Is It Wrong to Aspire to be an Arknight Picking Up Girls in a Dungeon?

by F-14 Tomcat Lover

In one world, Bell was a rookie who had never held a blade before. In this one, he has learned from a Knight who taught him well. Follow Bell as he strives to be a Knight worthy of his beloved blonde Pegasus. The one who beat Freya to Bell. And I don't mean Ais, but Margaret Nearl, the Radiant Knight of Kazimeirz! Danmachi x Arknights. To the Guest who said it, here you go.

2. Chapter 2

Is It Wrong to Aspire to be an Arknight Picking Up Girls in a Dungeon?

Chapter Two

Beginning Ark

XXXX

Smoke billows into the choked sky above as fires rage across numerous locations.

Dust fills the air seemingly trying to choke out life all across the land.

The Adventurer brings his sword down and the orange light from the hellish landscape doesn't reflect off the blood covered blade.

With a dying cry, another Kazimeirz Soldier falls. The man had done his best to survive the murderscape they are in. But it wasn't a matter of being good enough.

It is all about luck.

"By the Fates above," the Adventurer pulls his sword free and stabs the tip into the ground to his blade to lean on.

Surveying the nightmare battle, if this butchering can be called a battle at all, he sees that neither side holds the advantage. Not with the losses both sides had incurred in their rush to meet one another, believing the other had been disadvantaged and themselves advantaged. Which had done nothing more except destroy both armies that had taken the field and engaged one another.

"Disastrous," the Adventurer had recalled his friend mentioning some particularly hairy and bad battles during the Gael Civil War.

This had them beat, he had no doubt. The Gael factions had been careful to avoid such costly encounters or would disengaged and retreat to find a better advantage before they took too much damage. Lost too many knights, soldiers, mercenaries, and even militia. Which did no faction a favor as they knew that after the civil war they might need to defend the borders against outside invasion. So caution about what was behind them as much as what had been in front of them had been practiced.

Even outside Adventurers were given greater concern due to the cost of replacing them. If they could be replaced at all even. Such is the difficulty and cost associated with hiring Adventurers to fight in a war.

"And the Kazimeirz, as predictable, did not deploy their Human Auxiliary," the Adventurer sighs as he thinks that one over.

If they decide to employ them now, the battle is as good as lost. His employers would not be happy with the fact that his Familia would need to quit the field. By some miracle, and he means that with a heavy heart, they had taken no deaths as far as he knew in his Familia.

But even if the Human Auxiliary is not employed on the field, the battle is lost either way. Only for both sides as while one might command the field and destroy or rout was left of the opposing army, the victorious army would be all but destroyed. A victory that is as good as a defeat is not not a victory at all.

With a heavy sigh, he pulls his blade free and spins deftly using his blade to deflect the Kazimeirz Knight's lance.

Credit due where credit is due, the knight quickly recovers. The Horse Man using his lance to dig into the blood soaked earth to allow him to spin around and come back for a downward slash.

But it isn't enough.

"Damn… you…" the knight hits the ground, cut open across his stomach and side.

The man had not been wrong in assuming his plate armor would protect him from swords. Which he was typically right to assume about plate deflecting swords as long as the plate itself is competently made. The problem he faced was that he did not either suspect or respect is that Adventurers of Level 2 or higher could not use ordinary iron or steel blades.

Well… They could. Just not very well. Because ordinary, normal metals would simply break due to their power. They were typically too strong for such weapons. Even the armor typically available made of iron or steel, ordinary cloth and other fabrics would run the risk of tearing itself apart in battle because of how fast and powerfully they could move.

As such, his sword is a mix of ores mined from the Dungeon of Orario itself and Monster materials he had collected himself. Thus the blade is more than enough to go through his plate armor with the ease a Monster would have. At the same time, his armor had proven to be all but impervious to the weapons of the Kazimierz Knights and Soldiers, keeping him alive through this hell that made his stomach churn at the mere sight of it.

The death cry of another draws his attention and he feels the bottom of his stomach vanish in that moment.

Despite the chaos, the woman who stands among the tattered banners and flags barely able to drift, let alone fly, in the putrid wind that currently blows, spreading the scent of the hellscape of death, is indeed worthy of her title of Radiant Knight.

While her tabard has a smear of blood showing she had held a close ally at some point, the Radiant Knight of Kazimierz, Margaret Nearl, is otherwise unblemished.

She continues to stand as a beacon among her fellows. A light of hope in this bloody nightmare. A symbol for others to rally to and find the strength to carry the day.

And she is coming straight for him.

"So be it," he answers her charge by raising his sword as he charges her head on and as the two reach one another, they swing their blades…

… the left forearm parries the punch for her head with a spin block which she uses to get inside her opponent's guard, only for her opponent to go into a forward roll causing her attack to miss completely as her opponent dashes forward enough to spin about and reset their defenses.

Resetting her own defenses, Anakitty Autumn or Aki as she is nicknamed, is breathing harder than her opponent. Such is the intensity of their clash that it even wears on her, a Level 4 Adventurer known as the Alxa.

Across from her is her opponent. Dressed in a sleeveless tunic called a 'tank top' and 'sports shorts' by the Deities, is her opponent, Captain Bell Cranel. Her training partner for this bout.

A Level 1 Adventurer with no name to his reputation, save the title of White Rabbit of Dromore he earned outside of the Orario. Which meant he is a formidable fighter outside the Dungeon City of Orario. In point of fact, he is perhaps the youngest to ever be declared a Free Knight by any sovereign liege. Named by the lord of his territory for services rendered in the Gael Civil War not as a direct participant, but as one who protected the people caught up in the conflict by dealing with threats and dangers that arose.

Though by his own admission, he eventually became caught up in the war itself. Because he had to cross the fake ex-King of Gael by attacking a source of revenue for him. One that was very disgusting, a slave market, the largest slave market in that entire region of the continent.

And what he had found there, had made him perhaps the living wrath, rage, and vengeance of those who suffered in that slave market.

Such as his actions that day, the ex-King had sent first bounty hunters and then soldiers followed by members of the Gael Royal Guard. All of whom he either defeated or inadvertently turned against the fool with a stolen crown. The true heir of the throne, the Queen of Gael would benefit from the White Rabbit's actions indirectly until the boy himself was dragged into the war at its very end, fighting in the few remaining battles, but spending much of his time still roaming across Gael, protecting all he could reach or avenging those he could not protect.

He is also her Captain now, despite the difference in Level and age, because Anakitty had originally been part of the Loki Familia before transferring after the incident two weeks ago involving a Minotaur nearly killing Bell.

Bell Cranel had proven his mettle in that battle. Nearly killing the Minotaur, despite the grave wounds he had incurred. A truly unheard of and remarkable feat for one that had only been in the famous or infamous, depending on point of view, Dungeon the city of Orario sat atop for just two weeks.

But because he had been the only member of their Familia, the Hestia Familia, at the time, Anakitty had volunteered to convert from being a follower of the Goddess Loki the Trickster to being a follower of Goddess Hestia of the Hearth.

And the reason had been simple:

It had been the Loki Familia's fault that the young man, whilst on the Fifth Floor, had had his encounter with the Minotaur in question.

After the Loki Familia had been turned back by the events that had defeated their attempt to reach the Forgotten Floors only once seen by the now defunct and gone Zeus and Hera Familias, the Loki Familia had been set upon by newly born Minotaur in the Middle Floors.

The twin Amazon Sisters, both Level 5 Tiona and Tione Hiryute, the Jorgumond and Amazon respectively, had been allowed to lead things off against the large Monster Party. The Twins killed only a few, not even enough to call a handful, and the Minotaurs panicked and fled in a surprising twist no one had seen coming. Or even heard of before.

Unfortunately, the Minotaurs had chosen the route heading for the passageway that led up to the higher Floors.

It had been raced. A desperate one, as the Loki Familia charged after, slaying the Minotaurs as they got higher and higher. The last being on the Fifth Floor.

Where Bell Cranel had met it in combat, head on, risking a most likely but not assured death in defiance than an inevitable fated death during an inevitable failed flight in fear.

Rescued at the last moment, when defeat and death had become the end result of his stand against the Minotaur by Ais Wallenstein, Level 5 and the Sword Princess of the Loki Familia, Bell Cranel had fled moments later in a daze, confused state, badly wounded leading to another desperate pursuit by members of the Loki Familia to find him and treat him.

By fortune, they had encountered his allies of the Takemikazuchi Familia. With their help, they knew where to go and find him. But they only caught up to him after he collapsed in the middle of Main Street, just meders away from the Forum, the Headquarters of the Guild of Orario and the seat of power of the Ouranos Familia led by the God Ouranos who personally kept watch over and pacified the Dungeon to prevent it from growing again or surging a means to break free its literal Monstrous Horde.

Laid out in the middle of one of busiest streets, full of people, and the main route for Adventurers to and from the Forum resulting in the nickname of Adventuring Lane, the route was Main Street.

And it lived up to its name.

Crowded with stalls, shops, and people.

All it had taken was one person screaming. Then confusion and chaos had broken out.

The City Guard, Guild Guard, and the Ganesha Familia were experienced, though. But even they were being hard pressed. Because most of the time, as Anakitty knows, the civilians never see the battered bodies of Adventurers laid out, covered in blood.

At least not since the Great Feud ended and Evilius had gone back into whatever hole they liked to live in.

Of course, people had seen Bell get tended to in the middle of the street. His regular doctor, Ezra Narius, the Miyroal Hound, had been conveniently waiting on the Takemikazuchi Familia to fulfill a request for her.

As such, she launched immediately into action. Along with Guild Medics and Healers. And of course, they had finally caught up to the boy.

And parents held their children so close when they realized just how young Adventurers could be.

Far from the exception, Bell Cranel represented the trend. A simple saying that could also be included in that trend:

'Get them while they're young.'

While Bell Cranel was no rookie when he arrived, he is still so young. He's only 14 years old. Comparatively speaking, Anakitty herself is 21 years old. Which is also telling, because she has leveled up at the normal pace of others who are Second Class Adventurers.

Which is a nice way of saying that she started when she was younger than Bell. First as a Supporter, but now as an active Adventurer.

Though, the reality is much different. As one who lived through the Great Feud. And participated in it.

She actually Leveled Up faster than is the norm because of that time period. Achieving Level 2 just prior to the events, when she was Bell's age and after three years of work. It was in the aftermath of the Great Feud that she transferred from Support to Frontline. She Leveled Up to Level 4 only a short while ago.

"Don't lose yourself to thoughts," Bell's voice softly, but suddenly drifts into her left ear and she tries to open the distance. Unfortunately for Anakitty, Bell gets a good hold on her and she has to struggle as Bell prevents her from leveraging her superior Level-based Strength Status.

Anakitty hates to admit it, but it is true for her that hand to hand combat is not her strength. Though it should be. Her race of Cat people are known for being agile fighters in hand to hand. But she, herself, had never really learned it. Instead, opting to become a swordswoman.

There is a reason for that.

Her people may be skilled in hand to hand combat, but that is dependent on which subspecies they are.

For her, a 'House' Cat type, she is physically weaker than most races. Even among the Cat races, her subspecies is notably weaker. Which includes a sad fact of life for her and her fellow House Cats…

They were never meant to fight.

Her particular race, like that of both a certain pair of waitresses, as far as she knows, that she happens to know and one particularly famous spearman in the city of Orario, had been meant to be servants to the more powerful Cat races.

