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.
35: Hero's Return
=Orario, Western entrance=
"Yomura! Get those transcripts filed!"
"Yes Sir!" Yomura yelled aloud. Turning to head into the guard house when he stopped dead in his tracks.
Guards suddenly started to shift their positions and get ready as an entourage of large exuberant pressure.
"Halt!" The guard leader called out. "Present you papers" The Ganesha member held out their hand, though it was shaking from the immense pressure flowing from this party of 6.
"Alright" The Obsidian man said smoothly and calmly. To all on lookers this giant of a man armed to the teeth strutted up with all the confidence in the world, yet it was humble with every step. Followed by two beautiful women who clearly radiated strength and three children whose strength didn't match their visible age.
But the odd one out of the bunch was a man in a type of suit and gray/white hair. But he had a well practiced smile.
After a long pause and the man reading the papers he looked back up and returned the papers "I-It checks out" The man said.
"Thank you, is the guild busy at the moment?" The obsidian man asked. "Not to sound sarcastic sir, but when is it ever not?" The guardsmen said.
"Hmmm" Is all that came from the giant of a man.
As the group came past the guards people began to whisper, "Yomura" The leader called "Find. Shakti. Now…" Yomura's eyes almost flew out of his head from the speed in which he turned.
=Main Western Street=
The whispers could be heard, talking about this group that strength flowed from. But most of them were about the white haired half elf. Most of them whispering something along the lines of "He looks familiar" or "That's not him but looks very close".
Bell stopped for a second and motioned for Jannor to come closer and whispered to him. "Keep in mind you look like me, they will talk about you, pay them no attention. I'm pretty sure we won't run into anyone that would fully recognize me, but if we do your mother will take care of it" Jannor took the information in with a smile and nodded.
They continued onward to the Guild building, the hustle and bustle being heard from a distance. But as they approached people began to feel their pressure and make their way, possibly thinking it was members of one of the greater familias only to be surprised it was a group of 6 people making their way down the street.
Whispers began floating around the guild as the group approached, the adventurers' eyes and bodies shaking from the 6 unknown strangers that matched, if not surpassed the strongest familias in the entire city.
"Who are they?"
"Is that boy…"
"Is that Ottar cosplaying?"
"Idiot, then who are the others?" Bell almost wanted to laugh at the comment. Did he really remind them of him? Like come on, the boaz is massive! He can't look that big, can he?
"Ouch! Hey! Look where you're go….ing-EEK" Bell glared down at the man that bumped into him and for a second, the entire area truly believed he would die a horrible death from the pressure oozing out of the obsidian man.
Bell simply tilted his head before twitching his head to the side, motioning the man to move. There was no hesitation from the other side as the man scurried off with his tail between his legs at first chance.
Bell sighed before continuing, ignoring the snickers from his family behind him. He already knew he would not hear the end of that for a while.
The moment the 6 entered the guild, Bell took in the sight as the place became deathly silent. It looked… somewhat the same, the main difference was that they had expanded the waiting area and there were multiple bulletin boards now. There were also two turn in kiosque instead of one.
At first, his eyes scanned the area of adventurers, looking for anyone he remembered. His eyes stopped on one man he remembered fighting down on floor 18. He believed he was called Mord if his memory served him right. The man who had looked at him with sneered and had somewhat befriended him afterwards was staring at him with a mixture of shock, fear and utter terror.
Bell had recalled that at some point he heard that Mord was one of the most outspoken against his banishment. Having someone who at one time treated him so badly, then to turn and be a close ally, a friend even. Brought back pleasant memories.
To Mord's utter horrification, the obsidian man began walking towards him… as in straight in his direction. He instantly began frantically looking around as the pressure became larger and larger and before he knew it, he felt like he was choking as the man was standing in front of him, his mask glaring at him… but the eyes were calm, caring, and kind even. Blood red eyes that seemed to emanate a sort of… companionship.
Unfortunately, this was lost to Mord as it was just too difficult to notice it when under such pressure. The man began to reach behind himself.
He closed his eyes, preparing to be pummeled before something loud and heavy was dropped in his lap.
Mord opened his eyes and looked down and blinked. Gasps escaped around the guild the moment he opened the bag he just dropped on him.
Valis… There were way too much valis in there. Mord looked up and let out an embarrassingly high pitched 'eh' as the obsidian man seemed to smile under the mask.
