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.
20: Greater Heights
Twilight Manor, 2 weeks later=
"THIS IS THE THIRD ONE!" Loki's shrill scream was heard all over the twilight manor, some even swore that it could be heard all over Orario.
Finn was currently having his status update and smiled after having flinched at the noise. He sent her a smile as he realized what had happened. He smiled as the success' of their expedition kept on piling up in number
"I-I can't believe it! I've got three level 7's from this!" Loki was pretty much drooling at this point. In a single day, Freya familia had lost one of their two advantages over The Loki familia, and Loki familia made their advantage monumentally stronger. They know not only had more level 6's in total than Freya… but also more level 7's.
This news is going to flip Orario on it's back! It's going to be an uproar! Loki composed herself, wiping some drool from her chin before copying the status on the sheet. She hadn't actually finalized the level up yet, and would give Finn the same choice as she gave the others.
"Finn, do you want to finalize the status now?" She asked as Finn thought about it for a second.
"I would like to see my current status first" He answered as she nodded. She handed the sheet over to Finn before he looked over it. He nodded before he gave it back.
"I'll take the level up now" He said as Loki nodded, having wanted the same, thinking that the status was more than ready for a level up.
"You only have one development ability available so I'll choose it. It's called Commander" She said as she started finalizing the level up "It makes you more aware and sensitive to your environment when in command on a battlefield" She explained what the development ability does. He smiled at that before the status was finished. She handed the paper as he looked it over, memorizing it.
Name: Finn Demine
Lv 6 - 7
Status:
{STR} B-742 - I-0
{VIT} B-711 - I-0
{DEX} S-999 - I-0
{AGI} S-973 - I-0
{MAG} S-967 - I-0
Magic:
Hell Finegas: 'Magic spear, penetrate my forehead offering blood'
Massively strengthens all of Finn's abilities at the cost of proper judgement. Can potentially increase one's ability to the next level depending on one's status.
Tir Na Nog: 'Through the power of my being, imbue this weapon'
Adds all the users levels and ability totals to magic power and uses up massive amounts of mind to coat a spear in magical energy. Power is strengthened massively if the attack is in the form of a throw.
Skills:
Pallum Spirit: Boosts the effect of magic and skills in the face of adversity
Noble Brave: Enhances the users resistance against mental attacks
Dia Fianna: Temporarily allows usage of the development ability 'Spearman' when wielding a spear. Effect is dependent on the users level
Command Howl: Expands transmission functions when the user shouts go over a certain distance. If in a battle, the increase in expansion changes in proportion to the scale of the battlefield
Ail Mac Midna: Provides high resistance against drowsiness, increasing the ability to stay awake. Also increases endurance against the fire element.
Development Abilities:
Hunter: E
Abnormal Resistance: E
Magic Resistance: G
Initiative: G
Chain Attack: G
Commander: I
Finn nodded, happy with the level up, before putting his shirt back on. He pocketed the status sheet before thanking Loki and walking outside before Ais walked in for her update, congratulating him while passing by.
Gareth and Riveria smiled at Finn when he exited. Ais was the last one
"Congratulations Finn, it seems our familia can officially be called the strongest now" Riveria said with a smile as he nodded. It was true after all as Freya familia's only advantage now was that they were more focused on fighting people, while they were on fighting monsters.
Other than that, Loki now held all but that one advantage.
"Indeed. Now, how about we head to the guild and announce that Loki familia officially has two new level 5's and three level 7's?" Finn suggested as the two nodded.
"Aye, Raul and Anakitty finally reached first class. They sure deserve it" Gareth commented as the three headed for the exit of the maze like manor.
Once on the streets, they headed towards the guild, attracting a crowd as usual. Having fame doesn't live up to what others say it is. It's more annoying than anything as you can't really do anything without being scrutinized… and you can barely walk around in public.
Once they reached the guild, Finn mentally prepared himself for the complete chaos that is about to ensue.
They walked up to the counter to the employee that one of them knew well.
"Ah, Eina. It is good to see you again" Riveria said with a smile and bowed her head slightly in greetings.
"Eh? Riviera-sama!? How can I help you?" She asked as Riveria smiled and shook her head
"Just Riveria is fine" She said before she nodded at Finn who stepped forward with the proof of level up.
"We are here to announce level ups from our recent expedition" he began as Eina's face morphed into a serious tone, going full work-mode.
"Alright, let me just get some papers ready" She said, reaching under the counter. She spread out 2 pieces of paper and prepared her pen before nodding at Finn.
"Alright, the first level up is Raul Nord, formerly level 4, now level 5" He said as he handed her his sheet.
"Next is Anakitty Autumn, formerly level 4, now level 5" He did the same. Eina nodded at the conformation before looking up, silently asking if that was it.
"Now, the last three are me, Gareth and Riveria. Formerly level 6, now level 7" He said clearly as Eina blinked, pen not moving as she processed the information.
"Eh… EH…. EHHHHHHH!?" She looked up in absolute shock at the three. Misha, who had been at the counter booth next to her, looked over at Eina with a curious expression. Eina put one hand on her chest and forced herself to calm down. She wouldn't scream out information like she had done in the past. She had learnt from her mistakes.
"Alright…" Eina said before Finn handed her the status sheets. They obviously didn't show anything but the name and level of the user, but the ichor of a god was unmistakable.
She confirmed that it was true and wrote it down before nodding at Finn.
"I will get this processed as fast as I can" She said politely and bowed, before heading into the back
Riveria smiled at her friend's daughter's retreating form before turning to Finn.
