Hello good people. Sorry this one took a bit longer to get out than the previous, I've been a bit busy and also, I've been thinking over how I want my return to Fanfiction to go. There are certainly plenty of stories I wish to write, but I also left behind a few stories that I'm considering going back to both fix up and finish. But right now I'm a bit stuck on what to do. Anyway, that said, let's get back to our story here, and see what happens next.
I do not own Danmachi
Achilles was as livid as he was terrified. How could he not be, after what happened with Freya? After what was revealed?
"She's after Bell. And she's still after me. After all these years," his fear and rage grew the more he thought about it. "I've painted the biggest target on the Hestia familia possible. I'm basically shouting at Freya, no, the whole fucking world, 'Hey! Come attack this place!'"
"Shit," he growled out loud.
He needed to get back to the Hestia familia, now, courtesy to those around him be damned.
"Make me faster than even the gods. Lightning Step!" he chanted.
His legs now covered in electric power, he bent his knees before shooting like a missile into the air towards Hearthfire Manor, scaring the daylights out of those around him.
Making it back in record time, he quickly passed the gate and entered the mansion. His timing was impeccable as Bell was walking down the stairs just as he entered.
"Oh! Hello Achilles," the young man said.
"Hello Bell. Where is everyone? There's something I need to tell all of you."
Bell did not miss the serious tone the former captain was using, and concern soon shown on his face.
"They're in the lounge waiting for us. I was going to give my answer to what you asked me to think on yesterday."
With all that had happened it took Achilles a moment to remember what Bell was referring to, but when he did, he nodded.
"Ah, the secret of your skill. Right. That's good. We need that properly addressed before I reveal to you what I've learned today."
Nothing about that eased Bell's mind in the slightest. If anything, it made his fear grow, but he let the subject drop for the moment so that he could address the matter at hand.
The two entered the lounge where the rest of the familia, including Hestia herself, were sitting with clearly glum and worried expressions.
"Bell. Achilles," Hestia greeted, though she greeted her original member with less energy and joy than she normally did.
"Hestia. Everyone," Bell said, his tone a tad colder than it usually was, which no one failed to notice. "There's something I need to say to all of you and you're all going to listen," he said, his voice commanding and leaving no room for argument. "You all kept a secret from me. A secret that I not only had every right to know, but which was about myself." His familia looked ready to argue, and Achilles was about to glare at them to remain silent, but Bell actually beat him to the punch and his glare caused them to immediately retreat. "I thought about your reasoning. I do admit that I'm not the best at keeping secrets. Never have been, and probably never will be, but," his fists clenched until the knuckles turned bone white. "You didn't trust me. You kept something secret from," he took a breath. "We're a familia, and familia are supposed to trust each other. You failed in that regard and now I am failing in turn as I find it hard to trust all of you." Each one of his familia looked at him with heartbroken eyes, none more so than Hestia who appeared on the verge of tears. "But I don't want it to be like this," Bell continued.
Hestia's tears stilled as just a tinge of hope entered her eyes.
"I want this to be addressed fully so, not only can we move forward with no bad blood, but that we can be sure that this never happens again. Can you all agree to that?"
"Of course," Welf said.
"Yes!" Lily replied instantly, her own face riddled with the same guilt and pain that was on Hestia's, missus only the tears.
"Absolutely," Mikoto said as Haruhime nodded vigorously.
Bell turned to Hestia who, with tears streaming down her face, gave a single, firm nod.
"Alright. Then the first thing I want to do is mutual apologizes. We will all apologize for not trusting each other, myself included."
Achilles looked at Bell curiously, wondering why Bell would have to apologize. It appeared he wasn't the only one as Hestia spoke.
"You don't need to apologize for anything, Bell." The nods of the rest of his familia clearly showed they were in agreement.
Bell shook his head.
"But I did lose trust in you because of this, and I can't deny that I was angry with all of you, so I won't feel right unless I apologize," he said seriously. "So I'll begin."
With that, he placed himself before his familia, fell to his knees, placed his hands before him, and put his head down.
"I'm sorry for not trusting you. We're a familia and we should always have the utmost faith in each other. I hope you can forgive me."
The sight of Bell bowing before them was enough to bring tears to the eyes of all those he now apologized to. Behind Bell, Achilles watched the scene unfold with clear astonishment.
