Hey, I'm back!

600 sqs for Mothman, I'm torn between being salty, or if I should just be glad that I still have 450 sqs for Summer Kama.

Anyway...

AnimeFan13579, I honestly wanted to use Theseus, but like your reasoning, I couldn't find any Type Moon version of him or anything of a Noble Phantasm. Hopefully we'll see an official one from Type-Moon.

And on to evil or villainous Spirits, I agree. But again it will depend on the situation on which Heroic Spirit would fit the best. Of course, I will be getting Bell to contract new Heroic Spirits on his own terms eventually, and I am still considering if I should let him summon Shadow Servants.

And I want to emphasize this again, Bell doesn't get changes to his physical appearance when he gets a pact with any Servant. Armor and gear usually don't appear physically, despite him getting the abilities. Only the weapons and Noble Phantasms will appear physically.

His own gear will take the place and receive the blessings from the Noble Phantasms, if that makes sense. But I digress, it really would be interesting to have an embarrassing moment where Bell ends up in a woman's dress.

Guest, glad you liked Kintoki being involved. Now, Bell turning female when he Loads a Female Servant is debatable, and I am more towards not doing it. But for certain ones, well, let's just say he would, and I'm looking at a certain knight from France.

Also, not sure if the next Guest reviews ae from the same person, but Artoria is one I am still thinking on how to add. Yes I do agree that her abilities are very good, but it still comes down to the situation where Bell can reach out to Artoria. So yeah, we'll see how it goes.

Megyusha, not sure who you are referring to when you say Mario Mario. So...

Guest, again, not sure if this is the same person as before, but Bell creating a safe zone with Territory Creation is an interesting idea. I may put that to use.

codywhite162, thanks, glad to see you find them a good read. I do hope you continue to enjoy the story.

Now, with that said, here's the newest chapter.

XXX

The next morning, Hestia stood inside one of the infirmaries in the tower of Babel.

On the bed in front of her, laid her one and only Child.

The goddess looked out of the window and sighed.

(Flashback)

The previous night, after Bell and Lili were fully patched up and given beds to rest in, the elf and blonde swordswoman had stayed behind in the room, whilst Tiona watched over Lili.

Riveria stared at Hestia in the eye, "Goddess Hestia, answer us, the supposed presence of a god during the Monsterphilia incident, was it him?"

The twin tailed goddess stayed silent, and she almost furrowed her brows in frustration, almost.

The high elf sighed, "Look, we don't want to harm him either, but you should understand how serious this is."

Hestia simply remained silent, and Riveria let out a sigh once more, "Ais said she saw him summon a spirit."

That brought a reaction out of the goddess, and the high elf took the chance to push on, "He doesn't seem like someone who would use it for bad, in fact, from what I can tell, he is someone that would make good use of his power."

Riveria moved, so that she could stare at Hestia in the eye again, "Goddess Hestia, please, let us understand, and let us try to help where we can."

The goddess took a deep breath, "Can you promise me, you won't tell anyone?"

The elf was slightly taken aback, before she answered, "I promise."

Truth, but Hestia wasn't about to take any chances, and she asked, "Even Loki?"

Riveria made a difficult face, "I... That will be hard..."

The high elf wavered, and the goddess sighed, "Then can you promise that Loki doesn't screw us over?"

The elf blinked, and she glanced back at Ais, who also had a confused look.

Riveria turned back to Hestia, and she nodded, "I will do my best to make sure she doesn't do anything that would harm him. I promise you that."

Hestia sighed, detecting no lies from her words, "I guess... that is as best as I can get now, and you don't seem like you will back down."

The goddess looked at Bell, "To be honest, I have no idea how Bell-kun got that power. But I can tell you this, your friend Ais is right, Bell-kun... has the power to summon spirits."

That sparked a reaction from Ais, for she stepped forward, "How did he do it? Is that how he got so strong quickly?!"

Even Riveria was startled by the blonde's reaction, but Hestia didn't mind it, "Yes, and no. The spirits he summons? They're special. They are heroes, legends that do not exist in Gekai, and Bell-kun is fated to inherit them all."

The high elf furrowed her brows in confusion, "Legends that do not exist in Gekai...?"

Hestia nodded, "Tell Loki that Bell-kun is the heir to the Throne of Heroes. That will answer all of her questions."

She looked at Riveria, "That is all I have to say, and I hope you will keep your promise."

The high elf sighed, getting the hint that that was all she would get from the short goddess, "I understand, thank you."

Ais, on the other hand, simply looked confused and frustrated.

