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. This chapter may also include dark themes such as rape, torture, extreme gore, and suffering.
Authors: Eli-er01 & ViceroyChalister
Patreon: Elier01
Chapter 72 (Plans and Traps) is already available on my Patreon.
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.
70: Anticipation, Nerves, and Resolutions
=West of Orario=
Ryuu held her sword tightly, looking out towards the road with apprehension and worry. She'd been wandering for any sign of Bell's current actions for the past day, but so far, she'd acquired no worthwhile intel whatsoever. He had been quiet as if he had changed tactics.
It was a troubling thought, but one she had to take into consideration. In the mindset he appeared to be at the moment, Bell was without a doubt, unpredictable…
All her thoughts had been focused on how to bring Bell to his senses, and she hadn't even taken into consideration what occurred in the rest of the world. Yes, she knew that Rakia had been seized by the empire and that Orario had been tasked with reclaiming it for Rakia and his people as Orario was unable to house the major influx in population to the point of the streets overflooding with people living on them.
In other words, war was brewing, one no one knew how long it would take, or when it would end. But the war was without a doubt coming… but as her mind had been consumed with the purpose she had failed to keep herself in the loop of the events of the world around her.
And that led her to this sight. A veritable army, marching on the main road leading from north, to south, heading straight for Rakia.
If she had to make a quick headcount of the number of soldiers there were, she'd take a guess up to maybe five thousand or so in total, but there was too little time to tell.
What she did know was that the majority of them were level ones, but there were stronger ones there that were making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up in alarm. Not many, but a few.
'First Class…' Ryuu thought. Not too many, thirteen or so level 5's and six level 6's. It didn't seem like much compared to Orario which held a level eight and multiple level sevens, but the empire was known to be crafty.
Deciding it was time to leave, she turned and disappeared into the foliage, just in time as one of the soldiers looked up at the cliff she had been looking out from before turning back to focus on their march.
=Orario, Twilight Manor=
Epsilon was many things. A traitor, deceitful, and manipulative, but most of all, she was good at her job. For a long time, she had blended in with the Loki familia as an inside source of information for Nakul.
Sitting in her bed within her personal quarters, she thumbed her necklace, a keepsake. The piece of jewelry glimmered in the sunlight that shined through the half-covered window, giving it a sparkle that illuminated the golden hue of the blackened eye. It wasn't a well-known symbol by any means, any that knew of it were either dead, or within the First Legion's intelligence division.
That, or Kaius and Varede. To others, it just seemed like a strange piece of jewelry, and she'd been made fun of at times for it, but she needed it, in more ways than one.
Sighing as she stood up, she idly wondered what she was supposed to do now. There were still a bit under two weeks left until they marched, giving the first legion more than ample time to receive reinforcements as well as prepare for the incoming war.
Deciding to head down, she got up from her bed, tucking her necklace into wine red shirt before heading out into the hallway. There wasn't much for her to do, but apparently, Finn was to make an announcement today, something about the war.
It wasn't something she could afford to miss, even if it was meaningless information as even the slightest chance that any new information may appear, meant that it could be the difference between loss and defeat.
Heading down the spiral staircase, and heading into the main dining hall where most of the captain's announcements were made, she took a seat at the second string table, leaning on her closed fist as she waited.
Not many had arrived yet. As she looked around, she could only spot some minor members of the familia. Aders, Mia, Janice, Hannah, and Leo among others. A mix between level threes and two's. On the third string table which had been formed around six years ago after the familia's average level went up, a couple of humans, elves and beast people sat, all level four.
"Hey, Narvi! I see you're early as usual." Epsilon internally rolled her eyes at the voice as she turned in the direction, putting on a smile as she prepared her usual person.
"Yeah, you know me. Mom always said that it was better to be early than late." She lied through her teeth, her smile remaining fixed on the elf in front of her.
Both of them were level 5s and were considered a part of the second string. Cynthia had reached it on their latest expedition and had been quite proud to finally be promoted to second string.
"Yeah, she's right about that. Last time I was late, I don't think I'll ever forget the verbal lashing Riveria gave me. A mistake I will not repeat." On that, Epsilon could agree, Riveria Ljos Alf was probably one of the most terrifying elves in the world, only matched by Hildrsleif and Dainsleif of the Freya familia… perhaps Thúl could be on that list, but with her out of the equation at the moment, she saw no need to include her.
Speaking of the Themis familia, they were an enigma. She'd tried her best to gather intel about them, anything useful but nothing. She had tried once to infiltrate their mansion, but within just a few minutes, Veregina had stopped her dead in her tracks, and there was no way she'd try again with an abnormally perceptive level seven… in fact, their entire familia was abnormal.
'Terata…' she thought bitterly. She, like the others of her homeland hated and feared the terata, and without a doubt, the Themis familia was a familia of terata. Just like the Zeus and Hera familias of the past.
She forced herself to focus as she heard Finn clear his throat, the entire room filled to the brim with the entire familia of hundreds.
"Everyone, apologies for such a sudden obligatory gathering, but I have some urgent news to deliver to you all… and I won't drag this out like I normally do, and rip the bandage off. Our march on Rakia will not occur in two weeks."
What…?
"We march in two days from now alongside the Freya and Themis familia with some additional smiths and healers from the Hepheastus and Dian Cecht familia." The words rippled around the room, silencing everyone. Some jaws dropped, others paled, but Narvi… she went chalk white, panic filling her as she realized the implications of this.
Her intel had been wrong, and that could lead to countless deaths… She needed to rectify this… no, she needed to get the information to Nakul and Kaius at any cost. If they had built their entire timeframe on the intel she had been providing, then they'd be woefully unprepared for a full-scale invasion force appearing weeks before their estimated arrival…
Wait… why would he ke-
"I understand some of you may feel overwhelmed, or somewhat betrayed due to being lied to, but I saw no other choice if I wanted to make sure our first assault would be successful for our operation."
Epsilon was by far not stupid, and she understood what he truly meant with that, but not saying it so as to not damage their morale further than it already had.
What he's really saying, is that he knows there is a traitor among them… a spy.
Suppressing the urge to bite her nail in frustration and nerves, she couldn't help but wonder where she had gone wrong. It appeared that he didn't know who, but he somehow found out that one of them had been feeding information to the Empire… and the fact that he hadn't entrusted this information to anyone but the familia executives… the oldest and most trusted members of the familia meant that he was walking a line of extreme caution.
