bell orders, but just confused him, so Runora ended up explaining his tasks. They finished a couple of hours later, and he decided to take a shower and to get changed before taking off on his search for a new Familia.

As Bell left the Hostess he waved good by the girls and began his walk through the labyrinth city. As we walked, he was mentally going through the list of Familias that he knew about trying to decide on who to visit and who to avoid.

I can't join Miach's or Tekemikazuchi's Familia's, as they are close to Hestia and I'm not ready for that. I also can't join the Hephaestus Familia because I'm not a smith. I'm pretty sure Hermes would take me in, but that sounds like nothing but trouble. How does Asfi do it?

"Rabbit's Foot." A powerful voice called out.

"Eh?" Bell sputtered as he looked for the person who said his alias before finding it.

"Geh, Ottar?!" He said as he recoiled in surprise before continuing. "Is there something I can do for you?" curious as to what Orario's strongest wanted with him?

"Lady Freya wishes to speak with you. Would you accompany me to her home in Babel Tower?" With Ottar's deep and powerful voice and his sheer presence, this sounded less like a question, and more like a demand.

Goddess Freya wishes to speak with me? Bell thought to himself before thinking that the 'King' might be mistaken, but he wasn't about to question him.

"Alright, lead the way." Bell said not daring to refuse.

The two walked in silence for most of the trip to Babel tower, until Ottar asked Bell a question. One of the same questions that everyone asks him.

"What drives you to get stronger?" he asked plainly.

Bell couldn't help but notice a similarity between the 'King' and the 'Sword Princess' as both had faces that didn't normally show emotion and both spoke with as few words as possible to get their point across.

Being used to getting asked this, Bell was still surprised that Ottar hadn't asked about his rapid growth. Thanks to his conversation with Riveria, Bell didn't have to think about his response and told Ottar the same thing he told Riveria. Ottar listened in silence until bell finished.

"I see. I respect your reasons for wanting to get stronger. Few strive for strength for noble reasons, most simply wish to make a name for themselves." The Boaz responded as he gave an understanding nod.

The two adventurers continued their walk to the center of the city while sharing some small talk. Bell realized that despite Ottar's commanding presence, he was a relatively friendly, albeit intense, person. He however didn't ever want to get on his bad side.

Perhaps Ottar was aware of the eyes on them, but Bell was oblivious to all eyes on him as he walked with the captain of the Freya Familia, including a pair of eyes that belonged to a Elf who disliked the white-haired boy but had been following them ever since she saw the two as they made their way to Babel Tower.

Arriving at their destination, Bell wasn't sure what to expect but decided that he would try to make a good impression on Freya. They had met once before at Apollo's banquette, but he wasn't able to say much because Hestia had jumped all over him trying to shield his eyes from Freya. As far as Familia's that he considered applying to, Freya Familia was one of his top choices. They were a high-tier exploration Familia and expeditions in the deep floors of the dungeon.

As they reached the door to Freya's home, which was the entirety of the top floor of Babel Tower, Ottar opened the door and ushered Bell into the meeting room before taking him to a larger room. Bell could only look in awe at the top of the line Magic stone appliances, the beautifully hand-crafted furniture, and the artwork that adorned the walls. As they moved from the meeting room to the main room where Freya waited, Bell couldn't help be notice the massive, wall-sized bookshelf on one side, and on the other, a pristine pane of glass that offered an uninterrupted view of Orario. The woman, the Goddess standing in front of the window was far more breathtaking than the view, however.

Freya turned towards the two men as they entered the room and began to walk towards them. As she moved closer to Bell, he couldn't help but admire the way that she walked. She moved with such elegance that was accentuated by the form-fitting dress that she wore. Her outfit not only accentuated her swaying, yet graceful movements, but also highlighted the decidedly feminine curves of her body. Her hair flowed behind her as she walked, and Bell flushed as he found himself captivated by the woman who truly lived up to her title as a Goddess of Beauty.

"Hello, Bell Cranel." She said once she was only a step or two away from him.

Even her voice was as smooth as silk and he found it alluring. Something had awoken in him, but he forced himself to calm down and to focus.

"H-Hello Goddess Freya. It's a pleasure to meet you again." Bell said as he tried to hide his nervousness.

"Bell, do you know why I asked you here today?"

"I'm sorry Lady Freya, I do not." He said politely as he didn't want to offend the woman before him.

Deciding that it would be best to be honest and straight forward with Bell after what he went through with Hestia, she took a direct approach, but she wouldn't confess to him just yet that he was her Odr.

"I can see the souls of the people of the lower world. I can see your soul, which usually shines bright and clear. I've never seen another soul like yours."

Bell stood there and listened, but he didn't understand why she was telling him this.

"I was worried about you when I saw your soul yesterday morning. It looked like it had dimmed and had become cloudy. Tell me, what is weighing on your mind and bringing you down."

