Later that night, the others returned home to crash after the big party. They felt tired, but enjoyed the festivities made for the girl's birthday.
Alise: Phew, I'm wiped out now! Time for some beauty sleep before tomorrow!
Ardi: *Yawning* Hey Lion, why are there two of you. Mm...
Ryuu: We should get you to your bed.
The girls all went to turn over for the night while the adults stayed in the living room to talk a bit more.
Zeus: *Sitting down* Ah~ that was a fun party, wouldn't you say so?
Hera: It certainly is nice to just relax and enjoy life with everyone. Now then, where is Bell? Did he not come with us?
Zeus started sweating at this as he had yet to tell them of his plan.
Zeus: (Uh-oh.)
Alfia: I seem to recall him staying behind with you before we left for the party.
They eyed the god as he trembled in his seat.
Hera: Where is Bell? *Menacing*
Zeus: H-He's staying behind to sleep over.
Alfia: Oh, is that all?
Hera: Normally that would be fine, but knowing you, you definitely set him up for something which is why...
Bam*
She kicked him out of the chair and beat him senseless for trying to corrupt the boy again. Zald and Astraea simply left and went to their respective rooms for the night.
Meanwhile in another place...
Welf: *yawning* At least these people were nice enough to lend us a hut to sleep in.
Phobos: I told you I had this covered. A few of my friends were willing to lend me a hand.
She noticed the boy getting more sleepy so she pulled the blankets over him.
Welf: I'm just glad you didn't go through with your old plan. Thanks for staying with me.
Phobos: You're welcome. Now, get some rest.
The boy went to sleep and she left to go to her bed across the room. The goddess also informed an acquaintance from somewhere about where she was and asked for a small visit to talk. The two escaped from Rakia and now were making the city of Zolingham their home for now. Phobos was also able to acquire a forge for Welf to use and that also allowed the boy to think of something else other than Rakia.
The next morning, she was awoken by the sounds of a hammer striking metal. She got up and went outside to see Welf already by the forge, trying to make something with the spare materials they had there.
Phobos: Hehe. Someone was eager to get started.
Welf: Don't make fun of me. I have this thing all to myself, so can you blame me?
Phobos: No, but the sight of you acting like a child with a new toy is still amusing.
He just blushed with embarrassment and kept hammering away.
Phobos: I'll go get us some food. You be sure to eat something.
Welf: Right!
This would become part of their daily routine, though, she did ask Welf for some magic weapons. While he disliked the idea, the would need a way to defend themselves since they're still fugitives from Rakia.
Back in Orario...
Riveria woke up like normal. Even after the party, she felt just fine. The elf went to see if Ais was awake, so she walked to her door and opened it. The sight she saw made her smile seeing the girl sleeping peacefully next to the boy whose been helping her grow as a person rather than an adventurer, though, she wondered what else happened when she saw the abandoned chicken suit on the floor.
Riveria: (Probably a prank by Lord Zeus.)
She brushed the thought and went to the bed to wake up the girl.
Riveria: *Shaking her* Ais, wake up.
Ais: Mmm...
Her eyes opened slowly and the elf came into view.
Ais: Riveria?
Riveria: Good morning. You had a good night?
Ais: Hm?
She wondered what she meant by that until she saw the rabbit boy sleeping next to her as the memories came back. Along with them was a blush as she tried to reason with the elf.
Ais: I-I... this isn't what it looks like!
Riveria: Oh? Then what is it? *Smiling*
The girl stammered while the elf was having a good time. Teasing her daughter because of her crush was a fun game, but she shouldn't push too hard.
Riveria: I'm just kidding. Let's get him up too. His family will want him.
Ais: Okay.
They woke Bell up too and went down for breakfast. A few were already down there, but most were still sleeping off the party last night. A few minutes later, the twins came down to join them.
Tiona: Hey, guys!
Tione: Morning.
Bell: Hi!
It was a peaceful start and they soon made their way to Stardust Garden to drop off Bell back home. When they came and rang the Bell, Hera was there to greet them.
Hera: Perfect timing!
Riveria: Apologies for this. Bell ended up staying over.
Hera: No, this was my husband's fault as usual. We made sure to punish him properly.
Riveria: Well, that's good. *To Bell* Until next time, Bell.
Ais: Bye.
Bell: Bye, guys.
He waved back to them before following his grandmother inside. They sat in the living room and had the boy explain what happened. He told them about the plan Zeus cooked up for him. For the most part, they were fine with it since Ais had a good time, though the part about sharing a bed earned him another beating.
Alfia: Why was it necessary for you to tell him that?!
Zeus: They were just going to sleep! I haven't gotten to the volume where they go further yet!
Hera: How many of these do you have?!
He didn't answer that since he would most likely be killed for it. The truth was Zeus had only gotten 6 out of the nearly twenty volumes of Lady lessons for his boy. Alfia and Hera made it hard to teach the boy, so sometimes hands on experience was a necessary substitute.
