Story idea by Eidos and writing by Camila Gramajo.

Bell Cranel and Meteria Cranel

"Bell..." she said in a soft voice. He was curled up in her lap, never having imagined he could feel such trust with anyone, much less with her. "Look at me, Bell..." She made eye contact with those red eyes she knew so well and cupped his face with her delicate hands. "Promise me you'll take care of Meteria if something happens to me..."

"Don't say that, Tear. What could happen to you?" he said with a smile, but she didn't return it.

Bell walked through the dark and lonely dungeons, still lingering in the first levels, so they were not so plagued with monsters. He somewhat regretted deciding to venture into the dungeons alone, not wanting to wait for the remaining member of the Hestia Familia and now feeling a bit bored due to the lack of action down there. However, these moments of solitude helped him reflect on his future as a hero and how to improve his family's situation. Although the memories that invaded his mind filled him with nostalgia, he couldn't forget the reasons why he came to Orario.

As if fate or the gods were listening, Bell's boredom was abruptly interrupted by a guttural scream that made the walls tremble. The white-haired boy became alert, stamped his foot on the ground, and reached for his weapon strapped to his hip, something told him this wouldn't be an ordinary fight.

Seconds passed, and the only sound was footsteps in the distance, capable of making the dungeon resonate. Gradually, those footsteps grew louder, and suddenly, from one of the corners, a cow's head with huge horns appeared. Bell swallowed hard and, without a second thought, started running, fleeing from the beast.

The minotaur, seeing him flee, let out a deafening roar and began chasing him. Bell tried not to panic and to escape this fight as soon as possible. What was a minotaur doing in the lower levels of the dungeon? These monsters were supposed to only be in the middle floors. Suddenly, he found himself at a crossroads, the path he was taking ended in a large wall. He couldn't keep running; he had no choice but to fight.

He gained momentum to increase his speed and, upon encountering the stone wall, he jumped, spinning in the air and drawing his weapon. Holding a long sword with a sharp blade in both hands, he managed to make a precise cut on the minotaur's face.

The beast let out a howl of pain and clutched its face with both hands while retreating, giving Bell time to slip between its legs and position himself behind it. The minotaur, desperate to wound its victim, made long swipes trying to hit him, but only managed to strike the walls, causing them to reverberate. Bell took advantage of its desperation to make long, deep cuts on its lower limbs, causing it to stagger.

However, the boy didn't anticipate the minotaur falling forward, nearly crushing him, but he was quicker. Bell managed to insert his sword into the beast's abdomen and slash upwards to its shoulder, finally killing it, though he didn't escape unscathed as the minotaur's blood drenched him.

As he tried to wipe some blood off his face, he realized he wasn't alone. A few meters away stood a tall, slender girl with long blonde hair, looking at him with wide eyes, an expression of surprise on her face.

"Um, are you okay?" she asked in a soft, concerned tone. He didn't recognize her but realized something—he had attracted too much attention. Crap, he thought, Meteria would kill him. As if another high-level monster had appeared, he let out a sharp cry and ran out of the dungeon, leaving a trail of blood in his wake.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the city, Meteria walked calmly through the streets of Orario, wearing her dark blue dress that reached her feet and carrying a small black umbrella to avoid the strong midday sun. Before she knew it, she arrived at her destination: the residence of the Hermes Familia, the Traveler's Inn. She entered and said a barely audible hello.

"Meteria!" exclaimed Asfi after a while, surprised when she almost bumped into her. "How long have you been here?"

"Not long."

"I didn't see you arrive," she cleared her throat. "I assume you're looking for God Hermes," the silver-haired teenager only nodded. "Bad luck for you; he left a while ago and I think he went to the baths."

Meteria clicked her tongue, that old pervert was up to his antics again, reminding her so much of her grandfather. "I'll go look for him in the baths if necessary, I need to talk to him about something important."

"Important? You can tell me if you want, and I'll pass on your message," Meteria narrowed her blue eyes, looking at her suspiciously.

"No need, I'll run into Hermes somewhere if I don't find him." Just as she was about to leave, the god appeared.

"But if it isn't my favorite novice, what a pleasure to see you, Meteria," Hermes said playfully.

"Good thing you're back, I came to talk to you."

"Of course, come with me, let's go somewhere more private to chat," he winked, the girl's face remained unmoved, but Asfi turned as red as a tomato.

"Hermes! She's a child!" and Asfi elbowed him in the abdomen, sending the god flying a few meters away from them.

