Hello, and welcome back!

In case if you just popped in to this chapter, I recently rewrote the story with some minor adjustments here and there as I wasn't a fan of how some things were going, and to help lower some of the exposition dumping that I had originally, so I'd recommend going through the previous chapters before continuing with this one. Don't worry, the previous chapters aren't too long.

Rest assured, the premise and setting of the story will still be the same, especially concerning the time-travel aspects though it will be a little bit longer before they're introduced. I wanted to have a more natural flow of events where more of Orario's Civil War is expanded on, and where Bell has some more time adjusting to life in the City before he starts to get his abilities.

I also have been doing tons of research concerning the nature of time travel, quantum mechanics, various theories concerning higher dimensions, particle interactions, and an entire rabbit hole of black holes, wormholes, etc, and I wanted to revise the Magic I had in the original draft as a result.

Hope you guys enjoy the new story so far, and feel free to give some more feedback! Hopefully I'll be releasing new chapters much sooner than before, as I discovered that I really enjoy writing sci-fi a ton lately.

Chapter 3: Sword of Justice

SLAM!

Welf was launched backwards into the air, colliding into the cold stone walls as he clutched his bruised cheek.

Valletta gave him a dirty glare as she lowered her now bloodied fist. "So, care to explain to us why your Magic Sword crumbled in only a couple uses?"

Spitting out some blood, Welf acted nonchalantly. "I dunno? All Magic Swords break apart after a couple uses, don't they? Mine just break faster. That's what you get for getting a Crozzo sword."

"Bullshit!" Valletta swore, kicking him in the chest and pinning him to the wall. "All the other brats fessed up that yours don't break apart that fast! You've been forging us half-assed swords from the very start, haven't ya?"

"Screw you!" Welf spat back furiously. "You think I'd ever willingly make Magic Swords for anyone, least of all scum like you?! To hell with all of you! I'd rather die than have my own weapons be used to kill innocent people!"

Valletta grabbed him by the neck and pinned him to the wall, her Level 6 strength making it easy for her to dangle him several inches off the ground. "Now listen here, you little chicken shit! The only reason you're still alive is 'cause we need your swords to burn this city to the ground! Now, be sensible and start making us some quality Crozzo swords or else I'm gonna make you regret mouthing off on me, ya hear?!"

Despite Valletta's grip tightly constricting his throat, Welf let out a cocky grin. "Then go ahead and kill me then, cause I ain't budging! Fuck you, and fuck all you Evilus assholes! No way am I gonna throw away my pride for Magic Swords! So take that Crozzo sword and shove it up your ass for all I care!"

Valletta let out a snarl, but not before a voice interrupted her from behind.

"Valletta, don't be an idiot. Let him go."

"The hell you want, Olivas?" Valletta retorted, dropping Welf to the ground as he coughed and tried to catch his breath.

"Oh, I just stopped by to see how our 'guest' is doing, and it's a good thing I did." Olivas remarked with a grin, before he turned to her with a frown. "Don't go ruining the merchandise, remember we need him and his swords if we want to bring this city to its knees. He's trying to goad you into killing him."

"And at this rate I just might, cause all this fucker's done is give us cheap knock-off swords!" Valletta spat.

Olivas grinned maniacally. "Oh, I believe I might have the cure for his rebelliousness. Perhaps a little 'motivation' is in order?"

Welf froze. Motivation?

Olivas stepped outside his room for a second, eventually returning and dragging with him a Dwarf smith by his hair.

Welf felt the air leave his lungs. He recognized that Dwarf instantly. He was the same one that owned the hand-me down store where novice Smiths like himself sold their wares for new Adventurers.

The guy was a bit of a prick at times, often calling him out on his products and their names, but Welf never once wanted him to be stuck in a situation like this…

Compared to him, the man's face was completely swollen and blackened, angry and infected cuts all across his head and arms, and from the sound of his breathing, it seemed that a few of his ribs were cracked.

"Recognize this guy, Crozzo?" Olivas chuckled, kicking the Dwarf and causing him to tumble towards him. "He finally managed to fess up after I had a couple hours with him all to myself. He told us everything."

"Old man!" Welf roared, instantly rushing towards the Dwarf's side.

"W-Welf," the Dwarf moaned, spitting out blood and several of his teeth. "S-sorry lad. They nabbed me on the way home. Wailed on me for hours. Fuck… I, cough, I couldn't hold out for longer…"

"It's okay," Welf replied, trying to wipe the blood away from the Dwarf's head. "We'll get out of this, just hang on!"

"Hang on? Get out of this? Not while you're trying to sabotage us, boy."

Faster than Welf could react, Olivas kicked him away, and slammed his foot down on the Dwarf's face.

