Bell met up with Lili again. As they walked, Bell tried to come up with conversation topics, as he believed that he had slightly damaged the trust Lili had on him because he kept praying for the Killer Ants who killed Cedric Melo.
"So, Miss Arde. Is it alright if we aim for the ninth floor again?" He got kinda chewed out by Eina, but he threw the fact that his status was ready according to her own recommendation to her. She just muttered something about 'revising the old standard' or something before she said yes half-heartedly.
Lili didn't answer at first. She just looked at him with a serious stare. "Master Bell. Lili did not get the chance to ask something yesterday because the atmosphere was too tense. But, if we stumbled upon something like yesterday again, what would you do, Master Bell?"
"Nothing different from yesterday, Miss Arde," Bell answered honestly. Like he said to Hermes yesterday. If he found a dead body of an Adventurer being abandoned there, he would bring them up and ask the Guild to give a proper burial again.
"Why?"
"Why what?" Bell asked as they arrived at the entrance to the Dungeon.
"Why would you spend so much time to give them a burial? Nobody else cared for them. Why should you?"
Bell sighed. "Miss Arde. Try putting yourself in their place. Would you like your body to rot there instead of properly buried here above the Dungeon? That's why I did it. That's why I would do it again."
"It wouldn't matter anyway," Lili whispered to herself, but Bell clearly heard it. They set foot inside the Dungeon.
"I'm sorry? I couldn't hear you."
"Nothing," Lili raised her voice a little. So it was not something that she liked to bring up. He knew Lili's situation was terrible, but she tried to hide it so much he got caught in her deception. He felt disappointed in himself.
"By the way, Miss Arde. Please don't be surprised," Bell gave her a warning as he started to breathe. Using Waltz, Bell killed a lot of Goblins on the first floor. After he prayed for them, he looked towards Lili to see what her reactions would be.
Instead of a surprise, she just had a look of barely restrained exasperation hidden behind an acceptance. The sort of 'yeah, whatever,' you would hear from someone past caring.
"Is it really that weird?" Bell inquired after Lili finished plucking all the magic stones.
"You don't unlock an entirely new skill out of nowhere. You're an anomaly, Master Bell. And the worst part is... Lili is beginning to accept it," she sighed, the hidden exasperation on full view.
"Ahaha," there was nothing else Bell could do but to laugh. Indeed, his dream was an anomaly. Nothing Lili said was wrong, so he accepted it and just laughed.
"By the way, Miss Arde. After this, I am going to visit the graveyard. Would you join me?"
Lili took a minute to answer. "Master Bell. Is it alright if Lili declines your invitation?"
Bell frowned at the answer but understood that she might have other priorities. It was not her obligation. Heck, it was not Bell's obligation himself. He just wanted to pay respect for Cedric again today.
Shaking his head, Bell answered Lili. "It's okay, Miss Arde. I'm disappointed but understand. I hope, sometimes in the future, you have free time to visit the graveyard with me."
"Yes..." he heard Lili replied behind him.
The two continued their way to the ninth floor as their destination. On the way there, Bell found out the hard way that switching between Dance of the Fire God and Breath of Water for ten minutes was tiring him out more than using one of them for a full hour.
Lili had to bail him out using a magic sword once because his body was too tired to move out of the way. He grinned at the embarrassed Lili for 'saving' him, although he couldn't hold back his laugh seeing Lili's embarrassment.
After sufficient rest, the two continued their way, killing all monsters on their way.
When they were on the eighth floor, though, somebody called Bell when he was praying for the monsters he just killed.
"That white hair..." It was such a soft, delicate voice. It made a strange dissonance to Bell's ears because something that delicate should not enter the Dungeon.
Feeling called out, Bell finished his pray and looked towards where the unfamiliar voice was coming. Although, he felt like he had heard that voice before...
Oh.
"Master Bell?" Lili called him, but he ignored her. His mind was entirely preoccupied with the sight in front of her. Blonde hair shining (in his mind) amidst the light of the dungeon. Golden eyes full of warmth (in his mind) fully focused on him. A small smile on her lips (in his mind) as she approached him (and Lili, of course, but she wasn't currently on his mind.)
(He didn't even glance at the green-haired elf beside her. He was too mesmerized by the sight of the one that saved him.)
"Greetings."
Bell didn't hear what the other woman was saying. He was still staring at Ais Wallenstein.
"Master Bell! It's rude to stare!" Lili pinched Bell's unprotected sides. The pain shook Bell out of his stupor.
"Ouch, Miss Arde..."
"You were not paying attention when they are talking to you!" Lili shouted angrily.
"Aah, is that so? I'm sorry," Bell bowed towards the two women (since when were the beautiful elf there?"). "Is there something that I can help with?"
Ais looked like she wanted to say something because she opened her mouth. The soft-looking lips moving caught Bell's attention. However, no sound came out. She hesitated and closed her mouth again.
"If you have something to say, you need to say it," the beautiful elf scolded the girl. "You're the boy she saved on the fifth floor a week ago, then?"
Bell nodded. "Yes, Miss Elf." Bell looked towards the ground in embarrassment. "Thank you so much, Miss Wallenstein."
"It's rude to thank someone without looking directly in the face, I believe."
S-Stern but fair, Bell remarked inside his mind. "I-I'm sorry!"
"Miss Wallenstein," Bell looked at the blonde swordswoman. "Thank you so much for saving me."
Ais opened her mouth again. But what came out was not a reply to his thanks at all.
"...Strong..."
"Of course, you're strong, Miss Wallenstein. In fact-"
But Ais shook her head softly. "You are... strong..."
"Ahahaha, you think so?" his face sported a happy grin. Being praised by the one you have a crush on was something else! Grandpa! Your grandson was on his way to the popular phase!
"...how?"
Bell blinked. "Um, what?"
"I believe what Ais here is trying to say is how are you so strong that in a week you already went from being overwhelmed on the fifth floor to being singlehandedly able to traverse the eighth floor?" The elf asked him. Ais nodded beside her.
And so Bell answered.
"I didn't do it alone. Miss Arde here supports me," he put his hands on Lili's shoulders and pushed her forward. Squeaking at being pushed into the limelight, Lili glared at him.
"Master Bell is joking. Lili didn't do anything at all. Everything Master Bell done, Master Bell has done alone!"
There she was again, being the submissive Lili. Was this her coping mechanism? Eina had explained to him that oftentimes Supporters are discriminated against just for being Supporters. She rarely showed a glimpse of her fiery personality, and to be honest, Bell liked it more than the Lili now.
