Chapter 47: Past and Future
"CHARIOT OF BOUDICA!"
A near-transparent dome formed around the cluster of people as the black wind roared all around them. Bell's ears were filled with the wind pounding against Rider's magic shield and the screams of Assassin, Lily and Primo as he and Emma covered the three of them with their bodies. Bell slowly opened one of his eyes as he tried to get a hold of the situation.
The dome was rather large, symbolizing Rider's desire to protect that which was important to her, but it wasn't anywhere near big enough to cover the entire village. While it was enough to cover the entire Hestia Familia as well as the villagers and Adventurers of Dia and Hermes that had been close by, there were still countless others that were still stuck outside of it.
"Excellent work, Miss Rider…" Hermes said as he picked up his hat from off the ground after it had fallen off when one of Hermes's Adventurers dove on top of him to try and shield him from the wind. "You did what you could."
"…"
The pained grimace on Rider's face said otherwise though.
After a moment, the wind subsided, and the shield faded. The black mist was still lingering in the air, but it didn't seem too bad. Was most of the poison within the attack itself with the aftereffects being weaker? Either way, it would still be dangerous to breathe it in for too long, especially for those without a Falna.
"A-antidotes!" Lily said as she picked up her backpack. "We need to hurry and pass out the antidotes!"
"Do we have any strong ones left?" Karen asked. "I don't think there was enough time to make any from the herbs we gathered…"
"Even the cheap stuff will do in a pinch!" Lily said. "Please help Lily, Miss Karen!"
The noble girl nodded her head as the two of them ran toward the fallen.
"…Did they get annihilated?" Bell heard Welf mutter.
Bell turned to see his friend staring toward the direction of the gargantuan black twister.
"Y-you shouldn't say something like that!" Gina said, tugging on Welf's sleeve but the Smith didn't turn his gaze away.
"P-Primo, wait! Calm down!"
Bell spun around to see Primo desperately trying to scramble out of Emma's arms. Her arms were flailing about, trying to pull Emma's arms off of her, and eyes were jumping back and forth from the direction of the black twister to the elf villagers that had been caught in the black wind. Many of them were coughing and groaning as they suffered from the poison and the young girl looked to be at a lost to what to do.
Bell turned back to the twister.
"Asterios…Lefiya…"
However, he only managed a single step before someone grabbed his arm.
"Don't even think about it, Bell," Hermes said with a solemn look.
"Lord Hermes?"
"What do you think you can do?" Hermes asked. "You may be Level 3, but you don't have Abnormal Resistance, right? You'll just end up the same as the people here…perhaps even worse off. The poison would be even more powerful the closer you get to that monster."
Even as he said that, Hermes looked absolutely miserable.
"Even the antidotes the girls are handing out won't cut it. That thing is on another level than what normal people can handle. This is the absolute worst-case scenario. What a mess."
"…Cranel…"
A soft cry reached Bell's ears before something small bumped into his back. Primo was clinging onto his waist, looking up at him with tear-filled eyes.
"Mr Cranel…Asterios and Miss Viridis are…" she cried. "They're…they're…"
Her watery and unclear as she struggled with the emotions running through her heart. The little girl who lost her mother to the forest without anything was afraid of losing more people that she loved.
"Don't listen to her, Bell," Hermes said calmly yet forcefully, with his eyes narrowed.
"Why not, Lord Hermes?" Bell asked back softly as he placed his arms around Primo.
"Because if you do…you'll go help them."
The words were said so matter-of-factly that Bell felt a bit embarrassed that someone outside of his Familia could see right through him like that. But even so, he kept the emotion down and the seriousness on his face.
"And what's wrong with that?" Bell demanded.
"Because if you go, you'll die."
Another simple and serious statement.
"If you die, a lot of people, not just Hestia, will be sad," Hermes continued. "No…before that, I don't want you to die, Bell."
"Even so, we can't just abandon them!"
His connection with Berserker was still there. The minotaur…the Servant was still alive and fighting. And if he was still alive, then Lefiya would be as well. The Servant gave his word that he would protect her for Primo and Bell believed that Berserker would die first before failing them.
"Then tell me, what can you do?" Hermes demanded in return. "An army of Level 2s led by a Level 4 and several Level 3s seem to have failed. What can a single Level 3 human do? It is not as if you are a Spirit, right? You don't have any special powers that can protect you from the poison. And…you're your Familia's Vice Captain, aren't you? Your Familia is looking to you for guidance in the absence of your Captain."
Sure enough…Lily, Welf, Gina, Primo, Assassin, Emma, Rider and even Karen were all looking at him, the "Master" of Hestia Familia.
Although Bell felt it was arrogant of him, he understood that it was because of him and his actions that brought them all together. If he hadn't found the Grail, the Servants wouldn't be here. If he hadn't summoned Caster, Lily might have still been with Soma Familia. If he and the male Servants hadn't been there, Hestia might not have seriously looked for new Familia members and found Primo and Emma. If Bell hadn't found Welf's armor and befriended the Smith, he might still be with Hephaistos Familia. If Bell and the others hadn't defeated the Black Goliath, Gina might have simply gone home after leaving Hermes Familia or found a different Familia to join.
In the end, it all came down to Bell and the Grail as the cornerstone of Hestia Familia.
His actions held the same amount of weight as Caster's in deciding the Familia's future…no, perhaps they held even more weight.
"Charging headlong into danger without any plan or thought isn't courage, but plain stupidity," Hermes continued, unaware of Bell's thoughts. "The decoy team had their duty and we need to do ours here. We have to get those we can out of this village as quickly as we can."
Do what you can, and nothing more.
Could Bell be satisfied with just that? Could he be satisfied to just abandon those who couldn't move and the decoy team just like that?
Several explosions rang out into the distance, causing Hermes to glance over at the twister once more. Red and white lights could be seen flashing before each fearsome boom.
"Thunder, huh?" He said softly. "That thing seriously means business."
"No…it's not the monster…"
Bell who had been quietly listening to the God Hermes all this time finally spoke up.
His body was on fire. Not because of the anger at his powerlessness or because he was upset at Hermes's words, true as they were. It was because they were still fighting.
Archer, Saber, and Lancer were still fighting against their unseen enemy. And "he" was as well.
The one who was different than all the other Servants. While they were all "human" in body and spirit, "he" was a monster. Although he was kind, soft spoken, and beloved by his Familia, there was no changing the nature he was born with.
Hestia had suggested pretending he was an overly large Cows, a demi-human, but Caster shut her down immediately.
"It is not possible to hide nor deny Berserker's true nature," the wise King of Heroes had said. "To deny him his origins is to deny his birth and his identity. To insist he is something is not would be crueler than chaining him down as you would chain his soul. Would you strip away everything that makes you a goddess just to hide amongst humans?"
No one could or did say anything against that and Bell had noted Lancer looking rather mournful as Saber placed a hand on her shoulders at Caster's words.
