NOTE: This chapter is like 30% edited so read it expecting errors and grammatical mistakes!
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Off the main street, through narrow and winding alleyways, buried deep within the suburbs of the labyrinth city, there was a bar.
"Ah so you came... Black fist."
A woman with shoulder length brown-hair entered the shady bar and took a seat opposite to the man.
She wore a white crop top with red borders around the sleeves and had a large slit going down from the middle, separating from the hem outwards that failed to hold in her bountiful chest.
The woman's brown stockings were the same color as her shorts and were connected by a belt on the sides, white bandages around her forearms and black fingerless gloves with a flat metal plate on the back of her palm. Her tall brown boots had metal soles, and were bound by small belts that revolved around her shin.
Lunoire Faust, alias: "Black Fist". An unofficial title and nickname she obtained among the shadier parts of society.
"...Another job?" She pulled down her wide red scarf.
"Yes." The man nodded, "Would you perhaps be familiar with an individual known as 'Astrapi'?"
Lunoire took a sip from her mug, "Didn't he go on a rampage and wipe out everything left of Evilus?" She was among the minority who knew the true nature of the adventurer's murder-spree, given her connections to the darker sides of Orario. "The power struggle is over. So there shouldn't be anything left for me to do, right?"
"Not quite." The cloaked man shook his head. "Your target this time is Astrapi."
The brunette narrowed her eyes, "I heard he joined the Astraea Familia." a bead of sweat rolled down the side of her face. "Isn't he also a level-5?"
"You would be correct." He said, "One of the Astrapi's more recent attacks struck several organizations with ties to my own." He continued, placing a hefty bag of valis on the table, "Which in turn, means the target may have uncovered the Bruno Trading Federation's connections to 'Evilus'." He downed his mug of water, "Make certain he's taken care of...before anything comes to light."
"Hey!-" Before she could reply, the man had already left the pub. "We're not done yet...!"
...And he's gone...
"Well...I did say I'd take care of anyone as long as I got paid, but..." She sighed, slumping on the table.
Lunoire had always traveled from place to place ever since her former familia's god was sent back to Tenkai, and along the way, she had ended up in Orario. Thanks to her high level and brute strength, she not only made a living but also displayed a near 100% success rate on her jobs.
"-Orario's adventurers are a little too strong..."
If her targets were third-class adventurers, she could perform quick, easy and painless kills, but that wasn't the same with second-class adventurers. It was impossible to avoid any all-out brawls, and that was all the more so with first-class ones.
Her life in the Labyrinth city had been one of perpetual battle, day in and day out -where with each job she completed, her name would become more famous and, in turn, cause a vicious cycle of jobs to flow her way.
"Daah!" She slumped down on the table. "I'm getting tired of this..."
...Maybe I should just find someplace and settle down… The brunette thought, imagining herself laying down on a couch while being fed by a man.
"Haah... I should quit bounty hunting soon..."
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Concurrently, an assassin known by the name of 'Black Cat' landed on the balcony of a tower as her employer came out of the stairwell.
"Sorry for the wait, Black cat."
"Another job?" She sighed. "I said I'd do any job as long as the price was right, but how many has it been just this month?"
Black cat, or Chloe Lolo, wore a short green cloak with a hood pulled over her hair, the silhouettes of her cat ears poking out from her hood, a blue short-sleeved top that exposed her stomach and collar, brown gloves and black boots. Her beige pants were rolled up, which made them look like shorts and two brown purses dangled from a similarly colored brown belt around her hip.
"Now, that's nothing to complain about." The dwarf chuckled, "Your hit this time is none other than 'Astrapi'."
"Hm?" Chloe pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to wrap her head around the absurd demand. "But I thought the Astraea familia paid back his bounty?" She asked as the dwarf nodded. "Then there's no money in it for meow."
"He's amassed quite a number of enemies... There's a hit on his head worth 140,000,000 valis." The dwarf explained, taking out a paper and handing it to the cat girl.
Chloe scanned the paper, her mind getting lost in the number of zeros behind his name. In her not-so-long 16 years of life, this was the first time she had ever seen someone who wasn't of noble lineage get such a large number on his head.
"We'll split the prize-"
"Sixty million up front, and I'll be taking seventy-percent of the reward."
"Wha!? Hold on a second, let's be reasonable now..!" He said, "I'd agree to a sixty-forty split."
"No." Chloe glared, "He's a level-5 adventurer who single-handedly wiped out the remnants of Evilus, and a member of the Astraea familia at that." She crossed her arms, "If you want me to take down that, any less isn't worth it."
"B-but don't forget, I'm the one who has the details, all the information you'll need for this job. Surely that's worth more than thirty percent..." The dwarf's attempt at a bargain with the Black cat would fail.
"Then what's stopping me from going solo?"
"What?"
Chloe pointed at him with her left finger, "Right here, I could start by ripping those fingernails off, one by one...or other fun ways to make you talk." She licked her lips sadistically, making the dwarf shudder in fear. "I could do all that and take that information off your hands for free~."
"F-fine! We'll do it your way!" He caved, "This is everything I have on Astrapi!" handing a file of papers to the cat girl. "I'll be seeing you." He rushed down the stairwell, wanting to get out of her presence as soon as possible.
The black-haired assassin smirked. "Too easy, nya." She glanced back at the paper with a small illustration of the albino. "He's got quite a cute face too...it's a shame nya."
...Meow is tired of this...
She once belonged to a crime familia but got sick of all the jobs, ending up in Orario after somehow clearing her previous god's absurd conditions and breaking away from the group. It was a good thing. By all means, it was. -But the adventurers of Orario were just too strong.
"The adventurers here are too strong to make money off of meow..." Chloe groaned.
Life was tough for the near 100% success rate assassin. Most of the money she would get from her previous jobs would be spent preparing for the next one, leaving her wallet dry a good majority of the time. In addition, she was quite the spendthrift which also didn't help her poor financial situation.
...Taking out that second-class adventurer was a mistake...all that did was give me harder jobs... The cat girl sighed in her empty bank account.
Looking over her shoulder and at her tail, she sighed again. "I don't even have time to groom meowself living like this... Ah! I've had enough!"
Her fantasies run wild through her mind, imagining herself being surrounded by handsome young boys that would take care of her.
...I want to live like a princess with a host of young boy toys lining up to serve me...with all belly rubs and pets I could ever want... I want to experience all the heartthrobs this world has to offer Nya..!
Feeling a cool breeze, Chloe turned to the sleeping city. "Maybe I'm done with the assassination game..." She said, looking up at the shining moon.
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Returning to my apartment, I set my scarf down on the small rack of clothes towards the right of the door. The rent here was cheap, being only 8,000 valis...but there wasn't a shower...or any natural sunlight, and the other tenants are also pretty shady. Sometimes I can hear weird noises coming from the apartment next to mine every so often but all in all, I like it here.
I poured the hot water boiled from the small magic-stone stove into my mug, the aroma of coffee filling my nose.
...I ended up taking the job, but I wonder if this should be it for me...
Setting the mug down and taking a seat, "Let's see..." I began to scan the documents. "Info on Astrapi... Male, white hair and red eyes, age is 16, former captain of the Hestia familia...deepest known achieved floor is 41..."
My eyes widened with each line of words, "Known for using lightning enchant magic... -and defeated a level-7 as a level-4..." I furrowed my brows, going over the paper again to make sure I wasn't seeing things. "Is this... Is this even possible..?"
