Hello everyone, and welcome back!
I'm so happy to see that this story has been received very well! I was super nervous writing this since this is a very sharp departure from canon, and this is my first time writing in such a dark setting, but it seems that you all enjoyed it so far!
This chapter's gonna be a bit slower, as it follows up right after the last one, so I hope you all still find some enjoyment from it.
Now, let's see how Astraea Familia reacts to the boy who can transcend Time, as well as the state of affairs in Orario.
Chapter 2: Preparations for War
It felt like it had been ages since he last slept on a warm bed rather than the stone-cold floor of his cell, and yet Bell found it extremely difficult to return to the world of dreams once more.
The incessant thunderstorms that have blanketed Orario for the past several days have finally died down, the overcast sky now a dull gray. Enough light had passed through the window and over his head, rousing Bell from his slumber and with a long stretch of his arms and legs, he finally opened his eyes.
He found himself lying on a rather large and comfortable bed, in a room relatively bare of any personal belongings save for a few beauty items and feminine clothing in the closet. Bell recalled that his new Goddess Astraea had allowed him to rest in her room after he received his Falna. The past few days of imprisonment and stress had taken a huge mental and physical toll on him, and he shortly passed out after she tucked him in.
But the events of last night now started to return to his memory, and he couldn't help but reach for his Status Sheet on the desk to the side of the bed, perusing through it once more before finally landing on the one thing that shocked the two of them yesterday.
It was rather hilarious how his Skill, which could let him gain immense amounts of Excelia based on his desires and aspirations, became little more than an afterthought compared to the enigma at the bottom of his Falna.
[Tachyon Paradox], a Magic that can allow him to travel backwards in Time…
Back in the early days of his childhood, Bell always fantasized about becoming an Adventurer and being able to use Magic like the Heroes in his storybooks. He had seen Magic first-hand multiple times thanks to Alfia constantly using it whenever she fell into a tantrum (or as his grandfather would jokingly say, when it was that time of the month for her), and had always been awestruck by its sheer power. He always wanted Magic that was super cool, like a spell that could let him shoot lightning or fire from his hands, or one like his mother's which could destroy an entire area with a single sound.
But the ability to manipulate Time? To travel backwards into the past? Bell couldn't wrap his head around it.
Just how had he developed Magic in the first place? And why did he gain the ability to manipulate Time of all things? How would a power like that even work?
To him, the concept of Time was nothing more than the passage of seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, and years. The Sun rises and sets, the moon waxes and wanes, plants grow and wither away, and people grow older and die. Time was an immutable force, ever present and the same for everything else in the world. All things, even the Gods themselves, were affected by it, and it always moved forward, never changing its course like a river flowing through the cosmos.
And yet, his Magic shattered that logic into thousands of pieces. For the first time in all of history, he had the power to alter the very fabric of history. A power that not even the Gods with their full Arcanum could never comprehend or wield.
Bell thought back to his conversation with Astraea the night before, as she gave him a stern but urgent warning about the power he possessed.
"Y-you really mean it!?"
Astraea nodded sternly, her eyes never breaking contact with him. "Absolutely. You must understand, this… this fundamentally breaks all our logic and understanding of how the Universe works, how even us Gods comprehend reality. The power to manipulate Time, to travel backwards and alter the past, it… it is both awe-inspiring and terrifying."
"Terrifying? How so?"
Astraea closed her eyes and pondered for several seconds before answering.
"You may think that we Gods are omniscient, all-powerful, and able to change the world to our whims with our Arcanum. While it is true that with our Arcanum unsealed we can do a great many things, there are still some things we cannot control. We cannot just snap our fingers and summon the dead back to life, nor can we wipe the Dungeon off the face of the world. And we most certainly cannot alter Time. We are not all-knowing, and Time is something that even we cannot fully comprehend.
For all beings, even us Gods, we perceive reality as we know it through 4 dimensions: Length, Width, Height, and Time. Whether there are more dimensions is beyond our knowledge, but this is how we see and experience the Universe around us. Objects have length and depth and fall to the ground from gravity. Light is the fastest thing in the Universe and can be split into 7 colors, and Time is constantly moving forward. It is like a river, always flowing in one direction, and we are nothing more than pebbles being swept away by its current.
But your Magic can do the impossible. It could turn you into a fish that can leap from the water and dive to an earlier part of the river, or so I think. Or it could be more than that."
Bell was struggling to make sense of what she was describing. "How so?"
"You could be a shovel that carves a new course for the river. Or you could make a separate river from the original, one that follows its own unknown path. Or you could end up drying up the river. There are so many things that could happen if you try to use this Magic, Bell."
"Eh? But all I'm doing with this Magic is just going backwards in Time, right? I mean, if I go back in Time to say… yesterday, then I would just be experiencing yesterday again, right?"
"You might. Or you might accidentally cause an entirely different scenario to happen. You'd experience yesterday again, but the events that will happen that day might be entirely different. You might eat something different, go somewhere else, or fight in a different battle. The future will be unpredictable, and you will have no idea what to expect."
"Um… what if I try to use it to save a life? Like… if someone died, I could go back in Time and stop them from dying. That would be an amazing thing, right? Especially since Orario is in a war?"
"Yes, that is absolutely true. But what if something goes wrong? What if you don't plan things the way you envisioned, and something even worse happens? What if you end up saving one person, but another dies instead? What if you go back to the past, and meet another version of yourself?"
"EH!? T-that's possible?"
Astraea could only give a small smile in response. "It is entirely possible. Like I said, this is new territory for even us Gods. How would you handle having two versions of you at the same time and place? And remember, you're limited to how many times you can do this."
Astraea pointed towards his Status Sheet. "See? Unlike all other Magic, yours requires your Status and Excelia. You might end up weakening yourself by traveling to the past. In a war like this, even the smallest bit of Excelia can mean the difference between life and death."
She let out a sigh. "Are you sure that you're still willing to fight alongside us? At least with a Status, you'll be much faster and stronger than an average person. Enough to live peacefully elsewhere, and I can always release you and keep your Status, letting you join another Familia in a year's time."
"Why are you asking this, Goddess?" Bell asked, worried. "I was the one who asked to join you in the first place."
He then widened his eyes as Astraea cradled his head in her hands. Bell would have turned beet red from the gesture if not for the utterly serious look on his Goddess's face.
"I need you to understand, Bell. We fight against Evilus, disregarding our own lives for the safety and sake of others who cannot fight for themselves. We fight to preserve Justice and to defeat Evil. This is war, and war is hell. People can, and will, die. We've lost many friends and comrades over the years, and with how strong our enemies are, we cannot always guarantee your safety. Alize and the others will train you of course, not just how to fight but how to navigate the criminal underground and other tricks to understand how our enemies think and behave. But even this may not be enough. You could be facing opponents, man or monster, many times stronger than you. Stronger than the girls even. You might see the most evil, atrocious acts being committed, watch others fall to despair, and of course, you yourself could die at any moment. So I ask once more, are you sure you wish to do this? To be an Adventurer and fight to liberate Orario?"
Bell didn't even hesitate. "I do."
Astraea smiled and released him. "Thank you, Bell."