Household maids and butlers for example. Nannies and caretakers. Work of a domestic sort. And only work of a domestic sort.

Others would be luckier and go into fields and work as long as they could, but there are still others among their kind that are far better suited. They did the chores, not the work. They did not fight, they waited instead.

They were meant to live lives of being meek as mice. To be invisible background. Summoned, but not seen. Part of the furniture to be used when needed or desired. And in more ways than one.

Which is why she had come to Orario. Why she had picked up the sword. Why she worked so hard to rise so high.

And here she is, in a hand to hand fight and despite everything, it only makes her angrier to think her physical strength has-

"TIME!" the voice of her new Goddess, Hestia of the Hearth, shouts abruptly and both Anakitty and Bell look over to the Goddess with surprised looks on their faces, "Come on, time to rest!" she shouts at the pair, "Look! I brought something better than Potato Snacks today!"

Bell and Anakitty let go of one another. Both work on adjusting their clothes as well, making themselves more presentable. Especially Anakitty as her top had slid up enough that it threatened to release her twins for the world to see.

Which had happened in their last training bout and Bell Cranel had been on his back with her straddling him.

Only the fact that their Goddess had been both very present and clear on the subject, did Bell return after a couple of hours instead of a couple of days.

Both also grab their towels to dab their foreheads and rub their faces with. Trying to get rid of some of the sweat they had across their bodies as well. Along with doing a few cooldown exercises, mainly to keep their bodies in good shape and prevent cramps.

They are joined by their two compatriots that comprise their small Familia who are doing the same after some grueling magic training. Today's exercise was to charge up and hold their magic for a set amount of time while calling it as quickly as they can. The idea being they could call upon their magic sooner and with greater control and regulate its power output more efficiently.

Additionally, it would expand their 'reserves' or raise the level of their abilities before Mind Down struck.

As the four members of the Hestia Familia convene with their Goddess on a blue and green striped blanket the diminutive dark haired, blue eyed Goddess clad in a white short dress with blue ribbons and two bell-like hairpins holding her long dark hair in princess tails had laid out as her four followers trained, they each see that it is indeed not Potato Snacks today.

Instead, there are green vegetables, some oranges and red and green apples, some bananas, some chicken, mashed potatoes, twice baked potatoes with green onion and chives with sour cream and pepper, and lemonade to complement the water.

"Goddess, this food?" The red eyed, white haired 'Bunny Boy' Bell looks at their Goddess in worry, fearing the costs to acquire and make the food before them.

"Don't worry," the Goddess of the Hearth smiles as she waves off her Familia Captain's concern, before gently taking his hand in hers and giving it a gentle squeeze, "These were actually given to us as thanks for the public works you four have been doing. People are really appreciative. Especially those no longer fearing being shaken down."

Bell nods while the three young women around the pair, the dark haired Aki, the other dark haired Human Line Arshe, and the brunette Human Elfy Colette all share a look. They remember what happened to gain some respect and gratitude. It had been rather bluntly, entirely by chance what happened.

Goddess Hestia had, that day, decreed for the four to go out and do some public service.

So, they had.

Most of their work had been simple. Their Goddess had intended for Bell to get some light exercise before he was cleared to reenter the Dungeon. That way their Captain had something better to do instead of counting things and doing the paperwork. Which had their Goddess looking embarrassed as Bell had caught onto her hiding several small things from him.

While the three could agree with Lady Hestia of the need to help others, they also agreed with Bell that they lacked the means to support themselves let alone others.

So, to remedy some of that, Goddess Hestia had decided to give random decrees that they go out and help the community with labor. Which is something the four could agree with. Even if mostly what Bell did was just sweep or hold dust pans until he was cleared to use his left arm again.

As such, Bell had yet to receive clearance to return to the Dungeon. He had that now, but then, Anakitty knows he did not. Which was something he was conscious about. As such, he was being careful that day, not wanting to jeopardize his chances of returning to the Dungeon.

Which had led him to use his right foot to kick the knee out from under that thug and then plant him in the wall, where Bell used his foot to keep the man trapped as he asked questions about what they had come across.

Aside from preventing him from using his arm, Bell had cut a very intimidating appearance. The kind that had the other thugs that were shaking down a family of five, unable to collect everything that was 'owed' and were in the process of kidnapping the two daughters and one son of the family. Until they had shown up, blown off their intimidation, and instead had been the ones demanding answers.

The locals tried to convince them to leave well enough alone and to get out. But they were four Blessed. The thugs weren't. Same with their back up, though, one was a slippery bastard that Anakitty couldn't hit and Bell had been busy dealing with the other hoodlums.

Snaking around both her and Elfy, the bastard had grabbed onto Line and taken her hostage.

Bell had stopped beating the thugs senseless, surprisingly using only his feet no less. Now they held him and were getting ready to make him pay. All the while leering at the three young women.

That snake of a SOB had even tried to grab onto Line's breasts.

Keyword being tried.

For as he was about to 'cement' his victory, a powerful hand had grabbed his forearm and pierced it with its claw-like fingers.

And when Bete Logia's ire is up… It gets up!

By the time the Ganesha Familia arrived to help, the trash that Bete had personally dealt with looked more like a pretzel than a person. At least the guy was flexible. As from what Anakitty heard, he might be out of the prison hospital in about another eight months or so.

Fortunately, Vice Captain Riveria Ljos Alf of the Loki Familia had been on her way to visit with them. Riveria had wanted to check up on Elfy and Line's training in the Magical Arts as well as review a few things with Anakitty. She also had wanted to personally check up on Bell, not only for official business, but to put his Guild Advisor Eina Tulle's concerns to rest.

As such, Riveria had arrived with the rest of her daughters like Line and Elfy. Ais Wallenstein, Lefiya Verdis, and finally the Hiryute Twins, Tiona and Tione. Accompanying them, as always, had been Alicia Forestlight, Riveria's aide and second in command of the Loki Familia's all Elf special unit.

The people in that area no longer had to endure being shaken down or fear the loss of family. The criminals had been wrapped up in the next two days by the Ganesha Familia who had used a drunken and annoyed Bete to get two to sing like birds. Once they had the information, the Ganesha struck hard and fast. That particular criminal cartel was destroyed so fast, the Ganesha were still sweeping up additional criminals who hadn't realized what happened.

With more criminals getting taken into custody as a result everyday, the Ganesha Familia had been gaining a vast knowledge of the criminal underworld they previously hadn't had.

For those already taken, the Ganesha Familia had enlisted assistance. So far, they've gotten a number back, but they may never get them all back. For every victory there is bitter defeat in the battle against crime.

But that didn't matter to the Hestia Familia, at least for now, because the day after, Bell was cleared to go back into the Dungeon and the four had begun to work on how well they fitted together.

Sure, they were training together and how Anakitty knows they have been training.

Bell Cranel did not believe in a 'light warm up' as he put it constituting training. Instead, the three young women began to train beside Bell. Everything from hand to hand to footwork to balance and strength training.

They would sit in a circle and discuss everything from magic to tactics to supply to best outfitting. What checkpoints to also reach and what leaguestones to set for themselves. Even discuss how they would act if separated or if something happened to a member. Among that topic, medicine and healing was discussed.

Is discussed, now that she corrects herself.

They would train before going into the Dungeon and train after they came out. Given that there were four of them, they could afford to go down later and come back up sooner. Not as much as they would like, but as long as they got in a good enough rest period, they could actually get up sooner and go to bed later or even do a night run if needed.

Bell had even arranged for a tailor to make training clothes for the three. While they had gotten the Valis on their own as he recovered, he was preparing. Bell would even debrief them a lot more finely and with greater detail than what they were used to. But it was also to help him to learn about them as well.

Anakitty finds herself once more admitting that Bell takes his job seriously. Yet he leaves them with enough leeway to do things their own way as well.

Taking hold of her training top's left strap, Anakitty thinks about the design and colors for a moment.

The bottoms consist of a bloomer design tailored for their size, but with a little extra room for growth. Same with the tops that are 'sports tops' as the Deities call them. A lot more tighter than 'tank tops' and more to what she knows, sadly from Goddess Loki and her perverted tendencies, as 'sports bras.'

She is quite certain that they are not actually that. That would be an undergarment. She continues to hope that is the case.

In either event, typically only Bell, Line, Elfy, and Goddess Hestia saw her in it. Though, Eina Tulle, their Guild Advisor, and Rose Fennette, the three young women's former Advisor, had dropped by for a visit during a previous day training and seen the three in their training outfits.

Typical of her, Rose had been nonplussed, but Eina is a Half-Elf. Even accounting for Rose being a Werewolf, Eina was quite a bit more embarrassed and had all but torn a strip off of Bell.

Being a Half-Elf, meant that Eina, like all Half-Elves, could suffer from some rather strong outbursts of emotion and mood swings. Elves by their nature were far more reserved, but then they took it, in the opinion of other races, a bit too far. By contrast Humans preferred being collectively in the middle of the road, both by nature and by collective choice.

As such, a mix between the two, Half-Elves, tended to suffer a bit of strong to extreme emotional responses.

Some corners said a Half-Elf is an Elf with their enforced filters removed. Which carries some truth to it. Some Elves that had never lived the full life of an Elvish society tended to be more expressive.

Anakitty knew that Lefiya as being one such case.

Though, that might not be a fair comparison. As that girl has issues. Which has even her adoptive mother, Riveria, worried at times.

Not that Lefiya isn't pleasant. Far from it, she is a very kind girl. But she is also unusually emotional and prone to unusual outbursts even by other Races' standards.

She also gets the odd idea in her head from time to time.

"Something wrong Aki?" Line inquires seeing that her friend is eating slower than the rest of them.

"Nothing," Anakitty responds as she realizes she was going too deep into thought and Goddess Hestia likely is fibbing a bit about the spread before them, so she better not let it go to waste, "Just still thinking on how our lives have changed."

"I find it actually a bit fun!" Elfy giggles from her spot on the edge of the blanket, feet resting in a small waterway that they had finally dug free and cleaned up yesterday, "I do admit to missing everything we had in the Loki Familia, but I do enjoy being able actually sleep at night!"

Elfy breaks down into giggles while Anakitty rolls her eyes, though, she is smiling as well. Poor Line makes a weak, forced laugh as she knows what is meant. Elfy had been rooming with Lefiya after all. And Lefiya could talk in her sleep on occasion. About things that Elfy would rather not hear or know about.

Especially that one Elfy mentioned about six months earlier involving chocolate, tea, feathers, a sauna, trees, and something said in Wishe Elvish that Riveria told them to not worry about, but caused Riveria to come down hard on Lefiya for something.

They are likely better off not knowing.

"Everyone getting used to their sleeping arrangements, though?" Goddess Hestia inquires, looking both worried and nervous.

Understandable as there were three places to sleep.

The first being Goddess Hestia's 'bedroom' which was a bed inside of a partially walled off area with blankets and sheets hung up to make a room. The Goddess had the most furniture, unsurprising given that she was originally set up by the Goddess Hephaestus after the Goddess of the Forge had kicked her out of her Familia home for essentially leeching off her own Familia. Since then,Hestia had been slowly building up her home for the time well before her Familia actually existed. Even then, it isn't much. Just a closet, a dresser, a mirror, her aforementioned bed, a stool, and a chair.

Most of the remaining furniture were also purchased by either Lady Hephaestus or by Lady Hestia herself over time to further decorate their small base.

