Chapter 55:

When Bell woke up, the first thing he saw was Ais. The young woman was asleep, her mouth slightly open with only the tiniest puffs showing her breathing. For his part, Bell barely felt alive. His muscles burned, and one of his hands was completely unresponsive. A long groan escaped his lips as he rolled from his side to his back. That was the catalyst for getting everyone's attention.

"Hey, look, the March Hare is awake!"

"Someone get the Commander!"

"Someone get the Dea Saint!"

"What about the Sword Princess?"

The noises disturbed Bell. He was sure they would still be on the fifty-ninth floor, dead or dying. But as he shifted around on his back, he realized that he was, in fact, not bleeding out on the Dungeon Floor. Instead, he was lying in a slightly more comfortable Adventurer's cot. Above him was the familiar green canvas that signified a healer's tent.

Bell closed his eyes again and focused on his breathing. He drew inside himself and entered into a meditative state. It was a technique that Ryuu had taught him to help focus his mind. As he did so, he started taking stock of his thoughts. First and foremost was that he and Ais were not dead, which was his most important thing. And since they weren't dead, someone had rescued them. So, his friends were possibly still alive as well. Secondly, they were in the Adventurer Base Camp, which meant that the allied forces were still functioning at some level. Finally, Bell took stock of his injuries. His left hand was absolutely mangled, and bones were broken in every way. He was also tired beyond belief. Even though he felt that he had not contributed much to the battle against Typhon, there was clearly more going on here than met the eye. After all, he had dealt the final blow. He opened his mouth to try and ask for some water, but all that escaped his lips was another groan.

"It's okay; I've got some water right here."

It was a voice as familiar to him as his heartbeat. A gentle hand lifted his head as Bell lay there, trying to blink the sleep away from his eyes. It wore no glove, the bare skin a testament to the camaraderie that these two shared.

Ryuu lifted a ladle to his mouth. She only allowed him to take sips, though. He knew this was the smart choice, but dammit it all if he didn't want to grab the ladle and start chugging. And Ryuu seemed to guess his intentions because her sky-blue eyes quickly took on a slight glare. This cowed Bell into dainty sips. When he finished, Ryuu adjusted his pillows so that he was sitting up in bed.

"I'm sure you have many questions," she said. "First, let me put your mind at ease. Everyone in our Familia made it, along with all our friends. That said, Otohime is still recovering from her injuries. She was probably the only person more injured than you and the Sword Princess."

Bell still couldn't speak, but Ryuu picked up on the unspoken question.

"You should be proud of her Bell, she stood up to the strongest Xenos they threw at us and killed it," said Ryuu, eyes sparkling. "And most importantly, she did most of her fighting as herself." Ryuu glanced over to the other side of the tent. On another cot was a bandaged Otohime. Her stomach was absolutely covered in white gauze. "And I'm sure she'd be proud of you. To answer your next question, Urashima has to take care of organizing the rest of the adventurers." Ryuu's face turned dark. "We lost our fair share of good people down here, and Freya's going to pay for that."

Internally, Bell smiled. It was one of the first times that Ryuu called her Freya, not Syr. The elf was slowly healing. And more importantly, she was making the distinction between the two. The real Syr had a chance now.

"As for the war…." Ryuu paused. "Honestly, it was an ending no one could expect. That Liger fang Xenos, Sherkan, he escaped the Guild and ran down here from Orario. He convinced the last of the Sun Seekers to stand down and destroy their army of monsters. Then, he sat down with Lili to broker some kind of peace with him. In fact, she's out there right now." The elf frowned. "I don't even know if she's slept since the fighting started."

Bell let out another unintelligible noise from his mouth. Ryuu leaned close to try and understand him.

"Take me to them."

Lili looked warily between Finn and Sherkan. She had sat in the middle ground between the two. The other Sun Seekers were hiding elsewhere, waiting on the Liger's signal, but the rest of the adventurers were all standing around with nothing to do. This meant that Sherkan was sitting here, back straight with pride, even though he could die at any moment. Even if they had been enemies, and he had tried to kill her friends, the Dauntless respected the Hell out of this Xenos.

