AN:
Bell and Ryuu's match was going much differently this time. In her initial attack on Bell, Ryuu had gone much slower. She had allowed him time to raise up his daggers to defend himself like she had taught. She also held back most of her strength as to not crush his arms during the times he did block. While he was still painfully new to this, at least this time he didn't require healing.
After sparring for the first few hours of the day, stopping in between rounds for Ryuu to give Bell some tips, the two had decided to stop for the time being. Bell was panting heavily and wouldn't be able to stand much longer.
"How are you feeling Bell?" Asked Ryuu, walking up to him.
"Good... I'm feeling... good." Said Bell between breaths.
"Here, drink." Said Ryuu, handing Bell a cup of water. "We still have a long way to go before I think Alise will let you into the dungeon, but for your first real day of training, you did pretty well."
Hearing the praise he was receiving from Ryuu made him turn a light shade of red and look away.
"Thank you Miss Ryuu. But it's only because I have such a good teacher" replied Bell, missing the small blush forming on Ryuu as well.
After his morning training with Ryuu, Bell would spend time with the various other members, as each had something they specialized in. Some told him about magic, even though he did not possess any, while others taught him how to handle more than just his daggers.
His goddess would also spend time with him, although with her there was no training involved. Their time spent together was Bell's break throughout the day. They would go for walks around the grounds, read stories, or simply just talk to one another. It was quite enjoyable for both of them.
As the days would go bye, Bell fell into a routine. He would spend his mornings training with Ryuu, while his afternoons were spent with whichever members happened to be around at the time. Occasionally Alise would fill in for Ryuu if she wasn't available. After a week had passed. It was time for Bell's first status update.
Name: Bell Cranel
Level: 1
STR: 0 - I 1
END: 0 - I 5
DEX: 0 - I 2
AGI: 0 - I 2
MAG: 0 - 0
SKILL:
MAGIC:
"I only went up 10 points? After a week of training?" Said Bell looking at his status sheet with a sad expression.
"Bell, you've only just begun. It takes time to grow. Besides, most adventurers don't start when they're five. You are already ahead of the curve." Said Astrea.
"Yeah... I guess so. I'll just have to try even harder!" shouted Bell.
Before he could run off, Astrea grabbed his arm and pulled him in for a hug.
"Please don't push yourself too hard. Promise me you'll be careful Bell."
"Yes goddess. I will"
As the first week came to a close. Bell was feeling more and more comfortable being here. His shyness was disappearing, and his feelings of being alone were starting to be filled with friendships. The other members of the familia had slowly started to take a liking to Bell. He was the most kind and honest boy any of them had meet, not to mention how adorable he was. Although she'd never admit it, Ryuu was beginning to like having Bell around. Lady Astrea was right, Bell was something else.
Just as he had intended, Bell trained even harder. He used different weapons, not just his daggers. He read different books, not just his hero stories. He spent time with as many people as he could to learn what they had to offer. Of course he did keep his promise to his goddess. He still made sure to visit with her everyday so he could rest.
As the weeks went by, Bell's progress continued to be slow. While it picked up a little as he become more efficient with his fighting, the gains were still smaller than the average adventurer would see. While Astrea continued to reassure Bell that his growth was still more than normal as kids his age were rarely trained in combat, it was not enough to curb his desires.
Bell's sixth birthday was fast approaching and everyone in his familia was in a heated debate. The topic? Letting Bell into the dungeon.
"I still don't think he's ready. It's too dangerous for a boy his age!" Pleaded the goddess of the familia.
"You've seen his growth first hand Lady Astrea. While his status points aren't overly high, his technique has gotten much better." Exclaimed Alise. "We all know how much he wants to get stronger, and this is the best way for him to do so. He can only grow so much while training with us."
"I know that. But still... I'm afraid of what might happen." Said Astrea.
"Bell is a part of our familia. You know we won't let anything happen to him." Stated Kaguya.
"We will start him off slow, and he'll have one if not more of us with him at all times." Said Alise.
Ryuu, who had been rather quiet during this discussion, finally spoke up. "He needs this. I can sense it within him. He's frustrated with his slow progress. If we continue to hold him back, it will only grow and he'll push himself too far."
