=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.
43: Familial Confidants
=Archian Manor=
Bell alongside his entire family sat in the meeting room, the entire room loud in noise as everyone was discussing what to do now.
The sudden turn of events had diverted their plans quite a bit. Originally, it had been to set a foothold in Orario and to use their position to get information in whatever happened and act from that information accordingly.
Well… that entire idea had been thrown out the window a mere thirty minutes ago when Ais had managed to catch Bell by surprise and cut his mask in half diagonally.
Bell already knew that by now, the entirety of Orario and even Rivira had heard the news of his identity as Apollyon.
He had honestly been surprised that the mansion hadn't been egged on by children who know no better or a 'stray' magic spell blowing up a portion of it in hopes of a terrible 'accident' to occur.
No, it's been quiet and he doesn't really know how to feel about that. It's a sort of nerve racking peace that constantly has one on edge.
Bell looked up to see Bache and Aralaya seemingly discussing something which he wasn't paying attention to, Erebus and the other two kids listening and throwing in their thoughts as well.
When he turned to Elora who was staring at him. He gave her a weak, worried smile as she returned it.
"Are you alright, honey?" She asked, the others quieting down. He sighed before nodding.
"Yes, the wound is already healed. Thanks again for that Aralaya" The half elf smiled before shaking her head.
"And like I said before, you don't need to thank me for that" She added as Bell nodded before leaning back, deciding to truly answer her question.
"As for if I'm alright mentally… not really. I'm nervous to the point of irrational fear. I don't know how the people will react after all these years. They know they can't do anything to us, so we are safe in that regard but…" Bell stopped before chuckling slightly at himself.
"Oh, who am I kidding. I'm not afraid of the people… it's what everyone I knew would think" Bell honestly said as he saw the others look at each other.
"Well… I don't know. We haven't had the chance to really get to know them" Elora told him as he got nods from the others.
"Well, I have barely even met anyone…" Everyone ignored Erebus as they looked at Bell.
"I already know that Welf and my old familia are happy to see me… but I wonder what Ryuu will think. Or Chloe… or Syr… or the Orphanage children" At the thought of them, his promise to Saena filled his mind as he chastised himself for forgetting.
Speaking of those children… they wouldn't really be children anymore, would they? They'd be over 20 years old…
Bell silently wondered where they all ended up before he felt a tug on his shoulder. He looked up to familiar red eyes, smiling at his son.
"Sorry, I zoned out" Bell answered the silent question hanging in the air as they accepted it.
"That's alright… though sitting here and worrying won't help anyone. Why don't we make something to eat? Maybe you can make your famous katsu-" Bache didn't get to finish before they heard the telltale noise of the doorbell being rung. Everyone seemed to tense, staring towards the door that leads to the hallway.
The first to move was Bell as he stood up and walked out the room. He headed towards the large main area of the entrance where he approached the door, silently noting that the presences weren't first class apart from one of them.
He reached for the door where he froze for a second, his hands shaking.
After a second of only staring, he grabbed his wrists, and closed his eyes, sighing out to try to calm himself.
'No need to worry… they don't have the option to go against me…' He tried to motivate himself as he forced himself to grab the handle and open the door.
His red eyes widened as he blinked before he got a faceful of prum and renard.
""BELL-SAMA!"" The two screamed out in unison, voices utterly laced with the happiness they were feeling, radiating it for all to feel around them.
"Lili!? Haruhime!?" He asked before laughing at the very much welcome surprise. Out of everything, he hadn't expected this… though thinking about it, it made sense. They had been waiting for him for over a decade and a half. No way were they waiting longer than they had to when they could see him again.
Lili continued to snuggle her face into Bell's unarmored chest, having retreated his armor back underneath his skin and hung up his weaponry.
Haruhime on the other hand was looking at him with tears streaming down her eyes for the second time in an hour, her smile shaking at the emotions she was feeling.
He returned the smile in full, putting one hand on both their heads and patting it, much to both their delights.
"It's been a long time, hasn't it?" He chuckled as he felt his heart warm.
"Well don't you look just dapper" Bell looked up to see Welf grinning at Bell wider than he had ever seen, Mikoto to his side with a wide smile, clearly showing her delight at him being there.
"What can I say, we all grow up eventually" Well laughed alongside Bell as the smith clutched his stomach to get his bearings.
"Man… it's good to see you again. It's been a long 15 years" Bell nodded with a smile at that.
"It has… a lot has happened that I bet you'd never believe" He cheekily said with a glint to his eyes as Welf seemed to take that as a challenge before Bell turned to Mikoto.
He let go of Lili and Haruhime, making both look at him as he gave them both a smile before walking past them.
To say that Mikoto was surprised when Bell practically threw her into the air in a bone cracking hug was an understatement. She was flabbergasted.
"B-Bell-dono!?" She stuttered out as he set her down before pulling her away from him by the shoulders, looking into her eyes with a proud look.
"Mikoto. It's really good to see you and… man, I am so proud of you! I mean, first class!?" At that, she seemed to realize where his actions had come from: A place of pride.
"Oh… haha, that. It's not anything remarkable. I just did my best" She smiled as she nervously rubbed her chin with one finger as Bell vehemently shook his head.
"'Nothing remarkable' she says…" He turned towards the others and just pointed at Mikoto and expressed the best way he could at his disbelief at her. They laughed at his antics as Mikoto stared at him in confusion.
"Mikoto… first class is something only one in every ten thousand prospective adventurers ever reach. It's a testament to their skills and determination. So I think I speak for all of us to shut up and take the praise" She blinked at the brash way he worded it, taking a moment before finally nodding.