In contrast to him, Finn seemed almost too relaxed. He bored the trademark injuries of everyone else, but his wounds seemed much less substantial than the others. His bruises weren't as dark, and his cuts weren't as deep. It was a testament to his status as a level seven. His head rested on his fist, and he had a lazy smile.

"So, we are now faced with the monumental task of what comes next, correct?" asked Finn.

The Braver had only been back for a couple days, but he had worked non-stop as soon as he returned to camp. Lili was in awe of the way he seamlessly handled every problem put in front of him. It was a stark reminder that while she had come far, there was still much for her to learn.

Sherkan nodded at Finn's question, but the tiger said nothing.

"Before we go further, I wanted to express my appreciation for your waiting. There was much I had to settle and organize before we could have this chat," continued Finn. "As I'm sure you're aware, there's a lot of damage to fix here."

The rest of the first-class adventurers that had travelled with Finn had returned with him. And with them, they carried the unconscious bodies of Bell, Ais, and even the minotaur Asterius. However, the large black bull had left as soon as he had woken up. It had apparently taken him no time at all to heal back to his full strength or at least to be strong enough to resume his training.

However, Ais and Bell were another story. The two of them had slept through a whole day and would probably continue to sleep some more. With the drop items that Finn's team had recovered, it was no wonder, though. To fight the Cadmus Dragon and the King of the Xenos in one day was beyond comprehendible. But that was what made them heroes.

Sherkan shrugged at Finn's comment. "There is little for me to do. After all, you are the ruling power here. We have lost our leaders, our army, and our spirit. If you wanted to hunt us down, you could do it."

Finn shook his head, still smirking. "I could, but I won't. You and your people fought because you were angry, and you were tricked." He glanced over at Lili. "That has happened to the best of us. Besides, if we killed you, this would all be more of the same." He shrugged. "Maybe it's naïve of me to say so, but I think we can do better than that, no?"

When he smiled this time, it seemed much more sincere. Sherkan felt inclined to agree.

"I saw what was happening on the eighteenth floor. It seems that you did not kill our young, which is good. There would be no turning back if that happened," said the Liger. "They are our future and our pride and joy." He frowned. "But I still wonder what you plan on doing with them and the Xenos that fled to the surface. Are you going to just let us back in the Dungeon?"

Finn shook his head. "No, because doing that would leave both sides vulnerable to attack. This war has made it painfully clear that just leaving Knossos abandoned for anyone to use is a bad idea. Any number of malcontents and dangerous folk could use it for their own personal gains." He looked Sherkan in the eye. "But your folk aren't like that. In fact, you and the other Xenos want nothing more than a home you can call yours, no? You want a place where you can live peacefully."

Sherkan paused before nodding slowly. "Are you proposing what I think you're proposing?" Finn sat silently. "You would give that underground labyrinth to the Xenos? To do what, be your caretakers?"

Finn shook his head. "No, I would have you live there and do with it as you see fit. The Xenos are growing in number and faster than we expected. Soon it will be too difficult for all of you to live in the Dungeon. You need a more permanent solution."

Sherkan tilted his head. "While I like the idea of a city for the Xenos, what guarantee do I have that your people and your Guild won't eventually hunt us down like dogs?"

Finn opened his mouth to answer, but a new voice entered the conversation before he could say anything.

"You have MY word," said Bell Cranel, hobbling towards them.

Lili popped to her feet at the sight of him. He was leaning heavily on Ryuu, and his left arm was in a cast, but his eyes held his fiery spirit. The pallum quickly came to his open side and supported him as he walked. He smiled his thanks, and she smiled back. With Ryuu on his other side, the three of them eventually made their way to Sherkan and Finn. Soon, it was five sitting on the grass.

"I heard what you were talking about," explained Bell. "And I agree with Finn. The Xenos should live in Knossos." He looked between the two leaders. "If the Xenos are ever going to have a chance of living with the rest of us, it isn't going to happen with them being stowed away in the Dungeon. They need a way that lets them talk to us." The adventurer's smile was shy. "I want the rest of Orario to know the Xenos the same way I do." Bell looked at Finn. "And I think a good way of making the Xenos feel safe is giving them every last key to Knossos. We humans shouldn't have any of them, except for one Fels can carry for emergencies."

