Hello again everyone. Before we get started, there's something I wanted to address thanks, once more, to the helpful reviews you all have given me.
So, many of you have noticed that I appear to be setting the groundwork for an Achilles X Riveria ship. That was indeed the intent, however, as pointed out be "Guest" there was a little problem. It hadn't been set up. The reason for that is quite simple. It wasn't initially planned.
As this series has progressed my initial plans have, naturally, changed. Nothing's been outright deleted, but things have transformed from the initial ideas I had into new things. One of the great changes was what I wanted to do with Achilles and romance. Recently, with the last few chapters, I've been thinking a lot about what I wanted to do with this topic and came up with numerous ideas, one of which, and the one I liked the most, was the aforementioned Achilles X Riveria ship. However, given this was a recent idea, I hadn't set it up properly, indeed, besides not only having numerous situations where Riviera should have reacted quite profoundly if she had feelings for Achilles, as suggested in the previous chapter, I had, well...nothing.
Now, as "Guest" suggested, I could go back and retroactively add those scenes. However, I feel that's a bit cheap of me and is wrong in a couple of ways, most notably to me that I'm effectively giving newer readers a, well, newer, upgraded story, and not even in the way I plan to do with my old stories to fix up painfully amateur writing from when I was a teenager. So, that didn't seem right. So, what I'm going to do is try my absolute best to correct the discrepancies within this chapter. It may come across as a bit half-assed, I apologize for that in advance and will do my best to make it not appear so, but given the situation I'm putting myself in, that's the best I can do without fully rewriting anything.
That said, if you dislike what I did and/or the way I am taking the story, feel free to tell me and I will cease the path I'm going down and make the necessary corrections to this and the previous chapter to negate the current shipping given that it was not planned out and not the only idea that came to mind with regards to my story.
Alright, whew, sorry about all that, just wanted to clear the air as best I could. As I've said before, you guys have pointed out some very important issues with my story and I greatly appreciate it. Criticism is never easy, but I find it easier to deal with here than elsewhere. This story has also easily received more helpful criticism than perhaps all my other stories combined, many, if not most of which, simply gave me hell because they didn't like it, so, truly, thank you.
Oh, and we've passed 100,000 words with this story!
Now, I've blabbered on quite long enough, it's time to get to the story!
I do not own Danmachi.
Aiz returned home with a heavy mind and heavier heart.
"What am I willing to lose?"
So distracted was she by her thoughts she didn't recognize the group approaching her.
"Hey Aiz!" Tiona called out happily. However, when Aiz failed to register the call and continued to slowly walk away, her smile dropped. "Aiz?"
Not one to let such odd behavior go, the Amazon ran up to the Sword Princess and tapped her shoulder. Everyone nearly had a heart attack when she jumped and turned to them with wide eyes.
"T-Tiona," she said, her heart racing.
"Geez, Aiz, don't scare us like that," Tione said.
"Tione," Aiz replied, as recent events played in her mind.
"You might not mind so much if Ottar or I died, but what about Riveria? Tiona? Tione? What if it was both?" the voice of Achilles played in her head.
"Aiz?" Tione called, seeing her face darken.
"Excuse me," Aiz replied, before quickly turning to leave.
Before she could get far, someone grabbed her arm.
"What's up with you?" Bete demanded.
"Bete...Nothing, I'm just tired," she tried to pull away.
"Bullshit," Bete growled, tightly his grip.
"What's going on here?" They all turned to see Finn, Gareth, Riveria, and Lefiya walking towards them.
"Aiz is acting weird again!" Tiona stated.
"Aiz?" Finn turned to the blonde adventurer.
"It's nothing, captain. I'm just tired."
No one believed that for one obvious reason, that being, while they were all glad that she was showing a great deal more emotion lately, that came at the cost of her outwardly showing what she was feeling and that certainly included distress.
"Does it have something to do with Argonaut-kun?" Tiona asked. "Did you guys fight again?"
While Finn and Gareth showed signs of confusion, Lefiya and Bete showed obvious indicators of anger. Meanwhile, Riveria, in a calmer state of mind, asked a question.
"Did something happen while you were training with Achilles?"
The quick shot of pain that passed through the Sword Princess's eyes was all she needed.
"Come with me," she commanded gently.
Aiz didn't want to follow, but she couldn't refuse the motherly elf, especially not as Achilles's words once more passed through her mind.
Leaving the others behind, much to their combined displeasure given the many unanswered questions, they walked to Aiz's room where they once again found themselves on Aiz's bed.
"So, what happened?" Riveria asked.
"It's nothing," Aiz tried to reassure her. "I'm just tired."
"Aiz." The younger adventurer turned to her. "What happened?"
Things were silent for some time, the young lady of Loki familia desperately not wanting to answer, as if she thought that saying the words out loud would turn them into a prophecy, but, knowing Riveria wasn't going to leave until she had an answer, she took a deep breath and answered.
"At the end of our training, Achilles began to ask me questions."
"I see. What were the questions?"
"The first was why I wanted to kill the Dragon, which I told him. The next was what it would take for me to give up on my vengeance."
"I'm guessing he wasn't pleased by your answer," Riveria thought.
"When I told him I wasn't going to give up on my vengeance-" Riveria sighed. "He asked me what I was willing to lose."
"And," Riveria wasn't sure she wanted to ask this next question. "What was your answer?"
"I said I was willing to die."
Riveria's fist tightened.
"But he rejected that answer." Riveria's interest piqued. "He repeated his question and when I said I didn't understand he told me…" the pain in her eyes grew exponentially. "He told me to imagine that we all go and fight the Dragon together. Me, him, you and the others, even Ottar and Bell."
Riveria could tell where this was going, and she felt a stone settle into her stomach and the addition of the young rabbit-like adventurer only intensified that feeling.
"He then told me to imagine that at least one of us died in the fight. You. Tiona. Tione. Both. All of you," Aiz's fist tightened, which Riveria did not fail to notice. "Then he asked about Bell. He asked if I would be alright losing Bell."
"A-And...what was your answer?" the mother of Loki familia asked, her voice filled with fear.
"Please. Please tell me you didn't say you would be."
"I didn't answer. Achilles stopped me and told me to think about it."
Riveria sighed in relief.
"Thank Heaven. There are so many ways that could have ended," she thought, rubbing her forehead.
"I don't want to lose anyone."
Riveria looked up and saw Aiz with her head down, her eyes hidden by her hair. The girl's voice had been barely more than a whisper, but Riveria had understood it perfectly.
"And I don't want to lose you," she said. "But that isn't up to us. Life, especially lives like ours, are fleeting and always at risk. We never know if today is the day our lives will end," she said gently.