"Alright, Bell-dono" She bowed slightly in thanks as he chuckled.
"As for you three… second class!?" Once again, Bell just looked at them with a disbelieving look as they all looked embarrassed as he put a hand on Welf's shoulder.
"I mean, I still remember you back when we met. An aspiring smith hoping to finally get the blacksmith development ability… now look at you!" He took a step back and looked at Welf from top to bottom as the red haired man laughed.
"Thanks man, that means a lot… but don't think I have given up on catching up to you!" Bell snorted at that before turning to Lili.
"Lili… just wow. From that supporter with no self confidence to…" He blinked at the loss for words as Lili blushed.
"I mean… You're level 4! A supporter rarely reaches that high but you did! That's something to truly be proud of! I sure am" Lili nodded, her cheeks puffing as she tried to force her blush down only for it to grow in color.
"Lili has done her best and Lili is really happy Bell-sama is proud of her" Bell smiled before finally turning to Haruhime who looked at him, wondering what he'd say to her.
"Haruhime… out of all of you… you have surprised me the most" That widened the renart girl's eyes into saucers as she noticed everyone else looking at her in pride…. Though Lili did seem to have a part stink eye to her look.
"H-how so, Bell-sama" She asked as Bell blinked as if the answer was obvious.
"Haruhime, when we met and every time we were in the dungeon after… you had zero talent for combat at all" Her ears lowered in disappointment, feeling herself shrink into herself at his words.
"But you proved me wrong… you've not only pushed to lengths I never thought you would but… you even reached second class" Her heart swelled as all life seemed to come back to her instantly as her eyes sparkled at the praise.
"Every time I heard that you leveled up, I was honestly floored and now. Now I can actually be a part of it again" At the mention of that Bell felt the looks he was getting from all of them, including his family who were watching the entire exchange.
"A part of it again?" Haruhime tilted her head as she blinked as he nodded.
"That's right… I still have to finish what I came back to do… but now that the secrets out" He paused, letting them think about his words for a second with a smile "I can finally join you in the dungeon and see how far you have really come" At that, the entire group exploded in smiles as they all practically tackled Bell again as he laughed.
"Bell! That's awesome!" Welf exclaimed as he nodded.
"Yeah. I won't be able to come every time, but we all will join you when we can" They all blinked at his words before they turned to where he was looking.
"Everyone, I'd like to introduce you all to my family" He said with a smile as Elora and the others walked out.
The elf looked at the group with a smile, giving Lili and Haruhime a sad look as she understood that look in their eyes.
'The look of heartbreak' She thought in silence before nodding at them.
"It's good to see you all again" Elora smiled as Welf laughed and extended his hand.
"It is, Elora" He shook it firmly before noticing the ring on her finger. It took but a second for Welf to turn to Bell with a glint in his eyes as he eyed his own matching ring.
"Well… will you look at that! You actually landed yourself an elven maiden!" Welf pulled Bell into a headlock as he nudged the top of his head in the teasing manner he used to.
"Oh shut up!" Bell got out before flipping him onto the ground with a thud before Bell grinned down at him.
"Don't make me tease you about Hephaestus!" Welf seemed to only be spurred on by this.
"I'm not embarrassed about it. I mean, I even have a kid now!" Bell blinked before smiling.
"Congratulations! But speaking of kids" Bell waved towards the direction of his family as all attention landed on the three adolescents as Bell smiled as he walked up to Adrienne and pushed her forward.
"I do believe you already met Adrienne but I'll reintroduce her. This is Adrienne Cranel, my first born daughter" Welf stared at her as if seeing her for the first time before getting down on one knee.
"That does put some of her features into perspective… but… isn't your wife an elf?" He asked as Bell chuckled awkwardly.
"Like I said, a lot happened but I'll explain that later" He pushed the answer forward for later as Welf and the others seemed to accept that.
"It's good to see you again Welf, Lili, Haruhime, Mikoto. Last time I couldn't really talk to you much" Her grin was wide, reminding them of Bell's golden smile as a teenager.
"That's right. I will enjoy getting to know you better, Adrienne-sama" Haruhime smiled at her with a heartfelt smile.
"Now… next here is Aralaya Cranel, my second-born daughter and twin to my son here, Jannor Cranel" The group's eyes turned to the two twins as their eyes lingered slightly longer on Jannor at his extreme similarity to Bell minus the pointy ears.
"Oh wow…" Haruhime sighed out as she stared at him, memories flashing in her eyes of a time long past.
"Ehm…" Jannor scratched his chin as he smiled sheepishly, feeling awkward with the way everyone was staring at him.
"It's alright. You just look like me when I was your age" Bell calmed him down with a smile as Jannor nodded, before turning back to them.
"It's nice to meet you all" He gave them his brightest smile with his arm outstretched as the group blinked before returning it in full.
"Can't say I haven't seen that smile before but… it's nice to meet you" Welf reached and gave him a firm handshake while chuckling.
"Anvil-head is right. His smile looks just like Bell-samas…" The prum girl didn't really know what to think of this whole situation. On one hand, she wanted to scream out at the unfairness of it all. She lost Bell because of events outside her control… and now when she finally is reunited with him, he's already married with three kids.
'Maybe I should accept Deime-sama's proposal' She thought to herself silently as her human ears and eyes almost drooped.
Haruhime smiled at the boy with the hint of a blush before she too shook his hand.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Jannor-sama" She politely greeted him as the boy instantly went red in the face.
"Ah! I-It's a p-pleasure to meet you too, H-Haruhime-san!" He sputtered out in a complete mess of blushes and bows.