"For the sake of his familia he took upon himself a sin that he was not truly guilty of," he smiled. "When is he going to stop impressing me?"
Not able to stand the sight of Bell prostrating himself before them any longer, his familia quickly begged him to cease.
"Alright," Bell said standing up, his eyes fixed on his familia. "Your turn."
Instantly every one of them moved to place themselves before him and, mimicking his actions, bowed with their heads to the floor in apology.
"I, Hestia, Goddess of the Hearth, beg your forgiveness, and swear never to lie or hold secrets from you again," she began.
"Lili too, begs Bell-sama for his forgiveness and swears to always be true from now on."
"I'm so sorry Bell for keeping this from you, and hope you can forgive me. I promise to never keep anything from you from here on out," Welf.
"Once more I have acted dishonorable to you, Bell. I most humbly ask for your pardon and accept any punishment you see fit to rectify this injury, while also swearing only the whole truth from now on."
"I have always been unworthy of Bell-sama from the day we first met, yet never have I felt so unworthy of you and your friendship as I do now. This Haruhime most desperately asks for your forgiveness, promising you her utmost fealty and honesty from this day forth, no matter what."
All in all, it was an impressive sight. A princess renart, a skilled master of ninjutsu, a magic sword smith, a shapeshifting prum, and even a goddess were all bowing their head, willing and in an act of repentance, to a boy not yet fifteen years old. Truly, Achilles recognized, the stuff of legends.
Bell nodded.
"Alright. That's step one. Now step two."
Each of his familia raised their head to ask what was step two, only to find out the instant they did so.
Had Achilles not been a level seven, he might very well have missed what happened, but, fortunately for him, he was, and didn't.
Quicker than any rabbit, and before any of them could realize what was happening or put up a defense, Bell chopped them each on the forehead. Not enough for serious damage, but enough that pain was assured and that they would feel it for some time after.
Everyone one of the Hestia familia were grabbing their foreheads in pain as they tried to figure out what just happened. Bell, now that his task was done, simply smiled at them.
"And that's so you remember your promises."
They all stared at him for a moment, not completely believing that what had just happened, had indeed happened, but eventually the shock began to recede. When it did, Welf smiled and chuckled.
"Well I guess we had that coming."
This comment sparked a few noises of agreement, a chuckle or two, and at least one complaint of a pained forehead. However, the tension that had been plaguing the Hestia familia for the past day, had evaporated and the trust was restored.
"With that settled," Bell said, helping everyone back to their feet. "I think Achilles needed to talk to us about something."
The reminded instantly soured Achilles mood and he sighed.
"You're all going to want to sit down for this," he warned.
The seriousness of his tone snuffed out the joy and relief in the room and the Hestia familia did as requested.
Achilles took a seat himself and after a deep breath, began.
"I began today by going to the Loki familia, to inform Loki I was here, catch up with my old acquaintances, and to meet Aiz Wallenstein," he began. "Things went well enough. Loki was, as I suspected, about as happy to see me as she'd be if she found out there was no more wine in Orario," a few small smiles appeared. "The Loki familia in general doesn't appear to like me very much, though I'll admit I was not the most courteous guest. And with regards to Wallenstein-san," he looked at the white haired adventurer. "I'm sorry Bell, but I can't say I approve of your choice."
Shock filled Bell's eyes, with sadness and disappointment soon following.
"Why?" he asked, his voice strained and unquestionably upset.
"I'll answer that with another question. Are you aware that Aiz is obsessed with the One Eyed Black Dragon?"
The look of surprise on the young man's face answered the question.
"That's the reason," Achilles continued. "She very clearly means to confront that thing at some point in the future. A task that's effectively committing suicide. Given your feelings for her, I'm concerned that you'll feel compelled to aid her in her insane endeavor. That alone is enough to make me weary of her."
"My thoughts on your potential be damned. Even if you could face that thing it'd be the worst fight of your life and I will not encourage you towards that end."
Bell wanted to defend Aiz, truly he did, but he knew, if what Achilles said about her and the dragon was true, that he couldn't. If she ran off to fight that monster, he would want to help her and nothing Achilles or even his familia said would change that. He loved her and he wanted to be there for her, in good times and bad.
The kicked puppy look on Bell's face broke Achilles's heart, and so he quickly continued.
