The Fallen Argonaut

Rated; M (Blood/Gore)

Disclaimer; I do not own Danmachi or anything created by the author Fujino Ōmori, all rights go to him

Authors: Eli-er01 ViceroyChalister

Summary: The will of a hero is strong, yet unwavering but all good things must come to an end, even at the cost of one's Heroic Will. Imprisoned and blamed for a crime he hadn't committed, Bell seeks a way out of his predicament so that he can live without fear of being hunted by the people he once looked up to.

11: Grief

Adrienne POV

=Tanjouno Estate=

Flashback:

I could feel myself giggle out loud as I felt Bache's belly move from the baby.

"Hey Bache," she looked down at me with a questioning gaze "What are you going to name the baby?" The question shocked Bache as she looked up, thinking about it

"I'm not too sure, I've never been a mother before and I didn't know my own" she said while absentmindedly patting my head.

"What about Adira?" I suggested, giving Bache my brightest smile.

"Adira… Hmm. I don't know, what does it mean?" Bache asked. I knew how amazoness are very focused on having babies and she definitely wants hers to feel special.

"It means 'Noble and Powerful'. My aunt taught me many names and their meaning before…" I looked away, remembering what had happened. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her look down, face filled with shame.

"Don't worry Bache! I have forgiven you" I hugged her as I looked up from her side, begging with my eyes for her to stop being so down.

"Thank you… But I can't decide upon my baby's name. Nothing really feels… right" I understood what she meant. I have had many things that didn't feel right, and it only takes time to find the right one.

"Why don't you ask ?" I asked. is good at everything and he's so strong. He's the closest thing I have to a father.

"I don't think that's a good idea. If there is one thing I know, it's that Bell is not good with names" I was shocked. isn't good with names? But he's good at everything!

"No, no one is good at everything. Just like I have issues with showing my emotions and opening up sometimes. Bell has other problems. It's best I get a list ready and then consult him" I looked at Bache confused.

"What does 'Consult' mean?" Bache looked at me for a second before smiling.

"It means that you are looking for information from a person, but it can also be used with deciding something with someone" I nodded, getting a pretty good idea of the meaning.

"Hey. What are Bache and my little cousin up to out here I wonder?" I turned around, smiling at the person walking towards them.

"Eiko!" I exclaimed, getting up to my feet happily and hugging her. Eiko laughed as she patted my head.

"You're always so energetic Adrienne. What were you talking about?" She asked.

"Oh! We were discussing what to name Bache's baby!" Eiko seemed to smile wider at the mention before plopping down the opposite side to where I was earlier. I did the same on the other end of Bache.

"Now, is there anything in particular that you want for your child as a name?" Eiko said as Bache gave her a thoughtful look.

"I don't know. I just wanted the name to feel… perfect. None have done that so far" Bache said as I thought back to anything I could for a name. My eyes widened as I thought of something.

"How about Celia? It was your sister's name, right?" I asked, Bache's eyes widening as she snapped her head to me. Her eyes gained a fond look before shaking her head.

"No… I want a name that Bell can also feel like it's perfect. Knowing how he acts, he will just tell me it's perfect despite his opinion" She said. Even I had to agree to that. was really nice. A little too nice sometimes.

"Also, it would feel wrong. My sister died a fighter, which is a warrior's way to die. I don't want that life for my daughter, and naming her would be the opposite of throwing that wish away" Bache explained.

"Well, on the topic of death. We've had a couple of close calls coming here to the far east thinking about it" Bache said, looking up with a reminiscing look. She was right, on the way we had been attacked by many bandits and wandering monsters.

"Some got too close to you for comfort. If anything happened to you… I don't know what i'd do" I thought back about what my mommy used to say.

'No matter if the people you care about leave you, a part of them that cares will always live on within you. It is your job to keep that part alive and pass it on'

"Well… If something ever happened to me. You could always name the baby after me. It would be a way to remember me, and keep the part of me within you alive" I said, smiling. After I got no response, I opened my eyes and noticed the two staring at me wide eyed.

"What?" I exclaimed, confused at the looks. Bache grabbed me and pulled me into a hug.

"Don't talk like that. I couldn't bear to lose you too" I could hear the suppressed laughter in her voice as Eiko joined in. After that, we wrestled for a little while, Bache being careful not to make too sudden movements as we had fun. Time flew by, and before we knew it, it was time to sleep. The day before was going to end this all at that challenge.