He was still fighting. Fighting to protect the girl that was important to his friends. And that girl too, was still fighting. Fighting to protect her comrades and the village of her friend.
"And so, there's only one choice, isn't there?" The voice in Bell's head asked with a grin that Bell had no way of seeing. "That isn't only Berserker's fury raging out there."
"It's her song," Bell said with confidence. "Lefiya is still fighting out there! She hasn't given up!"
"You're different from me. You don't need to simply bite your lip and be protected by women all the time."
Although they should be different people, their hearts and souls were the same.
"I'm going," Bell said as he gently pushed Primo into Emma's arms. "I don't care what you say. So long as they're still alive and fighting, I won't abandon them."
"It doesn't matter what you think," Hermes said. "I'm not going to let you wander off into your death, so I'll talk you down each time."
Though his words were harsh, his intentions were honest and for Bell's sake, to keep him alive. Everyone in the clearing knew that. Even Gina, for all she hated her former god, didn't say anything.
It was during times like this that Bell felt that the love he received from the people around him was too much. That it was those who cared less about his well-being and more of his achievements like Caster who let him do as he wished.
But even so, Bell would never wish to do away with that love. It was that love that gave him a reason and a place to return home to after all.
"But even so, how can you chase your dreams if you stop here?"
"Even so, how can you call yourself a man if you can't save even one girl?" Bell shouted at the Hermes, causing the god to freeze in shock. "What kind of hero would turn away from a fight? A chance to protect and save people? A hero should rush forward, fight, protect and save people! That's what my grandpa would say! I know it!"
At the mention of his grandfather, Hermes looked rather intrigued, but Bell didn't stop to wonder. He had to keep going. To keep talking before the god could regain his composure. In a prolonged battle of words, Bell knew he had no chance against a being centuries…no…millennia his elder.
"If I stop here, I know I won't be able to go any further!" Bell said. "If I run away now, I'll be turning my back on everything important to me and everyone that put their faith in me!"
The dream at the end of the road he sought. The Throne of Heroes. Such a fantasy truly existed. A place where true heroes resided.
Heroes that were leaders of Men.
Heroes that had been destined for greatness.
Heroes who lent their strength and supported that greatness.
Heroes whose very names and deeds shook the world in fear and awe.
Heroes who simply did what they could to help.
And Heroes that were beacons of hope in this cruel world.
If he stopped now, it would be the same as admitting defeat. To admit that those people, that Bell's own heroes, were beyond him. Even though they were but a step and a touch away physically…the distance that truly mattered was as great as the distance between the realm of the gods and that of mortals. To stop, even for a moment, meant that the dream would escape him. He did not need Caster, or anyone else, to tell him this.
The examples he had by his side were proof enough how long and arduous the journey was and there was no looking back or hesitation that could be afforded. Even if he were to jump into the depths of hell, he had to keep going.
"And we will be right there beside you every step of the way. So, blaze forward! Chase after that back along your dreams!"
"…"
"Lord Hermes?"
Asfi, who had been silent the entire time, turned toward her god warily but Hermes simply let out a long sigh of defeat.
"Hero, huh?" Hermes finally muttered. "You think everything you worked so hard for will be meaningless if you stop here, huh?"
Hermes let out another long-suffering sigh, but there was a small smile on his face.
"Very well, I suppose you convinced me."
"Lord Hermes…"
Bell let out a sigh of relief as Hermes shook his head.
"I won't stop you anymore, but I will nag at you regardless," the god said. "Do you even have a plan to get close to that monster with all of its poison? I suppose Miss Rider could lend you a hand but that would leave the people here completely unprotected."
"I…"
That was right. For all his bolster, Bell had no way to wade through the poison. Choosing Mage over Abnormal Resistance had been the right choice to support all of his Servants but doing so had gave him another huge weak point.
"Well then, I suppose I'll have to say the words that everyone wants to say at least once in their life!" Hermes said, throwing out his arms with flair. "I was prepared for something like this! Though I really wish I didn't have to say it here…"
Hermes muttered the last part rather quietly but both Gina and Asfi let out identical suffering sighs while Rider had the same face, she made on the day Hestia took them all shopping for swimsuits.
Hermes opened the pack on his back and handed two items to Bell.
"These are…"
Bell recognized them. Why wouldn't he?
He had worn one of these pieces just the other day while Lefiya had worn the other one.
An armlet and a veil.
"Glad to see you recognize them," Hermes said with a smile. "Oh, but these aren't the replicas you and Thousand Elf wore. They're the real deal."
Bell's breath hitched as he nearly dropped the items in surprise.
"I can't say how I got them, but you should use them in this fight. Their powers still work even after all these years after all."
Powers.
These raiments had been used to defeat the Grand Monster Behemoth years ago. If Hermes decided that these pieces would be useful here…
"Then…that monster is…"
Caster's cryptic words suddenly made sense now.
"I wouldn't say that," Hermes said with a shake of his head. "In the past, the poison was so potent that the bodies of those afflicted would wither away and turn into ash in minutes. Doubly so for those without our Blessing. Only special equipment like this along with the strongest of Our Children could hope to stand up to it. With something like this, you should be fine if you dove into that poison."
The fact that anyone was still alive at all showed the difference in power that a monster like the legendary Behemoth had. And Zeus and Hera Familias conquered it.
And now, years later, Hermes gave Bell the chance to follow in their footsteps.
"Still, don't overly rely on it," Hermes warned. "They're only one small piece of the proper set. It can buy you time, but if you don't use it wisely, I suspect that it would break long before you do. Consider them as lucky charms of a sort."
"I understand. Thank you."
"If you really want to thank me then you would stay here and help us get these people to safety," Hermes shot back with a wry smile as Bell replaced the vambrace of his armor with the legendary bracer instead. "But you're still going to go, aren't you?"
"…Yes," Bell nodded resolutely. He then turned to Welf. "Sorry Welf, can you look after the others while I'm gone."
"Yeah, leave it to me," Welf said, placing a hand on Gina's shoulder. "I feel like you're going to make a habit out of this though…leaving us behind to go off on your own Adventure."
Archer would probably say that that couldn't be help while Caster would say that that was to be expected.
"I'll try not to make it a habit."
But that wasn't what Bell wanted. He wanted his friends…his Familia…to be by his side every step of the way.
"Stay safe…" Gina said softly.
"Bell…you dummy…" Lily protested his decision but didn't move to stop him.
"Good hunting, Master."
"Come back to us safely, okay?"
Rider saw him off with a fierce look while Emma looked worried as Primo wordless sobbed into her chest.
"U-umm…good luck?"
"Don't leave Us alone, okay Mommy?"
Karen seemed unsure at what to say while Assassin hugged him with tear-filled eyes
"Yes. I'm going."
As Bell ran toward the black twister, Hermes muttered softly to himself with no one catching his words.