"However, were you able to convince her to drop her quest, that would do a great deal to ease my concern, though I still think you can do better. Especially given all the beautiful women surrounding you.
As Bell blushed, his heart now somewhat lightened, Hestia and Lili were nodding off to the side, pleased with Achilles's position. Haruhime, to her embarrassment, felt much the same, but had the decency not to display it like the other two ladies of Hestia familia.
"But that's not the issue," Achilles stated, knowing that he still had to inform the Hestia familia of what he learned from Freya.
Their joy and embarrassment now gone, the familia waited for him to continue.
"The issue came right after I left the Loki familia and was met by my old acquaintance, Ottar, and numerous other high level Freya familia."
Everyone tensed, but said nothing, but waited for him to continue.
"I knew Freya would want to speak with me, given our past." The Hestia familia gained a tint of curiosity in their eyes, but did not press him at that moment. "And given that even the best result for a confrontation would be wise to avoid, I went with them."
The bones of his knuckles looked ready to burst out of his skin as his hand tightened, but he continued.
"I was taken to Freya familia mansion and presented to the goddess of beauty herself, and it was there that she began to reveal some things that, even now, make my skin crawl."
The anxiety in the room grew exponentially at that and it would only get worse once Achilles turned to Bell.
"Bell, have you ever felt like someone was watching you? That there was a pair of eyes on you, but you couldn't find from where?"
"Yes," Bell answered. "But I now know who it was."
That surprised the level seven.
"You do?"
Bell nodded.
"It was right after we rescued Haruhime and the pillar of light appeared. I saw a figure standing right next to the pillar and I felt the same tingle up my spine I'd felt whenever I thought someone was watching me. The person standing there was Freya-sama."
Looks of apprehension and outright fear now plastered the faces of his familia, none more so than Hestia.
"And," Bell continued. "She said something. I couldn't hear, but somehow I knew what she said. She...she said-."
"I love you."
Everyone looked at Achilles who sighed.
"Fucking damnit. I was hoping for once she was lying."
"Achilles," Hestia said, her body noticeably shaking. "What are you telling us?"
He looked at her, then to each member of the familia that had so quickly wormed its way into his heart, before finally landing on Bell.
"I'm saying that Freya, the woman who controls the most powerful familia in Orario, and is perhaps the most dangerous person in this city, means to claim Bell."
The room fell silent. All were in shock, none more so than Bell whose mind was reeling, trying desperately to try and understand what he'd just been told.
"W-Why?" the young man asked, his voice barely more than a whisper.
Achilles sighed again.
"You caught her eye. Apparently you have a unique aura. One that's not only as bright as a star, but is completely clear," at the confused looks on the familia's faces, he continued. "Basically your soul is completely new. Not only have you never been reincarnated, but neither have your parents, which means that they're either spirits or...well...or your grandfather was the only god in your family."
This information floored everyone in the room, doing nothing to relieve them of their confusion.
"Unfortunately, it gets worse," he said.
"What could possibly be worse?" Hestia asked.
"While I was there Freya admitted to me that the reason she destroyed Ishtar familia was for Bell."
Bell's jaw dropped.
"W-What?"
Achilles hated the look on Bell's face, but he needed to continue, the pain stabbing at his heart be damned.
"I suspect that the reason Ishtar kidnapped you was to get back at Freya whom she's always hated. Freya, in turn, not liking the idea of anyone claiming what she considers already hers, attacked and destroyed Ishtar familia, and sent Ishtar herself back to Heaven as retribution. Freya destroyed one of the most powerful familias in Orario, in a single night, for you Bell."
Poor Bell was reeling at this news and actually fell back into his seat as if his very body was now too heavy for him to lift. His familia wasn't doing much better, but, to his monstrous regret, Achilles wasn't done.
"There's...there's one more thing that makes this worse."
Everyone looked at him, in Bell's case, he didn't even move his neck, his eyes just moved towards him while his body remained entirely motionless.
Achilles sighed.
"You're not the only one Freya's after. In fact you're not the only one in this room."
Terror seeped into every Hestia familia member who quickly tried to figure out who he meant. Except for Bell. The young man just kept looking directly into Achilles's eyes until the man finally couldn't hold his gaze anymore and dropped his eyes.
"She's after you."
Everyone turned to Bell who now sat up.
