Chapter 31: Runaway Dusk to Dawn

The boy had a dream.

He wanted to be a Hero.

Although he himself did not exactly know what it meant to be a Hero or how to become one despite being surrounded by them every day.

Was a Hero someone who saved a girl in danger? Was a Hero someone who defeated a powerful foe? Was a Hero someone who led their people to glory? Was a Hero someone whose deeds were known throughout the world? Or was a Hero someone who simply tried to help wherever they could?

Whatever the answer was, he knew that there was one thing a Hero needed that he lacked.

Strength.

As it was, he didn't have the strength to protect a single person, let alone the whole world.

How can someone who can't save a single life without having to be protected and saved in return be called a Hero?

Which was why his pathetic self was currently outside when everyone else was sleeping, swinging his blades at an imaginary opponent, ignoring the strain and exhaustion seeping through his body that was demanding him to fall asleep onto his soft bed.

But Bell Cranel didn't have time for such things at the moment as he fought against his imaginary opponent. The invisible wall that stood between him and his ideals.

He then stopped, his body leaning back slightly as his opponents blades were at his neck.

Even in his imagination, he would never win. That was the difference in strength between his teacher and himself.

The imaginary spar finished, he allowed himself to fall down onto the grass, flat on his back as his chest rose up and down, his breath ragged as he slammed a fist against the grass in frustration, the sweat on his body mixing in with the morning dew and mist.

All he had were his numbers. He didn't have the mental fortitude to fight a human opponent to the death or the ability to make the proper snap decisions. He was still too green, too new to do anything about that. It wasn't something his mysterious growth could help him with.

It was only something that could be learned through experience.

And Bell knew he was too impatient for something like that. But this was one thing he had no shortcuts for. And yet, he felt that he was running out of time. That the longer he took the further and further his goals would escape him.

"Bell?"

Bell's eyes opened wide as he sat up and found Emma standing at the entrance.

"Are you okay?" She asked as she walked over toward him, pulling a coat over her nightwear as she stepped out into the cold morning air.

"Sorry," Bell apologized as he stood up. "Did I wake you up?"

"No…I was kind of watching you for a while."

Come to think of it, her room had a perfect view of the front yard…he didn't know how he kept on forgetting that fact. He was completely distracted by his thoughts right now. Judging from her state of dress, she probably ran out when she saw him collapse.

"Are you really okay?" Emma asked again as Bell stood up. "Aren't you overdoing it a bit?"

Yes.

"No, I'm fine," Bell lied. "Shouldn't you be resting though? Caster said that you're going back into the Dungeon today with Lancer watching over your progress, right?"

As their vacation was cut short, it was time for Hestia Familia to take on the Dungeon again. Although Bell and Lily's progress would be halted until Welf could finish Bell's new armor.

"Well…yes but…" Emma began but she looked a bit unsure of herself and Bell did not think it was because of the war shadow incident.

"Are you thinking about Fia?" Bell asked and Emma hesitantly nodded her head.

It was the same problem plaguing Bell's mind as well. If the Xenos Fia had been born in the Dungeon, then didn't that mean that other Xenos could be spawned by the Dungeon that didn't know about the rest of the Xenos community? What would happen if they came across another one and it tried to fight back against them, believing it was the only way to survive?

"…You don't need to worry about that."

Both Bell and Emma looked up to see Fia sitting on the windowsill of Assassin's room, her legs dangling outside while she was still wearing the cloak given to her by Lancer.

"Fia!?" Bell called out. "D-don't sit outside like that! Someone might see you!"

They still hadn't received word from either Caster or the goddess yet after all.

Well, Lancer's cloak should be enough to divert anyone looking and their house was far enough away from other buildings that no unrelated people would be sneaking around.

Nevertheless, Fia slipped out of the window and landed beside the two with Assassin poking her head out the window and jumping out of it soon after.

"I never got the chance to explain it but…how do you think we Xenos survive in the Dungeon when everything is out to kill us?" Fia asked as Assassin was fiddling with a bag.

"I had wondered about that," Bell admitted. "I just thought that you guys ate fruits from the Dungeon or snuck into a pantry when you got the chance."

"There is that," Fia nodded as Assassin fished out a small Magic Stone from the pouch. "But there's also this."

Assassin held the Magic Stone in front of Fia and the harpy grabbed it with her teeth and sucked it into her mouth as if it was nothing more than a piece of candy before crunching it with her teeth.

"You…eat Magic Stones?" Emma asked in surprise.

"Enhanced Species…" Bell realized.

"That's right," Fia nodded. "We kill monsters that aren't part of our group and eat their Stones to get stronger. I said so, right? Other monsters attack us just like they attack you humans even though we are born from the same mother. Not only that but some of us, like Lido, even use weapons and armor. Most of them were stripped off of corpses but a few of us steal them right off their backs. Sorry."

Although the apology sounded like it was little more than an afterthought, Fia did have the sense to look a bit embarrassed to admit it.

However, those words struck a chord within Bell, stirring up a memory.

It had been a joke that he and Welf had laughed off. A monster wearing armor…and a rumor that Caster had been chasing after soon afterward.

Did he know? Did Caster have suspicions about the Xenos all the way back then? Did he know about them from all the way back then?

Bell quickly shook his head.

He shouldn't assume so much about his Captain, even though his abilities are still a completely enigma to Bell. There was no point in thinking about things that may or not be true. If Caster felt that it was important then he would share it. Otherwise, it was best to let Caster do what he felt was needed until then.

"That's why umm…" Fia continued, not knowing Bell's thoughts. "You shouldn't worry about us. The monsters are real monsters. They don't care about anything except trying to kill you."