"That's not true at all, Miss Arde. Even if we're talking technicality, you helped me cutting the time needed to get the magic stones and therefore increasing my efficiency."
Lili ducked her head and pulled her hoodie down in embarrassment, covering her face.
"It's a nice gesture you did," the elf smiled, and it made her even more beautiful. "However that still didn't answer our question."
Their conversation was interrupted by several angry-looking Goblins coming towards them.
"Um, I know you two can probably wipe them all in five seconds... but can you leave this to us? We need the magic stones, after all," Bell pleaded towards the two veteran Adventurers. And no, it was not because it was his chance to look cool in front of his crush! There was nothing like that inside his mind!
"I agree," the elf nodded. "It would yield nothing for us while it can be a source of precious experiences for you. Very well."
Bell nodded. "Thank you."
With that, Bell prepared himself.
(If he wasn't so focused on his breathing, he would've noticed Riveria looking around, trying to look for the source of the weird sound.)
Dance of the Fire God: Waltz!
Bell leaped and struck one of the Goblins, instantly decapitating it. The trails of fire surprised the other Goblins into action. Bell did not anticipate that, but their movement was honestly still slower than him, so he took the opportunity to chain up his Waltz into another dance.
Dance of the Fire God: Fire Chariot!
He leaped above them and, as he somersaulted, struck at one of the Goblins left.
The flaming wheel did not easily subside and instead expanded, burning another Goblins. It shrieked in agony, but Bell quickly sliced its head, killing it. Two more Goblins left. Bell was jumped by another one from behind, but he sensed them in time and moved his body.
Dance of the Fire God: Parhelion Rainbow!
He twisted his body and moved out of the attack range. The Goblin that attacked him looked confused because it struck his afterimage; Bell did not waste time cutting it down. Now there was only one left. The Goblin was a monster. Therefore it held no other emotion than hatred. So it slightly surprised Bell when the last Goblin shrieked in anger. Maybe it was nothing more than a coincidence, but for half a second, Bell thought it was getting angry at him for killing his fellow Goblins.
That stopped his body on its track, but Bell soon regained composure when the monster began running towards him, and he killed it quickly to relieve them of the pain.
Silence.
As usual, Bell put his hand together and bowed his head, praying for all the Goblins he killed. He heard the sound of fleshes being cut as Lili collected the magic stones.
When he finished praying, he didn't really expect the two more senior Adventurers to still be there, looking at him weirdly. Oh, he remembered that he hadn't answered their question yet.
"Miss Wallenstein, Miss Elf?" He inquired, seeing as they still looked at him weirdly.
"Obviously, they are surprised by your strength, Master Bell," Lili snarked as she finished putting the magic stones inside the bag. "I could be like that, but I feel that would just be wasting my own time and health of mind, so I just accept it."
"...Strong."
The green-haired elf nodded, still looking at him. "I didn't believe it when Ais said you are strong. But indeed, I saw you here, and I saw you decimate five goblins with ease. For someone who's only been on the fifth floor one week ago, your growth rate is unnatural."
"How..."
Bell grimaced. "Unfortunately, Miss Wallenstein. It's a Familia secret."
In the end, this was the thing that came to mind as Bell killed the five Goblins. He wouldn't explain his breathing technique and his sword style nor his strange dreams to people outside his Familia. That was what he had promised himself.
Ais opened her mouth before she closed it again and frowned. "I see..."
She then looked towards the ground, eyes full of disappointment.
"I'm sorry, Miss Wallenstein, Miss Elf."
"That's fine. Understandable. Every Familia has its own secret that outsiders aren't allowed to know. Ais here is just sulking because she doesn't get what she wants," the elf had a slight smile on her face.
"Riveria..." Ais looked towards the elf with a frown. She then turned her attention on him. "Um... Bell?" She titled her head. So cute!
"Yes?"
"Can we... talk more?" She looked at him with eyes full of hope.
"I'd love to!" He replied enthusiastically. "You can just ask the townspeople about me when you need me."
It seemed like the two from Loki Familia did not quite understand what Bell had just said. However, the elf nodded.
"I see. Then please take care, Mr. Bell. Let's go, Ais."
"See you..."
Then the veteran Adventurers left, continuing their way. Bell and Lili watched until they left their eyes.
"Master Bell..." Lili trailed off.
"Yes, Miss Arde?"
"Did you just score a potential date with the Sword Princess?"
"I hope so, Miss Arde. I hope so," Bell replied with a dopey grin on his face. "But I don't think she'd see it that way."
"So you're smitten by the Sword Princess, huh, Master Bell. But then again, who wouldn't?" Lili followed Bell, who began picking up his steps in the opposite direction of where the two Loki Familia executives went.
"I know, right? Ehehe."
"Ugh, Lili hates to say it, but you need to concentrate, Master Bell. Our survival today hinges on your shoulder."
Bell let out a breath and slapped himself on the cheek. "You're right. Thanks, Miss Arde."
"Seeing you like this actually hammers to Lili the fact that Master Bell is still new." Lili deadpanned.
After exchanging all the magic stones for valis, Bell went to a flower shop before going to the graveyard.
"Welcome, ah, Bell. How can I help you today?" The one who greeted him was Estelle, the flower shop owner.
"Good Evening, Mrs. Estelle. Is your husband well? I kind of want to visit a grave, but I don't know what flower should I bring," Bell scratched the back of his head and laughed sheepishly.
"He's fine. Although, why do you need flowers... ah, it's about yesterday, huh? Fear not, Bell. I shall guide you!" She put on glasses and brought a pen and paper. "Is it someone you love?"
Bell shook his head. "No, I actually don't know him at first. But I really appreciate his Familia member telling me about him. I feel like I know a side of him."
"Hmmm, then... What do you feel about him, Bell?"
"...Why? I mean, saying I feel nothing is wrong, but I don't particularly feel bad about him. I feel bad for the Familia members he left. As for him, I hope that he would not have any regrets."
"Okay, I get it. Wait here for a while while I arrange the appropriate flowers. Is it alright, Bell?"
Bell nodded. As he waited, he saw a head emerged from behind the door. Ah, Estelle mentioned that she had a daughter about six or seven years old. Was it her? Bell smiled at the figure, only for her to away at his smile.
He felt disappointed in himself. Usually, he was great at interacting with children, at least, according to the townspeople he acquainted with whenever Bell greeted and conversed with their children.
