At the Hearth Mansion, Hestia and the members of her Familia continued to eavesdrop on Zagreus and Bell's private conversation out of curiosity, listening to the voices of the father and son.
"I see…" Zagreus spoke as he continued to stand by the window with Bell beside him. "You've went against so many obstacles over the time in Orario." He then glances at his son. "I've already learned of many events that transpired in the city with Makaria's assistance, but directly learning it from you had given me a better view of what had occured"
"Yes…" Bell replied with a small nod, having just shared with his father everything he had been going through since he first arrived in Orario. He had kept a few minor details out, but he was certain that one day he needed to tell his father those as well. "It was hard at first, but when I met my goddess and the rest of my friends…" The young man smiled a bit. "Things got a bit better over time."
Zagreus looks at his son for a moment before he turns to look through the window and the view outside.
"I know about the Xenos, Bell. There is no point in keeping them a secret from me in our conversation." Zagreus said, making Bell make a surprised noise while turning his head to look at the Kaiser. "But I suppose you believed that their existence might be a surprise to me and the other Kaisers. You fear for their safety if we were to know of their existence in the Dungeon." The man then glanced at Bell for a moment. "Don't worry. I will keep their existence a secret from Makaria and the others until the time is right for me to tell them."
Bell looked shocked at his father, as did Hestia and the others.
"How… how did you know?" Bell muttered out as Zagreus looked at his son for a moment before looking back outside.
"The Mind Link magic that Makaria used on you at the time of her arrival. It doesn't just share her memories with you; it works both ways." Zagreus replied while placing a finger on the side of his head. "If she shares her memories with you, your memories get shared with her." He then lowered his hand and looked back at Bell. "Do not hate her for doing so without permission. I am the one who ordered her to do so."
"W-why?" Bell muttered out. "Why did you…?"
"It is to learn of Orario's past, present, and possibly its future." Zagreus replied while looking away. "The Kaiser Familia had been away from Orario for almost 15 years. We've left it vulnerable to chaos for far too long." His gaze soon hardened while his colored eyes glowed. "The banishment of Zeus and Hera Familia, the dark days of Evilus' reign, and many more. We Kaisers cannot forgive ourselves for allowing this to happen to the city that we grew up within and had been protecting for decades." The room instantly went cold and tense as Bell started to have a bit of difficulty breathing, with cold sweat sliding down his face and shaking hands. "The chaos that once spread and infected this city… we will erase it and bring back order."
Zagreus' dual-colored eyes glowed menacingly as the Kaiser looked at his own reflection in the glass window.
Bell started to gasp for air, feeling the overwhelming and menacing gaze from Zagreus. The young man couldn't move, overwhelmed by the powerful presence of his father.
'I can't talk… I can't move… so frightening!' Bell started to let out small yet terrified whimpering noises with his jaw dropped, unable to move an inch on his seat. 'Is this… is this power… is this power the reason he is… the strongest Kaiser!?'
Zagreus glanced at his son with his menacing gaze before turning around and looking away, allowing Bell to gasp for air and regain his composure.
After a few minutes, Bell finally calmed down, realizing the vast gap in strength between his father and himself.
"Do not compare me to that Boaz of the Freyja Familia, Bell." Zagreus spoke out as he turned his head to glance at his son. "I'm nothing compared to him or any adventurer in Orario. I'm a Kaiser, understand? We are not normal people in any means."
"Yes…" Bell replied with a nod while still having cold sweat sliding down his face.
Zagreus glanced at his son's expression before turning away.
"Months after we had split up in search of the Black Dragon, I had gone north and stumbled upon the village where I found your mother." Zagreus continued his story as he turned and started walking around slowly in the room. "I remember that day like it was just yesterday… it was in the middle of winter at the last month of the year. That was the day I first met you. You were only a three-day-old infant at that time." The half-elf Kaiser stopped and stood near a table that had a vase filled with white roses. "You were so small, so weak, so fragile, so loud, and yet… so precious." He reaches out a hand and gently caresses one of the roses. "The first time I held you in my arms, you opened your eyes and then gave me such an innocent yet happy smile that made me forget about everything." He slowly retreats his hand as one of the roses' petals fell to the table's surface. "The day I first met you… there was an indescribable feeling that grew in my chest… the fact that having a child could give me such happiness was unthinkable."
Zagreus then turned his head to look at Bell, who was staring back at his father.