Hera: No matter. All I know is that you require more discipline when it comes to what our boy should be exposed to.
She reached into her sleeve and pulled a whip out that terrified the old god.
Zeus: H-Hera, there's no need for that.
Alfia: Bell, why don't you and the others head out for the day.
Bell nodded, knowing how they got when their faces looked like that. He and the others put on their gear and left for their daily patrol duties. As Bell walked through the streets with Alise, since it was his turn with her, he wondered about the state of their Familia.
Bell: Alise, when is Lady Astraea going to recruit more members?
Alise: I'm not sure. She's always waited and looked for people who were worthy of joining. It's just a matter of time I guess. I feel the others would like a fresh batch of recruits too. I mean, technically Ardi is still the newest member of the Familia. It's too bad we can't call her the little sister like we did with Lion.
Bell: I think Lady Astraea would like more members to feel less lonely at home even with Mom and the others there.
Libra: That's okay because I can stay with Mama when I get my own body!
Alise: Whenever you level up again. Hopefully it isn't too soon. (Therapy was a big hit on us.)
Later that day, Bell and Zeus were in the boy's room and the god was now putting in more effort than ever to educate the silly rabbit.
Bell: So, what are you telling me today?
Zeus: It would seem that I have been taking this approach the wrong way. Rather than teach you about what to do with girls, I'm going to backtrack and tell you why to do it in the first place. We will first begin talking about all the attractive qualities a girl has. Most obvious being their appearance. Many men look for specific things in their ideal woman. Bell, since you've been exposed to a multitude of girls, what would you say you liked seeing the most? Maybe we can start with hair color?
The boy thought about it for a moment before an idea came to his head.
Bell: I like blonde hair! The ones like Ais and Ryuu have look the prettiest.
Zeus: (My, what good taste my boy has.) Okay then. How about between the two? Do you like how humans look or elves. What about beast people or amazons?
Bell: I like elves! They look like the fairies we would read about in story books!
Zeus: (Yes. Perfect.) Alright, now we can start on the deeper topics on this.
The god drilled much of the information into the boy's head. This made Bell more conscious about the appearance of other girls and as a result, a bit more nervous around them. Alise and Lyra got more teasing material for the boy while Alfia and Hera were out for blood.
Hera: Look what you've done to our boy!
She pointed to Bell who had a red face while sitting next to Alise, Kaguya and Ryuu.
Hera: You've corrupted him you damn old man!
Alfia: Time for the fun part. *Smiling darkly*
She held a special broom that had a gem on the wood shaft. When she channeled mind into it, the tool electrified and terrified Zeus.
Zeus: A-Alfia, there's no need for that.
Alfia: A big maybe, but I do want to do it.
Zeus: *Scared* Nononono, wait!
BZZRT*
She bashed the old man repeatedly until Hera asked for a turn at disciplining her husband.
Astraea: Let's keep this to a minimum tomorrow, or take it somewhere else. Remember, Ais and the others will be coming for joint practice tomorrow.
Alfia: Then we better get the most out of this tonight.
Whack* *Whack* *BZZRT*
The next day...
Ais and the twins were at the gates with Riveria there to drop them off for the day. There to greet them was Astraea, Alise and Kaguya.
Kaguya: Oh joy, she's here.
Tiona: *Waving to her* Heya, Kakashi!
A tick mark appeared on her head as she reigned in her desire to destroy her.
Ais: Hello.
Alise: Ready for another day of hard work?
Ais: *Nodding* Yes!
Tione: How far are we going today?
Astraea: They're still deciding that. We'll bring them back later today, Riveria.
Riveria: Thank you. You three, don't cause too much trouble.
With that, she left and the three went in to group up with the others. Bell was happy to see his friends. The party this time consisted of Iska, Kaguya and Alise to join the kids. Being Level 4, they would try to make as much money as they could in this short span of time as opposed to simply going farther and challenging strong monsters. They could be summoned for another mission at anytime, so acquiring funds beforehand would be the smartest move for them. The group made their way to the Guild so Ais could tell Rose of their plan for the day, however, a fight was breaking out between an adventurer and an advisor.
???: Don't mess with me! You could have told me all of this sooner!
Eina, the new advisor to the Guild, was currently dealing with another girl who looked like a human and appeared to be a young teen. Her build was fairly thin and she had the same lackluster armor the Guild provided, but her most striking feature was her short, blue hair. Though, her attitude was a close second as Eina was having trouble with her.
Eina: I don't care if you've just gotten a blessing, Maris, going as you are now will be suicide. You hardly know anything about the Upper Floors. Not the layout and even less about the monsters.
Maris: That doesn't mean I'm gonna sit around for your lectures! I'm out of here!
The blue-head stormed out while Eina tried in vain to call to her.
Eina: Maris, wait! *Sigh*
With Bell...
Alise: Sheesh, what was what about?
Rose came to them from her end of the counter.
Rose: Sorry, about her. She and Eina have been paired together as advisor and advisee for only a short time. As you saw, they don't get along very well.