As everyone fell silent to contemplate Ryuu's words. A loud sigh could be heard coming from their goddess.
"You're right. I know he needs this to grow. He's been asking for awhile now and I guess it's time to give in. I trust you all the keep him safe."
"Well now that that's decided. When do we tell him?" Asked Lyra.
Why not during his birthday party? It's coming up within the next week." Said Neze.
"Talk about the best present ever. I can just picture his face now!" Laughed Alise.
The following days were worrisome for Bell. No one in the familia had time to train with him. Every time he approached someone they would give an excuse as to why they couldn't or didn't have time. He would still practice on his own, but that could only do so much.
Finally frustrated enough, he decided to approach his goddess for answers.
"Goddess, can I talk to you please?"
"Of course Bell, what's on your mind?"
"Everyone's ignoring me lately. I've tried to think of why, but I couldn't come up with a reason. Did I... did I do something wrong?" Bell asked, looking up with a sad expression.
It took every ounce of strength Astrea had not to crumble under the heart breaking face he was giving her. She couldn't tell him everyone was busy planning his surprise party.
"Well... you see Bell..."
Gosh. How do I put this. He'd probably believe anything I told him, but that just feels wrong.
"There's a big celebration coming up, and the girls have been asked by a goddess to help prepare for it" Said Astrea, smiling to herself as she was pleased with the round about truth she had given to Bell.
"Well I can help too!" Shouted Bell. Excitement clearly written on his face.
"Errrr well I think the girls have it covered. Why don't you just keep practicing on your own." Said Astrea, giving Bell a small smile while getting up to walk away.
Bell was left speechless. First his familia members, now his goddess. Even with planning for a party, did no one have time for him?
Feeling a little down, Bell couldn't find it in himself to train that day. Instead he went off to his room to read some books. His favorite hero story ought to cheer him up.
The day had finally arrived. It was Bell's sixth birthday. Not that he expected anything of course. No one had ever asked him when his birthday was and he never mentioned it on his own either. He had completely forgotten that his birthday was recorded at the guild when he filled out his paperwork to join the familia. His goddess had looked over it and made special care to remember the date.
As he left his room to head for the kitchen to grab some breakfast, he noticed the place was completely empty. None of his fellow members or even his goddess was around. He tried calling out a few times, but no one answered. Feeling a little more down than usual, he moped into the kitchen.
He was about to turn on the lights when...
"SURPRISE!" Came the shout of every familia member, goddess included.
Bell couldn't believe it. He was quite literally stunned into silence. How had they known? As he thought more on the matter, all the pieces began to fall into place. The reason why no one was able to train with him. The reason his goddess was going out of her way to distract him. The celebration, it was all for him.
It was all too much for Bell and he struggled to hold his emotions inside. Looking around, he could see banners and decorations strung about the kitchen. Balloons tied to various places. Sure his Grandpa would always celebrate his birthday, but it was nothing like this. Each of his fellow familia members had a gift in hand as they smiled at him.
Looking into the dining room, he could see the table was already set, with what appeared to be a rather large breakfast feast ready to go. Bell's mind was reeling trying to process everything in front of him. The fact that he was still fighting back the tears was not helping. As he finished looking around the room, his gaze finally fell upon his goddess.
She was staring at him, a warm smile on her face. She could see Bell's struggle. As she opened her arms gesturing him to her, Bell could hold back no longer. Finally gaining control of his body once more he shot into her arms, letting the damn break as he did.
Everyone watched as Astrea held Bell close to her. Everyone had a smile on their face, even the usually stoic Ryuu could not contain her smile. Several of the members even went so far as to let out a few "awww"s
While Astrea tried her best to calm Bell down, he could only alternate between crying, and very muffled "Thank Yous" on repeat. Soon enough though, he was able to contain himself.
"Thank you. Everyone. After what happened with my Grandpa, I wasn't sure if I'd ever be happy again." Said Bell, slowly un-clinging from his goddess.
"Everyone here has grown to care about you Bell, and we all agreed that a big birthday party was very much in order" Said Astrea.
