Chapter 10 - You Have My Respect

Ever since Bell formed a contract with Welf, things had gone smoothly.

Within two days, the blacksmith forged him a new knife for free. It was made from the drop item that the minotaur Bell fought had left behind.

Then seven days after that, he had gotten permission from Eina to go explore the middle levels, but not without salamander wool.

She gave him coupons to buy them and insisted that they never go there without them.

Bell agreed and promised to retreat at the first hint of danger.

The last words he heard from her, before venturing down to the middle levels were…

"Give it your best."

He had given that, then some more.

It took everything Bell and his party had just to escape a pass parade from another familia he didn't recognise. The monsters that were chasing them attacked Bell's party instead.

They were completely unprepared for it.

Not only that, but the middle floors were completely different from the upper floors.

Down there, the dungeon's motto was never let you breathe.

"Death by a thousand cuts."

He recalled Ryū telling him when they celebrated his level up at the Hostess of Fertility.

The only reason his party survived was due to Eina's insistence on them wearing the salamander's wool. Otherwise they would have died to the flame attacks of the hellhounds earlier.

But even then their troubles weren't over.

Instead of trying to find a way back up, Lili told them that their best chances of survival lay with going deeper into the dungeon.

Towards the eighteenth floor where no monsters spawned.

It was a safe zone with a town called Rivira, built by adventurers for adventurers. A place where they could rest and resupply, before heading into the deeper floors normally.

There was just one problem.

A floor boss known as the Monster Rex Goliath guarded the pass between the seventeenth and eighteenth levels. It possessed the ability to easily wipe out a party of level two adventurers.

Their party was nowhere near as strong. Plus they were all badly wounded and exhausted too.

Bell, Lili and Welf barely managed to run past the goliath measuring over seven meders tall by the skin of their teeth.

The last thing Bell remembered before he lost consciousness, was a blur with long golden hair as he said.

"Please, save my friends…!"

Then black.

.

"Lily, Welf?" Those were the first words Bell spoke when he woke up inside a tent.

His arms and legs felt heavy, like someone was sitting on them, but he had to make sure his friends were okay first.

Then a fresh wave of pain overwhelmed him.

It felt like he was about to pass out as he curled up into a ball.

"Are you okay?" A beautiful voice interrupted him.

Bell saw a female adventurer with long, golden hair sitting right next to him.

"A-Ais… Ais Wallenstein!"

Why is she here?! He screamed inside his mind.

"Why are you here?"

"Returning from our expedition… We stopped on the eighteenth floor."

Ahhh, that made sense.

She told him almost two weeks ago about this. They must have been coming back up when they decided to use this place as a resting point.

After a few more questions, Bell learnt that his friends were safe.

They had been healed by Riveria and the other healers from Loki familia.

"Thank you very much… for saying us, really…" But Ais shook her said.

"It's nothing." She said with a small smile, which made him almost forget to breathe. Ais was as beautiful as his Eina when she smiled like that.

Then Ais asked him if he was well enough to move.

He was.

So she took him to her commander.

Which scared Bell.

For what? He wasn't sure why.

.

"We meet again. Ais told me about your situation… but I didn't think you had already been carried into our camp."

The person speaking had blond hair, very similar to Ais's golden locks. His eyes were a deep blue, the same colour as a lake. Right now, he seemed to be trying his best to force a smile.

Bell recognised him as Finn, the one who led Loki familia and who had turned down his application to join them a few months ago.

He was flanked by two incredibly strong demi-humans behind him.

"Oh-ho, it's good to see you again Bell Cranel!" Said a dwarf built like a stone fortress.

"Indeed, it is good to see you safe." And a very refined elf.

They seemed to be appraising him with their gazes, judging him. It was making him nervous.

In front of Bell stood the prum Finn Deimne, Loki familia's highest-ranking adventurer and field general. The strong, wise dwarf elder known as Galess Landrock. Plus Orario's most powerful magic user, the elfess Riveria Ljos Alf.

The three of them were all top class and practically the face of Orario's adventurers. Bell had met them all before, but not in a small room like this with their stares all boring into him.

Now he knew why he was so scared. Bell didn't want to make a fool of himself in front of such living legends. They were all heroes in his eyes. The very thing he wanted to be!

"T-Thank you for everything you have done. I-I can't thank you enough…!"

"Don't be so tense, take it easy. We're all adventurers, aren't we? It's at times like these that we have to help each other out," Finn Deimne said as he stretched his shoulders. "And considering you're a friend of Ais, we can't exactly turn you away. She'd hold a grudge worse than you can imagine. If we didn't do everything in our power to help, none of us would be able to sleep at night."