"NOOOO!"

Welf stood up, ready to charge at him, but even faster was Valletta, who tripped him onto the ground again and placed a single leg atop his back, her Level 6 strength making it impossible for him to move.

"Going somewhere? Just sit there like a good little dog and watch what happens to naughty little pets who don't do what they're told." she sneered as Welf screamed and raged underneath her.

He tried clawing away or pushing her foot out of the way, but her stance was ironclad, and he was forced to watch as Olivas continued to rain stomps onto the Dwarf's head until, with a sickening crack and pop, his head finally caved in and blood and brains splattered all over the floor.

"DAMN YOU!" Welf screamed, but another boot to the back of his head stopped him.

"Ya think we're playing around here, huh? Ya think you're some kind of bigshot? Think you could outsmart us? Well here's a newsflash for you." Valletta sneered from above him. "He's only the first. For every day that you don't make us a proper Magic Sword, it's another one of your buddies back in Hephaistos Familia who's gonna bite the dust. One day's delay is another one of her children dead. So quit screaming and moping and get back to work."

Stepping off of him, she left the room alongside Olivas, but not before leaving with a few parting words.

"And don't even think about trying to off yourself. We got a ton of Hephaistos's brats all lined up and waiting for their execution, so the moment you try to trick us again or take the easy way out, you'll have all their blood on your hands. Want to head to Heaven having that in your consciousness? Having all of Hephaistos's kids going to Heaven along with you? Think the Goddess will remember you fondly after that?"

Welf bit back a scream as tears welled up behind his eyes. Grabbing his smithing hammer, he chucked it at the door with all his strength before, in a fit of rage, making a mess of the entire room, throwing and smashing everything in sight.

Only to then slump against the wall as loathing for himself replaced his rage.

How could things have gone so wrong? How could this happen to him?!

Why, oh why, was he born into this stupid bloodline, and why did he have this stupid Skill?!

Welf had left Rakia so long ago, longing for the days in which he could finally forge weapons and armor that he could actually take pride in. He lost his previous Goddess Phobos, who was sent back to Heaven as a consequence of letting him escape, and he abandoned the family who cared only for his Skill and nothing else.

He thought he was lucky when he met Hephaistos in the smithing city of Solingen, he thought he finally found his purpose when he saw that beautiful work of art Hephaistos showed him. A sword more immaculate and incredible than any other in the world, smithed by her own hands without using a single drop of her Arcanum. He thought he had an ideal to work towards, a place where he could work without relying on his Skill or his last name. He thought he hit it big when Hephaistos brought him to Orario.

He had never been more wrong in all his life.

To be fair, he would follow Hephaistos to the ends of the earth, and she had given him ample warning of the state of affairs in Orario. He knew things were tough, that the city was in the middle of Civil War, and that a place like that would undoubtedly draw the wrong kind of attention to himself. And yet he endured, accepted it all in the hopes that he could fulfill his dream.

Instead, he not only had very few customers, if at all, buying his works, he was still a Level One even after all these years, and nowhere close to his goal, or his Goddess.

And when he managed to join a Party going into the Dungeon, he alone was captured and kept alive while the others were senselessly executed by Evilus in an ambush.

And now here he was, back to square one. Back to being forced to make those accursed Magic Swords again. Only this time, lives were at stake.

If he tried tricking them again, making inferior swords or just flat out refusing to make them, then more of his fellow Familia members would die.

"Dammit…"

He slammed his head back into the wall, feeling more helpless than ever before.

Just what could he do to get out of this mess without risking more lives? How could he stop these Magic Swords from getting into the wrong hands and being used to kill people? And if he continued to make them, how could he make sure that they'd never be used to harm others?

Why did he have to be so good at making these stupid swords?! Why couldn't he have been born with some other Skill instead?! Why did he have a Skill that made it super easy to make a city-ruining Magic Sword when he'd rather have something that'd do the exact opposite?!

He paused.

Wait a minute…

Just as how a single spark could ignite a flame, an idea started to flicker to life inside his mind.

Yes. There was a way out of this. And a way for him to make the Crozzo Swords obsolete against him.

A weapon to surpass Crozzo Swords…

If he could do that… if he could make a weapon to render them useless… he could find a way out of here. Rid himself of his creations once and for all.

But how would he go about creating it?

The door slowly creaked open and Welf tensed, only to blink in confusion as a Prum girl a couple years younger than him walked inside, carrying a tray of food.

To put it gently, she looked awful.

Bruises all over her face, a steady limp in her gait, and a disgusted expression full of loathing aimed at his way as she wordlessly dropped the tray in front of him, before turning around and leaving.