"I don't want to lose you, Riveria!"
Riveria, shocked and unprepared, suddenly found herself surrounded by Aiz's arms as they clung desperately to her.
"I don't want to lose you, Tiona, Tione, or anyone! I don't want anyone dying for me!" she cried.
Riveria was stunned. Aiz had never shown so much emotion before and for a moment she found herself unsure of what to do. However, after feeling the arms tightly wrapping around her, and hearing the first sounds of crying, she let her natural instincts take charge and wrapped her arms around the younger lady, gently stroking her head.
"I can't promise that I will always be there for you Aiz. Life doesn't allow for such promises. But," she gently lifted Aiz's head to look her in the eyes. "As long as I am here, I will do all I can to make your life as happy as possible. That I will promise."
Aiz, tears in her eyes, stared at her for a moment before giving an almost unnoticeable nod and putting her head back into Riveria's chest.
Riveria, now smiling, continued to gently stroke Aiz's hair as one thought came to dominate her mind and fill her with hope.
"Please, let this be the start of a new beginning."
Achilles stared at the book before him, Dungeon Oratoria. He'd been doing this for hours as he contemplated what he'd discovered and what he should do with the information.
"What information? The idea is insane. However," his brow deepened. "It's not impossible."
But his mind was still not willing to let it go.
"And so what if it is true? What does it matter? Really? It doesn't change anything. But what about Bell? How will this affect him?"
He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"It won't. At least not how he feels about her. If anything it'll just draw him to her more given his heroic nature and love for epic tales. Knowing her history will likely only pull him towards her even more, especially given how sympathetic it is."
He didn't much care for that idea.
"Shit."
"Screw it," he finally proclaimed, getting up. "First, I have to find out if it's true."
He walked into the kitchen where the others were beginning to eat breakfast and enacted his newly minted habit of kissing Bell on top of his head before grabbing his own food.
"Morning everyone," he greeted.
"Morning," they all replied.
He walked over to where Haruhime was, as she having once more taken up the role of making breakfast.
As he was gathering his food, Haruhime noticed that his eyes seemed a bit glassy.
"Are you alright, Achilles?"
He looked up.
"Yes. Why do you ask?"
"You look like you're somewhere else."
He smiled.
"Just thinking about some things. Nothing serious, just a curious thing I found in a book," noticing her look, he continued. "If it becomes anything serious I'll be sure to tell you all. I promise."
That satisfied her and she gave him a smile, after all, if he made a promise, he was sure to keep it.
"So," he turned back to the table. "Everyone ready for more fun?" he asked with a smile.
A series of groans passed through the room.
"I'm sore everywhere," Welf stated.
"I'm shocked you didn't break anything," Lili complained.
Achilles chuckled.
"I said the goal was to make you grow as fast as Bell. I wasn't lying."
"Even so," the goddess said. "I think it wouldn't be a bad idea to take it easy, or at least, easier, today."
"Hm, I suppose that wouldn't be a bad idea. Muscles need time to repair and all. I suppose we can take a day off training for today. Besides, I did have something I wanted to do today, so I'll give you all a break. However, we'll be going to the Dungeon tomorrow to make up for it, and I expect a big haul, so you'd all better be prepared."
"Anything's better than another butt kicking," Welf said.
"What did you need to do, Dad?" Bell asked.
"I wanted to talk to Aiz about something that came up last night."
"Aiz-san?" Bell's interest was immediately piqued.
"It's just something I was curious about and it's probably nothing," seeing that this wasn't enough for his son, he continued. "If it turns into something serious I'll be sure to tell you."
While Bell was still curious, this was enough for him and he nodded.
"Tell her I said hello," he said.
"Will do. Oh, before I go. Hestia-sama," the loli goddess turned to him. "I know I've said it before, but please find time today to continue recruiting. We got a pretty good start with Ryuu, but we need more members."
"You can count on me. Hephaestus won't let me do any recruiting while I'm at work, but once I'm done I'll go to the Guild and start handing out flyers."
"Glad to hear it."
"Speaking of which, Dad. Did you send those letters yesterday?" Bell asked.
"I did. No telling how long it'll take to reach their destination, if they do, or if they'll reply at all, but we'll see in time."
"It would be something to meet more members of the Zeus and Hera familia," the rabbit-like young man said.
"Well, given that we have our own lucky rabbit, I think we can expect a decent return."
Achilles made his way towards Twilight Manor intent on speaking with Aiz.
"It's probably not wise to just come out and ask, especially not in Loki's headquarters. I'll tire her out with training first then ask her, that way she won't just be able to run away before I get an answer."
Arriving at the manor, he waited patiently for Aiz to be brought to him.
After a few minutes the girl arrived, though Achilles could tell something was off by the nervous way she seemed unable to look him in the eye.
"Hm. Peculiar, but interesting."
"Hello, Achilles-san," she said, a noticeable shake to her voice.
"Hello, Aiz-san," he said, growing more interested. "I have some free time today and was wondering if you'd be up for more training."
To his surprise, she seemed unsure and he couldn't help but narrow his eyes at the odd behavior.
"Something's going on and it's making me think that I might not be so crazy."
"I-I," she tried. She took a breath. "Yes. Of course. I have some time as well so that works out just fine. If you wouldn't mind waiting here while I go get my equipment."
"I'll be right here," he responded.
The girl strode off, and again Achilles couldn't fail to notice the speed of which she left him.
"Yep. Something is definitely going on."
Some time later, Aiz returned and the two began their trek towards the spot on the wall.
As the made the journey, Achilles took note of the state she was in. Perhaps it was because she had spent so much of her time emotionless, but the girl was absolutely terrible at hiding how she was feeling. As such, on more than one occasion, he saw her look at him with nervous or concerned eyes, all of which increased his interest.
Finally, they arrived at the wall and took their positions.
"Alright, remember what I told you last night," he said.
Aiz froze as what he said last flooded her mind, though not the words he had meant.
"What are you willing to lose?"
Achilles, naturally, once again saw this reaction and now found himself completely puzzled.
"What am I missing?"
"About me just being a man," he clarified.
"Oh," Aiz instantly snapped out of her trance. "Yes. Of course," she said quickly, her eyes burning with relief.
"Alright, you have my full curiosity, Aiz," Achilles thought, eyeing her skeptically.
"Then let's begin," he said, getting into position.
"You'd best prepare yourself Aiz Wallenstein for I plan to get answers and that means you can't be running off before I get them. Hopefully you didn't have too big of a breakfast."
Aiz got in position and after a silent moment between them, they began.
Riveria walked through the streets of Orario with a purpose. That purpose being, meet with the young man who had unknowingly, to both of them, stolen Aiz Wallenstein's maiden heart.
