Hello everyone, it's been a while, hasn't it?
First off, I want to give a massive apology to those who have been waiting a long time for a new update.
I admit, while I had a lot of good ideas for what I wanted to add to this story, unfortunately they were executed extremely poorly, and I fully admit that I had bungled hard on the delivery.
I just wasn't satisfied with how this story was going, and so I made the painful decision of rewriting this story from the ground up.
Don't worry, the basic tenets of this story are still the same. Bell is still born sick, he makes his promise to Alfia, and gets accepted to Freya Familia. That stuff won't be changed, but hopefully this time it'll be told in a more believable and entertaining form.
And one without excessively long and bloated chapters.
To keep it brief, both this and the next chapter are almost the same as the old first chapter, though now much more concise and to the point, rather than having so many exposition dumps this time. I do apologize for the disappointment, but I promise that this story will be back into full swing and on my top list of priorities.
I did say that I wouldn't abandon this story, and like Bell's vow, I aim to keep it.
Sit back, relax, and let me know how you guys find this rewrite!
Chapter 1: Hero's Beginning
If there was one thing Zeus loved more than women, it was heroes.
It didn't matter how much of an impact they made on the world, whether they defeated a dangerous world-ending monster, or rescued a young maiden, they were all heroes in his heart.
For as long as the mortal children of the Gods have been around, he had always looked fondly on their triumphs and failures, their despair and hopes, and their struggle to survive in a world that offered no mercy.
And no one had caught his attention like Argonaut.
Watching his rise from a meager dreamer and fantasizer of herodom, to a clown who brought forth smiles and hope to all the lives he touched, was the most fun he had ever experienced in all his years of existence. Never could he have imagined that he would laugh so hard, or be so enthralled by a simple jester's comedic journey.
It lit a fire in him that not even the Primordial Flame could match.
When the Mercenary King Albert Waldstein drove away the Black Dragon, he, and many others, took their chance.
They descended to the Lower World, and offered their blood to empower their Children. They would create Familias, and make the world a better place.
He had spent nearly an entire millennium on the Lower World, gathering his own band of heroes alongside his overly jealous counterpart Hera, and together, they established Orario and protected it from the threat of the Dungeon.
Many heroes came and went, all of them leaving their own mark on history and enriching the lives of those around them. Zeus had a long memory, and had permanently etched each and every one of them into the annals of Time through story and folktale.
He had cherished each and every child in his Familia, and loved watching them write their own stories and future. Even if his Familia was a giant sausage fest without a single woman among their ranks (a true crime against the Gods in his opinion, though his 'wife' would beg to differ), he was proud of each and every one of them.
And yet, none of them were him. None of them had yet to make his heart swell with joy as Argonaut did.
Oh, he knew he'd eventually return to this world, and when that happened, he couldn't wait to see what he would do in this new life.
…
…
…
It was such a shame then, that when Argonaut finally did return, it was in such tragic circumstances.
Zeus found himself standing inside a dimly lit and eerily quiet church, the haunting silence only broken by a few scattered sobs and the sound of tears dripping onto the floor.
A young woman, barely even 18, with white hair as brilliant as the moon and a pair of blue eyes more vibrant than the sky and oceans, lay on her soon-to-be deathbed, clutching her newly born baby to her bosom.
Like a grandfather watching his daughter-in-law mourn for the loss of her husband, Zeus, in a rare display of humility and restraint, merely resting a comforting hand on her shoulder.
Both of them knew that such a feeble gesture would do little to assuage their grief, but no amount of words, no language in all the tongues of mortals, could ever hope to describe the sheer grief that bubbled in their hearts.
They had just heard the news this evening, and just like that, their entire world was shattered.
Zeus may have observed the mortal world for countless centuries, but even he couldn't have foreseen what was to come.
Just when did everything fall apart? When did things move so fast, going at a pace neither he, nor Hera or Ouranos, could have prepared for?
It all started when their allies, the Thor and Poseidon Familias, notified them that they were unable to contain the Behemoth and Leviathan in their respective domains.
Should they venture out, chaos would inevitably erupt across the Lower World. Even Epimetheus, blessed by the Primordial Flame itself, could do nothing against the power of the Three Black Monsters. And there were hardly any Great Spirits left to repeat the miracle of the Mercenary King.
Left with no choice, both Zeus and Hera summoned their Familias and gathered their strength to destroy these monsters once and for all.
And both succeeded… at a cost.
Each of them were exhausted, and with one of their most powerful members severely incapacitated for life.
But there was some hope. The Behemoth and Leviathan were dead, and all they needed was some time to recuperate and gather their strength. The clock was ticking, and the pendulum was swinging. Things were set into motion, but at least they had the time to prepare for what's to come.
It turns out, they didn't have any time left.
The One-Eyed Black Dragon was roused from its slumber by the rampage of its fellow Beasts, and unfortunately, it was an existence that far surpassed even the Behemoth and Leviathan.
There was a reason the Dragon was feared as the Black Apocalypse.
Left in a battered state, both Familias had little choice but to meet the challenge head-on with their heads held high. After all, they had survived far worse than this. They defeated the Behemoth and the Leviathan, and their wounded vice-captains were still able to fight.