Though, even then, Lady Hestia had still been limited such as her dresser even doubling as her desk and holding all of her papers, pens, and inkwells among other items for doing her duties as both a Goddess and being the Goddess of a Familia.

The other place to sleep is Bell's bed.

Or what had been his bed.

Bell had given it up to let Line and Elfy sleep in it. Though it had to be reinforced to hold both girls, it was just barely able to hold them both not from their combined weight, but because it was only meant for one person.

Additionally, before being reinforced to stand up to having two people regularly sleep in it and to keep both from falling out, it had been originally a fold away bed attached to the wall.

Now it had a frame to keep it in place. Which meant it could no longer fold away. It is also just enclosed off by some sheets and a couple of old quilts to help the girls stay warm at night. This part of Orario did get cold and unlike Goddess Hestia with some walls to protect her, the girls didn't have actual walls and were also higher up requiring a step stool to get up into their bed and being up like that meant they didn't get the pair of small of magic stone powered heaters and the old small fireplace's heat as effectively.

Bell had tried to surrender his place where he stored his things, but Anakitty had gotten him to agree to have them store all of their belongings there. Which, to his surprise, revealed that despite living as part of the famous Loki Familia and being one of the outright wealthy Familias, the trio had actually very meager belongings. And all of it easily is stored with his own things.

Though, he does worry about reaching down to grab his own clothes and discovers he's holding something belonging to the girls.

"How is your arm Bell?" Anakitty inquires, "I know Amid and the Dian Cecht Familia are practically miracle workers, but I am worried, especially with how you were sleeping before?"

Bell holds up and rotates his arm and shifts and flicks his arm forward.

"Still sore a bit and tender," he admits, as Orario Healing Arts and Medicines are good, but there is always something lingering, "But otherwise I'm good again. I still cannot believe I got a fully healed arm after only a couple of weeks. Doesn't it normally take months to heal a broken arm?"

"Depending on how it is broken, about six to eight weeks actually," Line answers automatically after she swallows some chicken, "While the breaks were not clean, they weren't the worst that Amid and Miss Naza have healed separately, let alone together."

Bell shudders visibly at that piece of information and is further amazed by how powerful and potent Orario's medicines and Healing Magic truly are. He hadn't known the details about how long it would take to recover from a break himself. Despite the fact that Margaret knows Healing Magicks herself and had done her best to teach Bell.

Truly surprising and terrifying as he could now more appreciably grasp the difference in strength and capabilities between Orario Adventurers and those outside of the city and the scale of power between the Monsters both in the Dungeon and outside of it.

It is not a fear easily brushed aside. Quite the opposite. Bell now further grasps the reality of how close to death he was.

But… His hands also tremble from just how strong he now knows he is.

All of his feats had been amazing prior to Orario. But here, he could become more renowned. Though, as he raises his head to see one part of the Great Wall of Orario, he grasps that to be so renowned, he would need to be outside of that Wall. Be in the world beyond to prove his strength and mettle.

"Bell?" Goddess Hestia looks to her Captain, to see him staring at the Wall segment they all could see from their place while failing to control the trembling of his hands.

"Goddess," Bell begins without looking at her, "For the Hestia Familia to thrive," he turns his head to her to look her in the eye, "We must venture beyond the Wall of Orario and prove ourselves far and wide like in days past."

A sense of thrill ran up Goddess Hestia's spine as Bell said that. Hestia feels Bell's words reaching deep into her. The desire to rack up renown and fame, to be known far and wide not as a famous Orario Familia, but as a World Renown Familia!

More than that, she can sense Bell has another reason. Several of them. But her core resonates with his desires. They echo in her very existence. The reason she exists. The reason she is of the Hearth. Her true statures as a Goddess. The echo beats with her heart.

And she knows what she must now do as well.

"Then let it be so," Hestia declares as she can see the three young women with them also feel Bell's desire echo within them as it does with her, but for them, as Mortals, it is the knowledge that they would garner greater fame and Bell would lead them, "Take as many missions as you can outside of the Wall. Do not be reckless, but be precise. Raise the name so that one day, a banner of our Familia will fly and be known across the world, echoing the call for others to find their own adventures, find their own futures with their two hands."

"Yes," Elfy agrees with a soft quiet, but her voice still echoes in the very air.

"Renown to be known by," Line agrees, her voice also echoing despite her soft spoken words.

"Let us create our banner with our success," Anakitty agrees again echoing in the air despite how softly she said the words.

In their eyes and posture, each appears taken by Bell's declaration. They hunger for the fame that Familias of Old once had. With names known far and wide, even to this day. Even the names of the Predator and Silence are still met and spoken with a revenant awe.

For they died as they lived… Doing something great.

No matter how good or bad an act is, people will remember those who are great. Good and evil are only byproducts of their actions to achieve greatness. Their names known far and wide, both revered and despised. But known and known to be great.

Hestia knows this and can see the fire in Bell's red eyes. Lit and ablaze.

He is tempered by his immediate past. Success that led to him being created a Free Knight. His courage is not in question and he is experienced.

But he has also learned fear. That Minotaur truly put fear into Bell, Hestia can see it. But at the same time, lasting and nearly achieving victory against a Minotaur despite the sheer difference in overall power, Bell has realized what strength he has.

And it excites him to achieve greater deeds than what can be simply found being a mere 'Adventurer in Orario' can achieve.

"Breakthrough the binds that hold us," Hestia intones to her Familia, "Light the fires, sate the hunger. Bring hope. Bring peace. Bring the fires that ignite the light of the future," holding her hands out to surround and encompass all four of her Children as she glows softly, "Hestia Familia! Bring to the world new legends of heroes and adventures to be told for generations to come! Far after our Familia passes into history, passes into legend, passes into myth! Create the Familia Myth of Hestia!"

The four feel Goddess Hestia's light in their souls. Smoldering embers suddenly grow bright. Ready to burst forth even more power. Each of their Skills and Magicks can feel those warm embers gently embrace them. Their strength of bonds with their Goddess and each other will only grow those embers.

Grow them until, like with their adventures yet to come, they burst into a true blaze that will forever light up the night in the grips of winter's cold embrace.

XXXX

The champagne flute strikes the carpeted floor. Its yellowish-white contents spilling across the embroidered floor covering. The stain growing as the wine spreads out.

But the one who held the refined drink does not pay attention nor care.

Writhing in sudden, sheer pleasure as abruptly as a sudden chill on a summer day.

Skin as white as fresh snow with long hair of silver so fine, that the very light appears to reflect. Her body is of perfection with a golden ratio so perfect that she appears to be source of the golden ratio itself. Her silvery purple eyes shine with a mysterious light, playful, but powerful.

Dressed in her preferred outfit of a skin adhering black body glove with red trim with white borders separating the black and red. The outfit did not leave anything to the imagination. Cupping her body perfectly as opposed to actually gloving it. A generous portion is open from just below her navel going up over the inner sides of her perfect breasts to reach her neck.

Two similarly colored flowers hair ornaments help stylize her hair as though she is a queen of a realm. Or perhaps, more accurately, the High Queen of Queens, an Empress manifest in appearance and decorum. A living standard for all to see and bow to.

But right now, her eyes are wide, her pupils nearly dilated as drool leaves both sides of her mouth and a stain in the crotch of her outfit is visible, as it the liquid dripping to the floor.

She bends and shifts, her bountiful bosom violently shifting in directions as she moves, twisting with her, bouncing and circling as she writhes.

Her face is flushed. The smile on her face of ecstasy. Her sounds show that she is closing in on her climax of climaxes.

And the confused and horrified Captain and Vice Captain of her Familia can only stand there, watching as her attendant screams in lust and ecstasy where she had fallen, dropping the bottle of champagne and the silver platter it had been on with their Goddess' meal across the floor.

They had sent the horrified leader of the Brothers to fetch their Familia's Healer. His three Brothers barring entrance to her personal chamber. While within their very confused Familia Residence, the Black and White Knights attempt to allay the abrupt concerns and fears of their Familia.

"What the hell is going on Ottarl?!" the redheaded woman shouts as she's all but dragged by the smaller Pallum male into the room.

He had, in point of fact, literally carried her and her instruments all the way to the room. A room only few could have access to and one she never has been to before.

The twin screams of her Goddess and the Goddess' attendant answer her question and her ire against the male leaders of her Familia vanishes like dust in the wind.

"What in the hells?!" Heith looks on with wide eyes before Ottarl smacks her into action and she decides to get to the attendant first as she's both closer and not moving as violently.

"LADY FREYA! I FEEL IT!" The woman screams before losing her conscious as a flood of liquid passes out from between her legs, staining the dress she is wearing as her flushed face becomes a sight that will never leave those present as it is so… horrifying for them to look upon it.

Twisted as it is into a gleeful perverted pleasure the likes no Mortal show know. The woman, known as Horn, lays in the mess she has made of herself. Making noises more akin to some demonic infant satisfied of its lust. With her tongue hanging out and the way her eyes had rolled back until only white could be seen with a smile that bordered if not actually crossed into the realm of devilish insansity.

"I don't think I'll be able to fix this…" Heith gulps as she steps away carefully and quietly from Horn who only continues to make noises and increase the size of the puddle she lays in.

Instead, carefully approaching their now laid out Goddess, Heith is accompanied by Ottarl, the King and Captain of the Freya Familia, while the Vice Captain Allen Formal, the Vana Freya, gently prods Horn with the butt of his fabled silver spear which appears to only make the woman squeal and release more semen, making even his powerful constitution reach its limits as the black cat male has a face looking a little like his eyes.

The color of green.

"Goddess?" Heith decides to try, seeing a similar, but more extreme look on Goddess Freya's face.

"Goddess Freya?" She tries again and gently uses a nearby poker for the fireplace to gently rock the Goddes, using the handle to do so instead of the poker side, which is held in Heith's hand.

"Godde-"

"Heissthth…" Goddess Freya responds her eyes rolling back to how they should look, but there is a complete glaze over them, "Ish sveen persfecstion. Sfulch reuatly Ishve slveen."

"It's official," Heith declares, "I joined a crazy Familia. No!" she corrects herself, "An insane one! Ottarl, you think Goddess Loki is recruiting?"

A smack to the back of her head is all Ottarl's answer on that subject.

"Goddess Freya," Ottarl speaks in his usual measured and deep tone, "Can you focus on us? Focus on our voices? Focus on our appearance if you can. You have had some kind of episode-"

"I'd say she had an episode," Heith snarks trying to crouch walk to her Goddess' side, "A big one too."

Heith finds out she's still in reach of Ottarl with another smack.

Breathing heavily, Goddess Freya just lays there in the insane afterglow of her orgasm. Her eyes are not only glazed over, the pupils are very dilated as well. Her tongue continues to hang out and she looks less like a Goddess, especially one known for being so refined, and more like a succubus that has been bewitched instead and driven to insanity.

But abruptly, a jolt runs through the Goddess. A glow covers her and a moment later, she is groaning somewhat in pain.

"Valkyrie, my servant, the moment I know which one of you didn't heal this pain, I'm going to have you washing at Mia Grand's place for the next hundred years without pay!"

Truly, though, Freya is surprised that one of her Valkyries had sensed what was happening and had come as quickly as she could. The Divine Art she had used, quickly cleared out the fog and after effects of her… moment from her head. Now her own Divine Healing is beginning its work, but given how much she must have violently moved, she is most definitely going to be in Heith's care for a while.

"Heith," Freya speaks to her Familia's best Healer and one of the Two Healing Saints of Orario, "Please numb this pain until I recover."

