"Ah...ouch..."

"Does it hurt?"

"A little bit."

"But Bell, you took such a beating before."

"Yeah, but I didn´t felt much during the fight, now that I had time to calm down..."

Ais was very carefull while she washed Bell, he was covered in bruises. Since the party had to use a high amount of healing items and magic, they could only heal Bell´s broken right hand. They were lucky that the Floor was busy with repairing itself, the form of the labyrinth seemed to count as a kind of damage.
But the sound was really weird, as the forest started to form anew, thankfully due to that, they had the chance to go back to their camp without getting attacked.

It was the last evening of the Expedition, in the morning they would start to return to the surface. Asterios had to lean on Ray when they accompanied them to the camp, but both took a rest around a corner so that they would be separated from the party. While all of the party knew about the Xenos ever since the big fight in Knossos, many still felt unwell resting next to Asterios.
Tione and Alicia had talked for a while with Ray after she returned and sat down on a rock close to the corner. Now that they saw them together, the party members understood where Tione and Alicia got the feathers that they wore in their hair.

Some party members looked curious when they saw how Ray got deep red and hid her face behind her wings, seeing Alicia with big eyes and Tione smirking. Monsters had a different form of love than mortals, Ray had become Asterios´ partner, who he wanted to protect and her heart beat for him and yet he often went deep down into the dungeon alone to train. Ray was only able to come down this far, since she was able to fly.
Most flying monsters left her alone when they witnessed her sonic shreek, which had become a real sound weapon at this point, that ignored thick armor or sturdy bodies and attacked the ears and organs. .

Ais smiled and gently scrubbed Bell´s back, both were alone in the bath part of the camp. Most of the others were too exhausted and many needed to get healed, but thankfully no one was in a life-threatening condition anymore.

"But you were really heroic."

"You think so?"

"Yes." She giggled. "And you got your princess."

"Oh...you heard that?"

"It would be hard not to, but it made me really happy."

"Haaah, such a touching moment."

Bell looked slightly over his shoulder to the owner of the voice.

"Did you really need to come with us, Jupiter?"

"Of coooourse! Do you know how long it had been that I had a hot bath? Especially with a hot babe like that?"

"Would you please not call my wife like that?"

It looked almost like the floating orb shrugged it´s shoulders.

"Anyway, it´s good to be outside again. Man, I was in there over a thousand years, I couldn´t think, couldn´t hear, couldn´t see...really an ungrateful job...gotta give this boy an earful when I see him again."

Ais looked to the orb too while she kept washing Bell´s back.

"Boy?"

"The one that could shreek like a girl, well he looked a bit girlish. What was his name again? Argo-something."

"Hah..."

Ais looked at Bell who had sighed. "Bell?"

"Hah...so you really are the spirit Jupiter?"

"As I said, yes."

"But the story said you turned into a sword and lost yourself."

"Boy, I´m a greater spirit. The incredibly haaaaaaandsome greater Spirit Juuuuuupiterrrrr!"

"N-Nice to meet you."

The floating orb seemed to lose interest in Bell for a moment and drifted around Ais. Her eyes followed his movements.

"You have somethin´ special ´bout you, baby."

"Is that so?"

"You look familiar..."

The orb moved closer for a second and touched Ais´ right ear.

"Hmmm...say, are you perhaps Aria´s kid?"

"Huh!?" Ais looked shocked.

"So you really are?"

"H-How do you know that?! Do you know her!?"

"I´m a greater Spirit, just like your Mom, there aren´t many of us, of course I know her."

Jupiter floated more around Ais and looked at every part of her body.

"You really look like a younger Aria, so that´s what she looked like as a teenager."

Ais fidgeted on the spot and pressed herself against Bell so that Jupiter couldn´t see her front. "Could you please stop looking all over my body?"

"Hm, sure. Man never thought that beautiful woman would have a child, but you are no pure spirit."

"My father was a human."

"Impressive, I can guarantee you, when you take after your Mother, you will become a real beauty, just wait until you become a real adult."

"Ais is already very beautiful."

"But still nothing compared to her Mother, trust me."

"Oh..."

Bell looked at Ais for a moment, she saw the question in his eyes.

Even more beautiful?