"Your mother was terribly weakened after giving birth to you, her already weakened and sick body nearly collapsed if I had not come to the both of you that day." Zagreus continued his story as he looked at his son. "After that, I took care of both of you while also calling Melinoe and the others to join me at the village. Then we spent the next six months living together. The rest… I suppose you know from Makaria and the others who have already told you about it."
Zagreus slowly turned his head to look at Bell, who continued to stare back at his father.
"I won't ever ask for your forgiveness. You can hate and despise me for leaving you and your mother behind." Zagreus said with a monotone and emotionless voice as he then looked back outside. "The mission that we Kaisers had was of the utmost importance for the world that we could not forsake." He then glanced at Bell for a moment. "I had always believed that you will grow strong and become a great adventurer. That is why I had given you a part of my power when you were still an infant. To protect yourself and the ones you care about."
Bell listened to his father's words, absorbing every detail of the story. The room remained silent for a moment.
"What happened next?" Bell finally spoke out with a soft and uncertain voice.
Zagreus turned his head and looked at Bell with a blank expression.
"What do you mean?" Zagreus replied.
"I mean… what happens now?" Bell asked as he looked at his father. "Are you going to stay here in Orario, or…?"
Zagreus didn't respond immediately. Instead, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again.
"I will stay in Orario for a while." Zagreus spoke with a calm voice. "I want to observe and learn about the current state of this city. I have to make sure that everything is in order. After that, I will decide what to do next."
Bell nodded in understanding.
"I want you to know that I am proud of what you've become, Bell." Zagreus said as he turned and walked back towards the couch, sitting down. "You have surpassed my expectations and become stronger than I could have imagined. I will give you the time and space to decide what you want to do now."
Bell glanced at his father, absorbing the words. He was still processing the fact that his father was indeed alive and that he was here in Orario and in his Home.
Zagreus took a sip of his tea before looking at Bell.
"You have your own life here, and I will not interfere unless you seek my guidance or help." Zagreus said. "Now, what do you want to do, Bell Cranel?"
Bell looked at his father for a moment before speaking.
"I want to continue being an adventurer of Orario." Bell replied with determination in his eyes. "I want to chase after my dream."
Zagreus nodded in acknowledgment.
"Then, continue to walk your path." Zagreus said as he leaned back on the couch. "I will be watching from a distance."
Bell nodded and then looked outside the window, contemplating the path that lay ahead.
The room fell into a comfortable silence as father and son sat together, sharing the same space yet pondering their own thoughts and decisions for the future.
Zagreus glanced at his son for a moment before he turns and looks at the doorway
"Be grateful that you are my son's allies and comrades that he trusts with his heart, Hestia Familia." Zagreus spoke out in a deep yet menacing tone. "I will overlook this matter of your eavesdropping just this once but know that I won't be so merciful should there be a next time." His eyes flashes in their colors while a small yet powerful aura of a shockwave pulse out from the Kaiser. "Now leave us be and do try to keep your curiosity to yourselves."
It didn't take a minute as Zagreus and Bell heard hustling footsteps going somewhere that indicates Hestia and the others had quickly run somewhere far from the living room.
"w-what was…." Bell whispered out while looking at the living room's doorway.
"Your Familia had eavesdropped in our conversation." Zagreus said as he turns and started walking to the couch where he sat down upon while taking his cup of tea into his grasp. "I suppose that their curiosity had gotten the best of them." He then sips the drink slowly with his eyes closed but he soon placed the cup back to the table while slowly opening his eyes just a sliver. "This is why you should leave this Familia, Bell. They do not trust you at all."
"w-what?" Bell replied with a surprised yet confused face. "What do you mean?"
"Come near me." Zagreus replied while turning his head to look at his son. "and you will know what I am implying."
Bell looks at Zagreus for a moment before he gulped and went to sit down on the couch beside his father.
There is a quick moment of silence between the father and son, Zagreus looks at Bell for a moment before he looks to the front.
"I've learned from Makaria that you are currently a Level 4 adventurer who has only become one just a few months earlier on." Zagreus said with his eye glancing at Bell. "you've once received the title as the Little Rookie; the Adventurer who Levelled up the fastest. The Record Holder, correct?"
"y-yes…" Bell replied with a nod. "w-what about it?"
"Your rapid growth, and your quick level up. All of it possible for a part of my power that I had given to you when you were still an infant. That power had become a skill which granted you a power beyond anything you can ever imagine." Zagreus said as his gaze tensed up. "The Liaris Freese; The Crystallization of Emotions. Rapid Growth. The Skill that is allowing you to grow strong and the Skill that is keeping you alive from the disease you inherited from Meteria."