This will make things more difficult… she's going to have to make sure her background is tightly secured to not draw any attention. Finn Deimne was an opponent she did not want in a battle of wits and strategy… but she'd been forced into such a position.
And the first move he'd make logically was to check the background of each of their members, working up from the bottom, the most likely traitors as they are the most inconspicuous… that gives her time, though that is no reason to be tardy.
"-rvi!"
But how should she make her background more believable? She'd managed to steal the identity of a village girl a few days outside of Orario, one who had lost her family to a plague before heading to Orario to join a familia and become an adventurer. The guild had her identity secured in its archives which were protected like a rank-s familia home.
"Narvi!"
Blinking in surprise, she looked up, meeting the eyes of Lefiya who peered down at her with worry.
"M-my apologies, Lefiya-san. I was a bit lost in thought…" Narvi forced a stutter as she laughed awkwardly. The thousand elf seemed relieved for a moment before nodding.
"Yes, it's just… everyone's left, and you were just… sitting here. Do you need someone to talk to?"
No, she did not. What she needed was a clear way to get the information out of Orario, but it wasn't like she could say that.
"No, but thank you. I am just in a bit of a shock."
Lefiya nodded in understanding. "Of course, but the offer remains." She said as she started walking away, waving at the human girl, saying something about having to get something done.
The moment the elf left, Narvi took a look around, noticing she had actually ended up alone in the entire room, everyone else departing.
Slowly, her expression shifted, turning serious as she placed her palms together, leaning on them as she continued her trail of thought.
She had so little time to get this information to Rakia… no… if she thought about it logically, it was already too late. A message would take at least two days to arrive, and at that point, they'd already be marching.
That doesn't even take into consideration of the time she'd have to put into making it inconspicuous which may not only take days by itself, but upwards to weeks depending on how alert people were, but it may make the few days for the information to arrive turn into weeks as well.
She'd been lucky with her letter which she'd sent to their outpost. She'd always sent an annual report to Nakul disguised as letters to her distant 'relatives' who hadn't been there for the plague, and her letter had coincided with that particular date.
She just hoped it'd made it into Nakul's hands-on time.
For a long moment, she just sat there, contemplating her options before finally sighing, deciding it was best for her to get up. There wasn't much she could do just at the moment.
For now, she had to act carefully… bide her time, but she couldn't stay completely idle.
No… she had some work to do, evidence to bury.
There are going to be two long days.
=Hostess of Fertility=
The mood on the table was somber, much to the contrast of some of the other tables nearby. Welf sat there, slowly eating his food as his thoughts ran through the recent events, knowing that the rest of their group around the table was doing the same thing.
When Bell returned, he'd been beyond ecstatic. He'd had his best friend back… and well… his only real male friend apart from Ouka. He'd felt like things were finally returning to where they should be in the world.
He'd gone with them into the dungeon, they'd gone on an adventure together, faced dangers together…
Just like old times- as he remembered it with some differences of course. For one, their party had been much larger now. He had a wife, and three kids, and Bache as… honestly, he was still a bit miffed on how to classify their relationship. Best friends?
Either way, all it did was make things more enjoyable. He'd had more fun than he'd had in a long time, and that isn't a jab at his other friends, just that Bell just had that kind of energy. Whenever he is involved, even the most mundane of events can become hilarious or exhilarating.
Joining their expedition had been one of the best decisions he'd made as well. Being able to not only dive that deep and gather such valuable materials had been a boon and sent his smithing imagination into the stratosphere, but it had also been an experience. One he'd simultaneously treasure and shudder at.
He'd grown closer with everyone down there, but also, he'd gained, what has to have been the largest jump in his status… well, ever.
The others had said as much. Everyone but Haruhime is capable of leveling up, and the only reason she can't is because she had only recently achieved level four and couldn't have anything higher than H.
If they wanted to, they're entire party could have one level four, two level fives, and one level six.
But they'd all refrained from going through with it as Bell's words had echoed in their heads.
'Leveling up early, is a sure way to ruin your potential' Welf thought half bitterly. A part of him didn't want to believe it, but he knew that Bell wasn't a liar. He was awful at it, so it had to be true. It would explain the massive discrepancy in his status compared to others that just a few hundred points over the limit couldn't.
Looking around the table, his eyes locked onto Haruhime who's ears had been in a permanent droop. They'd had him back for two weeks…
Then Elora nearly died… got into a coma and… now he was gone, out there… seeking vengeance.
It just seems so… not like him, but a part of him understood. He'd seen so much heartbreak, so much pain. This… it was just… too much.
That doesn't stop the hurt though, and while Lili and Mikoto were hiding it well, he knew they were hit by it hard as well.
"Did you all receive the notice Lili did?" Lili's voice cut the silence like a sharp knife, enough so to make Haruhime flinch.
"Yeah… two days huh…" Welf trailed off.
Everyone was worried about what was to come. While the ones mentioned were always Loki, Freya, and Themis familias alongside Hephaestus and Dian Cecht familias when it came to the ones going to war, it was in reality virtually every-capable familia in the city.
That included both the Soma and Takemikazuchi familia… heck, even Hermes, and Miach Familia were coming along.
But that did not stop the nerves from setting in. They'd gone to war with Rakia in the past, but they didn't actually participate, excluding Hestia being kidnapped and Bell following to save her.
The closest they'd actually been to being part of a war was… well, during the dark age, at least for Lili who had lived through that time.
Nothing pretty came from it, and their enemy had a level eight, just like they had one, which was frightening.
"I wish Bell-dono was here…" Mikoto whispered after a moment as she looked up. "He always knows how to make the mood lighter." She continued as they nodded along.
"Yeah, that's right… Lili just have to try to stay positive… to keep going…" Lili mumbled something at the end in an incomprehensible way as Haruhime just hummed.
"I just don't understand…" The Renard whispered… "Bell-sama… is so kind… why would he…" There was no need to continue. Honestly, Welf could see why she was confused. She was the purest of them all, despite the amount of negative experiences she'd had to endure in her early life.
"Haruhime-dono… Bell-dono is consumed by grief." Mikoto tried to explain. "He… I don't think he can take much else from the world- he's already experienced much suffering."
"Yesh…" Haruhime bit her lip as she spoke, trying to withhold her emotions as she shakily took a bite of her food.
With that, the table fell silent once more. Honestly, Welf wished he knew what to say, but he just didn't. His mind went blank when he tried… so instead, all he could do was sit there and eat his food.
Even if the mood was somber, at least he was in the company of friends who he considered family.
