The Fallen Argonaut
Rated; M (Blood/Gore)
Disclaimer; I do not own Danmachi or anything created by the author Fujino Ōmori, all rights go to him
Authors: Eli-er01 & ViceroyChalister
Summary: The will of a hero is strong, yet unwavering but all good things must come to an end, even at the cost of one's Heroic Will. Imprisoned and blamed for a crime he hadn't committed, Bell seeks a way out of his predicament so that he can live without fear of being hunted by the people he once looked up to.
8: Blood Ties
Normal POV
=Tanjouno Estate=
Bell had been reading information upon the 8 noble houses within The Far East for the last couple of days. From the information that the Empress has alongside public documents, all the houses share a similar last name. Sanjouno, Gojouno, Tanjouno, Panjouno, Kojouno, Najouno, Rajonou and lastly Qajouno. Every single noble family originates from one line of nobles having split off with multiple lines of children. The original family was the Tanjouno family, but over time, more and more families popped up with their blood running through their veins.
This caused issues with so many different families claiming nobility, so the Empress at the time published a law that stated that only 8 noble families may exist at once, and that those families had to have direct blood relations to the Tanjonou line. This sparked the similar family names as every noble family has Jouno in their last name.
Sadly, the only noble family that is still loyal to the Empress is the original one, the Tanjouno line.
This also explains why Adrienne left the far east with her mother. She was a cousin to the Tanjouno line, but couldn't claim nobility. That would create rifts and complications over time with some still fearing them getting greedy, despite the laws, making it even more dangerous to live in the Far East.
From the Empress' spies reports, the houses have been conducting illegal transactions as well as some activities with high profile criminal organizations. The current theory the Far East has is that they are trying to spark a Coup d'état in order to usurp the throne.
This had been worrying for Asuka as this was her first time out, handling a real situation.
From what Erebus helped Bell understand, the royal family train their Heirs at a very young age, and put them in real situations that are current to force them to mature towards the role by the time of adulthood. This is mainly to prevent the country from losing a leader if the Empress dies since there will nearly always be someone to take up the role. Hell, the previous Empress is still around and kicking, and in case Asuka isn't ready, she can temporarily take over until she is.
Bell put the paper down and looked over the map. The estates for all the houses were evenly spread apart in an octagon pattern around the center of the city, where the Yume Palace is. The Tanjouno Estate was the one closest to the bridge with the other two next to them being the Panjouno and Kojouno houses.
Bell frowned as his eyes fell onto a single Estate, The Sanjouno family. They were the ones he had the largest bone to pick with. They had disowned and practically banished Haruhime to a life of slavery without even making sure she was guilty. One of the nicest people he has ever met, had been hurt immensely when it had happened, and Bell was going to make sure they paid for it. Even though they are apart, she is a part of his family, and he will protect them and avenge them at all costs.
"Hey, Bell. Who do you think should be our first target?" Asuka asked from the opposite end of the table as Erebus picked up a scroll to read.
"I think that's your choice, your majesty. Look over the information, and find the weakest point. Take advantage of their shortcomings, and strike them where they least expect it" Bell said, a combination of the advice from both Ais and Eina.
That got Asuka to start thinking. She moved papers out of the way until she found what she was looking for.
"Here, their financial reports! They don't add up" She exclaimed before motioning Bell to look. He did as she wanted and skimmed through before noticing two flaws.
"The written income doesn't match the tax or their legal gains" Bell muttered as she smiled
"Yes! Also, the renovations as well as expenses for their buildings and appliances outweigh their actual income, legally speaking. The only reason they can live like they do now is because of-"
"Bribes and most likely money that is laundered through the criminals!" Bell finished before he smiled. Erebus nodded before sighing in relief
"At least that's over. We have been looking at this non stop for a day now. I still need to care for my hair, you know" He uttered sarcastically, twirling his index finger between his white locks.
Bell shook his head before smiling at Asuka.