(Flashback end)

Hestia sighed again, "What a troublesome Child you are, Bell-kun..."

She stared out of the window again, she'd have to pay Loki a visit again.

Or at least, that was what Hestia thought before.

Instead, Loki had paid her a visit first instead in the morning, and they now sat in a cafe, or rather, a private room.

The redhead rested her head on her arm, "So, spill it, how did you find him?"

Hestia sipped on her tea, "What do you mean?"

Loki stood up, an annoyed expression on her face, "How did you find a kid that just so happens to be the heir to the freaking Throne of Heroes?!"

The goddess of mischief's expression turned into a conflicted one, "I'm pretty sure you don't have the power to forge a connection like that! So it's definitely someone else! What I can't figure out is how someone like him ended up with you!"

Hestia blinked, and she blinked again. Then she laughed, "Of all the things! Hahahahaha!"

Loki blinked, before she seethed, "It's not funny you big boobed loli!"

Hestia calmed down, reigning in her laughter, "S-sorry, I thought you'd be threatening me with Bell-kun's status..."

The redhead goddess blinked, before she scoffed, "'Course not, what do you take me for? I'm not that cruel."

The twin tailed goddess' lips thinned, "Really now?"

For a moment, Loki felt like she was staring at a totally different Hestia, and the goddess of mischief almost faltered, "Really."

For a moment, the twin tailed goddess looked like she was about to explode, but instead, Hestia let out a breath, "Whatever... As long as you don't do anything that would harm my Child."

The redhead sighed, "Look, Hestia. I won't sugarcoat it, how long do you think you can hide this? If it were any other skill, it would be fine. But this is no small issue."

The twin tailed goddess folded her arms, "Still..."

Loki leaned into her chair, "He's the heir to the Throne of Heroes, Hestia. No one will harm him, in fact, they'd want him in their groups! I know I want him!"

Hestia sighed, "That's what I was afraid about."

The redhead studied her face, before she smirked, "Then how about this, I'll vouch for you."

The busty goddess blinked, "Huh?"

Loki cackled, "Oh the look on your face!"

Hestia frowned, "What are you playing at?"

The goddess of mischief simply smirked, "Nothing much really. What I want is a favor, from you and your Child, each. In exchange for that, I will vouch for you and your Child. No one, and I mean no one, will get a pick at your kid, except for me."

Hestia scowled, "What do you mean except for you?! I won't let you have him!"

Loki just smirked again, "Oh just you wait, he will come to mama on his own terms! What man wouldn't want to join my Familia?"

The twin tailed goddess fumed, "Your stupid Familia turned him away in the first place, you useless loli!"

That caught the redhead by surprise, "Did we?"

Hestia scoffed, "Why do you think I even managed to find him in the first place? Bell-kun was rejected by almost every Familia out there when he came here in the first place."

Loki grimaced, "Ouch, that must have sucked..."

The goddess of mischief blinked, "Wait... Then someone must have kicked him away..."

Her expression darkened, "When I find out who it was...I'mma let em have it..."

Hestia just hummed, before she stood up, "Is that all? I still have work to do."

Loki's face changed in an instant, a smile on her face, "You still haven't given me your answer. We reveal your kid's secret, I vouch for you, and in exchange, you owe me a favor in addition to the one from the info for Soma's kids, and a favor from your kid too."

The twin tailed goddess scowled, "And WHY the HELL should I reveal Bell-kun's status to that bunch of no-good assholes?! None of them ever revealed their kids' skills at all!"

The goddess of mischief's smile dropped, "I guess you do have a point there, don'tcha..."

Hestia thinned her lips, "Then, care to explain why you want this in the open?"

The goddess of mischief hummed, "Well, I think Freya's after your kid too."

The goddess of the hearth's face turned dark, "She what?!"

Loki's face stilled when she saw the aura around Hestia's hair, "Oh shit... I might've said too much."

Hestia slammed her hands on the table, "ONE FAVOR! EACH! AND YOU MAKE SURE YOU VOUCH FOR US AGAINST FREYA!"

The redhead blinked, "S-sure..."

Hestia's twin tails rose in the air, "AND YOU BETTER PUT EVERYTHING YOU HAVE ON THE TABLE IF THAT WHORE TRIES ANYTHING!"

Loki raised her hands in a surrendering manner, never seen this side of Hestia before, "Y-yeah, you have a deal..."

The twin tailed goddess nodded, before slamming a sheet of paper on the ground, "NOW GEAS THIS!"