Eventually, she left her bed and dismissed his concerns of her not sleeping in her own room. "I will sleep elsewhere tonight. You must be exhausted after everything that's happened, so rest here. Ah, by the way, please don't let anyone else know you have a Magic or Skill like this to anyone outside our Familia. Even if they're from an allied Familia."
"Are you sure? And Miss Ryu, Miss Alize, and the others?"
"I hope you don't mind if I share what we discussed with them? Don't worry, they'll make sure none of this is made public knowledge, but as your fellow sisters-in-arms now, they should have the right to know you have something like this."
Bell nodded. "It's okay, I understand. I trust them."
Astraea smiled. "Rest well, Bell. Tomorrow is going to be an interesting day for all of us."
Indeed, today would be very interesting indeed. Today will be the day where his new Skill and Magic would be revealed to all.
The first day where he will officially be a part of Astraea Familia.
Bell couldn't help but feel anxious about suddenly introducing himself once more to the rest of the other girls. He had been 100% serious when he told his Goddess that he was in this for the long haul, but now that his training would begin for real, the reality of the situation finally fell onto his shoulders.
He wasn't just a civilian now. He was an Adventurer, fighting to liberate a broken City.
And he couldn't let his new sisters-in-arms down now.
Clutching the Status sheet tightly in his hand, Bell put on his clothes and made his way to the common room.
…
…
…
…
The mood was completely subdued, the air thick with tension, as all eyes were turned towards him.
Bell had been among the first to wake up, and after sharing a quick breakfast with Goddess Astraea, he sat at the large table in the common room as the rest of the Familia woke up.
Thankfully, they were happy to see him, sharing a smile or waving at him as they brought their food to the table and intermingled.
Alizé in particular had pulled him into a one-armed hug, accidentally pushing his head straight into her rather large chest until Ryu, who had mostly recovered from the previous night's events, pulled him away from her grasp.
Everyone laughed at the rather odd display, but any levity they had soon died as Astraea revealed his Status to them all.
To say they were shocked was a massive understatement. Food was left abandoned on the table, cutlery dropped to the floor, and jaws were stretched open.
No one was sure what was more incredulous. Bell's Skill, which would let him break the limits and advance in Status faster than anyone else with little drawback, or his Magic, which could let him do the impossible and traverse Time.
"Holy shit…" Lyra muttered, a sentiment shared by every other girl in the room.
"Rapid growth, AND the power to go back in time!? Who'd have thought that we'd end up with such a monster in our Familia." Kaguya remarked in awe, her eyes wide open for the first time in a long while.
Ryu had no words to say, her mind utterly blown away by the sheer power of Bell's newly acquired Falna, and Alize was no better, her humor dead in the water as she gave an uncharacteristic frown.
"I think that it's readily apparent how we should keep this secret, especially from Evilus." Astraea said, to which the rest of the girls nodded in agreement.
"Wow… I don't even want to know what Evilus could do with that kind of power." Nezhe said.
"Which is why we should do our best to train Bell to protect himself. While I'm extremely hesitant to have him use his Magic, his Skill would really help us immensely thanks to its rapid growth. That is, if you are okay with this?" Astraea turned to Bell, who nodded.
"Then it's settled." Alizé clapped her hands to get everyone's attention, her face now returning to its jovial form once more.
"Now, why don't we have Bell introduce himself to you all, and fill him in on what's been happening in Orario for the past 15 years?"
"Eh?" Bell stuttered, then turned red as all the girls looked towards him. "Um… I'm ah, Bell. Bell Cranel. It's an honor to work with you all." He bowed awkwardly to them.
"Aw, no need to be so modest! We're all brother and sisters-in-arms now!" Alizé cheered. "Might as well start with me! I'm Alizé Lovell, the ever pure and beautiful Captain of Astraea Familia! None can outshine my flames of passion, and none can touch Lion's warm, sweet skin like I can! Hmph, Hmph!" She jutted her chest out proudly.
"Alizé! Stop embarrassing us!" Ryu's face turned pink as she covered her face in her hands.
"Sorry, please ignore our idiot Captain. All her smarts went to her chest instead of her head." Kaguya turned to him next. "I'm Gojouno Kaguya, Vice Captain. Let me be clear, this isn't a game you're joining. This is real war, and I expect you to put in the work and not drag us down. Don't you dare die on us out there, understand?"
"Y-yes, understood, M'am!" Bell stood up straight, before he realized his mistake. Dammit, Grandpa! Why did you have to teach me to sound off like that!? Mom hated that!
Kaguya looked at him like he was an idiot, but thankfully the pink-haired Prum joined the conversation.
"Jeez, show some pity for the poor kid, he just got here. Anyways, I'm Lyra, one of the executives. I mostly do the planning and I also specialize in sabotage. And don't think too much about it. Yeah, we're in a war, but as long as you learn from us and train, then your chances of survival will be a tiny bit better."
"Only a tiny amount!?"
Lyra shrugged. "Hey, like we all said, this is war. Any single one of us can lose our lives at any moment, and yet we all fight regardless. You're not bothered by that, are you?"
This time Bell answered with a resolute shake of his head. "Absolutely not."
"Then it looks like we'll get along nicely." Lyra said with a smirk. "Just don't do something stupid like trying to peep on us in the baths and we won't have a problem."
"EH!? I-I-I would never do that!"
"Wow, he's even worse than Lion. Speaking of, you're up."
Lyra stealthily slapped Ryu's butt, causing her to jump from her chair in anger and making Bell turn beet-red.
"Lyra! Have you no shame!? And don't slap my butt, especially in front of a… m-male." Ryu couldn't help but blush as well, and both she and Bell looked at each other with tomato faces, each unable to talk.
"Oi, crappy Elf, start saying something! This is already painful for us to watch." Kaguya said with a disappointed shake of her head.
"You…!" Ryu stopped herself, knowing that she could never win in an argument against her. Taking a gulp of air, she straightened herself up and gave Bell a welcoming smile. "I'm Ryu Lion, an executive like Kaguya and Lyra. I never got to thank you for saving me yesterday at the Smithy. It was very brave and admirable of you to risk your life like that for me, even without a Falna."
"Oh, no! I should be the one who's thanking you! You were the one who rescued me that night, and if you didn't find me there, I might have died in that attic. Thank you very much!"
Bell bowed low, and reached for Ryu's hand before shaking it vigorously.
Ryu could barely respond as she saw how her hand was interlinked with Bell's, not a single bit of clothing present to stop her palm from touching Bell's bare skin.
This… this was the second person she could touch without rejecting them outright. For it to be a guy no less…
A slew of giggles filled the room, and both Ryu and Bell looked up to see the rest of the Familia, including Goddess Astraea, giving them knowing grins and nods.
"Sob, my little girl is finally growing up! To think it's time for me to entrust her to you, Bell! Oh, we should plan a wedding!" Alize cried.
"WEDDING!?"
"HUH!?"
"Why are you sounding like a father about to give his daughter to her boyfriend?" Lyra asked, a drop of sweat rolling down her cheek as Alizé found herself lost in her fantasies again.