Finn raised an eyebrow, looking like he was going to protest. But then he stopped. He studied Bell's face for a moment before smirking and shrugging.

"Well, who am I to argue with the conquering hero?" Finn ran a hand through his hair. "Not to mention, Ais would kill me if I pissed you off." He looked at Sherkan, then at Bell. "Well, I want one more condition." He looked at the Liger. "We need ambassadors that can move freely between Knossos and Orario. A Xenos and a Human that can go where needed to keep the peace." He looked at Bell. "And it can't be anyone from Hestia Familia."

Now it was Bell's turn to look like protesting. But it was Lili who stopped him.

"That makes sense; Hestia Familia has been the most sympathetic to the Xenos cause. If one of us was the diplomat, it would be seen as favouritism." Her eyes narrowed. "For this to work, it has to be a more neutral Familia. And it goes doubly with the Xenos. Your diplomat can't be someone like Mister Lyd or Miss Wiene because they're both very pro-human, but it can't be someone totally against humans, either. So, who did you have in mind, Mister Finn?"

Finn gave a much wider smile.

"I think a certain elf and siren would be perfectly suited to the task."

The adventurers stayed down there for another week. Part of them wanted to get home immediately to ensure everything was alright on the surface, but they also knew that doing so risked more significant injuries on the return trip. So, they wrapped up and stowed the corpses of their fallen comrades so they could be buried later. Those who were too injured to walk took the rest of the cart space, while certain adventurers received a hero's treatment and were almost carried on litters.

Two of the most prominent were Raul Nord and Otohime Nakamura. Songs were already composed about the battles they faced against the great Horra and Nastro. But they both also bore wounds that would never heal. Raul had lost an ear, a wound mirrored by Anakitty Autumn. The sight of bandages where her once proud cat ear stood made him sad. She didn't seem to mind, though. If anything, she seemed happy that her wounds matched his.

Meanwhile, Otohime had a massive scar that ran up from her hip, across her chest, and stopped just below her shoulder. It was wide and angry, and much of her body was still healing, but there was no sadness. If anything, she also seemed happy to be marred. She said that her porcelain skin was no longer perfect and that it made her bad for marriage contracts. And when Urashima Taro had taken the time to kiss every inch of her new scar, telling her how beautiful she was, she almost exploded with joy.

Of those lost, the heaviest casualties were those on the front lines. No first-class adventurers were lost, thank the Gods, but Orario's level two and three population had most likely taken a significant blow. The only silver lining was that it would soon be replaced by a new avalanche of level-ups. But that was not a thing anyone wanted to say at that moment. Instead, they said nothing, remembering their fallen comrades in their own way.

The climb back up was slow. Everyone was cautious beyond reason, so there was no chance of losing another soul. Thankfully, fortune seemed to favour them on their return home. Soon, they passed through the Dungeon's desert, the Water Capital, and even the Great Tree Labyrinth. Two weeks after starting their journey up, they were coming onto the eighteenth floor. Unfortunately, Rivira was still in shambles. A reconstruction effort had been started, but the lack of adventurers that could do meaningful work meant progress could have been faster. Adding onto that was that any adventurers left behind also had to take time to keep an eye on the Xenos.

Thankfully, Finn had the foresight to send Bete and a couple other scouts ahead of them. So, when they entered the Dungeon town, the Sun Seekers with them, there was not as much uproar as there could have been. However, that was not the only issue. The Sun Seekers that were still alive in Knossos, although they were also hostages, seemed ready to start a new war when they saw their brethren. They had assumed that they were all being rounded up for execution.

That was when Sherkan stepped forward and explained the situation. His words calmed the rest of the Xenos. The Adventurer's Army stayed down on the eighteenth for another week. While they did, Fels came to visit and gave both his and Ouranus's approval of the plan for Knossos and the Xenos. The Sun Seekers and the Guild Loyalists began slowly moving into their new home. When asked what such a place was to be called, it was Wiene that had spoken up. The little dragon had walked into the middle of the talking leaders and thrown her arms up like an excitable child.