=Tanjouno Estate=

Normal POV

Bache was frozen. Her eyes shook as her fists clenched in disbelief. Right in front of her was a very tired Bell, walking in through the recently fixed gates with bloodshot eyes, and tears still leaking down his cheeks.

It wasn't that which she couldn't believe she was seeing, no. It was whose limp body he was carrying in his arms, her head leaning onto Bell's shoulder.

'Adrienne? No… No… Not again… NOT AGAIN' Bache's thoughts were in disarray as she tried to comprehend the situation. Bell looked up at Bache with grief filled eyes that showed that he was clearly hating himself, probably reprimanding himself about his lack of ability.

Bache knew better. He didn't lack ability, it was just that they were well hidden. To the point that it took him 3 days to find them, when they couldn't even find a single clue, granted they were trying to get him to rest.

He looked about ready to collapse, but stubbornly refused. His control over his conscience with such a lack of energy was truly impressive, but Bache couldn't think about that.

Hey eyes were stuck on the wounds around Adrienne's body. She had clearly been tortured, but to what extent, she couldn't know as the enemy had used potions, indicated from some scars that weren't present until she was kidnapped.

Bache walked unsteadily forward, and stopped right in front of Bell. Her hand shaking as she moved a strand of her jetblack locks. She couldn't hold it anymore, tears started to flow as sobs escaped her mouth.

The first person she had let in since her sister… was gone. Her sisters would scoff if they saw her break down right now, but she could just tell them all to go and burn in hell.

Bell collapsed on the ground again as she heard him mumble something over and over.

"Sorry...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry" He seemed to do his best to keep himself together. He was definitely doing a better job than Bache as she noticed that she was leaning over, and full on crying into Bache's abdomen, squeezing her tattered clothing.

"I couldn't do anything… I'm so… worthless…" Bell said absentmindedly. Adrienne had become an integral part of Bell's life in the 4 months he had been around her constantly.

It was like losing Hestia all over again. He couldn't help but question if the gods above were playing some cosmic joke and laughing at his despair as Hestia was complaining about their lack of empathy.

At that thought, he remembered she wasn't in Tenkai, and not in Gekai either… Bell's eyes watered more as he felt Psych stabilize his mental state for the hundredth time the last hour or so.

After a while, Bell felt a hand on his shoulder, squeezing in a comforting way. Bell knew who it was. Eiko was too busy having collapsed by the entrance to the main house for Bell to do that. The only other person apart from Asuka, who he could feel was where he last saw her, next to a guard looking down, was Erebus.

Bell looked up, staring into Erebus grey eyes that were filled with pity. Bell knew well enough that Erebus did feel sad, but he was an expert at hiding it. He had told him of when he learnt of Alfia's and Zald's deaths. It was clear he had felt pain by the way he clenched his fists, but his face was blank as if he felt nothing.

"I'm sorry… she was a wonderful child. Did you at least make the ones responsible pay?" Bell nodded before standing up, forcing himself to stay strong, long enough to get Adrienne's body inside and onto her bed, until they could prepare a proper burial.

Once that was done, the days after flowed without emotion. Bell, Bache and Eiko woke up early, unable to sleep and ate breakfast, sulked around before eating again. Rinse and repeat. It was as if they were on autopilot.

Bell was the only one thinking relatively clearly and was recovering faster than the others because of his development ability.

Erebus had once explained the 7 stages of grief. Shock and Denial, which went over fairly fast for Bell as he quickly understood and accepted that she was gone. The next one was Pain and guilt.

That one took a bit longer, 3 days for Bell. The others… they were still there. The one he had recently gone through was anger and bargaining, which he continuously lashed out on anyone that interrupted him with anything. He had felt bad after, but it was as if he had no control over it or himself.

The one he was struggling with right now, was depression. He felt like the world was collapsing. Everything was so… colorless, without emotion, like it would never be the same, which Bell knew it wouldn't. Adrienne's energetic personality could've put Bell from his most sour moods into a happy smiling one.

This was the stage Bell had feared the most, but was not as bad as he thought. It was clear Psych was making the depression significantly less effective, clearing his mind enough for him to think clearly.