"Giggle, I'm sure these two will get along very well in the future." Astraea chimed in, the last straw for Ryu who wrenched her hand from Bell's grip and ran towards the kitchen, her face indistinguishable from a tomato.
"Um, did I do something wrong?" Bell asked worryingly.
"Ah, don't worry about it, Lion's always like that. I'm Nezhe, by the way! I'm a frontline fighter like the others, and a Level 5 to boot!" The silver-haired werewolf replied, waving at him.
"I'm Maryu, the Familia's healer! But if Evilus is around, then I'll bash their skulls in with my staff instead!"
"And I'm Asta. Don't let my size fool you, I'm more than capable of protecting us!"
"I'm Ryana, and this is Celty! We mainly focus on magical bombardment!"
"I'm Iska! By the way, if you need your clothes changed or want some more style, I'm your gal! Seriously, those clothes look really old…"
"And I'm Noin!"
"And lastly, I'm Cecil. I'm actually the latest member to join before you arrived, and I'm the main blacksmith for the Familia. If you'd like, you can come meet me in the forge downstairs to get you armed with something!"
One by one, the rest of the Familia introduced themselves, and Bell couldn't help but privately laugh at how different and quirky they all were. He soon felt his earlier shyness ebb away, and not a minute later, Ryu returned, taking her seat next to a still giggling Alizé.
"Well, that's all for introductions, so let's brief him about what's been going on in Orario. Bell, you have a basic understanding of what's been happening, right?" Alizé asked.
"Yes. From what I remember, Orario's been in a Civil War with Evilus for the past 15 years, right? And so far, things have been at a stalemate?"
"Stalemate? More like on the retreat, unfortunately." Lyra added. "As much as I'd like to say that we're in a stalemate, the truth is, we're barely holding on as we know it. Evilus is finding more and more people to join their ranks, and ours is only getting smaller. Plus, they aren't bound by principles of 'morality' like we are. If it can kill Adventurers, they'll use it, whether it be Monsters, suicide bombers, or children."
Bell shuddered. "Where did Evilus come from?"
"Oh, they've been around for a long time, but they were nothing more than troublemakers at first. Back then, Zeus and Hera Familia kept them in check easily enough."
Bell felt his heart skip a beat.
"Zeus and Hera Familia were considered the absolute pinnacle of mankind and their potential." Astraea said nostalgically. "Even if you pitted all of the Guild-allied Familias and the Evilus of today against them, back in their time, we would still easily lose. It wasn't an exaggeration to say that they were the strongest beings in all of existence since we Gods descended from Heaven."
He felt his breath get lodged inside his throat.
"And yet for all their strength, they still lost against the Black Dragon." Ryu said sorrowfully, each word unintentionally causing Bell to feel like he had been sucker punched.
"Man, just how crazy strong is the Dragon King?" Nezhe pondered. "To wipe out Zeus and Hera Familia like that so easily…"
"If only they stayed alive long enough to rip out Evilus from its roots back in the day." Kaguya snarled. "Tch! Why couldn't they do anything useful before they died."
THUMP!
The girls looked up in surprise as they felt something slam into the table from below.
"Bell?" Alizé asked. "Is something wrong?"
"N-nothing! Haha, I think I might have bumped the table accidentally with my knees." Bell answered.
Only Astraea saw through his lie, her eyes frowning.
"Well, either way, ever since their deaths, Evilus had grown in strength and popularity 15 years ago. Zeus and Hera Familia had vanquished most of the stronger Familia who challenged them decades ago, and when news of their deaths arrived, these disgruntled Familia members joined up with Evilus. More Evil gods joined the organization and made them act far more radically. Their sole goal for the past 15 years has been to destroy Orario entirely, and bring about a chaotic world once again." Alizé finished.
"Which is where we come in." Lyra then pointed to the large map of Orario in the middle of the table. "Here's a map of the entire city. See all those blue pins? These all indicate territory controlled by the Guild."
Bell flinched, noticing how nearly less than half of the map was dotted by blue pins.
"You mean, all these red pins are areas controlled by Evilus!?"
"This is what I meant when I said that this war is becoming less and less of a stalemate." Lyra warned. "In order for Evilus to accomplish their goals, they have to unleash the Dungeon to the outside world. However, the Dungeon is sealed by a massive lid."
"Babel…" Bell answered.
"Correct." Kaguya replied. "Babel is the main lid that keeps the Dungeon sealed from the outside world, and Lord Ouranos is the main God of Orario, whose job it is to pray and pacify the Dungeon enough so that it doesn't make all monsters rush out from the Dungeon at once like in ancient times. It isn't an exaggeration to say that he is the main force keeping the Dungeon at bay."
"Which is why their main target… is to destroy Babel, and send Ouranos back to Heaven." Astraea followed. "Should Ouranos's prayers to the Dungeon be stopped, and Babel destroyed, then the Dungeon will be fully unleashed, and Monsters will rise up and flood the lands once more. And this time, there are no more Great Spirits remaining to assist mankind."
"And that is why we have to stop them from advancing towards Babel at all costs." Ryu spoke next. "We need to fortify our defenses around Babel, stop any further advancement of Evilus towards the Guild, and push them back."
"Of course, this is easier said than done, what with how much of the city they've been able to capture these past several years." Alize said with a frown. "And sadly, the Guild mandates for each of the allied forces aside from Ganesha Familia to go on an expedition into the Dungeon. Because of the attacks on Adventurers in the Dungeon by Evilus, and the decreasing number of active Familia in the city, Orario has been exporting fewer Magic Stones than it ever has in its history. Most of the world relies on Magic Stones, and without it, modern society would collapse. We've already seen the effects of the decreased trade worldwide thanks to the Education District, where they've been noticing riots, food shortages, and a near-breakdown of social order across several countries and kingdoms as the amount of Magic Stones decreases."
"But we obviously can't have every major Familia spend their time in the Dungeon when we're fighting for our lives, so we usually go on a rotation." Nezhe spoke. "Since diving deeper into the Dungeon provides larger amounts of Magic Stones, the Guild heavily favors Familias going to the Deep Floors as part of their expeditions, and currently only 3 Familia are capable of doing that: Loki, Freya, and Astraea Familia. And so one of these Familias will be diving into the Dungeon while the other two work alongside the rest of the Guild forces on the front-lines. When Loki Familia finishes up their expedition, it'll be our turn next. And we don't publicly broadcast when we go on expeditions or which Familia is going, so that Evilus doesn't plan accordingly."
"I understand. So we'll have to go to the Dungeon as well as fight Evilus eventually." Bell nodded in agreement.
"Yep. Don't worry, we'll teach you how to fight in the Dungeon as well, but for now we'll start by training you in the basics on how to fight and protect yourself, before we teach you more advanced things. You might not be able to join us in our expedition to the Deep Floors, so you'll probably have to train alongside Loki or Freya Familia for the time being while we're gone, but don't worry! We have good relations with those two, and I'm sure they'll agree to help train you while we're away." Alize said.
"More like Alize annoyed her way into their circles." Lyra said sarcastically. "Here, take a look at this map."
Bell looked down at the massive map showing all of Orario in its entirety. The city was architecturally designed as a massive barrier around the Dungeon, and as time passed the city developed around it, forming a massive circle.
