Familia Myth: Journey to Hero Chapter 5 (Patreon)

Hey friends and fans, Kairomaru is bringing you another chapter of Familia Myth: Journey to Hero! The new Hestia Familia Home is ready! Time to move in and christen the new home! Ganesha’s Banquet of the Gods is coming up too! Will Hestia be able to convince Hephaestus for a favor? Also, a surprise for Monsterphilia awaits!

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So without further delay, please enjoy.

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Chapter 5 – Home, Banquet, Festival

“It’s beautiful!” Hestia gushed as she and Bell stood before their newly built home.

The old, dilapidated church was gone, now replaced by a new two-story building. It was a traditional Oikos Style home, meant to house a large family. The front of the home was large and faced the street they stood on. It had dark-orange roof tiles and many windows to let in natural light and the front door was beautiful dark wood. Walking through the front door saw an open floor plan with a large sitting area and a hearth against the back wall. Bell noticed the rather specific construction of the hearth, seemingly having some significance beyond just warming the large room. Their old couches were already moved in, courtesy of Hephaestus Familia. They looked like they’d even been fixed up a bit, the upholstery clean and untorn now. There was a wall off to the left that had another door which Hestia informed him led to the dining room.

“Goddess, this is amazing!” Bell looked around in wonder. The size of the main area alone was bigger than the basement they’d lived in.

“You haven’t even seen all of it yet, Bell!” Hestia beamed at him, her blue-eyes shining happily. “I used a little of the extra money to buy the lot behind the church too so that we could expand!” She took his hand and they walked through a door on the back wall.

They emerged into a wide passage that connected the rooms with the courtyard and was framed by columns. Bell nearly gaped at the two long extensions that connected to the main building. Each of the two levels had three doors and a wrap-around walkway covered by the roof. It was so much more space than they’d ever had before! The courtyard wasn’t huge, but Bell could easily do some training here with any future Familia members. Hestia giggled at his shocked face before leading him on a tour of their new home.

All of the rooms connected by the second floor walkway were bedrooms, they had enough space to give up to six Familia members their own room now, up to twelve if they had members room together. The rooms on the bottom turned out to be a large bathing room, a bathroom, a good-sized kitchen, two rooms that were currently empty, and a second, smaller bathroom. Bell was astounded that managing to catch the Jack Bird and turn in its Drop Item had gotten them such a large place now. The second floor of the main building was divided into two rooms as well, a large master bedroom that would be Hestia’s room, and his as well since they were together and slept in the same bed. The other room was a study and library that Hestia couldn’t wait to move shelves into and fill them all with books. A fairly nice desk had been placed in this room already, a purchase from the Goibniu Familia since they were already building the house anyway.

“It feels like we’ve really started making it now, huh?” Bell smiled as they looked over the courtyard from the second floor balcony/walkway. He rather liked that the back wall of the courtyard still had some of the bushes and trees that had been part of the lot behind the church. The greenery was a nice contrast to the masonry of the new Hestia Familia home.

“It’s all thanks to you, Bell~” Hestia leaned into his side with a loving smile. “You’ve done so much for me. I was the one that was blessed when we met.”

“Hestia, you took me in when I was at my lowest, you gave me your Blessing, a Familia, a home, and even your love.” Bell gently pulled her into his arms with a warm smile of his own. “I could never repay you for that, but I’ll keep trying.” He leaned in and the two shared a gentle and loving kiss. “I love you, Hestia.”

“I love you too, Bell.” Hestia returned his love with all of her own as she snuggled into him.

-That Night-

“Alright, Bell, I’m heading to the Banquet. Don’t do anything dangerous while I’m gone.” Hestia was wearing her new dress and heels and standing next to a carriage that Bell had insisted on renting for her to take her to the Ganesha Familia home. “I might be gone two or three days, but if it all works out then I’ll have something good for you when I get back.”

“I’ll be careful, Hestia, I won’t push myself too hard and I’ll be waiting for you to return home.” Bell smiled at her and Hestia nearly swooned. She really loved his smile. They shared a sweet kiss before Bell helped Hestia into the carriage. He watched the carriage head off until it rounded the corner before heading back inside the large home. The large bath was calling him and Bell wanted to take a nice, relaxing soak tonight.

-Ganesha Familia Home-

Hestia stepped out of the carriage with the coachman’s help. The older man nodded to the Goddess before heading off into the night to pick up his next passengers. She checked her dress over; making sure it wasn’t wrinkled during the ride before looking up at the large building in front of her.

“So that’s the Ganesha Familia home, ‘Aiam Ganesha’…” Hestia gave an exasperated sigh. The building was literally built like a giant statue of Ganesha himself! The layout of the building must’ve been crazy for whatever architects had drawn it up and built it.

As Hestia walked towards the entrance, she heard quite a few Gods and Goddesses commenting on Ganesha’s home. The words ‘crazy’ and ‘self-absorbed’ were heard a few times. She shook her head as she walked up the stairs. From what she knew of Ganesha, the God of the Masses wasn’t vain or self-important. He naturally exuded a feeling of togetherness and a desire to better oneself as part of his Divine Aura. In the God’s mind, his image would hopefully help reassure all those that saw it.

‘But making the crotch the entrance…Ganesha must be a little out of his mind.’ Hestia deadpanned as she walked through the doors and into the large, open hall. Over a hundred Gods and Goddesses were in attendance, at least. Tables piled with food and drinks were everywhere and Hestia saw Ganesha on a raised dais speaking loudly to those nearby.