I sighed, tossing the documents aside and downing what was left of my drink. For now, I could just try brainstorming some ideas of how I could take him out.
...Strangle him in his sleep..? No, it would be too risky to sneak into the Astraea familia's home... Ambush him in the dungeon..? Yeah that might work...but I'm not too familiar with the dungeon and it would be bad if we run into a monster parade...
"Haah..." I stood up, " This looks like a dead end. I guess I'll just have to see the target with my own eyes after all." Throwing my scarf back around my neck, I exited the small apartment.
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A little earlier, in the apartment next to Lunoire's, a certain black-haired cat girl sat on her bed in her underwear, doing research on her target. Several sheets of paper were laid out around the woman in a circle, as her black eyes darted between them.
"Astraea familia. Rank B... Thirteen members in total and every single one a second-tier adventurer except for their captain and vice-captain who recently hit level-5 and their newest member who is a level 1. Deepest achieved floor is 41, number of floor boss exterminations -Twenty one."
Aside from his current status as a member of the Astraea familia, Chloe had also done research on his previous familia, and unknowingly had similar reactions to a certain bounty hunter.
Chloe rested her cheek on her right palm, "..." before jumping onto her bed, sending the sheets of paper flying to the floor. "The more I learn, the more he sounds like a meownster!"
...Without a doubt, he's one of, if not the top level-5 adventurer... Her ear' drooped down as she rolled up in a half-fetal position. ...Aarrgh... I don't wanna do it...
The cat girl knew the risk of accepting a job on the first-class adventurer, and that she would likely end up dead if she failed.
"Was I too hasty, meow?" Chloe rolled onto her back, her arms and legs spread out on the large veiled duvet. "Haaah... Ahhh, whatever, meow. This'll be meow last job either way." A smirk crawled its way onto her face, "I'm getting a lot of money for this and after I leave here, I can find my own spanking-hot boy to wait on meow and start living like a queen.
She dressed herself, picking up her clothes scattered around the floor after bouncing off of the bed.
...Finishing off Astrapi will be meow crowning glory...
"I'll be dealing with a level-5, it's suicide to take a target like that head-on." Chloe pulled up her shorts, "Poison, traps, I'll prep everything but the kitchen seat." Slipping on her top, "-And figure out the best time to strike."
...Therefore, step number-one is to figure out my target's daily meowtine..!
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Both women exited their apartments at the same time, dressed in their gear and ready to pursue a certain rubellite-eyed rabbit.
""Hm?"" The brunette and black-haired woman met eyes, looking each other up. It occurred to both of them that it was the first time they had actually seen one another.
...Hoho! Looks like someown hasn't groomed in a while... Chloe thought, noticing the dirt on the brown-haired woman's clothing.
""...""
...She looks like some kind of degenerate... Lunoire thought
Most people would greet their neighbors upon first meeting, except the two women were not usually who would come to mind when thinking of the 'most people'. As such, they minded their own businesses, paying no mind to the other as they locked the doors to their respective apartments, turning away from each other and walking down to opposite ends of the hallway.
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While Bell went over to the exchange to collect their earnings from the dungeon that day, Haruhime and Welf waited by the couches on the opposite side of the guild hall.
"Looks like someone's done with work early." Rose chuckled from the other side of the netted window.
"Good afternoon Rose. Back to working at the exchange?" Bell said, fishing out the sack of drop items and sliding it through the small door.
"Yeah. The guys on the management side don't need as much help so I can come back and laze aro- I mean work." The werewolf coughed in an attempt to cover up her true intentions.
"I see..." He nodded wryly.
As she began to count his party's earnings, Rose glanced at the blonde renard that she came to know recently. "Getting used to being a father?" Rose asked making small talk. "-Also your total is 62,420 valis."
"Ahaha... Yes, somehow." He nodded, scratching the back of his head. "Oh um, could you split it into 3?" Bell said, as the red-haired woman nodded.
The werewolf emptied the pouch, before roughly separating it into thirds and setting the piles onto a scale. Rose adjusted the amount by transferring coins from one to the other until the weight was similar. Once leveled, she placed them into separate pouches before passing them over to the albino.
"You do not know how shocked I was when you came around those few weeks ago, asking me about adoption papers of everything..." She sighed with her arms crossed.
"Well, it was a surprise to me too honestly." Bell said.
As he turned to leave, Rose called out to the albino. "Wait, Bell."
"Hm?" He looked over his shoulder.
The werewolf had an unsettling encounter earlier in the day. Two enigmatic women approached her, although at different times, inquiring about Bell. It wasn't uncommon for people to come to the guild for information about famous adventurers, but something about them raised Rose's suspicions, and she couldn't shake off the nagging feeling.
She shook her head, dismissing the thoughts. "-Actually...no, never mind. See you soon Bell."
"...Right, bye for now." Bell nodded confused, but continued on his way.
...Maybe I'm just overthinking things...
"Um...could I exchange my magic stones now?" A brown-haired adventurer asked from the other side.
"Right, of course." Rose returned, as the man fumbled out his small pouch of magic stones.
...Well even if anything does happen, Bell could probably handle it... Deciding to no longer worry herself with his problems, she continued on with her work.
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"Haah...hah...hah.." Haruhime panted, "How...do you do this...every day..?" she fell to her rear, struggling to catch her breath.
It was currently early in the morning, and the duo were going for a jog on the walls. Haruhime insisted on joining him, to which Bell was more than happy to accommodate her. -But she would soon come to regret the decision, as during the time it took her to make one quarter of a lap around the city, Bell had ran five all around.
"That was a good workout." Bell said, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the small towel around his shoulders before stretching his arms, "Are you ready for round two? Or do you want to rest?" He asked, turning to the worn-out renard.
She shook her head dreading the thought, "I think...I'm good, for at least another decade..." Haruhime sighed in exhaustion as the albino, before going off to get a flask of water.
"Hm?" Bell narrowed his eyes curiously, "I could've sworn that I left it here..."
Much to his dismay, he discovered that his once-refreshing drink, which he had left by the entrance of the pillar, had mysteriously vanished. His eyes scanned the surroundings, searching for any trace of the prized beverage. Yet, the spot where it should have been remained empty, leaving him puzzled and slightly irritated.
Had someone taken it, or had it simply vanished into thin air? Bell couldn't fathom the whereabouts of his drink, and a sense of disappointment washed over him as he contemplated the loss.
...It couldn't have fallen down the wall...right..? The guards are going to yell at me again if it did... "I don't want to be yelled at by Ms Shakti again..." He shivered, remembering the traumatizing experience.
"-Here." A woman said, coming out of the pillar and chucking the albino his flask.
Catching the cylindrical object in his hands, a sigh of relief exited his mouth before he met eyes with the purple-haired woman who threw it. "Ms Sophia? What are you doing in Orario?" He said, walking up to her.
"Lord Hermes wanted me to come back, and also to give you a message." Sophia returned in a plain tone.
...Is Lord Hermes her god..? But why would he be interested in me..?
"Message?" Bell tilted his head curiously.
"'Watch your back' -He said." She made air quotations with her fingers. "You've got quite a big hit on your head right now, and some pretty nasty people after you." The purple-haired woman explained.
...I have been feeling like someone has been watching me through the week... Although, this feeling was slightly different.
