Hello, and thank you again for tuning in to this story! I'm glad to see that this story blew up in popularity recently, and as promised I'm continuing this into a series!
I'm honestly really glad that more people wanted to see this story continue, as I have just been frothing at the mouth to keep on writing more. I have no idea how Danmachi x Bloodborne stories have such a massive following, but I'm all here for it lol.
I'm also glad to see the positive reception towards Meteria being the Paleblood Hunter. Part of me did consider having Alfia be the Hunter instead, but I decided to keep the concept of Meteria being the Hunter for a few reasons. Primarily, I wanted to write something different from the norm, as most Danmachi x Bloodborne stories either have an OC Hunter or have Bell be the Hunter instead. There's absolutely nothing wrong with these choices, but when I write fanfics I try to provide an original take. And besides, Alfia has already been the main focus of so many other Danmachi fics, so I decided to have Meteria be a prominent character for once. It also helps as Bloodborne and this story have heavy themes of motherhood and childbirth as well.
I really appreciate all the feedback I got from the previous chapter, and I would like to quickly go over some questions reviewers have left or might have.
For people wondering why Meteria seems so popular and attractive, well, have you seen the fan arts and AI artwork of Meteria and Alfia people keep posting? Y'all are down bad for Bell's mom and aunt lol. Jokes aside, I do have a slight lore explanation for it that goes into a major part of Meteria's backstory in Yharnam, and it will be slowly explored as the story continues. Don't worry, I don't have plans to pair Meteria up with anyone. If there's one thing I absolutely despise in any fanfic or story, it's NTR, and I will immediately quit a fanfic if it has the slightest hint of it. So if you were worried, then rest assured Bell will NOT get cucked by anyone, least of all by his mom haha!
I also sadly cannot go further into some things like why Meteria could join Hestia Familia if she has a Falna from Hera, or about Cassandra's prophecy without discussing spoilers, but it will be addressed at a later date.
I also hope to placate some people who might be worried that Meteria will overshadow Bell or take away from his journey and goals since she's the Paleblood Hunter. I understand where you're coming from, since Meteria is his mom and a main character. Rest assured, Bell will not be replaced nor will he be someone relegated to watching from the sidelines.
And for the people wondering if this is a Bell x Maria story? Well…
Lastly, I want to give my apologies to Mistalenny for misspelling the name of their fanfic in the previous chapter. Their actual fic is called Moon Haired Hunter, and again, if you haven't already read it, please give it a try. It's genuinely among the best Danmachi x Bloodborne fics out there, and among the best Bloodborne stories as well.
Without further ado, Fear the Old Blood (and R.I.P to those who were thirsting for a Bloodborne remaster at the PlayStation showcase. At least I got MGS3 remake and Talos Principle 2).
"…"
"…"
"…"
"Ehehe… uh…."
"U-um…."
"I-Is it really that strange?" Meteria asked, fidgeting in place shyly as she saw the rest of her newfound Familia looking at her Status Sheet.
After everyone had woken up following last night's chaotic events, Hestia, with Meteria's permission, had confided to Welf and Bell the discovery the girls made concerning Meteria's past pregnancy and missing child, before revealing her Status Sheet that she had drawn up while she was passed out on the bed.
Unsurprisingly, the entire Familia was in shock by what they had read. It was impossible for anyone to make heads or tails out of what was written, and important stats like Meteria's Level, Strength, Agility, or Magic were unknown. All that could be discernible were her Skills, which made Lily nearly pass out on the table.
"Damn…." Welf whistled in amazement, looking at Meteria's new Skills.
"I've heard of some Adventurers getting a Skill when receiving a Falna for the first time, but 3 at once? That's practically unheard of." Lily commented, reading the Skills section. "And frankly, these are some of the strongest Skills I have ever seen!"
"I-Is it really that odd?" Meteria asked.
"Of course it is! Just look at this [Coldblood] Skill of yours! Gaining Status while drinking blood!? With no limits or trade-offs!? Or even how you can heal yourself and others by drinking or giving blood!? These are absurd!" Lily yelled. "They're beyond broken! And all for a brand new Level 1!"
"But… did it really have to involve drinking blood?" Mikoto wondered, face growling slightly green at the implications of such requirements. "It's a bit hard for me to stomach, the idea of Lady Meteria killing monsters and sucking their blood."
Bell grew nauseous just imagining Meteria cutting open a Minotaur's throat and drinking straight from the source. Shaking his head to push that nasty image out of his mind, Bell decided to focus on the other Skill. "Um… how would this third Skill of yours work, Miss Meteria?"
"Oh, I think I have an idea!" Meteria answered. Reaching to her back pouch, she pulled out several syringes, a long, thin cord, and a couple of glass vials. "I remember a few things about blood transfusions. I can just draw some blood and transfuse it via injection."
"I'd rather not be in a situation where that's necessary, Lady Meteria." Lily muttered, face growing pale. "But… I guess this Skill can be useful. Running out of potions is a big risk when in the Dungeon, and unless we buy one of Miss Airmid's magic potions, we'd be vulnerable to any strong poisons or curses from Monsters. Having this Skill could help mitigate that, if only it were done via… other methods. And I don't like the idea of having Lady Meteria serving as a blood bank for us. It would feel wrong to take advantage of her like that."
"Well, it's not like we're gonna have to worry about encountering monsters that could hurt us that badly for a while now." Welf answered. "We're only made up of a Level 3, two Level 2's, and I'm assuming two Level 1's. Anything that would really cause us trouble would most likely be something from the Middle and Deep Floors."
"Ah, Lily forgot! We should probably bring Lady Meteria with us to the Dungeon to see how well she can fight. If that's alright with you?" Lily asked the woman in question.
"I'm still a bit lost on this whole thing, but if you think this is best, then I'll respect your choice." Meteria said, turning to Bell. "You're the Captain of the Familia, right? I'll go with whatever you say, regardless of your choice."
