Hey, everyone, it's me, Worseman.
I'm here to present to you my first Danmachi fanfiction story. It is a retelling of the Danmachi story in my version, and it is considered an AU (Alternate Universe) story. I'm doing this for fun and to see if the readers like it or not. No hard feelings, everyone.
There may be some changes in this story, and I borrowed some elements from fantasy anime and video games such as Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Dragon Age, and Dungeons & Dragons. Although it could be considered a crossover story, I try not to make it so. It is also a canon divergence. There are also some OCs (original characters) in this story, and a few of them might join Hestia Familia.
I will be honest: I'm completely blind to how Danmachi's adventurer stats work including everything, so I need your advice on it. I may not have a huge knowledge of Danmachi, but I will try my best, although I know I'm going to fail it.
As for the romance, I have already decided whom Bell will end up with, although I'm unsure about my capability when it comes to writing romance.
If you spot any grammar and spelling errors, I will try to improve them as best as I can. I will also rewrite this chapter or story if you truly hate it.
Anyway, here is the first chapter of this story.
Disclaimer
I don't own any characters from Danmachi Franchise as they are owned by their respective owner except my OCs.
It was a normal day. The street was busy with many people minding their own business. All the stands sold various things such as food, fruit, vegetables, and jewelry. While some people dressed normally, others donned their armor sets, wielding diverse weapons, or both.
A white-haired boy with red eyes dropped a rounded gold coin into the stall owner's hand and received a red apple in return. He rubbed it against his coat and bit a chunk from it.
"Are you a new adventurer, boy?" the stall owner asked.
The boy nodded while slowly chewing the bits.
"I pray for your safety because few beginner adventurers can survive more than a day or two."
The boy swallowed. "I appreciate your concern, mister."
"Don't worry, but still, this is Oriaro, a city in the center of the world where adventurers seek glory, money, and strength by diving into the dungeon beneath it."
The boy nodded before walking in the direction where the adventurers were heading.
Oriaro, the Labyrinth City, is at the continent's center in the world. It is a place where many have ventured in pursuit of dreams and riches. This is because there is a massive dungeon underneath the city that spawns countless monsters indefinitely, threatening the surface.
The city was originally a massive pit, spawning an endless horde until the Gods and Goddesses descended from the heavens, or Tenki, and successfully sealed it.
Parts from these monsters are greatly valued as materials across the world. Many people of various races are willing to explore the dungeon bravely, whether they are humans, elves, dwarfs, cat-people, werewolves, or other races. These people are known as adventurers.
Many adventurers, blessed by their gods, challenge the massive underground labyrinth for many reasons: riches or carving their legend in history. However, the dungeon's monsters are still powerful, and many adventurers have perished and been forgotten. Those who survive grow stronger and become legends in the making.
While walking, the boy looked up at the enormous tower, Babel, before looking back to see the entrance where the adventurers entered the dungeon. He stopped in his tracks and breathed to relax.
'Come on, Bell Cranel, this is just another dungeon day like before… what's the worst that could happen?'
Bell was screaming while running away from a large black bull-like monster, a Minotaur. He ran around the environment, hoping to escape from its sight.
'Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap!' Bell cursed in his thoughts.
Bell was curious about Level Five and thought carefully about advancing to another floor after killing some monsters on Level Four. He went for it without hesitation, not recalling that his advisor was against it. As he was exploring the floor, he unfortunately encountered the Minotaur.
'Why is there a Minotaur on Level Five? Why did I come here?! I should have stopped!' Bell thought, regretting his decision.
Bell tried to run as fast as he could, but he could not shake the Minotaur off his trail because he was slowly running out of breath. Unfortunately, he met a dead end.
Feeling frustrated, Bell turned to face the Minotaur, unholstering his hunting knives. He had no other choice but to kill the monster. He knew it was more powerful than him, but he had to try.
When the Minotaur appeared in front of Bell, he gripped his weapons tightly and began to run toward the monster.
The Minotaur swung its fist at Bell, but Bell completely evaded the attack as he slid underneath it and tried to slice the tendon of the beast. However, one of his knives shattered when it hit due to the tough skin of the beast and the low-grade material of his weapon. He quickly stood up and saw his broken knife with widened eyes.
'That's not good!' Bell panicked before looking up at the Minotaur, which was turning around with a grunt.
Fortunately, something caught Bell's attention: a rusty war-door shield. He quickly looked up to see the charging Minotaur roaring. He hastily grabbed the shield and raised it to his chest.
As the Minotaur's punch made contact with the shield, its powerful impact sent Bell flying back, while the shield broke into many pieces due to its rusty condition.
Bell crashed against the wall and slid down.
The Minotaur glared at the now weaponless boy and charged at him.
Bell struggled to stand up due to the pain as he was nearing his limit. He saw the Minotaur rushing toward him. He hurriedly gathered all remaining strength to dodge the incoming attack.
When the Minotaur was about to reach Bell, it suddenly stopped, causing him confusion until its upper and lower body separated, splattering him with its blood. It exploded into black ash-like dust.
Bell wiped the blood off his face. He was surprised at the Minotaur's sudden death. He quickly looked up to see a beautiful girl with long golden-blond hair with an emotionless expression.
The girl was clad in a white dress with a breastplate. Blue, thigh-high boots covered her feet and legs, long black gloves and sleeves covered her arms, and silvery armor covered the sleeves up to her shoulders.