This time it was Loki's turn to explode, but in a more comical manner, "HUH?! GEAS IT?! FIRST UP THIS IS THE WRONG UNIVERSE! AND WHERE THE HELL DID YOU GET THAT IDEA?!"

Hestia fired back, "DOESN'T MATTER! NOW MAKE IT OFFICIAL!"

(Linebreak)

A short while later, Hestia was back in their shared church basement with Bell.

The goddess hummed as she copied the status sheet onto a blank piece of paper, handing it to the boy as soon as she did.

Bell took it and gave it a read, and he blinked.

He blinked again, before the boy looked up at Hestia, "Hestia-sama... am I looking at this correctly?"

The goddess' lips curved upwards, until it became a full blown grin, "Yes. Yes! YOU'RE LOOKING AT IT CORRECTLY!"

A huge smile plastered itself on Bell's face, "AHAHA! YES!"

Bell jumped to his feet on the bed, holding the status sheet up like it was the greatest thing ever, "I CAN LEVEL UP!"

Hestia giggled, sharing his enthusiasm, "AND IT JUST SO HAPPENS THAT THE NEXT DENATUS IS TONIGHT! SO THAT MEANS YOU'LL GET YOUR TITLE VERY SOON!"

The boy giggled giddily, "A TITLE!"

Bell gripped the sheet and stared at it, "What kind of title do you think I'll get?"

The goddess' smile fell, "W-well... i-it really depends on what the gods decide... really..."

The boy's face brightened, "Really?! Then I'm sure they'll give me something good, right?!"

Hestia was almost blinded by his beaming smile, and she just couldn't find it in her to tell him the truth, "Y-yes, I-I'm s-sure... they... will."

The goddess shook her head, "ANYWAY!"

Hestia stared at him in the eye, "Shall we get you your Level 2 status sheet?"

Bell beamed, "Yes please!"

The goddess nodded, "Very well, then let us begin!"

The boy got on the bed, and Hestia let another drop of blood fall onto his back, bringing up his Falna in a tangible manner.

The goddess giggled, "Alright, here goes!"

Hestia channeled her arcanum into Bell's back, and the Falna glowed, before quickly dying down.

The goddess smiled, "Now, before we end things, you can now gain a Developmental Ability."

Bell glanced back, "A developmental ability?"

Hestia nodded, "From what I can see, you can choose one from these two, Luck or Hunter."

The boy asked, "What are the differences?"

The goddess furrowed her brows, "Hunter is simple, it improves your performance against monsters you've fought and won against before."

Bell nodded, "And Luck?"

Hestia made a complicated expression, "I'm... not too sure. It probably improves your luck?"

The boy looked down at the pillow, "I see..."

Bell closed his eyes. Hunter, like Hestia said, was straightforward.

It would help him clear the higher floors, or any floor he'd cleared before quickly.

On the other hand, Luck, as the name implied, would most probably improve his luck. But even then they weren't sure.

And for some reason, Bell's back grew warm when he thought of the Luck ability.

The boy made his decision, "I'll pick Luck then."

Hestia blinked, "Wait, really?"

Bell nodded, "At this point, I don't think Hunter will benefit me too much. Luck, on the other hand, may just be what I need."

The goddess hummed, before she nodded, "Alright, if that's what you believe that you need, then I have no objections."

She waved her hands over the status sheet, and it glowed as the goddess finalized it before printing it on a sheet of paper.

Bell Cranel.
Level 2.

STR: I0
END: I0
DEX:I0
AGI:I0
MAG:I0

Magic:

Heir to the Throne

Description: The ability to inherit the powers of legendary heroes from the Throne. User needs to form a contract and connection with the Heroic Spirit first before using their abilities. Once a connection is formed, those abilities can be used with just the last sentence of the full chant.

Chant:

I am thou... Thou art I...

Thou hast acquired a new vow...

Thy body shall serve under mine will! And mine fate shall be thy sword!

Let an oath be sworn here! I shall attain all virtues of all of Heaven! I shall dispose of all evil of Hell!

If thou dost accede to this will and reason, then answer my call!

Come forth from the rings of restraint, o' Protector of the Balances!

Load: [Blank]

Currently unlocked spirits: Heracles (restricted), EMIYA, Sakata Kintoki

Noble Phantasms

Description: Once user has established connection to a Heroic Spirit and is in use, user can use the crystallization of the spirit's legend. A crystalization usually involves utilizing a spirit's ultimate technique or a conceptualized version of their greatest achievement.

Chant:

Set: [Blank]

Skills:

Desire for the Throne.

