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.
39: Of Concerns and Corrections
=Archian Manor=
As Bell walked through the doors of his home he came face to face with his family who seemingly was expecting him, "Hello" he said with a smile warm enough to melt metal… unfortunately, his mask kind of defeated the purpose of it.
Aralaya was the first to respond, "Hello father" she said, walking towards him and giving him a hug. "Hey dad" Jannor and Adrienne said in unison.
Elora smiled and gave her greetings, soon followed by Bache, "Hey Apollyon, guess what happened today…" She turned her gaze to Jannor who immediately turned away in a red faced blur.
Bell noticed this and smirked, "Hmmm, what happened? My intuition says it involves a girl, or perhaps he said something that was embarrassing" His smile now seemingly glowing through his mask at this point.
"SPOT ON!" Adrienne yelled, interrupting the two who just looked at her amused.
"Oh?" He turned back to Jannor, who was practically steaming from the ears at this point.
"Stop… please…" He asked, which in turn started the whole family to start laughing.
"Well you can fill me in on the details later, right now we need to talk about the fact that Ouranos knows about Kita…" Bell said, the room fell silent at the mention of her, not in dread or in fear and shock, but of understanding.
"I'll keep it brief, like I said he is aware of her, but I also heard him as I was leaving saying something about her brother, which I would think it's safe to assume he's referring to the black dragon…" The main response to his statement was merely slacked jaws around the room. "At any rate we need to make sure you all are ready for future situations, so for now let's put that thought on the back burners, and focus on this supposedly embarrassing moment with a girl! That's much more of a pressing matter" Bell grinned, wrapping his arm around Jannor's neck in a teasing manner.
Jannor sighs profoundly at the grins strewn from around the room by everyone there.
"Yeah, brother, Let's hear the story!" Aralaya snickered at his expense as his face reddened even more. After a moment, he let out another sigh, accepting his fate before turning towards his father.
"Well… You know Fiona from Loki Familia?" He asked as Bell nodded, his grin turning thoughtful.
"Yeah, never met her though. Finn's daughter, right?" He asked as he got a multitude of nods from all around the table.
"Yeah, well… we kind of met her in the dungeon with her party. They had been pass paraded…" Bell's expression darkened at that, memories of what it was like for that to happen rushing back into his body for a few seconds.
The room seemed to shudder slightly as he recalled the memory.
"We were heading back from the 8th floor when we noticed them and things weren't looking good. Two were on the ground while the other two were cornered. We stepped in as soon as we could and took care of it all but… we were a little too late to save one of them. The other… Rimma right?" He turned to Aralaya who had treated her to confirm the name. She nodded as everyone turned back to Jannor.
"Yeah, Rimma, she was still breathing so Aralaya began healing her. All I did in the meantime was talk to Fiona, learning her familia, name and such. It's not a big deal!" Bache walked up to him and nudged him slightly, easing the atmosphere.
"Not a big deal? It's always a big deal when you say anything to a girl. Did you say something embarrassing? Did you stutter?" She asked as he shook his head.
"Not really, the situation was a little too grimm for me to focus on her that much. I was trying to think about how to help them" he said, blushing somewhat. "Though I did notice she had very blue eyes…" He trailed, earning another smirk and nudge from Bache.
"So obviously what happened after the initial rescue?" Bell asked.
"We ran through the floors while escorting them, eventually making it back to the Twilight Manor, just so happened that mom, and aunt Bache was there, then uh… things became a little more noticeable…" His blush now an inferno dancing on his face as everyone's smiles widened.
"Oh, how so?" They asked leaning in as if it would increase their already abnormal hearing.
"Just that she s-smelled nice even though she was fresh from the dungeon , and like I said she had very p-pretty eyes" He was starting to stutter.
"But did she have curves, cause I didn't get a good look?" Adrienne asked in a teasing manner. Followed soon after by a smack from Elora, "She's like twelve or close to that Adrienne…" Her voice is low.
"Hey I had curves when I was twelve" Elora simply sighs when Adrienne says that.
"She got it from me" Bache shrugged nonchalantly, Elora sighing at her and placed her hand on her face while Bache and Adriene high fived each other.
"Anyway, there was one more thing that I'd like to mention" Bell got serious again as everyone seemed to pick up on it.
"Apparently, A goddess of beauty was the reason I never really got a trial. Ouranos and Fels believe she charmed people to make them riot against me" He explained as Erebus walked around the corner with a sandwich in his mouth.
"Ooo, dach uuuks sese" He mumbled with the food in his mouth still as Bell blinked at the jumbled mess of words.