Bell was speechless at the sight of his savior. He would easily think that scene had turned into reality from the hero books he read as a child if it weren't for the blood. His heart skipped a beat when he stared into her golden eyes. However, he realized the situation he was in and quickly tried to recompose himself while quietly breathing to calm his nervousness.
"T-thank you for saving me," Bell said while trying to stand up. He wiped the blood from his mouth to speak.
The girl nodded. "It's no problem. I hope I didn't cause you any trouble."
"Not at all. I'm glad you made it in time. Who knows how many people would have died if you hadn't arrived sooner," Bell said in a cheerful tone.
The girl only tilted her head in confusion at Bell's joyful attitude, considering he was almost killed by the Minotaur. Before she could ask him, she heard him sigh in exasperation and glanced at him examining himself.
"This is going to be hard to wash away, along with possible damage to my equipment," Bell mumbled quietly.
Having a high-level status, the girl was able to hear Bell's mumbling and felt guilty for ruining his clothes.
"I'm sorry," the girl apologized to Bell.
"No, it's not your fault. You saved me from the monster, and I'm thankful for it. Besides, I'm at fault for trying to fight instead of running away," Bell replied, denying the girl's apology before asking, "Do you know where I can wash the blood off myself?"
"When you reach the surface, there is a shower area in Babel. Just ask the staff who are working there."
"Thank you."
Bell nodded, and when he was about to turn, he was stopped by the girl.
"Wait, you forgot about this."
Bell saw something in the girl's hand: an amethyst purple-colored crystal.
"No, you can keep it since this is your kill."
"But…"
"I insist you have the magic stone. Again, thank you."
Smiling, Bell nodded again and ran toward the direction leading to the surface while waving his hand. While running, he was panicking and stammering inside.
'I-I-I t-t-talked to a b-beautiful g-girl, eeehhh!' Bell screamed in his thoughts while blushing. Fortunately, he was still covered in blood and would not look as red as a tomato for the whole conversation.
Unknown to Bell, a gray-haired man with wolf ears laughed at him because he ran while covered in blood.
Bell was now walking through the busy street, wearing a dry black long-sleeve shirt. His bloodied coat was stored in the bag he was carrying. He had washed the coat to get rid of some of the blood, but unfortunately, some stains remained, much to his annoyance.
Bell stopped in front of a giant building and entered it to cash in his earnings before heading back home. When he entered, he saw lots of black-uniformed staff and adventurers in the hall. He briefly glanced around before making his way to the receptionist's counter. He was greeted by a female half-elf with shoulder-length brown hair and green emerald-colored eyes along with her glasses.
"Bell, good to see you," greeted the half-elf before noticing Bell's body language, "Is something wrong?"
"No, Miss Eina. I'm just really worn out," Bell gave the half-elf, Eina, a tired smile.
"What happened? You're usually not back for a few more hours."
"About that…"
Bell would mentally regret telling Eina his story.
"YOU WENT TO THE FIFTH FLOOR AND GOT ATTACKED BY A MINOTAUR!?" Eina screamed, attracting everyone's attention. Realizing her outburst, she quickly bowed and apologized, blushing in embarrassment. She turned to Bell with a stern expression. "Come with me, Bell."
"Yes, Miss Eina," Bell regretfully acknowledged as he bowed in shame and followed her.
Bell and Eina decided to talk privately in a room designated for conversations between adventurers and their advisors about the dungeon. They sat opposite each other.
After Bell finished his story, Eina massaged her temples as she was having a headache from listening.
"Seriously… You're lucky that the Sword Princess managed to save you in time," said Eina.
"Sword Princess?" asked Bell, tilting his head.
Sighing at Bell's cluelessness, Eina began to explain, "You know, Ais Wallenstein of the Loki Familia, the one you mentioned saved you."
"Oh, so that's what her name was…"
"What were you thinking, going to the fifth floor anyway?"
Bell laughed nervously as he couldn't tell her that he was curious to explore despite Eina's protest. Not just because he was simply bored. He bowed apologetically.
"I'm sorry, it won't happen again. I swear."
Eina sighed again but smiled. "I'm really happy that you're safe, but be more careful next time. It doesn't matter if you were trained by someone to fight or not, one small mistake could still end you."
Bell smiled at Eina while noticing a sadness in her eyes. He knew several adventurers before he had been killed in the dungeon. It saddened her that they had not taken her advice seriously sometimes. He began to make sure that he would stay alive; otherwise, she would be sad… or furious enough to drag him back from the dead for an earful of nagging.
Nevertheless, Bell liked Eina as a company because she provided him with advice and lessons on the dungeon.
After the private conversation with Eina, Bell exchanged the monster drops for money. Before he left, he called out, "Thank you, Eina, love you!"
Bell ran off with a smile, leaving the blushing half-elf behind. It took him a second to realize what he had said, and he blushed.
Bell looked up to see an orange sky, indicating it was sundown. His talk with Eina had taken longer than expected, but he was not bothered by it. He slowed his running pace as he recalled the time he was taught combat by a beautiful female elf, hired by his adopted grandfather for two weeks in his home village. He wondered how his grandfather had hired her, despite being a pervert. He felt pity for his grandfather, as Bell's elf master had beaten him badly for influencing Bell with his deviant ways.