"We now know what we need to focus on. Destabilize their income by disturbing their criminal network, and they will naturally panic and slip up" Asuka nodded in agreement.
"Alright, from what we know, the main criminal organizations are 'The Azure Wolves', 'Cobalt Vipers' and lastly 'The Black Kyotes'. They are the ones keeping everything flowing and have been very hard to catch for the last 30 years" Asuka explained to everyone.
"Bell, do you know any way to get information?" Bell was about to shake his head before she remembered what Lili did. His own intuition told him that it was the right way.
"Well… not personal experience, but I remember someone close to me used to go to low key bars. Places that aren't well known. They usually are gold mines for information gathering" Asuka nodded at Bell's suggestions
"Then how about you do that? Gather as much info upon their movements, operations, gatherings etc." Bell nodded in agreement. He would be best suited for this job as his agility is high and he doesn't look Far Eastern, meaning he could be taken as a mercenary.
"I can do that" Bell said as Asuka smiled back at him.
"Alright, I will send a letter to my mother for her to locate a low key bar that most likely is frequented by criminals. We should have something within a day or two" Everyone nodded before getting up and cleaning up.
Erebus wasn't kidding when he said they had been doing this for a while. They had started from dawn and only taken breaks to go to the restroom or eat. It was now the middle of the night.
Bell yawned once they were done and he entered his room. He quickly changed for Bed, brushed his teeth before he turned in for the night. The last thought on his mind was of a certain Sword Princess.
=Next day, 6PM=
As per Asuka's instructions from Bell's thoughts, he had been going around and asking about low key bars, trying to play himself off as a Mercenary for hire.
So far, he's only found 2 places that are possible hangouts for the felons. He had recently decided to give up upon more bars as the daylight was slowly running out. Asuka had told him to report back at least before the morning and the bars were on opposite sides of the city.
That made it difficult to go to one, get information before going to the other and going back before the night was over, even with his status.
"'The Silent Raven'... there it is" Bell muttered as his eyes locked onto the bar in question. It wasn't a flashy building with a big sign on the outside. Just a building that camouflages itself with its surroundings with a door that had the name put on it. It would be much harder for Bell to find it if it wasn't for his status that enhanced all his senses, so he could practically smell the alcohol and… other illegal substances from a couple buildings away.
Bell went forward to the building and tried to open the door. 'Locked' Bell thought before knocking.
The door opened slightly ajar with a chain that attached it to the inside wall.
"The Ravens call is what?"
"Quiet as the night sky" Bell repeated the words the man had given him as a code for entrance.
The door closed before Bell heard a loud click before it opened completely as the man at the door took a good look at Bell.
Bell was dressed differently, more like a mercenary, courtesy of Asuka and the royal family. His clothes were jet black, similar to the ones he used to wear as an adventurer, but he had light padded leather armor with spikes going up by the sides, which sported knives at both sides and kneecap armor alongside gauntlets that could be used to deflect blows. At the front of his belt, Bell had a pouch filled with Valis.
For someone like Bell, the armor was practically useless since his skin was harder and more durable than the armor itself was, meaning he felt completely naked if he was in battle.
The man stepped to the side and let Bell walk through. The bar itself looked like a complete dump once he went down a set of stairs. Half of the bar was the same color, there were stains on the wall and on the floor here and there with cracks in the walls and ceiling.
'God, I miss the Hostess of Fertility' Bell thought as he smiled slightly at the memories of his friends drinking and joking, while Ryuu, Syr and the other waitresses sometimes passed by and sat down for a minute.
The smile faltered as he looked down, remembering that things may never be the same. He felt the sadness creep up before he noticed it disappearing completely. It was a weird sensation, whenever he was sad, his development ability activated and made him feel better.
His status was quickly becoming his best friend with Luck practically being his best pal, protecting him from unseen threats and now Psych protecting him for sadness. Though he couldn't help but feel he's losing his humanity slightly.
Bell looked up, shaking off the thoughts before walking forward and sat down at the bar. Not long after, the bartender, a man who seemed to be starting to go grey, came forward to Bell with a smile.