"Erebus… please talk without a sandwich shoved in your mouth" Elora deadpanned as the god nodded and chewed before swallowing.
"That makes sense. From the way you had described the events to me, they were a little too fast on the uptake. A charm would do the trick" He said as Bell nodded "Especially a divine one" He added as everyone looked around.
"So… we are looking for a goddess of beauty?" Bache asked as Elora hummed.
"Appears so, if that's the case, it might get tricky. It's not Freya for obvious reasons… Ishtar was gone and Aphrodite was halfway across the continent" She layed out the facts she knew.
"So… someone that isn't known?" Adrienne asked from the side, Bell, Elora, Bache and Erebus nodding.
"That's going to be trouble. If they have managed to stay hidden for this long, then they are good" Bache threw in.
"I agree. What do you think, Erebus?" The god hummed before pondering on the thought.
"Well… there are a lot of goddesses of beauty that I know of. There's Hathor, Venus, Astarte, Oshun, Indrani, Freya, Ishtar, Inanna… It would take a long time to go through all of them" Bell nodded.
"Well… it's been a long time, maybe she isn't in Orario anymore?" he asked as both Erebus and Bache shrugged as Elora nodded.
"That's a possibility… but we would never find a single lone goddess out there who is trying to hide" Elora reasoned as Erebus hummed, the group seeming to hit a standstill on their plan of action.
"Ehm… if it's a goddess of beauty, won't Freya know something?" Jannor chimed in as everyone turned to him.
"That's… You might actually be right. Maybe Hermes knows something too?" Bell reasoned as they nodded "Won't be hard for me to get him to tell me about anything he knows but what about Freya?" Bell finished, asking what had to be asked. Everyone shuddered at the thought of asking that particular goddess anything.
"Oh, I am not looking forward to that" Elora muttered
"I'm not looking forward to it either," Bache seconded.
"Right…" Bell said. "What do you guys think about me paying a visit to both the Loki and Freya familia's this week?" Bell asked.
Elora turned, "Well Fiona did say that she would like to meet the ever so famous hero Apollyon" As she told him this she flexed her arms in an exaggerated manner. Bell chuckled as he shook his head.
"Also, About the Freya part, I'd like to go with you. I won't trust her even if I only had to poke her with a ten foot pole" Bell shrugged at Elora's request before nodding
"I'd rather have you there than be alone with that goddess. Let's get the others done first… though that seems to be something to be done tomorrow" He said as he turned towards the window, looking out at the sunset.
"Right… Oh, and Apollyon" Elora said, catching his attention again.
"Tiona said that she's sorry and I know she meant it" That was all she had to say for him to understand. His mask was of course, still on, but underneath, his features softened as a light smile was put on his face.
Tiona had somewhat been the one he was closest to in the Loki familia, deducting Ais of course. At first, he had been really… well, awkward with her because of her extremely forward nature. He had gotten used to it by the time the war game came around when she helped train him.
Other encounters such as him meeting her and others from her familia in the red light district, she had been one of the only ones not to jump to conclusions, which he was really thankful for.
To know that she didn't hate him was another positive addition to his life and the fact that she actually regretted it was… relieving.
"That's good" He responded as Elora nodded. A yawn escaped Adrienne's mouth as she stretched before shaking her head.
"I think I'll go to bed. Good night" Adrienne waved before turning around, leaving as everyone stared at her sudden exit.
"Well, I can kind of understand her. It's been quite a day for her. First time in the dungeon and rescuing a party from a pass parade. That and she hasn't really been sleeping the last few days" Bell said, snickering at the last part. She had thought she was sneaky, trying to be silent at night but Bache, Bell and Elora knew of it.
"True… Might as well go to sleep too" Bache said, turning looking at where Adrienne had disappeared too "No reason not to"
"Yeah, we might as well all go to sleep" Erebus continued before turning around and leaving too, waving his hand without looking at them. Bache quickly left too, the twins following her upstairs.
Left alone, Bell and Elora smiled at each other before heading off to bed too.
=Morning after, 7AM=
The early sun of Orario peeked over the eastern wall as Bell walked in the shadow Babel tower cast onto a large portion of the city thanks to the low angle of light. Thankfully, it was a weekend and most people were either still asleep or inside their homes because of the hour difference between weekdays and weekends.
There were only a few people around to take notice of him walking towards the Twilight manor and he was truly thankful for that as his mind was focused on the pleasant conversation he had this morning with Wiene through an Oculus that Fels had been kind enough to provide.
