A/N
Thank god it's over, I'm so freakin tired right now, but I wanted to get this done, so here you go, enjoy.
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I'm trying a new section break method in this chapter, which will hopefully feel a bit more substantial than the last, I hope it's better.
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This chapter takes place throughout the Lili arc of Danmachi, however it is not the main focus of it, as it's not really different at all. As such, I will not waste my time writing it out for a bunch of people who already know the story.
I'm doing a one time flashback/memory centered chapter overtop Lili's arc.
It will be filled with various events from Bell, Ryuu, and Eina.
There's also an 'Extra' event at the bottom that involves Riveria.
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Due to how this chapter jumps around in time. I have listed a 'Table of Contents' at the bottom, which has all the sections listed in order of occurrence.
The sections are marked with a number at the beginning of each one.
EXAMPLE : #3. Current.
I hope this prevents as much confusion as possible.
Each listing had a corresponding number that can be found at the top of each section in Italic.
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Edits :
I changed the new line break from a series of •••, to :::, after a review said it seemed to abrupt.
Any section in Italic is a current event , rather than a flashback. This is because there's way more flashback than current events, and I didn't want 2/3rds of the chapter to be in Italic.
Also, Anya should talk more like in the original content now.
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5,704 words in total.
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#1. Current.
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Bell had just finished at the exchange counter, speaking his 'thank you' to Rose behind the divider, as Eina walked out of a back room, coming into view of Bell.
She waved him down, coming up to the counter. "Bell!" He noticed.
Bell was getting back onto a steady beat once again, today being his third day after Naaza cleared him for the dungeon. Though, she was a bit reluctant.
"How'd it go?" Eina asked.
"Oh, just the usual, nothing big, and I only went down to the Fifth Floor. I think I'll try out the Sixth tomorrow, but that depends on how it all feels." Bell referred to his side, where about a week ago the stitches had been removed.
Eina nodded. "Good, I want you to brief me on everything that happens, alright?"
Bell nodded. "I will."
Eina noticed the bag on his back. "Bell, did you fill your bag again today?"
He smiled. "Yes, though it took a while like usual."
Eina thought for a moment. "Perhaps it would be worth it to look into getting a supporter?"
"Supporter? I haven't really thought about it before." Bell thought about it.
"Well, with a supporter, you would be able to make much more than now, I'm sure of it." Eina was confident, wanting to cheer him on, but also push him to start going down with more people, even if it is just a supporter.
Bell nodded. "Okay, If you think I need it, then you're probably right."
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#2. Six days ago. The night of the Monsterphilia incident.
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Bell sat with a worried Hestia, she had been expecting Bell to be glowing at the news, but he just seemed more concerned than anything.
"I was born in the year 7405 AH (Age of Heroes), in the Great Northern Forest, after 'The Culling' I was raised in the Ryumilua Forest by my caregiver, Anny. After that, my life gets a little more... diverse, if you will." Hestia nodded to Bell.
He breathed in, exhaling heavily.
"A long, long, LONG time ago, I had a friend, his name was Al, short for Albert."
Hestia sat quietly.
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Flash to the past. Pt.1
Bell, 1,265 years old, human 14 equivalent.
Fall - 8670 AH
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Bell struggled to sleep as he suffered the wrath of his companions snoring.
Not for the first time, the thought of suffocating Al crossed Bell's mind.
Bell turned towards Al. Being on the opposite side of the campfire from him, Bell elected to throw a small metal cup nearby. Said cup flew clear through the flames, hitting its mark, Al's forehead. The cup made a loud echoing and metallic 'Woowww-' sound as it hit true.
Al awoke, disorientated. "Wh-What?! Are we under attack?!"
"No. You're snoring… Again..." Bell was blunt, he needed his sleep after all.
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Later on in life, Bell would regret acting so rude as often as he did, though, it wasn't his fault. At this time, humanity didn't have a solid grasp on water purification, so the safest fluid to consume was alcohol, mainly beer. Not the luxury it is now, alcohol then was made to be the staple drink of the era, and as un-alcoholic as possible.
Unfortunately for Bell, he was an Elf, so he had a low resistance to alcohol. He was buzzed most of the time, often not acting like his normal compassionate self we see in modern Orario.
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Al had changed alot since Bell found him barely surviving in the woods, having been kicked out of knights training for lack of reliability two years ago. In that time, Bell had taught him everything he could: how to hunt, how to cook, how to fight monsters, ect. The one thing he couldn't teach him NOT to do, was snore.