Freya spoke similarly to a concerned friend. Bell couldn't explain why, but it felt familiar and he almost felt comfortable with her. Knowing that she was a Goddess and that he couldn't lie to her in addition to his feelings of familiarity Bell decided to explain to her the events of the previous day.

"I got into a fight with my former Goddess and lost all trust in her." Bell began but was quickly cut off.

"Former Goddess?" asked while pretending to be shocked.

"Yes, I left the Hestia Familia after Hestia lied, kept secrets, and didn't trust me. I couldn't be apart of a Familia that could do that and then try to justify it." Bell said as a sad, pained expression grew on his face.

Freya felt bad for the young man who stood in front of her, and she didn't like the sad expression on his face so she moved in to give him a hug.

As Freya hugged him tightly, Bell couldn't help but notice how soft her body was and how comforting that it felt. Even the smell of her perfume seemed to help calm him down and he decided to hug her back. As he hugged her, her body squished closer to his, which caused Bell to flush more than he has in a long time. Being hugged by her Odr also caused Freya to flush slightly as her heart fluttered before it started racing.

As the two broke off their hug, Freya was saddened that they couldn't stay squished together in their tight embrace forever, but she gave him a warm smile before moving forward with her plan.

"Bell, I am sorry about what had happened between you and Hestia. But your talents are too great to let go to waste in another small Familia. If you wished it, I would gladly accept you into my Familia." She spoke in a caring manner as she made her offer.

"I really appreciate the offer and I will consider it. However, I have to be honest with you as you have been so kind to me." Bell chose his words carefully because he didn't want to offend the kind Goddess who showed genuine concern for his well being.

"I would also like to meet with the Loki Familia and talk to them as well before I make my decision, and I would like to ask both Familias some questions. I want to avoid another situation like I had with Hestia. I hope you will understand Lady Freya"

"Of course Dear, I understand. I wouldn't want you to regret your decision at all. Feel free to ask whatever you would like. I'm sure that either myself or Ottar can give you the answers that you need." She said while smiling and waving Ottar over to join in the conversation.

Bell asked the two about their Familia, the type of members that it had, and their personalities. He also asked about how their expeditions worked and what kind of freedom he would have. Having dealt with a goddess who was controlling and possessive, Bell felt that it was important to know if his next potential goddess would be the same way. Freya explained that she may be a Goddess of Beauty, but she was also a Goddes of War and Love, and the latter made Bell feel relieved as he believed that she wouldn't interfere with his relationships. After they had answered his questions, Freya asked what his goals were. Bell explained that he wanted to get stronger, strong enough to protect the people he cares about, and strong enough to beat the Black Minotaur that he had fought a couple of months before.

After everyone was satisfied with the answers they had gotten from each other, Freya and Bell stood up to say their farewells before Freya gave him another hug, which Bell returned again as he enjoyed the feeling of comfort he got from it. Freya told him to consider what is best for his future when he decides on which Familia join. As much as she wanted him to join her Familia so that her wait would be over, she also wanted him to watch him continue to grow and make his own decisions. Even if he did decide to go to a different Familia, such as Loki's, it would just mean that the game moved to another level which would provide her with more entertainment and opportunities to test Bell.

While being escorted to the ground level of Babel by Ottar, the Boaz asked Bell what he thought about his meeting with Lady Frey. Bell told him that he respected Freya for her warm and caring nature, and that he felt like he could be happy with her as his Goddess and that it probably wouldn't be a boring life. Ottar smiled inwardly as he was pleased with his response and could sense that Bell wasn't just saying that out of fear, but meant what he said.

"If you want freedom in a large top-tiered Familia, joining our Familia would be your best option. We all obey our Lady's commands, but Lady Freya also allows for a great deal of freedom and independent action compared to Loki Familia. However, I think that your personality would be better suited to the team and family structure of the Loki Familia. You will do well in either Familia and both can help you reach your goals."

Bell was in awe as he listened to the mountain of a man speaking. Not only was he giving him advice, but it was the most he has ever heard him speak.

"Thank you, Ottar. I will take your advice and after speaking with the Loki Familia I will make my decision."

"If you decide to join our Familia, just come to the base of Babel Tower, look up and wave. Lady Freya will send someone down to escort you up." Ottar said as he turned to leave and return to his Goddess's side.

After Ottar returned to Freya's side, she asked him if the two spoke any further after they left trying to figure out what Bell was thinking. Ottar told her that they had spoken as well as what was discussed not wanting to hide anything from his Goddess. Freya wasn't upset or disappointed with what her most loyal child had told the boy, she was actually quite pleased, but she wanted to know why he would recommend that Bell should try to join the Loki Familia.

"If he were to join our Familia right now, the others who already despise Bell Cranel would insist on fighting him day and night. He wouldn't have time to enjoy your company, and when he did, he would be too badly injured to do more than lay down and sleep as he recovered. When he is strong enough, you will then be able to enjoy each other's company." Ottar explained knowing how the rest of the Familia felt about Freya's love for the red eyed boy.