"We'll call it Grosbor, for Gros and Bors!"

That statement had settled it, and soon the rest of the Xenos finished moving in their meagre possessions. Lyd had stopped by at the time to give Bell a big hug, and Frei received an even bigger one. Amongst themselves, they had decided that the Xenos would be led by a combination of Lyd, Frei, and Sherkan. The three of them would manage the affairs of Knossos, keep in contact with the Guild, and handle any human/monster interactions. Alicia was unanimously picked as the human ambassador to Grosbor; when the announcement was made, her eyes never left that of Frei's.

"What will you do now?" asked Bell on the day they were leaving.

Lyd used his reptilian claws to scratch at his chin.

"I think we'll focus on making sure that all twenty-four floors are clear first," said Lyd. "After all, we don't want any surprise visitors coming down here. Frei already found us a couple of good spots to make homes in, so that'll be the second part." He swung his head over to where Alicia and Frei were standing, both faces flushed red. "Finally, we'll have to hammer out what kind of work we'll do for the Guild." He nodded. "The general public is still unaware of our existence, and they probably won't take too kindly to us living right under their feet." He chuckled, his deep voice reverberating through the corridor. "But that's how these things work. It'll be our job to change their minds. Maybe we'll start some kind of exchange with Rivira? Open a couple shops and sell what we find in Dungeon. I think I heard Lett saying he was interested in developing an economy down here."

Bell smiled. "I'm happy for you. I know this doesn't make up for everything else…but I feel like we're finally making progress on all this." He frowned. "Still, if anything happens, I want you to call for me." The March Hare stuck out his hand. "I'll keep doing everything I can to help."

Lyd threw his head back and laughed even louder. Instead of shaking his hand, he grabbed Bell in a tight hug and swung him around.

"Hahaha! There's no other human quite like you, Bellichi!" He set Bell back down. "You will always be welcome down here!"

At another part of the cavern, Wiene stood protectively in front of a very flustered Mikoto. And in front of the little dragon girl was an embarrassed Sherkan.

"Bad Sherkan! Mikoto is Haruhime's, which makes her mine too! You aren't allowed to steal her away!" shouted Wiene.

Off to the side, Haruhime nodded seriously.

"I wasn't going to try and steal her!" retorted Sherkan. "I was just coming by to say goodbye."

"You were going to flirt with her!" said Haruhime, her tail poofed.

"Please, Haruhime, I doubt it's like that!" responded Mikoto, waving her hands. "I'm sure Sir Sherkan has no interest in me!"

Sherkan seemed to deflate at that, which the Black Crow noticed.

"Wait…what in the world?" she asked.

"Mikoto, I'm sorry to be the last one to tell you, but you are quite the catch," said Haruhime. "Thankfully, I caught you first." She looked at Sherkan, who towered above her in height and raw power. "Which means that you are not allowed to steal her!"

Wiene nodded beside her with puffed-up cheeks.

Bell walked over to the bizarre scene with no idea what to do with it. Thankfully, as soon as she saw him, Wiene seemed to forget she was angry. She ran over and tackled Bell, happy to hold him tight one more time before he left. He tussled her hair and said she could visit him and the others whenever she wanted. He made it clear that she was as much a part of their Familia as anyone else.

And so, the Allied Adventurer's Army returned to the surface. The public hailed them as triumphant heroes, but many didn't feel that way. All they felt was relief that it was over and sorrow for their fallen comrades. Many of them didn't even go home right away and instead travelled around to the Dian Cecht Familia clinic. Bell went with them. His arm had not fully healed after the battle with Typhon, and Amid wanted to ensure that everything was okay. As usual, Ais walked alongside him. She seemed drained, still recovering from her fight with Cadmus and Typhon. Whatever kind of skills or magic she had pulled upon had left her in a state of intense fatigue. It was like she was stuck in a sort of permanent mind-down. Amid hoped that there would be something in her clinic that could help. But the Dea Saint had also run off saying that she wanted to get a second opinion.

