Hey everyone, how are you doing? Again, not much to say, but this chapter was one that was split into three separate parts from the original stories single chapter. So, there is more added in the chapter and a bit of fluff and the start of some changes I plan on making when compared to the original story. Also, I don't know if anybody noticed but if you leave a review, I will leave a reply at the end of the next chapter. I have been doing this from the start and I don't plan on stopping that. So, if you ever ask any questions, (That aren't spoilers) I will often answer them at the end of the next chapter. Either way, Hope you enjoy this chapter and have a nice day. - EG
Word Count: 8542
Chapter 7
It was early, extremely early and Welf had been busy. It was currently five in the morning according to the clock that Welf glanced at in his forge. He had a strange mixture of excitement and disgust at what he was going to willingly do.
He had the design of the weapon off to the side, that would come later. Placing the expensive metal into the furnace, watching as it started to turn red. After a few minutes, he placed another slightly less expensive metal into the furnace right next to the other metal.
He waited several minutes, keeping time by keeping to a rhythm he was taught when he was a child. After the third repetition, he pulled both metals out and started working them with his precious hammer.
The sound of clanging filled the small smithy as he started to combine the two metals into a rough blade shape. The softer, less expensive Mythril worked as the spine of the blade, and the significantly stronger Adamantine worked to reinforce and make the edge of the single-sided weapon.
He focused on the power that filled his mind originating from the very blood that pulsed through his body. After a few minutes of hitting with his hammer, he bit his finger just hard enough to let a few drops of blood drip onto the glowing metal.
He shivered, feeling his power being drawn into the weapon, but he never lost beat with the rhythm as he worked. Seeing it beginning to cool he replaced it in the furnace and waited again.
.
.
.
This repeated for an hour until he eventually was satisfied seeing the magic infusing the weapon. He grimaced but had to acknowledge the beauty of the piece as he quenched it in a barrel of oil.
He glanced at the basic final shape and nodded in approval, "Good, just need to add the final touches."
.
.
.
He whistled seeing the final product, it was a dagger perhaps a bit longer. The spine was a white metal that bled into the silver edge. He had taken time to put filigree right next to the handle that looked like lightning bolts. He has done it again, this time he didn't rush the process.
All in all, it took just under three hours to forge this magic sword. It was lightning-based, as opposed to the fire of the first one. Gripping the white leather-wrapped hilt, he immediately wanted to test it. He managed to restrain the urge, it was dangerous and could destroy a massive chunk of their home.
He glanced at the clock, "Seven fifty?" He muttered, glancing at the clock. "Well, I suppose that makes sense. He was tired after everything…" he paused mid-step, something felt off about that. After the expedition, Bell had been awake at the same time as Welf. 'No, he's probably awake.' Welf thought, pulling out the pieces of Bell's replacement armor.
"Why is it that after every single event, his armor is completely destroyed. Am I doing something fundamentally wrong with his gear?" Welf wondered, organizing the lengths of high-quality leather he would need. He took some notes, 'This one is only a bit stronger than the last set. I'll need to grow more before I can make anything much more significant.'
A mischievous smirk grew on his face as an idea popped into his head, "This could be fun." he dug through the various fabrics and leathers he had in storage.
After a minute he found what he was looking for. He also grabbed some darker dyes and got to work on his idea. After all, what brother wouldn't mess with their brother?
.
.
.
Welf heard a gentle rapping against the door of the smithy. 'Finally.' He thought and went to the main door. When he opened it he saw a slender elf, not the white-haired human. He raised an eyebrow in slight confusion, "Can I help you?"
Ryu paused for a second, looking at the smith who looked confused. "Yes, or at least I hope so. I was hoping you could make me a new sword."
"Of course…" He glanced out the door, looking left then right but no sight of Bell. "Come on in."
Ryu nodded, following Welf into the immaculately organized smithy, she could see it was a small two-room structure. The first room held spare weapons, which all seemed like weapons the various familia members would use as backup weapons. She could see drawers with locks that were labeled with various materials from Orc hide to Mythril.
"So what type of sword are you looking for?" Welf asked as they walked as they moved deeper into the smithy where the actual forge was.
Ryu didn't answer right away, she thought about it for a second, and Welf didn't mind. It was smarter to think about it, instead of rushing to an answer. The pair stopped at the forge and Welf grabbed a hammer from the wall.
Ryu stood next to the entrance for almost a minute, until eventually reaching into the pouch that sat on her hip. She retrieved the shattered hilt of Alf's Lumina, the weapon that she had trusted with her life for so many years. "I don't know if you remember my wooden longsword, but if possible something like that. I don't think you have the materials here now." She placed the wooden hilt onto the workbench for Welf to inspect.
"It was originally made from the branch of a holy tree from my home. So considering the material and what I am, it worked like a magic staff as well allowing me to conduct my magic through it while fighting."
Welf held up the shattered portion of the wooden sword, holding it felt wrong. Like his knowledge of what his family had done in the past made it hard to even touch. "Are you sure you'd want me to do this? You know I'm a Crozzo right?" He already knew she knew and didn't mind.