The man then leaned over and whispered "A young man asked me to give this to you for never giving up on him" Mord blinked, putting the pieces together. He seemed to want to say something but shut his mouth before mouthing 'Thanks'
Bell nodded before turning away, scanning the guild workers. There were new people there, but also some he remembered. The red werewolf woman, Rose, was instantly distinguishable from her bright red fur, looking at him up and down, gauging his strength. Next was Misha who seemed to look at him, unable to decide if she should be scared or curious.
But no Eina. Where was she?
Bell walked up towards the counter, straight towards Misha who happened to be the closest.
"Excuse me" Bell said, half believing she would recognize his voice instantly but took solace in the fact that Erebus had told him that he sounded almost nothing like he used to.
"Yes-s?" Misha squeaked out as she straightened her back, looking at Bell with a clear strain on her face.
"Does an 'Eina Tulle' happen to work here?" He asked cooly as the woman's eyes widened in shock before nodding her head.
"Could I speak to her?" Misha nodded slowly before turning around, leaving as Bell turned around.
"So, what do you all think so far?" He asked as the others smiled as they looked around.
"Well, we are getting a lot of looks" Adrienne commented as the twins nodded in agreement.
"Well we can blame that on the fancy gear you decided to make Apollyon. You had to make us look like prime targets for these bandit adventurers" Erebus cheekily said as Bell scoffed. The next moment, the entire guild was silent as Bell looked around before his eyes landed on Misha and Eina, having just returned with their mouths agape in shock.
"A-apollyon!? That guy's going around taking out bandits and assisting villages!?" That was all it took for the entire guild to erupt in chatter as everyone began speculating with each other.
"Isn't he the one that straightened out the Far East? The Royal Executioner of the Far East?"
"Yeah! I also heard he got the name for saving Rakia from an army of Vikings that had blessings!"
"No way! How haven't I heard of that!?" Bell wanted to roll his eyes but refrained as Eina seemed to snap out of her shock and walked up to him.
"Apollyon, It's a pleasure to meet you. What may the Guild Branch manager help you with?" Bell blinked and almost tilted his head in confusion. Wasn't she an advisor? Not to mention she had let her hair grow out too and she'd become more mature in her features.
"Right, I was wondering if I could ask for a favor" He said as it was the elf's turn to blink.
"Favor?" She queried as Bell nodded.
"Yes, could we take this in private?" The area became once again deathly quiet as she nodded and motioned for them to walk around the counter.
Bell followed as the rest of the family stayed behind. After a minute, Eina led the two of them into a room in the back. The moment they entered, Bell instantly recognized that this was one of the 'finer' rooms that he hadn't been allowed to be in since he wasn't from 'The strong familias'.
"Pardon me, but isn't this one of the rooms only high tier familias are able to have conversations in?" Bell asked as Eina shocked her head.
"No, that was how it used to be when Royman ran the Orario Branch of the guild. It was actually one of the first reformations I made, removing all separation of high end familias and low end. Feels better that way and helps create a bond between those adventurers and the weaker ones" She explained as Bell stared at her, grinning under the mask.
Eina had gone that far simply to unite adventurers more breach the class separation? Wow, he didn't give Eina the credit she deserved.
"That's very noble of you, Tulle-san. Now, let's get down to business" Bell said in an even tone, hiding his true feelings.
"Of course. You mentioned a favor. From everything you have done for the world, I feel almost obligated to help you in any way I can" She said as she poured herself a cup of tea.
"Oh, no need for all that. I did it because it was the right thing to do, and I felt it was my duty as one of Asuka Yume's Royal Executioners" He explained as Eina smiled.
"That makes it even more impressive. You didn't have anyone order you to do it, you just did it because you felt like you were obligated as a person to do so, as well as from your title. If I can speak for everyone. Thank you" Bell nodded as he smiled.
"As already said, no thanks needed. Now, as for the favor. I was wondering if you could bring up every important event in the last 15 years? I've visited this city twice before. Once to help protect it with Loki Familia, and another as a tourist so I don't know much of what has happened here since then" Eina blinked before nodding.
"Of course, that is an easy task as it's information anyone is allowed. Give me a few minutes" She said as she stood up, her cup of tea in her hand as she walked out.
He took a minute to scan the room. The room was quite large and spacious with two comfy sofas with a table in between, tea and different treats spread out on it, but not too much so one had space.
There were a few bookshelves with labels for its contents. Mostly things adventurers need like maps, monster information, dungeon materials among other things. The information the guild allowed adventurers access to the moment they registered. As he had learned after becoming level 2, there was more information locked behind progression. There was a dedicated archive only third class adventurers and above had access too. Another one for second class and a final one for first class.
He had only truly read some of the things in the third class archive as he had only become second and first class outside Orario.
