Naturally with an attack like that on what was one of Yggdrasil's main attractions, the entire city was in a lockdown. No one was allowed in, no one was allowed out. People were ordered to stay in their homes unless they really had to buy food and other important things. Suffice to say, the atmosphere in the city was heavy. Part of Bell was worried about Nyx. Was she stuck as well? Did she already leave and move around the country? Either way, as strained as the city was, the building they were stuck in wasn't any better.
Not that the home they were given was lacking. Quite the opposite, it was a bit overwhelming, for it was the private headquarters of the god Odin and his Valkyries. Due to that, it was high class, way more than a mountain boy like him was used to. At least it wasn't 'tacky' with gold and what not. Yet the amount of flowers and other 'moderate' decorations made the mansion look like a place from fairy tales. The maids were polite to them and tended to their every needs, treating them like nobles with food and what not. But even with the many things to discover in the mansion, the gardens, baths and the library specifically... Bell couldn't help his down mood. He kept thinking of what happened. Not only here in Yggdrasil but everything leading up to it.
His first kill in the Far East. The dark side of what a hero would do for their ideals. His hesitation at a potential second kill, the blood sticking to his hands after injuring someone. The very same hesitation that could've gotten many innocents killed. The answer at the time seemed too simple and that scared Bell. Taking a life shouldn't be such an easy decision to make, even if he couldn't execute that decision. He should've come up with another idea, another plan he could've done without hesitation. But he remembered his talk with Nyx.
His lack of experience. The time he was lacking. What did he have to experience? How much time could pass before Bell would experience horrors and terrors that wouldn't be conveniently avoided by divine powers? The questions tortured the boy, causing a lack of sleep as his nightmares went wild with their worst case scenarios, where death and chaos was common. He wanted to truly believe that he was a good person, like Nyx said. But he just couldn't say it about himself. After all... the blood wouldn't come off. In the end, after a few days, he couldn't take it anymore. He needed help. And the only one he could go to was currently located in the library.
Kojiro was leaning against the window, casually reading a book as he hummed to himself. Yet even in his tired state, Bell could tell he wasn't exactly into it. Sometimes his hand twitched towards his blade before sighing and flipping a page. His eyes more often than not glanced outside and he would let out a huff. Because of that Bell didn't feel too bad as he walked up to him and 'interrupted' his reading. He rubbed his hands together in anticipation and took a deep breath when the swordsman glanced up. Kojiro smiled for a moment, putting the book away before frowning. Bell flinched at the sight but clicked his tongue at himself. So he was a bit too obvious. No matter, Kojiro would find out anyway once he found the right words.
"Uhm, Kojiro?" He asked in a quiet tone, sitting down on a nearby chair. "Can... can we talk?"
"Always." Kojiro calmly put his hands on his knees as he leaned forward with an encouraging smile. "What is bothering you, young master?"
Bell smiled awkwardly. What was bothering him indeed. Licking his lips, the young man rubbed his hands together nervously. Then he looked into Kojiro's eyes, deciding to perform a leap of faith.
"...am I a bad person for killing someone?" He shivered and clenched his hands together. "Or-or am I a bad person for hesitating to kill someone?"
His teacher's eyes widened. Covering his mouth he looked away for a moment. Kojiro glanced at him, lips pressed together as he frowned.
"Hm. A difficult question. I am not sure how much help I can be."
"A-anything will do. I... " Bell's voice grew weak. "I need it."
Kojiro nodded slowly before exhaling. Standing up, he folded his hands behind his back as he looked out the window. For a while, he hummed to himself in thought. It honestly made Bell even more nervous. After what felt like minutes, he turned around. The young man straightened up his back, ears listening sharply for any sound he might make. Then Kojiro raised his hand in a calm manner.
"Personally speaking, to kill means to commit evil."
The world froze to Bell. Out of anything, he didn't expect to hear that. Blinking a few times, he tilted his head, not sure what to make of those words that might as well just have been static. His vision turned a bit blurry, as if the world became a distorted dream.
"Huh?"
"It is to take one's life. End its potential and everything involved with it. You basically become a god of their fate, not heeding whatever wishes they might have. One cut. An entire history extinguished." Kojiro pointed at himself, a wry smile showing itself to Bell. "Thus I can be called evil and I wouldn't object. You know how 'trigger happy' I am." He hesitated for a moment before pointing at Bell after smacking his lips. "Therefore, you could be called evil as well."
Evil. A word he never expected his own teacher to call him by. Bell stumbled backwards, holding onto the chair to support himself. Was... was it that clear? That easy to know he was the very thing he dreaded, the very opposite of a her-
"And that's fine."