The worst thing of them all, was at Adrienne's funeral which even the Empress came to, giving her own regards to the Adrienne who was taken too soon. Bell all but wanted to run to the end of the world and never return. He just wanted to crawl into a hole and die as he felt worse than he had since Hestia's demise and everything that happened.

It was the lowest point he had during his grief, and it didn't get much better the coming days.

All Bell could hope for right now was that things were going to get better soon… after all, 5 days of grief was already enough for him, and he felt bad for Bache and Eiko who would be feeling it for much, much longer.

=2 Weeks later=

Bell was sitting in his chair, back exposed as he fiddled with the Ribbon that Adrienne had given him. It was a way for him to cope, and progress faster but his depression hadn't decreased even by a little. It was like he was stuck.

Bache had clearly entered her Anger and Bargaining stage. He could barely talk to her without having her fist sent flying towards his face. If she wasn't nearly 5 months pregnant, and holding back because of it, he would not have been able to dodge as easily as he normally would, which still wasn't a picnic.

Behind Bell, was Erebus, who was updating his status for the first time since before the challenge. Bell honestly didn't care about it right now, he just wanted to get Erebus off his back about it. He was clearly taking his time with it as he felt the swipes with his finger very slowly write on his back.

Bell sighed sadly as he thought back to his first night after Adrienne had… yeah. He couldn't sleep, even with how tired he was. In total, he hadn't slept for another 2 days after that as the only way he managed to get some shuteye was if his body completely collapsed from exhaustion.

It was simultaneously the best and worst sleep he ever had. The best because of how tired he was, and the worst because of the dreams he had of Adrienne. Some were happy memories that sent painful shocks into his heart, even now, thinking about it. Others… weren't so happy. The majority was a continuous loop of her dying in his arms.

It had been utter hell and he had honestly thought he deserved it.

He looked out the window to the room, thinking back to his first meeting with Adrienne with a sad smile. It had been a good moment for him where a person tried to comfort him in his grief of losing everything. Bell would even go as far as to say he loved Adrienne for it, and he did. He loved her like she was his own little sister, maybe… even as a daughter. A single tear fell down his eye, something that was becoming a common occurrence for him in his life.

Bell was snapped out of his thoughts as he felt Erebus stop writing before putting a piece of paper on his back. Bell wiped the tear from his eye before his mind felt clearer than before, and less… sad. His depression became less apparent and potent. Bell instantly had a suspicion as to why, but waited to confirm it. He gave it to Bell who gave it an absentminded lookover.

Bell noticed that the only change was Psych increasing by two ranks. His suspicion was correct. Because of his constant toll on his mental health, Psych had leveled up, increasing his resistance to mental attacks which depression clearly was counted as.

"I want to say congratulations, but under the circumstance, I will refrain" Bell glared at Erebus as he practically already said congratulations to him right there.

"But, I wanted to inform you that you can level up. It seems what you have done those 3 days was enough to push you over the edge. Perhaps it's because it meant more to you so the excelia was more meaningful and potent" He explained as Bell nodded.

"You have two development abilities to choose from. It's either Knifeman, or Intuition" He said before continuation

"Knifeman is obvious. It makes you stronger and more efficient when using knives. Intuition though is a rare ability. It seems that you have had a tendency to follow it throughout your time with a falna. My guess at its effects is that it makes your gut feeling or intuition more accurate"

Bell nodded, having instantly figured out what he needed. Intuition was definitely the right choice. After all, Knifeman is dependent on the condition of the user using a knife and as Bell now uses a wider variety of weapons, most of the time, it wouldn't be active. Intuition thought would always be active. It would always help him, so he told him to pick it, before giving him his first status as a level 5.

Name: Bell Cranel

Lv 4 - 5

Status:

{STR} SSS-1399 - I-0

{VIT} SSS-1399 - I-0

{DEX} SSS-1399 - I-0

{AGI} SSS-1399 - I-0

{MAG} SSS-1399 - I-0

Magic:

Firebolt: Swift strike magic. Casts a bolt of fire and electricity on command that explodes on impact upon impacting any surface.

Skills:

Liaris Freeze: Precocious Maturation. The effect is maintained so long as the user maintains their feelings, and the effect is heightened depending on how strong these feelings are (Current Bonus: 976%)

Argonaut: Heroic strike, the possibility of turning any situation around with an overwhelming amount of force. Able to be dual charged but drains massive amounts of mind power.

