The next day
* chirp *
* chirp *
" Mm...mmh... "
Rubbing her puffy eyes, Hestia stretched around for a little before rising up from the bed.
" ...Bell-kun? " She unconsciously called for his name due to what happened last night, until she made a face of realization.
" Ahh... that's right, he would usually be at the dungeon at this tim- "
" Kami-sama. "
" WAAH! "
The sudden noise coming from her back almost made her heart jump out of her body.
Tightly clutching her chest, she turned around to see the white-haired boy seated right behind her.
" ...Bell-kun...? "
" Yes, kami-sama. What do you need of me? "
" ...You're...not going to the dungeon? "
Indeed, the more surprising thing other than suddenly being jumpscared by her child was knowing he's still not at the dungeon at such a late hour.
" Ah...that, well... " The boy trailed off.
Even though a portion of his memories had returned, mainly the ones involving his goddess, a significant amount of it is still missing inside his head, courtesy of him wandering around for quite a few centuries.
So, he decided to watch over his sleeping lady for the entire night without sleep, in order to be there for her when she wakes up. Besides, he can just go to the dungeon at a later time, anyway.
" ...I decided to take a break today. " He came up with that lie after several moments of thinking.
Hestia, of course, saw through the lie even without using her authority as a goddess, partly due to how the boy is a bad liar even before his time in Lordran.
If she had to think of why he had decided to lie to her, it would be...
' Bell-kun...have you given up? '
Hearing how Bell was mocked right in front of his face by the werewolf, how his Liaris Freese skill had disappeared, and now he suddenly doesn't want to go to the dungeon, all of this led Hestia to believe that her child had given up on being an adventurer.
" ... "
" ...Kami-sama? " Seeing as how his goddess is looking at him in silence, Bell was worried that he might have done something to earn her ire.
" ... " She looked at him with eyes full of guilt.
She wondered, to herself, that if she had told bell about his skill, would he still had given up?
' ...All of this is my fault. '
" Is something wrong...? " He asked out of concern for his goddess.
" ...N-no. It's...nothing, Bell-kun. "
She decided not to point out his lie, if to spare the boy some of his pride.
" ...Alright, then. " He decided not to ask further. If she doesn't want to talk about what's bothering her, then Bell as her dependant have no right to pry.
Still, he wanted to help in some way.
Jogging his mind in order to remember what they usually do every morning, he came up with an idea.
" Kami-sama. "
" Yes? What is it, Bell-kun? " She looked up from her downtrodden gaze.
" Let's take a bath. "
" ...Yes? "
' ...Of course, this is what he meant. Why was I expecting anything... ' Hestia thought to herself, now naked except for a towel wrapped around her.
When Bell had said "Let's take a bath" she had thought that meant that they were going to take a bath...together. Turns out it just means she will go to the bath first this time since it was usually Bell who goes first.
" Kami-sama. Your clothes are ready. "
" A-ah! Bell-kun, j-just put them at the front of the door! "
Still, it didn't explain why he is suddenly so...caring, of her? Well, not to say Bell hasn't always cared for her...but now, he's making the bed, preparing her clothes, and even cleaning the house.
...Really, her child had usually been more reserved about this kind of stuff in the past(the "Let's take a bath"part).
She's trying to wrap her head around it, but no matter how much she thought about it no explanation came to her mind as to the reason he's suddenly so acting so...intimate? Is that a way to word it?
She doesn't know...
Bell is currently gently putting down a neatly folded dress onto a small stool in front of the bathroom door.
* ding *
He then put down two hair ornaments shaped like flowers with white and blue petals along with a silver bell on top of the clothes.
" ...Alright...kami-sama's clothes are done. " He said in affirmation.
" Hm... " He hummed as looked at the state of the house after he had cleaned it.
Compared to before, it is noticably more tidy, not that it was messy in the first place, mind you.
But now that he had gotten rid of some stuff that they don't need as well as rearranging the several furnitures that they had, the room looks more expansive than before.
If anything, now it's looks befits more the status of being his goddess' home.
" ...Kami-sama is still showering... "
The boy then began thinking for a while, before hitting a fist on his palm.
" ...Alright, let's...make breakfast. " He remembered from...somewhere, that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
Even though Bell himself had nary even the slightest cooking experience, he's pretty sure he can prepare some...thing, for breakfast. Maybe.
And so, Bell went to the kitchen.
...The kitchen in question being a small room barely bigger than their already small bathroom.
A small wooden cupboard as well as several wooden cabinets lined the walls of the kitchen, covered by cobwebs as if not a single soul had ever entered the room before.
" ... " Bell inspected the state of the kitchen for a while.
He then walked up to one of the wooden cabinets and opened it.
Dust flew in the air as he opened the doors of the cabinet, further emphasizing how long the kitchen had been left untouched ever since him and his goddess had started living here.
He would need to clean this room as well later, he noted to himself. But more importantly...
" ...There is no food... " Bell commented upon seeing the emptiness of the cabinet.
Checking the other cabinets, as well as the cupboard it yielded him with no food all the same.
" ...Hm... "
...He would need to buy some ingredients later, he thought to himself.
Hestia had just finished her shower, and is currently in the process of drying herself with a towel.
