On the next day, Bell is seen in his temporary bedroom within the Underworld Castle. The young man is fast asleep before he wakes up when the morning sun's ray shines through the nearby window and hits his face.
Bell grunts a bit before he slowly opens his eyes and sits up on his bed. He stretches a bit while yawning, he then looks around the room.
"What time is it?" Bell spoke in a daze because his senses haven't fully woken up from his sleep.
"Almost 9." A cold voice answered Bell's question, but when the young man heard it; he flinched a bit.
"G-Grandma…?" Bell slowly turns his head as he looks a bit surprised because standing beside him by the bed is his grandmother; Hades who is staring down at him with her cold emotionless red eyes. "grandma Hades?"
"Bathe and get dressed." Hades spoke as her voice sounded emotionless as her pale complexion. 'your father and the rest of your family are awaiting in the Lounging Room of the Underworld Castle.' She turns and walks towards the door. "you have 10 minutes."
"y-yes!" Bell replied as he quickly gets off the bed and went straight to the bathroom. The young man being very obedient since his grandmother is the second scariest person after Alfia in his family.
Hades watches how Bell runs fast to the bathroom as she stands by the door before she exits the room.
A few minutes later, in the Lounging room of the Underworld Castle.
some members of the Kaiser Familia along with their family members are gathered there; the situation there is a bit silent but there is the sound of babbling and giggles from Yukina who is playing a game with her mother Yuki, the renard mother playing upsy daisy with her offspring.
"Yukina goes upsy daisy~!" Yuki playfully carried her daughter up and down before repeating. "upsy daisy~!"
Yukina giggles and squeals in delight to her mother's game as she smiles all happily.
"here we are having going to have a serious talk with Bell, and Yukina is making the atmosphere a little less serious." Kenji said as he is lazing around by a couch. He yawns loudly while scratching the inside of his right ear. "can't say that this meeting will go good if such a thing goes on."
"Yukina is a baby, show some leniency would ya?" Takeshi told Kenji as he walks by the couch and knocks Kenji by the head. "besides, won't you be doing the same once you and Tsubaki pops some kids?"
"we just got married two months ago, and that hurts, damnit!" Kenji retorted.
"enough, Kenji." Miwa told off her son while standing beside Ploutos who is sitting by the large round table that has Melinoe, Polemos, and Thalia sitting by. "today we are going to talk with Bell about the Familia of his choosing, not your complaining or anything else."
Kenji grumbles in response before he turns to the side because Hayate suddenly appears in a white blur, the ninja like man walking to the center of the room while making metal jingling noise from his back waist that has a pair of gold and red daggers which has chains around the handle.
"has it begun?" Hayate asks as he came and stands beside Melinoe's seat. "has the verdict already been concluded?"
"not yet." Melinoe replies to her son while holding up a glass of wine that she twirls in her grasp. "there are a few people who are not here yet, Bell being one of them."
"should we not just start right now?" Thalia stated while holding her Saint Cross near her seat and having Baku stands by the other side. "we are here to discuss with the boy in regards of which Familia he should be in, correct?"
"you plan for us to discuss about the Familia for Bell without the boy here?" Polemos asks Thalia as he leans against his seat and sighs a bit. "can't say that is a good consultation on your part, Thalia."
"that matters not, Polemos." Alfia's voice is heard as Polemos and the others glance to the side and sees one of the many entrance gates to the Lounging room opening for Meteria's older twin to walk in with the company of Makaria, Sotares, Helios, and Hephaestus. "my sister's child is too naïve, unexperienced, and gullible to be trusted as an independent person. Best we begin to plan on which Familia he is to join."
"I don't think that's a good idea." Baku spoke out while raising up a hand. 'I mean, we want Bell to be safe and sound, but if we just pick his choices on our own. He'll see us as a bit oppressive, don't you think?' he waves his raised hand to the side. "we shouldn't decide what he wants to decide without his consent."
"Agreeable." Hayate nods.
"not really much of a change of choice there, boys." Hephaestus told the two while standing beside Helios who sat down with the others, the King of Orario having a cup of coffee that he is drinking. 'as much as Bell doesn't desire to become a Kaiser like the rest of you, he can't change the fact that he is a Kaiser by blood.' She crosses her arms under her chest and sighs a bit. "and the Kaiser's lineage never comes with peace in it after all."