Instead, the two were taken to an office room by a nurse, where they sat on one of Amid's waiting tables. Bell tried to move his left hand but was having trouble with it. Not only was there pain every time he tried, but it was hard to fully grip anything. He looked over at Ais. Although the two of them had spent almost every waking moment together for the past weeks, Bell still hadn't confessed his feelings like he wanted to. The way Ais was walking around in a daze didn't feel right. He wasn't even sure his confession would go through.

Amid bustled into the clinic, and surprisingly enough, Nahza followed behind her. The dog girl walked around the Dea Saint before patting Bell. She smiled at him, and it made Bell take a deep breath. Seeing something as comforting and familiar as Nahza's droopy-eyed smile did a lot to ease the tension in him. Nahza nodded once, then she started examining his arm.

"Thankfully, I don't think you'll have to end up like me. You won't need an amputation," she said. "However, even with Amid and I's help, your hand will probably be stiff for the rest of your life."

"Will it affect my fighting?" asked Bell.

Nahza shrugged. "It's too soon to tell, but I imagine any problems it brings will be minimal."

Bell looked disappointed at the loss, but Nahza didn't say anything. However, Amid seemed to have something to say. She was poking at Ais before she turned towards Bell.

"I would remind you, Bell Cranel, that things could be much worse. Your injuries are minimal, and losing movement in your hand is better than losing the whole thing," said the healer.

Bell blinked and then looked at Nahza. He seemed to remember himself and where he was.

"I'm so sorry about that," replied Bell. "I just…I wasn't thinking, and I'm worried about Freya." His shoulders slumped. "She's still out there, waiting for us."

Nahza shrugged. "It's okay; I took no offence from it." She turned her head and gave Amid a droopy-eyed smile. "But I am grateful for your defence, Dea Saint."

Amid's face turned a light shade of red. Instead of responding, she continued helping Ais. Apparently, Ais's magical core had been weakened due to constantly using Airiel for so long in her fights against the dragons, Cadmus, and Typhon. Nahza gave her a concentrated dosage of mind potion, which seemed to elevate her spirit a bit.

"As long as she doesn't use her magic again for a week or so, and takes a couple more high-concentration doses, then she'll be fine," reported Nahza. She wagged her finger in front of Ais. "No fighting!"

Ais looked disappointed by that, but she nodded in acceptance. Thankfully, she seemed much more aware of her surroundings. The two left with instructions from Amid and Nahza about what to do next. They split up to walk to their respective homes but promised they would meet later. Feeling daring, Bell had even hugged Ais before they went their separate ways.

Bell got home to find the others just lounging on the couches. Hestia was running around the room, getting tea, cakes, and other treats for her returning children. When she saw Bell, though, she dropped everything. It made a massive mess, but she didn't care. She grabbed Bell and pulled him close. He could feel the tears streaming down her face. The two sat on the couch, and everyone took turns recounting what happened. The different parts came together into something that resembled a cohesive narrative. When they finished, Hestia's smile grew wider.

"I'm so proud of all of you, and I'm even happier that you came back to me," said the Goddess. "I already talked with Loki about it, and we want to throw you guys a party. We reserved the Hostess for you for tomorrow night. Until then, I order you to rest and do nothing." She looked over at Lili. "Especially you; dealing with finances and supplies can come later, Little Miss Supporter." She looked at Otohime. "And you REALLY need to take it easy. From what I've heard, your stitches might still come apart." She narrowed her eyes into slits. "That means no night-time activities!" She turned the glare towards Ura. "I expect you both to exercise some self-restraint here."

The two blushed but did not respond. Apparently, Hestia's Godly intuition extended to understanding relationship dynamics. Hestia seemed happy with their response and clapped her hands together.

"Now, the last thing on the agenda is status updates! You've all gone through a lot, so I'm sure you'll have some exciting updates!"