“Welcome one and all!” Ganesha had a wide smile as he spoke. He appeared as a muscular man and wore a red and yellow elephant mask over his face. He was often seen wearing an orange sash that went over his right shoulder and wrapped around his waist. A gold rimmed leather plate sat on his stomach, holding the garb together. He also wore white pants with dark brown under the knee boots that also had gold accents. Ganesha had gold jewelry on in the form of a thick gold necklace and equally golden arm bands. He had a darker skin tone and black hair that reached his shoulders. “I am Ganesha, your host for this celebration! Seeing so many attendees every time moves Ganesha deeply!”

‘Of course you’re going to have a large amount of attendees, you’re the only God that throws a Banquet at your own home instead of at a Guild facility.’ Hestia thought to herself with a slight shake of her head. No other Gods would welcome so many into their own home like this. It was a chance that some of them might get a little too curious for their own good and go snooping around.

“This year’s festival is but three days hence! Please encourage your Familias to help out in any way possible!” Ganesha continued his speech, reminding Hestia to see about going to the festival with Bell. It would be his first one since he’d only been in Orario a short time.

Hestia walked around, seeing some familiar faces here and there. She stopped at one of the many tables to sample some of the food. Finding it all to be delicious, she indulged a bit with her portions. As she was eating she felt more and more eyes settle on her from behind. Then the quiet whispers picked up into less quiet murmurs.

“Well, if it isn’t Loli Big Boobs.”

“What, she’s alive?”

“Yep, working at a street stand.”

“Getting her head patted too.”

“That’s our Loli Goddess!”

‘I can hear you, idiots.’ Hestia grumbled in her mind at the other Gods and Goddess talking about her circumstances.

“Just what are you doing?” A familiar voice called out and Hestia turned to look at the one addressing her. She noticed that the small group that had been talking about her had quickly shuffled off at the new woman’s approach. “It’s been a few days, Hestia, I’m glad to see that you’re still doing well. You’re taking a bit too much though…” The redheaded Goddess mentioned of the shorter Goddesses’ portions of the food.

“Hephaestus!” Hestia beamed at her niece happily as she left her finished plate on the table to approach the other Goddess.

Hephaestus was a beauty, as most Goddesses were, with long, flowing red hair that she usually kept up so as not to get in her way while working. A fairly large black eyepatch covered her right eye. Her lovely figure was currently being accentuated in a red dress of incredibly high quality. The single strap of the dress went over her right shoulder and had a large flower ornamentation on it. Her dress gave the barest peek at her impressive cleavage and hugged her figure until it flared out a bit at her hips to cover her legs.

“You did come!” Hestia smiled happily. “I was right to attend!” Her own dress swished around her as she came to a stop.

“What’s that? I’ll say this now; I’m not lending you a single Valis.” Hephaestus stated flatly to her aunt.

“H-How rude!” Hestia pouted. “Do I look like the kind of Goddess that would do that?”

“Aren’t you the one that lived off of me from the moment you got to Orario?” Hephaestus reminded her with a flat stare.

“That’s old news!” Hestia gestured to herself. “Now I don’t need to eat from anyone else’s plate!”

“Then what were you just doing?’ Hephaestus teased with her visible delicate eyebrow raised. Both Goddesses glanced at the multiple plates Hestia had already gone through.

“Th-That’s different…” Hestia shook her head, waving off taking food from the Banquet.

“Still the best of friends, I see.” A woman giggled as she approached the pair of Olympic Goddesses. She had long silver hair that reached past her perfect bottom, silver eyes with a hint of purple in them, and white skin like that of fresh snow. Her body had a perfect golden ratio, enough to think that the concept may have originated from her. In a beautiful white dress with a plunging neckline to show off her cleavage, a black fur stole around her neck for contrast, along with a pair of black evening gloves that stopped at her elbows. In her hair were two black flower-like pins. The little smile on her lips and the slight amusement in her eyes as she looked at Hestia and Hephaestus was typical of this particular Goddess.

“Freya,” Hestia sighed as she greeted the Goddess of Beauty and Love.

“I bumped into her over there,” Hephaestus motioned vaguely to the opposite side of the large room. “We’ve been walking around together.”

“I hope I’m not bothering you, Hestia?” Freya smiled lightly with a slight tilt of her head.

“It’s not that,” Hestia shook her head once. “I just don’t like you very much.” Hephaestus sighed at her aunt’s statement.

“Oh?” Freya giggled for a second. “But that’s what I like about you, Hestia.”

“Hey! Phai-tan! Freya!” Loki rushed over to the trio with a wide smile. The Goddess was wearing a black, strapless dress that hugged her svelte figure. A red ribbon went around her thin waist to accent it and was tied into a perfect bow in front. Her hands were covered in black evening gloves that stopped at mid-forearm and around her wrists were golden bracelets. She wore matching black heels and had her long, red hair tied up into an intricate bun.

“Then again…” Hestia’s tone and expression were both flat. “There are those I dislike much more than you.”

“Loki,” Freya greeted her fellow Pantheon Goddess with a small smile. “How unusual to see you in a dress for one of these Banquets.”

“Well, y’know…I heard a certain shrimp was coming tonight,” Loki leaned forward to look at Hestia. “A Goddess too poor to wear a real dress, I wanted to laugh in her face.”

“Happy to disappoint you, Loki.” Hestia looked pleased with herself as she gently ran her hand over her dress.

“Tch, since when have you been able to buy a proper dress?” Loki scoffed as she stood back to her full height.