Description: As long as user desires to become a hero, growth of stats will increase exponentially. Effect increases by intensity of determination and desire to become a hero.

Development skills:

Luck.

Bell blinked when Hestia handed him the sheet of paper, "Wait, its done?"

The goddess nodded, "Yep. Here's your new status sheet."

Hestia got off his back, allowing the boy to sit up as he glanced at his new status, "So, how do you feel?"

Bell looked at her, a slightly disappointed expression on his face, "It felt anti-climatic, to be honest."

The goddess blinked, before she giggled, "What? Were you expecting something like... MY BODY IS BRIMMING WITH POWER! I WON'T LOSE NOW!"

Hestia made a show of looking at her hands with a shocked expression, much to Bell's embarrassment.

The boy chuckled sheepishly, "Well, yes..."

The goddess giggled, "In due time, you're only starting, so you won't feel that much different. Besides, it'd be a problem if your body gained more power than it can handle."

Bell hummed, "I guess that makes sense."

Hestia nodded, before reaching into her wardrobe for a dress, "Now, I suppose I should get ready."

The boy blinked, "Get ready? For what?"

The goddess let out a sigh, "For Denatus. It's starting in two hours, so I have to get ready and meet up at the tower. Hermes' hosting it this time... again."

Bell oh'd, "Speaking of that, what is this Denatus anyway? I've heard of it a few times, but I never really figured out what it is."

Hestia looked between the few dresses she had, "It's a meeting of the gods in Orario. It happens every three months, and it also happens the next one is held today."

The boy nodded, "I see... It sounds impressive."

The goddess of the hearth nodded, "It is, but well..."

She couldn't exactly tell her Child that most of the time, the gods were simply bickering around like kids.

Hestia cleared her throat, "Anyway, I'm going to go take a bath first. I'll probably be back before evening."

Bell nodded, "Okay, I'll see you later."

The goddess gave him a smile, before she took her dress and went out of the church.

(Linebreak)

Hestia had hoped it would be simple.

She really hoped it would be simple.

But Loki had to open her big mouth, she had to open her big mouth.

Now, every god and goddess had their eyes on her.

Demeter asked, "So, Hestia, what did you have to tell us?"

Takemikazuchi looked at her from a side, "Hestia?"

The twin tailed goddess took a deep breath, "Remember when we all felt Heracles' presence the other day?"

Every god and goddess nodded, and Dionysus spoke, "Of course we do, a lot of us are still looking."

A few other gods nodded in agreement, and Hestia steeled herself, "Well... It was my kid."

The whole meeting hall exploded, as all of the gods and goddesses started yelling.

"Wait WHAT?! IT WAS YOU ALL ALONG?!"

"I KNEW IT!"

"SO WHERE'S HERACLES NOW?!"

"HOW THE HELL IS A DEMI-GOD ABLE TO EXIST HERE?"

"HOW DID YOU SUMMON A HEROIC SPIRIT?!"

The yells continued, until Hermes slammed his hand on the table, "Let's not get ahead of ourselves and let Hestia explain, yes?"

The yells died down, and Freya spoke up, "Indeed, I'm curious as to what Hestia has to say for that. Especially with how much of a fuss she'd made with that little stunt of hers."

She stared at Hestia in the eye, "Or perhaps, it wasn't really her fault and she is simply involved in it?"

The twin tailed goddess frowned, 'There it is... She's definitely waiting for this chance to get to Bell-kun.'

But Hestia didn't let it get to her, and instead spoke out as calmly as she could, "My kid, Bell Cranel, is the official heir to the Throne of Heroes. What we all felt wasn't just a Heroic Spirit, but him taking on the powers of Heracles."

The room exploded again, until Hermes slammed his hand on the table again, "Quiet down please! She still hasn't finished!"

He stared at the busty goddess, "So what you're saying is that your child, Bell Cranel, has the ability to inherit the powers of Heroic Spirits, is that right?"

Hestia nodded, "Yes, that's right."

Hermes nodded, "Then he doesn't have the ability to summon Heroic Spirits as Servants, just their powers."

The goddess nodded again, "That's right."

The god of messengers nodded again, before he looked down, "That's what she said, Ouranus. What do you think?"

That surprised everyone, and the voice of the primordial god of the skies reached their ears, "I understand the situation now. Given that no Servants or Heroic Spirits are directly summoned, I shall allow it. The situation isn't what we thought to be, so it is acceptable."

Hermes chuckled, "I couldn't agree more."

He turned to the audience, "Now that we've cleared up the big misunderstanding, you can start screaming your lungs out."