Soon enough her target location came within sight. Hearthfire Manor.
Going up to the gate, she found the bell and rang it. Moments later a sweet, feminine voice replied.
"Yes?"
"Good morning. My name is Riveria Ljos Alf and I was wondering if Bell Cranel was here."
"R-Riveria-sama?!" the voice replied. "Um...yes. Yes, Bell-sama is here. Please, come in," the voice finished, and a moment later the gate opened.
"Thank you," Rivieria said, ending the call.
Walking into Hearthfire manor, Riveria was greeted by the sight of a renard in a maid outfit quickly approaching her.
"Welcome, Riveria-sama," Haruhime said with a bow.
"Riveria-san will do just fine," the elf replied with a smile.
"As you wish, Riveria-san. I am Haruhime and I will escort you to Bell-sama."
The two made their way into the manor.
"Lovely home you have," Riveria complimented.
"Thank you, though I know it must be nothing compared to your own home."
"Nonsense, you have a beautiful home, and it is far quieter and more peaceful than my own."
The two shared a smile before Haruhime began leading her through the manor.
"Bell-sama is currently training in the backyard. Everyone else, besides Mikoto-sama are out and about."
"Achilles isn't here?" Riveria asked curiously.
"No. Actually, he said he had something he wished to speak to Aiz-sama about."
That caught Riveria's attention.
"Did he happen to say about what?" she asked.
"He said that it was something that came up last night and that he was curious about. Besides that he only said that if it turned out to be serious he would tell us."
Riveria's brow scrunched as she took in those words.
"Was he talking about his question? I suppose he could be curious about that. Maybe he wanted an answer after all?" she contemplated.
Haruhime, seeing the change in her face wondered if she had said too much or otherwise made Riveria uncomfortable, she was also a member of Loki familia after all, but, whatever the reason, both their thoughts were cut short as they arrived in the backyard.
"Ah, there he is," Haruhime said, seeing Bell.
Riveria turned and watched as the young man she had come to see practiced fighting an invisible enemy with skill and precision that would have seemed impossible for one who, mere months ago, was a level one.
"His growth truly is tremendous, and his dedication and heart are truly inspiring. It's no wonder Aiz has begun to open her heart for him."
Riveria smiled brightly as Haruhime called out.
"Bell-sama!"
Bell stopped and turned.
"What is it Haru-?" then he saw Riveria and his eyes widened. "Riveria-sama!" he cried.
"Riveria-san will do just fine," the mother of Loki familia repeated.
"Um...how can I help you?" he inquired.
"I was hoping to speak with you for a moment," her eyes turned to Haruhime, who quickly understood.
"I'll leave you two alone. If you need anything, don't be afraid to call for me," she said with a smile, before bowing and leaving the two alone.
"So…" Bell began. "What did you wish to speak to me about, Riveria-san?"
Riveria's smile grew just enough to be seen.
"I wanted to talk to you about someone both you and I hold in great regard."
There was only one person that matched that description and within moments of the words spilling out of her mouth, a bright blush appeared on Bell's cheeks.
She chuckled.
"Relax, Bell Cranel, I have known about your feelings for Aiz for some time."
That did little to ease Bell's embarrassment. Indeed, that only amplified it, but he did wish to know what precisely she wished to speak with him about, and talking about Aiz was certainly not the worst subject.
"And she's smiling so maybe that means she isn't going to tell me to stop chasing after Aiz-san," he thought optimistically.
"D-Does that mean y-you're not here to tell me I shouldn't be with Aiz-san?" he asked.
"Indeed it does. In fact, I'm here to actively encourage you to go after her."
Bell's eyes widened.
"Really?!"
She nodded.
"Yes. You have been a great influence on Aiz as of late. Before you she rarely, if ever showed emotion, in spite of years of trying from both myself and my familia. It may not be an exaggeration to say that you are a small miracle in that way."
Bell's blush grew.
"I'm not that great."
"I beg to differ, as I suspect many would. Indeed, until you came along I thought it was entirely impossible to even get Aiz to contemplate dropping her terrible quest."
Bell looked at her in shock.
"The Dragon?"
She nodded.
"Yes. It appears last night Achilles asked her what it would take for her to drop her quest for vengeance, to which she replied that she would not."
"Achilles asked her that? Is that what he wanted to talk to her about today?" Bell wondered.
"However," Riveria continued, bringing his attention back to her. "He then asked what she was willing to lose, or perhaps more accurately, who she was willing to lose, and, not to go too far into it, it appears that Aiz may have finally found a limit to her revenge."
Numerous questions popped into Bell's mind at this, but one stood out above the rest.
"So, what would you like me to do?"
Riveria's smile returned.
"I want you to continue pursuing Aiz. She informed me of what happened when she apologized to you a few days ago and, unlike her, I am fully aware of what you wished to say to her."
Again, Bell's blush returned, this time with a fiery vengeance.
"That's why I'm here. From this day forward I'm going to push you two together as best as I can, in spite of how my familia and Achilles feel."
Bell was stunned. Ever since he had fallen for Aiz, everyone had tried to pull him away from her. Hestia, Lili, even his own newly made father and Freya herself. This was the first time anyone had pledged their support to him and his feelings. Perhaps it was for that reason that he did what he did next.
Riveria suddenly found herself enveloped in the arms of the young man as he smothered himself in her bosom.
"Thank you," he said, slightly muffled.
Surprised, but nonetheless quickly coming to understand the reaction, she smiled softly down at him and stroked his hair.
"You're quite welcome."
After a few moments, Bell's instinctive reaction cooled and he realized what he had done, which in turn caused his eyes to widened before he leapt back and began to repeatedly bow and apologize.
Riviera laughed.
"It's alright, Bell-san, I'm not mad or offended. Indeed, I'm glad that I was able to be the bearer of such good news that I was entitled to such a response."
Bell, still blushing madly, finally looked her in the eyes.
"Y-You're the first person to say that I should go after Aiz," he admitted.
She nodded.
"I figured. Though I'm glad to know that no one was able to persuade you from chasing after her."
Bell's eyes suddenly turned firm.
"And no one every will be. I love her with all my heart."
The strength and honesty of his words was quite something to witness for the high elf, but it only made her that much more sure of her decision to come there that day and back the young man.
"I'm glad to hear it. Now, I do believe I have taken up enough of your time today and so will see myself out. But, rest assured, I will be in contact shortly to begin the work of bringing you and Aiz together," with that, she turned to leave.
"Wait!" Bell suddenly called out.
Riveria turned, curiosity dancing in her eyes.
"Yes?"