Bell almost broke his own neck with the whiplash as he snapped his head towards Kojiro, now visibly confused.
"Eh?"
Kojiro shrugged, twirling his hand.
"I don't judge anyone based on how 'good' or 'evil' they are. I don't much care if someone proclaims me as evil. "
The man paused, giving Bell a strange look. Clearing his throat, he shook his head.
"Well, I suppose I care a little bit now." He sighed and leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "Still... what others think of you is not important, if that is what worries you. After all, what I told you is only my definition. There are many out there."
"What is important is... what can you live with?" He asked, pointing at Bell. "I'm sorry to say this but you are not me. I cannot give you the answer that will set your mind to peace." He smiled encouragingly. "All I can do is share what I just told you."
Bell hoped for more, he thought as he lowered his head. Some sort of wide anecdote that would clear everything up. To make the darkness in his heart disappear. But he now fully realized that he was just being childish. Life didn't spoon feed you with the answers. It was his own journey, his own battle, to fight those inner demons. So in the end, Bell closed his eyes and took a deep breath, fully trying to focus and not fall into the dark loop that enveloped his mind on the way to Altena.
What could he live with?
If it was the choice between having to kill a terrorist wanting to hurt many people and allowing that... Bell knew he couldn't live with the latter. The former would haunt him in a way. Torture him. But not in the way that was allowing innocents to die. He was sure that would break him.
A simple answer in this case. However, that didn't mean he had all the answers. There were always other scenarios, different scenarios, that were less black and white as this case might've been or the one in the Far East. Bell didn't know where the line was he shouldn't cross, or else he would lose himself. But at least now he had to focus on himself, rather than what others might think. What the definition of a hero was from others. The only one who could answer his questions... was himself.
"Thank you. I... " Bell shook his head with a wry smile. "I have a lot to think about."
A polite cough gained their attention before Kojiro could respond. Turning around, the two of them saw that it was Hrist. Bell blushed a bit as the beautiful lady was quite... well built. She bowed politely, somehow not causing her coat to fall off her shoulders before rising again with a smile as she gestured towards the exit.
"The Empire's support will arrive shortly. Do you like to meet them?"
Bell perked up. He heard rumors of the might of the Empire. A country similar to Rakia in that it had a long history of invasion. Unlike Rakia however, it maintained a long history of being of high level with no period of 'shame' like Welf's home did. There were some rumors of the Radiance that defeated Orario in a way and being part of the 'guardians' that took care of the Dragon Valley, one of the three mysteries in the world. Bell wasn't sure how much of the stories were true or not, but he was excited to meet the ones that would come from the north. Kojiro felt the same as he stood up and walked in front of Hrist, smiling with a nod.
"Naturally. Thank you for informing us, milady."
For some reason the lady blushed a bit before promptly turning around and leading them. Kojiro blinked, turning to Bell who shook his head, equally confused. Maybe she felt tired from the pressure outside? They decided to ignore that weird occurrence and followed her.
Bell decided to shelf the question of who he was and what he could accept in terms of killing for now. If nothing else... the memories of the Far East and the dome of Yggdrasil didn't weigh as heavily anymore. It still made him uncomfortable but... it wasn't as haunting anymore? It worried Bell a bit that it was that easy but maybe... maybe he just needed to forgive himself a bit? He wasn't sure.
Soon enough, they stepped outside the main entrance, where the stairs were located that led down to the walls separating the mansion from the rest of the city. Surprisingly enough, Brunhilde was standing there already. She glanced at them and waved with a polite smile. Bell awkwardly returned it, remembering her... other personality. It was a bit jarring to be honest. He opened his mouth, wondering when the guests would arrive, when the gate down below opened.
The young man choked on his own saliva at the sight. Strangely enough, Kojiro seemed to stiffen up as well. The two individuals climbing up the stairs could not be any more different.
One radiated a kingly air around them. Their features were hidden behind a knight helmet one would find in the stories Bell used to hear about. Their body posture was disciplined underneath the silver armor, though Bell questioned the blue skirt, even as it fit well with the other motifs on it. A broad sword was holstered at her hip, a careful gauntlet resting on it.
While this one was like a textbook definition knight, the other one looked... Bell blushed. Like a lewd jester. The first thing that stood out were the sharp ears, trademark of elves, underneath a hilariously large purple, pink and dark blue hat. Her platinum blonde hair reached down her very feet as they shook while the woman playfully walked up. But more importantly was the rest of her clothes. Or rather what was available. Her shoulders were bare and revealed the upper part of her chest. Her thighs and hip were barely covered by three books and what appeared to be nothing more than purple... panties. Other than that she merely wore wide sleeves and stockings. Suffice to say, Bell felt his face heat up. He came to believe that elves dressed in a way to cover their entire bodies in robes or something like that! That was just... just... ! He saw her blink at him before a playful smirk appeared on her face as she gave him a wink. He blushed even more and turned away. Ah, so embarrassing!