In the past month or-so, he had felt like someone was watching him. Bell couldn't feel any malicious intent from that person, however with these two, he could instinctually feel the bloodlust that emanated.
Taking in her warning, Bell's expression turned grim as he frowned lightly, "I see." His rubellite eyes darkened with a vengeful glint, "...Is it Evilus?" Bell asked bitterly.
It was common for members of high-ranking familia, or ones with many enemies to have their members attacked in public. -And being a member of the faction that enforced justice, the Astraea familia was of course, no exception.
He didn't have many enemies back when he was the captain of the Hestia familia, but he had made himself a prime target during his crusade.
Sophia eyed him for a moment, "Who knows?" She said rhetorically, shrugging. "Well, I've said all that I needed to." With a wave, she vanished into the shadow of the stone tower. Just as Bell was about to head back to the renard, Sophia stuck out her head out. "-Oh right I nearly forgot." Her words catching his attention. "...Do you remember what you said about Emma's stuff back in Melen?"
Sophia eyed him for a moment, "Who knows?" She said rhetorically, shrugging. "Well, I've said all that I needed to." With a wave, she turned began to make her way down the stairwell. "-Oh right I nearly forgot." Sophia stopped abruptly, turning to Bell. "...Do you remember what you said about Emma's stuff back in Melen?"
He held his chin for a moment, making an 'o' face nodding as he remembered his offer to the purple-haired mercenary.
But before he could give a reply, Sophia cut him off. "Yeah, I'll be dropping by in the afternoon." She stated, before truly leaving.
"Wait!-" Once again, his reply would be cut off with her leaving. He sighed in slight exasperation. Hearing a light tap of footsteps, Bell turned to the noise. "Haruhime?"
"Dad, who was that person just now?" She asked with a slight tilt to her head. When she made her way over to Bell, she saw the pair talking and although she wasn't close enough to hear the contents of their conversation, Haruhime could notice the uneasy expression painted over her adoptive father's face.
"An...acquaintance...I think." He said, unsure about the nature of his relationship with Sophia himself. "Should we head home?"
"Mh." Haruhime nodded. "We aren't going to the dungeon today right?" She asked as Bell nodded affirmatively in reply.
As they descended the winding stairwell, Haruhime nearly tripped over herself from the pain in her legs. Without hesitation, Bell extended a gentle hand and offered a solution to her plight. "Haruhime, would you like a piggyback ride?" he proposed, his voice filled with genuine kindness and concern.
The gratitude that radiated from her eyes was palpable, a silent acknowledgement of the relief his offer promised. As she gracefully accepted his outstretched hand and settled onto his back, her arms encircling his neck, a profound sense of security enveloped her.
"...Dad, I'm not too sweaty am I?" She asked sheepishly, feeling her face heat up .
The albino hastily shook his head. "No! Of course not." He paused momentarily, "...Ok, well maybe a little." Although he couldn't see her face, somehow he imagined that she was pouting.
She rested her chin on his left shoulder, "You're being mean..." Haruhime said with a pout.
"A-ah umm Haruhime, is there anything you want to do today?" He asked kindly, trying to lighten her somewhat sour mood.
Her tail waved gently, brushing against Bell's fingers. "I thought we were studying today..?" She said in a soft and quiet voice.
"It's good to take a break once in a while." He turned his head to the left slightly, "So is there anything you want to do." smiling as his rubies met with her greens.
Haruhime thought for a moment, "T-then, can I spend the day with you..?" The blonde said as she looked over his shoulder.
Her soul yearned for affection, having spent so little time with her biological parents. Ever since Bell had come into her life, the void that echoed within her was filled by the unwavering care and love that he had showered upon her.
"Of course." He smiled, "How about we make breakfast together after washing this sweat off?"
"Yes!" Haruhime nodded excitedly.
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The pair arrived home and after a quick shower, began preparing breakfast in the kitchen while the other members began to wake up.
"Haruhime, could you beat up the eggs?" Bell said as he cooked up some pieces of bacon on a nonstick pan.
The renard pulled out a stool, standing up on it to reach the cabinet. She took out a small bowl, before breaking five eggs into it and whisking them until the yolks were completely broken. Haruhime took a pinch of salt and sprinkled it over the eggs as she continued to beat it.
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"Good morning everyone! Today is another great day for my beauty to be seen by all!" Alise proclaimed, entering the dining hall. The others waved to their captain as she took a seat to the right of Haruhime.
"Geez...do you have to be this loud first thing in the morning?" Lyra yawned.
"Mmm... Your cooking is as good as always, Bell." Alise hummed.
Bell shook his head, "Actually..." He faced the renard to his left.
"Eh? Haruhime you made this?" The redhead's eyes widened in surprise before turning into a wide smile.
"It tastes great." Maryuu smiled as the others nodded in agreement.
"We're gonna have two Bell's real soon." Neze said with a chuckle.
"I guess it runs in the family." Kaguya said with a smirk as the others bursted into laughter.
"Thank you, everyone." The renard smiled sillily, bowing her head with a slight blush on her face in gratitude.
As they continued to eat, Haruhime noticed the vacant seat at the head of the table. Astraea would always eat breakfast with them, so it was new to not see her. "Do any of you know where Lady Astraea went?" She asked, eyeing the brunette's seat.
"She already left to Babel for Denatus a little earlier." Iska said as Haruhime tilted her head, confused. Seeing the renard's confusion, she continued,"It's kind of like a get-together between the gods." The amazoness explained.
Turning to Haruhime, "Basically, god's and goddesses across Orario, gather to discuss matters occurring in the city every three months." Kaguya said, "To put it simply, it's an advisory body comprised of the gods." She finished.
"Y-yeah! What Kaguya said!" Iska stuttered to the renard as Kaguya let out a snort in response.
"I wonder if I'll get a cool name..." Alise bobbed her head from side to side, "Something like 'Burning fighting fire' or 'Fire inferno flame'!" She huffed.
"Ah that's right, both Kaguya and you leveled up." Asta sighed as the aforementioned both nodded.
Tilting her head, "Does every adventurer get an alias?" Haruhime asked.
"Nah, there's no way." Noin waved the question away, "There's like over a million adventurers in Orario, just imagine how messy it'd be if the gods had to give each and every one a second name." She finished, with a light chuckle.
"Only adventurers who have reached level 2 or higher are eligible for a second name. Though it doesn't mean every single adventurer will get one." Ryuu stated ever-stoically.
"Generally speaking, it's more of a privilege reserved for more stronger familia like ours, the Loki's or Freya." The pink-haired pallum said, taking a sip from her tea. "Welp, I'm heading off to my shed. Call me if you guys need somethin'." She waved, leaving the dining room as the others soon followed after.
Getting to his feet, Bell started collecting the finished plates. "Alright, I guess I'll get started on the dishes." Bell said.
"Oh um let me help you." Haruhime hopped off of her chair, collecting the other empty plates.
Kaguya sighed, facing her captain. "...Alise, Isn't it your turn today on the dishes?" The aforementioned redhead averted her eyes, whistling as the black-haired woman let out another disappointed sigh. "You don't need to keep pampering her like this, you know."
"No, it's fine." He shook his head, "I want to do this."
She eyed him for a few seconds, before letting out a third sigh. "If you're sure. But don't overwork yourself now." Kaguya patted him on the shoulder.
