Time passed by relatively quickly for Bell in these last two weeks, once they found their routine. Eat breakfast in the Stardust Garden, go to the dungeon, descend and kill a bunch of monsters in the dungeon, leave, exchange their magic stones with valis, return home. In that short time, Bell learned the in and outs of all regular monsters in the Upper levels of the dungeon. By now, with the help of Solaris, they already reached the start of what would be called the Middle Floors. The mist was the most surprising thing but it helped sharpen his other four senses to danger. While, as Kojro described it, it got repetitive to fight the monsters they were fighting, Bell liked to think he had a good handle on their habits and weaknesses. Still, he kept his eye out for irregularities. One time during those two weeks, they encountered a War Shadow that seemed to have a more grey colored skin. They never figured out what was its deal, as Solaris moved in quickly to burn it to ashes. But from what little movements he saw, it was fast. Way too fast for Bell to fight.
Still, in that time, Bell liked to think he had grown a lot. At the moment, his stats in terms of Agility, Dexterity and Magic had reached the G level, which were about two hundred points. Meanwhile the rest were at H. Considering the scale went up to S, he felt a bit slow. Solaris tried to explain that his growth was above the average... but if one stood next to Sasaki Kojiro, it was hard to find pride in that. How else was one to react to someone having a status of F across the boards, with the sole exceptions of Dexterity that was at an E level and Endurance at a G rank? Well, it wasn't as bad as it was, his jealousy. He took Artoria's words to heart, so he was only a bit discouraged. Honestly he thought Solaris was more jealous than he was, sometimes being tempted to go into the Middle Floors and leave them behind. Fortunately she never did that, calming down relatively quickly. Anyway, that was how their progress and routine was.
However, today was different. Or rather, they were doing better than ever before. With their bags full, they had plenty of daylight left when they left the dungeon. As they left the exchange center, Solaris was playing with the bag of valis attached to a rope. Bell had to admit, the way she handled it as she swung it around while moving through the crowd yet not hitting a single one, that Solaris was really skilled with that rope. Maybe even more than with her actual weapons. Their captain stopped, stretching her neck a few times with a sheepish grin.
"Welp, you know the drill. Gotta get myself a new spear," she said, waving her right hand as she moved towards her usual blacksmith shop. Bell turned to Kojiro, an awkward smile on his face... only to see Kojiro already walking away from him as well.
"I shall go on a walk. This is a good opportunity to explore on our own. I shall see you back home."
The young man weakly reached out for the samurai only for him to disappear between the crowd. Bell lowered his head, biting his lip. Well, guess he was on his own today? Starting to walk, Bell realized he didn't have any free time since he entered this city. Having it now left him at a loss. What should he do now? He crossed his arms, eyes closed thoughtfully. He didn't have enough money for shopping, as most fonds went into Solaris repairing her own gear, as well as the taxes their familia had to pay. Maybe he should just take a look around? Opening his eyes he hummed, not sure about that. That idea didn't seem to sit too well with him. It was then that he saw something from the corner of his eyes. Turning his head, he blinked before a smile appeared on his face.
It was Nyx! While still wearing her awkward smile, she seemed to be more confident as she shook hands with a man wearing goggles, who smirked back. The man seemed to be some sort of adventurer, given the dagger at his hip. He ran a hand through his black hair, adjusting his brown jacket afterwards. He chuckled as said something. Nyx in return covered her mouth, giggling back. Bell lowered his hand as he stepped back. Maybe he shouldn't disturb her just yet. However as he turned his back on them, Bell frowned a bit. Since when did the goddess have a handle on that weird fear aura she always had no matter what? He didn't even feel a tingle in his spine. At most he had a weird gut feeling when seeing the two. Shaking his head he took a deep breath. Maybe he was just imagining things. The dungeon could've been more tiring. He just had to hope that she wasn't dealing with anyone shady.
With that out of his mind, he crossed his arms, his thoughts returning to what he should do. In the end, his mind came up with nothing as he came to a stop on the street.
... He really was aimless, wasn't he? With a sigh, he lowered his head. Maybe he should just go home? It might be a bit of a waste, but just wandering around with no idea where he would end up didn't sound like a good idea for him. Not to mention the last time he did that in the Far East... he really couldn't handle yet another national incide-
"Excuse me!"