Al was as usual, slightly embarrassed, but wasn't having Bell's methods. "Doesn't mean you need to do that though!"
"Do what?" Bell questioned from his sleeping bag.
"The thingy, you threw it." Al was peeved, getting up to his knees.
"Nice. A 'thingy' huh." Bell deflected.
Al was about to retort, when he heard something in the woods around them. "What was that?"
"Uhuh, sure." Bell thought Al was trying to get out of his verbal harassment. Until he heard it. Bell sat up, scanning the dark tree line with his slightly better vision.
"You hear that too?" Al asked, Bell nodded.
They waited and listened, until a faint scream was heard in the distance.
Instantly, they both got up, grabbing their weapons. Al a short sword, Bell his knife.
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They made good time, Al following Bell as he could navigate easier.
The duo came through a set of brush, locating the now recurring scream. They found a gold haired maiden, who was being attacked by a trio of goblins.
She had been running for some time, and was keeping her pursuers at a safe enough distance, until inevitably tripping from not wearing proper footwear.
Al rushed past Bell as she fell, cutting the first through the midsection. Bell threw his knife, killing the second goblin as it aimed for Al, who was recovering from his large swing. Al stepped forward, using his longer arms and weapon to decapitate the last one easily.
Al recovered his breath before turning partially to the scared girl, speaking to her. "Are you alright?"
Tears broke through as they slid down her cheeks, rushing to Al, the symbol of safety to her in that moment.
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They made their way back to camp after recovering the magic stones, and then destroying them.
Magic stones would only bring calamity, monsters swarmed to them, seeking the power they could grant. They weren't worth keeping to sell either, as it was incredibly hard to find an alchemist who could actually use them.
They sat back down, the Golden mystery not having let go of Al's arm the entire way.
All was silent except for the crackling campfire.
"So." Bell tried to break the tension. "What's your name?"
She was muffled from being so close to Al. "A-Aria."
"Aria? Like the wind spirit?" Al asked.
She was embarrassed, but only nodded.
Al looked amazed. "That's so cool! Is there any special reason your parents named you after a spirit?"
Aria allowed herself some space between them, enough for both her and Bell to stare in astonishment.
Bell broke from his stupor. "Al, go back, and think through this whole situation again."
Al looked perplexed, until coming to another, more obvious conclusion.
"Oh-OOOH! It's because of your golden hair! Like Aria's golden winds, right?"
Bell fell over from shock.
Aria just sat there and giggled.
Bell got himself back up off the ground, preparing to explain who she was to the nitwit.
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#3. Current.
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"Hello! Pardon, but are you looking for a supporter by any chance?"
Bell looked around himself, eventually spying the large backpack sitting atop a disproportionate young girl.
"Sir? Did you hear me?" The short girl called again.
"Ah, eh- Yes. May I have your name?" Bell asked.
She grinned. "Yes, Lili is named Lili. Are you in need of a supporter by any chance?"
Bell eyed the girl while in thought. "Why, yes, I was actually just thinking I should find one. So you are available then?"
Lili nodded quite fast. "Yes, Lili is available."
Bell nodded back. "Okay, let's take a seat and discuss this a bit."
Bell was a bit on edge. 'I swear, this has to be her, the prum who ran away last night.'
They sat at the fountain, speaking for several minutes.
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#4. Flash to the past. Pt.2
Spring - 8694 AH
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Bell thought back on all the events of the last 24 years.
A lot had happened. Albert finally straightened out after meeting Aria, unarguably the best thing to ever happen to him. Mostly because he was no longer Bell's problem.
Some time into their relationship, Aria bestowed her 'enchantment' upon him, giving him unparalleled strength and skill, on top of his already above average combat abilities, perfected since meeting her.
The 'enchantment' was an interesting concept to Bell. In the first days of the 'Age of Heroes', the gods had only just regained control of Tenkai, so to help them progress from the 'Age of Stagnation' the Spirits were created to give those deemed worthy the ability to advance the world. They were very often deemed 'Heroes' by the more common folk.
It was about five years after they found Aria, and she joined their little found family, did the subject of Bell's aging, or lack thereof, come up. After all, Albert had grown from his teens to early adulthood, while Bell remained the same.
Bell was admittedly scared, he'd spent five years with them, seven with Al. So he was fearful that they may be upset with him. He was overly relieved though, when they accepted him with open arms.