"How dare you corrupt your grandchild by teaching him about seducing a woman and building a harem!?"
"It is part of growing up!"
"GROWING UP, MY FOOT! YOU OLD BASTARD!"
Having reminisced enough, Bell turned into an alleyway. He went through the path until he reached an opening. He saw an old and abandoned church, with rocks and debris scattered around it. The most noticeable object was a log sticking out of the ground with sliced marks all over it.
Bell entered the building and was greeted by rundown benches and a broken altar. He walked to the corner where there was a door and opened it. He continued to walk down the stairs, opened another door, and entered to see a slightly cleaned area with a large but old-looking bed in the corner and an old sofa on the side. He was suddenly interrupted by a hug from a short girl with long black hair tied in twin ponytails, wearing a white dress with a blue ribbon.
"Bell, it's good to see you," the girl greeted Bell.
"You too, Goddess Hestia," Bell greeted back as he returned the hug.
The duo released their hug as Hestia looked at Bell with a smile.
"How was your trip to the dungeon?"
"Hahaha, it was okay, except there was an incident in the dungeon today."
"An incident?" Hestia raised her eyebrow. "What happened?"
Bell laughed nervously while scratching his cheek, making Hestia stare at him in question. He began to explain his story, including being chased by the Minotaur, trying to fight it, and being saved by Ais.
This caused Hestia to examine his body for injuries. When she found none, she sighed in relief but then scolded him for being reckless—another scolding from Hestia after Eina.
After the scolding, Hestia sighed and shook her head before smiling. "Let's update your status."
Bell nodded. He took off his shirt and lay on the bed, facing down for Hestia to update his status.
Hestia almost blushed at Bell's physical body as he was in great shape. She had seen him shirtless multiple times and thought she could adapt to it. However, there were a few scars all over his body. She shook her head and focused on checking his status.
Bell was not bothered when he felt her straddle his hips and saw her gloves being dropped to his side when he turned his head to the side. He felt a single drop of her blood hit the hieroglyph design of flames burning out of the cauldron on his back. He relaxed and let Hestia work.
As Hestia finished checking, she placed the paper on Bell's back to record his updated status. She slid off his hips, letting him sit up on the bed.
"So, how's it looking?" Bell asked as Hestia handed him the paper.
Bell began to look at his updated status and sighed in dissatisfaction. He did not receive a skill, although he knew that his status, like many other adventurers, would take months or years to level up. He had no magic either.
Bell's strength, agility, and dexterity had increased by a couple of points while the rest remained unchanged.
Hestia patted Bell on the back. "Don't be discouraged, Bell. I know it's a long run, but trust your abilities so you can reach your own goal."
Bell smiled, knowing Hestia was trying to console him. "Thank you, Hestia."
"How about I cook our dinner?"
"May I help?"
"No, Bell. Let me cook for you since you deserve a good rest from the dungeons."
"But…"
"You are the first child that I have ever recruited. I may be a useless and lazy goddess, but I try my best to support you."
Bell sighed and smiled. "Of course."
Hestia smiled back as she stood up and walked to the kitchen area.
As Hestia prepared dinner, Bell lay back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. He reminisced about where his journey to Orario began after his grandfather's passing. He left his village because there was no one to stay with besides his few friends, and he desired to see the outside world and pursue his dream of becoming a hero.
Bell knew his dream was childish, but it was worth following because he had read various heroes' stories with his grandfather. Most of them ended with tragedy and emotion. However, his grandfather taught him their journey was more important than the ending.
Fortunately, Bell was accompanied by a friend who was his grandfather's request. His grandfather's friend was his mentor too, after his elf tutor. Their journey was filled with many meaningful experiences, such as contentment, hardship, laughter, loss, and more. They also made friends along the way. Some were mostly his mentor's friends and acquaintances, while others were strangers. He gained valuable experience and lessons from them.
Bell wondered about his master's whereabouts and how he was doing. They had parted ways, with Bell heading to Orario and his mentor going overseas to meet up with his companions.
"Bell, dinner is almost ready!"
Bell stood up from his bed and walked over to the table. He saw Hestia bringing bowls of yellowish liquid with bits of potato, carrot, and meat to the table. He smiled at her as she tried her best to cook because he had taught her a basic and easy recipe, although she already knew how to cook.
"You cooked well, Goddess," Bell commented.
Hestia chuckled. "Thank you, Bell, because you are the one who taught me to cook."
The duo enjoyed their dinner while having a conversation about their day. Although the soup was a little off-balance to their taste, they were not bothered by it.
Hestia yawned loudly while holding a cup of hot coffee. She had to wake up early due to her job at the food stand selling potato snacks. She needed to earn money for herself and Bell because they were a small-time Familia that everyone tended to forget. She was, however, unaffected because she learned that every Familia in Orario needed to pay different amounts of taxes. Big Familia like Loki Familia had to pay a huge amount to the Guild, while a small Familia like hers paid less.
As Bell stopped swinging, he wiped the sweat off his forehead with his forearm and turned to the still-rising sun. He let his breath out and relaxed. He then turned to Hestia and entered the church to greet her.
"Good morning, Goddess," Bell greeted Hestia warmly.
"Morning, Bell." Hestia smiled before yawning loudly.
"You hungry?" asked Bell.
Hestia nodded and hummed. "I want to eat simple bread and butter."
"Of course."