There's a tinge of humour in his voice, but he wasn't done yet.

"And no amount of jyaga maru kun would be enough to calm her down." Bell laughed for the first time since he entered the dungeon a few days ago.

Even the elf and dwarf behind the prum seemed to struggle to hold in their laughter as Finn let out a chuckle of his own.

The only one who wasn't smiling was Ais, she only pouted.

All the tension in the room suddenly left. It helped Bell to relax immensely.

"I believe I understand exactly what happened, but could I hear it in your own words? I'll tell you about our situation, too. Think of it as an exchange of information."

And that's what they did.

"You know Bell, the more I hear about you, the more I regret turning you away on the first day we met. Who knew you'd turn out to be the way you are right now."

Bell wondered when he was going to bring that up.

"No sense in worrying about it now. What's done is done. All I can say is you've done well and you have the respect of everyone here from Loki familia. We'll be interested to see what you do next."

The boy gulped; they finally acknowledged him.

A while later, Bell left the tent with Ais.

He had been given a tent to stay in, with whatever food Loki familia could provide, even though they were very low on supplies. Bell, plus his party, would be their guests. As long as they didn't stir up trouble.

Bell thanked Finn once again, before he told him with a light smile, "You owe us one."

.

He and Ais continued to walk through the camp under the hostile glares of everyone else from Loki familia. It was all aimed at Bell.

Ais also seemed to be very curious about how he reached the eighteenth floor. Going so far as to try and shuffle behind him to take a look at his status, or so he felt.

Then they met Tiona and Tione, the amazon sisters.

Both were excited to see him again.

They congratulated him on beating the minotaur, achieving level two and making it to the eighteenth floor.

Tiona even seemed a bit interested in him, but Bell's mind instantly went to Tione as well.

The thought of tangling with both beautiful amazon sisters at once in bed made his mind melt. Luckily his willpower saved him, as well as his promise to Eina of only three women in total for his harem. That, plus all the sudden death glares from every man around him.

Afterwards, Bell went to check up on his friends.

Everyone was okay.

They all had dinner with Loki familia later.

Bell almost didn't survive that when the amazon sisters asked him how he got all of his basic abilities to 'SSS'. He had no answer to give them as they laid their hands on him. His body was about to give an answer of its own when they all heard…

"-GUnuAHH?!"

That was the sound of his goddess rolling down onto the eighteenth floor.

His innocence was saved.

.

After being reunited with his goddess, Bell was surprised to see who else followed her to the dungeon.

Ryū was the first to greet him and ask if he was okay. That touch of concern brought about warm feelings in Bell. She cared and it meant a lot to him.

When he asked why she was here, Ryū told him that a god had insisted. Hermes was his name. With a firm handshake and charming smile, Bell liked the god who had to come rescue him. Not much could be said of his follower though, Asfi, because she kept to herself.

Next were a group he recognised, they put him and his party in mortal danger with a monster pass a few days ago. Chigusa, Mikoto and Ouka from the Takemikazuchi familia. They all wore purple elbow length tunics with blood red sashes around their waist and had black hair. Except all Bell could see was them bowing with their knees and forehead pressed to the floor in apology.

The white-haired boy was angry, until he heard that it was a last resort to survive. He wouldn't have done the same, but no one died. So they were forgiven, but only by him. His party wasn't so forgiving.

Mikoto and the others were let off for now, but now they owed him, Welf and Lili a huge debt.

.

Morning came.

After Loki familia were kind enough to give them some food for breakfast, Ais led them to Rivira. A town built by adventurers, without any bothersome rules or regulations. The word 'town' was pretty deceptive as it was mostly shacks made from scraps of wood and large tents with signs on them.

But its most defining feature were its prices. Everything sold here was far more expensive than on the surface, but with Orario being eighteen floors away… the sellers knew that the buyers would cave in. Better to dig into their own pockets, rather than dig their own graves. Lili understood this, but even she was horrified by how much they charged.

Once everyone had done a little "shopping", Lord Hermes offered to buy them all a "Dungeon Sandwich" at a nearby café. The goddess and others were eating there now. Sandwiches with liberal amounts of fruit between two slices of bread… including the honey cloud. Bell had to escape.

Soon, he found himself standing in the town's central square with a breath-taking view of the eighteenth floor. Beyond the railing made from rusty old swords and broken spears, was a shimmering lake, reflecting the giant blue crystals up above which served as the sun for this floor, with a forestland as far as the eye could see.