Much to his shame, he jumped at the cute girly voice calling out to him. Reaching for his blades by reflex, he blinked before blushing a bit. The one pouting at him was a cute girl, silver hair and a green maid outfit with a white apron. She leaned forward, with her hands on her hips, causing him to lean away with raised hands, laughing awkwardly.
"Y-yes?"
"If you just stand there it's gonna weird our customers out! Either come in or please move on!" The girl chided. Bell blinked before turning his head. He pressed his lips together as he saw that he was just standing in front of the tavern, the 'Hostess of Fertility'. Well, that was rude, at the very least. Clearing his throat, he bowed.
"I-I'm sorry!" Scratching the back of his head, he raised his hand with a smile. "Then, I'll be on my wa-"
"Wait!" Bell froze midstep. Turning around he saw the maid retreat back into the tavern, only to come out holding a basket with some box inside of it. With an angelic smile, she presented it to Bell. "Here."
Dumbfounded he took the present in his head. Looking down, he tilted his head in confusion before turning to the maid.
"A lunch box?"
The girl giggled and put her hands together.
"Well, you seemed hungry and an adventurer needs strength! Just think of it as making it up to the Hostess by taste testing!" She blinked before gasping. Grabbing her skirt by the hems, she gracefully bowed before smiling cheekily. "Ah, where are my manners! Syr Flover! Nice to meet you!"
"Bell Cranel." Clearing his throat he looked back down at the lunchbox before looking back up at her. "Err, thanks, I guess?"
"If you'd like, you can always come by to get more food," Syr said, winking at him. Bell blushed before the words caught up to him. Shaking his head, he raised his hand.
"I-I wouldn't want to bother you."
"You wouldn't. I don't often get the opportunity to cook, what with being a waitress. Mama Mia never lets me cook for our guests. How about it?" She asked, shaking her finger. He licked his lips, realizing that she wouldn't let this topic drop. So in the end he could only sigh before smiling and nodding at her.
"Well, I guess I'm taking you up on that offer then."
Syr pumped her fist as if she scored a big victory. Adjusting her skirt, she flashed him one last smile before spinning around and goign back into the tavern. Bell stood there before starting to walk, looking down at his newly acquired food.
Opening it, he saw that the food looked good enough. Sandwiches with salad and meat, some boiled eggs. All that an adventurer would want. Taking the egg first, he put it into his mouth and began to chew, smiling that he got to eat some home cooked food. Said smile slowly vanished from his face, instead a confused and disappointed expression replacing it.
... He wasn't aware one could make an egg actually taste bland. It didn't even taste like egg anymore. The texture was fine, yet... He forcibly swallowed the food before looking back down on the box. If the rest tasted like that... Honestly, he was tempted to throw the food away. But then again... He visualized his grandfather in his mind's eye as they walked on the plains on the mountain.
"Even if the taste is bad, if it's from a cute girl, it has more value than a five star gourmet meal!"
Well, if he had a point, he had a point. So with a deep breath, he eyed the food carefully and proceeded to take bites out of the lunchbox on his way home. Chewing the tasteless food, he frowned a bit. He really should carry some salt around with him for these occasions. There were some issues in terms of telling Syr how it tasted. Should he tell her the truth or lie? Then again, she was probably looking for earnest criticism, wanting to improve her cooking skills and what not. Thoughts for later. Soon enough, with an empty box and basket, he opened the door to the Stardust Garden.
"Goddess, I'm home!"
Hestia immediately emerged from the kitchen, a feather duster in her hand. Her face visibly brightened up as she waved at him.
"Bell! Back so soon?"
"Solaris kind of broke her spear early and our bags were full," Bell explained. The goddess rolled her eyes in exasperation, more used to Solaris' bad habit than anyone else. Humming to herself, she put the duster away before jogging up to her child. Pushing him from behind, she forced him onto the couch before putting her hands on her hips.
"Well then, I'll start up some tea for you then! Just relax!"
Bell laughed, enjoying the warmth his goddess radiated. As she left the living room, Bell looked around, thinking of what to do. Then his eyes landed on the shelf. More specifically what was in them. Turning his head a bit, he looked at Hestia through the kitchen door.
"Can I read those books?"
"Hm? Oh, sure. Free for everyone!" Hestia shouted back, leaning backwards before focusing back on making tea. Bell nodded, standing up as he browsed the collection. He was pleasantly surprised to see classics like Argonaut and Dungeon Oratoria in them. However before he could pick those up, as they never failed to entertain, his eye caught a certain word.
