Chapter 2 - The Loki Family and the Uncommon Adventurer
The main members of the Loki Familia gathered in the large meeting room of Twilight Manor. Finn was at the center, describing the events that had just occurred in the dungeon to their goddess, Loki. Surrounding him were Gareth Landrock, Aiz, Tiona, Tione, Bete Loga, Raul Nord, Anakitty Autumn, and Lefiya Viridis. The tension in the room was palpable as everyone listened to the explanation.
Raul, who had been silent until then, let out a sigh of incredulity. "A level 1 rookie? That's... that's impossible! How did he get so far with rented equipment?"
To Raul, this was all absurd. Firstly, defeating a Minotaur, a monster capable of killing some adventurers who had just reached level 2, should be impossible for a level 1, especially a rookie. Secondly, who in the world is the crazy adventurer who would stay and try to accomplish such a feat?
For some people, this could be great courage. But for Raul, this boy was simply crazy. Really crazy. Furthermore, the way he killed the Minotaur was even crazier; it was something that shouldn't be possible for a level 1.
Anakitty turned to Raul. "Maybe he has a special skill that we don't know about. But even so, this is too impressive."
Impressive was an understatement, Anakitty knew that, but she expressed it that way because she couldn't think of another word to describe it.
Lefiya listened to everything with great surprise. 'A level 1 adventurer capable of killing a Minotaur in this way... he must be incredible.'
If she were honest, it was still very hard to believe. However, the Captain of the Loki Familia wouldn't make up such ridiculous lies, so it must all be true. The fact that Loki was listening with a serious expression mixed with a bit of surprise on her face confirmed it.
"Eh, it's really impressive," Gareth said, impressed by the boy's courage.
Loki, sitting with a curious expression, interrupted. "Are you sure he's a level 1 rookie? And he really killed the Minotaur with his bare hands?"
She was a goddess, and all gods could discern lies. It was impossible for mortals to lie to gods, so she knew Finn was telling the truth. But that didn't mean she would just accept these things so easily. According to Finn, they didn't see the complete fight because when they arrived, the boy was punching the Minotaur's face with his bare hands.
This was simply ridiculous. If he had defeated the Minotaur with some kind of weapon, she would have accepted it more easily. However, killing the Minotaur by punching the monster's face repeatedly? It was ridiculous, simply extremely ridiculous. How the hell was the boy able to get through the monster's tough skin with his bare hands? A level 1 couldn't be strong enough to ignore the Minotaur's skin.
A possible factor would be if the boy had a skill that increased his strength.
Finn nodded. "Yes, just as I said, he was using rented equipment from the Guild, typical of a beginner adventurer. And yes, he punched the Minotaur to death. Riveria, I, Tione, Tiona, Bete and Aiz, we all saw him punching the Minotaur's face very clearly."
Bete, still incredulous, murmured. "I still can't believe a rookie managed this. There must be something more to it."
Tiona, always energetic, agreed. "Yes, Bete. It's hard to believe, but we saw it with our own eyes. Even for a brief moment, I managed to see his face at that moment. He punched the Minotaur's face with a fury I've never seen before."
Tione added, thoughtful. "Maybe the whole situation was too much for him? I mean, he could have run away, but what if he couldn't run at that moment? Not every rookie adventurer encounters a monster from the middle floors..."
Basically, she was suggesting that he was so scared of the monster that he couldn't run away, and then, when he came to his senses, it was too late, and he had no choice but to fight the creature. He must have done everything he could to survive, and his will to survive was so strong that it made him awaken some crucial skill that enabled him to defeat the Minotaur. Or maybe it was something he already had.
It was impossible to know for sure unless they spoke to the boy himself.
However, Tione couldn't have been more wrong.
Aiz, who had been silent until then, finally spoke. "I don't think he was scared. There was something dark and deep in his fury. It wasn't just determination. He just wanted to keep punching the Minotaur, regardless of whether he would die or not."
This is what Aiz concluded after observing that boy punching the Minotaur with that face. He reminded her of herself, of the hatred she felt for the One-Eyed Black Dragon. However, his seemed greater... and much darker.
Loki leaned forward, her eyes shining with curiosity. "This is all interesting. Even knowing that you are telling the truth, it's still hard to believe this crap. Especially the part where he killed the Minotaur by punching it with his bare hands. That's crazy."
Raul, having calmed down a bit, asked Finn a question. "And what about his other injuries? Was he very hurt?"
Finn replied. "Yes, he was in terrible condition, but nothing life-threatening. Riveria is with him now, trying to heal him so he can wake up as soon as possible. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for the other adventurer who died to the Minotaur, whose Familia we have to find soon."
Finn let out a small sigh. He told those who weren't there about the adventurer who died to the Minotaur they had let escape. Loki let out a 'tch' when reminded of this.
"This whole situation is crap."
Anakitty looked at Finn with concern. "Will the boy be okay? It seems he went through a lot."
Loki, now more serious, concluded. "We need to keep an eye on this boy. I want to know which Familia he belongs to."
Finn was about to respond when a scream was heard. It was familiar.
"Was that... Riveria?" Aiz commented after a few moments of silence.
"It seems so."
Indeed, it was her voice. But why did she scream? Besides, she should be with...
Finn stood up. "Let's go."
The main members of the Loki Familia rose in unison and hurriedly followed Finn through the halls of Twilight Manor. The mansion, imposing and ancient, displayed walls adorned with detailed tapestries.
"Why did Riveria scream like that?" murmured Tiona, visibly worried.
"I'd like to know too," Tione commented.
"Maybe something happened to the boy," suggested Lefiya, her voice trembling with anxiety.
As they advanced, muffled sounds of conversations and hurried footsteps filled the air. The group, led by Finn, traversed a long corridor adorned with paintings and portraits of all the important members of the Loki Familia.
Suddenly, as they approached the room where Riveria was tending to the rookie adventurer, they heard a loud sound of something breaking. The group instinctively stopped, their eyes fixed on the closed door.
"What the hell is going on?" Bete growled, clearly impatient.
Finn looked at him and responded calmly: "We'll find out." With a quick movement, he pushed the door open, instinctively dodging a flying flower vase that shattered against the wall behind them.
All eyes turned to the interior of the room, where they saw the white-haired rookie adventurer, who also seemed to have dodged the flying flower vase. He already appeared to be fine, without any injuries. His red eyes gleamed as he said, in a tone bordering on exasperation:
"I already apologized, you can't blame me for thinking I had died and gone to heaven."
"That's the worst excuse I've ever heard, to hell with that response!" Riveria replied furiously.
At that moment, everyone noticed something quite unusual about her. Her face and the tips of her elf ears were as red as a pepper, as she looked at the boy with a furious expression. He, in turn, seemed to be enjoying the situation.
Riveria, who had a very serious personality, a strict mentor who constantly pushed her students to improve, making them stay up all night and not tolerating any distractions during their study sessions, a very calm and controlled person in the heat of battle...
"What the hell...?" Lefiya murmured, incredulous at what she was seeing.
She was so surprised that she didn't even have time to get angry at the adventurer who seemed to have done something to make Riveria mad.
The entire group was perplexed, exchanging confused looks. Finally, Finn broke the silence.
"Riveria, what is happening here?"
She looked at Finn, still furious, and shouted: "He kissed me, that's what's happening!"
Aiz blinked.
The response echoed throughout the mansion, leaving everyone stunned. They turned their gazes to the white-haired boy who was wearing an amused smile.
The goddess cast a questioning look, but she was really curious about how the hell things had happened.
The white-haired boy seemed to guess what she was thinking.
"Well, you see, it's a big misunderstanding."
...
...
Some moments ago.
Bell was dreaming.
He saw himself back in the time when he had joined the Loki Familia instead of the Hestia Familia.
In this specific loop of his life, he had established a special relationship with Riveria, one that transcended the typical mentor-student dynamic. The days leading up to the battle against the One-Eyed Black Dragon were heavy, filled with anxiety and anticipation, but also with significant moments among the familia members.
Sitting in a green field, Bell and Riveria were resting. The gentle wind blew through Riveria's green hair as she gazed at the horizon with a contemplative look.
"Bell, you understand the gravity of what we're about to face, don't you?" Riveria asked. Her voice, usually firm and controlled, carried a tone of concern. Her eyes, though fixed on the horizon, reflected a hidden sadness.
Bell nodded.