They had triumphed over all those who stood in their way, and reigned supreme over Orario for a thousand years.
Surely they could face the Black Apocalypse too, right?
"…"
Zeus cast a somber gaze towards the baby boy shivering in his mother's arms. With gentle hands, he wrapped another blanket around the infant and used a napkin to dab away at the blood dripping down his mouth.
This poor, cursed infant, will never be able to see his family ever again.
In a cruel twist of fate, one of his own Familia members conceived a child with this young woman, the most beloved member of Hera Familia. How such a miracle occurred right under everyone's noses was beyond him, and sadly, it would be a story lost to the sands of Time.
The boy's father was dead, having proven in that doomed battle that even the meekest of cowards were capable of the greatest feats of bravery. But at what cost?
The woman, Meteria, lacked any of the superhuman talent of her twin sister. Born sickly and frail, she spent her days living in this very church, unable to leave for long periods of time or join her Familia in the Dungeon. And yet, despite life constantly shouldering her with so many burdens and curses, she always managed to keep a smile on her face.
This was the first time in all her life where she found herself unable to do so.
She had lost her lover, lost her friends and family, and soon, she would never be able to look upon her baby boy ever again.
Not in this life at least.
Though she always treasured the life she had, cursed and bleak as it was, she always hoped that any child she bore would not bear the same sickness as she and her sister. Both of them were on borrowed time, and even if she were to die tonight, it would have been worth it to see her baby be born healthy and happy.
Imagine her horror, when she glanced at her son for the first time, watched him take his first breath… and then vomit blood all over her chest.
Zeus had seen many a sickness over the years, remembering the days of the Great Plague with a frown, but even the most deathly-ill patients of that time couldn't hold a candle to the boy nestled in her embrace.
It was as if the entire world had decided to curse him the moment he was conceived.
Thin limbs, a gaunt, sickly face, tiny droplets of blood slowly dripping down his eyes and mouth, and bloodshot eyes, the boy made every midwife and nurse wince in sympathy and horror.
No one expected him to survive long.
Fate had played one last cruel prank on the both of them, robbing him of the lively vigor that his mother tried in vain to pass on to him.
And robbing Zeus of the perfect reunion with the soul he had long admired.
Though he lacked Freya's abilities to see the colors of a person's soul, he instantly recognized the soul of that clown, returned to the world once more.
Argonaut had also lost his parents in his younger years. How ironic, that this boy would also suffer the same maligned destiny, even in this new life.
Fate was not a circle. It was a spiral, events and people often echoing each other, but never matching exactly.
Zeus knew that this boy and Argonaut were not complete carbon copies of one other. Though the clown had reincarnated, the Gods in Heaven made sure that the souls of the deceased were scrubbed clean of their past lives, ready to begin a new journey free from the burdens of their pasts.
This baby may not ever remember his old life, but Zeus would have eagerly watched his story regardless.
No matter what, he would always cherish every moment, every step, and every achievement this boy would set out to do, regardless of which path he took in life.
Were this a happier time, where they didn't have to deal with the Three Great Quests, and both mother and son survived the ordeal of their pregnancy, Zeus would have made his Familia celebrate and party like there was no tomorrow. A child born from the children of both his and Hera's Familia was something that no one in Orario, nay, the entire world, could have expected.
Oh for sure, Hera, her Familia of yanderes, and a certain Adventurer named Silence, would have been pissed beyond belief, but both Meteria and her baby would win them over in time.
The boy, even as sickly as he was, resembled his mother so much that even a hardass like Silence, and a jealous Goddess like Hera, would have kissed the very ground he walked on, he was sure of it.
But this isn't that happy timeline.
Meteria was already weak, and her pregnancy didn't do her any favors. All the healers who treated her had warned her that she would likely not survive childbirth, but she shouldered on anyway.
She loved children, just as he did. And if her child was born healthy and happy, then her death and suffering would have been worth it.
Could she say the same now?
As she lay there on her bed, likely minutes away from death, Zeus wondered what she was thinking to herself.
Did she curse the gods, curse the world, and herself, for her baby's suffering? Did she beg to any and every God and Spirit she knew of for mercy? Did she pray for a miracle, or for a glimmer of hope, tiny as it may be, that her son would eventually recover?
Did she wallow in despair, her spirit and soul broken by nearly two decades of pain and misery?
None of them.
Oh, she definitely weeped, but at some point, the sobbing eventually stopped. Wiping away her tear stains with a weak hand, she turned to Zeus, who widened his eyes in awe.
Meek and gentle as she was, she carried a strength of will that surpassed even the strongest Adventurers, and he witnessed the full might of that will manifest in her eyes as she stared him down.
"Lord Zeus, I have a favor to ask."
"Of course, anything."
She bit her lip, her strength wavering for a moment. "Is… is Alfia still alive?"
Zeus nodded, giving her the only good news he could think of. "Yeah, both she and Zald managed to survive, thanks to that brat finally finding his courage. They're still in rough shape, but they'll recover."
For once, a sense of relief washed over the young woman. "Alfia's still alive… thank god."