Mimir. Wasn't that Hans' alias? Kojiro did say he was an author and seemed to have a high regard for him. Picking it up, he read the title.
Wish of the Stars. Humming in thought, he opened the book, only intending to read the first few pages before checking the other books. In the end, he never got to them. By the time Hestia brought the tea, he was lying on his back, his eyes completely focused on the story. It was a collection of short stories, yet every single one of them managed to grasp his heart.
The story of an old dragon, passing on wisdom from its time as a wide leader. The gruff gargoyle not trusting of humans, yet slowly opening up his heart to a stubborn hero and supporting him. The arachne who hid away her appearance as she disliked being looked at until she fell in love with someone that truly cared for her and not just her looks. There was even a heart wrenching story of a formoire being rejected by everyone despite its kind heart, dying in the end but still having saved at least one child that became its friend. He never expected to be so invested in a story of sapient monsters, yet here he was. So engrossed that he was in them, he drifted off to sleep, his dreams consisting of those good monsters just wanting to be free in the world of mortals...
/
What woke him up in the end was something soft landing on him. Blearily he opened his eyes, only to find himself in darkness. His nose twitched, introducing to the rather pleasant smell of flowers. The next thing he picked up was rustling and footsteps, causing Bell to freeze up and trying to stay as silent as possible. Intruders? Was Hestia safe? How long was he asleep? He focused, trying to listen to what those weird noises were he heard.
"Hah, home sweet home."
"Kaguya, don't just strip the moment you get back."
Bell felt himself die as he paled, listening to the female voices. That name... They were the children of Astraea! And they had no idea he was here, hiding like some pervert. While they were taking off their clothes, of which the cloth that was on him was part of. Now he could not get up and solve this misunderstanding or he might die. So now he could only wait and hope that they would move on to their rooms and forget about him and more importantly the cloth that was covering him.
"Why not? It's our house."
"And a little skinship won't hur-Ouch!"
A blush crept up and he had to suppress a scream. He didn't need to hear this! He didn't want to hear this! Yet his prayers weren't hurt as his imagination picked apart what he was hearing.
"Cap-tain~! I'd like it if you didn't touch me!"
"One day, Alise, one day... "
"Please stop doing those things."
"Then I wouldn't be the me you all love, would I?"
"I hate that I don't have a counter for that."
He heard footsteps approach and Bell closed his eyes, as if it would reduce his presence or make him disappear. Yet it was to no avail. He saw the cloth on him shift as someone grabbed it.
"Ugh, Kaguya, don't just let your clo-"
The cloth covering him was lifted off him and time slowed down. What he saw would be forever burned in his memories. Maybe it was because they were at home, their safe haven, that high ranked adventurers lowered their guard so much. But they couldn't be blamed. Only he was at fault for creating the situation they found themselves in. The first thought entering his mind, as he was curled up on the couch, was that those three ladies were beautiful in their own way.
First he saw the elf, who shone like a fairy. Her green hair fluttered from her action, reaching down to her neck. Orbs with the color of the sky stared down at him as she moved her head towards him.
Behind her were two more women, not like a fairy, but attractive nonetheless. The Far Eastern woman was running her gloved right hand through her black hair, her pony tail fluttering in the air, her white bathrobe fitting her figure quite well. Meanwhile a red haired beauty with messy short hair was facing that Far Eastern woman, an easy going smile on her face as she started to turn towards the elf and Bell.
This wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the fact that they were in the middle of undressing. The Far Eastern woman didn't tie her bathrobe up yet, revealing the middle of her entire body, the red head was in the middle of pulling her shirt over her head and the elf was already in her underwear. And they were all staring at Bell, just processing that he existed in this room, as they were half naked. The red head tilted her head, not looking too bothered. The Far Eastern woman blinked owlishly. And the elf had her mouth slightly open.
"Hm?"
"Eh?"
"Ah."
Time resumed its normal flow. The scarlet kimono, for that was what it was, touched the ground. Like a trigger, Bell's face turned bright red. Covering his face, he spun around and unleashed a pitiful scream that echoed against the walls as tears welled up in his eyes.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!"
The women gasped and yelped in shock. The next instance several things happened at once. The sound of a door being kicked in. The familiar noise of wood being cut apart. In the end followed by the destruction of glass.
"Get away from my Bell, burglars!"
"Young master!"
"To the battle stations!"
The air was tense as Bell whimpered, not risking turning around and facing his justified punishment. But as quick as it came, it cooled down, leaving behind confused noises.
