Father and daughter training
The streets of Orario remained silent and calm, contrary to how they were when Bell left Hephaestus' workshop. The red-eyed young man was the only one on the street, running at full speed, trying to return to his daughter as quickly as possible, as the worry was eating him up inside.
"How is Meteria?!" were the first words he said upon entering the place. His daughter was lying on the ground with her head resting on the lap of the goddess Hestia, and Hephaestus stood a few meters away from them.
"I'm fine, Dad," the young girl spoke, and Bell approached them. On his way, he removed the mask hiding his identity, revealing his white hair, damp with sweat from the previous battle.
"How are you feeling? Does anything hurt?" The young man crouched down and gently stroked the girl's soft hair, who smiled slightly. She looked tired, with small dark circles under her beautiful red eyes.
"No… I'm just a little dizzy, but you don't have to worry. I already took a potion to recover my magic." Bell stroked her hair again before standing up and addressing both goddesses:
"Thank you for taking care of her," he said to them.
"It was nothing… How did things go out there?" Hestia asked.
"Some monsters escaped from the coliseum. I arrived just in time when the Loki familia was in trouble due to some plant-type monsters."
"The Loki familia? In trouble?" The goddess asked in surprise, as that familia was renowned for having the most skilled and effective adventurers in the entire city.
"That's right, the attack caught them off guard."
"Was Ais there?" The question came from Meteria, who, with Hestia's help, had managed to sit up.
"Yes, along with three other girls. Loki and some people from the guild arrived at the end. I left when everything was already under control." Both daughter and goddess nodded, relieved that everything had gone well.
Hephaestus watched them tenderly. She knew that the Hestia familia had many adventures and dangers ahead in the future, and she hoped to be there to help them when needed, as they had certainly become dear to the goddess.
"Well, it's very late. I think you should go home." Bell nodded and thanked the goddess once again. "Go on and rest. Tomorrow or another day, I'll send you the bill for the damages caused."
"Oh, right…" Hestia said, lowering her head with regret, knowing the prices that the goddess blacksmith charged, and with all the damage caused by the explosion, it would be something that would take them a long time to pay off.
The three of them bid farewell to Hephaestus and headed straight to their humble home. Once there, Hestia and Meteria decided to take a shower before going to bed, as it was already late into the night, and the day had been very long.
"I still don't feel sleepy… I think it's because of all the adrenaline from today," Bell told them. "I'll stay up a little longer, but you two sleep soundly."
"Okay, but don't stay up too late, alright?" Hestia told him, to which Bell nodded. The young girl and the goddess got into the double bed they shared and quickly fell asleep.
Meanwhile, Bell was sitting on the couch, staring at the weapon Arleshalt, which was resting on the coffee table in the small living room. He hadn't been able to sleep because he was eager to fully try out his new weapon. So, taking advantage of the fact that the others were fast asleep, he decided to use this moment in the night to familiarize himself with it.
He grabbed the weapon and left the old church where they lived. He didn't venture far, just found an open outdoor space and decided to practice there. The weapon was in its long sword form, and it felt remarkably light in his hands. The blade was razor-sharp, capable of cutting with just a touch.
He swung it in a trembling, rapid motion. "Wow…" he whispered under his breath, delivering a couple of thrusts into the air. With a flick of his hands, he changed the weapon's form into an axe. This time, it felt heavier; the head was large, and the edge reflected his face. He swung it with one hand, then the other, to get a feel for its weight. Noticing a large apple tree nearby, he decided to test his aim. He hurled the axe, and the wood cracked loudly as small bits of bark fell to the ground.
He approached the tree and retrieved the embedded axe. Once he had it back in his hands, he changed its form again, this time into a long spear. He could thrust it from a meter away, and it truly felt like an extension of his own arm.
Bell was utterly euphoric over Arleshalt. He changed the weapon's form again, now into a bow, and with his own energy, created some arrows. He placed them on the bowstring and aimed at the treetop. He shot at the apples, hitting every one he aimed for. Deciding he'd practiced enough and it was time to sleep, he figured there would be more opportunities to practice with the weapon later. At least now he had quenched some of his desire and had familiarized himself with several of Arleshalt's possible forms.
First, he gathered the three red apples that had fallen, then headed straight back into the church.
Once inside, he placed the weapon back on the coffee table and sat down on the old, worn-out couch. He was ready to sleep, but he couldn't take his eyes off the weapon. He thought about his partner and how happy he was to now have a weapon that would always remind him of both her and his daughter. Suddenly, he remembered that the weapon had been forged with vampire blood, which his own daughter had provided.