"A hero isn't born but demanded, huh?" He said. "No matter the age, they must undergo their trials. Look after him, Argonaut. You too, you old fart. (Zeus)"
X-x-X-x-X
White lightning and thunder smashed down in front of them again and again.
It was all Lefiya could do to try and fire magic back at the twister, but she was slowly reaching her limits. Lady Riveria's protective magic protected them from the poison but it was far from perfect. Raul, Alicia and the other Adventurers had all collapsed. The only ones still standing were her and Hestia Familia's Berserker. Everyone else had been knocked out by the blast or the poison already.
A beam of light that had came from the twister itself…some kind of magic not unlike the Black Goliath used when Hestia Familia fought it down in the Dungeon weeks ago. Did it come here because it was drawn to the Spirits? Was this the Dungeon's answer to the Spirits that had not died off like those sent down by the Gods in the early days before they descended to bestow the Falna upon their mortal children?
And the black twister was firing them off one after another.
But Berserker intercepted each one without fail.
Shattered steel and iron laid scattered all around her as the minotaur picked up a different shield after each one was destroyed taking a hit from the beam. But the minotaur's will refused to bend or break as it simply picked up a shield from one of the fallen Adventurers to continue its defensive battle.
Even as each shield shattered. Even as the shattered steel embedded itself into his arms. Even as the metal melted from the sheer heat of each beam. Even as his skin became charred and raw from the blasts.
The minotaur did the duty Primo asked of it and protected Lefiya from each strike and remained standing tall and proud.
Was it its devotion to Bell, Primo and the rest of Hestia Familia that drove it on or was it the magic used in their Taming Method?
Both were utterly frightening to Lefiya.
But even so, she was reaching her limit as her knees fell to the ground. It was all she could do to keep herself propped up with her staff.
The sound of her falling must have reached Berserker's ears even over the wind as it wheeled around in shock. It took one step toward her before quickly spinning back around with the shield raised.
Another beam of light smashed into him. Either he was unable to brace himself properly or the shield had given way faster than expected, but the beam was enough to send him flying back into a heap on the ground.
A part of Lefiya wanted to tell Berserker that that was enough. That it should run away instead of trying to protect her like this. But if she did, the next beam would cut through the downed Adventurers like a blade through paper. But, even if it was a monster, seeing something work itself to death just to protect her like this.
Even so, Berserker pushed itself up and its gaze fell upon Lefiya.
Its armor and helmet were slowly losing their form. They were filled with cracks and parts of it were slowly turning into liquid metal before fusing itself to its skin. Its helmet had a large crack and hole above its right eye, allowing Lefiya to see its blood red eye staring deep into her.
Even so, the minotaur stood back up. Undaunted. Undeterred.
Unbroken.
Its will could rival even the greatest of Adventurers.
And what was she doing?
She, Lefiya Viridis, the one who the gods gave the name of Thousand Elf to, doing?
She was being protected once again.
"…I can't…give up here…" she grunted as she forced herself to stand as well. "I didn't…I haven't…I haven't lost yet…I haven't finished protecting anything yet!"
It was her declaration. She would fight to the bitter end to protect her student's home. And to protect her own pride as an Adventurer. She would not fall here!
"Lefiya! Asterios!"
"Huh?"
Someone called out her name and an unfamiliar one. Was that the true name of the minotaur known as Berserker?
Turning around, Lefiya saw…
"Bell Cranel!?" She shouted as the Vice Captain of Hestia Familia ran toward them. He stopped in shock for the briefest of moments at the sight of all the fallen Adventurers, but quickly regained his composure and ran up to her. "What are you doing here?"
"No time to explain, here!" Bell said as he draped the white cloth, he was holding over Lefiya's head. "This will protect you from the poison. Quickly!"
"How did you…what are you…"
Lefiya could only stare dumbfounded at the younger boy as he secured the cloth over her head and helped her to her feet.
"It's this equipment," Bell explained, showing her his arm brace. "It can protect us from the poison. With this we can get closer to the monster. With it, we can beat it…or maybe drive it off."
Lefiya's hand went to the cloth and she realized that it was similar to the veil she wore for the job with the Guild on Grand Day Eve.
Berserker suddenly let out a soft groan and Bell's attention turned from Lefiya toward his monster.
"You did good, Asterios," Bell said with a soft smile. "We'll take it from here."
Berserker's massive hand wrapped itself around Bell's arm. It was like the monster was begging Bell not to go any further than this, but the weight of the constant attacks was finally taking its toll on its body and it couldn't do anymore than protest weakly.
"Don't worry, I won't die," Bell said confidently. "Keep watch over these people and we'll be right back."
Bell then turned back to Lefiya and held his hand out to her.
"Let's go, Lefiya," he said with a confident smile that reminded Lefiya of a playful Spirit she had met once before... "Let's go beat that monster."
It was a confidence born from someone who lived under the shadow of so many great souls, one Lefiya could relate to. This boy…this human that dove into this darkness to save her…she felt that she could trust her life to him at this very moment.
"Got it!" She said, taking his hand.
"Asterios…Berserker, keep these people safe and wait for us, okay?" Bell said, turning back to the minotaur.
The minotaur let out a sorrowful moan before reluctantly nodding its head.
With that done, the two of them ran full speed toward the black twister.
X-x-X-x-X
The way to the black twister was arduous as expected. Even if the poison was no longer a problem, the wind itself was.
Thankfully, due to its size, the monster's wind shell wasn't as solid as its smaller counterparts and they were able to push through.
If it had been filled with the black sand like the smaller ones, they may have failed right there.
But even so, the wind was powerful enough that Lefiya was afraid that the two of them would have been picked up and flung away like a piece of trash.
"A bit further!" Bell shouted, his words barely reaching her through the roaring wind. "Just a bit further!"
Then, as if they pushed through a paper door, the heavy wind disappeared, and they found themselves in a relatively calm spot with the wind still roaring behind them.
"Is this the so-called 'eye of the storm?'" Lefiya asked.
No sooner did she ask that did a roar that dwarfed even Berserker's erupted in their ears. The two Level 3 Adventurers looked up…and saw the beast.
Gargantuan.
That word just barely qualified to describe the black beast. Lefiya's mind currently could not come up with a better description for the creature in front of her when her entire body was smaller than a single one of its massive talons in front of her. It was even bigger than all of the Floor Bosses she had seen in the Dungeon so far, standing well above twenty meters in height.
Like the beasts they had fought before, it stood on four legs and its fur was pitch black in color. Unlike the others however it had two massive horns that split off into three different branches. It also had what looked like a pair of tusks on the sides of its mouth where an eerie purple mist was floating off of. It must be some kind of organ that was the source of its poison wind.
"W-we have to beat this thing on our own?" Bell asked, his fighting spirit shaken at seeing the size of their enemy.