"Now we just have to wait for the commotion to start" Finn muttered as Gareth chuckled.
"Indeed, warn me once it happens. I don't want to be in a 100 meter radius of it" Riveria asked Finn. She hated chaos and commotions. It was a nuisance and being near it only gave her headaches.
"I'll make sure I do once Loki warns me…" Finn answered as Gareth just stared at them with an amused grin.
The three walked back towards their home, ready to finally get some sleep in their bed in over a month.
Anfesera, 3 months after the wedding=
"Bache! Do you have everything ready?" Elora asked as Bache nodded.
"How about Adrienne?" Said girl nodded as Elora smiled before looking through her own gear one last time. They were preparing to leave for Orario. The monsterphilia was starting in one day, and the trip to Orario was around a day or less away by carriage, or a couple of hours on foot for them.
Bell hugged her from behind as Elora instinctively leaned into the touch and looked up.
"You know you don't need to be this meticulous, right?" Bell asked as she nodded.
"I know… I just felt like it" Bell understood and nodded.
"Remember what I asked you?" he asked before he kissed her neck, Elora leaning into it, nodding at his touch.
"Yes…" She moaned out. Bell couldn't help but smirk triumphantly before disconnecting his lips from her neck. He grabbed a set of papers from his pockets before handing it to Elora.
"Here, I got this from Hermes after contacting Asfi. They will get you into the city without inspection for a Falna. Don't want to explain why you have Erebus' Falna, now do you?" He said as she nodded.
"That would not be fun" She said before Bache walked up to the two with Adrienne.
"Papa, are you not coming with?" She asked as Bell smiled and shook his head.
"No, I am not, little firefly. I have some other things to do, but I will next time, I promise" He said as he let go of Elora and patted Adrienne's head, making her giggle.
"Just make sure to have fun. It's a festival, enjoy it" Bell said as Adrienne nodded, one eye closed as his hand obstructed it slightly.
"Alright girls, I think it's time to go" He said as he looked out at the sun's position. Elora grabbed hold of him and kissed him quickly before smiling at him.
"I'll miss you" Bell responded with a hug and replied with the same words.
"Now, have fun!" He said as she let him go and walked over to Bache and Adrienne, the trio walking away towards the main road to Orario.
Eventually they disappeared over the horizon and Bell turned around towards Erebus, who was packing Bell's stuff.
"Is my stuff ready?" Erebus looked up and nodded.
"It seems so. You're ready to leave whenever you feel like it" Erebus said as Bell nodded. He walked past Erebus and walked downstairs.
The basement had been filled with various things during the last 2 years. They had different types of alcohol, which wasn't really Bell's thing, that was more Erebus who used it from time to time. Bell had collected some things he found interesting during his travels, such as some interesting books, again, mainly for Erebus.
What took up most space were the weapons and armor. He honestly didn't know why he collected them, there was even one that would be considered historical as it's an ornamental armor from before the age of the gods.
He walked past everything and stopped in front of his armor and weapons and started to change. Once done, he headed upstairs where Erebus smiled slightly at him, a question clearly on his mind.
"I can tell you want to ask something" Bell said with a grin, mask still in his hand.
"Are you sure you should leave the village unguarded?" He asked as Bell nodded.
"It's only a few days until the girls return. I'll be longer since it's farther away" He explained as Erebus nodded, understanding his reasoning.
"Alright, greet them for me will you?" Bell nodded as before he put on the mask and slung the pack on his shoulders.
"I will. See you in a month or less" He said before instantly disappearing with a strong wind blowing away papers everywhere, the door still open.
"He just HAD to make a mess" Erebus sighed out, complaining at the scattered papers and blown over chairs. Couldn't he just do that once outside. He's just too much sometimes.
Meanwhile, Bell was running at breakneck speeds, following the roads. The girls took the path going straight east, leading to Orario's western entrance, while Bell took the path leading to it's northern one to keep going east.
He had wanted to return to the Far East for a while to visit. It had been too long, and he felt he had an obligation to go and check up on everything… for Adrienne.
At that thought, he released malice and sped up, sprinting even faster as anyone he passed only felt a gush of wind before being blown to the ground by the resulting force.
Orario, western entrance, 6 hours later=
Elora was walking down towards the entrance alongside Bache with Adrienne in her arms.
They had jogged their way here, which was faster than any carriage because of their status. The only reason they didn't go full throttle was because of Adrienne. The air resistance would hurt her if they did that, so they were content with a simple jog that got her a fun ride.
As they were approaching the entrance, they noticed a small line. The western front wasn't as populated in villages or friendly people in general as the other ends for Orario, and for this reason, the lines here were much shorter.
After all, Rakia was to the west… well a little bit to the north west of Anfessera, but far enough away that it was no cause of concern.
They got into line and waited and struck up conversation. Elora couldn't help but smile slightly at the procedures of the guard. Some things never change.
Eventually, it was their turn and the guard looked up at the three.
"State your business in Orario" He said in a bored voice. It was understandable. It wasn't really a desirable job.
"We are here to see the monsterphilia" Elora said in a polite voice as the guard nodded.
"Do you have papers, or shall we run through the regular procedures?" He asked, the regular procedures being checking for a Falna to make sure they weren't spies.
Elora fished out the papers Bell had handed her and gave them to him.
"Hmm… Hermes Familia had allowed you access and… signed by Ouranos!? I-I'm sorry, go on right ahead" He was very surprised at the fact that Ouranos had signed the papers, and instantly let them through with a little fear in his face.