So, one by one, the members of Hestia Familia went inside to get their statuses checked. Due to Bell's new area of effect skill, the results of their challenges spoke for themselves. While they definitely didn't match Bell's growth rate, it was much higher than average. Everyone leapt up by hundreds of points. Haruhime had hit the S range for her magical stat and eagerly took the level up it provided. There was no new magic or skills, but she did gain the development ability, Abnormal Resistance. Mikoto had hoisted her in the air when it happened, declaring her partner's greatness to the world.

Lili and Welf were now in the F range, placing them in the middle of the level threes. Added to that was Lili's newest skill. It was called Midnight Toll and gave Lili resistance to drowsiness and other mind-effecting debuffs. With it, she could stay awake and focused for much longer than before. Meanwhile, the level fours achieved similar changes. Almost all of them had hit level four recently, with all their stats in the I range. Now, though, they each boasted stats in the middle of G. Even Ryuu, who had only recently hit level six, had raised her basic abilities to at least H with this one adventure.

Then, there was Otohime Nakamura. Surprising absolutely no one, except herself, the Dragon Princess qualified for a level up. She gained the development ability, Swordsman, and a new magic based on sunlight. Her final stats had all sat in the B to A range, with her dexterity boasting an impressive S rating. She had jumped for joy when it happened, even as Hestia cautioned her about her stitches. The rest of the Familia looked pridefully at what their Dragon Princess had accomplished.

"I'm as strong as the Emperor now!" Otohime had shouted. "My brother can't get to me anymore!"

She had swung Ura around as she shouted that. The two shared many kisses in celebration before Otohime took her Goddess's advice and calmed down.

All that was left was Bell Cranel. He walked into the room last, and in an almost trance-like state, he took off his shirt and lay down on the bed. Hestia climbed on top of him and pricked her finger one last time. The blood of the Desuda brought his back to life, the symbol of the hearth seeming to give off a warm glow. Hestia went through the regular motions as she brought up his status. Then, she paused.

"Well, I guess we should've expected this, but congratulations Bell," said Hestia. "You're able to hit level six now."

She put a sheet of paper on his back to show him his status one last time before he levelled up. Then, she climbed off and sat there, waiting for him to sit back up. When he was ready, she gave it to him to look at before they made it official.

Bell Cranel:

Level Five

Status:

Strength: S 999 Endurance: S 999 Dexterity: S 999 Agility: S 999 Magic: S 999

Luck: E

Abnormal Resistance: E

Escape: G

Knife Fighter: F

Magic:

Firebolt: Swift Strike Magic

Skills:

Argonaut: Allows a charge for a counterattack. It requires four minutes (formerly three) for a full charge and can either sound like a small chime or a grand bell, depending on the power needed. It can be used for any attack, but the effects dissipate when the user is attacked or loses focus.

Ox Slayer: Heavily increases all abilities when fighting raging bull-type monsters, potentially making the user stronger than their actual level when fighting them.

Neo-Liaris Freese: Fast growth as long as ideals last. The strength of the effects corresponds with how tested the user is in their beliefs.

Plíroma you Herroa: For those who share the users' beliefs, fast growth is extended to a lesser degree.

"Not to be disappointed," began Bell. "But I'm surprised by the status cap." He looked at Hestia. "Why hasn't it grown past S like it usually does?"

Maybe Bell was greedy, but if he was going to save everyone like he wanted to, he would need to be as strong as possible to do it. However, Hestia seemed to already have an answer.

"I think it's the trade-off for that fourth skill," replied Hestia. "Your friends and Familia siphoned off a bit of your growth for themselves, so you have a max now. Since you're sharing it with others, there's a ceiling to your growth now." She shrugged. "Or maybe your status reacted to the way you don't want to leave anyone behind. It put a limiter in place so you wouldn't outpace your friends; now you and the others can go on limitless adventures together." She tussled his hair. "Whatever the reason, I like it. All those triple Ss were honestly kind of intimidating. It made you feel like you were leaving us all behind…like you would grow too big for any of us to be around."