Ryu nodded her head, "I do, I don't mind going to Goibniu Familia, as they had made it originally… but if possible I would rather have someone I hope to trust with making it." She doubted that Goibniu would sabotage her weapon, but the risk would've been possible.
Welf understood, "Alright, I don't mind if you don't. Although if you want it to be similar to the original, then I don't have the materials, and getting wood from a Sacred Tree isn't an easy prospect."
"I know, and I don't expect it to be anytime soon, although, I do have a favor to ask. If possible, can you use that hilt in the final product?" Ryu knew it would seem impractical, but the weapon was special to her. It helped her remember better and worse times more easily.
"I could, although I have an idea that I don't know if it'll work. But that'll come later if I decide upon it. But yes I can, but I might need your help with making it in the future." Welf nodded and tucked the shard of wood into an open drawer labeled 'Current Projects'.
Ryu smiled slightly, 'Simple but effective way to remember your tasks.' She thought she saw a couple of items in the drawer before it was closed. One was a dagger that sparked with lightning, as well as the general lighting design of the filigree; it was pretty obvious what it was.
The second item caused her to wonder, it was a set of light armor, probably for Bell, that was a white metal. But that wasn't the problem, that was fairly standard for his armor, no it was the hints of green and light blue that peaked through. It slightly frustrated her that she couldn't get a full once-over look at the armor.
Her wandering mind jumped back as the drawer was closed, "I don't have any experience when it comes to smithing, I doubt I could help you out."
She watched Welf wave his hand as if saying it's not important, "Like I said, that'll be for a later time… do you mind if I ask you something?"
Ryu tilted her head slightly, "I don't mind."
Welf scowled slightly, "Have you seen Bell at all today? He was supposed to meet me here so we could finish his armor more than two hours ago." He paused and placed a hand on his chin. "I was getting ready to look for him, he is rarely late. So I'm beginning to grow concerned."
Ryu nodded, then realized something she had forgotten about last night. "I… I can do that." And without any warning, she dashed out of the smithy.
Welf watched slightly amused, but also slightly concerned. It was so brief that he wasn't sure if he saw it correctly, worry and fear. That is what he saw in her eyes for the tiniest of seconds. "That's not a good combination," Welf whispered as he moved towards the front door that Ryu had dashed out of.
All he saw was the fluttering blue of her outfit rounding a corner in the distance, 'Fast.' was his impression.
X
Ryu moved quickly darting down the various halls of the Hearth Manor, "How could I've forgotten the moment we were in the city?" She questioned, as she reached the bedrooms. She knocked sharply on the room next to hers.
She waited, her mind racing for a full minute but there wasn't a response. She knocked again but made her voice just loud enough to be heard. "Bell… I'm coming in." She turned the knob and opened the door.
The first impression was the scent of sweat, the second was the darkness of the room as the dark blinds had been closed.
Fortunately, there was enough light for her enhanced senses to easily pick out objects in the room. It was a bare room, with no decorations except for a shelf holding a variety of items. A tiny magic stone, a green vambrace, the broken hilt of a simple dagger, and an empty vial.
Besides the shelf, there was a small desk with a handful of books on it, a dresser, and a bed. She fully entered the room, closing the door behind her, "Bell?" She whispered looking around for a human shape.
She checked the bed which had been disturbed as the blanket was clumped randomly on the bed, she also checked the various nooks and corners of the room. But there was no Bell, he wasn't in the room. She decided to open the blinds to get more light in the room, to see if there was any sign of where he could be.
The moment she opened the blinds, she noticed the window was open slightly. "So that's it then." She whispered, she opened the window and glanced around. There weren't any obvious signs of an impact on the ground from him escaping the room that way.
"If his nightmares are about the dungeon, what would be the best option to escape that oppressive feeling?" With that thought, she placed a foot on the window sill and pushed her head out looking upwards.
'A tough jump but should be easily doable.' The edge of the roof above her only stuck out a pair of inches. The problem was the height and angle, it was approximately ten feet. If she was jumping out a window, or even was on the ground she could easily make it.
She inhaled a deep breath and leaped upwards, arching her body so she didn't hit the ledge of the roof. But she underestimated the angel as a result her waist hit the ledge and she was forced to catch herself, using her strength she pulled herself upwards onto the roof.
She looked around glancing between the various segments of the roof. It took a moment, but she saw him sitting on a flat portion of the roof, his knees pulled into his chest.
"He's safe." She breathed out a soft sigh of relief, before trotting over to him, being careful not to slip on the sloped portion of the roof.
"Bell." She called out gently.
Bell jerked, hearing a voice when he hadn't expected to hear any. He saw Ryu standing next to him, he glanced around noting the position of the sun. "W… what time is it?"
Ryu crossed her arms, "Just after eight." She spoke kneeling next to Bell.
Bell's eyes widened as panic filled his eyes. "I gotta go, I promised Welf to meet him." He tried to stand, but Ryu forced him back into a sitting position.
"Bell, it's alright." She whispered, finding a spot to sit next to him on the flat surface. "Just relax and sit for a moment." She could see that his eyes were red-rimmed and there was a sharp sense of exhaustion radiating off of him. 'He's been crying, I think.' Her mind jotted down the information.