"it doesn't, but we always can try to ensure it to come for everyone in our family." Helios stated while placing down his cup of coffee on the table. He sighs and glance around before he turns towards Makaria. "Kamui ain't coming?"
"he got a lead on a certain problem arising in the Dungeon." Makaria replies while folding her hands on her lap. "right now, he is getting everything he can collect before sending it to us."
"Miwa, you along with Kenji, Takeshi, and Baku should go and help Kamui after this meeting with Bell." Melinoe stated as she looks at Miwa who stares back at the Blade Kaiser. "we can't afford to just depend on one person for this problem of ours."
"I got it." Miwa nods as so did Baku, Kenji, and Takeshi who gathered around.
"where is that man?" Alfia spoke as she had a seat presented to her by a Skeletal Servant, the silverish white haired woman sitting just right beside Polemos. "he called upon us all for this meeting and he dare not show himself? How uncouth as always."
"give him a break, will you Alfia?" Thalia asks as she sighs a bit. "you know that out of the current Kaisers, Zagreus has the most toughest jobs, right?"
"he vowed to be responsible and would always ensure that my sister and her child would always have a happy life the day he asked for my permission to marry her." Alfia stated a bit sternly and harshly. "for him not to be present to a meeting which is to discuss the safety of his own child is not the definition of him being a responsible husband and father."
"are we really going through this again, Alfia-san?" Takeshi asks his step mother. "we all talked about this when Bell was ten, right? He's already grown up like us, it's about time we let him make his own path."
"and face countless dangers as the result?" Alfia stated while closing her eyes and crossing her arms under her chest. "you all speak that you vowed to ensure safety to your family and city, yet you allow danger to come to one of your own family member? Is that really what you Kaisers vowed to be?"
"being a Kaiser doesn't just mean doing what is right for the sake of others, Alfia." Melinoe stated while Yuki came standing beside her. her granddaughter babbling while reaching her little hands towards the Blade Kaiser who gently takes her into her arms. the red haired elf smiles as she gently smooshed her cheeks together which made the little fox baby giggle all happily. "it's about making the right decision for the sake of someone you care and love."
"don't you do the same with Meteria even to this day?" Polemos asks his wife who peeks an eye open at him before she closes it and then looks away. The Arc Kaiser sighs at her action while Takeshi shakes his head with a small smile.
"still, what's taking Zagreus so long?" Sotares asks as she looks at Helios who continues drinking his cup of coffee. "he usually shows up at the least we expect him, right?"
"he's already here." Helios replies as he sighs after drinking his cup of coffee. The King of Orario nudges his head to the side and Zagreus came walking pass the back of his seat from out of nowhere. The black-haired half elf wearing a full on black uniform with a blackish gray overcoat on top.
"I can't ever get used to that." Hephaestus said while looking a bit surprised.
"neither will we." Kenji stated as he stands beside his father's seat.
"didn't bring Meteria with you?" Helios asks Zagreus who sat down on an available seat beside the King of Orario.
"She is resting at our home." Zagreus stated as he sits straight on his seat. "She has been feeling unwell lately."
"Fever?" Thalia asks Zagreus who shakes his head in response.
"She just feels a lack of energy in her body." Zagreus replied before he crosses his arms on his chest. "And that she feels lonely at times."
"Considering that you always leave her with your child in the past, I cannot find that surprising." Alfia stated while letting out a small scoffing sound.
"Alfia.." Polemos calls out to his wife in a bit of a stern voice.
"she can speak as she wishes, Polemos." Zagreus spoke as he folded his hands on the table. "it is the truth after all."
"how about having Yuki and Yukina keep her company?" Melinoe spoke out to Zagreus while having her granddaughter on her lap, the little fox girl playing with her grandmother's right hand. 'she'll feel a lot better if they're there with her.' she then smiles while looking down at Yukina who she lifted up and down on her lap, getting the child to squeal in glee once again. "and besides, I would also feel better if both are at a safer place than Orario."
"that's agreeable considering that Yuki has to focus on taking care of Yukina after all." Polemos stated while looking at the red haired renard who carries her baby girl back into her arms after being passed back by Melinoe.
"very well." Zagreus replies before he glanced at Helios. "You have found a Familia fitting for my son as I requested?"
"you think it's easy to find a Familia of your choice and description?" Helios asks as he sighs while finishing up his cup of coffee that disappears into sparkles when he drank the last drop. He then snaps his fingers to make a rolled up scroll to appear in his grasp before passing it to Zagreus. "if there is such a Familia, Bell would've already started as an adventurer a year ago."