The information that was in there was more gruesome and honest than the publicly available one, things that Bell had quickly realized would make people have second thoughts about being an adventurer.
After all, this life isn't for everyone and it shows with the amount of adventurers that retire shortly after becoming one.
That Eina hadn't changed that policy was a testament for how dangerous it was.
"Sorry for taking a while. Here is the information! There hasn't really been much happening in the last decade or so. You should be able to read through it within half an hour" Bell almost grinned at that as he took the thick packet of paper. He calmly opened it before he used his status to its fullest and basically read through it in detail at extreme speeds.
He already knew about half of it. It began with his own banishment to Kauhea Forbande. It's destruction, Loki familia being sent to hunt the three fugitives. What he didn't know though was that they had caught both Poh and Hayden. He kind of felt bad but he didn't really have an attachment to them.
It continued with the search for him being called off as it had been too long but apparently the bounty was still up to this day… huh.
In all honesty, most of the entire thing was about the events or new adventurers that leveled up. The one that caught his eye the most was the new star of the Loki Familia who he had heard whispers about. Her name was 'The Midnight Princess'. Apparently it was because she had black hair and blue eyes while her sword style reminded everyone of the Sword Princess.
Maybe Ais trained her? Who knows? He continued reading after peeking at Eina who hadn't moved an inch, still in the same facial expression. Not a single millisecond had passed in real time.
He continued and slowly began getting a feel for how Orario had changed, though it wasn't until he came to a certain part that his interest peaked. The part detailed how the Loki and Freya familia pushed back the armored monsters back into the dungeon. Since then they hadn't been seen at all, making the guild speculate that they had perished from their wounds.
'Huh, guess they mean the Xenos'
Bell didn't believe that for a second, they were too smart and too strong to die off that easily. He made a mental note to visit them later on. Oh how he was looking forward to seeing Wiene again. Gosh, he wondered if she had changed at all.
He slammed the book closed as time resumed at a normal pace. Eina blinked at Bell as he nodded at her.
"I'm done" Was all he said as Eina laughed awkwardly as she didn't know how to react. She had just sat down, blinked and he was done?
"Ehm… Not to be rude, but I can't in good conscience believe that…" She said as Bell shrugged.
"Then ask me anything" He said as Eina nodded.
"Who in Loki familia had their most recent level up?"
"Midnight Princess" Bell answered instantly.
"Okay, what happened in Orario 11 years ago?" She asked as Bell was about to answer before hesitating.
"Is that a trick question? It can be either the defeat of Enyo in the Knossos, which I was there for by the way, or it can be the Loki Familia stopping their hunt for the fugitive, Bell Cranel" Eina blinked as she realized her mistake.
"Oh… sorry, didn't realize that was the same year" She commented before sighing out "But the fact that you did means you did indeed read it" She summarized as Bell nodded.
"Now… Before you go, could I ask a question?" Eina asked as Bell nodded.
"What is your intention within Orario?" The question made Bell smile as he looked out the window to the buzzling streets.
"I've come with my family and god to form a familia" He answered as Eina nodded.
"What familia?" Bell was silent for a few seconds before turning back to her with a smile under the mask.
"Themis Familia" He answered as she nodded, pulling a piece of paper that Bell wondered where it came from and wrote it down.
'More like Erebus Familia but I can't say that' He thought before standing up and walking to the entrance.
"Wait!" He stopped after having pulled the door open an inch "What level are you?" She asked as he thought about it for a second.
"You'll find out soon enough" He answered before leaving, deciding to keep the cards in his deck for a little while longer.
The moment he came out to the counter again, the guild staff looked at him instantly, the adventurers doing the same.
He calmly motioned towards his family as they quickly trotted over to where he came out from.
"How did it go?" Elora asked as Bell smiled
"Good, I got what I needed. Now we need to establish a presence in Orario, and the best way to get a presence is to achieve something great" He whispered back to her as she nodded.
"Good, what did you have in mind?" She asked back as they exited the guild.
"I don't know. Let's figure it out as we-" Bell's eyes shifted at the presence and quickly pulled Jannor out of the way, but not fast enough for him to avoid bumping into a man quickly walking past.
"Tch! Watch where you're going you damn morons" Bell frowned as his eyes met the angry eyes of Allen Fromel. Curse his luck, he really didn't want to run into him now of all times.
"I'm sorry for my son standing in the way, but you were equally at fault for practically running at him with no regard for his safety. You could have hurt him" Bell said out coldly as he wasn't joking. The man was level 7, just like himself, going at the speeds he was and running straight into someone of a level 3 status was basically the same as a minotaur headbutting a level one.