"I...I need to repay you for this. Please. You could even have ordered me away, but you didn't. Instead you're helping me. Someone outside your familia who you barely know. Please, let me return the favor somehow," Bell pleaded.
The curiosity in Riveria's eyes turned to gentleness as she took in his words.
"There's no need for that, Bell-san, though I appreciate the offer."
"Please," Bell asked again. "I won't feel right if I don't repay you. Maybe...maybe I can help you with the person you love!" he suddenly declared, going with the first thing that came to his head.
Riveria stiffened.
"He...He can't know...can he?"
"Um...well...that's very kind of you," she tried. Unbeknownst to her, a slight tinge of red began to appear on her cheeks and the tips of her ears. A fact that didn't go unnoticed by Bell.
"Riveria-sama." She turned her focus to him. "Is there someone you love?"
The redness grew, now to the point where she was fully aware of it. She wanted to deny it. To quickly brush it off and leave, but the way he was looking at her, with those honest, pure, good-natured eyes of his that were begging her to allow him to repay the great favor she was giving him, made that impossible, and so, she sighed.
"It's complicated," she said.
"I have time," he replied quickly.
Things were silent for a moment before she finally responded.
"I've known him for quite some time. Longer than you've been alive," she said with a smile, which in turn, caused Bell to smile. "We were good friends years ago, and I began to feel something towards him that I was neither prepared for, nor wanted."
"Why?" Bell asked.
"He didn't see me that way. He often said I was like an older sister to him. And...he was in love with someone else," she went silent again, a tinge of pain entering her eyes. "So I tried to deny my feelings for him. And for years, it seemed that I had successfully quashed them. Then he left and I knew that what I felt couldn't be denied."
That bit caught Bell's attention.
"She couldn't mean…?"
"Interestingly enough, the realization of how I felt made me come to hate him or at least try to, since he had left. For years I thought I'd actually been successful in coming to hate him. Indeed, I was sure I hated him, given all the things he had said and done. But that all changed recently when I almost lost him. Right before my eyes. When that happened, everything I'd been trying to suppress, burst forth, and I knew, I could no longer deny it."
Perhaps it was because of the intense emotion that she was feeling, or Bell's ability to pull people's honest feelings out of themselves, but Riveria somehow had not realized all she had admitted until she had finished doing so. When she did, her eyes widened and she looked at Bell and discovered his eyes were as wide as hers.
"Riveria-sama…" he tried to begin. "Why does that sound familiar?"
She didn't answer. She couldn't. The realization of what she had said was now filling her with crippling embarrassment.
"Riveria-sama...Did this person recently return to Orario after being gone for fifteen years?"
She did not answer.
"Was this person almost Charmed by a goddess of beauty?" he pressed.
Her eyes fell as she, again, did not answer.
"And have I recently begun to call him my father?"
Knowing she could no longer deny him an answer, she nodded.
Once more, silence fell over them as their minds raced.
"D-Does he have any idea?" he finally managed to ask.
She shook her head.
"No. His eyes were always on Freya...at least until recently."
"What do you mean, 'until recently'?"
"He didn't tell you? Achilles told me he thinks that, after what happened at the party with you and Freya, that he might be at the beginning of freeing himself from Freya."
Bell looked ready to shout for joy and run the entire circumference of Orario at that news.
"Then you must act!" he declared.
The declaration startled Riveria who quickly shook her head.
"I can't. Not only does he still love Freya, but he doesn't see me that way."
"Then change how he sees you," Bell pushed. "And I'll help you."
"What?"
"This is how I'll repay you. You're helping me with Aiz, so I'll help you with Achilles."
Riveria felt like her brain was on fire with how things were turning out and she desperately wished to end this embarrassing conversation.
"I couldn't ask that of yo-."
"Then it's a good thing you're not asking, I'm telling you!"
Riveria fell silent and stared at Bell.
"You and I have people we care about, that we want to see happy. You've entrusted Aiz to me, and now I want to entrust Achilles to you. So let me help you. Let me pull him from the person I think is wrong for him and push him towards the person that, to me, seems like she'll treat him right and give him what he needs."
Riveria had been impressed by Bell many times in the past. The Minotaur. The War Games. The party. Even when he had faced her familia down and gone after that odd monster. Each time he showed remarkable courage and drive, especially for one so young and new to the life of an adventurer. Yet this moment, not only seeing, but being the direct focus of his determination filled her with an even greater admiration than she had ever felt before for the young man.
She smiled and nodded.
"Very well. Then I entrust myself to your care, Bell-san."
Bell returned the smile with one of his own blinding ones.
"And I do likewise with you, Riveria-sama."
The two were sweating profusely, with blood dripping down and bruises appearing on both of their bodies.
"That should do it," Achilles thought.
Aiz was, by far, the one who had received the worst of it. Achilles had come at her even more intensely than he had the previous day, which had been a surprise to her, but which she had done her best to match during the course of their combat. However, his experience, tactics, skill, and overall power, each outmatched her own, and that led to a fiendish training session.
"Good. You took my words to heart and started treating me like an opponent, not a legend."
Aiz, breathing heavily and clearly in pain, nodded.
"You were right...my mind was in the wrong place."
"And you corrected it, quickly as well. That's something that some have a hard time doing at all. You should be proud."
Surprised by the kind words, Aiz stared at him for a moment, mouth slightly agape, before a small smile appeared and she bowed.
"Thank you, Achilles-san."
"You're welcome…" he took a breath. "Aiz Waldstein."
She froze.
Achilles simply stared down at her.
Slowly, she began to lift her head.
"H-How?"
Without a word, he pulled out Dungeon Oratoria.
Opening it up, he began to read.
"Then the day of reckoning came. The Black Dragon appeared and attacked the great heroes. Albert fought bravely, and even succeeded in taking one of the monster's eyes, but it came at the cost of his life. Aria's fate was worse as the beast captured her and flew off into the unknown. The fate of their daughter is unknown for she disappeared during the chaos. Legend has it that she is still chasing the beast to this day, seeking to avenge her father and rescue her mother."
Achilles turned back to her.
"Yesterday you told me that your father was killed by the Dragon and your mother kidnapped. I have never heard that story before, except," he held up the book. "Here. Added onto that I remembered another piece of the story," he turned back to the book. "They wed, and soon had a child together, in spite of the fact that Aria was a spirit. How they managed to accomplish this remains a mystery. The child was a beautiful girl. Although her name has been lost to history, what is known is that she took after her mother except that, where Aria's eyes were a deep blue, the daughter's eyes were of the purest gold."
Finished, his eyes returned to hers.
"That, plus a few other tidbits, allowed me to put the pieces together," he explained.
Aiz didn't know how to respond. Her secret, the secret that her familia had warned her to keep quiet had been discovered, and discovered so suddenly.