"O-oi, are you okay?" Welf asked cautiously, seeing the small trickle of blood running down her face.

"…Lili has nothing to say to you." the Prum muttered. "Just eat your food and leave Lili alone…"

"Are you sure? That looks really bad—"

"That's nobody's business but Lili's!" she retorted harshly. "Lili has nothing to say to rotten Adventurers like you!"

"Like who, Liliruca?"

Lili's face paled as another stranger entered his cell, a rather cruel-looking man wearing a white coat and spectacles as he stood behind her, now quaking in her boots.

Lili turned around, face suddenly pale. "M-master Zanis…"

Zanis looked down at her with an unimpressed face. "I don't recall ever ordering you to waste your time fraternizing with the prisoner, Liliruca. Perhaps you need another reminder of what happens when you disobey me?"

"M-master Zanis, I was just—"

WHAM!

Zanis's fist collided head-first into Lili's face, sending her flying back with a resounding crack.

Welf stood up. "Woah, hey! She didn't do anything wrong! I was the one talking to her!"

"I wasn't talking to you, worm." Zanis replied coldly without even turning in his direction. "Now, what do you say to me, Liliruca?"

He stomped hard on the back of Lili's head, knocking her down. "Well?"

"Cough, L-Lili is sorry for disrespecting Lord Zanis…"

"Good girl. And don't you forget it. Now get up and get out of my sight. We need your abilities again."

"…"

"I said… GET UP!"

Zanis threw another powerful kick, this time at Lili's stomach as she was flung back, hitting the wall painfully.

"HEY, I SAID THAT'S ENOUGH!" Welf roared, grabbing his hammer and running straight at Zanis, only to be tossed back at the wall with a mere flick of his arm.

"You really thought you could land a scratch on me?" Zanis taunted. "I'm a Level 3. Know your place, you dirty blacksmith."

He turned towards the door, making his way out but not before calling back to the Prum curled up on the floor. "Make sure you come on time, or no Soma for you."

Welf bit back a curse as Zanis left his cell, though he quickly turned towards Lili when he started hearing muffled sobs from her prone figure.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked, hesitantly reaching out his hand, but Lili slapped him away, tears falling down her face.

"Just leave Lili alone!" she screamed. "This is why Lili hates Adventurers! You're all scum! Nothing but greedy liars who hurt each other for nothing! Don't ever talk to Lili again!"

Furiously wiping the tears and blood off her face, she ran away, leaving him on his knees, his hands tightening into fists.

"Damn it…"

More people were getting hurt because of him. He had to act, and he had to act now.

Rearranging the makeshift workshop, he ignited the flame at the forge and sat in front of it, concentrating as he stared into the hearth.

For now, he had no choice but to make Crozzo Magic Swords. Maybe he could buy some time by saying that it takes longer to get authentic ones forged, but he had no idea how long that excuse would last.

His top priority was still to create his escape plan. He needed to make his new weapon as fast as possible.

The only question is, how?

He was still a Level One, and lacking in the Blacksmith Skill. He wasn't like Tsubaki, capable of forging incredible weapons such as those with the Durandal trait. Making a weapon to surpass the Crozzo ones as a Level One without that Skill would be a near-impossible challenge.

Well, if he lacked the Skills and Level, he could make do with the materials instead.

Funnily enough, compared to back in Hephaistos Familia, Evilus provided him with all the materials he could ever ask for. Everything from every kind of metal imaginable to even rare crafting items like Unicorn horns.

But his eyes were drawn to one thing in particular.

Welf reached into a nearby shelf and pulled out a large ore.

Adamantite. One of, it not the strongest metal found in the Dungeon. When used properly, it could be turned into an unbreakable alloy used for Durandal weapons.

And this was some top quality ore, sourced straight from the Deep Floors. The best of the best, and just what he needed.

Now, he never forged any weapons or armor with Adamantite before, let alone metal as strong as the one currently in his hand. It was often left to much more experienced blacksmiths like his Captain.

And by all accounts, he was still a novice, not even Level 2.

Could he really do this? Could he really smith Adamantite into his secret weapon?

"Welf, always remember: hear the iron's call. Listen for its ring; may your heart beat along with your hammer."

His grandfather's words, once uttered to him at a young age when he first picked up a hammer for the first time, echoed in his mind as he stared at the slab of adamantite in his hands. It was the first, and most important piece of advice he had ever received in his life as a blacksmith, and it had carried him through all his hardships and struggles as he moved ever forward to his goal.

How ironic, that his words would give him the encouragement to forge something so blasphemous to their family heritage…

"Heh, you don't need to remind me, Gramps." Welf muttered with a small smile.