"The fuck did you say!? Keep that mouth of yours in check you hear me! Otherwise I'll kill you" He spat back as Bell's mood soured even more.
"Excuse me, do you always greet strangers with death threats? Either that, or you're just a natural dickhead" The entire area seemed to empty out as everyone around them backed up. Bell could practically see the veins pop on Allen's forehead from anger.
One moment Allen stood there, the next his fist collided with Bell's face as his head turned to the side and a boom was heard from the force.
"Say that again and I'll mount your head on my spear and piss on it!" Bell stared into the ground with a frown before slowly looking back, scourge slowly leaking out.
"I guess this is how Freya Familia says hello. I wonder, what would your goddess think of you if she found out you punched a stranger in the face simply because you dislike what they have to say" Bell said in a tone so cold it put ice to shame.
"Dickface, you better shut it or you're asking for it" Allen walked up to Bell and tried to look intimidating, but it was kind of comical seeing his short stature next to Bell's tall body with the thick armor.
"Allen Fromel…" Bell sighed out and shook his head "You disappoint me and I honestly thought better of your Familia… guess Freya isn't going to be happy" Bell smiled slightly as he himself was kind of ticked off from Allen running his mouth.
Once again Allen tried to hit Bell who this time decided to act. He grabbed his hand midair before quickly twirling his body around Allen's, locking his arms under his opposite armpit before throwing him over his own shoulder, smacking him into the ground hard enough to crack the bricks.
Gasps were heard all around as to their eyes, Allen had been standing still for one second, and the next he was on the ground with the Obsidian man's foot on his throat.
"Gah! Let me go you clownface!" Bell quirked an eyebrow at his struggle. Was this really another level 7's strength? Bache was much stronger… Although he shouldn't compare Allen to her, she did focus a lot on power and brute force and from his memory, Allen was all about speed.
"Apollyon?" Bell turned around coming face to face with a certain prum of the Loki Familia. Accompanying him was Riveria Ljos Alf and Raul Nord.
"Braver, It's been a while" He said as the prum nodded before curiously looking at the ground.
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that Allen Fromel under your boot?" He asked as Bell shrugged.
"He foulmouthed me and my son" He excused himself as Finn's eyes quirked before shaking his head with a smile.
"I guess it's deserved then, but I'll have to kindly request you to release him. He is after all an executive of one of the strongest Familias" Bell hesitated for a moment before sighing, he knew he had to.
He slowly let go as Allen quickly got up and prepared to launch himself at Bell. Before he could though, Ottar came out of nowhere, grabbing his arm and harshly pulling him back.
"Milady requests you to stop this right now" He said in an even, emotionless tone.
Bell inspected the Boaz and instantly was confused how people thought he was the boaz cosplaying. The man was a head and a half taller than him and even wider for crying out loud!
Ottar turned towards Bell before bowing slightly.
"I apologize on Freya's behalf for her child's behavior" He said as Bell nodded.
"Apology accepted" Ottar quickly left, dragging Allen with him kicking and screaming.
"Well, that was eventful" Bache smiled as she hit Bell on the shoulder as she grinned back at her.
"It's been a while, Kalif-san" Finn politely greeted the amazon who turned to him and nodded.
"It has Braver" Finn nodded at that before doing the same to everyone else before locking eyes upon the two twins.
"I believe we have met before, although briefly. My name is Finn Deimne, may I have yours?" He asked as Aralaya looked at Bell and nodded.
"Aralaya Carleen…" She said shyly as Finn nodded.
"A pleasure" He then turned to Jannor who seemed just as sheepish.
"Jannor Carleen" He answered as Finn smiled before finally turning to Erebus before tilting his head.
"Do we know each other?" He asked as Erebus shook his head.
"No, you're probably thinking of my brother. He did cause a ruckus down here, the idiot. My name is Themis, the god of Order" He introduced himself as Finn bowed.
"My apologies Kami-sama. If I may ask, who is your brother?" Erebus chuckled at that.
"Erebus" That was all that was needed for Finn's gaze to turn cold.
"Oh, I understand. I don't blame you so you have no worries from me" The coldness disappeared as fast as it came.
"Now that we are all acquainted, May I ask why you are visiting? It's been 11 years since the last time we saw you Apollyon, a little less for the rest as you were gone the last time" Bell frowned under the mask before Elora whispered into his ear.
He nodded in thanks before looking back at Finn.
"Well, we wanted to start a familia here. It's the reason we arrived" He said as Finn blinked. He already knew that Apollyon was strong, but the rest. He could feel that they all had power behind their auras, so they would instantly be ranked higher than the majority of the familia, probably in the top 10.