Zeus glanced at the window, noticing the clouds turn an ominous gray as rain began to pour down in droves. "Fraid we won't have much longer now. Freya and No-Boobs are gonna leap at the chance to kick me and Hera out, our achievements be damned. When it comes to Freya's zealous brats and that Prum's ambitions, we might as well be pebbles to be brushed aside. I won't be able to stay for long."
Meteria nodded, knowing all too well the power games Orario's gods played. The time when she and her sister were in Hera Familia had been filled with nothing but battle and brutality. Osiris, Sobek, and many other Familias had warred against Zeus and Hera for supremacy, and when the two remained victorious, they punished their opponents without mercy.
It would be foolish, even for someone as optimistic as her, to think that Loki and Freya would be any different.
"C-can you bring Bell with you? Take him away where he could grow up safe and happy, and raise him?"
"Bell?"
For the first time, a small smile graced the young woman's face. "That's his name, Bell Cranel."
Zeus raised an eyebrow at the surname, but nodded in agreement. It was a rather fitting name for the child, all things considered. No doubt Meteria named him as an homage to Alfia, the person she admired so much.
"Of course. It might be tough, finding a place where he could live as peacefully as he can, but I'll find a way. The healers said his chances are slim, though. Do you think he'll make it?"
Meteria nodded fiercely. "Of course he will. He's my son, my baby boy. I don't just think, I know he'll be strong enough to survive and live his life. Even if… sniff, even if I won't be a part of it anymore."
Her resolute composure broke, and she crumpled into a sobbing mess, waking the cursed baby from his short slumber.
Quickly reigning herself together, Meteria brushed away her tears and quietly sang a hauntingly beautiful lullaby, gently returning him back to the blissful world of dreams once more.
"Just… promise me that you'll make sure Alfia meets him, and takes care of him too. I know she didn't like him, but this is still my baby boy. Her nephew. I don't care if she refuses to see him, please, do whatever it takes to make sure she comes and takes care of him, too. Even if you have to annoy her a lot, too." She added with a shaky smile.
Zeus nodded, not bothered by the request in the slightest.
Oh, for sure he was shaking in his boots. Alfia's temper was just as well known as her talent, and with the addition of her rebellious attitude and dislike for anything that wasn't Meteria, making her do anything that she didn't want to do would be near-impossible.
Not to mention she would most definitely not be fond of him in the slightest. Her dislike of him was second only to the immense hatred she held for Meteria's lover, and he doubted the lass was in any condition to meet her sister's love-child anytime soon.
But how could he ever refuse such a request? This wasn't just Meteria's child, this was also his brat's son, and therefore his Child in a sense, too. Someone with the blood of both Zeus and Hera in his veins, even if his parents were the weakest of the weak.
He may experience agonizing pain the moment Alfia walks up to his doorstep, but he'll do his damndest to make sure she shows up in the first place.
The sound of a gong tolled in the distance from outside. It was time.
Loki and Freya would have heard the news of his and Hera's defeat, and were likely readying themselves to give them the boot.
"It's about time, Meteria." Zeus finally spoke. "Should I take him now? I can get the boy out before anyone sees."
Meteria bit her lip, eyeing her baby once more. "Just… give me a few minutes with him? I won't have much longer anyways."
With a somber nod, Zeus retreated into the basement, leaving mother and son alone together for the last time. Whatever words Meteria gave to her son would be for the boy's ears alone. It wasn't his place to witness this last goodbye.
Meteria watched the god go, hearing his heavy footsteps disappear and fade away. While he was well-known for being a gigantic pervert who spied and lusted after any and all women (well, mostly all. In his eyes, Loki may as well be a man.), he was also a wise and caring god, his love for heroes and Children surpassing even his love for a woman's body.
He would take care of Bell, be the father figure he needed, now that his real one was gone. It was why she wanted Zeus to take care of him, and not Hera. While she never thought ill of her Goddess, she was unsure just how she would treat her son, especially since he was born out of wedlock, which in her domain as the Goddess of marriage, would have been considered sacrilegious to her.
She glanced down at her baby boy. Even with his horribly ill body, she had loved him the moment he first came into this world. She had always wanted children of her own, even if her body likely couldn't handle the strain.
She always loved this impossibly challenging and difficult journey she called 'life'. Even with all the pain and misery it brought, especially to someone like her and her sister, she never took her short time on this world for granted.
Life wasn't just the passage of time from infancy to death. It was a journey to be experienced. It was the highs as well as the lows. The greatest triumphs and the most blissful memories, as well as the painful defeats and the worst experiences imaginable.
Sure, there were times when she felt the full weight of the world on her shoulders. There were times when her soul cracked and shattered, and she wholeheartedly believed that death would be preferable to this lifetime of constant pain and agony.
And yes, there were times when she thought of fanciful 'What-Ifs'. A world where she was born healthy, and could fight alongside her twin in the Dungeon. A life that wasn't spent laying in bed, having her sister or a maid wipe her down, spoon-feed her, or carry her to the bathroom. A life where she wasn't treated like a porcelain vase that would shatter at the slightest touch.
But through it all, she persevered. She still cherished the life she had, and the experiences she lived through, even in her sorry state.
After all, if she was born healthy, would she ever have truly understood just how beautiful this world was, even with all its hardships? Would she have ever grown to appreciate all the love and camaraderie of her fellow Familia members, for as odd as they could be? Would she have ever been able to see these yanderes in her Familia transform into her friends and sisters-in-arms thanks to her interactions with them?