"No… no it's not… I told him…" He tried to argue to get moving, but he couldn't force himself to move.
"Bell…" she whispered as a thought intruded on her mind. She glanced at the flat portion of the roof, it wasn't large but was just enough. "Here lay down, take a moment to rest." Her ears burned, but she managed to keep her face with a gentle welcoming expression.
Bell trusted Ryu and began to lie down. Ryu took the opportunity to shift into position, she could feel his soft hair land on her thighs.
Bell immediately tried to sit back up, but Ryu placed and hand on his chest. "It's alright Bell. Just relax alright." She didn't force him to lay back down, after only a moment of hesitation he resumed his position.
"You know that's kinda mean right?" Bell muttered, his face flushed as he looked up towards the elf.
She smiled gently, "Maybe…" Her heart was burning, but she pushed aside her rising feelings at doing something so… intimate.
A minute passed in silence until Bell decided to speak a thought that was bothering him, "Aren't you going to ask?" Bell whispered. There was a part of him that wanted to try to sleep, but another that told him not to as it would burden Ryu and give him the chance for him to remember what he didn't want to.
Ryu looked up at the sky, now a brilliant blue as all the remaining dregs of morning left. She could feel the slight chill as the weather was slowly becoming colder. "I don't need to… and I don't think it's a good idea to force you." She knew that if she asked, Bell would be forced to answer.
"I… appreciate… that," Bell muttered, the lure of sleep was growing stronger.
Ryu could see that, his eyes were closed but he wasn't asleep. Not yet at least, "Let me tell you a story." She whispered, watching Bell beginning to nod off.
It only took another minute, before Bell fell asleep. It was sudden, as the remaining tension that held Bell in place caved in on itself, as his whole body went limp.
Ryu smiled and got comfortable, she didn't know how long she would be there but she would wait no matter how long it took.
.
.
.
X
Welf waited for another twenty minutes when Ryu or Bell didn't show up, he turned to find Mikoto. He didn't have to look very hard for her, she was working with Haruhime in the kitchen preparing the breakfast for the house. It was a bit later than normal, but again everyone stayed up much later than normal.
"Hello Welf-sama, is there something specific you want to eat?" Haruhime asked, having noticed the smith moving quickly into the kitchen.
"Ah no Haruhime thank you though, Mikoto can I ask a favor real quick?" Welf asked, quickly moving from one to the other.
Mikoto nodded, "Of course, what's wrong?" she had noticed the slight worry on his face.
He breathed a sigh, "Right sorry, Bell hasn't been seen right? Ryu went to look for him but hasn't returned. I was hoping you could use your skill to find Bell at least."
Mikoto, without thinking, closed her eyes and placed her hands together to focus. "Yatanoshirogarasu" she whispered, feeling several pings in her mental radar.
'Two, next to me. One, on this level moving towards here. Two further up, on the roof?' She proceeded in a second. "I can feel one on this floor," she pointed out towards the living room. "I can also feel two… on the roof? I'm not sure those could be Bell and his knife, it's further up than where I would guess the bedrooms are."
Welf nodded, said his thanks, and began to move, 'The roof? How would I get up there? I'm not strong enough to make that jump.' He thought as he began to move.
X
.
.
.
Only half an hour had passed when Ryu heard some noise to her right. She could see a hand reaching out over the edge of the building, 'Please don't make so much noise.' She thought watching the figure clamber up pulling themselves up.
The shock of red hair showed that Welf had been the one climbing up. He managed the climb but was panting in the aftermath. He was about to start complaining about the injustice of not being able to easily get on the roof. Then he noticed Ryu was waving with one hand and her other in the universal symbol of silence, a finger placed over her lips.
Welf smirked at the pair and quietly approached. "Well well well." He whispered seeing that Bell was asleep.
Ryu blushed visibly, "Smiths sure are persistent. But please keep the noise to a minimum." She whispered, looking down at the white-haired human. She slowly was combing through his hair.
Welf raised an eyebrow, in expectation. "He hasn't been sleeping. Nightmares." Ryu whispered as an explanation.
Then everything clicked for the smith, "So that's the reason he is always awake before me." He whispered, glancing down at the adventurer who had become something of a brother to him. "I'm guessing there isn't anything that we can do to help?"
Ryu shook her head in the negative, "Although I do have a plane for when we return again." She muttered, still just watching her hero resting peacefully.
"Return again?" Welf questioned, "You know what that can be dealt with later. I'll leave it to you then, he certainly looks at peace." He joked in a whisper, before quietly turning and making his way back.
.
.
.
Another half hour passed for Ryu, when she felt Bell begin to move a little. 'Is he waking?' She thought but continued to rub his soft hair.
It took a minute before his ruby eyes snapped open, and he jolted upward. "So… sorry, I… didn't mean to… fall asleep." He stuttered and blushed, and honestly, Ryu found it adorable.
"It's alright Bell, that was my plan. You need to rest. Before we begin moving again." Ryu spoke quietly, in a reserved voice.
"Move again?" Bell asked before it dawned on him. "So that means you got Goddess's permission to let me go? Good…" Bell hesitated for a second, "If she didn't… I might have had to sneak out to join you. Only if you would've wanted me to." He corrected hastily.