"Yes, I understand. The One-Eyed Black Dragon is a threat we can't underestimate. But... I believe we can defeat it, Riveria. We've all trained and fought so hard to get here."
Although he said that, he wasn't truly confident. He had already failed nine times, and if he failed now, it would be the tenth. No matter how many times he tried, he always ended up dying and going back to some random moment in his life. This time, he had woken up one year before his grandfather died and he left for Orario.
He used that one year to the fullest, training alone and asking for some help from his grandfather, whom he discovered was actually Zeus in the eighth attempt. He hadn't mentioned this, fearing that if he revealed he knew his grandfather was Zeus, Zeus might leave him sooner.
He didn't want that.
Riveria turned her gaze to Bell, her eyes softening a bit. She rarely showed her emotions, but at that moment, her concern for her comrades and for Bell, in particular, was evident.
"Bell, you have always been optimistic. Even in the toughest situations, you found a way to keep hope alive. That's something I admire in you," she admitted, the sincerity in her voice surprising even herself.
'That's because I've dealt with these same problems nine times,' he thought with clenched teeth.
He was growing desperate. In the first three times, he had shone with hope, thinking he could handle it with the chances given to him. But now... he was really starting to lose that hope. He was afraid. He feared losing everyone again.
He was becoming very desperate.
However, he couldn't let Riveria notice this desperation. She would worry unnecessarily, and they were close to facing the Black Dragon. There was no need for more worries, so...
Bell smiled, a smile that radiated confidence and determination. "And you've always been the voice of reason, Riveria. Your wisdom and strength have guided me well. I'm sure many others feel the same. Without you, I don't know if we would have come this far."
After several attempts, he had gotten somewhat used to not showing his fragile side so easily and also to lying to anyone who wasn't a god or goddess.
"Hm, I'm sure that last line should be for you, not me."
"..."
The silence between them was comfortable, a pause filled with unspoken understandings. The closeness they had developed was special, built through countless battles and moments of vulnerability.
Riveria leaned slightly forward, breaking the silence with a low voice, almost a whisper. "Bell, you have something special. A light that can't be extinguished, even in the deepest darkness. Never lose that."
Bell felt a tightening in his chest. Riveria's words carried a weight that he knew to be true, an acknowledgment of his previous failed attempts. Even though she didn't know it, her words strengthened his determination a bit.
He held her hand, a gesture that would normally have made her pull back most of the time, but this time, she didn't.
"Riveria, I... promise I'll do my best. No matter what happens, I won't give up. I won't let this light fade," he declared with conviction, his eyes locked on hers.
This promise wasn't just for her, but also for himself. Each time he failed, he grew more desperate. He feared his hope would be completely extinguished after several attempts. He would do everything he could to save everyone this time and not have to repeat things again.
Riveria, usually reserved and distant, felt a deep connection in that moment. Her face was serene, but her eyes showed a mix of emotions. Bell was different; he had broken through the barriers she kept around herself.
They continued talking, the conversation flowing naturally, sharing hopes and fears. As the night wore on, the atmosphere became more charged with the approach of the final battle. The anticipation and tension were almost palpable, but there was also a sense of calm before the storm.
...
...
The battle against the One-Eyed Black Dragon. The fight was fierce, each member of the Loki Familia and other Familias, all the adventurers were giving their all, but the dragon was an unstoppable force. Even Ottar and the other adventurers of the Freya Familia perished.
Riveria was one of the last to fall, her strength exhausted. Bell ran to her, kneeling by her side, desperate to help her.
"Riveria, please, hold on!" Bell pleaded, holding her hand.
It was happening again. He had lost everyone again.
Her gaze was unfocused, but she managed a faint smile at him.
"Bell... you have always been... a light for us... a light for me. Don't let... that light go out..."
"I'm no light for anyone, what kind of light lets the darkness win...?" He let slip. "No matter how hard I try... nothing works."
"Now, that's not true..." She coughed up blood before continuing, despite his worried look. She was already beyond saving. "It's a bit cliché to say something like this at such a time, but since you joined... the Loki Familia, things... have been more... fun."
"What are you..."
"I love you," she managed to say completely, leaving him surprised. "I... fell in love with you. It's a bit... indecent... for a 100-year-old elf woman to be in love with a 15-year-old human boy... but I don't regret falling... for you."
The roar of the One-Eyed Black Dragon made Bell notice that the dragon was now looking directly at him.
"I just... wish I had said it sooner," Riveria whispered, before closing her eyes for the last time.
As soon as he realized Riveria wouldn't open her eyes again, Bell clenched his fists and teeth and looked at the Black Dragon with a gaze full of fury.
The dragon sent a storm of black flames towards him. Bell didn't try to dodge; he just stood there waiting for the attack to reach him.
The battle was lost.
He had failed again.
As the flames engulfed him, Bell cast one last look at the Black Dragon as he was consumed by the black flames.
"Next time, I'll kill you, you son of a bitch."
Bell woke up slowly, feeling disoriented. He sighed, believing he had died again. When his eyes adjusted, he was surprised by the unfamiliar surroundings. The room was elegant, with walls adorned by detailed tapestries. He noticed Riveria beside him, tending to him.
"I... died again?" Bell muttered to himself, his voice weak and full of fatigue.
Damn Minotaur...
Riveria, realizing he had woken up, tried to speak to him. But before she could say anything, Bell grabbed her hand, a gesture that deeply surprised her. Normally, she would have pulled her hand away immediately, but something about his touch made her hesitate.
'Why am I not pulling my hand away? It's so... strange. This touch... it's not unpleasant.' Riveria thought, confused by her own reactions.
He still seemed a bit sleepy, looking at her with some kind of longing.
While she was lost in her thoughts, Bell pulled her closer, their faces coming close together.
"What are you-"
Before she could react, he kissed her.
"MM-!?"
Riveria's eyes widened in surprise. Her first instinct was to use her strength to push him away, but she didn't do so immediately. The kiss lasted a good fifteen seconds, and only when she felt his tongue in her mouth did she push him away, her face completely red.
...
...
Back in the present, the white-haired boy looked at the members of the Loki Familia who stared at him in disbelief. He smiled, a mischievous smile reminiscent of Loki herself.
"Well, as you can see, it was a big misunderstanding. I wasn't fully sane; I thought I had died and saw a beautiful girl beside me. I thought it was some kind of post-death dream. And that's what happened," the boy concluded, leaving out any mention of the dream he had before waking up.
It wasn't entirely a lie, so Loki couldn't disagree with him.
The silence in the room was almost palpable, each of the attendees processing what they had just heard.
Loki, still intrigued, looked into the boy's red eyes with a mix of curiosity and disbelief. However, her greatest surprise was for a specific reason. She looked at Riveria, who was still red, her eyes filled with fury, fury that only seemed to increase upon hearing the absurdity the adventurer had said.
"You have balls of steel?" Loki asked, looking at him impressed before her eyes went to Riveria. "And you didn't kill him? What the hell? Why are you throwing flower vases? Are you afraid of hurting him because he's a level 1 adventurer?"
Riveria blinked at that. She was a level 6 adventurer, a first-class adventurer. Even though magic was her forte, she was also quite agile. Being able to catch the boy shouldn't be a problem at all, so why the hell did she choose to grab things and throw them at him instead of holding him and punishing him?
"Riveria-sama... was tainted by this novice...?" Lefiya murmured before turning to the adventurer. "You... filthy human! Do you have any idea who the person you tainted is!?" She shouted, pointing at him, her shout coming out as loud as Riveria's a few moments earlier.
"No idea," his response was immediate, without any kind of remorse.
Again, he wasn't lying. Technically, in this life, he hadn't met Riveria yet and shouldn't know who she was. It was something he realized after more than 20 attempts. For example, if he went back to a time when he hadn't met a particular person, even if he remembered that person, if a god asked him about that particular person and he said he didn't know them, it wouldn't be a lie.
The same if he said he did know and was acquainted with that person.
Regardless of what he said, it would be the truth. He just needed to choose which truth to follow.
Lefiya seemed to get even angrier with his response.
"She is Riveria Ljos Alf-sama, Nine Hells, a level 6 adventurer of the Loki Familia and a High Elf of the royal family!"
Although Riveria didn't like people fawning over her for being a princess, she didn't stop Lefiya. If he knew she was a princess, he might be a bit scared and apologize to her properly. Although just an apology wouldn't suffice.
He kissed her.