"Thank you" Elora bowed her head slightly before entering the city. Once inside, she looked around and smiled at the change from what she remembered. When she left, the city was still recovering from the dark ages, and especially from the loss of the Astraea familia. She was technically still allowed in the city as she was never truly banished, more like her goddess was, but to Tenkai.
Bache simply glanced around, taking in the sights and comparing them to some of Bell's stories. He wasn't joking that it was packed together tightly. All the buildings were 3 meters apart or less. The only place where there was sufficient space was the main road that they were walking down.
"Freshest fruits in Orario, right here! Only one for 50 valis!"
"Bull on a stick, Monsterphilia special, first come, first serve!"
Multiple stands adorned the streets, selling a multitude of items. Most were based upon monsterphilia at this moment as that was the main attraction around. Bell had lent them a million valis to spend if they so desired. At first, Elora had been very against it, saying that she couldn't take his money, to which he quickly corrected her that it wasn't his Valis. It was theirs, as all her possessions were technically his and his were hers, which included the Valis.
Elora had quickly caved after that, as she knew it was true. That was one of the vows of the marriage. 'For poorer, For richer' was the official vow, but it had a deeper meaning. Their financial situation was shared. Even if Elora had no personal spending valis, Bell's was technically his, and the same way around.
"Auntie…" Elora felt a tug on the fabric that adorned her left shoulder, making her snap out of her thoughts before looking at the girl who called to her.
"Yes, Adrienne?" She answered with a smile.
"Everything is so big! Was it always like dat?" she asked. Her speech had gotten a lot better the last 3 months, but she still messed up pronunciation here and there, but it was rare. Elora shook her head at her question before answering her.
"No… when I left, the streets were not this packed. Most stayed home as things… weren't good back then. I can tell it has gotten better though" Adrienne nodded with a smile as her eyes almost sparkled as she looked around.
Those eyes reminded Bache of Bell in a way. She had seen glimpses of a sort of innocence in him… a form of purity that had nothing to do with anything physical.
She was just so excited for something as simple as this, and it made her heart melt. She wondered if she would ever have children of her own with Bell. Would they inherit his eyes or hair, neither or both? She shook her head with a smile, having decided even before the wedding she would let things happen naturally.
That was the way of an elf after all, and if she was blessed with children, then it was going to happen naturally. Her pride wouldn't let it happen any other way.
The only thing that was slightly unnerving was some of the gazes her and Bache were attracting from the opposite sex. It had made her eye twitch more than once, but she resolutely ignored it and kept walking.
She pulled out a small piece of paper Bell had given her that had a list of locations he would love Adrienne to see.
First on the list: Hostess of Fertility.
The reason he had put down was that he had good friends there, and that it was a very nice place to go and eat. He even recommended going there the first day there, and Elora was going to take his words for it.
"Elora… isn't that the guild office?" Bache asked as Elora looked before nodding.
"That's right, or at least one of them. There is one on each of the main paths. Why don't we go and look at the bulletin board and see if anything interesting has happened in the last couple of months" Elora asked as she nodded.
The two walked towards it and started reading through all the news. One instantly caught Elora's attention as she picked it up. It was a wanted poster and the name instantly made her frown.
WANTED ALIVE: Bell Cranel
Reason: Murder of 17 adventurers, endangering the public and escaping Kauhea Forbande
Dangers: The individual is known as the record holder and has achieved Level 3. Do not engage unless level 4 or higher
Reward: 20 000 000 Valis
'That's a hefty reward…' Elora thought bitterly. The fact before she read the part of his level and grinned.
They were in for a surprise if they ever found him.
"Eh… Elora… This isn't good" Bache said as Elora looked up and noticed Bache's pale complexion. Elora turned her eyes at where she was looking and paled as well. Adrienne just didn't understand what was wrong.
Loki Familia gains three level 7's
Loki Familia has confirmed that their captain, 'Braver' Finn Deimne, Vice captain, 'Nine Hell' Riveria Ljos Alf and 'Elgram' Gareth Landrock have reached level 7 after their recent expedition.
Time taken: 9 years
Elora just stared at the note on the guild bulletin board in disbelief. This will make it much more dangerous for Bell when he returns to Orario…
"Mama, Auntie! Look! Isn't that the red hair Papa talked about?" That snapped the two out of their stupor before looking where Adrienne was pointing.
Sure enough, a red haired man accompanied by a prum and two far eastern girls were taking a stroll.
'Those must be Bell's old familia. Welf Crozzo, Liliruca Arde, Yamato Mikoto and Sanjouno Haruhime' Bache thought before she started to take steps towards them. Bell had wanted them to introduce themselves if they got a chance.
He wanted to know how they were doing and the three had come up with a simple plan.
Elora followed Bache as they approached the four adventurers. They were standing by a food stand while the redhead, which Bache believed was Welf Crozzo, was talking to the owner.
"What do you mean 150 valis for one? That's a rip off!" The prum had jumped forward and complained as Elora looked at the food. It was indeed a rip off as it was only simple meat on a stick with hot sauce.
"This is what it's selling for. Don't like it, don't buy it" The owner said. Elora frowned at that, she never really liked people that ran businesses through ripping others off.
"Hey!" She called out, causing multiple people to turn to her, including the shop owner. She stormed forward and picked one up.