In theory, he could create one too but he didn't really have the time at the moment. Clearing his name takes precedence and Fels had even agreed to make a few more so his entire family could have one of them.
Getting back on track, the conversation with Wiene had been at first, nerve wracking as it was the first time that Elora had actually spoken with her. Maybe not face to face, but honest to god spoken to the girl, now woman, that was essentially his adopted daughter.
So many things could have gone wrong. They could have had wildly different opinions because he had only spoken to Wiene maybe two or three times during his time in Orario and there was a massive 15 year gap in their relationship. That meant that she wasn't the same scared little girl that clung to him as her source of safety and protections. She was a grown woman that had her own people to lead now, so he had to get to know her from scratch again.
Wiene and Elora could have also not gotten along at all for a multitude of reasons. He had taken notice that both of them were quite headstrong now and that… could cause friction. There were more things he had been worried about but all of them has been washed away as they had begun to speak to one another.
They had gotten along like oil and fire. They talked, joked and somewhat argued but clearly in a non-confrontational manner and more of a 'for fun' manner.
After Wiene had to go to take care of things in the village with Rei, Elora had practically demanded for her to meet her face to face soon and he had been unable to say no.
He blinked as the Twilight Manor came into view, shaking his head slightly to get rid of his deep thoughts before calmly approaching the gate.
The moment the guards noticed him, their forms went somewhat rigid as Bell wanted to sigh. The mask did well in masking his true power if what everyone says holds true, but it didn't help with the pressure in the slightest. He really needed to find a way to tone it down. It was getting somewhat annoying.
'Maybe this is why Ottar doesn't like to go out?' He thought for a split second before throwing it out the window. No way, it was because he was downright Freya's guarddog and as she doesn't like to go out for… obvious reasons, it subsequently extends to the boaz.
"Apollyon, Is there anything we can do for you?" one of the guards asked as the opposite guard glared at him before hitting him on the shoulder.
"Ow, what was that for?" The glare intensified as the initial guard just looked confused.
"Dude… don't you remember yesterday? Thúl promised to ask him if he could visit Fiona today!" A spark of realization filled the guard's face as he nodded.
"I'll go inform the captain, could you wait a minute?" Bell shrugged at that.
"No problem, I'm in no hurry" The guard nodded before turning around and heading back inside.
For a minute, Bell stood there as he looked up at Babel tower, frowning as he glared at the top where he felt the familiar gaze of the Goddess of beauty.
'I am so not looking forward to speaking to her…' he mused bitterly before he heard the clearing of someone's throat. Bell's ruby red irises locked onto the remaining guard's purple eyes as he looked nervous, somewhat looking sheepish as his mouth opened and closed.
Bell chuckled slightly before once again, shaking his head at the antics of his presence' effect on others.
"Don't worry, I don't bite so just can ask anything you want" Bell said softly. It seemed to appease the guards worries as he nodded and gulped.
"I… I was wondering if I could get your autograph…" The guard asked as he pulled out a piece of paper, seemingly looking for a Pen. One of Bell's eyebrows rose as he was amused by the question.
"It's just that you saved my sister's life once. There was this group of bandits… Golden vipers, who were trying to sack the village when you stepped in and she said she would have been dead if it weren't for you" Bell looked up as he sifted through his memories before he recognized what event he was talking about. He had been heading towards the Valley of Dragons when he had picked up on screams in the distance.
As in his usual instincts, he rushed to the source and had helped without a second's thought. It had been a minor bandit gang that had no more than 30 members, none with a Falna.
"Ah, I remember. Your sister had Russet hair with purple eyes, right?" He nodded as his eyes seemed to sparkle slightly.
"That's right! I'm surprised you remember" Bell chuckled as he shrugged.
"Well, the Falna does help with it, but I always did have a good memory. Here" Bell took the paper and muttered 'Firebolt so silently, it was practically completely inaudible, his finger lit up slightly as he traced the heat on his finger tip on the piece of paper, singing but not burning it in a perfect autograph of the name 'Apollyon' before handing it back.
"Thank you so much" He bowed as Bell nodded.
"Don't mention it" Bell casually responded before his eyes turned to the returning guard who opened the gates.
"Finn is waiting in the yard. You may have to wait for a little bit. He's training Fiona with Ais-san" Bell stood up slightly straighter before nodding.
"That's alright" The guard nodded and moved to guide him before Bell simply walked away around the corner towards where the yard was.
