The Fallen Argonaut
Rated; M (Blood/Gore)
Disclaimer; I do not own Danmachi or anything created by the author Fujino Ōmori, all rights go to him.
Authors: Eli-er01 & ViceroyChalister
Patreon: Elier01
Chapters 78 (Kolsai Alne) and Chapter 79 (The Sundering) are already available on my Patreon
Summary: The will of a hero is strong, yet unwavering but all good things must come to an end, even at the cost of one's Heroic Will. Imprisoned and blamed for a crime he hadn't committed, Bell seeks a way out of his predicament so that he can live without fear of being hunted by the people he once looked up to.
77: Sparks and Inklings
=Orario, Archian Manor=
Ryuu felt lighter than she had in decades. All those poisonous emotions stuck inside of her heart, trapped with no outlet without her even realizing it. All of it had come out the moment Astraea had hugged her, and honestly, as embarrassing as it had been, she'd needed it.
Badly.
It reminded her of what Alise used to say to her when she had bottled up her emotions after Erebus' attack on Orario… after Ardee…
She'd bottled her emotions up for months after that too, and it had taken the combined efforts of half the familia to get her to let go and truly grieve.
'Bottling up emotions isn't good, Ryuu. You should know that' Alise had said, and somehow she'd forgotten after that… monster had slaughtered everyone. After she'd taken her vengeance…
She felt like a fool, yet here she was, unable to let go of the permanent smile on her face. It wasn't as large or bright as the sun, but it was there. Small, but noticeable alongside with a bit more energy to her step.
It had been a bit under a day since, she'd been training in the backyard of the Archian Manor, Astraea having taken to watching her with a smile as she swung her wooden sword and went through her exercises with a newfound vigor.
She'd yet to update her status though. She didn't know why she hadn't all things considered. Astraea was right here, and she knew it wouldn't last forever. She had built up her familia again outside Orario. She had a responsibility to them, and as much as it pained her, she understood it.
Finishing her training regiment with a final swing followed by a swift, practiced kick, she took a deep breath before sheathing the wooden sword, her eyes closed as she savored the feeling of a good workout.
Moments passed like that before footsteps approached. It had just been a day and three training sessions, but every time Astraea had come up to her after with a towel.
Smiling at the goddess, she accepted the pristinely clean white towel and wiped off beads of sweat from her face.
"Thank you, Astraea-sama" She did truly appreciate the gesture.
"Do not think much of it, Ryuu. I… I also wanted to speak with you. In private. It's something you should know" The elven warrior blinked for a moment before nodding. It was actually good that they'd be doing this. She too needed to talk to her and ask her about why she never told them about Erebus' true goal.
It had been plaguing her since Bell told her about it, and with her goddess here, she… she just couldn't not ask.
So the two walked back into the manor, heading towards wherever Astraea deemed fit for their conversations.
On the way, they passed Fina and Asuka who were conversing about something Ryuu didn't really have time to think about, the two groups of two waving lightly at one another before moving on.
Not more than thirty seconds later, Astraea opened one of the double doors to her left, revealing a room with a large table, multiple chairs, and a fireplace. On the wall above, there was an emblem of twin dragons firing out flames in opposite directions with a sword going through the center.
She recognized it as Themis Familia's emblem, and at the head of the table, the god in question sat, looking at them with a somber expression.
"Good evening, Themis-sama," Ryuu greeted before turning towards Astraea, who was looking at her with nervousness disguised as determination.
"Ryuu… take a seat. Me and Themis have… a lot to talk about and tell you, but you need to promise us something." She spoke as Ryuu slowly nodded, growing a bit nervous from her tone. It was serious, deadly serious—a type of seriousness she knew Astraea reserved for susceptible topics.
Slowly, she nodded and sat down in a chair at the opposite end of the table, while Astraea took a seat right next to Themis. The two glanced at one another, seemingly having a silent conversation, before they turned towards her.
"Normally, I'd have preferred not to say anything, but given that I know that you'll undoubtedly go and try to help Bell, I think you deserve to know the truth of… well, everything" Themis stated as Ryuu's attention fell solely on him.
"What truth? I'll indeed help Cranel-san, but what is so important that I need to know about it? I'm not even a part of your familia" Astraea shook her head.
"While that is true, Ryuu, as much as it pains me to admit it, your place is here. In Orario and the mortals you have come to care for and built your life around. I cannot stay here, and my time in Orario has come to an end…" Astraea's expression morphed into one of pain as she turned and looked at Themis for a second before turning her gaze back toward the elf.
Every moment I spend here only makes me want to run. It hurts simply setting foot inside the city, let alone staying here for an extended period of time. While I do not want to make your sense of loss seem insignificant, losing everyone that day… it… it was worse than losing my family, losing my children. It was as if I lost a limb, and the city itself was the representation of a phantom pain. I lost a part of myself that day, and while my new children help seal the hole that has been dug in my heart…" She stopped for a moment before a bitter smile wrapped itself onto her face with a vice grip.
"...it doesn't mean the hole is gone. I don't think it ever will be. Gods usually do not get too attached to their children, and those that do, and lose them never recover. I still remember Zeus and Hera when they lost their children. I do not think I've ever seen any living creature experience such potent pain in my life" Ryuu's throat clogged as she hung on to every word, pushing past the anger that surged for a moment, remembering her words at the start, and instead wondering where she was going with this.
As if the goddess was reading her thoughts, her next words sought to answer her.
"What I am trying to say, is that I cannot stay here, while you should, as it is where you belong. Perhaps not mentally, but I can tell your heart does… so, I and Themis have talked and considered the possibility of transferring you to the Themis familia, if you'd like, so that you'd be able to grow once more" Ryuu immediately stood up, slamming her hands onto the table as her expression grew shocked and horrified.
"What!? A-astraea-sama!? Why-" The goddess put a hand up, silencing her before she continued.
"I understand your hesitation, Ryuu. I too, have thought deeply about this since yesterday, but this is the best possible solution I can come up with. I and the others have been talking about moving to the Far East, which is months away from here. I'll most likely never visit Orario again. At least within your lifespan… please… don't limit your potential or happiness for your attachment to me" Astraea begged as the elf wanted to scream and rage at the unfairness.
She'd just gotten her back, and she'd ironically thought about potentially going with her, but… she was right too. She had built her life up again, around new people she'd grown fond of. Mama Mia, Anya, Chloe, Lunoire, May… Bell.
…
Ryuu stared for a long moment, her throat clogged as the words her mind wanted to say, that she'd come with refused to come as her heart fought back vigorously, almost like a rabid animal…
And…
And…
…
Her head slowly lowered as she couldn't do it. Her body collapsed into the chair, and her hair which was slowly returning to its natural color hung over her eyes, longer than it had been in years.