"She's after you too, Achilles-san?"
Achilles, feeling everyone's eyes on him, nodded.
"Yes," he looked up at the familia. "And you have my sincerest apologies. I knew my presence would increase the attention to your familia no matter what, but combined with Freya's desire for Bell, I've put you all in terrible danger." He got up from his seat and quickly fell to his knees and pushed his head to the floor. "I am truly, unreservedly, and terribly sorry for the danger I am putting you all in."
A soft hand on his shoulder made him look up.
"You didn't put us in any danger, Achilles-kun," Hestia said with a smile. "Freya is the one who's putting us in danger and, if anything, you being here puts us in a better position than we would have been without you."
"Hestia-sama," he looked around and saw that everyone was smiling, even if it was clear they were still worried. He smiled as well. "Thank you." He stood up. "However, I do have one bit of good news."
"That's a relief," Hestia said.
"Bell, when you were in Ishtar familia, did you happen to meet Ishtar herself?"
A furious blush suddenly burst on poor Bell's face at the mention of the goddess.
"I-I did y-yes," he said, refusing to look anyone in the eye.
Trepidation filled the room, but Achilles continued.
"I think I know the answer already, especially given that blush, but, to make sure. Did she try anything?"
"W-W-What d-do you m-mean, A-Achilles-san?" Bell replied, desperate not to answer.
"Alright I'll be blunt given I can't allow your embarrassment to stop me from getting this answer. Did Ishtar try to seduce you, take you, ravage you, or in any other way try and claim your body and soul?"
Everyone's mouth dropped. Bell looked ready to faint. Hestia and Lili were the first to recover as fury suddenly entered their eyes as they turned to Bell who, having everyone's eyes suddenly on him, knew he couldn't get out of this.
Dropping his head, he gave one solitary nod.
Hestia looked ready to jump out of her skin, but Achilles quickly held up his hand to single them to hold off until he was done.
"And during this did there ever come a time where Ishtar was upset or downright angry."
Bell looked up.
"Y-Yeah. She was really upset about something. She kept saying things like 'why it wasn't working' and she even screamed about something, but I don't know what."
Achilles sighed, this time in relief and even chuckled lightly.
"At least her honesty extended to that as well."
"There's a reason for that, Bell," Achilles continued. "Ishtar is a goddess of beauty. If she wanted to seduce you, you should have been seduced. Charmed, to be more precise. But you weren't."
"Maybe she didn't use her charm?" Bell said.
"Oh no, she did, that's why she was angry. It wasn't working on you." Everyone looked at him confused. "While I was at Freya she asked me something. She asked me to answer a question that Ishtar had presented for her and which she was very interested in finding out. She wanted to know why you couldn't be Charmed."
Bell was clearly confused. He knew of the Charm ability, indeed his run in with Ishtar had made it a serious danger, but, perhaps due to his unknown immunity, he never understood its dangers as well as others. The rest of his familia did.
"Bell can't be Charmed?!" Hestia cried out in shock.
"Apparently. Ishtar herself told Freya before she was sent back to Heaven, but evidently didn't give her a reason why or perhaps Freya didn't allow her to tell her. Either is possible. Whatever the case, I have no reason to doubt it's true, and I suspect I know the reason," he looked back at Bell. "That skill of yours. You're so focused on Aiz Wallenstein that you're literally immune to other women, Charm or no Charm."
That bit of news dulled any elation Hestia, Lili, and Haruhime might have felt at the news, and now, after meeting Aiz herself, Achilles himself couldn't honestly say he wasn't in their camp, but he needed to press forward.
"That means, Bell, that Freya's greatest weapon for claiming you is now off the table."
Bell, now understanding, at least in part, grew a smile and some of the tension eased out of his body.
"But that doesn't mean this is over," Achilles quickly warned. "Freya is still the leader of the most powerful familia in Orario and if she should decide to use that, even with me here, you all won't last half as long as Ishtar did."
That solemn truth quickly destroyed the elation from earlier, but they nodded nonetheless.
"And Charm is not the only thing Freya has in her arsenal of seduction. She can pull you in without even touching on that power. It's what she's good at. And we cannot underestimate her intelligence and cunning. I am being completely honest when I say she's probably within the top five most intelligent deities in all of Heaven."
"You're not making it sound like we have much of a chance," Lili complained.