Jupiter drifted away from them. "Anyway, I will go and look around a bit, see ya. But don´t worry boy, I´m bound to you now and won´t go away."

"Bound to me?!"

"Yes, you are free to celebrate and jump around in joy. For I, the great Juuuuuupiterrrrr, are bound to you now! But don´t expect something too great, I´m not as fit as I was in my prime, damn I´m getting old."

After Jupiter left and floated to the camp, Ais and Bell looked at each other.

"Did that really just happen?"

"I...guess?"

"Hah."

Both took their time in the bath to relax a bit. There wasn´t much chatting in the camp this evening, everyone was tired.

The hardest part of their way back was to get through the Glacial Territory and after that the volcanic area. Normally the volcanic area wasn´t that much of a problem for them, but many party members couldn´t fight really and they had to take more breaks than usual.
After the volcanic area, Asterios and Ray parted from them. Bell and Asterios glared at each other a last time.

"Next time."

"Next time."

There would always be a next time.

The party rested for a last night on the 18th Floor, they used their last food and dungeon gifts from this floor, as well as filling up their water. Everyone took their time to wash their clothes and bath in the cool water. As usual the women guarded each other in small groups while the others bathed. Only two of them didn´t bathed with the others, Riveria who always bathed alone, and Ais who wanted to be alone with Bell for a while.

And then, three weeks after entering the dungeon, the party finally returned.

.

.

.
"Fianna exists! Ahahahaha!"

The Benevolent Mistress was filled to the brim with the Loki Familia, Hestia alliance and of course people from the Hephaistos Familia. And for once, Finn Deimne let himself go a little and even got drunk. As he promised, Bell had given Finn the book about the saint Fianna. When he had read it, Finn had started to cry from joy, and he had shown it to someone else.

"Fianna exists! *Hiccu*"

Bell knew for a long time that Lily didn´t cared much for her race, that most of them were pretty pathetic. But to see that the believe in Fianna actually was true, even when she wasn´t a goddess, gave her a bit of pride as a prum. So she drank together with Finn, they even pulled in Luan Espel somehow. The prum was a former member of the Apollo Familia and still lived in Orario, he had apologized to Lily later about all the things with the War Game.
Luan also promised to Finn to spread the word about Fianna.

"Fianna exists! Whahaha!"

It was fascinating how much three prums could drink.

Bell smiled, it was rare to see Lily smile and laugh so genuienly and wholeheartedly.

But Lily wasn´t the only excited member of Bell´s Familia.

"Hnnngh! I want to forge! I want to forge so badly!"

Welf had trouble to keep himself on his chair, Bell had shown him his share from the Expedition´s dropp items. Many of them had still unknown effects or traits, so of course Welf wanted to work with them.

"Welf, behave yourself."

Hephaistos sat next to Welf, but she could understand him.

"Nnnngh! I want to forge! I want to forge! I want to forge!"

The goddess rolled her eyes. "Not you too, Tsubaki."

At this moment, Hephaistos felt more like a mother that tried to keep her excited children in check.

The members of the various Familias sat mixed, Bell was surprised how many lower leveled members of the Loki Familia got along so well with his own, it seemed the plan for the smaller Expeditions was a huge success.

"Listen, Haru! Argo really was like Argonaut! You should have seen how he followed Ais through the labyrinth and fought that black minotaur again! Just like in the book! She was even chained like princess Ariadne."

"Really? Master Bell was that heroic?"

"Yeah, he was like "Uuuuh no one can stop me from getting my princess! No one can defeat me now!"

Haruhime looked with shining eyes at Bell. "You really became a hero. Haah...I wish I would´ve seen this."

Tiona grinned. "I´ll write it all down for you."

"You write stories now?"

"Jup, I recently started and Finn gave me the job to do it after every Expedition now."

"Oh my."

Bell was glad that these two had become such good friends.

And there was someone else that was really proud of Bell.

"You did really good."

Hestia smiled and patted Bell´s head.

"Hestia...I´m not a child anymore."

"You will always be my child."

The small goddess had really matured, instead of crying and clinging to Bell, she just sat down afterwards and leaned her head against his shoulder, visibly proud of her captain.

"And I´m really glad that you returned to me, that all returned without losing someone. Even when..."