"What may I get you?" the man asked as Bell looked up and forced a smile.
"What do you have? Anything to recommend to eat too" Bell asked, wondering if there was anything to eat. He hadn't eaten anything since lunch.
"Well, If I could say so, I would recommend Roasted Chicken and potatoes with honey glazed vegetables, alongside some honey mead. It's a fantastic combination" Bell thought for a second before nodding.
"I'll take it… oh and I was wondering if anyone here is paying well for mercenary work?" The bartender wrote the order before leaning over before looking and pointing slightly at a table in the back.
"See them? They're people from 'The Azure Wolves'. Funny enough, they have been asking me for a couple of days if any capable mercenaries are available" Bell looked at the table where 3 guys were drinking. Bell smiled before telling the man to move his order there before paying the Valis.
Bell got up and headed to the table, composing himself on his way. 'Don't be nervous Bell… you've got this. You've got this' Bell tried to convince himself and calm his nerves.
"Who are you?" One of the 'Wolves' asked. Bell looked at him, trying his best to keep on a poker face.
"Sorry to interrupt, but I heard you were looking for a mercenary" Bell said in his best imitation of a tough guy act, which wasn't the best.
"Only capable ones, chump. You don't look like much, could probably snap you in half between my pinky" The excessively drunk gang members started laughing as Bell closed his eyes and twitched his eyebrow.
'Lili and Asuka were right. People like this only answer to one thing' Bell began as he started to move faster than their eyes could see, pulling a dagger and smashing it deep into the table. Right in between one of the thugs' bracelets and his arm, causing him to get stuck.
The man screeched as his eyes bulged as he for a split second thought Bell had impaled his arm with it. The other 3 jumped back in surprise and stared hard at the knife, before looking at Bell, then back.
"Would you say that again, please?" Bell said, his voice more chirpy now. The thugs took it as him daring them to stand against him.
"Oh? What are you gonna do? Kill me? Do you even know who I am!? I'm a high ranking member of 'The Azure Wolves'!" The man who was stuck called out, wholeheartedly and without shame, hiding behind his name.
"Oh? Too bad, I don't care" Bell tried once again to sound intimidating. He leaned in and stared into the mans eyes, before flicking his head. The man was sent spiraling backwards into the wall, knocked out cold.
'Maybe a little too strong…' Bell thought before sighing.
"Are you three going to do anything dumb?" He asked as the three shook their heads violently.
"Good, then I am gonna ask you some questions, and you're gonna answer, quietly without causing a ruckus. Understand?" Bell said, his voice showing no malice and simply sounding… normal.
The three nodded as Bell pulled up a chair and sat down.
"Alright, so first things first. What gang are you part of?" The answer was instantaneous
"The Azure Wolves" Bell nodded before proceeding further upon the questions Asuka had told him to ask.
"Where is your headquarters? I would like to talk to your Boss about mercenary work" The three looked at each other before nodding. Most likely thinking that if they got him on their side, they might be able to stand up to The Black Kyotes.
"It's in the north east part of the city, next to the Najouno estate. Bell blinked at the answer, that's really stupid of them. They have one of the three big criminal organizations right next to their estate. It's like they put up a giant 'I'm corrupt, come and arrest me' sign.
"Alright. Good, let's keep going. I've got some questions left before I decide if I should partner with you. You better be honest" Bell said, glaring to the best of his ability at them. He didn't want to use Scourge as it would alert the rest of the bar of what's going on… more so than the guy getting knocked out.
The questioning continued on, for another hour before he decided to head to the next location.
=Next day, Yume Palace=
"This is excellent progress. You have managed to procure more intel in a single day than my own spies could in years. I commend you for your abilities, Bell" Takara Yume, the empress complimented Bell after the report from Asuka had been given.
"I got lucky, your majesty. I happened to find members from all factions at the two places I visited. That and the people I met seemed to be easy to get information from" Bell responded as the Empress nodded.