It was a scenery worth travelling all eighteen floors for.

Then he heard footsteps and immediately turned around, only to see her… Ais walking towards him by herself.

His body froze as she stopped in front of him, but her eyes were looking past him and off into the distance.

"What were you looking at…?"

"Eh, um… nothing. I just wanted to escape from the dungeon sandwich." Bell admitted.

Ais smiled, "Would you have preferred some jyaga maru kun?"

He laughed and Ais joined in. It was a good joke.

Unexpectedly, which made it all the better.

Because Ais never joked.

"…Yes, red bean flavoured, right?" The girl nodded, licking her lips already.

But something bothered him.

"Ais, why did you come out here?"

"Because you weren't with everyone else… So, um."

…She was worried about him.

Those words sent his beating heart into overdrive.

Even just looking at her right now, without her armour, in a thin dress that clung to her body highlighting her curves made his cheeks warm up. She was standing right there, staring at him with those golden eyes. Just a few steps more and he'd be able to touch her, the thought made his blood hot.

Then Bell had an idea, but Ais beat him to it.

"…Did you want to be alone?" Eyes wide, Bell protested.

"No-no-no-no-no, I'm good. I mean, I want to…" He hesitated, Should he or shouldn't he… ask her out? Everyone else was still close by and he didn't want to be caught. That would be trouble.

Ais tilted her head, that it was enough for him.

"…to spend some more time with you."

The girl's face started to heat up. She's smiling and blushing at the same time.

"Me too..."

They then walked over to another part of the cliff overlooking the eighteenth floor, away from prying eyes.

Bell sits down first, before looking up to her who then sits right beside him. Almost shoulder to shoulder. The boy felt himself shaking inside to his very core, while hoping she wouldn't notice.

This was not like when he and Eina sat together before. In fact, they almost never sat like this, but Bell reasoned that it was the scenery and fear of being almost caught like this which made him shudder.

A piece of advice from his grandfather then boomed through his mind.

"Bell, always look for a reason to touch a woman you like. Test the boundaries, see how comfortable they are with you and use that knowledge to tell you what to do next. But be careful, start safe, move slowly and don't draw attention to it. Otherwise it'll look forced and unnatural. Which women hate both of, because they want magic, not a script."

The boy gulped; he was not prepared for this at all!

"Nothing ventured. Nothing gained." His grandfather spoke again.

Okay, let's do this. Bell told himself.

But what to do first?

As close as she was, wrapping an arm around her right now seemed too much of a stretch. So much could go wrong, then a brilliant idea struck him.

Nudge.

Ais turned to him with a confused look.

Nudge. Nudge.

Nudge. Nudge.

.

Just what is he doing? Ais thought, he was smiling while looking off into the distance with his hands between his legs that were crossed.

She looked at his shoulder and saw him try to nudge her again. Oh no you don't!

.

A bump met him and Bell knew that he had won.

"Remember. Women love to play games with men, whether they are aware of it or not, but what they love most is to have fun. So, always try to find a way to have fun with them. Little, silly games that seem like only children would play. The more silly and fun, the better. Like all the ones I do with you."

His grandfather was right, he was having fun and after a few more of their nudges… Bell collapsed and they both laughed.

She was much stronger than him, so she easily won.

But her laughter right now, was worth more than all the valis in the world.

It was a laugh that spoke of pure joy, unrestrained by her usual aloof nature and it suited her.

Bell swore that he would do whatever it took to hear that more often.

"…Sorry, did I hurt you?" Her laughter had almost disappeared by now, but her smile remained.

"No-no… you're fine. I mean, no. You really hit hard!" He exaggerated by rubbing his shoulder. Ais instantly looked concerned, then stood up to walk around him as Bell watched her. Confused.

Is she really going to-!

A lap pillow. Ais decided to give him a lap pillow, which made him shoot up instantly.

"Wait-wait-wait-wait!" This was moving way too fast for him or maybe he was just afraid of getting caught? Yeah, the latter option scared him more. He needed to do something safer with her and an idea came to mind.

Something he had wanted for a while now.

With her.

"Do you not like my lap pillows?" Ais looked a little hurt and confused.

"No-no-no! I like them, really like them… but… there's something else I want to try too." She tiled her head once again, this time even more, which spurred him even more.

Bell sat down beside her, shoulders and knees touching with almost no space in between them.

Nudge.

Ais gave him a horrified amused look, but before she could launch her own attack, he stopped her.

"Wait-wait-wait-wait!" Hands up in a show of surrender. "I want us to just sit side by side, like this…" Then demonstrated by gently rocking his shoulder into hers and pulled away with her following his movement.