Scourge: Raises the power of the user exponentially depending on the amount of Malice the user lets out

Development Abilities:

Luck: F

Abnormal Resistance: E

Psych: G

Intuition: I

"Congratulations, you're officially first class" Erebus sassed at him as Bell glared.

"Didn't you just say you shouldn't congratulate me?" He asked, the glare becoming softer as he remembered Erebus' personality.

"I couldn't help myself" He said simply before he gained a questioning gaze

"Although, I've recently had trouble with a question…" Bell rolled his eyes, here we go again.

"If an adventurer punches himself and it hurts… are they too strong or too weak?" He asked as Bell groaned. Why did Erebus keep asking these damn questions?

"They would definently be too stupid" Bell responded as Erebus laughed.

"Oh dear lord… That sounds like something Alfia would say" Erebus smiled at the thought. He had in fact asked that very same question to her, and guess what… she answered with 'Definently too stupid'

"Glad to know I take after her" Bell said with a tiny smile, mood lifted slightly at the mention of a relative, deceased or not.

"Anyway, I'm gonna go visit Adrienne. I haven't done it recently" Bell said as he stood up. Erebus rolled his eyes at him.

"You visited her 2 hours ago" Bell shrugged absentmindedly as he made his way to the door.

"Like I said… not enough" Bell closed the door behind him before sighing and making his way down the stairs. As Bell walked outside, the rain poured over his hair, completely drenching it. He ignored it, and kept walking as his hair became more flat than usual, the miniature ponytail he was sporting, falling out of its place making the hair fall over his face.

He just kept ignoring it as he walked towards the grave, accompanied by other deceased members of the Tanjouno house. Bell knelt down at the grave, before sitting in a seiza position, silently not moving an inch.

"I'm sorry… I couldn't… I couldn't save you. I know you have heard this more times than you can probably bear, but… The pain of knowing you're gone… it's… unbearable" Bell said, releasing his inner emotions. He had quickly decided to let as much out as possible, as even with his development ability, keeping himself together as much as possible all the time just made the excess emotions bubble up.

He doesn't want them to explode, so this is his own personal release. Bell could faintly feel eyes on his back, but he ignored it as he kept emptying his heart.

"I leveled up… if you can believe. I don't even know how, maybe because it meant more to me so the excelia was worth more than usual… But I don't feel like I deserve it. I failed… yet I leveled up" Bell continued on talking, reminiscing about his past. He had only leveled up in the past when he succeeded.

The Minotaur, Hyakinthos and escaping Kauhea Forbande

Now, his feat was a failure? Then why did he level up? What truly were the conditions for a level up? Is it simply that one needs enough excelia to overexert the stat or was there something more… something deeper to it? Was the concept of a feat that impresses the gods false?

The last question in his mind sent a feeling through his gut as he somehow knew he was right. 'Is this… Intuition?' Bell thought as he pondered the possibility.

"I failed you, and for that I am sorry Adrienne" Bell finished his previous sentence before just sitting there, letting the tears fall until they stopped. In his mind, he kept pondering about the level up system as it now intrigued him, and it was a welcome distraction from the pain.

If you don't need to achieve a feat that specifically impresses the gods… then what was it? What is the common factor with every level up he had achieved and heard of.

'Ais defeats Udaeus alone, I defeat a minotaur, Welf marches through the middle floors, Aisha fights me, I defeat Hyakinthos, I escape Kauhea forbade...' Bell pondered the possibilities.

There were many things that were in common with all of these. They all at least exercised one stat to their limit and beyond. But what's more?

Bell couldn't figure it out in time before he was interrupted by footsteps approaching behind him. Bell turned his head, before his eyes widened slightly.

"Empress…" He said as she stopped right next to him. She was holding some form of tool that stopped the rain from reaching her.

She noticed Bell's gaze and smiled slightly.

"This is an umbrella. Fascinating invention that a trader traded to me. It has truly served me well. Though, that isn't why I'm here" It was then Bell noticed the bouquet of flowers in her other hand.

She walked closer to the grave before leaning down, leaning the bouquet on the gravestone before kissing the tip.