"Luck or not, it's still incredible progress and makes me very pleased. Now then, from what I have heard, the family I'm assigning you all to handle first is the Sanjouno family. From what I can tell, from this information, they haven't actually been part of anything illegal, but the heads have been looking into it because of the growing greed for power and jealousy of the Tanjouno family. Now, I know that you…" Bell stopped listening as he started to zone out. His first target was the Sanjouno family… Haruhime's family… no, old family. It's time to get answers for her, and tell her the next time Bell sees her… hopefully that happens.
Bell zoned into everything again and at perfect timing too. The empress had just dismissed them, and Asuka was looking at him weirdly, wondering why he wasn't preparing to leave.
Bell quickly stood up and shook his head before turning around. He peeked at Asuka and nodded as she did the same with a tiny smile on her face.
Once they exited the throne room, they quickly sat down on one of the sofas by the sides.
"So… Mother wants to straighten the families that can be saved first and put them back on the right paths. That being the Sanjouno and Gojouno families" Asuka said, taking a plum from the bowl on the table in front of them and taking a bite out of it.
Bell nodded in response, before contemplating for a second. "You're right, and since I have some things to say to the Sanjouno related to my old familia, it's for the best that they are first" Bell said with certainty as Asuka nodded.
"Well, that's excellent! How about we head back to the Tanjouno Estate? You could use some rest right?" She asked as Bell laughed at the notion.
"No I don't. I may have been up for a day and a half, but you shouldn't underestimate the stamina and resistance to drowsiness an adventurer has. But I can use some peace and quiet for once" Asuka giggled before nodding, both leaving. Heading towards the estate through the busy streets.
=Tanjourno Estate=
Bell was sitting with Erebus in front of him in an armchair, with Bache to his right, Asuka by the table and Adrienne laying down with her head on his lap.
"...Seen each other as sisters. I have been scared they would pit us against each other for quite some time now" Bache had been sharing some of her past with the others recently. Most of the things Bell already knew, but since it wasn't his story to tell, the other's haven't known until now.
"That is… Chaotic. Quiet my style, which is why me and Kali used to get along, but I've been trying to change. Something monumental for a god, who is supposed to be unchanging" Erebus responded with a smile as Adrienne jumped up from Bell's lap.
"You're alright now . We won't let that happen to you!" Adrienne had really warmed up to Bache at this point, even more so than earlier. Whenever you see one, the other is always nearby.
One development Bell hadn't noticed until today was that Bache's stomach was larger than it was earlier. A clear sign of the pregnancy coming forward. A chill was sent down Bell's spine as he remembered that night. He shivered for a second before a question that's been burning in his mind ever since he had beaten Hyacinthus as a level 2.
"Erebus?" Bell called out as the god looked questionably at Bell "I've been meaning to ask, but how does the point system in the Falna work exactly? I know each point makes you stronger, but is it a linear growth or exponential with how much stronger you get with each one gained?" Bell asked. It had been at the back of his mind for a while, but with so much happening. He hasn't been able to ask any god.
"Well… The falna was a mystery to us gods until 1000 years ago since we never gave one out to a mortal until Ouranos gave the first one. From my understanding, it is neither linear or exponential, but the biggest mistake most people do when leveling up, is not pushing their stats to their limits" Erebus began his explanation
"The way it works is that each point you gain increases the power of that stat by a certain degree depending on the baseline of your status. At level one, it grows the same amount per stat point, but the difference between adventurers begins at level 2 since the baseline of the status is updated with the level up. All the points you gained at level 1 gets added to the old baseline to form a new one for the power it adds, meaning the more points you had in it at the previous level, the more each point now matters" Erebus finished.
"Then... that would mean the difference between adventurers becomes more apparent, the higher level you become since each adventure specializes a different amount in each stat!" Bell said as Erebus nodded.
'That would mean that increasing my stats to their limits before leveling up is the smart move… My magic already took a hit at level 2 with it being at A 882, which is by no means bad… but it could have been higher' Bell thought after leaning back.