Ryu only chuckled for a second, "I appreciate the idea, but fortunately we won't have to worry about that." Ryu paused for a second. "How are you feeling? You only slept for about an hour. Welf was worried enough to come up here and check on you. He really is persistent with his craft."
Bell chuckled and scratched the back of his head, "That he is… I still feel tired, but I doubt I could sleep anymore. Thank you, Ryu."
Ryu blushed at being thanked, "Please don't worry about it. It was nothing to thank me for."
Bell watched Ryu's ears twitch for a second, "Yeah… either way I appreciate it." Bell stood and held out a hand for Ryu to help her. "For now though I should probably check on Welf. I have a bad feeling if I wait much longer."
Ryu accepted the hand and pulled herself up to her feet. "Alright, tomorrow we should go and get some basic supplies for traveling. Then probably leave the day after if you are alright with that."
Bell nodded, "Sounds good. For now, why don't you go get something to eat while I help Welf. I'll grab something to eat when I'm done."
Ryu was going to deny and wait for Bell to eat as well, but she knew she probably couldn't get him to budge on eating now. "Alright, just don't take too long." With that statement, Ryu jumped off the edge of the roof.
She made a soft landing from the leap, 'One of the perks of having a falna I suppose.' She thought, moving into the main building and making her way to the dining room.
She happened to spot Haruhime, sitting and eating silently. Nobody else was in the room, "Hello Haruhime." Ryu voiced, moving to the kitchen to get some food.
Haruhime jumped, not expecting anybody to enter at this time of day, "Oh Ryu! Please sit, I'll get you something." Haruhime stood and ran, cutting Ryu off from the kitchen. "O… ok."
Ryu hesitated, but took a reluctant seat, while she waited she thought about the various supplies they would need to purchase. She had a fair bit of money in storage, she never had anything to spend money on and Mia took out her rent before paying Ryu. It wasn't a lot but it was a fair bit, 'Let's see, probably some trail food. Stuff that is easy to transport and lasts a long time. Probably some fire-starting materials, cannot have Bell use his magic every night. Tents, or should it be a single tent? Considering the time of year it might be nice to sleep under the stars.'
Ryu mentally rambled avoiding the thought about the actual destination. She wasn't ready to face Astraea again, not fully at least. Her ears burned slightly when she thought about sharing a single small tent with Bell. 'Would that be appropriate? It would be a convenient excuse if his nightmares start to plague him like they have been.' Her mood turned slightly sour at that thought. She hasn't had many after they defeated the Juggernaut, 'He cannot be plagued like I was.'
Ryu was so lost in thought, the sound of a plate clattering in front of her startled her. "Oh sorry, I was a little distracted."
Haruhime smiled gently, "Please I don't mind. Hope it's alright." Ryu glancing at Haruhime could tell the Renard wanted to pepper her with questions about what happened.
Ryu glanced down at the food laid out in front of her. It was a tray that contained a few small plates and bowls. In the bowls were soup, salad, and rice. The plates contained a small omelet, fish, and a pair of roasted mushrooms. "Wow, you didn't need to go out of your way. This looks amazing."
Haruhime blushed at the compliment, "Mikoto did most of the work this morning. All I did was prepare the salad and omelet, but I thank you."
'How long had I been distracted in my mental deliberations?' Ryu wondered as she started to consume the meal.
"You and Mikoto are from the far east, right?" Ryu asked softly.
"That's right," Haruhime responded, having finished her food a minute earlier.
"I wanted to make sure, judging by the food and the way you both dress… I used to know someone… from the Far East." Ryu spoke quietly, trying to avoid the well of emotions.
Haruhime deducted enough to not ask questions, "Well, I'm sure we could make you more varieties later if it's to your taste."
"I would appreciate that… It brings back pleasant memories." Ryu whispered, just loud enough for Haruhime to hear. "Do you mind if I ask you a question? Then you can ask me the questions you've been holding in."
"Of course, ask anything." Haruhime nodded, her tail shifting slightly.
"Why do you act like the maid for the familia? You are an adventurer right?" Ryu voiced her question without any dancing around the subject.
"Ah… well that's pretty simple. It's the best way for me to be helpful. I have no real combat abilities, so this is the way I strive to be helpful in return. Plus, I owe Bell-sama, Goddess Hestia, and everyone in the familia for… procuring me from Ishtar Familia." Haruhime explained without any hesitation, it was something she had rehearsed and truly believed to be the case.
Ryu watched Haruhime for a moment, 'Is she the reason Ishtar familia was destroyed?' She hadn't been there to see it. She had been working and noticed the glow and smoke from the district Ishtar controlled. "Please feel free to ask your questions."
Haruhime took a breath, "Was Bell alright, I noticed he didn't get breakfast yet?"
"Yes and No. He'll survive, but I'm guessing his nightmare was particularly… intense." Ryu sighed and leaned back in her chair. "He is talking with Welf to get his armor finished." For some inexplicable reason, a shiver ran up her spine at that moment.
Haruhime tilted her head seeing Ryu shiver, "Everything alright?"