"Ah, if that is the case, you can just register at the guild" He smiled "Speaking of which, I was planning on heading there with Riveria and Raul just now, would you like to accompanying us?" Bell shook his head as an answer.
"Unfortunately, we have to find a place to live as that takes top priority, and don't worry, we have the funds" He said as Finn nodded.
"Understandable, It's better to get situated before one write documents that require a place of residence" He said with a chuckle.
"Good luck, Apollyon" Bell nodded as the group of three left towards the guild.
"Well, what I said was true. We do need a place to stay" Bell said as Erebus chuckled.
"That we do"
"Come on, I know just the place" Bell said as they left, heading towards a familiar location, him hoping no one was occupying the place.
=Traveler's Inn=
"WHAT!? BELL-KUN HAS RETURNED!" Hermes screamed out as he slammed his desk and stood up, Asfi flinching from the sound. Thank god the room was soundproofed.
"Yes, I reported the moment Ganesha familia got words of a 'man in obsidian colored armor' accompanied by an elf, two amazons and two half elfs, one who look exactly like the Little Rookie" She said as Hermes sat down with a mad grin on his face.
"Hohoho, he has arrived just on time. The promised time is so close… Perhaps he will be the hero we need" Hermes mumbled as Asfi blinked.
"Anyway, I want all his movements tracked and reported back to me" Hermes said as Asfi sweatdropped.
"Hermes, with all due respect, I don't think that will be possible. Last time I tried to watch him, he found me within five seconds. He's probably even stronger now, so he will know the moment I am within half a mile radius of him" She said as Hermes sighed.
"I guess you do have a point, Asfi… I've just waited for this moment for 15 years now" He said as Asfi nodded.
"I understand, just stating the facts. I'll at least see what I can do" She said before walking out the door. Hermes leaned back in his chair, looking out the window towards Babel.
"My my, I wonder how you will react once you find out" He muttered with a smile. He already knew that things were going to get mighty interesting, very fast.
=Hearth Manor Ruins=
Bell stared at the ruins of his old home with a look that screamed 'Really?'
It has been 15 years for god's sake, and no one has cleaned up the mess. It's like they only bothered to clean out anything outside the manors territory and left the rest where it was.
Bell quickly face palmed before groaning.
"Bell… please don't tell me this is the supposed 'home'?" Elora asked as Bell groaned again.
"Come on!" He hissed as Erebus seemed to catch on.
"This was your old home" He whispered as the others snapped their heads towards Bell who slowly nodded.
"They didn't even bother to clean it up…" He muttered as Elora gave him a pitying look.
"I'm sorry" she said as Bell shrugged.
"It is what it is. I can always rebuild it" He said as the others looked at each other and nodded.
"Then let's do it" Bache said as Bell blinked, staring at them for a second before shaking his head with a chuckle. How he hasn't gotten used to them in all this time is beyond him
"Thank you… but first, I'll take care of the land. If you really mean it, you can begin clearing the rubble… just… don't cause too much of a scene" Bell said as he scurried off towards the landlord he knows owns the land.
Erebus looked at Elora with a grin "Oh we'll cause a scene alright" He snickered as the rest couldn't help but chuckle.
All it took was 30 minutes for basically half of Orario hearing about Two women and three children carrying boulders worth of debris around at the remains of the Hearth Mansion.
Bell who had found out moments after purchasing the land had wanted to groan out in frustration.
He had told them to not cause a scene! That isn't so hard, now is it? He left, heading towards where he came from.
What he saw made him sweatdrop. What people had been whispering about was literally what was happening.
He was watching Elora holding a wall over her shoulder… with one arm… An entire wall… as in the actual side of the building… or what was left of it, but still!? Bell sighed out as the people around him whispered about them, and some just looked at him.
After a minute, he walked forward, catching the attention of Erebus who grinned.
"Oh, nice of you to join us! Mind giving a hand?" He sarcastically asked as Bell glared at him.
"Seriously? I asked for one thing and you do the opposite?" He deadpanned as Erebus snickered.
"Fine… you already made this into a strength party, so I might as well join in" Bell muttered as he walked forward, slamming his fist into the rubble before pulling up.
"WOAH! WHAT'S GOING ON!?"
"HELP! EARTHQUAKE!"
Bell wanted to chuckle at the people panicking as he pulled up a huge amount of debris that shook the ground.
"Holy shit! How strong is that dude!?" one person asked as Bell carried a flat piece of debris with a huge amount of debris on top of it.