Bell frowned. Truthfully, even he thought Meteria's Skills were incredible, and it would be a boon if she could actually heal them just from giving her blood. But the thought of her stabbing herself with a needle to give them her blood left him feeling both unsettled, worried, and angry on the inside. Imagining her hurting herself for their sake left a bad taste in his mouth for reasons he couldn't understand, and he wanted nothing more than to keep her safe. "It's true, your Skills are really amazing, Miss Meteria. But, I'd rather not have it come to that. I think Welf's right. We won't be fighting anything that dangerous for a while, and even then I don't want you to hurt yourself. We'll just be careful and try to plan ahead."
Meteria nodded at his proposal, and put her instruments back. Lily, Mikoto, and Welf all nodded their heads in agreement, and Hestia, who remained noticeably quiet this entire time, clapped her hands together to draw their attention.
"Yosh! And with that, let's go over our plan for today! You four will take Miss Meteria to Miss Advisor and find out any info about her. If nothing comes up, then take her to the Dungeon and see how well she can fight. Mikoto and Bell can help her train if she's a bit less experienced, and we'll see about getting her any new clothes, armor, or weapons afterward. And I'll ask Také, Miach, and Hephaistos about Meteria as well. Any questions?"
When none were raised, Hestia then raised her fist and looked at them all with unrestrained pride.
"Then, let's start our journey together as a newly formed Familia!"
""Yes!""
"It's good to see you in such high spirits, Bell! Congratulations on your victory in the War Game!"
"Thank you, Miss Eina!"
Bell and his party were now outside the Guild office, waiting for the final bits of paperwork to be completed before they set off into the Dungeon. With the addition of Mikoto, Welf, Lily, and now Meteria into Hestia Familia, the Guild had to be notified of the new changes, and hopefully Eina could find some information on Meteria and her mysterious origins.
"Well, all the paperwork has been filled out. Welf Crozzo, Yamato Mikoto, and Liliruca Arde are now officially members of Hestia Familia! And with that, you're all now cleared to enter the Dungeon."
"Ah, actually Miss Eina, we just got a brand new member yesterday!"
Eina smiled at the good news. "That's great to hear Bell! I was worried that that rumor of Goddess Hestia being in a 200 million valis debt was true, but if you got a new member than surely those rumors were false!"
"Ehehe… anyways, let me introduce you to her!" Bell then walked away for a few seconds, before returning to Eina's stall with an older woman in tow.
"EH!?" Eina couldn't help but turn beet red seeing the beautiful snow-haired woman in front of her. 'W-Wow, she's gorgeous! How did Bell end up bringing her into his Familia!?'
"Um, Miss Eina, are you alright? Your face is all red."
"I'm fine!" Clearing her throat, Eina then straightened her glasses and adopted her professional face. "Nice to meet you! My name is Eina Tulle, and I'm Bell's Guild Advisor."
"Ah, it's a pleasure to meet you as well," the mysterious woman said, dipping into a refined bow. "My name is Meteria, and I just joined Bell's Familia yesterday. I was wondering if you could help me with something?"
"What do you need help with?"
"Miss Eina, is it okay if we spoke about it somewhere else? Miss Meteria needs help with something… personal to her." Bell said with a worried glance at her.
Eina nodded in understanding. "Alright, just follow me into the office over here."
…
…
…
(A short while later)
"T-That's horrible!" Eina said in shock, her hands covering her mouth.
Bell had just informed her of Meteria's amnesia as well as the possibility that she might have lost her child.
"I appreciate your sympathy, Miss Eina." Meteria said. "Bell and I were wondering if there are any records I might have, whether I was from Orario, and if I… have a child that's still alive."
"Of course, I'll try to find anything I can about you, but finding your child might be a bit more difficult." Eina said, to her chagrin. "It's just that without any descriptions or names, trying to find a missing child here in Orario will be like trying to find a fish in an ocean. There are a lot of orphans here in the city due to Adventurers dying in the Dungeon. There are a few orphanages I can investigate, but without either a name or what they look like, I won't be able to find anything. Is there anything at all you can think of or remember that can help us look for your child? Maybe a name, gender, hair and eye color, or even age?"
Meteria racked her brain, concentrating with all her might to try and dredge up any old memories. But like a transient dream, any recollections of her past remained shrouded in mystery. No matter how much she tried, she just couldn't come up with anything that could help identify who her missing child was, if she even had one at all.
'How awful a mother I must have been, to forget what my own kid looks like, or even their name.' Meteria thought somberly, her hand driving down towards her stomach.
"Please don't be sad, Miss Meteria." Bell said, pulling her out of her melancholy with a comforting squeeze of her hand. "I'm sure things will work out, and all of us will ask around for any clues."
"Thank you, Bell." Meteria smiled at the young boy, who turned slightly red in embarrassment.
"Well, if that's all you can come up with, then that's fine. At least I can find out more about yourself since I have your name and appearance." Eina said as she jotted down all they knew. "I'll ask the higher-ups and see if I find anything. If I do, I'll send a letter to the Hestia Familia home. Best of luck you two!"
As Eina walked back to her post, the two moon-haired Adventurers returned back to their Familia.
"No luck, huh?" Welf asked.
Meteria shook her head. "Sadly, nothing has come up so far. I guess it'll take some time before they find anything. Hopefully my memories can come back on their own in due time." She turned her head towards the entrance to the Dungeon. "Who knows, maybe with a little bit of practice I might be able to remember something."
"Oh, Hestia? What brings you here so early? I heard your Familia just went on a trip to the Dungeon?" Miach asked as he sat at a table in his Familia home.