“It’s all thanks to Bell.” Hestia placed her hand on her cheek as she sighed happily.

“Yes, your first child has been gaining some attention recently.” Hephaestus smiled at her aunt. “He managed to catch a Jack Bird and turn in its Drop Item, cleared out the first five floors most popular hunting spots just the other day, and even cleared out the Fifth Floor’s Monster House single-handedly if I remember correctly.”

“He’s been working very hard.” Hestia nodded with a smile that became a small frown after a moment. “I wish I could do more for him though.”

“A Level 1 did all of that by themselves?” Loki looked unconvinced. “Are you trying to pull my leg?”

“It’s true, you can check with the Guild.” Hestia replied with a huff, after a moment she calmed herself before turning to face Loki fully. “Loki, I wanted to say thank you. Your child saved mine from a Minotaur and I’m grateful for that.”

“Eh?” Loki’s eyes widened in shock and revealed her crimson gaze to the other three Goddesses. “What’s this? The shrimp is actually being polite? Check the window to see if pigs are flying!”

“I’m being serious, Loki.” Hestia stomped her foot with an unamused look on her face.

“Lighten up, shrimp.” Loki chuckled with a wave of her hand. “Your boy is the one with the white-hair right? Looks a bit like a rabbit?”

“That’s Bell,” Hestia nodded without hesitation. Her lover was as cute as a rabbit and she adored that.

“Then he’s already thanked me and my children,” Loki grinned down at Hestia. “He bought us a round of drinks at the tavern the other night as thanks for saving him. As far as I’m concerned, that’s thanks enough. My children all know not to leave another Adventurer to die in the Dungeon if they can help.”

“Please pass my thanks onto Ais Wallenstein too, if you would.” Hestia requested of the other Goddess. “She made quite the impression on Bell and he’s really thrown himself into becoming stronger since then. He’s progressing very well lately because of that.”

“Ah, the Kenki, I’d like to hear about her too.” Hephaestus smiled at her fellow redhead. “I often hear about your Familia, Loki. It sounds like you’re doing well.”

“Never thought I’d hear that from someone as successful as you are, Phai-tan!” Loki smiled at the praise of her children. “But yeah, my children right now are my pride and joy! Mind if I brag a little?”

“Are there any romantic prospects for your child, Loki?” Freya giggled as she teased the Trickster Goddess.

“Ais is my favorite, ya airheaded vixen!” Loki glared at Freya. “Anyone tries to take her and I’ll tear them in half!”

“She’s cute and all, but my Bell is cuter.” Hestia shrugged and both Hephaestus and Freya could’ve sworn they could hear something snap in Loki’s head.

“What was that, shrimp?” Loki demanded with a scowl. “My Ais is way cuter than your little rabbit!”

“No one is as cute as Bell!” Hestia refuted with her hands on her hips.

“Are you blind?! My Ais is a hundred times cuter!” Loki leaned forward and got in Hestia’s face.

“You’re the one that’s blind if you can’t see how cute my Bell is!” Hestia got in Loki’s face and the two practically growled at each other with their foreheads pressed together.

“…And there they go.” Hephaestus sighed as she watched Hestia and Loki bicker.

“I shall take my leave now.” Freya set a finished glass of wine on the nearest table.

“Already? Weren’t you free?” Hephaestus raised an eyebrow as Loki and Hestia continued to bicker in the background.

“I’ve lost interest,” Freya grinned, her unique eyes darting to Hestia as she bickered with Loki. “I’ve heard what I wanted to hear, and also…” She adopted a knowing smile, her eyes half-lidded in amusement. “I’ve gotten my fill of all the men here.” With that she walked off as most of the men in the vicinity quickly looked elsewhere with sheepish smiles.

“Stirs up some trouble and then leaves,” Hephaestus shook her head slightly. “Hard to tell who’s the Trickster Goddess sometimes.”

“Just like the Goddess of Beauty, no respect.” Hestia commented as she returned to Hephaestus’ side.

“Well, if someone like Freya wasn’t in charge of Love and Desire, then who would be, right?” Hephaestus shrugged after a moment. “Did you and Loki finish your spat?”

“She gave up.” Hestia declared smugly with her hands on her hips. Hephaestus didn’t believe that for a second and knew both had simply tired of their argument.

“So, what are you going to do?” Hephaestus questioned her aunt. “If you’re planning to stay for a bit, why don’t we get a drink, it’s been a while.”

“Uh…y-yeah…the truth is…well, I have a favor to ask you, Hephaestus…” Hestia looked nervous now as she looked at her niece. She almost flinched when she saw Hephaestus’ eye narrow at her.

“Even here, you have a request?” Hephaestus loomed over Hestia, her eye seeming to glow. “Didn’t you just say that you don’t need to eat from another’s plate?” Hestia did flinch this time at the tone in Hephaestus’ voice.

‘Th-This time she might cut me off entirely…but this is the whole reason I came to the Banquet…’ Hestia trembled slightly under her niece’s glare. ‘Bell, give me courage!’

“Well?” Hephaestus demanded with an aura of rejection practically forming around her.

“Hephaestus, I want you to make a weapon for Bell!” Hestia requested as she dropped into a full prostration in front of the Goddess of the Forge. Her dress would get dirty doing this, but it was all for Bell!

“Absolutely not,” Hephaestus refused her aunt. “Do you know how much I charge for a commission? You come up with the money first, then we’ll talk.” She turned to walk away, but Hestia stood up and ran in front of her before prostrating herself again.