Even though she was 99 years old, she didn't have much experience with kisses or romance or anything like that because she never took an interest in it. This was her first kiss. She had lived in the Royal Forest of Alf for 71 years until she got tired of her father's negative attitude towards her interest in the outside world and decided to leave.
Being a princess, she was expected to receive several marriage proposals, but there weren't many because of her father, and she rejected the few that her father accepted and left the choice to her. However, she didn't receive the response she expected.
"Oh, so I kissed a princess. That's kind of cool, but nothing groundbreaking."
"...What?" Lefiya was perplexed and confused by his response.
Not just her, but all the other members of the Loki Familia. Aiz was one of the most confused. She planned to ask him how he was able to defeat a Minotaur at level 1, but the opportunity never arose. Apparently, he kissed Riveria. This only confused her even more because she had known Riveria for a long time.
He also seemed to have little to no fear after Lefiya mentioned that Riveria was a level 6 adventurer.
'Not groundbreaking...?' Riveria thought, confused. It didn't take long for her to understand the meaning of those words.
"Hey, kid," Gareth decided to speak for the first time since entering the room. "You're not saying what I think you're saying, are you?"
"That depends. What do you think I'm implying?"
Raul and Anakitty, who were still by the door, whispered to each other.
"What the hell is going on? Did this kid really kiss Riveria? How is he still alive?"
"Don't ask me, I'm as incredulous as you."
Gareth didn't find the response amusing. This kid seemed to be playing with all of them. However, before he could speak, the kid opened his mouth again.
"Besides, I don't think this treatment is fair, I mean, look at her," he pointed at Riveria who was still a bit red. "If she was really that against the kiss, she wouldn't have taken more than ten seconds to break it."
After he said that, all eyes turned to Riveria. She flinched a bit at that. Normally she would be calm and controlled, but for some unknown reason, this kid was making her lose her composure, making her act unusually.
"Riveria-sama... that can't be true, can it?" Lefiya whispered, looking at her.
Riveria met everyone's gaze before looking aside and avoiding it. She tried to speak, but the words didn't come out. And after she remained silent, Lefiya's shoulders trembled.
The boy smiled at this and decided to continue.
"In fact, she only pushed me away when I put my tongue-" He was interrupted as he had to dodge an object flying towards him.
"You. Shut up." Riveria growled at him.
"Holy shit, he really got you out of character," Loki commented. "Well, it looks like you found your man, mama-" Loki also interrupted herself as she had to dodge something as well.
Riveria narrowed her eyes at her and started towards the goddess. Loki let out a sound of "Eep!" and hid behind Aiz.
"Protect me!"
She hugged Aiz from behind while hiding a small smile.
"I'm sick of this shit," Bete's voice made everyone look at him, as he was looking at the boy. "You're bold, I'll admit that, but don't you think you're being too casual and rude to the people who took care of you? I had to carry your damn body here, you know."
Bete's eyes usually instilled fear in many people, most adventurers from other Familias didn't like him. But the white-haired adventurer didn't seem intimidated by his gaze. On the contrary, he showed a wild smile.
"Oh, really? Thank you very much for carrying me here. Thanks to you, I remembered something I had to say to all of you," he opened his arms dramatically, and his eyes became sharp. "Thank you very much for the Minotaur on the 7th floor, you fucking bastards. It was a very gratifying gift."
There was no need to strain to notice the sarcasm. Some of them flinched at the boy's tone. Bete himself was surprised but quickly narrowed his eyes and growled at him.
"You should be careful with how you talk to us, novice."
"I am being very careful to respond appropriately. I'm thanking you for the Minotaur, aren't I? Or maybe you had another surprise gift? Wait, don't tell me you had a Juggernaut prepared for me."
'How the hell does he know about that?' Loki thought, raising an eyebrow.
The Juggernaut is a monster that appears as part of the dungeon's defense mechanism whenever excessive damage is caused to the dungeon itself. However, this is knowledge not known to novice adventurers, especially level 1 adventurers. Moreover, causing enough damage to the dungeon to summon the Juggernaut is not an easy task.
Well, maybe his guild advisor is someone scholarly and well-prepared, giving him all kinds of information even if that information isn't that relevant to those on the upper floors.
"Is that kid crazy...?" Anakitty whispered in surprise.
He was really answering Bete?
"You just realized that now?" Raul snorted. "I knew he was crazy from the moment he decided to fight a Minotaur at level 1. I'm not that surprised."
Aiz watched the exchange between them. The boy didn't back down at any moment, not even when Bete got close enough. He didn't back down against the Minotaur, and he wasn't backing down against Bete, a level 5 first-class adventurer.
Seeing enough, Finn approached and tried to calm things down.
"That's enough, Bete. The boy has every right to be upset with us. We were the ones responsible for the Minotaur escaping from the intermediate floors to the upper floors," he turned to Bell and let out a small sigh before leaning slightly and bowing a bit.
"Captain!?" Tione was surprised by the notion.
"Please forgive the Loki Familia for this incident."
"No need to be so dramatic. I just hope this doesn't happen again. I also hope you don't hide the adventurer who died because of your mistake, at least his god or goddess has the right to know what really happened."
Finn flinched a bit at the reminder that someone died because of them. If this came to light, it would be very problematic, even for the Loki Familia. However, he had no intention of hiding from the god of that man's Familia. The people he left in charge of taking care of the adventurer's body must have found out who his god is, so it was possible to reach an agreement with the god himself. It wasn't a sure thing, but they only had to gain from a possible agreement for the god not to mention this to the public.
"Yes, I don't plan to hide this mistake from that adventurer's god, so don't worry about that."
"What is going on here?"
"I don't know, it seems like a commotion."
"Why are there broken things?"
Everyone turned to the door. Slowly, the other adventurers seemed curious about what was happening. It seemed the noise attracted the other members allowed on this floor.
Finn turned to the boy. "Could you come with me to my office? We would like to talk to you without much commotion."
"I don't mind, but how long have I been here? I can't leave my goddess too worried, so I would like to return soon."
"You've been unconscious for about four hours. Your recovery was quite fast, even with Riveria's healing. And don't worry, I'll try to be as quick as possible."
"Very well. So, what are we waiting for?"
Finn nodded as he moved towards the door and cleared the others away.
Inside Finn's office, there were four people present.
The white-haired adventurer whose name they discovered, Bell Cranel, Loki, Aiz, and Finn himself.
Finn wanted to keep the group as small as possible to avoid confusion, so he decided to exclude Bete, as he was likely to cause chaos, especially after his recent argument with Bell. The others were similarly not allowed for similar reasons. Riveria also declined to be present in the same room as Bell.
She had been acting differently since the boy woke up. Perhaps it was because of the "kiss" she mentioned, but he didn't think she would be as agitated as she appeared. Well, it seemed that even after all these years, there was still something to learn about Riveria.
He preferred it to be just him and Loki talking with Bell, but Aiz insisted on being present. She seemed almost obsessed with him, likely curious about the strength he displayed while defeating the Minotaur.
Finn sat in the chair behind the large wooden table, Bell sat in the chair across from the table. Loki took another chair beside Finn's table. Aiz chose to stand beside Bell. It wasn't hard to notice the glances Aiz kept sending his way, but he focused on Finn, who began to speak.
"All right, first of all, once again, I apologize on behalf of the entire Loki Familia for the Minotaur incident. As I mentioned before, I will ensure that something like that never happens again in the future."
"You've already apologized, no need to repeat it, I'm fine. Let's get to the main topic for which you brought me here."
"In fact, my main goal was to have you introduce yourself; the rest are just curiosities, you can refuse to answer if you want," seeing Bell's silence as a cue to continue speaking, he added. "How long have you been an adventurer?"
This also seemed to be a question Aiz wanted an answer to, as her focus seemed to intensify as she looked at Bell more intensely than before.
'Judging by the fact that he still uses beginner Guild-issued equipment, he must have become an adventurer only a few months ago,' Finn analyzed. 'However, there are several unusual things about this adventurer named Bell Cranel. He showed no fear in responding to Bete in that manner. There's also Riveria, whom Lefiya mentioned is Level 6, yet he continued to act as if he didn't care.'
It was strange.
"I believe I've been in Orario for about 1 month, but I've been an adventurer for only 2 weeks."
The eyes of the three widened. Aiz was the most surprised, with Loki following.
"He's not lying," Loki thought with a hint of skepticism.
"You... started just 2 weeks ago... and were able to defeat the Minotaur alone..." Aiz whispered, turning to him. "How...?" She asked.