"She's right you know. But enough about this. Let's eat before the food gets cold!" Exclaimed one very enthusiastic captain.
As all the members made their way into the dining room, the gifts they had been holding were set into a pile in the corner for Bell to open after they ate. The food was delicious and nothing but smiles and laughter could be witnessed this morning. As they ate, the girls all recounted what they had been doing the past week to prep for the party. From hand crafted banners, to tracking down a balloon salesman, something surprisingly difficult in this city.
As the meal was finished, and the dishes taken back into the kitchen, everyone gathered around to watch a very excited Bell open his presents. While he had been at least trying to contain his emotions when the party had first started, he had long sense given that up as the eagerness to open his presents was causing Bell to quite literally bounce around the room. It was a miracle he hadn't broken anything yet.
Bell was sat at the head of the table, ready to receive his first gift. Not surprisingly, Alise had been the first to present him her gift. Bell wasted no time in opening the present. He was greeted with the sight of what looked to be... camping equipment? Seeing the confusion on his face, Alise thought it best to clarify.
"I thought that after the week we got to spend together camping when we first met, you and I could go on a little trip outside of Orario and just enjoy the wild together."
Hearing this, Bell's face instantly lit up at the idea.
"That sounds great! Thank you so much Miss Alise!" Said Bell as he left his seat to give his captain a tight embrace. One she was all too happy to return.
Seeing as her turn was next, Kaguya handed her own present to Bell.
Once again, the wrapping paper was no match for Bell as he tore it clean off in one swift motion. Opening the box revealed an article of clothing, though it was one Bell did not recognize. He removed it from the box and held it up to himself.
"This is called a kimono, Bell. It is a type of formal wear from my home country. It may be a little big on you now, but it is my hope you will grow into it and wear it with pride."
"I Will! Thank you Miss Kaguya" Said Bell, giving her his trademark smile while walking over to her to give her a hug.
One by one the other members had given Bell their gifts. These ranged from a basic weapon maintenance kit, to some potions and supplies he would need as an adventurer. A few of the members had even managed to find some hero books he had not owned yet. Bell was simply overwhelmed with everything he was given. He made it a point to give each member his honest and sincere thanks, as well as a soft, warm hug.
As the pile of gifts dwindled down, only two remained. Those being the ones from his Goddess, and Ryuu. Realizing her goddess wanted to go last, Ryuu stepped forward to present Bell with her gift.
Upon opening the box, Bell was greeted with the sight of a dagger. It wasn't a top of the line dagger, as Ryuu couldn't afford such a thing, but to Bell, it was beautiful.
The blade was a smooth and rich black. Sharp on both sides. It curved inwards just after the cross guard, only to curve back out, and finally back in to meet at the end. While it's design was unique, what really caught Bell's attention was the hilt. It was pure white, a sharp contrast to the blackness of the blade. At the end of the grip, was a small round orb with what appeared to be a bright red gem inside. Holding the knife up, it didn't take more than a second for everyone present to gasp as they saw the resemblance between Bell and his knife.
"Miss Ryuu.. I don't know what to say." Whispered Bell, unable to find his voice.
Concerned that he may not have liked it, Ryuu began to fidget in place.
"Is it.. not to your liking" She asked with a shy voice that surprised her fellow familia members.
"It's the most beautiful weapon I've ever seen." Said Bell, slowly recovering from the shock of it all.
Relief instantly washed over Ryuu as she realized he was speechless because he DID like it, not because he didn't. This relief only lasted an instant though as without saying a word, Bell put the dagger down, got up from his seat, and started to approach Ryuu.
Bell's body was running on auto pilot at the moment. His thoughts were still consumed by the gift. As he approached Ryuu, he began to open his arms, going in for a hug.
Ryuu was frozen. She knew what he was going for, but she had never interacted with him in this way before. To be honest, she had never interacted with most of her other members this way before either. Her captain and her goddess were the only ones she ever allowed such intimate contact with. Even beyond that, she went out of her way to avoid even the most basic of contact with anyone else.