“Please, Hephaestus, I’ll do whatever it takes!” Hestia promised with her face almost on the floor. A crowd was gathering to see the spectacle. Many Gods and Goddesses were chuckling in amusement.

“What are you even doing?” Hephaestus was starting to feel embarrassed by all of the attention her aunt was drawing to them.

“It’s Dogeza,” Hestia spoke without lifting her head. “It’s a powerful technique that will let you be forgiven for anything you’ve done, or receive any favor you ask for…that’s what Takimikazuchi told me.”

‘This is your fault!’ Hephaestus shot a glare at the Far East War God when she spotted him in the crowd. The God seemed to be pleased that Hestia was using what he’d shown her. She also noticed her brother, Hermes, looking far too amused for her liking about this whole situation. If she had one of her hammers, she would have hurled it at his face!

“Would you get up, Hestia?” Hephaestus put her hand over her face. “You’re embarrassing me and yourself.”

“Please, make Bell a weapon.” Hestia repeated her request, still without raising her head.

“This is not the time or place for such a request,” Hephaestus sighed at her stubborn aunt. “Get on your feet, let’s have a drink and we’ll talk, okay?”

“Thank you, Hephaestus!” Hestia lifted her head to beam at the Goddess of the Forge.

-Much Later-

“Hestia, I’ve told you over and over, the finest smiths of Hephaestus Familia make the finest weapons, in both performance and price.” Hephaestus sighed at her aunt as they sat in her private office. “I’m not trying to brag, I’m simply trying to get you to understand…I cannot give away something made by the sweat and blood of my children. As a favor, even to family, that’s asking too much. Can’t you see it’s impossible?”

Hestia didn’t say a word, merely staying in dogeza the entire time. After the first round of refusals, she had once again prostrated herself before her niece. She hadn’t moved from that position since. She’d endure the humiliation of begging, groveling with her face in the floor or even dirt if she could secure this one favor.

“Hestia, tell me,” Hephaestus sighed as she looked at her groveling aunt. “Why are you going this far?”

“Because I want to help him!” Hestia declared so strongly that Hephaestus almost flinched at the sudden volume. “He’s changing so fast! He’s chosen a steep and difficult path! That’s why I want a weapon that can open the way for him!” She felt tears well up in her eyes as her heart ached to help Bell. “He’s always helping me, alone! I can’t do anything close to Godly for him!” She clawed at the floor in emotional agony. “I hate not being able to do something for him.”

‘You really have changed, haven’t you?’ Hephaestus gazed at Hestia for a long, silent moment. A small sigh escaped her before her lips curved in the barest hint of a smile. “…Alright.” She decided to reward this showing of true change in her aunt. “I’ll make this weapon for your child.” Hestia’s head bolted up to look at her niece. “I have a feeling you wouldn’t leave until I said yes, anyway.”

“Thank you, Hephaestus!” Hestia beamed at the redhead, practically lighting up the room with her glowing smile.

“Just to be clear, you will pay for this in full, even if it takes you a century.” Hephaestus locked eyes with Hestia.

“Of course, I can get serious too!” Hestia shakily got back to her feet. She was glad they’d changed out of their dresses once they’d gotten back to Hephaestus’ place. She’d have happily performed dogeza in her nice dress the whole time if that’s what it took! But not having to ruin the dress that Bell liked seeing her in was nice.

“This child, what weapon does he use?” Hephaestus asked as she walked over to the wall of her office where a set of smithing hammers hung.

“Knives, why?” Hestia blinked as she looked at Hephaestus’ back.

“Is that so?” Hephaestus took the smallest hammer off the wall and held it in her left hand.

“H-Hephaestus…are you going to make it yourself?” Hestia questioned in shock.

“Of course I am.” Hephaestus shot her aunt a sharp look. “This is a private agreement between us. Any complaints?”

“Absolutely not!” Hestia was nearly jumping for joy. “I’m ecstatic that you, the Goddess of the Forge, will be making it!”

“You know I can’t use my Arcanum here, right?” Hephaestus looked at Hestia flatly.

“I’m just so happy knowing that you’re making the weapon personally!” Hestia cheered with a beautiful smile as she praised her niece’s skills. Hephaestus’ cheeks actually went a little pink at the genuine praise from her aunt.

“You’re going to be helping me.” Hephaestus told Hestia with a grin. “I can’t let you be lazy.” Hestia instantly agreed and began to follow her towards a private smithy that only Hephaestus was allowed to use. ‘Since I’m the one making it, it has to be the best. But it’s for a newbie Adventurer.... If it’s too strong for him, then he won’t grow. But making a weak weapon goes against my policy. Now then, what to do…?’ The Goddess of the Forge mused to herself as they walked towards her private workspace.

-Bell-

“Hmm, Goddess said she’d be gone at least two or three days,” Bell mused as he woke up in bed alone for the first time in a while. “I guess I’ll see about getting a new knife today and restocking my potions.” He got dressed in his regular outfit. He’d been happy to find another jacket like his previous one in the large Shopping District of Orario yesterday when he’d gone to pick up his repaired armor and knife. When he left the new Hestia Familia home, Bell made sure to lock the front door behind him since they now lived in a nice place, instead of a dilapidated building.

Bell made his way to the Blue Pharmacy first to restock his Potions. Naaza was happy to see him and sold him another five Low Potions for 2,000 Valis. Bell was fast becoming their most regular customer, which was a boon for the debt-ridden Miach Familia. After securing the potions into the side pocket of his backpack, he bid Naaza a good day and headed for Babel Tower. He needed a second knife to replace his broken Guild-issued knife.