Not long after, Estelle came back with a wreath of flowers. "Here you go, Bell. A wreath of Peony. It symbolizes honor and compassion, your best trait."
Bell just smiled, accepting her explanation. He then remembered about the three unmarked graves. "Can you put together three more?"
Estelle blinked. "Three more? Sure."
"By the way, Mrs. Your daughter looked at me and run away. Did I do something wrong?"
Estelle looked at him and then laughed. "What~, is Bell feeling bad scaring my little Rose?"
"Part of it, yeah. The other part is because I love kids. I'm an only child, Mrs. Estelle," Bell explained.
She just smiled. "Rosie, dear, come here!" She shouted towards the back of the house. The sound of footsteps announced that Rosie, Estelle's daughter, was coming to the shop area.
She stopped peeked from behind the door again.
"Come here, dear. I'd like you to meet Bell here. He's a nice big brother," Estelle called out to her daughter. Suddenly being called nice made Bell felt embarrassed.
"Um, Hello, Rosie, was it?" Bell greeted the little girl with a smile. "It's nice to meet you. My name is Bell Cranel."
Bell offered a hand to her.
She shyly walked to them and took the hand. "Good Evening, Mr. Bell..."
"Rosie, I had to arrange more flowers for Bell here. Can you give him company for a while?"
She nodded as Estelle left to get more wreaths. Bell was left alone with her daughter.
"So, Rosie. How old are you?" Bell knew she was around six or seven years old, but it was a nice opener that asked for a response from the conversation partner.
"I'm seven years old."
"Is that so? I'm fourteen. Twice your age, ehehe..."
"Mr. Bell, are you an Adventurer?" Rosie's eyes suddenly had stars on them. She looked at him like he was her new idol.
"I am. Are you striving to become one, Rosie?"
She nodded. "I want to become an Adventurer!"
Bell smiled. It was nice to see a child's enthusiasm for things they liked. However, Bell was reminded of the reason why he was in this flower shop in the first place.
"Why?"
That dropped the smile on Rosie's face.
"Am I not allowed?"
"You need to ask that to your mother. I am just asking your reason. Why do you want to become an Adventurer?"
She looked like she was thinking hard.
"I feel like I have to be an Adventurer. That's why I want to be an Adventurer."
Ah... the simple mind of a child. How embarrassed he was when he remembered the things he said as a child.
"Let me give you an example, Rosie. You see, I have no Father and Mother. I was raised by my Grandpa. One day, he passed away, leaving me alone. I felt lonely. That's why I go to Orario and join a Familia. I want to have a family. What about you? Why do you decide you want to be an Adventurer?"
She was thinking hard after listening to his explanation. It was so cute! Ah, if only he had a little sister of his own...
Bell shook his head. If he had a little sister of his own, he would never leave her and come to Orario. Never meeting his Goddess, Eina, Syr, Ryuu, and others. He was satisfied by acting as the reliable big brother to his acquaintances' children.
"I don't know..." She pouted. "But I want to!"
"It's okay, it's okay. I never said you couldn't," Bell tried to appease her. "But think hard about it, promise?"
"Pinky promise!" She enthusiastically shouted, extending her pinky.
"Okay, okay," Bell took the pinky. "Pinky promise."
She smiled at him.
"Alright, Bell. Here are the other three wreaths." Estelle came back with three more wreaths of Peony. "Huh? What are you talking about?"
She looked interested, seeing him and her daughter linking their pinkies.
"Ah, Mrs. Estelle. Thank you. How much for the flowers?"
"One hundred valis."
"Eeh, isn't that too cheap? Mrs. Estelle, I'd love to get a discount, but that is just too much of a discount. I can see that the flowers here are raised with care. I'm sure the intended recipient would love having your flowers there. That's why I wouldn't accept it."
The two looked at each other, never straying their eyes to anything else. It was a contest of will between two strong-headed people. The first one to avert their eyes lose.
After a minute, Estelle blinked and sighed.
"Fine. The original cost is three hundred valis. I'll take anything as long as it's below three hundred."
With a smile on his face, Bell gave her two hundred and ninety-nine valis.
Estelle just grinned, seeing the number of valis Bell gave her. "Cheeky brat."
"Mom!" suddenly Rosie jumped and hugged her mother. That reminded Bell of the times he always did that to his Grandpa. Oh, how he still missed his Grandfather. "Big Bro Bell and I made a promise!"
Suddenly Bell had a bad feeling.
It was so sudden that it startled Bell a little. His intuition told him that the best move was getting away from the shop.
"Is that so? That's good. What is it about, dearie?"
Ryuu's advice of trusting his feeling flashed in his mind.
"W-Well then, Mrs. Estelle, I'm going."
"Big Bro Bell made me promise to think for a reason to become an Adventurer!"
...
Before the door to the shop was closed, Bell heard it.
"Bell Cranel! Come back here in an instant!"
His feeling was, once again, correct.
"Y-Yes," He froze in his step and turned back towards the angry mother.
He was too late to react once again and paid the price for it.
"Can you explain why did you feel my lovely daughter's head with a delusion of grandeur?"
Uwaaah, the calmness after her angry shout was really scary! Was this how it felt to face a mother? He had never felt it from his real mother, but just facing this sort of calmness was unnerving! And it was coming from an acquaintance, not a real family member!
As she was waiting for his answer, he looked towards the daughter in question, who only blinked and smiled back at him.
"U-Uh. Ma'am. I didn't tell her anything. She insisted that she wants to be an Adventurer. As I am not a family member, I had no right to tell her yes or no, so I only told her to think of a good reason," Bell answered her, his mouth moving so fast.
It took Estelle a few seconds to grasp what Bell said. She then sighed and looked down at her daughter. "Rosie... what did I say about your dreams?"
Feeling that her mother was scolding her, Rosie looked down before answering. "That it was just a dream, and I don't need to follow it?"
"So why do you still want to be an Adventurer?"
"Big Bro Bell said that I need to find my reason. If I found it, will you allow me, Mom?" Rosie looked at her mother, trying to appeal with a cute look and request.
With another sigh, Estelle replied to her daughter. "Look, Rosie. I know you really want to become an Adventurer. But please don't bring this up again until you're older. I have too many reasons to deny you from becoming one, but I know you won't understand it as you are now."
Bell saw Rosie was about to throw a tantrum, so he interjected. "Mrs. Estelle, Rosie. I have an idea. How about I borrow Rosie for a while? Bringing four wreaths of flowers is quite hard."