"w-what?" Bell gasped in surprise. "b-but I don't… t-this skill… i-i… I don't understand."
"you believe that you only possess two skills from your goddess, didn't you?" Zagreus asked while reaching out a hand and then placed a finger to Bell's chest. "but that is wrong. She lied to you. You have three skills. The Liaris Freese is one of them."
"b-but… my Status charts… t-they.." Bell spoke out before he looks in surprise as Zagreus held a blank Status paper that appeared in his grasp.
"if you do not believe my words…." Zagreus said while handing the paper to Bell. "I can provide you the proof instead."
Bell takes the paper and looks at it for a moment before to his father.
A few seconds later, Zagreus faces Bell's exposed back as the Kaiser places his right hand upon his son's back before his eyes glows and his Status blessing materializes.
The Kaiser pulls his hand away before he takes the blank Status sheet and placed it on Bell's back before snapping his fingers. The paper glows white as the Rabbit Foot's Status disappears.
"it is done." Zagreus said as he takes the Status paper and reads its content while his son covers himself. "as I had thought, the Liaris Freese awakened earlier than expected."
"what do you mean?" Bell asked as he turns towards his father who handed him the Status Paper.
"the Liaris Freese can only be awakened when the user experiences a strong emotion that overpowers their heart." Zagreus said while Bell reads his Status, and his eyes slowly widens. "it is a Skill that your goddess didn't want you to know."
"L-Liaris Freese… crystallization of emotion. Rapid Growth…?" Bell muttered out as he looks completely shocked in seeing the one skill that his father revealed to him. "this Skill…"
"it is the skill that allowed you to grow healthy till this day and helped you grow strong." Zagreus said before hardening his gaze for a moment. "it's also the skill that your Familia kept secretly from you."
Bell looks at the Status paper that soon scrunches up by the young man who grips it hard in between his hands which were shaking as he is very much heartbroken from the fact that he was never trusted and betrayed.
"do not let your anger consume you." Zagreus said with a stern voice. 'if you do, you will regret the actions you make because of it.' he placed a hand to his son's shoulder. "take a deep breath and calm down."
Bell continues to shake and scrunches the Status paper even more for a minute before he calmed down like his father asked him.
Zagreus looks at Bell for a moment before he raises a hand and patted his son's head a few times.
"don't blame yourself for not being able to keep a secret." Zagreus said with a small smile. "Your honesty is a given trait from your mother and i. Someone with such honesty is someone who should be trusted and respected. Your Familia were just foolish."
"but i…" Bell whispers out. "I just….i.."
"it is not your fault." Zagreus stated. "Meteria would've said the same thing if she is with us."
Bell went silent as he reaches a hand to his chest and gently grasps his mother's locket. The young man let out soft grunting whimpers while his father watches him.
Zagreus listens to his son's grunting whimpers as he could tell that he has mixed emotions that are conflicting in his heart.
A few seconds of silence passes as Zagreus stays quiet while looking at his son who continues to battle the emotions stirring up in his heart.
After a minute passed, Zagreus reaches out his right hand and placed it upon Bell's shoulder that he massages a few times.
"reasons aside, your goddess and your Familia kept your skill a secret because of fearing that if you know; you might accidently tell someone about it which could lead to danger." Zagreus stated while looking at his son. "that is something you cannot deny to be the truth."
Bell looks at his father for a moment before he frowns while looking down.
"they have kept your skill a secret from you for over a few months." Zagreus said as he pulls his hand away and crosses his arms while looking away. 'they didn't trust and have betrayed you because they wanted to keep you safe. This can be seen as a just and an in-just action from two perspectives.' He then glanced at his son. "it is in your decision whether should you forgive them or not."
"i-i… I don't…" Bell muttered out as he frowns even more while placing his hands on his knees and grips them hard. "I don't know what to do… I don't.."
Bell began to tear up as he still feels pain in his heart because of his Familia.
Zagreus looks at his son and sees the tears dripping down his eyes, the Kaiser closed his eyes and crosses his arms on his chest.
"come to my Familia's Home, Bell." Zagreus said as Bell slowly looks at his father. 'come and stay at the Kaiser Familia's Home. if you feel that you need time to think and do not want to be here. Come with me to my Familia's Home.' the Kaiser then looks at his son. "at our Home, you will be welcomed with opened arms and given care. It is also the place where you will be protected and be safe, just like what your mother would've wanted. What do you say?"
Bell stays silent for a moment as he sniffles once while wiping away his tears with his right arm.