Hestia glanced to Bete, everyone saw that he had lost two fingers and a bit of one of his ears. It was really touching to see how much Lena cared about him, wanted to do everything for him since he was hurt. But at the same time, Bete wanted to do everything for her, due to her pregnancy. And many times did the Loki familia members cheer for him, everyone heard what he had done in the dungeon to protect the others.

All in all it was a very happy mood, as always when an Expedition was done. On the next day they would start the negotiations with the guild and various merchants and Familias about the dropp items. But today they would party and get a bit wild.

While Bell talked with his Familia, Tione, Tiona and Lefiya got really curious about something.

Tione looked interested. "Say Ais, how did it feel to hang at that tree?"

"Well, I just hang there and couldn´t move very much, but it didn´t hurt."

Tione smirked. "I mean hanging there and watching your sweetheart fighting against that stupid bull, with you as the price."

Ais looked confused. "Me, the price?"

"I remember hearing him scream something about his princess and such. It was a really sweet sight."

Ais glanced to Bell, who talked with Welf right now, then she shook her head.

"Bell doesn´t need to win me."

She raised her hand with the ring and smiled. "I already belong to him."

Tiona chuckled. "But it sure is nice to get such a proof of love from him, hm?"

Now Ais nodded lightly while she smiled.

.

"Oy, Ais, Bell."

Gareth waved to them from his seat, the chairs left and right from him were empty. They followed his wave and sat down on both sides of him.

"So, you two, I guess it´s time, hm?"

"Hm?"

"Huh?"

Gareth winked and leaned slightly back. Mia came personally and put down three mugs in front of them, one pretty big for Gareth, two smaller ones for Bell and Ais.

"Bell, you never had the chance to drink with your father, right?"

"Ahm no, but I don´t drink alcohol anyway."

Now Gareth looked to Ais. "You also didn´t had a chance, hm?"

Ais shook her head.

"Well I guess it´s my job then to do something for you youngsters so that you won´t miss this experience. And before you say no, this is no normal beer, this is dwarven beer. But the kiddy version for you two."

"Kiddy version?"

"For us dwarves, beer is something holy and special, we have many different kinds of beer. And like humans, we have it in common to drink with the father when we come of age. We also have beer meant for the beardlings."

Ais tilted her head. "Beardlings?"

Gareth stroked his beard. "The ones that just recently started to grow their beard. So there is just a very tiny amount of alcohol in your beers. We dwarves drink to enjoy it, not only to get heavily drunk. Brewing beer is an art!
Of course you two can say no, I won´t force you, but it´s really good. Mia has the best beer in Orario."

Ais and Bell looked at each other, Bell wasn´t so sure, but Ais smiled and slightly shrugged her shoulders. So when Ais took her mug, Gareth raised his own and Bell slowly his. They clinked mugs, Bell and Ais taking tiny, cautious sips.

"This is...interesting."

Ais licked a bit foam from her upper lip. "It´s tasty."

Both drank slowly and carefully.

"Phew, I feel so warm suddenly."

"That´s what dwarven beer is like. In the mountains this stuff helps you to stay warm, some sorts of beer are even better when they are hot."

They both didn´t needed to say much, Gareth saw that this short moment, this tiny gesture from him meant actually a lot to them. The old dwarf had decided, since Riveria was Ais´ foster mother and Bell´s "Mother-in-law", he would take it upon himself to give these two memories that they couldn´t get with their fathers, at least some of them.

Ais and Bell only drank this one mug, even when it contained only a little bit of alcohol, they didn´t wanted to get drunk. The dwarven beer made them feel warm and relaxed and more wouldn´t improve their mood.

The first ones to leave were Bete and Lena, she got tired early these days.

The party went on so long, that Mia had to stop them at some point, since her staff was barely able to stay awake. Since the Twillight Mansion was much further away from the pub than the Hearth Mansion, Hestia invited all of them to sleep there. Most of them agreed, even when there wasn´t much sleeping for some, they continued their party until the sun rose up.
Ais and Bell went to bed as soon as they arrived at the Mansion, they were really tired. Riveria made sure that the party didn´t went too far since she knew her familia members very well. It was a good thing that the Hearth Mansion had so many empty rooms and guest rooms. Bell was told that it wasn´t the first time that Loki Familia members slept here, during the preparation time for the Expeditions, some stayed so long that it was better to sleep here.
Yet there were still many familia members scattered all over the carpet in the big living room, four even slept sitting side by side on one of the couches. It was the best way to end an Expedition and the only real way that the Loki Familia knew.