Back and forth they swayed, gently. Until Bell found the courage to wrap an arm around her, which made Ais jump a little before she sighed and rested her head onto his shoulder. A few happy hums escaped her lips, while she purred like a cat and closed her eyes.

Not noticing that they had already stopped rocking.

Now, they looked like a couple. Bell thought.

But he was fine with this.

Ais looked at peace with him and that was all he could ask for now.

Until a stomach growled in hunger. His own, which woke Ais up.

"Hungry?" Her eyes looked up to him, like a puppy he remembered from back home.

Gulp.

She looked far too tempting at this point, but Bell reined himself in.

This was not the right time.

He had to get stronger first, much stronger, so that he and her familia wouldn't have any trouble letting him date Ais.

Because now he knew that she really liked him.

As his grandfather had one said,

"Bell, if a woman leans into you and rests her body onto you. Especially her head, even though she has no reason to. That means she likes you. She trusts you and can relax around you. That is a sure-fire sign of her liking you and it means you can kiss. If you want."

Ignoring the last part of his grandfather's advice, Bell answered her.

"Um… yeah… I'm really missing some jyaga maru kun, right about now." Ais giggles.

"I'll buy you one the next time we meet, is that okay?" Bell was shocked, he didn't expect her to be so forward like this, but then again. This girl constantly managed to surprise him, but his pride wouldn't let him.

"No, let me… I want to pay you back for all of those training sessions you gave me for free." He smiled, which made Ais look down, before uttering.

"I… didn't mind…" It was almost a whisper.

"Ais…" He brought her in even closer with his arm around her shoulders.

Then he heard the familiar footsteps of a rampaging goddess.

"Get up!" Ais sensed it too and quickly did as she was told.

Bell realised that if Hestia caught them like this, then she'd shout out about Eina, which could ruin his chances with Ais completely.

So they both ran off together and returned to the café.

Arriving separately of course.

But not without promising to meet again, on the surface.

.

The next day Bell thought he was going to die.

Hermes had tricked him into peeking on the girls bathing naked in a lake, then pushed him in. As Bell ran for his life, all he could picture was Ais' cheeks blushing red while she tried to cover her naked chest with her hands.

How was he going to apologise to her later?

Run first. Think later.

But that only seemed to make things worse when he finally ran out of breath.

Then walked into a bathing fairy in the middle of a small pond.

She didn't have a thread of clothing, only milky white skin - her slender back to him as she washed her body. She cupped her hands together, before carefully lifting the water above her head and let it run through her hair.

The scene looked like a page out of a fairy tale.

Unable to tear his eyes away, Bell noticed her slender, but muscular frame and long, pointed ears.

An elf!

"Who's there?!"

A light flashed before him and Bell froze. A knife had just buried itself into the tree next to his face.

He gulped. The elf was locked onto him with sky-blue eyes. Her left arm wrapped around her chest, hiding it from view. While her right hand, the one that threw the dagger, was still extended as she glared right at him.

"Cranel-san?"

It was Ryū.

"S-SORRYYYYYYYYYYY!"

Bell's thoughts went back to the facedown bow that Takemikazuchi's familia had performed in front last night. His body did exactly the same.

His ears burned red as he clamped his eyes shut and hoped that it would be enough to spare his life.

"Haa…" He heard her breathe out. That was not a comforting response. "Please turn your back."

He did just that.

After what felt like an eternity, Ryū told him to turn around.

She wore a long green cloak with a flower shaped hood. Underneath was a white sleeveless top with long brown gloves. Further down were green hip-hugging shorts and long brown boots that showed off her snow-white thighs.

Ryū was just too beautiful, he thought, but was afraid of telling her. Not after he saw the white sash across her waist holding a wooden longsword on one side and two short swords on the other.

Without waiting, Bell explained everything to her.

"I understand your situation, Cranel-san. Allow me to guide you back to Loki familia's campground after this."

"You believe me?" Bell regretted those words as soon as they came out of his mouth.

"Cranel-san, you're not as bad of a person as you think. Please, stop thinking so lowly of yourself."

She got him there, but then he remembered something.

"Ryū…"

"Yes, Cranel-san?"

"Didn't I tell you to call me Bell… back at the inn?"

Her eyes widened at the memory, then a tiny blush bloomed from her cheeks as she looked away.

She looks so beautiful like this, he thought.

"…this is a little late but thank you for coming all this way to rescue me. This floor is pretty far down…"

"No, please don't concern yourself. I was planning to come to this floor regardless. The distance is not a problem."