"Yasuraka ni, watashi no imōto" She said after kissing the stone. Bell faintly recognized the words.

"What does that mean?" Bell asked quietly as Takara smiled.

"The closest translation would be 'Rest in peace, my sister'. It's from the old language that is barely spoken anymore. Only a select few know how to speak it, me and Asuka being two of them" She explained as Bell nodded.

"Yasuraka ni, watashi no imōto" Bell quietly said "I'll remember that" Bell said, forcing himself to remember it.

"What are you planning to do now, Bell?" The empress asked out of nowhere, startling Bell slightly.

"I don't know… I'm thinking about heading back to Telskyura since Bache needs to return. The country has recovered quite a bit, and it's in good hands" Bell said as he noticed the sad expression on Takara's face.

"And here I was getting used to having you around" She muttered before smiling bitterly.

"No matter, it is your life, and you decide what to do with it. If you feel the need to return, then do so. Don't yield your own will for others to decide for you" Bell's eyes widened as a memory of him walking behind his grandpa flowed through his mind.

'Do not yield your will to others. This is… your path' Those words had inspired him to not follow a path in front of him just because it was prepared. He followed what he wanted to do, heeding his grandfather's advice. Bell's respect for Takara skyrocketed in that single moment.

"Bell Cranel…" Takara stared at Bell, surprise completely taking over her face.

"My full name is Bell Cranel, and I am an ex-adventurer from Orario" Bell said, deciding to trust her to not betray him.

"Thank you, Bell Cranel. I will guard that name with my life, and take it with me in death if you so desire" Bell smiled as he shook his head.

"No… I trust you not to tell anyone you don't believe in" Takara smiled before it slightly dimmed.

"So… you're the supposed 'Little Rookie' that betrayed Orario? I find that hard to believe" She said as Bell nodded.

"The things I was charged for were true, but not entirely. I only did those things to protect the ones I love. I unintentionally endangered the public to protect someone that I cared about, and I killed those adventurers because they were trying to kill my goddess and me, though I lost my cool and went too far" Takara nodded.

"Then you're justified. Protecting one's loved ones is an act that shows the character of a good person. The way I see things, Life and death are two sides of the same coin, they happen every day no matter what we do. Death is as much part of life as Life is a part of death. We live, and die, get reborn then die again. It's a cycle that repeats itself endlessly. If you have to take a life, to save another that is special to you, then I see nothing wrong with it" Bell smiled slightly but shook his head slightly.

"I understand your view… but there is a limit to how far you can go… and I passed it" He said bitterly as Takara nodded

"Perhaps, but know that your reason couldn't have been better. There is a difference between being a good person that's pure and simply being naive. If one thinks that there is always an option that avoids death, then they are sorely mistaken. There will always be a situation where at least one person or the other has to die" Bell thought about it for a second. Before he could give his response, Takura spoke up.

"Well… that's enough for philosophical talk. I also wanted to ask if you would be up to come to the Yume Castle tomorrow. Asuka has wanted to ask you something since she moved out of the estate" Bell nodded, not trusting his words for a second.

"Splendid. I will see you tomorrow then… Bell Cranel" She walked off after giving one last squeeze to Adrienne's grave, leaving Bell to think over the talk they had just had.

=20 minutes later=

As Bell entered the manor, his clothes soaked to the skin, dripping on the floor as he walked along, caught the attention of the only person present.

Bache gave him a sad look as she had seen him by Adrienne's grave. She had been about to walk down and apologize for her recent behaviour before she noticed the empress walking up to him. They had talked for a while before Bell had just sat there for 20 minutes.

Bell walked up the stairs before quickly changing clothes and drying his hair. After that, he walked downstairs to the lounge for a minute. When he noticed Bache, arms resting idly on her exposed belly. He gave her a small smile and waved, which she reciprocated, much to his surprise.

"Hey… are you feeling better?" He heard her ask as he sat down on an armchair, to the left of the sofa Bache was sitting on.

"Yes… it's one of the better days. I wanted to apologize for my behaviour" She said as Bell nodded.

"You don't have to. I was at that stage too, remember. I used to lash out for every tiniest detail" He said as Bache nodded before staring at him.

"I was planning on going back to Telskyura soon. I was guessing you wanted to give birth in your home country" Bell said, surprising Bache who nodded slightly, not really wanting to admit it.