He could practically feel the confusion from the guard at his knowledge of the manor. Bell had only been here once and that had been before the wargame, but that didn't really count as he hadn't actually been inside the manor, but only the outside area of it.
In fact, he was going off of his senses from where he sensed two strong people and just headed in that direction.
As he rounded the corner, the training session was spread across his eyes as he noticed how Ais and Finn were going for a pincer move on Fiona.
He walked over to one of the benches and sat down, watching the show as he analyzed the movements.
It was clear that Finn was the one who knew best how to fight other people here as Ais seemed half helpless. She was fighting Fiona as if she was a monster, though he reasoned that she had done the same to him 15 years back on the wall.
It was as if she had no idea how to fight people. She didn't go for faints or for non vital spots. Only for the places that would kill a monster, that being the chest, throat or head.
Finn on the other hand was a lot more tricky, he used his small size to weave easily between any incoming attacks and used his spear to keep a distance and analyze movements for potential countermeasures.
He also went for the wrists, legs and other spots that could weaken an opponent to give him an advantage.
Bell didn't have to wait long until the battle was over with Fiona on the ground with Finn and Ais standing over her.
"It was a good round Fiona, but you gotta remember to keep your senses focused. Don't lose any opponents location during a battle. It could be the difference between life and death" He advised as Fiona nodded, still trying to master her focus during battle.
"Also, I do think that we have an audience" Both Ais and Fiona turned towards Bell who tilted his head slightly.
Fiona blinked as Ais nodded at him which he returned quickly before turning to Fiona.
"Your father is right. Fighting people is very different from monsters. They will try any dirty trick in the book to get an advantage. Throwing sand in the face, swiping your feets, small cuts to slowly weaken you. Every cut and hit you take is one step closer to defeat" Bell added onto Finn's advice before chuckling slightly extending his hand.
"It's nice to meet you Fiona. I'm Apollyon" She nodded somewhat dumbly before smiling.
"I know… I mean, it's nice to meet you too Apollyon-san" She added formally as Bell chuckled.
"Please, drop the formality" She nodded at that.
"Definitely! It's just that I always wanted to meet you. I've heard so much about what you've done outside the walls like… how you helped stabilize the Far East or… how you solved the mine blockage in Zollingham… oh and how you fought an army of vikings outside Rakia and won! There is so much I want to ask you!" She began rambling as Bell smiled and listened at her excitement. It reminded him so much of how Adrienne's predecessor used to get when she was playful and curious. It also reminded him of Hestia a lot with a slight pain of remaining grief in his heart.
In fact, the girl looked impeccably like Hestia just with a different hairstyle and clothing. He cut that line of thought before it got out of hand before turning back into the conversation.
"-eat them all?" He blinked as he tried to figure the question out before sheepishly looking back at her.
"Sorry, I kind of zoned out. What was the question?" He asked as the girl pouted.
"You mean, which one of the million ones do you want to answer first?" Finn asked with a teasing tone aimed at the amazon while Ais had a small smile on her face.
Fiona looked sheepish before trying to decide on one question at a time.
"Ehm… I guess I'll start with, how long have you been doing this?" She looked up at him.
"This? You're going to have to be a little more specific" Bell shrugged.
"Being an adventurer, or someone who uses a blessing…" She asked.
"That is…" He began as his eyes quickly snapped between Ais and Finn who looked at him expectantly "A long time to be honest. I was only a teenager when I first started. The answer though would be at least over 15 years now" he answered, trying to be somewhat vague without causing suspicion.
"That's awesome!" Fiona said, wonder and excitement beaming from her eyes.
"I suppose it is, though not as incredible as the Sword Princess and Braver" Bell turned to the others, who simply nodded.
"But I do have an idea" Bell started, "How about I teach you some foreign techniques about combat, something that might help you out?" As Bell stopped talking, he noticed that Finn had taken an interest, more so than he already was. This included Ais as well, but it was Fiona who had the best reaction.
Her eyes were so wide that they were just short of exploding out of her skull. "PLEASE!" She yelled barely keeping her limbs attached from double fist pumping in the air.
"Any speciality for the techniques?" Finn asked as Bell shrugged.
"Depends on which one. I've had to fight everything out there, monsters and people" He then turned to Ais who seemed to want to ask something but held back "You can join too if you want. I noticed that you lack concrete experience and skill in fighting people. It would benefit you in the long run" He offered as Ais seemed to be somewhat excited about the prospect before turning towards Finn who nodded.
"Okay" She answered as he smiled under the mask.
"Alright then… but be warned. My way of training is… a lot harsher than most" He smirked as Fiona and Ais looked confused.