-Eighth Floor ~ Hephaestus Familia Shop-

“Welcome!” The shopkeeper greeted Bell as he walked through the door. This time it was a Human man with black hair, dressed in the store apron over his regular clothes. “Let me know if you need help with anything.”

“Thank you,” Bell nodded as he headed over to the section where the knives and daggers were kept. “Which one?” He perused the selection looking at the various styles and lengths of blades. He tried a few out, getting a feel for them in his hand, testing their weight and balance. He gave a few of them some practice swings and ruled them out. He eventually settled on a knife with a good 18cm blade, a sturdy handle that had a molded grip, and a price tag of 4,600 Valis.

“Thank you for you patronage,” The young man behind the counter took his Valis and Bell strapped the new knife to his waist. “Please, come again.”

Bell took the elevator down to the ground floor, said good morning to Eina, and then headed for the shop that sold lunches across from the Guild Building. He purchased one of the packaged meals after a short wait in line and placed it into his backpack. With a smile at having all of his preparations complete, Bell headed for the Dungeon.

-Dungeon Third Floor-

“This new knife is pretty good.” Bell grinned after slaying a small pack of four Kobolds. Just like his first Hephaestus Familia knife, it made quick work of the Upper Floor Monsters. He cut open the Kobolds and retrieved their Magic Stones easily. He was planning on taking it easy on the Upper Floors until Hestia returned and could give him a Status Update. He promised he wouldn’t do anything too dangerous while she was away and he was going to keep his word.

The red-eyed Adventurer made his way down the stairs to the Fourth Floor. He’d spend the last bit of the day on this floor to try and make a little extra money from Drop Items. The Monsters got stronger the lower you went and stronger Monsters invariably led to an increased rate of Drop Items. Taking a turn into a corridor, Bell headed down the tunnel until he entered a slightly large cavern.

“Geh?”

“Rrrr!”

“Gehehe!”

“Rah!”

A Goblin Horde awaited the young man as he entered the cavern. Bell had been playing a hunch that this cavern hadn’t been cleared out since the morning. He’d apparently been right, as ten Goblins glared at him. He drew both of his knives as the short, green-skinned monsters rushed towards him.

“Grrraaaahhh!” The first Goblin leapt at Bell with its clawed hand poised to strike.

That first Goblin found its head separated from its body by the flash of Bell’s new knife. The next was gutted as Bell pivoted into a spin and lashed out with his left hand knife. The third Goblin’s face was nearly flattened as Bell slammed a front kick into the monster. It sailed through the air for a brief second before crashing into the stone floor unmoving. Pivoting to avoid the strikes from a trio of the Goblins, Bell was quick to stab one in the throat with a lunge and swipe his other knife through the next closest Goblin’s head, separating the top of its head from the rest of the body. The third Goblin of the trio found a knife slammed through its skull. A Goblin tried to blindside Bell from behind, only to suddenly be missing everything below the elbow of its outstretched arm. It didn’t even have time to register the injury before it was decapitated. The last three Goblins rushed him all at once from three different sides. Bell changed his grip on his right hand knife and spun a full three-hundred-sixty degrees as soon as the Goblins were within reach. His blades cut through the short monsters in sprays of blood. Two went down shrieking in pain. The third was dead when it hit the ground. Bell stabbed both of the fatally injured Goblins to finish them off and then took a deep breath to ease himself down from the battle.

“Even ten-on-one isn’t hard compared to the Monster House.” Bell noted as he began collecting the Magic Stones from the bodies. “This new knife is doing really well.” He smiled as a Goblin Fang was left behind after one of the bodies turned to dust. He collected it and placed it into his backpack before moving on to the next one. After harvesting all ten Goblins, Bell had netted his Familia two Goblin Fangs and ten small Magic Stones. With a grin for his progress, Bell headed further into the corridors and caverns of the Fourth Floor.

-Guild Exchange ~ Late Afternoon-

“Total from the Drop Items comes out to 4,100 Valis, and the total from the Magic Stones is 4,300 Valis. Final total is 8,400 Valis, good work kid.” The man behind the window pushed the drawer onto Bell’s side with a nod.

“Thank you, sir.” Bell smiled as he placed his Valis into his backpack. With this much he could afford to eat at the Hostess of Fertility tonight without worry. Since Hestia wouldn’t be at home, he’d probably get bored just sitting around by himself.

“Have a good night, Eina.” Bell smiled at his Dungeon Advisor.

“Have a good night, Bell.” Eina smiled back warmly as he headed out of the Guild Building.

“How cute~” Misha teased from nearby, making Eina’s cheeks turn pink. The Half-Elf quickly swatted at her friend who only laughed as she fended off the blows.

-Hostess of Fertility-

“Mr. Cranel, welcome back.” Ryu greeted the young man with a nod as he walked into the tavern. “One now seating!” She raised her voice to be heard over the din in the busy establishment. Bell followed her to what was becoming his usual seat at the side of the bar. He placed his order with the lovely Elf and quickly had a drink placed in front of him by Mama Mia.

“Good to see you back, boy.” Mia grinned at the teen. “Looking a little stronger since last time.”

“Thank you, Mama Mia.” Bell rubbed the back of his head with a grin.

“Bell!” Syr was all smiles when she walked over to him. “I didn’t see you this morning, I was a little worried.”