Iska: We noticed. She seemed really impatient like most rookies I've seen.
Rose: She's just eager to make herself stronger than she currently is. Eina knew this and wanted to give her help, but the girl wasn't interested with her methods.
Kaguya: It's understandable. Taking classes, while helpful, can be quite boring to sit through.
Bell and Ais nodded as the bitter memories of their lessons flowed into their minds. They shook their heads to break away from that dark time.
Rose: So, what can I do for you?
Kaguya: Just letting you know that we'll be paying the Middle Floors a visit. Preferably to clear them out as much as we can. If you have any monster drop quests available, we can take them.
Rose: Okay then. We unfortunately don't have any quests regarding monsters on the Middle Floors at the moment.
Alise: Aw, too bad.
Iska: Not much we can do about that.
Kaguya: Then we may as well get going. Thank you, Rose.
Rose: *Waving goodbye* Be safe.
Timeskip...
The trip went perfectly fine for them and they made a good enough haul to bring back and split between them.
Tiona: Woah, this is huge!
Tione: I wasn't expecting this much. We didn't even go that far down.
Bell: We did clear nearly ten floors worth of monsters. Plus, my ability helped make more drops.
Alise: *Waving it off* Ah, don't let it bother you, Bell. That just means you're helpful even when you don't fight.
Kaguya: At least we get proper exercise.
Bell: R-Right.
Alise: Kaguya, Iska, we'll drop the three off. Can you-
Kaguya got the hint and took the bag from her.
Kaguya: Already on it. Just don't take too long like usual.
Iska: Well meet you there, Bell!
The two left as the group of five went to drop the girls back home.
Alise: Okay! Let's get you girls home before Miss Riveria gets worried.
They then got on the move to Twilight Manor. When they arrived, they were met with a sight none of them were expecting. Two women, a human brunette and a blonde werewolf, looked to be yelling at another werewolf. He was a grey-haired one who stood near Loki while a different god stood by the girls.
Alise: Huh. Wonder what that's about?
Tiona: Let's go see!
They got closer and were able to more clearly hear the conversation.
Loki: Well, a deal's a deal. Looks like wolfie here's stayin' with me.
The werewolf held a grimace before the brunette grabbed him by the collar and yelled into his face.
???: WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU, BETE?! WHY WOULD YOU BET YOURSELF AGAINST HER?!
The werewolf, now named, Bete, trembled a bit under her wrath. The blonde next to her just had a sad look on her face.
Bete: Will you quit yanking my chain?! I feel bad enough as it is! Seriously, Selenia, how was I supposed to think while being drunk?!
Selenia: *Putting her face to his* MAYBE DON'T DRINK ALL THOSE MUGS BEFORE DOING SOMETHING STUPID!!!
She pointed to the blonde next to her that grew sadder with each passing moment.
Selenia: LOOK AT POOR RENEE! BECAUSE OF YOU, YOU'LL BE LEAVING HER AND ME TO JOIN WITH LADY LOKI!
The female werewolf looked at him with teary eyes that made his heart sink.
Renee: *Crying* Bete...
Seeing that, he started flailing his arms in a panic, thinking of anything to make her stop crying.
Bete: AH! Renee, d-don't cry! Please, I'm sorry!
Loki snickered to herself watching the poor lover-wolf and his dilemma. Vidar, the god behind the girls, sighed and shook his head as he recalled the last hour of his soon-to-be ex-captain's idiocy.
Flashback...
In a bar, Vidar and his Familia were spending the night celebrating and drinking. There was no particular occasion as they simply enjoyed doing this often. Bete, their Captain, had no objections but the Vice Captain, Selenia, was annoyed at how they were spending their earnings.
Selenia: *Sigh* Do we really need to do this every time? Most of our Valis is going to our food.
Vidar Member A: Aw, lighten up. Everyone enjoys doing this.
Selenia: That isn't the point!
Vidar Member B: You know, you could use these times to get cozier with the Captain.
Her face exploded in red at that before she slammed her fist into his face. Selenia was forward about her feelings for Bete, but that didn't mean it wasn't embarrassing.
Vidar: They don't do this to only tease you. It's also for your own good considering our circumstances.
He pointed to his Captain and saw Renee looking to score alone time with him. Bete and Renee had joined the Familia at the same time. Bete quickly grew to be an outstanding warrior and adventurer. The same couldn't be said for Renee. He only joined on the condition that Vidar gave her a blessing as well. The years they spent helped her overcome the physical weakness she was burdened with for a long time and now she was able to do labor normally like everyone else. The two grew up as childhood sweethearts, but couldn't quite reach that extra step. That would prove costly when Selenia entered the mix. She and Bete had their fights often, but overtime, the two began to see eye to eye and even beyond that. Soon, the two grew feelings for each other as well and now had been competing for the man's attention. That didn't mean they weren't good friends. Quite the opposite actually. They were close enough to be sisters. Still, the gloves were off when it came to love.