Ryū then walked away from him.

"I have something to take care of before leading you back to the campsite. Can you spare some of your time?"

"Er… sure."

As they walked, Bell asked her why she didn't join everyone at the campsite or the other girls bathing in another lake. Ryū's answer surprised him. She didn't want anyone to see her face and thought that Hermes had told him about her past.

Bell had no idea, which surprised her too.

As they walked, he felt like she had been here before.

His thoughts were confirmed when they approached a small open space surrounded by thinner trees and absolutely stunning crystal formations.

A series of wooden crosses, broken tree branches held together with string, were lined up in the clearing and bathed in the crustal light shining through the canopy above.

"…Mama Mia occasionally gives me time to bring them some flowers."

Ryū went to each grave marker and carefully set a flower in front of them.

She then reached under her cape and withdrew a bottle, before pouring a little win onto each of the graves.

"Ryū, this place…"

"Is all that remains of the women who fought by my side. My familia."

Oh, that was not good.

The elf in front of him continued.

Strangely she asked for permission to tell him about her past. She didn't want him to learn it from someone else.

Bell nodded.

"My name appears on the guild's blacklist."

From then on, things only got worse. Ryū had a bounty on her head and was removed from the adventurer's roster. Her family, Astrea, used to be led by the goddess of justice and order. A deity she idolised from the day they met.

Ryū's full name was Ryū Rion. Her title was "Gale Wind."

Whenever her familia weren't in the dungeons, they would eliminate those who would try to rob Orario of peace. That created many enemies.

Then five years ago, Ryu's and her allies fell into a trap from an "evil" that threatened the city. She was the only one to survive. Unable to retrieve their bodies, she collected whatever she could and buried them here.

"Why here?" Bell asked.

"Ah yes. These women were fond of this location."

She told him that they would always casually joke, saying if they died, they wanted to be buried here. Bell couldn't imagine what she was going through right now. Her eyes were downcast, while her lips were quivering.

It took everything Bell had to not hug her then.

Ryū continued about how she begged her goddess to escape, because she didn't want her to see what would happen next. To see how passionate and violent she would become. A bloodbath then ensued as Ryū slaughtered everyone who seemed to play a part in her friend's deaths. Even the slightest suspicion was enough.

Soon enough, adventurers, merchants, smiths and townspeople hated her. The last group were the ones who issued the bounty on her head. Once her vengeance was satiated, she collapsed in a back alley.

"Covered in blood and dirt on the side of the road… it was a fitting end for someone who had committed atrocities such as I."

Bell was a bit scared now.

"However…" Ryū told him of how Syr saved her and Bell felt very grateful towards the grey-haired girl. Plus Mama Mia, who learnt of her story and employed her as a waitress as the Hostess of Fertility. Bell decided to spend a lot of money the next time he was there.

To help keep Ryū's identity a secret, she dyed her hair green and stopped using her last name. Wearing a hood that covered her face most of the time also helped when she was an adventurer. No one really knew what she looked like. So after a few years, she stopped dying her hair.

"…I apologise for soiling your ears."

"What?"

"In short, the elf you see before you is a shameless, violent criminal… I have betrayed your trust, Cranel-san."

At first, he was shocked… then looked to her right hand, before taking a step forward and collected it with his left hand.

His eyes now locked onto a frozen elf with wide eyes.

"Ryū. You remember my name, don't you?" Bell wanted to be angry, but the only thing he felt was sorrow. This elf didn't need someone to be angry at her. She had enough already. What she needed… was a little love. That is what his heart told him and his eyes, which were looking into hers right now.

"Bell…" She whispered. The temptation to kiss her when she was so close to him, was almost too much, but even he knew that this was not the right moment.

"Good… because only my friends call me that." Her eyes began to water. "And Ryū, you have done nothing… absolutely nothing to betray my trust." Bell noticed that he was getting too close to her, so he moved his head back a little. Otherwise, he might never get out of this without kissing her.

"You… are a beautiful woman, one of the most beautiful I've ever seen and you've done nothing but save me. Time and time again. Yes, you've taken lives, but you saved mine too. Ryū, you're not an angel, you're a fairy. A beautiful fairy." He chuckled, causing a few red blushes to fly across her face.

"But that's what I like about you. You're kind and you keep the streets safe." He also wanted to say, 'Whatever you did, it worked.' But a voice told him not to.

"Cranel-"

"Bell!"

"B-Bell-san."

"Bell."

"Bell…" Her eyes looked down for just a moment.