Bell turned to her. "I punched it to death, I'm sure you saw."
"Just like that?" Loki scoffed. "You're telling the truth, that's for sure. However, it's impossible for a Level 1 adventurer to cause damage to the skin of a Level 2 monster like the Minotaur. Perhaps it would be possible if you had a specific skill to increase your physical strength, but since you started just 2 weeks ago, I don't think you should have something like that. Or do you?"
"I wonder about that, do I?" He replied with a smile as he looked directly into her eyes. "I believe you should already know this by now, as I'm confident you're curious enough to look at my back and see for yourself."
Loki shivered slightly at his tone and eyes as he responded without hesitation. He got her there, she was indeed curious about it, but didn't look at his back.
"I can't say you're wrong, Loki, and even Bete showed some interest in it, but Riveria and I found it inappropriate, so we didn't allow her to proceed. We didn't want to violate your privacy," Finn replied.
Aiz beside Bell pouted. Actually, she was also very curious, but didn't say anything at that moment.
"Well, at least the captain is more respectable than your goddess," Bell ignored Loki's 'Hey!'. "Also, the princess, huh. Pass my thanks to her later. I could do it, but she's not here and I think she would kill me if I went in person."
"Very well," Finn nodded.
"By the way, you really managed to mess with mama, kid," Loki commented, drawing attention to her. "I don't know anyone crazy enough to hit on her, let alone be able to kiss her and get away with it. She's one of the three Level 6 members of my Familia, but for some reason, she didn't immobilize you and decided to throw things at you. Tell me, how did you do that?"
Due to Riveria's gracious treatment of young members of the Familia, particularly Ais, she earned the nickname "mama" from Loki.
"It's not that hard when you've dealt with someone with her personality before," Bell replied with a shrug.
"Oh, what do you mean by that?"
"Have you forgotten what I said before?"
Loki made a puzzled expression, but after a few seconds, she remembered. Finn and Aiz did too.
"Oh, so I kissed a princess. That's kinda cool, but nothing groundbreaking."
"You... have dealt with another princess with a personality like hers?" It was Finn who asked.
Loki wanted to ask about the fact that he had kissed 'another' princess who apparently had the same personality as Riveria, but she restrained herself and thought of another strange thing. How many princesses are there really? There can't be too many, so who the hell would have a personality similar to Riveria's?
"Yeah, something like that."
In fact, it was Riveria herself that he dealt with.
Continuing his explanation, Bell said:
"People like Riveria, who are usually calm and thoughtful, can be surprised and disoriented when something unexpected happens. It's all about causing a sudden confusion that takes these people out of their normal state of control. When you surprise them significantly, they can't react logically and end up acting impulsively."
Finn reflected on this, noting how Bell's explanation made sense in light of Riveria's unusual behavior. However...
"So you acted that way on purpose? How were you able to guess her personality so quickly? I doubt you just assumed she had the same personality as that 'other' princess you met before." Loki gave Bell a suspicious look.
She asked the question Finn wanted to ask. Bell couldn't have known Riveria, so how was he able to mention some personality traits so accurately?
Bell didn't hesitate to respond.
"Of course not. As I said at the beginning, it was a misunderstanding. Knowing a bit about her personality isn't that difficult; you guys are quite famous, so there are many things said about the adventurer known as [Nine Hells]. It wasn't hard to infer her personality based on these 'rumors.'"
It was a perfect answer. So perfect that Loki couldn't help but find it strange.
Finn decided to leave it at that and moved on to more basic questions he was curious about.
"So, Bell, what are your goals as an adventurer here in Orario?"
He wasn't lying when he said the rest of the questions were just his curiosities. He expected Bell to respond immediately as he did with all the other questions, but strangely that didn't happen, making Finn pay close attention to Bell.
Bell fell silent, deep in thought.
To Finn's eyes, he looked very tired. 'That's not an expression seen in novice adventurers.' That was an expression that made Finn doubt whether he really was someone who started just 2 weeks ago, even if it were true. It was strange.
Finn wasn't wrong.
Bell was tired. He had failed countless times to save those around him, reliving the same pains and disappointments repeatedly. He recalled the thought he had before fainting after killing the Minotaur: he needed rest.
He had had similar conversations with Finn before in the early times; in all of them, he answered honestly. He wanted to be a hero. At first it was like that. He was an innocent young man who just wanted to be a hero like in the stories Zeus told him when he was a child.
An honest and pure dream.
A foolish dream.
No more.
Finally, he responded with an almost comforting sigh, "I'm taking a vacation."
The answer left everyone in the room perplexed. Loki repeated the question, confused. "Vacation? Are you saying you're taking a vacation? As an adventurer?"
Why the hell are almost all of his answers so strange?
"Yeah," Bell replied firmly. "Vacation. I'm just tired of all the crap that happens around me."
Loki tilted her head, intrigued. "You talk like you're an old person, but you're so young."
Bell gave a weary smile. "Maybe I am. The Minotaur you guys let escape is the least of my problems. I'm used to them."
Bell's answer left everyone even more confused. Finn, trying to understand, asked, "What do you mean by that? How can you be used to Minotaurs?"
According to Bell himself, he arrived in Orario just 1 month ago, but he's been an adventurer for 2 weeks. It's difficult, almost completely impossible to imagine him encountering a Minotaur in that time, so how the hell is he even 'used to' them?
Bell shrugged. "Me and Minotaurs have a complicated relationship. They always show up near me, no matter where I am."
Especially that damn Asterius. Bell wondered if that bastard would be born early again through that Minotaur he killed. If so, the monster will remember everything at some point. If he had decided to take a vacation earlier, maybe he would have avoided the Dungeon today. It's not like he planned to stop going to the Dungeon, as there will still be things for him to deal with, even if he was taking 'vacation'.
He needs to be minimally strong to be able to protect him and Hestia from unlikely things, things he was sure would happen at some point, he knows this from his own experience. However, that's it.
Finn reflected on Bell's words, noting how strange they were. 'His answers... are very peculiar. How can a newcomer be so used to something like this?'
He decided to ask, "Why didn't you decide to run from the Minotaur? Any other Level 1 adventurer would have run."
"Oh, they ran. Unfortunately the one who died was paralyzed like a statue with the monster in front of him and died," another mention of the adventurer who died. Finn was starting to think the boy was mentioning this on purpose frequently. "I, however, wasn't in the mood. It would be too much trouble."
The answer made Finn raise an eyebrow. 'Too much trouble? And fighting the Minotaur was less trouble than running from it?' Finn wasn't understanding Bell's train of thought.
"How did you become strong enough to defeat a Minotaur just two weeks after becoming an adventurer?" Aiz suddenly asked, pulling Finn from his thoughts.
Her curiosity was evident.
The boy looked at her after the question. He blinked.
And then he laughed.
Bell let out a laugh, leaving everyone confused. "Strong, me? Please, I'm far from strong. The fact is, that Minotaur was just too weak to lose to me that way."
He simply called the Minotaur weak.
Silence filled the room as everyone processed the answer.
Bell's old personality, once innocent and full of heroic ideals, had turned into something completely different. The experience of dying countless times, failing repeatedly, had erased the kindness and innocence he once possessed. He was now someone bitter, tired, with over a thousand years of accumulated experience, though he himself didn't know exactly how much time had passed.
Finn tried to piece it together. 'Every answer of his is strange and full of disdain.'
"You're interesting." Finn had already satisfied most of his curiosities and something told him the boy wouldn't go much further.
It was time to end things.
"One last thing before you go," Finn picked something up from a drawer on his desk. "I kept this earlier, it's the Minotaur's magic stone. Unfortunately, we couldn't recover the other magic stones, so I'm sorry. But this one alone should be enough."
Indeed it was. A Minotaur's magic stone is worth about 30,000 valis. Surely it's much more than he would earn with the monsters' magic stones on the initial floors. He picked up the Minotaur's magic stone and made a small grimace.
"Any problem?" Finn asked, noticing.
"I doubt Eina or that idiot responsible for exchanging magic stones for valis will believe that I killed a Minotaur alone. They'll probably accuse me of stealing or something."
It was stupid, I mean, how the hell could he steal a Minotaur's stone? But it's even more ridiculous to believe that he, a Level 1 adventurer, who became an adventurer just 2 weeks ago was able to kill the Minotaur. Eina certainly wouldn't believe it. She's been his counselor since he became an adventurer, she knew his old personality. If he goes there and just says he killed the Minotaur, she'll go crazy.