Some years later, Bell would be shocked again.
One day, they came upon a village for a quest, and out of nowhere, the pair bought a house. It wasn't but a few hours later that Bell heard of Alberts proposing to Aria, to which she accepted.
He smiled the whole day of the wedding, overjoyed to see his best friends happy together.
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He recounted the first time he'd seen her, she was in a little bundle of cloth, fresh from the delivery room.
AIs, soon after deemed 'Little Ai' by him, was, if he recalled correctly, an ugly baby.
But, being the good friend he was, smiled and spoke his congratulations to the swooning new parents. Much to Bell's relief, she outgrew her absurd appearance, taking on one much like Aria's.
Not that he would've loved her any less.
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Bell walked along a familiar green hill, carrying 'Little Ai' on his shoulders. She was dozing, tired from a long afternoon of playing with her favorite uncle. Who was also trying his best to waste time before going back to Al and Aria's home in town.
Her parents had begun making jokes that the now seven year old on his shoulders was looking more like his little sister than niece anymore.
Bell was getting a bit peeved at the jokes. But regardless, loved it whenever Ais would call him 'Big Brother', he never failed to glow with happiness.
Bell now moseyed down the road, entering the town proper after their day of fun.
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It wasn't long before they reached the Waldstein home, a nice quaint house built in a small clearing on the outer area of town.
Bell had slept in their spare room many times when they first settled here, but has since purchased his own humble abode a few streets over.
Aria was waiting inside to welcome the two. As soon as she was off Bell's shoulders, she was in her mothers waiting arms. Bell was about to speak his own greeting, when Albert called for him.
"Hey, Bell, can we talk real quick?"
Bell looked to Albert, seeing a seriousness in him. He looked back to Ais and smiled at her before walking over to Al down the hall.
Bell followed Al as he guided them to the back room of the house, stopping only once Aria and Ais were out of earshot.
Al spoke. "I think I found something you may be interested in."
Bell was confused. "What do you mean?"
Al began resting against the wall behind him as he spoke. "I heard some rumors today, or, more so just talk, of a cave that was discovered up north, with a bunch of Elven artifacts inside." Bell's breath hitched, but came back to him.
Al continued. "If you want, I can see what else is floating around, maybe I can even get something more specific than just up north."
Bell thought about the information for a moment. "Yes, if you can, I'd appreciate it."
Albert nodded to him. "Will do, but first." He stood up off the wall. "You get to help us make Ais eat her vegetables." He grinded.
Bell feigned shock. "What?! But I'm the fun uncle, that's your job!"
Al chuckled in amusement. "I'll return the favor when you have a munchkin of your own, deal?" Albert extended his hand sarcastically.
Bell eyed the hand, then shook it with a sarcastic huff. Both soon grinned, laughed before walking back down the hallway.
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Two weeks passed fast, and Bell would be on his way to the northern cave, only after saying goodbye with a kiss on the forehead to his 'Little Ai', though he almost exclusively called her by just Ai now.
It was a rough journey, and an even worse investigation inside the cramped, dank cave. But Bell would soon forget about that, plagued by what he found upon his return.
Leaving them would be the biggest regret of his life.
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Several months later, after leaving and searching the cave thoroughly. Bell finally returned to the town where his family resided.
Only to find it scorched and burned.
He would look for weeks in the rubble never finding any of them. Soon he gained a false hope of them escaping, Bell clung to it, casting away the thought of the alternative.
Bell would finally learn what happened after arriving in the next town over.
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The Black Dragon had attacked, now the One Eyed Black Dragon, leaving nothing in its wake.
Bell would also be informed of Alberts cremation after the battle, taking the ashes to spread over the hill he'd seen Albert, Aria and Little Ai picnic on only months prior.
Though he never talked of that evening, he wasn't ashamed of himself for weeping through the night.
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Bell searched for the better part of a hundred years to find Aria and Ais.
He never succeeded.
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#5. Current.
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Ryuu and Syr walked down a back road, cutting several minutes off their normal walk back to the Hostess.
Ryuu was trying her best to maintain her calm and collected demeanor, as Syr poked and prodded about her 'date' as Syr called it.
That was until she noticed a small glint from the hand of a passing prum.
Ryuu stopped a pace past her. "Stop. Where did you get that knife?"