Haruhime just blinked at him while Bell's family alongside the man himself just snickered at the boy's expense before Bell shook his head.
"Man… I can't believe I was like that too" Bell casually commented as Welf wrapped his arm around his shoulder and pulled him closer to himself with a smile
"Honestly, you were unbearable" He teased as Bell scoffed.
"Are you putting your arm around me again? Didn't you end up on your ass just a few minutes ago?" He asked as Welf laughed alongside everyone at the comment before he shook his head.
"Well, I'll just have to trust you, won't I?" He grinned as Bell returned it.
"Alright then… next should be Bache Kalif. She's practically my sister in everything but blood" He smiled at the amazoness who returned it before turning to everyone.
"It's good to see you all again. Last time was what? Over a decade ago at the monsterphilia?" She smiled at them as Mikoto nodded.
"That's correct. We didn't talk but we did meet, Bache-dono" Her words made Bache snort before waving her hand lightly in front of her.
"God, stop that 'Dono' crap. Just call me Bache" Mikoto looked like she wanted to argue but the intense gaze Bache gave her instantly caved her will.
Mikoto sighed as she nodded with a slight smile "Alright… Bache" The gaze instantly disappeared as a grin replaced it.
"Now, now… isn't this whole atmosphere very lovable?" Erebus teased slightly as he put his hand on Bache's shoulder before turning back to the smith and his party.
"Ah! Themis-sama. It's an honor to meet you" Haruhime bowed alongside Mikoto as Lili and Welf simply nodded at him.
Lili, the more attentive of the group, noticed the way Bell and his family looked at each other, almost as if they were talking between themselves.
'What's going on?' She asked herself as her eyes narrowed. Before she could voice her question, Bell opened his mouth.
"Now, why don't we head inside? I don't want those people to start peppering us with tomatoes or something" Everyone turned, noticing the gazes from the people that were somewhat mixed. Some looked with downright hostility while others quite skeptically at the scene.
"That's fair. That and it'd be nice to walk around in this house again" Welf commented as Bell comically bowed while extending his hand.
"May I welcome you to our humble abode, dear sir?" He said in a heavily accented voice as he tried to contain his laughter.
The others weren't faring so well as even Lili couldn't help but let out a few chuckles.
"Man, if your time outside Orario has improved anything, it's definitely your humor" Welf held his stomach.
"No… I hate to admit it, but that's his fault" Elora wiped her eyes as she pointed towards Erebus who had an amused smile on his face.
"I hate to take credit, but he has picked up on my unique sense of sarcasm and irony over the years"
"Well… apart from that. Why don't we all head over to the dining room? We can catch up on all the details there" Bell smiled, as everyone agreed. They all headed towards the dining room as Bell couldn't help but feel grateful for their appearance. All his anxiety and fear of the situation has evaporated, replaced by excitement and contentment.
=Twilight Manor, 3 hours later=
Finn sat in his office, every Executive and second string officer in the familia was there with Loki as well.
"Well…" Loki was the one to finally break the silence that had enveloped the room since they had entered it "what do y'all think?" She asked as everyone looked at each other.
"What is there to say…" Riveria instantly responded with a sigh as everyone turned to her.
"There isn't much we can do against him" She reasoned, the only ones understanding where she was coming from being Ais, Gareth, Finn and Loki.
"W-what!? But Ais-san was able to keep up with him! If we all attacked at once, surely…" Lefiya reasoned.
"Yeah, he'd stand no chance!" Alicia agreed as most of everyone seemed to have a viewpoint similar if not identical to the elf's. Everyone went silent as Finn put his hand up and looked at them.
"Ais… mind explaining?" He asked as the half-spirit nodded.
"He was holding back" Everyone blinked at her usual blunt words before she continued "From the beginning, he kept up with me with ease and no matter how hard I pushed or how much power I used, nothing seemed to work" Her golden eyes turned up to the roof as she sighed, remembering the feeling of his attacks, how they shook her to her very core and how she had the strange sense that he was trying not to hurt her, and that made her heart ache even more.
Her eyes wavered as she couldn't help but remember that look he gave her after she saw his face for the first time in so long. It had said enough when he had sighed and nodded as if he didn't want to say the words that confirmed his identity.
"B-but you got a hit in" Lefiya tried to rationalize as Ais shook her head.
"Yes… but it was because I did something he taught me inadvertently. Something that he didn't know or think I was capable of" She explained as the elf's throat went dry.
"That attack…" Tiona whispered out as she looked at Ais.
"Hm?" Ais hummed as the amazoness got her attention.
"That attack on Freya… could you see it?" Tiona asked. It had bothered her somewhat that the attack had been so fast that even to Tiona's level 7 eyes, had been instantaneous.
Ais thought about it for a second. Had she seen the attack? No… and now that she really thought about it, it bothered her deeply. She knew he was stronger than her in practically every way, but even at training or any other time she had seen him fight, even during the duel, she had been able to at least see a blur of movement that she could react to… but at that moment? When she had her Ariel as strong as it had ever been?
There hadn't even been a blur. He had disappeared and reappeared in a different location faster than her eyes could even perceive it. It was as if he had teleported, but the force of the impact from the spear next to Freya spoke otherwise.
"No…" Her response unsettled everyone in the room. They had heard about and thought over what he and his familia had revealed upon the inner workings of the Falna… and had been quite skeptical though he did have some form of proof with him being abnormally strong.
In the end, they had chalked it up to skills and development abilities, but had kept his explanation in the back of their minds but now… That threat of him taking out the entire Loki Familia on his own was as real as it got. Not even Ais, the strongest member of the familia could see even a fraction of his movements.