In times like this, isn't that all anyone can ask for?
=Dungeon, Floor 21=
The large jungle environment rustled with the artificial wind created by the dungeon. Let slowly traversed the lush surroundings, keeping an eye out as he traveled with a few companions, Fear among them.
Ever since Wiene had told the Xenos at large that the surface dwellers had caught wind of their existence due to Bell being forced to reveal it, they'd remained on high alert, and for good reason.
The number of adventurers they'd seen looking for them had skyrocketed into what was quite literally, a ridiculous amount, though it was to be expected.
The surface dwellers had held a hatred for monsters for thousands of years, and they, the Xenos had only existed for three decades in total.
They were idealistic, but they were no fools. They desired and strived for coexistence and maybe, just maybe, cooperation… but they knew that the path would be hard, strenuous, and filled with danger.
Hate was no easy thing to escape or forget, and Gros was a perfect example of this. He'd grown to hate the surface dwellers for taking so many of their kin, butchering them like animals without a second thought, and he'd argued multiple times with Wiene over the years for harsher retaliation methods in case of attacks, sometimes even downright killing them at the slightest hint of a threat.
Of course, Wiene never caved, but one particular argument had always remained in Let's mind. How Gross had argued that they were killing them, and they had to do the same, that they had to pay for their transgression.
But Wiene's words still echo in his head.
'And what about from their perspective!? To them, the dwellers of the dungeon have been slaughtering them for three thousand years! A hundred times longer than the Xenos have even existed! To them, monsters killing them is the norm, so you cannot blame them for following that! If we do what you say, then we will only cement their opinion of us, and then… our dream will never come true.
And Let had to concur, their dream would be hopeless if the surface dwellers found any sort of 'evidence' that they were violent and unpredictable. Then they would never coexist, they would never be able to reach the surface… to feel the warmth of the sun they longed for…
Because they'd be killed before they could truly enjoy it.
Hearing wings flapping, Let looked up as Fear descended close to him before nodding in the direction they were heading. Without even needing words he knew what she was trying to get at as he turned around, meeting the eyes of one of his companions, one of the relatively newer Xenos, having only been found and brought into their fold six months ago.
"Milo-san, help the others to prepare. Adventurers appear to be in front of us." Let informed as Milo nodded, turning around and informing the others, a mix between middle and lower floor Xenos.
The group quickly got ready as Let listened to the approaching footsteps, Fear having perched herself among the thick vegetation above on one of the branches.
"Oy, so, you think the brat was tellin' the truth?"
"What, man you've asked this like… every time we're down here and the answer's still the same. No fucking way he was telling the truth. Intelligent monsters? Psssh, right."
The voices became clear as Let listened, the footsteps nearing before another voice cut in.
"Oy, who're you callin' a brat!? Apollyon's more man than any of you!"
"The hell, you on about that bullcrap again, Mord? He may be a level seven, but he's still a brat."
"It ain't bullcrap, Apollyon's the real deal… and if he says there are monsters who can talk and think… then there are monsters that can talk and think. Not much more to it, got me?"
"Yeah, yeah… whatever you say… crazy old man."
Finally, the group came into view, seemingly a party of ten adventurers as Let stood there. There wasn't much point for any of them apart from Fear to hide, one of their members was a Lygerfang which even in this thick vegetation would be near impossible to avoid detection.
It took them but a moment to spot them, and the group instantly readied their weapons, ranging from bows to greatswords.
"Monsters, Andy, keep us covered!"
"Will do!"
"Wait, we have no wish to engage in battle with you." Let spoke, startling the group for a good long moment.
"Hah! See! Monsters that can talk!" One of the men, a gruff man with stubble grinned and pointed at the goblin that had just spoken.
"No… they're still monsters… Everyone! Let's take them out!"
"No, wait, the hell you doin' Cyrus!"
Seven of the ten mortals began their attack, the gruff man and two others seemed to not do the same though before the man in question held a conflicted look for a moment before backing up, putting his hands in the air.
"Shit… I ain't taking no part of this… I hope you're right, Apollyon."
To Let, the group was slow, it was clear that he was far superior to them in strength. Compared to what he'd gone through alongside Bell-san's family and friends down in the deep floors… this was nothing.
As one of the adventurers moved their weapon into a thrusting position, Let pulled his knife out, blasting off as he saw some of his companions do the same.
"Remember! Don't kill!" Fear called out from above right as he sliced through the tendons on the closest adventurer's left heel, collapsing him onto the ground before dodging as a hammer slammed into the ground where he'd been.
He needed to disarm and incapacitate them.
Peeking to his right, he saw Milo smash his own longsword against a large burly man's greatsword, sending the adventurer's blade flying off into the distance before punching him in the face, slamming him into the ground hard enough for it to crack.
Maybe that was a bit much, but from what Let could see, it wasn't lethal, though may inflict a concussion. He'd have to talk to him later.
Turning his attention back to the adventurer that had tried to crush him, he readied his blade before nimbly parrying and avoiding the attacks, body gracing the weapon as it descended or rammed through the air in an attempt to smash or send him flying.
These adventurers had to be level three… at most, low-level four. Nothing to scoff at, but to Let in particular, who specialize in mainly dexterity, but also Agility, it wasn't enough.
In a blur to the adventurer in question, Let sliced through his tendons up his arm before twirling and sending a roundhouse kick into his knee as a sickening crunch signaled the breaking of his bones.
"GAH!" The adventurer shouted in pain.
"HUH!? WAIT!" Let turned to the voice, seeing the archer being brought high into the air as his bow and Arrow were snapped by Fear.
Within moments, what was essentially almost the entire party of adventurers, had been brought low, either unconscious (He really needed to have a talk with Milo), or clutching their wounds with glares on their faces.
"Like I had attempted to inform you all, we have no wish to clash blades with you. You have no one to blame for your injuries but yourselves." Let uttered.
"Next time…" Fear spoke from above as she dropped the archer, eliciting him to scream and flail in the air before he landed with a thud on the ground. "Try to listen. We won't kill you, you know. All we want is peace."
"What about them?" Milo asked, pointing at the three who had stood back."
"Mord! Come on! Help us!"
"Shit, this hurts!"
'Mord… is that his name?' Let thought before looking at the man, the two other adventures next to him seemingly scared and unsure.
"Mord-san… am I correct?" Let asked as the adventurer slowly nodded.
"You have my gratitude for giving us a chance. I hope we can get along in the future." He gave a smile, holding out his green hand, claws glinting in the light though posture-friendly.
