Chapter 5 - The First Of Many

Bell woke up early from the sofa in his home, a basement below an abandoned church and he was super excited.

Last night, the person he looked up to the most, Ais, had agreed to train him.

Since it was close to midnight and they were both unprepared, the training was postponed until the following morning.

Luckily, he was still suffering from the effects of Mind Down, which made it easy for him to fall asleep once he returned home.

Now, he set off to start the first day of his training with a sword princess at the top of her game.

.

The sky is covered in darkness.

The sun hasn't risen in the eastern sky, but the horizon is beginning to lighten. It's that moment before dawn when you're not sure if it's night or morning.

'The city wall…I've never been up here before.'

Bell could see all the buildings in Orario from here, but he quickly shook himself out of his wonder and focused on the excitement in front of him.

"Are you prepared?"

"Ah, y-yes!"

Her voice rings like a bell to his ears and he turns around to face her. Ais Wallenstein.

She's the reason he's here right now and he was about to learn how to fight from her.

She said that her Familia, Loki Familia, would go on an expedition in twelve days. So they didn't have much time, but she would work with him until she left.

They came all the way to the top of the wall, because it allowed them to stay hidden and train to their heart's content.

Plus, training this early would give him a chance to go into the Dungeon like normal to make money. So rather than train after a hard day's work, it made more sense to do this first.

"Ais, what should I do now?"

"…A good question." She didn't know.

"Huh?"

"I haven't had any time to think since last night." Bell felt a bit guilty for that, but he kept quiet. Waiting to see what she would come up with.

"…Can you show me your form?"

"S-sure?"

Bell draws his dagger from its sheath and moves into a stance. Then performs a few strikes as if striking a monster in front of him. His entire body is shaking, and he can't help but feel embarrassed until the sword princess's intense gaze.

"Do you only use your knife?"

"…"

"The knife wielders I know use kicks and martial arts to fight."

To say Bell was surprised wouldn't be an exaggeration. He hadn't considered any of those methods before, because he thought it was all about the knife he wielded. Until now, he'd only ever kicked or punched a monster out of desperation.

"Give it to me," She said and he handed over his knife, "…Like this."

Bell studied her carefully, but he saw her demonstrate a few different forms, he wondered.

Does she… know what she's doing?

Then he saw her spin around and a blur whipped into his face.

.

"Sorry…"

His head seemed to throb in pain, and he couldn't quite see clearly yet. In fact, everything was a blur and he had no idea where he was right now.

Bell tried to open his mouth, but it felt like it was on fire.

"Sorry…" He heard again, but the pain stopped him from saying anything in return.

Then he heard a bottle being uncorked. Followed by a familiar tasting liquid being slowly poured into his mouth.

A health potion.

"Can we try something else?"

"…"

Ais seemed to ponder on this for a moment.

"…"

While Bell wondered if he had offended his teacher by questioning her methods.

"…Okay. Let us fight."

"…"

If she hit him again with a move like that, then he'd definitely die. That's what his body screamed out to him.

But he pushed himself up into a standing position anyway. She was offering to teach him, and he wouldn't pass up on that chance.

He would become stronger and be a hero. He would get strong enough for Ais to notice him.

"I can't teach as well as Riveria and the others… So I think this is best."

Suddenly, her aura felt different.

She held her sheath in one hand with a defensive stance. However, her sheath and sword had almost the same reach, so he couldn't afford to let his guard down for a second.

Goosebumps shot out of his skin for a moment, before his muscles reacted.

Bell drew his dagger and assumed a stance that he believed serve him best against her sheath's reach advantage.

"Yes… That's good."

"…?!"

"As you did just now, I want you to perceive as much as you can from what's about to happen."

She told him to learn from reading her own movements. Or so he believed.

"But… I'm using a real blade, and you're…"

"It's fine."

Her confidence shuts any arguments he may have, she is a level five after all. While he was just a newbie, a level one.