"...Astraea…" She uttered, almost in a whisper as the goddess nodded slowly, listening carefully.
"Is this… goodbye?" She asked, feeling somewhat hollow. After all, if the answer was as she feared, then she knew it was permanent…
"What? No, Ryuu. We can see each other again, we can send letters and meet up somewhere in the middle but… I just… after this, I can't come back to Orario. It hurts too much" The goddess answered as Ryuu nodded slowly before thinking.
Joining the Themis familia, especially now that she knew she wasn't blacklisted anymore meant joining Bell's familia…
That thought… was oddly heartwarming.
…
Then, after what must have been an eternity, Ryuu nodded.
"Okay… as long as I can see you again, I'll transfer" She spoke, her words feeling both poisonous and liberating. A choice that felt both right and wrong.
"Thank you…" Astraea breathed out a breath of relief as Themis smiled softly at her before turning his attention towards Ryuu.
"Ryuu, if that is your choice, then there are things you need to know about this familia… and me" He spoke softly as she looked up once more, pushing her hair away from her eyes as she stared quizzically.
"There is no easy way to say this, but I am not actually Themis, and this familia isn't the Themis familia" He continued as he turned and looked at the familia emblem.
"This year isn't the first time we've met… in fact, we've met, and even argued over two decades ago" Ryuu frowned hard as she pondered those words.
"More specifically, about what is the true meaning of justice, and what it actually stands for"
…
Slowly, a thought crossed her mind as she remembered that moment a few weeks ago.
'To house an inmate… to house a god.' Bell's words echoed in her head as she remembered his words from that day, how his words had shaken Orario that day, that the god responsible for such destruction in his search for a new hero, was still roaming the lower world.
"It's good to see you again, Ryuu"
"Erebus…" She whispered out, almost in a hiss as her emotions crawled up her spine as she pushed and pushed to quench them, to lock them up and control them.
Images of his face as he rocked her worldview, challenging everything she stood for flashed through her eyes once more.
To his credit, Erebus simply smiled softly, but not overtly much. Just enough to seem harmless as he answered.
"Yes. I can understand if you're skeptical of joining my familia, knowing who I am, but I swear to you as a god, and the domain I govern, that I have no ill intent for the world. In fact, all I want, is to see my children grow" He spoke, his words as honest as they came as Ryuu glared at him, almost murderously before closing her eyes and taking three deep breaths.
"I… I need time to think about if I will join your familia Th- Erebus. I just…" She stopped as her fists clenched alongside her jaw muscles, trying to work through her emotions.
"I understand… in the meantime, there are a couple of other things you should know. I'll exclude a bit in case you decide not to join the familia, as they are technically not my secrets to tell" He spoke. A moment later, Ryuu glanced up before turning to Astraea.
"Astraea-sama… did you know?" She asked as the goddess sighed before nodding.
"Yes, I knew the moment I heard of the Themis familia. He's a close friend of Tenkai, so I know he would never descend to the lower world unless Tenkai suddenly became uninhabitable to even the gods… and that only left one alternative as to who could be impersonating him" She answered as Ryuu nodded, thankful for the honest answer.
"Now, the information I wanted to speak to you about is sensitive, but It'll give you a better understanding of Bell as a person, and the reasoning behind all this. Astraea has given me a good idea why you are so fixated on helping him, and while you are partially right, Bell isn't… completely driven by vengeance like you were" Erebus began as Ryuu blinked, momentarily forgetting who she was talking about as her attention was completely turned towards the words spoken.
"What do you mean?" She asked slowly, yet clearly. Wasn't that the purpose of him doing what he was doing? To take vengeance on Kaius for what he did?
"I have said this to others, but I can see why it's hard for most to completely understand his reasoning. Bell… has been unfortunate in his life. In fact, he's probably one of the most unfortunate people I know. His life had been almost nothing but one tragedy after another" Erebus began.
"His mother died giving birth to him a few days after she and her familia were kicked out of Orario, leaving him an orphan" 'Because Zeus and Hera were banished alongside all their children' Ryuu added to herself silently as she remembered her and Bell's chat that night.
"His aunt died when he was eight, trying to create a new hero, and as much as I do not regret trying, I do regret the consequences it had for everyone, most of all Bell" Ryuu could understand that. While she did not agree with his actions and methods, not at all, she'd come to understand as well that everyone had a different perspective of the world… even if her emotions didn't follow that understanding.
"When he was fourteen, his only family abandoned him, leaving him alone as he left for Orario… and only around four months later, he lost the family he built once more due to the machinations of a goddess of beauty, sending him to a prison he should never have been in where he found me… and from there, he lost more and more people, saw more horrors than anyone should… but one thing has been a constant for him and it's shaped his actions today" Erebus paused as he leaned forward.
"Bell, is terrified. Terrified of losing his family again, like he has multiple times already… and what Kaius did- It ignited that fear like nothing else" Ryuu took a sharp breath as she pieced it together.
'Of course' she thought. It made so much sense. The black flame she had seen inside of Bell… wasn't one built for vengeance. Not like the ones she had smothered inside of her, or the one she'd seen in the Sword Princess. His was one born out of fear… and fear…? It was far harder to snuff out than vengeance.
Ryuu almost felt like an idiot. He had been right at the information post. She didn't know what he was feeling. She couldn't relate. What she'd feared, had already come to pass so all she'd felt was a thirst for vengeance.
'So how can she hope to help him come back?' She thought bitterly.
"Don't worry, Ryuu" Astraea's voice cut in as the elf looked up at her confused "Every push, even if it seems insignificant will help him. It already has. Everyone together has been chipping away at that fear of his, piece by piece" She continued.
"She's right. Bache, Aralaya, Ais and you. You've all slowly been eroding away at it, helping him come back. I think even Freya has been helping, given he's been talking to her" That… surprised Ryuu. To hear the name of the goddess of beauty that normally sat in her ivory tower actually helping someone like that. It wasn't common. Unheard of even.
"Then what am I supposed to do?"
"Simple. Keep pushing, and eventually, the path ahead will light its way. You all will understand when the time comes" Astraea told her sagely.
It was moments like these that reminded one of just how old and experienced the gods were in everything when it came to life. Ryuu had a hard time understanding, and while she wasn't old, especially in elven terms, she wasn't a toddler either.
'Might as well in comparison to them' she thought, as she looked at the two gods in front of her.
Slowly, but surely, she nodded.
"I… think I understand… but I'm still not sure about joining your familia… I just… can't forget those times"
Erebus slowly nodded with a smile.