"That's…" Rauls' voice failed him as he sweatdropped at the sheer absurdity of it all.
"Oy… why are we even discussing this?" Bete's voice made everyone give him a look that just screamed 'Really?'.
"The way I see it… we can't do jack shit to him. Like ya said Finn, he's got too many connections" Finn looked at Bete appreciatively, thanking him silently for being more level headed than the rest of them.
"Bete's right. Either way, our choices are down to one. We continue with this alliance if it's possible. I'll head down alongside Riveria to their home to properly apologize. Let's hope that we don't end up as enemies" Everyone shuddered at that before Finn stood up, nodding at Riveria who got up as well. The two headed toward the exit before they noticed Ais having stood up as well.
"Ais? Is something wrong?" Riveria asked as Ais looked down, before seemingly fiddling with her fingers.
"Ehm… Can I talk with you two for a second?" She asked as Finn and Riveria blinked, looking at each other before nodding.
The three headed outside the room as everyone's eyes drifted along each other in silent questioning before shrugging.
"Ais, is this about how you feel about him?" Riveria asked as Ais shook seemed to be unsure about the answer.
"Riveria… I wanted to talk about two thing… First… can I come with you? I want to apologize too…" Her voice got quieter as the two's eyes seemed softened at the sheepish as well as disheartened expression covering her features.
"That's fine, Ais. Might help out too" Finn smiled as Ais nodded at him "But… what's the second topic?" He asked curiously as Riveria looked at the woman with an intrigued eye.
"I want to tell them about my past" Finn blinked. Riveria gaped.
"Them? Themis Familia?" She asked, still shellshocked at the turn of events as Finn seemed to stare at her in deep thought.
Ais shook her head with a slight noise of disagreement.
"Them" She nodded towards the door where they had just walked out of. Both Finn and Riveria looked at the door, understanding what she meant before turning to her.
Riveria put her hand on Ais' shoulder with a soft smile on her face as she spoke.
"If that's what you want, then of course. Can I ask where this is coming from?" The high-elf asked.
"I'm also intrigued where this thought has come from? Is it something you've been considering for a while?" Finn asked as Ais shook her head.
"No… Two days ago… after Fiona left the training, Apolly-" She stopped herself as she took a deep breath "Bell… asked me why I hide who my parents are" She said as the two leaders of the familia hummed.
"Ah… and?"
"Well… I told him that I was afraid of what they would all think of me… that they wouldn't see me the same way" She answered, pausing for a moment.
"He told me that hiding behind a mask and not accepting who I am isn't worth it" Her words made the high elf chuckle as she covered her mouth.
"He would know all about that, wouldn't he?" She said as Finn smiled at her before turning back to Ais.
"He said that if they looked at me differently for who I am… then they aren't my friends… and definitely not my family" The words made the two blink as they saw the resolve behind Ais' eyes.
'He got through to her… Again. It seems we once again owe Bell Cranel a debt' Finn thought, adding that to the things he had to thank him for.
"Well… do you think you are truly ready to tell them?" Ais' motivation heated up in her eyes as she nodded, looking Riveria right in the eye as both the captain and vice-captain's smiled at her before they walked back into the room.
All eyes turned to her as Lefiya was the first to stand up and address her.
"Ais-san! Is everything alright?" She asked as Ais nodded at her with a nervous smile.
"She's quite alright Lefiya, though she is quite nervous since she has something to tell you all" Riveria answered for the sword princess as she stood there, fiddling with her fingers slightly as she tried to regather her courage.
'I have to do this…' She reasoned with herself 'and I promised him… I promised him I would tell them as soon as possible'
Courage filled her as determination fueled her. She stopped fiddling and looked up to see everyone looking at her expectedly. Her mouth opened slightly as she prepared her words.
"I'm not who you all think I am" were her first words. Maybe not the best choice, as everyone only looked on in bewilderment, but a way to start it off nonetheless.
"What do you mean Ais?" Tione asked as Tiona looked up at her eyes.
"You all call me Ais Wallenstein… but that's not my real name… at least not the one I was born with" The lack of a real answer only fueled everyone's confusion as Ais tried desperately to try to formulate a good explanation.
"What she is trying to say is that her real name isn't Wallenstein" Ais nodded in thanks, knowing she only had to add a few more words to make it click for at least one person here. After all, it was a name only mentioned in very rare versions of 'The Sword Oratoria' heroes tale and only Tiona would have heard of it.
"My real name is Ais Waldstein" They all looked at each other as if they didn't see the implications but the look of absolute shock from Tione as well as sparkling eyes of excitement from Tiona, Alicia, were enough for her to know that they understood.
"Waldstein!? Isn't th-"
"YOU'RE THE DAUGHTER OF ARIA AND ALBERT WALDSTEIN!?" Her shrill scream echoed across the entire Loki familia's manor as Ais gasped out as she leaned back, Tiona so close to her face that one would think she was trying to kiss her.
"Ehm… yes?" She said almost as a question because of the sudden shift in the situation… though she should have expected that from Tiona after all.
"Huh? That makes no sense? Are ya an old hag or somethin'?" Bete asked as he looked Ais over skeptically.
"Wait… didn't Little Rooki- Ah, I mean Apollyon, mention that in one of the versions of Sword Oratoria, Aria and Albert had a daughter that disappeared?" Alicia asked as everyone who was present back then nodded.
"Huh? But that wasn't in the damn story! We made sure of that!" Loki chimed in, surprised as she and the trio of top executives had read through every known version of the Sword Oratoria and related stories to make sure no mention of a child was made when they first met Ais and realized who she was.