"You do realize that the market price for one of these is around 50-75 valis? Selling it for 150 is just scummy and it's almost as if you're trying to leech off of people's naivety" She said clearly and loudly. The man sputtered as he noticed the crowd around go somewhat quiet and frown in his direction, whispering to each other.
"Ooops. Seems like the secret is out" Elora faked her shock as Bache smirked before chuckling.
Welf was just grinning like crazy before turning to the others.
"Damn, is it only me or is she one hell of a firecracker?" Elora just raised an eyebrow at him before shaking her head.
"What will it be? Sell it at market price and be a legitimate businessman, or see yourself go bankrupt? After all..." She pointed backwards at the crowd "Some nasty rumors might spread" Elora peeked down at the prum who was giving her an approving nod and a smile.
"Alright, Alright! One for 50" The shopkeeper caved before selling the food. The three followed Welf and the others who addressed them.
"Thanks. That could have gotten nasty if you hadn't stopped Lil' Lili here" Welf thanked as Elora chuckled.
"No problem. Elora Cr- Carleen" She said, almost slipping up and giving the wrong name.
"Welf Cro- Just Welf" Welf replied, trying to hide his last name after glancing at her ears. Elora just smiled.
"No need to hide your name. I don't care what your bloodline did in the past to be honest. A grudge never leads to anything good" Welf stared at her before grinning, everyone stopping to a halt.
"Well, then I'm Welf Crozzo" He gave her his hand, which Elora took, fighting her urge to remove it badly and shook it.
"And this is L-"
"Liliruca Arde. That is Yamato Mikoto and Sanjouno Haruhime. It's a pleasure to meet you" Everyone stared at her, gobsmacked at her knowing who they were.
"How do you know who Lili and the others are?" Lili's eyes narrowed slightly in suspicion as Elora didn't back up in the slightest.
"Oh, I just heard your descriptions from someone me and my companion met on the roads" Once those words were out, the group instantly grabbed Elora and pulled her into an alleyway, which she let of course, being a higher level than them.
"Who?" Welf asked directly once they were out of earshot.
"That depends upon how you will react" She answered as Bache just leaned on the wall, Adrienne holding her leg.
"Was his name by any chance… Bell?" Haruhime pushed from the side, much to the surprise of the others.
"Before I answer, do you believe in the accusations of the 'Little Rookie'? Gods that's a bad name" Elora said after the name left her mouth. It didn't fit him at all.
"No… we do not" Elora smiled at that and nodded.
"Then yes. The boy… or man we met was named Bell. White hair, rubbetile eyes, strong fixation with heroes" The group instantly sighed with relief that had piled up for years.
"He's safe…" Lili sighed out, a sentiment shared by the group.
"He asked me to check in with you. He worried about how you were doing, and we decided to do it now that we were visiting to watch the Monsterphilia" She explained as Welf nodded.
"So… he's alright?" Welf asked as Elora nodded.
"From what I could tell, yes. Though he may not be the same person you knew. I can't tell since I didn't meet him before… everything happened" The others looked sad at that.
"Do… Do you know where he is now?" Mikoto asked as Elora shook her head.
"No. He could be practically anywhere by now. We met him west of Orario, but disappeared to the north. He did mention that he would be coming back eventually… though that could take a very long time" She mentioned as Welf let go of her shoulder and stood up straight, nodding.
"Alright. Thank you for telling us. It means a lot you know" Welf smiled as Elora nodded.
"Don't mention it" Elora said before looking at him, a question clear on her mind.
"Do you happen to know where the hostess of fertility is?" She asked as Welf nodded.
"Yeah, right on the main path through the buildings here. It's hard to miss with the crowds there these days" Welf directed as Elora nodded in thanks.
"It was nice meeting you all. Goodbye" Elora waved as they said their goodbyes as well.
As Bache followed Elora after picking up Adrienne, she didn't notice her daughter staring at the group disappearing, a sparkle in her eyes.
12 hours later=
Elora had shown Bache and Adrienne the entirety of Orario that was worth looking at. The only place they hadn't really been to was the colosseum, which they would visit tomorrow at the monsterphilia.
Currently, they were eating an admittedly very late dinner at the Hostess of Fertility, and Adrienne was eating more that Bache and Elora had ever seen her eat. Bache and Elora could understand why Bell liked this place. It had just the right atmosphere, great service and even better food. It was a little pricey but it was worth it.
"Adrienne, make sure to chew before swallowing… and what did I tell you about how to hold the cutlery?" Elora said, before leaning over to Adriene that was seated in between the three.
"Here, you hold it like this. Remember to keep your thumb unmoving from this position…" Elora started explaining from scratch as Adrienne just looked exasperated.
After a solid 5 minutes, Adrienne finally got it the right way and ate like Elora told her to get her off her back.
"The reservation is arriving, nya!" A catgirl called out as Elora and Bache looked at the newcomer with interest before they recognized them.
'Loki Familia? They frequent this place as well?' Elora questioned as the group walked inside. She tried to look away, but it was too late. Braver had already spotted her out of the corner of his eyes and smiled at her.
Finn said something to Riveria before walking over. Elora did the only thing she could do in this situation, turning towards him and smiling.
"Braver, it's good to see you again" She greeted as Finn nodded politely.
"The feelings are mutual, Thúl. May I invite you to our table? I would like to catch up and have some questions as well" He said before looking at Bache and Adrienne.
"The invitation is extended to Bache and her daughter as well" He finished, before taking his leave.
Bache and Elora looked at each other, it made sense why he would invite them. Elora had many run-ins with Finn when she was still an adventurer, and Bache… well she had history with Tione and Tiona.