Lili began to sweat. "I don't know what you're talking about, this belongs to me…"
Ryuu turned to the frozen girl, looking her over a moment. "I only know of one knife like that."
A high pitched ring was heard as a coin impacted the knife, startling the prum.
Having lost her grip on the knife, and being scared, she ran.
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Lili came to the end of the alley, which led out into one of the overall main roads of Orario. She ran for dear life, assuming she was being followed, only concerned with getting away.
Until a black and white figure came from around the corner, as if by accident.
Lili impacted him, bringing them both to the ground, as Ryuu came to a halt in the mouth of the alley.
Bell recovered, identifying who he'd accidentally ran in front of. "Lili?" She looked up in shock, seeing him, but saying nothing.
Ryuu spoke up, having Bell only just notice her. "Bell? Do you know this prum?"
He responded. "Ah- Yes, she was my supporter today." Bell stood, lifting Lili to her feet, before remembering his reason for hurrying.
"Ah! Have either of you seen my knife, it's black and -" Bell motioned with his hands. "-Yayish long." He would have continued, but Ryuu just so happened to raise said knife up in front of him.
Bell looked on in shock. "...My knife…"
Bell stepped forward, taking both the knife and Ryuu's hand into his, holding them with a relieved and teary eyed smile. "Thank you Ryuu, this means so much to me, thank you!"
A faint dusting of pink crossed Ryuu's face, unnoticed by Bell. "T-Touching!"
Lili stepped away, turning to leave.
Bell noticed. "Ah, Lili?" She stopped. "I'll see you tomorrow right? Before going into the dungeon."
She turned, a look of surprise in her, before nodding quickly. Bell waived, just before she scampered away.
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Ryuu recovered, then spoke. "Bell, you know that prum-"
"Lili." He cut her off, still looking in the direction she had run in.
"Lili-" She corrected. "Most likely stole your knife, I did find her carrying it, just a moment ago."
Bell turned to her. "I know. But, I can't help but shake the feeling." Bell turned to her. "That there's a reason…"
They stood unmoving, staring at each other.
Before Syr spoke up from behind Ryuu.
"Oh! Bell!" She began, as though suddenly remembered something important.
"How was your date with Ryuu the other day!"
Ryuu regained her fading blush, this time, with Bell following close behind.
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#6. 5 days ago.
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Ryuu waited patiently for him outside the Hostess. She had taken the day off in advance, ever since Syr had told her about Bell at Monsterphilia.
Bell didn't know this yet, but Ryuu would be treating him to several foods she was sure he hadn't eaten before, or so she hoped. She would know soon enough though, as he was set to show up soon, if he remained consistent with days prior.
She hadn't waited long, before Bell arrived.
"Good morning Ryu-" Bell stopped, noticing her clothes.
Ryuu wasn't wearing her traditional Hostess uniform, but instead a light, short sleeved green shirt, paired with a dark green skirt extending from her stomach to upper calves. She also wore what was likely her normal back tights with greyish brown shoes.
Bell was taken aback for a second, not understanding the sight in front of him.
"Bell." Ryuu spoke in her normal tone, though with a slight shakiness. "Good morning."
Bell was cautious, though he didn't understand why. "Uh, sorry if this seems rude, but, may I ask why you're dressed like this." He now stood a casual distance away.
"I requested the day off." She responded, though only relieving a small part of Bell's confusion.
"Okay, what are you planning to do?" Bell asked innocently.
"I plan to go eat at some restaurants which have piqued my interest lately." Ryuu could see Bell's own interest appearing.
"Where would these places be, if you don't mind me asking?" Bell was trying to contain himself.
Ryuu smiles inwardly. "Perhaps… You would like to join me today?" She could visibly see the excitement rise in him.
'He likes new foods more than I thought.' Ryuu thought to herself.
Ryuu awaited Bell's answer, before a muffled crash came from inside the pub.
Bell looked around Ryuu, wanting to investigate the noise. But before he could, Ryuu grabbed him by the arm, now with a slight blush from the contact, and quickly began dragging him down the street.
She needed to get them out of there now. The sound was likely caused by Syr, who was being held off by Anya, a Level Four, somehow with great difficulty on Anya's part. There was no way to explain it, but upon seeing Ryuu come down the stairs dressed like that on a day off, Syr went into a frenzy to learn why.
And so, Ryuu hightailed it away, silently vowing to buy Anya a fish dinner for her sacrifice.
.