"W-What do you plan to do?" she managed to ask.
"Do? What exactly can one do with something like this?" Achilles inquired.
"You're...You're not going to reveal it?" she asked.
"To who? The public? No. Even if I thought they'd believe me, what would be the point in that? So you're Albert and Aria Waldstein's daughter. So what? I was just curious. Now, if you're asking whether or not I'll tell Bell, and in turn Hestia familia, the answer is yes. I'm not going to keep a secret from him, especially not in regards to you."
"Now if you could only figure out why," he thought.
Aiz was silent for a moment as she took in what Achilles said.
While she was glad that Achilles wouldn't tell everyone, the thought that he would tell Bell gave her a sinking feeling in her stomach she did not like.
"May I tell him?"
Achilles gave her a curious look.
"You want to tell him?"
"If he's going to find out anyway, I'd like to be the one that tells him. Please."
By all rights, if she wanted to be the one to tell Bell, she should be, but a part of Achilles didn't like it.
"He was already likely to be even more drawn to her because of this, but if she's the one telling him, being honest and opening up to him, his heart will be even more firmly in her hands."
He didn't like that idea, especially after his recent talk with Haruhime, but it didn't seem right to deny her.
"Very well. But no funny business. You will tell him the truth, and only the truth, am I clear?"
"Yes."
"Alright. Then," he grabbed a potion and tossed it to her. "Heal your wounds and prepare yourself, because I'm not letting this sit."
The two returned to the Hestia home some time later, Achilles letting them in.
"Welcome back, Achilles," Haruhime greeted. "Oh, Aiz-sama. Welcome," she said with a bow.
"Afternoon. Is Bell here?" Aiz asked.
"Bell-sama? Ah yes, he's in the back. He actually just finished talking with Riveria-sama not long ago."
"Riveria?" Both gave her an odd look. "What was she doing here?" Achilles asked.
"I'm not sure. She just said she wanted to talk to Bell-sama," Haruhime answered.
"Hm."
"I think I can guess what she was here for," Achilles thought.
"Alright. Well, Aiz needs to talk to him," Achilles explained.
"Oh?" Haruhime's look turned nervous. Achilles quickly signalled it wasn't what she was thinking, easing her a bit. "Well, then I'll get back to my duties."
"Thank you, Haruhime."
"Thank you," Aiz said to the departing renard.
The two continued towards the back and just before they reached it, Achilles stopped.
"I'll leave you here. But remember, the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Understand?"
"Yes. I swear," she replied.
"Alright. Go on."
Leaving Achilles behind, Aiz continued into the backyard.
Like Riveria earlier, she found Bell training and was, herself, impressed with how far he's come.
"He's growing so fast," she thought. However, unlike the previous times she thought this, there was no jealousy or malice. In fact, a warm feeling filled her and caused her to smile.
"Bell," she called.
Bell would have recognized that voice if he was deaf.
Tripping over his feet, he promptly fell over.
"Are you alright?" she asked, rushing over to him.
Unfazed by his fall, his sole attention fell on the Sword Princess.
"A-Aiz-san?! What are you doing here?" he asked, getting up, an unquestionable blush on his cheeks.
"I have something to tell you," she said.
"To...tell me?"
"It can't be. Me and Riveria just talked. There's no way she got to Aiz that quickly!" he thought.
"Yes," she said seriously.
"W-What is it?"
"I'm not who you think I am."
Bell froze.
"What? Of course you are. You're Aiz Wallenstein. The Sword Princess. The greatest adventurer in Orario."
Something about the way he said that, without a hint of mockery or irony made her heart feel funny, but she pushed passed it. She swore she would tell Bell the truth and she meant it.
"My name isn't Aiz Wallenstein. My name, my real name, is Aiz Waldstein."
Bell blinked. Being a fan of heroic legends, he recognized that name instantly.
"Waldstein? But that's the last name of Albert, the Sword Hero."
She nodded.
"Yes. He is my father, and my mother is Aria Waldstein," she stated bluntly.
Bell's mouth fell open.
"But...wha...how?" was all he was able to manage.
Aiz shook her head.
"I don't know. We were being attacked by the Dragon, I...I saw my mother be captured and my father attempt to rescue before…" she couldn't finish.
"Aiz-san," Bell said, his voice barely more than a whisper.
"Then suddenly," she continued, finding her voice. "I was surrounded by something. Magic of some kind, and ended up here. In your time," she finished.
"You're...you're telling me the truth...aren't you?"
She nodded.
"Yes. The whole truth, and nothing but it."
For the second time that day, Bell surprised a lady of the Loki familia by suddenly embracing her in a hug.
"It must have been so hard for you. To go through all of that, only to end up here. I'm so sorry Aiz-san."
The sincerity of his words, alongside the warmth of his arms brought tears to her eyes as relief and comfort washed over her. It was not long before her own arms wrapped around him.
"You're not mad at me?"
"Mad? Why would I be mad?" Bell asked, still hugging her.
"I don't know. Loki told me I shouldn't tell anyone as she wasn't sure how they'd react."
"Well, I'm certainly not mad at you," Bell said, pulling back to give her a smile. "If anything, this only shows you really are amazing, Aiz-san. To have gone through so much, yet to be here, living and going on adventures. You really are just as great as I've always thought you were."
Aiz had received compliments before, plenty of them, but none of them hit her heart quite like Bell's did with his blinding smile, and once more she found her heart beating erratically and her cheeks feeling warmer with no understanding as to why.
"T-Thank you, Bell. That means a great deal to me, coming from you," she said.
"I'm only telling the truth, Aiz-san," he said, which only seemed to increase her curious problems. "But, why did you decide to tell me this?"
"Achilles-san discovered it and allowed me the opportunity to tell you myself."
"Achilles?" his eyes turned and he saw that his father was standing in the window, watching them.
"So this is what he wanted to talk to Aiz about."
"Well, I'm glad you told me. I'm honored you have so much faith in me. I'll do my best to earn that trust."
Aiz smiled.
"You already have."
The two made their way back inside where Achilles was waiting for them.
"I told him. Everything," Aiz confirmed.
Achilles turned his eyes to Bell.
"It doesn't matter that she isn't from our time, nor that she has famous parents. She still Aiz and nothing changes that," the captain of the Hestia familia said resolutely.
Achilles nodded.
"Fair enough. Though I failed to inquire as to whether or not you know how you got here."
She shook her head.
"I don't. When the Dragon attacked I was surrounded by some kind of magic, that's all I know."
"Can you remember what it looked like?"
Aiz thought for a moment.