.

But there should be something special about this night, when both fell asleep, Ais´ lower stomach shone for a moment.

.

When Bell woke up in the morning, he felt just great, even when it was late morning. The sun was warm and a slight breeze came through the opened window, Ais preffered to sleep like that, feeling the slight wind on her exposed skin. When he opened his eyes to look at Ais, she had never looked more beautiful to him. For him it was pretty obvious at the moment that she was a demi-spirit, she was too beautiful to be a mere mortal.
As if she felt his eyes on her, Ais opened her own and blinked to him.

"Be...ll?"

"Good morning, Ais."

"Mornin´..."

She pursed her lips and waited for the good morning kiss. The first one of the day always felt the best.

"Mmmmh, I think we should get up."

"Why?"

"The showers will soon be crowded I guess."

Ais nodded. "That makes sense."

But in contrast to what he said, Bell didn´t got up when Ais did, he remained in the bed and looked at her.

"Bell?"

No answer.

"Bell?"

Still no answer.

"What is with you?"

"Ais..."

"Hm?"

Bell pointed forward. "There..."

"Hu-Eh?!"

Ais looked down on herself to what Bell pointed at. Her belly...was bulging slightly.

.

.
"Hmmmm...hmmmmm...hmmmmm..."

"Ahm.."

"Hm?"

"Ms. Amid?"

"Yes?"

"What do you say?"

Ais looked a bit insecure up to Riveria, who stood by her side.

"I have never seen something like this before."

Riveria frowned. "What do you mean? Is Ais sick?"

"Not as far as I can say."

"Could you be more precise?"

Amid slowly waved with the tool in her hand, it was a small rod with a crystal ball on top...a ball that glowed golden.

"You two are aware what this tool does since I explained it to you."

Amid waved it again, she tended to do something like that when she explained something to a patient.

"Since it is glowing, it is safe to say...especially when we look at your swollen belly...that you are pregnant, Ms. Wallenstein."

Ais´ eyes widened, as did Riveria´s. Bell wasn´t present, the hospital didn´t allowed that.

"But what confuses me, normally it would glow blue if you would expect a boy, pink for a girl or a cooler shade of pink if it were twins of different genders. But now it glows golden and that confuses me."

Ais´ hand wandered to her slightly swollen belly. "I am...pregnant?"

"Yes. But as I said the color is confusing and the fact that your belly grew so suddenly, as if you already were at the end of your second month."

Riveria looked happy and worried at the same time. "How is that possible, Amid?"

"Hmm...Ms. Wallenstein, when was your last period?"

Ais looked confused up. "Period?"

"You know what a period is, don´t you?"

"Ahm...I think I heard some female members of our familia talk about it now and then."

Amid´s eyes wandered to Riveria, the question in her eyes was obvious.

Riveria looked even more worried. "Ais, did you ever experienced a period in your life?"

"I don´t think so, would I notice that?"

Amid nodded. "Absolutely."

Riveria sighed. "Hah...I thought you already know about it since you never asked what happened with your body. But to think you never had one..."

"Could you explain?"

Amid continued. "Let´s say it is a sign of your body maturing and become able to bear children."

"But what does that mean that I never had that?"

The healer nodded. "My guess, your blood. It would also explain this golden glow."

Riveria frowned again. "Her blood?"

Now Amid sat down on her chair. "We know that you are no human, Ms. Wallenstein. You told me that you are a demi-spirit or half-spirit, whatever is more fitting. We never heard of spirits having children before and even when they were able to, what your mother obviously was, we didn´t knew how that would work. It is slightly known by some people, that spirits can take on different forms."

Ais had to think about Jupiter for a moment, then about her mother, both had different forms. And Bell told her a story once about a spirit that looked like a feral horse.

"I can only guess that your mother didn´t got pregnant in the normal way, since she was no mortal to begin with. It would make no sense if your father and mother were compatible in that way. So maybe it was something that her body did in a different way."

"Hm."