The search had come up completely empty and thus they had deduced that no one knew of their miraculous child… Ais.
"Well… he did mention that the book it was mentioned in was a one of a kind written by his grandfather" This confused the three executives and goddess even more. It can't have been a coincidence. Everyone knew that spirits can't have children. It's common sense.
'So why would an old man write up a story that would misinform his grandchild?'
"Well… I have to say that the more things I learn of Bell Cranel, no matter how much time passes, he becomes more and more of an enigma" Finn commented with a smile as he looked out the window.
"Ehm…" Everyone turned back to Ais who was looking around at everyone "You don't… see me differently?" She asked shyly as everyone just stared at her as if she was stupid.
"Ais… have you seen the people you're surrounded by?" Tione asked as Ais tilted her head as a memory resurfaced of Bell's words. A face of realization dawned on her before she smiled, looking down on the ground with a slight blush.
"Right" Was all she said as the two amazons wrapped their arms around the woman who eagerly returned it.
"No matter who you are, or whose blood runs through your veins…" Alica began as Lefiya gave her the best smile she could muster as she walked up to Ais "You're still Ais-san"
Ais felt tears prick her eyes as she felt her throat clog at the emotions surfacing in her heart.
'Am… Am I sad? No… this is… I'm happy. Really happy' She mustered a smile as she let a few tears fall.
"All of you… I- I can't-"
"Ehm… Everyone?" Ais turned to the door that was open with Fiona peeking into the room.
"Am I interrupting something?" She asked as she looked around at everyone. She fully knew she wasn't an executive or even a second-string officer so these kinds of meetings were off limits for her. But she felt she had a very good reason for interrupting, though she didn't want to be rude.
"It's alright Fiona. Is there something that happened?" Finn asked as Tione walked up to her and patted her shoulder with a smile.
"Well… he's here" Everyone blinked in confusion.
"Who?" They asked simultaneously.
"Uhm… Apollyon… Bell Cranel along with most of his familia" That made everyone freeze for a second as the room fell into silence.
Ais was the first to move, instantly leaving and heading down the manor as Fiona blinked in the direction she disappeared towards.
"Well… He saved us a trip. Can you lead him up here?" Finn asked as the girl nodded, turning to leave before she heard her father call for her.
"Ah, and Fiona. You can stay once you return" The girl's features instantly brightened at the prospect and left promptly towards her destination.
"I guess we all are going to get answers at once" Finn muttered as everyone sat and waited.
=A few hours earlier, Archian Manor=
"Are you kidding me?" Welf stared at Bache in disbelief as Bell rolled on the ground in laughter.
"No…" Bache blushed at the mention of the 'Quicksand Incident' which Bell loved to mention so much.
"God! Hahaha, I can't breathe!" Bell wheezed as Elora looked at Bell in clear amusement at his antics.
"Come on! It's not that funny!" The amazon complained as her daughter slapped her back with a sigh.
"Mom… no offense… but it is" Bache stared down at the girl in complete betrayal as she saw the puffed cheeks and shaking body trying desperately to contain its laughter.
"Bache! How do you get stuck in quicksand as a level 7? Even Lili would be able to escape and Lili is not a fighter" The prum asked with a wide grin, trying to savor the light feeling of amusement.
"I was having a bad day!" Bache lashed out as she huffed, crossing her arms as Bell got his bearings together and got up, plopping down right beside the amazon.
"Ah, that's fair. I mean, I did kind of push you that morning" He said lightly as he looked up, oblivious to the gobsmacked looks of his old familia and the noise of a facepalm from his wife.
"Eh?" Bell blinked as he looked back down at everyone before rerunning the words in his head.
"Eh! Wait, that's not what I mean!" He instantly began trying to clear up the misunderstanding.
"Bell-sama…" Lili huffed as she glared at him.
"Lili! Please! Let me explain!" He tried to reason as the prum got up and approached him.
"What… could you possibly have done in the morning… that pushed her hard?" She asked, her finger right in his face as he laughed awkwardly.
"Well, you see… We kind of began changing clothes…" He began, only making the situation worse as he heard the boisterous laughter of everyone that knew what had REALLY been going on while Welf was staring at him with a grin in amusement.
"CHANGING CLOTHES! FOR WHAT PURPOSE" Lili screamed as Bell paled.
"Ah, For training! For training! We were changing clothes for training!" He got out as Lili instantly calmed down, blinking rapidly.
"Training? Guess that's not so bad" She calmly walked back and sat down as if nothing had happened as Bell stared at her in disbelief.
"God Lili, you need to get a grip on your head. It really goes places" Bell commented after a second as the prum growled slightly at the remark.
"Now now, no need for the joking hostility" Erebus smiled lightly as she waved his hand in an exaggerated manner.
"Don't get involved, Themis-sama" Bell made a noise and his facial features dropped instantly at the reminder of what he wanted to tell them.
The group of the former Hestia Familia instantly blinked at the change of demeanor.
"Bell, is something wrong?" Welf asked as Bell sighed.
"Look… I trust you all, but I need to hear it from you. Will you promise to not tell anyone what I am about to tell you?" He asked in a serious tone they weren't used to with Bell. It left them quite for a second, contemplating how much the boy they knew had changed.
"Do you trust me?" He asked as he waited for an answer. Welf stared at Bell, truly inspecting him for the first time.
'He's really changed. That awkward part of him is still there… but there is a hardened exterior built upon it now… Man, you really grew up, didn't you Bell?' Welf thought as he grinned before scoffing.