"Right, so Orario can basically be divided into 8 sections like a pie, and our base is over here." Lyra pointed towards the most southwestern section. "Over in our section is the Market District, where most of the commerce takes place and where most of the foreigner's stay. The two main sections down south make up the Entertainment District, which sadly has mostly been occupied by Evilus. Well, save for this sizable section over here around Folkvangr, Freya Familia's manor."
"Wait," Bell interrupted, noting how a large chunk of the Entertainment District north of Folkvangr was decorated in purple pins as compared to the red and blue ones. "What do these purple pins mean?"
"Ah, that? That's just something we chose to represent 'neutral' territory." Lyra said with a shrug.
"Neutral territory?"
"We say 'neutral' very loosely here." Iska commented. "Much of the southern parts of Orario make up the Entertainment District, which has all kinds of shops and exotic places such as Casinos and brothels. That section in particular is the Pleasure Quarter, which houses most of the brothels and remaining casinos, and is controlled by Goddess Ishtar."
"Wait, brothels!?"
"Oh, curious about the Pleasure Quarter? Don't even try to entertain the idea of spending the night there, rabbit." Kaguya said with a slight smirk.
"What!? Nonono! I would never go there!" Bell said while blushing.
"We don't mean that just because there are brothels there, Mr. Cranel." Ryu warned. "We have reason to believe that Evilus is highly active there, and we've noticed how Evilus raids into the areas down south all seem to start near the Pleasure Quarter."
"I know what you're thinking, and sadly there's no proof that Goddess Ishtar is colluding with them. Even after the Guild performed an inspection of the area, they found no evidence of Evilus or any wrongdoing there, and Ishtar forced the Guild to pay her as compensation. And as disgusting as it sounds, Orario needs the Pleasure Quarter since the money they earn there from Adventurers and foreigners helps pay for reconstruction and foreign aid." Alize said remorsefully.
"We also can't afford to anger Ishtar on the slim chance that she truly has no ties to Evilus." Astraea added. "The Berbera, Ishtar's combatants in her Familia, are also very formidable in their own right, sporting multiple Level 4s and a Level 6 with their Captain Phryne Jamil. We've been trying to convince her to join the fight, but she has staunchly refused."
"How come?" Bell inquired.
"Everyone and their mother knows that Goddess Ishtar hates Goddess Freya." Ryana answered. "In fact, 'hate' might be a massive understatement. She despises and envies her, thinking that more people pay attention to Goddess Freya than herself. Utterly petty reasons, really."
"Yes, Ishtar despised Freya even back in Heaven. It was quite the sight to see back in the day." Astraea recalled fondly.
"Moving on," Lyra said, now pointing towards the East side of Orario. "Most of this area is firmly Evilus territory. The Southeast section over here contains Daedalus Street, a massive labyrinthian residential area that was built alongside Orario a thousand years ago. We believe that this is where Evilus's main base is located, as well as a hidden entrance to the Dungeon."
Bell nearly shot up from his seat in surprise. "Wait! A hidden entrance to the Dungeon besides Babel!?"
Ryu nodded. "Yes, or at least, that's what Braver believes, and we agree with him. Evilus has at times released Monsters onto the streets, and we know for a fact that they didn't come from Babel, as it's still within our control and the Guild would have noticed a large shipment of Monsters. Of course, it's still possible that they brought these Monsters in from the outside, but many of them that we killed were far stronger than their surface counterparts. Plus, a hidden entrance to the Dungeon would explain how they're able to ambush Adventurers so easily down there."
"Braver believes the second entrance is found deep within Daedalus Street, but good luck sending anyone there to investigate." Kaguya said. "That place is crawling with Evilus and all their executives. We've tried launching counter-offensives there multiple times in the past, but they've all ended in failure."
"To the Northeast of Orario, North to Daedalus Street is what was originally the Industrial District." Lyra pointed out. "This is still a highly contested area, and where most of the smithing and manufacturing in Orario took place. It was also where we rescued you the night before. The Industrial District is super important for us to re-capture, as most of Evilus's bombs and weapons are forged there. Not to mention that this place used to be where Hephaistos Familia was based before they had to retreat to the Administrative District to the Northwest."
"Thankfully though, we still have control over some parts of the Industrial District, and the section of the city a bit more Northeast there is Loki Familia's base. It's largely thanks to them that Evilus hasn't been able to fully take control of the Industrial District. Their base, Twilight Manor, is found directly North here." Celty spoke.
"Well, that's all the parts of Orario under Evilus Control." Lyra said with a sigh. "To summarize, most of the Southern and Eastern parts of Orario are controlled by Evilus while the Western parts of the city are still under the Guild's purview. Northwest of Orario is the Administrative District, where Goibniu and Hephaistos Familia are now located, and it's also where most of the Guild workers live. Further west, we have the Magic District where most of the hospitals and pharmacies are stationed. Dian Cecht and Miach Familia can be found here, and near the border between the Magic and Administrative Districts is the Headquarters of the Guild."
"And finally, right smack in the Center of Orario is Babel and the Dungeon. Sorry if that was a large mouthful to swallow, but that's basically the current situation in Orario at the moment. Have any questions?" Alize asked politely to Bell, who shook his head.
"Ah, no thanks, I was able to understand all that."
"Perfect! There's still quite a bit more I'd like to speak further on, but we've already spent a lot of time discussing the situation already. Looks like it's back to business everyone!" Alize said excitedly, though a few of the girls let out audible groans.
"Eh? Where are you guys going?" Bell asked, as some of the girls, including Kaguya, Lyra, and Ryu stood up and armed themselves.
"Ah, I forgot to mention, we usually split up and patrol around the city and the borders to contested areas to watch out for any possible attacks. Ganesha Familia can't cover the entire city by themselves, so we have to fill in as well from time to time. But today, I'm not heading out, since I'll be here training you!"
"Are you sure? I mean, aren't you the Familia Captain?" Bell asked, but Alize easily brushed aside his question.
"Nope! Everyone is more than capable of doing their patrols, and someone needs to stay behind to start training you. And Cecil also needs to start smithing some weapons and armor for you. So you're stuck with me all day today!"
"Good thing it's Alizé who's training him. If it was Lion he'd probably be dead." Lyra said jokingly.
"Gah!" Ryu staggered, clutching her chest as an invisible arrow penetrated her heart.
"Anyways, whenever you're free come meet me down in the basement to pick up your weapons and armor." Cecil said, already making her way to her forge.
"And I'll be heading out to help out at the soup kitchens and charities. Best of luck with your training Bell, and remember what we talked about the night before." Astraea spoke up, waving at him as she too left.
Bell swallowed as he left to follow Cecil, his guys already tied into a knot from sheer nerves.
Later on…
"Are ya ready Bell?" Alizé said eagerly as he made his way to the gardens of Stardust Manor. "Oh! Interesting choice with a sword and dagger!"
"Yeah, I felt that this would fit me a little bit better. The armor Miss Cecil gave me helped out a lot too." Bell said, adjusting his new clothing.