"Oh, Honey! Nice of you to join us!" Elora grinned. Bell could practically feel the paling of everyone in Orario imagining them together at night. No one would get any sleep!
He shook his head before motioning towards the mass amount of debris he was holding.
"Where do I put it?" He asked as Elora just motioned behind her. Bell looked where her thumb had pointed before frowning.
Why was Adrienne standing there with a hammer… smashing debris into dust?
"Ehm… what are you doing?" Bell asked as the amazon smiled at him.
"Oh, Dad! Just pulverizing the debris. It's not like we can carry it outside the city, so this is the next best thing!" Bell blinked before putting the debris down, turning around, looking at everyone's work, then back at Adrienne.
'I never really realized… but we are monsters…' Was his last thought before continuing with the work. All it took was 2 hours. 2 hours for the debris of an entire mansion to be cleared… and Bell had never felt more like a monster than when he was being watched doing what he does every day by hundreds of people in awe.
=Twilight Manor=
"So… tha' mysterious fella is back in Orario?" Gareth asked as Finn nodded.
"I don't' get ya, How is this a bad thing?" he asked as Riveria, Finn and Loki sighed out simultaneously.
"It's not the fact that he has arrived in the city that's concerning. It's the fact that he's going to set up a familia with his family… a family that consists of what I can tell is at least one level 7. That fact alone means they will instantly skyrocket into the top 10" Finn said as Gareth shrugged.
"And?" Finn just shook his head.
"What he's getting at you damn alcoholic, is that if they want, they could eventually jeopardize our spot as the strongest in Orario. Freya familia is just barely underneath us in terms of power" She explained as Gareth nodded.
"I get that, but like you said, they only have one level 7, how could they challenge us?" He reasoned as Finn sighed out.
"Because of what I gathered the last time we met him. He had the aura of a level 5, but he was moving fast enough for me to barely see him. For reference, I was level 7 at the time as well" That shut him up instantly.
"Now the strange part is that his aura is completely messed up now, almost as if something is making it distorted. I can't even tell if he's level 5, 6 or 7, hence me saying there was only one level 7, that being Bache." Finn explained as Loki frowned.
"Wait a moment, you couldn't tell? That makes no sense, you said that the last time you saw him, it was clear as day the level he was at" Loki said as Finn nodded.
"I know. It's bizarre, and I don't know how to explain it. It's almost as if he got a skill to disguise his aura" Finn said.
"That can't be it… the aura comes from the soul of a person, which is what the status layers power upon. To distort that… would take an extremely powerful item that not even Asfi could make" Loki added as everyone frowned.
"Then… perhaps a skill?" Riveria guessed as Finn shrugged.
"It won't do us any good to guess. The fact that it is distorted means that something is doing it. The others were normal though so we at least know their level" Finn said as they nodded.
Riveria opened her mouth as a knock came on the door. Riveria went and opened it as Ais walked inside.
"You wanted to see me?" She said as Finn nodded.
"Yes, it's about Apollyon" Ais eyes widened in fear as she had just returned from the dungeon and showered so she had no idea what was going on. Her brain had latched onto the worst case scenario instantly.
"Did he tell anyone!?" She asked quickly as Finn quickly shook his head.
"Oh, nothing like that. He hasn't said a word about your family ties" Finn reassured her as he bit back 'yet'.
"We wanted to tell you that he's here… in Orario" Ais' eyes widened as she tilted her head.
"Oh… does he want to join the familia?" She asked as it was the only thing she could think of as a reason to return. Nothing really interesting is happening at the moment.
"That would have been preferable, but no, he's here to create his own familia with his patron god" He explained as Ais nodded.
"Okay… isn't that good? It means more powerful allies" Ais asked, it was a truly innocent question.
"Well him being here is a giant bonus when and if it comes to security reasons, such as monsters, we've already experienced that" Finn said, and Ais nodded
"But… he already has more powerful people than most familias combined, with two level 3's, a level 4, and one level 6 and a level 7, that being Bache Kalif... as for Apollyon..." This quirked an eyebrow for Ais "He could be as strong or stronger than they are" Ais still not following fully, Finn sighted.
"He had Allen pinned to the ground underfoot and by the throat…" Now Gareth and Ais, and Ais especially, have a better understanding of Finn's thoughts.
"So what do we need to do?" Ais quickly asked.
"There's really nothing we can do" Finn's reply had exasperation woven in his words.
Gareth sighed, "And what do you Freya will do about him?" Placing a hand on his forehead.
"It's likely that she'll try and get him to come to her side, or she's currently plotting and trying to think of a way to grind him into dust, even she must've heard about all the titles and positions he holds" Riveria spoke.