"I didn't mean it that way!" the god complained from the floor, his hat askew from the blow.

"You don't need to worry, Asfi," Meteria gave her a small smile, something unusual for the teenager who wasn't usually expressive with people who weren't very close to her.

After Hermes recovered, he and Meteria went to another part of the residence where they could be alone. Hermes took a seat in a chair, made himself comfortable, removing his feathered hat and propping his feet on a coffee table. In contrast, Meteria remained standing, erect in her ruffled dress. She brought a hand to her mouth and cleared her throat.

"It's been a few weeks since Dad and I arrived in Orario and joined the Hestia Familia. I think we did a good job and managed to go unnoticed," she commented. Meteria was in charge of reporting the state of their family situation weekly to the god.

She still couldn't believe that so little time had passed since she arrived in Orario with her father. She felt that everything that happened in her childhood village was centuries ago. The memories on the hill with her grandfather and mother felt so distant. She still remembered the fateful day her life changed completely...

It was a sunny but not hot day; she and her mother were in her grandfather's garden, harvesting vegetables for dinner that night. She loved her grandfather's garden, the place where her parents had met, so it had a special value for her. She felt connected to that place. Meteria walked behind her mother as she, in her wine-colored dress, gathered strawberries in a straw basket. Suddenly, she was distracted by the horizon, that dome that separated them from the world and didn't let her see beyond the village. Until she heard a groan behind her.

She turned around to find her mother's body kneeling on the ground. "Mom!" she exclaimed with a cry that echoed through the field and ran to her side. She knelt beside her and saw the expression of pain on her always serene and beautiful mother's face. "What's happening, Mom?!" her mother looked at her with her red eyes filled with desperation.

"I'm being returned to the world..." she said with a shaky voice and a slight tremor in her lips. "Please, daughter... don't forget how much I love you..."

"Tear!" Meteria heard her father's voice behind her, and suddenly he was kneeling beside her. Her parents held hands, and with her remaining hand, her mother caressed her face.

"Take care of each other, please..."

"Dad, what should we do?!" Meteria's vision blurred with tears; she couldn't understand why this was happening. It seemed like her mother was dying, but moments ago, everything was perfect.

"I'll find a way to come back... I swear," were the last words she heard from her mother before her delicate body began to fade into black dust until nothing remained.

Meteria's memories after that were not very clear. She remembered hearing a cry of frustration and pain from her father, her grandfather arriving and holding both of them tightly in his arms, and hot tears running down her cheeks. Then everything went black for her, how she got to the cabin and when she fell asleep, she didn't know.

When she woke up again, after almost a whole day of sleeping, everything seemed like a bad dream, a horrible nightmare. But when she got out of bed and walked to her bedroom window, she realized everything had been real. The dome was gone, and so was her mother.

"Meteria? Are you listening to me?" Hermes snapped his fingers in front of her, making her blink.

"Sorry, I got distracted..." she apologized, a small blush painting her pale cheeks. She had gotten lost in her memories.

"As I was saying... you've been doing quite well, but I think you're no longer unnoticed..." the god drew a mischievous smile on his face. She tilted her head in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"In the baths, I heard a rumor... about a novice killing a minotaur, strange, right?" Meteria frowned.

"Don't tell me it's about Dad..."

"I'm sorry, sweetie, but it seems your dad didn't quite get the memo about staying unnoticed..." Meteria sighed resignedly and rubbed her temples. "Don't worry, not yet at least. These things happen occasionally, a promising novice, a stroke of luck... Soon, people will forget about this incident." She only nodded silently, and the god accompanied her to the exit of the residence. She had to return and talk with her father and goddess.

"Meteria!" As soon as she set foot inside the abandoned church where they lived, her goddess threw herself on her and hugged her by the shoulders.

"Hello, goddess..." the teenager said, returning the goddess's hug. She wasn't very affectionate, but since joining the familia, she had gotten used to Hestia's displays of affection. "Has Dad arrived?"

"A little while ago..." Hestia stepped back and took her hand to lead her to the room where her father was sitting on the couch.

As soon as Bell saw his daughter enter the room, he jumped up and ran to her. "Meteria!" The girl put a hand between their bodies, stopping the hug her father wanted to give her.

"I already heard what you did today... How could you fight a minotaur?" she scolded.

"He fought a what?!" exclaimed Hestia, full of surprise.

"How did you find out?" Bell mumbled, fearing his daughter's wrath. When she got angry, she looked more like her mother. He swallowed hard, remembering his partner's fiery temper.