Selenia: Bete, you look hungry. You should eat some more. *Feeding him*
Renee: Yes, I agree!
They glared at each other while force feeding the werewolf who looked at them awkwardly.
Bete: (This is my life now. It's one I can be happy with, though.)
He enjoyed the warmth his new family brought him. Of course, he still kept in touch with his old tribe. He was the son of the chief, but chose to leave the tribe for Renee. He wanted to help her grow stronger, so he thought a Divine Blessing would be enough. His father questioned him about it, but felt satisfied seeing the determination in his son's eyes. Bete's sister felt sad he would be leaving, but knew he would be fine because he brother was one of the strongest people she knew. After a few days, the two left and headed for Orario to start their new lives.
From there, Bete got comfy with his new life here. He helped his formerly weak Familia grow into one that most wouldn't want to cross. That would all change when Loki came with Finn following her after they bounced from bar to bar. She saw Vidar and his Familia and decided to greet them in her drunken state. By that point, Bete had already finished close to ten mugs and was drunk out of his mind. One thing led to another before the two placed wagers. Bete on himself and Loki on Finn since he was Captain. The prum tried talking her out of it, but that proved to be pointless. One poker game later, and Bete was well on his way to joining the ranks of the Loki Familia. Too their dismay, that also meant Selenia and Renee would no longer have the werewolf with them. They watched with horror when they saw the Goddess throw down a hand that totally beat the one Bete had, winning the game and him away from them.
End of Flashback...
Bete: This isn't goodbye, I promise! I'll visit as much as I can and join your parties in the Dungeon!
Loki decided to add fuel to the fire when he said this.
Loki: I dunno. We usually get pretty busy with internal affairs and don't usually party up with other Familias when we're busy which is a lot of the time.
The blonde werewolf's ears and tail drooped at this which made Bete panic even more to calm her down.
Loki: (That's a total lie, but this is too good!)
Vidar: Look, we can't stay here all day. You two should say what else you need to say so we can go.
They grumbled at that, but there was nothing else to be done.
Renee: Bete, please, don't get yourself into trouble. I couldn't bear the thought of not being there for you. *Crying*
Bete: I won't.
Selenia: Don't you even think about letting another woman into your love life! Renee and I are already here, remember that!
Bete: I would never do that!
She grabbed his hand and squeezed it hard which made him grunt in pain before he saw look of death in her face which also had a sinister smile.
Selenia: *Menacing* Are you contradicting what I said, Bete Loga?
Bete: *Scared* N-No, Ma'am...
With that, the two did what they needed and left for their home.
Vidar: I can't make any promises, but I will try to work things out with Loki so she will let him leave for a time to see you.
Renee: Thank you, Lord Vidar.
Once they were out of sight, Bete just sighed before he and Loki saw Alise and the others walking towards them with looks of confusion on their faces.
Loki: Great timing!
Alise: Wanna explain what that all was?
Loki: Long story. Pretty much, Bete Loga here is gonna be our new member starting today.
He just grunted before turning his head away from them.
Tiona: Wow! We got to see a new member! My name's Tione! Nice to meet you, Wager!
Bete: The hell did you call me? It's Bete Loga!
Tiona: Got it, Gamble Lagoon!
Bete: *Annoyed* You tryin' to start something you little brat?!
Tione stepped in before Tiona did more damage.
Tione: Sorry about her. She's a little stupid.
Bete: I got that much from seeing her for less than a minute.
He saw Ais and Bell and recognized them.
Bete: I do remember those two. The girl is supposed to be a big shot First Class along with the boy.
Bell: I'm Bell and this is Ais! It's nice to meet you, Mr. Bete!
He offered him his hand which he took hesitantly.
Bete: Uh, sure.
Loki: Well, now that introductions are out of the way, it's good to see you three back. Mama was getting antsy with how long you were taking.
Alise: Going from the Middle Floors back to the surface isn't exactly a quick trip, even for us.
Loki: That's what Finn tried to tell her, but her Mama instincts wouldn't have it.
Whack*
Loki: OW!
Riveria: What are you calling "Mama instincts?"
Loki: Hey, I'm here to welcome the kids back!
Riveria: I also heard you put Finn on the line without his consent either. We'll be having a talk about that later. *Turning to Ais* Anyway, it's good to see you back safely. Let's go back and finish our lessons.
Ais: Okay...
She hated the night lessons. They were boring topics about the Dungeon and magic that she was too tired to engage in. The only reason the twins were doing better was because Riveria started them from square one. Once they caught up, it would be a tough road for them. The three said goodbye and Alise left with Bell to return home. When they arrived, Alise told them about what happened with Loki and they laughed it off as an unfortunate accident.
Zeus: HAHAHA! Poor boy to have that happen to him!
Hera: Just goes to show what happens when you drink too much. This is why our Bell will not resort to that.
Alfia: Yes, exactly.
Zald: At the very least, he can be a reliable person for his friends when they go out. It's always smart to keep one or two people sober after a night of drinking.