"y-yes…" Bell spoke out softly while nodding. "yes, please…"
Zagreus looks at Bell as he reaches out a hand and gently wipes away his son's tears from his eyes.
"don't worry." Zagreus said. "in our Home, we never lie to you nor will we ever hurt you. I promise."
Bell closes an eye as his father wipes away his tears with a finger, the young man soon nods with a smile before getting a few pats on the head.
Zagreus gave a small smile in return before his face slowly became serious once again.
"Bell, I need to know." Zagreus said in a firmed voice. "when did the Liaris Freese activate? What emotion that caused its awakening?"
"what emotion that caused its awakening?" Bell asked while wiping leftover tears. "what do you mean?"
"the Liaris Freese is a skill that I gave to you in order to regress your disease while allowing you to grow like a normal boy." Zagreus explains. 'but when you received your goddess' blessing, that skill lies dormant yet its effect remains. Its full capability awakened when your heart..' the Kaiser gently points a finger and presses it against his son's left chest. "is overcome by a powerful emotion. That is how the Liaris Freese works. What emotion did you experience when you first notice that you were growing stronger?"
"i…" Bell spoke out before he looks down with a confused face. "I don't know….i never knew about the skill so i…"
Zagreus looks at Bell for a moment before he raises his son's face and then gently place two fingers to his forehead.
"stay still, Bell." Zagreus said before his eyes began to glow brightly. "I will see the answer within your memories."
Bell looks at his father confused before his eyes widen and began to glow red.
Zagreus's eyes glows continuously and after a minute died down. The Kaiser pulls his fingers away and looks at Bell whose eyes stopped glowing as well.
"you awakened that skill after falling in love with the Loki Familia's Aiz Wallenstein, huh?" Zagreus said as he hardens his gaze a bit. "seems that you were lucky."
"eh?" Bell made a confused noise from hearing what his father had spoken.
"you have a crush with the Sword Princess, correct?" Zagreus said with a hand raised to the side before lowered down. "your love for her awakened the Liaris Freese and therefore allowed its full potential to be in effect."
"eh!?" Bell blushes embarrassingly at his father before looking down. "um… well… i… that's kinda… um… well… i"
"forget about the Sword Princess and never think about her again." Zagreus spoke out suddenly as his words made Bell forget about the embarrassment and just look at his father in shock. "that little girl isn't someone who you are meant to be with. It is better if you find someone else."
"w-what? but why?" Bell asked in surprise.
"have you forgotten that your mother, Uncle Polemos and your Aunt Thalia are former members of Zeus and Hera Familia respectively?" Zagreus said with an obvious tone in his voice. "their Familias were weakened after their defeat against the Black Dragon and were banished by the Freyja Familia and the Loki Familia. can you really be in love with someone whose Familia caused nothing but pain and hardship to your own mother? Can you, Bell?"
"b-but..A-Aiz-san is…" Bell muttered out. "s-she wouldn't and she…"
"and what? she helped you train to become stronger?" Zagreus asked with a raised eyebrow. 'you both were strangers and she offered to help you even though you two were of different Familias?' he then hardens his gaze "at the time, you two were just strangers and yet she offered to train you out of goodwill? Bell, don't you find that a bit strange?"
"Strange? But Aiz-san was just offering to train me in order to apologize for the incident that her Familia accidently caused and…" said Bell as he explained about the incident when a run-off Minotaur that chased and nearly killed him if the Sword Princess haven't come and saved him. "and then..with her help I became strong… and then…"
"She was after something from you and because of that I disapprove of her." Zagreus stated in a very stern voice as his eyes glows menacingly. "forget about Aiz Wallenstein, Bell. it is for your own good."
Bell looks dejected at his father as he tilts his head down with a very sad frown.
Zagreus sees his son's expression which made the Kaiser sigh while closing his eyes.
"if you are against my words, then I will check her first to see if she is who you believe she is." Zagreus said as Bell looks at his father once again. 'if she is a kind, beautiful, and nice person that your memories showed me, I will allow a relationship between the two of you.' The Kaiser then opens his eyes and looks at his son directly in his eyes. "but if she is not…."
Bell looks at his father for a moment before he nods in understanding what he was implying.
"yes… I understand." Bell spoke out as Zagreus looks at his son before he nods back
A few hours later, at the Hearth Mansion's second floor; Hestia and the others were just standing around by the stairs and are looking at the closed door to the living room.
"He knew we were listening in on their conversation." Welf spoke out with a rather unnerved face. "He let it be until he decided to go for the more private and important part."