"At first I was too focused on my parents, but after I lost sight of them, I tried to escape. When I did, my hand was filled with something that looked like sand."
Achilles nodded.
"So it was that."
"I see. Well, thank you. And thank you for being honest," Achilles said, giving her a small bow.
"Thank you for giving me the chance to tell Bell myself."
"It was the right thing to do. However, both of us are inclined to inform Hestia familia about this."
She nodded.
"I understand."
"Dad," Bell cut in, worry in his eyes. "Do we have to? It's not our secret."
"We're apart of it now, and we promised not to keep secrets from your familia," Achilles reminded him.
Bell looked concerned for a moment before Aiz spoke up again.
"It's alright. I fully understand your commitment to your familia. In fact, I wish I could tell my familia."
"They don't know?" Bell asked.
"Loki, Riveria, Finn, and Gareth know, but the others don't," she informed them.
"Hm, makes sense, Loki would want this kept between the fewest people possible if only because there's no way to predict how everyone will react. That said, I think you can trust us and the rest of Hestia familia to not spread this info."
"Thank you," she responded.
With that, Bell escorted her out.
"I am really glad that you felt you could trust me with this, Aiz-san, even if Achilles was sort of forcing you," he said, a bit embarrassed.
"I wanted to tell you myself and I don't regret it. I feel like it was right to tell you," she replied honestly.
"I'll be sure to live up to that trust."
"I know you will."
The two bid each other goodbye, Aiz surprising him with one final hug, which lasted more than a few seconds, before she left, leaving Bell and Achilles to talk about what had just been revealed.
Bell found Achilles sitting in the living room, reading.
"So this is what you needed to talk to Aiz-san about?"
"It is," Achilles responded, closing the book.
"How'd you figure it out?"
Achilles held up the book.
"She said something that sounded a bit too familiar to someone who's read this dozens of times."
"Were you expecting that this would change my feelings for Aiz-san?"
Achilles shook his head.
"No. In fact, I suspected it would only amplify them. And it looks like I was right."
"Were you hoping that it would change them?"
Achilles did not answer immediately, instead deciding to look over the cover of the well-worn book.
"Yes."
The two were silent as Achilles fiddled with the book and Bell stared down at him.
"My feelings for her won't change. She's the one I want to be with."
Achilles nodded again.
"And I was sure who I wanted to be with, yet, as I've come to realize, things can change."
"Because you might be getting over your feelings for Freya?"
Achilles turned to him in surprise.
"Riveria told me."
"Ah. I was curious what you two talked about."
"She came to say that she would help me and Aiz come together."
"How generous of her, and quite the powerful ally you've gotten for yourself."
"And I promised I'd help her come together with the one she loves."
"Did you now? Huh. She dodged my question yesterday about whom she liked, but goes and tells you. Funny that. I guess she figured I tease her, especially if I found out it was full blown love."
No response came from Bell, which caught Achilles attention. He turned and saw his son staring down at him with a particular, and slightly unnerving look.
"What's that look?"
The sudden appearance of Haruhime snapped them away from their conversation and any potential answers.
"Is Aiz-sama gone?"
"Yes. She just left," Bell said with a smile.
"What did she wish to speak to you about, Bell-sama?"
"It's probably best we wait for everyone to get back before we go into that," the rabbit-like young man answered.
Haruhime, confused, turned to Achilles who, again, signalled that things were fine.
"Very well. Would you like me to bring them here once they return home?"
"That would be appreciated. Thank you, Haruhime," Bell answered, giving her his signature smile.
"Of course, Bell-sama," she replied happily, a noticeable bit of red coming to her bright face.
It was not long before the first of the familia returned, in this case, Lili.
"Afternoon, Bell-sama," she greeted happily.
"Afternoon, Lili," he returned with a smile.
"What are you doing?" she asked, seeing that he and Achilles were sitting together, but not looking like they were doing anything.
"We're waiting for everyone to return so we can talk about something."
"What do you want to talk about? Has something happened?" she asked with concern.
"It's nothing major, just something we learned today," Bell replied, trying not to say too much.
Lili seemed suspicious with the way he phrased that and began to eye him. As she did, Haruhime entered the room.
"Haruhime, do you know what this meeting is about?" Lili asked.
"Not precisely, but evidently it has something to do with Aiz-sama."
"The Sword Princess?"
Haruhime nodded.
"She visited not too long ago. Interestingly enough Riveria-sama also visited, both to see Bell."
"What?!" Lili declared, turning on Bell who began to sweat nervously.
"Oh boy, sounds like Lil' Lili is mad about something."
They all turned to see Welf and Ryuu enter the room.
"Welcome back, Welf-sama. Ryuu-sama," Haruhime greeted.
"Thanks, Haruhime. Now, mind telling me why Lili's all in a huff."
Haruhime looked ready to answer, but Lili, in her anger, beat her to it.
"The Sword Princess and the Nine Hells came to visit Bell-sama today!"
Welf whistled.
"Seems you're quite popular with famous ladies, Bell. Then again, we already knew you liked powerful women."
Bell blushed while Achilles chuckled. The ladies of the room were not so pleased as Haruhime looked down, saddened; Ryuu gained a hint of hostility built from jealousy to her eyes; and Lili flew into a rage.
"This is no laughing matter! Two women came specifically for him. Two! And he's refusing to tell us why until everyone's here."
"Then there's no reason to get all upset about it until then. Bell will tell us soon enough," the elder brother of the familia stated.
Bell promptly began to vigorously nodded his head.
Achilles, having lost his smile when he saw Haruhime's saddened features, raised his voice in agreement.
"Well said. And it's really not all that bad. Just a point of interest that we thought we were duty-bound to share given our promise to be honest."
"Don't try and downplay this! I know you had something to do with Bell-sama suddenly becoming a playboy."
Achilles raised his arms in confusion.
"What did I do?"
Welf just shrugged.
"What's going on?"
Mikoto entered the room, fresh from a long bath and pleasant nap, evidence of which was provided for given her attire and the fact she was currently rubbing her eyes.
"You were here?!" Lili cried.
Startled, it took a moment for Mikoto to respond.
"I-I took a bath and a nap," she admitted.
"You could have prevented this!"
Welf stepped in to save the poor, frightened Mikoto, who still had no idea what was going on.
"No she couldn't have. If Aiz and Riveria wanted to talk to Bell, they had that right. Besides, I think the only one capable of stopping them in this room is Achilles."
Said man smiled.
"You bet your ass I could."
"Aiz-san and Riveria-san came here?" Mikoto asked.
"Yeah," Welf answered. "Apparently they talked to Bell about something."