And as he placed the block of Adamantite onto the forge, heating up the metal, he did what he always did when he wanted some time alone to his thoughts.

He swung his hammer down.

Bell lightly twitched, feeling a soft, warm hand gently wipe his face with a wet towel.

Groaning, he wearily rubbed the sleep from his eyes and looked up, yelping as an unfamiliar but incredibly beautiful Goddess smiled in his direction.

"Sorry if I disturbed you. Are you feeling alright?"

"Where, cough, where am I?"

"I'm the Goddess, Astraea." she responded, handing him a cool glass of water. "Don't worry, you're in safe hands. We're at my Familia home, and far away from Evilus. How are you feeling? Do your wounds still hurt?"

Bell gulped down the glass, flinching as he felt a sharp pain on his stomach. Running his hands down his body, he was surprised to find that his upper body was completely bare, and wrapped in gauze all over. None more so than his stomach, which sported a large bloodstain that soaked through his bandages.

He stared at the wound on his stomach in horror, gently gliding his fingers over the wet gauze. "W-what happened to me?"

Astraea gave him a sad smile. "Do you remember what happened last night? My Familia tried to rescue you and your villagers when one of them, a girl named Anna Claes, managed to escape and told us about what happened. They raced to where you were as fast as they could but… you were the only survivor."

That's right, Bell thought with a sunken feeling. He was starting to remember. He tried to save Anna, one of his neighbors back in their home village (and an unfortunate victim of his grandfather's perverted tendencies), when she was… held down by their captors.

The memory alone made his stomach curl up unpleasantly, and the only comfort he could find was when he recalled how he caused a major ruckus, distracting them enough so that Anna could escape amidst the commotion.

"I-is Miss Anna safe? Is she hurt?"

Astraea shook her head. "No, she's fine, and grateful to you for helping her escape. Sadly, the same couldn't be said for her parents. Her mother is still missing, and her father unfortunately has passed. The same for the rest of your villagers, or the men at least."

Seeing his distraught expression, she soothingly stroked his shoulder and back. "After Ryu found you, the building you were in was hit by some powerful Magic. You saved her, and even shielded her when Evilus caught up to you."

Bell suddenly turned beet red as Astraea suddenly pulled him into a hug. "Thank you so much for being so brave that night, and for saving Ryu. I'm so grateful that you were able to make it, even with your wounds."

"I-it was nothing!" he stammered, feeling her breasts press into his bare chest. "I just did what anyone would have done!"

"You don't need to be so modest. Not many people would have done what you have that night, especially in these dark times," Astraea replied with a sad smile. "I'm sure Ryu and Anna will be glad to hear that you're mending well."

"Ahaha…"

"But as much as I'd like to have you continue to rest, there's something I'd like to ask if that's okay?"

Bell blinked in surprise at her serious expression. "Um, what is it you need?"

"What are your plans moving forward?"

"? My plans?"

Astraea nodded somberly. "Miss Anna told us how your village was torched to the ground, and with most of the other villagers dead or missing, I was wondering what your plans will be moving forward? Right now, Miss Anna is with Ganesha Familia, tending to her father's funeral, and she refuses to leave until we find her mother. Do you have any family or friends you could go to that are in or outside Orario?"

Bell's face tensed, before he shook his head. "No, my grandfather passed away only a month ago. I'm all by myself."

Astraea placed a hand over his. "I'm so sorry for your loss and for your village. If you don't have any relatives to look after you, I can try to arrange for Hermes Familia to give you a ride to another city or kingdom if you prefer. Sadly, Orario isn't safe, and the refugee crisis here is getting worse by the day."

"No, it's okay. I… don't have any place to go, and with how things have been in Orario, I've heard other kingdoms and towns have been refusing to accept anyone looking for asylum."

"Hmm…" Astraea pondered for a short while, before giving him a warm smile. "Well, whatever you decide, you're more than welcome to freeload here for as long as you need!"

Bell stammered. "F-freeload?!"

"You don't have any food, money, house, or clothes on you, right? Then you can room with us until you can get back on your feet! It's the least I can do after you saved my Child."

"EEEEEEEHHHHHHH?!"

...

...

...

...

"EEEEHHHH?! Freeloading?! This man?!"

"Don't worry, Bell is a very good boy, and he did risk his life to save you Ryu." Astraea responded as she placed her hand on Bell's shoulder, not noticing his blushing face.

'Why couldn't she have given me a shirt?!' Bell lamented, feeling immensely mortified as several girls all crowded around him with interested, and even a few pleased looks on their faces.

Despite his protests, Astraea brought him downstairs to introduce him to the rest of her Familia, who for the most part were quick to ogle and tease him as he shyly stammered his way through introductions (and still without a shirt on).