"The Bloody Kaiser… is frightening." Mikoto said as Haruhime nods in agreement.
"What do you think he is telling Bell-sama now?" Lili asked Hestia who has her arms crossed and a hand cupping her chin. "it must be very important and private, right?"
"I don't know." Hestia replied while shaking her head. "We just have to wait until Bell-kun comes out."
Everyone looks at their goddess before to each other as they couldn't help but feel curious and anxious to know what conversation that Zagreus is having with their captain.
The group continues to wait as nearly 5 minutes passed and when another second passed, they heard the living room's door swinging open.
Hestia and the others went to the stairs and instantly saw Bell exiting the living Room with Zagreus behind him.
"Bell-kun!" Hestia called out as she and the others instantly went down the stairs. "are you done?"
Bell didn't respond to Hestia's question as he just looks all darkly at the goddess and his comrades.
"Bell-kun? What's wrong?" Hestia asked looking confused to Bell's darkened expression.
"why… why did you lie to me?" Bell spoke out as he looks straight at Hestia. "Why did you lie to me, my goddess? How much you lie to me?"
"eh?" Hestia looks awfully confused. "I don't…"
"I've informed him about the Liaris Freese Skill that you and your Familia had concealed from him," Zagreus asserted as Hestia and the others gazed upon the Kaiser with a mixture of shock and surprise, met by his emotionless yet disapproving eyes. "How long have you kept Bell in the dark? 6-8 months, is it?"
"Why... why didn't you inform me?" Bell questioned, his eyes darkening as he directed a piercing look at his goddess and Familia members. However, within his eyes, a discernible pain seemed to be growing. "You kept it a secret from me for so long... and never told me." As his anger escalated, he produced the once blank Status Paper, now filled with his information, revealing the Liaris Freese Skill. "I am always loyal to you, my goddess! I trust you so much, yet you never told me about this one skill of mine. You told Welf and the others, but not me? The one who should know about it? Why? Why!?"
"I-I did it to... it was to protect you!" Hestia quickly retorted, attempting to defend herself, her scared and anxious expression revealing her belief that Bell's trust in her had evaporated in an instant. "I was afraid that you would tell someone! I-I was trying to protect you! You always get excited when you learn that you got something great! And I! I was afraid that someone will try to take you if they learn about this skill of yours!"
"Then why do Welf and the others know!? Do you trust them more than you trust me!?" Bell countered, tears welling up in his eyes. "Why do they know?"
"We forced her!" Welf interjected, positioning himself in front of Hestia and Bell. "You were growing so fast, and it was something we couldn't understand. A few months back, me and the others pressured Hestia-sama into telling us about your Status. We did it to have a better understanding so that we could help protect you!"
"You would try to protect Bell by learning about his secret skill for yourselves?" Zagreus spoke, facing the Crozzo smith and pulling Bell back from his Familia. He stood facing the group with his eyes closed and his head tilted down a bit. "How greedy can you be?"
"What do you mean?" Hestia said, adopting an accusatory tone as she glanced at Zagreus for revealing Bell's secret skill that should've remained undisclosed.
"I mean what I have spoken," Zagreus replied, opening his eyes, which now glowed menacingly. 'You, the goddess of Hearth. You kept this secret from Bell because you are jealous. I know very well that the Liaris Freese was awakened within Bell when he met this Aiz Wallenstein of the Loki Familia.' He then hardened his gaze. "I don't know how you can call yourself a goddess when you're just a selfish, egotistic, and jealous person who wants Bell to be her one and only. You're just like a child claiming a toy for their own."
Hestia looked at Zagreus in surprise and shock, realizing that the Kaiser knew so much about her and the others, a knowledge that wasn't mutual.
"You all are influenced by greed and jealousy," Zagreus asserted, scrutinizing Hestia and the other members. "Wanting Bell for yourself, wanting to learn about his secret for yourselves, and wanting him to stay with you for yourselves... you people are nothing but worthless and ungrateful traitors who should never be my son's companions."
"W-We're not traitors!" Lili interjected. "W-We would never betray Bell-sama!"
"Can you really say that when you're someone who once nearly killed him?" Zagreus asked, causing Lili to gasp, her eyes widening at the Kaiser's words. "I know very well that you nearly killed Bell once in the past, Liliruca Arde. You betrayed him and nearly got him killed. Can you really not call yourself a traitor who kept an important secret from him? When you yourself betrayed him once?"
"T-That's..." Lili spoke but found herself unable to retort Zagreus' words.