Normally, when you show sympathy to an under-armed opponent, that's a good way to get yourself killed. But after he saw how she had fought in the past, he had no doubt that she'd be able to fend off any and all of his attacks easily.

His mind brought up various after images of where she might attack him from next.

Plus the memories of when she had saved him from that minotaur and the kick she had given him not a moment ago.

"…You're afraid."

"?!"

Of course he was afraid.

To him, this felt more like a battle to death, compared to everything else that he had faced before.

"I think it's important for a solo adventurer to be afraid. But there is something else that you are afraid of."

That was one thing that Bell didn't want to hear, from the exact person he didn't want to hear it from.

With a look of pure seriousness on her face, Ais took a step forward without ever dropping her guard.

"I don't know what you are so afraid of… but at this rate, when you face it, you'll only be able to run away."

She's right, and those words cut deep.

Right now, he felt like a forest fire had been lit up inside of him. Is he shy? Or is he afraid? He hoped it was the former.

And just then he realised that what he's most afraid of… is being an embarrassment in front of her.

That's what he felt like every time she had come to his rescue.

Each time a woman had appeared and saved his life, felt like a stain on his soul as a man. As a hero.

He wanted to be the one to save them. To be a source of strength that they looked up to. Relied upon.

And completely fell in love with for his heroic deeds.

He couldn't do that if all he could think about was running away from every source of danger that threatened to overwhelm him.

He had to meet them all. Head on.

But he was so scared.

Scared of death. Scared of failure. Scared of never being able to achieve his goals.

Ais was right in front of him right now, witnessing the entire storm of emotions that he was going through right now.

He had to pull himself together, fast.

Otherwise, she might leave him too, because he was too weak to gain her interest.

He would not allow that to happen.

He'd become a hero that she and everyone would look up to.

The dagger in his left hand now felt like they had merged together from his hardened grip. His resolve was determined, and he took a step forward towards the eyes that seemed to bore straight into his soul.

"YAAAAAAAA!?"!

"That won't work."

His feet left the ground and then he was on his side. Reeling in pain, on a very hot rocky floor.

His ribs… hurt like hell.

"Ah…Ngh?!"

"You must never become reckless. That's something you should never do, especially in the dungeon."

He could tell that she tried to politely explain, but her words didn't reach him.

He'd been swiftly beaten down.

He had held out his dagger far too much out in front of him, and she had hit his undefended side with her empty sheath so quickly that he couldn't even see it.

All he saw was a blur…

It was painful.

Mentally and physically.

To know that such a difference was between them.

And even then, he knew that she had held back.

If this had been for real, she would have killed him without him being able to make a single move.

Let alone, form a single thought.

She was just that…fast.

"Can you stand?"

"…!"

The question came to him from above, and he peeled himself slowly off the floor and back onto his feet.

He couldn't breathe and his sides hurt too much. He wanted to cry out so bad, but no. He would not cry here, not now.

"You aren't used to feeling pain…"

"….."

"But you must not be afraid of it."

And they went through it again.

Bam!

"Can you stand?

Bam!

"Can you stand?"

Bam!

"Can you stand?"

Bell nodded slowly for what felt like the tenth time.

"Just try to follow my attacks for now. Learn to read your opponent."

The training continued like this until Ais decided to stop and gave him a lecture about how everyone depended too much on their blessing. She explained that ability and technique are different things.

Then she delivered a blow that hurt more than anything else before.

"Technique and strategy. You lack both."

"…!"

"These things will stay with you, even if you lose your status. Such things… are all I can teach you."

She looked away and for a moment Bell was scared. Terrified that she may have just given up on him, until she looked back at him. Even more intensely than before.

"You have difficulty defending, so we'll focus on that. The goal of this training is for you to read my attacks and defend. This way might be painful for you, but it will stay with you, I think. And I think… you will get closer to your goal."

She said this all at once, with a sharp look that shook him to his core.

Her golden eyes shone with sincerity as they poured themselves into his.