The two stood up as Bache picked up Adrienne. Elora took their plates and walked over to the Loki Familia table.
"Bache!? What are you doing here!?" Tiona instantly exclaimed at her arrival causing Tione to look around with suspicious eyes.
"Where is your sister?" She asked before looking at the amazon with heated eyes "There is no way Kali allowed you to come here without her" she said as Bache shook her head.
"That would be true, if I was still part of the Kali Familia" She said clearly as Tione and Tiona's jaws dropped to the floor.
"Kali… let you go?" Tiona asked quietly, unable to get any words out any louder.
"Yes. She is still bound by the clause that states that I am not bound by her if I have a child. I used that to get out. I don't want to fight in that arena, and I don't want my daughter to have that life either" She explained, smiling down at her daughter.
"Oh… well… why did you come to Orario then?" Tiona asked.
"I came with my friend, Elora, to watch the monsterphilia tomorrow. We just happened to be eating here when Finn invited us to the table" Tiona accepted that answer before Adrienne burped after finishing her meal.
"Adrienne! What did I tell you about manners!" Elora scolded as Riveria nodded in approval at Elora. Adrienne just looked up at Elora with a slightly sheepish look.
"Sowyyy" She said quietly as she looked down, trying to get out of the situation. Tiona just awed at that before Elora nodded.
"I suppose it's alright this time. Just try not to next time" She said with a smile as Adrienne nodded before looking around.
"Who are these people?" She asked before her eyes locked onto golden ones.
"I remember you!" She exclaimed with a smile as Ais looked shocked at her.
"You do?" Ais asked in a quiet voice as Adrienne nodded.
"You held me so carefully! It was so cozy" She said innocently as Ais blushed slightly at that as she got a lot of funny looks.
Things were quiet for a second before Finn cleared his voice.
"Now, I'm quite curious as to where our mutual masked friend is?" Finn asked, getting the attention of everyone on the table.
Riveria looked at Finn quizzically before speaking up.
"What masked friend?" Finn looked at her before he realized he had never talked about it, and apparently neither had the others.
"A man that Elora was with in Telskyura. First class if I remember correctly" That got the rest of the familias attention at another first class from outside Orario. It was extremely rare and damn near impossible to reach without the dungeon.
Elora quickly came up with an excuse that was a half truth.
"He had other things to deal with so he couldn't come with to see the Monsterphilia" Finn seemed to at least somewhat buy it and nodded.
"Now, why don't we order?" The moment those words escaped his mouth one of the waitresses came. It was the silver haired one that had taken Elora's and Bache's orders before.
While they were ordering what they wanted, she couldn't help but feel the look she got from the werewolf seated next to 'Elgram'. He was staring her down, judging her and it unnerved her.
"Excuse me, but why are you… glaring at me?" Elora asked as the werewolf clicked his tongue.
"Don't mind this puppy, he always does that" Tiona said after standing up and pulling him under her arm as the werewolf screamed out.
"Oyy, let me go you damn amazon!" He screamed as he hit her in the gut.
"Hey! Why'd you hit me Bete!? You wanna fight?" She called out as Bete clicked his tongue again.
"Why the hell would I wanna fight you, ya damn idiot!?"
"Who are you calling an idiot, you damn puppy!?"
The name calling kept going as Bache and Elora sweatdropped, turning towards the others and pointed at the two.
"Is this… normal?" Bache asked as Finn sighed in exasperation, Riveria massaging her temples and Gareth just shaking his head with a frown.
"Unfortunately, it is" Riveria sighed out as Elora shook her head.
"Why was he glaring at me?" She asked, wondering the reason and not really knowing the Wolf as he joined the loki familia as a level 3 a year before she left.
"That's Bete. He tends to look down on those weaker than him. Don't ask why" Gareth answered as Elora nodded. Great, a person looking down on others that's level 6. Just wonderful.
"Alright" She said before Ryuu, among two other waitresses, came carrying food. A feast began as they started to chat and mingle. Elora wanted to get out of there as she didn't know how to feel about the company around her.
They all had hurt her husband very much, but she couldn't act upon the anger that came from that. She did notice that Bache was suppressing her desire to lash out as well, but it was so well hidden that if one didn't know her, it was impossible to notice.
They stayed there until midnight before heading upstairs to the room they rented, and slept. Wondering what the monsterphilia would bring.
The Far East, 1 week later=
Bell walked towards the gates to Kitzumara. Last time he had been here was a year ago when he returned to visit everyone.
It's been too long now and Bell felt it was time to return. He approached the gates, what remained of his supplies slumped to his back over his shoulder as the guards spotted him.
"State you-EEK! It's the Hero! OPEN THE GATES!" The guard instantly reacted once he got a good look at Bell's armor and mask.
His appearance was kind of infamous in the Far East, at least armor wise. The appearance underneath was basically law at this point not to talk about.
The gates opened as the guard bowed to Bell.
"We humbly welcome your return, Hero-sama" That was something that felt a little off sometimes. He was practically hailed as royalty in the Far East, and thus it became very hard to walk the streets.
As soon as he entered, a group of guards followed Bell, making way through the crowds of citizens on the main street. His appearance practically sparked riots as people wanted to get a closer look at the one that had saved the Far East.
Bell sighed as he it became very loud before-
Thump*
Bell walked into something and looked down. By his feet was a little boy, holding a plushie of… him? The boy looked scared for a second before his eyes lit up in awe at Bell.