"Yes… I just felt a strong shiver." Ryu shuttered, taking the moment to regain focus.
Ryu could see Haruhime's fox-like ears flicking back and forth. The sight made her want to chuckle, "Any other questions?" She managed calmly despite the amusement building.
"Yes actually… how have you been feeling since… well everything that happened," Haruhime asked, fiddling with the fork she had in hand. She twirled it around in circles, as she had spoken.
Ryu took a moment to gather her thoughts, "Better than I expected. I can feel that my emotions seem to come easier and I can't suppress them as easily. But I feel calmer and safer than I have in years." She gave a straight answer, but she wasn't looking at Haruhime. She had the empty gaze of someone looking inward rather than outward.
At that Haruhime stood and picked up her plate, "I thank you for answering honestly, you had no reason to." She gave a small bow and retrieved Ryu's now empty tray.
"Right. Well, I want to at least try to be honest with the people I will probably be in the same familia as." Ryu spoke as she stood as well. "Thank you for the company while I ate. I appreciate it."
After the exchange of thanks, Ryu started to make her way from the dining hall. She was curious to see what armor Welf had made for Bell. She paused when she got closer, noticing Lili and Bell standing by the main door.
X
Bell had launched off the roof a minute after Ryu did, he was thankful to Ryu but he didn't want her to go out of her way to help him. 'What am I going to do?' He thought as he approached the smithy, there was a small flame in his heart he wanted to grow, but he… knew he shouldn't.
He had overheard the conversation between Ryu and Haruhime so he knew how she felt. He wanted to act on his own growing feelings but knew it would be inappropriate especially if he wasn't completely sure.
He decided to try and put the thoughts from his mind, as he knocked and opened the smithy without waiting for an answer "Sorry to keep you waiting." He shouted as he entered.
Bell could see Welf hunched over the workbench, with a paper sitting in front of him. He also caught a glimpse of the broken and shattered remains of Ryu's weapon. 'Interesting.' He thought.
"Ah good, there you are. Did you have a good nap?" Welf shouted back, making a few marks on the paper before rolling up the slip and putting it and the hilt in the 'Current Projects' drawer.
Bell blushed, "For… what it's worth. Yes, it was… pleasant."
Welf chuckled as he pulled out the armor he had been working on for Bell. It was still light armor, but it was made of stronger materials than last time. "I already have all your measurements from the last set. So I mostly just need you to review the design and a test fit. We should be done in twenty minutes so you can rejoin your girlfriend." He joked, before turning to see a cherry red Bell. This made Welf laugh even louder, "When was the last time I got to see that?"
Bell crossed his arms, "Shall we get to the armor or are you going to keep teasing me?"
"Come on, teasing you is part of the job." Welf nudged Bell slightly. "But fine, here take a look."
Bell approached the bench glancing the armor over, the majority was the same metallic silver forming the plates of armor. A set of grieves and vambrace that extend down to the hand to provide support to it. There was a set of shoulder pads that were connected by straps to a backplate.
What caused Bell to hesitate were the accents. They were sky-blue and a deep green. The blue was very prominent, which wouldn't have bothered Bell as his expedition clothes were a sharp water blue. No, it was a particular shade of sky blue. It was the same color as her eyes, and the green was a similar color to the cloak and shorts she normally wore.
"Welf…" Bell whispered, feeling a bit of dread at having her see him in this.
"Yes, is there a problem?" Welf spoke mirthfully, having seen the reaction he wanted to see.
"You did that on purpose, didn't you? To tease me some more right…" Bell muttered, the problem was he generally liked the design and colors. But with his hesitancy, it felt off-putting.
Welf nodded and slapped him on the back. "Right, you are Bell. Right, you are."
"I hate you," Bell muttered, jokingly.
Welf grasped his chest as if in great pain. "Oh, you wound me greatly." Welf laughed for a few seconds until his mirth calmed down. "Now… Do you want to keep the colors or have them removed? It's a simple dye. Although it will take a few days to get polished down to its normal color."
Bell thought and blushed for a second, then sighed defeated. "No, leave it I guess. We'll be leaving soon so I don't have several days to wait."
Welf smirked, it probably only would've taken an hour to remove in actuality, "Good… wait you're leaving again?"
"That's correct, I'm going to meet with Lady Astraea. Ideally, Goddess should be the one to go. But as she cannot leave the city, especially after what happened last time, I would be the best option." Bell rubbed his left hand with his right, "Plus after everything that's happened, I think it would be a good idea for me to take a large chunk of time away from the city."
Bell almost looked defeated to Welf, "I agree. Take some time to relax. You haven't since you started." Then he gave a mischievous smirk, "Plus that'll give you some time to be alone with Ryu."
Bell blushed heavily again causing Welf to chuckle. "Now! Let's get you equipped" Welf shouted, breaking the embarrassing atmosphere.
.
.
.
It only took a minute to get Bell suited up in his armor, it fit him perfectly and Bell appreciated how the left vambrace supported his hand. It would help with the dull ache over time. "Looks good on you honestly. I will say, it was awkward asking Amid for advice on your vambrace. But I think it was a good idea." Welf spoke, adjusting some of the straps that held the armor together.