Bell peeked at Bache and noticed that she was in deep thoughts as well.
"Bache, what do you think of this?" He asked, startling her for a second before looking at him calmly.
"I have not pushed my stats to their limits as I should have. Every time I could level up, I had always taken it the moment I could" She said, a hint of sadness in her voice as Bell understood why.
Amazons seek strength, whether it's in a mate or themselves. Knowing how big of a difference stats make in their overall potential must have made her worry and saddened that she can't undo it.
"It's alright Bache. At least you know now and it's better to start late than never" Bache looked up and smiled at Bell. She didn't have her usual face mask on at the moment.
"Thank you" Bache responded before getting up.
"I'm going to go and make some food, anyone want something?" Practically everyone nodded at her. As she walked out of the room, heading for the kitchen.
"Hey Erebus, could you copy my status on a status sheet again? I want to look it over and decide good points to level up" Bell questioned making Erebus stand up and grab a sheet of paper.
"Of course. Might as well update" Bell smiled. He hasn't done anything meaning he most likely won't gain any more stat points.
Erebus updated Bell's status after they got in position before copying the information on the paper, handing it to Bell.
As Bell read through the paper, his smile remained the same. He had been correct. No stat upgrades which makes sense. And nothing out of the ordinary.
Adrienne leaned over to read the status but Bell pulled it out of view.
"Hey! I wanted to read that!" She complained with a pout as Bell chuckled
"Sorry Adrienne, my status is something I shouldn't show others. It's like offering a book of all my secrets on a silver platter" Bell explained with a sheepish smile, feeling slightly bad at her expression.
She turned around with her arms crossed and making a 'hmph' sound, making sure Bell heard it to know she's frustrated. Bell sweat dropped before sighing and reading his status again.
The thing Bell wanted to do is see how far his Basic Abilities can go. What is his actual limit? Does he have a limit? Bell wanted to know, and he was resolved to make sure to max at least one stat to it's limit before he leveled up, whenever he could.
"Hey, Bell. Come here for a minute" Bell looked up at Asuka's call before walking over, casting a tiny firebolt at the paper, burning it instantly and the rest of the magic went straight out of an open window.
"Did you find something, Asuka?" He asked as she pointed at the map.
"You do know where the Sanjouno Estate is, right?" Bell thought for a second before realizing he didn't. He had planned to go tomorrow without even knowing where he was supposed to go.
He put his head in his hand and reprimanded himself for being so dumb.
"God, I'm stupid…" Bell said as Asuka pointed at the map close to the edge of the city, opposite of where they were currently at, inside the forest right outside the city.
This was the forest where the Shrine Mikoto and the others were at that Haruhime frequented. Looking at the map, Bell slowly pieced together the stories he's been told and recognized that this is where their past took place.
Asuka then shifted her finger to a seemingly empty place.
"There is an escape tunnel in case their Estate was ever compromised here. This place should be unguarded and it would be a good entry point for you" Bell nodded before pondering over what the plan was.
"So… I enter through the escape tunnel, Ironic…" Asuka suppressed a giggle as Bell gave her a smile.
"Yes, that is the case. Also, the escape tunnel leads to the basement. Security doesn't have to go down there, but it never hurts to be safe. Your goal is to make sure of their allegiances. With the way things are, we are unsure if the Sanjouno and Gojouno families are conspiring with the others or not" Bell nodded, thinking about it.
"I can still tell them what I want, right?" Bell asked as Asuka nodded.
"Of course, it might give you insight upon their reasonings for what they did" Bell nodded for a second before his eyes darkened as he remembered how Haruhime looked under Ishtar. The underlying sadness and defeat in her eyes. One could see it even if they were blind. The only solace she had was with Aisha who was like a protector for her.