Alfia: *Menacing* My boy will not go out at night to do that!
Zald: U-Understood.
Ryuu: What else happened?
Bell: We saw two girls fighting over him.
Iska: For real?!
Alise: Oh yeah. As sad as it was to watch, it was a little funny.
Kaguya: Agh! I can't believe we missed that!
Alise: The poor guy looked like he had his hands full with the both of them. Safe to say they both had eyes for him.
Zeus: What did they look like?
Bell: One was a human lady, but the other was a werewolf like him. She was strange, though.
Hera: Why do you say that?
Alise: Just her appearance. She seemed like a nice person, but I've never seen a werewolf with gold-looking fur.
Neze: That's a rare color. Most of us don't get like that often or at all.
Zeus: Well, I'll be sure to cheer for the lucky soul. He's quite young, and yet has two beauties chasing after him.
Bash*
Hera: You be quiet!
The next day, Zeus took Bell outside for a little field trip. They found themselves in a high tower that overlooked a decent portion of the district they were in. There, Zeus had some binoculars to spy on the woman outside.
Zeus: Remember, Bell, spying on girls is part of a man's romance. Even more so when they're bathing.
Bell: Okay!
The boy had a smaller pair as well, though, he was watching something else entirely. He found a pair of birds in a bird bath and was watching them.
AN: Zeus would be so proud. Those birds are girls and all birds are technically naked, so he is spying on women who are bathing.
The birds...
Bird A: Hey, Becky, I think that kid up there is peeping on us.
The other one looked and saw Bell watching them.
Becky: Eep! A peeping tom! Aw, this is the worst! I might as well go and let Ron smash me later.
Bird A: We'd better just go.
And they flew away.
With Bell...
Bell: Aw... *Disappointed*
Zeus: Bell, how is your search going?
Bell: The birds flew away.
Zeus: What? We aren't here for birds, my boy. We're here to look for girls! No matter. We will just have to go on foot. Come on.
They climbed down and began a walk through the streets. Zeus and Hera decided that Bell would have today off, so Zeus took it upon himself to take a walk with his Grandson. Zeus gave him many tips along the way that made a few people raise an eye brow at what this man was trying to teach a young boy. All was well until Zeus felt a familiar presence.
Zeus: (Crap, I forgot.)
The boy felt something bother him and asked what was wrong.
Bell: Grandfather?
Zeus: Let's go the other way.
Too late.
???: HE'S ALIIIIIVE!!!
Thud*
Zeus and Bell were caught by surprise when someone tackled the boy to the ground in a hug. When the shock subsided an they could think clearly, they saw it was Freya who did it. The Goddess of Beauty had returned after their long time away from Orario.
Flashback...
Freya and her followers were weary of their fruitless journey across the lands. On one hand, their main task was complete, but on the other hand, Freya still had not found the person who could replace her Odr when she saw him disappear that day.
Freya: *Sigh* All that work and it amounted to so little.
Ottar: Our apologies, my Lady.
Freya: Don't blame yourself. This wasn't your fault.
Mia: Let's just get the entrance process over with. I've been out of this place for longer than I would've liked.
Freya: Indeed. Everyone back home will be happy to have us back.
Mia: (Have you back, you mean.)
They finished the entrance process relatively quickly and went inside when the sight of Zeus and a familiar albino met them. Those like Ottar and Mia were surprised to see the boy when they thought he was dead that day. However, no one was more surprised than Freya when she saw her (nine year old) beloved alive and well. She was unable to control herself and rushed to him.
End of Flashback...
Freya nuzzled the boy she tackled to the ground with tears in her eyes.
Freya: Oh, my beloved! I'm so relieved you're safe. I was so- huh?
She looked closer and saw she actually grabbed a sack of potatoes instead of Bell.
Freya: What in the-
???: Hehehe.
She turned to the source of the laughter and saw Hera laughing at her on the ground while holding Bell by his collar.
Hera: Special Technique: Rabbit Substitution.
Freya: *Glaring* Hera...
She saw the familiar figure of her greatest nemesis and scowled. Once again, her efforts were thwarted and her beloved was out of reach once again.
Hera: Hello, Freya. Fancy seeing you here. It looks like you returned a bit later than expected.
Freya: Figures you were keeping track.
Bell: Uh, can I go down now?
Hera: Of course. Go with your Mother now.
Alfia stayed out of sight until Hera called out to her. The woman then walked to Freya who was sweating a bit at the fact that her eyes were being covered by her hair. She put her mouth next to Freya's ear so she could speak clearly.
Alfia: *Speaking low and menacingly* What the hell did you think you were doing?
Freya: A-Alfia, I-
Alfia: Shh, you should know how this works. I know what I saw and I know what you wanted to do. I understand that a year is a long time, so I'll remind you. Bell, is off limits. You wouldn't want anything bad to happen because you couldn't control your hands, right?
Freya: *Scared* No-
Alfia: I said no talking.
Freya: Eep!
Alfia: Next time you try something like that again, I'm not letting you off with a warning, understood?