The entire area fell silent for a long moment, waiting and waiting as Mord gulped, staring at the hand, seemingly contemplating his choice.
"You're… you're monsters… right?" He asked after a moment.
"Hmm, that is quite a conundrum to answer. If monster relates to being born by the dungeon… then yes." The man seemed to stand straighter at the words, startled before Let continued.
"But if you are referring to mindless creatures that only follow their instincts… then no. The best way to classify us would be by what we call ourselves." Let dropped his hand, repressing a sigh. He supposed it was still too early for that.
"We are the Xenos, and like you, we fight monsters as well." He finished before waving to his group to start moving.
"Now we are going to continue down the path. Here." Let pulled out a few healing potions, part of what they'd brought with them since this all had begun, built up from what Wiene had stockpiled in preparations.
"Can I trust you to get them to safety? I would not want our actions in self-defense to lead to unnecessary bloodshed."
Mord stood completely transfixed and confused, shaking slightly as his arm slowly reached down, hitching at the slightest movement as if the monster would attack him but… it was just like he said…
Closing his eyes and letting out a small chuckle, his shake slowly lessened before he opened his eyes once more, giving a soft grin at the goblin.
"Apollyon really undersold you all…" He muttered, taking the potions before nodding. "Thank you… goblin" He said before heading to his injured party members as Let mumbled that his name wasn't 'goblin'.
But even though that irritated him, he couldn't help but feel a bit of relief. This was the first time they'd had a positive encounter, or at least partially positive. Maybe not everyone saw them as something to be killed.
Maybe… there is hope yet.
With that, the group of Xenos continued down the path, heading toward their hidden village. The mood was brighter than before, though still on alert.
Only time would tell if they'd one day be accepted for what they are.
All they could do… was to hope for that to one day, become reality.
=Far East of Orario=
"Hya!" Swords clashed as the goddess looked on at her children's training. Their movements were a blur to the deity, but despite that, she couldn't help but enjoy it. It always filled her with a sense of pride, even now, so long after that happened.
For such a long time, she'd been distraught, but she'd managed to rebuild, and that had led her here. Her familia who at first had regrown with a single member, had gone from one, to six in four years after that happened.
Then twenty years in total after that event, she had a total of sixteen children… well… sixteen she sees regularly anyhow.
Turning to the side, she traced that lone connection that lay across the horizon, far to the west of where they were.
She wondered how she was doing. She'd heard much of what had happened, but ever since she'd found of their destruction, it had been quiet, maybe small mentions, though she had been unsure.
A memory of an elf, bowing to her goddess flashed across her mind, how she'd refrained from saying anything as at that moment there was not anything to say. She had to let her child, do what she had to do… and if one day she wanted to return to her, then… she was waiting.
Even now, she was waiting, for as long as it took, she'd wait, even if it took hundreds of years.
In the meantime, she'd work hard to help her children grow in any way she could, to guide them towards the right path.
"Kami-sama, here, as you requested." The goddess turned towards one of her children who approached, holding a stack of papers, stapled together.
Smiling at her child, Selna, a level two Chienthrope, she nodded, softly taking the parchment.
"Thank you, Selna. I hate to be a burden to you, so I truly appreciate this more than you know." Her words were spoken from her heart. The goddess truly loved her children, and she knew that asking this of Selna had put a burden on her. She'd had to travel all the way to Orario to retrieve this public document, specifically of a certain familia that had recently been formed in Orario and taken the city by storm, if the rumors were to be believed.
"No, it is of no consequence, Kami-sama. I was intrigued by it as well… after all, he is their captain." Ah, yes, him.
She still remembered when her oldest child, excluding the one she was waiting for, had found her. She'd been accompanied by that man, staying with her and making sure she was safe.
That was nearly a decade ago, but she could still remember the details as if it occurred yesterday. Despite his mask, one could have practically felt the smile on his face as he animately talked to Salna, distracting her from the village she had hailed from which had been burned and nearly destroyed by monsters before bandits had found them.
He had saved them, and had asked nothing in return. He'd been kind, compassionate, and understanding. The way he'd tried to gauge her character, despite her godhood when she'd asked what had occurred. He had not even glanced down at her chest once as they had conversed.
It had all baffled her, it was something she rarely saw in a man… integrity. A man that stands by his beliefs, and does what he can to protect those he is capable of protecting.
The encounter had not been awfully long, but by the end of it, he had departed, leaving Selna with her, not even asking for her name, seemingly content with her character alone.
She too, was intrigued by him, but she had found that she was content, knowing that there were at least men worth not scorning in the world… hopefully.
But then, recently, he arrived in Orario, and formed a familia with his patron god… a god which she knew was lying.
Because she knows Themis. She'd been friends with him for longer than Gekai had even existed… after all, their domains were similar in nature.
And she knew that Themis… would never, under any circumstance, leave Tenkai… his beliefs and integrity for those beliefs were too strong to do so.
He'd have to be brought down screaming and kicking…
In other words, the Themis in Orario… can't be Themis… and there is only one other god she can think of that it is… a god that only three people, herself included knows stayed in the lower world.
"Of course, have you read it?" The goddess' question was met with an excited nod from Selna. "Yes! It's amazing, you won't believe what it says" The goddess laughed, her voice light and melodic at her child's excitement.
"Oh, you are making me excited for it as well."
"Yes, but…" Selna's expression seemed to shift, her ears drooping as she seemed a bit more… downtrodden.
"Is something wrong?"
"Yes, It's… there are some bad circumstances at the moment… but it's all in there. I'm… I'll go get something to eat. I am honestly kind of famished." Selna didn't even hesitate to leave after that, not reacting to her goddess reaching out to her in worry before she was left alone, holding the parchment as the sounds of the training echoed behind her.
Taking a look at the document on Themis Familia, she sighed and figured it was best to read this as soon as possible.
Heading off to her own room, she plopped down onto her bed softly, the document in her lap before she softly turned to the first page… then the second… then the third.
It was mostly basic information in the beginning. Basic guild protocol. Number of members… seven, one non-combatant. Captain…
'Bell Cranel?' she blinked at the name. She'd heard it in passing, nothing good, but the alias matched up. Apollyon. And level seven to boot, meaning he was in the top echelons of power in the world.
"Hmmm," She hummed as she thought. Bell Cranel, from what she'd heard, was someone who had committed the highest form of crime in the murder of a goddess, and even murdering twenty-seven adventurers in doing so.