Apparently, his so-called dashing rescue of Ryu Lion (whom he quickly realized was perhaps the most beloved person in the Familia), had both fascinated and awed the majority of the girls, who had now taken to calling him her knight in shining armor.

Especially when they revealed that he was able to hold her hand, much to his confusion.

As for Ryu herself, she too wasn't spared from the embarrassment, blushing up a storm as everyone, even her Captain and fellow executives, teased her for her handholding and her rescue. Even now, though she thanked him profusely for saving her life, she still had a hard time looking at him without her face turning as red as a tomato. Something mirrored on his face as well.

Many of the girls gushed at the sight.

"Well, as long as he doesn't cause us any trouble, I don't have a problem with it." Lyra, the Familia's only Prum, replied with a smile and a shrug of her shoulders.

Her companion, a beautiful yet fierce-looking Far Eastern woman, was the total opposite. "I'll listen to Goddess Astraea, but do anything out of line, and I'll cut you down without any hesitation. Be sure to remember that."

"Eep! U-understood m'am!" he stammered, standing at attention.

"Aw, don't be so mean Kaguya," Alizé, the Familia's Captain, and the red-haired woman who arrived in the nick of time, jokingly chided her. "I'm sure he's a very nice person, even if he isn't as sweet and cute as me!"

"Aaand there she goes, it only took a few minutes this time, a new record." Lyra snarked, rolling her eyes as Alizé puffed out her chest in an all-too familiar pose. "Anyways, if Goddess Astraea gave her approval, then that's that. Now, don't you think we should be asking the big question right now?"

Bell raised an eyebrow. "Big question?"

"Yeah, like why did Evilus kidnap you guys, and what did they make you forge over there?"

The jovial atmosphere turned serious as the conversation shifted. With everyone now looking at him expectantly, he felt horrible as he shook his head in dismay.

"I'm sorry, I really wish I could say, but I honestly have no idea. We were just doing our normal stuff when Evilus arrived from the south. They torched our village to the ground, pushed us into carts, and brought us to Orario blindfolded." he recounted. "After we were inside the city, they separated us by gender and had us guys busy working in the Smithy."

"Do you know what they made you forge over there?" Alizé asked.

"It was odd, they made us forge and fix Magic Stone ignition devices. Like the kind found in lamps and other appliances. We were to make as many as we could and package them up, where Evilus shipped them elsewhere."

This caused the girls to raise their eyebrows in surprise.

"So, they were after the Ignition devices again…" Ryu muttered darkly. "They must be making more suicide bombs."

"But why, is the real question." Lyra pondered. "It's true, they've been fond of using them for the past 7 years, but it doesn't make sense why they'd grab outside labor to make them, when much of the Industrial District is under their control. And a large number of bombs being strapped onto people would be a dead giveaway now that we're used to their tactics."

"Unless they decide that these bombs won't be used on civilians." Kaguya added. "The only reason Evilus hasn't taken over all of Orario yet is because we still have Adventurers that are able to keep them at bay. If too many of us are wiped out, then the entire world is doomed. And an Evilus bomb is no joke, just look at what happened to Ardé."

The girls all wore conflicted expressions on their faces, none more so than Ryu, whose face turned both melancholy and murderous, much to Bell's surprise.

"If they're trying to build more bombs to target Adventurers, then the Magic attack last night could have been one part of their plan." Celty added. "I think they allowed us to arrive in order to take us out. Lion nearly died that night if it weren't for Mr. Cranel."

"And speaking of that Magic attack…"

Cecil, the Familia's blacksmith, placed a thin object wound in a white cloth on the main table, unfurling it to reveal a broken pommel.

"Captain said that this was from the Magic Sword Vito used to burn down the Smithy and the surrounding neighborhood. I asked around to see if either Lord Goibniu or Lady Hephaistos knew who could've forged this, and the answer wasn't comforting."

She turned to the others, her expression serious. "Goddess Hephaistos confirmed that this Magic Sword was made by Welf Crozzo."

The girls collectively frowned, with Celty in particular being affected the most.

"Welf Crozzo?" Bell quietly asked Ryana, the girl closest to him.

"He's of the Crozzo bloodline, who were said to have inherited the blood of Spirits from their ancestor."she whispered into his ear. "They were infamous for creating the most powerful Magic Swords in the world for the kingdom of Rakia, destroying many towns and burning down several Elf villages. That was, until supposedly their bloodline was cursed, and none of them are able to forge these Magic Swords anymore as a result of their actions. That was, until Welf Crozzo appeared."