The terrified Goddess simply nodded before Alfia grabbed Bell's hand and guided him away from the area, but not before he said goodbye to people he hadn't seen in a long time.
Bell: Bye, Miss Mia, Ottar!
The two waved back to him, though were curious as to how he was here. At least, it was nice for them to see he hadn't changed since last time. Freya was now annoyed that her time with Bell was cut off again.
Freya: Hera, how is he alive?
Hera: We thought he was dead, but he wasn't.
Freya: (So simple!) And?
Hera: What? You expect me to elaborate for you?
Freya: *Annoyed* Grr...
Hera: Well, I and my idiot husband will be taking our leave now. It's been interesting not catching up with you and with the time I've spent with you since you got back, well, I can't say it was a pleasure. Bye!
With that, she and Zeus left while she dragged the man back and scolded him for his antics once again.
Hera: I knew you were up to something with my boy again! I heard about everything from two birds on my way here!
Zeus: What?
Hera: They accused him of spying on them while they were bathing!
Zeus: Yes! He's learning well! I guess birds will be a good place to start before he moves on to bigger targets.
Hera: *Angry* I think your face is a good place to start you damn enemy of women!
Punch*
Much of the trip back was also spent beating him to the point that he was totally bruised when he got back. A few days later, Bell was met with a surprise when he and Alfia went to Twilight Manor.
Bell: Ais is sick?!
Riveria: She is. Ais came down with a fever yesterday and later, we will see if a doctor can inspect her.
Alfia: Can none of you check?
Riveria: I'm not expert on the fine details, so I'm thinking a professional can get a better answer.
Bell: How did she get sick?
Riveria: ...
Flashback...
Riveria: Just tell me when you need to come up for air.
She said to Ais, who was busy trying to swim back up from the pool after being chained to the bottom with an adamantite brick. As for why she did this, it was because she called Riveria an old hag after being locked up in the library to study for several days in a row. Riveria took it personally, so she took the girl for swimming lessons. When the girl was free, a long with trauma, she would take a long time to dry herself and soon got sick after.
End of Flashback...
Riveria: The why is not as important as the present here.
Alfia: Well, Bell came for one of his visits.
Riveria: Oh, I'm sure Ais will be happy to see you. Let's go.
Bell: Okay!
Crash*
Ais: AAAAAAAHH!!!
The girl jumped out the window and landed in the yard. Her face was pale and she looked terrified.
Riveria: Ais?! What happened?
Flashback...
The girl was lying in her bed with Tione and Tiona looking after her. She had a mask on to keep the others safe while she rested.
Ais: Where is Riveria taking me? She said we were going to leave later.
Tione: The doctor.
Tiona: Which is bad news.
Ais: Why?
Tiona: You don't know? Going to the doctor is one of the worst things that could happen to you!
Ais: *Tilts head*
Tione sighed and had her sister explain.
Tiona: The first thing they have you do is stay in the "Waiting Room."
She made the last part more dramatic.
Ais: That doesn't sound so bad.
Tiona: It gets worse! They made you read old books!
Ais: *Shivers* Mmm...
That got a reaction the two were expecting. Now Ais looked more nervous.
Tiona: And that's only the beginning! Once you're in the room, they make you wear a hospital gown!
The scared girl shrunk further while Tione was recalling horrid memories of the doctor.
Tiona: *Grabbing a stick and putting it around her neck* And then the doctor brings out her stethoscope!
Ais: *Terrified* NOOOO!!!
Tiona: *In Ais' face* YEEEES!! It's a device so sinister. So icy cold when it touches your bare flesh it- *touches Ais with the stick* PSSHHHH!!!
Ais: *Jumping in fear* AAAAAAAAHH!!!
She jolted up and away from Tiona which was also her to window and outside.
End of Flashback...
The scared girl clung to Riveria in tears.
Ais: Riveria, I don't want to go to the doctor! *Sniffle*
Riveria: Huh?
Just then, the twins came outside.
Riveria: What did you tell her?
Tiona: Just what we know about the doctor.
Ais then retold Riveria what the girls told her. The elf sighed at the ridiculous story.
Riveria: Ais, that isn't the whole truth.
Tione: Yeah, if they find something wrong, they'll use a saw to cut off one of your arms or legs.
Ais: *Faints*
She landed on the ground with a thud while Riveria glared angrily at the two.
Riveria: Why did you say that?!
Tione: What?! That's what happened back home!
Riveria: We aren't in the Amazon's homeland! The doctors here don't need to resort to such violent practices! Besides, Ais isn't hurt, she's just sick!
Alfia: We'll worry about that when she wakes up. Anyway, I'll be heading back so behave, Bell.
Bell: *Poking Ais' cheek to wake her up* Okay!
When the girl woke up, she clung to the albino and trembled in fear of what was coming later today.
Bell: You don't have to be scared. I know a nice doctor who can help.
Riveria: You do?
The girl looked at him with hopeful eyes that he would save her from the scary monster that is a doctor.