"And you," Zagreus said, turning towards Mikoto, who tensed up. "You try so hard to amend what you did to my son, don't you? I know very well that your original Familia nearly caused my son to lose his life when your own Party did a Pass Parade on his party, right?" The Kaiser's glowing gaze became even more menacing. "You learn of his secret even though you are only a temporary member of the Hestia Familia? How foolish can one be?"
Mikoto frowned in guilt, looking down without words to say in return.
"You as well," Zagreus continued, shifting his attention to Haruhime, who appeared scared. "You're formerly from the Ishtar Familia, correct? The one Familia that had nearly caused Chaos upon Orario, right? You got my son kidnapped, and you helped your Former Familia to do so, right?" The Kaiser's glowing gaze became even more menacing. "But I shouldn't be so surprised because... what could I expect from someone who is a prostitute of the Ishtar Familia, right? You're just a slut that isn't worthy to be trusted by anyone."
Haruhime teared up as her fox ears drooped down, displaying a very guilty and sad expression on her face.
"And you..." Zagreus said, looking at Welf, who appeared anxious and nervous. The Kaiser regarded the red-haired smith for a moment before looking away. 'You're a Crozzo. Someone who is hated by many Elven people. Their hate for your ancestors would one day inflict harm on Bell.' He then glanced back at Welf with his right eye that glowed cold icy blue. "You call yourself his friend, but you're, in fact, just bringing him harm."
"T-That's!" Welf retorted but looked down with a frustrated yet guilty expression on his face. "That..."
Zagreus looked at Welf for a moment before turning to Hestia.
"I don't know why a goddess like you even exists," Zagreus said, his tone dark and venomous. "You're childish, idiotic, possessive, and most of all, selfish. Someone with such a personality... can only be called a worthless and incompetent maggot." His glowing eyes intensified, giving an even more menacing gaze at the loli goddess. "Someone with such a personality... can only be called a worthless and incompetent maggot."
Hestia looked frightened at Zagreus, sweating before she looked down with a sad yet guilty-looking frown.
Zagreus glared down at the group for a moment before closing his eyes.
"Bell, go outside first," Zagreus ordered, opening his eyes and continuing to glare at the Hestia Familia members. "I need to give a piece of my mind to these maggots."
"R-Right..." Bell spoke softly as he nodded before he followed his father's words and exited the home.
Now Zagreus was left alone with the Hestia Familia members who were sweating bullets, facing the strongest Kaiser by themselves.
"Face upwards, you maggots," Zagreus commanded as Hestia and the others made confused noises while looking at the Bloody Kaiser. Soon, he raised his right hand and formed a very hard, tight grip.
BANG! POW! BANG! KA-POW! BANG!
Zagreus had instantly and quickly delivered several hard knocks upon the Hestia Familia's members who are now on their knees while holding their heads that has steaming red bulges popping out.
"That is for betraying my son and hurting his heart." Zagreus said while gripping his right hand's fist a few times and then crosses his arms. "along with my gratitude for taking care of him."
Hestia and the others didn't speak a word as they were busy holding their aching heads.
"listen well, Hestia Familia." Zagreus spoke out. "I will be taking my son to my Familia's Home and give him time to decide whether he would forgive you or not for your act of betrayal." His helmet then reforms upon his head and his eyes glows under the visor. "depending on his decision, your pathetic lives will or will not see the next rising sun."
The Hestia Familia felt cold shiver go up their spine as Zagreus' words are threats that are deadly as poisonous venom.
Zagreus glares at the Hestia Familia before he turns and walks towards the door that he opens and then slams shut.
Hestia and the others could only stand behind with sad and guilty frowns on their faces that just grew.
The father and son exited the Hearth Manor, strolling through the front yard. Zagreus maintained a silence as he walked, but soon, the Kaiser glanced at Bell, who was shedding tears of sorrow.
"Do not dwell on them any longer for today," Zagreus spoke, his gaze fixed ahead. "Those who lack trust for one another can never truly be called a Familia."
"But... I..." Bell began to mutter, only to be interrupted when Zagreus placed a comforting hand on the top of his head, gently caressing it a few times.
"The fact that you are honest and kind is what makes you Meteria's son. She always wished that you would grow up to be such a person," Zagreus remarked, coming to a halt with Bell and looking directly at his son. "It is not your fault that they couldn't trust you."
Bell looked at his father for a moment, nodded slowly, and then wiped away his tears.
"Come," Zagreus said, ushering the two towards the front gate, which he pushed open. "Let's go and visit your mother now."