"But…what if we…find another Xenos who doesn't know about you?" Emma asked, voicing Bell's thoughts.

"If the monster trying to kill you can talk…then kill them first. Isn't that how it goes?"

Bell and Emma couldn't help but stare at Fia.

"I don't know if its true, but a lot of us still end up getting caught even though we're very careful and stick to laces where humans don't go to…and some of us still get caught."

And one of those caught was Fia herself. Was one of the reasons she didn't want to return to the Dungeon is because she found it hard to trust her fellows any more? Although she was prepared to return since she didn't want to bother Hestia Familia anymore than necessary.

But Fia lived a life of kill or be killed from the moment she was born and even had to resort to cannibalism to survive.

"So what I'm saying is that I don't care if you meet another Xenos or not," Fia said, wings on her hips. "If they try to kill you, fight back and survive! I care more about you guys than someone I probably won't ever meet. So…don't die okay!"

With that said, Fia ran toward the door and fiddled with the knob for a moment before looking down at her wings.

"Jack! I can't open the door!"

"Okay!" Assassin replied with a giggle as she ran over to open it for her.

As the two of them disappeared back inside, Bell walked over to the tree in the front yard and leaned his back against it.

"She's strong…" Bell said as he placed his hands over his face. "Compared to her…I'm…weak."

A human boy who lived knowing only peace and love from the people around him compared to a monster girl who struggled to survive each and every day. They were different as water and oil. Killing a mindless monsters that were the Dungeon's weapons against the gods and their mortal children were one thing…but another being that could think and act and reason?

Bell didn't know if he could do that.

Even though his heroes could engage other humans without worry and thought…did that mean that…in order to catch up to his heroes, he too would have to…have to…

"Bell."

A soft voice sliced through his thoughts and he found a pair of arms carefully wrapped around his head.

"You don't have to think about it all by yourself," Emma said softly as she brought him closer. "Your not alone right?"

"Emma…" Bell managed to croak out, his voice weak.

"Hey Bell, you know of the story of 'Argonaut,' right?"

"Yeah."

It was rare to find someone who didn't. According to Bell's grandfather, it was the first true myth of this world. The story of a man (clown) who wanted to become a hero and help people only to be deceived by nearly everyone around him. And even when he gained strength and went to save the princess, he ended up having to be saved by her instead.

When Bell first read that story, he thought it was a joke and that Argonaut couldn't really be called a hero.

Now that he had went through that feeling of wanting to save someone, only to be saved in return, Bell felt as though he understood the myth a bit more…and could understand that Argonaut must have been frustrated at his own weakness to the point that he probably wanted to cry.

"You know what Argonaut means right?" Emma asked, a smile on her face. "'A band of heroes.' Doesn't that fit our current situation right now?"

"Right," Bell admitted, forming a smile of his own.

And it was that very same "Argonaut" that was engraved on his back. A perfectly fitting title for Bell himself now.

"I think that instead of worrying about what you may or may not need to do to become a hero, why not consider the things you have already done. Such as calling the Servants to this world."

"Like being the Master of a Band of Heroes? But I…I don't just want to ride on their coattails."

"But you aren't. You're their Master and…well, putting Caster aside, you're leading and directing their strength for the sake of justice and your dream, right? I mean…we do have quite a few characters here after all."

That was true.

The lovestruck swordsman, the snarking bowman, the mad-lovestruck spearwoman, the arrogant king, and the tiny killer.

Aside from the chariot queen, all of his Servants have some sort of personality quirk that it was a miracle that they could all work together. Then again, Rider insisted on being everyone's "big sister" and silenced Archer with a rather frightening smile when he asked "Didn't you already have two daughters at your age?"

Yes…it was a miracle that these legends could work together and live as a family.

Well, two of them were already family to begin with.

In spite of himself, Bell found himself smiling.

"You're the Familia Vice Captain. We look to you just as much as Caster for what to do. We are a part of your strength just as much as your magic and weapons are. Please remember that."

"I will…thanks, Emma."

Bell raised his left hand up and wrapped it around her arm as he felt her warmth. The two of them simply stood there together as Bell tried to gather his thoughts.

"Bell," Emma finally continued. "I think it's not the hero who decides whether or not he's a hero. It's the people around him. And I…"

"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"

The two of them jumped at the scream and turned to see their Goddess Hestia clinging to front gate as she glared at them with wide eyes with Caster standing behind her.

"W-w-w-w-w-w-what the heck do you two think you are doing!?" She demanded, her cheeks pressing against the bars of the gate as though she was trying to force herself through them instead of opening it properly.

And it was then that Bell realized that Emma was pressing his head against her chest while wearing only a coat and her negligee. The realization caused his cheeks to quickly redden as the two quickly separated from each other and Emma hastily tried to cover herself up.

"I-it's not what you think!" Emma tried to explain. "I was just trying to cheer Bell up!"

"While in that state!?" Hestia demanded as she finally threw open the gate and lunged at Bell. "Bell you cheater! I leave you alone for one hour and you suddenly decide to put your hands on Emma!?"

"Please let us explain, Goddess!"

"Do be aware that acts of intimacy will be short lived around the goddess," Caster said as he walked past Emma with a smirk. "Such is the nature of a Virgin Goddess."

"W-we weren't doing anything like that!" Emma shouted to the sky.

X-x-X-x-X

Despite the deadline being cut short, Goibniu Familia was still able to finish most of the work that was requested to be done on the Hestia Familia Home as expected of a High Rank Famillia.

The original building was more or less the same with the exception of the kitchen/dining area combo which had had its original wall torn down and the room expanded out into the backyard, making it so that they could easily fit in a second long table if needed to sit everyone. The main additions were the massively enlarged grounds stretching behind the main building which also included two buildings that had been behind the Hearthstone Manor, now part of their property.