"Of course, My Lady," and Heith goes to work as Freya groans in pain until it is reduced by Heith's actions. The young woman's magicks penetrating her skin and spreading throughout her body with the flow of her blood. She is right to assume she will be laid up for a couple of hours or more. Likely more, though, given how much damage her body took from her violent writhing.

But the pleasure she still feels from what she saw. It still permeates through her body. Giving her a thrill she has not felt in a long time.

And sadly that had been the game that Arawn had pulled on her. One of the few Gods to resist her charms and her Charm. All but making a fool out of her. But he had played it so well!

"Goddess," Ottarl begins after glancing at Horn's body which now appears to be recovering as well, but Allen is understandably keeping his distance and not poking her anymore as that had only increased the puddle size and he had backtracked to keep a healthy distance.

But with his focus now on his Goddess, the Goddess that is more like a mother to him, having personally cared for and raised him herself, Ottarl asks his question.

"What happened?"

And Goddess Freya only smiles.

"I saw the appearance of souls light up," she responds with a smile of satisfaction, "Light up, promising… Oh Ottarl, I have not seen such light before! One was Bell, the little rabbit's soul had suddenly burned so brightly. The others were Loki's Children that now live with Hestia. Their souls suddenly and abruptly lit up as well! Then Hestia must have made a pledge to them, because before I knew it, I was staring into the beginnings of greatness yet to be born."

Ottarl only nods, turning what his Goddess said over in his mind, weighing it, understanding it…

And yet a smile graces his countenance as he does so.

For if what his Goddess says is true… Then a challenge has begun to rise and with it…

The words of the Predator, Zard of the Zeus Familia, echo in his mind as Goddess Freya lets out a gasp and giggle before reaching out to Ottarl.

"My Child!" she gleefully squeals, "Your soul is so beautiful right now!"

XXXX

Unaware of the havoc they and their Goddess had caused in the Freya Familia, the four Adventurers of the Hestia Familia are finishing washing up, bathing, and changing after their daily training.

As Line finishes buttoning up her top, she cannot help but notice the strong back of her new Familia Captain as he pulls on his shirt behind. The mirror reflecting just how much effort he put into his training before her eyes.

Of course, being the Healer of their Familia, she had been examining Bell as he recovered from his fight with the Minotaur. As such, she had not only seen his back, surprisingly broad for one with what the Deities called an Athletic Build, but his arms, legs, chest, and even more that she still blushes a bit.

Only Miss Naza Erimus' assistance has really helped her there. She can most certainly confirm from her time and experience as a Healer in the Loki Familia that Bell is definitely unusually well endowed for a Human male. But he's also very well built, if a bit short perhaps for someone who has worked out so much.

Line looks down at her still visible bra-clad breasts. She's already 16-years-old and has a figure that is more akin to a Human woman in her mid-20s. One who has spent time and effort on their appearance and figure perhaps. A byproduct of being an Adventurer of a First Class Familia that required physical and mental fitness that is often a cut above the rest.

But as she looks at her endowed chest, she knows full well that she is a figure cut much differently from other Human girls her age.

All because of her Falna.

The Falna didn't just provide power, if it could be described so vaguely. A Falna provided so much more. Such as reduced Aging with increased Longevity. Incredible Strength, Speed, and Stamina. In fact, she knows for a fact that the Loki Familia Executives can go two weeks with very little sleep, less than 20 hours as she last measured, and still be functionally fine and cognitive with little to show for physical ill health as well.

And on the note of Cognition, the mind is more than capable of learning at a higher rate, increased retention of learning, and memory recall and retention are also very high.

Among other traits that are developed. It is hard to really discuss to a person at times because Falnas give so much that isn't even obvious. The exchange between a Deity and a Mortal to form a Familia is truly incredible.

The only downside is that there are some requirements for having a Falna.

Even a newly minted Level 1 would need to adjust their dietary intake or acquire specialized food stuffs. The meal they had eaten earlier, Aki had eaten the most and she still had to eat more afterwards. The reason being that as a Level 4 Second Class Adventurer, she couldn't eat the same food as people who are Unblessed unless she truly ate quite a lot of it.

A Blessed's body simply consumed the eaten food at a higher rate. This meant that the food had to be either specially treated or of certain stocks and types. Or that the food consumed had to be eaten in such large amounts as to be a financial drain.

Even ordinary water would be insufficient for them. Unless drank in such large quantities.

It is one of the exchanges for having a Falna. The body consumes the nutrients the body absorbs from food at a higher rate. The longer one goes without eating, the worse it gets actually and the results are very much worse on the empty stomach.

Though, ironically, that's why she has the body she has now. Because her body couldn't let her become fat thanks to the Falna she had. Though Line is only a Level 2 and even she's still hungry as the meal wasn't good enough to satisfy her. It was more like a snack than an actual meal.

And the issues only got worse with progression in Level.

The same of their clothing, equipment, weapons, and other items needed to go into the Dungeon or even just to live everyday life like having specially made cups for those who are Blessed to be able to drink something without crushing the cup in hand by accident.

There is a reason such places as the Hostess of Fertility use so much woodware instead of actual glasses and ceramic plates. Aside from rowdy Adventurers and Supporters. The items would literally break by accident in the hands of the staff alone, let alone someone who is tired and fresh up from being in the Dungeon.

Bell is lucky in that regard right now. His Level is sufficiently low enough that he wouldn't need to upgrade to more Adventurer specific clothing and armor anytime soon. Not like the three of them who has to have very specific clothing items.

Even the bra she is looking at can be described as being armored cloth for an Unblessed and would carry a bit of hefty weight to it.

Her bra may look like an ordinary bra, but it wasn't. Line is not certain of what material it is made from exactly, but the fibers of the cloth are not clothing fibers that one can simply get from a sheep on a ranch somewhere. It's actually made from materials acquired within the Dungeon itself. Which means that her bra is actually fairly strong to be able to withstand Line just moving around in it, let alone handling it with her own strength.

Along with her shirt, Line is actually armored well enough to be fine down to the middle zone of the Floor Twenties. Past that and she has some concerns. But definitely in the Deep Floors she has to be wary or wear her actual armor. Usually the latter. Beyond the Floor Thirties, she definitely wears armor both under and outside of her clothes.

Well… She did.

Her last suit was destroyed when their camp had been hit by those unknown Monsters. And now that she is also no longer part of the Loki Familia, she has no means to replace it. She'll have to get a new suit made on her own or through her new Familia.

Bell, though, had found decent second hand armor for her to wear in the meantime. As such, she sees not just her bra, but the chain mail she's wearing under her shirt with an undersuit top between it and her bra.

Aside from the chainmail, though Bell had been eying a possible pair of scalemail tops for her and Elfy, Line's armor consisted of some foot and leg protection that went up to her knees. Her thighs were exposed except for where her hip armor reached. Which those pieces and their small waist guard that goes with them she had gotten from her sister Ais, who had raided her own closet and storage for some of her own old armor.

It was only two pieces attached to the side of her hips connected onto a waist guard, a fauld to be exact, the only thing that would fit Line given how small the armor is, but the combination covered her otherwise unarmored areas of her upper legs, groin, hips, and waist. Some protection was better than none. She also had a small armored head piece that Ais had worn when she was still a little girl, but provided Line with enough protection to the front and back of her head.

A tight fit, but better than having her head completely exposed.

All of the armor is actually stronger than it actually needs to be for when Ais was a Level 2 and even Level 3. She's always been a harder hitter and faster than is the norm for her Levels. According to Riveria, and much to Ais' mortification, a young Level 1 Ais had once fought some Monsters so hard that she actually knocked out one of her own teeth from how hard she had gritted them!

Suddenly, though, a pair of hands slip around and begin to take hold of her remaining buttons and finish buttoning up her shirt. The fingers are not the slender forms of either Aki or Elfy nor the small form of Lady Hestia. That leaves only one person.

"Something the matter, Line?" Bell inquires as he helps finish buttoning up her top before resting his hands on her sides, "You're distracted."

Despite being embarrassed that Bell had finished buttoning up her top, which had left a bit of her still exposed enough, Line does realize that Bell is only acting out of concern. Although, she didn't miss that he seemed very unusually adept and deft to button her shirt up so easily, but she just mentally chalks that up to likely having helped his wife into her clothes before they were forcibly separated by forces not of their own making.

Still, taking a breath, Line speaks as she checks the buttons of her shirt, "I can manage my top well on my own, Bell," she chastizes, but then sighs before instinctively leaning back into his chest, noting he didn't have his breast plate on yet, "But yes, I guess I am distracted."

"We'll be stopping by the Hostess of Fertility," Bell replies, soothing her concerns over how the meal hadn't actually filled her belly and both do not doubt that Elfy was likely still hungry, too.

Lightly shaking her head, "It's not that," Line admits, "It's just the changes in my life right now. I'm still adjusting, I'll admit to that, but I actually find I'm feeling more comfortable for some reason."

Bell nods, already guessing what it is that Line hasn't quite figured out.

"It might be that because we're a small Familia," Bell reasons on his guess, "Far fewer people and less hustle and bustle about. As such, you're not feeling crowded by everyone around you."

Nodding, "That's probably it," Line agrees as it is quieter in her new Familia and while far from what she had grown accustomed to, the small numbers means more interaction with everyone and also more alone time when she feels the need to just be by herself.

The two stand together for the moment. Line even going as far as to cross her arms over herself to rest her hands on Bell's hands. The image projecting the appearance of lovers, though, it is not that.

Bell is just naturally someone Line finds she could comfortably be with. There is no romantic attachment or involvement. Just Line finding a moment of peace within Bell's arms, His strong arms that to her surprise, Bell uses to be gentle.

A quiet strength of being strong enough to be gentle. Caring. Supportive.

If there is one thing she can say for certain right now, is that Bell Cranel did not need to announce himself.

His quiet personality still had shy traits about him. But he had clearly learned to stand tall. Bell Cranel didn't need to be the center of the room to lead. He just needed to be in the room. Ready to support, ready to speak.

Not afraid to follow. Unafraid of learning. Bell Cranel is strong enough on his own, but knows that when united with others, he is far stronger.

She just knows it, because he conveys that through how he sees them. Works with them. Understands them.

They may only be beginning to learn about one another, but that doesn't stop them from knowing something already.

"You guys ready?" Aki asks the pair, though she has a soft smile on her face.

"As ready as we'll ever be," Bell responds, before gently placing a kiss on Line's cheek, causing the girl to go red face, but also smile lightly as she guesses that Bell is getting comfortable around them enough to unknowingly lower his guard.

He can still be painfully shy around girls and women. Or just in general. But once he is comfortable, he is more expressive. That is something that Line has noticed and she isn't alone if the light giggle from Elfy and the knowing look from Aki is any indication.

Hestia smiles from her hiding spot. Her Children are getting along. There is a sense of comfort among them. As the Goddess turns to actually leave for work, she is just thankful that Loki has such wonderful Children. Though, how she is going to refill their spots in her own Familia is a good question.

For even though the matters of the heart are not her place, the matters of the home are.

And she can sense it, even now, that there is a very good chance that one or more of them will carry the name Cranel in the future.

For Bell whose family has been destroyed by machinations and Monsters, it will be a good start to recover. Though he isn't alone. While Elfy is one for knowledge, the other pair are here to escape predetermined paths. Especially in matters of family loss.

But even Elfy isn't immune to loneliness or the lack of something resembling a familial structure.