As Bell digested that information, Cecil continued. "Lady Hephaistos made it quite clear that her Child would never willingly do this. She told me that Welf had been missing for the past few days after his Party disappeared in the Dungeon. I'm guessing Evilus captured him and is forcing him to make them."

"Then it looks like we'll have to find him as fast as possible, and find out what Evilus is creating all these bombs for before it's too late." Alizé concluded. "We'll reconvene with Ganesha, Freya, and Loki Familia once they come back from their expedition. This'll be our top priority until we can find and rescue him."

Feeling very much out of place here, Bell quietly slipped away as the rest of Astraea Familia gathered around the main table, as Lyra pulled out a massive and highly detailed map of the city, placing several pins and discussing several points of interest.

Not wanting to interrupt such a serious moment, he made his way quietly towards the stairs, briefly stopping to look back as the girls and Goddess Astraea debated amongst themselves, though Astraea herself looked up momentarily to give him a small smile and an apologetic look.

Knowing that there were more important things to discuss than his presence, Bell gave her a thankful nod and returned to his room.

Despite the clock in his room showing that it was very late into the night, sleep still eluded him.

Bell paced around his room, lost in his thoughts as he debated his next steps.

It was still a lot for him to unpack, knowing that he has no home to return to, and with the majority of his old neighbors dead or missing.

Even if the women were rescued, what then? All their homes were torched to the ground, and if by chance they all decided to head back and try to rebuild, by the time they do arrive, winter will have already arrived and buried the area in a thick blanket of snow.

Not to mention all the dangers that could arise in their journey, from bandits and Evilus, to even stray Monsters.

Though, it wasn't as if he was in any hurry to go back home. Not since his grandfather's recent passing.

"I guess I really will have to stay in Orario, at least for a while." Bell thought somberly.

He didn't have anywhere else to go, no other family or relatives to look after him. And while years ago he would have been thrilled at the idea of living in Orario, now he's more knowledgeable of the state of affairs here. Orario, as it currently stands, would not be a safe space for him to live in.

And his only areas of expertise were in farming, cooking, and reciting hero stories. Not the most valued skills in a city on the brink of collapse, but he'd have to make do with what he had.

"Maybe I can work at a soup kitchen? Or, work at the Guild?" he debated. "Or… maybe I can just work here? Act as a caretaker?"

No, he didn't want to continue to freeload at Goddess Astraea's home for a long time, especially since he was the only boy in a household of girls. And given the dangerous tasks Astraea Familia undertook, he didn't want to be of any trouble to them.

A knock on the door grabbed his attention, accompanied by a familiar voice.

"Bell, are you asleep? It's me, Alizé."

"Ah, one second!"

He quickly opened the door, finding her with a rather tired but cordial expression on her face.

"Sorry for disturbing you at this hour," she apologized. "May I come in?"

"Are you sure? T-this is a boy's room now…" Bell replied, not wanting to make her uncomfortable, but the redhead waved his concerns aside.

"Don't worry, it's not like you'd be doing anything strange, right? And besides, if my beautiful body starts making you feel horny all of a sudden, then Kaguya and the others will rush in and deliver divine justice, so come at me!" she replied happily.

Bell stared at her dumbstruck for a few seconds until he burst out laughing, appreciating her levity.

"Haha, then please come in."

"Sorry to bother you!"

Alizé skipped inside, quietly looking around his room with a curious gaze as Bell closed the door behind him. Normally he would have felt a little flustered having a girl look around his room with such intensity, but he didn't exactly have many belongings, if at all. His newly given room was pretty barebones, with a small but plush bed, and a wooden desk and closet. And yet still, Alizé seemed quite content to look around, even when there wasn't much that he'd consider particularly noteworthy.

"Hmm… your bed's still all set up. You didn't sleep yet?" Alizé turned to him with a mischievous smile. "Oh! Don't tell me you're already feeling horny?!"

"No, I'm not horny!" Bell stammered, cheeks blazing. "I just couldn't find it in me to sleep yet. Too much on my mind, I guess?"

"I guess that's understandable, what with everything that's happened to you so far." she gave him an apologetic look. "Sorry about how we went off on a tangent back downstairs. Didn't mean to ignore you like that."

Bell shook his head. "It's alright, I guessed that you guys were discussing something important, so I didn't want to disturb you. So, what was it you wanted to talk about?"

"Oh, it wasn't anything too important. I just wanted to ask you something."

"Ask me something?"

Alizé nodded. "Yep! I've never seen Astraea bring a boy like you to our home before, and she seems to really like you a lot for some reason. That's why I'm so interested in you. Not to mention how you saved Lion's life. And so I thought, 'there must be something in you that Astraea approves of.'"

"A-ah…"

"That's why I came tonight. I wanted to ask you this."