"They came separately, Aiz didn't even know Riviera had come," Bell explained. "And, to answer your earlier question, Mikoto-san, we're waiting for everyone to arrive so that Dad and I can tell you something. Now we're just waiting for Hestia-sama."
"I see. Well, she probably won't get off work for a while, and she did say she would go to the Guild afterwards to try and recruit new members, so it may be some time until she arrives. So why don't we prepare dinner so that we can eat either after or during whatever you have to say."
"Sounds like a plan," Achilles said.
Everyone else quickly agreed, except for Lili, who was still upset.
"Don't think this gets either of you off the hook," she declared.
"Of course," Achilles responded. "Haruhime, mind helping me grab ingredients?"
"I'd be happy to."
The two walked away, a suspicious Lili glaring all the while.
"How are they supposed to grab ingredients when they don't know what we're making yet?"
The two walked to the pantry and Haruhime began to look through the items inside.
Suddenly, she felt a hand on her head, slowly stroking her hair.
"You haven't lost him," Achilles said gently.
She turned to him.
"But how can I compare to either of those two?"
Achilles smiled at her and got on one knee in front of her.
"First off, Riveria's not interested in him, of that I can assure you. Secondly, I'll actually tell you what I told her, or more accurately, asked her. What brought those two together? Why does Bell love Aiz?"
"He fell in love with her when she saved him."
"Correct. Chance. They met by complete chance. That's what connects them."
"But the same is true of me and Bell-sama."
"True, but unlike Aiz, you two share an interest and a familia, not only certain qualities like being driven."
"But she's helped him on numerous occasions."
"And you haven't?" he immediately countered.
She still seemed disheartened and it hurt Achilles to see her lose faith in herself and her chances with the young man she loved.
"Haruhime, you are the purest person I think I've ever met. Maybe even more so than Bell. You are good, kind, not marred by jealousy or malice-."
"But I am," she cut in. "I am jealous. I'm jealous that Aiz-sama has his love. I'm jealous that no matter how close I am to him physically, she will always be closer to his heart and mind," she said, tears coming to her eyes.
"Oh, my poor sweet girl," he cooed, bringing her into his arms. "That's not jealousy. Not really. It's just the pain you feel from unrequited love. But that's why we have to fight. Fight to get you the man you love, who you deserve, and who deserves you. Aiz is a good, driven person, but you," he pulled back, put her face in his hands and looked into her eyes. "You are beyond that. You are a saint. A representation of what is right in this world. You are what men like Bell and I strive to protect. You are a kind of earthly divinity that no god or goddess could ever match."
Haruhime's tear filled eyes widened at his words, so powerful, yet poetic that they seemed to burn through the air.
"Y-You think that?"
He smiled.
"I do. Haruhime. You are above what men like me can hope for. You are an ideal, and only an ideal man would ever be worthy of you. And you found him! And you're so close to him. You just need to push. To slowly bring yourself closer to him, inch by inch, until you're right next to him. Until he sees you for who you are. That ideal. And once he does, once he realizes who you are, that ideal, that saint, the earthly divinity, he will open his heart to you and love you with everything he has. I promise you."
The tears returned to Haruhime's eyes, only now, they were joyous tears as his promises resounded through her heart and she knew, unquestionably, that he would keep his word.
She threw her arms around him and snuggled her head into the crook of his neck.
"Thank you," she said with muffled voice.
"You're welcome, my dear sweet, Haruhime," he said, once more stroking her hair. "You are very welcome."
The two returned some time later, after Haruhime had calmed down and dried her eyes, with bundles of ingredients in their arms.
"You two took awhile," Lili said, still suspicious.
"Yeah, we realized we didn't know what we were going to cook so we just sort of grabbed everything so that we could all figure it out," Achilles replied.
The prum lady did not care for that answer but there was little she could do, especially as everyone began to discuss what they should make.
A decision made, they all began work on dinner, talking away as they each prepared part of the meal that was to come. Finally, all the preparation done, they left the meal to cook, and not a moment too soon as Hestia herself came through the front doors.
"I'm so tired," she whined.
"Welcome home, Hestia-sama," Bell greeted.
"Bell-kun," she said, a little less tired thanks to his presence. "Today was so long. Hephaestus worked me to the bone, and then I had to go to the Guild and try to recruit people. They were so rude! Asking about my debt or wanting to know things about Achilles, as if having a such a lovely goddess wasn't a good enough reason to join!"
Bell smiled as she talked, content to listen to her. However, a loud clearing of someone's throat turned his attention away.
"I believe you can finally tell us what happened between you and Aiz Wallenstein now," Lili stated.
Hestia's twin tails suddenly rose in the air.
"Wallen-whatisit?! You talked to her? Again?!" she demanded.
"She came here asking to talk to me again," he admitted.
"Not only her, but Riveria-sama, another member of Loki familia came to talk to Bell-sama apparently," Lili added.
"What? Who's this, River-ia?"
"A beautiful high elf that would love nothing more than to eat up someone like Bell-sama!"
"What?!"
"Alright, calm down," Achilles cut it. "For starters, that is a gross mischaracterization of Riveria. I can swear, with complete honesty, that she has no interest in claiming Bell."
"I swear too," Bell added.
"As for what Aiz had to say, we were actually waiting for everyone to arrive so that we could inform you, exactly as to what she wanted to talk to Bell about. Now that you're here, we will be happy to do so, and then, afterwards we can have a nice dinner," Achilles finished.
Both Hestia and Lili eyed Achilles suspiciously, looking for any hint of falsity. Finding none, they relented, but only just.
"Alright, but no funny business. You will tell us everything!" Hestia demanded.
"Of course," Achilles said.
So everyone gathered in the living room and took a seat.
"Alright, so this all began last night when I was training Aiz. After we were done training, I asked her a series of questions, the answer to one of those questions caught my attention," he began. "I asked Aiz why she wanted to kill the One-Eyed Black Dragon. She told me it was because it had killed her father and kidnapped her mother. Now that last part caught my attention as I'd never heard such a story before, at least, I thought I'd hadn't."
Everyone looked confused, except for Bell who knew where he was going.
"Later that night, I realized that the story Aiz had told me actually sounded familiar," Achilles grabbed Dungeon Oratoria and began reading.
"Then the day of reckoning came. The Black Dragon appeared and attacked the great heroes. Albert fought bravely, and even succeeded in taking one of the monster's eyes, but it came at the cost of his life. Aria's fate was worse as the beast captured her and flew off into the unknown. The fate of their daughter is unknown for she disappeared during the chaos. Legend has it that she is still chasing the beast to this day, seeking to avenge her father and rescue her mother."
"But that's not the only bit that got my mind rolling," he said, before continuing.