XXXX

Ryu Lion, or Lyuu Lyon as she went by these days to cover her tracks and hide her past, gently sweeps the floor at the entrance to her employment and home, the tavern Hostess of Fertility.

The hidden Gale enjoys the simple action of sweeping. It is a far cry from the nights she raged, seeking vengeance for her destroyed Familia. The act of cleaning up and maintaining as opposed to cold blooded murder and the splash of blood as bones crackled under the force of her attacks.

It had been difficult at first. She had been shocked, still unable to fully control herself. But with time and patience by both Mia Grand and Syr Flover, Ryuu had pulled through and learned.

Joined by both Chloe Lolo and Lunor Faust along with Anya, the five waitresses and their boss create an atmosphere of joy and relaxation for all their customers.

It is a peaceful life. Despite how hectic being a waitress can get. Especially with drunks and their grabby hands. She's actually lost count of how many times she's bopped Goddess Loki alone on the head or seen Bete Loga, the Vanargard strung up by his limbs for getting too drunk and rowdy.

The dust goes sailing out gently. Clearing the open doorway to disappear among the gentle currents and background of the street. Ryu smiles even as she uses the broom handle to stop Anya's hands short of touching her.

"Meowoow!" the tavern's famous Brown Cat lightly growls at being stopped again.

Ryuu still favors her friend with a smile. Perhaps one day, Anya Fromel will be able to touch her. Without being tossed across the room no less. Which would be a nice day. A day to advance their friendship further.

The smile is enough and Anya smiles back. Beaming as bright as the sun outside. The two begin to converse on the day's special. Though with Ryuu reminding Anya that it isn't fish on the special nor beef, but fowl and clams. The Brown Cat hissing at her own forgetfulness and being corrected, yet again, by Ryuu.

Another peaceful morning.

Five years since the end of the Great Feud.

Four years since the Familias drove Evilius underground. Literally. The death-crazed occultists had taken heavy losses in the end. Losses they could not make good on for years to come. All the while, the remnants hid in the underground waterways and tunnels and what have you beneath the city, unable to do anything.

It is ironic that they fled underground to hide. As bodies are buried in the earth after death. With ceremony and respect, the dead are committed to rest until it is time for the souls to reincarnate. That time that always comes in a thousand years they say.

But for now, they are not a threat. Not a danger. Her friends' deaths had meant something in the end. Their efforts having borne fruit.

Hopefully, they will reunite in the future in their new identities and rejoin for a time of peace. A peace their valor had won in that conflict.

A gentle breeze wafts through and both young women gently hold onto their hair, tucking lockes back into place as they giggle and smile at the peaceful atmosphere they are currently in.

Mama Mia, as the big lady is known, smiles as the pair. Her two daughters enjoying their moment of respite before the big rush of customers.

And they should.

It is a beautiful day. Perhaps she'll let them take their break outside where they can get some sunlight and know the day. Enjoy a picnic.

As long as she doesn't let Syr do any food work.

It still amazes Mia that she's only had six cases of food poisoning due to Syr's horrific attempts at cooking.

As far as she knows, Lunor even gave Ryu some of Syr's cooking to use as support items. And it actually worked, too. Horrifying thought that. Very horrifying.

'Syr can do a heck of a lot of other things,' Mia thinks as she cleans one of the many glasses for their more refined guests, both Blessed and Unblessed alike, 'But cooking is likely never to be a strong suit for her.'

Then Mia stops in mid motion and rethinks that thought for a moment.

'Forget it,' Mia cannot help, but admit, 'Syr will never be able to cook a thing in her life. Her ability to make sandwiches landed two in the hospital and May actually has the highest protection against poisons after myself, Chloe, and Ryu, which is saying a lot for both girls.'

The memories of when she got May come back to her.

May had been part of a Dark Familia, trained in poisoning people. Only they went after the wrong person. Mia herself.

Heck, May was just a cover name. Even May doesn't know what name she had at birth. If she ever had one. Nope, the most she can recall is always being assigned a new name. That was the most May could recall.

She only answered when summoned. That's how it was. Only a few apparently had names. And those weren't even much for names either.

But Mia recalls it well. Like she always does when a new girl arrives and becomes her daughter. Perhaps she's more like Riveria like that? Both of them cannot help themselves but pick up strays, as Anya puts it and even calls herself a stray as well.

Mia chuckles to herself, drawing a curious look from Syr as she brings out some plates to be stacked at Mia's favorite station, the bar counter itself. She just smiles at Syr as the girl nods and goes back to get another stack of plates. Though, Mia is still worried about the limp that Syr arrived with today, and rather late as well.

She better have a talk with one of the boys later. Find out what happened. Syr looks fine, if a little weak knee today.

Mia stops for a moment and sighs as she has a guess.

"That boy," she chuckles as she recalls Syr has been really working hard to try and make something nice for him to eat.

"Which is a miracle he hasn't wound up himself in the hospital," Mia is actually pretty stunned by the fact that Bell Cranel can literally stomach Syr's cooking. Or what passes for it. As far as she knows, that what wasn't soup but something else is currently in the hands of an old friend trying to make sense of it.

Fortunately, Mia had gotten Lord Miach to take a look at it. According to him, it isn't living. It's not a life. But he doesn't want to guess what could happen if it did come to life.

Now that's a surprise.

Much like how May had been a surprise.

Mia can still see May being both held responsible for the failure to kill Mia herself and by the throat with lots of air beneath her feet.

Mia had, of course, long retired by then. She had already started the Hostess of Fertility. Started training Anya to be a waitress. Started taking wayward girls in and turning them into good young women who would find enjoyment in life instead of an early grave or as broken souls.

As is her thing, she had used just some simply available items to essentially kill the other assassins. May had looked up to her as the last survivor escaped. Or rather, Mia had let that one go. To escape with their life and report back that Mia was coming for them.

She did. Eventually. But she took care of May first. That was just literally before Ryuu joined them.

Well… Give or take some weeks or months.

Chuckling to herself, Mia knows when she recruited May. And then when Ryuu joined them. But it didn't matter. Each one are her precious daughters. So when they joined didn't mean as much as when they finally got into the groove of things.

May had looked up to Mia that night. Gaze accepting of her death. Instead, Mia only picked her up and carried her back to the tavern. Then started training her how to be a cook.

And how to actually live.

Now May is a smiling cook who is eager to work on new recipes. She's also starting to look at the men coming and going. Likely thinking of settling down, that's how Mia sees it and she smiles at the clean glass, knowing that just like the drinking vessel in her hand, May is now starting to shine with all the specks of what she had been cleaned away.

Mia had already let so many leave over the years. Finding good husbands, or wives and Mia isn't one to judge either, to settle down with and start families. For the latter cases, there are means through medicine and magic that allows two women to have children. It is a trying method with low results. Typically only one child, maybe two, but it takes years to succeed.

Though, with the right ingredients, say certain types of flora and drops in the Dungeon, those odds more than triple to a relatively good degree. Such as when Clara had her daughters with her wife, an older Werewolf woman named Edith. The age gap was nearly 25 years, but both had Falnas and were once Second Class Adventurers. So, they've got some years on them to go and soon to be plenty of girls to raise.

"Mia Grand," a voice suddenly asks and Mia stops as she turns to the person who had simply walked in without so much as raising suspicion.

Her noisy partner is there, too. Surprisingly not making any noise. It's only when Ryu turns to her pile that she notices the footprint one of them left and then looks up and finally notices the intruders.

"Calm down Ryu," not bothering with her fake name, "I know this pair."

"Oh!" Syr sees the pair as does Anya who immediately starts hissing and growling at the pair.

Anya and the pair never did get along. Mostly because the two would really snipe at her. And for lacking the respect Anya believes, but won't openly say it, Mia deserves.

"Texas, Exusiai," Mia sighs, "What do you guys want?"

"Message," Lupo simply hands the letter over, "And a response."

Taking the Wolf Girl's letter, likely from her boss no less, and giving another sigh, Mia looks the pair over.

The Lupo is dressed in her white coat with a black capelet about her shoulders. Black shorts and stockings cover her lower half. Black boots on her feet as well. Her hair is, of course, black as well and Mia suspects that the Lupo would have liked a black coat if she could.

Oddly, her eyes are orange. And she enjoys that Far East snack called Pocky.

Her partner isn't dressed much differently. The only thing missing is the caplet. Otherwise everything is the same. The young woman's hair is a burgundy color that is short compared to her friend's long hair. Though she also has orange eyes as well.

And, as Mia knows, a big secret as well that she manages to hide.

But Mia won't say nothing. Especially not around the others. There are reasons for her to remain quiet and she needs to get these two out. Now.

"Let me see it," Texas hands Mia the letter she asked for as it is to be delivered to her anyways, "Lunoire, bring me some paper and a pen."

The brunette Human does as instructed as Mia opens and begins reading the letter's contents. Hoping she isn't going to need to do some 'side jobs' in the future. Her Deity wouldn't appreciate that.

But sometimes, there are things that need to be done.

Even if they go against the will of a Heavenly Being.

'Not like she's going to be happy with me pushing Ryuu into the boy's arms,' Mia thinks as she reads the opening contents, her face…

XXXX

"Here you Lady Guardswoman," the usher bows politely to the young woman she has just escorted, "His Eminence is on the other side. Please take care and mind your manners, though, given what I have heard and seen of you, that may not be a worry."

The older woman smiles before rapping on the door with her knuckles.

"Your Lordship, Lady Guardswoman Leia has arrived," she announces.

"Send her in and see that we are not disturbed," the older voice responds from the other side, sounding half distracted.

"Oh dear, that's not good," the woman frowns before turning, "Be careful. When he answers like that, something that does not sit well with him has occurred."

"Understood," the young woman, Leia, responds before fixing her beret and half cloak before the doors are opened and she enters the room.

Immediately the usher bows as Leia passes and then closes the door.

Inside the room, Leia looks around briefly, examining it. It is as she suspected, a well furnished room. Though not as ornate, if it could be said to be ornate at all. The layout is typical with shelves of books, a long table flanked by couches and with a chair at one end. The table beginning from the desk with shelves of more books and some items as expected of such an esteemed Bishop.

Leia steps forward and turns with the precision drilled into her during her training before she steps before the desk of the Bishop who is seated at his desk and comes to attention.

"Guardswoman Leia of the Pontifica Cohors Lateran, at your service Your Eminence," Leia bows at the end to the Bishop before rising.

Despite being a Bishop, the Pontifica Cohors Lateran invested in her rank high enough to not await orders to rise. She is free to raise her head. Only to an Archbishop or higher, would she have awaited the command to rise.

The Bishop only smiles. Honestly, he is liking what he is seeing. This young woman has the fire and dedication in her that he feels many lack. That being said, she is not some obedient wind up toy either. She doesn't mince where her loyalties should lay and that is good.

"Your Ladyship?" he surprises Leia as she turns to see a woman step out from behind the curtains off to the side that had been well matched to the walls, but the shadows had given them away and Leia had kept her attention just in case someone would be there.

She just didn't expect a Cardinal to step forward.

Immediately, Leia is kneeling as the Cardinal steps forward to stand to the side of the desk. A graceful woman of blond green tipped hair and green eyes. She appears young in her appearance, but Leia knows that there is more to the Cardinals as a general rule. She's a mature woman, with a body most men would desire as do most women, but despite her rank within the Church, she is actually wed and a mother already.