Hestia's eyes widened, "Wait wha-"

She was cut off when almost every god and goddess started screaming.

"BITCH THAT'S OVERPOWERED ISN'T IT?!"

"THAT'S CHEATING!"

"WE SHOULD PUT SOME RESTRICTIONS ON HIM!"

The yells continued, and Hestia's face turned darker and darker with every word she heard.

Until Loki spoke up, "Now now, if you've all had your fill of screaming like a bunch of kids, mind if I have a word?"

Hermes raised an amused eyebrow, "Oh, now what do you have to say?"

The goddess of mischief smirked, "First up, I vouch for Hestia and her brat. But well, considering Ouranus has already given em the okay, I guess that's not too important now, is it?"

Loki stared at Hestia, "So instead, we'll stand behind that big boobed loli against anyone of you who wants that little rabbit for themselves. At least until the brat gets strong enough."

The hall almost exploded again, until another voice spoke out, "I agree, I too shall stand behind Hestia and her cute little rabbit."

Everyone snapped their eyes to the source of those words, and the hall immediately quieted down when they realized it was Freya of all people.

The goddess of love smiled, "I'm sure everyone else here other than Hestia will want to make use of little Bell's unique abilities, yes?"

A random goddess spoke up, "But isn't it overpowered for Hestia to have him?"

Miach spoke up this time, "That's where you're wrong. Hestia only has a single member in her Familia. Besides, it is a part of his status sheet. We did not argue over this when it came to all the other children, did we?"

Loki cackled, "Damn right! None of us went batshit crazy when Freya's children are involved, and not with mine too."

Freya smiled, "Indeed, and while I understand how valuable his abilities are, we should be fair too. I don't see it to be any different from the Thousand Elf's situation."

Hermes chuckled, "Wow, to hear this from the two of you of all people."

He shook his head with mock disappointment, "I guess my plan to steal him from Hestia is no go then."

Hestia glared at him, and the god of messengers spoke out loud again before she could voice out her anger, "WITH THAT IN MIND!"

Hermes paused, satisfied with the looks of expectation he was receiving, before continued, "Let us get on with the real reason why we're all here! Considering he's fresh on our minds, let us start with the new record breaker! Rising to Level 2 in less than 2 months! The heir to the Throne of Heroes! BELL CRANEL!"

The room exploded again, as each god and goddess yelled out a title of their liking.

"White Cheater!"

Hestia roared, "DENIED! HE'S NOT CHEATING DAMMIT!"

"How about White Rabbit?"

A random god spoke up, "Too bland!"

Hestia fumed, "JUST BECAUSE HE LOOKS LIKE AN AL-MIRAJ DOESN'T MEAN HE'S A RABBIT! BUT I LIKE THE NAME, JUST NOT AS A TITLE!"

"Then maybe Al-Miraj? I mean we already have kids who have monster names for titles."

The goddess of the hearth seethed, "ALL THESE NAMES ARE JUST BASED ON HIS HAIR DAMMIT!"

Loki cackled, "Then how about Little Rookie? I mean, he IS the new record breaker, after all."

Hermes shot it down, "Denied."

The redhead whined, "EHHH? WHY?!"

The god of messengers stared at her blankly, "You're just ripping off from canon."

"HEY! WE DON'T REFERENCE CANON EVENTS HERE!"

A random god shouted out, and Hermes spoke up again, "We're getting off track! WHAT OTHER NAMES DO YOU HAVE FOR BELL CRANEL!"

"King of Heroes!"

Hermes shot it down, "Too early, and that one's already taken, remember?"

"There's no Gilgamesh in this world! And we named Loki's kid the Thousand Elf too!"

The god of messengers stared at the god who'd spoken, "Too early for that. Moving on, NEXT!"

"How about Prince of Heroes?"

Hermes looked at the goddess who'd said that, "Hmm, that's not bad, we can keep that in mind. Next!"

The gods all started to mutter amongst each other, and the god of messengers cleared his throat, "Hmm, I guess no one else has a good name, so how about this, Little Hero?"

Hestia's eyes gleamed, "YES! THAT'S IT! THAT IS THE ONE WE WANT!"

"Hmm, I mean, he is the heir to the Throne of Heroes, I guess that fits."

"True, I don't mind that."

"I still think White Cheater is a better name, but Little Hero sounds good too."

Hermes stared at Hestia with a knowing smile, "I suppose that's settled then, his title from now on will be Little Hero."