"What would happen if…?" He left his hypothetical question unfinished, grabbed the weapon in sword form, and made a small cut on the palm of his hand with the blade. He placed Arleshalt back on the table and let a few drops of his blood drip onto it.
"What the hell…? I can't believe it!" His voice was barely a whisper, his eyes wide with excitement. "Amazing! This is incredible!"
-] [-
A new day began for the Hestia familia in the city of Orario. Yesterday had been a very hectic day for everyone, so much so that Bell and Meteria had decided over breakfast that they wouldn't be going to the dungeon that day.
"So, you'll be staying home all day?" asked the goddess, who was getting ready to head to the center of the city.
"For today, yes," Bell replied.
"Will you stay with us, Goddess?" Meteria asked.
"Oh no, I can't miss work… not after that debt we owe to Hephaestus…" she said, sighing as she recalled the immense sum they owed to the blacksmith goddess.
After breakfast, Hestia left, leaving only father and daughter behind.
"Dad…" Meteria began. "Since we're not going to the dungeon… Do you want to train together? To test out your new weapon?" The young girl was eager to get to know her father's new weapon in depth, as there hadn't been time to properly inspect it with everything that happened yesterday.
"That sounds like a great idea!" Bell accepted with a big smile on his face. It had been a while since he last trained with his daughter, and though he knew he would have to hold back his strength to match her level, the idea of testing out Arleshalt excited him.
Father and daughter grabbed their weapons and headed west, planning to train near the city wall, as it was a less crowded area where no one would bother them.
On the way, they chatted about trivial things at first. Meteria asked about the plant-type monster he had fought the previous day. Then, little by little, the conversation shifted to Meteria's mother.
"Do you remember that time when Mom and you fought in the village in front of the whole town?" she asked.
"In front of the whole town?" Bell looked at her, puzzled, as they approached the brick wall.
"Yes, Grandpa was there too…"
"Oh! You mean the festival." Bell was surprised that Meteria remembered that, as she had been very young when they celebrated that festival in their hometown.
-] [-
That day, like every year, the village held a festival. Since Meteria had learned to walk, it had become a tradition for the whole family to go together. Though in the early years, Tear had refused to attend, over time, and because of her love for her daughter, she had eventually relented.
"Hurry up, Meteria, or we'll be late!" Bell called from the front door of the house. Zeus was already outside, waiting for the two of them to come out. From upstairs, the hurried footsteps of the girl could be heard, and soon, she appeared, descending the stairs in a little blue dress with lots of ruffles.
"And Mom?" the girl asked as she reached her father.
"She'll come later, okay? We're going first with Grandpa Zeus," Bell explained with a smile.
That year, old Babama had convinced Bell that he and his partner should give a small show — a sparring match between the two for the entertainment of the villagers. Convincing Bell hadn't been difficult, but convincing the vampire had been another story. In the end, Bell had persuaded her by agreeing that she wouldn't have to accompany them to the festival all day if they participated together in the sparring match.
The three of them walked down the hill, and from afar, they could already see the food and artisan stalls that had been set up.
"This year, there will be a discus throw and javelin event," Zeus commented.
"What's that?" the little girl asked, hopping along while holding her father's hand.
"It's a competition where several competitors throw discs or javelins, and the important thing is how far they can throw them," the old god explained.
"Oh… Is that what you and Mom will be doing?" she asked her father.
"No, your mom and I will be having a little fight."
"Like when you train?"
"That's right," Bell nodded.
"Will you train with me one day, Dad?"
"Of course, little one," he said with a smile, ruffling her white hair with his free hand.
When they arrived at the center of the village, where the festival was taking place, Zeus hoisted little Meteria onto his shoulders, as the girl wanted to see everything. They walked past the artisan stalls and grabbed something to eat and drink while heading to watch the first event of the day — the races.
-] [-
"Shall we train here?" Meteria's voice snapped Bell out of his memories. They had arrived at a small grove just before reaching the city wall.
"Yes." As soon as Bell spoke, his daughter pulled their weapons out of her inventory, handing him his new weapon, and taking out her sword, *Bloodrose, for herself.
Meteria's sword was long and slender, with details resembling overlapping petals. Its red finish gave it the appearance of a blossoming rose, which is why its hilt was adorned with thorn-like details, giving the weapon its name.
"You're not using your daggers, huh?" Meteria shrugged.
"I think the sword will make the training more interesting."