"Oh and Riveria, have you thought about paying a visit to the High Elves forest?" Loki asked.
"No I haven't, even if they've seemingly changed. It still changes nothing about how I feel" Riveria coldly replied.
"At any rate, I heard a rumor that you and 'Thúl' are related, is that true?" Finn asked.
"It is, what of it?" Riveria responded.
"Apparently she was the catalyst for the change in your family within the forest" Finn partially shrugged. "But at any rate she's here in the city with Apollyon, I think you might want to go talk to her" Finn stood up.
"But I've got to go train with Fiona, so I must take my leave" As Finn walked out the door, Ais had walked up the Riveria and tapped her on the shoulder.
"I think you should go talk to her, it has been quite some time hasn't it?" Ais said, with slight puppy eyes.
"You want to come with me don't you" Riveria smiled a bit.
"Maybe" Ais smiled.
=Hearth Manor Ruins=
"Alright everyone, I think it's time we took a break. I'm starting to get hungry and I know just the place" Bell said, Elora, Bache and Adrienne knowing exactly where he meant.
"Good idea!" Bache grinned as she rubbed her exposed stomach.
"Dad, what place?" Aralaya asked as Adrienne grinned.
"The hostess of fertility" she said as Bell laughed at the look Aralaya threw her.
"The hostess of what?" She asked as Bell shook his head.
"It's just a name, but I promise you, the food is worth it" He said
"And the service" Adrienne joked as Aralaya choked on air.
Everyone left as Bell threw a glance at the crowd, somehow still watching them. Like, it's been nearly 6 hours! Don't they have anything better to do?
Bell shook his head as he continued onwards, unwillingly drawing glances as they continued towards the hostess where he figured they would rent rooms for the night. They had only managed to remove the debris, they still had to build that mansion which would take a day or two if they went all out.
They rounded a corner and Bell smiled as the familiar pub came into view.
"Is that it? Why are there so many people?" Aralaya asked as Jannor blinked.
"It's a popular palace, and Adrienne, don't you dare mess with your sister" Elora warned as Adrienne threw her a pout.
The moment they arrived at the bar, like everywhere else, basically everyone fell silent as he entered.
Bell looked around where all eyes were firmly planted on him and his family. He quickly recognized the staff who stuck out with their outfits.
'Ryuu… I haven't seen her since 11 years ago… She looks… better' Bell thought as he glanced at her up and down, her nodding at him, recognizing him from the time she had met him before. She had definitely matured as elves do somewhat mature slower, puberty lasting longer and works slower on them. Half elves leaning more on the human puberty span.
His eyes shifted towards the side, spotting Chloe who seemed half feral in her glare towards him. It was understandable, a stranger that had an aura that was threatening as well as is armed to the teeth is… less than friendly.
He quickly turned his eyes further, going over some patrons before coming eye to eye with Mia, who seemed as calm as ever but his senses quickly honed in on her elevated heartbeat. She was nervous, but remained stoic. It was honestly impressive.
The next person was Anya who looked at him similarly as Chloe did. Perhaps a natural reaction from cat people?
The last person was Lunoire who simply looked at him with a perfectly practiced poker face, though similarly to Mia, she had an elevated heartbeat.
Bell figured that May was in the kitchen so he couldn't see her from here. He walked inside, walking towards the nearest empty table that had 6 seats.
Eventually, he found one with 8 seats but it was better than nothing. He sat down as the rest did the same, leaving the two remaining seats on the opposite side of Bell, next to each other.
"Apollyon… what would you like today?" Ryuu asked as she walked up to him.
"Hmm, do you have a menu?" He asked, honestly wondering how it had changed over the years.
He quickly pulled one out from the pair she carried under her arm and handed them out.
Bell quickly read through the menu and almost sweatdropped. It was basically identical… there was literally one new item, that being of a traditional elvish cuisine.
Bell almost sighed, but stopped it before it happened. He quickly picked one out before ordering it. Ryuu wrote them all down before bowing and leaving for the kitchen.
"Excuse me?" Bell looked up along the others, coming face to face with green eyes.
"Riveria Ljos Alf? What can I help you with?" Bell asked as Riveria gained a slight smile at the polite question.
"I was wondering if I could sit with you all? I wanted to catch up with my niece" Riveria asked as Elora quirked an eyebrow.
"That's quite alright, we do have an open seat" Bell said as Riveria frowned before turning around.
Bell blinked as the form of Aiz Wallenstein walking towards them filled his vision. Bell was filled with memories before he sighed internally.