"I apologize if I make it sound so terrible, but I only want you to know exactly what you're facing. No sugar-coating. Freya, to me, is the second most terrifying entity in this world, and I think you all can guess what the first is."
The nervous sweat returned, but Achilles quickly continued.
"That said, we're not hopeless in this situation in the least."
"You have something in mind?" the divine loli asked.
"I do. I was thinking about it on the way here and I have the framework of a plan in mind." Everyone's shoulders lost a bit of tension at this, glad to know there was something they could do in this new and terrifying situation. "Firstly, Hestia-sama, you must start recruiting in earnest. We need more members to this familia. I know that you have that debt, but with me being here that shouldn't matter anymore. I am easily worth 200 million valis and will help pay off the debt." Hestia smiled at him and nodded. "I also need you to go to your friendly familia and tell them what I told you," Achilles continued. "It's likely they'll be dragged into this whether they like it or not, so giving them warning will do them some good. Besides, Freya works best from the shadows. If her intentions are known, we can be on the watch for them." Hestia nodded, though she did feel a bit of guilt eating at her heart at the idea that she might be dragging them into something that was really none of their concern. "The rest of you," he turned to the adventurers. "Tomorrow we will be going to the Dungeon so that I can see what you're capable of and know where you need to improve. After that I'll think up a training regime for each of you to get you ready for whatever comes. Be prepared, it's going to be gruelling. I'll effectively be trying to raise your levels as fast as Bell." A bead of sweat went down each of their temples. "But, for today, prepare. Calm your minds. Pray. It doesn't really matter. Today is yours. Though I might suggest that Welf-san goes with Hestia-sama to Hephaestus's to use some of that smithing charm on her." The redhead blushed, causing the smiles to return. "I'll deal with Loki familia myself tomorrow. As much as Loki hates my guts, given the situation, I think I'm the best one to talk to her. But for today," he turned to Bell. "I will be beginning Bell's training immediately."
Bell jumped to his feet.
"I'll get ready immediately."
"You won't need your armor or weapons for this, Bell."
The young man stopped and looked at him confused.
"This will be a different kind of training. The same training that your grandfather had me do when I was in a similar situation as you." The mention of his grandfather peaked Bell's interest. "However, I do warn you, it's going to be uncomfortable, and you might very well hate me by the end."
That surprised Bell and the others, but the white-haired adventurer quickly shook his head.
"I could never hate you, Achilles-san."
"Oh, believe me Bell, that's not true, but appreciate you saying so nonetheless," he smiled at the Hestia captain. "But before we begin I need to get something so meet me at the main square in about an hour. That alright?"
Bell gave him a determined smile and nod.
"Good. Now, I believe we all have preparations to make. Let's get to it."
"Right!" The Hestia familia declared.
Bell waited patiently for Achilles to appear in the square, even as his mind was racing about in a fear induced stupor.
"Freya-sama is after me? But why? I know Achilles-san said it was my aura, but what does that mean? That I might be descended from a spirit or god. But I thought they couldn't have children," he paused as he remembered something. "But the Sword Hero was said to have married a spirit and had a daughter with her. So, maybe it is possible. Gah! I'm so confused and I can't honestly say I'm not afraid right now for what's to come."
He was so wrapped up in his thoughts he didn't notice Achilles until he placed a hand on his shoulder, causing the boy to jump.
"Easy, Bell. Easy. It's just me," the older man said.
"A-Achilles-san! I'm sorry," Bell apologized in mortification.
"It's alright, Bell. I can guess what's running through your mind right now, and you're completely justified in being worried, if not outright afraid."
The honesty and compassion in Achilles's voice calmed Bell and a sense of safety fell over him. The worries weren't gone by any means, but with his fellow captain next to him, they didn't seem so daunting.
"Thank you," he said.
"You're welcome. Now, let's get going. What I have in mind will likely take some time and we need to get it done before dark."
Bell didn't know what Achilles had in mind, but he trusted the level seven well enough to simply nod and follow after him.
The two walked through the streets of Orario, getting a mixture of looks, some friendly, for those who recognized Bell, and others uneasy for those who recognized Achilles. Still, they were left alone and continued without issue.
"So Achilles-san, what's this training you have in mind?"