As they began doing the dishes, he noticed his daughter's pout and downtrodden expression, "Is something wrong?" Bell asked.
Haruhime shook her head. "It's just that...everyone else is level 4 right?" She said rhetorically, "I feel like...I'm too weak to call myself a member of this familia."
"Haruhime, look at me." The renard followed, turning to the albino. Bell knelt down in front of her. "No one thinks you're weak, and I definitely don't." He said, genuine honesty filling his words. "If anything, you're one of the strongest people I know." Bell took her hand in his own, giving it a gentle rub. "I'm sure that everyone else would also agree with me too."
Seeing as she didn't say anything, he continued.
"Most girls your age wouldn't have gone through as much as you have in an entire lifetime." He said, "For being able to overcome all that and even start taking steps forward, I'm proud to call you my daughter." The albino smiled warmly, stroking her hair gently with a smile.
"But I'm still level 1...and I haven't learned how to use my magic yet." She grumbled.
"Right now, maybe." Bell paused, "But all of us started there too." He said, reminiscing about his early days of adventuring. "I'm sure that one day, you will become a really amazing mage that would make even stepmother praise you."
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...Somewhere above the clouds, a woman with long silver hair and heterochromatic-eyes let out a snort at her nephew's words. A smirk crawled up onto her face as she accepted the young girl's challenge.
"Hoh...bold words, girl..."
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Her eyes lit up at his words, a bright smile stretching across her face. "I'll work hard to not let you down, dad." Haruhime said resolutely.
"Why don't we defeat this pile of dishes first?" Bell said with a light chuckle.
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Haruhime wiped her hands down, "What should we do now?" setting the towel onto a hook that was on the side of the cabinet.
As they walked down the hallway, Bell held his chin in thought. "It's not after noon yet so I guess we have some time to kill." He shrugged.
"Do you have something planned?"
"Sort of."
Passing by the library, "Mr Bell, Haruhime," Celty poked her head out of the door, snapping the rabbit out of his thoughts and making Haruhime jump lightly. "If you two aren't busy, would you help me clean up the library?" the green-haired elf asked.
The rabbit and fox traded glances, before shrugging to each other. "Sure."
"Thank you two so much!" She smiled with gratitude.
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On the 30th floor of Babel, was a large auditorium with large, tall glass windows that walled the hall. It took up a third of the entire floor, and was lined with rows upon rows of long white benches separated by small walkways for people to go up and down. At the center of the hall, was a circular table which was propped up on a small stage of sorts.
Pushing open the similarly-colored white door, Astraea's eardrums were assaulted by a bustling cacophony of voices belonging to gods and goddesses.
...I guess this place never changes... She giggled into her palm.
Scanning the area, Astraea noticed a familiar goddess of the forge who was sitting with a blue-haired god of medicine waving her over. The red-haired goddess scooted to the right along with the male god seemingly to make space for her.
"Good day, Hephaestus, Miach." The goddess of justice greeted her friends, taking a seat next to them.
"It is good to see you again." Miach nodded.
The male god wore a simple long black robe, with a brown elbow-length coat draped over his shoulders. His long blue hair was tied towards the end with a small ribbon. Despite his simple form of dress, Miach carried an aura that made him look as if he were a nobleman from a foreign country.
"How've you been recently?" Hephaestus interlocked her fingers, resting her elbows on the desk. "Word going around is that you picked up a renard girl recently."
"It's been...rather eventful to say the least." Astraea chuckled wryly. "One of my children, Bell specifically, adopted a girl named Haruhime a few weeks back. -Specifically after they came back from a vacation in Melen." She finished.
Astraea began to retell the events which lead up to Haruhime coming to Orario, and ultimately becoming the newest and youngest member of the familia of justice.
"Poor girl... It is truly a pity that there exists those who would forsake their children." Miach frowned as Astraea nodded in agreement, "Although, I am glad that she has solace in young Bell."
"That boy..." Hephaestus pinched the bridge of her nose, "-Always getting into trouble and being the hero." She sighed, "Well I guess that's the Bell we know." She shrugged with the other two chuckling lightly.
"It looks like we're finally starting." Astraea and the other two turned to the circular stage at the center.
"Are you all here? Let's begin!" There was a bright red-haired goddess standing in the center of the stage. "This will be our something-thousandth Denatus, and I, Loki, will be chairing this meeting!" Loki bellowed.
"""Yeah!""" A round of applause went around, before the audience went quiet again.
"Does anyone have interesting to report?" Loki asked.
A brown-haired god called out. "Me! I heard that Lady Ishtar got a warning from the guild, and had to take a big fine!"
"Are you serious!?"
The tan-skinned goddess glared at the group of men, "Don't make me revoke your privileges of entering the entertainment district." Ishtar said as the men hastily silenced themselves at her threat.
"If there's anything to report -It has to be that, right?" A blonde-haired god said. "Astraea letting men into her familia!"
"No way! You're letting men join your familia now!?"
"Unbelievable!"
"Unreal!"
"Un-something!"
"Let me into your familia!"
"Haha you're a god so that's a nono."
"Darn it!"
"Imagine being a god! Oh wait I'm also a god."
Lot's of heads turned towards the goddess of justice, waiting in anticipation for her answer. "No, I am not." Astraea shook her head dismissively, "Nor do I ever intend to in the future."
"Then why?!"
"Yeah! Why let a murderer join but not anyone else!"
"I do not need a reason to help someone in need." The goddess of justice said curtly, paying the matter no more mind. She turned away from the curious crowd of men, seeing that they would try to pursue the topic further.
"-My my, does it really matter?" A sweet voice said from the entrance at the back of the hall. Heads turned at the arrival of the other goddess of love that resided in Orario. "If the guild allowed it, then there shouldn't be a problem, no?" She continued.
...Freya? But she hardly ever shows up at Denatus..?
"Ah! Thank you for blessing us with your presence, Lady Freya." An orange-haired god wearing traveller's clothing and a feathered hat bowed in front of the silver-haired goddess, along with a battalion of similar male gods.
With the arrival of the other 'strongest familia' in Orario, Astraea's matter had been swiftly forgotten about. Freya smiled, giving the men a small wave as she descended the steps.
Freya stopped by Astraea's left, "Good day, Astraea, Hephaestus and Miach." She nodded to the three gods before continuing.
"All right all right, Quiet down!" Loki flailed her arms around to rip the crowd's attention off of Freya, "Let's get this naming ceremony over so I can go home back to my Ais." She said bitterly.
"Is...is it just me or is Loki mad?" Hephaestus furrowed her brows.
""Who knows?"" Miach and Astraea said in unison.
.
.
"Okay that should be everything, thank you again for helping me you two." Wiping her head with a towel, Celty lowered her head in gratitude.
"Cleaning is fun!" Haruhime cheered, raising both her arms up in the air
"It's my pleasure." Bell smiled. Looking at the clock mounted next to the door, he noticed the hands sitting at 4 and turned to Haruhime. "Alright, it's about time we get going."
"Are you two heading out?"
"Yes, I have something to do out in the city." Bell nodded, "Ah right, we might not be home for dinner."
"I see." Nodding in return, "Well in any case, stay safe out there."
"Yep!" Haruhime nodded.
"Ehehe, you have so much energy Ms Haruhime." Celty giggled.
"That she does," He chuckled, "Well then, see you later Ms Celty." He said as the renard followed him out of the library.