Her face turned serious for a moment.

"What is Justice?"

Bell blanked at the question. "Justice? Um, if you ask me something like that so suddenly…"

Alizé waved away his concerns. "Don't worry, it's not like I'm giving you some kind of important test or anything like that. I just wanted to hear your thoughts."

"Um, why did you want me to ask me this?"

"Hmm… well, we're the Familia of Justice after all, so it's customary for us to find an answer to that question at some point or another. I remember when I asked myself that question many times when I was a kid. Even as I grew up I still sought out that answer, and it wasn't until I met Goddess Astraea for the first time and started our Familia that I finally found it. Lion, Kaguya, Lyra, and all the others were searching for the same answer to that question, too."

"Hmm… Justice."

Bell scratched his head as he pondered the question. For something so easily understandable in his mind, he found it surprisingly difficult to answer concretely. After all, 'Justice' is such a broad and complex concept, and there are many different kinds of it out there. All he knew about Justice came from his hero stories, though he doubted that Alizé would have accepted an easy answer like that from him.

What is justice, then? Was it simply protecting the weak? Giving to the poor and needy? Fighting and defeating Evil? Or could it be something as simple as…

"Thank you."

Alizé was puzzled, never expecting that kind of answer. "Thank… you?"

"Ahaha, I guess what I meant to say was, to me, justice is saying 'thank you' to others. I know that 'Justice' is a really broad concept, and that there are many people who think of it quite differently. But for me, 'thank you' is a really underrated kind of justice."

"…"

"I often think, what would the world be like if everyone could simply say 'thank you' to each other more often? If everyone gave the time to show gratitude and care for one another. And even now in dark times like these, I feel like saying 'thank you', could do so much to cheer people up. I always feel like the world would be a better place if more people were thankful to one another. And even I feel that I should have said 'thank you' to others more often, especially since…"

"…"

"Ah, sorry! I didn't mean to get so carried away!" Bell stammered, seeing Alizé's dumbfounded expression. "P-please just forget what I said!"

But to the contrary, his words struck a massive chord in her heart right then and there. It was as if a long missing puzzle piece had finally inserted itself into a massive tapestry in her mind, and when it finally clicked together, her eyes shot wide open.

"Incredible…"

"Miss Alizé?"

"Amazing!" she cried out, much to his surprise. "Super, super amazing! That was perfect, Bell!"

"Eh?! Miss Alizé?!" Bell stammered as the girl suddenly hugged him fiercely.

"You're absolutely right! 'Thank you' is such a wonderful word! Being able to give everyone even a simple thank you would do so much to make this world a better place. Being able to express so much in two words! Mm! It's perfect, absolutely perfect Bell!"

"Uh…"

Was his answer really that incredible? It sounded so silly now in hindsight.

Alizé couldn't be any more different. To her, it felt like forever since she had heard such a satisfactory answer to that question, and one that seemed so mundane and yet so true despite its simplicity.

She hadn't heard such a wonderful interpretation of 'Justice' since Ardeé gave her her own answer several years ago.

"Mm! Now I get it! Now I think I understand why Astraea let you stay here!" Alizé hugged Bell tighter, not noticing his reddening face. "Say, when are you gonna join our Familia?"

"Eh? EEEEEHHHHH?!"

Bell nearly screamed. "A-are you serious?! Me, j-joining your Familia?! You're not joking?!"

"Nope! How could I ever say no after hearing such a wonderful answer! Ah, don't worry about the others! I'll make sure I'll convince them with my burning passion!"

Separating from him, she tightly grasped his hands with her own. "What do you say? Would you like to be a part of our Familia?"

Though Bell was silent and calm, his body was anything but. His heart beat rapidly in his chest, his eyes glimmered in the light of his room, and even now a jubilant grin threatened to break across his face.

This almost felt like a dream come true. How many times in his youth had he yearned to be like the heroes he idolized so much? How much did he wish he could be like his aunt and uncle, legends who destroyed world-ending Beasts?

And what better time to start his journey as a Hero than now? He could already imagine it: a young lad well out of his depth, becoming a hero who would liberate the city from a decades-long conflict, and fight alongside an incredible band of brave and courageous women in Astraea Familia.

He had known these girls for less than a day, and already he greatly respected and admired them. And who better to fight alongside than the Elf who saved his life?

He could even fulfill his grandfather's wish and have an encounter with a cute girl in the Dungeon! And maybe even have a h-h-harem!

Bell was ready to burst out his answer to the heavens, when in his excitement, his pendant lightly tapped him on the chest as it jostled with his movements.

Bell looked down, and a memory of a distant life surfaced from the depths of his mind.