"First off, both of you-" He pulled sheathed all his weapons except for a single dagger, putting them to the side before walking to the center of the grass field, opening his arms wide "Come at me at once. In order to train you, I need to know exactly where you are. I may have gotten a glimpse a few minutes ago but it isn't enough, so don't you dare hold back" Ais instantly drew her rapier, her form coming to her like second nature. Fiona was a little more sloppy, but at least it was polished enough for one to tell that they had worked hard.
Bell simply held his knife up, arms crossed in the perfect height not to block his vision, but also give him the least amount of distance to protect any potential attack on any body part.
Fiona was the first to move, her shortsword in a somewhat similar position to Ais' rapier as she maneuvered in a circle around him as Bell kept his eyes fixated on the area and not her specifically.
When Ais disappeared from his view as he followed where Fiona had moved, he used his senses to keep track of her.
It was then Bell noticed the first mistake, Fiona's eyes drifted to the side slightly and her mouth twitched.
In a swift motion, Bell pushed himself off the ground, Ais' rapier missing his midsection as he twirled over it before putting his hand on her shoulder to push himself further away from her, drawing dust behind him as he skidded to a stop on the ground.
His new position gave him a perfect view of them both as he locked eyes with both swordswomen before they both launched towards him, Ais obviously reaching him first.
He was content with dodging the rapid thrusts, analyzing her form and mentally noting down each and every thing that was positive and negative about her technique.
Eventually, Fiona reached them as she went in for the legs which Bell noted down as bonus points for her. He timed his jump, sliding between the thrust and Fiona's swipe before his hand hit the ground where he quickly twirled around, his legs swiping both of their unsuspecting onse before he grabbed a fistful of dirt and threw it straight into their faced before their hit the ground with a thump.
"Well… all things considered, I'd have to call that a success" He muttered mostly to himself as the two sat up, wiping their eyes to get rid of the dirt.
"Impressive, though after seeing your fight with Allen, I'm not surprised" Finn commented from the sidelines where Riveria had joined him alongside Gareth. He also offhandedly noticed Loki on the balcony, enjoying the show as well.
"Thank you, but I'll have to be brutally honest too. I'm honestly quite disappointed in your familia's prowess in fighting people. Monsters? That's a different story, I can somewhat understand your focus on that your familia heavily focuses on dungeon exploration. Doesn't mean you shouldn't sharpen both spears since monsters come in all sizes, shapes and forms" Bell commented as Finn nodded, taking the criticism to heart.
"Now Fiona, firstly, I'll have to commend you on your careful analysis of the situation. You knew I was a superior opponent so you tried to wait for me or Ais to make a first move. You also didn't go for the obvious kill spots first with your attacks and instead went for the legs to weaken my position, bonus points for that" The girl seemed to bask in the praise, but his next words of "but" seemed to take all the life out of her.
"Your face is too expressive. You give away your thoughts at any given moment. I had my eyes on you while Ais was in my blindspot so in theory, you two had the advantage in that situation. The mistake you made there was that you looked at Ais and you smirked. It turned the disadvantageous situation I had into an advantageous one as I had information on both of your thoughts thanks to you while you didn't know what I was thinking" She nodded sheepishly before Bell turned to Ais.
"As for you Ais, you did well in keeping me busy as the one closest to matching me in raw physical ability. The thrusts were good with no margin for error, a clear testament of your mastery of it. The issue is that you don't vary your attacks enough, you become too predictable. Your attack set consists of thrusts, slashes and kicks, excluding any skills or magic you have. What you need is to create more techniques that aren't based on your Falna, but actually sword techniques. I'd recommend feinting more though I do know that you do it" he explained as she nodded in understanding.
"Alright, now I don't really feel like training right now but if you want, we can all train early in the morning… maybe at 5AM when the sun rises?" He asked as they blinked before nodding slowly.
"Apollyon…" Ais said as he looked at her, tilting his head slightly "I have a spot we can use for training… I used to train… 'him' there" she said as Bell looked up with an understanding smile.
"Ah, top of the eastern wall, right? He mentioned it" Her back straightened at that before nodding.
"Alright, Fiona, Ais. If Finn allows it, I'll meet you there tomorrow morning" He smiled at them under the mask as the two nodded, the younger one bouncing in excitement.
Bell turned to Finn, Riveria and Gareth before walking up to them, his expression turning less lighthearted.