The serene and peaceful quiet that enveloped their surroundings quickly dissipated as they filtered into the bustling main street. Despite the scorching heat, a gentle breeze danced through the air, providing some relief. The timing was such that adventurers returning from the depths of the dungeon began to populate the streets, their worn equipment and tired expressions a testament to their arduous journeys.
Amidst the lively atmosphere, Haruhime couldn't contain her joy and began to skip merrily ahead of Bell. Her melodic humming filled the air, adding a touch of whimsy to their journey. Passersby couldn't help but be captivated by the sight of the blonde bundle of joy, finding it difficult to suppress their smiles. The infectious happiness radiating from Haruhime brought forth giggles from onlookers, charmed by her adorable demeanor.
Bell's rubies darted all around, keeping a vigilant watch of the rooftops, looking out for any suspicious individuals stalking the rooftops or alleyways. Bell took Sophia's warning very seriously. He wouldn't let anyone be taken from him again. He swore not to have a repeat of his familia, -not to have someone die in his place ever again.
He swore.
"Hey dad." Haruhime slowed her pace down to match Bell's.
"Hm?"
"Why do the people look at you so badly..?" She tilted her head, glancing at some of the passing city folk who sneered at the rabbit or quickly made themselves scarce.
"..." He didn't mind it. -But that didn't mean he liked it either. "You see... Dad did something very bad, something that betrays the heroes we idolize." If this was the weight of his justice, then Bell would accept it.
She wanted to pursue the topic more, but noticing the frown on his face, Haruhime relented.
.
After half an hour of walking, the pair had arrived at a large mansion that completely dwarfed the Stardust Garden. It looked like it could house somewhere around a hundred members. The building was surrounded by tall white-iron fences and at the very front was what looked like an insignia of a familia.
...A flaming bell..? She wondered if it was the home of a familia, and if so, what Bell had business there for.
Glancing at the man in question, she watched as he rummaged through his pockets, taking out an iron key with the same symbol engraved into its body, before inserting it into the lock at the main gate.
Clang*
He pushed the creaky gates open and continued down the wide main path through the estate.
At the very center was a white fountain with the flaming bell insignia engraved in alabaster stone, it was surrounded by a circular ring of flowers which were broken off at the center of the left and right hand side which both led down paths that she presumed went to the back of the estate.
Taking a moment to examine the flowers, she noticed how large a variety they were in species. Although they all looked the same from a distance, they were actually different shades of purple upon closer inspection. Some of them Haruhime recognized from the garden back at home while others were completely new to her.
"Haruhime?" He called from the main door.
Snapped out of her daze, "Ah wait for me!" She quickly dashed over to the albino.
Entering the building, she fully expected there to be one or two people running around, except there wasn't a soul to be seen. She felt an unusual sense of warmth within the estate doors, as if sitting in front of the hearth with family on a cold day.
The exterior looked prim and proper. Of course, so was the interior. -Yet, it had an unsettling feeling to it. The place appeared so organized and clean despite the lack of anyone to manage it.
It was as if everyone who lived there had passed on.
They continued walking for a few more minutes before stopping at another set of doors before entering what looked like a living room.
To far left of the room were two shelves filled with various books surrounding a white, dead hearth, above it was the same insignia she saw at the main gate and door. The borders of the hearth were bordered with thick pillars of wood, the same color as the coffee table. At the center of the living room was a modestly long oak-colored coffee table, with a pair of green and yellow striped couches on either ends.
The walls towards the window side were white with birch wood, and had rather minimalistic designs on them similarly to the rest of the manor that she had seen. For what Haruhime presumed to be the home of a familia, there wasn't much 'personality'. She wasn't quite sure if that was the right word to describe it.
Compared to most noble-houses that she had visited in the far-east, this place was extremely conservative when it came to decorations, with the most being the insignias seen in this room, the main gate and door. She found it surprising to say the least, for someone to have such a beautiful and large estate but not the pride to show it.
"Dad what is this place?" Haruhime tilted her head, looking up at him.
Bell furrowed his eyebrows, "You see..." Closing his eyes for a moment, he returned the renard's question with a strained expression. "This is the place I used to live at. -A couple months back that is."
"Did you live by yourself here?"
Walking around the room, "...No." He embellished himself in the memories of bygone days, reminiscing in the times he and they spent here, "I used to live here with my old familia, but..." Bell brushed his finger against the spine of the couch, "They...they aren't here anymore."
"Oh..." As she bit her lip, her ears drooped low and her tail followed in suit, "I'm sorry for asking something so insensitive. I didn't mean to bring up any bad memories for you" Fidgeting with her fingers, Haruhime lowered her head.
Bell shook his head, "No, it's alright. There was no way that you could've known."
"So umm-"
Ding dong* The light chime of the doorbell rung throughout the living room and the rest of the manor, it's noise echoing through the long winding hallways.
"It looks like she's here." As Bell made his way over to the door, he looked over his shoulder, meeting eyes with Haruhime, "This might take some time so feel free to take a look around."
"Ah wai-" Haruhime followed after him into the dimly-lit hallway, "for me..." -but he was already gone. "..." Not having anything to do, she decided to follow Bell's words and set off to explore the colossal manor.
It was empty.
Up the stairs; down the hallways, they were lined with a seemingly infinite amount of rooms, each with enough room to accomodate a small family. The manor looked beautiful on the outside with a breathtaking garden, and so did the interior with it's colorful walls.
It was empty.
She started from the top floor and decided to head downwards. Although the third floor was technically the 'top floor', the master bedroom could have been argued to be the 'top floor' as it was on the roof which had a view of the front lawn. Pushing the tall wooden door open with the insignia she saw throughout the manor open, she entered the large room.
It was empty.
Clean, tidy, there was not a speck of dust in sight. It was like whoever lived there had just been spirited away.
There was a large bed to the right of the room, next to a relatively small closet for the scale of the mansion. To the left, there was a dresser with a modestly sized oval-shaped mirror that rested adjacent to a camera. Although she was curious to look further, Haruhime didn't think it was okay for her to intrude on someone's personal space, so she quietly closed the door behind her.
Haruhime skipped the third floor as it was was predominantly made up of just rooms. Before heading down to the second floor, she noticed a room with a slightly open door, daylight leaking through the gaps.
...Maybe Bell forgot to close the door..? She thought. The renard didn't pay it much mind and continued on her way.
The second floor was much the same as the third, with there being an unlimited vacancy. Except there were a few doors with names that were probably owned by the people who used to live there. Being the respectful and polite child that she was, Haruhime continued on. The building also had a small open area at the center where there was some benches you could sit down on.
Bored of the repetitiveness that was found in the endless hallways of repeating doors, she opted to take in some fresh air and stepped out the back. There were two large rectangular plots of grass that stretched to the far corners of the estate. Haruhime pouted at the sight, noticing the lack of anything interesting there. As she turned back, the renard noticed that there was a gymnasium-looking building connected to the left wing.
Walking up to the auditorium-gymnasium -She wasn't really sure what it was, Haruhime found the outer doors locked shut so she headed back indoors to find entrance.
Somehow in the midst of her exploration, she had arrived back on the second floor and in front of yet another tall set of doors which opened to reveal a rather large library. Bell had taken her a couple times to the public library and the renard swore that this one was a close contender in scale.