True to her word, Hestia had gone out and went to her fellow gods in search of a possible connection any of them might have had to her newest Familia member. After asking around with Také and Hephaistos, Hestia then made her way to Miach's home, where she was surprised to see Cassandra and Daphne as his newest members.
Hestia told Miach about Meteria and some of the things she learned about her, including her amnesia and the presence of the C-section scar. Miach's expression turned more and more sour the more he heard of Meteria's backstory, or lack thereof.
"That… was quite concerning. I'm guessing neither Také nor Hephaistos found anything about her?"
"Yeah, Také said he never met a woman named Meteria in the Far East or in Orario, and even Hephaistos said she's never heard of her, nor have any of her smiths. I was hoping maybe you might have heard of her?"
Miach closed his eyes. "I'm sorry, but I've never seen a woman named Meteria before."
"As if we need any more pretty women near Lord Miach." Nazha said in an irritated voice as she brought drinks for the two gods.
"Hm? Why would you say that?"
"Sigh, why is my god such a dense blockhead?"
"? But, your story does sound a little familiar to me, Hestia."
Hestia leaned forward. "Really?"
A frown marred Miach's face. "It was around 14-15 years ago, back when my Familia was still quite large and some time after Zeus and Hera Familia fell to the Black Dragon. Evilus had just started causing havoc in Orario, and the entire city began to fall into chaos. My Familia and I alongside Dian Cecht and his children were quite busy at the time treating the wounded and providing shelter to civilians and Adventurers. It was around this time while I was away that someone came to my Familia home."
"Who?"
"A young girl, around 17 years old. From what I've heard from some of my other members who were present at the time, she was heavily pregnant and about to go into labor. The best healers in my Familia who weren't involved in treating the wounded took her in and helped her through the process. She never named herself, and she never told anyone her identity.
Eventually, the woman did give birth, but it was a very messy process. Partway through the birth, the child was being choked by its own umbilical cord. They had no choice but to perform an emergency C-section to try and save the child's life."
Hestia nearly jumped out of her seat in shock. "Wait, could this have been-?!"
Miach raised his hand. "I know what you are thinking, but sadly I cannot verify if they were the same person or not. I was away from our home at that time because of a recent attack by Evilus in the town square. From what my old Familia members told me, the girl had been in labor for several days, and after the C-section was complete, she sadly passed away from blood loss as well as from complications from her own illness. And that's when things started taking a turn for the worse."
"How so?" Nazha asked, her curiosity increased.
Miach grimaced. "I'll warn you that it isn't for the faint of heart. After the girl's death, reportedly a god came by saying that she was a part of their Familia, and her last wish was for them to take care of the child if she died. At first, the men and woman who treated her had refused, saying that they should wait until I came back, but the god was insistent, and under threat from their Divinity, they relented. The child was taken away by that god, and never seen again."
"Lord Miach, how long were you gone?" Nazha asked.
"I was away from home for several days, as Evilus, led by a woman named by the gods as Arachne, caused a massacre near one of the markets. Entire droves of civilians were stabbed or slaughtered, and I and a few others alongside Dian Cecht and his followers spent several days just treating the wounded. By the time I returned home, things had gone from bad to worse."
"How so?"
"From what the others told me, the Familia members who treated the young girl refused to bury or cremate the body after her death. At first, they were uncertain of what to do with the corpse, but then they started developing a… morbid fascination with the girl. They first started probing her body one day, and then the next they started draining and studying the girl's blood. Eventually, they grew even more fascinated with the corpse, and started to… dissect it. This went on for several days, and everyone was too scared to even voice their concerns. The medics who treated her grew more and more insane, shouting at everyone to not disturb them even when more and more people showed up at our home for treatment. They refused to exit the room, and because everyone was so swarmed and overworked, no one was able to send me a message on what was going on."
"That's horrible…."
"By the time I had gotten back home, everyone was on edge. No one wanted to enter the room, especially after one member mentioned hearing crazy laughter and the sounds of someone… drinking and eating something. In a room where there was no food inside. When I entered the room, what I saw on the operating table…." Miach swallowed heavily, the hand holding his cup of tea shaking. "The girl's body… was completely butchered. I couldn't even tell that the corpse belonged to a girl until someone told me what happened. They dissected every inch of her. Brain, heart, breasts, stomach, even her womb. I even found bite marks all over the body. And worst of all, they were all huddling in prayer and taking turns devouring her flesh and lavishing their affections on… her umbilical cord.
I had never been more furious in my entire existence than at that moment. The utter disrespect towards that girl's body, what they did to it in their insanity, I couldn't let pass. It was a blasphemy against everything my Familia and I stand for. I banished them from my Familia, and kicked them all out. To my fury, they stole the child's umbilical cord, and that was the last time I saw them again. I cremated her, and tried to sweep the incident out of my mind. The rest of my Familia never really recovered from what happened."
Hestia swallowed nervously. "W-What happened to them afterward?"
"Most of those who were banished ended up dying soon afterward. And unfortunately, I learned from Astraea Familia that one of them had joined Evilus. As for what happened to that umbilical cord they stole, I don't know."
"Lord Miach…." Nazha whispered worriedly. She had never seen her god this distressed before. Not since the time they lost all their Familia members as a result of their poverty.
"I'm sorry for upsetting you, Nazha." Miach said, gently patting her head. "This all happened long before you joined, and I didn't feel it was something you should have known about when you first became a part of my Familia. Those who remembered the incident never spoke about it much. Probably wanted to avoid bringing up bad memories."
Hestia remained quiet, slowly digesting the information from that morbid story. Finally, she slumped into the table and sighed. "I guess that rules out Meteria being that pregnant girl. I'm guessing you confirmed whether that girl had truly passed away?"
"Hestia, I have seen the corpses of many Adventurers during my time in Orario. Many of whom were beyond saving, or had injuries so severe that they passed out in shock. None of those ever came close to the state that girl's body was in. It was nothing more than a pile of rotting flesh by the time I cremated it. I couldn't recognize any parts of her face. And even back then, I never heard from the god who took her child, or any of my old Familia members."