Bell smiled at his daughter's playfulness and immediately told her that using her weapon's special ability was off-limits. Meteria simply nodded in agreement.
The two stood facing each other, with at least two hundred meters between them. Bell gripped Arleshalt tightly in its sword form and quickly held it in front of him, covering his torso, knowing that his daughter, as always, would be the first to attack. And indeed, the training began intensely, with Meteria lunging forward with a powerful thrust. The sound of metal clashing echoed throughout the area, but she barely managed to make Bell take a step back.
In a matter of seconds, they separated, and this time, it was Bell's turn to attack. With a fluid sword movement aimed at Meteria's legs, she barely dodged it by jumping just in time.
"That was a good one!" Bell praised, impressed by his daughter's agility. But the compliment didn't distract the little vampire, who was determined to win the bout.
Meteria quickly moved back and began circling her father like a beast hunting its prey, trying to find an opening to deliver a precise blow.
Meanwhile, Bell switched his sword from hand to hand, and at one moment, Arleshalt glowed brightly and altered its form, transforming into a long-reaching spear. Meteria's eyes widened in surprise — for a moment, she had forgotten that the weapon could change shapes. Bell wasted no time and began thrusting the spear, which his daughter skillfully dodged with agile leaps from side to side.
As they fought, Bell's heart swelled with pride at how well his daughter was fighting. He still remembered when she was a small child, begging her parents to let her practice with them. Her movements were as delicate and fluid as her mother's. She had undoubtedly inherited much from her.
-] [-
"Is she here yet? We don't have all day, boy," old Babama said. The next event would be the Cranel family's turn, and the entire village was present to watch.
"She should be here any moment…" Bell explained, urging him to wait a bit longer.
Suddenly, a purple portal formed out of nowhere, and from its dark depths emerged a pale-skinned young woman with bright crimson eyes, dressed in white. As she approached them, she smiled with her thin lips. "Sorry, I know I'm late…" she let out a small yawn and stretched her arms as the portal behind her faded away. "Ready?" she asked, speaking only to Bell.
"No, but that's never stopped me." The young man smiled and made his way to the mats laid out on the ground. Ropes surrounded the mats, marking the ring and separating them from the audience.
Tear followed him, but old Babama stopped her.
"Take off your sandals, please." The young woman stood perplexed for a moment, not used to humans giving her orders. Bell had softened her over the years, and most of the villagers no longer feared her like they once did. But that didn't mean her relationship with humans was close. She had come to love and respect Bell, but she still didn't care much about the others. So, it still felt strange for her to interact with them.
In the end, she complied with Babama's request, removing her sandals and placing them to the side of the mats.
"Hm? The ground feels soft…" she said, rocking back and forth on the padded mats.
"It's to keep anyone from getting hurt," Bell explained.
"I sometimes forget how fragile most of you are…"
"Hey, be nice…" Bell scolded, glancing at the other humans, knowing how hard it had been to build a relationship between the villagers and the vampire. "Besides, our daughter is half-human."
"I said most, not all." Tear smiled, showing her fangs.
"Well, I suppose that's progress coming from you…"
"See? I'm still learning," she teased, sticking out her tongue and pulling out a large sword from her inventory, which she tossed to Bell. He laughed at the teasing gesture and caught the sword by the hilt. Tear then drew daggers for herself.
"Daggers?" Bell asked, somewhat astonished. He had never seen her use that type of weapon before.
"I prefer spears, but if I used them, this fight would end too quickly," she said with a shrug. "Besides, I'll also limit my physical abilities to your level."
"How considerate…" Bell replied sarcastically.
Babama took a few steps back from the mats and announced the start of the fight with a shout of "Here we go!"
"You can do it, Dad! Show Mom who's boss!" shouted six-year-old Meteria, cheering both of her parents equally. Beside her, Zeus let out a hearty laugh.
"Come on, Bell! You can beat that little mosquito! I believe in you!" the old god encouraged his grandson, earning a fierce glare from Tear.
"The usual rules?" Bell asked, gripping his sword firmly.
"Yes, we'll stop when you decide to give up," Tear replied with a sinister smile as she twirled the daggers in her hands. "Or when I knock you unconscious, whichever happens first…"
"How kind of you…"
"Consider it a gift…" Tear winked at him.
"Get started already!" Babama shouted at them. However, neither of them moved, remaining completely still, staring at each other intently. "Did you hear me?" asked the village chief.
"Do I go first, or do you?" Bell asked.
"Ladies first," Bell said with a slight bow, though he never took his eyes off his partner.