Zagreus takes the scroll, unravels it, and then reads the content for a minute before the piece of parchment burns to ashes by black flames that ignited from out of nowhere.
"is there really not one Familia fitting for your taste?" Ploutos asks Zagreus who shakes his head and made the Iron God Kaiser sigh. "this is going to be one hectic meeting then…"
"can't we just recommend Bell to join a comrade Familia of ours?" Kenji asks while raising a hand that he waves to the side. "if we persuade him harder…"
"he'll just ask for a second opinion." Baku stated while crossing his arms on his chest and turns to glance at Kenji. 'I told you before, remember? Bell wants to do things his own way and that means choosing his own Familia.' he looks back to the table and then closes his eyes. "just like Uncle Zagreus himself."
All the Kaisers listen to his words and then turn their sights towards Zagreus who squinted his eyes a bit to hear the words Baku just spoke out.
'he wants to be a hero just like his own Papa. "Meteria's voice echoes in Zagreus' mind as he remembers the very words she once spoke to him many years ago when Bell was still very young. the half elf hardens his gaze while slowly grasping his right hand into a fist.
"find a Familia that we can trust." Zagreus stated. "nothing else."
"You sure?" Helios asks his twin while raising an eyebrow. "you do know that fate of a Kaiser's child will always be the same as their parent, right?"
"and their fate can be changed by their own hands." Zagreus replies while leaning back against his seat and his left red eye glows. "I will ensure that occurs for Bell's fate."
"if you say so." Helios replies while shrugging his shoulders once before he and the others glance at one of the many doorways to the lounging room that opens for Bell who came walking in with a rather awkward and nervous look. "he's here."
"s-sorry I'm late… I was taking a bath too long and…" Bell spoke out with a rather embarrassed face as he came near his family members.
"we weren't waiting long, you know." Baku told his cousin with a grin before he waves a hand to the side and pointed towards Zagreus' seat that has another seat prepared by a Skeletal Servant. "go and sit beside Uncle Zagreus."
"y-yes.." Bell replies as he quietly goes and sits beside his father who he smiles at. "morning, dad."
Zagreus merely nods to his son before he faces forward.
"Bell, as you know. we had you go on a tour with Ardee to the many good familias we can recommend you to join, right?" Helios asks Bell who nods. "you have one in mind, currently?"
"that's…" Bell spoke as he looks down and thought about it. "everyone was nice and kind, but…"
"you still want to start your journey with a new familia, is that it?" Baku asks his cousin who nods.
"Bell, starting your journey from zero is an admirable thing but are you really sure you wish to start from nothing?" Miwa asks her nephew while pointing a finger up. "to begin a Familia means accepting the many hardships that will come to you, you know?"
"There have been many cases in Orario where a Rookie Familia would collapse because of their inability to adapt into the ranking system." Kenji added in while crossing his arms on his chest. "Hell, there's been times we had to banish a few who tried to do some bad stuff just to get up the ranks."
"Point is, Bell. it'll be a very rough start for you if you choose to start a new Familia instead of joining an already established one." Takeshi stated while raising a hand that he waves to the side. "Do you really want to choose such a path?"
"yes" Bell nods. "I do."
Everyone looks at the young boy for a moment before at each other.
"if you insist of choosing this path, then you must follow a condition that we set." Alfia stated as the white haired goth woman stands up from her seat and stares down at Bell who tensed up a bit. "if you create and join a new Familia, you must never seek finances from the Kaiser Familia."
"Alfia…" Polemos calls out to his wife who gave him a hard cold glance that made him sigh and look away.
Alfia looks back at Bell who tensed up really bad because of his aunt's scary cold glare.
"the Kaiser Familia exists to protect the city of Orario, finances which have been collected by Kaisers are only needed to ensure that the city would always be safe and thriving, you must never seek finances from us if you join a new Familia." Alfia stated as she hardens her gaze even more. "if you so ever asks any finance assistance to be used for your new Familia, I shall personally send you back to Meteria. Understand?"
"y-yes…" Bell replies a bit nervously.
"hold on there." Makaria calls out while raising her right hand which she soon place on the table. "that's not something you can decide on your own, Alfia."
"this decision is mine to make as it represents my standing and that of Meteria's." Alfia stated a bit sternly. "I cannot leave it to that naïve little sister of mine on making important decisions."