"They really sent them?" Hrist muttered in awe, giving Bell a change to look away. Brunhilde sighed, running her hand through her hair.
"Guess she's as damn honorable as ever... " She narrowed her eyes with a scoff. "Kinda hoped the Witch wouldn't come though. Damn elves... "
Said elf put her hands on her hips, puffing her flat chest out smugly. It only caused Brunhilde to grind her teeth even more. Bell and Hrist laughed awkwardly at the sight but then stopped when Kojiro began to step down the stairs.
"Kojiro... ?"
He put his hand around the handle of his sword. Everyone's eyes widened at the action.
"Hey, what the fuc-"
With a sharp cut through the air, he tapped his shoulder with the blunt side of the blade. He smiled slightly as he stared at the knight who came to a stop. They raised their hand, causing the elf who frowned to step back with a sigh. Then they put their hand around their own blade and unsheathed it. Bell gaped at the golden shine it had before the tip of the blade touched the ground gently.
"Why do you stand in my way?"
Bell blinked. Despite the echoing quality of the voice... it definitely sounded female. Now he was curious how she looked. If it weren't for the fact that the tension in the air was thick enough to cut through it. The woman in armor radiated power, the sort that reminded him of the other acquaintances of Kojiro. The thought caused him to blink. Wait, wouldn't that mean... ?
"I am just a mere gatekeeper," Kojiro announced, grasping his blade with both hands and holding it against the knight. "If you want to pass, you must best me first."
The Valkyries whispered to each other, which sounded like incredulous questions of what he meant. Yet the knight didn't seem bothered by the nonsensical words. In fact she chuckled in amusement, shaking her head a few times.
"Hmph. Then have at thee!"
Bell had no idea what happened. One moment he was about to step forward to try and stop Kojiro. The next moment, he lost the ground underneath him as his ears were deafened and eyes were blinded by a dust explosion. He spun in the air, screaming and coughing before rolling over the ground. Groaning in pain, fortunately not as bad as it could be thanks to Welf's armor, he blearily looked up. He could make out the shapes of the Valkyries, barely able to remain upright, even as they had to kneel to not suffer the same fate as Bell. As the dust began to settle, his eyes widened in shock and he struggled to get up.
The knight pointed her sword at Kojiro's throat, who was flat on his back, blinking repeatedly as he turned his head dizzily a few times. Then with one final shake, Kojiro chuckled dryly, glancing to the side to see the Monohoshizao at the ground, having been thrown away by the force. It was then that Bell realized that the knight could only have dashed forward. She invalidated all the skill Kojiro had with just the brute force of that action. Honestly he was surprised the blade was as intact as it was, though he could see now that it was bent a bit. Forcing himself up, Bell was about to rush forward, meaningless as it would be, when his teacher suddenly began to laugh loudly. It was not the kind of someone who was in despair. No, it was pure joy. With a fond smile, he pushed himself up the ground, while the knight slowly pulled her blade back so as to not injure him any further.
"You are as fearsome of a lion as always... Saber." He winced, rubbing his shoulder. "I believe you dislocated my shoulder."
The knight proceeded to scoff, shaking her head. That action caused a crack to appear on her helmet, right down the middle. The Valkyries gasped at the sight and Bell had to gape. There was only one explanation for that kind of damage. The Empire warrior sheathed her blade, tapping the helmet in demonstration.
"You dislocated it yourself with your counter attack."
Right after confirming Kojiro's mind boggling feat, of being able to react against such a powerful dash, the crack widened and extended upwards and downwards. With a final snap, it fell apart and Bell's breath stopped. By instinct he wanted to kneel immediately.
Regal. Beautiful. Even cute. He could spend hours trying to compliment and honor her appearances but he would feel it would be too lacking. A youthful smile, accompanied with piercing green eyes that glowed like emeralds. Blonde hair that could be considered gold, tied into a ponytail. Bell tried to stop his beating heart but just couldn't. He even felt ashamed at the jealousy that arose when he saw that smile directed solely at Kojiro while she offered her gauntlet to him. He grabbed it and allowed himself to be pulled up.
"It's good to meet you again, Assassin."
"Fake Assassin," Kojiro corrected in a joking tone. Yet the woman shook her head with a frown and pulled him into a one armed hug.
"Not to me."