She then opened the door slightly, reaching a slender hand out in order to grab a neatly folded white dress.
She then started to put the dress on as usual.
" Ah... "
When she had finished clothing herself, she saw the only thing left to put on.
* ding *
Picking it up, it was her hair ornament.
" ... "
Putting a hand on her long black hair, she brushed over it gently.
" ... "
She then began to reminisce.
It had been a long and stressful day at her daily job at the jagamarukun stall.
It was a particularly stressful day for her, as she had lost her hair tie the night before. So, it actually got in the way of her doing her job, such as her hair accidentally getting in the food, or accidentally brushing against the croquettes, and she was even scolded several times by her boss because of it.
It was that day, after she had went home, that Bell got her the hair ornaments that she now wear.
Apparently the boy had bought it after seeing the old one that he had found, using what little valis he made from dungeon diving at that time.
Of course, she naturally scolded him for such a reckless purchase, but he simply said to her :
" But, kami-sama, looking at these kind of reminds me of you...plus, I think they'd look great on you. "
Those words naturally overshadowed what rationality she had at the time,so she gleefully accepted the gift anyway and tried it on right then and there.
And, well...
" As expected, you do look pretty in them... "
...
Putting on her jacket, Bell made sure Hestia didn't forget anything before walking alongside her to the door.
" Well, then. I'm off... " Hestia said to her blessed child.
" Yes, kami-sama. Please take care. " Bell replied, sending her off by the door.
" ...Bell-kun. " Hestia suddenly said after a moment of silence.
" What is it, kami-sama? "
" I'm...going to be gone until tomorrow. "
" ...Yes? May I ask why? " The boy inquired.
Hestia then took something out of her jacket. It was a card.
" A friend of mine is hosting a party. I'm thinking of mingling with the other gods for a chance. " She explained to Bell.
In truth, she wasn't inclined to go, nor does she really want to. She wasn't really in the mood for a party after what happened to her child.
But, there was a reason for her to go to the party...
' Bell-kun...I'll fix everything by tonight. I promise. '
Of course, Bell naturally does not question his lady in any way whatsoever. If anything, he's happy that his lady is taking this opportunity to blow off some steam. Thus, he gave her his blessing to go to the banquet of the gods.
" ...Understood, kami-sama. Please enjoy your party. " He said to her.
" Thank you, Bell-kun. "
And so, she left.
" ... "
Bell stared silently at the door for a while.
" ...Now, then. What to do... "
After taking a refresher on how early mornings went for him in his old life, Bell had finally remembered the one thing that his old self had troubles with. The thing that is the primary reason why him and his lady is living in this abandond church in the first place. The reason why his lady had to go to work on her own.
" ...We need money... " Was his conclusion after today's morning.
Bell Cranel had always been a simple...boy? Man? Undead? Whatever the he is now, he had always been someone who can make do with just a little. It had been that way in his old life, it had also been that way back in Lordran. Even now, he doesn't really require food or water as other humans do.
However...he had taken it upon himself to ensure his goddess' happiness. And the first step in order to realize that dream is to give her a proper place to call home.
" ... "
He began to recall his time in Lordran.
After surviving the war against the ancient dragons, he was left without purpose, without a place to be. And so he spent several years wandering about the land, until the cold painted world of Ariandel and it's people took him in as one of their own.
He knew, what it's like to not have a place to call home, after all, it was why he had went on his journey. Of course, he wasn't expecting a safe return, for he was no champion.
...But returned, he did. In this world no less. Finally, he's home again, with her. After a long, and arduous journey...now, all that Bell Cranel wants is to settle down here, in this city, together with his lady. He considered it his hard-earned reward to be able to make her happy by being home with her.
But, as it is now, this place barely counts as a home befitting one of Hestia's status as a patron goddess of her own covenant, it's only virtues being that it is directly under a church and that it was a gift from her friend.
Thus, aside from making his goddess happy, he added one more thing in his to-do list in this world, primarily to achieve the first goal.
Get more money.
If he has money, he'll be able to provide her with a proper house, as well as actually being able to feed her breakfast everyday. And lunch. And dinner. He vowed to himself, that no longer will she need to rely upon leftovers from her job. He'll be able to fill her stomach with his own hands.
" ... "
* clenches... *
His heart is raging with anticipation for the days that would come.
And for that day that he's hoping would come, he would need money. And in order to get that money, he would have to work hard for it.
And what is the best way to make money in Orario, the only city in this world that has a massive underground labyrinth full of monsters that yields precious materials?
" ... "
* ...shink *
He took out his rusty dagger.
" ...Perhaps, I ought to go dungeon diving. "
Dark Sign Soapstone
This peculiar soapstone, steeped in dark, was a result of the amalgamation of a white soapstone and a black separation crystal.
Allows for the placement of a summoning sign a distance away from the user. Use again to summon oneself.
" The Dark Soul is both powerful and terrible, for it managed to distort the already convoluted time of the world. "
Author notes : I based the dark sign soapstone off of Gael's bossfight where he teleports to you by putting down a summon sign. It just looks so cool to me and a really creative way to use the summoning as a teleport. Hopefully i'll be able to put it in this fic so i'll just put the description here if i ended up doing it. For lore reasons.