A moment of silence passed between them, only broken by the occasional whistle of the wind that was frequent on top of the cities' walls.

"Ready?"

"Yes."

He only had twelve days left with her.

And he would make every second count.

Their training between sheath and knife, level five and level one, would continue until the sun finally poked its head out and woke up the residents of Orario.

.

Afterwards, Bell met up with Lili outside the dungeon where she would ask him.

"Mr. Bell, why are you a mess before going into the dungeon?"

He would weakly laugh if off to try and reassure her that it was nothing. Then they descended into the dungeon as usual.

Once he was back home, in the basement beneath the abandoned church, he told Hestia about the adventure with Lili.

Then screamed out in terror as his goddess Hesta told him about the grimoire he read.

He quickly ran over to the Hostess of Fertility and apologised for committing such an expensive blunder, but Mama Mia and Syr just waved him off. They said it wasn't his fault, but that still didn't stave off all the guilt he felt.

.

The next morning he trained with Ais again, nothing had changed. He still got beat up after every strike, but he was learning.

Then he met up with Lili again, relieved to see her safe, and they went into the dungeon together.

Everything seemed like it was going all okay.

Until Lili abandoned him to a horde of monsters.

But he was saved by an unknown entity as he ran off after Lili.

Saved Lili and forgave her.

Escorted her out of the dungeon and called it a day.

It was now late afternoon, and he in front of a distraught half elf who was trembling all over. Eina.

When she saw him arrive at the guild, she was almost lost for words. Then she told him to go into a consultation box.

Once the door was locked, she gave him a hug. A quick one before she pulled back, her cute little pointy ears fluttered up and down as a very obvious pink glow washed over her face.

A few deep breaths later, she suddenly turned scary.

"Bell… tell me… how did you suffer a Mind Down in the middle of the dungeon?"

Oh no.

How did she know?

"….."

"Sit."

Bell wanted to say something.

"Sit."

But he suddenly feared for his life right now and so he sat.

Eina did too, before she took a deep breath and exhaled through her nose with a deep look into his eyes.

"Okay. Explain. How did you suffer a Mind Down in the middle of the dungeon? Did you get a spell? If you did, then how?"

So Bell proceeded to explain everything, except his training lessons with Ais.

He didn't want to die yet.

Eina's eyes popped out several times as he recounted various tales of him almost dying.

Read a grimoire that wasn't his.

Saved his supporter, even though she betrayed him.

Then came back to the guild and saw Eina.

"Y-you g-got a-a g-grimoire from where?"

Was all that she managed to ask about throughout the entire story.

He asked her about how she knew about his Mind Down and she told him about Ais when she sent her to go save him based on a hunch.

Bell realised that he might have to ask Ais to keep any more embarrassing moments between themselves from leaking out to Eina.

Because if she learnt of anything like this again, he was afraid that she might ban him from the dungeon or chew him out again.

"Bell, where's your vambrace?

"Oh… I lost it. I'm… sorry. I didn't mean to…"

"Hey, Bell… it's okay. You're safe now and that's what matters." Then Eina suddenly changed her demeanour. "But I feel like I must apologise…"

"What?"

"I'm the reason you suffered a Mind Down, if I had…"

"Stop."

"Huh?"

"You are not at fault here at all."

"But."

"No buts Eina-san. You could have never predicted this."

Eina couldn't look him in the eyes and bowed her head down in shame, fists clenched tightly on the table in front of them.

"But I…" Was all he heard, before his hands moved of their own accord and stopped Eina from speaking again.

"You are the best advisor I've ever had and could ever hope for. You go above and beyond the call of duty to help me, guide me and even bought a piece of armour to protect me! You are perfect and don't let anyone ever tell you different. Not even yourself. I won't allow it. Not for someone as beautiful as you. And I will never… stop needing someone to look after me… like you."

Eina was shocked. Her face was frozen, her mouth was stuck open and her mind was a mess.

And her heart felt like it was about to run away from her.

She then realised that she was doomed in front of this adventurer.