Most of the books there looked untouched. Clean, but untouched. Haruhime looked around, taking in the vast quantity of complicated-looking books of different literature ranging from some heroic tales she recognized to whatever a 'Sci-fi' was. Maybe it was some new kind of genre that was exclusive to Orario and didn't exist in the far-east.
Haruhime stepped up on a wooden stool to try reach for a book on a high shelf, she got onto her toes trying to grab the book, "Hnnng..." Stretching her arm as far up as possible, her fingertips brushed the spine of the book for a moment, "Woah!-" Before losing her balance and falling on her rear. "Owie..." She rubbed her rear in pain.
Supporting herself with the shelves, Haruhime waddled to one of the many reading desks and took a seat. The renard slumped down onto the desk, sighing in exhaustion from her tiring session of exploration.
...I wonder if exploring the dungeon is like this..? Haruhime giggled at the thought.
Rolling her head on her arms, her eyes fell on the solitary book sitting on its own on the desk adjacent. There was a small note sticking out of it...or maybe it was a bookmark? She wasn't too sure.
Haruhime eyed the lonely book on her side. It stood out like a sore thumb. Among all the books that lined the shelves, amidst the estate's uniformity, a lonesome book was out of line and desolate. She squinted her eyes a little and could read 'Photo Album' on the front cover.
Curious, she hopped off her seat and changed tables, sitting in front of the book. Fishing out the slit of paper sticking out, she came to find it was a bookmark of a fried potato snack..? For some reason, the renard felt like someone across the city would have wanted such an item.
She put the bookmark aside and flipped open the front page of the album.
.
.
-"Hey, are you guys done moving around yet?"- Karen sighed, brushing her black hair aside with the back of her palm. -"I dont really understand why we need to take a photo together..."-
-"Well, Lady Hestia wants us to take one as commemoration for joining her familia and it seems fun so why not."- Oriana shrugged with a small laugh.
-"Alright then, starting from the back, we'll have the tallest three being Ms Leo, Ms Iris and Ms Oriana."- The cameraman said as the two lined up outside the front door of Hearthstone Manor, -"Next, Mr Bell and Ms Emma at the center with Lady Hestia in the middle."-
-"You're so stiff Bell."- Emma chuckled, commenting on his straightened position.
-"R-really..? This is the first time I've done this so I'm not sure how to act..."- He scratched the back of his head nervously.
"-Ms Karen, please stand to the left of Ms Emma and Ms Gita to the right of Mr Bell. Next, Ms Love and Ms Lucia on either side. Lastly, Ms Primo and Ms Gina stand next to Lady Hestia."- The cameraman finished.
-"Just relax Bell, It's not like you're in the dungeon or anything."- Hestia laughed.
-"R-right..."- He nodded.
-"In three...two...one... -Say cheese!"-
-"""Cheese!"""-
At the flicker of the camera's shutters, the first of many memories to be made was engraved onto a small palm-sized photograph, immortalizing a fleeting, priceless moment of their lives.
.
.
He was smiling.
One that spoke pure unadultered happiness. A grin so wide, eyes so bright and full of hope that their blinding radiance could have been mistaken for the indomitable shine of the sun.
It wasn't like she had never seen Bell smile before. -They had been nothing more than a light raise of his lips. Perhaps...it would never be anything more than that.
Flipping through the album, there was a plethora of photographs that told a priceless story about the people who once lived there. At the bottom of each photograph was a date, place, and a brief description of the context behind the image.
...They must mean a lot to Dad...
With the flip of each page, another memory was opened to the renard's eyes, and she was further engrossed into the wordless stories of these cheerful individuals. Bell was smiling in nearly every photo he was in, a stark contrast to how he was at certain times.
"Ah so this is where you were."
Jolting at the sudden noise that broke the calming silence, "Y-yes?" She hurriedly shut the album, her head darting around to meet the familiar voice at the door. "A-are you done with your business with..?"
"Yeah." Bell nodded, "I didn't disturb you while you were reading right?" He said, walking up to her.
She hastily shook her head, "No, I was just about done."
Taking a look at the 'book' she was reading, Bell's eyes widened momentarily. The albino bit his lip, before constraining it into a soft smile. "Well then...it's starting to get late so how about we head home?"
"O-okay." She stuttered, nodding in agreement.
As they left the library and subsequently the manor, Haruhime stole glances at Bell. Although they hadn't knew each other for very long, she had thought that she knew everything there was to know about Bell, but going through that album, she had come to realize how little she truly knew about him.
...Just how different is Dad now to how he was back then..? -And also... She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, his expression was neutral ...Why does he look so much in pain..? The renard thought, commenting on his
"You're awfully quiet Haruhime, is something wrong?"
She shook her head, "Not really, I'm just kinda tired." Haruhime returned, hoping that he wouldn't catch her lie.
He let out a small laugh, "Haha, I can imagine with all that running around."
.
.
Night had began to rise as the sun fell during the half-hour since they left Hearthstone manor. Falling off the main south-western road and onto another road, Bell came to an abrupt stop from feeling a pair of eyes set themselves on him.
...Looks like they're finally going to make a move...
Haruhime looked over her shoulder at him in confusion.
"Sorry, I just remembered that we were short on avocado oil. Do you think you could get home by yourself?" He said.
They were about two blocks away from the Stardust Garden, and in addition, the two of them were walking on a rather populated street so it was unlikely that whoever was after him would try anything in broad daylight. Or maybe it was night-light?
He had felt someone watching him throughout the week, but they had never been so openly hostile as they were now so Bell decided not to pay it much mind until Sophia's warning.
"...Okay..." Haruhime nodded wryly.
"Tell the others to have dinner without me!" In the blink of an eye, the albino had ran off at inhumane speeds, a testament to his high level.
...Is avocado oil really that important..? She wondered to herself as she continued home alone.
Bell hopped the rooftops, heading in the opposite direction of the Stardust Garden. Perhaps it would have been a better idea to seek help from the rest of the Astraea familia, he didn't want to involve any of them in his affairs.
Travelling the tiled rooftops, he lowered his speed such that his pursuer would still be able to follow him, but would be left in exhaustion. He didn't really have a need to at all, but Bell decided to lead the mysterious entity on a goose chase to exhaust them.
Down alleyways, around blocks, across buildings and through the crowded road of West-main, Bell jumped from a rooftop into a closed off area created behind a wall of buildings.
...This place feels oddly familiar... He couldn't shake the feeling that he was somewhere that he probably shouldn't be, but brushed the thought aside. Bell lead his pursuer into an area that was devoid of people to make sure no one else could get caught in the fray.
"Are...are- Haahhh...you done...haahhh...running around..?" Following after him, a black-haired cat-girl dressed like an assassin landed opposite to him, hands on her knees and desperately grasping for air as she wiped sweat away from her face.
"So you're the one that has been following me through the week..." He cracked his fingers, getting into a stance with his knees bent and his left foot behind his right at a slight angle. His fists were balled and held close to his head.
"I was getting tired of this cat-and-rabbit game anyways." The mysterious cat-girl unsheathed a one-sided black dagger that thinned towards the tip. It also arced opposite to the holder as if it was a hook of some kind.
The two of them moved in a circle slowly, paying close attention to any small movements and waiting for the other to make the first move.
...That blade... In the underworld, there was a certain assassin that was well-renowned for using a curved dagger.
"Are you the 'Black Cat' by any chance?"