Would she have ever been able to witness Hera's tender and heart-warming side, only ever shown in her presence? To see that, behind her Goddess's jealous and over-zealous exterior, was a woman who also cherished her Familia, and loved her like a daughter?
She realized long ago that she wasn't her body, that her life wasn't summarized by just her sickness.
She was much more than that. She was the decisions she made. The experiences and wonders she witnessed. The people she met and interacted with. The men and women whose lives she impacted. The people she loved and cherished, and… the people who loved her in return.
She didn't need to ever give that up, and neither should her baby boy.
Meteria hoped that, despite the harsh life he would undoubtedly live through, her son would one day realize this for himself.
Now that Bell had finally fallen into a peaceful slumber, she leaned down and placed a kiss onto his forehead, pouring into him every single ounce of love and happiness within her.
There were no more words to be said, other than a heartfelt, "I love you".
…
…
…
By the time Zeus finally emerged from the basement a few minutes later, Bell had already woken up, softly crying in the arms of his now deceased mother.
Sure enough, they found him, and true to her nature, Loki decided to make an elaborate show out of it.
Zeus paid no mind to her cackling, or the stones and mud thrown in his direction as he was paraded down the street, while a horde of onlookers hurled abuse after him.
They all said the same thing. How could his Familia just up and off themselves, especially since they provoked the Black Dragon, who could come and torch Orario to the ground at any moment? It mattered not that the Education District put up a barrier that managed to keep the Dragon sealed inside the Valley of Dragons, and it certainly didn't matter to them how both his and Hera's Familia had defeated the Behemoth and Leviathan.
Such achievements were lost in the fear and paranoia their defeat ushered in. And sadly, no one cared for heroes who failed to save people or slay the monster. Just look at Epimetheus, the poor bastard.
The only consolidation in all this was that he was getting the boot first. Hera had been unceremoniously dragged by her hair towards Freya herself, her followers eager to enact justice and revenge, even if their Goddess wasn't particularly interested.
That meant he could get out of the city with Bell long before Hera could start following him.
That wasn't to say he was fine with the events that followed. Though he was more than aware of how Orario would treat him, it still stung to see his children's legacy and sacrifice be shunned and forgotten so easily.
Zald, bless his heart, would have been so disappointed.
Especially with the so-called 'heroes' ready to take their place.
Zeus wasn't exactly impressed either when he glanced at Loki's rising stars. Finn Deimne, Gareth Landrock, and Riveria Ljos Alf. Each Level 5, and woefully underprepared for what's to come.
While the Dwarf seemed to have a good head on his shoulders, nowhere near as excited about his banishment as his peers, the same couldn't be said for his Captain, the Prum with an ambition bigger than his own body.
No doubt Finn was using this as an opportunity to bolster his own reputation and renown, all for the goal of revitalizing the Prum race and reputation.
Alas, how far Fianna's legacy had fallen…
To her credit, Riveria didn't seem as enthusiastic about the loss of two such influential Gods, but she certainly didn't balk at the idea of his absence from the city.
Perhaps this was recompense for him spying on her in the bath so many times?
Either way, though he would certainly miss his time here in Orario as well as his Familia, it was clear now that it was time for a new generation of heroes to take over, and succeed where his and Hera's failed.
A bold and exceedingly difficult task for a bunch of Level 5's and a sole Level 6. Hardly what he would consider ready for the Black Dragon.
"Well, Lord Zeus, I suppose this is farewell." Finn finally remarked as their group finally made it to the outskirts of the city wall. Nearby, Ganesha watched on without a hint of emotion on his face. Clearly, he too wasn't happy with Loki's and Freya's power grab, but as someone in charge of maintaining security and order in Orario, he couldn't exactly do much to stop it, especially when the Guild itself was unable to do much aside from hold onto Zald and Alfia's remaining possessions.
Perhaps Bell could one day reclaim it for himself should he ever come to this city.
Zeus barely managed to roll his eyes at Finn's poor attempt to act cordial. He knew deep down that the Prum had little remorse for what had transpired, and though the threat of the Black Dragon still loomed over their heads, its confinement to the Valley of Dragons meant that it would be a secondary issue, left on hold until he built his Familia up to the heights it needed to face it head-on.
All while building up his own legend in the meantime.
While Loki cheered and drank freely in triumph, Zeus's eyes were on the horizon, eyeing a particular carriage laid out for him and his fellow traveling companion, who had been brought outside the city thanks to Hermes's intervention.
"I hope you three have what it takes to measure up to what our Familias had before," Zeus remarked to the three for the first time. "Like what Maxim told you all before, become strong. Grow beyond us, and reach even greater heights. Only then will you have what it takes to defeat the Black Apocalypse."
And with that final parting message, he marched off, never to enter the city again.
A fair distance away, the captain of Hermes Familia, Lyndis, waited for his arrival while playing with the infant Bell in her lap, having taken to the baby like fire to dry wood as she cooed and made him giggle.
Zeus nodded with pride at how his adopted grandson was able to charm a woman so quickly. Perhaps he had the makings of a true harem master when he grew up, sickness or not!