Bell got down on one knee and pulled up his mask so it sat on his head and smiled at the boy.
"Hello there, are you lost?" Bell asked as the boy nodded.
"I-I lost my momma" He said quietly. He was shy, Bell noted before he gave him his hand, which the boy happily took. Bell pulled the boy up gently onto his shoulder.
"Haru! Haru! Where are you!" Bell could faintly hear a voice in the crowd but was heavily drowned by how loud they were.
"QUIET!" Bell screamed at the top of his lungs. Everyone froze as Bell listened in. The woman had been unaffected by his scream, frantically looking for her son.
"Are you Haru?" Bell asked the boy who nodded.
"Miss! Haru is here!" Bell called out loudly and heard the woman gasp before she appeared through the crowd before being blocked by two guards.
"Let her through. It's her son on my shoulders" The two guards nodded and the woman walked forward before she truly understood the situation.
"You-you're him… The hero of the Far East… The royal executioner of Asuka Yume" The woman breathed out as she looked between her son and Bell.
"Yes. Your son looked lost so I thought I would help out" Bell explained as she picked the boy off his shoulder and walked over to the woman, who hugged him tightly.
"Thank you…" She mumbled through the boy's shoulder.
"Don't mention it. I know the feeling of being a parent. I would never want anything to happen to my daughter" Bell said before he noticed something weird.
The woman, and the boy were wearing torn clothes… almost as if they couldn't afford anything better. The woman was much worse than the boy, thin and unhealthy looking.
"Miss… you seem a little malnourished. Are you doing alright?" He asked. She looked up and reluctantly shook her head.
"No… you solved most of the issues but… not everyone is fortunate" She said before she stood up.
"Thank you for your help. I'll be on my way" She started to walk off but a hand stopped her.
Bell smiled at her, holding a pouch in his hand.
"Here, take it. I have no better use for it" Bell said as the woman looked confused. She shifted her son before grabbing the pouch and looking inside, eyes widening as she covered her mouth in shock.
"I-I can't take this!" She said as Bell shook his head.
"I'm practically covered to the neck in valis. I can spare 25 000" He said as tears brimmed in the woman's eyes.
"I-I do-n't kno-know what to s-say…" She sobbed as she collapsed on the ground. Bell put a hand on her shoulder as comfort in the moment.
"You don't have to say anything. Use it to get back on your feet, no one that cares so deeply for their loved ones deserves to live in poverty" Bell said, thinking back to his days in the abandoned church, eating jagamarukun with Hestia.
"Can I borrow that for a second?" Bell asked as he pointed at the boy's plushie. The boy happily agreed and handed it to Bell who held out his hand and focused.
"Firebolt" He had learnt over the two years to better control his magic, and at this point could control the output to a degree he could write using it.
He quickly wrote down his signature, not clear enough to be traced back to him, but still worth a lot to the boy.
He handed it back as the boy looked at where Bell had focused and and smiled wide.
After a moment, the woman recovered and stood back up, taking a deep breath.
"Thank you" She said sincerely as Bell nodded again. She had thanked him enough.
"Don't mention it. Take care of Haru, will you?" He asked as the woman nodded.
She blended back into the crowd as she left with the pouch. Bell smiled at the place they had been before taking his leave as well, heading towards his own personal estate that was next to the Yume Castle.
He got there rather quickly as the main road led inwards towards the center, quite like Orario, but had circular roads to the side that were still main roads that went around the entire city.
Once in his Estate, he loaded off his supplies before heading into the backyard and kneeled down at the gravestone that was there, taking his mask off.
"Adrienne… it's been, what, a year now? Yeah, a little too long for both our likings I suppose" He began with a smile.
"A lot had happened the last year. I have helped a lot more villages since then and I am getting a reputation out there. Some seem to be calling me a saviour, while others a rouge. I don't really care, as long as the stories don't say I'm evil. Oh, remember the elf, Elora that I told you about last time? Well, we got married, will you believe that? Things have been so amazing now for so long that I'm getting scared. Scared that something will come and destroy everything as it always does" Bell said as he poured out his heart.
"My entire life has looked like that. I have something, I care for it and it gets better, before it's ripped away from me. First my grandfather, then my familia… and I am terrified that the same will happen with my family" He breathed out and composed himself.
"Hah… why am I even telling you this. You're a good listener, but you're unable to give advice…" Bell said sadly before a voice spoke out.
"Then protect them, and trust them" Bell turned around, before smiling at the person looking at him with a smile. Takara Yume, the empress, was walking slowly towards him with her hands behind her with a large smile on her face.
"I heard that you had returned. I figured this was where you were" She said as Bell nodded.
"What do you mean?" He asked as she understood what he was asking.
"Reality is quite cruel. No matter how much power one attains, you can never protect everyone, even if others expect you to. Sometimes, the only answer is to protect those you care for when you can, and trust them when you can't" She explained as Bell pondered her words.
"God… I wish I was as wise as you" Bell chuckled as Takara laughed.
"It comes with age, Bell. You're still young at 17 years of age. I've lived quite a long life, being 37 years of age. That's over twice your lifetime" She said as Bell nodded.
"I… I understand. It's just that everything is confusing now that I have so much to lose. What if I fail to restore my name? What will happen to those I care for? Will they be alright?" He asked as Takara put a hand on his shoulder.
"Like I said, trust them" A small smile spread across Bell's face before he stood up.
"Alright…" He said as Takara nodded.