"Well, thanks again for trying to help, Miach, and sorry for bringing up something you'd rather forget." Hestia bowed in apology. "I guess that's all the leads I have. Here's hoping Miss Advisor can come up with something."
As she waved back and left Miach's home, her thoughts drifted back toward the strange symbols on Meteria's back that appeared when she first gave her her Falna.
She heard about how gods can hide their children's Falna, and Hestia resolved to ask Hephaistos how to do this as soon as possible.
Though indecipherable even for gods, those strange runes were a terrible omen. Had she mentioned the existence of those runes to Miach, who knows how he would react.
There was only one other person she could really talk to concerning them, and she prayed that it wouldn't affect her Familia. Jealousy aside, she didn't want to lump any more troubles on the poor woman.
She could only pray that this wasn't a sign of things to come.
"So this is the Dungeon." Meteria muttered.
Bell couldn't help but smile seeing her immense fascination with the First Floor. It reminded him of the first time he went inside the Dungeon as well, constantly looking around with awe at the place that had been a part of so many stories.
He hoped that Meteria wouldn't embarrass herself as thoroughly as he did on his first day. Even to this day, he still turns beet red at the memory of him running straight back to Goddess Hestia after killing one goblin.
"Right, and it's important to remember that Monsters will usually spawn from the Dungeon walls." Lily lectured, arming her crossbow. Welf and Mikoto were more relaxed, but kept their hands near their weapons in case things got out of hand. "Try to remember the paths we take, and most importantly, never become complacent. The Dungeon can be unpredictable, and you never know when an Irregular might appear. Always be prepared to face the unknown."
"Fear the unknown, huh?" Meteria muttered, seemingly lost in thought.
A few minutes later, the group heard the sound of the wall crumbling. Like a newborn child birthed into the world, the wall broke apart, showing a small goblin emerging head-first, before falling onto the ground. It shook its head, before meeting their gaze.
"That's a goblin, Lady Meteria." Lily warned. "It's the weakest monster of the Dungeon, but it can still be a threat to civilians and brand new Adventurers. Try to take it out."
"We'll be right behind you in case things go wrong." Welf said. "Don't be too nervous, just swing your weapon and try to not damage the Crystal inside the monster's chest. We harvest those to get money at the Guild."
Meteria nodded, her eyes never leaving the goblin. Instinctively, she slightly bent her knees, and her left hand drifted towards the cylindrical object by her waist.
The goblin focused its gaze on her, and in a roar of indignation, it ran straight towards her, claws extended.
In a flash, Meteria grabbed the cylindrical object from her waist and aimed it at the incoming monster, squeezing her index finger down on a mechanism near the end.
A loud boom echoed across the floor, making everyone jump up in the air in shock as a small projectile shot out from the end of the object, moving at an incredibly fast speed straight towards the goblin. In less than a second, the goblin's head burst open, pieces of its brain, bones, and eyeballs shooting out as the projectile shot right through its skull. With a heavy slump, the monster's body skidded on the ground, it's legs and arms slightly twitching in death.
Meteria turned around and saw everyone staring at her in a mixture of shock and confusion. "Hm? Did I do something wrong?"
"Lady Meteria, what was that?" Lily asked, looking on with curiosity at the object in her left hand. "Was that a weapon, or some kind of magic sword!? I've never seen anything like it before!? I couldn't even see what hit it!?"
"Where did you get something like that?" Welf asked, his curiosity peaking as he saw the object. Even he had never seen anything like it before, and he had seen many a smith's creations while at Hephaistos Familia. The closest he could compare it to was a crossbow, but crossbows were never that loud, and he didn't see a single arrow on the weapon.
"Um, I just remembered what it was called. This is a Repeating Pistol." Meteria said, holding out the weapon for everyone to see.
"That's quite a weapon, Lady Meteria!" Mikoto said. "Although I didn't expect it to make such a loud noise."
"And it killed that Goblin so fast too." Bell said. "It almost reminds me of my own Magic, though without any of the fire."
"Heads up, more monsters incoming!" Lily shouted, pointing her crossbow down the tunnel.
As if attracted by the loud noise, more spots opened up in the walls of the tunnel they were on, and more and more monsters spouted forth. Licking their tongues in hunger, they focused on the group walking towards them, and began running towards them.
"More monsters are coming, Lady Meteria. Are you able to handle them on your own?" Lily asked, arm still outstretched to shoot down the monsters at a moment's notice. "If it's too much, we can take it from here."
"That won't be necessary," Meteria said, placing the pistol back into its holster, and instead reaching her right hand out towards the blade at her waist. Pulling the curved sword out, rather than start swinging, she instead moved it closer toward her back, where the same folded up wooden pole was resting. With a flick of her wrist, she snapped the end of her blade to the pole, and to the shock of the others, the blade transformed into a makeshift scythe, extending far past her body height, and glimmering with a silver glow.
Letting her scythe rest on her back, Meteria kept her hands at the ready as the horde of monsters approached her. The rest of her Familia hastily pulled out their weapons to attack, but their concerns soon fell dead, as with a flick of her arm, she slashed out in a move that even Bell with his Level 3 enhanced vision couldn't follow. In less than a second, the entire horde was sliced apart by the blade, dicing their bodies into pieces as a spray of blood and guts burst forth.
Flicking the drops of blood off of her blade, Meteria turned around to the others, staring at her with open mouths.
"So… how did I do?"
"Hey, L'il Lily? Are you sure Meteria's a Level 1?" Welf muttered.
"Lily has no idea anymore." Said Prum muttered as the Familia rested on the 18th floor.