"Hm, that's really a problem," Because of everything that happened, Finn forgot to think about this possibility.
"I'll go."
Suddenly, a voice that had been silent for some time alongside Loki spoke.
It was Aiz.
"Eh, Aiz-chan? Where are you going?" Loki asked, confused.
"I'm going with him to explain the situation. If I confirm his story, there shouldn't be any problems, right?" She elaborated.
"Hm, indeed," Finn also seemed to think it was a good idea. "Unless you have any objections?" He asked, looking at Bell.
"Fine by me," Bell shrugged. "Does this mean I'll have a nice outing with the [Sword Princess], huh."
"I do not allow it!" Loki's voice exploded, making everyone look at her. "You are too dangerous for me to let you stay near my Aiz-chan!"
"Ah, me dangerous? How could I, a mediocre Level 1, be dangerous to the Sword Princess, a First Class Level 5 adventurer?"
"I'm talking about you doing perverted things with her!"
"And what perverted things exactly would I do?"
"Are you really forcing me to talk?"
"Well, I really am curious. Besides, why didn't you act in a similar way to Riveria?"
"Hmpf, Mama already 99, she can take care of herself," Loki replied as if it were obvious. And then she stood in front of Aiz. "But my dear Aiz-chan is still quite young! I won't let her hang out with you, you'll know how old you really are while you're hiding behind that cute face."
"I'm only 14, you know."
"Eh, really?"
He was younger than Aiz! She was sure he'd be at least 20 given the way he spoke, even if his handsome face showed that he really was someone young, but 14!? She realized something very frightening.
"You... How old were you and that 'princess' you mentioned kissing?"
"Now, that's a trade secret I intend to keep to myself," he replied with a mischievous smile.
Loki didn't like that smile. Only she could flash that smile! This brat dares to use such a thing against herself! Besides, the way he answered was almost as if he-.
"..."
Her sudden silence drew the attention of the three of them. Her head hung low and she dared to ask in a whisper.
"...You have experience... don't you?"
Bell seemed amused by her question. "That depends, dear goddess. What kind of experience are we talking about here?"
She clenched her fists as her whole body shook. He really would force her to talk, wouldn't he? Well, so be it!
"I'm talking about sex, you bastard! You've already had sex, haven't you!"
Her outburst seemed to echo throughout the twilight mansion. Finn and Aiz glared at their goddess.
'Who the hell asks a question like that?' Finn thought. 'Besides, he's 14, there's no way-' Finn interrupted his thoughts when he saw Bell's face.
A smile.
A wilder smile than he had shown so far, appeared on his face.
Bell began to walk calmly towards Loki. She unconsciously took a step back. He stepped forward and she stepped back. This continued until Loki's back hit the wall. At this point, Bell lowered his face until it was close to Loki's face.
At first, Aiz planned to act, but stopped when she noticed that he had no intention of hurting Loki. Finn was the same. He was watching this with curiosity. This was the first time they had both seen Loki act like this towards someone outside the Familia. In fact, it was very unusual.
Loki against the wall was confused as hell.
'What's going on? Is he really surrounding me? And why am I backing away? No, I'm a goddess! I can't let him intimidate me!'
Bell moved closer to Loki, his face just a few centimeters from hers. He whispered softly:
"Is this an invitation from you, Loki? Would you like to find out if I have this experience?"
"Hey! W-what? Of course not!" Loki shouted in surprise, her face turning red. 'Is this boy really flirting with me? How dare he? And why aren't Finn and Aiz doing anything?' She looked at them both. "Aiz-chan! Finn! Help me out here!"
However, neither of them moved.
'Seriously, is this kid serious?' Finn observed with a raised eyebrow.
They both seemed to be as confused as she was, but they also seemed to be having fun with the situation. Someone flirting Loki like that? It was something they had never seen happen, something that would probably never happen again, so there was no reason for them to do anything.
"You're traitors!" Loki shouted, frustrated.
"You really don't want to?" Bell's breathing was felt by her.
"I said no, get away from me!"
"Please don't try to trick me. I know you're in the mood," Bell took the fist Loki sent him and held it gently. "I know your type very well. Someone who doesn't act feminine at all, but in bed becomes more feminine than anyone else."
Loki's eyes widened slightly at his words. 'It can't be... like-' Before she could finish the thought, he let go of her arm.
Bell finally pulled away, allowing Loki to breathe more calmly. He looked at her with a mischievous smile. "How many members do you have in your Familia"
Loki, still confused by the situation before, was unable to answer. Just as Finn was about to answer for her, Bell spoke up again.
"300? 400? 500? Or maybe 600? It doesn't matter. It's a small number compared to my experience."
A hush fell over the office. The sound of breaking glass echoed through the room.
Loki was perplexed by his answer.
And then came the chaos.
Aiz and Bell were walking through Orario towards the Guild. It was already getting dark, and the lights from the magic stones began to illuminate the streets little by little. They walked in silence for a while before Aiz finally broke the silence.
"Is it really that good to provoke Loki? You did the same thing with Riveria."
"Teasing Loki turned out to be a lot of fun. She's a peculiar goddess, don't you agree?"
Aiz nodded. "She's... different. But she cares a lot about us."
He was aware of that. There had been a time when he had also been very close to Loki. He remembered her words, as she was held by Finn when Aiz and he left the Twilight Mansion.
"I'll never let you near my Aiz-chan! You damn pervert! Damn it, Finn, let me go! I can't let her go with him, he'll corrupt her!" She screamed as she kicked the air, Finn was holding her.
"Please, Loki. You're exaggerating. Aiz is Level 5, she can defend herself against him at any time if he does something she doesn't like," Finn sighed before looking at them. "Go quickly, I won't be able to hold her back forever, her screams will get everyone's attention."
"No! Aiz-chan, don't go!"
He chuckled a bit as he remembered Loki's words.
"She's quite something. But I think she's right to worry about you."
Aiz looked at him, surprised. "Why?"
"You're an amazing adventurer, but still young."
"You're younger than me..."
Ah, if she only knew.
"Do you... really have that much experience?" Her sudden question made him pause and look at her with a mischievous gaze.
"Oh, what's this? The lovely Sword Princess interested in such things? But I think it's best not to dwell on them too much; you're still young. That's a conversation for adults."
Aiz pouted. "You're younger than me." She repeated what she said earlier, but this time her voice carried more emotion than she expected.
"Don't think too much about it. Let's just say I have the experience I mentioned, but at the same time, I don't."
"What do you mean?"
"Like I said, let's not dwell on these things."
She pouted again.
Before they reached the Guild, Bell pondered a few things. If he just repeated the leisurely moments he had in his other "lives," it would be quite boring. He would get bored of it soon. This was meant to be a vacation. He had to do new things. While thinking about this, he had a fun idea.
"Aiz, do you really have magic that uses the wind?"
Aiz looked at him, surprised. "How do you know about that?"
"There are many rumors about you."
He simply repeated the same answer he had given Loki earlier.
Aiz nodded, still a bit surprised. "Yes, I do."
Bell looked at her with a mischievous sparkle in his eyes. "If you play along with me and follow my lead, I might consider teaching you something useful and powerful that harnesses the power of wind."
Aiz was taken aback. "Are you serious?"
Normally, the idea of a Level 1 teaching a Level 5 adventurer was ridiculous. However, after he defeated the Minotaur that way and all the other strange things, she didn't doubt him. For some reason, she had confidence that he really could teach her something.
"As I said, I'll think about it."
"What kind of game?"
Bell smiled. "Even if you're a bit dense, I believe you'll catch on when the time comes. Let's go."
They finally arrived at the Guild, and Bell saw Eina waiting for him. She looked worried and rushed over to him as soon as she saw him.
"Bell-kun! Are you okay? What happened?"
There was an incident on the upper floors involving a Minotaur. Some adventurers who managed to escape the monster reported it. Apparently, it was found on the 8th floor, descending to the 7th. Since Bell was only allowed to stay up to the 4th floor, there shouldn't have been any problems for him, but when he didn't return to the Guild at his usual time, Eina became worried.
Bell smiled and before he could reply, Eina noticed Aiz standing next to him. Aiz Wallenstein, known as the Sword Princess.
"Bell-kun, what is Aiz Wallenstein doing here with you?"
All the adventurers present started paying attention to the conversation. The Sword Princess was very famous among adventurers, to the point that several had confessed to her, but she had rejected them all. So seeing her with a boy not from her Familia was unusual.