…
It didn't match up with the image of the man she'd met in any way. As if the two weren't even the same person…
So… were the allegations false.
While Justice was absolute, mortal opinions and beliefs were not, making its interpretation individual, and also not infallible. Perhaps… it had been perceived that way… but maybe that was not what happened.
The goddess pondered for a moment. It seemed like the most logical option. Either way, that was not why she had requested this in the first place.
Continuing on, the Vice-captain was Elora Cranel, Level seven as well… and their one executive, Bache Kalif was level seven too. She could without a doubt see why this small familia made a massive impression.
Then there were the regular members, and if she had to guess, all but one were the children of Bell Cranel. One level five, one level four, and one level three… and lastly the non-combatant, Fina Cremond, Level 1.
Moving on, deciding there was no reason to stay and ponder those details, she flipped the page once more, finding a few report details, the first being of the slaying of the Goliath… no, one-shotting of it by their captain.
Hmm… that signified some above-average strength. The goliath was a level four monster rex, but its resilience was not to be underestimated. It can take a lot of damage, so that was quite the feat.
Next up was winning a duel with Allen Fromel… then a duel with Ais Wallenstein… One win, and one inconclusive.
The next page had an expedition report. Quickly skimming through it, it all seemed ordinary of a familia with their average level. Floor fifty expedition with drop item collection… and…
For a moment, the goddess nearly jumped out of her bed in shock as she read the 'Achieved Floor' section because quite frankly, she had a hard time believing it.
Floor 73.
It had a note next to it, seemingly added on by one of the guild staff… detailing what Bell Cranel had been dragged down there by an unidentified monster, forcing him to ascend an unknown environment with no food and supplies on his own. Apparently, he had been down there for five days…
But that was it… no mention of what the rest of the familia were doing… no mention of how it ended… just that they succeeded in their mission.
Bizarre…
No matter. Flipping the page one more time, she reached the end of the current documentation, more to be added with time, but as they'd only been active for around two months, the events they'd been in already were staggering.
The final addition to the document seemed to be the current order of events… and as she read it, a deep frown filled her face at the mention of that cursed country.
The empire had invaded Rakia, and Orario was preparing for war, and… Thúl, Elora Cranel, had been critically injured by Kaius, Level eight of the empire, nearly killing her.
And Bell Cranel had gone rouge…
Nothing more… no details, not even a word. That was where it ended, but those words spoke more than enough.
"So it's happening all over again…" She whispered before flipping back to the first page, tracing the name at the top.
'God: Themis'
"I wonder… what is your purpose now… Erebus" She uttered before looking out at the setting sun.
Perhaps… it was time for her to go back. To see an old acquaintance…
=Orario, Daedalus Street=
The god of messengers lay on the moon-shaped stone, the moonlight illuminating his face as Asfi and a group of his members stood below.
The god understood why they were here, they did not trust who he was meeting. He peeked down through his hat. Asfi was alert, glancing around in every which direction. Laurier's ears twitched, alert at any stray sounds and Lulune was sniffing around, ready for an attack.
One could say it was a bit overkill, but in a way, it wasn't. Freya Familia was known to be… volatile at the best of times, and even they had to know that if Freya wanted to crush him… well, there wasn't much he would be able to do in retaliation.
The sound of heels echoed around them as all eyes turned towards one of the alleyways that connected to the abandoned square they were currently located in.
Moments later, the goddess in question walked through the shadow, Ottar behind her but no one else. Not really out of the ordinary.
"My, my, Hermes. I did not expect you to already contact me. It had only been nearly two days." Freya spoke up, pulling down her hood with a smile on her face.
"Hey, there is a reason my familia have the most lucrative contracts." Hermes defended as he sent his legs over, dangling at the edge while he avoided direct eye contact.
"My apologies, I did not mean to insinuate anything, it was simply beyond my expectations. Now… did you find anything in particular?"
"Well, yes and no. Nothing as you described it but… there were some discrepancies among some members." He motioned towards Asfi who walked forward, handing some papers to Freya who took them with a smile, reading the one at the top.
"All the names of the ones that either have something odd in their stories are listed there, more details are on the other pages." He answered before pulling his head further down.
"Does that satisfy the contract?"
Silence ensued as the goddess of beauty read, flipping page after page, glancing at the faces before she looked up.
"There is quite the number here."
"The Loki familia numbers in the hundreds. Narrowing that down to sixteen is quite the feat itself." He answered as she nodded.
"Yes, I do believe this satisfies the contract, Hermes. I do believe that I'll use your services more. You're more effective than I'd believed." She praised honestly as she wore a smile, nodding at him slowly. Hermes could do nothing but do a double take, eyes narrowing.
Had… had Freya actually praised him… Non-flirtatiously?
Freya was many things, but praising someone, without an ulterior motive was not one of them… so seeing what appeared to be just that was…
It was bizarre… no, wrong. It was all wrong.
"Are you sure?" He asked as she giggled softly.
"I am quite sure, your children have finished a job well done. Make sure to give them a suitable reward, will you?" Now even his children seemed flabbergasted.
"..." Hermes gaped for a long moment before his eyes automatically looked into hers, a natural reflex when he was looking for the truth… but no charm came… so that motive was not applicable so…
"Who… are you?" He muttered slowly, trying to place the woman in front of him with the Freya he knew, but the goddess of beauty just tilted her head at him.
"You seem… so… different." At that, Freya nodded slowly with a soft smile.
"Yes… I recently had a nice chat with someone that gave me a perspective… along with some advice. I am trying to heed that advice. And I am quite glad I am doing well enough for you to question the way I act." She stated as she looked up at the sky.
"This person… is he…" Hermes slowly asked as he leaned forward, fully on alert as his suspicions began setting in.
"My, you seem to have come to a dangerous conclusion, Hermes. I'd keep it to yourself if I were you."
"Aha, there is the goddess I know!" He snapped his fingers as Freya's fingers went up to her lips, as if to prevent any more slip-ups from occurring.
"My, my… It seems I still have some ways to go… but unfortunately, I do have to make good use of this information. Until next time, Herme." Freya stated, turning around as she pulled her hood back up, walking back down the street as Ottar, without a single word uttered from start to finish, turned and followed.
It took only a moment after the two were gone before chatters exploded out of his children that were here.
And he could understand why… that encounter did not go as anyone could have expected… and if this 'someone' was who Hermes thought it was.
Maybe… just maybe, that information was for that someone as well.
Looking up at the moon, a small smile played on the god's lips as the sound of his children filled the square.