"We have to!" Lefiya replied. "Primo's village and all the other Adventurers are counting on us!"
The ground shook beneath their feet as the creature lumbered toward them, its glowing red eyes seeping with hatred and rage.
The beast didn't need to get close to step on them to attack. All it had to do was open its mouth and let out a massive howl.
Its sheer size and power allowed such a simple move to be devastating on the two Adventurers that were barely a fraction of its size.
Its howl sent both Lefiya and Bell flying without giving them any chance to defend themselves. It never gave them the chance to even strike back.
It was a monster that a pair of Level 3s stood no chance at defeating no matter how strong their spirts were.
Lefiya's veil was torn to shreds and Bell's vambrace shattered as the Magic Equipment's durability crumbled beneath the monster's power.
Lefiya's body was mercilessly slammed into the grassy plain. The poison once again seeping into her body as the final vestiges of Veil Breath were eroding away.
"I…won't give up like this…"
Even so, Lefiya couldn't allow herself to fall here. Not when a monster had shown so much more backbone than her. She glanced up and saw that the monster had stomped past them, not even caring to finish them off, opting to let the poison to finish the job.
That was the chance they needed. An opening to strike back.
But Lefiya's spells, Arcs Ray and Fusillade Fallarica, wouldn't do any damage to it as it was. She needed a stronger spell…one that could burn away all this poison and the monster who created it.
Using all of her strength, she forced herself to stand and made her way toward where Bell's body had been thrown. The boy hadn't been protected by Veil Breath and thus was suffering under the full effects of the poison. She had to do this quick or else it might decide to turn around and blow them away without a second thought.
Don't worry…
"…Huh?"
A voice rang out in Lefiya's ears.
Don't worry…it'll be all right.
A voice similar to her own, yet completely different.
"…!"
There was a shift in the wind. The beast had stopped and was slowly turning around. Something had caused it to change its mind and make it decide to finish them off right there and then.
Sing! Sing a song of protection!
"I…I beseech the name of Wishe!"
Lefiya sang her song. The words flew out of her exhausted body as every word hammered against her skull like a drum. She would sing until her throat became raw. She needed to in order to not only protect herself, but the boy who saved her just moments ago.
"Elf Ring!"
The Summon Burst was prepared, now to choose the magic to defend them. And so, she chose the magic of her dear friend.
"Shield me, cleansing chalice!" Lefiya roared as the image of the black-haired elf appeared in her mind. "DIO GRAIL!"
Lefiya thrust her left hand forward and a pulsing white sphere appeared in front of her. A moment later, the beast opened its mouth and a white beam erupted into the shield.
She had to hold on. If the minotaur could withstand countless blasts to protect her, then Lefiya could surely withstand a single one to protect Bell.
"Hold on…hold on…!" She screamed to herself even as the sphere began to crack. "HOLD ON!"
Then, the sound of something breaking reached her ears, as if the world itself had shattered. Dio Grail had failed.
"Ah."
It was such a weak gasp that escaped her mouth as Lefiya fell back and threw her body over Bell's in one last futile attempt to protect him.
…
But the light never came.
"…?"
Daring to open her eyes. Although the rest of the boy's body was limp, his hand was outstretched forward, palm outward as a golden blade had appeared between them and the monster.
"…A hero doesn't appear early or late…but appears right as he needs to…" a cocky voice so unlike Bell's spoke up.
"…Argo…naut?" Lefiya gasped as he slowly pushed himself up with his free hand.
"Master's body was giving out, so I had to step in for a moment…" Argo said, although his face was scrunched up in pain as he kept the Lightning Magic Sword out as a shield. "As soon as the poison clears, I'll give him back control…haha…guess I'm on the 'saving' side this time…Jupiter was all for it though…"
It was a story everyone knew of course. How at the very end of his comedy, the princess that Argonaut so desperately tired to save, saved him at the very last moment. The bitter smile on Argonaut and Bell's face told volumes of emotions he must have felt at that moment.
"…You're looking kinda dead yourself, Miss Lefiya…" Argo noted. "Can you still move?"
"Y-yes!" Lefiya nodded as she got back up to her feet despite every bone and joint in her body protesting heavily. "Yes, I can!"
But…can she even cast a spell like this?
"That's great…then let's even the score a bit more."
The Lightning Magic Sword zipped back into his hand and with a mighty swing, the beast's magic was cut, and a barrage of lightning sent it reeling back. Not only that, but the magic shattered the beast's tusks, destroying its ability to generate the poison and sealing its movement.
"A-amazing…"
Argonaut's smile faded slightly into a grimace as he looked down at his shaking hand.
"Now…By what is written in my Hero Diary, I hereby recite!" Argonaut spoke, no chanted, as a silver Magic Circle appeared below him. "Though History may have forgotten you, your deeds shall never be lost. So, as it was written! You all who fought by my side, come forth and let us Adventure once more! The Heroes' Unsung Songs! Argonaut Apocrypha!"
A warm light enveloped Lefiya and she wheeled around toward Argonaut, an unexplained rage filling her chest.
"You idiot! What do you think you're doing!?" Lefiya's mouth spoke those words without her intention.
"Ahahaha, having a little sibling reunion of course!" Argonaut said without hesitation as he let out a laugh. He then threw out his other hand to the side, allowing a blazing red sword to form within it. "This should give them the edge they need."
"Geez, that person isn't going to be happy about this!" Lefiya said despite having no idea who said person was. "I'm sorry, Lefiya Viridis. I'll help support you from behind so prepare yourself!"
"You too, Master," Argonaut said as his Lightning Magic Sword vanished, and his right hand started shining with little wisps of white light. "Show the world what kind of Hero you are!"
X-x-X-x-X
…
His body was burning.
A raging and painful flame had lit itself in his soul.
It was as if his very life was being drained from him.
His life was burning out. The result of pushing beyond his ability, only to fall deathly short.
"Not yet! You're not done just yet!"
But the vambrace had shattered. He had moved without thinking and thrown himself in the way of the roar by stepping in front of Lefiya.
"No matter how much it hurts, no matter how much your body screams out in pain…you can't give in!"
But the beast was too strong. Lord Hermes had been correct. What could a single Level 3 Adventurer do when an army of them couldn't?
"Even so, you need to stand! Are you satisfied with this? Isn't it painful? Isn't it frustrating? Can't you hear it? She is still fighting!"
She?
A soft voice reached his ears. A voice filled with pain yet still determined to see things through to the very end.
"She is still singing her song! Can you live with yourself like this? Will you let her protect you after everything you did to protect her?"
The words rang in his heart and his soul.
"Are you some clown who has to be saved by the girl he's came to save or are you a true hero?"
What was the distinction? Were they not one and the same?
"Then stand! Show the world who you are! Show that girl that you do not need her protection now! Show that you are worthy to be a Master of the Holy Grail!"
A sound roared in his heart.