"I'll ask Takara tomorrow when I visit Yume castle. She wanted me to come for some reason" Bell said, Bache nodding in understanding as she herself tried to figure out what they could want with Bell. Maybe a reward for his help?

"Hey… I wanted to talk to you too… there is something I felt you deserved to know" Bache nodded as she put herself in a more comfortable position.

"About me forgiving you. I've come to terms with the fact that it's easier said than done…" Bache looked down sadly, understanding where this was going.

"I have been having trouble forgetting, as every time I talk to you, I can't help but remember… and it hurts" Bell said as Bache nodded, before opening her mouth

"Will… will you raise my child…?" She asked, not fully forming her question but Bell understood.

"I have thought about that too, and my answer is the same. I will stay and raise the baby… To be there for her as my father never was for me. I want to prove I am a better one than him, and because of that… I can't just abandon her. After all, she had no choice in being conceived, and it would be unfair to ruin her childhood because of petty grudges" Bell said as Bache released a sigh of relief.

"But at least understand this. I'm not doing it for you, I'm doing it for the baby and in a way, for me" Bell said, trying to sound as calm and friendly as possible. He had seen the looks she had been giving him the last 2 months or so. His suspicions were confirmed when he saw her face scrunch up in pain. He grabbed her shoulder in a soft manner and smiled at her.

"It doesn't mean I won't forgive you eventually. You just have to give me time, it might take years for it to happen, but I will one day truly forgive you" Bache nodded, as she wiped a small tear from her eyes.

"I understand, I had a feeling this was the case too. I couldn't help but hope though…" Bell nodded before looking out one of the open windows, seeing the storm picking up. He stood up and closed the window, before locking it.

"I'm gonna go around and lock the windows before making sure the storehouse is bunkered down. After that, I'm probably going to get some sleep. Try to get some too, I know it's not easy after… Adrienne" Bell said as she flinched slightly "But at least try" He finished before heading outside towards the storehouse.

Bache pulled off her mask, before putting a hand on her face, suppressing a sob as much as she could. To her, it felt like everything was falling apart. The only good thing that had happened to her since her older sister was alive was slowly being torn apart. The only solace she had was that her child was still good and alive, and that Bell would still be around to support the child, though it hurt slightly to know it wasn't for her.

She had expected it, no matter how hard he tried to hide it, her senses as a level 6 were not fooled so easily. She had noticed the strained smiles, the squeezing hands as they talked among other things. It had sent alarm bells through her mind but she had ignored them.

That added to the fact with Adrienne being gone… had been too much for her. She had to cope and recover, which she knew would take some time. The fact that she hadn't undergone a miscarriage from the constant shifts in her emotions was a miracle.

She just hoped it would stay like that. She would hate it if Argana gave birth to a healthy baby when she failed to even deliver it at all. That would be yet another thing she would have had against her.

Bache stood up before walking up the stairs. Normally, one would have slight trouble balancing here and there, but with her status, that was completely alleviated.

Once she was in her room, she quickly closed the window, before changing clothes and getting into her bed. She had laid there for a while considering she had heard Bell enter his own a little while ago.

Eventually, her eyes became groggy before sleep overtook her

=Yume Castle, 12PM=

Bell was walking through the massive hallways of the Royal Yume Castle. He had no idea why Takara had asked him to come here, but he trusted her so there was no reason to decline. Even if they had decided to do something such as betray him, they wouldn't be able to defeat him.

"Bell?" He turned around before locking eyes with Asuka, who looked happy to see him. That and the fact that she practically leapt into his arms with a bone shattering hug kind of gave it away. How did she even have that kind of strength anyway? Is she a secret level 6?

Bell chuckled at the thought before pushing her away slightly.

"It's good to see you too, Asuka. What was it you wanted to ask me?" Bell asked as Asuka nodded.

"You'll see, follow me. I think you're going to love this!" She said, her eyes hiding the sadness Bell knew she had been feeling since that night. At least she seemed to cope better than Bell had the first couple of days.

As he followed her, he noticed a line of guards… just standing there in a kind of… salute? Bell's face morphed into a smile as he got an idea of what this was about, but sad that Adrienne couldn't be there.