"Do not worry, I don't take it personally. Take your time… but you should have Astraea update your status. From what I hear, you're long overdue" Erebus stood up as Ryuu slowly nodded.
"Good, now I'll leave you two in peace… by the way, Ryuu. If it means anything… I'm sorry about Ardee. If I could… I'd change things" He spoke softly before exiting, leaving Ryuu in a mix of emotions. Anger, surprise, and most of all, conflict. He just sounded so… honest. So unlike the Erebus, she used to know.
She was so focused on what Erebus had said, that she didn't notice Astraea having walked up to her as she tugged at the hem of her shirt.
"Come on, Ryuu. Let's see how much you've grown" She said with a hint of excitement in her voice.
Nodding mutely, she flipped the chair around and exposed her spotless back as Astraea pulled a needle from somewhere in her dress.
(Ryuu would later ask, and find out she kept it there as she got annoyed having to always find something sharp to prick herself with)
The sensation of Ichor on her back paired with the sensation of her status updating alongside her senses accommodating the change after such a long time sent a gasp through her throat.
While it wasn't too different from what she'd experienced before, the sheer space between the time frames of the last update made sure that it surprised her.
Astraea on the other hand was completely silent as she world, internally feeling conflicted upon what she could feel from the excelia.
Hatred
Vengence
… Satisfaction.
She's just begun, but those were the ones most prevalent, but then the tone took a drastic shift.
Warmth
Care
Emptiness.
It was conflicting, but sometimes, emotions simply worked that way, not settling on one concept, but feeling multiple different ones at once, sometimes even conflicting. One can be happy and sad at the same time, but the emptiness… Astraea could tell it had been consuming Ryuu.
For five years, it had been despite the care she felt around her… then her excelia was based on a multitude of emotions and desires.
Protectiveness, anger, justice, and care.
A smile graced the goddess' lips as she sped up her work. She'd gotten through most of her important and largest excelia spikes and before she knew it, she arrived at the last pieces of excelia she's gathered recently, and the emotion she'd felt in spaces and based her excelia on in the vast majority during this time… in the last few weeks was…
Fear.
But there was one more, and the moment Astraea recognized it, she immediately moved on, but couldn't help but feel happy for her child, and cheer her on a bit silently.
"Well, Ryuu. It shouldn't be a surprise that you can level up… in fact, you're able to do it twice if you so desire"
…
"What…?" The goddess giggled at the reaction as the elf stared at her in gobsmacked disbelief. Well, it shouldn't really be a surprise that Ryuu was so surprised. From what she knows, the last time it happened was before Ryuu's time, before even the time of Zald and Alfia. Arya Ataraxia, the Empress had leveled up from level two to level four in one go before the silence was even born, or so the guild records had stated.
It was publicly available information, but it was difficult to notice. From the reports, she'd survived a grand total of sixteen weeks in the glacier zone's deepest levels with the bare minimum of protection from other members. The reasoning for this was unknown, and quite frankly, Astraea did not want to know.
But that was the only record of it happening once before in history…
And here Ryuu was, able to do the same.
"Yes, Ryuu. You're able to level up twice" She repeated as Ryuu slowly began to understand.
Soon enough, Ryuu began nodding before responding.
"Any consequences?" She asked as Astraea nodded.
"I'll have to transfer over most of your excelia to your level five status in order to reach the requirements for a subsequent level up, so your status will largely remain the same as it is now, probably only going up a few points" Astraea answered truthfully as Ryuu contemplated it.
In the elf's mind, she was weighing the pros and cons of going through with it. On one hand, doing so would result in a much larger power spike, allowing her to exert far more power than she would if she didn't…
But the words Bell had stated to Braver in the hostess echoed in her mind.
'Yes, it's something Themis explained to me' Bell had started.
'The status is both linear and exponential in its increase in power.' The words made her hesitate as she knew what he'd meant at the time.
'Every level had a baseline that each point linearly increases the power of that stat by a certain percent… but every level adds all that power you've gained to the baseline, creating a new one which the next level's points add onto in percent. That way, the gain from each point increases depending on the number of points you had gained in previous levels on that particular stat'
…
Ryuu for a second hesitated. She could need the power boost right about now but… Making a choice, she opened her eyes and made up her mind.
"Increase my status as high as you can before leveling me up to level 5" Ryuu spoke as Astraea stared for a long moment before nodding. She respected her choice and began allowing the excelia she'd processed to shift the numbers.
After a quick rundown on her potential development abilities, Ryuu opted to choose Mage due to it fit her fighting style quite well and would complement it nicely.
Finishing up, Astraea quickly reached over to the table and grabbed a piece of paper which already had something written on it before flipping it over and copying Ryuu's status on the other side.
"Alright, Ryuu. Here, I hope it's to your satisfaction" Astraea smiled as the elven warrior softly took the paper and began reading through it with a leveled expression.
Name: Ryuu Lion
Lv 4 - 5
Status:
{STR} E-488 - S-923 - I-0
{VIT} F-352 - S-800 - I-0
{DEX} A-888 - S-999 - I-0
{AGI} A-889 - S-999 - I-0
{MAG} B-717 - S-999 - I-0
Magic:
Luminous Wind: 'In the sky of a now distant forest. Infinite stars scattered in the endless night sky. Respond to my foolish voice, give me now divine protection of Starfire. Give the mercy of light to the one that abandoned you. Come, wandering wind, the wandering traveler. Cross the sky and run through the wilderness, run faster than anything else. Imbue the light of stardust and destroy the enemy'
Wide area offensive hybrid magic that sends concentrated wind/light projectiles that explode on impact. Can be held on standby, and launched with the spell key, 'Luvia'
Noah Heal: 'The song of a now distant forest. The nostalgic song of life. Please bring the mercy of healing to those that seek you'
Healing magic that can heal wounds, stamina, and if enough mind power is used, bones. Effects are strengthened in forested areas and weakened in desolate ones.
Skills:
Fairy Serenade: Increases the strength of magic effects. Bonus effectiveness at night.
Mind Load: Increases the strength of the user at the cost of mind power. Active Trigger.
Aero Mana: Increases attack power the faster the user runs.
Astrae Varmas: Amplifies Skills, and Magic Status alongside Mind reserves of the user and familia members nearby. Additionally, grants increased mental resistance to anyone near the user. Radius is dependent on the user's level. Passive effect.
Development Abilities:
Hunter: G
Abnormal Resistance: G - F
Magic Resistance: I - H
Mage: I
Ryuu looked over her status for a long moment before turning towards the goddess.
"Astraea-sama… why do people usually not bring over excelia to the next level?" She asked as the goddess smiled softly before answering.
"It's because it's highly inefficient. You know how every subsequent level required exponentially more excelia to progress?" She asked as Ryuu nodded.