As Bell continued his approach, the others could only look on with a mix of concern, and curiosity. On one hand, they were eager to see how Ryuu would play this off, or simply let it happen. On the other, they were worried about Bell. Ryuu seemed to have an automatic response of escaping contact, and often times, it was not in a friendly manner.
Fortunately for everyone, Bell seemed to come to his senses right before making contact as he came to an abrupt halt. Realizing what he was about to do, he quickly put his arms down and spun away from Ryuu. Before returning to his seat, he looked over his shoulder at the still frozen elf, and whispered a quick thank you.
Once Bell had returned to his seat, the atmosphere had started to calm. Not wanting to let anyone's thoughts linger on what could have been, Astrea stood to present her gift to Bell.
What she handed Bell was different from the others. While Bell had received various sized boxes, his gift from his goddess was nothing more than a simple, folded piece of paper. As Bell accepted the paper, he could only stare at it, then his goddess, then the paper again. Astrea let out a small giggle as she ushered Bell to open the paper.
Upon unfolding the page, Bell was met with a plain piece of paper. A plain piece of paper that only contained three words. Just three short, little words. At first, Bell was confused. He looked up to his goddess, but all she offered was a smile, knowing Bell would need another minute to figure it out.
It only took another moment or two for the gears in Bell's mind to turn. Astrea could see the expression change on his face. It alternated between disbelief, and pure, unrestrained joy. As Bell looked to his goddess once more, as if asking for confirmation of what he was hoping for, Astrea only gave a small nod in response.
This was all he needed as with a speed that startled his familia, he rocketed out of his chair and crashed into his goddess, sending them both to the floor. As he did so, the paper he once held gently fell to the table, displaying the message within:
You are ready.
It was nighttime now. The day had been filled with more fun than most of the members could handle, and as such, everyone was in bed. After receiving his permission to enter the dungeon, Bell had nearly made it out the door when he had been stopped by Alise. It took quite a lot of convincing to get him to wait until tomorrow, but eventually he agreed.
As everyone was now settled in for the night, they were all fast asleep. Everyone save for one. An elf who couldn't stop tossing and turning in her bed. An elf who couldn't stop replaying the events of the day, or more specifically, one event in particular.
"He almost hugged me... I can't.. I don't.. UGH why is this so frustrating!" Screamed said elf into a pillow.
"Was I really about to let him touch me? Or would I have backed away at the last moment..." Letting out a rather exaggerated sigh, Ryuu could only ponder what would have happened.
I guess I'll never know... Was her last thought as her mind finally let her rest.
As the sun broke over the horizon, signaling the start of a new day, merchants could be seen setting up their stalls. Adventurers could be seen entering the dungeon, wanting to get the first stab at the riches within. While some of the familia homes were still dark as their members continued to sleep, this was not the case for one home in particular.
The Stardust Garden was abuzz with the sound of little feet racing through the hallways. The now six year old Bell could not contain his excitement, for this was the day his journey truly began. This was the day he would become a real adventurer.
Alise had intended on waking up before Bell, as the familia itself had one last gift to give before he entered the dungeon, but she underestimated Bell, and as such, found that he was in fact waking her up as knocking could be heard at her door.
"Um.. Miss Alise.. are you awake yet?" asked Bell
Ugh this kid.. just how early is it.. Thought Alise. Though she couldn't stay mad for long. This was a special day after all.
"Yeah Bell, just give me a moment and I'll meet you in the kitchen."
The only reply she got was the sound of Bell bolting off to presumably the kitchen.
By now, the sound of Bell running around the house had pretty much woken everyone up. As they all gathered in the kitchen to grab some breakfast, Bell was currently talking with Alise and Lady Astrea.
"Now remember Bell. First things first you need to stop at the guild and meet with an advisor. They will give you a run down of the first few floors of the dungeon, although for the time being I want you to stay on the first floor. Is that understood?" Asked Alise, doing her best to remain in her captain persona.
"Yes! I won't let you down!" Shouted an all too excited Bell.
"You will also be required to have at least one of us with you at all times. No solo adventuring. Agreed?"
"Yes!"
"Alright then. Before we go, we have one final gift to offer you, Bell." Said Alise, smiling at the wonder in Bell's eyes.