It wasn't the sound of a beast, nor the sound of thunder.
It was a small chime. The chime of a bell.
He followed its soft ring through the dark winds and found himself standing on the same field as before, bathed in a white light with Lefiya beside him, bathed in similar light. Something had changed in the elf girl. Although her body was covered in wounds, her eyes were sharp and full of determination.
Her eyes…
Her normally blue eyes the same color as the ocean had changed. One had changed into a light green, the color of the forest leaves.
But even so, the girl showed no fear nor hesitation.
"Are you awake?" She asked him.
"Yes," Bell replied as the tiny chimes changed into that of grand church bells, filling the air and drowning out even the sound of the bellowing winds.
Lefiya nodded as she held her staff in front of her and began her song.
X-x-X-x-X
"By our contract, hear my voice!" It wasn't a song the girl knew before. It had been granted to her through the unintended contract with the Spirit residing within her.
A yellow magic circle appeared below her, increasing in size with each verse of her song.
"Arise, the true spirits of wind and flame!"
A song sung by a legend of old, one whose name was no longer remembered except as part of an unwritten song.
The Spirit's…the Legend's desires and love for her hero burned brightly within her.
"Rend the sky and savage the enemy before me! Thunder Reign!"
Lefiya slammed down her staff against the ground and Magic Circle, causing it to expand and rise up in front of her.
Yellow lightning blasted forward from the circle at the same time as the beast let out another blast of white light.
The two magics clashed against each other with neither one being lesser than the other.
The strength of the song of two girls who placed their lives and trust in the heroes behind them was enough to match a monster that could only be called a calamity.
And so, the heroes answered their trust under the sound of ringing bells.
X-x-X-x-X
With the beast locked down, Bell launched forward with the red magic sword in hand.
Even though he had never seen it before, he knew what it was.
It was a Magic Sword…one made by someone of the Crozzo Blood. He had seen enough of his best friend's work to recognize the one that came before them all…the origin of their legend.
It pained him twice over for what he must do, but it was what they needed to turn the tide.
"Uuuuuaaaaaaaahhhhhh!"
With a roar, Bell closed the distance between himself and the beast's foot, white light enveloping him completely, and swung the blade downward.
It was an ocean of flame.
The power of the Crozzo Magic Swords that could burn entire elven forests to ash was released in a single instant.
The noble weapon shimmered like an ethereal phantasm. Its fierce power roared louder than any monster as its form broke open to unleash every last bit of magic it held within.
The flames enveloped the monster into a spiraling column, burning it a thousand times over, and dispelling the black wind shell around them as Bell leaped backwards into the air and landed by Lefiya's side…with the magic sword crumbling to nothing in his hands.
"Ahh…farewell…my friend…"
A heartfelt and pained goodbye escaped from his soul, but Bell was not finished just yet. The light had died down from his body…save for the light around his right hand.
"Bell Cranel!" Lefiya shouted. "Just like on the Eighteenth Floor, match me!"
"Yes!" Bell acknowledged her orders and placed his hand beside her staff. "FIREBOLT!"
Just like they had done against the plant-like trap monster, their spells intertwined and mixed.
Yellow and red lightning surged forward and pierced through the monster's fading magic.
The black beast did not get the chance to roar in agony. The lightning consumed all, removing the calamity from the surface of the world, cutting through the darkness that threatened to encompass the forest of the elves.
And…without even realizing that people were rushing toward them.
The boy and the girl collapsed.
X-x-X-x-X
"He did it…" Gina gasped as the black clouds dispersed to reveal the orange setting sky. "He did it! He did it!"
The little amazon girl jumped up and down as she hugged Welf's arm, causing the Smith to jerk back and forth as he let out a laugh of relief and disbelief.
"High touch!" She said as she held a hand up toward Welf. "Yay!"
"Y-yeah…yay!" Welf said once he gathered his bearings and cheerfully slapped his palm against Gina's.
"High to-" Gina immediately whirled around behind her to do the same with the closest person only to falter a bit when she realized that it was Saber standing behind her. His armor dinged and covered in ash and soot for some reason.
The Heroic Spirit glanced down at her curiously before looking at his own palm.
"Y-yay…" the man said, sounding completely unsure of himself as he placed his palm against hers.
"Yay!"
Seeing that the normally stoic Servant wasn't against it, Gina happily slapped her hand against his.
Saber then looked down at his hand again before closing his eyes in a rather content unseen smile behind his mask.
"Hmm…how nice," he muttered softly.
"Are you three all right?" Rider asked as Gina realized that Lancer and Archer were covered in similar wounds.
"We'll be fine," Archer said, rubbing his chin with the back of his hand. "More importantly…Lancer."
"I understand," Lancer nodded as she quickly got to work in dispelling the poison from the afflicted Adventurers and villagers. "Miss Arde, I could use your assistance."
"Whatever you need Miss Lancer!" Lily said as she trailed behind the taller woman.
The worst had passed but things weren't over yet.
"Come on!" Gina said as she ran over and grabbed Primo and Assassin by the hands. "We need to go get them!"
"U-un!" Primo nodded through her tears as she and Assassin were dragged by their friend toward where Bell had gone.
"W-wait you three, it's dangerous!" Emma shouted as she and Karen ran after them.
"You do remember that Gina Gwen is Level 2 and is therefore stronger than all of us put together, right?" Karen asked the other girl.
"W-well yes, but still!"
Archer shook his head as he saw them off and turned his attention upward to the last of their Familia who hadn't lifted a finger to help save warn the Knight Servants of an assault coming from the other end of the forest.
X-x-X-x-X
"You should be proud," Caster said, spreading his arms out as he greeted the three Loki Familia executives in their command tent that had been erected outside of the elven village. "A member of your Familia triumphed over a beast many times her greater with but the help of a single boy. Is it not worthy cause for celebration?"
"Hard to celebrate after when she's been sleeping for two days straight," Gareth pointed out.
"Neither has the boy but you do not see us worrying," Caster replied rather flippantly. "Tis but mere exhaustion and Mind Down. There is no cause for concern."
The three executives didn't appear to take his words at face value but that was fine. He was in a rather good mood at their performance, interrupted as it was. Such heroics were on par with what he had come to expect from the boy, and it was a spectacle he alone witnessed in full.
"And?" Caster began, shifting the topic. "How goes the investigation into where these beasts came from?"
Loki Familia had run full speed back toward the elf village once they spotted the beast from a distance. However, by the time they arrived, the battle had already been won by Viridis and Cranel. With most of the army that had been stationed in the village still recovering, they had no choice but to head to Dedain Village without them, leaving Hestia Familia and the others to continue watching over the village.
And now, they have returned.
"To begin with," Finn began. "It would appear that the situation has been properly contained. There are no more sightings of the black twisters. Even at Dedain, the supposed origin of the monsters."
"Hoh? Imagine that."