"Well, excelia earned at, say level four, would not even be half as effective at level five. It's almost negligible. You simply possessed an enormous amount of it, large enough that it was an act that could be worth it" She answered truthfully as Ryuu nodded.
It made sense. After all, most level up after hitting a wall and barely progress at all. At that point, the excelia they earn increases their status by one or two points for each update so… transferring the excelia would probably not even give a single point. It would be useless.
Content with the answer, Ryuu stood up and covered her back again.
"I left your status unlocked, so if you choose, you can transfer…" The goddess stopped for a second, seemingly wanting to say something but refraining, but by the look in her eyes, Ryuu already knew what.
'Don't hold back because of me'
…
"Astraea-sama… would it be wrong to try to bring him back… even after promising that I wouldn't try?" The question came from nowhere and momentarily left the goddess of justice stupefied as she just stared and blinked… then she let out a giggle, her fingers softly covering her lips as a smirk formed.
Ryuu's eyes widened a bit before narrowing.
"What's so amusing?" Ryuu's voice had an edge to it as if daring her to answer. To Astraea's credit, she merely waved her hand lightly. Her smirk was not dying down even a little.
"Oh, nothing. I just forgot how pure you can be at times, despite the darkness you've experienced"
"Wha-?" The elf honestly did not know how to respond to that. Her… pure? Had she gone mad?
"Ryuu, a promise is meant to be kept, yes… but sometimes, it is better to break one, than keep it. Especially if keeping it is detrimental to either side" Ryuu soaked in the words before nodding, feeling a bit better with the idea she had on how to move forward…
"I see… then… I'll prepare to head out. I have someone I need to talk to" Ryuu nodded softly with a determined look as she stared at the goddess of Justice whose expression slowly morphed into one akin to pride… then she opened her arms, waiting as she tilted her head with an expectant smile.
Ryuu, not one to deny her goddess a hug, one of the only three people apart from her parents who have ever been able to touch her, walked up and wrapped her arms around the goddess as the two embraced.
"It was really nice being here with you, despite the painful memories this place has for me" Astraea whispered to her as Ryuu nodded. She knew she didn't mean the manor, but the city.
Eventually, the goddess broke the hug, holding her at arm's length as she stared at her child expectantly.
"I expect visitation… and plenty of letters" She stated, more like it was going to happen, rather than a possibility… and honestly, Ryuu had no qualms with it.
"Of course, Astraea-sama" She nodded as the smile the goddess held grew wider at the answer.
"Good! Now go!" Ryuu nodded with determination as she turned and headed to the door-
"Go get your man-"
*Whack*
Ryuu promptly fell onto the ground in surprise, shock, and embarrassment before she even got to said door… before slowly looking back up towards the goddess in horror.
"What? I just read all your excelia, you know you can't keep secrets from me"
"..."
Ryuu honestly felt so embarrassed at the situation, she just wanted to run… and run she did. Without thinking, she got up and bolted out of the room at record speed, forgetting she'd just leveled up and might be going a tiny bit fast… and promptly slammed the door off its hinges as she disappeared out of the hall and house.
Astraea stood there, staring for a long moment before Erebus peeked his head out from the side of the doorward, glancing at Astraea before looking at the door.
The door fell to the floor, and the god of malevolence turned back with the biggest 'really?' look one could imagine. The goddess simply smiled and shook her head.
"Well, that's going out of Bell's coffers…" He mumbled.
He neglected to remember that Bell's coffers, were technically the familias coffers… meaning it was his own money as well.
Oh well…
=Central Front, Sirimon Castle=
Jannor had almost made it to the central building of the fort where the brunt of the battle was happening at the moment.
He knew that Tione could handle herself but despite that, he couldn't help but worry a bit… but she'd told him to head to Ais… so that's what he's going to do.
Ignoring the sounds of the battle just as the familiar noise of an explosion sounded behind him, he continued onwards to where he could see the large structure.
As he ran, he glanced around at the bodies on the ground, some alive, but most dead. It… was not something the half-elf was used to… and he didn't know if he could get used to it but… shaking his head, he ran through the broken entryway as the sounds from inside became louder to his senses than the ones outside.
Blades clashing, walls breaking, screams of pain and… wind- no, Ais. Following the last sound through the halls, he passed a few people fighting and did what he could to help, but at times, all he found were corpses or an enemy standing above an adventurer he didn't recognize.
Thankfully, the former was far more prevalent, but it didn't stop him from somehow feeling responsible for being too slow.
If he'd just been a little bit faster, then maybe… he could have saved them.
Just maybe…
Turning a corner, he entered a large room, filled with large tables, upturned or smashed against the wall. The few that were still whole were in the corners. At the center stood the woman he was looking for just as she feinted an attack on one of the four standing soldiers in the room… one of the dozens of fallen before swiftly thrusting her blade forward, impaling one throat before retracting and in a burst of speed, used her wind's natural protective aspect to divert a blow to her side, slamming her elbow into the attackers face before wrapping her arm around the neck, flinging him over her shoulder with strength enough to send him flying into and through the wall to the side.
Jannor watched almost entranced as he realized that had been a move he'd seen his father use before as he remembered that he'd trained with him.
Had she picked it up from him?
Probably
He blinked, and by the time his vision registered once more, the rest were on the ground or in the case of one of them, sent flying through a pillar, breaking his back.
"Ais!" The woman turned to him, a splash of blood staining one of her cheeks giving off an Aura with an amalgamation of detachment and coldness.
Though it only lasted for a second, it made him pause for the duration before her eyes lit up in recognition before wiping her cheek and walking up to him.
"Jannor…" She glanced at his side, noting the way his clothing was a bit battered there before returning her eyes to his own.
"Ais, Tione had engaged with someone with an artifact… or, well, what we think is an artifact, we aren't sure…" He stated as the girl nodded.
"Hmm… do you know what it does?" His question was met with a nod.
"Yeah, I think so. His attacks were too strong, at least far too strong. I think it's some kind of multiplier to the force his blows exerts" He answered as she nodded, turning her gaze to the wall.
Walking up to it and putting her hand on it, her wind which she had yet to dispel, intensified, wrapping around her hand before cocking the arm back just an inch before the wall crumbled right as she pushed forward, her magic doing most of the work.
Right outside was an outer area with a bit of an overlook of the fort. Motioning for him to follow, the two headed towards the railing as Ais' eyes immediately homed in on where the fighting was going on.
"Gareth's there too" Ais noted as Jannor felt a bit better about leaving the Amazon to fight that man.
"I think we can leave it to them. We need to take the fort…" Ais trailed off as she frowned slightly, thinking. Honestly, she did not know if that was what she was supposed to do. She was only going off of what she'd been told was important.