A quick look through the new buildings found that they simply three floors of bedrooms with a washroom at the end of each floor with the stairs going up the middle of each floor. There were enough rooms so that they wouldn't be caught flatfooted from another surge of new Familia Members again.

There was also a third building but Caster had it covered in a tarp and forbade anyone from taking a peek inside. A curious Gina attempted to anyway and got a nasty shock for her trouble.

In short, they had a much larger property than they did before and three new buildings added onto their home. All that was lacking were the furnishings.

After Emma and Bell's rather desperate pleas to explain the circumstances in which they were caught in were rather loud, the entire Familia (plus Fia) was gathered in the new expanded dining area for breakfast and a debrief about what will happen from now on.

"Basically Lancer, you have to use your Runes to completely 'WOW' Ganesha and his Familia into seeing that monsters can be something other than just ticking time bombs that will lash out. I don't want to say that they'll start out as pets…but I want people, mortals and gods alike, to see that they can be trusted companions to fight alongside against the mindless monsters that the Dungeon coughs up."

"Lady Hestia really has thought hard about this…" Lily muttered in surprise. "Lily is shocked."

"Well, it shouldn't be too hard, right?" Gina asked. "I mean, the goblin Lancer 'Tamed' in the forest to show us that it works was doing handstands and flips like it was nothing."

"The challenge will be in making sure that the effect lasts for an acceptable period of time," Saber muttered. "A timeframe of a month would be much too short."

"Yes, but I believe that I will have the perfect catalysts on hand to make it so it is possible," Lancer replied. "The true challenge would be in that Miss Flores and Miss Gwen be able to learn Rune Magic as quickly as possible to replicate the effects and in turn pass them to future members of the Familia and so on."

"If that is the case then Lily wants to learn as well," Lily said, pumping her arms up beside her chest. "If this is what everyone wants to do then Lily will do her best to contribute!"

"Umm, should I learn it too?" Primo asked, raising a hand dutifully.

"No, that would not be necessary," Caster decided. "Your role is one of a traditional Mage in the Familia's descents into the Dungeon. You need to save your 'Spell Slots' should the Falna decide to grace you with more. The one with the highest priority to learn the Rune Magic is Flores. After all, it is your desire to help the Xenos, is it not? I expect you to expend all your effort into mastering what you can, understood?"

"Yes!" Emma replied with a nod. "I won't let you down!"

"Tis not I who shall suffer from your failure," Caster said, glancing over at Fia who shrank down a bit under his gaze. "In any case, in light of current events we shall edit our schedule slightly."

Keeping his gaze on Fia, Caster continued, "As we currently have a…volatile package within our Home, we shall need at least one Servant on standby at the Home at all times, myself included. However, although I do spend most of my time here, there will be times where my presence will be needed elsewhere. As such…we shall needed a dedicated home guard."

"If its just that then I volunteer," Rider offered with a raised hand. "To be honest, I think I'm more suited for a support role than a combat one."

"If you wish to volunteer for the role of babysitter then so be it. Next let us discuss the Second Party's descent into the Dungeon. The original plan was to have Lancer escort them but as she may be called upon by Ganesha Familia at any moment this will have to wait. Therefore Archer will take her place for the time being."

Then the Second Party will be composed of Archer, Gina, Emma and Primo until they settled things with Ganesha and then Lancer will resume the role.

"The Party is to attempt to make its way to the Fifth Floor by the end of the month," Caster said, glancing over at Gina, causing the Amazon to sit up a bit straighter. "Gwen. As the most experienced of the Party you will be leading them."

"Eh…eeeeehhh!?" Gina let out a shout of surprise. "Umm…are you sure I'm up for it?"

"Do no question my orders," Caster replied. "I do not hand out assignments to unworthy fools."

Considering who was saying it, it was probably the highest of praises.

"Ahaha…well, if you say so…"

"Then as for the First Party…it is unlikely that any monster on the first twenty floors would be able to harm you," Caster said as he finally turned toward Bell. "As the smith is currently preparing your armor, I leave the decision to you on whether or not you wish to enter the Dungeon without him."

"Hmm, think it'll be best to wait," Bell replied and Caster accepted it with a nod.

Even if Bell felt the need to hurry compared to a few days ago, he still wanted to continue with Welf in his Party.

"Umm…then what about me?" Fia asked, raising a wing.

"Well, until we see what happens with Ganesha you're going to have to stay inside for a while," Hestia replied. "Though your cloak should keep your features hidden if you want to walk around in the yard. Going into town is out of the question though…"

"Mmm…"

Fia let out a small dissatisfied noise at being told that she was unable to fly freely but didn't say anything, understanding that it was a temporary measure.

"It should only be a few days at most," Hestia assured her. "Don't worry!"

"Of course, should you find that unsatisfactory, you are free to leave the city or return to the Dungeon on your own," Caster added with a provocative smirk.

"I-I understand," Fia replied, not rising to the bait, causing Caster to turn his eyes away while looking a bit disappointed. "I'll try not to trouble you too much."

"I'll be here looking after you so if you need anything just say the word," Rider said with a smile.

"Umm, so the Familia will slowly become a Familia of Tamers moving forward?" Primo asked.

"Nothing so official," Hestia replied with a shake of her head. "It's more like I want to make my Familia a bridge between Humanity and the Xenos. It'll be a long road and frankly I'm not sure how many generations it will take…but we have to start somewhere! And we have the fifteen years of work that Ouranos and Fels already did so it'll be fine. Probably!"

"Lily is suddenly even more worried than before…" Lily muttered with a sigh. "Fifteen years is rather short in the eyes of a goddess, isn't it?"