As the duo reached the basement, Hestia paused in her tracks and widened her eyes. She quickly turned her head to Bell.
"Ah! I forgot to tell you last night that you got a package," Hestia said before jogging away.
"Really?" asked Bell, surprised.
"Yes, one of the guild staff gave it to me to pass on to you."
Hestia walked to Bell with a wooden box and handed it to him. Bell opened it to see a wrapped dagger and a piece of paper. He walked to the couch, sat down, and grabbed the paper, which appeared to be a letter. He began to read it.
Dear Rabbit,
Bell wearily sighed, knowing the package was sent by his elf tutor, but continued to read.
I heard that you arrived in Orario and became an adventurer. Well done. You have learned from my training to stay cautious and active when danger is around. Anyway, here's a gift I sent you. It is a dagger, obviously. There is nothing special about it, but it may help you in the dungeon and on your long journey. Some common weapons in Orario are pieces of crap, to be honest. Even though it is a starter weapon for a fresh newbie like you, they should at least make it more durable against powerful monsters and last a very long time! And the hell with the stupid price because it costs equal to 100 pieces of bread in total?!
Bell snickered at his tutor's rambling about weapon problems.
Enough with my complaining. It saddens me to miss you, but you are one of the few students who meet my expectations. I will always remember you in my mind and heart. Plus, you need to lose your innocence to become a man to a woman whom you love!
Bell groaned in annoyance with a little blush because his tutor was always a shameless woman, but she was not worse than his grandfather.
Anyway, good luck with your journey and I wish you good fortune, Bell Cranel.
Sincerely, your tutor, Beatrix.
"Wow, your tutor is something…" Hestia commented after reading the letter too.
"She can be an airhead sometimes, haha…" replied Bell.
Bell laid the paper on the table and took the wrapped weapon out of the box. He unwrapped each cloth. It was revealed to be a dagger that loosely resembled a makhaira. Its blade was longer than a typical dagger but shorter than a short sword. Its point was curved, and the hilt was beautifully designed.
'An Elven Dagger…' Bell thought, recognizing and examining his new weapon.
"You're blessed to have a master who cares for you and taught you to fight, even though this gift will not impress Hephaestus."
Bell chuckled as he mentally thanked Beatrix for his two-week training.
After breakfast, Hestia and Bell parted ways as they headed to their respective locations; Hestia went to the food stand while Bell went to Babel Tower.
Bell was, unfortunately, wearing a different coat as his previous one was still drying. His new coat was gray with black detailing. He strolled while mentally preparing for the dungeon, hoping he would dodge any trouble like the previous day. He still felt hungry after eating bread and butter but had to deal with it.
'I have to try out the new weapon Beatrix gifted me,' Bell thought as he looked at his new weapon holstered on his waist.
However, Bell stopped in his tracks as he began to dart his eyes around his surroundings. Despite having no skill, he was taught to strengthen his senses. He felt an intense gaze that made his skin crawl, but it suddenly disappeared. He had many questions about the direction of the gaze.
"Excuse me?"
The white-haired boy snapped around, only to see a girl with light gray hair and eyes. She was dressed in a light green waitress uniform with a white apron, resembling a maid.
"Eeep."
Bell turned to face the maid and took a calm breath. "I'm sorry, Miss."
"It's alright, you seem to be on edge today," the waitress reassured Bell with a slight blush that he noticed. She held out a small crystal the size of a thumbnail. "I noticed you dropped this and wanted to return it to you."
Bell couldn't help but rub the back of his head in embarrassment. "Ah, sorry… I could've sworn I turned them in yesterday."
Bell held out his hand, and the waitress placed the crystal onto his palm. However, he remembered his second master's words during their journey. He recalled that people would do something random and ridiculous to advertise their business in the city. He glanced at the maid and knew what she was doing.
"Ahm, are you trying to trick me?" Bell questioned carefully.
"N-No," the waitress answered cutely, lying. She never thought the boy would figure it out so quickly. "W-well, I—"
A loud growling cut the maid off. They looked at each other before looking down at his stomach.
Bell blushed in embarrassment.
"Wait a second, Mister Adventurer," the waitress said before rushing into the building they were in front of.
As the waitress was gone, Bell turned his head and realized the building was large. He noticed the signboard and saw 'Hostess of Fertility.' He had heard it was a famous pub in Orario and a Familia hotspot. He learned that the maid belonged to the pub.
When the waitress returned, she carried a small basket with her. "The kitchen isn't open yet, so this isn't much, but if you like," she held out the basket to Bell.
"Huh?!" Bell was startled before shaking his head. "No, I couldn't… Isn't this your lunch?"
The waitress looked at Bell thoughtfully for a second. "This is my apology for frightening you and trying to scam you."
Bell could only smile awkwardly as he chose whether to accept or decline. He was always stuck between choices when a girl offered him something. He looked at the waitress, still wearing an innocent smile. He sighed in tiredness and accepted the basket.
"Thank you, but what can I do to return the favor?"
"In that case, you will have dinner at Hostess of Fertility tonight."
Bell remained silent while mentally berating himself for falling easily for any girl. He always remembered his grandfather's teachings to treat any kind of female with kindness and respect. It was both a blessing and a curse. He could almost hear his acquaintances laughing at him from outside. Letting out a loud sigh, he accepted his fate.
"Fine."
"That's great! Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Syr Flova."