'Doesn't matter what their reasons are. Abandoning one's family, who is supposed to love you unconditionally, so easily is unacceptable' Bell thought bitterly before he and Asuka continued on planning the approach
=3 hours later=
After Bell and Asuka finished, Bell had gone into the backyard and started experimenting with his skills. During their trip to The Far East, Bache had told him that the best fighters always refine and come up with new techniques to add to their arsenal.
Bell could remember like it was yesterday how Ais seemed to have endless amounts of moves during battles, whether it be twisting her knee slightly for a different angle and strength or changing tactics during battle to fight more effectively, she clearly had worked long and hard to make her arsenal as large and wide as possible, so that she could overcome any situation thrown at her.
Currently, he was first working on different skill applications as he knew that they would be easier to come up with and master than fighting techniques. The one he was working on now was Dual charge with Argonaut. The skill description told him it was possible, but at a large increase in mind usage.
It was tricky at first with splitting one's focus in more than two ways as originally, he only had to focus on one charge and the battle, but with two charges, that became three.
"Hah…" Bell exhaled as he let the charge go. He had lost focus again while moving. It had been a lot harder than initially expected and it would take some time to make it usable in actual combat.
Bell took a step forward as he started to wobble and almost fell over, his head spinning and the world turning and twisting in his vision.
"Are you alright?" Bell shook his head to clear his head, before turning around a little too fast as he tumbled to the side, only to be caught by femenine tanned hands. Bell looked up and was able to recognize the veil over her face. Bache looked a little concerned as she held him up slightly, allowing him to lean into her a little
"Are you suffering from excessive mind usage?" she asked as Bell nodded. He grabbed the top of his head, before reaching for his belt, and taking a potion he had prepared. Normally, he wouldn't drink it and allow his mind to recover naturally, but decided to do it anyway.
"That's better…" Bell said, smiling slightly at the world that was now perfectly still. Bache let go of Bell before his smile turned to her.
"Thanks, I was practicing a new move and it drains my mind. Guess I overdid it a little" Bell laughed awkwardly as he rubbed the backside of his neck.
Bache nodded before looking at a bench. She pointed at it as Bell understood what she wanted. Both sat down as Bell shook his head again. The potion was still taking effect, the world was not spinning but he still felt fatigued in his head.
"It's good that you take what I said seriously. Most would just take it as unnecessary" Bache reached for her veil and unclipped it from around her ears before putting it in her lap and breathing a sigh of relief.
"Is it annoying wearing that… mask all the time?" Bell asked as he took in her full face.
"Sometimes… if I have it on too long it starts to itch and dust can get stuck in it, reducing my ability to breathe" Bell looked at her and blinked.
"Then why do you wear it? If it's so annoying, it would only be a hindrance" Bache picked up the veil and looked down with a sad smile.
"Not many know this… but me and Argana weren't the only Kalif sisters. When we were younger, around 5 years old, barely old enough to understand the world around us… our sister got sick. She always used to wear this veil. She even did it when she got worse as the sickness progressed… the idiot" Bache's vision started to blur slightly as she looked down and remembered her. Bell's eyes fell slightly, seeing where this was going.
"When she passed away… I was the only one that was devastated. Argana was conditioned in the ring before I was, and she started a year before our sister died. You want to know what she said to me?" Bache looked up at Bell, her facial features twisted into a mixture of anger, betrayal and devastation. Bell could't do anything but nodd, putting his hand on her leg as a form of comfort.
"She told me that she died because she was weak. That weaklings don't belong. She looked me in the eye, and basically spat on our deceased sister" Bell frowned hard, thinking back upon the woman. When Bell had fought them, Bache had been relatively tamed. She didn't go for one hit strikes and treated him like an actual person, while Argana went all in at once, trying to pummel him into the ground as fast as possible.
To Bell, Bache and Argana were the same, but opposites at the same time. Bache being an amazon with a human heart… while Argana had the heart of a monster. That was Bell's conclusion upon the sisters.
"It's alright Bache. Trust me, dying from a sickness isn't a weakness, in fact, for a person to keep fighting against it, makes them stronger than most" Bell tried to comfort her. Bache had started to shake, clutching the Veil harder than before as tears started to drop on it.