"It's probably best I don't tell you. You'll probably run if I do." That didn't sound good to Bell. "I will say that if it's successful, it should, hopefully, minimize Freya's ability to seduce you."
The mention of the goddess caused a tingle of fear to crawl up Bell's spine, but, pushing it aside, he nodded and continued to follow Achilles towards whatever destination he was leading him too.
As time passed Bell began to notice that the buildings were becoming more and more familiar to him. That wasn't surprising as the boy had been all over the city and knew it rather well, but these particular buildings were not ones he expected nor in all honesty, wanted to see again anytime soon.
"A-Achilles-san."
The Olympian looked at him.
"Looks like you figured out where we're going."
Before Bell had time to react, he found himself being thrown over Achilles's shoulder and held firmly in place.
"Achilles-san! What are you doing?!"
"Sorry, Bell. I can't risk you running away. This needs to be done, morbid embarrassment or not."
Bell tried to struggle out of Achilles's grip. He really did, but he was no match for the level seven's strength and so could do nothing as they made their way further and further into the red light district.
Things were quiet for a moment and there was barely anyone on the streets. Not a surprise really, given it was still firmly daytime. The few that were out watched in surprise as the giant former captain passed them by with the Hestia captain, face covered in mortification, thrown over his shoulders like a sack of potatoes.
Finally they arrived at the location Achilles had in mind.
"Bell, this was Ishtar familia's base, correct?"
Bell uncovered his eyes and looked up. It was indeed Belit Babili.
"Y-Yes. This is it."
"Great," and with that, Achilles walked inside, a now even more terrified Bell struggling with renewed vigor.
"Excuse me," an amazon said. "We're closed at the moment sir, but if you come back later I'd be more than happy to help you," she said with a seductive smile, recognizing a strong male when she saw one.
"Well, thank you for the offer, nice to have such a lovely lady's attention. But I'm actually here in hopes of meeting a woman named Aisha Belka. She wouldn't happen to be in, would she?"
The amazon appeared a bit peeved at the idea of being passed over, which Achilles quickly noticed.
"It's not for me. I actually need some help with this guy," he turned to show Bell, who had uncovered his face at the mention of Aisha.
"Rabbit Foot!" The amazon said in surprise, which quickly turned into delight as she turned back to Achilles. "Please come in! I'll go get her right away."
"Thank you very much," Achilles said, following after her.
Belit Babili had been repaired since Freya's attack and Achilles gave them credit for their tasteful decorum. Zeus and members of his familia had dragged him to numerous brothels throughout the years trying to get their captain, "some action" as they would always say, and so many of them had no idea how to use subtlety and just threw themselves at you with bright colors and scents that tried to drown you.
"A-Achilles-san. What's going on?" Bell asked desperately.
"You'll find out in a moment."
It did not take long for the amazon to return, not only with Aisha, but with an entire entourage of amazons, elves, humans, prums, and even dwarves, all naturally prostitutes by the look of them.
Aisha walked up to Achilles with an aura of temptation, though he did notice there was a bit of fear in her eyes. She could tell their difference in level, but was doing her best to act naturally.
"I heard we had guests, but dear Sharay failed to mention how strong and handsome they were."
Achilles laughed.
"Thank you for the compliment. I take it your Aisha Belka?"
"I am indeed. And to what do I owe this pleasure, mister…"
"Achilles. Achilles Caesar."
Murmurs went through the crowd of women at the name and Aisha's apprehension became a bit harder to hide.
"So it's true. The legendary captain of the Zeus familia has returned to Orario," she said.
"I have indeed. And, before I get to why I'm here, I just wanted to thank you," he grabbed Bell and gently placed him in front of everyone, making sure to keep a hand on him so he couldn't run away. "Bell here told me about all the help you've given him and his familia. I appreciate you watching over him before I got here."
"Oh, if it isn't my dear little rabbit. It's been such a long time since we talked," she cooed, pleased to see him again.
Her hand fell to the young man's cheek and began to caress it, causing his face to heat up as he tried to respond.
"H-Hello, Aisha. It's nice to see you."
"I'm glad to hear it. I have missed you terribly. We should make up for lost time," she punctuated this was caressing his unarmored torso, causing him to stiffen and his face to somehow redden further.
"We-we-we, we're actually here for training!" he cried out.
That startled Aisha, but only for a moment as her usual, seductive smile quickly returned.