"Meteria's standing is Zagreus' own standing as well." Ploutos said while leaning forward. "it's in his jurisdiction to have her voice and it's in his jurisdiction to make the decision because Bell is his son."
"and do you believe I can trust him to make the decision for the boy?" Alfia asks while giving a hard gaze at Zagreus who glances at her before he closes his eyes and crosses his arms on his chest.
"Bell, go to the other room." Zagreus spoke out to Bell who made a noise before he suddenly disappeared into sparkles.
With Bell disappearing from the room, the Kaisers and the rest of their family members shared a tense gaze at one another before to Alfia who sat down to her seat.
"my decision stays as it is." Alfia stated in a stern voice. "we are not to give him any financial assistance if he ever seeks it when he begins his new Familia."
"Alfia, you know better that it's hard to start a Familia from zero." Miwa spoke out as she faces the goth woman. She waves a hand to the side before crossing her arms on her chest. "he's going to need some money just to get through the first day."
"Then he should learn that nothing is as easy as he believes." Alfia replies while still holding her hard gaze on her expression. "he has lived a life of peace with my sister and his father, it's about time he learned some hardships at his current age."
"she's got a point there." Helios stated while crossing his arms on his chest. "kids grow up and become independent from their parents, after all."
"just whose side are you even on?" Makaria said to Helios.
"the grown up side." Helios replied.
"as if." Hephaestus stated with a sigh while having her hands on her waist and giving an un-agreeing expression to her husband. "you're the king and you should be making wise decisions for your subjects. Especially those who are your family members."
"The King has to be neutral in all situations, Hephie." Helios stated as he raise his hands and shrug his shoulders. "even in family feud."
"Since when is a meeting like this a feud?" Kenji asks while sweatdropping.
"how about we give him a sufficient amount of money to start his Familia and nothing more afterwards?" Baku asks while raising a hand. "he's a starting rookie and that means he needs some help."
"no assistance whatsoever is allowed." Alfia stated sternly as she gave a very hard cold glare of a glance at Baku. "Go against my word and we will have conflict, Baku."
"you really don't want Bell to become an adventurer, don't you?" Hephaestus asks Alfia who just scoffs and looks away.
"that child is only as strong as he can be just like my foolish little sister." Alfia stated. 'it was foolish of her to fill his head with stories of heroes since he was young.' she then turns and glares hatefully at Zagreus. "and it was more foolish of his father to let him learn about his heritage in the first place."
"He would without a doubt try to leave his home whether or not I told him of his lineage as a Kaiser." Zagreus spoke out calmly while having his eyes closed. "I just choose the path that would've led to the same result at the end."
"You basically let things play out on its own, huh?" Polemos spoke before he sighs. "guess I would've done the same thing."
"And I would've instantly left you if you did." Alfia stated harshly at Polemos who winced a bit to the emotional arrow that just pierced his heart.
"Still not wanting to back down, huh?" Melinoe spoke while crossing her arms under her chest and sighs. "Do we need to take a vote now?"
"there is no need for such thing as my decision is our actions." Alfia stated while getting off her seat and then turns to walk away. "ensure that child gets to start his Familia and learn of the terrible hardships ahead which would teach him a lesson."
Everyone watches Alfia as she leaves the Lounging room through one of the many hallway doors that opened for her to walk in and close afterwards.
"You really married the woman whose words are opposites of her own feelings, didn't you?" Ploutos asks Polemos who just shrugs his shoulders in return.
"are we seriously going with what Alfia-san wants us to do?" Kenji asks while pointing a thumb to the doorway which Alfia had left through. "I'm actually against it, you know?"
"as much as some are against it, her idea is basically to protect Bell after all." Hayate stated while crossing his arms on his chest. "I can't actually disagree with that."
"looks like we have to take a vote here." Hephaestus spoke while raising her right hand. "the ones voting that we should follow Alfia's idea, raise your hands."
In response, Hephaestus herself followed by Polemos, Hayate, Yuki, Sotares, Thalia, and Zagreus himself raised their right hands in unison.
"Seven against eight or rather nine against eight." Helios spoke as he counted all the votes including the ones that belong to Alfia and Meteria that are held by Zagreus and Polemos in the matter.
"you want to do that to your own son, Zagreus?" Makaria asked with a surprised face towards Zagreus. "he's starting as an adventurer like he dreamed to become of, and you want to treat him so harshly?"