"Who do you take me for? I'm your sworn and contracted smith as well as your friend, Hestia familia or no Hestia familia. I trust you with my life" Bell smiled in appreciation at his words.
"Welf-dono is right. Our relationship may have started rocky but… I've come to greatly respect you and trust you as if you were family. You have my undying promise to never speak a word of what you will say" Bell wanted to chuckle at the way that she said that which was so… Mikoto.
"Lili feels the same way. I will always trust and support you Bell-sama! After all, even now, I am still your supporter" Lili continued.
"I feel the same way. Bell-sama saved my life when I did not deserve it. No matter what anyone says… I know the real you… and I will trust you to the end" Haruhime finished as Bell wanted to tear up before forcing them back, putting on a smile that was completely genuine.
"Alright… now, have you heard what happened in Orario 22 years ago?" Bell asked as they all nodded.
"Of course. Evilus attacks the city alongside two level 7's of Hera and Zeus Familia. Silence and Gluttony" Welf responded as Bell nodded.
"Good… and you know of Erebus, right?" He asked as they all nodded again.
"But I bet you that you don't know his real motive?" They all blinked as they looked at each other in confusion before turning back to Bell, shaking their heads.
"Erebus didn't want to destroy the city" Elora chimed in as they turned to her.
"What do you mean? He practically burned half the city to the ground! How could he not ha-" He was silenced as Bache put her hand up and looked at him seriously.
"It was only a side-effect of his true goal. To create a new age of heroes after the fall of the Zeus and Hera Familia's" At that, the entire group were at a loss for words. What they had just said to them was going against what they had believed for what was basically their whole lives.
"Same goes for Silence and Gluttony. They agreed with Erebus, saying that the city wouldn't be able to survive the coming battle if they stayed as they were. It was the weakest it had been in nearly 500 years" Aralaya continued, being well versed in this tale as the most studious one of the children.
"Wait… so you're saying that the entire attack that Lili lived through and thought would be the end… was to force us to grow stronger?" Lili asked Bell.
"No… It was to force the entirety of Orario to learn the ability of rising to the occasion" Erebus added as he stared into the prumms eyes.
"Wait, how do you know so much of this anyway? Everyone you mentioned died or was sent back to heaven" Welf asked as Bell turned to Erebus, as did the rest of their familia.
"That's not quite right, Welf" The smith blinked as he turned to the god confused. Haruhime and Mikoto did the same.
Lili stared at the god, frowning before it seemed to click and her face paled.
"Wait… no… he isn't-" Lili leaned back and pointed at Erebus who sighed, figuring she had found out. Bell hadn't joked when he said that Liliruka Arde was very attentive and intelligent.
"Lil'Lilli?"
"Is something wrong, Lili-sama?"
"What's wrong, Lili-dono?" The questions only made her sputter before Bell cleared his mouth.
"Themis here… isn't actually Themis. He's Erebus himself" Their eyes widened to a comical degree before Welf sputtered and stood up while slamming his hands on the table.
"He's who!?" he screamed out as Bell sighed.
"You heard me, he's Erebus, my patron god" They all stared at Bell in disbelief as Lili seemed to try to calm down.
"Look, I understand how you feel, but please… try to look at it from his, Zard and Alfia's perspective. Orario had just been weakened severely from the annihilation of the Zeus and Hera familia as well as their banishment. The survivors were not only beaten, tired and afraid. But they also were left with no home to return to. Most perished one way or the other the falna as they were forced to be stripped of it" He reasoned as he noticed Lili and Haruhime visibly calmed down.
"Lili, Haruhime, remember how it felt to be alone, scared and helpless? How did it feel to lose everything?" At that, the two instantly flinched as it wasn't pleasant memories.
"Alfia and Zard felt the same thing, and Erebus saw that… and what did they do? Did they go for revenge? Did they try to annihilate everyone that forsaken them?" He asked with a pause.
"No… they tried to strengthen them. They knew that their time had passed and accepted it, and instead used their power to coax Orario to grow stronger. To rise above their station and achieve great feats. In other words, even when everyone scorned and spat at them for failing the last great quest, they still protected the city in any way they could… even if it cost me something as well" He muttered the last part as he felt the sad looks from his family aimed at him.
"Lost… something?" Lili asked as Bell looked up, sheepishly smiling as he realized his slip up.
"Ah, didn't mean to say that… Well, no hurt in saying it. It cost me my Aunt" They looked at him in confusion apart from Lili who put it together instantly.
"'Silence' was you aunt!?" She asked loudly as the others looked at Bell to get confirmation.
He smiled sadly at them before nodding.
"Yes… Alfia was my aunt. In fact, according to Erebus, he even tried to coax her to at least meet me but… she felt as if she wasn't worthy of it… that idiot" Bell squeezed his hands tightly as he tried to force the tears back.
"Bell…
"Bell-sama"
"Bell-dono" They all muttered his name as their eyes softened before turning to Erebus.
"Did you really try to convince her?" The smith asked seriously as the god nodded.
"Yes… I tried to not make it obvious, asking her if she was sure she didn't want to at least see her nephew… but you heard the results" He told them as Welf scanned him for any sign of lies.
Detecting none, he sighed out.
"Alright, if Bell can get over the past… then I guess so can I. I trust his judgment and so, I'll trust you" Welf said with full seriousness as he reached out with his hand in a handshake. Erebus gladly took and shook it. The other three nodded at him, silently conveying their agreement.
"I appreciate it" The room went silent, the only noise being Bell's attempts to calm himself. Once he succeeded, he smiled slightly and turned towards his old friend.
"Thank you…" He said as the four smiled right back.