"Bell... you..." Estelle looked at him and her daughter. "I see. I entrust her with you, Bell. Rosie, dear, would you like to help Big Bro Bell?"
She nodded enthusiastically. "I want to!"
Bell gave two of the wreaths to her. "Follow me, Rosie."
"Keep her safe!" Estelle shouted after they left the flower shop.
"Where are we going, Big Bro Bell?" Rosie asked with a hopeful expression as their steps brought them away from the shop.
"To the Adventurer's Graveyard. I want to pay respect for several people there," Bell answered without sugarcoating anything. He knew that Estelle would appreciate Rosie understanding the danger of being an Adventurer, but she personally felt that her seven years old daughter would not understand it.
Bell understood her decision. Back when he was seven, he was stubborn and wanted to know everything even though he did not understand it. But not trying to properly communicate it with a term that Rosie would understand... Bell felt like that was a wrong decision.
So he would do it in her place.
"...Graveyard?" She asked with a bit of confusion.
"You don't know? It's a resting place for you after you die. Adventurers have a high mortality rate... that's the number of people dead. It's why I don't want you to become one without a good reason."
"Dead?" Now there was a hint of anxiety behind her tone. "Is being Adventurer really hard?"
"Hard or not, it's up to your own discipline. But being Adventurer is tiring. And when you're tired... you make mistakes. It's those mistakes that may end up killing you," Bell explained softly. "Listen, Rosie. The Dungeon is a harsh place. Even I almost died. I hope it won't come to it, but I might die tomorrow or the day after, or soon. Even then, I'm going to the Dungeon. That's what it means to become an Adventurer."
"Aren't you scared, Big Bro Bell?" Her voice cracked, trying to hide her confusion.
"Yes," he answered honestly. This was, after all, a lesson for Rosie. There was no place for bravado.
"I thought an Adventurer has to be brave," she pointed out. "If you are scared, why are you still an Adventurer, Big Bro?"
"Because I still have my Goddess, my Familia. She gives me the courage to face my fears." The fact that his Familia also became a source of fear was kept inside his mind. He was, after all, still looking for the answer to the question he posed towards Ryuu yesterday.
His Familia gave him the courage to brave the Dungeon, but it also became the source of fear as he feared leaving his Familia.
He didn't say anything about it because, as he stated before, this was a lesson for Rosie.
"You really love your Familia, Big Bro."
"Of course," Bell replied.
Twenty minutes later, they arrived in front of Cedric's grave. Bell knelt down, putting one of the wreaths around the stone, and then he put his hand together.
"Big Bro?"
"I'm praying for the deceased, Rosie."
"Can I pray too?"
"You can. I'm sure he would love it."
She nodded and followed Bell's gesture.
After that, Bell stood up. "Let's go, Rosie."
Bell brought her to the unmarked graves he found yesterday. The bouquets of Crimson Rose that Hermes got them yesterday were still there.
"Whose graves are these?" Rosie asked, her eyes wandering around, looking for a sign of identification.
"I don't know," Bell answered her. "But yesterday, I found them full of weeds and moss, so I cleaned them. And I thought, 'why not giving the same flowers to them?'"
When he finished paying his respect towards the three anonymous graves, Bell and Rosie left the graveyard.
"So, Rosie. I hope you understand why your mother wants you to be a little bit older first before you decide your future," He began on the way back.
"I sorta understand, but I still want to!" Rosie answered, her hand gripping Bell's. "I promise I'll think of a good reason, Big Bro Bell!"
"Good. And what will you do after having a good reason?"
"Become an Adventurer?" She asked, tilting her head.
"No..." Bell sighed. "You need to ask for permission from your parents first, Rosie."
"Tehee~" She laughed playfully. Bell then realized she was intentionally speaking the wrong answer to aggravate him. With a smile, he rubbed Rosie's head gently.
Bell walked her back home before he bid them a 'see you tomorrow' towards the happy family. They reminded him of simple times. Back when his Grandpa was still with him...
Walking along the West Main, Bell greeted everyone he knew. Eventually, he arrived on the Hostess of Fertility. Entering the establishment, Bell's eyes looked around the busy restaurant to find Syr.
"Syr!" He called out.
"Bell! Would you like to sit?"
Bell shook his head. "I'm sorry, but today I'm not going to eat here. I'm just asking whether the book owner has come or not."
Syr's bright expression turned into a sad one in an instant.
"Bell, you meanie. On the other hand, the owner hasn't come back," Syr sighed. "Speaking of, aren't you curious about the content of the book?"
Shaking his head fervently, Bell answered Syr. "No way! That's a breach of privacy to the book owner! I wouldn't dare. Who knows it was his personal journal or diary, and it contains a state secret or whatever? I wouldn't want to be caught snooping around."
"...Your imagination knows no bound, huh? I guess you're right. Oh well. That's what makes you so interesting. Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow morning, Bell."
Syr left him and continued attending to the guests. Since there was nothing else, Bell left the restaurant and continued his way. He passed over the Abandoned Church because he had something else to do.
When he and Lili exchanged the magic stones and drop items, he got a little crash course about some things Lili knew about drop items. Usually, he just sold all of them away, but one of the things Lili explained caught his attention.
Apparently, he killed some pretty rare monsters called Blue Papilio, and they dropped some items. The drop items were their wings. From Lili's explanation, Blue Papilio Wings were quite precious because it was a valuable ingredient for potions.
He decided to keep them for a reason.
Walking along the backstreets, Bell arrived at his destination for the day, Blue Pharmacy. It was a shop run by Miach Familia, a really kind God. On his earlier day in the Dungeon, Miach always gave him free potions. So he felt like paying back his kindness by giving the wings to them.
Entering the shop, he saw Naaza, the sole member of Miach Familia, handling the shop.
"Welcome. Oh, Bell? What can I do for you?" Naaza greeted him indifferently.
"Good Evening, Miss Naaza. Actually, I'm not here to buy anything." Bell took out the bag containing the Blue Papilio Wings and put it on the counter. "I got these drop items today, and I heard it's an ingredient to make potions. So I thought, why not give these to you?"
Naaza gasped when she saw three pairs of Blue Papilio Wings. "Bell... this is... How much for this?"
Bell blinked. "I did say I want to give this to you, right? No need for any payment. I consider this a payback for Lord Miach's kindness to me when I first entered the Dungeon. He always gave me some free potions."
Naaza looked stunned. He didn't know if it was because he gave them for free or because of her Patron God act of kindness towards him. Seconds later, Naaza sighed and took the bag.