Normally, Leia wouldn't know that information. But this particular Cardinal happens to share the name of another ranking religious faction that they have had bad relationships in the past. As such, word had gotten around and Leia herself had fought that faction when they had broken into the seat of power of their Church.

Leia had spent six weeks recovering from the burns. She wasn't alone either. The number of wounded had included a number of their most skilled seniors as well. Her and the other rookies that had fought had, at least, distinguished themselves and for Leia that had been the highlight of her career thus far.

"Rise, Guardswoman Leia," the Cardinal speaks softly, yet her voice carries power with it.

Leia rises and stands at attention, awaiting what is to come.

"My friend," the Cardinal turns to her junior who nods and slides a small file across his desk to Leia.

"We are grateful that you were available," the Bishop begins as he leans back into his seat as the Cardinal takes a seat on one of the couches, a tray set before her already with tea and biscuits on it, "This mission would typically be handed to one of the other Cohors, but sadly, they would likely lack the qualifications for this mission and even if they had someone, this is a long term mission."

"The file is thin," Leia remarks, frowning as she reads the information and sees the pictures within, "Strange, this is unusual for a file."

"The information was copied by one of our agents in Orario," the Bishop explains as he slides some tea across for Leia to partake, "Our agent slipped into the personal residence of the objective's Guild Advisor who had taken some of her work home with her," four additional files are slid across to her, three are thicker than the fourth which is as thin as the first, but unlike the other three and the first, the final one has a seal symbol that makes Leia breath deeply quite suddenly with a sharp intake of breath.

"The Goddess Hestia of the Hearth," the Cardinal explains softly with just that information, "The other files are all of her Familia. The agent was quite fortunate to get all of what they could."

"These three are former members of the Loki Familia," the Bishop opens the three for Leia to see three young women, two Human teenage girls and one Felyne young woman, looking back at her, "the one in your hand is of the Hestia Familia Captain, Bell Cranel and the objective."

"May I inquire for information about this matter and what the precise mission is?" Leia asks as she frowns as she looks at the pictures and then reaches over and opens up the file for Goddess Hestia, though, she does show it respect as it is a file on a Goddess after all.

"That is the question many are asking," the Cardinal suddenly supplies to Leia's confusion.

"Huh?" escapes Leia as she blinks before she could reel herself in from the surprise.

"Our opinion as well," the Bishop sips his tea as he explains the details of what they know.

First, though, he slides another file over to Leia. He explains that this much thicker file is for another woman altogether who is a factor within the mission. Leia opens the top of the file and sees that it is Margaret Nearl being covered. Something that shocks her as there are few within the Cohors that haven't heard of the legendary Radiant Knight.

The Bishop explains the details there. That while officially still a Knight of Kazimeirz and a Nearl, she had actually gained Free Knight status in service to Gael during its civil war after she had been exiled in all but name for combatting corruption and vice within her homeland.

"In addition to that, she actually married another Free Knight made at the same time as herself for his own participation in the civil war and his actions before entering the conflict itself at the end of the Gael Civil War," the Bishop explains to Leia.

"That second Free Knight is your objective," the Cardinal adds as she sips her own tea, a half eaten biscuit on its saucer, "Bell Cranel, age 13, was made a Free Knight by the Gael Queen after he protected the people of Gael from Monsters, Bandits, and other dangers before single-handedly destroying the largest Slave Market in that entire region and gaining the ire of the very ex and Fake King of Gael."

"I've heard my fair share of stories of that particular incident," Leia confesses and both actually know her history.

A Slaver had taken a job to kidnap various female members of the various Cohors of Lanterano. He had been a Blessed Level 2 from Warsa as well. The buyer who hired him had wanted them as showpieces and collectables. Information actually gained by their agents in Gael after the Slave Market had been destroyed had allowed them to identify and hunt the buyer who is even now in a Church prison, never to live in the shadows again.

The man wasn't fond of bright sunlight. As part of his punishment, he was tied to wooden beams in an exposed position before the rising sun and the setting sun. Just punishment for one who enjoyed evils in the darkness of shadow.

But the Slaver had made a dent in some forces. He either badly wounded many Cohors Soldiers, Guards, and Knights or managed to capture some of what he was sent after. Then he started stalking the elite guards of the Holy Capital and seat of the Church, the Ponitifca Cohors Lateran. He was good and would rapidly go on to capture no less than sixteen members, wounding many others in the process, of the Cohor before he came across the one Guardswoman who fought the most differently.

Battling a Blessed is not uncommon for members of the Cohors. All three know that. Leia actually has set a record of four, defeating two, both Level 1, in less than five years. Usually it is maybe two or three, the latter at most. Sometimes only one. And that is in the first five years of a member of a Cohor.

At ten years it can be as many as seven on average or during a busy period as high as nine. Though, what constitutes slow and busy is hard to say. Mostly Assassins, unsurprisingly, and the odd cultist as well. Slavers were also encountered, though they tended to be rather rare due to most Blessed not being involved in slavery to begin with.

Warsa was an exemption to that rule. Even more so for that Slaver to be a Level 2.

Leia's one drawback in the Cohors is that she is physically weaker than any other member. She struggled to use the distinctive and famous Halberds that the other women in the Cohors use easily. As such, Leia fought less with strength and more with technique and technical ability.

That small facet had protected her from quick defeat. Allowing two of the finest in her Cohor to arrive and surprise and defeat the Slaver.

But that was to be expected of the Commander and Vice Commander of a Cohor.

The fourth Blessed had been an Assassin and a good one at that. Again, Leia had fought the woman to a standstill using her technical ability, a way of saying Leia is very agile and nimble, and with skill.

And again, two superiors had come to her aid. This time, members of one of the intelligence branches. Both happen to be passing when they heard the damage caused by Leia suddenly switching up her fighting style to the standard fighting style and promptly crushing some parts of the surrounding structures and walls.

Which is why she has her own style to begin with.

The pair had arrived and captured the Assassin for later interrogation.

She hadn't been fined for the damage she caused. Her decision to cause destruction had created both noise and left a traceable trail. It also threw off the Assassin. But that still keep her out of a lecture or the hospital as she recovered from the poisoning she had gotten as well.

That tidbit of information only makes Leia a better choice. The young woman used a style completely different from any other Cohor. She's also quick on feet to come up with new ideas and tactics. She also nearly seamlessly integrates into other formations with ease.

So, explaining to her that Margaret Nearl was in fact Margaret Cranel now did surprise Leia, but both the Bishop and Cardinal smiled as she absorbed the information and read the file in her hands as she listened to what she is informed about.

The information they have is limited. There is more information on the three other young women in the Hestia Familia. Mostly from their time in the Loki Familia originally, but even then, there is information so classified that none of their agents could hope to reach it.

After all, only those Blessed by Ouranos himself could get access to the deeper inner workings and file rooms of the Guild of Orario.

And none of their agents could get that Falna by the simple fact they wouldn't be loyal to Ouranos, though that is something of a technicality as the Laterano Church is absolutely loyal to the Deities. It just so happens that they are not loyal enough to be Familia members. A sad, but true state of affairs.

Which leads to Leia being informed that the information they do have is actually fortuitous.

The Hestia Familia's Guild Advisor, her file is pushed against the desk as well, named Eina Tulle. A Half-Elf with a Blessing and a somewhat workaholic work ethic. She had actually taken the information they had acquired home to read up and organize her reports on the three new members of the Hestia Familia.

The Cardinal actually explains the transfers from the Loki Familia to the Hestia Familia. Leia nods, seeing the sense of politics and simple understanding between the two Familias easily enough. The knowledge that Bell Cranel was seriously wounded in battle with the Minotaur many times his own strength is shocking.

What's even more shocking, is that the young man, age 14 now, had held off and nearly defeated the Minotaur single-handedly. Quite a feat and achievement no doubt.

As such, the Miss Tulle had been working on her reports and files at home. Their agents had merely used a few tricks to cause her to fall asleep while working. Then they used a new technology that makes instant pictures to get copies of what they needed and then departed. The woman was none the wiser.

"Bell Cranel is well known in Gael and somewhat in surrounding areas," the Bishop explains before shrugging, "But aside from that and his status as a Free Knight, he's a complete unknown to us, except for certain persons within the Church shockingly enough."

Frowning, Leia cannot stop herself from asking, "Such as?"

"His Holiness himself," the Cardinal states simply enough and Leia's jaw drops at that knowledge, "And what is interesting, is that acquaintance is indirect. It comes from Phil Cranel, Bell Cranel's grandfather, knowing His Holiness personally that His Holiness has personally ordered this mission and assigned it to you, yourself."

"His Holiness…" Leia breaths in shock.

"You have the surprisingly right qualifications," the Cardinal adds with a small, favoring smile, "You have shown yourself a very capable Guardswoman and more importantly, you are intelligent and skillful as well as using a fighting style that is different and thus allowing you to better adapt to working with others outside not only your own Cohor, but outside the Cohors in general."

"Agreed," the Bishop adds before sighing, "And then there's this that His Holiness has been, thankfully, able to make only as a…" pausing as he purses his lips like the Bishop has swallowed something particularly sour and undesirable, "recommendation I guess you can say."

"Take it under advisement to recall it," the Cardinal growls through suddenly and nearly clenched teeth.

"But acting on it," the Bishop continues, "is completely up to you."

"What is it?" Leia blinks, looking confused.

"To use yourself to charm him and either marry him or at the very least have a child by him to lure him back to Laterano," the Bishop's sour look and tone coupled with the Cardinal's rather blatant hostility to the idea now makes a lot of sense.

Looking down at herself and then between the pair of religious leaders, Leia sums it up.

"I'm not likely to succeed."

"He's married for one thing, so you're more than likely right," the Bishop agrees, "Though Gael does permit pologamy, as does Orario, we doubt it would be so simple to send a young lady to him and get him to follow her back to the seat of the Holy Church and the Capital of our nation."

The Cardinal snorts in a very unladylike manner.

"Anyways!" the Bishop decides to move on, "Your mission identity will be Plume," the Liberi is informed and Leia raises an eyebrow at the mission identity.

"We know," the pair agree with Leia.

Shaking her head, the newly minted Plume asks what else she needs to know and learns that in addition to what she needs to read about, she has to do so quickly because in four days, they want her heading to Orario and the pair also ask if she can somehow find out how Phil Cranel knows His Holiness and why His Holiness is going so far to help the young man to send Plume to be his personal guard.

Oh and that Plume would be taking some items, gifts, and a few rather large bags of coin with her.

XXXX

Drinking her tea little by little with sips, Eina Tulle goes over the packets that Goddess Hestia had requested be assembled for her Familia.

It had been surprising when the diminutive Goddess entered earlier in the day and requested information on missions, quests, and any job outside the city for her Familia. She had decided to have information gathered so her Familia could understand what is going on outside the city and what kind of jobs they could take at this time.

Especially considering that Aki is a Level 4 and would have difficulty on long assignments without some support and sustainment from the various Guild Branches set up outside of Orario.

Fortunately, it also seems like Lady Hestia hadn't noticed how nervous Eina is right now.

Despite being so good, Eina had figured out she had been both gassed and drugged one evening in her own home.

Her Guild badge doubled as a monitor for such things. She had noticed it alerting her before she passed out. When she awoke, it was colored showing she had been in fact forcibly put to sleep.

Immediately, she used the alarm system installed in her residence to alert the Guild who sent Guild Guards to her residence and found her still trying to get back up.