Caster would admit, he was quite enjoying their gazes of suspicion.
"Is there a problem if the creature no longer exists?" Caster asked. "There's no longer any need to waste our time with this, correct? Or are you concerned about its origins and fear another reemergence?"
"No…we have somewhat of a clear picture as to what happened," Finn replied. "There were relatively fresh corpses within the black ash desert where the monster Behemoth was defeated. Far more than what a simple 'accident' in a desert would call for."
"A Familia then?"
"Yes."
"May I ask you something, Caster?" Riveria began and Caster gestured for her to continue. "You seem to realize what the creature was rather quickly. Yet I do not recall someone of your description during the Grand Quest years ago."
"Bards sing songs of the beast far and wide and you could not take more than two steps in Orario without one regaling the story of Zeus and Hera's glory days to children," Caster replied with a smirk. "Well…before their 'fall' anyway."
The three executives shared identical frowns, but Caster decided to continue.
"While the three of you have been Adventurers for decades, you have not the experience with the gods as I have. Their pride, their emotions, their mistakes. Granted, it does not take a god to take something clearly dangerous and wonder 'What might happen if I made this monster eat it?' Fools come in all stripes after all."
"Indeed," Finn agreed. "When we defeated Behemoth, we shattered its Magic Stone and its pieces scattered everywhere but we never found any Drop Items after its death."
"And why would you suspect that it would have left one behind?" Caster asked. "Is it something to expect from Monster Rex class monsters?"
"Usually," Gareth replied. "Ais got a Sword Drop Item from Udaeus and you lot got that Black Goliath's skin did you not? The same thing happened when Leviathan was defeated. We got its skeleton and used it to seal off the Dungeon's underwater entrance near Melen."
"In this case, we suspect that the Behemoth's Drop Item was buried under the ash it left behind and the former Familia fed it to another monster," Riveria continued. "'To see what might happen' as you so put it. After all, you are already well aware that feeding Magic Stones to a monster can create an Enhanced Species with your harpy and minotaur, do you not? So, what would happen if one fed a piece of a Grand Beast?"
"As I said, 'An act of god,'" Caster said with a rather cruel laugh, thinking of a village where the One-Eyed Black Dragon's scale was being worshipped. "There seems to be many of those happening lately. However, it is quite fortunate that these cast offs were nowhere near the level of the Grand Beast, isn't it?"
"It was dangerous in its own right…" Finn pointed out. "No, I would say it was even more dangerous. While its poison was less potent than the original, this second-generation Behemoth…let's call it Behemoth Alternative…could spawn weaker copies of itself and was intelligent enough to use them as decoys. If we hadn't acted as quickly as we did, the damage could have spread further than a sole monster could travel on its own."
Behemoth Alter's spawn, while weak, were great in number and required constant damage by High Class Adventurers in order to break through their shell. Had they been left unchecked, entire nations might have fallen.
"In any case, the monster has been slain and the Familia responsible dead with their God sent back up to Tenkai," Caster said. "Although I suppose you may think it is quite anti-climatic, I have had my fill of this little adventure."
"No, to be honest, I would love it if more dangerous adventures ended so peacefully," Finn replied with a wry smile. "Especially ones where Hestia Familia are involved."
"Oh? Are you implying something?"
"Not at all. I simply hope we can maintain our cordial relations in the future as well."
"So long as my enemy is also yours, I suppose we can. But I hold very little interest in Evilus to begin with."
"Even if they were to destroy Orario and open up the Dungeon again?" Gareth asked, sounding more curious than angry as he stroked his beard.
"It is my personal belief that humanity can only advance if they leave the yokes of the gods," Caster replied. "While countless would die without their blessings, the ones that survive and thrive in such conditions would be what one would truly call 'Heroes' would they not? As it is, a city full of mongrels scrounging for scraps on the Dungeon Upper Floors is hardly worthy of being saved."
"That is not a very fair assertion, is it?" Riveria asked. "Not everyone has the ability or the will to dive deep into the Dungeon."
"All the more reason to properly separate the wheat from the chaff, is it not?"
"…Is that Hestia Familia's stance?"
"No. It is mine and mine alone. Were I to properly integrate myself with this world, I might have even done something similar to what Evilus is doing now. But as it is, I would never join them no matter how frustrated I am at this world."
"Because a god is leading them?" Finn asked.
Caster responded with a simple laugh.
"No. Because of a goddess."
X-x-X-x-X
"Do you not tire of watching over him?"
Emma jolted in her chair beside the bed that was containing the resting Bell.
"C-Captain…" Emma said as she stood up to greet him properly. "How was the meeting."
"Irrelevant with nothing of note," came Caster's flippant reply. "But I did not come here for small talk. You had something to ask of me?"
"Y-yes…as expected of the Captain…" Emma replied with a nod. She then placed a hand on her chest and took a deep breath. "Umm…what do you know about Aeshma Familia?"
"Aeshma?" Caster repeated.
"Yes…he's…" she paused for a moment before continuing. "He's the God that tried to scout me back at the banquet that Lady Hestia took me and Bell to."
Caster raised a single brow, no doubt unconvinced at the reason for her question before he simply shrugged as if he didn't particularly care either way.
"According to the Guild, the Familia contains thirty or so members," Caster said sitting down on the bed beside Assassin, who had fallen asleep while watching Bell with Emma. "They have nothing more than a handful of Level 2s to their name and have been operating in Orario for a few decades. In short they are a common Familia that could be found all over Orario."
"Is there nothing notable about the Familia then?"
"From what I could see, the God Aeshma has taken up the hobby of breeding mongrels," Caster replied.
"Do you mean dogs?" Emma asked. "Like show dogs or something?"
That question got a glare from Caster as the true meaning clicked in Emma's head.
"Oooooooh."
Caster shook his head impatiently with an irritated sigh.
"But…why?" Emma asked. "The Falna only takes into consideration your deeds, not your family, right?"
"In normal circumstances, that is correct," Caster acknowledged. "But have you already forgotten about the Smith?"
"Oh." Emma quickly bit her lip to keep herself from voicing here surprise again.
"In any case, looking at the results, one could say that the God has succeeded in some way. The Captain of the Familia is his prize project with the abilities surpassing that of the average Level 2."
"You sound as if you approve of this…" Emma muttered.
"Nobility of several races guard their lineages while picking the perfect candidates to further their legacy. If you wish to find me objecting on 'moral' grounds, then you will be left wanting."
"…But you do object?"
"It is but another example of the gods treating mortals as their playthings. I have my my stance on that clear, have I not?"
"Yes. My apologies."
As she lowered her head in a bow, a small bubbling feeling began to form in Emma's gut.
Was…was Sophia part of this eugenics thing that Aeshma had? Was that why she couldn't leave. Was Emma an aunt now!?
As she raised her head, she realized Caster had moved right in front of her with his hand right in front of her face. What was he-
"Ouch!"