"Stop flirting and start already!" Zeus called out, causing the other villagers t zooo murmur amongst themselves. "If I wanted to watch them flirt, I'd have stayed home…"
Suddenly, the metallic sound of a dagger cutting through the air silenced everyone. The spectators turned their attention to the combat zone and saw one of Tear's daggers being blocked by Bell's sword. Tear took advantage of the moment and closed thgape between them, attacking again.
"You were a little slow…" Tear murmured with a slight pout.
"Well… I expected you to be faster." The vampire laughed.
"Oh! Someone's feeling bold today… I can be much faster."
"Funny… you usually like to take your time."
"You're such a cheeky bastard," Tear retorted, but despite the angry tone in her voice, a broad smile lit up her face.
"Hey! Your daughter and other children are here!" shouted one of the spectators. "Go back to trying to stab each other! What are you waiting for?" Either the couple didn't hear her, or they decided to ignore her, as both resumed their fight.
Tear jumped back, raising a dagger to point it at Bell. "Alright, let's take this up a notch…"
Without a second's hesitation, Tear rushed toward Bell, ready to land a powerful blow, but Bell jumped and evaded her. The momentum of Tear's charge carried her to the edge of the mat, where she stopped just short of stepping out. She quickly turned to attack again, and this time, Bell barely managed to dodge her.
Meteria watched the fight with excitement, her eyes gleaming as she observed her parents' battle. Despite her young age, she could already sense the immense gap in power between her and her parents. They were far faster and had incredible control over their bodies and weapons—Meteria could barely keep up with their movements. She noticed that her mother was gradually increasing her speed.
Bell dodged the attacks as best he could, but instead of seeing Tear's figure, the spectators only saw a white blur darting around him.
"Come on, Bell!" Tear's voice echoed just as Bell dodged another strike. "You know this won't work on me." He sidestepped. "You're not going to trap me in a pattern." He evaded again, this time to the other side, but a white flash appeared in front of him. "I'm changing the pace…"
Instead of the quick jabs she had been throwing, Tear swung her dagger toward Bell. She expected him to jump back, duck, or try to move to the side, but instead, Bell made a different decision. He bent his knees, ducked low, and charged forward.
Tear had been partially correct in anticipating Bell's plan, but the young man wasn't trying to force her into a predictable pattern. His idea was to wait for something to change in her repetitive movements and exploit that opening. Bell advanced, grabbed Tear by the arm, lifted her entirely, and with a quick spin, he threw her down onto the padded ground. Tear hit the mats with a soft thud.
She looked up to see Bell preparing to swing his sword at her. A wicked smile appeared on her face.
"You really are taking it up a notch!" she said, still on the ground. With an elegant and fluid movement, Tear kicked her legs up, flipping herself to her feet. With her daggers poised, she lunged at Bell again, this time aiming with both blades.
Bell adjusted his stance and managed to block the daggers with the edge of his sword. Though the weapon was long, there were still gaps that left him vulnerable. Some of Tear's strikes slipped through those spaces, coming dangerously close to cutting him. A few attacks came so near that they sliced through strands of his white hair.
Had Bell not undergone years of grueling, spartan-like training under Tear and his grandfather, the fight would have ended long ago. But though he felt proud of how long he was lasting in the battle, he couldn't relax for a second. The longer the fight went on, the more likely it was that he would make a mistake and lose.
Bell gathered momentum and charged forward again, using his sword like a shield to block Tear's dagger strikes, managing to push her back a few steps. He took advantage of the upper hand to launch his own offensive.
The blades of their weapons clashed with a loud crash. Tear, who had been holding back so that the fight wouldn't end too quickly, shifted into a defensive stance, deflecting Bell's fast and precise strikes. Bell's relentless assault forced the vampire to lose ground bit by bit.
-] [-
Meteria took deep breaths, trying to analyze her father's movements. Her pale skin was slick with sweat, but despite her body's fatigue, her spirit was elated. Without a doubt, her father was one of the strongest people she had ever fought, not counting the times her mother had trained her as a child.
Bell's new weapon had returned to its sword form, and he was now entirely on the offensive. Meteria, meanwhile, remained on the defensive. Her sword, *Bloodrose, had a unique property—it could become as flexible as a whip at her will, making it excellent for deflecting her father's quick and forceful strikes.
For a long while, Meteria focused solely on blocking her father's attacks. His experience and skill were extraordinary, and though she couldn't land a hit, she was doing her best to not lose ground. Eventually, though, she was forced to put some distance between them, which Bell took advantage of to once again change the form of his weapon.