A young boy, who looked like a white rabbit, and had been under her care for a little over a month now.

Her eyes slowly and carefully looked down onto his hands wrapped around her fists as she took in the scene before her, scared stiff.

"Eina-san…" And she instantly looked back at him.

Bell suddenly felt like heart had instantly grown to the size of his chest now and a warm tingling sensation overwhelmed the rest of his body. While his hands refused to let go of Eina's fists.

He gulped.

Because Eina looked at him in a particular way and it was the first time he had ever seen this look, from anyone before.

But it was unmistakeable.

She wanted to hear what he had to say next.

Waited for him to make a move.

What move, he didn't know.

Until a memory of his grandpa flashed through his mind.

"If you want to kiss a girl, make sure that there's nothing between you. Literally. Make sure you can confidently walk up to her, hold her and wrap her up in your arms when you kiss her."

Then his grandfather faded away.

Did she want to be kissed?

Was she even interested in him?

Bell gulped again, because he definitely wanted to kiss her.

And his grandfather appeared in his mind again.

"Grandson, do you know how to tell if a girl wants to be kissed?"

"No grandpa. How?"

"Well, listen up and listen up good, because this will save you a lot of embarrassment one day."

And so… he listened.

"When a girl is in your arms, she likes you, and if she looks up at you while in your arms. Then it means she wants to kiss you."

He nodded.

"But a girl isn't always going to be in your arms, so this is what you do when you're not wrapped around each other."

This advice was what he needed now more than ever.

"First, get her to look into your eyes. Use your index finger if you have to. Use it to lift her chin or push her head to face you and lift her eyes to meet yours."

"Then look into one eye for a second, it doesn't matter which, and then into the other before looking at her lips."

"Rotate your eyes between them. It doesn't matter in which order, and don't do it too quickly."

"If she doesn't back away after a few seconds of you doing this, then slowly move your face towards her and keep looking between her lips and her eyes like earlier… until your noses almost touch… and then stop. Take a step forward if that helps you to get close enough to do this, we don't want you stumbling and falling into her after all. That's what's she's meant to do you."

"Now when you stop… look into her eyes for a second and if she still hasn't pulled away. Then you go in for the kiss and make sure you close your eyes when you do."

"And then?"

"Just remember to that you need to breathe too and always be the first one to pull back."

Then his grandfather laughed until his memory faded away.

He remembered every lesson his grandfather taught him, but he felt more embarrassed and afraid than anything else right now.

"I don't know what you are so afraid of… but at this rate, when you face it, you'll only be able to run away."

Ais's words from a few days ago still rung in his ears and they just appeared in front of him right now.

If he showed weakness or uncertainty then no woman would ever like him.

Women loved certainty and confidence in men his grandpa had taught him and if he wanted to kiss Eina now, then that's exactly what he had to show her.

But how?

Bell debated for a moment inside his head, before he released Eina's fists and backed away from the table, alarming her as her eyes popped out.

Then he stood up and walked around the table to her left and his right.

"Eina… can you stand up." It didn't sound like a question, but like an order meant to reassure her.

Eina looked like she was about to speak, but Bell just smiled, and she immediately looked down to the table beneath her.

He couldn't believe how she reacted.

A half elf like her who had been flirted with by almost every male adventurer she had ever met and turned down easily.

But what Bell had said earlier.

Every word slipped right through her defences and into her now loud and rapidly beating heart.

"You are the best advisor I've ever had and could ever hope for. You go above and beyond the call of duty to help me, guide me and even bought a piece of armour to protect me! You are perfect and don't let anyone ever tell you different. Not even yourself. I won't allow it. Not for someone as beautiful as you. And I will never… stop needing someone to look after me… like you."

'Someone as beautiful as her.'

Many men had told her that before, but those words never seemed to affect her until now.

Every adventurer she had met so far, had seemed reliable and capable.

Like they didn't need her help or were afraid of them.

But not Bell.