Meanwhile at the Loki Familia home, while Bell is speaking with Freya, Lefiya is rushing through the halls of the Twilight Manor and racing up the flights of stairs leading to Finn's office as she needed to inform him about what she learned and saw. Once she got to his door, she caught her breath before knocking on his door. Her Elf blood demanded that she is proper when she spoke to the captain. After catching her breath, she knocked on his door and waited for a response that came a moment later and entered.

"Captain, you wanted to be informed about any developments with that filthy hu- I mean Bell Cranel." Lefiya said in a rush, just barely catching the fact that she almost called him an insulting name in front of Finn.

"Yes, I recall that. What did he do this time?" Finn said with a questioning look on his face.

"Has something happened to him?" Riveria asked sounding concerned before Lefiya could continue.

Sensing Riveria's concern and that Finn was expecting to hear that Bell did something crazy again, Lefiya questioned why it had to be her of all people to tell them quietly to herself.

"Eh, um… well you see, I was at the guild looking for a quest to take with Aiz when she returned, and I overheard one of his party members, the Prum, telling a guild receptionist that Bell had left the Hestia Familia!" Lefiya exclaimed.

"He left the Hestia Familia? When?" Finn said as he shot out of his chair after hearing this.

"I didn't expect him to go this far, I should have kept my thoughts to myself." Riveria sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Do you have some idea of what's going on Riveria?" Finn asked still trying to figure out why Bell would leave the Hestia Familia.

"Yeah, I thi-" Riveria was about to explain when Lefiya cut her off.

"There is more, but I don't think you're going to like it…" She began but trailed off as Finn, Gareth, and Riveria all looked at her.

"After I left the guild, I saw Bell and the 'King' walking together towards Babel tower, but I couldn't hear what they were talking about. I followed them and I saw them take a lift upstairs, but I didn't follow them, I rushed over here instead." Relieved that she had told them everything that she knew and saw, she was hoping that they would let her leave now.

"Bell is with Ottar and Frey right now?" Sounding even more concerned than she previously had, Riveria feared for the boy that she had spoken to a couple of days prior.

Much to Lefiya's dismay, it didn't seem like her torture would end any time soon.

"Yes, the last time I saw him was going up the tower." Lefiya replied solemnly, unsure what else to say.

"Lefiya, can you go back out and wait for Bell and ask him what's going on?" Finn asked, hoping to get some answers.

"Eh? I've always been a little rude to him in the past, so I don't think that he would tell me if I asked." A dejected Lefiya replied as she hanged her head and her ears drooped in shame.

"Well we can't ask Aiz, shes with the others training some of the lower level members and won't be back for a few days, and I don't know anyone else who is close enough to him to get him to talk." Finn was rushing to think of someone who could talk to Bell

"I will speak with him Finn. As I was about to tell you, I have an idea of what has happened and I might be partly responsible." Riveria said as she looked at Finn with a concerned expression.

"Very well. Try to figure out why he left the Hestia Familia and what he was doing with Freya and Ottar." Finn was surprised that as soon as he finished speaking she was already halfway out the door.

Lefiya left the room shortly after Riveria, while Finn and Gareth shared a look.

"Haha, I don't think I've eva' seen Riveria so concerned 'bout someone outside of our Familia." Gareth chuckled.

"I don't think I have either, let alone a guy. I guess Bell Cranel has that effect on women. First Aiz, then Tiona, now maybe even Riveria." With a wry smile, Finn chuckled at the thought.

On her way towards Babel Tower, Rivera tried to organize her thoughts. She was used to worrying about people in her Familia, it's what got her the nickname of 'Mama', but this is the first time she found herself worried about someone who was an outsider.

I can't believe that he left his Familia. Something big must have happened because I don't think that he is the kind of guy who would just leave a Familia for no reason. No, he's definitely not that kind of person. I mean he stood against us to protect the Xenos, and someone with convictions like that would have a good reason for leaving. I wonder if it has to do with what I had said to him. If it does, then I need to apologize for ruining his relationship with his Familia.

As Riveria rushed towards Babel Tower, she figured she would wait by the guild so that she would be less conspicuous. However, before she reached the guild she saw the boy that she was looking for. As she approached him, she heard him mutter her name and wanting to thank her. She was relieved that he didn't look any worse for wear and that he didn't seem to be upset with her.


A/N This is the list of stories and events with their authors that I promised back at the top. If there are other similarities and I didn't list the story and author, I probably haven't read that story but let me know I will take a look and if its close enough I will credit them.

DanMachi - Awakening / Meeting with Freya / sambidiah

Is It Wrong For A Side Character To Become A Main Heroine? / Fight with Hestia leading bell to leave the Hestia Familia / Gid Lucione Deviluke