This time, Arleshalt morphed into a lightweight bow. Bell created arrows from his own energy and began firing them at Meteria, who dodged them with graceful leaps and spins. Thankfully, she possessed superhuman flexibility, allowing her to contort her body without issue. They continued in this way for some time—Bell launching energy arrows, and Meteria evading them with acrobatic precision.
After a while, Bell decided to change tactics, not wanting to waste too much energy on the arrows. He shifted Arleshalt's form once again, this time transforming it into two identical daggers, intricately detailed in their hilts. Meteria barely had time to react before her father closed the gap between them in a matter of seconds. She dodged his attack, but the daggers managed to slice through a few more strands of her white hair.
Now fully aware that she could no longer relax, Meteria found herself in a close-quarters fight. The daggers allowed her father to attack at an even faster pace, and she was surprised by the fluidity with which he handled Arleshalt. It was a completely new weapon, yet he wielded it as though it were an extension of his own body. As the practice continued, Bell gained the upper hand, and Meteria found herself overwhelmed by the difference in their abilities.
-] [-
In her mind, Tear felt proud and happy seeing how well Bell was fighting. It would be a clear victory for him if he could only manage to push her out of the ring. Bell had employed a simple tactic, but one that, when applied well, could be effective before the opponent even realized they had lost. Of course, this wasn't the case with Tear, who far exceeded Bell in experience and skill. That's why the vampire began her counterattack.
They circled each other, blocking and dodging each other's strikes, occasionally pushing one another without either gaining ground. Every move was calculated; every strike precisely blocked, and each attack deftly parried and countered.
The longer the fight dragged on, the more the spectators noticed that something wasn't right. Bell and Tear were starting to anticipate each other's moves, reacting as if they knew exactly what the other would do, almost instinctively. Somehow, it looked less like a fight and more like a dance, where both participants were following the rhythm perfectly.
Zeus was among the first to notice this. He knew how deep their connection was for them to be so in sync. As the god watched Tear's white dress swirl through the combat area, he noticed that both fighters exchanged smiles during the battle. It was at that moment that Zeus realized how intimately Tear and his grandson knew each other. They were so accustomed to the other's movements that it was as if they knew their own like the back of their hand.
Bell took a deep breath, trying to plan his next move. He knew he couldn't keep up with Tear much longer—soon, he'd reach a point where he wouldn't be able to counter her attacks. Just as that thought crossed his mind, he felt a hard blow to his back. Before he could turn to defend himself, he was struck again.
Tear was quick to press her advantage, moving in to land another blow, but this time, Bell counterattacked. Tear blocked his strike with her dagger, but she noticed there was more strength behind this attack than his previous ones. Was Bell giving his all now, or had he been holding back the entire time? Just how strong could he be if he pushed himself to the limit?
It didn't matter. Tear was still blocking him with one hand while preparing to deliver the final strike with the other. She moved to land her blow, but Bell made his move as well, jumping high to land a powerful kick.
"Ow!" Tear yelped as the kick knocked one of the daggers from her hand, sending it skidding across the mat.
For a brief moment, time seemed to freeze. They locked eyes with intensity, gripping their remaining weapons even tighter. Without a word, both dashed toward each other at full speed. Tear leaped at Bell, while he swung his sword toward her.
And then, it was over. The spectators stood in stunned silence. It had all happened in seconds, but slowly, they began to understand what had transpired:
Tear's dagger was pressed lightly against Bell's pale throat, while Bell's sword hovered just above Tear's neck. Neither could hold back any longer, and both burst into laughter, collapsing onto the ground, exhausted.
"You held back quite a bit, didn't you?" Bell said, grinning from ear to ear.
"It would have been boring otherwise," Tear chuckled. "You did really well this time…" she admitted sincerely.
"I think it's all thanks to your training…" Bell replied, glancing up at the blue sky above them. "During the fight, I started to feel it… All those years wielding different weapons weren't in vain."
"There's no better teacher than me," Tear said with a proud smile, also looking up at the sky. "And you're a very good student."
Bell looked over at her, admiring her delicate profile, his fingers drumming lightly on the hilt of his sword still lying nearby.
Suddenly, breaking the peaceful atmosphere, Tear jumped up and said, "Alright, take off that shirt!"
"Not here!" the spectators shouted in unison.
Bell sat up and saw Zeus covering Meteria's ears while Babama shielded her eyes. Several of the villagers were doing the same with their children.
"Your daughter is here! We're all here!" Babama shouted frantically.