"Well, I'm sure it will be fine," Hestia insisted before nodding her head again. "Anyway, I'm pretty sure that covers everything so everyone should prepare for the day ahead…oh and Bell, I want to talk to you for a bit more so come with me to my office."

Bell glanced at his goddess in confusion as the sound of chairs sliding across the floor and people making small talk prevented him from asking her anything. He caught Emma's eye on the way out of the dining room but she just shook her head as if to say she didn't know what Hestia wanted either.

Nevertheless, Bell followed the goddess up to the top floor and entered her office where the two sat across from each other on the sofas in the room.

"Bell…about this morning…" Hestia began.

"L-like I said, that was a misunderstanding!" Bell found himself saying immediately.

"I'm not talking about Emma hugging you in her pjs!" Hestia shouted, slamming her hands on the table between them with bright red cheeks before quickly calming herself down by coughing into her hand. "I'm asking you about why she did. Are you feeling okay? She said that you looked awful."

"Ahh…"

Bell let out a weak noise as he slumped back into his seat.

"I…don't really know," Bell admitted. "I…don't know. I feel like I'm missing something important."

"Is this about your 'heroic desire' again?" Hestia asked with a slight teasing smile to which Bell gave a weak chuckle in response. "I don't think you need to spend so much time thinking about it, Bell. I'm sure quite a few of our Familia members already consider you there hero."

"But…I'm still not strong enough."

"That can't be helped, Bell. You've only been an Adventurer for not even three months yet. I know it's easy to forget when you're already Level 3 but you need to remember that you are growing much much faster than every other Adventurer in Orario, perhaps even the world."

As Bell remained silent, Hestia shook her head with a sigh.

"Bell, I know its hard to be patient when you have your dream literally in sight and living with you every day, but you have to remember. All of the Servants have spent their entire lives becoming Heroes. Don't you think its rude to them if you think that you aren't catching up fast enough to them when you've only been at it for three months?"

Bell lowered his head in shame. Certainly there was some truth in her words. It was far too arrogant for him to even try to get close. But even so…he wanted to stand up there with his Heroes…with that person.

"Bell."

Bell looked up and saw that Hestia had walked around the table to sit down next to him.

"I'm not saying that you should give up. No, far from it. I'm just saying that you don't need to be so impatient in how you are going about it. You should know what the number one reason why Adventurers adventures get cut short right?"

"…They push too far too quickly."

"Exactly. Now…I don't want to say that you can't go on an Adventure, but please don't overdo it. You literally carry the lives of over half this Familia with you after all. I don't want to lose any of you if I don't have to."

With that said, Hestia pulled Bell's head close to her chest, much like Emma did earlier. And because Emma had done so earlier, Bell was completely aware at what his goddess was doing.

"Umm, Goddess?" Bell said, trying to keep his face from touching her chest too much. "Isn't this a bit…"

"No!" Hestia shut him down immediately. "You're not going anywhere until I'm satisfied!"

"You are still upset about that after all!" Bell shouted as he quickly pulled himself away from her.

"Oh no you don't!" Hestia shouted as she dived at Bell to which he quickly dodged her and maneuvered around the table so that it was between him and his goddess. "I'm going to get at least twice the amount of time you gave Emma and you don't get to say 'No!'"

"P-please give me a break!"

The two of them ran circles around the room for a few minutes before Hestia dropped onto the sofa, completely out of breath while Bell was keeping a good three meters between himself and his goddess.

"Uwwaaaah! Bell you bully!" Hestia let out a cry of frustration. "I just want to show you my love too!"

"I can see and appreciate your love at this distance just fine, Goddess," Bell answered with a wry smile as he backed up against a glass case. Turning around he saw that it contained the single most important treasure in their Familia.

The Holy Grail.

Surrounded by several rather expensive looking wine bottles.

"Goddess…please tell me you aren't using the Grail as a wine glass," Bell said as he opened the case and pulled the chalice out.

"Of course not!" Hestia said quickly as she pushed herself up from the sofa. "What do you take me for!? That said, I am using it as decoration so that people who come in would just think of it as a very pretty wine glass."

Bell stared at the golden cup that had jumpstarted Hestia Familia's rise into stardom. It had been a while since he had the legendary item in his hands, due to having left it with Hestia all this time, but he wondered if it was a bit heavier than he remembered. It may be due to the fact that he now truly understood the value of the Grail and its metaphorical weight was only now resting in his hands.

"Hey, Archer said that the Grail was a wishing device right?" Hestia asked as she flopped herself onto her back and looked toward Bell with her head upside down. "Are you going to try and wish to become stronger with it?"

"…No," Bell decided with a shake of his head. "I want to achieve that strength with my own hands alongside Lily, Welf, Emma, Primo and Gina. Besides, the Grail needs to be filled up with the Servants for the wishing part to work, right?"

But still…he would like some sort of hint to the mysterious problem that he was facing. But it was unlikely that an answer would come to him when he wasn't even sure what the problem was to begin with.

Was it simply the lack of strength that made him feel down…or was it because it had been the very first time he saw people die in front of him? Eyes filled with fear, dread and despair before their lives were willingly snuffed out in the name of and for the glory of their god.

"B-Bell!? Are you okay?"

Bell turned his head toward Hestia again to see his goddess staring at him with worry.

"Your face is looking really pale," she said as she hopped to her feet. "Look…take the day off today and just relax in your room or something. Maybe take a nap or something."

"Y-yeah," Bell nodded in agreement, suddenly realizing his body was shaking rather violently. "M-maybe I'll read a book or something…"

"Then, how about I head out for a spin?"

"Eh?"

A voice sounded in his head, causing him to take a step back and bump into the bookshelf behind him. Turning his head around he managed to see the title of one of the books written on its spine.