"Good… now, why have you returned? Did you come to simply say hello?" She asked.
"Well… Yes and no. I was wondering if you knew of any place I could challenge myself. I've reached the limit of my status and need a feat to level up" He explained as she thought about it.
"Well… There is something, but I'll have to reread the details. Why don't we head to Yume Castle? You can say hello to some old friends while I look through my notes" Bell nodded before he put the mask back on.
The two left, heading towards the castle.
Yume Castle=
"Bell! You're back!" Asuka crashed into Bell's armored plates in a bear hug.
"Asuka! Wow you've grown!" Bell exclaimed as he laid eyes on her. It was true as Asuka had mellowed out in the last 2 years, now being 14, almost 15 years of age. Her green eyes had sharpened, her black hair grown out as she now looked less like a girl, but more like a woman.
"So have you! You are so much taller… and you're taking care of the armor I see. Has it served you well?" She inspected the armor on him, looking for any cracks or signs of damage, but finding none.
"Yes, it has been really useful, even if I've only fought monsters that are level 1 to 2" Bell said before he showed her the mask.
"Also, who enchanted the stone in the mask?" Bell asked as Asuka looked at him confused.
"Enchanted? What's that?" She asked, causing Bell to do a double take.
"Wait… you didn't intentionally make it so the mask can change my hair color?" He asked as Asuka shook her head.
"Then… who…?" He was speechless.
"Well… we do get the decorative stones from a contact in Zolingham that's in between here and Orario. Perhaps someone there did something with it" Asuka suggested as Bell nodded in understanding. His intuition told him she was right, but that was a matter for another time.
"Thank you. Anyway, it's really good to see you. Last time I visited, you were being tested out in the countryside" Bell said with a smile as Asuka nodded.
"Yes I was. I am taking over for my mother next year. It is tradition that when the heir is of age, they take the throne. I was wondering if you would be there for the ceremony" She asked as Bell instantly nodded.
"If I can, I will gladly be there and bring my family including my wife" It was Asuka's turn to do a double take.
"Wife? You have a wife!? Why haven't I heard of this?" She asked as she was extremely surprised.
"I actually got married 3 months ago with my wife, Elora Cranel" He said with a smile as Asuka hugged him tightly.
"Congratulations! I'm so happy for you" She exclaimed as Bell laughed.
"Thank you. I was wondering what's been going on in the Far East while I was gone. I didn't stay long enough last time to ask anyone" Bell asked as he took a seat on a nearby couch.
Asuka plopped down next to him, one leg up on the soft cushion.
"Well, for the most part we have been focusing on growing the country and increasing stability. We don't want anything like what happened before to happen again. Apart from that nothing has really- Wait, right! Sanjouno Haruhime and Yamato Mikoto visited the Far East a couple of months ago" That got Bell's attention.
"Really? What happened?" He asked as she smiled.
"Well… she's just as kind and beautiful as you said she was. Honestly, I wondered if she was some kind of angel with how thoughtful she was" Asuka began as Bell couldn't help but smile and think that some things never change.
"She had many questions about the hero. She was so transfixed about the story she practically took it to heart when I told her of your deeds. The girl really loves hero stories" Bell chuckled at that.
"Yeah, she does… and now she has two of me" he muttered. One being that he saved her, regardless of her profession, and now another one of him saving her homeland… even if she doesn't know it's him… right?
"We kept your identity secret of course, only calling you either 'The Hero' or 'The Royal Executioner'" Asuka, as if she knew what he was thinking, reassured him which made him sigh in relief.
He wasn't ready for them to know yet… but a part of him couldn't help but feel a little disappointment at the fact.
Bell opened his mouth to say something, but at that moment, the doors where Takara disappeared opened as she walked out.
"Sorry for disturbing but I have found something that might interest you" She said as she handed a paper to Bell.
He opened it and read it, word for word before looking up.
"A rogue captain of an Army to the west? That can only be-"
"Rakia" Asuka finished for him as she had peeked over the report, now tall enough to see.
"Yes. Apparently, the captain was a hired mercenary from the viking country, Grœnnheim, that is located on the island that was once Andromeda" Bell almost laughed at how things had come full circle from his meeting with Asfi.
"He's a level 5 as well… with an army of level 4's and 3's… how did he get this many high levels. Almost 3 and a half years ago, Rakia only had a level 3 as their highest level, how did that become level 5 in a few years?" Bell asked, it was absurd… which was ironic coming from him.
"Well, I'm going to disregard the irony there and get to the point. The army is actually made up of vikings from Grœnnheim. The reason they are such high levels is that they act similarly to the amazons… just more brutal. They also plunder and burn anything they can get their hands on. Their main enemy at the moment is the empire, which is why not many know of their real power" Takara explained as Bell nodded.
"So… what if I was able to take down this… army? What would happen then?" Bell asked.
"The vikings are trying to take Rakia's territory to expand and gain resources in their fight against the Empire. If you take down this army, the Vikings will fall as the only reason they have remained in power will have disappeared. It would most likely bring forth the return of Andromeda" That sounded nice. Thor had forcefully taken the place and made it his foothold, but there was something bothering him.
"What of the empire?" Bell asked as Asuka and Takara looked at him.
"Either way, the vikings will lose, they are just not bright enough to see it. The empire is known as the second strongest force in the whole world. They have one of the five level 7's in the world. That alone mak-"
"Wait… five? I thought there were only two. Ottar and Kaius of Zeus Familia" Bell said as Takara blinked.