"Thank you, Bell. Though, Lord Miach always did as he liked..." she grumbled a bit towards the end.
"If I found them again, I'll give it to you again, okay?"
"Ah... no, I couldn't impose..."
Bell shook his head. "You're not imposing. I see it as me giving you kindness because you gave me kindness before..."
Naaza looked at him.
"You are something else, Bell. You're not fit to be an Adventurer," she shook her head. "Thank you for this. I won't waste it."
"Give my regards to Lord Miach," Bell said as he left the shop.
(Later, when Miach arrived home, his beloved child suddenly berated him about giving people free stuff. Again. He took it with a smile. But for some reason, Naaza stopped there. Usually, she made him promise to not do it again, but not today.
When he inquired about this, Naaza just gave him one of her rare smiles and thanked him for being such a kind God. He didn't know what brought this on, but he was very grateful. Something just made Naaza so happy that she smiled.
She blushed hard when he thoughtlessly said she needed to smile more often because it showed her beauty. Her God was indeed a dangerous man.)
A few minutes later, Bell arrived home. He saw his Goddess sitting on the sofa.
"Bell. I've got the answer to your dreams."
That announcement brought a smile to Bell's lip. "Really, Goddess?"
But there was no smile on her face. That told Bell how seriously she viewed the situation.
"But Bell..." She trailed off, looking at him with teary eyes. "I don't like it one bit."
Bell sat down near his Goddess, offering comfort. Without waiting, she embraced him.
"Bell..." She looked up towards him.
"Goddess..."
"Your dreams..." Bell hanging on to all of the words coming out of Hestia's mouth. "They are fragments of your past life."
And suddenly, it all clicked for Bell. Why he had those continuous dreams... why he suddenly knew everything that the boy knew... He learned two new sword styles just from seeing them and recalling them from his dreams. His body remembered the movements because his past self knew all about it.
"But, Goddess..." He thought reincarnation wiped out all of the previous life's memories.
"Miach and Hephaestus think it is some kind of botched reincarnation for you to remember of it, Bell."
So there was still no definite answer. A 'maybe' answer, but not a definite one. But Bell would take it over any other theories. Still...
Bell's mind wandered towards the back of the boy in his dream.
Did this mean that those back were not unreachable? That one day, he could also stand there together with him?
"Bell!" A teary-eyed Hestia shook him out of his delusion. "Can you promise me that you won't change?"
"I don't understand..."
"You've changed, Bell. Ever since you got that skill, you've changed."
There was a short silence as they avoided looking at each other.
"I... feel like I don't know you anymore, Bell. I feel that there is some kind of distance between us ever since you had your dreams," Hestia began, explaining her request. "You... it's hard to describe. The closest thing I can say about you is that you matured. So fast."
"Goddess..." Bell disagreed with her last point, but he understood her general sentiment. Ever since he dreamed about the boy more than a week ago, he began looking up to the boy and tried to emulate the tidbits of things that made him great in Bell's eyes. His kindness, his empathy, his understanding of his duty. To everyone else, it might look like that he matured suddenly. But to Bell, he had not matured at all. It was all just an imitation.
"I'm afraid that you knowing the truth would just distort yourself even more, changing you into someone that I can't recognize," Hestia finished, finally letting out the fears inside her.
"Then why..."
At this, Hestia looked at him with an annoyed expression. "We made a promise, didn't we? As a Familia?"
That put a smile on Bell's face. "Thank you, Goddess. I can't promise you I won't 'change.' My dreams are my aspiration... I only told you a little about the boy in my dream, but I idolize him. That's why you see me 'changed' this past week. I tried to follow in his footsteps."
Bell then looked towards his Goddess.
"You say I matured, but I believe I'm still the same old Bell Cranel, just... I tried to do what the boy did. And if you think I'm matured because of that, then I believe I'm following in a mature person's footsteps. Maybe tomorrow, I can grow without following him. Maybe my growth will come in several months. Maybe even a year. But now? I'm still the Bell you picked up three weeks ago."
Hestia let out a breath. "Then... what separates you from your past life? Where do you draw the line between Bell Cranel and that boy? Because my definition of who Bell Cranel is has long since changed. You're not the innocent fourteen years old with a dash of loneliness anymore..."
Hestia's question was fundamentally simple. Who was Bell Cranel? Therefore, Bell only had one answer.
"Bell Cranel... was a lonely boy who wants to have a family. In hindsight, by joining your Familia, Goddess, my deepest wish had been fulfilled. I think that's why at the start, I couldn't get stronger. It was only after the Minotaur incident that I remember the swordsmanship of the boy."
"That's when you get the skill..." Hestia cut in. Bell nodded at her interruption.
"That's right. I began to think that there is something more to my dream. Then it kept showing me more and more, and I couldn't help but get drawn by the boy. You have to see it with your own eyes, Goddess. The boy is something else."
"Well, you only told me some of it, Bell! I think my earlier idea had some merits. You should write it down if you can recall it to such extent," Hestia replied while pouting.
Bell ignored her last remark to continue his thought. "That's why, Goddess, I am still the same Bell Cranel you met three weeks ago. I just had a clear role model now."
Bell finished with a warm smile.
He saw his Goddess sobbed a little, wiping some tears off her face. "Bell, please remember one thing. Being good enough to stand beside him, and being him, is a different thing. I understand you see a hero in him, and you want to be like him. But please... don't lose yourself in the process..."
"I would never, Goddess. Bell Cranel is someone who is saved by his Goddess' kindness. As long as you are with me, I would never lose myself."
He could say it confidently because he believed it. Bell Cranel was saved by Hestia. That was an undeniable fact. Therefore, as long as Hestia was there, the one person she saved will always be Bell Cranel, never someone else. She might save other people, but the first one she saved was Bell Cranel, and nobody could rewrite the history between them.
"And as your Goddess, I have the right to worry about you no matter how strong you are."
Someone who always cared for him, worry about him, understood him, get angry for him. That was what Goddess Hestia was to him.
"But, as your Goddess, it's also my job to place my faith in you. So..."
She opened her arms, inviting him for a hug. He accepted it with a smile.
"As your Familia member. It's my job to make you worry, Goddess," he replied as they embraced each other.
"Ugh, you never have the gall to be this cheeky before, Bell!"
"And as your Familia member, it's also my job to answer the faith you put in me."
It was not a perfect reconciliation. Was it even a reconciliation since they were not fighting in the first place? But Bell felt like he grew closer to his Goddess than before. He hoped his Goddess felt the same about him.