"Bell Cranel."
Syr giggled, "See you in the pub. I'll be waiting."
The two smiled before parting. Bell continued to walk while taking food out of the basket, which was revealed to be one of the half sandwiches. He took a bite and chewed. It didn't taste bad, but he heard a crunch in his mouth and considered Syr to be a bad cook. However, he still wondered about the intense gaze he felt before meeting the waitress and was almost certain it did not come from her.
A dog-headed humanoid monster swung its claw at Bell.
Bell evaded the monster's attack and swiftly swung his dagger across its chest, spilling blood. He lunged, stabbing its stomach, and turned his other dagger upward to strike its chin. He removed his weapon as the monster burst into black ashes.
'Wow…' Bell thought, examining his elven daggers with amazement. 'This new dagger can cut and stab deep.' He felt proud that he was able to kill the monster easily with his dagger and was able to utilize it well. He was thankful to Beatrix.
Bell noticed the crystal on the ground and walked toward it. He took his bag off his back and scooped the crystal up. He opened the bag, revealing a few crystals inside.
The white-haired boy sighed in disappointment at the amount he had made. He scanned his surroundings to spot any remaining monsters, but there were unfortunately none. He thought he might have cleared the floor too quickly or that other adventurers had already cleared it out. He began to think about going to another floor, but he promised Eina not to descend because of his current level.
Bell chuckled when a certain thought came to mind: adventure. He recalled his journey with his second master after leaving his village a few days ago.
"What is an adventure, Bell?"
A young Bell looked up to see a man wearing a dark gray and golden chest plate over his red shirt and vambrace on both arms; the left one matched the chest plate in color, while the right one was golden. His shoulder pad covered his left shoulder, and his armored boots reached below his knee. His cloak was black. This man was Bell's second master and companion.
The duo paused their walk on the path through the open grass field. The man looked at Bell with a brown eye.
"...To explore?"
"Yes, but there is more to it," the man stated, merely nodding.
"What do you mean, Adrian?" Bell asked, using the man's name.
Adrian turned to the side to see hills, trees, and flowers.
Bell followed his direction while feeling a breeze passing by. He honestly found the environment to be quiet and relaxing.
"Adventure can mean many different things from people's perspectives: to explore the unknown or to find something along the journey. Mine is the same as other people's, but it also involves encountering different kinds of people and making new friends if possible," Adrian explained, still looking at the scene. "I treasure them so that I remember my past journeys… including the ones we lost." He smiled sadly.
Bell could not say anything as he felt the sorrow in the air coming from Adrian. He knew that Adrian had lost someone he cared for, including Bell's grandfather. However, he felt a sudden touch on his head and turned back to see Adrian rubbing his white hair.
"Even if we remember our grief, we shall not lose sight of the journey and continue forward," Adrian said as he removed his hand from Bell's head. "What is adventure to you?"
"It is…"
A tap on his shoulder caused Bell to turn around and see a female adventurer.
"Are you alright?" A girl with a red ponytail and green eyes asked Bell out of concern.
"Yes, I am," answered Bell.
"Phew, I thought you were traumatized or scared in the dungeon."
Bell laughed nervously at the girl's straightforwardness. He noticed she was not alone; she was with two companions: a pallum girl with light pink medium-length hair and brown eyes, and another girl with a light blue ponytail and red eyes.
"I have to go, Miss…"
"Alise Lovell, beautiful and proud captain of Astraea Familia!"
"Captain?!"
Bell was shocked at Alise's introduction, as it was his first time meeting the captain of a Familia.
"What's wrong? Feeling stunned by me?" asked Alise smugly.
"Knock it off, Alise. That boy is shocked at meeting popular people like you," the short girl intervened.
"Heh, right, Lyra," Alise replied as she glanced at Bell. "May I know your name, Mister?"
"Bell Cranel, Hestia Familia." Bell introduced himself to the group.
"Hestia?" The blue-haired girl furrowed her brow in question.
"My Familia started two weeks ago, and I'm the only member," explained Bell.
"Rough start, isn't it?" inquired Lyra.
Bell turned to Lyra with a chuckle, "Yes, but my goddess and I can manage it." He closed his bag and wore it over his shoulders. "It's nice to meet you, but I have to go since I'm done with dungeon diving today."
"Okay, and have a nice rest, Bell!"
"You too!"
As Bell walked to the surface after bidding farewell to the group, he did not notice that his back began to glow.
"Hestia, I'm home!" Bell announced the moment he entered the basement. He braced himself as usual, but nothing happened.
There was no noise of thumping footsteps and no cry of excitement. It was completely silent.
"Goddess?" Bell called out, but there was no response.
Bell entered the room. He glanced around, seeing no signs of a break-in or anything unusual. However, he quickly noticed a folded paper on the table. He sighed in relief, knowing Hestia was safe and had probably left a note for him. He walked toward it and unfolded the paper to read.
Bell,
Unfortunately, I won't be able to join you tonight. I was invited to a party by the owner of the potato snack cart. I couldn't exactly refuse since I helped her out. Worry not, I did get some extra food and groceries today while I was out.
Feel free to make yourself dinner. I don't know how long I'll be out precisely, but I don't expect to return until after you normally go to sleep.
Again, sorry for the sudden notice. I hope you have a good night.
Hestia.