"Hermes heard the rumors in the baths. By now, all of Orario must know," she said.

"It was kill or be killed! I had no other choice," Bell whimpered, dropping to his knees and pleading for his daughter's forgiveness.

"You should have died," she exclaimed, and for a moment, her blue eyes flashed red. "You know how important it is to stay under the radar..." she said more calmly.

"I know, but it wasn't my fault... I talked to the guild when I left the dungeon. The Loki Familia let the minotaur escape from the middle floors..."

"That damn smith... She can't control her familia," Hestia grumbled angrily, puffing out her cheeks and crossing her arms. Her relationship with the other goddess was not the best.

"Did they see you fight the minotaur?" Bell nodded at his daughter's question.

"Ais Wallenstein, she saw me fight..."

"Well, I don't think this will cause us much trouble, will it?" Hestia asked, worried about her familia. She was aware of Bell and Meteria's entire situation and still remembered the first time she saw them. At that time, she was just a newly descended goddess and hadn't gotten any members for her familia until Hermes summoned her that day...

Hestia arrived at Hermes's residence quite nervous. She had descended only a few months ago and still hadn't been able to get any members for her familia. This matter was bothering her greatly; she was slowly starting to lose faith. So when the god told her he could help, she ran to his house without even asking for details, as she wasn't in a position to be picky.

When she arrived at the Traveler's Inn, she was surprised by how quiet and empty it was. Only Hermes was present, who greeted her and hurried to guide her to a room where there were also two other teenagers of roughly the same age, the goddess assumed. The silver-haired girl had her gaze lost on the floor, her face seemed serene, but her blue eyes appeared lifeless. Next to her was a boy with white hair and red eyes that shone like rubies. His gaze showed hardness and passion; despite his delicate features, his face showed maturity. A small blush covered the goddess's cheeks at thinking how handsome he was, but she quickly pushed those thoughts from her mind.

"Hestia, I present to you the Cranel family." Hermes introduced them. The boy greeted her, but the girl said nothing, simply moving closer to the boy and clutching his beige jacket. "They are looking for a familia, and I think yours is the right one."

"R-really? Well... of course! I mean, I accept you gladly." Hestia couldn't hide her excitement, a huge smile spread across her face. She hadn't thought she'd go from zero members to two in one day. "Sorry for the emotion, but I'm very happy that two siblings want to join my familia."

The boy's eyes quickly widened in surprise, and his face turned a shade of pink. "N-no, we're not siblings... My name is Bell, and she is my daughter, Meteria," Bell explained, and his daughter moved even closer to him, almost hiding behind him.

"EHH?!" the goddess exclaimed, her jaw dropping exaggeratedly. "But you both look like teenagers!" Hestia closed the gap between them, almost face to face with the two, took Bell's face in her hands, and began to inspect it. "You don't look like a Pallum !"

"I'm not..." Bell muttered, his face red with shyness, pulling back a little from the goddess. "It's a long story... but even though I appear to be a teenager, I am an adult."

Hestia looked from Meteria to Bell and back again. They did look alike, but he seemed so young... Who were these kids, and what had happened to them? The goddess let out a long sigh and sat on the floor. "I accept you as part of my familia, but you will have to tell me everything, okay?" she said, crossing her arms over her ample chest.

Father and daughter looked at each other for a few moments as if consulting what to do. It wasn't necessary for either of them to say anything; they both smiled and nodded at the same time, sitting on the floor in front of the goddess.

Hermes saw this and decided to leave the room, giving them privacy. After all, he was already aware of the Cranel situation.

"It really is a long story, but I think it's fair that you know..." Bell began. "I lived my whole life with my grandfather in a small, remote village. It wasn't a bad life, though somewhat ordinary. But one day, that changed. In my grandfather's vegetable garden, a being from another dimension appeared, a vampire. Of course, we didn't know that upon seeing her, or at least I didn't... Along with her came a dome that trapped us and the entire village for many years... During all those years we spent there, we realized our bodies didn't age; they stayed just as they were when the dome trapped us."

"That explains why you look so young," Hestia said, starting to understand the story. "But... How is it that no one outside knew an entire village was isolated for years?"

"Well, what felt like years to us inside, in the outside world were only minutes."

"And the people born inside the dome did grow?" Hestia allowed herself to assume, glancing at the girl who still hadn't spoken.

"Exactly. During all the time we spent inside, the vampire became very close to my grandfather and me. She was certainly extraordinary..." Bell's eyes sparkled at the memory of her. "What began as admiration soon turned into love, and in time, Meteria was born..."