"Babama, you're hurting my eyes!" Meteria complained, trying to remove the old man's hands from her face. After a moment of confusion, Bell managed to explain what Tear had meant, and a few moments later, he sat shirtless on the mat, while Tear sat behind him, using magic to heal his wounds.
-] [-
Back in the training ground, the clashing sound of metal echoed through the trees. Bell had gone fully on the offensive, and Meteria could barely find small openings to land her sword strikes or kicks.
At one point, a series of roots on the ground caused Meteria to stumble backward, nearly losing her balance entirely. But that small moment of instability was all her father needed to land a powerful sword strike that almost knocked her weapon from her hands. It was a critical moment, and the fight was slipping out of Meteria's grasp. She took a few steps back, and at that moment, she thought of her next move.
Bell was feeling confident with his new weapon. Arleshalt suited him perfectly, crafted to his measure. When he saw his daughter retreat, he thought it was the perfect time to land the final blow—he didn't expect what happened next.
From the sky, four spears of light descended, aimed directly at him. Bell managed to dodge the first two and block the third with his sword, but the fourth struck him square in the side of his abdomen, leaving him completely paralyzed. Bell's eyes widened with a mixture of surprise and annoyance—his daughter had used magic.
Meteria didn't waste another second and delivered her final strike, shouting loudly: "Whisper!"
A massive invisible shockwave shot toward Bell's motionless body. Unable to move, he could do nothing to avoid it. The kinetic energy struck him fully, knocking him backward into the tall grass. As soon as he hit the ground, Bell burst into hearty laughter.
"You cheater!" he accused as he sat up. Meteria laughed along with him, merely shrugging her shoulders.
"Mom always said, when you're up against someone stronger, you have to strike in ways they never expect," she explained.
"I see you've learned well… You really are like your mother, even down to her bad habits."
"Hey!" Meteria laughed, giving him a playful shove.
Father and daughter laughed, completely exhausted but happy.
After finishing their training, they decided to head back home, though they made a stop in the city center first to buy dinner. They wanted to surprise Hestia with a meal ready for when she returned.
With the night's dinner bought—fried fish skewers and potatoes—the Cranel family made their way back to the abandoned church where they now lived.
"Wow, look how late it's gotten…" Meteria remarked to her father as they walked through a dimly lit alleyway, watching the sun begin to set on the horizon. They were descending a set of stairs when a young woman came running toward them and accidentally collided with Bell, falling to the ground.
"Are you alright?" Bell asked, visibly concerned, reaching out to help her up, but he heard someone approaching from behind.
"You won't escape, Pallum!" A young man with his hair tied back approached them at great speed, drawing his sword as he prepared to strike. Bell blocked him easily with his own sword.
"Who are you? Do you know her?" the young man demanded, his voice filled with frustration. Bell shoved him back, causing him to sheath his sword reluctantly.
"No…" Bell replied.
"Then why are you protecting her?" the man snapped, preparing to draw his weapon again when he noticed Meteria standing behind Bell, her crimson eyes glaring intensely at him, a terrifyingly dark aura beginning to swirl around her. The young man swallowed hard, suddenly overcome with fear.
"Because she's a girl, and she looks like she's in trouble," Bell answered calmly. The young man's face twisted with a mixture of anger and fear, but after glancing once more at Meteria's threatening presence, he sighed in defeat and hurriedly turned to leave.
"What was that about?" Meteria asked, now more at ease as the man disappeared into the distance.
"I have no idea…" Bell replied, turning around, only to find that the woman they had just saved had vanished as well. "She's gone…"
"She must've been scared and ran off," Meteria suggested with a shrug. Bell agreed, though he couldn't shake the thought of the mysterious woman from his mind as they resumed their walk home.
-] [-
The next morning, the Hestia familia woke up early. Bell and Meteria were excited to return to the dungeon after a day of rest, and Hestia waved them off from the entrance of the old church, wishing them good luck before heading to her own work later in the day.
The streets were misty with a heavy fog, and adventurers flooded the roads, just like Bell and Meteria, ready to descend into the dungeon that day.
"Hey, you! White-haired boy!" A voice called out, causing Bell to stop in his tracks and turn around, feeling like the voice was directed at him. Sure enough, a young woman with a small frame, golden eyes, and brown hair approached him. "Sorry to interrupt you… are you looking for support?"
The young woman was wearing a white cloak with a hood that covered part of her head, concealing her features slightly.
"You're the girl from yesterday!" Bell exclaimed, pointing his finger at her. "The Pallum girl from last night!"