"Training, huh? Are you going to finally let me devour you?"
Bell was, for the second time that day, close to fainting, but shook his head desperately.
"T-T-That's not what I meant!"
"Really? Then what kind of training are you here for?" she asked, clearly enjoying playing with him.
"Actually that's not far from what I had in mind."
Everyone turned to Achilles. Bell almost broke his neck with the speed of which he looked up at his fellow captain, his eyes wide in horror.
"Oh?" Aisha inquired, unreservedly pleased at the turn of events. "What did you have in mind?"
"I need Bell to know what it's like to be seduced. As he is right now, a random flirtatious girl on the street is enough to cause his face to burst into a burning blush. So, I was hoping you, and if your fellow lovely ladies would like to join in," he said gesturing towards the women who all gave him smiles or giggles. "Would train him. You will attempt to seduce him in any way possible, except drugs and aphrodisiacs. And no "devouring" him. You are to get him to come to you." A few of the Berbera gave off noises of annoyance. "Your end goal is to get him to kiss you."
"Just a kiss?" Aisha teased.
"It'll be his first, if I'm not mistaken," he said looking down at Bell who was so close to unconsciousness it was terribly funny for everyone but him.
"His first," Aisha touched her lips, which soon turned into a predatory smile. "I think we can do that."
"Of course you'll be paid," Achilles stated, reaching into a pocket. He pulled out a beautiful gem stone and held it up. If I remember correctly, a standard transaction in the red light district was 10,000 valis for one night. Higher class ladies, such as yourselves, ranged from 20 to 50,000. This gem is worth 500,000 valis." A few eyes twinkled at that. "Consider it a down payment for continued training as this will certainly not be the only time we come here." Poor Bell finally fainted and only failed to fall over due to Achilles continued grip on his shoulder. "And, to make sure you're fully committed." Achilles reached into his pocket again and pulled out and even more beautiful gem. "The one who gets Bell to willing give them his first kiss gets this gem, worth 1,000,000 valis, all to themselves."
The Berbera were practically drooling now. Not only were they effectively being handed Bell on a silver platter, an adventurer, most of them had wanted for months, but they were being offered a treasure trove for the task.
"That said," Achilles continued, putting the gem away. "I am Bell's guardian. This is a kind of training, but it does have limits. You are allowed most of your usual arsenal in order to seduce him. But that is the goal. Seduction. You are not allowed claim him," he said seriously. "If I get even a hint that any of you attempted to 'devour' him, I will make what Freya did to you look like a light afternoon spar. Do. I. Make. Myself. Clear."
He punctuate this by grabbing his sword and releasing just enough of his power for everyone in the room to feel it, including Bell, who woke up.
"P-Perfectly," Aisha said.
"Excellent," Achilles said, regaining his smile. "Then have at it," he said, suddenly pushing the confused rabbit like boy into the awaiting arms of Aisha.
"A-Aisha?"
"Oh," she stroked his cheek. "You and I are going to have so much fun, Bell."
Bell's face lit up, and he tried to break out of her hold, but couldn't. While Bell's strength at level four was arguably that of a standard level five, Aisha was an amazon, and thus she could match him. More importantly, she now had Bell in her grasp. A young man she had desired since the moment she first met him, and to whom she had grown to care for more and more as time went on.
"Come on Bell. I promise you'll enjoy it," she whispered in his ear before turning and carrying the struggling Hestia captain up the stairs towards the luxury suite, a hoard of lovely ladies of the night following after her eagerly.
"Oh Bell, I hope you'll be able to forgive me," Achilles said to himself.
And done. I initially planned for this chapter to be much longer and include some other things, but decided to cut if off here so that I could have an...interesting scene with Bell and Aisha next chapter. Yes, that means some citrusy goodness for those interested in such things, though not a full on lemon. That said, I do look forward to it, and I hope you all do as well. For now though, please like, alert, and review. Tell me what you think of the stories. Possible ways to improve or things I might have missed, which has been known to happen. Also, I reiterate what I said at the beginning. I don't know how my return to this sight is going to go. Whether or not I'll be focusing mostly on new stories, or also working to fix some of my older...less well-written works. If you have an opinion on the matter feel free to leave a review or PM me on the matter. With that, thank you very much for ready, and I'll see you all in the next one. Bye for now.