Bell moved closer before enveloping her in a hug.
"No matter what you did to me or how you manipulated me to get what you wanted, I will always be here for you. I will always lend you a shoulder to cry on if you feel like it. After all, during these last two months, you have earned my friendship" Bell ribbed her shoulder as he turned around, laughing slightly as she leaned in to his chest.
"Hah… is this… what Tione and Tiona felt like...?" Bache asked no one in particular. Bell frowned at the names she said before calming down. He doesn't want to hold grudges. After all, they didn't know the truth. To them it must have looked like he protected a monster, then murdered a bunch of people… which he technically did to protect his goddess.
A wave of sadness washed over him as he remembered her and the blood splattered the street, the disappointed look in Ais' eyes, coming back to haunt him yet again.
"...it" Bell blinked away his thoughts as he looked down at Bache's sand like hair on his chest.
"What was that?" He asked with a low and kind voice as she kept her gaze firmly downwards.
"I don't deserve it… I don't deserve this… I took that wonderful child as a hostage and made you…" Bache started but before she could finish, Bell shushed her.
"I may not have said it… but I forgive you. Not Argana, but you. You have proven to me that you do feel remorse over what happened, and that means you regret it and want to be forgiven. That's all I could ask for" Bache was frozen as her eyes were wide. Tears started to flow stronger and faster as she closed them and whispered her reply. Bell heard it and smiled, nodding in response.
Unknown to the two, up on the balcony, Erebus was watching the whole scene with a hint of a smile.
=Some time later=
After Bache had stopped crying, the two had talked for a little while more, Bell talking about his time in Orario and answering any questions he could about Tione and especially Tione. In return, Bache told him some about her past, her struggles and trials that had led to her leveling up and eventually reaching level 6.
Before the two knew it, the sun was setting and Bache had decided to go to sleep.
Bell followed her with his eyes before looking up at the darkening sky, stars slowly becoming visible. He was quite surprised, just talking to Bache had been… refreshing. Only having Erebus to truly confide in about his past had been draining. Don't get him wrong, he was immensely grateful for Erebus support so far, but his sarcastic and chaotic nature does get on Bell's nerves sometimes.
Looking back, Bell could understand Bache's point of view. After her sister had perished, she had been devastated. Not shortly after, Kali had thrown her into the ring and world of cruelty while she was still recovering. It was a miracle Bache had survived. The only reason she did was because she tried to bury herself underneath a shell of coldness and uncaring, but no matter how much you try. After the caring part of you is created, it will always be there, no matter how much you suppress it.
What Bell had witnessed was that hurt girl coming to the surface and smashing through the walls she had built over years because of guilt and desire for forgiveness. Bell couldn't say no to that as it was simply who he was. He never really was a person who held grudges.
Bell smiled slightly at the thoughts. Even after all that's happened, after how differently he acts sometimes, he was still himself on the inside. A testament to the truth of what he had come to the conclusion of. If a part of you that cares about others is created, no matter how much you try to suppress it, or the world does… it will always remain.
Bell opened his eyes, not realizing that he had closed them in the first place, only to see the sky completely dark. He should probably go to sleep. He was supposed to go to the Sanjouno Estate in 3 days after the Empress prepares everything that is required according to Asuka.
He was about to get up before he heard footsteps walking towards him. He looked down at the house and saw Erebus walk up to Bell in his usual attire that he desperately needed to change since his hair looks ridiculous with that suit.
"I see that you and Bache are getting along now" Erebus said as his head leaned to the side
"What changed your mind?"
"Well, I just realized that I'm not really a sucker for holding grudges, and that she isn't as bad as I thought" Bell responded, smiling slightly as Erebus sat down.
"That's a relief to hear. I don't think I could sit through another rant from Adrienne about how you two should reconcile" Erebus groaned, making Bell laugh. Erebus sighed as Bell looked at him with a smile, sighing into the air.