"You haven't heard?" She asked bluntly as Bell shook his head.
"Loki familias top executives have reached level 7 three months ago" Bell blinked before his balance became uneven. Level 7… The gap between him and his goal at that very moment became that much larger and the light at the end of the path was no longer visible.
"Bell! Are you alright?" Asuka asked as she grabbed hold of him, holding him up.
"Yeah… sorry. It was just… not good news for me" He explained as the two nodded.
"We know, but you would find out eventually" they said as Bell nodded, understanding them and he was glad they had told him.
"Then… I have to work harder, push myself more" He muttered to himself. He wanted to stay with his family… but his very soul wouldn't allow him to be remembered as a traitor… as a villain. He would get stronger, strong enough to challenge Loki familia, before returning and clearing his name.
Bell nodded at Asuka before folding the paper she had given him with the information.
"Thank you, can I keep this?" He asked as Takara nodded.
"Yes, they are inconsequential to me. I can easily make a copy whenever I want" Bell thanked her with his motions before turning around.
"I'm sorry, but I hadn't meant to stay very long. I need to return to my family but… remember. If you ever require my help, I will be there as fast as I can. We are allies after all" Bell said with a smile as the two nodded.
"The offer goes both ways, Bell. I wish you a safe trip back" Bell nodded before he addressed Adrienne.
"Send an invitation in advance for your… crowning?" Bell asked, unsure about what to call it.
"Ascension to the throne" Asuka corrected as Bell nodded.
"Yeah, that. Send an invitation to your 'Ascension' in advance to Anfesera. Your mother has the location from the last time I visited" Bell said as Asuka nodded.
"I'll take my leave. See you in a year!" he said as the two nodded. The next split second he completely disappeared out of their sights with a strong wind, sending them a few steps back.
"Can he stop doing that!" Takara complained. That was the second time! Asuka laughed before walking off, heading towards the study to continue her education, much to her mothers pleasure and displeasure.
That's chapter 20! Now, it's time for the Director's cut. It's going to be split into 3 different sections. The first section being about the original inspiration of this story. Why did we write it, what was the original idea and how did it evolve? What were the thought processes for the characters and their inspirations?
The second one will be about the roles we have in the story. Who wrote the story? Who comes up with the ideas? Who is the detailer and who plans things?
The last section will be final thoughts and where we are now and how we will move forwards and yes, that includes Heroic Will.
Now, let's move into the cut.
Section 1:
When it comes to our inspirations for this story, it all started with a PM from a person called CyrusFallen. He gave me the idea of a spin on the story where Bell was turned into a villain, at least in the public's eyes and would fight to reclaim his image outside Orario. His original Idea was a little darker than what we have planned for the story, with Bell actually being an antagonist.
The idea was the birthing embers of this story, The Fallen Argonaut. It didn't truly come to fruition though until I was contacted by ViceroyChalister. Shortly after, we started working together and mingled together our ideas and formed this story.
Most of the things in Danmachi canon are canon in this AU as we scoured the wiki and read through everything we could. The story slowly built up with a foundation, and we tried to match the Danmachi Geography as accurately as we could in this story to make it more believable.
We put in our own additions like 'The Forest of the Damned'. 'Thor taking over Andromeda', 'Anfesera' and many others.
As for the characters, that's a little more unique. We wanted to have a story that took place a long time outside of Orario, where Bell slowly built his own family, grew as a person and gained something more to fight for, to give him incentive. You may have already noticed this in the story so far, but I can say this for sure, he won't return to Orario for quite some time. He may be getting stronger… but the key to clearing his image isn't just his own power.
It's from this notion that we build the characters. Adrienne (Not Bell's child), Asuka, Takara, Eiko, Elora, Saena among some others that haven't popped up yet in the story, but we are getting closer to that moment.
Section 2:
When it comes to the roles we have within the story, it's mainly split into two categories. The writer and the detailer. Both of us share the burden of planning the story, only adding something in if we both agree. Me, Eli is the writer. I write the story and handle the fighting scenes, dialogue and moving the story forwards. ViceroyChalister is the Detailer, who spices up descriptions such as the wedding dress and suit, Bell's armor among other things.
When it comes to the planning of the story, Me and Chalister mainly use a document where we put in all our plans, our character designs among their status, characteristics and other things. Everything that has to do with the story is there, no matter how small.
Section 3:
I think that so far this story has gone very well. It wasn't without it's ups and downs but it had ended up in a place where we are comfortable and happy with it. Moving forward, we will keep writing the chapters the same as we have done. We are incredibly grateful for all the feedback we have gotten and are reflecting our ideas upon what you all say. After all, but also try to keep things interesting as well. After all, it is a writer's job to keep the readers intrigued and interested. Lastly, I would like to say that Heroic Will will be returning when I feel like it. As I've expressed multiple times, Fanfiction is just a hobby for me. The moment it turns into a job, is the moment take a step back. I've learnt that I can't juggle more than one story at a time, and I'm focusing on TFA for now.
And a side note directly from Chalister:
So, another thing that wasn't mentioned until now, Eli holds me at bay when it comes to some things, like having certain characters die, or even when it comes to titles. For instance, chapter 19 my original idea for the title wasn't much different than what it is now, but it was going to imply that Elora was going to die. I wanted it that way to freak all of you out, but alas, Eli was your saving grace as readers lol. He often calls me a sadist, so be sure to thank Eli for keeping your hearts and mind safe.
Thank you all for reading this, Eli and ViceroyChalister, signing out.