“Ah, sorry about that Miss Syr,” Bell apologized to the waitress. “Our new home was finished and I took a different path this morning to do some shopping before I went into the Dungeon.”

“That’s fine, just knowing that you’re okay is enough for me.” Syr smiled at him happily. Bell felt his cheeks warm slightly at her words. “I just ate my lunch as normal today, but any time you come by in the morning I’ll have a lunchbox ready for you!”

“M-Miss Syr!” Bell really was blushing now. “You don’t have to do that for me.”

“It’s fine,” Syr giggled from behind her hand. “I don’t mind making you lunch.”

“Hey, lazy girl, get back to work, we have customers needing to be served!” Mia stared hard at Syr and the blue-grey haired girl scurried off to continue her duties.

Bell enjoyed the atmosphere of the tavern as he waited for his meal. He drank a little more than usual tonight, but not enough to worry about. Seeing so many Adventurers and regular civilians laughing and enjoying themselves brought a smile to his face. When Ryu returned with his meal, he was even able to have a short conversation with the Elf.

“Your steak meal, Mr. Cranel.” Ryu placed the food in front of him.

“Thank you, Miss Ryu.” Bell smiled at her kindly. “Did you decide to work here because it seemed interesting like Miss Syr?”

“My circumstances are different from Syr’s, Mr. Cranel.” Ryu shook her head once. “Mama Mia is kind enough to take in all sorts of girls, even if they’ve fallen on hard times. We are all thankful to her.”

“She even encouraged me before,” Bell admitted with a chuckle. “It was nice, having someone else believe in me too.” After Hestia and Eina, Mia was probably the first person to actually encourage him as an Adventurer.

“You seem to be doing well for yourself, Mr. Cranel. I don’t believe you’ll have many problems if you continue as well as you have been.” Ryu offered him the barest hint of a smile.

“Thank you, Miss Ryu.” Bell smiled happily at the compliment as Ryu excused herself. Elves were normally fairly reserved, for Ryu to even give him that tiny smile was an accomplishment since they weren’t well-acquainted yet. With that nice thought in mind, Bell dug into his dinner.

-Three Days Later ~ Hephaestus’ Private Smithy-

Hestia ran her finger along the black knife that she’d spent the last couple of days helping Hephaestus forge. The hieroglyphs on both sides of the blade lit up with a glow after her finger passed over them. The glyphs glowed an ethereal white-blue for a few moments before the light faded away.

“And we’re done.” Hephaestus smiled as she looked at the completed knife. The weapon was made of Mithril, Hestia’s hair and blood, and was finished by her aunt’s blessing.

“We’re done?” Hestia’s beautiful smile of joy nearly lit up the smithy. Her blue-eyes were sparkling and Hephaestus couldn’t stop herself from smiling.

“Does it meet your expectations?” Hephaestus asked as Hestia looked over the completed knife.

“Absolutely! No complaints at all!” Hestia beamed as she looked up from the black blade. “Oh yeah, this weapon needs a name! Hmm…I’ve got it! It was born from the love that Bell and I share: Love Dagger!”

“Please don’t!” Hephaestus held out her hand towards her aunt at the horrible name. “That makes it sound like a piece of junk!” With a sigh Hephaestus picked up the knife and held it before Hestia’s eyes. “This knife…it can’t be described as anything but a Divine Weapon. So how about ‘Hestia Knife’ instead?” Seeing Hestia’s eyes light up and practically sparkle, Hephaestus sighed in relief. “Listen closely, Hestia. This knife is alive, it has your blessing. Right now it’s about as strong as tissue paper, but once it reaches the hands of Bell Cranel, it will take its first breath and grow. However, it can only be used by a child that has your Falna; that is also its defect. It grows with its wielder. It will never be too strong or too weak. A weapon that can instantly become more powerful is like cheating to us smiths, so I won’t be making one like this again.”

“Thank you, Hephaestus!” Hestia smiled as she wrapped her arms around the redhead in a warm hug.

“Let me repeat myself,” Hephaestus smiled as she returned the hug. “Do not go back on this loan.”

“Okay!” Hestia squeezed her slightly and smiled when Hephaestus did the same. Their Pantheon was a mess sometimes, especially the family relations because of Zeus, but she very much adored her niece.

“Leaving already?” Hephaestus blinked as Hestia slipped her flip-flops on.

“Yep, I want to give this to Bell right away!” Hestia grinned as she looked for something to carry the knife in.

“It was a long night, shouldn’t you rest?” Hephaestus sighed even as she wrapped the sheathed knife in a cloth and then tied the cloth over Hestia’s left shoulder and under her right arm.

“Thank you, Hephaestus!” Hestia beamed as she hugged the Goddess of the Forge again before heading out in a rush. The redhead could only sigh as she undid her ponytail and let her locks cascade down her back.

-Bell-

It had been three days since Bell had last seen Hestia. He had gone into the Dungeon every day and stayed on the Fourth Floor for the majority of his time. He’d made some good money and felt like he’d made some progress on getting stronger. His desire to grow and catch up to the First Tier Adventurers continued to burn as he pushed himself just a bit more each day. He was planning on checking out the Monsterphilia Festival that was today as he headed for the large coliseum that was connected to East Main Street.

“Nya! Wait up white-hair!” A female voice called out and Bell stopped instinctively. He knew his hair color was pretty rare outside of older people normally. Looking towards the source of the voice he spotted one of the waitresses standing outside of the Hostess of Fertility.