Cecil had shown him around her Smithy inside the Manor's basement, and he was blown away by the large selection of armors and weaponry he could choose from. Since she primarily forged armaments for Astraea Familia alone, most of her creations were tailor-made for the girls. From compact steel katanas and kimonos made from Goliath skin to heavy Dwarven armor forged from Adamantite, Cecil's armory had practically everything she needed to cater to the girls' needs.
In the end, despite wanting to take up a Greatsword like his uncle, Bell chose a safer option, going with a sword-and-dagger combo to complement his lighter build alongside slim and lightweight leather armor, including a black long-coat made from the remaining pieces of Goliath skin. In addition to boots, elbow and knee pads, and gloves crafted from Dragon skin, he now brandished a steel longsword and dagger made from a unicorn horn, with a semicircular-shaped crossguard.
It wasn't exactly the most heroic look Bell had imagined for himself, but at least he truly felt like an Adventurer.
"It looks great on you! You definitely chose wisely." Alizé said with a smile. With a flick of her wrist, she unsheathed her crimson sword and twirled it around her hand before motioning for Bell to step forward a bit.
"Hmm… given your build, I'd say that you're most suited to hit-and-run tactics, using speed, agility, and power to overwhelm your opponents. In all honesty, I'd say that Lion would be a really great teacher for you. She's excellent in this kind of style." Alizé commented as she orbited around Bell, taking note of his height, posture, and lighter build.
"But, she's on patrol today, and she'd probably accidentally break a few bones on the first day, so that's why I'm here!"
"Wait, wait, wait! What did you mean by breaking a few bones!?"
"Ehehe… let's just say that she has a tendency to not hold back at all when she starts fighting. Perfect for our enemies, not so great for the rest of us when we spar." She shuddered, recalling the last time she accidentally destroyed part of the wall after sparring with Kaguya a few months back.
"But anyways, let's get started. Try to take on a combat stance, as if you were fighting an Evilus member."
"Eh!" Bell blanked, before fumbling to take on a random stance. In the end, he looked like he was having a stomachache rather than trying to start a fight.
"Um…" Alizé scratched her head as she saw Bell's awkward stance. "I guess I should have seen that coming. You never held a weapon before?"
He shook his head. "I tried learning in the past, but my mom and uncle always forbade me. Besides, I doubt I could have wielded a Greatsword with how skinny I am anyways."
"Ah, were your mom and uncle Adventurers by any chance?"
Bell let his eyes wander to the ground. "Sorry, I'd rather not talk about that."
Alize flinched. "Sorry, didn't mean to upset you. But that's fine if you don't know anything just yet. We all have to start somewhere. Here, let's try this."
Taking both of his arms, she moved his hands closer to his chest, while still keeping the ends of his dagger and sword pointed towards her.
"Perfect. When using a sword and dagger, you can use them together to tempo your movements together."
"Tempo?"
"Basically, since you're using a sword and a dagger at the same time, you can both defend and attack at the same time. So for instance, if I try to stab…"
Alizé made a very slow stabbing motion, thrusting her sword straight towards Bell. He reflexively brought his hands up, blocking the thrust with both blades.
"Good job!" Alizé smiled. "Though, you didn't have to block with both blades. One should be good enough, and while you use one blade to defend, you can then use the other to counterattack. See your left hand? Use your dagger to block my attack and see what happens!"
Taking a thrusting stance once more, she made another very slow thrusting motion, and following her advice, Bell instead brought his left hand up, intercepting the blade with his dagger."
"There! See how my sword's stuck in your dagger's crossguard? This is why Cecil made your dagger this way. With a parrying dagger you can block an attack and have your opponent's weapon stuck in your crossguard. Since I'm only using one weapon, I'll be a sitting duck if I don't try to separate from you. That's when you strike! Now, use your left hand to push my blade away from you, and use your right hand to thrust against me!"
Bell nodded, moving his left hand away from his body, thereby pushing Alizé's sword away from his chest, before then raising his sword hand up and thrusting his sword towards her, making her quickly back away before the steel could touch her.
"Perfect! Now you see why it's useful? Now let's keep doing it!"
"How many times?"
Alizé put her finger to her mouth. "Hmm… how about 500 times?"
"That much!?"
This time she wore a serious expression. "Unfortunately, yes. Remember, our enemies won't wait for us to make the first move. Nor will they ever not take advantage of a weakness. The battlefield will always be unpredictable, and in the midst of things you could forget how to fight, which is why you should drill those movements into your brain. Build up your muscle memory, so your body remembers how to act when your mind doesn't."
Alizé then raised her sword up to his chest once more. "Again!"
For the next several hours, she made Bell spar against her while having him practice holding his hands and weapons correctly, lowering her strength and agility to that of a Level 2 or 3 so that he would be more accustomed to fighting stronger opponents.
Once she made sure that Bell memorized the correct guarding positions, the two of them switched to practice spars, while she checked to make sure he was guarding correctly.
"Hah!" Bell yelled, knocking Alize's sword to the side and thrusting forward.
"Not bad! But don't think your opponent will let you get away with that that easily!" Alize easily dodged to the side, before using her sword to knock his dagger out of his hands. As Bell stumbled, confused by the sudden action, she rushed forward and placed the edge of her blade right on his neck.
"Eep!"
"Make sure you always have a backup plan." Alize warned. "If you lose a weapon, then just use what you have, distance yourself from your enemy, or use your fists. The one thing you should never do in the middle of combat is freeze."
Bell nodded, picking up his dagger, and the two clashed once more.
"Don't forget to use your dagger! It shouldn't only be used for parrying!"
"Got it!"
"And don't lose your grip on your blades! They're your lifeline!"
"Understood!"
"Try to move and attack faster! There's no need to be nervous. You're a rabbit, not a turtle!"
"I'm a what!?"
"Hehe, that's right! You're now our cute little bunny!"
"Huh!? Ooph!"
Alize dropped down and performed a sweeping kick, knocking him down to the floor before pouncing on him and drawing her blade to his neck once more.
"And make sure you aren't distracted!"
"U-um… Miss Alize? You're… really close!"
Bell fought down a blush as Alize's chest hovered a few inches away from his nose. He really didn't want to get chewed out by his Captain so soon!
Alize laughed and stood up, pulling Bell up with her.
"Whew! We've been going at it for a few hours now. How are you feeling so far, Bell?"
Bell cracked his neck and rubbed his back. "A little better, I guess? This is still all pretty new to me. Um, how bad did I do?"
"Honestly? You did far better than I thought you would. Are you sure you aren't a beginner? You managed to grasp what I said pretty quickly. It's almost like you were able to copy everything I did in a single glance!"
"Ehehe…" Bell let out a small laugh, forcefully burying the pain he felt as a familiar memory reared its head. "Honestly, I still feel like I have a long way to go. But I suppose I have to learn fast, or else I'd drag everyone down."
Alize now wore a sad expression on her face. "Unfortunately, yes. I mean, not to say that you're a burden in any way, but in this chaotic time we have to be prepared as much as we can. Lion and the others will teach you as much as they can, but as they say, experience is the best teacher of them all. Sooner or later, you'll have to fight on the front lines and in the Dungeon alongside the rest of us. I wish we could take things slower, but we need every hand we can get."