"Braver, don't think I'm giving your familia the techniques I have worked so hard for with nothing in return. You'll owe me for strengthening your familia in case of the potential 'conflict'" It was all he said before walking away while waving at Fiona and Ais, mainly the former who returned the gesture.
"Well… I can see where he's coming from" Finn commented as Riveria nodded.
"This isn't a temporary strengthening like an alliance. Training our members in his own techniques is like strengthening our familia permanently. We'll definitely owe him after this… though I am curious. I have noticed that his entire familia seems like…"
"A frenemy of sorts, right?" Gareth finished as Finn hummed in acknowledgement. Something told him that something was not right, but the chance of gaining valuable and powerful combat techniques from, most likely, one of the most powerful men in the world was something he couldn't pass up.
He mentally noted to keep an eye on them though. They may help them now but… they were definitely keeping something from them, and Finn vowed that he would find out what.
=Top of Babel tower=
Freya sat in her chair, one leg crossed over the other, glass of wine in her hand, and her mirror placed in front of her. She watched as the sparring match concluded, slightly upset about how short it was.
"M'Lady?" Ottar called out.
"It's fine Ottar, I was simply watching something and it didn't go on as long as I wanted" She said, standing up and walking towards the window in front of her chair.
"Ottar, do you think we can arrange a meeting with Apollyon?" Freya asked.
"For you, I can guarantee that we could get a meeting set up, but it's ironic actually…"
Freya turned, "Oh? How so?" The boaz reached forward with a letter addressed to the Freya familia, more so for the goddess herself.
"Who's this from?" She asked.
"I believe it was Apollyon that had dropped it off personally" Ottar went back to a resting position after she took the letter.
"What a twist, to think he would make contact with me first" She licked her lips in excitement.
As she read the letter, her smile grew, from an excited grin, to a devious smile.
"He wants to meet in 2 days…" She turned to the boaz, "What do you think he wants to talk about?"
Ottar looked at his , "I don't know, I myself, am quite interested to hear this" Ottar said.
"Oh? The ever stoic King of Orario is interested in another person's affairs that aren't his goddess'" Freya teased.
"It would seem that way M'Lady" Ottar's 'stoic' personality, still apparent as he looked out the window, trying to ignore the teasing and amused look his goddess gave him.
"Fufu, anyhow, it seems that I have something to look forward to…" her sultry smile was covering her features as she took a sip of her wine, looking down at the man in question, roaming the streets, excitement evident in her gleam.
"I wonder what you have to say, Apollyon~"
=Traveler's Inn=
Elora sat in the corner of the Traveler's inn, across from her, the blue haired captain of the Hermes familia sat as Elora ate her stew in somewhat of a silence from the words recently exchanged.
"Thúl… it's hard to answer your question. The entire event had been shrouded in mystery and even Hermes had been having trouble finding out the truth of what happened that day" She sighed out as Elora nodded, taking another bite from her food.
"I understand that, but it's important. If there is anything you or Hermes know, we'd like to know too as it directly involves us" Elora reasoned as Asfi hummed in acknowledgement of the valid reason.
"As that may be the case, I can't just give up this information like that without consulting Hermes-sama" She explained as Elora nodded, putting her spoon down into the bowl and pushing it to the side before leaning forward.
"Then take me to him" Was all she said as Asfi's eyebrow twitched slightly at her insistent behaviour.
"Alright then. Follow me" The two stood up as they headed upstairs. It didn't take long for them to reach the furthest door away where Asfi knocked.
"Herme's-sama, Thúl-san has requested to see you" she said before some shuffling could be heard from the other side.
"Let her in" The voice of the god came through after a moment. Asfi opened the door before Elora walked inside, inspecting the somehow orderly yet chaotic room around her. Behind her, Asfi closed the door before locking it due to the sensitive nature of the topic Elora wanted to discuss.
"Ah, my Bell-kun's wonderful wife! It's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance" Hermes smiled in that calculating way Bell had told her about.
She responded in kind, smiling deviously as she shook his hand.
"I've heard a lot about you from my husband, Hermes. It's quite a mixed bag if I'm being honest" Hermes chuckled slightly at that as they let go of each other, the god shrugging with his arms in the air.
"That's understandable. I haven't always been the most forthcoming person in Bell-kun's life" He honestly told her as Elora nodded "Now, what do you owe the pleasure for the visit?"
"Simple. I'd like to know everything you know about what occurred 15 years ago" She told him bluntly as the god blinked before leaning forward with his hands cupping over his mouth.
"I see… that's quite the sensitive topic but understandable. How about we trade information? I tell you about what we have found out, and you will owe me a favor?" He asked as Elora pondered the request.