Bell: Yeah! Miss Airmid is really nice, so there's nothing to be scared of. Plus, her friends are nice too.
Riveria: The girl from Dian's Familia? Well, that's good. You hear that Ais? Hm?
She looked at the girl who now had a blank expression on her face.
Ais: Miss? She's a girl?
Bell: Huh? Yeah, why?
Ais: Mmm!
The girl grabbed his arm and weakly stumbled her way to Dian Cecht's hospital.
Ais: (I'll show her what for! I'm not letting anyone else take my bunny!)
Tiona: Wait! Ais!
Tione: Uh, I don't think you should worry. They won't be there anytime soon like that.
Tiona: *Slapping her cheeks* Whatever! I'm going too!
Riveria: Tiona!
She reached her hand to the girl, but she had already caught up with them on their way to the gate.
Tione: We should catch up with them.
Riveria: Oh well. They won't mind if we're early.
Just as they were about to leave, Finn rushed out to meet them.
Finn: Phew.
Riveria: Finn? What's wrong?
Finn: Oh, were you two leaving?
Riveria: Well, yes. We'll take Ais to Dian's now.
Finn: Okay. Tione, do you think you could stay behind? I would like your help with something.
Tione: *With hearts in her eyes* OF COURSE! IT WOULD BE MY PLEASURE!
He thanked her before they made their way inside. Riveria mentally shrugged as she caught up with the children.
Riveria: (It isn't like we all have to go.)
Keeping a slow pace with Ais, they now found themselves at their destination where a young girl was there to greet them.
Airmid: Welcome.
Riveria: Hello, Airmid. We're here to have Ais examined. She's come down with something and we would like a doctor to check her.
Airmid: Right away. I will go get one for her.
Ais then grew nervous again as Bell's statement from earlier was thrown out the window. Meanwhile, Bell greeted his friend.
Bell: Hi, Miss Airmid!
Airmid: Hello, Bell.
Bell: Why can't you do it? Aren't you a doctor?
Airmid: No, I'm primarily a healer. I am still in training, but I'm am hoping to finish within the next year and work on another project of mine.
Riveria: What is it you are working on?
Airmid: For now, I am working on better methods of curse purification. My own magic is rather limited since I am only Level 1. Anyway, wait here for a moment.
She left briefly to look for someone to check up on Ais. When she returned, the woman with her took Ais to another room. Still knowing of her trauma recently, Riveria went with her while Ais had forgotten about what happened with her at the pool.
With the others...
Bell and Tiona found themselves in a different room from the one Ais was currently in. With them was Airmid and Dian. The old looking god was able to mellow out with Bell being a regular at the clinic. His greedy tendencies were still there, but at least his Familia was able to respect him more and he turned into a much better person than he used to be. Right now, the four of them were trying to think of some kind of way to raise funds for the new project Airmid is working on.
Dian: *Head in his hand* Hrm, I got nothing...
Tiona: *Slamming her hands on the table* I've got it! We can sell Airmid's bathwater!
Airmid: *Blushing hard* WHAT?!!
Tiona: Think about it, it'll be like a powerful healing potion if someone drinks it.
Airmid: WE ARE NOT DOING THAT!!!
Dian: *Tapping his finger on the table* No, I'll save that for when I open a bathhouse.
Airmid: Lord Dian! *Horrified*
Dian: There's got to be something else that will get the money we need.
Bell: Hm, maybe if she joins an expedition?
Dian: An expedition?
Bell: Yeah. She could work as a healer and be paid to join.
Dian: Hm, that could work. What do you think, Airmid?
Airmid: Well, maybe. I'm not meant for fighting anyway. Being able to help those in the Dungeon would allow me to fulfill my duty as a doctor.
Bell: I can ask Mr. Finn if you can join the next Loki Familia mission.
Airmid: The Loki Familia?! I-I don't think we should be trying for something like that! I mean, they would never accept me, I'm just a level 1!
Bell: Yeah, but you'd be a big help to them. That new Line person is a support too, but no one is a dedicated healer. They could save more potions with you along.
Airmid: You really think so?
Bell: Yeah, right, Tiona?
Tiona: *Thumbs up* A hundred percent!
Airmid: *Smiling* Thank you.
It had taken some time, but Aid finally returned with a face of relief that it was over. Now, they all made their way back after saying goodbye.
Riveria: Looks like it wasn't anything major. All you have to do is take the medicine they gave you. Once it's finished, you should be better, so that means no Dungeon for you, young lady.
Ais: Okay...
Bell: It's not so bad. We can still play with you so you aren't bored.
Tiona: Yeah, cheer up! *Smiling*
As much as Ais would have wanted Bell to herself, she did appreciate her friends' support. She would make sure to finish her medicine properly if it meant she could go back to training quickly.
The four returned where Loki was waiting by the gates.
Riveria: Loki?
Loki: Oh hey! Did the doctor do their thing?
Riveria: Yes, everything is settled, but what are you doing here?