As the trio embarked to a place further up North where Bell could grow up as healthily as possible, Zeus gazed at the city he helped build and protect for the past thousand years, now never to be seen again.
Will Orario and the new generation of heroes be able to truly match and eventually surpass the heights his and Hera's Familia achieved? Will they finally gather the strength they need to conquer the Black Dragon, and eventually Maquia?
And… looking down at the infant cradled in his arms, will this poor boy be able to survive and live the life his mother couldn't?
What future will await this child? And most importantly….
How the hell was he gonna get Alfia to come see her nephew?
4 Years Later…
The first day of winter had already arrived, and snow started to blanket the surroundings.
The trees had already lost most of their leaves, the rivers and lakes were frozen solid, the winds were chilly and blew in all directions, and the mountains were covered in a thick layer of frost.
Two hooded figures marched their way through the thick blanket of snow on the ground, heading straight towards a rather sleepy village nestled deep in the mountains far to the north.
Both figures couldn't be further different from one another. One was a mountainous man, covered in black armor with mysterious dark scars and markings over his eyes. The other was a woman half his height, wearing a black gothic dress under an equally dark cloak, an emerald pendant, and with silvery-white hair flowing down her shoulders from under her hood.
At first glance they might have been mistaken for a couple, and it was fortunate that no one around was able to voice such a thought out loud, for the woman would have quickly shattered every bone in their body for daring to entertain the idea.
In reality, their relationship was much more like a tired uncle forced to look after his bratty niece.
Much to Zald's chagrin, he was left as a sort of caretaker for Alfia, often being the one to cook and clean for her despite her already being in her twenties and more than capable of taking care of herself. Sadly, all the talent in the world couldn't cure her of her complete inability to cook or do housework, and well… it wasn't as if he'd ever be willing to complain straight to her face.
He may be a Level 7, but Alfia's Gospel was nothing to slouch at.
But if he was being entirely honest, he much preferred the bratty 24-year-old woman at his side right now to the shell of a person he knew only less than a year ago.
The loss of their Familias to the Black Dragon had hit them hard, Zald especially. Already weakened from their victories over the Behemoth and Leviathan, they were left helpless and powerless as the Black Dragon slaughtered them all. All their strength, all their prowess, Magic, and Skills, made completely useless against the Black Apocalypse.
Zald had lost all his friends, people he trained and watched over for nearly three decades, people he had considered family, in the blink of an eye.
His sacrifice for his comrades when he swallowed the flesh of the Behemoth to kill it in one strike almost seemed meaningless now. All the sacrifices his Familia made in these past thousand years, left forgotten as he learned that not only did Orario continue to believe him dead since his fight with the Behemoth, but now he could never go back to the only home he had ever known.
Orario had banished his God, and seized all of his Familia's belongings. And the people he once swore to protect had turned their backs on the gods who had kept them safe since Orario's founding.
When he had heard the news, wounded and barely alive in the Elven forest near Dedine, he had been sorely pissed, sorrowful, and disappointed. Both in Orario, and especially himself.
But even his emotional state paled in comparison to the immense grief Alfia drowned in.
Unlike himself, Alfia harbored no feelings of camaraderie for her former Familia members. In her eyes, they were nothing but self-absorbed jealous yanderes who thought only of themselves and for any unfortunate man who found themselves an unwitting target for their affections.
Zald found the whole thing ironic, considering how she was very much the same as them when it came to her sister.
Alfia lived and breathed for her twin only, and nothing else, and when the day came that she learned of her sister's passing…
It was as if all the world's miseries had been piled upon her shoulders all at once.
Alfia hated sound, hated the sound of both her own voice and her own Magic, but by the end of the day she had screamed her heart and lungs out, blasted her Magic in every direction at once, and frankly, nearly destroyed the entire village a hundred times over.
Zald would have scolded her for her reckless behavior, if he hadn't felt so sorry for her.
The once prideful, powerful young woman had regressed into a lifeless marionette with its strings cut. It wasn't an exaggeration to say that a part of her soul had chipped and withered away when she learned of Meteria's fate.
At first, she screamed and lashed out at anyone and anything that entered her vision. She yelled and cursed the poor brat who had impregnated her sister, even though their relationship was born from true love. It didn't matter to her that he had saved both her's and Zald's life from the Black Dragon, distracting it and leading it away long enough for them to escape.
In her eyes, any goodwill he might have earned with her might as well have been burnt to a crisp.
She later then placed the blame on Zald and Zeus, somehow convinced that it was their fault for what happened, even though the news had been just as shocking to them as it was to her. How the hell was he supposed to know that that brat had been sleeping with her sister this entire time? He was his teacher and Vice-Captain, not his mother.
Eventually, she had to come to terms with the fact that her twin sister had borne a child out of love… and died for it.
A baby boy, who had the grave misfortune of inheriting an even worse form of their hereditary sickness.
The revelation had broken her, turned her into a near-lifeless doll. One that refused to leave her bed or even take care of herself.
The loss of the only person in the world she cared for, the shocking revelation that her sister had hid the fact that she was not only in love with a man she despised, but that she conceived a child with him, knowing full well the risks, was too much for her already fragile heart to handle.