"Argonaut?"

It was the title of the Myth that he had been talking with Emma about just moments earlier.

"Bell!?"

"Oowah!?"

A bright light shined in the room, emanating from both the Holy Grail and Bell, causing Hestia to throw her arms in front of her eyes to shield them.

When the light finally died down, she peered around her arms to see Bell standing there with a blank look on his face before setting the Grail back in its case.

"Bell! Are you all-" Hestia began before Bell quickly walked over to her and took her hands into his own, causing the goddess to squeak in surprise.

"Ahh! So it's true!" Bell suddenly said as he knelt down in front of her. "A black haired bombshell divine beauty truly does exist! Although you were magnificent when you were but a mere image in my mind, seeing you in the flesh gives me the greatest joy!"

"Hueh?" Hestia couldn't help but utter a sound of pure confusion at Bell's sudden rapid fire compliments but a rather large part of her was extremely happy about them.

But there was something strange about them. Like he was speaking to her as if she was a stranger.

"Madam, may I ask that you stay by my side forever?" Bell suddenly said. "Now that we have met I cannot bear to ever part from you!"

"W-who are you!?" Hestia shouted, tearing her hand away from the person's grip. "Bell would never be able to say such things with a straight face."

As she admitted it, she felt her heart tear itself in two.

"Fufufu, of course it is only natural for a hero to introduce oneself on a first meeting," "Bell" said as he stood up with his arm out in what he probably considered a "heroic" pose. "Rejoice! For I am-"

"What's going on!?"

The door was thrown open and Archer had stepped inside, looking between "Bell" and Hestia before focusing on "Bell."

"You…who the heck are you!?" Archer demanded.

"Just a hero that happens to be passing by! I have come in this world to take in the future that I had hoped would come. This is the day that I take my first leap into this new era!"

With a laugh, "Bell" ran toward the balcony and jumped right through it.

"Ah…uwaaaaaaaah!"

But naturally, since they were on the fourth floor with no other building near the manor, he fell all the way down to the ground with a scream.

Archer only spent a second completely dumbfounded at the scene before rushing to the balcony and looking down.

"…He vanished?" Archer gasped in surprise. "Dematerialization? No, they can't do that with Bell's human body…Presence Concealment?"

"Was that Master's scream?" Saber asked as he and the other Servants aside from Caster appeared in the doorway, looking rather ready for battle.

"Can we get an explanation, Lady Hestia?" Archer asked turning toward Hestia who was at a complete loss to the turn of events as well.

X-x-X-x-X

"So Bell had the Grail in his hands when it suddenly started glowing and then he started acting like that?" Archer summarized when everyone had gathered into Hestia's office. "And for it to happen when that guy's off somewhere…"

It would seem that Caster had left on some personal business shortly after the morning meeting, thus he was currently not present in the office or at the Home.

"He said he was heading out to 'release his built up irritation,'" Emma noted. "Do you think he's going into the Dungeon on his own?"

"Well, he's definitely not going to the Pleasure District," Gina pointed out. "Not with his…issues with Ishtar anyway."

"Girls, focus," Rider said as she placed a hand on Gina's head before turning back to Archer. "Do you think the Grail did something?"

"That's the only explanation," Archer nodded. "It's a vessel for a massive amount of magic after all. It probably used Bell's body as a vessel for a Heroic Spirit. Although he did seem a bit…insane…I don't think that that was Berserker though."

"A forced manifestation by the Grail," Saber muttered as he glance at Archer. "Just like what it did with you, correct?"

"Probably," Archer nodded. "Though this is my actual body…for a given definition of 'actual' anyway."

"Putting that aside, shouldn't we go after him?" Lily asked, looking rather worried. "If a Spirit has taken over Bell's body then who knows what it could do!"

"Hmm, I don't think anything really bad will happen," Primo said as she placed a finger on her chin. "I don't know about Servants and the like, but some of the more mischievous Spirits sometimes play pranks like this."

"Oh yeah!" Gina nodded. "I remember last fall, during the festival, a bunch of Spirits gathered into a goddess and made her super big for a moment. It was really funny though her Familia was really worried for a bit."

"No, in the worst case scenario…the Heroic Spirit inside Bell might reveal our existence to someone," Lancer pointed out.

"Yeah," Archer agreed. "We'll have to split up to look for him."

Thus they were split up into groups.

Archer and Saber were to head out on their own, Rider would look with Gina, Assassin would look with Primo and Emma would look with Lily. Lancer and Hestia were to stay behind both to watch after Fia and wait just in case Ganesha came over.

The search for Bell and the mysterious Servant was on.

X-x-X-x-X

"Ahhh…I can't believe that happened…" Tione said as she slumped over the table at the outdoor café she was sitting at with her younger sister, Lefiya, and Ais.

"Well, you said Finn did knock her out with a single punch after all," Tiona said with a laugh. "It's only natural that Argana would fall head over heels for him. I mean you did too."

"Shut up! The Captain's mine! I won't hand him over to anyone, especially not to Argana!"

"Ahaha…"

As the debacle with Kali Familia was finally over, Loki and Finn sent the twins and Lefiya back to Orario to rest and to get them away from Kali Familia as soon as possible. Ais was also sent along to watch over them and to make sure they were relaxing while the rest of the Familia handled the clean up of Melen.

"So…" Tiona began, changing the topic as she looked over to Lefiya. "You're going to be a teacher, Lefiya?"

"So it seems," Lefiya nodded. "Primo seems to be a smart girl though so I think she'll be able to learn very quickly."

"She said has a Spell already right?" Ais asked.

"That's right. And she is already able to cast it. I don't know how much I'll be able to teach but I'll definitely do my best."