The god of messengers wrote it down on his pad, "Now, let's move on to the next one, I believe it is Yamato Mikoto from Takemikazuchi's Familia."

(Linebreak)

Later in the evening, Bell sat in the Hostess of Fertility with Lili.

After letting his 'colleagues' know that he had increased his Level, Mia had kicked him out of his, or rather, 'her' uniform, and told him to go celebrate.

Which led him to bringing Lili back to the very same pub.

Lili hummed, "Little Hero, huh?"

Bell nodded, "It sounds a bit embarrassing when you say it out loud..."

"Well, I like it."

The two turned to see Syr and Ryuu walking to them, both holding a tray of drinks each.

The elf sighed, "Seriously, Mama Mia wanted you to go celebrate and take the day off, and you bring a friend back here."

Bell laughed sheepishly, "I mean, it just happened on reflex."

Ryuu sighed again, "Anyway, drinks are on the house, I guess."

Lili stared at them, "Wait, you already know?"

Bell nodded, "Yeap, Ryuu-san trains with me in the mornings some times, so I told her as soon as I could, and it also happened that everyone else was here to hear it."

Syr giggled, "Congratulations again, Bell-san."

The boy smiled, "Thank you."

The prum in disguise hummed, staring at Bell judgingly, "I see, so you told them as soon as you could... and only after being kicked out did you come and get me."

Lili huffed, before looking at Ryuu and Syr, both of whom had sat down beside Bell and her respectively, "Speaking of which, is it okay for the two of you to be here?"

"Oh definitely-nya! Today's a special occasion-nya."

The prum blinked when Anya answered her as she walked by, "Huh?"

She blinked again when Lunoire walked by, speaking to them as she did, "It's not every day you see a friend break a record and rank up, after all."

Lili blinked again as she let those words sink in, before she stared at Bell with a blank judging look, "A friend eh? Must be nice to be such close friends with all these waitresses."

Bell just laughed awkwardly.

Syr smiled, "Let's put that all aside, it is an important day for you, right?"

The boy smiled and nodded, "Yes, it is."

They were about to continue, until Bell heard someone from behind him.

"Hey, is that him?"

"The dude who broke the record for reaching Level 2? In less than 2 months?"

"I heard he's also that dude who can inherit powers of legendary heroes, my god won't tell me more though."

"Right, must be nice to have a cheat ability like that."

Bell glanced back at them, before sighing as he turned back to Lili, "So much for keeping it a secret... How did it even spread so fast?"

Ryuu answered, "Considering Denatus happened today, it's not surprising."

Lili nodded, "You did break the record, so it's natural everyone would know. The gods won't waste time spreading information like this."

Syr nodded, "Well, just think of it as becoming someone popular."

The boy sighed, "I guess..."

The silver haired girl smiled, "Alright, let's get started, shall we? The food's gonna get cold, and Mama Mia will get mad."

Lili deadpanned, "We don't want that to happen now, do we?"

The four started to help themselves with the food, and Ryuu looked at Bell, "So, will you and Arde be going deeper down the dungeon?"

Bell nodded, "Yep, that's the plan. Of course, it will depend on the situation."

The elf nodded, "I see. That's good and all, but even with your abilities, I don't believe it'd be wise to go any further than the 13th floor."

Lili snapped her head at Ryuu, "Are you saying we can't handle the middle floors?"

Ryuu looked at her, and she shook her head calmly, "No, I'm not saying that. You as a supporter aside, even with Cranel-san's unique set of skills, it will be hard. The number of monsters, their strength, their spawn rate. It is all very different."

She turned to look at Bell instead, "I don't doubt your ability, but it is not a matter of capability, but a matter on numbers."

Bell looked at his glass, "I see..."

Ryuu hummed, "To be honest though, all you need to do is expand your party."

The boy hummed, "Easier said than done, I'd have to look for people who would join me..."

Before Ryuu or Syr could speak up, a man's laughter reached their ears, and the four turned to see a man standing up from the table next to theirs.

"Mulling over looking for people to join your party eh? Little Hero?"

A man with short brown hair approached them, sporting two long scars on his face and wearing standardized armor.

Bell blinked, "I'm sorry, who're you?"

The man snorted, "Heh, name's Mord."

He smirked, "If you're looking for people, how about you join my party?"

Mord jabbed his thumb at his table, "We're all Level 2, we can easily get to the middle floors, ya see."

Bell blinked, and he quickly noticed the blank expression on Ryuu's face and Syr's uneasy expression.

Not to mention, the dark looks from Chloe, Lunoire and Anya.