(Inside her mind, Hestia was relieved. The fuel for Bell's Liaris Freese was indeed his dream and not Wallenwhatever her name was. Because if it was the latter, if she somehow rejected Bell, then she feared Liaris Freese would not be active anymore.
Bell had indeed changed, but she should not have used the Gods' measure. He changed for the better, and she should be happy with him. Their savings were increasing. Their dream of buying a house was one step closer every day.)
The next morning, Bell found himself walking towards the Hostess of Fertility after he finished his morning run. He greeted everyone he acquaintanced with on the way and saw Ryuu doing her training.
"Miss Lion. Good Morning. Is Syr inside?"
She stopped her motion at his voice and wiped the sweat off using her free hand.
"Good Morning. Mr. Cranel. Yes, she is. Will you train with me again today?" Ryuu asked him.
"Yes, please wait a minute," Bell passed her and went inside the restaurant.
He saw Anya cleaning a table, so he approached her.
"Good Morning Miss Anya. Is Syr around?"
"Nya! Oh, it's white hair-nya. Syyyr! White hair is here!" She then continued cleaning the table. "Just wait for her here-nya."
From the kitchen, he saw Syr came out and quickened her pace towards him. "Morning, Bell! What can I do for you?"
"Has the owner of the book come?" He asked the same question again.
Syr pouted at his question. "No, Bell. Nobody has come. Is that the only thing in your mind?"
"Not really, but imagining him losing a precious belonging... doesn't that makes you want to make sure it comes back to the owner?"
Syr looked at him strangely before she beamed at him. "You're right, Bell. But we can't do anything about it unless the owner came back."
"True..." Bell frowned. They couldn't do anything exactly because the owner hadn't come back for the book. "Could it be that the owner forgot about it?"
Syr gasped. "You might be right, Bell. If it's true, why don't you keep it for yourself?"
Bell shook his head. "We should give it to proper authorities. It's not right to take other's belongings."
There was a strange expression on Syr's face. "I think we should wait for a while. Maybe tomorrow the owner will come?"
Bell blinked at Syr's suggestion. That was quite sudden. "I hope you're right."
"By the way, Bell," Syr changed the subject of the conversation. "Yesterday, that was Lord Hermes, wasn't it? I never knew you are acquainted with him."
"I am acquainted with a lot of people, but I only met Lord Hermes two days ago."
"Why is he interested in you?"
Bell shrugged. "I don't know."
"Don't you find it strange?" She whispered to him.
"Not really?" Bell replied to the question. "I mean, I can't claim to be close with the townspeople, but I know them. There's nothing strange about getting closer to people by increasing your interaction with them. Look at the two of us. You and I are getting closer, right?"
Syr blushed. "Th-That's... oh my, Bell, you charmer!" She hid her face behind her empty tray.
"I didn't intend to mean it that way..." Bell looked apologetic. "But my point still stands."
"I guess..." she trailed off.
"Why do you ask about him, anyway?"
"No particular reason. I guess I'm just worried about you..." Syr looked at him with a smile.
"Thank you for worrying about me, but I trust my Goddess."
Syr blinked in confusion. "What?"
"My Goddess is a good person. Therefore, the people she surrounded herself with, no doubt, are also good."
Bell answered without hesitation. He actually asked about Hermes to Hestia. While she said he was sometimes shady, she never outright asked Bell to distrust him. So he treated him as if he treated everyone he was acquainted with.
Slowly, a broad smile appeared on Syr's face. "Aww, Bell. That's so cute! You really trust your Goddess, huh?"
Bell blushed and averted his eyes after being called cute. "It's only natural to trust your family member, right?"
"Indeed..."
Seconds later, Syr was called by Mama Mia. So Bell gave her a 'see you later' before he exited the establishment and went towards Ryuu.
"Have you finished your business with Syr?"
Bell nodded, getting into position on the opposite of Ryuu.
"Oho, looks like we're not late, Asfi."
But before they could clash blades, Hermes' voice interrupted them. Indeed, when Bell looked at the source of the voice, he saw Hermes grinning with his usual feathered hat, with the woman he saw yesterday behind him. Apparently, when he asked Eina yesterday, she was the Captain of Hermes Familia, Asfi Al Andromeda, titled Perseus. She was one of the famous item makers in Orario.
"Good day to you, Cranel. I'm sorry about my God," She greeted him with an even tone. But there was a hint of exasperation behind it.
"Good Morning, Miss Andromeda..." Bell gave her a quick smile. "Good Morning, Lord Hermes."
"Morning, Bell. Did you know that dear Asfi here is amazed at you?"
"Lord Hermes!" Asfi reprimanded her God, but it was too late. Bell was blushing in embarrassment.
"Um, thank you for the compliment, Miss Andromeda, but I'm still a novice..." Bell scratched the back of his head while looking down.
Grumbling in annoyance, Asfi gave him a quick smile before she went to greet Ryuu.
Bell looked at Hermes, who was looking at them with smiles.
"Lord Hermes... if I may ask, is Miss Andromeda close with Miss Lion?"
Hermes stopped looking at them to look at Bell.
"Sometimes I forget you are new in Orario, Bell. But then again, not everybody would know it. I can't say that they're close, but they're familiar with each other, yes."
"I see..."
After Ryuu finished talking with Asfi, she motioned Bell to face her.
Bell stood on the opposite of Ryuu once more. This time, his hand was gripping the sheathed katana on his waist, ready to strike.
"Here I go, Mr. Cranel."
Ryuu initiated the attack first. When he was using Breath of Water, he usually had to defend by parrying the strike or dodging. But as he found out yesterday, Dance of the Fire God created literal trails of fire. This, he realized, could be an advantage in defense, unlike the waters created by the Breath of Water.
Dance of Fire God...
Bell took a deep breath and unsheathed his sword.
Scorching Crimson Mirror!
Bell made quick slashes, projecting trails of fire around him. Ryuu stopped her advance and took a few steps back.
"Interesting. You didn't try this before yesterday. Were you keeping it for today?"
"No, I just realized the implication of producing fires around me," Bell replied as the fire subsided. He wasted no time jumping at Ryuu and slashed at her.
As he expected, Ryuu was still wary of the fire she tried to dodge to the side. But this time, he wasn't doing any Dance form. Successfully deceiving his opponent, Bell did another Scorching Crimson Mirror when Ryuu took him overextending as an opening to attack.
This time, Ryuu did not hesitate to go through the fire Bell had to parry the attack.