"Well, I was planning on inviting Hestia to the pub with me, but I suppose that's just how the world works." Bell mused as he folded the paper back. He checked himself and found no tear or hole in his coat, much to his relief.
"I hope nothing troublesome happens tonight."
Bell breathed out as he stood outside the pub, the boisterous sounds of dozens of people escaping the building. When he entered, he was greeted with lively and cheerful cheers from numerous adventurers and customers. Inside, it was just a typical tavern he had often seen when traveling, but the waitresses were different.
The boy observed everything and everyone around the large room, but what caught his interest were the waitresses.
Their movements were smooth and precise, and their steps had no faults.
He noticed two waitresses: a black-haired girl with cat ears moving like an assassin and a light brown-haired girl moving akin to a fighter specialized in fist-fighting, dodging people while holding a tray.
Bell was very observant due to Adrian's lessons. He was taught different fighting stances and how to observe his surroundings to use any means necessary to win a fight.
"Bell, you came!"
Hearing a familiar voice, Bell snapped out of his thoughts and turned in the direction of the voice. He saw Syr running toward him with a cute smile.
"T-thank you for the food you had g-given me." Bell bowed while trying to fix his stammering. He could not help but stutter with Syr in front of him.
Syr only giggled while waving her hand. "No problem, as long as you are happy," she said with a slight blush. "Come on, I'll show you where you're going to sit."
Bell followed Syr as she led him to a seat near the counter, where he saw a large and muscular woman. He fully believed she was the owner of the pub. She noticed him.
"Oh, you must be the guy Syr was talking about. The name is Mia, but people call me Mama Mia," the woman, Mia, introduced herself.
Syr blushed while trying to look at Mia, not Bell. "N-No, it's not like that. Please don't tease me, Mama!"
Upon Bell's first glance at Mia, he could tell she was strong. If he compared her strength to Adrian or Beatrix, he could easily conclude that neither of his masters would stand a chance but would persist in fighting her no matter the outcome.
Mia noticed Bell staring at her with observance. She could tell that he was still a starter but showed that he was proficient in fighting.
"Good. You're very observant. Not many new adventurers are very analytical of their surroundings."
"T-Thank y-you, I was trained well."
Mia chuckled, seeing the blushing Bell. "Here, have a seat." She gestured to one of the chairs near the counter.
Bell, who managed to recompose himself, nodded and went to the seat. Upon sitting, he received food almost immediately: a bowl of pasta and an equally large plate of fish. He widened his eyes in shock at the food he had not ordered yet.
"There we go! Today's special set!" Mia grinned.
Bell made a complicated expression. "I haven't even ordered yet?"
Mia laughed. "Syr already put the order in for you! So just eat up!" She turned away to return to work, leaving Bell alone to eat.
Bell sighed and decided to eat the special set since Syr had paid for it. He would not dare to waste it. As he took a bite of the pasta, he found it tasty due to the balanced sauce. The fish was soft and warm. He understood why the pub was so popular.
"You seem to enjoy the food, Bell?"
Bell perked up upon hearing an elderly man's voice and turned his head to see an old pallum man with gray hair and green eyes covered by glasses. His outfit was akin to a merchant's.
"Mister Laer…" Bell addressed the elderly man by name.
Laer sat in the chair beside Bell.
"Mama Mia, one beer, please!" Laer ordered Mia, who nodded at his order, before asking Bell, "How is your current impression of Orario, boy?"
Bell displayed a thoughtful expression and answered, "Somewhat between best and worst…"
"Asshole adventurers?"
"...Yeah, some of them, but others are not so bad."
"Mmmh, you haven't visited any districts?"
"If I have time, but this city is huge like a giant maze and some areas are yet to be discovered."
Laer chuckled. "I hope you don't run into any shady characters or adventurers, or otherwise, you will be robbed, dead, or both."
"Haha, I know what you mean," replied Bell.
Bell was acquainted with Laer despite their different ages and races. He met him at his merchant store, which normally sold herbs and spices. Laer had a few connections worldwide, such as one of Adrian's friends in charge of a trading company. Bell would sometimes buy ingredients from Laer's store for groceries.
Mia approached Laer behind the counter and placed the mug. "There you go, merchant."
"Thanks." Laer appreciated Mia.
Mia darted left and right between Bell and Laer before asking, "You two know each other?"
"Yes, the boy is my regular customer," Laer answered. "By the way, I will have my employee deliver my product to you by next week."
"Thanks," Mia chuckled.
"Mister Laer," Bell joined the conversation. "Is your store doing fine?"
"We're doing alright. Business is usually normal as always," replied Laer, shrugging before drinking.
"Mister Laer…"
"Don't call me 'Mister,' it makes me feel old."
"Laer, do you need some help with it?" asked Bell.
Laer shook his head. "No, you don't have to worry about it. I already have my employee and assistant to look after my shop."
Bell bit a piece of fish and chewed. He glanced at the remaining food and mentally sighed at the large portion. He could not finish it in his current physical state as he was still a teenager. He turned to Laer. "Laer, do you want some of my share?" he offered.
After a moment of silence, Laer shrugged. "Sure, why not? I haven't eaten my lunch."
"How nice of you to share food with this old man," Mia complimented after listening to the duo's conversation while refilling a customer's cup. "I will get the girl to bring a plate and utensils for you." She turned to one of the waitresses. "Ryu! Can you get this old merchant a plate, fork, and knife?"