"Who can say?" She crouched down low, before launching herself at him. "Not meow!" Black cat threw a small spherical projectile at Bell.
He skipped to the side, dodging the brown balls that upon hitting the ground, bursted and engulfed him in a fog of smoke. The dense white mist revolved around him as if he was the eye of a storm.
"Frolic."
...She's using magic- And it's an extremely-short chant...
Bell kept his feet rooted on the cobblestone ground, eyes darting around and waiting to intercept her attack. He felt the hairs on his back stand on end, and quickly spun around with a roundhouse kick.
His attack would not connect with the form of his attacker as it cleaved the mirage in half.
"An illusion!?" His eyes widened in surprise.
Momentarily catching him off-guard, Black cat seized the opportunity to get in close. "Bingo."
Right before she could cleave his head off with her earlier thrown dagger, Bell crouched down, catching her wrist with his right palm and sending her flying back, creating distance.
Still standing at a ready, "Haah... Never thought you'd block that." she sighed. "Level Fives are the worst. That move's supposed to be my trump card." A smirk crawled up onto her face, "...But... I did cut you."
Glancing at his left shoulder from the corner of his eye, Bell winced at the searing sensation. "Poison!?" His eyes widened. Turning his attention back to the cat-girl, he felt his perception of depth twist and spin.
"Correct." Black cat smiled. Holding up her dagger, "This one is called 'Violetta'. It's cute, right?" She asked rhetorically, "I lather her up with lots of poison. -A special concoction of my own." Tossing Violetta around playfully, "And today's poison mix is-" she caught it in her left hand. "Liquid poison Vermis."
A drop item that could be found defeating 'Poison Vermis' that spawned in the lower floors. Its toxin was so strong that even with 'Abnormal Resistance' was deadly. The poison is known to be so strong that the only one in Orario who could heal someone from it was the captain of the Dian Cecht familia, Amid Teasanare.
"You don't have any antidote, now do you?" Pointing Violetta at him, "Not that I'd let you use it even if ya did."
"..." Gripping his shoulder with his right hand, beads of sweat began running down his forehead. "...You were hired to kill me, right?"
Both Black Cats replied, her illusion making the same movements. "Yes. My pay is from a bounty on your head."
"Your employer...who is it?"
She chuckled, "You think I'd tell you that?" Black Cat smirked. As her form began to recede in the smoke, Bell prepared himself to launch an attack.
"Regulus." Strips of electricity washed over his body and reflected off of the pavement with a blue hue.
Just as he was about to leap at her, he felt his instincts flare up once again and glanced to his left.
"Hi. I'm butting in."
A fist collided with the floor between the albino and cat-girl, dispelling the winding-white smoke as pebbles and blocks of brick rained like hail.
"Meow!?" Black cat shrieked, shielding herself from the spray of stone.
Landing on his feet after somersaulting backwards, Bell looked at the other attacker.
"I should've known it wouldn't be that easy." Rising back to her feet, she locked eyes with Bell. "Well sneak attacks don't really sit well with me anyway so I guess it's okay."
"Aaahhh!" Pointing at the other human with her dagger, "What are mew doing!?" She yelled.
The albino and brunette looked at her with slightly confused looks, ""...Mew..?""
"Ahem." She looked away, coughing into her hand. "What's the big idea!?" Taking a good look at the other attacker, her eyes fell onto the brass knuckles on her palms. "Hm? Hang on a sec... Are you really Black Fist!?"
Looking to the back-haired girl, "Does that make you Black cat?" the brunette said, before smirking. "It looks like we've got a double bounty." Putting her right hand on her hip, "It's first come, first served when target's overlap. So no hard feelings no matter who gets it, okay?"
...She's a real muscle-brain, just like the rumors said..!
"Grrrr...!" Black cat grit her teeth.
Turning back to the albino, Black Fist made a motion for him to attack her. "That being the case, I'll be killing you now."
"Even Black Fist is after me..." Bell said under his breath.
"Get ready," She smashed her fists against each other, "Cuz' I really don't like fighting people who don't know what's coming."
"..." Bell glanced between his two attackers.
...A three-way fight and I'm handicapped by being poisoned and having no weapon...
"OORAAH!" Charging at him with a shout, Black fist made her name's worth by unleashing a flurry of punches aimed at Bell's vitals. The speed of her strikes increased as her relentlessness did. "Come on! Is that all you got?"
"Tsk-" As his left arm was basically useless, Bell tried his best to parry her attacks with his right hand, redirecting them and maneuvering himself around her with his speed.
To the luck that was engraved on his back, he had the fortune of fighting not one, but two second-class assassins while poisoned and unarmed. As he avoided the brunette's straightforward assault, the cat girl used it to her advantage and threw daggers at him.
Black fist rushed in with a left hook, but Bell dodged her punch. He then used her shoulder as a springboard, pushing her into the floor as she was stunned by the light paralyzing effect from his enchantment.
"P-paralysis!? I d-didn't hear about t-this!" She fell to the ground, stunned by the sudden jolts of electricity.
Bell launched himself at the cat girl who was standing at a distance where she wouldn't have been caught in the middle of either of their attacks.
The catgirl reached into her pouch, pulling out an impossible amount of knives and throwing them at the albino who was flying at her. "Muda da! You can't dodge!" She said with a smirk, while tossing more and more knives from her pouch.
"Darn-" Thinking fast, he outstretched his left arm, "Jupiter!" A streak of cerulean lightning blasted into the stone a front, creating an impromptu shield of dirt and rock.
"Did I hit him..?" Black cat said. But as the dust dissipated, the mutilated body that was impaled with knives from head to toe that she imagined was not lying anywhere to be seen. Darting her head around, she slashed behind her.
Bell narrowly dodged the sweep and somersaulted backwards while kicking Black cat in the chin. "Haaah!"
"Bufaw!" The cat girl's eyes widened as she landed on her rear. "Meow..." Blood started to rush down her nose like a torrent as the pain in her chin dissipated, her mind now being focused on one thing she caught a momentary glimpse of. She discarded her dagger and waddled left and right like a drunk, "That booty... IT WILL BE MINE!"
"Wh-" He wouldn't get the chance to string together any thoughts as the black-haired catgirl pounced at him with deranged eyes and drool from the edges of her lips, like a hungry cat.
She wiggled her fingers as she continuously tried to grab at the albino's rear, no longer focused on killing him. "C-can I just cop a feel..?" Her breath became increasingly labored as she wiped the drool from her mouth with her glove.
Bell and Black fist stared at the horny cat girl with disgusted faces, ""Who the heck asks that to the person their trying to kill!?" They both said in unison.
"I promise it'll just be for a second!" Black cat said while trying to get a hold of his waist.
"No!"
...I won't last in a battle of attrition...I better finish this quick..!
Jumping back, he shot a few blasts of his lightning magic in her direction, only for the deranged cat girl to nimbly dodge them. By now, Black fist had also recovered and continued her assault on Bell.
"What's with all the noise..?" A gray-haired girl came out of a building.
Her hair was tied with a small knot in a ponytail, and she wore a white blouse, a leaf-colored knee-length long skirt, and a white slightly long half apron around her waist. She was dressed like a waitress, and in the uniform of a bar that Bell recognized.
"Ahn!" Black cat held the gray-haired waitress's arm behind her back, and put a knife to her throat.
"If you don't gimme that ass, I'll kill this girl!" She threatened.