"Another gift? But my birthday ended already." Said Bell, tilting his head to the side.
"This isn't a birthday gift Bell, this is a gift from the familia itself, to you, our newest adventurer." Stated Lady Astrea, walking up behind Bell to wrap him in a tight hug.
Bell was led into one of the storage rooms. Opening the door, he found an armor stand, right in the center of the room. This wooden figure was equipped with what appeared to be a full set of leather armor. It wasn't anything extravagant, but it would protect Bell well enough on the early floors, while still allowing him to move. Being six came with the disadvantage of not being very strong yet, and as such, anything more than leather would slow Bell down to the point of hindering him more than helping.
Bell wasted no time in running to the stand, quickly looking over all the pieces.
"Is this for me?! Is this my new armor?!" Shouted Bell
"Yes, Bell. Why don't you try it on?" Said Alise, closing the door and returning to main area of the house.
After some time had passed, Bell had yet to return from the storage room. Figuring he needed some help in getting his outfit together, Neze volunteered to check on him.
As she opened the door to glance in, she couldn't help the small laugh that escaped her as she watched Bell struggle with fitting all the pieces onto himself.
"Would you like a hand" She offered while walking into the room.
"Um. Yes please." Said Bell rather embarrassed that he couldn't do it himself.
I took only a minute or two for Neze to finish equipping young Bell. As she stood back to admire her work, she couldn't help but smile at Bell. He looked like such the little warrior.
"Thanks Miss Neze!" said Bell as he ran past her to show off his new look to the others.
Expecting his return, everyone had gathered in the living quarters to await their newest adventurer in the making. They didn't have to wait long this time as Bell came flying into the room.
"Ta-Da!" He shouted as he struck a pose. One he thought befitting of his favorite hero.
Everyone cheered in excitement as Bell showed off his armor. Alise had told him he looked like a true adventurer now, while Lyra had gone another route, and much to the dismay of the others, told Bell the ladies would be fawning over him dressed like that.
As the cheers died down, Ryuu happened to look over at their goddess, and instead of seeing a smiling face, she saw a worried one instead.
"Lady Astrea, is something wrong?" Asked Ryuu, showing a little concern
"He's growing up so fast. I know he's only been with us for a few months now, but even in that short of time, I've really grown to care for him." Said Astrea
"We all have. I know this is hard for you but you and I both know he will never grow if he doesn't go. Besides, look at how happy he is right now." Stated Ryuu, staring back at Bell.
As Astrea continued to look at Bell, she knew Ryuu was right. Standing before her was the happiest boy in the world. She knew her children would keep him safe, but even still, a goddess always worries.
Walking up to Bell, she spoke. "How about a status update before you go?" She asked.
"Sure! That would be great!" Exclaimed Bell
Bell had been receiving weekly status updates sense joining the familia, so he was used to the process by now. Removing his shirt, he laid down on his goddess' bed.
Name: Bell Cranel
Level: 1
STR: I 89 - I 95
END: H 125 - H 137
DEX: H 105 - H 112
AGI: H 130 - H 141
MAG: 0 - 0
SKILL:
MAGIC:
"Alright, off you go, but promise me something Bell." Said Astrea
"Yes goddess?"
"Promise me you'll be careful. I'd hate to see you hurt on your first day."
"I will goddess. I promise."
And with that, Bell left to join up with the others, leaving Astrea alone in her room.
.
Making their way to the guild, Bell was escorted by two members. While many of the familia members had wanted to be with Bell on his first dungeon dive, most of them had prior commitments and could not attend. Walking to the right of Bell, was Maryuu. She was picked to come along due to her nature with healing magic. Should Bell get hurt, she would be able to heal him on the spot. Walking to the left of Bell, was none other than the captain herself. Being the captain, Alise felt it her duty to support Bell on his first day. This was of course an excuse to simply spend more time with him.
As they entered the guild, the three set out to find Bell an advisor. Fortunately the guild wasn't very busy as most of the adventurers were already in the dungeon by now. This allowed them to walk right up the a guild employee who happened to have no one else in line.