Bell blinked before grabbing his Goddess and pulling her in for another hug. He tried to convey how much he loved her and all the other important feelings he had for her. He tried to tell her that he would never leave her, no matter how big he seemed to get. He pulled back, and they both wiped away some private tears. Then, Bell and Hestia updated his status, his level up now locked into place. Bell was officially a level six, the same level as the Sword Princess. Surprisingly, he felt less satisfied than he thought he would.

He left the room to find the rest of his friends waiting for him. Hestia followed suit, holding herself like a proper deity should. She made a sweeping motion with her free arm.

"Introducing, Orario's newest level six fighter, Bell Cranel, the March Hare!"

There was much cheering and whooping, followed by a fair amount of drinking. The small but mighty Familia drank and danced the night away, content in the knowledge that they had each other.

The next day, even if she wasn't supposed to, Lili began sorting the finances. After the monster army had been destroyed, Lili still ensured that all the monsters' drop items had been picked up and stowed away. She could only recover half the magic stones, but Finn told her it was for the best. Recovering too many high-grade stones at once ran the risk of ruining Orario's economy.

The drop items were nothing special, for the most part, but they were still distributed evenly among the Allied Familias. Following the deal previously struck, for their efforts in supporting and smithing, Dian Cecht, Hephaestus, and Miach Familia got most of the materials that could be used in item creation and weapon forging. Ganesha Familia got the most considerable portion of items that could be sold off for a profit, with Loki Familia right behind them. Hestia Familia's take was more minor in quantity but was of a much higher quality.

It was important to note that every executive of the Sun Seekers, when killed, had left something behind. Since most of them had died to members of Hestia Familia, that left them with most of the spoils. First among these was the high-quality scales left behind by Garess the gargoyle. They were Ryuu's to claim, and she immediately gave them to Welf. Apparently, she had asked for something that would help protect her head or neck. The second went to Elwin. Although it had been Riveria that had killed Scipio, she claimed that Elwin and Filvis deserved the spoils. The ghost had been honoured by Riveria's thoughtfulness. The large pieces of moss and branch were already with a certain renard in Daedalus, who was making the half-elf a new staff.

Then there was Nastro. The massive dragon hybrid had left behind a veritable buffet of items. There were scales, fangs, a large bone, and even part of his tail. She and Welf spent most of a day sorting through it all. Apparently, some of it would become armour; the bone and tail would help mend and strengthen her Bisento, while the fangs would become knives. They were to be gifts for her lovely Ura.

"You brought me back and gave me the strength I needed to win that fight," said Otohime. "I wouldn't have won without you."

Urashima insisted that she was a liar but accepted the gifts. They were a fantastic pair of daggers. They were as black as midnight, with hilts of mithril. They were aptly called 'Oto's Fangs.' It was a name that led to much jeering and teasing.

Now, the other Xenos, Horra and Bragi, had been killed by Loki Familia. So, those drops went to them and the people that had done the deed. Apparently, Raul was getting Horra's left-behind fur fashioned into a cloak. Aki had swooned at the sight of him, saying that he cut quite the dashing figure. Meanwhile, Finn gifted Gareth a new Ax made from Bragi's remains. It was a thank you for everything the stubborn old dwarf had done for him. Along with those, the team that had rescued Ais had also brought up the Cadmus hide for her. It was going to be sold to Dian Cecht for a godly sum.

Finally, that just left the remains of the Xenos King, Typhon. He had left behind three things. There was a rib bone, a giant claw, and some black liquid. The bone soon became a sword. After all, if Bell's hand was too stiff from its injury, he wouldn't be able to perform the kind of nimble movements that dagger fighting required. A sword required movement for sure, but it would be easier to manage. He would dual-wield the Hestia Knife with his new blade. The claw was given to Welf by Hestia, and she whispered something into his ear. The smith had stood up, his normally calm face now a pale white. His mouth had opened and closed for over three minutes as he stood in terror of what Hestia had told him. The rest of the Familia had done the same when they had heard her plans.

All that was left was the mysterious liquid. Hestia had taken one look at that before deciding it was best off in the hands of Fels. The skeleton had taken it and said that he would report his findings. Whatever kind of creation he made, Hestia Familia would be the first to get it.