Take the fort.
Lose as few people as possible.
Those were the two important things she had picked out from when Gareth had informed her she'd technically be leading her part of the assault.
On the inside, she was panicking. A large part of her wanted to go down and help, but she knew that Gareth and Tione could handle it. The other…
Despite the young half-elf not being aware, and that Ais couldn't hear it, thanks to her wind picking up most of the things happening inside the fort passively (she had really gotten better at keeping track of it), she could tell that Hogni was rampaging in the lower levels while the rest were taking the upper floors.
Ais had practically taken the main floors by her lonesome-
"Ais, Jannor!" The golden-haired swordswoman smiled slightly at the familiar voice.
"Fiona" Ais greeted as the girl ran up to them, only glancing at where the soldiers were laid a strew inside. Jannor momentarily blushed a tiny bit before greeting the girl as well.
"The upper floors are clear, as is most of the fort. I see you're done here as well?" The light-skinned Amazon spoke as she once more glanced inside.
"Yes. Hogni should be done soon—" And wasn't that the truth? She knew that he was moving through the rooms in a blitz, but it was a bit difficult to tell.
…
Well, now that she was really listening for it, she took back what she thought earlier. She could hear the sound of doors and walls breaking.
"That's good… what about Mom and Gareth?"
Both Jannor and Ais simply turned and nodded out to the fort as the girl turned and looked just as a dust cloud exploded to the side, covering dozens of buildings inside of it.
"They are handling this guy with an artifact. Probably the commander of the fort if I took a guess" Jannor spoke up. Fiona nodded.
"Commander? He wasn't here? Ais?" The woman shook her head before nodding at Jannor.
"He might be right; I met no one stronger than level four," she answered, and Fiona's expression turned thoughtful.
"Weird… why would he abandon the stronghold to fight outside, especially if he had an artifact? Strategically, it makes no sense" Fiona commented as Jannor nodded.
"Yeah, I've read up quite a bit on common strategies, and ones noted to be used by the empire, but this…" He stopped for a second with a frown as he realized it was bizarre.
If they were trying to buy Kaius as much time as possible, then fortifying and holding out as long as possible would be the most pertinent decision that could have been made. It would have possibly set back the taking of the fort by a few hours. While not much, a few hours in a war could mean the difference between a won and lost battle.
At least, that's what his mother told him during their lessons back in Anfesera.
"It's not any of them, and does not follow what we know…" Fiona finished for him as Ais looked between the two of them. Slightly confused, she tilted her head to the side a bit in an almost cute manner despite her age and maturity.
"Could they have accomplished what they set out to do?" Fiona asked, eyes turning towards Jannor from where the battle down below was taking place.
"Maybe, but if that was the case, wouldn't the effects be more prevalent than… this? Whatever Kaius has in store has to be promising if he bet his entire army on it in order to take on Orario, especially given that his standards must be quite high given his past" Jannor theorized as well.
Okay, now Ais was even more confused. That awkward boy that reminded her so much of Bell was just… gone in the way he carried himself now, almost as if he had stepped into his own element or a place where he belonged.
It was a sharp contrast to his usual awkward actions and tripping over his words.
It ironically almost looked like a commander trying to break down their enemy's plans to formulate their own counterstrategy.
…
No… Ais realized that was exactly what he was doing with Fiona at the moment and as she turned her attention from the boy to the girl, a small smile formed on her lips as a small idea formed in her head.
Maybe… it was like her and Bell… just a little different. Didn't Reveria tell her everyone handles it differently?
Fiona's eyes held a tiny spark in them as they were having their back and forth, a spark which was clearly reciprocated by the young half-elf.
Yeah, she was pretty sure that was exactly what was going on.
"-Other battlefields? If we could cross-reference events, we may get a better idea if we're throwing the ball right into the left field or not" Fiona stated as Ais focused back on what they were saying.
"Right, it's best to gather a larger quantity of information to make a more accurate conclusion before taking action" Jannor quoted his mother as Fiona's lips twitched upwards into a smirk as she could hear the difference in his words.
"Those are not your words, are they?" She stated lightly with a slight teasing tone.
"No, my Mother always says that… so does Father but… not as articulately" He smiled back at her as Fiona snorted, followed by a giggle. Even Ais couldn't help her lips from upturning at his words.
Bell was definitely not dumb, and had become quite smart. He was just at times not the most… eloquent? Was that the word?
"Maybe we should… you know, help?" Fiona stated, and as if the universe decided they needed a bit more 'oomph' to her words, another blast and a gust of wind erupted from the epicenter, this time in their direction, nearly obscuring their vision with the dust, but also causing both Ais' and Fiona's hair to flail wildly.
"Mhm… I'll go. Take care of the stronghold." Ais answered, speaking up for the first time in a while, before her wind intensified, propelling her forward, leaving the two on the balcony to stare at her back as she disappeared into the dust cloud.
"Oh, that's just not fair!" Fiona complained as Jannor held back a laugh.
"Yeah, tell me about it. Do you know how often that happens with Dad?"
It was safe to say, that the two did not stop talking, even as they walked back into the stronghold, intent on regrouping with everyone else… and hopefully Hogni as well.
=North East of Orario=
Bell had been beelining it towards the northeast ever since he left a few hours ago. Risha forest was located to the northeast, not too far from Orario.
Bell figured that due to its location, its most likely usage had been for special occasions where information was far too sensitive for a letter to be corresponded, and instead was handled through mouth to mouth.
It was a gamble if Nakul was there or not as his main base of operations was in the far western part of the continent by the shores. To be this far from their current borders seemed odd, but there were no other leads he could follow. Nakul's base of operations was a dead end as he was almost never there and common soldiers mostly manned it.
He only used it to stockpile the information they gathered on Orario for the war in a neat and organized manner, with everything in one place for quick access while the information post was merely a middle point of information correspondence with the empire's mainland alongside some other locations, namely their former spy in Orario.
Bell came to a complete stop at the edge of a cliff in the northernmost part of the Alf Mountains, looking down at the spread-out scenery. It was beautiful as it was bathed in the light of the sun that was just hovering over the horizon, close to beginning its descent under it.
Down below, a few separate forests were spread out—Phoedes Forest, Detois Forest, and lastly, Risha Forest.
The three differing-sized clumps of trees, and rocks, teeming with life were arranged almost in a triangle with a central plains area between them. Focusing his eyes on Risha Forest, he narrowed them as he spotted his destination in the distance, or what he imagined it to be.
There was an indent between the trees in the middle of the forest, signifying the location was either devoid of said trees, or the ground itself was at a lower angle… or, a cove.