Their physical wounds from the Black Dragon had long since been healed, but the emotional scars it left behind continued to fester and widen.
Zald just didn't have much time left in this world. The poison of the Behemoth continued to eat away at him from the inside, and the miraculous herbs that grew from that Monster's ashes could only slow the progression, not cure it entirely.
Alfia's sickness continued to worsen since the death of the Leviathan, and the loss of her sister had sapped away any remaining strength she had left.
Though he tried to keep up a calm and collected front, both of them knew deep down that they were just waiting to die.
Zald had lost everyone he ever cared about, and he had lost his home in Orario, and Alfia lost her sister and her will to live. It was only a matter of time anyways, before their bodies would give out from their collective curses.
But while he had accepted his fate, he still hoped that Alfia would realize that there was another reason for her to live.
Her nephew.
They didn't receive much news from the outside world, trapped as they were in Dedine village to recuperate, but over the past few years they had received many a letter from that perverted old fart he called his God.
Zeus had taken care of Meteria's child in her stead, raising him in a village far to the North of Orario.
Surprisingly, the baby boy had managed to survive this long, even when many a healer had believed that he wouldn't live to see his first birthday. Miraculously, the boy continued to pull through and make it through each winter, still incredibly sick, but very much alive and thriving.
The fact that this boy, the last remnant of Zeus and Hera Familia's legacy, and the child of Meteria and that once cowardly brat, was alive and able to live a somewhat normal life, should have been enough for Alfia to get back on her feet and meet him.
In the end, 4 years had passed since she finally agreed to see him, at least once, before quietly slipping away.
Zald had been upset to hear that she would only spare the boy a single glance, and nothing else. Like it or not, he was her nephew, and she, his last living relative in this world.
They were both bound by blood and sickness, and though he personally never put much stock in blood ties, he felt that their shared connection should have been enough for her to take up the role of the boy's caretaker.
But… Alfia remained as pig-headed as ever.
Or perhaps… She was scared?
Glancing at the woman from the corner of his eye, Zald did notice that there was a very slight tremor in her breath, and her steps were more hurried than normal. And he pretended to not notice the way she tightly clutched the emerald pendant around her neck.
Yep, she was definitely anxious.
Alfia, the dreaded Silence, a Level 7, and the most talented and feared Adventurer in all of Orario's history, was scared to catch a glimpse of a 4-year-old boy.
"Heh."
"What are you laughing about?"
Alfia's voice sharpened like a knife, but Zald ignored it, instead pointing towards the village, now a short walking distance away and illuminated by the light of the full moon.
"We're here. Well, let's get going."
"…"
Alfia remained rooted to the spot, her pensive expression momentarily breaking.
"Perhaps, it's best that we move along. It's already late, and I'd rather not be seen by that perverted old fart if I can help it—"
"For gods' sake Alfia, get a grip." He slapped her back and pushed her forward towards the village, earning him a glare that he rolled his eyes at. "What are you so nervous about? He's your nephew. Need I remind you that you agreed to come here?"
"But I…"
"Oh? Is the legendary Silence scared of a small child? My, how the mighty have fallen…"
Zald dodged her terrifying Gospel punch with ease, causing her face to scrunch up in annoyance. With a small 'huff!', she marched forward towards the village, choosing to ignore the teasing smirk on his face.
The village was rather small and modest, and they stood out like a sore thumb the moment they walked through the entrance.
All around them, villagers big and small, young and old, looked up from their daily tasks, muttering to themselves in wonder at the mysterious guests that arrived at their doorstep. Quite a few men and women eyed Alfia with crimson cheeks, noting her beautiful figure, and many others looked up in shock at the sheet size and height of Zald, their faces paling when they saw the massive greatsword strapped to his back.
In their minds, they were without a doubt Adventurers. Very powerful ones, too.
One rather elderly individual decided to be brave and offered to greet them. Bowing low, he gave a small smile. "Good day, sir, m'am. What brings you here to our sleepy village?"
Seeing Alfia falter, Zald let out a sigh. "We're not here for trouble. The two of us are visiting… family. Specifically, an old gramps and his grandson, goes by the surname Cranel."
The old man's eyes widened, and he gave the two a relieved smile. "Ah, so you must be Old Man Cranel's relatives, then? Now that I think about it, you and the young lad look quite alike, Miss. I'm sure the wee lad'll be pleased to see ya."
Zald nodded. "Due to some… unfortunate circumstances, we were unable to meet the boy until now. The letters Gramps sent have been pretty brief. Can you tell us where he is? And how the kid's been doing?"
"Ah, sorry to hear that. Old man Cranel and his grandson have been here for the past 4 years, and they've been quite the merry bunch! Though, I was hoping to ask, has Old Man Cranel always had such a high… libido?"
Alfia's hands tightened to a fist, and Zald felt the need to face-palm. "Oh, great… let me guess, he's been flirting with all the ladies here?"
The elder nodded sagely. "Indeed. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that this wasn't a habit he picked up when he arrived here. Good heavens, how that man has a grandson given his lustful ways is beyond me…"
"Has he been causing major problems?"