The benefits of her Falna and Half-Elven heritage and being a student of Riveria Ljos Alf as a child. Plus the fact people really didn't want to know what Adventurers and Supporters tended to track into the Guild buildings. Oh yes, she recalls Bell returning after a few run-ins with Monsters who attacked with Status changing or altering attacks.

The investigation that followed had found nothing out of the ordinary. The best they could discover is that someone had looked at the documents in Eina's possession. But they couldn't tell if they had been copied or not, because there was no evidence of such tampering.

The best they could guess is that someone had written the documents with great care onto separate sheets while standing. There was no other explanation the Guild knew of at the time.

A search of her apartment turned up nothing else either. All of her belongings were accounted for and none had been tampered with. Though they did need to be cleaned as some residue of the gas used on her was found. Other than that, everything was as she had left it.

Whoever they were, they had gotten what they wanted.

If they had some means to read Eina's mind, then they wouldn't get much. Eina was an Advisor and so she had low security clearance within the Guild. The only thing worth noting about the woman is that Eina is a Level 2 with her Falna.

Interesting story on that, too, as Eina knows full well. Because of her Elven nature, Eina is a natural tracker and hunter. So, she often goes into the local forests for a quick hunt or as a relaxing vacation. Usually with other Elves, but more often than not other races with a hunting mentality.

She and Rose had gotten caught by a rather powerful Monster and had to avoid it for several weeks, being forced deeper and deeper into the forest they were in. There are several forests around Orario, some even interconnected. The pair had become hopelessly lost, but the rest of their hunting party had escaped and managed to work their way back to Orario and get help.

While it wasn't Lady Riveria or the Loki Familia that saved them, something Eina wishes as it would have let her have more time to speak with her godmother, they were still rescued.

When Eina and Rose had gotten back, they had been teased about going above and beyond to have their own adventurer. Both had growled at the joker over that, but Wilma simply waved it off while Holst had had a good laugh and then he asked her if she had meant for Adventurers to take over as Advisors while Advisors went adventuring instead.

Eina definitely wanted to pound Holst for that quip.

But when Lord Ouranos updated her status later, to her surprise, she had reached Level 2.

He had congratulated her and told her that she might consider if she should remain with the Guild or find a Familia instead. She should seek what she wants in her life, not feel responsible for that which isn't within her control.

Eina sighs as she looks over the requests and documents.

Getting the four travel permits, visas, and gems was the easy part. Getting them appropriate missions, that's the hard part. Though, given their make-up, Eina would let the four decide when they came in. It is entirely up to them after all. Being a new group freshly organized.

Still, she is worried as whoever stole into her residence appears to have been after nothing. Then again, she is a Guild Advisor, so they likely wanted Guild information or rather, the fact that she had a number of documents with her pertaining to Adventurers and Supporters was likely the reason.

Good thing the Guild prohibits the more important information from being taken outside the Forum or other authorized locations without a particularly strong guard.

So it was just general information. Nothing such, it still left more questions than answers.

Suddenly Eina finds someone grasping her breasts and groping her.

"KYAAA!" Eina screams out as she jumps up, pushing her chair back to turn and see who is responsible while getting ready to throttle them.

Rose Fenette stands there, nonplussed at groping her friend.

"R-R-R-ROSE!?" Eina yells as the redheaded Werewolf only leans in and looks the brunette Half-Elf in the eye.

Gold to green. Their noses are almost touching. The other women present around looking on in surprise and wonder, though also anxious about what is about to happen next.

Without a second thought, Rose simply leans back and crosses her arms under her ample bosom. Those who are not quite as prominent scowl as they always do.

Not that Rose really cares. She knows that some of them are already married. It's just a natural reaction at this point.

Well… She does sometimes flaunt it. Mostly in the mirror. Because she refuses to marry at this time.

Eina only sighs as she leans back on the long table everyone is at. The angle, though, revealing how well endowed she is. Causing a number of twitches to develop.

"Did you have to grab my front?" Eina growls at the Werewolf.

"You weren't responding," Rose points out to the Half-Elf, "So, yes."

"For that," Eina growls, "I expect you to enjoy your tossed salad with balsamic vinegar tonight."

Rose's tail twitches, but she nods.

The other women sigh with relief before turning back to work. Even those feeling their jealousy at the pair's well proportion and endowed forms. The occasional fling amongst themselves is not unheard of. And both Eina and Rose had a history of it in the back rooms.

"Feeling better?" Rose sits down and gently pulls Eina to sit opposite her, back in her original seat..

Though, that doesn't stop Rose from feeling Eina up a little.

Leaning forward, "You put some muscle on your legs," Rose whispers into Eina's ear, causing the blush on the Half-Elf to return, "I like and I'm certain he will, too."

Rose taps Bell Cranel's picture on the table before the pair.

Eina rides Bell too hard not to be interested in him. Rose could also, almost literally but figuratively speaking, smell how excited Eina is when Bell shows up.

Truth be told, Rose is also interested in the boy. Her senses and observations scream at her that he's powerful. Any pups with Bell would be of excellent stock. Yet, she could also tell that Bell is the kind that would move Heaven and Earth for his mates. He would also make them more than merely mates, but outright wives and live his life with them.

She and others like her could also tell he's married.

Other than the scent of a woman that is strongly mixed in with his own scent, though, something has happened to make it weaker, there's the evidence of how he acts, looks, and behaves.

Rose has teased the boy and found he's still somewhat shy. But he also didn't marry a Human woman.

When she had caught and torn her pants barely two days after he registered, he had happened to be there and helped her. The tear had been, unfortunately, right where her tail stuck out. But Bell knew how to mend the area without affecting how her tail would comfortably sit. If anything, he made the area a little more comfortable with a couple of small moderations.

The woman's scent had smelled like a horse. One of the several Horse People breeds. But it isn't one she's familiar with. But given how weak the scent had started to become, she suspected something had to have happened.

Given the care and kindness he showed her, Rose can put good coin; it wasn't a separation by choice either.

"Rose," Eina whines, "this is embarrassing."

"Good," Rose teases with a smile, "But you're also not countering me on Bell Cranel liking you having muscle on your legs."

Eina cannot say anything as she blushes deeper. Yet again.

"It's that time, isn't it?" Rose inquires and Eina blinks before checking the date and sure enough, it is.

"Yes," Eina swallows thickly as she would need to put in a request for some time off.

Elves have a few issues with their cycles. Due to a combination of long life and their high magicks, there is some issues with them controlling their urges when they build up.

Half-Elves are no exception, in fact, they are worse.

Elves have a natural reserveness to them. Something they have built up over time. Unfortunately, it has been weakening for some time. Which explains why a lot of Elves are having more emotional outbursts as of late.

Like a certain pair of Elves she is acquainted with. One retired and in hiding, though, she questions the retired part. The other is active and is the noisy Thousand Elf. The former is usually reserve, but when her emotions get riled up, she is just as noisy as the latter and both can be quite terrible at controlling their emotions.

"We can take the time Bell Cranel is out on this mission and by the time he's back, you'll be refreshed," Rose whispers, though the others still hear her and none say anything.

There are six other Elves present along with four Half-Elves. All of whom have just returned after going through their own needs. Which is only made worse by their Falnas increasing their bodily functions.

And not one says anything.

They agree with Rose and know she's probably getting close to her own needs, too. So, the two could wander off for a few days or a couple of weeks, get their needs worked out, and then return. Better than going to the Pleasure District.

"Rose," Eina rubs her thighs together, feeling embarrassed, "Do you think… Bell is going to be okay?"

Smiling as Rose reaches over and hugs Eina gently. Eina trusting Rose that much. It is also one of the few times, and they both in very trusted company, that Rose and Eina both let their guards down. To be more than just stand offish. Especially when it is one another.

If the two could, they would have actually married long ago. But there are just a few small things that get between one another. Those small details that prevent an otherwise happy marriage from happening or are the groundwork for an inevitable failed marriage with a bad ending.

"I've been researching Bell Cranel through my family's contacts," Rose taps on the boy's… No… The young man in the picture.

"Bell Cranel, age 12, left his village to go after a powerful Monster on his own and eventually successfully hunted, but not before it attacked with minions to overwhelm a town's defenses, and it was more of a small city than a town as we know."

Eina shifts and exits the hug to look at Rose in stunned disbelief and she wasn't alone. Every Advisor present turns to hear what Rose found out and are just as equally shocked. Which they get more so when Rose continues.

"And he had no Falna either," Rose adds, Eina's jaw dropping and she isn't the only one, but the Werewolf woman continues, "He succeeded, though, the Irregular he fought wasn't alone and he had to fight through its minions, the surviving defenders and some locals and travelers that were armed joined the boy who refused to yield and after a strong battle, the Monster was slain, though early on, everyone it had eaten, including the local lord's daughter and her horse, were vomited up after it was slammed hard enough to cough them up."

"That is disgusting," Vicky states as her cat ears twitch and her tail flicks.

"Were they alive?" Georgette inquires as she hands Valorie her waste bin to vomit in as the Half-Elf had once been swallowed as a child and smelled awful for weeks after her Adventuring father rescued her.

The mere thought or a smell as such is enough to empty her stomach very quickly.

Fortunately, Rose had placed a medicinal bottle near Valorie and once she stops heaving, it will bring her relief. Rose really feels for her friend and coworker. The experience is one she hopes to never experience herself.

"Yes," Rose confirms, "Just barely for the ones swallowed first."

Relief fills the room.

"Bell Cranel slit the Monster's throat, though, he apparently smelled terrible for weeks afterwards," Rose continues beginning to list what Bell did from that Irregular Monster and its minions to hunting a murderer not long after and catching the highwayman in the act and both rescuing the victim and taking the killer prisoner.

"Needless to say," Rose blows out a puff of air, "It was the noose for him."

"Good riddance," Ami, their one of several and one of only three female Far Easterners, declares.

"After that," Rose ticks off, "He hunted some small Monsters, more nuisance than threat, but that's only if their numbers were kept culled and with the Gael Civil War, that wasn't happening."

"Oh boy," Vicky agrees as they all can guess what happened.

"Yeah," Rose agrees, "But Bell Cranel and some others who followed the young boy to not be outdone by a mere child managed to kill them all and not only cull the numbers, they found and wiped out the nest in time to prevent an explosion in the population."

"How many died?" Georgette inquires, the Human knowing such cullings tend to be rather heavy in losses.

"About half the group when they found out the hard way how big the nest had gotten," Rose admits and even she looks unpleasant, "A nearby lord who was known to be greedy and lazy even realized the size and danger and engaged in further cullings of other Monsters until he was assassinated on the Fake King's order for some weird reason. His daughter, though, carried on afterwards while her brother led a contingent to support the Queen of Gael."

Several women shook their heads at the stupidity of some people, but are glad to hear of the children succeeding.

"Then there were some bandits," Rose actually chuckles here, "He defeated their leader in single combat and the man pledged to support Bell Cranel in any way possible as a sign of respect and honor. Which he fulfilled leading his bandits in support of the Queen of Gael, which earned him and his bandits both pardons and military commissions."

There is some laughter at the twist in fate.

"The next bandits weren't so good, though," Rose admits with a grimace, "If you wanted villains in this story, these guys almost make the cut perfectly. Though Bell and some Town Guards he gathered here and there successfully cut them down with help from some mercenaries. The survivors were executed for their crimes."

"Yikes," Hilda says as the Rabbit Woman leans back and stretches in her seat to get rid of some of the developing stiffness in her body, "What else?"