Ryuu eventually stopped, apologizing to Bell for dragging him along as she did. Luckily, he took it in stride, accepting her apology, and her invitation to eat, though a bit confused since she was carrying a picnic basket.
"Ryuu, if I may. Why do you have a picnic basket?"
Ryuu looked at the basket on her arm. "I anticipated eating out from both restaurants, so I took this to carry it all to where I'd eat. It also has a salad, just in case." Bell was amazed by Ryuu, not having ever thought of doing such a thing.
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They didn't stay at either restaurant for long, only about as long as it took to order.
The first was a small building, located in a long stretch of attached businesses. Their product was something Bell was most certainly not familiar with, raw fish, called sushi.
Bell was a little uncertain about that, but he went along with it, seeing as Ryuu couldn't help but stare as they made the rolls behind the counter.
The awkward part was when they both tried to pay, resulting in another war of courtesy. Eventually resulting in Bell paying here, and Ryuu at the next place.
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They found themselves in an equally small building, which only had the front sitting area beneath an overhang, should they have wanted to dine in.
Bell watched them produce the small fried pockets called Pierogi with great interest, almost mimicking Ryuu at the last food place.
Eventually though, the food was finished, and Ryuu happily paid, glaring at Bell as he instinctively reached for his money.
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They found themselves on top of a small grassy hill, not unlike the one from Monsterphilia.
Bell laid out the blanket Ryuu brought as she began setting out the food. What they were left with was a feast of Fish, filled and fried dough, and a large chicken salad from Ryuu.
Bell sat beside Ryuu, taking in the sight of not only the food, but her as well. It wasn't every day that he got to see Ryuu outside of the Hostess.
He couldn't help but think of how he'll miss working with her once he was healed.
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Bell dug in, followed slowly by Ryuu.
Bell witnessed a similar phenomenon to that of a few days ago during the festival, that being how Ryuu stared at him with beaming eyes while he ate. He wanted to ask her about it, but was too enamored by how surprisingly good the fish had turned out to be, though it wasn't something he would be eating again without reason. Raw food like this just didn't sit right in his conscience.
It was wonderful, he had to admit, to be sitting there with Ryuu, eating such delicious food in the warm noon sun.
They took it all in together, eventually ending their meals with the salad Ryuu had prepared herself, a small win for the girl who was a clutze in the kitchen.
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They made their way, slowly, back towards the hostess, Bell carrying the basket he'd refused to let Ryuu carry.
It was only on the way back, did Bell finally notice that Ryuu smelled of lavender.
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#7. Current.
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Eina was worried.
She stood in the guild, distracted to the point of total disconnection from her work, she simply stood motionless with an expression of worry plastered across her.
Stuck waiting for the return of the Sword Princess, of whom she had just tasked a few minutes ago with finding Bell.
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Going back, they had been standing together discussing Riveria, more specifically, her seemingly increased frustration over the last couple days.
The cause, she discovered, was Bell Cranel.
Ais was getting worried, ever since the night of their return at the Hostess of Fertility, Riveria had seemed to be growing more and more quiet.
She knew Riveria was going to see Eina at least once a day now, always coming back worse for wear. When Ais asked why, she simply shook her head, trying not to show the slightly hurt expression in her eyes.
Ais was getting fed up, overly worried about her adoptive mother, taking it upon herself to find out why.
Though you would never guess from her lack of expression, she was quite surprised to find that Riveria had been attempting to meet Bell at the guild around the times Eina mentioned he arrived in the evenings.
Riveria just couldn't seem to line up her visits with his.
Ais did find this development to be quite amusing, though you couldn't tell.
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It was shortly after getting this information from Eina, that a group of 'adventurers' walked by, talking a bit too loudly for the subject they discussed.
They spoke of a white-haired adventurer who was supposed to be scammed by someone named Arde, a name Eina knew.
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All she could do was wait, hoping for Bell's safe return.
In doing so, her mind wandered to the various times she'd been around him. She couldn't help but think of how his presence always seemed to improve her mood.
Then, suddenly, she grinned madly, thinking of the other night before he was cleared to reenter the dungeon.
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#8. 4 days ago. Bells last night before reentering the dungeon.
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Eina walked her normal pace, or actually, it was a slight bit faster than regular. She was feeling a touch nervous this evening.
Eina made her way down a main road not too far from the guild, when she suddenly came to a sign that read 'The Hostess of Fertility'.