A stoic, golden blonde-haired woman with long ears turned to Mia. "Yes, Mama Mia." She nodded and walked to the kitchen area.
"This pasta dish tastes delicious, just as I expected. Your chef made good use of my product."
"Thanks for your comment, Laer! I will pass on your compliment to May."
While Laer and Mia were having a short conversation, Syr approached Bell with a tray. "Are you having fun?" she asked him.
Bell nodded.
Syr sighed in satisfaction. "Isn't it great how many different kinds of people come here? When there are so many people, there's so much to discover. I can't help but get excited. You could say that my hobby is meeting new people. It makes my heart pound," she explained excitedly as she placed her hand on her heart.
Bell looked around and smiled softly. All these people were playing, eating, drinking, and laughing together. It reminded him of his grandfather having fun dinners with his friends, including Adrian and himself. It was a happy memory he cherished every day. He continued eating his food.
"Nya! The customers with reservations have arrived!" A brown-haired waitress with cat ears announced as she let the guests enter.
Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at them with widened eyes.
A young woman with red ponytail hair and red eyes entered first. She was dressed in a shirt that exposed her stomach and jeans with black stockings. Everyone recognized her as a goddess. Behind her was her Familia, consisting of different races. Among them was Aiz, who entered last.
"Hey, she's gorgeous!"
"You idiot! Look at the emblem! She's from the Loki Familia!"
"You mean the Giant-Killing Familia? So that's the Sword Princess?"
Bell continued eating as he eyed the group, especially the girl who had saved him yesterday in the Dungeon.
"Ah, the Loki Familia, they're some of our regulars here," Syr smiled.
"Is that so?"
"Yep. Anyway, I'd like to talk to you more, but I have to serve the other customers or Mama Mia will be mad at me."
Syr turned away to tend to the other customers, leaving Bell to eat in peace and silence.
Bell didn't bother to glance at the Loki Familia since he wasn't one of them, and it would be rude to eavesdrop on their business. He went back to eating his food, savoring it until he was satisfied, although there was still a little left. Suddenly, he heard a loud yell.
"Hey, Ais! How about we tell the others about that one?!"
Bell turned to sneak a glance at the Loki Familia's table, spotting Ais' slightly frowning expression.
The yell came from a werewolf male who had drunk a few pints.
"Argh, I hope that drunk wolf boy stays dead from drinking too much," Laer cursed, causing Bell to sweatdrop.
Ais let out a breath, "Enough, Bete."
Bete smirked, "What do you mean enough? Everyone should know just how bad he did! He froze in front of the minotaur!"
The dark green-haired elf frowned, "Quiet down, Bete."
Bete snorted, "Shut it, hag! You should've seen what happened when Ais killed the minotaur! The wimp got himself drenched in blood like a tomato!" He continued his drunken rant, much to the discomfort of his teammates.
Bell was honestly furious at Bete but knew that he was right to some extent. However, he controlled himself from outbursts at the werewolf because it would make the situation worse. All he could do was leave before paying. He looked up and found Mia staring at the Loki Familia's table with a distasteful expression.
"Mama Mia?"
Mia turned when she heard Bell, "Hmm, what's up, young man?"
Bell placed a small pouch of money on the table, "How much do I owe you?"
Mia raised an eyebrow, "Hmm? You're almost done. You wanna pay now?"
"The food's very delicious, but I just lost my appetite. Sorry."
The dwarf glanced at Bete and connected the dots, "Don't worry about the bill, it's on the house."
"No, I can't do that. I'm not sure about the amount I owe Syr, but I'll drop by tomorrow if I owe anything more," Bell said before turning to Laer. "It's nice to see you for a while, Laer. If I run out, I will visit you to buy some of your products."
Laer looked at Bell. "You too, boy."
With that said, Bell silently left the pub in a hurry, carefully not showing his frustration, but he was not unnoticed by Ais and Syr.
Bell walked through the empty street in irritation, wanting to punch the werewolf in the face. Even so, he agreed with him that he was weak and always had to be saved by someone. What if his savior wasn't around to save him? What if he was unable to kill a monster with his current strength? What if he failed to save anyone's life?
Bell stopped in his tracks and shut his eyes before reopening them. He looked up to see the moon and sighed in tiredness. He looked over at the Babel Tower with a single thought.
Bell recklessly sliced and stabbed every monster he came across. He gripped his weapon tightly, facing a shadow-like monster. His right arm received a slash mark when the shadow monster made the first move. He dodged its continuous attacks until he swiftly stabbed through its single eye.
A long tongue shot at Bell but missed as he ducked down and swiftly sliced it off.
Bell turned to see a fog-like monster yelping in pain. He unhesitatingly darted from the ground and launched himself, piercing its eye in a single motion. However, he did not anticipate the monster thrashing around. He was thrown into the wall. He coughed but took no time as he kicked off the wall and ran his weapon down at it. It burst, splashing its gore on him.
Bell huffed and took a breath. He felt the stream of blood oozing out of the wound on his right arm. It caused his grip to be slippery with his weapon. He, however, ignored it despite the blood still boiling. It did not bother him at all with the few cuts and bruises he had now.
'Kobold, Goblin, Jack Bird, Lizard, Frog Shooter, War Shadow…' Bell thought about the monsters he had killed.