"Oh, no! Well, the ladies might beg to differ, but he hasn't done anything seriously wrong. He's been a great helper around here, knows how to handle some of the Monsters that sometimes wander into our fields, and is a hit with the kids. And the man's grandson is an angel. One of the sweetest kids I've ever had the fortune of knowing. Poor lad, though. To be this horribly sick at such a young age…"
Zald raised an eyebrow. "Have things been… hard, with the kid?"
The elder let out a sad sigh. "Alas, the poor boy was sicker than a withered cow, even when he was a babe. Coughing up blood, looking thinner than a tree branch. T'is nothing short of a miracle that the lad managed to live this long."
Alfia tightened her grip on her dress.
"And sadly, he isn't very popular with the other kids, given his sickness. I tried to make them see some reason, but you know how kids are. If they see anyone who's remotely different to them, they start acting—"
"OW!"
The three adults turned sharply in the direction of the noise.
The elder sighed. "Those kids… I really need to speak to their parents about this. They can't let this continue for so long! The boy's sick!"
Zald was about to speak up, when a blur sped past him, knocking him and the elder aside.
Alfia's life began when she and her sister entered this world together.
Her life continued and blossomed when she had her sister by her side.
And her life ended when her sister died.
The day she learned of Meteria's death had been the day she lost her soul. It had been worse than any side effect of her sickness, worse than the agony she experienced killing the Leviathan, and far more painful than anything the Black Dragon could do to her.
Meteria was all that she had. The only person in the entire world who truly deserved all the talent and praise she had accumulated.
No matter how much she said otherwise, Alfia knew deep down that she had sucked away any residual talent and luck from her when they were still in their mother's womb.
Meteria had been the one to breathe life in her colorless world. She had been the one to convince Hera to let them into her Familia. The one who wormed her way into everyone's hearts, and the one who had shared her kindness with everyone around her, even when the world offered none of it in return.
Seeing how she could still smile even when her body was wracked with disease, made Alfia fight all the harder for her. She didn't care about Hera, her Captain, or her fellow Familia members. They were all just means to an end. A way for her to find a way to cure her of her sickness and give her a normal life.
And try all she might, no amount of talent in the world could help her.
Why did the Gods choose her to be blessed with such incredible talent and power? Why did the world decide to give Meteria, the sweetest, kindest person in all of existence, such a terrible sickness at birth? Why did Fate make it so that Meteria would spend all day in bed while she earned all the Valis and praise from others? Praise and money she had no interest in whatsoever?
Why… Why was she the one to die first, and not her?!
When she had learned the truth… that her beloved little twin sister, the light of her life, had a child with that damn cowardly pervert, she had been fit to burst.
Never before had she felt so betrayed, so heartbroken, and so filled with undiluted fury, that the pain from her sickness and wounds lay completely forgotten.
Alfia assumed the worst. That he had had his way with Meteria, violated every inch of her, left her completely defenseless and forced such a terrible burden on her already piled shoulders.
A pregnancy! A child, at such a young age! And in her condition!
She wanted to blame him, blame Zeus, Zald, everyone and anyone she could think of. It was anathema to her, the idea that Meteria would hide something so important, so life-altering, so dangerous, from her own twin sister!
And when she learned that she died giving birth, she…
Lost the will to live.
Zald had constantly hounded her to visit the boy, her nephew (and it still felt odd to speak that word), but she refused every time.
Every time he brought up that boy, it always made her think of him, and it didn't help that he used his surname. Every time that boy's name was brought up, she couldn't help but think of him, not as Meteria's son, but as the one who took her life.
Deep down, she knew she was being unfair. It wasn't his fault that Meteria died, and knowing her sister, she would have given up everything to make sure any child she had would be born healthy and happy.
But she didn't. Her child was just as, if not more sick than either of them.
And that was the second reason. Both she and Meteria survived thanks to Hera taking them in at such a young age, when their sickness wasn't as severe. But from what Zeus mentioned in his letters, the boy was deathly ill, even from the moment he was born.
Alfia didn't have high prospects that he would live long, and she doubted Zeus would think otherwise.
What was the point of seeing her sister's child if he was going to die in a matter of days or months?
…
…
…
And yet… he didn't.
Defying all odds, Meteria's son survived, still suffering from his sickness, but still very much alive. He managed to live for 4 years, and Zeus was confident that he would live much longer.
Especially if he had his aunt by his side.
And since then, a tiny part of her began to yearn for more.
It began to prick at her thoughts, asking and eventually begging for her to visit her nephew.
'What are you doing, wasting away in this village?' It would say to her. 'Go, see your nephew. See Meteria's child. Visit the last living family you have left in this world, before he'll be gone too.'
It would have been cruel for her to blatantly ignore the last remnant of her sister's legacy. Even if she were to die in a few years, she still owed it to her sister to visit him, at least once. Let him know that he wasn't alone in this world.
But every time she imagined seeing him, she only saw her sister's lifeless corpse, and her cowardly lover.
In the end, she stalled, and stalled, and stalled, until Zald finally had had enough.
If they were gonna die, at least they should visit the last remnant of their Familias before doing so.
The least she could do was get one good look at him before welcoming Death.
And in the end, the yearning she felt had become so strong that she couldn't bring herself to say no.
The trip to this Northern village had been slow, but agonizing. She tried her best to hide it, but she was deathly afraid of what she would find there.