.

Ryū was an absolute mess right now in front of Bell. Her entire body was shaking inside and she was convinced that he knew this too, when he took right hand.

"…Why do you believe in me so much?" She asked, while staring straight into his eyes.

Why did this boy who should have been horrified by her past, call her beautiful? She was not… could not… believe in such… fairy tales. She didn't deserve it. Not after her revenge. Not after what she had done.

She saw Bell look away, clearly thinking through his answer. Whatever he said, she would accept it. She would accept his judgement, on her.

.

Bell sighed inside; he was really struggling with an answer.

So begged his grandfather for advice.

"Bell, when a woman asks you anything about themselves. What do you think they want to hear?"

He had no idea at the time.

"They want to hear what you like about them. That's it. Not a love confession, save that for later. Focus on what you like about her and keep it short and unique. Otherwise, it'll really sound like a love confession." His grandfather laughed as Bell thought of what to say next.

He had it.

With a confident look in his eyes, he said.

"Because you're a kind and beautiful woman, who's honest and helps others, before they help themselves. You're like a hero to my eyes… You've earned my trust and my respect."

.

Ryū felt her jaw drop, then close as she gulped and stared at him wide eyed.

How could he say such a thing?

This was not what she expected at all. What was going on?

Her heart was having palpitations and she was flustered by her unruly emotions. It blurred her ability to think clearly, so she blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"Bell… you shouldn't be doing this w-with me… Syr is the one you should be praising like this." She couldn't look at his face.

Then Bell let go of her hand, which both relieved and disappointed her.

Wait, disappointed? She shouldn't be thinking like that, not when she knew Syr liked him too!

"Ryū, I like Syr, but not in a romantic way."

That surprised the elf, whenever Syr wanted something she got it. There was not a soul in this city that couldn't resist her charm. Or Ryū thought.

So why not Bell? She had to know.

"W-Why?"

"Because I like someone else."

Ryū wasn't sure if she wanted to hear who that was, but a tiny voice pushed her over the edge.

"Who."

Bell just chuckled at her.

What was so funny?

"You." His smile was so relaxed and her entire body just lit on fire or at least that's how it felt.

She found it impossible to look at his face now.

It was all too much for her.

"B-Bell! I'll see you later!"

Then she ran off leaving a white rabbit screaming out her name.

Ryū ran and ran, pressing both hands to her chest like an innocent girl, she could not hide the excitement rumbling deep in her heart.

Why was she burning inside and out?

Why was she out of breath?

Why was she running away?

"Oh, Alise, what in the world should I do…?!"

Her face beet red, she ran through the thick forest begging her beloved friend for advice.

Don't let him escape!

From beyond the blue shining crystals above, Ryū thought she heard the bright voice of a smiling, confident girl answer her.

.

"Ryū! Don't leave me! I'm lo…" It was hopeless. He was lost and his only guide had just run off without him.

He was doomed.

At least he wouldn't walk into another naked woman bathing.

Right?

That's what he hoped.

Bell didn't arrive back at the camp until a few hours later and he constantly searched for Ryū until he remembered her words earlier. She didn't want anyone to see and recognise her. There is a bounty on her head after all.

Just like him.

After returning from their bath, the women of Loki familia hunted him down and almost killed him. Until Asfi, Hermes' familia captain, saved him from everything except a harsh verbal warning.

.

The next day didn't fare so much better for Bell either.

He missed the opportunity to leave the eighteenth floor with Ais and her familia left, because someone had kidnapped his goddess.

When Bell found out that it was Mord, the leader of adventurers who stayed on this floor, he was furious. The man demanded a duel for his honour to teach him a lesson. Plus, if Bell lost, he'd lose his dignity and his possessions.

That was not going to happen on his watch.

It was a hard fight, especially when his enemy had turned invisible, but Bell eventually won.

Then a mountainous black goliath spawned on the eighteenth floor, a feat thought impossible.

Dozens of adventurers gathered, mostly misfits who only cared about profits, and they all fought together.

The battle looked hopeless, until a single sound tore through the battle.

GONG.

GONG.

GONG.

They had heard this before.

When a firebolt smashed through the top half of the giant's head, but it only regenerated that.

But this time, it felt different.

The sound of church bells, louder than before, rallied everyone nearby as all eyes focused on a single white shape glowing with power. Bell stood there, with a black sword far too large for him, as he looked up to an enemy who seemed as tall and powerful as the Tower of Babel itself.

Every adventurer knew what this meant.

A hero had finally arrived.