It could potentially be costly, but it was a tempting offer. She had known that asking for information from Hermes would most likely cost something, Bell had told her that. He always looked for an angle. She reasoned that she might as well do it.
"That's fine by me" She answered as Hermes grinned.
"Splendid! Now, firstly, I'd like to know what you know first so that I don't repeat information you are already aware of" Elora nodded before recounting what they already knew. About Bell's banishment, the crimes he was charged with, the Xenos and the fact that a goddess of beauty is most likely the culprit.
"Seems you know the gist of it. You're right in the assumption that a goddess of beauty is to blame. In fact, I came to the same conclusion years ago thanks to Freya's seemingly weird behaviour. The only reason Freya does something is for two reasons. Getting someone into her familia, and pushing back when another goddess of beauty acts in what she deems her territory" He told her as Elora nodded, mentally noting down what Bell had told her about the goddess of beauty was highly probable.
"Do you have any idea who it could be?" She asked as Hermes sighed before shaking his head before his eyes trailed to Asfi before nodding.
Elora turned to her as the ex-princess nodded before opening her mouth "We have tried to track her with any means we could think about. Possible associates, motives among other things with no luck. The only thing we have is from something we overheard the Loki familia discussing years ago" At that Elora perked up at the mentione of the trickster goddess' children.
"Oh? May I inquire what?" Asfi and Hermes looked at each other before Hermes turned back and leaned a little closer.
"It's the only conclusive piece of information we have on the goddess of beauty. Apparently, she has it out for our precious little Bell and from the way we are thinking, it's something he did recently… at least recently back then. Maybe even within a few months" At that Elora blinked, going over what she knew of Bell's time in Orario before his exile.
"But that makes no sense. He had not done anything really bad before that. Sure, he had gotten Apollo banished-"
"Eh, no one mourns for that creep" Hermes let out with a light chuckle.
"And Ishtar had been sent back to heaven, though Bell had nothing to do with that. Ishtar had chased him and Freya had killed her for it" Hermes nodded, about to say something before freezing as if coming to a realization.
"Hermes?" Elora and Asfi asked at the same time, snapping him out of it.
"Don't mind me. I just had a thought that led nowhere, after all, to any outside viewer, that the entire event with Ishtar would have looked like a squabble among two deites" Elora frowned slightly, giving him a sceptical look before nodding.
"Alright then… other than that, was there anything else worth mentioning?" Elora asked as Hermes shook his head.
"As has been mentioned, information about this goddess of beauty is scarce and very hard to come by, even for me. This is unfortunately all I have been able to procure in the last 15 years" He explained after shaking his head.
"That's alright. The information will help Bell quite a lot" She told him, giving extra attention to the name as Bell had mentioned that Hermes did seem to like him quite a lot.
"My pleasure. As for the favor, do not fret. It's nothing bad. I'll only inquire for information at a later date" Hermes smiled back as she nodded as Elora returned the gesture, somewhat sceptical upon what that information entailed.
"As long as it's nothing too revealing" Elora said, pointing her finger.
Hermes shrugged, "Who knows" he replied with a sly smile, "Never know what kind of dirt I'll need"
Elora looked at him for a second, contemplating his words before walking out the door, leaving the god and child alone.
They waited for a minute, staring at the door before Asfi turned to Hermes with a questioning look.
"Was it really a thought that led nowhere?" She asked as Hermes paused before nodding.
"Yes, it was my dear Asfi… Yes it was"
=Archian Manor=
Things were somewhat quiet inside the Manor. Bache had gone out on an errand for Erebus while the god himself sat in his own room doing his usual deitley business… namely read whatever he could get his hands on.
It was as if the god had nothing better to do, which to be honest, at this point, he didn't. He couldn't really contribute to their current objective at all. He couldn't ask around for any information or his cover would be at high risk of being blown, same with virtually any other action. At most, he could go out for a stroll and take in the sights of Orario.
Apart from that, Bell and Elora had yet to return, leaving the twins alone in the study, reading up on different fields.
Aralaya stood by one of their bookshelves and read a book about the history of Orario in order to refresh her mind whilst Jannor was studying field formations for large scale battles.
"Sis, what do you think about the other Familia's?" Jannor asked out of the blue, putting his book down and turning to his sister.
She was caught off guard by the sudden question, closing the book before looking at him for a second. She cleared her throat before humming thinking about it.
"Well, my opinion is mixed. I've not really had any bad experiences with them, but with what they have done to dad…" She added the last part as she seemed conflicted upon the topic.