Bell, sensing all this, smiled and decided to add a bit of chaos to the mix.
"Well, after a close encounter with death, Miss Aiz has completely fallen for me and decided to come with me to explain something."
Eina was confused. "Bell-kun, what are you talking about?"
Bell replied with a smile. "That's exactly what I said. You're completely in love with me, aren't you, Miss Aiz?"
Aiz looked confused for a few seconds before understanding what he meant by "game" earlier. If she followed his lead, then he would teach her what he had mentioned to her, right?
Aiz looked directly at Eina.
"Yes, I really fell in love with him and followed him."
Her response, devoid of any emotion, left the Guild in complete silence. Eina and Misha, who was nearby and heard this, were left open-mouthed at Aiz's answer.
...
...
Bell, Aiz, and Eina were in a Private Room at the Guild at Bell's request. He thought it would be easier to handle things this way. He and Aiz were seated on a small couch while Eina sat on another across from them.
Eina discreetly glanced at Bell and Aiz. 'Bell seems different than usual. Moreover... is she really in love with him...? If that's the case, then... are they together?' Eina's thoughts raced.
"So... Bell-kun. Why did you ask us to come to the Private Room?" Eina asked, adjusting her glasses while switching into her professional counselor mode.
"Well, mainly to avoid unwanted confusion, as well as a precaution in case you suddenly scream," Eina raised her eyebrows at the last part, but Bell continued: "Basically, that's the main reason."
Bell placed something on the wooden table separating both couches.
"This..." Eina was surprised.
She recognized it. It was a magic stone from a Minotaur. It shouldn't be that uncommon, but the unusual part was who placed the magic stone on the table. Eina looked at Bell with a questioning look, but it was Aiz who spoke up this time, surprising Eina even more.
"We're here to clarify something. Bell killed a Minotaur today, and we thought there might be issues with the exchange of the magic stone, so I came to confirm his story."
Eina blinked. She looked at the Sword Princess, then at Bell. And then, she repeated this process about four times before her gaze settled on Bell.
"Bell-kun... killed a Minotaur? Wait, is this the same Minotaur that adventurers reported on the upper floors? But they reported the Minotaur was found on the 8th floor, possibly descending to the 7th... You went to the 7th floor!?"
Eina's shout was very loud. If the Private Rooms weren't soundproof, everyone in the Guild and those just outside at a short distance would surely have heard it. Aiz herself flinched at the intensity of that scream.
"Yes, this kind of sudden shout," Bell grumbled, his ears hurting.
Eina blushed as she realized, but it didn't last long before she spoke to him again, this time her voice was a bit lower, but she still shouted at him.
"Bell-kun, what the hell were you doing on the 7th floor!?"
"Punching the Minotaur's face to death?" He offered as if it were no big deal.
Eina narrowed her eyes at his response. He seemed very different from his usual self. Eina was about to shout at him again, but Aiz intervened.
"He really punched the Minotaur's face to death."
"Eh?" Eina looked at Aiz.
"The Minotaur escaped from the intermediate floors because of me. I was running to catch up to it, but by the time I arrived, the Minotaur was already on the ground with Bell punching its face non-stop. After a few moments, the Minotaur died," Aiz explained.
"..." Eina couldn't make sense of any of this.
Bell is an adventurer who appeared in Orario a month ago, but it was only 2 weeks later that he managed to register as an adventurer. He was a complete novice, she could confirm that. So, it's extremely hard for her to believe this, even if it's Aiz Wallenstein herself speaking.
After a few minutes of silence trying to process everything, Eina turned to Bell.
"Bell-kun... is this really true?" Her voice sounded quite shaken.
"That's what we've been saying from the beginning. I punched the damn thing to death, but it's not like I really won against it."
"What do you mean?"
"Let's just say the main factor for me surviving was luck. I managed to stab both of the Minotaur's eyes, making it lose its sight. I don't even understand how I did it, but once I got it down, I just kept punching its face non-stop. It died shortly after."
"He was very injured," Aiz added, making Eina look at her. "Both of his arms were broken, as well as some ribs," Eina's face turned pale. "But we took him to the Twilight Manor and treated him as best we could. He's completely fine now, as you can see."
Eina stared at Bell intensely before approaching and examining him more closely. It seemed like she was checking for any possible injuries. Bell, noticing this, spoke up.
"I'm fine, Eina. I've been completely healed."
Eina remained silent for a few seconds before sighing.
"Haa... You really killed a Minotaur..." She put her hand on her forehead; apparently, she still had difficulty processing this. "But... you only started two weeks ago."
"It's not that impressive."
"Of course, it is!" Her sudden shout startled Aiz, but Bell remained unmoved, as if he were already used to it. "Bell-kun... Are you hiding something from me?"
"What could I possibly be hiding from my lovely counselor?"
Eina blinked, blushing a bit, but quickly returned to normal and narrowed her eyes. From the start, she noticed. Bell was acting very differently than usual. Normally, he was a rather shy young man, especially when talking to girls, something she noticed on the first day she met him.
However, she couldn't see any trace of the shyness he once had. It's as if he had become a more confident person, someone different. It's very strange because he was normal yesterday.
What on earth happened?
"Bell-kun... are you really okay?" She asked with a worried expression.
"You see me without a scratch, don't you?"
"That's what I'm talking about," Eina sighed. "You're acting completely different than usual. It's as if you've become a different person."
"Now, you're exaggerating," Bell scoffed. "I've always been like this; I just didn't express myself as I am now. However, after the Minotaur incident, I really got fed up."
Eina didn't believe that at all. Even though she had known him for only a month, it's impossible for her not to have noticed something like this. It seemed like an obvious lie. However, she couldn't say anything more about it because she knew he would just dodge her question again.
His enthusiasm is another thing that seemed to have disappeared besides the shyness. Bell was a very lively boy, but now, he seems very tired. Maybe that was to be expected, as he almost died today, but still... Eina knew something was wrong with him.
She was really worried about how he was acting.
Aiz, standing beside them, simply observed in confusion. 'What does she mean he seems like a completely different person than usual? She mentioned the same thing earlier, but I didn't think much of it.' Besides, what's with seeming like a completely different person from yesterday?
"Well, I think we've talked enough. It must be getting late, and I really don't want to worry my goddess, so can we wrap this up?"
Eina was really tempted to say no because she wanted to figure out what was wrong with him. However, it was getting late indeed, and she couldn't keep him here forever. With a sigh, she nodded.
Bell got up, as did Aiz, and all three headed to the main hall of the Guild.
As they entered the main hall, they were greeted by some curious looks and whispers. Bell blinked at this. Normally, the Guild was less busy at night, so why were there so many people?
"There are fewer people in line," Eina commented.
"Well, let's get this over with quickly," Bell said, holding the Minotaur's magic stone in his hand.
He simply walked, showing the stone to everyone in the Guild as if it were no big deal. Most adventurers recognized it as a Minotaur's magic stone. Some others noticed how strange it was, not the magic stone, but the person holding it. Though Bell wasn't famous, many adventurers knew he was a novice adventurer.
Those white hair and red eyes weren't so common, so it's normal for people to remember him more easily than other novice adventurers.
As Aiz began to walk, she was stopped by Eina.
"Wait a moment, Aiz Wallenstein. I have a question for you."
"Yes?"
"Are you... really in love with Bell-kun?"
"Huh?" Aiz tilted her head, confused. However, something clicked in her head as she apparently remembered something. "Yes, I really am in love with him."
Her answer came out louder than Eina expected, causing some adventurers to overhear.
"Hey, is that serious?"
"I came here because they said the Sword Princess was with her boyfriend, so I had to see for myself. But to think it was true..."
"Damn rabbit!"
The whispers weren't discreet.
Aiz seemed unfazed by these whispers.
As long as she learned what Bell said he would teach her if she 'played' with him, what they thought didn't matter.
Eina, however, noticed something she hadn't the first time, perhaps because she was too worried about Bell to think about it. Aiz's response came out with no emotion at all, almost as if she had said it just to say it. She didn't seem genuinely in love with Bell, so why did she say she was?
"Eina, help me out here!" Bell's voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
Eina noticed that his tone sounded quite irritated. She noticed something else. He wasn't addressing her as he did yesterday. He always called her Eina-san or Miss Eina, but now it was just Eina.