Mia narrowing her eyes at them was easily the one that rang alarm bells in his head.

The boy was about to speak up, but the man continued with a smirk, "All I want in exchange..."

His smirk widened, "Is that you lend us your cute little friends, how about it?"

That put everyone on edge, but the man didn't notice, or didn't bother to care, "Comrades should share, right? How about it?"

At this point, the other two men from Mord's table had stood up to join them, towering over their table.

Bell glanced around, and if looks could kill, he was sure the three men would already be ten feet under from the glares from the other waitresses.

The boy stood up, "Look-"

He was cut off by Ryuu, who simply spoke quietly, but firmly, "Leave."

Bell almost flinched, for it was the same tone she had used back then with Ged.

The elf continued, "None of you are worthy."

Mord was almost taken aback by her response, and he snorted, "Now now, I'm sure we'll give you a better time than what this brat can do."

He reached out to put a hand on her shoulder, but before he could even touch her, Ryuu lashed out, "Don't you dare touch me."

In the blink of an eye, Mord found the handle of the glass around his fingers, and the elf turned the glass fast and hard, effectively twisting his fingers painfully.

Taking into account the strength of a Level 4, the man quickly found himself on the ground in pain.

Ryuu stared at him coldly, "I'll say it again, none of you are worthy, not with him, and never with any of us."

Mord regained his bearings, and he glared at her, "You bitch! I'll kill you!"

He bounced to his feet, fist raised. In response, Ryuu pulled out a knife.

As the two closed in on each other, Bell stood up, "Load: Sa-"

But before the three could do anything, a loud bang reached their ears, and everyone turned to the counter, where Mia had crushed the countertop with her fists.

The dwarf spoke out calmly, but anyone could hear the anger in her voice, "If you want to fight, do it outside."

Both Ryuu and Bell wisely sat down, the latter munching on some fries while Bell quickly brought the glass to his lips, to the confusion of Mord and Lili.

She glared at Mord, "This place... IS FOR PEOPLE TO EAT AND GET DRUNK ONLY!"

The Level 2 adventurer immediately froze at the amount of pressure from Mia, and he turned, "W-we're leaving!"

Mia glowered, "Idiots! WHERE'S YOUR BILL?!"

Mord yelped and dropped a pouch of valis on the table, "T-there! We're square now!"

With that said, the three ran out of the restaurant, and Mia sighed, looking at the broken countertop, "Whatever."

She looked around, noting the silence, "What are yall doing?! EAT! DRINK!"

Everyone quickly turned back to their food, and soon, the pub was quickly drowned in the sound of the drunk and people eating.

(Linebreak)

After sending Lili off, Bell was back in the Hostess' again, this time helping the rest clean up.

Mia sighed as they all worked to tidy up the store, "You know, I meant it when I told you to take the night off."

Bell chuckled as he carried the chairs to the back, "It's okay, I mean..."

His eyes went to the crushed section of the countertop, and Mia sighed again, "If you feel guilty, don't. People get weird and dumb ideas when they have a few drinks in."

The boy placed the chairs into one of the storerooms, "Still though."

The dwarf let out another loud sigh, "Enough. Today's a big day for you! Don't let dumb people doing dumb things pull you down!"

Chloe nodded as she came out from the kitchen after putting away the dirty dishes, "She's right-nya! You broke the record-nya! It's something to be happy about-nya!"

Bell rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "I mean, I guess."

Lunoire hummed as she wiped the tables, "Still though, to think you had something like that up your sleeves."

Anya nodded in agreement as she cleaned the cups, "I know right? Is that what you meant when nya said nya could use other people's abilities-nya?"

The boy nodded as he grabbed a broom to sweep the floor, "Yeah, I can use the powers of ancient forgotten heroes, to put simply. You would've seen me use some of them when I train with Ryuu-san in the morning."

The elf hummed as she mopped the floor, "I see, so those are abilities from ancient legendary heroes. I can't think of any that would fight like how you did though."

Bell quickly realized she was referring to EMIYA, and he smiled, "EMIYA is sort of an anomaly. His name is actually forgotten, and his story is passed down in the form of a nameless hero. I doubt anyone would know it, even the gods probably won't know too much."

Syr giggled, "But it's still amazing, to be able to use powers that belonged to legendary heroes. So how many can you use now?"

That question confused everyone else, but Bell answered, "Three, as of now I can use three."

Ryuu raised an eyebrow, "Three?"

Her mind went to their morning training sessions, and sure enough, the elf could only remember Bell switching between the married blades, the large stone sword, and his own knife.