"Oh, it's you guys," Hestia said with a sigh before stammering as she probably processed what was happening "Wait, what the heck is going on?!" Gasping, horror crept into her voice. "You...you three weren't giving him a stri-"
"Do not finish that sentence," the cultured female voice snarled. With a sigh, Bell heard the rustling of clothes. "Who are these two?"
"Uh, my new familia members!" Hestia replied before indignation filled her voice. "I thought you already knew! Solaris was outside after all!"
"Young master, they are dressed up now," Kojiro whispered helpfully. With a sniff, he carefully turned around. He flinched when he saw the three individuals properly clothed now, different shades of red painting their cheeks as they looked down at him. For some reason they weren't glaring as much as they should have, instead shooting those at Solaris, who had her shield and spear in her hands. Putting them away, she scratched the back of her head with an awkward laugh.
"Hahaha, whoopsie! Forgot to tell ya!" Licking her lips she spread her arms while sweating nervously. "Err... surprise!"
The reaction was immediate. The one Bell assumed was Kaguya shot her left arm out, her bare left hand grasping Solaris' head in a vicious vice claw and lifting the victim up. The captain of the Hestia Familia struggled and kicked her legs in the air as she grabbed the arm holding her.
"Agh, agh, ahhh, skull's cracking, stop!"
"Young master, are you alright?" Kojiro asked with concern. Sniffing, tears dropped down his face before he hit his head against the ground, performing the strongest dogeza he could.
"No! I became a pervert! I don't deserve to live! I'm the worst!"
What would grandfather think of him to end up in such a situation?! His tears stopped for a moment when he recalled a particular memory.
"Peeking is a man's romance, Bell!"
Bad example! Bell knew this was a bad thing! So he had to accept divine retribution like a man! Instead of that however, he felt Hestia hug him and pat his head.
"It's not your fault! We should've woken you up!"
"Or left our rooms and checked who was there," Kojiro added. Bell let out a whimper before shaking his head.
"Still…!"
A sigh sounded in the room. With watery eyes, he looked up, seeing the three victims of his unintional peeking seem uncomfortable with the situation. Kaguya shook her head, seemingly amused by this.
"Honestly, he gets to see us bare yet he's making me feel bad." She tapped her left cheek as she looked at Bell. "It's kinda cute."
"Considering we didn't sense you... I believe we can let this past. This time," the elf muttered, adjusting her cloak to cover herself up more. Meanwhile the one he assumed was Alise giggled and knelt down in front of him.
"So dry up those tears!" She opened her arms with a bright smile. "C'mon, let this big sister cheer you up!"
Before she could lean in however, she was both shoved back by Hestia with a hiss and pulled back y by who he assumed was Ryuu by the hem of her shirt.
"Alise, cease."
Bell took a deep breath, wiping his eyes. He didn't believe he should have been forgiven like that... but he just had to make up for it later! Just as he made that decision, the entrance opened once more. Everyone turned their heads and saw the two people enter. The first was a Pallum, her pink hair short just like Alise's. Wearing sunglasses for some reason, she crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow at the scene.
"The heck happened?" She pointed at Hestia's room before pointing at the shattered glass near the entrance. "Why's the window and the door broken?"
Chuckling awkwardly, the man behind her entered. His skin was dark and he wore a blue chest piece. His black short hair reflected the light from the ceiling and he unholstered his bow as he put it to the side. Suddenly Kojiro shot up, a hearty laugh escaping him before he moved forward. Extending his arm, the man accepted his hand shake before going in for a hug.
"I'll be damned! Arash Kamangir!"
"Kojiro! When did you get here?"
"Two weeks ago. In what hole did you hide away?" Kojiro asked as they separated from each other. Before Arash could answer, Hestia cleared her throat, pointing between them. Bell felt a sense of deja vu in that moment and couldn't help but smile despite the situation.
"You know each other?"
"Why yes." Kojiro sent Arash a playful glare. "I would've told you before if you mentioned his actual name."
The archer shrugged in a "what can you do" manner. Immediately the Pallum, who Bell assumed was Lyra, raised her hand. Even without seeing her eyes, he could swear she was narrowing them at Arash.
"So on the scale from Mimir to Radiance, where does he scale?"
"Middling towards Artoria?" Arash said, not quite sure. Kaguya hummed, letting go of Solaris who grabbed her hand and rolled on the floor in agony. Stepping forward, she bowed politely.
"Good enough. A pleasure to have a friend of Arash here."