Leaning forward and pouring all he could into Scourge, he kicked off hard, practically shattering the edge of the cliff as he shot forward at extreme speeds, his hair pushing back hard while his eyes remained fixed on the destination.
Quickly he closed the distance as the arch of his movements began its descent, he activated argonaut in his left foot for a few seconds before kicking the appendage backward, adjusting his speed and angle enough to make sure that as he landed and bounced forward a bit as he came to a stop, he was right in front of the cove, or, well, around fifty meters away from it.
As he walked up to the edge, his eyebrow quirked slightly as he took in the scenery. The cove itself was beautiful, lush green grass with overhanging vines and vegetation, some containing bright and color-rich flowers alongside a small waterfall connected to a river made it breathtaking.
A small plant-rich paradise of sorts for the eyes and even his nose.
He took a second to just… soak it in, before refocusing on the odd detail out in the cover.
The cabin sitting between two trees with its light on, showing through the window. Bell narrowed his eyes in slight suspicion but nonetheless dropped down into the indent in the ground.
His feet softly landed, despite the steep fall before continuing forward, glancing around at his surroundings with one hand on the handle of his sword. His intuition was going haywire, and his gut told him to follow it. So he approached slowly, his eyes glancing at every microdetail he could spot.
Everything around him screamed that this was a trap, and he knew, that he was right… but what could he do? If he left, then the opportunity it would present to gather information would be gone and he'd be back to square one, Nakul gone into the wind.
No, he couldn't allow that, so instead, he memorized everything he could about his surroundings. All the possible advantages he could make use of, and every disadvantage that could be used against him.
The location was closed off, which was a neutral feature. While he could easily leap out of it, if one plays things right, one could effectively trap even someone like him in here, but at the same time, he could do the same.
If someone tries to leave, they'd be sitting ducks for a few seconds as they were in the air, opening them for attacks, and for someone as fast as Bell, was the same as screwing themselves over.
Then there was the same beautiful rich vegetation that surrounded everything… even the cabin was made of wood. Flammable… wood. One use of his magic and everything around him would burst into flames that would spread and spread fast.
Good and bad. While he can take the heat if the smoke gets too pronounced, he would lose his ability to breathe properly- and given how tightly packed everything around here is, it definitely would.
There were other minor details he noted, but eventually, he reached the door. Steeling his nerves, he grabbed the handle and opened it.
'Unlocked?' He thought with a frown before walking inside, and the moment he turned his head, his gaze narrowed as he prepared to shoot forward in a swift strike but stopped.
At a table, Nakul sat arm outstretched to the side and around the shoulder of a gagged Elven child- no… Half-elf. The girl could be no older than thirteen.
'Around Aralaya's age' He internally growled as he realized what Nakul was doing.
"You finally arrived. I was beginning to think you wouldn't come" Nakul spoke softly as he stared at Bell, his hand playing with the girl's hair softly. Bell stood there, like a rock as he glared at him, the power of it enough to make Nakul smirk slightly.
"Now, now. I merely want to talk. Last time, you didn't really… give me the chance so I got some insurance" He glanced at the girl, before turning back.
"So, unless you want this innocent, poor half-elven girl to meet a poor end, take a seat… and have a chat with me. Not a bad deal, is it?"
Bell's jaw muscles tensed as he gripped the handle of his sword almost as if he was trying to squeeze the life out of someone. Slowly, he began to take deep breaths before letting his muscles lose their tension… then walked towards the chair on the other side of the table and sat down.
"Well, you've got my attention. What could we possibly have to talk about, Nakul, or is that Nox?"
"Ah, no need with the Alias. I'm not going to call you Apollyon, Bell"
It did not sit right, hearing the man he had been hunting for a while calling him in such a familiar manner, but he relented and slowly nodded.
"Fine, now… what do you want?"
Nakul smiled as he let go of the girl and leaned forward.
"Well, to understand what I want, you need to understand a bit about me. For most of my life, I have lived as Kaius' intelligence specialist, working hand-in-hand with him to accomplish virtually every task the empire assigned us" Nakul started as Bell listened, glancing around to find a way to get the girl out of Nakul's hands.
He wasn't holding her, but she was tied to the chair next to his, so that was a problem.
"But before that, I was a street rat, living off the scraps of those who could afford a living" Bell stopped for a second, glancing back at Nakul as the information was new.
"I hated the empire since the day I was born, always taking and making people suffer, people like me. Like my mother and father. People like my sister. I had to watch them all starve to death" Bell silently stared as he went on. If that was the case, then why work for them? He definitely did not give off the aura of someone who was doing things out of his control.
"Kaius was the one that found me, just a starving kid at the edge of death, and took me in. He trained me, and provided everything I could need or hope for, and that stayed the same as long as I pushed myself and kept exceeding my limits"
"So what, you're trying to paint him as a saint?" Bell asked, making sure to keep the venom out of his voice as he voiced his query.
"Oh, no. I'm giving you perspective. Kaius may be a son of a bitch, there is no doubt about it, but he's not heartless. He simply cares more for his own goals and close ones than others. If someone stands in the way of that, he eliminates it. That's what happened to you. You grew too strong, and your lineage… well, it scared him. That was enough for him to desire your death" Bell narrowed his eyes at the words.
"So what? Simply because I worked to become strong enough to protect my family, Kaius decided that I was a threat to him and tried to kill me, while nearly doing the same to my wife?" There was no way in hell Bell kept the venom out of his voice this time as his vocal cords growled and spat the words out, thick enough that he saw Nakul freeze up for a moment.
"I won't say I agree with everything he does. Your wife is strong, but clearly wasn't a threat to him, at least not large enough to warrant him trying to kill her. That's something I disagreed with, but what was done, was done. He did it in the spur of the moment"
"Not. Helping his case…" Bell growled once more.
"Yeah, I figured. But in the end, you both survived, against the odds at the time, and you have positively turned Kaius paranoid. I've never seen him so shaken before, so panicked… but the reason I am talking to you, isn't to try to convince you of some form of forgiveness or anything. I am worried" Bell narrowed his eyes as he stayed silent, listening.
"Ever since, Kaius has… well, made questionable decisions. Sending his men out on suicide missions against Orario's advancing forces in a bid to buy time for Varede's sick pet project. He's hoping it will turn the tides, despite the… moral implications of it"
":..explain" Bell demanded with a single word as Nakul nodded.
"She's using an artifact, probably the most twisted one we've found too, in order to turn normal people into these… abominations. She calls them the Dusk Walkers, or at least, the things she's trying to create"
…
Bell stared as Nakul turned and looked out the window for a moment, a hard frown on his face.
"A single one of these is around the strength of an average level five, and can be mass-produced on a scale Orario could never hope to recreate" Bell's eyes widened momentarily as his heart froze for a second.