If he was right… then at least he was able to help him in some way…
=The Guild, Morning=
Working in the guild at the moment, had to be some form of torment… or at least classified as it. That is what Eina couldn't help but think, but despite that, she kept working. The massive influx of adventurers in the last few weeks is a direct result of the call to arms and disclosing of the existence of intelligent monsters… The workload was slowly overwhelming them. The news had even spread outside Orario as well to some degree, leading to even the branch offices outside Orario being filled to the brim as well.
Eina was close to exploding. The reports and incidents were piling up so fast that even as she had postponed her normal duties to assist with them all, the stack of papers was still steadily rising.
Most incidents remained the same. Either adventurers being injured trying to hunt these monsters, attempting to call for a manhunt, or minor riots, mostly outside Orario where the threat of monsters was far more real than inside the walls.
Thankfully, no deaths had been reported as a result of these intelligent monsters, even with some petty attempts at it.
Either way, she was stuck here, furiously writing and signing on papers as fast as she could to the point her hand hurt.
As she grabbed the next paper and glanced at the details, she sighed once more as it was another 'concerned' citizen trying to report Freya Familia's home 'blowing up'
Exaggerated, but not untrue. That was a particular incident they were unable to do anything about, as it required the Freya familia's cooperation and the guild representative they'd sent to investigate had been stopped, calling what had occurred 'Familia Business'.
Oh, how that phrase was simultaneously a boon and a curse. It lowered the amount of reports they'd receive by what was honestly a staggering amount… but it also made investigations a damn nightmare at times.
Either way, she signed the paper as 'Archived' before moving on to the next.
They needed more staff… but they didn't have the funding for it. They needed their current budget for damage control in the estimated fallout of everything that was going on.
Rakia, Empire, Xenos, and Bell-kun.
One thing was happening after the other, and it showed no sign of stopping. Which meant that she was in for more paperwork than the gods were powerful.
"Eina." The half-elf snapped her gaze up, meeting Rose's stern gaze as she held another stack of papers.
Looking at the papers, all the half-elf could do was sigh out in exasperation before waving toward the stack she was halfway through.
"More? Just put it next to the ones I'm working on." she said before turning back to the paperwork and continuing her work.
"You should take a break. Working like that will only burn you out." Rose said after a moment, giving her a scrutinizing once over, taking note of the bags under the elf's eyes, how her shoulders were sunken, and how disheveled her hair looked.
"You have been working for nearly forty-eight hours without sleep-"
"Drop it" Eina spoke clearly and to the point, not stopping for a moment as she didn't even look up.
"No, we have been watching you run yourself into the ground for the past week, most particularly the last two days, and I am done not doing anything about it!"
"I SAID DROP IT!" Eina's fist slammed into the desk as some of her employees running around stopped to look at her in shock.
To Rose's credit, she didn't so much as flinch, still leaning over the table and glaring into Eina's scowl.
"And as I said… No."
For what must have been at least a minute, the two simply glared at one another, veritable sparks flying between them as neither made a move to back down.
"Eina, you are my friend, one that is dear to me, and I refuse to watch and do nothing as you destroy yourself!" Rose heatedly stated.
"As I said… I… am fine."
"You are not, and stop deluding yourself. I will drag you out of this building if I have to, so please just listen to me… and take a break!"
The glares met once more, but this time, Eina's seemed half-hearted. Only mere moments later, her head fell as her shoulders seemed to shake-
"AGHHHHH!" She exploded, arms flailing in the air. "Fine! But do not blame me if you are drowned in paperwork because I wasn't here!"
With that, she stomped off towards the reception as Rose watched her push her way through and out of the building.
A soft smile slowly played on her lips before she turned to the paperwork. With a plop, Rose sat down, picking up the pen before continuing with the paperwork. Someone had to do it… and she'd be sure it wasn't Eina until she'd rested.
Outside on the packed streets, Eina's face was tinted red with mounted frustration, but in her eyes was also a tiny hint of guilt. She didn't mean to act so nasty, especially to her friend. Rose meant well, and without a doubt, was right in what she was saying. She needed rest, even she knew that but… the amount of paperwork, and the thought of what could happen if she stopped had a tendency to blind her.
It wasn't a good habit, but she did acknowledge it. That, combined with her worry about Bell-kun… god, how she worried. She wished she could visit Themis Familia's home and see Thúl herself, but that was both unprofessional and not possible in the current environment.
Looking at her own hand, she idly thought about the war. Orario was starting their march tomorrow morning… in twenty-four hours. So many people were going and it pained her to think that many of them would never come back.
The Empire was an enemy not to be underestimated. Not just due to them having first-class adventurers, but also from some of the reports she'd read.
They were probably one of the craftiest countries out there. By all means, they won and should have won against the Vikings, but they did it faster than expected. Reports had stated that they'd had some kind of weapon that allowed them to quite literally change the weather, which could change the tides of battles out at sea.
There is no telling what other mysterious tools they have in their arsenal, and that was what scared her.
Orario had the level advantage, but they had the versatility advantage when it came to equipment…
Breaking out of her thoughts as she reached her home, she entered and quickly walked over to her cupboards, grabbing some quick food and munching it down in record time.
Without even missing a beat, she jumped into bed, forgetting about brushing her teeth as her eyes grew heavy due to exhaustion.
Tomorrow… tomorrow the war began… maybe Bell would return then…
Those were her last thoughts before sleep consumed her, the elf not being seen for the rest of the day.
=Orario, Western Wall=
Freya idly smiled as she walked down the wall, Ottar following behind her. It felt bizarre moving around so much. She was used to mostly staying in one place for an extended period of time, mostly either in Folkvangr or Babel Tower.
But on the last day, she'd moved around more than she had since their trip up north, and Ottar's subsequent battle with Kaius at the time.
If she had to put a finger on what she was feeling… it would be… free. Ottar may be with her, but he had not stopped her from doing anything she wanted, staying at a stand for a while, enjoying some treats or conversing with some people, being careful not to drop her hood or reveal her identity of course while Ottar watched from a distance.
He did not intervene no matter what, not even when a woman had spilled soup all over her an hour ago.
It was exhilarating being able to experience Orario without the slightest perceived transgression being met with death threats of near-lethal force no matter her opinion.
Having that talk with her children had been more than worth it… even if it had taken half a day to finish as they constantly protested… but Bell-kun had been right in the end.