"Did something changed or happened recently?"

"Uhm." Ais looked up as if she was in thoughts. "When Bell won against that minotaur, I thought that this was my hero, the future father of my child or children."

Riveria´s eyes widened by Ais´ words, did her little girl really matured so much?

"Hmmm, hmmm, hmmm...maybe it had something to do with your will. That you had to want to have a child. I´m sorry if this question is embarrassing, but when did you and your beloved had sex the last time?"

Ais got deep red indeed, Riveria did her a favor, covered her ears and looked away before Ais answered.

"Three days ago, on the 18th Floor, while we bathed together..."

It helped Ais that Amid was more professional than anything else. She showed Riveria a gesture that she could take her hands away.

"And did you feel weird or strange recently?"

"Hm, maybe a little bit, I thought it was just because I am happy."

"Again I can only guess, but maybe it is because your body is magical to begin with. Maybe the ball glows golden because your child isn´t a human, but a half- or demi-spirit as well, it would be like a half-elven child of a half-elf. They will always be halves and not something like a quarter-elf. So since we can´t ask your mother, maybe...and this is just a theory...maybe your mother separated a tiny part of her spirit essence and her body combined it with some of your father´s essence, to "create" you. Sorry I can´t think of a better word right now.
That could explain why you suddenly look like you are in your 8th week. That your body did that in your sleep and your baby is simply a bit bigger right away, so that you will only have to wait seven months, because I doubt that it will grow much faster now than normal. Again, that is just a theory. But it would make sense if it is different for you, because of what you are."

"So ahm...you can´t see the gender?"

"Normally the magic item would tell us, but not this time. But since it reacted, it is pretty safe to say this."

Amid smiled.

"Congratulation Ms. Wallenstein. You are pregnant."

Riveria and Amid got literally blinded when the soft golden wind appeared around Ais again, a visible sign of her immense happiness. The elf was so happy for Ais, and Amid was happy because she would get the chance to document the pregnancy of a half-spirit and the birth of another.

.

Around five minutes later, the happy howl of a rabbit echoed over Orario...at least a part of it.

The Loki Familia and Hestia Alliance would demand another party when they all were awake and sober enough to understand what Ais and Bell told them. Many wouldn´t believe it until Ais carefully exposed her slightly swollen belly.

Loki would laugh and cheer from happiness, then she, Finn and Gareth all turned around together and grinned to Riveria.

"Wh-What?"

"""Grandma Riveria."""

"Who is a Grandmother!?"

A very exciting and fascinating time for Bell and Ais began.

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.

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Author´s Note: The part about Ais´ pregnancy start may seem weird but I just thought there had to be something special or a trick to that, since in the story it was never explained how Albert and Aria could have a child.

We are slowly approaching the end.

I will write about the OEBD, but not as an ark, instead in a long epic a bit like the fight with Asterios, but longer and different. Basically a whole arc with all that happens there in one big chapter. Why I don´t write it as an separate arc, because the OEBD is THE big boss in Danmachi and I don´t think I could live up to it.

Jupiter. Is he just fanservice or a dumb, sudden idea? No, he has a reason before the end comes. But don´t worry, he is alseep most of the time to regain his bit of strength that he still has, so he won´t be constantly around Bell.

I have written all the planned arcs, now we move on to the last of them. But Ais and Bell won´t stay the whole time until the baby comes in Orario.

Since it is a bit similar to the end arc of LIke a Fairy, will all my stories end like this? Nope.

To answer Questions.

Ladis11: Bell´s left hand isn´t a complete prothesis. His bones are made from adamantium with the remains of Hakugen. But the flesh is a light pseudo version of his own, made by Fels´ alchemy. And yes he has a version of Alifa´s Magic. The smaller version "Argo Verion". Why didn´t he used it against Asterios? Because he didn´t wanted to win like that against his eternal rival.

kratos1991: I know and am sorry that this is kind of a logic hole there. I tried to write it as good as I could at that time, since he wasn´t really charmed by her. Like how his body didn´t reacted to her and he still mumbled Ais´ name. It should more show that Liaris Freeze was losing it´s power due to his despair. That he didn´t felt any other feeling that being hurt and despair, so strong that it suffocated any other feeling, until it ignited again.