"If Alfia could see me now… I can already hear her scold me…" Erebus muttered as Bell latched onto the name he heard him say back and Kauhea Forbande. Questions filled his mind as he pondered over the name. Was she the same Alfia he thought he was talking about? The one that attacked Orario along with Gluttony, Zald? Is she really his aunt?
"Yes, Yes and Yes" Erebus responded as Bell blinked. Did he ask those questions out loud?
"Alfia was your aunt. I was wondering when you were going to ask" Bell looked down thinking about it. His eyes closed before he opened them with determination. He had to know.
"Who was she?" He asked, making Erebus smile.
"She was probably the most collected and strict woman I have ever known, even among the gods which says something. She used to be part of the Hera Familia before they were annihilated by the black dragon" Bell took in every word as Erebus seemed to be taking a trip down memory lane.
"I met her around 9 years ago alongside Zald. Only them and one more person survived the battle against the One eyed black dragon, the third leaving for the empire. I, during that time, wanted to bring Chaos to Orario to bring forth a new age of heroes that would be the key to humanity's survival during the promised time… seems like I was wrong though" Erebus had began, before muttering the final part, looking at Bell before continuing
"So I asked Alfia and Zald for help in my mission. The two were quicker to accept than I had thought. Apparently, they wanted the same thing, to bring forth a new age of heroes to fight and defeat the dragon that had so mercilessly annihilated their familias" Bell grimanched at the mention of how such strong people were defeated so easily.
"I spent 2 years with them, preparing for the day we would arrive in Orario. It was during this time that I learnt about you. I still to this day believe she wanted to go to you, and raise you, but her grief, guilt and regret for Meteria's death caused her to see herself unworthy for such a task" Bell's eyes widened, heart clenched at the fact. He would have loved to have met her. The next second, his mind latched onto the second name he mentioned. He had heard that name before from his grandfather
"Meteria? Is that… my mother?" Bell dared ask as a lump formed in his throat. Erebus nodded before staring at Bell hard.
"You're lucky you know. You didn't inherit their disease" That caught Bell's attention.
"What disease?" Bell asked, alarmed as Erebus sighed.
"Both Alfia and Meteria were stricken by a hereditary disease that weakens them greatly. If Alfia hadn't been stricken by it, Orario would never have been able to defeat her" That sent alarm bells through his head. Was she that strong? Bell wanted to ask but Erebus did it for him
"After all, her magic made her untouchable. In fact, it's similar to your magic. It's an ultra short chant magic that can make magic explode, basically making her untouchable. It's name was 'Satanas Verion' and it's chant was simply, 'Gospel'" Bell thought about it. If her magic activated her own magic and sent it out and she could make it explode… that would be unstoppable if used correctly.
"That wasn't all… She wasn't called the incarnation of talent because of that. She was called that because of her ability to copy and technique upon only seeing it once. It was honestly frightening" Bell's mind was reeling, emotions spinning around in his heart like a whirlwind. He didn't get time to digest the information of her aunt. She was apparently very powerful, had an ultra short chant magic and was part of Hera familia. She didn't want to raise him because she was… ashamed of herself?
Bell tried to sort his thoughts as Erebus stopped, letting the information settle in his mind.
"It's a lot to take in. Take your time. We can continue this in the morning" Bell nodded as he put his face in his hands. Erebus left and went inside, leaving Bell to the night sky, coming to terms with what he had learnt. He knew about what Alfia did, but that she was his aunt? And that his mother had an incurable disease alongside her sister? That both were dead and that he would never meet them…
Bell looked up into the sky, asking himself why his eyes wouldn't cry, even when it hurt so much, not thinking that the answer lied on his back, within his status
That's it for chapter 8! I hope you all enjoyed and also wanted to update you all on Heroic Will. Chapter 41 has been ready for some time and I am currently only looking through older chapters and fixing anything I can find. Once that is done, I will try to publish one last time before republishing the story alongside the new chapter :)
Anyway, Thanks for reading as always! Hope I see you next time