She should have done it a long time ago… but as he'd stated… or at least insinuated… she'd been so used to her gilded cage, she was unable to perceive the possibility of going beyond it.
But now that she has, she doesn't want to return. Everything was so much more entertaining outside of it. The amount of unpredictability around them, how even the tiniest of discrepancies can lead to surprising results. A single rock out of place, resulting in a woman tripping with her soup in hand.
It was so different from viewing everything from above, seeing every detail, and being able to predict everything. Down here… she was unable to do so, as there are so many minor factors outside of her view and knowledge…
It was intoxicating
If only there was a way to allow her freedom from her passive charm, to allow her to control it… then she thinks she'd know true freedom.
Looking forward once more, she spots the man she'd come to meet, who sat, overlooking the scenery outside Orario, legs dangling over the edge before his red eyes moved, to look straight at her, hair ruffling in the air.
"Freya, Have you got something?" Bell asked as she nodded, pulling out the stack of papers from inside her cloak, and holding it out towards him.
Taking them and taking a look at it, he hummed in acknowledgment.
Sixteen, people. Skimming the names, he recognized some, Like Anju, Sharon, and Narvi, but most were not people he had interacted with before.
Looking up at her, he nodded.
"Thank you, this will make things much easier." He gave her a soft smile, before standing up and dropping to her level. Freya watched as he moved to walk away, seemingly content with that being the end of it before she took a step forward.
"Bell-kun-" She spoke as the man in question froze, looking over his shoulder at her, waiting for her to speak.
"You helped me, gave me advice when I was… as much as I hate to admit it, lost and acting like a child." She started before taking a deep breath "So, I wanted for you to extend the same courtesy that I extended to you, by listening to the advice that I want to give you."
She instantly saw how his muscles twitched, as if he wanted to just leave after her words, but her words seemed to have settled, how his eyes fell to the ground in thought, contemplating what she'd said for a long moment.
Ottar simply stood there, watching the exchange as well, not saying anything, but he too, was curious as to what his lady wanted to convey.
"Fine" Bell answered, turning around and facing her, walking up only inches from her as he stared down at her. "Say your piece."
"I know you will not like what I am about to say bu-"
"Damn right I won't" He interrupted her as she tilted her head, letting her eyebrows raise to convey her thoughts.
He at least had the decency to look away, obviously feeling a bit embarrassed.
"As I was saying, you will without a doubt, not like what I have to say, but I feel like it is something you need to hear, and listen to until the end, without interrupting such as you did just two days ago." She started as he continued to look away, but it was clear that he was listening, his head moving to give an almost imperceptible nod.
"Now, I will not pretend to understand what you are going through, because I can't. I've never had a husband, despite my attempts… but I have loved before, and unlike the love that other gods and mortals have for me, that love is not force. It is very real, and I have watched many of my children, some that I have loved more than others pass away. I have felt that grief, and I have never handled it well myself. I grieve, by claiming more children that take my interest, a habit which, is unhealthy, as much as I loathe it… and I had remained blind to that fact for so long. You, giving me perspective of my situation, of my cage, and my behavior has opened my eyes to that, and for that, I am thankful… so I want to help open your eyes, even if it is just a bit." She finished her start before walking around him, looking out towards the city, specifically towards one manor.
"Your wife was put in a coma, a woman you love with every fiber of your being, something I cannot help but respect and envy. I am a goddess of love, on top of fertility and war, and such even if I wish that love was aimed at me, I can not ignore that love you have in your heart… because it goes against my nature, something I had been doing for so long… and as a goddess of love, I understand how all-consuming it can be, the effects of what happens with, or to that person can lead to emotions so heavy it clouds your mind and body to the point that you don't even realize what you are doing."
She pointed towards the manor she was looking at before her head turned, looking at Bell who had finally looked up, eyes gazing in the direction she was pointing at.
"What you are doing, letting that love consume you, is not only tormenting yourself but everyone else who loves you as well. Your children, your best friend… everyone. I have it on good authority that Ryuu too, is hurting because of you. She had not been seen in the hostess ever in the past week and a half." She stated, Bell nodding along but not saying anything.
"Vengence may seem sweet at this time, but at the end of it, will it be worth it, if you have no family to return to?"
He couldn't help but flinch at her question. He knew that nothing, nothing, would be worth losing his family but… but…
Kaius needs to burn.
"Do not get me wrong, I, like you want to see Kaius burn, but this… is not the way… at least not the way I believe is right for you." She finished as the area went silent for a long time.
Bell just stood there, mind reeling at her words. The way she'd said it, the way she'd made comparisons and made it all sound so… real…
A part of him was tearing at his heart, screaming at him to listen, but that cursed black flame was desperately fending that part off with vigor, whispering that he had to do this, that he had to be the one to make Kaius burn… to take everything he loves so that he can feel the same pain he felt.
For a split moment, he considered the possibility of just… letting go. Of returning to his family… to give up on his quest for vengeance, and for that split moment, Freya saw that opening.
If she had been even a moment, faster, she may have been able to capitalize on it, but before she could, she saw it get buried once more, the black flames consuming the thoughts as his expression hardened once more… but she could see, though her ability down to his soul that there was a crack.
She'd completed her purpose… an opening had been made, and a seed had been planted. All he needed was a push from someone close to him, someone he considers dear, and no matter how much it pains her, she was not that person.
"Thank you for the advice… but I think I'll pass." He said as she nodded, putting on a facade, giving him a disappointed look.
"A shame, but think on it, won't you, Bell-kun?" She spoke as he grunted, taking a step away.
"We'll see." His words were followed by a gust of wind as he leaped into the city, disappearing amongst the buildings as she stared after him, her short facade falling instantly as Ottar walked up to her.
"Milady?" He asked, not voicing what he wanted to ask, knowing she'd understand.
"He needed a push, to create an opening. All he needs now is the right person with the right words." She answered as he nodded.
"We'll see if your action bears fruit."
"Yes… with time we will."
With that, the two left, as well, heading towards their home. She should be there for her children on the final day… tomorrow, they will all march.
=Rakia=
Kaius smiled as he watched their grand army stationed outside the city. The knight of knights was happy that their forces had arrived, especially with how quiet Bell Cranel had been the past few days.
It was simultaneously good and bad. On one end, it made it significantly easier to prepare, to set up their defenses for the assault Orario would launch in under two weeks, but it also made him nervous. One thing he'd come to understand when he'd researched the man, was that he was dedicated, determined, and had a single-minded pursuit. When he puts his mind to something, nothing will stand in his way to achieve that goal.