"Haha, maybe she'll become your rival in the future," Tiona said with a smile.

"I-I'm not going to consider a ten-year-old my rival!"

"Yeah but a difference of five years isn't much, especially for an Elf, right?" Tione pointed out. "And in ten years or so it'll be a whole new game if she ends up growing even half as fast as that boy with Archer and their other crazy Familia members hanging around them."

"Gu…mumumu, I won't lose to a ten-year-old!"

As the others shared a laugh at Lefiya's expense, Tiona suddenly let out a shout.

"Ah, Little Argonaut spotted!" Tiona said, pointing over the table toward the crowd.

There, the girls could see Bell Cranel making his way through it, head turning every which way as he took in all the sights.

"Is he lost?" Lefiya asked as they saw him stare bewilderedly at a human girl clinging happily to an elf man, the latter of which looking rather resigned to his companion's affection.

"Looks like he's just on a walk to me," Tione said before Bell turned to look.

"Let's go say 'Hi!'" Tiona said, getting up to walk over only for Ais to grab her by the arm.

"That's not him," she said. "That's not Bell Cranel."

"Huh, really?" Tiona asked as she turned back toward the Bell lookalike. "But he looks just like him though."

The lookalike suddenly looked over his shoulder and with a flustered look on his face before quickly sprinting down the road in the direction of Babel Tower. Not long after that, a familiar figure was standing on the rooftops of one of the shops, scanning the streets as if looking for something, or someone.

"Mister Archer?" Lefiya noted as Archer looked in their direction and his expression went from a deep frown to one of surprise. He then gave them a smile with a small wave before heading the opposite direction of Babel.

"That's strange…do you think he was looking for that lookalike?" Tione asked.

"This sounds interesting," Tiona said with a spark in her eyes. "Let's follow him."

"Who? The lookalike?" Lefiya asked. "I'm not so sure that's a good idea. Besides, didn't Loki tell us to rest?"

"Come on, it'll be fun!" Tiona insisted before looking to Ais. "What do you say, Ais?"

"Let's go," Ais said with a rather serious expression on her face.

"O-okay," Tiona nodded as she shared a glance with her sister and Lefiya. They quickly gathered their things, leaving behind the payment for their meal, and quickly headed in the direction of Babel Tower as well.

It didn't take long for them to find the lookalike. The boy was standing in the plaza just in front of the tower while staring up at it in awe.

"Looks like it's not Bell after all," Lefiya noted. "He wouldn't be so surprised to see Babel Tower otherwise."

They watched the boy pat himself down for a moment before touching his back and pulling out a black dagger. Tapping the tip for a moment, he nodded with a smile before returning it to its sheath and made a beeline toward the entrance.

"He's going in," Tione muttered. "Should we keep going?"

Ais answered by striding forward into the Dungeon first, forcing the other girls to quickly follow after her.

X-x-X-x-X

Keeping a good distance between themselves and the boy, the girls watched him encounter a single goblin all by its lonesome.

"Oho, a goblin!" The boy shouted in a rather arrogant tone that was rather grating when compared to Bell's usual polite and modest demeanor. "You shall be the first to taste my blade reborn! Toh!"

With a flash, the boy drew his dagger and shot forward. His body was little more than a blur as he all but disappeared from his starting position and reappeared at the end of the corridor behind the goblin which had lost its head.

"…That's pretty fast," Tione muttered. "He sounds and acts like he's a Level 1 but…that's not the speed of a Level 2."

"Something's definitely weird," Lefiya added, nodding her head in agreement as the boy was staring at his hands.

"AMAZING!" He shouted at the top of his lungs as his hands shot up in a cheer. "This body is amazing! With this, I don't need to hide behind Fina anymore! Or rather, aren't I even stronger and faster than Yuri and the others now too? This is great! I shall write this in my Hero Journal! Just…as soon as I get a new one! Heroically!"

"Why does that name sound familiar?" Lefiya muttered.

"Ah, he's moving again," Tiona spoke up.

"Let's keep following," Ais said.

And so, they continued following the strange boy deeper and deeper into the Dungeon.

X-x-X-x-X

Back on the surface, Saber was making his way through the crowd, looking for any sign of his missing Master.

"The connection between us and Master is muted," Saber thought to himself as he stepped to the side to allow a golden haired god to pass by with a black haired elf. "So the mysterious Servant has Presence Concealment despite the Assassin class already being filled. That or a Skill that works in a similar fashion. However we are still receiving magic from him even if we cannot tell where it is coming from. Should we consider them some sort of Pesudo-Servant?"

As he was caught up in his thoughts, someone called out to him.

"That knight over there."

The voice was lovely and enticing, and that alone made Saber put up his guard. Turning around, he saw a woman wearing a hood gesturing at him to come over on the other side of the street. Though she was hiding herself with the cloak, Saber could easily see through it and discern her identity without fail.

Her perfectly symmetrical face and seductive proportions were hidden by the cloak but there was this lovely scent that could even the strongest of heroes become weak willed in her presence. The presence of a Goddess of Beauty.

"Goddess Freya," Saber said after he followed her into the alleyway. Although she was not the goddess of his Familia, she was still related to someone of importance to Saber. Thus he had no qualms in kneeling before her. "What can I do for you?"

"Oh my, you really are playing the role quite well, aren't you?" Freya asked with a giggle. "I was wondering if you have some time to talk, child of Hestia."

"My apologies but I am currently searching for someone. If you wish, we can reschedule it for another time."

"Oh my…you are an interesting one," Freya said, sounding rather surprised at his refusal. But rather than getting angry, she seemed rather delighted by it. "But unfortunately I won't be able to sneak out again. I promise I won't take too much of your time. I merely have a single question to ask of you in private. In return, I will answer any questions you have, including where your little boy went off to. How about it?"