"Alfia's decision is for the safety of Bell's life in the present and the future." Zagreus spoke out as he raises his left hand to look at the wedding ring that he wears on his ring finger. "I had also promised Meteria to ensure that our child would grow up safe and away from harm. I'm merely keeping my promise to her."
"I'm certain that Meteria-san would have a different opinion on that though." Kenji said while crossing his arms on his chest.
"I can't believe that you all want to get Bell to live through such harshness" Takeshi spoke out as he looks at his father and the other family members who had raised their right hands with a very disappointed face. "sure that it's to teach him the reality of the world, but have you guys forgotten in what world that he has been living in? Bell needs our help to adjust to living in Orario."
"and he needs our protection as well." Baku called out. "you guys forgot what happened at the Ganesha Familia's colosseum a few days back?"
"we remember but the fact can't be changed that all of us took a vote here and now." Helios stated as he sighs a bit. "well, the result would've changed if all Kaisers had been present at the time being."
"it wouldn't." Zagreus spoke out as Helios glances at his twin who leans against his seat and crosses his arms and legs together. The black haired half elf has his eyes closed before his scarred right eye slightly opens and is glowing a cold blue glow that seems piercing the soul of those that meets its gaze. "no matter what we do, we cannot change Bell's fate. Only he can change his own fate."
"and you believe that is possible because?" Sotares asks Zagreus.
"he's my son who is of a Kaiser's lineage." Zagreus replies as he opens his right red eye that is just glowing as menacing as his blue right eye. "that is a given fact that cannot be changed."
Meanwhile with Bell, the young man is back in his room as he was teleported there by his father. The young boy just sat on his bedside as he seems to be waiting for himself to be called back to the Lounging room or someone to come and talk to him about his decision.
"was it wrong to start on my own?" Bell asks himself as for the past few days, he has been thinking of the recommendations from his family members who keep on telling him that it'll be a tough time for him when he starts adventuring as a rookie from a new familia. "I just want to start my own adventure…"
As Bell contemplates, he didn't notice that the door to the room was opened and someone came walking in very quietly.
"just how bad is it for a rookie familia to start in Orario?" Bell asks himself.
"it shall be torture." A voice spoke in answering Bell's question while making the young man jolt in surprise before turning to see Hades who had come in. the goddess of death staring down at the white haired boy with her emotionless red eyes. "if you believe that you can survive in Orario as a rookie from a newly formed Familia, you are mistaken."
"G-Grandma Hades…" Bell stuttered in surprise to see her appearing out of the blue yet again as his heart is beating very fast from the surprise scare the goddess gave him.
"I have heard of your decision during the meeting with your father and family members." Hades stated as she turns and walks towards a window where she stands and just looks at the view outside. 'you choose to act on your own without the assistance of your family members.' She then glances at Bell. "Do you have a wish to face the cruelty of the darkness lurking in Orario, boy?"
Bell looks a bit nervous at Hades for a moment before he looks down at his lap and then nods his head.
"M-Mom always told me that… kids grow up and need to act on their own in the future… they have to be smart, brave, and strong because they will go on their own adventure without their parents' one day.." Bell spoke out a bit softly. "I just felt like I should become independent and work hard to become an adventurer so that I can make her proud.."
"so you believe that you are prepared to face the vast world?" Hades spoke as she looks at Bell before she turns and looks back to the view through the window. Her eyes glows red and her sights on the reflection of Bell showing by the glass. "is that what you are stating?"
"y-yes…" Bell nods. "it is."
Hades continues to look at the reflection of Bell by the window as her glowing red eyes stares at him before they dimmed when the goddess of death closes them and let out a small scoffing sound.
"like father like son, both are incredibly foolish." Hades spoke in a small whisper before she turns and walks towards the door. "your father has finished conversing with the rest. Be prepared to live a life as an adventurer filled with harshness and cruelty, boy."
Bell watches Hades walk towards the doorway as she closes the door behind when she exits the room. He blinked his eyes twice before he gulped a bit nervously because there was a hint of something else in the goddess of death's words.
Hades is now walking in the hallway as she keeps on walking before she stops by a corner's edge, she glanced to the corner and sees Zagreus standing by while just leaning against the wall before facing her.
"I do not care on the results of your meeting with your siblings." Hades stated before she looks to the front and continues walking. "just remember that your decisions will reveal the outcome of that boy's fate."