“Miss Anya?” Bell blinked at the brunette Cat Girl. “Good morning, did you need something?”

“Good morning, sorry for calling out to you like that, nya!” Anya smiled at him brightly. “Here.” She placed a fairly heavy coin purse in Bell’s hands. “Give this to that scatterbrain, okay?”

“Um…?” Bell looked at her confused, wondering what she was talking about.

“Anya, that’s not enough information, Mr. Cranel is confused.” Ryu walked up to the pair.

“You’re so silly, Ryu!” Anya held up both hands with a shrug. “Syr went to Monsterphilia and forgot her wallet. So, I want Bell to take it to her, nya. He knows that much without me saying it.”

“That’s how it is. Sorry for the insufficient explanation the first time.” Ryu gave a slight bow to Bell. “Would you please accept our request? We are busy with preparations and unable to go ourselves.”

“Sure, I don’t mind. I was actually headed there myself.” Bell smiled at the waitresses. “Monsterphilia is where the Ganesha Familia slays Monsters in the big coliseum, right?”

“Adventurers from the Ganesha Familia also tame Monsters taken from the Dungeon, nya!” Anya explained to the new Orario resident.

“Did you say…tame?” Bell blinked at the word.

“What’s so weird about that, nya?” Anya looked at him as if he’d said something odd. “Surely you’ve experienced it before, white-hair? That moment when a defeated Monster wants to become your friend…”

“Not even once,” Bell shook his head slowly. “I’ve sliced off Monster’s limbs before and all they did was try to hit me with a different limb or bite me.”

“Taming has been recognized as a Skill.” Ryu informed Bell and the teen turned his attention towards the Elf. “It depends heavily on the strength of the user, however.”

“So they make Monsters behave with the Taming Skill?” Bell wanted to be sure that he understood the event.

“Yep, it’s kinda like a circus, but with Monsters, nya!” Anya smiled at him.

“The greatest feat of Taming is when a Monster reaches the level of intelligence required to speak.” Ryu continued the explanation after seeing that Anya wasn’t going to. “Once a Monster reaches that point, it is given the designation of Xenos and becomes a partner of the Familia.”

“Monsters that can speak?” Bell looked shocked. “They can be taught that?”

“Not all, but several of them have been shown in the past few years at Monsterphilia.” Ryu informed with a nod. “Mock battles between the Xenos are a crowd favorite nowadays. Seeing tamed Monsters up close helps the citizens lose their fear of them. All Xenos are given clothing with the Ganesha Familia emblem on it. To attack one of them is considered an attack on the Familia.”

“That’s crazy…” Bell looked amazed. To think that some Adventurers had the strength to use a Skill to tame Monsters and make them into companions. Was there anything the Blessing of the Gods couldn’t help the people of Gekai do?

“If you ever run into a Monster that can speak in the Dungeon, it’s probably a lost Xenos. They can apparently become confused when separated from a Tamer for too long. If you bring them back to the surface and reunite them with the Ganesha Familia, they’ll give you a reward.” Ryu explained the Xenos situation to Bell. “If you look up in the sky, you’ll occasionally see a Xenos flying between the Guild and the Ganesha Familia, especially if there’s some kind of emergency. The Guild has granted the Xenos permission to live on the surface within Orario’s territory as well. So, people are slowly getting used to the idea of Tamed Monsters being friendly. Even just ten years ago the very idea would’ve been ludicrous to anyone in the city.”

“Can they ever go back to being regular Monsters?” Bell questioned, wondering if the Taming could wear off.

“Not that anyone has ever seen before, nya.” Anya shook her head. “But some people worry that a Tamer with bad intentions could raise a Monster Horde on the surface and cause a lot of damage.”

“That’s why the Guild heavily monitors those that acquire the Taming Skill. It’s a matter of safety. So far, only a few members of the Ganesha Familia have acquired it. It has been classified as a Rare Skill because of it.” Ryu informed Bell of the situation.

“Wow…” Bell wondered if he’d ever get a Skill and yet others had Rare Skills.

“Anyway,” Anya waved off the whole conversation they’d just had easily. “Syr said she’d buy souvenirs, but then forgot her money. Careless kitty!”

“Was buying souvenirs not at your request, Anya?” Ryu reminded the Cat Girl with a blank expression.

“Anyway, Syr just left, so you should be able to find her.” Anya pretended not to hear what Ryu had said.

“We’ll leave her wallet with you, Mr. Cranel.” Ryu gave a half bow to the Adventurer.

“Leave it to me.” Bell smiled at both waitresses before heading off towards the stadium. He really wanted to see these Xenos now!

-East Main Street ~ Café-

“Yo, Freya!” Loki grinned at her fellow Goddess as she walked towards the table on the second floor of the establishment. “You been waiting long?”

“Not at all, I just got my drink.” Freya picked up her teacup and took a sip. The Goddess of Beauty was covered head to toe in a black cloak to prevent others from inadvertently falling under her Charm. Those of weak will folded to her Divine Existence rather easily. “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend?”

“Ah right, this is your first time meeting!” Loki smiled happily. “This is Loki Familia’s Ais Wallenstein!”

“Nice to meet you.” Ais bowed slightly to the other Goddess.

‘Kenki, such a cute one.’ Freya thought as she looked Ais over.

“Since it’s Monsterphilia and all, I thought I’d take Ais out on the town!” Loki explained with a laugh as she gently patted Ais’ back. “Hardly get the chance. The Princess is always heading for the Dungeon. She just got back from a big expedition too! If someone didn’t force her to take it easy, she never would!” The redhead chuckled while Ais looked resigned to Loki’s shenanigans.