She stopped for a moment, contemplating if it was alright to enter, there was nothing inherently wrong about being here, but the reason was borderline to her.
The reason was Bell, he hadn't been coming by the guild since he wasn't going into the dungeon right now, and to be honest, she missed her daily encounters with the young adventurer.
But strange enough, she also felt the urge to meet someone else here. That being 'Ryuu Lion', a person who Bell had made mention of on several occasions.
'Only to sate my curiosity.' She thought to herself, before walking in.
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The pub was crowded, it did cater to adventurers, so go figure.
She waited, unsure of what to do, until a certain cat appeared to greet her.
"Henyow, is this your first time here, nya?" The cat tilted her head a bit.
Eina could only barely make out her words, but having dealt with cat people before, she managed.
She nodded to her.
She didn't expect the cat to turn and shout though. "Seating one!"
Eina was a bit embarrassed, but calmed, noticing the lack of disturbance created in the pub.
Anya led her to a small table near the bar, left unused as all but one chair was being occupied by another party.
As Eina sat, she was handed a menu, to which she thanked her waitress, silently looking around for the boy which she came to see. Anya noticed.
"What are ya lookin for, nya?"
Eina was a bit embarrassed yet again. "Oh, ah, well I was hoping to talk to a person named Bell Cranel, he eats here often I heard."
Anya spoke with a slight edge in her voice. "And who might nyou be?"
Eina spoke fast. "I'm his guild adviser."
Anya was a bit surprised, but accepted the answer nonetheless. "Oh, onkay, I'll get him for you, nya!"
Eina was relieved, being a bit worried by the sudden flips in the cat person's attitude. She resolved to calm down, breathing in and out to steady herself. Her heart seemingly pounding away.
But it nearly stopped at Anya's next words. "White Hair! Nyou have a table waiting!"
Eina looked over in Anya's direction, seeing her call over the counter to the kitchen window, before the door to said kitchen opened from the other side.
Eina was stunned, locked into her thoughts as she saw Anya point him in her direction, his eyes widening a touch before settling, now walking over with a smile.
Eina's mind went silently haywire. 'Oh my gods, Oh my gods, Oh my gods, Oh my gods-'
Bell wore a variation of the waitress uniform made specifically for him. It consisted of a white shirt, under a dark orange vest (like the ties on the waitress uniform), all below a long green suit jacket (also the same color as the waitress's). This was paired with a set of black pants, and brown boots.
(A/N : Imagine a white haired leprechaun if you will.)
Eina was in shock at first, but had to quickly steady herself as Bell approached.
"Eina, what a surprise! I didn't expect to see you here!" Bell smiled as usual.
Eina was mildly flustered, seeing Bell in the butler uniform. "Ah, yes! I just wanted to check up on you, it's been a while since you last came to the guild."
Bell only grew in happiness, touched by Einas worry for him. "I'm sorry, I should have stopped by before, I didn't mean to worry you."
"It's fine, are you healing well?" She asked.
Bell's smile only intensified. "Yes, in fact, I'm going to the Blue Pharmacy tomorrow to see if I'm well enough for the dungeon."
Eina was surprised by that, though having Falna did cause faster healing, it was a speedy recovery all things considered.
Eina smiled. "I'm glad to hear it."
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Eina left the pub happy, both from the food, and the irrational glee of knowing Bell would hopefully be visiting regularly again. Though, she was a little upset about not ever meeting Ryuu during her visit.
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#9. Current.
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Bell arrived in the early afternoon, notably earlier than normal.
What really caught her eye though, was a short brown haired cat person, who looked suspiciously like the supporter he'd been working with that caused all her worries in the first place.
Eina was about to air her concern, before Bell spoke up.
"Everything's okay now, Eina." Seeming to imply more than he'd said.
She was concerned, but she had faith, believing in him that he knew what he was doing.
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They soon left, her mind still plagued with a strange feeling of missing something important. Or... Well... Notable at least. Eina just couldn't pin it.
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Eina was standing at the counter, filling out document after document, trying to catch up on the work she'd slacked on during her time lost in worry. Before, suddenly, her name was called directly in front of her.
She looked up, meeting the Emerald eyes of a particular High Elf whom she knew quite well.
"Hello Eina." Riveria spoke with a touch of pride in her voice, something quite unusual.
Eina was surprised by her sudden appearance. "L-Lady Riveria! My apologies, I was just catching up on some paperwork I needed to finish."