Bell patted her on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Miss Alize! I'll do my best to not let anyone down! I'll learn and train as hard as I can!"
"That's the spirit!" Alize gave him a thumbs up, before turning her head towards the sky, now turning a dull orange. "Looks like it's almost evening. Lion and the others should be finishing up their patrols by now. Ah, that reminds me, I still need to show you around the Market District, and register you as an Adventurer to the Guild."
"I have to go to the Guild?"
"Yep, every person who wants to be an Adventurer has to go to the Guild and have their paperwork done. And ever since the War started, the Guild has tightened up their laws. If they find out that a Familia has harbored an unregistered Adventurer, then they'd get hit with a massive fine, or they all get banished."
"Banished!?"
"The Guild doesn't want to take any chances, especially if it turns out that it's an Evilus member." Alizé said sadly. "Thankfully, since we work so closely with the Guild, they'll hurry through your paperwork pretty quickly. But, since we're going, there's something you should know."
Bell found himself puzzled as Alizé grabbed his shoulders with a serious expression on her face.
"Miss Alizé?"
"You remember where the Guild is, right?"
"Yeah. Between the Magic and Administrative Districts to the north of us, right?"
"Correct, and we're in the Market District. Now, even though these three districts are under the control of the Guild, incursions still sometimes happen. The Market District especially, gets attacked often since a lot of foreigners and trade arrive there. I'm hoping that nothing happens when we go through there, but the fact that things have been quiet is giving me bad vibes."
Alizé closed her eyes and sighed, before looking him straight in the eyes, her grip on his shoulders not relaxing. "I need you to promise me something. As your Captain, do you trust me?"
Bell nodded immediately. "Of course! Absolutely!"
"If something happens while we're heading to the Guild, will you promise to follow mine, or the other girls' orders? To the letter?"
"Yes!"
"If I or the others tell you to avoid fighting and seek shelter, will you follow?"
"Yes!"
"If I or the others tell you to fight and stand your ground, will you do so?"
"Yes."
"And if I tell you to leave us behind, run, and save yourself, will you follow?"
"! I…"
"Bell? Do you promise?"
Alizé was a hundred percent serious, not a single bit of her humor and lightheartedness remaining on her face.
"Do you promise you'll follow my orders? Even if I tell you to leave us behind?"
"I… I…"
"Bell?"
He swallowed heavily. "I, I promise."
Alizé finally smiled again. "Thank you."
After letting go of his shoulders, she gestured for her to follow him. "Hopefully something like that doesn't happen while we're out today."
And though Bell privately hoped for the same, his gut told him a different story. After all, he wasn't exactly born with a rabbit's lucky feet.
Despite the ongoing war still raging across the City, Bell was quite surprised to see that the Market District still remained relatively lively.
People of all races were still walking about, conversing with each other and trading various goods. To an outsider, it would have looked like a typical day in the market.
The sheer number of guards patrolling the area told him otherwise.
As Bell closely followed behind Alizé, he took notice of all the Adventurers walking around, heavily armed to the teeth and glancing all around the square. A few of them nodded or waved to Alizé as she passed by, giving a curious glance to himself as he trailed behind her.
He recognized some of the Adventurers as belonging to Ganesha Familia, if the elephantine mask on their foreheads were any indication. There were a few other Adventurers besides Ganesha Familia patrolling the markets, with some carrying the emblem of a blazing Sun, and a few women who wore a scarf over their necks emblazoned with the insignia of a Crescent Moon.
"Those guys over there belong to Apollo and Artemis Familia." Alizé said as they walked, pointing towards the Adventurers. "Apollo Familia have been in Orario for quite some time, even before the Dark Days began, and Artemis Familia moved to the city a few years ago."
"Artemis and Apollo Familia? What are they like?" Bell asked.
"Well, Apollo Familia is… they're kinda filled with a bunch of weirdos." Alize shrugged. "And their God is even more of a weirdo. I remember Goddess Astraea and Lord Hermes saying that he's a really… passionate kind of God. There have been some really nasty rumors going around saying that if he sees a person he finds really interesting, he'll pursue them to the ends of the earth."
"Is he a bad kind of God, then?"
"Hmm… I mean, I'm not a fan of how he gets new Familia members if the rumors are true, but it's undeniable that his Familia contributes greatly in our fight against Evilus. Say what you will about his Familia, but they work just as hard as the rest of us to liberate the city."
"And Artemis Familia?"
"Ah, their Goddess is just like Astraea, always focusing on justice and good, perhaps even more so at times! She's one of the Virginal Goddesses alongside Goddess Hestia and Athena, and she only accepts women into her Familia. They used to be a traveling Familia, going around the world hunting down monsters, but ever since the Civil War began she brought her Familia with her to fight against Evilus. From what I remember, she can be pretty harsh at times, and vehemently opposes any interaction with men aside from what's strictly necessary, but she's also a very kind and caring Goddess, too. They've also been helping out a lot these past few years, though sadly they and Apollo Familia aren't as strong as us, Loki, Freya, or Ganesha Familia."
"Wow, it's great that we have all these Familia helping us out!"
Alize nodded. "Though, Evilus gains new members just as fast as they lose them, and all it takes is one suicide bomb for them to deal as much, if not more, damage than a regular Adventurer. Which reminds me, remember to always keep an eye out for your surroundings. Like, this!"
Before he could even react, Alize's hand shot forward behind him, grabbing onto the arm of a small Prum who sneakily tried to grab his bag from behind. The young Prum panicked, as Alize's arm pulled her closer to her, causing her hood to fall down revealing a young girl close to Bell's age.
"Stealing isn't a nice thing to do, you know!" Alize said cheerfully, letting go of the Prum's arm. "What's wrong? Did you need some food or money? I don't have much on me, but you can have my lunch if you're hungry?"
Alize reached into her pouch and pulled out a small ration pack, kneeling in front of the girl and offering it to her. "Here. These aren't anything special, but I'm sure they'll help fill your tummy! At least they aren't as bad as Syr's food! Try not to steal next time, okay?"
The Prum only gave her a cruel glare and snatched the ration from her. "As if Lili would ever listen to a snobby Adventurer who'd never helped her at all…" She muttered harshly, before running away past them.
"And there she goes. Let the warmth and tasty goodness of her lunch fill her tummy, wishing her all the best and letting the flavor purify her hardened soul!" Alize said softly, watching the girl vanish within the crowd.
"She doesn't seem to like you that much." Bell said, noting the venomous look she gave the two before fleeing.
"Not that I blame her. Even though we try our best, we still often end up too late to stop a bombing, or we're too late to save a life." Alize said somberly. "People tend to blame us when things go south, and it's easy for us to forget that we're blessed with a Falna and have the power to fight back while the rest of these poor people don't. I've been pelted many times before with rocks after really bad attacks."
"What!? Why?"
Alize could only shrug in response. "Sometimes it's easier to place the blame on someone else rather than realize that there was nothing we could have done to make things better. Of course, we're all fighting as hard as we can to stop Evilus, but there's only so much we can do, and so many places we can be at at once."
"Why did you let her go? Shouldn't she be punished for stealing?"