"Not everyone would be afraid of your fire, Mr. Cranel, especially the monsters. Remember that."
"I will," Bell nodded at Ryuu's advice.
Bell's feet moved again.
Dance of the Fire God: Waltz!
Bell twisted his body to avoid a strike from Ryuu and, in turn, used the momentum for a downward slash. Ryuu dodged by grabbing his upper arm as a measure and then twisted her body to position herself behind him.
This was bad, Bell thought. He chained Waltz to another dance to avoid the potential spar-ending strike at the neck.
Dance of the Fire God: Parhelion Rainbow!
Ryuu slashed at his neck, stopping as her sword was one inch before his neck, but the slashed Bell faded.
Dance of the Fire God: Blue Heaven
High in the air, Bell made a circular slash that caught Ryuu unaware. By the time she knew to look upwards, fires had filled her vision.
Bell touched the ground. His face looked around in concern. "Miss Lion?"
"I'm okay. I have to confess that caught me off guard. If I kept holding my speed back there, I would've burnt to crisps. This round goes to you by virtue of me breaking the limit I put upon myself," Ryuu replied him, untouched by the fires. "Still, Mr. Cranel. I have to say you are one scary Adventurer."
Bell nodded to Ryuu's explanation initially, but he tilted his head in confusion when Ryuu said the later parts. He thought he was amicable with everyone he met. "How so?"
"No Adventurers grow as fast as you, Bell. You might have the advantage of training yourself before getting Falna. Still, nobody grows as fast as you," Ryuu said matter of factly.
His Advisor was also in the same opinion as Ryuu. Eina was always angry when he said he would descend one floor lower every single day. The thing was, from the status sheet his Goddess gave him, he was ready to go to the ninth floor according to Eina's own advice. That was why Eina couldn't stop him no matter how much she tried to advise him to do otherwise.
Bell knew how he grew strong so fast. It was, after all, because of his dream. His soul was the reincarnation of the boy in his dream. When Ryuu told him that he was an anomaly like this, he accepted it. Still, he couldn't take it as a compliment because it was through no effort that he could possess this knowledge.
"That is actually a part of why I am amazed at you, Cranel," this time Asfi joined on the conversation. "What Lion said is correct. And I believe Lord Hermes is also the same."
"Indeed," Hermes replied. "But to be honest, Bell. I'm interested in you since the first time I laid my eyes on you."
Ryuu gasped. Asfi gasped. Bell grimaced.
"L-Lord Hermes!"
"What? Wait, I did it again! No! I didn't mean in that way!" Hermes tried to defend himself. "No! I met Bell cleaning a random dirty graveyard! That's when my curiosity is piqued!"
As Hermes continued comically defending himself, Ryuu looked at Bell and Hermes and Asfi, and back at Bell again. Something was on her mind, Bell definitely knew, but as for what it was, Bell knew nothing.
"Bell... keep your vigilance. Lord Hermes might try to get you to join his Familia."
Oh, he thought it was something else. "Nah, I already declined. I would never leave my Goddess."
"I see..."
Their attention was taken when Hermes and Asfi's loud noise stopped.
Bell looked towards them, and he saw them looking at someone else near them...
Oh...
It was Ais Wallenstein in her white dress.
Bell couldn't take his eyes off her figure.
It was a simple white dress that hugged her body, but the gap of the serious heroic Ais Wallenstein in her armor and this casual Ais Wallenstein was too much that his mind couldn't handle it.
Even outside her shining armor, Ais still radiated bright light! (in his mind). Her golden eyes reflected the morning light (in his mind), the lustrous blonde hair glittering under the sun... (in his mind). It was such a perfect sight for sore eyes.
He never blinked as his eyes took sight of Ais's figure.
(Just like before, his mind did not register anything but the figure of Ais. t He didn't even realize Ais was talking with Asfi and Hermes for a while before she greeted Ryuu and then faced him.)
"Good Morning..."
"G-Good Morning, Miss Wallenstein! I didn't really expect to meet you here..." Bell scratched his cheek and avoided her gaze.
"You said townspeople..."
Indeed, he said something along the lines yesterday. He just didn't expect to meet Ais again so soon!
"Yes... ehehehe."
There was an awkward silence between them.
"You're... sparring?"
Bell nodded. "Miss Lion is kind enough to devote some of her time to train me."
"I won't ask you, but... I will observe you."
At first, he didn't know what she was talking about. But he then realized that Ais wanted to know how he became 'strong' so fast. Yesterday's conversation sprang to his mind, and Bell smiled.
"if you can glean something that you might find useful from me, I would be proud of my swordsmanship style, Miss Sword Princess."
Ais's eyes twitched when he used her title. She didn't respond to him this time and instead moved towards Hermes and Asfi.
"Mr. Cranel."
Bell nodded and faced Ryuu again.
While Ryuu said the last round went to him, it was from technicality. In actual combat, something like that would never happen. If he faced something that hid their power and suddenly, in the middle of their clash, they unleashed their hidden power, and he couldn't handle it, that would be his loss.
That was actually the first time he technically won a round against Ryuu. But while Ryuu would count it, he wouldn't.
That was why, this time, something burned inside his heart—a desire to win. Not from the technicality that Ryuu just decided for herself, but a real win in the spar.
He wanted to win.
He wanted to win even when Ryuu broke her self-imposed rule.
Bell took a deep breath. That was dangerous. While he wanted to win, such flame inside his heart would burn wildly if he lost control. This was, after all, just a friendly spar to train him. That would not do.
So to temper his desire, this time, he decided to use Breath of Water.
Ryuu, who was familiar with his styles, suddenly furrowed her eyebrows seeing him changing his stances.
Darting forward, Bell took a breath.
Breath of Water, First Style: Water Surface Slice!
A simple slash accompanied by trails of water was coming towards Ryuu. She parried the strike and bore the small impact of the water. Wary of any counter-attack, Bell jumped backward before Ryuu could unleash it.
However, his reading of Ryuu's intent was read through. Ryuu did not counter and instead followed him, keeping a close distance. She made a quick thrust that Bell couldn't dodge. Instead of parrying it, though, Bell decided to take it as it was striking his shoulder.
Bell's body was thrown backward, but he used the throw's momentum to twist his body. Trails of water were forming around the sword, and Bell continued twisting his body to gather more momentum.
Ryuu was wary, of course. She did not try to attack him. However, she soon realized that letting Bell gather more momentum would be disastrous, so she jumped towards him to disrupt his next move. Bell saw her coming and finally unleashed the slash.