Zagreus watches Hades walk away before she disappears when she goes into a corner, the dark haired half elf stares to where she was and then turns to walk down the hallway and heads for Bell's room.
Some time later, Bell is found on Orario's street with Zagreus who he was following.
Bell watches his father walking at front as the half elf is leading him somewhere.
"Dad, where are we going?" Bell asked his father as they passed by people.
"to a place where your mother loved to go during her time in Orario." Zagreus replied as he turns a corner at the street and Bell followed quickly as to not lose him because there were a lot of people walking around.
Zagreus and Bell walked for a good 40 minutes as they went to an area of Orario that is filled with old and ruined buildings that remain standing.
"Where is this?" Bell asked as he looked around the area. "Why is everything?"
"This was once a highly populated area for people of Orario to live in, but after a certain incident in the past. It is left in its current poor state." Zagreus replied as he walks over a small broken rubble of a stone head. "It's known as the Deserted Alley."
"Why didn't anyone try to rebuild anything here?" Bell asked as he looked sad to see a small park nearby, but everything is rusted, old, and showed indication of scorch marks. "I mean, if this was a place where people once lived in then that means.."
"There are times when people choose to live in safety that is far from danger, Bell." Zagreus stated as he stopped and turned to glance at his son. 'Just like when Meteria and I took you away from Orario and to our home in the forest when you were little.' He then turns away and continues walking. "You will understand when you are older."
Bell looks at his father and then to the old park before he leaves.
The father and son continue to walk in the old district area as they keep on passing by abandoned and ruined buildings before they stopped in front of an abandoned yet seemingly well taken care old church.
"we're here." Zagreus said before he pushes open the door then enters in.
Bell looks at the church first before he follows his father and finds the interior of the church seemingly in good condition even though the exterior looks old.
"Why are we here?" Bell asks as he follows Zagreus who walked straight to the altar before he sat down by a chair.
"We are here to meet a Goddess who wishes to start a Familia with you." Zagreus replied as he motioned his son to take a seat. 'This goddess had just descended from the Heaven realm and has been trying to find people to start a Familia with.' He closed his eyes and crosses his arms on his chest. "This goddess is a good friend of Hephaestus and believably trustworthy enough to be your new Familia's goddess."
"Really?" Bell asked as he seemed curious and excited. "What's her name?"
"Hestia." Zagreus replied while opening his right eye to look at Bell. "Hestia, the Goddess of Hearth."
Hephaestus along with Kenji and Tsubaki are walking in the hallway of the Hephaestus Familia's Home as they are going to a nearby room.
"Is this really a good idea?" Kenji asks as he has his hands folded behind his head. "Getting that goddess to be Bell's Goddess, I mean?"
"I'm with Kenji on this one, Hephaestus-sama." Tsubaki added in while scratching the back of her head. "Heard that the boy needed a goddess but her of all people? Won't this be problematic for the other Kaisers?"
"I know that she's quite the oddball of a goddess, you two." Hephaestus spoke after sighing as she glances at the two. "but Hestia is a goddess who doesn't have any malice or anything alike. She's by far the best candidate to be Bell's goddess."
"You do know that there is also Demeter-san who can be a candidate, right?" Kenji stated.
"but her place is an agriculture Familia, remember?" Tsubaki retorted to him as Kenji shrugs his shoulders in reply.
"Anyway, we should try and see how it will go." Hephaestus spoke after sighing again as she looked back front. "Hestia has been wanting to make a Familia for a while, perhaps Bell could be the perfect first child for her."
"You say that even though you know what she's been doing for the last few months?" Kenji said before he sighs with his eyes close. "Old man Helios will find out about her debt sooner or later, Aunt Hephaestus."
"And that'll lead to trouble for you." Tsubaki added in while grinning a bit. "although that trouble would lead to a few days of you being exhausted on the bed with him, right?"
Hephaestus blushed as red as her hair from hearing their words while looking embarrassed and angry at the same time.
"W-Well! I'm just going to have her work hard on a part time job to repay the debt once she starts her new Familia!" Hephaestus replied a bit hastily while reaching to a room and her hand holding the doorknob. "And then, there's no problem afterward!"
"Are you sure that it'll go as you planned?" Tsubaki asks while raising an eyebrow.
"Of course it will! I have no doubt that Hestia would definitely pull it off as Bell's goddess!" Hephaestus said before she pushed open the door. "Hestia! Are you inside!? I have good news for you! I found a child who wants to make a new Familia with you!"