The king had flicked her right in the forehead with a look of annoyance on his face.
"You should stop thinking about useless things and focus on what you desire most," Caster said. "Reuniting with the sole remaining member of your family. Leave the bothersome matters to your betters."
Emma rubbed her forehead with tears forming in her eyes. That single flick hurt as much as a hit during one of Archer's training sessions. Couldn't he have held back just a little bit?
"Wait."
Emma slowly looked up, hand still on her forehead as her Captain's words slowly sank in.
"What?" He demanded as he menacingly held his hand out again. "Did you wish for another one?"
"N-no sir!" Emma said as she quickly retreated away from him.
"Hmph," Caster let out a huff as he turned toward Bell. "The fool should wake up soon. I will leave you to it."
Emma nodded her head before bowing again as Caster left the room, leaving Emma alone with their Familia's little Hero.
X-x-X-x-X
He was running away.
He was abandoning everything. His house, his duty, his people. He abandoned all of that in order to run away.
The world around him, his world, was crumbling away. Screams filled the air alongside bloodcurdling roars of monsters.
Although he had set out to try and help, he had found he was too weak to do anything and the people who had followed him had been slaughtered to the last.
And so, all he could do was run.
His world would end and disappear tonight. Disappear under the cruel tide of endless darkness.
But he would not.
He could not let the people who died for him to live die in vain. No matter what, he had to survive. But even so, the pain of being unable to do anything but run away dug deep. As if nails were being driven into his heart, nay, his very soul.
But even as he darted down the blood-stained streets, weaving past corpses and monsters alike, there was no one around that he could help while keeping himself alive.
He was too late. Everywhere he looked there were only corpses or the cruel and evil monsters feasting upon them. Men and women. Young and old. Those who hadn't had the strength to run were slaughtered and devoured.
At least one person.
He wanted to save at least one person. Someone as weak and worthless as him could at least do that.
Just one! Tis all I ask!
And then, perhaps that one person could become someone strong enough to save a dozen, a hundred, or maybe even a thousand people.
Gods and Goddesses above, grant me this one wish!
And if he could keep on saving just one person that could become someone like that, would that not be the greatest victory he could achieve against the monsters? If he could not fight, then he would save someone who could!
He stopped just before he turned the corner.
A massive and hairy beast that looked as though it walked on two legs was sitting in the middle of the street. His stomach lurched as he realized that it had half a person dangling from its mouth. The person had, mercifully, long since passed on but their expression left behind told the story of pain and fear within their last moments. Right behind the monster was another corpse with their back having been slashed clean open, tearing out their spine. An elf, a rarity in this country.
As he prepared to find a different way, the elf's body moved.
It was then, he realized that there was a child, a few years his younger, in the elf's arms.
There was no hesitation nor thought put into his next action. The simple realization of "there is someone that needed to be saved" was all that filled his mind.
He flung a brick that had been dislodged from the nearby building toward the monster, causing it to lurch forward and spit out its "meal."
With an angry roar it spun around and charged right toward him.
He waited for it to get close, his heart and head pounding in fear before just as it was mere two meters from his face, he dove forward. The monster, in its rage, missed him and smashed into the building he was hiding behind.
Without looking back or worrying about the monster, he ran toward the elf's body and scooped the child into his arms. The child, a girl, was a lot older than he initially thought and thus, was much heavier than he thought, much to his embarrassment.
But even if his arms fell off, he would not let her go. Keeping her close to his chest as possible, he ran.
He ran away from the monster. He ran away from the girl's parents as she screamed and flailed her arms at their bodies. He ran away from the smoldering remains of his kingdom.
He ran away from everything.
He was a prince of nothing else but running.
He was nothing more than a clown. One that could not fight to protect himself or even the child he had saved. One who could do nothing but cower in fear as the one he saved grew into a dependable young woman with magic far beyond anything he had seen. One who could do nothing but get into trouble and force his new sister to clean up after him as he ran away from reality.
He ran for years until finally…
Until he finally had enough of running.
"I want to become a hero."
Having heard of a kingdom that had a found a way to protect themselves from invaders and monsters, he set his sights on making himself known there. Seeing a royal decree that the kingdom was in search of a hero, he finally decided to make his dream known.
"I know that. You've been saying that since forever."
But it would seem that his little sister had always known that. What an amazing girl!
"But give it up. You are too weak to be a hero."
And she would not hesitate to pummel him with the harshest of words! Ah, how his body tingles at the abuse!
"You are right! I am the weakest and foolish person ever to exist with delusions beyond that of mere dreams. A lowlife who makes his beloved sister clean up the messes he makes wherever they go!"
"If you know that then clean up your act!"
"Besides, I know that you are worried about the extra weight you put on recently so let us take this journey so your body may return to its former glory!"
A sharp impact against his stomach forces him to double over as a cold and dangerous voice hisses in his ear.
"I'm gonna get angry."
"No…this is far from such a simple emotion…you are clearly enraged, dear sister! Besides, this world desires a hero, isn't it only fair for one to rise and become a beacon of hope?"
"But that doesn't mean you have to be the one…"
"Even so, it is our duty to find a possible hero as we travel in this land! And there's talk of this Shrine of Spirits that I want to go visit."
The last part was added in a hurry, almost as an afterthought but it did not escape her ears.
"Aren't you just looking to be a tourist?"
Putting that aside…
"This is the day of departure, my dear sister! We must quit running from these creatures of darkness while waiting for death. Swear to our home that we will never give up our future!"
"This village isn't our home. We're just passing through…haven't you caused enough trouble for me?"
Though she said these harsh words, she was smiling.
"Sweet sister, I know you'll help me despite your maddening words."
He spun around to look over the cliff he had specifically picked for his speech. One that gave them a splendid view of the sunset and the village below. He spread his arms out and shouted toward the heavens.
"Open your eyes and observe, o gods and goddesses above! This is the day Argonaut takes the leap! The leap of a great hero!"
And leap he did…he took one great leap while laughing jubilantly.
"Fuahahaha…aga-aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"
Right off the cliff he was standing over…and his laughter turned into a scream as he tumbled all the way down.
"Hah…this stupid brother of mine…"
The words were cruel, but the smile behind it was soft as the world slowly faded away.
X-x-X-x-X
The scene before the boy and the girl had been nothing more than a dream that they had shared. A shared memory of the two Spirits that came to their aid in their time of need.
It was the scene of the world's first Hero…and the world's first comedy.
The comedy of Argonaut.
X-x-X-x-X
Lefiya's eyes slowly opened to the inside a familiar looking tent with the Loki Familia emblem emblazoned on a banner to the side.
If she was here, then that meant that they won. She and Bell Cranel had defeated that monster against all odds.
"But…what was that dream?"