"It was, I had damaged it even more during the mission," Bell confessed, flexing his hand with a slight wince. Bell noticed the concern on Welf's face. "Don't worry, Ryu managed to heal the new damage."
"What did you encounter that could cause the damage?" Welf asked in a concerned whisper.
Bell sighed, "A level 5 slaver that had been torturing a Xenos." Bell didn't elaborate further, and Welf didn't need him to.
Welf noticed Bell seemingly unconsciously opening and closing his left hand repeatedly. "I see…" he whispered. There was anger in Bell's expression, so he didn't push for more information. "So what's the plan for the rest of the day? Gonna get some supplies for your vacation?"
Bell chuckled lightly, "No at least not today, we are planning on doing that tomorrow. Today, I was thinking of accompanying Lili to the guild. I haven't talked to my advisor in a few weeks. Plus I want to check on something."
Welf waggled his eyebrows, "If I remember correctly, your advisor is a half-elf right?"
"Just a coincidence, I promise you that," Bell muttered, completely ignoring the fact that he had requested an elf as an advisor.
"Right right. Oh before I forget, before you leave the city return here. I'll have the final adjustments finished and something that might help keep you safe on the surface." Welf stated as he started to help Bell out of the armor.
"I can do that, although I doubt there are many monsters that could trouble us much." Bell shifted as he finished removing his armor. Patting the smith on the back, "Thanks anyway."
"Trust me, knowing you, danger will find you." Welf joked as he pulled out an armor stand and began strapping the armor to it.
Bell noticed it was almost the exact proportions as himself, 'Does he just have models for every member?' Bell thought but decided not to question it further.
'Now Lili. Where are you?' Bell questioned, as he began to search the manor.
.
.
.
It took about half an hour to find Lili, but he just happened to chance across her as she was descending the stairs. "Lili, there you are," Bell spoke loud enough for the prum to hear.
"Master Bell, is there something Lili can help you with?" Lili offered, moving down to the same floor as Bell.
"No, I was just wondering if you were going to the guild to pay the fine today." It was a simple statement, but it caused Lili to flinch at the reminder.
"Yes, that was Lili's plan. Although Lili wishes she didn't need to be the one to do it. It gives Lili a headache." Lili spoke, already mourning the loss of funds.
"Well, do you mind if I join you? I want to check something at the guild and meet up with my advisor." Bell spoke as he scratched the back of his head.
Lili's eyes lit up, "Lili wouldn't mind, Lili would welcome your company for this painful endeavor."
Bell chuckled, "You exaggerate, well shall we get going then?" To which Lili nodded in rapid agreement.
With that decided, the pair moved to the front door. Bell was about to place a hand on the handle when he felt a gaze upon him. He turned to face it, already having an idea of who it was. "Ryu we were planning on going to the guild. I wanted to check if the notice had been posted, and to check with my advisor as it's been several weeks at this point."
Bell could tell that Ryu was nervous for him to go out without eating and as exhausted as he was. "Did you want to come?" He asked quickly, only to hear a sigh come from Lili.
Ryu walked closer, "I wouldn't mind the opportunity to move around a bit." She moved right next to Bell, "Did you get your armor all finished up?"
Bell blushed and scratched the back of his head. "Yeah… I did. Although it's kinda embarrassing…"
"How so?" Lili decided to poke into their conversation.
Bell could only sigh, "Well you'll both see later, but I will say Welf decided to add some… color to it."
Ryu shifted slightly, "Now I'm truly curious, should we check and see it?" She asked Lili, whose curiosity was peaked.
Lili bobbed her head, "Lili agrees let's go take a look."
Bell lost all color and ended up shouting, "No!" He took a moment to lower his voice, "We got much to do and daylight is burning." With that statement voiced, he opened the main door and began to make his way out towards the main gate, practically forcing the two to follow him.
The prum and elf glanced at each other with dubious looks but decided to wait. Both knew it would be seen soon enough. As they made their way towards the gate Lili decided to break the silence that had begun to grow, "Goddess Hestia has already explained to Lili that the both of you are leaving again, despite just returning."
Bell nodded, "That's right. I… Well, let's just say I don't think we should wait. Plus we already have passes in and out of the city." Bell shifted and slowed letting the others walk at the same pace.
As they exited the comparatively safe walls of Hearth Manor Lili sighed, "Understood. Have you been informed on the activities of the familia in your absence?" When Bell shook his head negatively Lili began to explain. "We decided to make a trip, the day after you both left, into the dungeon to gain a bit of spare money due to the fine robbing us of our savings. It was a pretty normal run until we encountered an enhanced Hellhound. It was able to burn Master Welf, but we were able to take care of it without too much trouble. After that, we didn't know when you'd be gone and didn't want to miss that."
Bell listened in silence, as Lili rattled off the events. "Good work." He praised, "Sorry to put that burden onto you all. But please continue working hard until we return again. I know you and everyone else can handle it." He turned and patted Lili on the head before focusing on the path towards the guild.