Bell attended every lesson she gave him, no matter how long or how hard they were.

He paid attention in those classes more than anyone else before him.

"And I will never… stop needing someone to look after me… like you."

Oh Bell, she thought.

He had truly won her over.

Realised her greatest desires with another man.

To be wanted and needed to help them grow.

But he almost died, several times in the past week, and disappeared just like every other adventurer under her care.

How could she be sure that the same wouldn't happen to him?

What if something like the grimoire were to happen again and Bell didn't return?

Maybe he'd return with arm missing and half his face gone, like Maris, her first adventurer.

Eina wasn't sure if she could go through that again.

See… another death like that, again.

Not if she got… romantically involved with Bell right now.

Not if… he broke her heart into a million pieces by just dying a few days later.

She had seen how that affected her fellow colleagues and how they all coped with that.

Eina never wanted to be like one of them.

.

Bell was getting a bit worried now, because Eina hadn't moved for a while.

Then he heard a cry… and a sniffle.

The sound froze him from head to toe. What should he do? He asked himself and another one of his grandfather's lessons echoed through his mind.

"Never leave a girl you like crying by herself. Unless you think she's gone crazy…"

Eina wasn't crazy right now; she was sad, and he had no idea why.

How to help her though?

Another sniffle and Eina's shoulders began to shake, and Bell moved.

He knelt beside and called her name.

"Eina-san…"

Her face spun to meet him instantly with an expression that showed him many things.

Fear. Loss and sadness mixed all into one.

But Bell didn't say anything, he just simply held out his arms towards her and waited.

Then Eina tackled him to the floor.

Arms wrapped around him in a death like grip as she let it all out.

Every single adventurer who had died under her care.

She had blamed them all on herself.

"Everything's okay."

"….."

"I'm here for you."

"….."

"And I'm not going to leave you."

That last phrase seemed to drive Eina even deeper into his chest as she held him even tighter, but Bell never complained.

In fact, he almost choked up with those words as he remembered how Lili embraced him earlier in the dungeon too.

She was terribly frightened, just like Eina was right now.

While he didn't know exactly what she was crying about right now; he would just hold her… until she was ready.

.

Eventually Eina calmed down and only a few snuffles could be heard from her.

Her arms where still tightly wrapped around him, and her grip was as strong as ever she sought comfort from Bell's warm body.

Ignoring the heavenly feel of a ridiculously well-endowed chest, heavenly scent and heat all over his body from being so close to her. Bell gently squeezed her.

"Hey Eina… are you okay now?"

"…." Another sniffle.

"Eina?"

"… Yes."

And Bell released a deep sigh of relief.

Another sniffle.

"…"

"…"

A few minutes later.

"E-Eina…"

"… Yes?"

"… What just happened?"

Then Eina remembered how she just tackled Bell to the floor.

She decided that they weren't going to talk about that, so she just buried herself even further into his chest.

"Forget about it."

"No…" She could hear his smirk.

"Please…?"

"Never..."

And Eina let out an adorable noise.

.

Another minute passed.

"Bell-kun... You are terrible… Was this your plan all along... To have me in your arms like this?"

Bell blushed and squirmed, as Eina giggled and wriggled in satisfaction.

"Eina-san!"

He tried to push her off him, but it was hopeless.

"Fufufu."

Bell had to find a way to escape before...

"Oh, what's this?"

"..."

"!"

Eina jumped a few feet away from him and patted herself down as she tried to smooth out the wrinkles in her uniform. While trying to hide her tomato red face.

Now Bell would have loved to have watched her flounder around like this, but he too had a crisis of his own to hide.

After he stood up, Bell tried to cover his crisis behind his hands.

Eventually they both managed to look at each other with a little more composure than before.

Eina was the first to try and speak.

"..."

"..."

After a few more moments of them opening and closing their mouths like fish do to one another, they both spoke at the same time.

"Y-you first."

"Y-you first."

But Bell opened a palm towards her to tell her to go first.