The door opened once more, revealing Astraea entered. The room fell silent as she surveyed the situation as she covered her mouth. Then after felt like an eternity, she giggled and tilted her head.
"My, you seem to have had a lively first meeting."
"We're back, goddess!" Alise shouted, throwing her arms up in the air.
And that's how they ended up gathering around the large table and eating dinner. It was then, as he poked his food, that it hit Bell. He was eating with the top of Orario. And the first thing he did was see over half of them in an undressed state. Ah, he really wanted to vanish into a hole. It certainly didn't help that Lyra spontaneously decided to touch his face, as if inspecting it. The only saving grace was that Kojiro was subject to the same treatment. Still, it was quite embarrassing, yet nobody seemed to stop her.
"So what were you doing?" Kojiro asked, steering attention away from the dark clouds that formed above Bell's head.
"Testing out Lyra's new parameters, what with being level five now," Arash responded, nodding a few times. Lyra in turn scoffed.
"Yeah, most people wouldn't call going to the Deep Floors as 'testing out'." She made quotation marks with her fingers before cracking a grin. "But it sure helped."
"Level five? Wow, that's amazing!" Bell shouted, admiration pushing away any dark thoughts he had. The Pallum turned to him, flashing her raised thumb.
"Thanks, kiddo."
"Soooo. Two weeks. What's your Falna like?" Alise asked, leaning forward as she pushed the plates away. Immediately, Kaguya chopped her head, causing the captain to wince dramatically.
"Alise, that's private."
"Hey, we live under the same roof."
"We are apparently growing faster than the norm," Kojiro responded diplomatically. The four women of the Astraea Familia immediately looked at Arash, who laughed sheepishly as he scratched his cheek. They all rolled their eyes, knowing smiles on their face.
"Why am I not surprised," Lyra muttered, earning laughs from the table. Bell blinked before laughing as well. Apparently Arash was the same brand of... amazing as the rest of Kojiro's colleagues. Even more maybe, given he was actually going into the dungeon and if his guess was correct, was the one called Starfall. A level seven, one who reached the realm of legends of past. He had so many questions. So many things to ask. But then Lyra yawned and stretched her arms. Bell looked out of the window, the one that was not covered with boards as a makeshift solution, and saw that the sun was long gone.
"Well, been a long day. I'mma hit the hay."
It kind of disappointed Bell, but he knew to be more respectful for these wishes. Everyone rose from their seats and were about to move to their rooms. But before they could do so, Alise whistled, causing everyone to stop.
"Hold up!" A wide grin appeared on her face as she put her left hand on her hip and twirled her right hand. "Tomorrow is a new day! You know the drill!"
Immediately, the three other women groaned while Arash shook his head in amusement.
"Alise, we're not getting any younger. Don't you think we should-"
"Nope," Alise interrupted Kaguya, causing the woman to click her tongue in irritation. Ryuu raised her hand, a faint blush on her face as she glanced at the newcomers in the house.
"But it is a bit-"
"Nada."
At that point, Lyra glared even through the shades she refused to take off even more.
"Don't be like tha-"
Alise responded by blowing a raspberry. The three girls glared at their captain who just blinked back at them with a knowing smirk. In the end they all sigh in sync, shaking their heads in defeat.
"...Alright fine."
With a victorious laugh, Alise stepped up onto a chair.
"Do what you must! Adjust the balance! Until the day we become stars! Leave a gleaming trail on this earth like a shooting star!" She pointed heroically at the ceiling. "I swear on the sword and wings of justice!"
"I swear on the sword and wings of justice!" The Astraea Familia repeated, despite their embarrassed expressions sounding just as resolute. Bell couldn't help but gasp in awe, his eyes sparkling as he held his fists up.
"That is sooo cool!"
"Crap, now that we got new members, I gotta come up with a Hestia brand speech!" Solaris shouted, snapping her fingers. For some reason Hestia paled before shaking her head with a nervous laugh.
"A-Ahahaha... n-no need to rush it!"
"Right, perfection needs time!"
It was with that good mood that the day came to an end. Lying down in his bed, Bell sighed. Nothing could ruin this day for him.
…
He blushed as he bit his lip. Okay, aside from that first mishap of seeing them in that vulnerable state and the fact he could not sleep at all due to his earlier nap. Ah, now he was alone with his thoughts. It would take some time until he could drift off to sleep once more, without being tortured by the imprinted images of the ladies.