Jannor smiled slightly as he too felt conflicted upon it. On one hand, they seemed like nice people, caring about others and not brushing people off for no reason. Then there were the moments that made him doubt, such as their arrest of his dad.
"Yeah… I get you sis. It's just… What happened in the dungeon yesterday was… horrible. No one deserves that" He muttered as Aralaya looked down.
"You're right about that. Why the sudden question?" She asked as Jannor smiled sheepishly.
"It's just, I'm kind of hoping for dad to restore his friendship with them. I mean, they don't seem like bad people" He explained, Aralaya nodding along in agreement.
"True. Though that's not possible as long as they don't know who he is. It's not something we can force either. How about we just let everything run its course? Help out where we can?" Jannor smiled and nodded at that before reaching towards her with his fist closed.
Aralaya rolled her eyes at the action before doing the same, bumping their fists together. It was kind of their way of solidifying a promise when they were younger. They just never grew out of it.
The door to the room opened, causing the twins to turn in its direction. Bell walked inside, looking around before his eyes locked onto theirs.
"Ah, there you are! Didn't we agree this morning that we were going to train around 6 in the afternoon? Your mother is already outside and waiting" He asked as the two's eyes widened in realization.
"Sorry dad, we forgot! We'll be right out!" Jannor apologized as Aralaya smiled sheepishly at her father.
"Alright, I'll wait for you outside" he smiled under the mask before exiting, the two soon leaving as well to prepare for the inevitable harsh training to come.
That's chapter 39. A bit shorter than usual, but I felt it was a good place to end. Don't want to overstuff the chapters :)
Anyway, I won't take up much time so let's get into the reviews.
Zasun:Hero's AND Fallen Argonaut in more or less the same day? What a dream come true!
Maybe I'm morbid for this, but I'm glad not everyone survived the Loki dungeon dive. It's good to show the characters not as infallible, unkillable champions. And with the rescue, Finn is even more in debt to Bell's familia.
And now we know that Ouranos knows that Bell knows about Kita! And he's savvy to her relationship to a certain single oculary organ possessing dark flying reptilian. I can't imagine that war happening soon, so will they just be placed on the back burner for a bit since they said that's when they would act?
And now Bell knows to start hunting for a goddess of beauty. I see this might be some foreshadowing to meet up with Freya and talk to her about it. Let's see how well he can fight her charm.
Glad to have you back, I was about to send a search party out!
Author: Lol, I had no idea that his chapter came out the same day we got ours out.
Also, Trust me, no one in this story is infallible. Even Bell isn't unstoppable or unkillable and in all honesty, with Viceroy co-writing this story… basically no one is safe xD.
As for Kita, it's somewhat of a backburner for now, but we have big plans for the character and the plot behind her and the people of Einhente.
Also, please don't send search parties… it'd be awkward to get a few knocks on my door from strangers… *Shivers*
psst, I love how you described out fellow 'single oculary organ possessing dark flying reptilian' ;)
Alex882: Another great chapter, I am absolutely in love with how you made this entire plot up and with so much logic behind the characters and how they evolved throughout the story.
Let's see what the next chap could bring us!
Ottarl vs Apollyon maybe? The OEBD on a short vacation trip to somewhere? A sudden twist of Hestia awakens again? The goddess of love appearing that Bell looks for?
Thanks again for the chapter and this awesome story!
Author: We tried to make it as meticulously as possible so it's satisfying to know that you think that it all has logic behind it.
Jaredetter: So I literally binged the entire series. Sorry, not sorry. There are 2 scenes I am extremely looking forward to: Bells Reveal, Bell Schooling Loki Familia, and Hestia's...return? Awakening? Either way, keep it up!
Author: I have no comments for the second scene, but the first… it's closer than you may think. Tensions will rise, sooner rather than later.
Kaito Auzora:I think it's too late to ask this, but it was something that came to me when I was re-reading the story.
Why didn't anyone from Hestia Familia take back Hestia's knife? I know it's being used by Fiona now, but it's still owned by Hestia Familia, so I should have kept one of its members, as it's a Familia treasure.
Author: Because Ais had grabbed it as a token of remembrance before they even returned from their trip to help Anfesera. They did look for it Off-Script, but didn't find it so to them, it was lost in the destruction. Also, Since they don't interact with Loki familia much if at all in the last 15 years, they haven't really had many chances to see Fiona, let alone inspect her weapons.
Well, that's it for the reviews. I hope you all enjoyed and to see you next time!