Bell chuckled nervously as he kept watch over Meteria, who was jumping up and down with glee at the sight of the lush forest and crystalline ceiling of the Under Resort.
To his and the other's massive surprise and shock, Meteria was far stronger than any Level 1 could possibly be. She had single-handedly slaughtered her way past every floor they had gone through without even breaking a sweat. Wall Shadows, Goblins, Ogres, Infant Dragons, even Minotaurs were no match for her. With a simple flick of her scythe, which she remembered was called the Burial Blade (making Lily shudder at the implications), she sliced and diced her way past every threat on their way. What started as a simple foray into the First Floor eventually turned into a rather boring walk for him and the others all the way down to the 18th floor.
Even more disturbingly, at some points Meteria had run her finger across her blade, picking up droplets of blood and licking them up. Bell and the others had recoiled after seeing that, and he begged Meteria not to do that again, regardless of her Skills. Thankfully, she agreed, and instead began absorbing blood directly through her hands as she placed her hand on the dead monsters, the rivers of blood flowing into her arm and through her skin. Everyone had decided to not look at her when she did that.
To say they were shocked by Meteria's strength was a massive understatement. Neither he nor the others had even touched their weapons this entire trip down to the 18th floor. Meteria was so fast that she killed every single monster that showed up in front of them before anyone could even lift their weapon. To his immense surprise, Bell couldn't even see Meteria's movements or attacks, her body dashing at such high speeds that he completely lost sight of her every time she went into combat. And that wasn't even what startled him the most about her.
'She's fast. Even faster than Miss Aiz.'
Bell had seen his crush and mentor fight before. Back when the two of them and Hestia were ambushed by those black-clad Adventurers, he had seen Aiz truly fight without holding back, and he was completely amazed by how fast and strong she was. Even when the enemies were just as strong as her, Aiz had held her ground and fought without any difficulty.
Meteria had put that entire fight to shame.
Without a doubt, she was way faster, and much stronger than even the Sword Princess. And for the life of him, Bell couldn't understand how or why.
Just how strong was she? Was Meteria a Level 6? Or… even higher!?
"Master Bell? You've met with the Sword Princess before, right? How strong do you think Lady Meteria is compared to her?" Lily asked.
"Without a doubt, she's far stronger and faster than Miss Aiz." Bell said confidently, feeling both saddened and delighted by the news simultaneously.
"Just as Lily thought." She sighed in exasperation. "Just what kind of person came to our doorstep yesterday? Lily thought at first that it was just another woman trying to seduce Master Bell, and instead we have an amnesiac woman with a possible missing child, and somehow stronger than even First-Tier Adventurers. Ahh! Lily's head is about to burst from all this!" She rubbed her head with her hands, ruffling her hair.
"Then, does this mean that Lady Meteria might be a member of maybe Loki or Freya Familia?" Mikoto asked.
"Lily doesn't think so, otherwise Master Bell's advisor would have known about her. It's possible that Lady Meteria might be from outside Orario."
"But how would someone from outside Orario get this strong without the Dungeon? And she still looks pretty young too." Welf wondered.
"Well, there is that Knight of Knights person, who's said to be the only other Level 7 in the world, and who's not from Orario. But aside from him, Lily can't think of anything else. Lily wishes that Lady Meteria's Falna could have told us her Level, otherwise we'll now have to be careful with someone seeing her."
"Huh, why is that?" Bell asked her.
"We are currently ranked as a D-rank Familia, since Master Bell is a Level 3, and we have two Level 2's and two Level 1's." Lily explained. "This means that we'll have to pay taxes according to our rank, and go on expeditions as our rank specifies. However, if another Adventurer or someone in the Guild sees Lady Meteria's strength and checks our records, then they'll notice that Lady Meteria's strength doesn't match her Level. The Guild will think we are purposefully lying about her Level and would then fine us for falsifying records, on top of increasing our Familia Rank, making us pay even more taxes and forcing us to go on more dangerous expeditions!"
"Somehow I knew it would revolve around money, L'il Lily." Welf sighed, scratching the back of his head. "And besides, it's not like this is a bad thing. Worst comes to worst, Lady Meteria can go on more difficult quests than the rest of us, and the deeper you go, the better the loot drops and Magic stone costs. At least we won't have to worry about going hungry."
"But Lady Meteria has never gone down the Dungeon before until today, and who knows if this is a fluke or something!" Lily said. "We can't just have her go down into a place or Floor she's never been to before and ask her to go kill monsters! What if something goes wrong!?"
"Sir Bell, what are your thoughts on the matter?" Mikoto asked.
Bell thought quietly for some time. "I do think that Miss Meteria being so strong is a good thing for us, but if Lily's right, then we should try to keep her strength as secret as possible, at least until we figure out if she belonged to another Familia before us. I can ask Miss Eina for some extra notes about the Lower Floors, and even ask Miss Aiz if need be. I'll keep it a secret for now."
"Hi, everyone! Why are you all so glum? This place is amazing!"
Completely unperturbed by the rather subdued mood, Meteria jogged up to them, still sporting a wide smile on her face. "You weren't lying when you said this place was like a resort! I've never seen something so beautiful before! And to think this was all down in the Dungeon!"
Welf let out a small laugh. "Yeah well, the last time we were on the 18th floor, some crazy stuff happened so we aren't as happy about it as you are."
"? What could have gone wrong in a place like this? Anyways, there's so much I want to see! Bell, come show me around!"
"Huh!? Wait, Miss Meteria!?" Bell stuttered as Meteria grabbed his hand and pulled him with her on a jog across the grassy fields. "W-Where are we going!?"
"I don't know! Show me around! I want to see more!" Meteria let out a laughter full of unrestrained joy, running and skipping across the fields as she dragged the young boy with her.
Her mood was infectious, and soon even Bell found himself smiling and laughing alongside her. "Okay, then follow me! There's an entire town down here too!"