Breath of Water, Tenth Style: Dragon of Change!
It was, frankly, just a normal powerful slash that Ryuu could dodge. However, he would be surprised if Ryuu could avoid the next thing. The trails of water formed a visage of a dragon, and it followed Bell's slash, roaring silently as it headed towards Ryuu.
Indeed. Ryuu avoided the slash, but she had no way to escape the dragon. It struck Ryuu from the side, and Ryuu's body was thrown by the impact.
"...Did I win?"
Nobody there answered him. The spectators were too stunned to respond to Bell. He saw Hermes widened his eyes before he tipped his hat and smiled. Beside him, Asfi was looking at him and the wet Ryuu figure on the ground with her mouth opened in surprise.
Bell turned his attention to Ais. She was looking at him thoughtfully, taking every single movement of his body. When she said observe, she really meant it. Her eyes never once left his body to check on the downed Ryuu. So this was a first-class Adventurer's focus, huh?
His attention then drew towards Ryuu, who was trying to stand up. Bell tried to avert his eyes from her drenched body. While he knew she wouldn't mind, it was still rude to stare.
"Miss Lion. Are you okay?"
"I'm okay, Mr. Cranel," she then went on a stance again. "This round goes to you. Congratulations. Now this means I can increase the power I used a little."
The smile that formed on Bell's face as he drank on his first win was wiped instantly when he remembered that Ryuu only used a fraction of her power so far in their match.
There was only one thing in his mind.
"Oh no-"
He couldn't finish his words because Ryuu's sword suddenly filled his vision. He hastily breathed and used Scorching Crimson Mirror to deflect the attack. But then Ryuu struck him from the side faster than ever before, hitting him on the arm, grabbing it, and twisted his arm to his back. Her sword rested around Bell's neck.
"That, Mr. Cranel, is equivalent to a Level Two," Ryuu said close to his ear.
Bell was floored. The gap between Level One and Two was just too big!
"Well then, I think this is enough for today. Once again, congratulations, Mr. Cranel. It's a shame Syr couldn't be here."
Oh yeah, before yesterday, Syr always loved watching his morning spar. What happened?
"Umm, does something happen with Syr?"
Ryuu shook her head. "I don't know. However, please don't forget to come back here later for your boxed lunch, Mr. Cranel."
Bell nodded as he sheathed his sword. "I will. Thank you for today, Miss Lion."
Bowing towards the elf, Bell then approached Ais, who was looking at him with her smile (only in his mind. Her lips did not form a smile at all).
"As I thought," was what she muttered when Bell arrived. "You're strong."
His shoulder was suddenly grabbed by someone. "Yo, Bell. That was amazing. I never expected for you to have that kind of move on your arsenal."
It was Hermes who was smiling at him.
"Ahaha, it isn't that amazing, Lord Hermes," while Bell would take pride in his win, he wouldn't say his performance was astounding. He just caught Ryuu off-guard with a move she had never seen before. The next time, she wouldn't easily be caught in the strike like just now, especially when she was upping her limitation from now on.
"No... You were amazing, Bell."
That honest compliment from Ais caught him off-guard.
"Ehehe," Bell scratched his cheek in embarrassment. "Is that so?"
"Is it a magic sword, Bell? I see Hephaestus' signature there," Hermes tried to probe. Seeing as it wouldn't harm him to answer, Bell replied honestly.
"It's just a regular sword. A high-quality sword, yes, but just a regular sword."
Hermes had a faraway look on his face.
"Then... magic?" This time it was Ais who tried to pry the information. She really wanted to know how he became strong.
Bell shook his head. "It is not magic either. It's my skill."
Another silence filled the air.
"...If you're not Hestia's, I won't hesitate to snatch you up, Bell. I suggest you keep it to yourself," Hermes gave his advice before he released his grip on Bell's shoulder. "Well then, see you tomorrow, Bell. Enjoy your date with the Sword Princess!"
The last comment did not fail to fluster Bell.
"L-Lord Hermes!"
He just heard a big laugh coming from the man. His Familia Captain bowed towards him and Ais in apology before hurriedly following her Patron God away from Bell and Ais.
"Ugh, that Lord Hermes... even if it's only a joke, that was too far!" Bell grumbled to himself.
He then looked towards Ais, who looked back at him.
Another awkward silence fell between them.
"U-Um, so... what can you get from my swordsmanship, Miss Wallenstein? Not trying to be vain, but as I said before, I would be proud if you can take something from it."
"It's... different. But..." Ais tried to find her words. "I... have a feeling we are similar."
Oh no! Being called similar by the Sword Princess herself! Him! A lowly Level One being called similar to Ais Wallenstein!
It was too much for Bell. His face reddened in embarrassment.
(Bell had no way to understand that Ais was referring to his sword style being supported by fire and water, just like hers was supported by wind magic.)
"Would you like to spar?"
Bell gasped in amazement. Here was Ais Wallenstein, offering to spar with him.
"Not now," she continued. "But later."
He nodded fervently. "It would be my pleasure, Miss Wallenstein!"
"Good," Ais nodded. "See you, Bell."
"See you later, Miss Wallenstein!"
(Ryuu shook Syr's body. Bell had gotten the attention of Lord Hermes and even the Sword Princess! She needed to take the matter seriously before somebody snatched Bell up!)
(What Ryuu did not know was that Syr was contemplating something else. Ugh, if it wasn't for Lord Hermes... Now Ais Wallenstein too!? Give her a break!
May was shrieking at Ryuu and Syr as the meat Syr cooked burned again.)
(Wandering around his Familia home, Hermes sneezed. A concerned member asked if he was sick, but he just laughed at him and said that somebody was probably cursing him or something.
More importantly... he needed to make an important visit to someone. He wondered what tales he should bring to shake that old god. What kind of expression would he get when he told the old man about his precious grandson?)
A/N: Volume 2 is still not finished Please let me take a break and finish it! I want to move to Vol 3! And yet things keeps happening to Bell. This is the first chapter without any dream, I believe. Whatever. The moment wasn't right, anyway.
This chapter in a nutshell:
Literally any other people: *praise Bell*
Bell: "Ahaha, it's not that amazing."
Ais: *praise Bell*
Bell: *blush* "is that so?"
Having a crush is dangerous, people. It distorts your mind, making you seeing things that aren't there.
Also, fuck, writing Ais outside of her perspective is fucking hard. She did not really emote unless it was important to her. Bell had to be the one carrying the conversation.