Ryu noticed a very obvious blush on Lili's face, but she decided to ignore it. Plus she was focused on her concerns, 'Would Lord Ouranos have had the time to have made an official declaration to the guild in the scant hours that have passed?'
She jerked at a slight nudge from Bell, she only raised an eyebrow at him. "Calm down, it'll be alright regardless if it's been posted."
Ryu nodded and voiced a thought "How did you know that's what I was focused on?"
Bell chuckled, "Nothing special I promise. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed you narrowing your eyes and looking in the direction of the guild."
"Am I really that easy to read?" Ryu questioned, mildly annoyed with herself.
Bell shook his head in the negative, "No, it's just after several months of interacting with you I've picked up a couple of tails."
Ryu looked doubtful, "Like what?"
Bell thought for a second, "The angle of your ears depicts your emotions. I didn't notice that one until fairly recently."
Ryu covered her ears with her hands and narrowed her eyes at Bell. This caused Bell to chuckle again, Lili just watched this display in silence, she had picked up a similar tick with Haruhime. Lili hadn't noticed any change in Ryu's ears although she hadn't spent much time with the elf.
Ryu could feel the slightest twitch of her ears under her gloved hands, it was no more than a fraction of an inch change. 'How would he have noticed that?' She wondered but almost didn't want to know the answer to that question.
.
.
.
They had continued the small talk until the guild came into view. The large building almost looked like a prison to Ryu. The two-tiered building of brown brick and white marble stood out sharply in contrast to the surrounding buildings, all of which were made of wood and gray stone.
"Do you want to wait here?" Bell whispered to Ryu who had stopped fifty feet away from the entrance.
Ryu shook her head, "No, I need to face this." She took a deep breath and closed the distance to the guild's entrance. In her mind, she imagined herself freely walking towards the gallows.
"Lili, why don't you go ahead? I imagine the paperwork will take some time." Bell commented, focusing mainly on Ryu.
Lili nodded, "Sure Master Bell." She had already finished all the paperwork, and while it was indeed a large stack, it was obvious Bell wanted to be relatively alone with Ryu.
After a few seconds, Bell gave a reassuring smile to Ryu and held out a hand of aid. Silently telling her to trust him as they would enter the guild together regardless of the news. Ryu blushed slightly at the public display, but took the hand and gave a grateful smile in return.
Several passing people noticed the pair, but none recognized Ryu as either of her aliases as a waitress or a murderer. Bell on the other hand drew a lot of attention, he was the Rabbit's Foot, the record-breaker. The adventurer that got to level 4 in only a handful of months. But also the human that attacked other adventures in the defense of a monster, but also defended a guild employee from another. The one who challenged the black minotaur even when several members of Loki Familia had trouble with it.
It was safe to say around 70% of Orario's citizens knew who he was.
But they were oblivious to the passersby as Bell guided Ryu into the Guild, they noticed a large group of people had been gathered around a thick framed notice board made of a light oak. It was the same one that held all the official notices of Adventurers leveling. But it was almost completely blank, only one massive piece of paper was posted. Bell read it away from the throng of people, and he smiled and pointed so Ryu to read it.
"Adventurers, Supporters, Merchants, Smiths, Citizens. This is an official notice to the entire population of Orario. The Adventurer known as Gale Wind has officially been pardoned for all their past crimes, and they will be expunged from their record. They have proven themselves an ally of Justice and the city by nearly ending the age of darkness, that ruled over the city, by themselves. They have stopped or helped to stop three near calamities. Preventing the deaths of thousands, Gale Wind If you are reading this message, you have our thanks and appreciation. Everyone in the city owes you their gratitude
- Ouranos.
P.S. May the white flame of hope burn in every citizen knowing that you'll be there providing a warm wind of reassurance."
Ryu read the notice three times, waves of emotions flooded her heart and soul; she wanted to collapse onto her knees and cry. She didn't notice until the calming warmth of Bell began to leak into her that he had wrapped her in a one-armed embrace. The calming warmth filled her with resolve and strength, the resolve to keep pushing forward on the path of justice.
She looked around making sure nobody was looking, despite being in a crowded building, but no everyone was distracted from discussing or reading the notice. So she took the opportunity to kiss Bell on the cheek. "Thank you, Bell."
Bell blushed but whispered so nobody could hear. "No Ryu, everything that was stated is the truth. I only did what I thought was right."
Bell paused for a second, and after a moment to confirm what he was going to do with his heart he placed a kiss on her forehead. The reaction was immediate and sharp, as pink then red blossomed across her face and then to her ears. Then to Bell's surprise, she fainted.
"Ryu?" He whispered, giving her a small shake. But there was no immediate response, so knowing how this would look helped her into one of the many booths that lined the back wall of the guild building.
He let her lean against the wall and sat next to her so there wouldn't be any problems. Although he couldn't get the small smile off his lips. He nodded and confirmed what his heart had been telling him, "Very well." He whispered.
Glancing around the room, he could see Lili still in conversation with the attendant at the counter. He didn't recognize them, taking a moment of calm he took a handful of deep breaths. One to calm his racing heart, one to calm his frayed nerves from lack of sleep, another to ease the tension he didn't realize he had, and a last to ease the blush that didn't go away.