"We shouldn't have done that." She weakly protested.

Bell had no idea on how to respond to that and he had zero experience when it came to girls.

Luckily, his grandfather bequeathed some knowledge yet again.

"Women are all about feelings. Don't try to argue with them using logic. You'll always lose no matter how right you are."

Okay, but what should he do now?

"Instead, agree and amplify what they say in an outrageously silly way."

Trusting in his grandfather's word, Bell looked into Eina's eyes and said.

"You're right, we shouldn't have..."

Eina was surprised, but inside, she was a little sad that he agreed with her.

"...We should have done this weeks ago."

Then her eyebrows shot up through the roof, while her jaw dropped to the floor.

"Who are you? And what have you done with Bell-kun?"

"..."

"?"

Bell had no idea what to say, but his fear told him to say something. Anything. So he said the first thing that came to mind.

"Bell Cranel... And I'm right here."

Then a frosty glare pierced his chest, and it was at that moment that Bell knew... he fucked up.

Every muscle in his body screamed at him to escape by any means necessary, but Bell had decided a few days ago that he would stop running away.

He wanted to be strong, like a hero after all.

So he repeated a mantra in his head.

I mustn't run away. I mustn't run away. I mustn't run away. I mustn't run away.

.

While this happened inside Bell's head, Eina asked herself. Jokes aside.

Just what happened to Bell when she last saw him a few days ago? Not only had he grown more confident, but cheeky too.

He never used to be able to tease her like that. In fact, that was all her.

Now, it was as if she was looking at a completely different Bell.

He still looked very cute, like a bunny rabbit with his snowflake hair and ruby red eyes, but his aura was not the same.

His usual nervousness was replaced by confidence in his words and the way he carried himself too.

There was also a grim determination about him and for what, she wasn't sure.

So what changed?

Did it have something to do with the sword princess? Or maybe his supporter?

She couldn't figure it out.

And what was that about him not letting her blame herself?

Where did this protectiveness come from?

And when he said...

"I will never… stop needing someone to look after me… like you."

Her knees went weak as she recalled those words.

Did Bell actually like her?

Because she definitely liked him.

But she had to know.

"Bell, what happened to you over the last few days? Why does it feel like you're trying so hard to get yourself killed?"

He seemed scared when she asked him that question and he looked like he wanted to run away, but Eina wouldn't let him.

She quickly closed the distance between them and hugged him tightly.

"Even if you don't want to tell me, I still want to help you." She whispered against his chest.

.

Bell was shocked to hear that this woman cared so much about him.

She always went out of her way to help him, and she was doing that again right now.

He wanted to tell her what was happening.

But he and Ais had sworn not to tell a single soul outside of themselves.

Those morning training sessions would remain a secret for now.

And he would respect that until it was a secret no more.

But for now, he would reveal something far more important to Eina.

"Eina-san?" His heart thumped loudly against his chest as he looked into her eyes.

"Yes, Bell-kun?" Stole a glance at her lips.

And then switched back to her eyes.

She didn't try to look away or pull away. So he moved in for their first kiss.

His lips and belly were on fire when they connected, it was if someone had unleashed a beast within him.

It howled into the sky as if to say that this was his moment, his time and his chance to claim what is his.

Bell couldn't agree more as he tightened his grasp around Eina and pulled her in even deeper.

It was slow and desperate at first, but then grew more intimate as they lost themselves in each other.

.

A.N.

Okay, so bits of the training with Ais was pulled directly from the light novel and so was the entire structure of the fight. With one big exception.

I added and changed a lot of the mental game inside Bell's head.

I wanted my readers to really understand just how much fear and pain Bell felt. The thoughts that were constantly plaguing through his mind.

The author kinda skips out on that I think, which is understandable. His focus was on training Bell's skills. In this chapter, I was also showing how Bell's motivations and character were being evolved. Hardened by the physical and mental pain he was going through.

Chapter 5: 5068 words. (Including a few dots that act as transitions and dividers)