An average level five, while nothing to him at the moment, was nothing to scoff at. If what he was saying was to be believed, then this might very well spell doom to any efforts Finn and the others make to win this war… and…
The kids…
They can take on a level five or two at a time but… an army of them?
"How many?" Bell asked, not even needing to elaborate as Nakul turned his gaze to him.
"Every civilian that didn't escape Rakia so… twelve thousand if the resources hold up" Bell's mind reeled as he tried to organize his thoughts as his emotions and fear raged… then a thought came to him as he glanced up.
"Why are you telling me this?" He asked as Nakul looked down.
"Like I said, I'm worried, and quite frankly, a bit scared of the consequences these things will bring. They can't be controlled, just… violent merciless monstrosities that kill anyone and everyone in their sights"
'Like monsters' Bell added mentally but narrowed his eyes.
"... No. You're not scared of the consequences to others, but to yourself and your men." Bell started as scourge began radiating off of him.
"I think I understand what the whole purpose of this was. You're trying to find a way to make sure you survive, to weasel yourself out of responsibility for your actions… like her-" Bell looked the half-elven girl straight in the eye "-you have no qualms with killing and maiming innocent people, even children. Reports stated as much, the only thing you care about… is your own livelihood." Bell growled as his scourge exploded and he stood up.
"Thank you for the information, but you're not leaving here alive" Bell burst forward and and vaulted over the table, sending a kick right towards his chin, only for the familiar black smoke to appear, weaving around his leg as it traveled over the girl. Letting his body spin, he grabbed hold of her and pulled her to the side alongside with him.
Skidding to a halt, with the girl in the chair lying down in front of him, fear in her eyes as he looked up at Nakul who now stood by the door.
"Kaius was wrong about you. You aren't an idiot, at least not when it comes to people" He spoke as Bell glared as he untied the girl from the chair.
"You read me like a book, but as you should know if you did your research as you implied…" He began grinning as he gave a mock bow.
"I never, play by the book"
With that, he kicked the door into splinters behind him, and not two seconds later, Bell saw multiple magic circles of varying colors light up around the thick vegetation, illuminating where people were hidden.
'How did I miss that!?' Bell wondered as he turned all his attention to untying the girl. In a fit of desperation and pressure, he simply ripped the ropes apart, ignoring the way her voice seemed to give out a high-pitched shriek into her gag.
"Listen, we don't have a lot of time. I'm going to rush you outside behind the wall. I want you to hide while I take care of this, alright?"
The girl looked up at him with her purplish-blue eyes filled with tears before she nodded.
"O-okay Mister…." She spoke weakly as Bell gave her a reassuring smile.
"Good" With that, he sent a quick jab to the wall, smashing it into tiny pieces, grabbing her, and burst out of the building before even the tiniest of splinters had traveled more than a few meters.
In a split second, he was by the wall of the cove, putting her down as he turned his back to her.
"Stay brave. I'll find you when it's safe"
He didn't have time to wait for a response as magic burst from behind the house, a large portion of them obliterating the building while the rest headed for his location, cocking his hand and enhancing his next move with both a second of Argonaut and scourge, he opened his mouth for the incantation.
"FIREBOLT!" In an instant, a torrent of flames burst out of his palm, crackling with lightning as it traveled forward with a single-minded pursuit of destroying anything in its path.
Magic after magic impacted his own as it was swallowed in the torrents of flames, practically devoured as it engulfed the remains of the building and set the entire area ablaze, followed by-
*Boom!*
Bell, not one to waste a moment, drew a longsword and a dagger, twirling the smaller weapon into a reverse grip, and lowered himself for a fraction of a second before disappearing as if popping out of existence in the perspective of the young girl.
Then the world caught up as a burst of wind blasted into her, sending her onto the ground followed by another loud sound, this time more akin to thunder if it was right in her ear.
Looking up once more, she saw Bell reappear in front of one of the mages, and in a blur split him in half and severed his head before moving on to the next.
As Bell approached another mage and moved into a strike, he stopped short of an inch before rapidly tilting his head back as… a stick flew by his face in slow motion… a stick?
On further inspection at his perception level, he noticed a small glowing line at the tip, and realized too late as it exploded into a purplish mist around him, making his throat itch and sting the moment even a tiny amount got into him.
"Wha-" He coughed out for a second "Poison?" He finished his thought as he turned in the direction it came from, and in the tree stood Nakul with his hand outstretched, his mask now covering the lower part of his face, but he knew there was a smirk plastered on his face.
He thinks poison, will work? At most, his breathing became a bit uneven. It has to be some powerful type of it in order to actually work a bit, probably lethal within seconds to anyone below G.
How did he manage to make such an effective poison, he had to have mixed in varying samples of some found in the dungeon. Nothing else compared… but what?
Shooting himself backward and out of the cloud, he took a glance down at his skin which had turned slightly purple, but was clearly struggling to spread.
'Peluda poison is part of it… but what more?' He thought for a second. Was it enhanced by other substances from above ground?
Bell's thoughts were interrupted as he took another step back, breaking something that instantly engulfed him in an explosion as he grunted from the sudden heat.
'Nothing compared to the scorched hell but…' He thought as he recollected himself. The shrapnel still stung. Would probably leave a bruise.
"Surprise attacks, Poison, Tripwires…" Bell muttered as he began to realize he'd severely underestimated the lengths Nakul would go to make sure he had the best chance of winning.
He didn't know if there was another trick he had up his sleeve, but he clearly needed to be far more careful.
"How's your throat, Bell? Itchy?" Nakul's voice echoed around the cove as Bell looked up at the source.
"Just peachy." He mumbled back as the assassin chuckled.
"I know you're probably thinking this is a cowardly way of fighting, but honestly, you scare me too. I know fighting you head-on is a death sentence. That's something that should be left to him"
Bell narrowed his eyes, confused about who he meant. Clearly not Kaius, both of them knew that.
"But that doesn't mean fighting you is impossible for me… so humor me. Show me what you've got!"
Oh, Bell was going to show him. After he rips his throat out, that is. His rage burned as scourge followed suit, blasting itself out in a sudden wave that sent any mage chanting onto the ground in pure terror, losing focus as their magic circles imploded on them.
Bell shot forward and quickly switched weaponry before cocking his arm back and throwing his spear at Nakul whose body dissipated once more. It quickly reappeared once again right in time for Bell's foot to smash into his side as the assassin grits his teeth before being sent flying across the cove like a bullet, crashing into the wall behind the waterfall, collapsing the entire structure and sending large amounts of water splashing everywhere as the water flow was diverted bit to the side.