And Alize soon smiled. "Because, as a good friend of ours once said, Justice goes around and comes around! Even a simple act of forgiveness could become a form of justice, and the smallest act of kindness can change the world! Who knows? Maybe you'll run into that cute Prum girl later on, and the more you treat her with kindness the sooner she'll start smiling again! Justice will take on a new form and pass from person to person, never stopping, and never ending! That's what Ardee would say if she were here."
"Miss Alize…"
"Ah, look! I think I see Lion and the others!"
Grabbing his hand, Alize hauled him towards the rest of the girls, who looked like they were talking to a God…
"Lord Eren, I ask that you let us continue our patrols. We have no time to entertain a God such as yourself." Ryu spoke, barely keeping her rage in check as she once again spurned the troublesome God's advances.
"Ah, my poor heart! It seems our baby practitioner of Justice has grown sharp fangs! What happened to the cute little Elf who couldn't answer my question all those years ago?" Erebus moaned, pretending to stagger from Ryu's harsh words.
"Oi, why don't you do us a favor and get lost? You've been hounding after Lion for the past 7 years now. Don't you have anything better to do?" Lyra said with a deadpan glare.
"Ara, it seems Lion has gotten herself quite the lecherous stalker on her hands." Kaguya said sarcastically. "Though I much prefer she handle her boyfriend by herself, it looks like I'll have to kick him away myself."
"Cut it out, Kaguya! Lord Eren is not my b-b-boyfriend! And I will not let this pervert keep harassing me any longer!" Ryu yelled with a red face. Composing herself, she turned to Erebus once more with a resolute face. "And like I said before, I found my definition of Justice long ago. I'm not some baby practitioner any longer! I told you my answer before, and you were satisfied back then. Why then, do you keep asking me about what Justice is even now?"
"No way, was Ardee right when she said that Lord Eren's like a boy who acts all weird because of a crush he has on a girl? Lion, looks like Bell has some competition now!" Lyra said.
"What competition!?"
Erebus was about to make a sarcastic comeback when he was suddenly struck by a feeling of deja vu.
'Bell? Where have I heard that name before?'
"Don't worry, Lion! Your ever beautiful and pure Captain Alize (that's me!) will save you from any perverts trying to get into those cute shorts of yours!"
Like a princess bursting in to save her knight in shining armor, Alize jumped in between the two, cradling Ryu into her bosom as she leveled a glare at Erebus.
"Gah! It's that perverted god again! Lion, cover your eyes and ears while I deliver divine punishment!"
"Woah, woah, woah! Wait a minute! I didn't even do anything! Take those hurtful words back this instant!"
"Look out, Bell! This God is an unadulterated pervert! Always lusting after our precious Lion, and it's our job to beat him back with a stick!" Alize said triumphantly, only to turn puzzled at the lack of response from her protege. "? Bell?"
Ryu and the others looked to the side, watching on with curiosity as Bell stood still, staring at Lord Eren like he had seen a ghost.
Even Lord Eren, for once, was utterly speechless, looking at Bell with shock.
""You're…""
"Eugh… they even sound the same! This is really creeping me out." Lyra said, causing the other girls to shudder.
Eventually, Erebus was quick to recover, and he gave Bell a warm smile. "Well, well, well! It's been quite a while since I last saw you! Ah, you were such a tiny little boy back then! My, how the years pass!"
"A-ah, yeah…" Bell muttered hesitantly.
"Wait a minute! Bell, you know this God!?" Lion asked, curious as to their connection.
Bell gave a slow nod. "Yeah… he, um, visited my family a few years ago."
Erebus gave a slight laugh. "Ah, I remember it like it was yesterday! T'was a wintry night, the snow already falling to the ground when I showed up at your doorstep! Right before I stepped inside, your grandfather suddenly shot through the side of the house and you tried pulling him inside by his legs!"
''''Huh!?''''
For the first time, Bell let out a small laugh. "Y-yeah. Mom got mad at Grandpa for trying to get in the bath with us again…"
Eren let out a content sigh, wiping a stray tear from his eyes. "Ah, what an introduction! I haven't laughed that hard since I was back in Heaven! But I'm honestly quite surprised to see you here. Your aunt was fiercely protective of you from what I remember! She wouldn't even let you play out in the snow unless you were covered head-to-toe in sweaters and pants! I doubt she'd have let you come to Orario at a time like this. How are Alfia and Zald doing nowadays? I imagine they'd be quite worried about you right now!"
Ryu and Alize tilted their heads in surprise. Why did Lord Eren meet Bell all those years ago? And why did those two names sound oddly familiar?
Bell felt himself tear up, and he looked to the ground in shame. "I… I'm sorry. Mom and Uncle Zald… passed away a couple of months ago."
Erebus's eyes shot wide open, and his entire body twitched in surprise. All of Astraea Familia present were equally as surprised to see Lord Eren acting so unusually, and to the astonishment of the girls, they watched as the weird and annoying God lower his head in apology.
"I'm sorry." Erebus said somberly, his previous demeanor long gone.
Bell couldn't even look up from the ground, tears already falling down his face as the memory of their passing permeated his mind once again.
"I see now, so that's why they weren't around when he checked back then…" Erebus muttered to himself.
"L-Lord Eren?" Bell asked.
"Ah, it's nothing, just thinking to myself. Well, you have my condolences. Such a shame, too. Did they at least die happy and content?"
Bell couldn't bring himself to lie, not in front of a God.
"I see. Well then, I wish you luck on your journey then. It's all I can do as a God, unfortunately."
Erebus bowed and turned around to leave, for once not acknowledging the girls at all as they looked back and forth between the two.
"L-Lord Eren!" Bell called out.
"Hm?"
"Um… what did you want Mom and Uncle Zald to do all those years ago?"
Erebus only gave him a small, comforting smile. "It's fine, it's not something you should really worry about anyways. Besides, I think it was better for them that they stayed."
And with that, he blended into the crowd and vanished.
Everyone stood silent, the girls looking on with concern as Bell continued to cry silently.
"Ah, Mr. Cranel? Is everything okay?" Ryu said hesitantly, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"It's fine, just… old history." Bell replied, already wiping his face with his sleeve. "L-let's just head to the Guild now."
Bell marched forward as Ryu and Alizé looked on with worry, thankful that they couldn't see his face as he was lost in his memories once again.
Seven Years Ago...
"Well, isn't this surprising? I heard that a former champion might be staying here, but I certainly didn't expect to see this!"
Erebus let out a small laugh, seeing Zeus stuck in the wall as a young Bell tried pulling him out with all his light, his tiny arms doing little to make him budge an inch. With a sigh, Zald stepped in and with a quick tug, yanked Zeus from the wall.
"Ah! Thank you Zald! Man, Alfia almost broke my back again!"
"You really need to cut it out, old man." Zald said, rolling his eyes. "You should know by now that that ain't gonna work, especially on her."
"Hey, there's a time for everything! And besides, what if she says yes!?"
"In what universe? And besides, we got a guest. Bell, go upstairs and bring your aunt down."
Zeus turned around and raised an eyebrow at the so-called God of Malevolence as Bell went up the stairs. "Well, well! It's been a long while since we last spoke."