"Don't mention it… now, let's talk about lighter subjects!" Welf grinned as Bell laughed at the change in attitude.
"Oh, what can that be?" He asked in an intrigued manner as he saw to the side that his family leaned back, looking on to the two with smiles on their faces.
"How in the hell you got to level 7 outside of Orario… though if it's you, I shouldn't really be surprised. It's been 15 years" Welf added the last part as an afterthought making Bell blink.
"Wait… what?" He asked as Welf turned to him.
"Hm? Something wrong, Bell?" He asked as Bell stared at him.
'The way he said that… does… does he know?' He instantly leaned forward.
"Do you know? About 'it'. Why I grow faster?" He asked in a tone that clearly stated that he knew the reason. Welf blinked before sheepishly scratching his chin.
"Well… do you know?" He asked though he clearly knew the answer.
"One name… Liaris Freeze" Was all he said and the moment he saw the look on their faces, as if they already knew what it was, made him sigh and lean back.
"Did everyone but me know?" He asked in exasperation as he heard the chuckles from his left.
"To be fair Bell, you used to be horrible with secrets" Bache commented as he saw Erebus nod in agreement.
"Hah… guess that's a fair point" He had to concede, he was really bad with secrets when he was younger.
"Anyway, to answer your question, it wasn't because of the skill. It went inactive a long time ago and when I had it, I had already maxed my stats long before I achieved a great feat. I mean, you try to find something out there to challenge a level 5, let alone a level 6! There is practically nothing!" He complained, knowing that he had gotten lucky with his find in Lakrios.
If those monsters hadn't been there, then he would have still been a level 6. Though to be fair, his encounter with the dragon might have been enough of an achievement. Surviving it as a level 6 is something no one has done before.
"Guess that's fair. Anyway, did you all have something planned for today? We kind of barged in all of a sudden" Welf asked as Haruhime shot forward.
"Ah, that's right. We didn't even take that into consideration. My apologies Bell-sama" She bowed slightly as Bell laughed at her panic.
"It's alright. The only thing I had planned was… oh right" He looked out the window, straight towards the northern part of the city.
"What is it, Bell?" Welf asked as Elora looked out where he was looking, seeing a peak of a mansion sticking up over the roofs.
"Ah, right. The Loki Familia. You wanted to talk to them" She smiled as Bell nodded.
"Yeah, and I think now might be as good a time as any" He sighed out as he stood up.
"Sorry to cut things short, but this is something I have to do" He reasoned as the 4 nodded with smiles.
"We understand Bell. Just, make sure to keep in contact" The smith smiled.
"Yes, we'll also visit, Bell-sama" Haruhime added as Lili and Mikoto shared the sentiment.
"Hey… how about this" Bell began as he turned towards his family, who all understood what he was asking before they nodded together. He smiled in appreciation before turning back at his friends.
"Tomorrow in the morning at our old usual time. Meet us outside Babel and we'll head into the dungeon together. All of us" Bell motioned between him, them and his family. All of his old familia gaped at him, before shutting the mouths and smiled.
"Alright, guess we'll see you there!" Welf smiled, giving him a pat on the shoulder. Mikoto did the same before Lili hugged him.
"It's good to see you again, Bell-sama. Lili is really happy you're back" She smiled as she looked up at him when he returned in full. After she walked up to Welf and MIkoto, Haruhime did the same, wrapping her arms around his shoulder, hugging him tightly as he returned it.
"See you tomorrow, Haruhime. You can show me all you have learnt then"
"Yes!" Was all she said with a blinding smile before joining her friend and leaving the room. Bell stared after them for a second before his softened features hardened slightly at his next words.
"Now… it's time for us to have a chat with the trickster"
That's chapter 43! Next chapter, the awaited talk with Loki familia. Some surprising events planned. I'm sorry for the delay for the chapter but me and Viceroy have been busy planning out the entirety of the next arc as well as everything we need for it.
I'm glad to say that we're at least half way there and until it's completely ready, chapter progress might be a little slow so bear with us.
Now, I'll get straight into the reviews so as to not fill this chapter up with post chapter talk.
KneeOil: Wow, that was fast and you co-write this? You guys might as well be roommates with how fast this came out.
Author: Haha, we did manage to get the chapter out abnormally fast but that was mainly because I was excited to write that moment and went a little… crazy. As for the roommate thing… yeah, if half way across the planet counts as that then yeah, but then we'd all be roommates so…
Zasun: OHHH SHIIIIIIIT. Big dick Bell out here telling Finn to blow him! About time he used his connections like that! Hot damn!
Will we get to see what this was like from everyone else's perspectives? I'd love to see thoughts from Hestia familia during the fight. And then Haruhime frothing at the mouth and passing out hahaha.
Finn sucks. You've written him super well. Oh SHIT I'm excited for the next chapter. With the aunt revelation be revealed? Will he tell them about Kita? WHAT WILL EVERYONE THINK ABOUT HIM HAVING KIDS. FROM SEPARATE WOMEN?! Oh man I don't even remember is Bache and Bell have really told
ANYONE how they uhh.. had that happen. So that's a whole ass conversation too. I bet Tiona would ask about it.
Great chapter! So we can expect to have one chapter a day now, right? You've set the pace, can't take it back now :D
Author: Haha, this entire review made me laugh. I mean 'Big Dick Bell'? Lol. Anyway, no Loki familia talk just yet, that's going to be the next chapter. I want to take time with the reactions as I may have seen this chapter with his old familia.