"Let her go! She has nothing to do with this!" Bell shouted, feeling a set of memories flare up like a furnace. 'Not again! Not again!' -were the only thoughts that rushed through his mind.
"I'll let her go after I cop a gooood and loong feel!" Black cat retorted.
"Ahh~!" The waitress moaned to the confusion of the two assassins and adventurer. "Y-you can't touch there..." She said with a blush.
"Hm?" Black cat looked down and noticed that her forearm was touching the waitress's chest. She stared at them for a what felt like an eternity, before releasing the waitresses arm while still holding the knife to her throat and 'copping a feel'.
Her left hand snuck under the waitresses apron and began kneading her left breast, drawing out a symphony of moans. The catgirl's fingers massaged and squeezed the gray-haired girl's large chest with curiosity as she fet a sense of wisdom wash over her.
The girl fell to her knees as she was released by the assassin-turned-sex-offender, sobbing quietly while holding her arms over her chest.
With a 'clang', Black cat's dagger fell to the ground, cold, hard and disappointed at its owner. Its owner on the other hand, was reliving the sensation in her fingertips while making squeezing motions with her hands. As if it could not get any worse, she set her sights on the brunette. -Or more specifically, her chest that was practically leaking from her top.
"C-can I..." She walked towards the brawler like a zombie.
"No! Use your own!" The brunette fired back with a disgusted look.
Hearing her words, the black-haired cat girl stopped in her tracks, before looking down at her own chest. She stared at them for a moment, before glancing at the waitress who's back was being comforted by Bell, and the brunette who was backing away slowly. Compared to the two other women, she did not stand a chance.
"DAMN IT!" Black cat fell to her knees, pounding her fist at the pavement as tears began rolling down her face, "WHY IS THE WORLD SO CRUEL TO MEEE!? IT SHOULD'VE BEEN ME! NOT HER!"
...What even is going on anymore... Wincing at the baffling sight before her, Black fist considered just coming back another day to finish the job. At this point, she just wanted to go home and bury herself in second-hand embarrassment under her bedsheets.
Bell was exhausted from the fighting and knew that he wouldn't be able to last much longer with the poison spreading through his left arm, Black cat was too emotionally damaged to continue, and Black fist looked too exasperated to continue.
...Damn...my mind... He managed to hold onto his consciousness but knew that he was close to hitting his limit.
"Curse this world!" Black cat said with tears, "I'll at least get that ass!" She jumped at Bell
As his sight started to blur, a thundering stomping noise came from behind him. The strength that emanated from whoever was behind him was palpable, and it sent shivers all the way into his very soul.
"Are you the idiot causin' a racket at midnight!?" An angry voice bellowed at the cat girl. All of their gazes were pulled towards a large female dwarf who held up the black-haired assassin by the head and lifted her off her feet.
"Mama Mia!" The waitress gasped.
"Ga..ah!" Black cat clawed at Mia's arm and repeatedly kicked at her, trying to free herself. Her attempts would be futile as the dwarf's grip only tightened as more and more pressure was applied to the assassin's head.
A tick mark appeared on the dwarf's head. "Stop squirmin' around'!" Mia fumed. Lifting the cat girl high above, she slammed her into the stone pavement, knocking her out cold in an instant. Turning her attention to the brawler, "You're next."
Chills ran down the brunette's spine as she lost all color from her face. She backed away from Mia slowly, instinctually feeling like she was in the eyes of an apex predator. "U-umm...I-I think I'm good..."
"Wasn't askin'!"
With a single punch to the stomach, Black fist joined her colleague in the floor. Her resistance was useless.
...Ms Mia..? So then this is-
"You've got some explainin' to do." The dwarf towered over Bell like a mountain, her arms crossed. As Bell gulped in fear, "But before that, catch." She tossed a green vial to him.
Catching the small glass in his right hand, "Antidote..?" He tilted his head.
"Took it off of that girl over there." Mia pointed at the unconscious body of Black cat.
"I-I see." He nodded hazily, uncapping the vial with his thumb and downing it like he hadn't drunk water in years.
"Now, why don't'cha tell me why there's a hole in ma' wine cellar?" Mia glared, cracking her fingers.
Bell trembled, fearing for his safety.
For the rest of the night, he bowed three times as much one would in their life to the dwarf while apologizing repeatedly. He couldn't begin to explain the numbing pain of the cramps in his legs, having to break out the legendary dogeza some time along the way.
When the two assassins regained consciousness, they too were forced to bow and apologize under the bar-owner's iron fist.
.
.
As the sun rose above the city walls signaling a new day, a white-haired teen with striking rubellite eyes could be seen waddling down a street and soon into a mansion. He was riddled with small cuts across his body and he cradled his limp left arm. To anyone passing by, it looked like someone spent an entire night in the dungeon without equipment or supplies had just returned home.
Upon arriving at the Stardust Garden and pushing the gates aside, he quietly tread through the manor with light steps so as to not wake anyone up. Pushing open the door to his room and closing it behind him, Bell hadn't any energy to change into his nightclothes and simply collapsed into the warming embrace of his bed, falling into a well-deserved rest.
Later in the day after he woke up, Bell went to Alise's office. Knocking on the door, "Excuse me..." he said as he entered.
"Ah Bell, you're finally awake. You looked like you were trying to cross the border when I checked on you earlier." She chirped, putting some paperwork aside.
"So?" Kaguya 'smiled', "Would you like to tell us what kind of avocado oil takes a whole night to find?"
"About that..."
Bell spent the next hour or-so with a furious Alise and Kaguya who scolded the albino for his recklessness.
"You fool!" Kaguya hit him over the head with the wood part of her fan. "I swear, the things you do when we take our eyes off of you for one second…"
"I'm sorry..!" He bowed repeatedly.
"Stop apologizing!"
"I'm sorryyyy..!" He whimpered, digging his head into the floor.
Some time later, the story had been told to Astraea. The goddess fully supported the idea and approved of having Bell work at the Hostess of Fertility part-time. She also believed it to be a perfect opportunity to show the public that Bell wasn't a cold and heartless killer.
At first she wanted to punish Lunoire and Chloe, but the nagging feeling washed away upon seeing their dreadful faces being yelled at by Mia.
"Hey Bell, fill up my glass." Lyra grinned while holding her empty mug to the albino.
"Right away, dear customer…" The albino winced as he refilled the pink-haired pallum's ale.
"My, I never thought you'd look so nice in a butler's outfit, wouldn't you agree Alise?" Kaguya nudged the redhead with a smirk.
"Yes." Alise grinned with a teasing smile, "Maybe we should make you do this for us at home too." She said jokingly.
He rolled his eyes, turning away from the smirking women and to the one person at the table who he hoped wouldn't join in on the teasing, "Ryuu, please help me here." Bell said with a look of exasperation.
The blonde elf stared at him for a second before replying, "…You have only yourself to blame. -And also I would like some more Alv spring water." She said plainly.
"Kh!"
"It feels kinda weird seeing dad like this…" Haruhime murmured quietly, taking a sip from her juice.
Bell glanced at the goddess, wordlessly seeking aid.
"Ehehe…" Astraea merely replied with a giggle, turning down his request of aid.
In the coming months, the Astrapi's image slowly improved with the public…especially so among female civilians and adventurers who dined at the Hostess of fertility just for the chance to be served by the handsome 'First-Class waiter'.