Loki: Oh, the new guy was just leaving here with his girls. Looks like he'll be a bit troublesome with his constant leaving. I'm sure we'll find a balance.
Riveria: Just try not to gamble our executives again. *To Ais* Alright, let's get you back to bed.
They all went inside to help the sick girl.
Meanwhile, in Zolingham...
Welf was at his forge like usual. He had managed to craft a few weapons and some armor, but of rather poor quality. While he was in the process of making something else, Phobos had returned with some people with her.
Phobos: Oh Welf! I'm back!
Welf: *Turning around* Oh, welcome back-
Next to her, he saw two more woman. One was with dark skin and black hair with an eyepatch. The other had short, red hair and an eyepatch of her own. Welf had even blushed a bit when he saw her.
Phobos: They're finally here. Say hello to my friend, Hephaestus and her Captain, Tsubaki. *To the women* This is my child, Welf.
The Captain introduced herself.
Tsubaki: Nice to meet ya, kid. Your goddess spouted a lotta high praise for ya.
Welf: Sure.
Hephaestus, meanwhile, was looking around at all the things he made so far.
Phobos: You like them? He's been working really hard the last few days. You should've seen his face when he saw he had this forge all to himself.
Welf: *Blushing* Phobos!
Tsubaki: Puhahahaha! Seriously?! This stuff doesn't look like it would see here! Why not make those magic swords?
Welf: Shut up! They just don't what they're looking for! I'll never make one of those swords!
Hephaestus: *Holding a dagger* I don't know. I doubt anyone would buy this unless they're desperate.
The boy slumped at this.
Tsubaki: Aw, you broke his spirit.
Hephaestus: Don't worry, you're just starting. You'll get better with practice.
Phobos: I figured that's where you would come in.
Hephaestus: Me?
Phobos: Yes, you could mentor him.
Hephaestus: I don't have the time for that. Not with my own work and my Familia.
Phobos: Why not take him with you? Welf would be in better hands in your Familia.
Welf: Phobos!
Hephaestus: Hm, I will give it some thought. What do you think, Tsubaki?
Tsubaki: Eh, who cares? You can decide it. *Shrugging*
They rummaged around some more until they found a sword covered by some cloth in the back.
Welf: Ah! No, that's-
Tsubaki: Woah! Is that?
Hephaestus: Looks like a magic sword.
Phobos: Aw, looks like you found the spare we've been keeping.
Hephaestus: *Inspecting it* Hm, not bad for a novice blacksmith. Are you sure you won't make these?
Welf: Those swords are an insult! I will become a great Smith who's known for real work! Not some joke that makes those fake weapons!
Hephaestus: I see. Interesting.
The goddess would give it some more thought while she observed Welf some more. Meanwhile, the boy was going to work even harder for her approval if it meant being able to forge under her Familia.
In another place...
Thanatos: And that is how the situation is looking right now. Do try and speed up your experiments a bit, Osiris.
Osiris: If you insist.
He then left as the god kept walking.
Thanatos: (Good. With this progress, we will be ready within at least a few months. Though, it all depends on how smoothly our preparations go.)
He recalled the high ranking Evilus members that still remained in the shadows, even though most of their forces were wiped out including much of his own Familia. That didn't mean he didn't have more tricks up his sleeve. With Osiris and some others still alive, they had everything they needed for a counter offensive. Then, there eas Ishtar on the surface who fed info and provided funds for their work. In return, they provided her with their most powerful demi-spirit yet.
Thanatos: Once that time passes, there won't be enough adventurers to stop us.
As he walked, he heard footsteps near him and greeted an ally of his.
Thanatos: Ah, Valletta. How is your end doing?
Valletta: Just great. *Smirking* I'm sure Finn will be happy to see me.
Timeskip Three Months...
Phobos: Welf, are you ready yet?
Welf: Yeah yeah, I'm ready.
Phobos: Good! To Orario!
The two had packed their things after Hephaestus agreed to let Welf into her Familia. Now, they were on their way to the Labyrinth City.
Welf: (Here's to new beginnings.)
AN: Alright, I will cut it off there. This is the final set up to the next arc which will ramp up next chapter.
So, first I would like to apologize for the delay. I was going to upload this in August while I was writing, but that just didn't happen with work and school. This was also going to be much longer than it is now. Actually. I was going to play it off as a joke where I say it is a little longer, but actually, it was 80k words. Yes, I was going to fit the whole arc into one chapter. I didn't have the time for that, so I'm going to split it up as usual. I'm a little sad things didn't go to plan, but what can you do?
Also, this was only a day late, so not too bad. I would like to thank everyone for reading. As of yesterday, this story has been around for a whole year since the 29th was when I uploaded the first actual chapter. Thanks for coming along my journey with this story, even with the massive amount of flaws it has. It's my third story every, so it comes with the territory. Hopefully things go smoothly and we don't have to wait too long, but I'll see what life says.
Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed. Feel free to leave your thoughts and I'll see you in the next one.