As for Finn, he's not mean or evil. It's just that he'll do anything for his goal. He hasn't received the same revelation like he did when Bell fought Asterius in the main series so he's still dead set on that path and to always follow the path that makes him look to be the hero.
That doesn't mean he's stupid or doesn't care for his familia, so putting them at risk of destruction or death for a bit of progress for his own goal might be a bit much for him, hence him acknowledging that he can't do anything against Bell without severe repercussions for not only the Loki Familia, but Orario as a whole.
Mairsarmy321:Omg that was amazing. Even though the fight was basically stopped, I still think the point should go to Ais for catching Bell off guard. Although now that she figured out who he is, I cannot wait to see her interaction with him moving further in, considering she found out he is married. Wonder how she will take that since she loves him.
Loved how you made Bell immediately attack Freya when his identity was revealed. Between you and me, he shouldn't have missed LOL LOL
Can't wait for the next Chapter and i really hope Heroic Will will be coming up soon :D :D
Author: Yes, Ais definitely gets points for winning her move because, using his own teachings and advice against him, but overall, Bell would have won in the end if the fight hadn't been stopped. He had been toying with her from the beginning, slowly increasing the power he exerted until it would overwhelm her since he didn't want to hurt her. If he had wanted, it would have been over very quickly.
As for Heroic Will… well, as I have stated, I don't plan to never update it again, but I'm not good at working on two stories at once. I'm single minded in that way. I will most likely return to it and finish it once TFA is finished.
PINHEADLARRY0122: When you revealed Ais' new move I figured where that was going. I am so glad I was right. One question though isn't it made of that crazy metal (forgot what it was called) how did desperate cut through it? I know desperate is made of the canon strongest metal of the series but I thought the new one you introduced was a lot stronger than that? Was Bell's mask just really thin so it was easy to break?
On another note Bell and Finn are finally going to have a talk about what really happened before he was sent to prison. They'll hear Bell's side this time but will they understand his side is the question. Bell and Ais are probably going to get some time alone in the next chapter to actually talk about everything and the truth of the letter will finally be revealed.
P.S. the old hestia familia better get their own chapter of catching up with Bell and meeting Bell's new family
Author: For the first paragraph, the mask isn't made from 'Spirit Steel' (That's it's name), it's infused with it, giving it its properties. Also, Durandal isn't a weapon, it's a property and Spirit Steel isn't stronger than it, as nothing is more durable or stronger than the Durandal Property. Spirit Steel is actually around as strong as adamantite but because of its magic absorption properties as well as more flexible nature, makes it seem more durable as it can absorb more force as well as neutralize magic to a certain degree.
For the rest, Bell will have the talk next chapter but I inadvertently answered your 'P.S.' without meaning too haha.
MarcoSketcher:Mother of God...
You are taking chapters as if you were a machine gun. That or actually they were all part of a super long chapter that you had to cut.
Regarding what I said that Bell would need to have the Loki Family on his side... I apologize because I made a mistake, I forgot that Bell has a great influence on almost everyone. So yes or yes they are the ones who need him.
Well let's go with what matters. Now that the truth about his identity is known, what will happen? They can't arrest him if they don't want everyone and his grandmother to fall on them, they're lucky he cares about clearing his name and killing the One-Eyed Black Dragon.
It is here where they should ask him what exactly happened 15 years ago and in the presence of a God, so that they see that he tells the truth.
The least some people can do is boo you and throw things at you, which is a bad idea unless you want to dirty your pants.
Something that must await Bell when he arrives at his house is the visit of his former Family companions. The long-awaited meeting is drawing near, although the sad thing is that someone important is going to be missing...
As soon as the news that Bell Cranel is in Orario reaches the Empire, the Goddess of Beauty who wants to destroy him will go after him or dare him to go find her. So Bell must find out who he is as soon as possible.
The good is coming.
Author: Yet another good summary! Thanks Marco! Though I can say that I am a malfunctioning machine gun. Guess the chapters gets lodged in the chamber for a while, eh.
Though you are right… the good IS coming, since I will say this here and now. The next arc will be split into multiple parts split between arcs and overall, it's all about exploring the secrets of the dungeon… as well as the gods and their 'Counterparts'.
Whitewolf:Is this story still on pace for 80 chapters?
And will we be getting info on what happened to hestia and who the other goddess of beauty is?
Author: This is a really good question. In fact, when I gave the number, it was a very rough estimate. We had barely started the story being only on chapter 7 or something. Looking at it now… it'll probably be longer than 80, reaching maybe into the hundreds. I know I said that I didn't want the story to be that long but with all we have planned… it seems that we won't have a choice.
Guest: You responded to a valid contention against your blatant mischaracterisation of Bete in a flippant manner and actually failed to address the core of the problem.
He just wouldn't know he screwed up, he wouldn't make such a blatant screw up in the first place.
Honestly he's less of a character and more of a plot device for you.
And by this time, Betes image of ais being the ideal woman has already been dismantled, so he wouldn't act in such a manner.
Please actually look into characters before writing them.
Author: I'm guessing this is Voidborne, and I'll have to apologize if it came across as that. I understand what you mean. I went ahead and reread his entire page as well as reread the SO novels in order to get a better picture and I deeply apologize for my mischaracterisation. I had gotten the wrong image before and had only used the wiki and that is on me. It only provided basic enough information.
I'll go back later to change how the chapter handles that situation as well as change what he says to better reflect the character.
I will say it again just to make sure. I apologize for the mischaracterization and agree that it was my fault for not taking this story seriously enough and actually taking the time to reread the SO novel to catch myself back up to speed with Bete's story before writing him :)
That's all everyone, now as usual. I hope to see you all next time!