"No way! Really!? Please, please show me!"
As the two happily ran towards Rivira, Welf let out a chuckle.
"Well, it seems those two get along pretty well, don't they L'il Lily?" He said teasingly to the young Prum.
"No they won't! Not if I have anything to say about it!" She pushed herself off the ground and ran towards the two. "Master Bell! Wait for me!"
"That was so fun! Let's go again sometime soon!" Meteria said cheerfully as she carried a heaping bag of Valis in her hand.
She and Bell had explored much of the 18th floor alongside Lily, Welf, and Mikoto, and despite their initial confusion and apprehension, the tension slowly ebbed away and the entire Familia found themselves greatly enjoying their time in Rivira. After guiding Meteria away from the lustful gazes of the Adventurers there (which she remained blissfully ignorant of), they all relaxed in the cool pools of water that made the Under Resort so special and eventually made their way out of the Dungeon. With Meteria once again slicing and dicing her way forward, the rest of the Familia was relegated to simply picking up Monster Crystals. Their bags completely overflowing, they made their way to the Guild and cashed in a hearty sum.
"I'm glad that you enjoyed yourself, Miss Meteria." Bell said with a smile. "But just remember that the Dungeon isn't all like that. Most of the Floors will be pretty dangerous."
"Don't worry, everyone! I'll be sure to protect you all when danger comes!"
"Alright! Let's go celebrate our first expedition as a new Familia!" Welf yelled.
"You want to splurge again!? Didn't we already just celebrate yesterday?"
"What's the harm? Meteria did all of the work back there, and since we didn't have to spend anything in Rivira, we got a ton of Valis! Why not head to the Benevolent Mistress and celebrate?"
"Oh, it'll be my first time eating there, Lady Lily!" Mikoto said excitedly. "I've heard so much about the food there!"
"It'll also be nice to introduce Miss Meteria to the Benevolent Mistress, as well as Miss Syr and Miss Ryu. Maybe those two might know something more about her?" Bell added.
"See? Outvoted 3 to 1, L'il Lily!" Welf said teasingly, making Lily sigh.
"I guess it wouldn't be too much trouble since we did make a lot of money."
Bell lightly patted Lily's head, making her turn red and smile. "Alright, let's head to the Benevolent Mistress!"
…
…
…
…
"So, how's the new Hestia Familia doing these days?" Miss Mia said with a grin on her face as she placed their orders on the table. "I see you got yourself a new face here! Who's the little cutie?"
"Nice to meet you, Miss Mia!" Meteria said cheerfully. "You have a wonderful tavern! I can't wait to try out your food as well!"
Mia let out a laugh. "Glad to have made a good first impression! And I'm positive you'll enjoy my cooking as well."
"Though, you do seem a little bit familiar. Have we met somewhere before?" Mia then asked, which caused everyone to draw in a breath.
"Miss Mia, you've seen Miss Meteria before!?" Bell asked.
"Hmm, not really. Never met a gal named Meteria before, but I can't shake the feeling that I have seen her, or someone that looks like her." Mia glanced closer at her. "Maybe it's the eyes, or maybe the hair?"
Bell casted a worried glance at Meteria. "Well, if you learn anything new, can you let us know? Meteria doesn't remember much of her past, and we're trying to find anyone who might know about her."
Mia waved her hand. "Eh, no worries. If I remember anything, I'll let ya know. For now, just enjoy the food and drink, and spend as much as ya can here!"
"Ehehe."
"Ah, Mr. Bell!"
Just as Miss Mia left, Ryu and Syr made their way towards their table.
"Ah, Miss Syr! And Miss Ryu! How are you both doing?"
"Ehehe, we're doing well, but we should be asking you that! How did recruiting for your Familia go?"
"Uh… well, let's say that things didn't go as planned, but we got a new Familia member!" Bell pointed to Meteria, who was happily drinking her juice, having declined alcohol.
"Hm? Ah, you were the one we bumped into that day!"
"You two know each other?" Bell asked.
"We merely bumped into each other by accident. This woman was telling us about her missing memories, and we suggested to her that she try her luck with the Guild." Ryu said, her eyes never straying from Meteria. "Mr. Cranel, do you find this woman trustworthy?"
"Eh? Of course we do!"
"Well then, I'll trust your judgment, but keep in mind that she is more than what she seems."
"Ah, you should have seen her! We went to the Dungeon earlier today, and even as a Level 1, she fought off everything all the way to the 18th floor!"
Ryu's eyes narrowed. 'All the way to the 18th floor as a Level 1!? Even Mr. Cranel made it to the 18th as a Level 2.'
"Master Bell, we said we should keep it secret!" Lily warned.
"Ah, sorry, my bad!"
"That's okay, Bell!" Meteria replied. She then turned to the two waitresses. "It's nice to see you two again! My name is actually Meteria, and thank you both for your advice! I never would have joined Hestia Familia if it weren't for your guys' suggestions!"
"Thank you, Miss Meteria! How has it been with Hestia Familia so far?"
"It's wonderful! Everyone is so nice, and they're all very hard-working and compassionate people. I'm thankful that I was able to join them!"
As the two continued their conversation, Ryu remained lost in thought.
'Meteria? Why does that name sound so… familiar? Just where did I hear it before?'
She was certain she had never met the woman before, not even when she was with Astraea Familia, but for some reason, part of her felt like she had seen Meteria before.
Did she meet someone who looked like her? But why did the name sound so familiar? Just where did she hear it?
Looking closely at the woman, Ryu couldn't recall ever meeting anyone with her features. Her hair was as pale as the moon, and her eyes glistened like priceless sapphires. Features that she never encountered on a person before.
If anything, Meteria seemed to remind her somewhat of Mr. Cranel.
"Miss Ryu? Are you alright?"
"Huh? Ah, I'm fine, Mr. Cranel. I was just lost in thought for a moment."