As his teacher awkwardly returned the hug with a cough, Bell recognized that this woman had to be one of his acquaintances. No, that word wouldn't do it justice. She wasn't a fellow country man like the Sakamoto. Nor was it a distant co-worker like Romulus. As they seperated a bit just to raise their hands for a proper handshake as they angled their elbows, Bell could tell that they were close. Not specifically in a romantic sense, but in a way only close friends could be. Or at least those with a deep connection. Of course that moment couldn't last as they heard a cough. Turning around, they saw Brunhilde spread her arms with a deep frown.
"Alright, I say it again. What the fuck?"
"We know each other from the past," the knight explained. Immediately, the elf coming up the stairs sighed dramatically, wiggling her body in a playful manner.
"Oh goodie, another one of our Shining Knight's mysterious pals!" She sniffed and wiped away a fake tear. "You're making your cute witch weep with your nefarious secrets, good lady!" She froze, her playfulness disappearing when she raised her eyebrow while pointing an accusing finger at the knight. "Hold on, is this the reason you picked up a helmet on the way here?!"
In response, the knight glanced at the elf in amusement before shrugging nonchalantly.
"I wanted to surprise him but apparently he saw through it."
"I'd recognize that aura anywhere," Kojiro said as he nodded in amusement.
"Artoria wanting to prank someone." The elf giggled and put her hand on her chest, extending her right arm into the air. "Hah, I can die happily now!"
Suddenly, the two guests and Kojiro turned to the Valkyries. Or rather, they looked straight at Bell. The attention caused him to blush as he frantically looked between them before pointing at himself in confusion. When it hit him that they were indeed looking at him, he immediately bowed.
"Err, I'm-!"
"Bell Cranel. My associates had only good things to tell about you. Well met." Bell could only stare owlishly at the woman who extended her gauntlet towards him with a soft smile. "I am Artoria Pendragon. Or the Radiance as some might call me."
Like a small animal facing a giant predator, Bell shakingly reached for the hand. He was too busy being in awe of her title to notice her small chuckling once he finally touched her gauntlet for a handshake, one that she moved on her own. After all, he was meeting the strongest of the Empire. One of the biggest names there was. It did not help that she was such an attractive lady. The hair especially caused his hair to flutter. Nervously, he let go as he let out a squeak when Artoria patted his shoulder reassuringly.
Naturally that moment got ruined when the elf stepped forward, throwing her arm around Artoria with a teasing smirk.
"Or Shining Knight, or Queen of the Sword, or Grand Saber, or King of-"
The armored hand pushed against her face, interrupting the elf as she was counting off the titles. As she squirmed dramatically, Artoria sighed as she easily pushed her down to the ground.
"And this particular annoyance is Lusserina Luzumin." A wry smile appeared on her face. "Also known as-"
"The Witch of Flowers! Or Lulu to my pals!" The elf shouted, shooting up and spreading her arms open. Bell's mouth went slightly open as the Valkyries shook their heads, rubbing their foreheads in sync. That was the Empire's strongest mage? One of the three that were called the executives, or the Cerberus, only second to the Radiance? He knew it was an elf, but he expected the fabled sorceress to be more... noble. He turned to Kojiro, trying to gauge his reaction. Weirdly enough, the man seemed actually worried. Crossing his arms he turned to Artoria with narrowed eyes.
"Any relation?"
Everyone but the knight herself raised an eyebrow in confusion. Artoria on the other hand shook her head, a strained smile on her face, causing Kojiro to sigh in relief.
"Thank the heavens no." She pointed at Lusserina with a small scoff. "She's adorable compared to him."
Bell gulped. He did not know who this "him" was, but if he elected such a reaction from Kojiro, who was usually rather easy going, and Artoria, who seemed to be the kind of knight he read stories about, he had to be a person Bell should stay away from. As far as possible. Apparently he was the one msot concerned about that as said Witch began to wiggle playfully, shaking her bottom a bit as she jabbed both of her index fingers towards Artoria.
"D'aw, you think I'm adorable!"
"Yes, you are."
The elf stopped in her antics at the blunt delivery. Her pointy ears twitched as her smile wavered. At the same time her cheeks began to redden a bit. Frankly, Bell found it rather cute as she coughed into her knuckle, awkwardly turning away as she avoided Artoria's eyes. Maybe she was the type who couldn't deal with honesty?
"...Well, this isn't fun if you are being serious like that."
"I have experience as a killjoy," the Radiance declared with a knowing smirk, causing Lusserina to puff up her cheeks while still facing away from her.
"Alright, you had enough fun," Brunhilde announced, clapping her hands before throwing her thumb over her shoulder. "We shouldn't keep Lord Odin waiting."
Immediately Artoria straightened up and gestured towards the door with a professional frown.
"Lead the way."
Bell held back a sound of excitement. She was so cool!