'It was 15 years ago, why the hell did my heartbeat quicken…' Bell chastised himself, quickly shaking it off before nodding.
"I'm sorry, I didn't notice you, Sword Princess" Bell apologized as Ais nodded.
"It's alright. I was lagging behind" The two sat down as Elora instantly leaned forward.
"So, Riveria… you wanted to catch up?" She asked as Riveria nodded.
"Indeed, it's been quite a while, hasn't it?" Elora frowned before nodding.
"That's quite right. Last time was… 11 years ago, correct?" She asked as Riveria nodded.
"Yes. I heard of some of the things you did… like going back… home" She practically spat the last words as if it were cursed.
"Yes, though it is no home of mine. I simply went there to pay back what was owed to your father" She explained curtly as Riveria nodded.
"Understandable. What he did was… horrific and disgusting to say the least. I also apologize and would understand if you do have some animosity towards me" everyone chuckled at that, confusing the high elf.
"We hold no anger for that Riveria" Elora clarified.
'For that? Do they hold anger for something else?' She questioned as she couldn't figure out another reason to be angry.
"Thank you. Now, as for happier things, is there anything you would like to know?" She asked as Elora chuckled.
"Oh, how are Tione and Tiona doing" Bache cut in as Riveria turned to her with a smile.
"They are doing quite fine. Tiona is… well Tiona" Riveria shrugged, Bache chuckling as it was basically a way to describe the bubble of energy.
"As for Tione, a lot's changed. For one, she's married now to Finn and has a daughter" Bache blinked before remembering that Bell had mentioned something like that earlier.
"Oh… Fiona right? Yeah, that has to be it" Bache mumbled as Riveria nodded.
"Correct" Was all Riveria said as she turned to Elora. Before she could ask anything Bell cut in with a question of his own.
"How are things for you and your family, Ais" He asked, a question the others figured meant Loki familia, but both Riveria and Ais went wide eyed.
"What do you mean?" She asked hastily.
"Oh, just wondering how things are in the Loki familia from your perspective" He clarified as she sighed in relief.
"Oh, that's what you mean. They are good, things are calm and Fiona is fun to be around" Ais said with a smile as Bell couldn't help but return it.
"Oh, what's she like?" He asked as Ryuu came back with their orders, putting them down in front of everyone as they began digging in.
"She's energetic… and goofy. She is a troublemaker though but with a good heart. She helps the homeless by giving away Valis where she can" Bell blinked at the unexpectedly noble deed. It also got him thinking of a certain group of Orphans he was once close to, wondering where they were. He did promise Saena to say hi to her daughter after all.
"She sounds very kind… similarly to a certain boy I met" Bell said, smirking at the shocked faces of the two. He also saw the curious looks from his family but decided to see Riveria and Ais' feelings on the subject.
"Pardon?" Riveria asked as Bell turned to her.
"Oh, just a kind young man I met on my travels" He explained as Riveria got a serious look on her face.
"What did he look like?" She asked as Bell made a motion as if thinking.
"He had quite the unique appearance. White hair, red eyes. Kind of like my son, Jannor" Bell said as he peeked at Ais.
Whatever he expected, it wasn't the sad and hopeless look she was sporting at all. He blinked as if not believing what he was seeing.
"Do you know him?" He asked as Riveria sadly looked at Ais who turned away.
"Yes… you may have heard, but that was most likely the fugitive, Bell Cranel" She said as Bell heard Ais' heartbeat beat faster and faster, hear breath hitching.
"Was he important to you?" Riveria sighed.
"To me? Not especially so… to her?" She looked to Ais with a sad look "All too much" Bell blinked, forcing his heart to remain cold, unchanging but it was becoming increasingly hard as he was perplexed at the turn of events.
'This makes no sense… didn't she abandon me?' He questioned as Riveria stood up.
"I apologize but I think it's time we take our leave. Ais, is that alright with you?" Riveria asked as Ais nodded, standing up with her face still turned away.
The two walked out as Bell decided to look away as well.
"Well.. let's eat up and then rent some rooms…" Bell said quietly as the others had picked up on the mood.
It was lucky that Bell had looked away as he did, for if he didn't, he would have seen the devastation on Ais' face and the tear in her eyes.
One thing was certain for Bell. Some things had gone as expected and others… he turned towards the entrance where Riveria and Ais had just left.
Others are nothing like he had ever imagined
That's chapter 35! He's back, baby! As it's basically 4AM in the morning that I finish this, I'm not going to answer reviews this time, but I'll keep the reviews from the last chapter up instead.
Anyway, I want to sleep so I hope to see you next time!