"So, you're half-human and half-vampire?" Hestia asked, and the teenager nodded. "I imagine neither of you are novices then..."

"Regarding that..." Bell spoke. "We aren't, but we want to remain unnoticed."

"Is that possible?" the goddess asked. Meteria nodded and spoke for the first time.

"After Mom disappeared and the dome too..." her lower lip trembled a little after saying that. "Dad and I decided we had to become stronger and get Mom back. Then Grandpa Zeus..."

"Zeus is your grandfather?!" the goddess exclaimed, completely stunned.

"Actually, he's Dad's adoptive grandfather, but yes..." the girl shrugged and continued the story. "Grandpa decided to help us. When we were no longer trapped, the first person he contacted was God Hermes. He told him what had happened, and to everyone's surprise, no one outside knew about the dome's events except those who lived in it. Hermes suggested that Grandpa have Dad and me come to Orario to become strong adventurers. And that's what we did... Grandpa Zeus removed his falna to make it easier for us to enter the city and join a familia..."

"But if you already had the falna of a god, and not just any god but Zeus himself, it won't be easy to hide your statuses..." Hestia interrupted the explanation.

"Zeus managed to communicate with Ouranos to hide our true statuses and make us appear as novices," Bell clarified.

"Why me? Why join my familia?" Hestia hesitated in her place. These two young people had gone through so much, had lost one of their most beloved ones, and she knew they were strong enough to choose any familia they wanted. Why her? Why a goddess with nothing to offer? The goddess's eyes welled up a bit. "I'm sure there are many familias in Orario that would accept you..."

"Aren't you the goddess of the familia?" Meteria asked timidly, to which the goddess nodded. "Then I think you're the best choice, goddess. Our family is broken, and with you, we can fix it." Bell nodded proudly upon hearing his daughter and continued, "We aren't a common case, goddess. How many familias would accept us after hearing our story? You listened to us and are still here..."

The goddess couldn't contain her excitement. A couple of tears escaped her eyes as she leaped at the two, hugging them both by the shoulders. From that day on, she determined she would do everything in her power to protect and help them in their mission. She would no longer be alone and would never allow anything to happen to these two young people who had entrusted her with their life story and their strongest desire: to recover their most beloved one.

"Well, we can only trust Hermes' guesses," said Bell, bringing Hestia back to the present. She had been so lost in her memories that she hadn't heard the last minutesof the conversation.

"I hope he's not wrong..." Meteria sighed, still somewhat worried about the minotaur situation.

"Enough worries!" Hestia said in her usual childish manner. "I brought you a gift," she said excitedly, extending her arms and twirling on her own axis. She then approached the small coffee table where there was a bowl of potatoes, which she picked up with both hands to show her familia. "Ta-da!"

"How delicious," father and daughter said in unison. "Where did you get them?" Bell asked as the three took a seat on the small sofa. Their residence was very humble, and they didn't have many things, but at least they had a place to dine and sleep together every night.

"At the food stall. They gave them to me for attracting many customers today," she commented proudly, with a big smile on her face and her body in a heroic stance.

"Thank you very much, goddess," the girl said in a sweet voice, with a small smile on her lips.

"But how cute you are!" Hestia pinched Meteria's white cheeks as usual, while she blushed and looked to her father for help.

Bell just laughed at the scene, which had become a daily occurrence. He was glad that his daughter and the goddess got along so well. Before arriving in Orario, Meteria rarely smiled; her beautiful sapphire blue eyes had lost their characteristic shine. But now, since joining the Hestia Familia, she had slowly started to smile again, her face regaining its former vitality. He knew she still missed her mother, as he did, but at least now both knew they were on the path to getting her back.

"Well, let's enjoy the food before it gets cold," said Bell, causing the goddess to release her daughter. The three thanked for the food and began to enjoy the potatoes.

It had been a long day for everyone. While Hestia and Meteria chatted about trivial matters, Bell meditated on his day. At first, he was worried when he killed that monster in front of the girl, but after talking to the guild people, he felt more at ease. Ais Wallenstein didn't seem like the type to spread rumors, although in his defense, it wasn't every day a novice defeated a minotaur. He hoped with all his heart that Hermes wasn't wrong and that everyone believed it was simply a stroke of luck. After all, who would be interested in a novice from the Hestia Familia? He took it for granted that someone like Ais Wallenstein, a first-class adventurer and part of one of Orario's most important familias, wouldn't waste a second of her valuable time on two novices like his daughter and him.