'My sister wanted you to live a life free of hardship and suffering. She wouldn't want you to throw away the life she fought so hard to preserve, and neither do I.'

His mother's words brought him down to sobering reality.

That's right. How could he have forgotten?

How could he forget what he promised his mother?

Although he had always wanted to be a hero like his aunt and uncle, he knew that being a hero wouldn't be so simple, even with a Falna.

Becoming as strong as them outside of Orario was practically impossible, and the entire world knew of the Civil War raging inside its walls. He heard the horror stories, knew of the atrocities, and just recently he had seen first-hand the darkness that crept within.

Bell was a farmer, not an Adventurer.

What did he know about fighting? What could he, a nobody from a now destroyed village do?

Ever since he had made that promise to his mother all those years ago, he had tried his best to persuade her or Uncle Zald to teach him, and while it was promising at first, their sicknesses quickly halted any further progress.

Alfia's condition continued to worsen, and the poison in Zald's body continued to chip away at his flesh.

Soon, the time he spent training was instead spent taking care of them. And when they could no longer move by themselves, when Alfia could barely go an entire day without puking blood, he finally acknowledged defeat.

There was just no way he could train to become a Hero now, not when his mother and uncle needed him the most.

And Alfia's words to him, about how neither she nor his birth mother wanted him to risk his life when she had sacrificed hers for his, were the final nail in the coffin. In the end, he willingly chose to shelve his lifelong dream into the recesses of his soul, and focus on taking care of his ailing family. He couldn't just risk his life like that, when both his birth mother and aunt gave up so much to ensure he lived a peaceful life.

It may not have been the life he yearned for, but in the end, he made his choice.

After all, he loved Alfia more than he loved his dream.

"Bell?"

He looked up, his expression weary and defeated as Alizé glanced at him with worry, noticing his sudden mood shift. "Is something wrong?"

"I… I don't know." Bell admitted finally, airing the truth from his heart. "I'm sorry, Miss Alizé, but I… this is a lot for me to decide on right now."

Alizé was visibly saddened by his decision, but she gave him a comforting hug. "I understand, it must be a lot for you to take in at once. And I won't lie, our work is dangerous, and while I'd like to say that we can guarantee your safety, the truth is, anything can happen to us at any time. I guess it is a lot to process."

"I'm sorry, it's just that… I need some time to think it through for a bit." Bell conceded.

"Well, how about this? You can just be registered under us as a non-combatant, like an assistant or supporter? At least until you make your decision." Alizé offered. "That way, you don't have to come with us on Expeditions or patrols. You can help out Astraea with volunteering or doing errands."

"I can manage that. Sorry again for not…"

"There's nothing to be sorry for!" she replied, patting him on the shoulder. "And if you ever change your mind, you know where to find me! Have a good night, Bell."

"Ah, likewise, Miss Alizé!"

The door gently closed in front of him, leaving him by his lonesome once more. Bell collapsed onto his bed, his eyes now focused on Alfia's pendant now swinging back and forth in his hands.

Could he really become a Hero? Could this be his chance to finally act on that promise all those years ago?

What would Alfia, Zald, his mother, and Grandfather think of all this? Would they have accepted his decision if he chose to join Astraea Familia? Or would they have preferred if he declined? Left Orario behind him?

"Grandfather, what should I do?" he muttered, feeling the recent loss of his grandparent more painfully than ever.

"Listen, Bell. I will tell you this as many times as you need. Don't let anyone decide for you. You must decide for yourself, and not for anyone else. Be honest with yourself and do what you truly wish. This is your story. Your heroic tale, and only you can tell how it will go."

His grandfather's last words echoed in his mind, but it did little to give him any comfort or direction.

How could it, if he didn't even know what he wanted?

Now before you guys panic, don't worry. Of course Bell's gonna join Astraea Familia. Otherwise this story would have ended here.

His initial hesitation may seem odd here, but it'll play into his inner turmoil considering his feelings concerning Alfia and her wish to see him live a peaceful life now that she chose him over the fate of the world. And this will play a major role with the themes of this story once we get into the time-travel shenanigans later on.

There WILL be angst, trust me.

And again, apologies if the story seems a little fast-paced at the moment. Things will definitely start to improve in the next chapter.

Hopefully you guys enjoyed the rewrite so far! Like I mentioned earlier, I wanted to take the time to really delve into the setting now that we're in the Dark Days, and while it might be a while before Bell gets his time travel Magic, I do hope that by the time it happens, I will have made Bell's interactions with the Astraea Familia girls entertaining to read about, as well as made the war scenario here more interesting to read about.

Please let me know your thoughts and concerns about the rewrite so far, and the direction of the story so far!

And thank you again for your patience!