Battle cries sounded and the fight intensified as they fought desperately to buy time for him to save them all.

Three minutes later, the boy ran with a war cry louder than the goliath's own as a bright white light drowned out everyone's eyes and ears.

Then silence.

The battle had been won.

.

As everyone cheered and hugged the boy, Bell's eyes sought only soul.

A fairy with sky blue eyes.

He saw her and smiled.

Then collapsed from exhaustion.

.

After the battle, everyone was tired and so the trip back up to the surface was delayed by one day.

When they were all ready to return to the surface, Bell spotted Ryū.

He asked to speak with her privately.

She hesitated, but didn't run away much to his relief, then nodded.

They moved a fair distance away until the only things surrounding were trees and silence.

"Yes, Bell?" The fairy asked.

Bell chuckled.

"You remembered my name." He smiled and Ryū's cheeks tinged with pink.

Then she apologised.

"Bell, I'm sorry for leaving you in the forest like that… yesterday. I was… scared."

His grandfather's voice spoke up.

"Some girls are scared of being loved and will run away. Those are the ones who'll never make the first move. They are the ones you need to chase if you want to get anywhere with them. Seek them out and take it slow. Don't overwhelm them once you see them again. Little steps, little Bell."

"Was it something I did?" He decided to play dumb.

"N-no! It's just… I've never heard anyone speak to me that way before…" Her voice was almost a whisper.

"So it was something I did…"

"No!" She seemed terrified.

"Ryū…" He waited until her eyes met his, "… I meant every word I told you yesterday. You really are a beautiful woman, inside and out."

Her mouth dropped again, like yesterday, but this time she seemed even more troubled.

"Do you want to know why I came to Orario?"

Surprised was one answer, because he had no idea where she was coming from, but he nodded.

"…We elves are a race known for our good looks."

Ryū went on about how she and others have often been praised for their beauty, but that's where it stopped. Her race, the elves, were extremely proud and revolted by anything unclean. That's why they don't allow others to easily touch their skin. This thought extended to other races who they saw as being both dirty on the inside and out. So they refused to interact with them and stayed inside their forests. That's how most of the elves thought back home in the forest.

That's when Ryū realised that the, "beautiful, magnificent elves were actually the most revolting."

The thought was impossible to remove and she became so embarrassed of her motherland that she left… eventually arriving in Orario.

Not by accident, but because it was a city where she might find companions worthy of her respect… and they would feel the same, about her.

She came with high hopes, but things didn't go according to plan. Ryū thought herself different, but realised very quickly that she was still, "an elf, nose high in the air with pride."

Then she walked up to him, face-to-face, and gently grabbed his hand. Shaking it.

Her gloveless hand with fingers were so small and delicate, that Bell was afraid of bruising her. Yet, her skin was so very soft and supple. His thoughts went back to Eina and blushed.

Ryū told him that he was the third person to touch her skin without being punished, since she came to Orario. The first was Alice, a bright and cheerful girl who invited her to join her own familia. The second was Syr, who rescued her from the streets and gave her a reason to live.

"Please don't make such a confused face. I feel like you're making sport of me." She pouted.

"S-sorry."

"I am joking… I have been following your actions closely since we met. I've come to understand your weakness, your sincerity, and most of all your spirit."

The boy's head tilted.

"Bell, you are kind."

A completely new aura radiated from her eyes.

"Ryū…" He uttered, barely above a whisper.

The woman in question closed her eyes for a moment, hiding her blue orbs, before slowly opening them up again.

Now both hands wrapped around his.

"You are a human worthy of my respect."

Ryū… then smiled.

Every single barrier he had put up not to kiss her came crashing down.

It was now impossible not to hold back.

Her thin eyebrows relaxed as the edges of her feminine lips curled upwards.

Bell moved closer as he looked between her lips and eyes.

The hand she held, floated towards her cheek as he took a tiny step towards her and brushed her left cheek with the back of his fingers.

.

Ryū's eyes flew open in shock. No one had ever touched her porcelain face before, not after she left her homeland.

His touch was like fire, it burned through her skin and lit her heart ablaze, but she did not push him away.

She found herself peeking at his masculine lips, before she saw the look in his eyes.

Full of love and adoration. Not just for her exterior, but for her soul as well.

It was impossible to ignore as her breath quickened, until there was nothing in between them.

The distance vanished and so had her resistance.

Their minds melded as a hand gently pulled her in from around her slim waist. His soft lips massaging her own as he completely took over her senses.

This was not something she had dreamed of ever happening to her.

She hadn't believed herself worth loving.