She shook her head. She still might have some misgivings, but she learned long ago to trust Bell's instincts. If he found her trustworthy then there's no reason to doubt him. If even Mord had a change of character after meeting him, then she was sure that Meteria wouldn't harm him.
After all, she was also someone who held her hand without rejection. Surely that had to count for something.
…
…
…
(Some time later)
"Ah, that was a wonderful dinner! Bell, let's go again sometime soon!"
"Haha, next time when we get the chance"
"Aw, why didn't you invite me too, Bell!? And most importantly, how did your guys' trip to the Dungeon go?" Hestia asked.
Shortly after finishing their food, Bell and his friends had bid farewell to Ryu and Syr and headed back home, where Hestia was waiting for them.
"It went much better than expected. Miss Meteria is far stronger than she looks. She took us all the way down to the 18th floor without breaking a sweat."
"EH!? AS A LEVEL 1!?"
"Goddess Hestia, are you sure that Miss Meteria is a Level One? We could get into trouble for lying to the Guild about having a First-Tier Adventurer."
Hestia sighed and picked up Meteria's Status Sheet. "I can't even tell what's written on here aside from her Skills. Everything else is complete mumbo-jumbo, even for me. I even asked around and so far no one has ever heard of Meteria before."
"So, I came from outside Orario?"
"Could be, or maybe you were just unnoticed for a long time in the City. But if you really are a First-Tier Adventurer, then it at least can help us narrow down options. Maybe Loki or Freya might have heard of you, but talking to them is a bit…."
Her musings were cut off as a knock came from the front door.
"Again? Let me go check."
Hestia opened the door and quickly returned. "Mikoto, it's your friend from Také's Familia."
"Eh? Who could it be at this hour?" Mikoto asked before making her way to the front door. She quickly recognized her friend Chigusa, and the rest of the Familia watched on as Chigusa quietly muttered something to Mikoto, whose jaw hung from her face as she took in what she said.
"Huh!? You mean, she's really-!?"
Those were the only words they could hear as Mikoto quickly closed the door and headed upstairs, stating that she wished to retire for the night. Bell, Lily, Welf, and Meteria looked on with confusion, and unbeknownst to the moon-haired Hunter, the three shared a nod amongst themselves.
"Wait, what!? Why the hell are they going in there!?"
Welf and Lily couldn't help but shake their heads while Bell and Meteria's faces turned beet red in embarrassment.
After the trio noticed Mikoto's unusual behavior earlier that evening, Welf and Lily suggested they follow her discreetly to make sure she didn't get into any trouble. Bell was reluctant but decided to follow along, and Meteria was unceremoniously dragged along.
Never in their right mind did they expect Mikoto of all people to venture into the Pleasure District, joined by her friend Chigusa as they wandered through the streets, faces as red as the two Moon haired Adventurers tailing them.
"Gods, I still can't get used to this smell."
"Mr. Welf, did you actually come here before!?"
"I got dragged by some of my old fellow smiths back when I was in Hephaistos Familia. It wasn't for me, so I left pretty quickly."
"Hey! Hands off-!" Lily made to yell at an Elven woman who tried to touch Bell, but Meteria beat her to the punch, pulling Bell to her side and wrapping an arm around him.
"Miss Meteria, are you alright? You've been frowning ever since we first stepped here." Bell asked, untangling himself from her.
"I don't know. For some reason, the moment I heard you guys talk about prostitutes, I started having this odd feeling of deja vu. Something about this seems a bit familiar."
"Wait, you're starting to remember something?" Welf asked. "Uh… does that mean that you were once…?"
"No!" Meteria turned even more red. "Not like that! I-I mean that, maybe I knew a prostitute once. No, not like that either! Argh, it's so hard to explain, but I swear I never went to see a prostitute for that!"
Welf put his hands up in surrender. "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that. But if you did meet a prostitute here, maybe someone here might know of you?"
"We should try to steer clear of this place, Mr. Welf." Lily said. "Remember that this isn't friendly territory. The entirely of this district is owned and controlled by Ishtar Familia, who is far stronger than our Familia. Sure, Lady Meteria is strong, but one person won't be enough to hold off a Familia with hundreds of Upper-tier Adventurers. Let's just find Miss Mikoto and leave as soon as possible."
"Alright, and um, Miss Meteria? You can let go of me now." Bell added, to which said person pulled him into his embrace protectively.
"No! I don't know why, but every fiber of my body is telling me that this place is bad for you! You're not leaving my side for the rest of this trip!"
"Miss Meteria!" Bell cried out in embarrassment.
Despite the rather subdued mood, Welf and Lily couldn't help but chuckle at Meteria's overprotectiveness. Eventually, after some lengthy begging from Bell, he finally managed to pull himself free from her embrace, resulting in Meteria pouting for the remainder of their trip.
Eventually, the group found Mikoto and Chigusa surrounded and teased by a group of gods, just as a huge crowd of men and women surged forth for an evening special. Gently pushing people aside, the group managed to pull the two girls away.
…
…
…
"I see, I understand where you two are coming from, but remember that this place is owned by Ishtar Familia. We can't afford to anger a stronger Familia, especially after we just settled down." Lily lectured to the two.
"I'm sorry about your friend." Meteria said, lightly patting Mikoto's head. "Once we get out of here, maybe we can ask around at the Guild for any information about her."
"Hey, where's Bell?" Welf asked.
For some reason, Meteria's heart turned to ice, and a heavy feeling of loss and anger surged through her being.
"You've got to be kidding me!" Lily yelled. "Lily knew something like this would happen!"
"I'm going to go find him!" Meteria yelled. She bent her knees, and to the surprise of the others, jumped several feet into the air, landing on the rooftops before jumping from roof to roof.
"Oi! Where's she going!?"