"What?" Bell questioned, puzzled, as Zagreus merely raised his right hand to the cloudy dark sky.
The Kaiser's eyes glowed and then flashed, somehow triggering the storm to unleash roars of thunder and bright flashes of lightning that focused on one area in the sky.
Bell gazed with wide eyes at the unfolding scene, instantly noticing something large descending slowly from the dark clouds.
"W-What is..." Bell muttered, his voice filled with bewilderment as his eyes widened at the massive object in the sky, descending within the dark clouds. "W-What is that?"
Witnessing the dark cloudy sky, many Orario residents gazed with shocked faces as a large object descended from within the storm, struck by bolts of lightning several times. Near the Twilight Manor, members of the Loki Familia were on their way back to their home when the unfolding scene above them brought them to a sudden halt.
"W-What is that!?" Lefiya gasps.
"Whatever that thing is, it's huge!" Tiona exclaimed.
"Captain... what is that thing?" Tione asked Finn, who appeared surprised and baffled alongside Riveria and Gareth.
"I should've expected that when Zagreus returned, it followed suit," Finn remarked, sweating a bit. "It is, after all, their Home."
Everyone gazed at the dark sky, observing something descending from the thunderstorm, covered in black clouds that gradually dispersed.
"A-Are you saying that... Are you saying that thing is!?" Tiona's jaw dropped.
"The home of the Kaiser Familia," Gareth affirmed with a nod, as everyone witnessed a large dark castle floating above the sky, adorned with a sizable golden metallic ring that rotated. "The Underworld Castle."
"Y-You mean... that the Kaiser Familia's home is real!?" Lefiya exclaimed in shock. "B-But I thought the stories!"
"Every single story written about the Kaisers is real, Lefiya," Riveria stated, looking at her apprentice. "Even the ones that sound like fantasy and such."
Lefiya appeared even more surprised, realizing that something written in the stories was actually real, leaving her in shock.
"It's moving," Aiz observed as everyone looked up, seeing the Underworld Castle floating towards somewhere southwest. "It's going somewhere."
"Should we go and check on it?" Tione asked Finn, who shook his head.
"We shouldn't," Finn said, holding his right hand to his face and observing his incredibly shaking right thumb. "No one should ever meddle in the matters of the Kaisers."
The Underworld Castle hovers in the air as it is now floating above where Zagreus and Bell are at.
"t-that's….that's the Castle of the Kaiser Familia?" Bell asked with shaking eyes as he gaze at the dark floating castle. "t-the one… written in the story books?"
"yes." Zagreus said with a nod
Bell soon hears rumbling noises coming from the Underworld Castle as he sees that a round metal platform came floating down from the Home and hovers in front of him and Zagreus.
"come." Zagreus gets on the platform as he stands upon it before looking at Bell. "This will take us up."
Bell looks at his father for a moment before he nods and gets up onto the platform that starts to float upwards in an instant to the Underworld Castle.
Once the Platform was gone from sight, the floating Castle started to move upwards as it ascends straight to the dark cloudy sky where it disappears just like how it appeared.
Within the Underworld Castle, now suspended thousands of feet above the sky, the ambiance resonates with the air of a royal castle. The Home exudes opulence and sophistication in every detail.
"I never knew that there could be such a home for a Familia," Bell remarked in amazement, standing in the luxurious hallway of the Underworld Castle. "It's like I'm in the castle of a king."
"It is similar to one, but at the same time, different," Zagreus replied, the Kaiser walking ahead in the hallway as his helmet detached from his head. "I will have Melinoe and the others introduce you to the layout of the Home later on. For now, we should go to the Elysium Garden, where your mother awaits you."
"The Elysium Garden?" Bell inquired with curiosity. "What's that?"
"You will know when you see it," Zagreus answered, opening a large door by the side and gesturing for Bell to follow. "Come."
Bell nodded and followed his father as they navigated through various hallways and doorways, each leading to a different part of the expansive Underworld Castle. After a few minutes, they stood in a very large hallway, facing a large locked silver gate. The gate's sizable locks opened one by one, swinging open slowly to reveal light emanating from behind.
"What?" Bell shielded his eyes from the light, and after a moment, his vision adjusted. He gazed through the open gate, eyes widening and jaw dropping. "This is?"
From side to side, Bell witnessed a large, luxurious garden with beautiful and unique flowers, fruit-bearing trees, and various small insects. It felt like entering a different world due to the sheer beauty that surrounded him.