Hephaestus' firmed and serious face soon disappeared as she sees the content of the room being a bedroom that is dark and incredibly messy and dirty.
Empty sake bottles, dozens of food scraps, and dirty clothes are everywhere, whether they be on the floor, bed, table, and even sticking to the ceiling for some reason. The bedroom is completely dirty beyond words.
"n-no more….i can't eat another bite~…" a voice moaned out as Hephaestus finds the occupants of the room who is none other than the Goddess of Hearth, Hestia.
Hestia is a small girl with long black and messy hair, wears a white short dress like outfit which emphasizes her large breasts.
"Still thinking that she can be a good goddess for Bell?" Kenji asks Hephaestus who looks completely embarrassed, disappointed, and defeated.
Back at the church, Zagreus and Bell remains inside as they awaited the arrival of the goddess who could potentially be the young man's goddess and head of his new Familia.
As they are waiting, Bell walks around while checking out the interior of the church.
"This place must've been well taken care of." Bell whispers as he sees some old statues of maidens wearing dresses and are doing a prayer and a few old paintings of people he doesn't recognize, but one painting showed something he is very familiar with. "isn't that?"
Bell looks at the painting more closer as it is an old painting that has all the members of his family in it.
"this is?" Bell looks at the painting and sees his uncles and aunts along with his cousins who are looking younger and smaller in the scene as they are all standing in front of the church that looks new in the background. "and that's…"
Seeing more closer, Bell finds his mother and father standing by each other's side as both wore a wedding dress and tuxedo respectively while looking incredibly happy.
"Dad… is this place?" Bell spoke out while not knowing Zagreus had come near him and reached out a hand to gently adjust the painting's frame.
"This is the place where I married your mother." Zagreus spoke as he looked at the painting of him and his wife together. "and the place where I vowed to love her forever."
Flashback
It was during the days in the past, the members of the Kaiser Familia and their friends gathered in the church as they watched Zagreus standing by the altar with Meteria who had just walked down the aisle.
Zagreus and Meteria stood facing each other as the half elf smiles to the woman he loves and he received a smile in return.
the priest soon announced that they are husband and wife and that Zagreus is allowed to kiss his bride.
Zagreus slowly pulls the veil up and revealed his future wife's beautiful complexion that made him smile even more before he leans in and both shared a deep and passionate kiss while getting cheers from their family and friends.
Flashback
"This is why this Church was never abandoned and never torn down, it held so much memories for me and your mother." Zagreus said as he gently traces the painting of Meteria in her wedding dress. "not only that, but this place was also where I found my happiness and love for her."
"Really?" Bell asks and Zagreus just nods in response.
"I'll tell you about it on another time." Zagreus said as he turns and faces the doorway to the church. "Our guests have arrived."
"eh?" Bell turns and looks confused as he didn't see anyone entering the church by the door. "but there's…"
His sentence was cut off when a black portal appears and Hephaestus along with Kenji and Tsubaki came walking out.
"sorry for the wait, Uncle Zagreus and Bell." Kenji greeted the two first before pointing a thumb over his shoulder. "the friend of Hephaestus-san was rather clumsy in preparing herself."
"Kenji, stop teasing will you?" Hephaestus spoke after sighing.
"He can't, considering the whole thing that had happened at the Home, Hephaestus-sama." Tsubaki told the goddess while grinning a bit.
Hephaestus sighs before she looks at the portal and shouted. "Hestia! Hurry up, will you!?"
"I-I'm coming! I'm coming!" a voice cried out in the portal before Hestia came running out and then fell to the floor the next second. "OW~!"
The portal disappears as Hestia slowly gets up while rubbing a hand to her forehead.
"She's the one you recommended, Hephaestus?" Zagreus spoke while looking at Hephaestus with a questioning look.
"She's the perfect choice, Zagreus." Hephaestus replied while raising a hand to the side. "She's a new goddess who had just descended from Heaven, she's perfectly good natured, and she's a good friend. She's the perfect candidate."
"You say that even though you kept out the bad part about her, right?" Tsubaki said with a grin before she looks away and whistles when Hephaestus sent her a quick glare.
Zagreus raises an eyebrow to hear what Tsubaki just said before he looks at Bell who meets with Hestia who now stands.
"N-Nice to meet you, I'm Hestia." The goddess of Hearth said before doing a quick head bow. "Please join me and create a Familia!"
That's a wrap!
Bye bye