What kind of person was her nephew? Was he anything like his mother, or was he as cowardly as his father? Did Zeus raise him properly, or did he become a massive pervert?
Did his sickness finally reunite him with his mother before she arrived?
Whatever he was, she was about to find out.
When Alfia heard that cry of pain, it was as if her very soul called out to him. Every cell in her body burned to reach his side at this moment.
She didn't even know if that child was her nephew for sure, and yet, she instinctively knew who cried out for help.
By the time she arrived at the source of the cry, snow had already started to fall from the sky.
A crowd of slightly older kids huddled around a small figure curled up on the ground. Laughing and cackling to themselves, some of the children had taken to prodding the figure with sticks, and the crueler ones even started to kick him.
"Haha, look how much blood he spits out! It's like popping a fruit in your hands."
"Careful, you could catch whatever it is that he's got!"
"Ew, that's gross! Hey, how come you're so gross? Shouldn't you be more normal?"
"Aw, look, he's crying! What a baby!"
A lone foot smashed into the ground, kicking up a plume of snow and sending the kids tumbling to the ground.
Grumbling and panicking, they all hauled themselves off the ground and looked up to find Alfia staring down at them.
Were this in different circumstances, they would have blushed up a storm or watched in awe from her sheer beauty, but what greeted them was no heavenly spirit, nor a nurturing mother.
Instead, they looked up, and saw a seething dragon unleashing the full force of her fury.
It was very rare for Alfia to fully open her eyes, and when she did, the kids felt their bowels and bladders loosen instantly.
"GET. OUT."
They didn't need to be told twice.
Screaming at the top of their lungs, they raced away with soiled trousers. No doubt they'll go cry and complain to their parents, but Alfia could care less. She'd destroy this village with a single word if they tried anything.
Ignoring them, Alfia looked down…
And felt her soul sing.
White hair. Pure, heavenly white hair.
The exact same as her sister.
Plump cheeks, pale, soft skin, a cute button nose, and…
Red eyes.
Lancing anger raced up her spine, and was quickly forgotten, as she stared at her nephew for the first time.
Zeus wasn't lying when he said that the boy was ill. Despite sharing so many of Meteria's traits, he truly did look as if he was only an inch away from Death's door.
Gaunt limbs, ragged, wet breaths, blood dripping from his eyes and mouth, and countless bruises across his skin thanks to the children's bullying.
He was weak, he was ill, he was completely, utterly helpless.
…
…
…
He was the most beautiful, precious thing Alfia had ever witnessed in her entire life.
For the first time, she was rendered speechless, and not of her own accord.
She sagged to the ground, landing on her knees in front of her nephew.
After a few seconds, he looked up at her, and felt his jaw drop.
A Great Spirit had fallen to her knees in front of him.
She was beautiful. A divine being who had come to bless him.
She had saved him, rescued him from those bullies, and graced him with her presence.
For once, his sickness failed to act up again.
With trembling hands, he slowly crawled towards her, daring to place his hands on her thighs as he tried to raise himself up.
Alfia met him halfway.
Placing her hands under his arms, she pulled him up and wrapped her arms around him in a warm, tender embrace. Nestling his head under her chin, she wrapped her cloak around him, cradling him in her arms, and letting her body warmth drive away the biting cold.
Snow continued to fall around them, and the clouds parted, letting the full bright light of the Moon shine over them.
But he could hardly pay attention.
For he felt content for the first time in his life. Truly at peace.
No sickness, no bullying, and no loneliness.
He was happy.
…
…
…
By the time Zald, the elder, and even Zeus, arrived, they were welcomed by the sight of Alfia, the cold, arrogant, and insanely talented hero who brought fear into the hearts of Adventurers, silently weeping, as she hugged her nephew to her chest, gently rocking him to sleep in her arms, with a teary smile on his face.
Hope you guys enjoyed this rewritten first chapter!
To not make it as much of a chore to read through as last time, I decided to cut that first chapter in half and revise it moving forward. The third chapter will be completely new, and will serve as the beginning of this story's rewrite.
Do let me know what you think of this chapter so far! I know that that first chapter in particular was well-received, and I tried to keep the spirit of that first chapter intact while also trying to avoid the excess bloat. Seriously, I have no idea why I thought cramming 20k+ words into a single chapter was a good idea…
I really hope this rewrite is received well, as I have an immense fondness for this story and want to see it continued. Out of all the Danmach fics I've written, Last Hero's Vow was the one I have the most pride in, and I hope that this time I can write a much better story now that I'm a bit more experienced as a writer.
Thank you all so much for being so patient with me despite my long hiatus. I've been so busy these days, not only with work but with writing and planning other fics, and getting my future secured.
Here's hoping the next chapters won't take as long to get out this time.
Except Notice Me. Sorry, but my skills in writing a good comedy have taken a nosedive.
Oh, and if you're curious about the whole 'Hera Familia being made up of yanderes' thing I added here, apparently Danmachi Battle Chronicle revealed that the majority of Hera Familia acted much like Hera herself, constantly jealous and acting like Yanderes. They even wore wedding dresses to battle.
…
Makes you wonder how Alfia and Meteria never got caught up in all that lol.
And imagine if Bell was raised in that environment…