"…Very well," Saber acquiesced with a nod.

"My, it's been so long since I have had to barter for something that I wanted," Freya said with another giggle. "How refreshing. Well then, this way please."

Freya led Saber into a small café where she raised a hand toward the person standing behind a bar counter before making her way through the store, ignoring the gazes of the other customers as she did. The two of them stopped by a door which Saber stepped forward and opened for Freya before they stepped inside.

It was a private room that opened up to the balcony of the store, allowing one a view of the main street with Babel Tower in the distance.

"Now then," Freya began as she took a seat at the table in the center of the room and Saber sat down across from her. "I heard Hestia took you all on a trip to Melen."

"That is correct," Saber confirmed. There was no harm in doing so. It was supposed to have been a vacation after all.

"There seems to have been some trouble down there and from what I saw, it seems as though that boy, Bell Cranel, has been involved in it. Is he all right?"

"Before I answer that question…may I ask why you are concerned for my Vice Captain's wellbeing?"

"Well, it's because he interests me," Freya replied honestly with a smile. "You can't find a child as pure as him no matter how hard you look in Gekai. Ahh, but please don't misunderstand me. I have no desire to try and take him for myself so long as he remains a part of your Familia. I like Hestia far too much to do that to her and I believe he will shine the brightest with her. Consider me someone who wishes to see her favorite celebrity still perform at his best despite any setbacks."

"I see…" Saber accepted the explanation with a nod. "As expected of the gods I suppose. Then to answer your question…we ran afoul of a group known as Evilus. I believe you should be aware of them if you have resided in Orario for a while."

"Evilus…" Freya repeated rather darkly but didn't continue.

"Yes. Bell encountered them and they tried to harm him by blowing their own bodies up in front of him. I suppose the sight of so much human death has affected him a bit. But he is still young and his heart is strong. He will power through it in time."

Saber declined to make any mention of Ishtar Familia. He had no idea if Bell had came across any of them after all. And it wasn't as though they knew the identity of the suicide bombers.

"Indeed," Freya agreed with a beautiful smile. "Now then, as promised I shall answer any questions you have so long as they do not involve my Familia's Secrets."

"Then, may I ask why you are fond of my goddess?" Saber asked. "It may sound strange coming from me, but our Familias are more or less on the opposite side of the spectrum, are they not?"

It was the truth. Up until recently, Hestia Familia was on the very bottom while Freya Familia was on the very top of the social ladder in Orario.

"Oh that?" Freya asked with a laugh. "It's because she's one of the few gods that can be completely honest with me. As a goddess, she doesn't fall under the influence of my Charm and become a babbling idiot like the majority of the men and she isn't one of those goddesses that are so insecure in their own beauty. But her being able to tell me exactly what she is thinking at the moment is what I love about her. I invited her to go shopping with me too but it appears that she hasn't been able to find the time."

"…I see."

Truly the gods are incomprehensible.

"Then…may I hear where Bell has gone to?"

"Hmm, oh that. I believe he went in the direction of Babel Tower. Perhaps he has gone off into the Dungeon? But…there appeared to be something sticking rather close to him."

"Do you consider it hostile?"

"No…on the contrary, it seems to be making him shine even brighter than ever. I am rather…conflicted about that."

It wasn't any of her business to begin with but Saber decided that it wasn't his place to say so out loud.

"Do you have any other questions?" Freya asked but Saber shook his head.

"No, thank you for your time."

"Oh no, I should be saying that to you. Oh, and I would appreciate it if you reminded Hestia of our little shopping date."

Saber lowered his body into a bow and left without another word. Freya watched him go, her finger tracing the circles on the wooden table.

"Really, just where are you finding these children, Hestia?" she asked with a remorseful sigh. "That one has such a beautiful color…but it isn't complete without that woman's soul beside it. There's no point in taking half a piece and I don't have the motivation to do it either."

Freya then let out a soft chuckle.

"Well, I suppose it doesn't matter. After all, the boy's soul will be mine in the end. It's all just a matter of waiting."

X-x-X-x-X

Back in the Dungeon, the four girls of Loki Familia were still watching the boy who looked very similar to Bell Cranel clear the Dungeon without stopping. They had already made it to the entrance of the Tenth Floor where the winding rocky tunnels would be replaced by large rooms filled with fog.

"Hmm…that should be far enough," the boy said as he returned his dagger to his sheathe and brushed off his clothes. He then turned around with a smile. "I don't mind being watched by so many beauties but can I at least get to know my audience before I continue forward?"

"Ahaha, busted~" Tiona said with a laugh.

"Should we show ourselves?" Lefiya asked.

"Well, it's not like we saw anything suspicious," Tione added.

Ais however, remained silent as the four of them walked down the corridor to meet the mysterious boy. As they drew close, they saw the boy's eyes open wide in shock.

Lefiya felt that it was a rather normal reaction. Realizing that the elites of Loki Familia (plus Lefiya herself) were the ones that had been following you would probably shock any Adventurer in Orario.

"F-Fina!?" The boy shouted in surprise before any of them could say anything. "And Elmina and Orna and…Aria!?"

At the final name, all of them froze. It had been a while since Lefiya heard someone call Ais, "Aria" but the only ones who had done so had been there enemies.

"Why are you all here!?" The boy continued, unaware of their inner turmoil and looking as though he had been reunited with people he hadn't seen in years. Even though the four of them had never seen him before. "No that should be obvious. The bonds we share with each other surpass even the boundary of time and space!"

Then in a blink of an eye, the boy was suddenly in front of Ais down on one knee and holding her hand as if she was a princess.