"Good Morning, welcome to the guild, how can I assist you?" Asked the guild employee.
"We are looking for an advisor for our newest member." Said Alise, pointing to Bell.
"Ah yes very well." Stated the man behind the counter. "If you could give me one moment please I know just who to pick."
As the trio waited for the man to return, several adventurers in the guild had been giving Bell weird looks. Whether it was the fact that he was with the Astrea Familia, or rather that a six year old was wearing armor may never be known.
They didn't have to wait long as the man returned with a woman following close behind. Bell noticed two things at first glance. One being her hair. It must have rivaled his captains hair with how bright red it was. The second, being the scowl she had on her face. She looked like she wanted to be anywhere but here.
"This is Rose, one of our newer advisors. Rest assured she will still be able to help." Said the man as he turned and left.
"Alright, who needs advising." Asked the now named Rose. There was absolutely no enthusiasm in her voice. Maryuu and Alise stepped to the side, revealing Bell, who could only offer a small smile and wave. Rose took one look at Bell and offered only a single word in response.
"No." Said Rose as she looked back up at Alise.
"No? What do you mean No?!" Said Alise, trying to contain her quickly rising anger.
With a sigh, Rose looked back to Bell. "Tell me kid, how old are you?" She asked with a blank expression
"Um. Six?" Said Bell, sounding more like a question than a statement.
"Right... I'll say it again... No" Stated Rose, turning to leave.
"Now wait just a minute." Said Alise, reaching over the counter to grab Rose by the arm. "I'm the captain of this familia and if I say he's ready to enter the dungeon then he's ready!"
Hearing the commotion, the man that had originally been at the counter walked back over.
"Is there a problem here?" He asked.
"You bet there is! This... advisor .. you gave to us is refusing to teach!" Shouted Alise, quickly loosing her cool.
"Alright. What's the problem this time Rose.." Asked the man. It was clear in his tone that this was not the first time this sort of thing has happened.
"They want me to advise a six year old, and I said no." Said Rose, not wanting to back down.
"You know as well as I there is no law with an age restriction for entering the dungeon. As long as they have familia consent, it's not up to us."
After a long pause and what Bell feared would lead to a bigger argument, Rose let out a long sigh.
"Fine. But I want you to know I don't approve of this" She said as she looked at Alise.
"Noted." Was her quick reply.
With the matter settled, Rose led the trio into one of the private rooms to begin her lesson. While Alise and Maryuu didn't need the information, they didn't feel comfortable leaving Bell alone at the moment.
.
A few hours had passed as the sun was reaching its peak in the sky. Bell had tried his best to keep up with everything that was taught, but it was a lot to take in. Dungeon Layouts, Monster Spawns, Drop Rates, it was all so much to think about. Glad the lesson was over, the trio departed the guild to head for the dungeon, but not before getting one last mouth full from Rose about how against this decision she was. Having been employed with the guild for only a short while, Rose was still getting used to the death that came with the job. Sending adventurers into a pit, only for them to never return. It wasn't easy.
As Bell, Alise, and Maryuu approached the stairway down, Bell suddenly paused.
"Are you okay Bell?" Asked Maryuu, concerned that he was having second thoughts.
Her fears were quickly put to rest as Bell turned to her, and flashed her his award winning smile. Paired with a thumbs up, before he dashed off leaving the other two shouting behind him.
As he raced down the stairs to the first floor, his mind filled with nothing but the tales of the heroes before him, and how this was the start of his own journey.
I'm doing it Grandpa. Today is the day. I swear I'll make you proud!
AN: Hey Everyone. I know it's been awhile sense I've updated. A long while. That being said I hope this chapter was worth the wait.
Quick Note: I chose Rose as his advisor simply because Eina wouldn't be old enough yet. She's 5 years ahead of Bell so she'd be 11 right now. She started at the guild when she was 14 so maybe I'll add her later. Rose is 14 years ahead of Bell, making her 20. Figured she fit better. She'll warm up to Bell as time goes on so don't worry about the rudeness she just portrayed. No she's not part of the Harem. Remember, Astrea Familia only in this story.
That's it for now. See you all in the next one!