It was already his turn to exchange the magic stone for valis, but it seemed like he was having trouble. She quickly realized and walked over to him, putting aside her earlier thoughts, with Aiz following behind her.
When they reached the exchange counter, Eina explained the situation to the clerk, who looked at Bell skeptically.
"A Level 1 killing a Minotaur? Especially this kid who was stuck on the 4th floor? That's hard to believe," the clerk frowned.
"I was there, and I can confirm it," Aiz stated firmly. "Bell really defeated the Minotaur alone."
The clerk looked at Aiz, slightly intimidated by her presence. "If the Sword Princess says it's true, then I have no reason to doubt." He muttered.
Reluctantly, the clerk accepted the magic stone and handed Bell the 30,000 valis.
"Thank you very much," although Bell thanked him, his tone came out irritated, something Eina and Aiz noticed. "Idiot clerk," he muttered low enough for only Aiz and Eina to hear.
After finishing what he had to do at the Guild, Bell bid farewell to Eina at the Guild gate.
"Bell-kun, please, if you ever want to talk about anything, don't hesitate to come talk to me."
Apparently, she was still worried about him.
"Yes, Eina. Don't worry about it."
'Again just Eina, huh.' It's not like she was angry about how he called her that way. She just was very confused.
Unfortunately, there's nothing Bell can say. Eina just had to accept this change from him. Things were easier when he 'returned' to a point even before he reached the city of Orario, as he had not met anyone, so there would be people worried that he practically changed his personality overnight.
However, he returned to when he was in the Hestia Family, 2 weeks after becoming an adventurer. People who knew Bell's old personality would certainly notice the change. Hestia would also be the same, but there's nothing he can do but hope they simply accept this change over time, as has happened several times before.
As soon as he left, Aiz followed him, both ignoring the whispers of the adventurers in the Guild.
Misha approached Eina.
"Hey, is it true that the Sword Princess is dating your adventurer?"
"Why are you asking me this?"
"Well, you were in a room with the two of them. Come on, tell me, is it true?"
"I don't know, and I don't care," Eina started to return to work.
"Hey, we both know that's a lie. Are you jealous?"
Normally, this teasing would have elicited some reaction from Eina, but to Misha's surprise, Eina just kept walking.
Eina had actually stopped paying attention. She was too busy thinking about how Bell had acted so differently than usual today. Was it just because of a near-death encounter? She didn't think so. He casually commented about punching the Minotaur to death, as if it were not an uncommon thing.
The way he talked about his encounter with the Minotaur was almost as if he didn't care if he really died to the monster.
If she were honest, it scared her a little.
She could only pray that he would return to normal tomorrow.
...
...
...
As they left the Guild, Bell noticed it was already night. Hestia is probably very worried right now, so he needs to hurry and leave before she decides to look for him. He turned to Aiz.
"I guess this is where we part ways, Aiz."
"Yeah."
"Well, see you another time," Bell waved and began to walk, until he heard Aiz's voice.
"Are you... going to teach me that wind thing you mentioned?"
He kept walking as he replied.
"As I said, I'll think about it. See you."
Aiz continued to watch Bell until he disappeared from her sight. She kept staring for a good two minutes before she uttered aloud.
"... Was I deceived...?"
And with that, she began walking back to the Twilight Manor.
Needless to say, as soon as she arrived, Loki bombarded her with questions, wanting to know if Bell had done anything to her, to which she replied no.
However, rumors spread faster than wildfire in Orario. The adventurers who were present at that moment were responsible for it.
The Level 1 adventurer who was able to kill a Minotaur alone was none other than the Sword Princess's boyfriend.
As Bell walked back towards the Abandoned Church, he realized.
"Ah, I forgot to clear up the misunderstanding about me and Aiz."
He had only done what he did purely for fun and because he felt like doing it at the time. He had planned to reveal it was all a joke in the end, but he ended up forgetting. He knew well how rumors spread quickly in Orario, especially given the number of adventurers present at the Guild at that moment...
"I guess I'll have to avoid running into Loki..."
She'll probably try to kill him on sight. Lefiya too...
"Maybe that could be interesting."
He approached the Abandoned Church, where he saw black hair tied up in twin tails. The moment she noticed him, she ran up to him and hugged him.
"Bell-kun!"
"Hey, Hestia."
Once she let go, she looked at him with concern.
"Are you okay? I was about to go look for you. Why did you take so long?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. As for why I took so long, I think we should go inside so I can explain properly, because it's going to take a bit."
She nodded, and they entered the Abandoned Church. The place was quite rundown, with old furniture and walls crumbling. Bell furrowed his brows as he walked towards the room with Hestia holding onto his arm.
He wasn't going to spend most of his "vacation" in this damned place again. They only got the mansion after defeating Apollo in the War Game. However, Bell didn't plan on getting involved in those troublesome things in this life.
He already knew what he was going to do.
"Here, Bell-kun," Hestia pointed to the sofa as they arrived where they sleep.
They both sat down, Hestia with her arms crossed as she placed one leg over the other and looked at him.
"You can start explaining why you took so long. I was really worried about you, you know?"
"If you're thinking some other girl might steal me away, you don't need to worry. At least in this life, you'll be the most important person to me."
He had already decided that. Even if he ended up sleeping with a different girl in the near future, that was all it was.
"Eh!?" Hestia lost her composure, widening her eyes at Bell's words. "B-Bell-kun, w-what are you saying...?" She stammered like never before.
'Most important person to... not needing to worry about other girls...?' She thought, her face turning red.
"Exactly what I said. You don't need to worry," he spoke calmly as he leaned closer to Hestia, who became even more surprised. "However, I think we should start with the main reason, right?"
Hestia was able to gather herself, but she was still embarrassed by his words. She simply nodded, signaling for him to begin speaking.
And so Bell explained the whole situation to Hestia. His encounter with the Minotaur, the Loki Familia taking care of him, then going to the Guild with Aiz to exchange the Minotaur's magic stone for valis.
"That damn ironing board..." Hestia growled after Bell finished the story.
That insult was clearly aimed at Loki. He had left out some details that weren't important, like his provocation with Loki, as well as that play with Aiz at the Guild of Adventurers. When Bell mentioned the Minotaur part, Hestia expressed great concern, asking if he was really okay even after he had already said he was.
She knew it was true, but her worry was too great.
"I swear I'll give her a good scolding when I see her again..."
"Although it is indeed the Loki Familia's fault that the Minotaur escaped to the upper floors, getting angry won't change anything."
"It's easy for you to say, it wasn't some damn child of hers who almost died!" Hestia looked at him with eyes that seemed to want to tear up. "Bell-kun, I only have you. If I lose you, I'll be left with no one."
Indeed, Hestia had no one else but him at this moment. That's why he needed to reassure her.
He placed his hand on her head and gently stroked it, surprising Hestia again as she looked at him.
"I'm here right now, aren't I?"
At least for now.
Until the moment he dies again and repeats the cycle.
But he had already decided.
"Hestia, you're friends with Hermes, right?"
"Eh?" She blinked at the sudden question but answered shortly after. "I wouldn't say I'm 'friends' with that pervert, but I know him. Why?"
What's the reason he asked about that perverted god suddenly?
"The Hermes Familia specializes in gathering information, don't they?"
Hermes is a mysterious god of many secrets who hides some of his intentions from most people. He is unscrupulous and more than willing to resort to dirty methods if necessary. He has often deceived and extorted to achieve his goals. He has even betrayed his allies.
Aware of the significant value information can have, he has transformed his Familia into a group specialized in collecting it. Motivated by this reason, he forces his members to obtain vital information from different Familias so that he is prepared if he needs something to blackmail them at some point.
"I think...? I'm not sure. Why are you suddenly talking about Hermes, Bell-kun?"
However, this time Hermes will get a little taste of his own medicine.
"I need Hermes' help to deliver two letters for me," Bell replied. "The sooner, the better."
Hestia was confused by this.
"But we don't have money to pay the Hermes Familia to deliver those letters," she argued. "And even if we did, I don't think Hermes or anyone from his Familia would be interested in delivering letters."
"Don't worry about that," Bell replied calmly. "He will deliver the letters, and we won't need to pay anything. Just get in touch with him as soon as possible and arrange for me to speak with him privately. I'll take care of everything."
Hestia was even more confused but nodded, asking, "What kind of letters are these?"
Bell smiled enigmatically. "They're for people in my family. And if all goes well, we'll be able to leave this place and go to a very spacious mansion."