Bell looked down to see his now damaged chest plate, which came from the recent War Shadow. He dropped down and lay on the floor, feeling tired from fighting. He wondered what kind of idiot he was, thinking of fighting as many monsters as possible to vent his frustration. He should have gone back to the church, but instead, he chose the dungeon. He chuckled as he could hear someone in the past scolding him for being reckless. He closed his eyes and recalled Adrian's question: What is Adventure?
Hearing a cracking noise, he opened his eyes and stood up. He ripped a piece off his coat and wrapped it around his wound. He prepared his fighting stance, eyeing the surroundings where various monsters were coming out of the walls. He already had his answer to Adrian's question.
'To find the path to becoming a hero,' Bell thought as he leaped forward to fight.
Bell walked up the stairs, wobbling. He felt burns and aches due to hundreds of small cuts and bruises on his entire body. His torn coat and pants were stained with blood. His white hair was soaked in red. He did not have any healing potions or any form of healing in general. He did not know how much time had passed, but he did not care.
As the boy reached the surface, he fortunately saw no one in the area and continued to walk. He needed to find a nearby clinic as fast as he could before he fainted. However, he tripped and fell forward. He winced at the oozing blood on his leg but forced himself to stand and kept walking. He stopped in his tracks as he came across a brown-haired muscular man. He and the stranger looked at each other as if they both knew each other until Bell smiled.
"You're the stupidest person I have ever seen, Bell."
"Hehe. Sorry, Onfroi."
"It's Doctor when you're a patient here."
Bell was covered in bandages and sitting on the bed. He was given a new set of clothes to wear because his previous ones were not in shape to be sewn. He scanned around the room to see a couple of beds, a bedside table, and stool chairs. It was very quiet as he and the doctor were the only ones in the room. Onfroi's clinic.
Onfroi pulled off his blood-stained plastic gloves and threw them into a small bucket. He grabbed a box of bottles and placed it on the bedside table beside Bell.
"Here are three medical potions for your wounds only. Use them to apply to your body to heal up. I recommend you stay out of the dungeon for a week until you heal. Don't overexert yourself, or otherwise, your wounds will reopen," Onfroi instructed Bell sternly.
"I understand, doctor," Bell acknowledged, not wanting to upset him.
Bell met Onfroi when he and Hestia came across him saving a person's life. Onfroi owned a clinic in the lower-class district to treat everyone's sickness because he desired to treat them to their fullest health. He assisted them in helping out the orphanage when Hestia visited. Despite not knowing Onfroi's past, Bell respectfully decided not to pry.
"Good," Onfroi replied before looking out the window to see the night outside. He then turned to Bell, "Go to sleep. I will send a message to Hestia before I sleep."
As Onfroi took a tray of medical tools and a small bucket, he left the room, leaving Bell alone.
Bell looked out the window to see a starry night and reminisced. He remembered his journey with Adrian, meeting all kinds of people such as a strong-headed Village Chief, Dragon Slayer, Charming Bard, Wandering Warrior, etc.
When a yawn escaped his mouth, Bell felt too exhausted to think. He lay on the bed and slowly closed his eyes, drifting to sleep. He hoped the next morning would be peaceful as well.
"Hahaha…"
"BELL, YOU IDIOT!"
When Bell woke up, he was greeted by the screaming Hestia. He apologized many times while she scolded him for his recklessness and almost dying. This led to a funny sight for Onfroi, the only active person here.
Bell cursed himself again because he had jinxed himself many times. However, it did not matter to him now. As Hestia finished scolding, he looked at his bandaged arm and clenched his fist.
"Hestia," Bell said, still focusing on his arm.
"Hmmm?" Hestia looked at Bell curiously, wondering what he was going to say.
Bell turned to face Hestia with a determined expression. "I want to become strong."
Hestia sighed tiredly at Bell, considering him as stubborn as a mule, but smiled warmly. She then patted his back lightly.
"I know you will."
Extra Notes
There are some things you need to know about this story:
- Bell is aged up to fifteen and trained to fight by two OC masters that I created. His personality is the same as his canon counterpart, but he has matured. He is not as shy but still gets nervous when he interacts with beautiful girls like Aiz and Syr.
- Bell is no stranger to killing a person, but he decides not to unless it is absolutely necessary and considers it a last resort because the Danmachi world is quite harsh and filled with cruel and twisted people who deserve to die.
- Bell's desire to be a hero is the same as in the canon, but I have modified it a bit.
- The Astrea Familia still goes through a tragedy but is saved by someone who will be revealed later. Some members are dead, and they serve as a special police force, similar to the Ganesha Familia. Ryu will still go on her rampage like in the canon and get hired at the Hostess of Fertility, but she will return to adventuring later and rejoin her Familia (while still working as a waitress part-time).
Don't expect a big plot to happen because the next two or three chapters will be about Bell exploring Orario and meeting new people, including his slice-of-life moments. I will try to limit it to one or none.
As for why I didn't put Bell's adventure stats in this chapter, I will put it in the next chapter. As I said in the beginning, I had little knowledge of its lore and how the world works.
Also, there's one thing I learned from Dungeons & Dragons: adventure is nothing without danger, wildness, goofiness, and weirdness. So I may try to make Bell's previous and current journeys reflect what I learned from D&D.
That's all for now. There may be more to come later, but don't expect daily updates. Leave your review on this chapter and story.
See you later.