But before she could ponder more on the matter, Mia spoke up, "That's good and all, but care to share what you did to Level Up?"

Bell blinked, "Eh?"

Chloe perked up, "Yes-nya! Tell us what happened-nya!"

Syr beamed, "I want to hear too!"

The boy blinked, "W-wait, what?"

Ryuu too nodded, "I would like to know as well. Considering we're training partners, I believe it would be beneficial to know."

Bell scratched the back of his head, "I mean... It's sort of embarrassing to talk about it..."

Lunoire giggled, "Come on, how bad can it be? We've all been there too, ya know?"

The boy took a deep breath, "I guess I can... Basically, I defeated a minotaur."

Mia raised an eyebrow, "Oh? As a Level One? Now that's interesting, and surely there'd be more to it."

Bell nodded, "It's actually sort of a blur for me... But I think the minotaur was a Strengthened Species, I mean, its skin was red."

Anya wow'd, "Now that's impressive-nya!"

Chloe pressed on, "So how did you kill it-nya?"

The boy chuckled, "I inherited Sakata Kintoki's powers."

He looked down at the broom he was holding, "I managed to forge a connection and inherit his powers, then I defeated the minotaur."

Mia hummed, "I see. A minotaur is usually a monster from the 15th floor onwards, and usually only Level 2 adventurers stand a chance, even then its hard. An enhanced species would warrant someone with the power of a high tier Level 2, nearing the bottom of a Level 3."

She smirked, "Not bad, brat. Good work."

Bell smiled, "Thank you."

Mia snorted, "Show us that power you used to defeat the minotaur when you train with Ryuu tomorrow, alright? That's your fee for what happened with that idiot."

The boy blinked, "S-sure! Definitely!"

She walked into the kitchen, and brought out a tray with seven glasses, "Now!"

Mia placed the tray on the countertop, "Considering you told us right before we opened shop, we couldn't celebrate, but better late than never, yes?"

Bell blinked, "Eh?"

The owner of the establishment snorted, "What? You think I'd just let you end it with some food and drinks like that?"

The boy nodded, "I mean, yes."

Ryuu nodded, "I honestly believed that would be it too."

Syr giggled, "Even Lili-san thought it was strange, but considering its Mama Mia, that much would be considered generous."

Mia grew a tickmark on her forehead, "What do you lot take me for, huh?"

She sighed, "Whatever. We're almost done cleaning anyway, so take the time to have fun, alright?"

Mia grabbed a glass herself, before grabbing one and handed it to Bell, "And this one is yours."

Bell blinked and took it, "Eh? Umm, sure."

He looked down at the glass of juice, before looking at the rest, and he realized everyone else was holding a glass of beer.

Bell asked, "Wait, why am I the only one getting juice?!"

Mia scoffed, "Idiot, I'm not about to let an underage brat drink beer!"

The boy blinked, "But what about everyone else?"

Chloe giggled, "We're all legal, you know?"

Bell gaped, "What?"

Syr giggled, "Chloe and Ryuu are 21, and both Anya and Lunoire are 22."

The two cat people glared at her, "Syr! You didn't have to tell him!"

The boy oh'd, before he looked at Syr, "What about you? Surely you can't be 20?"

Syr giggled again, "Nope, I'm 18, and Orario's laws say that the minimum age to drink is 18."

Mia snorted humorlessly, not that she could stop a goddess in disguise from drinking, but obviously she left that unsaid.

Bell looked down, "I-I see... so everyone else is older than me."

Anya looked at him, "That's what you're hung up about-nya?"

The boy looked at her, "I mean..."

Mia chuckled, "Alright, that's enough teasing him. Everyone is allowed up to 5 full glasses of alcohol of your own choosing, and Bell, just for this occasion, your glass is bottomless, help yourself to any of the juices or soda."

She raised her glass, "Now! To BELLA's FIRST RANK UP!"

The waitresses all laughed at that before joining in, "TO BELLA!"

Bell just smiled as he too raised his glass, bumping it with everyone else's.

With that, Bell spent the night, drinking and bonding with the waitresses of the Hostess of Fertility.

He also learned a few things about his fellow waitresses, but that was a story for another time.

XXX

DONE. That's it for the chapter. So we've got Bell's title, and its not the Little Rookie, but Little Hero.

Cliched, I know. But I felt that it was appropriate.

Anyway, we'll be introducing Welf in the next chapter, and I believe we won't see another new Heroic Spirit until the 18th floor arc.

So yeah, with that said, until next time!

Read and review please.