It was so lucid that it felt as though Lefiya had actually been there. The emotions that the person whose eyes she had seen through felt as if they had been her own. The horror of seeing her parents, a human and an elf, slaughtered in front of her just so she could live for even a few seconds longer, the pain at being taken away from them by a young man she had never seen before in order to rescue her…and the love she had for said man as they walked the earth together.
"Was it that Spirit? The Spirit that showed up alongside Argonaut when he casted that spell?"
Lefiya wondered if it was that girl's…that half-elf's memory that she saw.
She had known that the age before the Gods' descent had been terrible…some referred it to the Dark Age for a reason.
Intellectually, she knew such things happened all over the world today on smaller scales with entire villages disappearing but witnessing it "personally" like that was something else. Seeing armies of soldiers being unable to stem the monster tide when nowadays Adventurers were everywhere to prevent that from happening.
If the people who became "heroes" whose legends have been passed down through the ages had been given the Falna, would their abilities not be on the level of Finn and the others?
…
"Ahh…my head hurts…" Lefiya groaned as she sat up. Just in time for someone to poke their head in.
"Lefiya!"
Tiona burst into the tent and immediately knelt down by her side.
"Are you all right? Does anything hurt?"
"I-I'm fine!"
"You've been asleep for three days! Ever since you and Little Argonaut beat that monster!"
"Argonaut…"
Tiona had simply called Bell that as a nickname after seeing him beat a minotaur on his own. Who would have thought that that name had became more or less the truth when the Spirit possessed Bell seemingly on a whim?
"Hmm? What's wrong?" The amazoness asked as she stuck her face close. "Wait, did the actual Argonaut show up again?"
"Huh?" Lefiya let out a shout of surprise. "Why would you think that?"
"I mean, there was a bunch of yellow lightning flying around everywhere and you don't know a spell like that do you?" Tiona pointed out. "And Little Argonaut's spell is red in color, so I thought it was Argonaut's Magic Sword again."
Lefiya felt that either she was going to be bombarded with questions from a jealous Tiona or Tiona would rush over and find Bell to try and get Argonaut to show up again if she confirmed his reappearance, so she decided to deny it.
"No, another elf shared their spell with me earlier," Lefiya replied truthfully. Well, half-elf but that was close enough.
"Hmm…"
Lefiya leaned back slightly as Tione leaned forward in response.
"A-ah, that's right! What happened to Berserker?" Lefiya asked.
"Berserker?" Tiona repeated. "You mean the minotaur? Last I saw of it, Archer and two other members of his Familia were pulling bits of metal out of it while also repairing its equipment. That Primo kid pretty much attached herself to its arm too."
So, it made it out okay.
"…Did you make friends with that Primo kid's minotaur while we were gone?" Tiona asked with a smile.
"I wouldn't go that far, but it was protecting me out there without any concern for its own body," Lefiya said. "A bit of concern is the least I could offer it."
"Is that so? Was it really that tough?"
"At the very least, it is beyond any Level 2 monster. In terms of pure endurance or strength, I think it could give Sir Gareth a run for his money."
"Now I wanna see Gareth arm wrestle the minotaur," Tiona muttered with a giggle. "Though it'd probably look really funny since it's like two times his size."
Lefiya wasn't so eager to see that as she felt that if the two of them seriously went at it, one of them would end up permanently crippled.
"In any case, you must be starving, right?" Tiona asked. "If you think you can get up, let's go see if Hestia Familia has any food to share."
Even if they didn't, considering Archer and Rider's personalities, they would probably cook up something quick either way.
Either way, Lefiya's body felt stiff and she was feeling restless from sleeping for so long.
Thus, the two of them exited the tent to go see Hestia Familia.
Along the way, several of her Familia members called out to her with smiles while several villagers thanked her profusely for her efforts in saving their homes.
Lefiya felt as though she was taking someone else's credit. It was Argonaut and the second Spirit that saved Bell and Lefiya and gave them a chance to take the monster down after all. That being said, the second Spirit vanished without a trace, leaving nothing behind save her elven spell and her memories.
When they got to Primo's old house, Lefiya spotted Primo and her Amazon friend changing the minotaur's bindings while Bell was sitting just a little ways away peeling vegetables with the help of the little white-haired girl. The harpy was also up and about, clinging onto Bell's back with a curious gaze as it watched him work.
"Miss Viridis!"
Primo also spotted her as she quickly jumped to her feet and ran over, stopping herself just short of diving into Lefiya's stomach.
Primo's mouth opened and closed several times as several questions were no doubt running through her mind. Lefiya gave the girl a small smile as she knelt down and placed a hand on Primo's shoulder.
Tears suddenly welled up in Primo's eyes before she suddenly threw her arms around Lefiya's neck with a loud sob. Lefiya twitched in surprise before gently patting the girl on the back.
It would seem as though she made her worry too.
"Hmm? Why are you two here?"
Archer was standing at the doorway to the house, drying his hands with a towel.
"We came for lunch!" Tiona replied with a completely shameless smile to which Archer returned a smile full of exasperation and…nostalgia?
"Well you're not getting a free one if that's what you're after," Archer said. "Help out and maybe I'll consider it."
"Kay!"
With the smile never leaving her face, Tiona bounced on into the building. Meanwhile, Lefiya walked on over toward Bell instead, with Primo still clinging to her waist. Seeing her draw close, Bell stopped working and stood up, gently pushing the harpy off of him.
"Are you feeling better?" Bell asked with genuine concern on his face. "I heard you were unconscious for the last few days from Mind Down."
"Yes, there doesn't seem to be anything wrong," Lefiya replied.
…
Something was strange.
Her words came out rather stiffly when talking to Bell and vice versa. Bell seemed to have realized it too as he was rocking his body back and forth rather nervously.
The harpy's gaze was also bouncing back and forth between them. Suddenly, it slapped Bell's back with its wing, causing him to yelp and wheel around toward it but it was already flying up toward the branches above them.
Bell let out a sigh as he rubbed the back of his head and turned back toward Lefiya.
"Umm…then did you have some other business with me?" Bell asked.
"…Yes," Lefiya nodded before resolving herself. "Spirits."
Bell flinched at Lefiya's words as did Primo.
The white-haired girl glanced up at the words before walking over to Primo with a "Let the grown ups talk" vibe and pulled her away.
For a moment, Lefiya wondered if Bell would try to play it off but either he decided that he wouldn't be able to pull it off convincingly enough or that he already knew that Lefiya had met Argonaut and thus was pointless.
"What…what about Spirits?" Bell asked.
Lefiya then recalled way back when they first met on the Eighteenth Floor of the Dungeon and how she and the other girls had dragged him over to talk about Spirits.
And back then, Bell had reacted rather strongly when the words "Hero" and "Spirit" were used close together.
Lefiya would probably only get a single shot at this before someone came to rescue Bell from this impromptu interrogation.
"What do you know about 'Hero Spirits?'"