"Your mother had the same reaction when I first brought her here," Zagreus remarked, observing Bell's extremely baffled expression. The Kaiser approached a tree, gently caressing its trunk. "But I believe anyone besides a Kaiser would have the same reaction when they enter this place."
"What... What is this place?" Bell muttered.
"This place is called the Elysium Garden," Zagreus replied. "My prized garden where every single flower and tree you see here are all planted and raised by myself." He held up his hand, letting a butterfly perch on the back of his palm. "This is also the place where Meteria and I would spend most of our time together."
Bell looked around, reaching a nearby flower patch of sparkling blue roses. As he examined the flowers, a pair of brown chipmunks jumped at him, rustling around in his clothes, causing him to scream.
"Careful. This place is home to lots of small critters like those chipmunks," Zagreus said, watching Bell's amusing dance. The chipmunks escaped and ran to Zagreus, climbing onto his shoulder. "But they are harmless unless aggravated."
"That scared me," Bell gasped, looking at the chipmunks that ran to Zagreus and got a few scratches from the Kaiser. "They look like they're happy with you?"
"I believe they would be," Zagreus replied, scratching a chipmunk's head. "Their original home was a forest burned nearly decades ago. I've taken their parents and grandparents here, making it their new home for many years." The Kaiser smiled. "I'm glad to see that everyone is doing well here."
Bell looked at his father and the chipmunks before noticing many small animals approaching Zagreus, surrounding him. He observed the scene before hearing some noises behind him. Turning around, he came face to face with a humanoid brown skeleton-looking creature, causing him to scream in surprise.
"W-W-What is that!?" Bell exclaimed, backing away from the creature standing on two feet with a red core in its chest.
"do not be startled. It's just a Skeletal Servant," Zagreus explained, caressing the chipmunk on his shoulder while looking at the skeleton creature. "It's a golem-like familiar that Makaria created to keep the Underworld Castle maintained along with the Elysium Garden during the Kaisers' absence."
"A familiar?" Bell asked, feeling a bit creep out by the Skeleton Servant. It leaned back up and walked away to join others watering plants, feeding animals, or harvesting fruits. "Aunt Makaria could make such a familiar?"
"Nothing is impossible for Makaria, who has been entitled as the greatest Mage in history," Zagreus replied, reaching a nearby tree to let chipmunks run up and climb upon it. "Remember that the Kaisers are people who have broken through the limits that no one has ever achieved."
Bell looked at Zagreus as the Kaiser approached.
"Come. Let me take you to where Meteria is," Zagreus said, motioning his son to follow into the deeper parts of the Elysium Garden.
A minute later, Bell and Zagreus arrived at a part of the Elysium Garden surrounded by white flowers.
"This is..." Bell muttered, seeing a silver headstone in the center of the white flowers with a drawn sculpted image of Meteria on it, surrounded by more white flowers. "A... grave?"
"Meteria passed away in your home village years back," Zagreus said, approaching the headstone and waving his right hand, producing a white sparkling rose. "She loved flowers just like I did, so I built a grave for her here." He knelt and placed the sparkling rose in front of the grave marker. "I gave her all these flowers so that I can always remember her and always remind her that I would always love her even when she is no longer with us." He turned to his son. "Come. Your mother would love to finally meet you again after so many years."
Bell looked at Zagreus for a moment before nodding and taking a few steps forward, kneeling beside his father as they both gazed at the grave marker.
Meanwhile, at the Babel Tower and within the floor domain of the goddess Freyja, the deity of beauty maintained her usual watchful gaze over Orario. However, her attention became fixed on the ascending Underworld Castle, piercing through the dark stormy clouds above.
"How dare you..." she hissed out in a venomous and frustrated tone. Her focus remained on Bell, but her sight was obstructed by a wall of furious aura. Soon, a blazing red phoenix emitted a high-pitched scream, and alongside it, a blazing red demon emerged. The two were now accompanied by a large green giant with glowing yellow eyes, an icy blue wolf that growled menacingly, and a maiden covered in vine roots, casting a glowing yellowish-red glare at the goddess. "That boy is mine!"
Freyja clenched her hands into hard fists, her face displaying intense displeasure and annoyance. As the goddess observed the scene, everything swirled together, forming the black burning silhouette of a woman with glowing red eyes that stared straight at the goddess of beauty.
"Hades..." Freyja hissed as she glared at the black burning silhouette, which transformed into an armored demon that fixed its cross-shaped red eye on her. "Kaiser!"
That's a wrap!
Bye bye