Hestia widened her eyes. "A mansion...?" She looked at him with a mixture of surprise and confusion.
'People in his family? I thought he said he only had his grandfather, but according to Bell his grandfather died recently.' Hestia thought with confusion. 'Besides, since Bell-kun woke up, he's been different from usual. He calls me by my name instead of goddess. And this confidence...' She was trying to understand the changes in Bell's behavior.
"So, can we really leave this place and live in a mansion?" Hestia asked, still incredulous.
"We will, I'll make sure of it. You know I'm telling the truth, right?" Bell affirmed.
Hestia pondered for a moment, trying to process everything Bell was saying. 'He's so confident... And he seems to know exactly what he's doing. But where does all this certainty come from?'
"So, how long do you think it will take to get in touch with Hermes?" Bell asked, interrupting her thoughts.
"I can't say for sure, but I'll ask some other gods about him to get an idea of where he might be," Hestia replied.
"Great. Let's sleep now," Bell suggested, getting up.
"Can I sleep with you...?" Hestia asked as she moved closer to him.
He always refused when she asked, but in the end she would always go to his side after he had already fallen asleep. For some reason, this sudden change in Bell's personality made her hopeful that maybe his answer would be different today.
And it proved to be right.
"Sure, I don't mind."
"Yeah!" Hestia exclaimed happily as she snuggled up to him.
The change didn't seem so radical as to worry her, but it also seemed like a very good change! Now she can sleep beside him whenever she wants!
If only she knew how wrong she was...
...
...
After an hour, Hestia was asleep clinging to Bell, while he remained awake, lost in thought.
'Finding Hermes is just the beginning. Once we manage to find him, things will start moving. This time, I won't live in extreme hardship like I did in most of my lives.'
He looked at Hestia, asleep beside him. 'This time, I'll live in luxury. I'll do whatever I want, regardless of the chaos my actions may cause in the future. I'll live and enjoy this life to the fullest alongside Hestia.'
"Bell, you have something special. A light that can't be extinguished, even in the deepest darkness. Never lose that."
The words Riveria said to him once entered his mind.
"...It's really a shame, Riveria. Unfortunately, I lost that light a long time ago."
Bell let out a comforting sigh.
Yes, he will enjoy this life.
Asterius, Loki Familia, Freya Familia, Hermes Familia, Ishtar Familia, Evilus, Enyo and even the Black Dragon with a Single Eye... None of it matters. At least in this life, those problems are no longer his concern.
They can all go to hell.
Bell closed his eyes, determined to make the most of this break. With one last glance at Hestia, he allowed sleep to envelop him.
...
...
In the dark depths of the Dungeon, silence reigned supreme. Shadows timidly danced on the damp, centuries-carved walls. The atmosphere was dense, almost suffocating, and the only illumination came from the Dungeon's own walls, yet this place was strangely darker than others.
Suddenly, a disturbing sound shattered the silence. It was a gurgling sound, as if the very stone was writhing in agony. The Dungeon walls began to pulsate, gaining a life of their own. A faint, sinister glow emanated from the cracks forming in the rocks, and a growing heat filled the air, causing it to vibrate.
The stone cracked, and something began to emerge from the wall. First, a gigantic hand covered in rough, black fur. Then, a muscular arm, followed by a broad shoulder. Every movement of the being freeing itself from the Dungeon's bowels was accompanied by a guttural, deep sound, echoing through the corridors like a harbinger of death.
The creature dragged itself out of the wall, revealing its imposing form. The massive torso, muscles that seemed carved from granite, adorned with black fur that shimmered under the faint light of luminescent stones. Its curved horns, sharp as blades, reflected a deadly gleam.
As the creature finally stood upright, fully revealing its form, a memory flooded its mind. It was a vivid and painful memory of a boy with white hair and red eyes. The boy advanced with unbelievable ferocity, managing to pierce the creature's eyes with a knife before breaking, plunging the monster into a darkness of agony and despair.
The monster remembered falling to the ground, the searing pain in its skull replaced by an unrelenting rain of blows. The boy did not relent; each strike was an explosion of pain resonating through its body until finally, darkness consumed it completely.
The monster's violet eyes glowed with renewed fury. Memories of its previous death filled it with an indescribable hatred. It let out a piercing roar, a primal and unintelligible sound, like a wave of pure darkness and despair:
"̵̡͎̪͙̝̻͍͇͚̳̉͛̏̊̓̆͒͊͜͝⬛̴̡̩͕͕̝͕͙̼̩͍̻̣̦͔̘̞͉́̽̆͐̔̿̆͆̈́̃̊̒͋͂̅̅̚̚͜⬛̷̜̙̍̄͛̿̄͌͆̾̀͌̔̋̏̓̀͘͠͝͝ͅ⬛ ⬛ ⬛̶̣̜̻͍͚̹̯̪͈̦́̈͆̋̌̋̌̎͌̔̓̋̀͒͊̚͝͠⬛̵̪̞̣̠̰̑͋̌̾͆̎͒̒̋̕̕⬛̷̨̡͕̖̲͓͔͉͇͉͕̏͠⬛̴͇̝̜̝͉̬̜̝͇͓͈̥̼̼̺̊̾͊̾̄̌͊͐̚̚͜͠͠͠͝⬛̷̧̨͓̫̹̦͍̟̤̰̈́̈́̽͌̆̃͊͂̍̑̑̎͌͗̚͘͝⬛ ⬛̵̢̨͓̫͖͍̼̭̹̣̯̠͖̤͕̣̝̯͓̗̞̖͓̼̏̋̓̓̓̽̀̏̇̋̿́̃͗̚̕͠ͅ⬛ ⬛̶̧̧̛̛̩͖̯̟̦̯̼͙̰̩̟̠̺̉̋̆͂͐̋̎͗̄̂̌̑̏̄̂̃͂͗͒͐̇̐̑̚͜͠⬛̷̧̧͍̻͔͓̤̰͕̙̪̩̙̩̲̣͍̻͔͔̣͇̘̬̞͇̩̎́̈́͜͜⬛̵̛̣͕̪̱̻̖͍͎̱̲̟̿́̄̆̿͊̀͐̽̍̌̍̃̋̏̍͘͝͝ͅ⬛̶̬̳͚̻̜͔̰͔̽͆͒͑̇̿͋̇̏̈́̍̌͂̐͆̋̎͘̕͜͠⬛̶̢̧̨̟͚̤̰͕̩̥̮̪̥̰̣̦̝̹̣̱̐͛̐̇͌̑̈͗̓̆̈̍́͘͠ͅ!̴̢̧̰̗̖͓̳͊͋͑̈́!̴̡̨̧̧̛̖̪̠̮͈̘̺̹̪̦̦̮̘̦̮̟͗̈́͐̌̅͒̆̏̀́̾̊͒̀̅͌̏̉͑̔͒̕͝͝!̵̢͉̘̣͙̦̟̞̰̯͕͕͔̭̦̺̯͙͉̮͎̣̿̊̉̍̍͛͋̌͆͝ͅͅ!̵̢̛̬͍̺̹̤̰͎̦̪̘͍͇̝̘̞̟̗̫̹̋̑̔͛̃̀̌͊̃͜͝"
Well, after a long time, we finally have a new chapter.
We had a significant interaction of Bell with the Loki Familia. We also had a brief glimpse of one of his lives when he joined Loki and became closer to Riveria. Although that's not the only one.
In this chapter, you will probably notice that I made it clear that people who knew Bell in his first month in Orario will find his different behavior quite strange. Eina was the one who thought about it the most, finding something bad about it, while Hestia thinks it might have been a good change. Will Hestia continue to think this way in the future?
I can tell you that this Bell can be quite scary. I think soon you will get a glimpse of this scary side of him, but he will only show how scary he can be much later on. I'll avoid saying more because of spoilers, but in the chapter itself, you may have noticed some hints of what you should do if you incur his wrath.
Some may find it strange, Asterius so soon!? But it's not even been 1 day since Bell killed him! Indeed, but here he is! I'll avoid saying too much, but what do you think is happening here?
Bell's status will be updated in the next chapter. Initially, I intended to show it in this one, but I've already written a lot, much more than I imagined.
Anyway, that's it. I wanted to say more, but I feel I might give unnecessary spoilers, so I'll refrain.
Don't forget to comment on what you thought of this chapter, as well as theories; it's fun to read.
Well, that's it. Until the next chapter (which hopefully won't take 9 months again).