Riveria glanced at the papers atop the counter. "Ah, my apologies, I didn't mean to interrupt your work, but I've come for the usual reason."
Eina internally flinched, knowing her struggle to find Bell would continue past this evening.
Riveria spoke again. "I even brought a book today, so I can just wait him out, since I keep leaving before he arrives."
Eina felt sympathy for the woman before her. She had been arriving later and later, trying to catch the boy on his way out of the dungeon. Unfortunately though, as he reentered the dungeon, Bell went lower and lower each day, adjusting over time, resulting in Riveria missing him each and every day.
Bell's progression was an issue to Eina all on its own.
Eina felt bad, the High Elf in front of her, was excited beyond reason, thinking she'd finally beaten her foe once and for all. How unfortunate that she would have to rip that away from her.
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#10. Extra - Bell's first day back in the dungeon.
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Bell ran, but for once, not as the prey, but as the predator.
"Firebolt!"
He was excited, he had finally done it. He had achieved a life long goal of his, that being to have an attack magic that wouldn't knock him on his butt every time he'd use it.
"Firebolt!"
Unfortunately, being so excited, he'd forgotten that although his use of utility magic was substantial and consistent, he'd never really used magic in this amount before.
"Firebolt!"
Bell was now on the Sixth Floor.
"Firebolt!"
And he was getting tired.
"Firebolt!"
Only to eventually pass out.
"Firebolt!" - 'Thunk'
Bell was now sprawled out, in the middle of a corridor more than ten stories below the surface.
There was little hope for him, until a set of footsteps were heard.
As it just so happens, a pair of green and gold haired adventurers were passing through at just that moment.
One, the green haired High Elf, made her way to the passed out boy, shaking to see if he was alright.
Her shoulders untensed. "Mind down." She announced, staying kneeled beside him. "He must have not been thinking, allowing himself to get to this point."
Ais looked him over. "He… Looks familiar." She couldn't quite place it.
Riveria looked him over again. "Ah?!" Her eyes widened. "It's him, the one from the Fifth Floor." Ais was still confused. "The one from the Hostess who ran out." Riveria clarified.
Ais wasn't completely sure, but nonetheless concluded that Riveria was right.
Riveria sighed. "Go on ahead Ais, I'll take care of him."
Ais was unsure of what she meant, until Riveria lifted his head up, placing him black down on her thighs.
Ais stared, fascinated by the action.
Riveria noticed her still waiting. "I'll be alright by myself, I wanted to speak with him anyways."
Ais nodded, still staring, before turning to walk down the appropriate corridor.
.
Riveria sat in silence, playing with a select few strands of his hair while he slept. She couldn't explain it, this feeling she had, it wasn't quite an emotion, but close. She just couldn't describe it.
There was something about him which made her enamored with the boy. She'd need to ask him about it when he woke up.
.
Some time passed, and Bell was rising from his slumber.
'This feels nice… Wait, what feels nice?'
Bell opened his eyes, adjusting still to being awake, only seeing a blob of green in front of him. Soon though, his eyes adjusted, and all he could do was stare in awe.
What he saw was a beauty only comparable to the gods, staring right back down at him.
"Ah." Bell's mouth hung open, not producing anything coherent, but leaving his mouth a gap with shock.
"Good morning." She said, smiling warmly.
Bell's brain caught up, but had no answers.
So he got up, and ran.
Not stopping till he hit the surface.
.
Riveria sat still the moment after.
"He... Ran away… Again…"
She stared in shock.
Slowly succumbing to the idea that once again, she had been too scary for him.
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Table of contents.
.
#2. - Flash to the past Pt.1 - Bell meets Aria with Al to Hestia.
#4. - Flash to the past Pt.2 - Bell recounts the last days before the OEBD.
#6. - 5 days ago - Bell goes out to eat with Ryuu.
#8. - 4 days ago - Bell is seen by Eina working at the Hostess.
#10. - Extra - Bell has a mind down.
#1. - Current - Eina recommends Bell get a supporter.
#3. - Current - Bell meets Lili.
#5. - Current - Ryuu finds Lili with Bell's knife.
#7. - Current - Eina sends Ais to save Bell.
#9. - Current - Bell meets Eina after being saved by Ais.
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A/N
I hope you all enjoyed it, and that my writing wasn't too bad on this occasion.
Thank you for taking the time to read this chapter, I hope you have a pleasant week!