All in all, while the topic was quite macabre, the results were overwhelmingly positive. Almost every member of the Familia had gotten an upgrade of some kind, either in gear, status, or a full-blown level-up. With all this in mind, they left for their now traditional celebratory feast in high spirits. Maybe Freya was still out there, closer to striking than ever, but they had to enjoy the good times.

And in her tower, Freya was upset. Her Odr had undergone his trials, but his spirit remained tainted. His brilliant glow shone, but it still bore the stains of the previous years. Freya could feel her composure cracking now. Nothing was going as it should. Bell was supposed to be perfect! He was supposed to be perfect for her!

She threw her glass of wine to the ground. It had been a red, easily costing hundreds of thousands of valis, but Freya could care less. She pulled at her hair, stomped her feet, and even threw her beautiful chair at the wall.

"Why didn't it work!"

She looked down at the city and cursed it.

"You were supposed to be perfect! You were supposed to be my Odr! You were supposed to be fixed!" Tears ran down her face as she sank to her knees. Her body trembled in agony. "Why, why why why why why why why…."

She continued like this as the moon rose high in the sky. Behind her stood her eternal guardian, Ottar. He said nothing, but his thoughts were racing. He wanted to do something, anything, to help his beloved Freya. She stopped crying just as he was about to reach forward with one of his massive paws.

The sounds of her tears turned into a kind of perverse laugh. At some point, she had put her hands in the shards of glass of her broken cup. There were many minor cuts left behind, and her palms dyed red. Her bloody hands ran through her fine silver hair, leaving strands of crimson. She looked back, and the King of Orario shuddered. His Mistress was smiling now, but it was no comfort. Deep in his soul, Ottar trembled in fear for Freya.

"I will fix him personally then!" declared Freya, turning back to the city. "I will take him away from that filth, and then I will make him mine!" She thrust her arms out. "I will break him and remake him until he is perfect again!"

She stood, her bloody hands leaving stains on everything she touched. She walked to Ottar, who had to fight to not step back in fear. With a bloody handprint on his chest, Freya's smile grew beyond crazed into mania.

"I will make Bell Cranel mine and kill anyone in my way."

Status Sheets:

Bell Cranel:

Level Six

Status:

Strength: I 0 Endurance: I 0 Dexterity: I 0 Agility: I 0 Magic: I 0

Luck: E

Abnormal Resistance: E

Escape: G

Knife Fighter: F

Magic Resistance: I

Magic:

Firebolt: Swift Strike Magic

Skills:

Argonaut: Allows a charge for a counterattack. It requires four minutes (formerly three) for a full charge and can either sound like a small chime or a grand bell depending on the power needed. It can be used for any type of attack, but the effects will dissipate when the user is attacked or they lose focus.

Ox Slayer: Heavily increases all abilities when fighting raging bull type monsters, potentially making the user stronger than their actual level when fighting them.

Neo-Liaris Freese: Fast growth as long as ideals last. The strength of the effects corresponds with how tested the user is in their beliefs.

Plíroma you Herroa: For those who share the users' beliefs, fast growth is extended to a lesser degree.

Otohime Nakamura:

Level Five

Status:

Strength: I 0 Defense: I 0 Dexterity: I 0 Agility: I 0 Magic: I 0

Abnormal Resistance: E

Magic Resistance: E

Spearman: E

Swordsman: I

Magic:

Dracona Forma: Turns the caster into a dragon-like monster. All stats are exponentially increased at the cost of total loss of mental faculties and mind-down when the spell is ended. Magic must be actively ended by the user or else dragon form remains. Along with increased stats come the physical and magical traits of a dragon.

Solar Strike: Caster imbues a part of their body with light, enhancing its next strike and giving it a burning property. This spell can be charged and enhanced in direct sunlight.

Skill:

Devoted Heart: As long as a beloved one is kept in mind, the skill bearer cannot be charmed by people or monsters.

Synthesis: User has a low-grade physical health regeneration when under direct sunlight.

Sunshine: User has increased stats when in direct sunlight.

Dragon Slayer: Heavily increases all abilities when fighting dragon type monsters.