So he couldn't be idle, no, that was just not in his nature. He was doing something else, but the question is what… and the possibilities worried him. His last attack had been on their information outpost, reducing their total level sixes from nine to six, and level fives had gone from fifteen to nine.
It was a costly hit, but the artifacts the legions had brought were… they should be enough to even the playing field at the very least… but that is with the projections that excluded Bell Cranel.
If he joined in, whatever front he appeared on would completely collapse. So if there was one course of action he wished he was not planning on taking, it was that. If one front falls, so will the rest. They all rely on one another as if one falls, the adjacent ones will be susceptible to pincer movements, blocking all supply lines, and isolating all the soldiers there from the rest.
Their entire plan hinged on defending their fronts to the end… but… no, he can't think like that. It has become more than clear that Bell Cranel has been consumed by vengeance, to the point that he's pushing everyone away.
He will act alone, meaning he can leave the fronts to his soldiers. What he needs to focus on is Varede's project and working with Nakul to locate Bell Cranel, and making sure to minimize the damage he can do.
Walking over to a table, he quickly poured himself a glass of mead before his head turned to the side, smiling slightly before filling a second glass.
Moments, later, the door opened as footsteps entered the room.
"I hear congratulations are in order. The latest experiment shows high potential, if the report I received is to be trusted" He spoke before turning around, meeting the purple eyes of the woman smirking at him, handing her the glass of mead he'd poured for her.
"Viking honey mead, some of the stuff we had left from the raids." He said as she hummed in appreciation as she took the offered glass, quickly drinking it as her cheeks colored in delight. He knew she loved the stuff.
"Thank you, and you're right. The latest experiment has shown impressive results, now all we need is enough material to produce enough of them." She told him as he smirked with a nod, motioning her to follow.
"Come with me."
Walking out the door, the two of them descended down the castle, halls, and stairs before finding themselves in the dungeon.
"You see, I figured once you reached this stage, you'd need some additional… 'funding', so…" Entering a long hallway, as far as the eye could see, the hall continued, cells filled to the brim with people as he looked at her.
"I believe all of them will suffice… most of the Rakians may have left with Ares, but the ones that didn't… well, they ended up adding up to quite the amount. Do you think this will suffice?" He asked, looking at her, his smile only widening at the large grin that split her face as she looked at the sheer amount of people.
"Yes… this… will be perfect. With this…"
"Yes… the war… will, be ours"
And, chapter 70 is complete. I have nothing to say, apart from a bit of shameless self-promotion for those who missed it at the top. Chapters 71 and 72 are already available on my Patreon, which is named at the top of the chapter. If you're interested, check it out, but please, read the benefits carefully. Don't want any unnecessary confusion.
With that shamelessness out of the way, we'll move straight on to the reviews!
NinjaFang1331: Yes, grey path. Thank you for saying that and Bell helping and getting help from someone that I guess in this case is a neutral party.
Author: Yeah, haha. It's definitely a grey area. It's the fallen argonaut, but he isn't a villain. As for the neutral party, I can only guess that you mean Freya... well, she is neutral in a way, but she does want to help him too, like he helped her.
Bapt: Always a pleasure to read your story. This is the calm before the storm, and I feel sorry for Adrienne... Happy with whatever your schedule is, just make it good to you.
Author: Thanks, I and Chalister do try, and I have begun to get a schedule in place that FINALLY works! That, and I stopped trying to stress out to meet self-imposed deadlines. If I feel I need more time, I take the time... just not months. I've done that enough. Anyway, you are right. It is the calm before the storm, and now said storm is starting. The entire traitor part is only a small part, hence why it's only taking up around five chapters (that's still 50k words!) Adrienne will have her moments though, just not yet, but soon we'll start moving onto the meat of what we want to do with this arc.
ImmoralChaos0: I may or may not have read this entire fanfic in 2 days. The entire fic was overall really entertaining and engaging throughout the story arcs. Even though some of it felt dragged out for a bit too long, the character interactions made it worth it. Not many fanfics have such good worldbuilding and the ability to create some characters that I grew to care about, even got my gut dropping for some of the scenes. This current arc is really growing on me and got me excited for what is coming next. Alright, I'm going to take my leave and return in a few years when the fic is more complete or hopefully completed.
Author: Hello, thanks for the feedback, and I understand what you mean. Some arcs were definitely drawn out a bit, which is something we are working on for our next big project. As for the rest, thank you very much, it really means a lot. As I have stated before for those reading this who have seen it, it always warms my heart to hear people enjoying the story me and Chalister have worked so hard on. It's not easy creating and sticking with a concept and making it all cohesive from start to end, so really, thank you for helping give me the motivation to see this all through. Now, I sincerely hope that the story won't take years to complete. I have finally gotten a good schedule for writing to not burn myself out, so hopefully, this story will be finished by Summer, 2025. A bit ambitious, but a worthy goal. (don't take that as gospel, it may change... hehe, gospel)
Pix25: Congrat on chapter 69
Author: Thanks! (Nice!)
Guest: Hello:- Chapter 5: The Bet, during Argana and Bell's second fight you ended up changing Argana and Bache's names. (pasted a transcript of the scene)
Author: Thank you, and it has been fixed. Honestly flabbergasted this has been there for so long, and a bit embarrassed. Such a dumb mistake... oh well, happens to the best of us. Anyway, as I said, thank you.
Guest: Been years since I dropped this, I come back to look a the latest chapter, and the author is still so focused on drama that they can't remember the basic rules of Flana.
Author: Ehm... what? I am pretty sure I know the rules of the falna. I take great pains to research every aspect of my story, from aliases to places and even the tiny details, but the part I take the greatest care to make sure I know every nook and cranny of is the foundations such as the power system of the world. I know it inside and out, and unless you detail exactly what it is I have supposedly gotten wrong, there is no way I can fix it. Plus, given that you reviewed as a guest, I cannot ask for clarification, making this entire review pointless. How am I supposed to improve, if what is wrong isn't even explained?
There was one more review from Shun04, but it was one with a statement I have answered over a dozen times before. THERE BEING NO INVESTIGATION FOR BELL IN CHAPTER 1 ISN'T A PLOT HOLE! IT'S A PLOT POINT! It gets resolved later on and touched and explained upon (also, gods can be hurt by mortals, it's just an extreme taboo with brutal punishment... answer for the reviewer of course)
Anyhow, that is it for the reviews, and as always, I hope you all enjoyed it and to see you next time!