He noticed a pair of gazes looking at him, one kind and malicious. The malicious one was from outside the window far in the sky. The kind one he glanced over to see Eina watching him. He waved her over and got ready for the scolding he knew was coming.
It took a second, but Eina nodded and began to make her way across the guild hall. She smiled sweetly as she sat down across from Bell. "...Bell…" she whispered.
Bell noticed that her eyebrow was twitching, "Miss Eina! How are you doing today?" He made a shouting whisper.
She sighed and waved over towards the unconscious elf that was leaning against the wall. "What did you do?"
Bell, in a panic, realized what the situation looked like. He frantically whispered, "I know what the situation looks like, but nothing happened!"
Eina just looked at him dubiously, the doubt was evident on her face. "Never mind, it's best I probably don't know. Anyways where have you been!? You have shown your face in just over three weeks, just before your familia expedition."
Bell seemed to lose much of the color on his already pale face. "It… wasn't good. I only got cleared from the hospital a week ago, and I immediately got tasked with a mission outside the city. I only got back last night." He slumped into the seat of the booth.
Eina was and wasn't surprised at the same time, "What happened that caused you so much injury? From what I remember you were tasked with going down to floor 27."
Bell felt slightly nauseous, "I… I can't… give any details at… the moment. Let's just say… I was forcibly taken… to floor 37 without any supplies… just… just one other person."
Eina glanced over towards the elf that sat next to her adventurer, asking an unvocalized question.
Bell watched as the half-elf turned several shades paler, but he wouldn't give Eina that information. As much as he trusted his advisor, there were many things he had to keep secret.
Bell took a moment to collect his thoughts, "Myself and the person who had been taken down with me… well we managed to get to the stairs, where the rest of Hestia Familia with some… help managed to find us and get us to the surface for emergency medical attention. So there you have it, the general idea of what happened." He didn't want her to worry too much, so completely avoided the amount of time and the state of his injuries.
Eina nodded, almost not believing it. But her sharp eyes noticed a scar on his neck that he never had before and a hint of more that she couldn't see. "I… I understand. Are you going to go back into the dungeon?"
Bell could see the slightest hint of tears in her eyes, he shook his head. "No… I… I well I don't think I will be able to easily for a little bit. In all honesty, I'm planning on leaving the city for a bit to help recover." He tapped his head and Eina got the hint.
Eina gave a false smile, "Well that is a good idea I think." She paused and hesitated, "Thank you for letting me know. I… I should get back to work. Stay safe out there." With that said she stood, got out of the booth, gave a small bow, and took her leave.
Bell wanted to stop her, but he couldn't. He felt terrible to leave her out of the information, 'Well… I doubt I could've said much even if I didn't have a gag order. That's going to make it very hard to tell everyone eventually.' Bell sighed and glanced at Ryu, she was still unconscious but the blush hadn't left her features. "Maybe I did go too far? Isn't that a phrase she normally says?" He whispered, looking around the guild again.
It took another minute for Ryu to regain consciousness, but she couldn't immediately look at Bell, 'Yup definitely too far. Seems a bit one-sided, but I don't mind. She would have different standards for what would be appropriate.'
Another minute passed, and Lili came trotting up to the pair, she looked like she had died a bit on the inside. Giving Lili a few minutes to recover, the trio eventually began to travel back to the Heart Manor.
X
The goddess of beauty, love, and war watched from her perch, her violet eyes watched her mate, her Odr. She could see the all too familiar souls, one a vibrant green that had recently grown a white core that eclipsed the black that had been there for years, and the pure clear white soul.
There was a tender connection between the two souls, one that had grown considerably over the last two weeks. Jealousy filled the goddess of beauty and she began to grasp the crystal clear goblet filled with a ruby liquid in her hand with more and more force until it shattered in her hand. Spilling its contents across her clothes and sending the shards of glass into her perfectly sculpted hand, she barely even winced her focus was so extreme on watching the pair of souls.
She didn't react even when her faithful captain rushed to her side. "Soon." She whispered she couldn't wait much longer. His soul was surely strong enough for what she had in mind, and she had the perfect idea for bait.
Her perfectly sculpted lips smiled beautifully, "Darling, draw me a bath so that I can clean myself, also bring Horn here we have things to discuss." She stood and stripped, revealing her full beauty for the world to see if only they had sharp enough eyes.
"As you wish my lady." The King spoke in his baritone, leaving Freya to her desires.
"Soon, very soon Ryu I cannot have you stealing my prize." She smiled letting her hand wander downward in anticipation for the vibrant pleasure she hadn't felt in what must've been eons.
Review Responses:
Blazeburn006: Yeah, the however you spell it. XD, but yes, we'll see. I had fun writing how Haruhime would react to hearing about Wiene. Bell is as always finds a way to be Bell. Unfortunately, I already told why Haruhime won't be tagging along. For some reason I normally find enjoyment in figuring out how to implement nightmares without it being so overdone. (Which I feel like is a hard balance that I somewhat fail at.) But yes, having someone watch over you and embrace you that you trust can do wonders for a lot of mental issues.
pix25: Glad you enjoyed it. Hope you enjoy this one as well.