A dirty, shameless and violent elf.

But this boy… no, this man made her feel clean. Warm. Safe and loved.

.

Then the image of a young human girl popped into her head.

.

"Ryū?" Bell was shocked, he had felt her emotions accepting him. Until she pushed away, sending him sprawling onto the floor.

"Bell…" She worriedly called, almost on the verge of running away again.

Had he pushed her too far?

"What's wrong?"

"I…" The elf struggled to say more, her ear's droopy as she looked away. It was obvious what this was about.

"Ryū, if this is about Syr…" Her reaction to the name confirmed it. He had to end this, "…Okay, look at me." She slowly did, her face a mixture of fear and guilt.

"Ryū… I know Syr means a lot to you, but I like you and I'll take full responsibility for it. I don't want you to lose one of your best friends, not over me. So I'll go speak with Syr and explain everything to her, gently. Okay?"

The stunned elf couldn't respond at first, leaving Bell hanging for a while, but then she nodded weakly.

"Okay, but first I have to tell you something."

.

A.N.

Brutal cliff hanger I know, but that's why there's also one more chapter this week! :P

Chapter name came from the amount of respect Bell earned from everyone in this chapter.

I debated for a moment whether to include the first scene describing how Bell got to the 18th floor, but then realised that it helped to set up the meeting with Finn.

Plus, time skips can be a bit jarring. I didn't plan to do it again right after the minotaur fight, so this would add some variety. Still experimenting though.

Also, I didn't bother describing the scenery of the eighteenth floor for the same reason as all the other floors. Too much detail. I'm sure nobody wants to read that.

But I have to say. This chapter was by far the hardest I've ever written. So I tried to condense it down as much as possible where relevant. Plus add in a few funny lines, or so I hope, of my own.

Most of this chapter just felt like a recap of the original story, which it basically was.

My focus was shifted to mostly Ryu, because I didn't know how the scene with Ais would be different here. Plus, I didn't want to disrupt the flow too much.

But after posting this, I realised that in a few chapters, Ais would dance with Bell. So I HAD to return to this and see how I could write a nice fluffy scene between them both, because they both have one of the eighteenth floor, before Hestia cockblocks them.

I was really satisfied with it and I hope you are too.

Plus, I hope it makes up for way too much of this chapter being a rehash of the canon.

The only real changes were the conversation between Bell and Finn. A few lines at best.

Bell's conversation with Ryu changed a bit.

Plus how his eyes sought her out after the fight and kiss.

Plus, the hardest challenge wouldn't even appear in this chapter!

Syr, that damn girl!

This chapter would determine exactly how off canon I would go etc. I do it wrong and Syr will charm all of Orario or try to charm Bell too early.

So I decided to write a scene that wouldn't happen for a while yet.

Namely, the conversation Bell has with Syr about his harem with Ryu and Eina. I think you guys will like it and I think it fits with Syr's canon personality. I'll explain more once you guys read it, because it ain't happening for another 6 chapters or so. So at least another week from now. (29th October)

Another thing, I decided to write the goliath battle without looking at the official light novel too much. While listening to the soundtrack that plays during then, I hope you guys like it!

I'm still very uncomfortable writing fight scenes and have no plans to do so again in the future where possible. Only summaries where needed.

Now one final thing.

One thing that I haven't mentioned before with nothing held back, but this Bell is different to the original in a few ways.

Extensively trained in all the ways to build the best harem possible. (Sex lessons are not involved. Maybe a few vague hints here and there, but nothing explicit.)

He is a "little" more confident, which increases noticeably the more girls he gets into a relationship with and the more love they show him. (If you've ever seen how much a person changes in confidence when in a relationship, you'll understand this. But I'm trying to make it all progress and feel as natural as possible.)

And finally, this Bell has a bit of me in it. Based on the women he chooses, how he goes after them and when. I do try to remember that he's 14, super naïve and still very new to everything.

But yeah, that's more or less the true difference between the canon Bell (puns!) and my Bell. The last part of him being the most ambiguous.

Also, kudos to anyone who notices just how specific and detailed Bell's compliments seem to be towards Eina and Ryū so far. I put a lot of effort into making them hit home every time, while being believable for a kid who knows almost nothing about them.

Phew.

This was the longest author's notes ever, but I hope this explains things a bit as this is the first time when Bell really becomes his own character. The most OOC moment from the original so far.

Plus, this chapter turned out almost as long as chapter 8! Completely unexpected, but I doubt you guys will complain! :P

Chapter 10: 6942 words. (Including a few dots that act as transitions and dividers)