Once they walked into the hall where he usually talked to Takara and Amaterasu Bell's eyes widened to dinner plates. He looked around before looking at a mass gathering of people, and multiple Divine mirrors that seem to be two ways so you can see the other side.

How had he not noticed the gathering of people in the streets… there were even divine mirrors from villages outside the capital! Cheers were ringing in his ears, coming from all directions. From the crowd inside the hall as well as from every single divine mirror.

Bell had completely frozen, and eventually noticed Erebus, Eiko, Bache and the other guards that usually were around the Tanjouno estate through one of the mirrors, smiling.

"Alright! I think we all want to allow our honored guest to walk forward" Bell heard Amaterasu say, as he looked at her. Her smile was infectious as she motioned for him to walk forward. In the middle of the path was Takara with Asuka who had joined her during his stupor.

Bell did as asked and walked up to the two.

"Now, we have all gathered here to pay out thanks to the one that is responsible for all the recent changes in our wonderful country!" A loud agreement in the form of a cheer rang around the room before the goddess continued.

"The number of children in poverty has decreased by 78%. The food shortage has been partially resolved, and is making constant progress. Deaths by diseases in a single month have decreased by 97%. All of these statements are true, and none would be if it was not for the man in front of me" Amaterasu said as she walked in between Takara and Asuka.

"If I may ask, could you kneel?" She asked. The fact that she did instead of command spoke volumes to the people of the respect the goddess had for Bell who complied.

"You, a person that came into our country and held no attachment has gone above and beyond to help us while asking for nothing in return. The empress, Me and quite frankly the people cannot stand for that. So we have prepared some rewards for you" Amaterasu finished before performing a motion with her hands as the guards walked into the Hall.

The guards kneeled in front of Bell as he stood up. They were holding up 3 chests for him and when he looked behind him, Asuka, Takara and Amaterasu motioned for him to open them.

Bell reached for the middle chest and opened it. He was practically blinded by the shine from within as gasps were sounded around.

"Our gift to you is the leftover Valis from the assets seized from the corrupt noble houses and illegal criminal organizations, totaling to 150 000 000 Valis. Bell gasped after he had opened the other two chests, revealing even more Valis. Each chest seemed to hold up to 50 000 000 Valis total and it made Bell's head spin.

He had never seen the amount of Valis in front of him and he was practically shaking.

The guards put the chests down before bowing and getting into their positions at the side.

"Now, for the second reward, which is more of a request from Me, and Asuka" Takara said with a smile as Bell forced his gaze to turn away from the valis.

Asuka walked forward with a smile before opening her mouth.

"As the successor to the throne of The Far East, I would like to formally request you, our hero, to accept the title of my first, and leading 'Royal Executioner'" Bell gasped as he had heard the term before and knew what it meant.

"Wait! Me? I'm not even native from here!" Asuka just smiled as she nodded

"I know, but there is no law against appointing someone from another country. We are also making an exception with you as you will hold no obligation to the country. This title is a way to show our support towards you, no matter the situation you happen to get yourself into. The entire Far East is indebted to you and I think I speak for everyone when I say that we want to repay you, even if it will never be enough" She said with a smile as cheers of agreement rang around as tears filled Bell's eyes.

"I… I don't know what to say" He said with a large smile through his eyes "But after that… I can't help but accept" At that single word, the entire hall exploded and Asuka hugged Bell tight, before being joined by Takara and Amaterasu who did the same.

Once they released him, he heard some gasps, making Bell turn around before he froze in awe. In front of him was a mannequin that was brought in with an eerily intimidating armor on it that looks similar to the elite armor of the Far East, but it was thicker and covered more of the skin. Instead of red armor with gold trims, it was entirely black with the gold replaced by red, like a river of blood on an obsidian mountain. The face was covered by a mask that was extravagant to say the least.

The entirety of the suit screamed Far East, the shoulder's armor was long and reached the elbow, followed by studded bracers and gloves. The chest was visibly thick to help with protecting vitals, layered like a reptile's scales down the front in four sections, each one both close enough to keep harm out and loose enough to give great levels of mobility. The waist line has 3 plates hanging down as protection for the crotch alongside the thigh guards that wrapped the legs along shin guards that were also studded like the bracers, and gloves.