"Ah… man, that was smart… you really got me there…" Nakul's voice grated against his ears as he could see his outline through the falling water.
"Won't work a second time" He spoke before seemingly disappearing into thin air as Bell frowned.
How many stealth abilities does he have?
His intuition flared and quickly turning around, he caught a small object between his fingers which he identified as a dart with an adamantium tip. Looking up at the perpetrator, Bell narrowed his eyes again at the dark clothes similar looking to Nakul's own staring down at him with cold brown eyes, the skin tone blending with the darkness.
Another assassin, probably one of the ones Nakul trained similarly to Narvi. The woman, amazon given the skin tone, narrowed her eyes before turning around and running.
'Oh no you don't' Bell thought as he prepared to chase, but wasn't given the chance as another dart flew into his shoulder as he grunted, feeling whatever substance it contained flow into him.
It had gone straight into an opening in his armor that had been created as it had been deteriorating.
His arm started going a bit numb, but he could still move it. Never mind that, turning around and not wanting to give them any more time, he prepared to launch in their direction-
*Crash*
His legs fell out from under him as he blinked in surprise and shock. It was as if they just… stopped listening to him for a second.
"Ah, I see it finally took effect. Abnormal resistance is a beautiful thing, isn't it?" Nakul spoke once more as Bell looked up.
"It protects the body from harm when it comes to toxins or poisons, but there is one aspect you should know well when it comes to the status. It doesn't protect the brain very well, now does it?
…
Bell's eyes widened as he realized what was going on.
'So that's it…'
"That's right, as long as even the smallest amount reaches your head" Nakul tapped his own skull "The effects will become far more prevalent… especially paralytic ones" Bell growled as he forced himself onto one knee, a similar position as before as Nakul laughed, his assassins spread out around the cove and at the top of it, each one staring down at him with killing intent.
"This, is how I fight, Bell Cranel! Now… let's see how long you last"
That's chapter 77. A bit shorter than the usual 11k I've gotten used to, but sitting at a respectable 10.5k. Anyhow, This chapter was kind of a blast to write in the last parts of it, and am looking forward to the next. I'll also include some shameless self-promotion and state that if you enjoy my work and want more, my Patreon is always two chapters ahead of my works which include TFA, Freiheit aud dem Käfig, and one unreleased work that is slow going. Anyway, there isn't much else I want to say, so I'll move straight onto the reviews!
NinjaFang1331; Great work and the fighting it really showing in this chapter. Zeus said to Bell that a hero should have a harem. Well Bell is married to an elf, had a kid with an Amazon, and is slowly letting Ais in so I say maybe he is filling in the hero dream. In fact he is in a situation almost like Ais' father having an elf Amazon and spirit as champions in a way.
Author: Hey, you actually picked up on that detail. Nice! You're the first I've seen. Great job. About the Zeus thing, that, I hadn't really thought about, it just went that way, lol.
fallendemon248: Great chapter loved that we got to see more of Jannor and Ais, was kinda worried you forgot about them or were just doing their jobs in the background.
Author: Oh, no, I haven't. Their time is coming, but as I've stated in the past, this arc is mainly focused on Bell, Ais, and Ryuu, with his family and companions being a smaller focus who have their moments. I cannot really write everything happening as that would just make the story inflated and make the pacing all kinds of whack, so some things will always be left in the background, but that's usually small things that aren't needed like document writing or small time battles that aren't really a challenge. Stuff like that.
Guest 12345: Keep up the great work man, never found myself interested in fanfiction ever but since I've read TFA I can't help but refresh every day hoping for a new chapter. Delays really suck but you've got a life too so it doesn't matter, all I can say is thanks for all your hard work and hopefully, you'll upload again soon.
Author: Refreshing every day? That has to be a bit of an exaggeration haha. I can't write that fast. If I did, I'd sit home all day typing away at a keyboard and honestly, I'd get burned out without a week. Anyway, here is another upload, and man, I enjoyed writing this chapter. Personally looking forward to the next couple as well. I think they'll be bangers.
stevenpiskunov2:Was that while "He took so long for tea" (I think that's how it was written) a reference to that one story where Freya asked Ottar to get her some water so he went into the dungeon?
I also like that Bell seems to be really good at helping people change, at least in this story. Erubus changed before he met Bell. He did start a little bit with Bache, then some of the elves in the forest, and then Freya herself. Though personally I believe that it happened a little to fast for me, the Freya part that is. Then again I can also see wanting to write more of the story rather than focus on an arc just about that.
I hope you don't mind me asking but how close would you say you are to finishing the story? Like half way? Maybe more or less?
Author: Hey! Steven, been a while huh? But yeah, it was a bit of a reference to the spring water story. Both me and chalister enjoy small references (though since I am the main writer, I tend to just add in small references here and there throughout chapters, waiting to see if anyone spots them). And you're right in a way, Bell is someone good at inspiring change. He is in the main series as well. Ais, Lili, Ryuu, Welf, Haruhime. Do I need to go on?
About the Freya thing though, I do kind of agree, it's something I feel I didn't handle too well, but it's already happened so I have to work with what I've written. I'm still an amateur in my eyes, so I'm still learning. I hope to do better with The Progeny of Talent, but we'll see.
Now for the amount of the story that remains, well I've already done this on my Patreon, so I can easily repeat it here. The story in total will have eight arcs.
We are currently a bit over half of the Empire arc done, so about 60-70 percent complete as the Empire arc is the fifth arc, the fourth being halfway through, that being the Expedition arc.
Mairsarmy321: Nice chapter, its amazing how you are able to alternate between different character point of view and things are going now. also like how you are able to perfectly describes Bell inner conflict over his action for his wife, his feelings for Aiz and so on. Its amazing and i marvel at your skill. The same could be said for the others like Aiz and their own issues. this makes me wonder how he is going to deal with his feelings for Aiz. my mind is racing wondering about this. Sorry i've always been a massive fan of Bell x Aiz so i dont know why this is giving me hope when i should know the outcome by now. for some reason im imagining a BellxEloraxAiz even though its hilariously crazy. lol
Anyways sorry for the babblt. Loved this chapter and i honestly cannot wait for the one :D :D. Happy new Year by the way
Author: Thank you, it's nice to hear I've gotten better at the alternation thing. As for the inner conflict, I feel like I can still improve. I have difficulties putting that into words as I write and there tends to be major hiccups in my typing speed. Generally, I get around 1k words out in thirty minutes if I know where to take it, but those moments always take at least double that time.
About that last part, maybe you aren't that crazy, we'll have to see ;)
That's it from me, and as always, I wish you all happy readings and to see you next time! Now pass the mic to Chalister, go!
MIEN BABIES REVEALED!
~Chalister
Riveting!