Rose goes on to list more and more. Mostly Monsters, but also dealing with internal threats such as bandits mostly. Bell apparently took on a corrupt Sheriff and left the man locked up in his own jail until the Fake King had freed him and turned him loose to pursue Bell. Much to the ex-Sheriff's own downfall, though, he apparently is still alive and on the run somewhere.

And that was after Bell single-handedly destroyed the largest Slave Market in the region, one of the Top Fifteen Largest Slave Markets in the world apparently. Which apparently set off the ex Fake King of Gael to send people after Bell. Only Bell either defeated them or converted them to fight for the Queen of Gael.

In fact it had been Bell Cranel that had caused the Gael Queen to rise up and reclaim her family's throne and the future of her country through his actions.

Bell also held a castle full of people that owed large amounts of taxes, set at extortionist levels and collected more on the personal needs of the ex Fake King, and repelled a full-on attack.

"That one battle marked his official entry into the Gael Civil War," Rose sighs as she rubs her eyes with her thumb and pointer finger before pinching the bridge of her nose, "He already had some soldiers sent after him by the that Fake King on his side, but they weren't the best available. No one was."

"But there was a lone boy," Valorie had managed to stop heaving and taken the medicine. She nodded her thanks to Rose who nodded back.

"That one lone boy who fought like twenty men," Rose replies, "Or so people said. Which shouldn't come as a surprise when one realizes that perhaps one of the strongest, if not the strongest Knight of Kazimeirz, the Radiant Knight herself, Margaret Nearl of the famed House of Nearl, the single greatest Knightly House perhaps the world over."

Which Rose figures is probably the woman she smells on Bell. At least until Anakitty Autumn started sleeping in the same bed as Bell did. Her scent, though, had yet to overpower the other, which means not only are the pair very platonic, unsurprising as they have only known one another for not a month yet, or Bell had been with the other woman for a very long time.

"Even in Orario," Georgette begins, "Some have heard of her. Not many, because she is Unblessed, but they say she is mighty for one so young."

"During the Gael Civil War she was literally knocking around Level 2 Adventurers from an outside Familia that participated in the war," Rose informs the others, "It took their Level 3 Captain to detain her and to their shock, she was Unblessed alright."

Immediately, there is a small riot of discussion about such strength and skill. Few could even hope to challenge a Level 2, let alone requiring a Level 3 to subdue them!

Still, all the women are a bit smug. If she had a Falna and the experience to raise it, she'd probably given that overbearing Freya Familia a good bash over the head. While the King could be pleasant, if overbearing by sheer presence, he was the only one of that Familia anyone could easier speak with. The others always made people feel irate or insignificant. Alfick wasn't too bad, but he was trying to be the most responsible one of his brothers and did a fair bit of good at it, too.

Just, he came off more annoyed than anything else.

Well, all that to the side, along with the few images of the Freya Familia in a pile beneath the boots of a victorious female Knight, Rose continued on.

"Anyways, the attack began as a siege, but quickly transformed into an assault," Rose recounts what her contacts had learned, "Bell Cranel was everywhere he was needed, all the while commanding the defense. Fortunately, by some blessed miracle, the officers that sided with him were competent enough to hold their forces together and defend the line."

"But they were outnumbered, weren't they?" Eina inquires, feeling a bit worried despite knowing Bell is alive and well and in the city right now.

"Pretty much," Rose confirms before shrugging, "It could have been worse, though. Only a portion of the final group actually attack Captain Cranel. The rest had to deal with the forces loyal to the Queen of Gael that happened to be marching in that area, with a certain female Knight and exiled God of Thunder in the van."

"Oh boy," Hilda states as they realized the magnitude of the events.

"Yep," Rose nods before continuing, "Captain Cranel, though, held his castle long enough for his enemies to respect him. Respect him enough that after a breakthrough was achieved, the leader of the attacking Knights decided to settle the battle with a duel. One that Bell Cranel would end up winning and sparing the leader himself."

"What happened next?" Valorie asks.

"The defeated Knight Commander found one of Bell's soldiers had recovered the late lord of the castle's sword," Rose explains as she has a hard time believing what happened next, but it did, "After convincing the soldier to let him have the sword, the Knight Commander knighted Bell Cranel and made him a young Knight for Gael."

That created another small riot of discussion. Rare are such knightings. They usually take place under more formal and complex means.

But it had made Bell Cranel a Knight for Gael and while he would have been low ranked, the fact he was knighted for his defense and battle against the man who knighted him, is especially rare.

"With that act," Rose continues on yet again, "Bell Cranel formally joined the civil war and eventually rejoined his teacher and both would fight the war to its end, being two of the biggest heroes of the war."

"Incredible," voices began, Rose unsure who said it as it sounded like several voices did.

"And that's when Bell Cranel earned his Free Knight status," Rose abruptly adds in, silencing the room in shock.

"That's good to know," a rather annoyed male voice suddenly speaks up and the women turn to see their bose, Royman Mardeel, the Guild Master and Captain of the Ouranos Familia standing in the doorway to their area, "But you have been called several times to get up front and none of you answered!"

With a panicked rush, the women gather what they need before rushing out the door Royman steps clear of so they can go and man their stations at the front of the Forum.

As Rose begins to pass, though, Royman indicates for both her and Eina to stop and step to the side. Both women obey as the rest of the women depart. The aging, overweight, and unpopular Elf looks around before nodding and taking two letters out of his waistcoat to give to both women.

"Not much, but a good start," Royman explains to Eina before turning to Rose, "Official Guild Mission for the Loki Familia. Details are inside, please be discreet."

And with that, the man turns and leaves both women as he walks, not waddles as he isn't that fat, back to his own office and the never ending war with paperwork he battles every single day.

Both know he would appreciate it if both Goddesses Ishtar and Freya would particularly reign in their followers. God Diancecht wouldn't make so much trouble over trying to get customers to feed his greed. God Ganesha wouldn't go around at all hours screaming who he is. Oh and if the Loki Familia wouldn't cause some kind of damage and/or bodily harm somewhere in the city.

Among other issues the Deities sometimes caused.

Both women sigh and head to their stations, opening their letters and reading them as they walk.

Surprise colors both Rose and Eina as they read…

XXXX

A/N:

And CLIFFHANGER!

I decided to keep the contents a secret. What Mia and the two Guild Advisors thinks about them, too. At least… For now.

Don't worry, I'm not laughing like Chloe does. I'm unable to replicate the style for one thing. Plus, it just seems a bit much to me.

Now we get two more characters introduced. Everyone's fan favorites, Texas and Exusiai!

And yes, a certain Penguin is around. He's not getting left out. Don't ask for details. Mia stopped a long time ago herself!

SOOOOO….. A huge difference between canon and now. Wouldn't you all say?

There's a reason for that. Several actually. Too much has occurred already. I had to speed things along. Also, Bell's appearance and difference in background are major factors.

I'll explain how Bell met the girls at the Hostess of Fertility later. It will be in the next chapter, so don't worry about it. After all, Bell is the only guy to quite literally stomach Syr's cooking.

Really, he's the only person who can. I'm going to have Lili try it and with predictable results. Same with a couple of others. Which is why only Bell will eat from that point on.

Other than cooking, Syr does seem to be set up to be the ideal wife material. Sheesh. Oh well, I can cook and so to will Bell!

After all, how do you think he and Nearl ate? She was a Knight from a famed Noble House. She couldn't tell the difference between salt and sugar unless she's taste testing. Fortunately, Zeus felt that Bell needed to know how to cook. So, Bell began teaching his then future wife that both didn't know she would be at the time he started teaching her.

Along with laundry and other housekeeping elements.

There are going to be explanations for a number of interactions over the course of the beginning of this story. Explaining how the Falna does affect the body and that includes some that are mental elements as well. From benefits to detractors and everything in between. Not every topic will be covered or mentioned, but the details will be, as they say, in the pudding.

Additionally, due to their limited living space, the Hestia Familia Base is deeply cramped. Hestia automatically gets her own space because she's the Goddess and Head of the Familia. Meanwhile, Bell and Anakitty get the biggest bed to share simply because Anakitty doesn't want to put either Line or Elfy in bed with Bell and opts to sleep with him herself.

Racial Traits, Histories, Lore, etc will also be covered. There is no copy and paste here for me. I refuse to believe everyone shares a baseline. As such, there will be differences in skills, abilities, the existence of certain traits, and so on.

Such as Bell having the physical ability to rival a Level 4 like Anakitty. As explained, she's the House Cat type subspecies. So, she's not really suited to Hand to Hand Combat. Though, she is a Level 4 and therefore will still have a considerable margin of strength, Bell is better taught and actually trained to fight with his hands.

Plus, they were trying more for grappling in this case. Raw strength doesn't always work. If the technique is superior and executed properly, strength can be overcome. Which is what Bell was achieving and Anakitty knows it.

The training will be a common theme and will be visible in all chapters going forward. The idea is that the Hestia Familia isn't just doing basic katas or refinement, but building up their own strength and refining through activity rather than just standing there and practicing the same swing over and over. Eventually, you get nothing from such a thing. All it does, is flex the muscles to keep the memory alive and shaped.

By doing actual training, such as Elfy and Line charging their magic and holding it, they not only get an idea of their basic power output, but can increase it while improving their control over it. Using less time and energy to achieve a similar feat that would normally require more time and energy.

Think of when the Kali Familia had Lefiya prisoner. She had to precisely mold her magic and hold it until an opening could be achieved where she could fire it and signal her position. But that was something she was doing on the fly.

In this case, Line and Elfy can do the same for longer and with greater output as they would be more efficient in their energy use.

Incidents that will occur… Not just for fan service. Or the conditions either. Things happen and long term will have an effect. They are not just happening randomly, though, it still plays on how Bell's luck tends to be.

I know we're all thinking of Ryuu now.

Another few Arknights characters will be introduced immediately, yet over time. To stay with immediately, in the next chapter, another character will be introduced. They will have a reason for introduction. Additionally, they will also hint at various secrets regarding Bell by sheer presence alone. Questions that even they have because they're in as much of the dark as Bell is.

As well… As another possibility for Bell.

What that possibility is? Well… I'll let you know when we get there. But everything has a beginning and an end. Sometimes, things can be interesting.

If you're curious, yes, Freya will have Ottar get a Minotaur. Bell is still going to have his small fear of Minotaurs. Crippling as such a small thing can be, but you can be surprised by how small something can be to do a lot of harm and damage.

But because of additions, things will be played out differently.

Though, I will tell you now, Anakitty would not be an element. She will show up to see Bell fight, but not participate herself. She will have her own role, as do all characters.

Additionally, Bell isn't wrong. For all the fame one can get in Orario, it is Orario. It is not the world.

So, heading out to gain some real fame… That's something the others can understand and desire. There are threats out there. Dangers forgotten and hidden. Not just monsters…

But enemies as well.

Thereby, stay tuned to find out!

Also, YES!

Bell and Astraea are still in my mind. I just need to get them back together. I had to do some major replanning when I realized that I was going overboard because I somehow lost count over the number of characters. Which requires a lot of work to be done, ya know what I mean?

Also, good news on that front… That chapter is half way done actually. When it will be posted is a good question.

And on that topic, two new stories will begin slow construction as well.

The first is of course Sheriff Bell and his friend the Orarioian Ranger, Ryu Lyon fighting against all the villains in the wilds of and around Orario.

Second… Well… We all know the popularity of Bell with the Astraea Familia and Alfia being alive.

To quote a famous engineer:

"I hate Space-Time Mechanics."