The mask was black and shined with an ethereal glow, followed by an opened mouth, the orbits of the eyes were glowing in a red hue with the eye sockets themselves looking as if someone cracked a rock of precious gems open. The most dominant feature though, were the twin golden horns that extended out of the front of the forehead, rising up the middle of the mask and reaching out to the two sides of the head. And within the middle of the golden horns near the base, a ruby sat, and glowed. Emphasizing the blood red details of the trims that lined the edges of the armor plates.

Even though the armor was both extravagant and intimidating, it looked as if it was an engineering masterpiece above all else. It seemed to have mechanisms that shorted or extended as needed to allow room for growth or to pass to another who would be able to handle this beast of equipment.

This would work for Bell as he's grown the past few months, and may still grow more.

'Wow… just wow…' Bell thought as he inspected the armor. He could practically feel the aura of the armor from just seeing it. He walked forward and carefully trazed the red trims as he smiled.

"It's… perfect" Bell said. It had a unique design, that was for sure and it looked incredible.

"Glad you like it. It's made out of a mixture of Adamantite and Mythril to add more magical protection. It's very strong, and will take an extreme amount of punishment to even bend the armor. Truly an armor befit for a hero" She said as Bell smiled and turned around.

"Thank you… You have no idea what this all means to me" Asuka nodded, smiling as Amaterasu walked up to Bell and put her hand on his shoulder.

"This armor is more of a gift, than a reward from us. We know about you planning to leave the Far East, but remember. You will always have a home here. The last gift from us, to you, is ownership of a brand new estate that is located right next to the Yume Palace. It will be maintained by our maids as if it were royal housing and it will wait for you whenever you feel like a visit" Bell nodded, as the tears started to flow more and more. He was so happy… he hadn't felt this happy since before the Xenos incident. He also felt bad that he was this happy when Adrienne had recently died… but he knew she would want him to smile, and stand proud.

"Thank you… Thank all of you" He said as he turned around and addressed the entire hall, and everyone watching.

"I cannot thank you all enough for the hospitality that I have been shown here in the Far East, and I promise you all as you all want to support me, if you all ever need mine, I will be here to help you before you know it!" Bell declared as cheers rang out, people screaming their support as Bell smiled and bowed to them all.

"And we are the same, Bell" Amaterasu replied with a smile. The event soon ended as Bell got help carrying the chests and armor back to the Estate, and he for the first time in weeks, felt content with the world, or at least as much as he could.

=The Far East, Marketplace=

Bell adorned with his new set of armor walked through the marketplace holding the last of his items needed for his departure. Takara and Asuka had been very helpful and had gathered up a large waggon that could carry everything that they had gotten.

As he walked through the streets, he received multiple greetings from grateful people who smiled at him. It felt like his time in Orario before the Xenos happened all over again and he couldn't help but relish in the feeling.

Eventually he reached his destination which was the waggon that was being prepared for him. In the back was Bache and Erebus who were talking to Asuka, Takara, Eiko and Amaterasu who were right outside the waggon. A crowd was gathered around them as would be expected of such a gathering of high standing people.

"Ah, Bell. Is that the last of the items?" Takara asked as she noticed him. Bell nodded before jumping up into the waggon with a swift motion and putting it down. Everything was there.

"Before you all leave, I would like to give you this" Amaterasu said, holding a book and handing it to Bell. After Bell gave it a once over, he gasped.

"Is this… A grimoire?" He asked as Amaterasu nodded.

"We seized it from one of the gods that were helping the Black Kyotes, Raijin. We have sent him back to heaven as he broke the promise we made of not using the Arcanum. This grimoire is special as he made it using his arcanum. Essentially, whatever magic you may learn, it will have the thunder attribute" Bell nodded as he looked down at it. Having more than one attribute of magic is always better than the same type. It makes one more versatile.

"Thank you, Kami-sama. I will make sure to use it to its fullest extent" Bell said with a smile before giving it to Erebus.

"Well… I guess this is goodbye" Takara said with a saddened expression on her face.

"I will return, after all. I have met people here I can call family" Bell responded as the 3 hugged again before making their final goodbyes.

Soon after, they were seen off by the people and rode through the horizon, with the destination of Telskyura.

That's chapter 11 everyone! Things are looking up for Bell now, aren't they? Well, I hope you all enjoyed it and to see you next time!