"They wed, and soon had a child together, in spite of the fact that Aria was a spirit. How they managed to accomplish this remains a mystery. The child was a beautiful girl. Although her name has been lost to history, what is known is that she took after her mother except that, where Aria's eyes were a deep blue, the daughter's eyes were of the purest gold."
He put the book down.
"Haruhime," he turned to the renard. "Could you describe Aria Waldstein to us, please?"
"Aria Waldstein? Well, she was stated as being very beautiful, with pale skin, long blonde hair, and, as the story says, blue eyes. She was also supposed to be very kind and powerful."
"Thank you. Now, I want you all to think, who do you know that is beautiful, has long blonde hair and, instead of blue eyes, has ones of purest gold? If you need a hint, here's another one. Her name sounds an awful lot like Aria Waldstein."
Naturally, it did not take long for any of them to put the pieces he had placed before them together and everyone's eyes widened.
"That's...impossible," Lili said.
"And yet, it's the truth," Achilles said. "Aiz is not, really, Aiz Wallenstein, but Aiz Waldstein, the daughter of Albert Waldstein, the Sword Hero, and Aria Waldstein, the wind spirit."
Things were quiet for a while as everyone tried to wrap their heads around this. It didn't make any logical sense, yet they knew that neither Achilles, nor Bell would lie to them, especially not with something as ludicrous as this.
"But...how?" Mikoto asked.
"There is a way," Achilles said.
"There is?" this time it was Bell who asked as he was as much in the dark as the rest were.
Achilles nodded.
"There is. Now, what I'm about to tell you was a secret bestowed upon only the captains of the Zeus and Hera familia and is not something that should be shared. Am I understood?"
Noting the sudden seriousness of his tone, they all found themselves agreeing.
"Good. Now, the reason that Zeus and Hera familia were the leading familia in Orario was not purely because of our strength or adventuring prowess, it was also because of what we had locked away. You see, the two of them, mostly Zeus, had collected powerful items throughout the ages, dating all the way back to the very beginning of the world. These items were stored in a vault within Zeus familia headquarters for safe keeping. One of these items does have the potential of moving someone across time. That item is called, the Hourglass of Kronos."
Now, for the mortals in the room, this meant nothing. It was simply a curious name they had never heard of. However, for the goddess of the hearth, what was just said was world shattering.
Hestia's eyes widened to an extreme size, her skin began to sweat, her heart raced more terribly than it ever had and all the while Achilles was staring right at her, taking in her response with knowing eyes.
"Who's Kronos, Achilles?" Haruhime asked.
Turning his eyes away from Hestia, he answered.
"Kronos was a being from ancient times. The legendary era before the gods began to descend to earth. He was a powerful figure capable of bending time. His hourglass has the same ability, but requires a large amount of power to use it. Likely the kind of travel that Aiz faced would be beyond the power of even the most powerful mortal to accomplish, meaning that it was likely a god that transported Aiz to our time."
"But which god? And why?" Bell asked.
"I have a hunch, but I can't say for certain and want to think on it more, "Achilles replied. "That said, Aiz's comment earlier about what happened when she was transported here confirms my thoughts."
"This is a lot to take in," Welf said.
"Not really. Not in the end," Achilles responded. "Aiz is still Aiz, technically speaking, just with her background filled in now. And every familia has its secrets, my familia just had quite a few interesting ones."
"Do you have any more?" Lili asked in exasperation.
"I do, but if I go into all of them, we'll be here all night and you'll all have headaches," he answered honestly.
"Then," Haruhime cut in. "Might I suggest we let our brains cool and warm our stomachs? Dinner's almost ready and thinking about such things on an empty stomach is not good for you."
"Wonderfully said, and I for one agree," Achilles said.
"Can't really argue with that, my head feels all kinds of fuzzy," Welf stated.
"Some food will do us all some good," Ryuu added.
"Wonderful. Then take your places everyone and we'll enjoy a nice meal," Haruhime said with a smile.
No one felt like arguing, so they all got up and made their way towards the kitchen. All except for a certain dark-haired loli and Bell, who noticed his goddess sitting as still as a statue.
"Hestia-sama?"
She blinked and turned to him.
"Y-Yes, Bell-kun?"
"Are you alright?"
"O-Oh, yes! Yes I'm fine! I just...the whole thing's kind of weird, isn't it?"
Something felt odd about her response, but he couldn't put his finger on it.
"I guess it is. But I suppose it doesn't really change much."
"I-I guess you're right," she said chuckling. Before he could ask anymore questions, she continued. "Now let's get some food, I am absolutely starving!"
Confused, Bell nonetheless followed after her and took his spot at the table, ready to eat.
Dinner went by with the usual pleasant banter and the food was as wonderful as it normally was, with everyone eating their fill, before aiding in the clean up.
"Well, another eventful day," Welf said.
"Quite," Mikoto said.
"And we'll have another one tomorrow," Achilles proclaimed. "But this time, with no mind-numbing confusion, just good, old-fashioned monster hunting."
"Sounds good to me," Welf stated.
"Then we should all go get our rest," Haruhime said.
"She's right," Bell said.
With that, everyone bid goodnight, Achilles giving Bell his newly minted traditional head kiss, before excusing himself to go smoke outside.
Hestia watched all her children go, smiling brightly and happily bidding them all goodnight. She watched every one of them head off to bed, and waited until she heard every last door close before she lost her smile. Then, fear eating at her immortal heart, she made her way outside.
Achilles was standing, looking up at the moon, slowly smoking his pipe.
"Evening, Hestia-sama," he greeted, not even needing to turn his head to know she was there.
Her fear grew and grew every second that she watched him smoke his pipe while looking up at the moon without a care in the world. She needed to ask him the question that threatened to consume her, but the fear of what answer she would receive threatened to do the exact same.
"H-How...How much do you know?" she finally forced out.
Now, he finally looked at her.
"Everything. I know everything."
Her heart stopped.
Whew! Sheesh. This one was a toughy. Had to think and rethink what I wanted to do with this one in a maddening loop of ideas. But, it's finally done. Thank goodness. Sorry it took so long, this one was probably the hardest one to write so far, but I am glad I was able to get everything I wanted in it, as well as some other, unplanned goodies. That said, I hope this chapter was able to, at least partially, make up for the mistakes with the Achilles X Riveria situation. I know it's patchwork, but I did the best I could think of since I didn't want to go back and change things. Anyway, I do hope that you enjoyed the chapter. If you did, or even if you didn't, please, feel free to review the story. Tell me what you liked, where I need to improve or things I need to fix, all that good stuff. I do read what you have to say, though I do still need to get around to making certain corrections as of writing this, but I swear I plan to do them. With that though, thank you very much for reading and, until next time, bye for now.