"Indeed it has. If I remember correctly, the last time we spoke was when we got caught sneaking in to peep on Artemis with Hermes?"
"Ah, yep, and then Hera threw a hissy fit and started chasing me all across Heaven. Had to hide in Hestia's temple until she calmed down."
"Yeah, those were the days…"
"Well? Why'd you come all the way out here, then? You here for Zald and Alfia?"
"For who else? Ah, the woman of the hour." Erebus smiled as Alfia made her way down the stairs, led by Bell as he brought her down, hand tightly clutched in his.
"What's this God doing here? Oi, old geezer, did you bring another pervert here? Do I need to give you and your friend another Gospel Punch?"
Bell suddenly shivered and Zald face-palmed.
Erebus only gave a slight chuckle. "As funny as this is, I'm actually here for a favor."
Zald raised an eyebrow. "A favor?"
Erebus nodded. "Yeah. You of course know how things are in Orario, right? Well, things aren't looking well for the city, and if something isn't done, then the city will stagnate and rot from within. I heard that you two were living here, and I was wondering if you would be willing to... intervene, in order to-"
"Please leave."
Erebus raised his eyebrows, and even Zald and Zeus turned towards the source of dissent. Alfia, her eyes ever closed, shook her head.
"I know what you're asking for us to do. And this plan of yours, I cannot go with it."
"…"
"Not anymore…"
And though she refused to say anything further, Erebus noted how her arms had wrapped themselves around Bell, cradling his face and pulling him in closer to her.
"I see. What about you, Zald?"
Zald turned to his God, who had refused to give any voice in the matter, and then to Alfia and Bell, who looked up at him with worry in his eyes, and he made his decision.
"Afraid I'll have to decline, too."
"…"
"Don't get me wrong, I see what's happening over there, but I've done my part long ago. I already fought my fair share of battles, and did my part to save the world. There's nothing more I can give now. My home is here, and this is where I'll stay till the end of my days."
""Sorry."" The two said as one.
Erebus could only smile at the heartfelt display, not disappointed in the slightest. "There's no need to apologize. It's probably better this way."
He turned around and bid farewell. "I hope you two spend the rest of your days in peace."
If only that were true.
But as the years passed and their diseases worsened, Bell could hardly believe that they died in peace. Lying around in bed, unable to move without pain, constantly vomiting blood, and unable to even use the restroom by themselves, his beloved mother and uncle had simply wasted away, their forms decrepit and decayed.
Uncle Zald's body, once as large and as strong as a mountain, atrophied so much that Bell almost mistook him for a living skeleton. His eyes were sunken in, his very breath now reeking of the Behemoth's poison, he became a pitiable sight. Due to the poison now freely flowing from his mouth, Bell and his grandfather were forced to have him sleep outside, where he wouldn't harm anyone else.
And in the end, that was how he passed away, nothing more than a toxic pile of bones unable to even be given a proper burial until weeks later.
And soon, his mother had gone the same way, her face sunken in despite her young age, her hair falling off in droves and leaving her bald, and her breathing growing worse and worse. Many times, her heart would just stop beating, and Bell had to perform emergency CPR to bring her back, the taste of her blood stuck in his mouth after giving her breaths. Eventually, she lost the ability to speak at all.
And when the day finally came for her to go, all that Bell could do was ust lay next to her and hug the woman he loved more than anything else in the world to his chest as she violently spasmed, cradling her in his arms as she coughed up blood over and over again, her body twitching in agony as her lungs filled with fluid. And with a final gasp, Alfia breathed her last in his arms, the last thing she felt were her nephew's tears falling on her face.
Bell sobbed his heart out that night, now forced to bury his last remaining family as his grandfather could only watch on in sorrow. And soon, only a month later, his grandfather would pass away as well, leaving him all alone in a dead and abandoned house.
And with the memories flooding back in, he wondered if things would have been better if they had chosen to go with Lord Eren back then. Would it have cured them? Would they have saved Orario if they left?
Why didn't they go? Why did they stay with him?
Alas, those choices were now lost to the annals of Time, never to be remembered again.
Or… could it?
And there we go for this chapter!
Honestly, I'm not a huge fan of this chapter in particular, as a lot of it was exposition, and I'm not particularly fond of how this chapter ended, but there wasn't that much I could really do to end it right here without delaying the chapter even further. I do apologize, and I hope you found some enjoyment from this chapter regardless! I promise that things will get more action-packed starting the next chapter! I wanted to get most of the exposition dump out of the way, since this is a very different Orario compared to canon which was relatively peaceful. If you were confused by how I outlined which parts of Orario were controlled and where everything was, there's a really good map of Orario on the Wiki that I used as reference.
Also, apologies about the training session. I was researching how people fight with a sword and dagger combo in HEMA fights, and I might have gotten a little carried away.
I just want to thank everyone again for giving this story a try! This was genuinely a really difficult story for me to write, given how different it is from the base storyline, and I'm glad that you all seemed to enjoy it so far!
I've had a lot of questions concerning how Bell's time-traveling powers work, and I promise that I will explain it as the story progresses. He won't be using it for quite some time, but when he does, oh boy am I excited to finally show it off!
And now, onto the reviews:
1. Niebieskillis: Thank you for the review! Like I said, I'll expand on Bell's time traveling powers more as the story progresses. I've been asked this before, but no, Bell's Magic won't make him go down a Level, but it will consume his current Status. When he time travels to the past, he won't have the same Status he had before the time-travel occurred, and so he will have to farm excelia again to recover his lost status. Thanks to his Skill it won't be too much of an issue but it does help add stakes since he has to be careful about how he uses his magic since his Status will decrease. And of course, Haruhime will be making an appearance!
2. SentinalSlice: Thank you! And yes, he will get more time powers in the future. As for what happens when he meets his past self? Hehe...
3. NinjaFang1331/HildeVonKrone/ValyrionThe Magna/JJisback/sadkali727: Thank you so much!
4. Guest(s): Thank you!
5. DonutHunter72/Bluquil: Thank you! And I understand, not everyone is interested in harems. Right now I haven't decided on any pairings yet so who knows? Glad you enjoyed the story!
6. Shivajuha: Yeah, this is why I wanted to make the story set in a war, as I wasn't a fan of the idea that Orario would still be peaceful if Alfia and Zald didn't go in other fanfics. I wanted their absence to be meaningful, and for their sacrifice to have actual purpose. Sure, Astraea Familia is still alive, but at what cost?
7. RabbitHaremLover24: Thank you so much! And lol I knew you'd be happy now that Bell is with Astraea Familia! Though I do admit that it it much harder for me to write them compared to Freya Familia for some reason, but I'll try my best!
8. Blazeburn006: I'm so glad you enjoyed the story! While I gave a slight hint to Bell's origins, Astraea Familia won't know the full ramifications of it until much later, especially once Bell starts to really use his Time-traveling powers. Oh, the angst is gonna be great!
9. Goofy ahh writer: Thank you so much! I'm humbled that I helped push you to become a writer yourself! I'm by no means a great writer in any way, but I'm happy to see you decided to write your own stories as well! Looking forward to reading them!
If you would like to support me, feel free to check the link below:
P a treon . com (slash) Agopessimist