"Forget that, we need to go search for Master Bell before he loses his virginity!"
(Some time later...)
"Why… why does this keep happening to me!?" Bell cough out, breathing heavily as he race through another intersecting part of Daedalus Street.
His night couldn't have gotten any worse than it already had. One minute he was with the rest of his Familia looking for Mikoto, the next he was given an aphrodisiac by Lord Hermes, then he got chased by a bunch of Amazons aiming for his virginity, was rescued by a lovely Renard named Haruhime, found himself lost in Daedalus Street, met up with Loki Familia, nearly got a heart attack after Aiz smelled musk on him, and then started running for his life after Aiz accidentally spilled the aphrodisiac all over the grumpy elf Lefiya. The forest fairy had been beside herself with rage, and just like in the Under Resort she had chased him around all over again.
Though his new Status as a Level 3 made it much easier for him to lose her, he couldn't risk slowing down for a second lest the elf somehow find him once more, especially since she knew the layout of Daedalus Street far better than him.
He doubted Lefiya would ever let him go after this.
And so Bell, like the little white rabbit he was, kept on running away from the monster that was ready to bash his skull in with her staff.
Only to run right into the jaws of an even more fearsome predator.
Bell had been so lost in his fear of the Elven girl that he never noticed the young woman exited a nearby alley. He crashed right into her, and bizarrely, the sensation was akin to him smashing right through a brick wall. He landed painfully on his rear end while the person he crashed into turned around and looked down at him.
"I-I'm so sorry!" Bell immediately went into a full dogeza, refusing to even lift his head an inch feel. The ground. "I was running from someone and I didn't notice you!"
The silent, rustling of boots moved closer to him, and he felt a gloved hand gently latch onto his chin. His head was slowly lifted off of the ground, making him raise his head to look at her.
His eyes widened in surprise. The woman he bumped into had a nearly haunting beauty about her. Her silvery-gray eyes never once wavered from his as she took in his entire appearance. Her platinum-blonde hair, nearly as pale as his, glistened in the moonlight that illuminated the two. She was dressed in a strange combination of leather gloves, trousers, and boots with a dark navy coat, a frothy white cravat covering her upper chest and neck, a brown shoulder cloak, and a sleek, leather cap that reminded him of Meteria's own hat. Her attire also reminded him of the clothes nobles would wear, combined with the practicality of light armor to allow the user to move swiftly on their feet, just like how he dressed.
"Are you alright? Are you cold?" The woman asked in a soothing voice, one that drew him in.
"N-No, I'm fine, Miss?"
"You can address me as Lady Maria."
"Ah, I'm sorry for bumping into you, Lady Maria! I swear, it was a complete accident!" Bell stuttered.
Lady Maria never once stopped examining him closely with her silver-gray eyes. Raising him up back to his feet, her hand never left his chin, and as Bell stood up he was quite surprised to see just how tall she was compared to him. He was never the tallest of Adventurers, but Lady Maria stood a good head taller than him.
"A-Anyways, I shouldn't be troubling you any further, so I'll take my leave!" Bell hastily said, trying to back away.
Maria's hand quickly but gently clasped his cheek, and to his embarrassment, she pulled him to her, her body leaning down as she moved her nose towards his neck, taking a lengthy sniff of him.
"HUH!? W-W-What are you doing!?" Bell muttered in embarrassment, his face turning a familiar deep red. 'Don't tell me she can smell the musk on me!? Even after running for my life for so long, all that sweat didn't wash it away by now!?'
But to his surprise, rather than turn her face away in disgust, her eyes slightly widened in curiosity, recognition, and a tinge of regret?
"I recognize this scent. This blood, flowing through your veins. So, you really are my…"
"Eh?"
"Nay, never mind. Such things are behind me. Who are you?"
"Me? I'm Bell. Bell Cranel." Bell replied.
"Bell Cranel? How curious. Tell me, what brings a Little Hunter such as yourself, wandering around this labyrinth?"
And that's where I'll leave things for now!
Sorry if this chapter felt a little bit jumpy and disorganized. My classes will be starting up again and I wanted to push this chapter out before things got busy for me. Sadly, I had to massively truncate this chapter, which is why it might appear that things were jumping around a lot so please forgive me. The next chapter will not have this issue, and things will appear much more linear and more organized.
Had I tried to include more, then I would have ended up just copying and pasting a lot of stuff from the novels and the SS story, which is why I tried to fast forward through much of Bell's escape from the Pleasure Quarter. Again, I apologize if this chapter was a little bit all over the place.
This will be the point where more of the Bloodborne parts of the story will trickle in. I didn't want to do what most other fanfics do, where most of Bloodborne's story is shoved into the first chapter to get people up to speed. One of my goals with this story is to have the Bloodborne story be slowly revealed over time as Meteria starts to regain her memories. Finding the secrets of the unknown and finding answers will be a pivotal part of this story, and as Meteria starts to regain her memories of the Hunt, she will then be able to gain an understanding of the supernatural events that are plaguing Orario.
And lastly, Lady Maria has finally made it to the story! If you're excited to see her, then you'll be pleased to know that she'll be popping up quite a lot throughout! I would have liked to show more, but unfortunately I had to cut out a massive portion of her scenes from this chapter for brevity and to avoid jumping around. We'll return with her in the next chapter, as more of Bloodborne's elements appear. I'll leave you guys to speculate as to why she's here.
Basically, these first couple of chapters are mainly set up, so I do apologize if the plot seems to be at a slow start. Next chapter things will start to get more interesting and more organized.
Again, thank you all for all the support and love you gave for this silly little story of mine. I'm by no means a decent writer, so it warms my heart seeing the excitement you guys gave for this fic. Feel free to share your thoughts and criticisms in your reviews, and if you feel that something needs to be changed then I'll go and edit this chapter.
Till we meet again!