"But you shouldn't be here, Aria," the boy said, smiling rather brightly. "This place is filled with monsters after all. It's not a place where a princess should…go…huh?"

The boy then stood up and stared right into Ais's eyes, causing the girl to lean back.

"…Gold eyes…" he muttered before turning to Lefiya who took a step back. "And…full length ears."

There was a slight pause before the boy jumped away from them and prostrated himself on the ground in that legendary "do-ge-za" thing that Loki had mentioned offhandedly once or twice before. A mysterious pose originating from the Far East that had the power to ask any request or forgive any slight.

"I'm so sorry for my mistake!" The boy shouted, pressing his hands and forehead against the ground. "I mistook you all for someone else! Especially to that Lady Elf over there. Forgive me for mistaking you for my sister!"

"S-sister?" Lefiya repeated. "But…aren't you a human…ah…"

If he had mistook Lefiya for his sister but was surprised to see that she was an Elf then his sister must have been a Half Elf.

"Indeed, please accept my sincerest apologies!"

"N-no, it's fine!" Lefiya said quickly. "It's hard to notice at a first glance. It's fine, really!"

"Hey…when you said 'Orna,' are you talking about 'Orna the Storyteller?'" Tiona asked. "One of the Great Three Poets?"

"Heh, so she went on to become a storyteller after all," the boy said with a smile as he raised his head. "Good for her!"

"Did you hit your head somewhere?" Tione asked with a frown. "Orna the Storyteller lived centuries ago. Why would they be here now?"

"Why, you say?" the boy asked with a smile as he jumped to his feet, placing a hand on his chest. "Because I am here after all!"

"…Who are you?" Ais asked, placing a hand over her sword to the surprise of the other girls. "What are you doing with Bell Cranel's body?"

"His body…what?" Tione asked but Ais refused to take her eyes off the boy in front of them.

"Bell Cranel…" the boy said with a small smile. "That's right. That's what this boy's name is. A young man who grew up hearing the story of Heroes so often that he himself wished to become one. Hahahahaha, as expected I suppose. It's only natural for our souls to resonate so!"

Ais's blade slipped out slightly from its sheath, causing the boy to quickly raise his hands up.

"Whoa whoa whoa, he's perfectly fine so long as I don't get hurt in the meantime," the boy said quickly. "He got involved in a fight with some shady people so he's in a bit of a shock so I had him sleep for a bit. In the meantime I wanted to take a look around this world where the gods have finally come to answer the prayers of humanity."

"You…who exactly are you?" Ais demanded.

"Just a passing by clown who also wished so desperately to become a Hero," the boy answered with a smile. "You may call me, Argonaut."

"Argo…naut?"

Lefiya and Tione repeated his name at the same time as they shared a glance.

"That's right," "Argonaut" replied. "You may have heard of me. The great hero who took up the late General Minos's power to defeat the monstrous Minotaur and save Princess Ariadne! That Argonaut now stands before you!"

As his voice echoed through the walls of the Dungeon, Lefiya and the others could only give him a blank stare.

"…I see that you do not believe me," Argonaut said, his smile holding strong. "That is fine. It is not every day one sees a living legend after all. But don't worry, I shall show you proof."

Thrusting his hand straight up into the air Argonaut then bellowed, "Heed my call, Great Spirit Jupiter! Your contractor has returned to the mortal world! I hereby renew our contract. Come! My lightning blade! Bestow upon me my inherited raiment!"

The girls took a step back and braced themselves for whatever it was Argonaut was planning…but as the seconds ticked away, nothing was happening.

"G-give it a minute," Argonaut said, suddenly sounding a bit unsure of himself. "That old fart's loves to make things harder for-"

A flash of lightning interrupted Argonaut's words, filling the entire tunnel with light as Argonaut let out an irritated scream, "YOU TOTALLY PLANNED THAT, DAMN IIIIITTTT!" Not only that, Lefiya could have sworn she heard the boisterous laugh of an old man echo in the halls along with Argonaut's scream.

As the light died down and the girls opened their eyes, they saw Argonaut standing before them as before, only now his arms and legs were adorned with an armor of gold with a beautifully weaved white cloth over the black shirt and trousers that Bell Cranel had been wearing with a flowing black cape to top it all off.

Slamming the golden Magic Sword that had suddenly appeared in his hands into the Dungeon Floor, he began to speak.

"This is the man who defeated the evil creature, Minotaur, allowing humanity to take one great step forward into the future! The one who called upon other great warriors to begin their Heroic Myths! The one who ended the era of sorrow and despair that has plagued this world since the dawn of time."

Argonaut opened his eyes and Lefiya felt her heart began to beat faster at the sheer aura he was exuding.

"I am the one who gave rise to the Era of Heroes! The vessel which lead the Heroes to come to greatness! The one who challenged the gods to view my glory! I am the Radiant Dawn, Argonaut!"

Lefiya believed him.

This was no imposter taking on the name of a children's fairytale in order to live its glory. This wasn't the humble boy who received the nickname from their mutual friend. This was the impossible made possible. A living legend manifested.

Humanity's First Great Hero: Argonaut.

"How's that?" Argonaut asked with a smile. "Pretty freaking cool, if I say so myself."

Lefiya could only nod her head but someone else had other plans.

"Uwwwwoooooooowwww!"

Namely the younger of the twin Amazons who had immediately let out a cheer as she dived at the Hero, sending both of them spiraling to the ground…and down the stairs to the Tenth Floor.

"Huh? No wait! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"

And humanity's first hero screamed all the way down.

X-x-X-x-X

This was the rebirth of a comedy.

A short continuation of the oldest legend in Gekai.

The Legend of Argonaut, begins once more.