“Well then,” Freya set her teacup down. “Why don’t you explain why you called me out here?”

“Huh?” Loki smiled at Freya. “Just been a while since we had a good chat.”

“Stop lying.” Freya challenged with a grin and a sudden tension filled the air. The waiter bringing over Loki’s drink froze mid-step and started trembling while Ais held out her arm to prevent him from getting any closer.

“I’ll ask you straight.” Loki looked at Freya directly. “What’re you planning?”

“Just what are you suggesting, Loki?” Freya feigned ignorance.

“You think I’m dumb?” Loki retorted with a scoff. “You showing up to a Banquet of the Gods is already suspicious. It’s clear that you’re gathering information for something. So what’s your scheme this time?”

“Scheme makes it sound bad.” Freya giggled with her fist in front of her mouth.

“Then spill it.” Loki opened her red-eyes and locked gazes with Freya. The two engaged in a stare down for a long moment before Loki let out a heavy sigh. “A man, huh? You’ve got your eyes on some other Familia’s child, I take it? You have a bad habit of that with men.”

Ais looked confused at the blatant accusation and only grew more confused when Freya didn’t deny it. The Goddess of Beauty merely giggled softly. The golden haired Adventurer was confused by the lack of denial. Trying to take members from other Familia was one of the fastest ways to start trouble. It could easily lead to a War Game. Yet this Goddess didn’t seem to care at all about the consequences of such actions.

“Ugh, you amorous bint! You’re friskier every year!” Loki groaned at her fellow Norse Goddess. “Do you even have standards anymore?”

“Preposterous, I know the good from the rest.” Freya replied with a small smile.

“Give him up!” Loki wanted to nip this potential problem in the bud right now. “You already have some idiot Gods wrapped around your finger, isn’t that enough?”

“They have their uses.” Freya smiled teasingly.

“So,” Loki leaned forward on the table. “Who is the one that has your heart all aflutter this time? You’ve strung me along this far. I think I have a right to ask.” The red-eyes of the Trickster Goddess were nearly sparkling.

“He’s only just beginning to grow,” Freya spoke up, her eyes looking slightly distant. “He’s not overly dependable yet, he still gets hurt easily, and he wears his heart on his sleeve.” She took a deep breath as a longing smile formed on her lips. “However, he was gorgeous. He was clear. He’s a color my eyes have never seen before.” She looked out the window with a sigh. “I found him by accident one day when I looked out the window.” She noticed the very person that she was talking about jogging through the crowded streets.

“You okay?” Loki questioned when Freya suddenly stood from her chair.

“My apologies; something urgent has come up. Let’s meet again.” Freya excused herself and was heading for the door quickly.

“What’s with her dashing out like that?” Loki looked perplexed even as the waiter placed her drink down on the table. The man had been held back by Aiz the whole time the two Goddesses had been talking. “Wait a minute…she left me with the check!”

-Hestia-

‘Now where would Bell be?’ Hestia wondered as she walked down the street away from Hephaestus’ place with a bright grin. She almost walked past a large flier advertising Monsterphilia before she remembered Bell’s interest in the festival. “That’s probably where he is!” Hestia nodded to herself before raising her hand. “Taxi!” A man in a one-horse wagon noticed her and directed the horse to take him closer to the Goddess. “To East Main please!”

“Monsterphilia is it?” The old man with the bushy, white beard chuckled. “I’ll get you there!” He nodded as Hestia sat on one of the benches in the wagon. The old man directed the horse forwards and Hestia couldn’t wait to see Bell again.

The ride was quick until they got near the stadium. The crowds had gotten so heavy that the horse-drawn wagon couldn’t go any further. Monsterphilia was one of the biggest draws in Orario each year. Even people from outside the city came to see the festival. So it was of little surprise to either the taxi driver or Hestia that they couldn’t get any closer.

“My goodness…” The old man shook his head. “I do apologize, Honorable Goddess, but this is as far as I can take you.”

“This is close enough, Mr. Driver! I‘ll walk from here.” Hestia waved off his apology.

“Sorry for the trouble,” The old man pointed to a backstreet. “If you follow that backstreet, you’ll end up on East Main.”

“Thanks! How much do I owe you?” Hestia smiled to the driver.

“It’s 90 Valis.” The old man held out his hand. Hestia opened her coin purse and deposited a small stack of Valis into the old man’s hand.

“Keep the change, that’s your tip!” Hestia waved to him with a smile as she headed towards the backstreet.

“Thank you kindly, Honorable Goddess.” The old man chuckled as he counted out the Valis and came up with 150. This tip would buy him an extra drink at the pub when his shift ended. He noticed another person flagging him down and moved to continue his work.

Hestia was lightly jogging down the backstreet when someone came around the corner suddenly. Both of them jerked to a stop to avoid a collision. After a second, Hestia realized she knew the person wrapped up in the black cloak.

“Wait, Freya?” Hestia smiled at the other Goddess.

“Hestia?” Freya grinned back.

“Going to Monsterphilia too?” Hestia questioned with a tilt of her head. “You must be in a hurry if you’re using back alleys.”

“Yes…I can’t walk around openly in such crowded spaces.” Freya shook her head slightly.

“Ah, must me tough being a Goddess of Beauty.” Hestia commiserated with her fellow Goddess. “Oh yeah! Have you seen the young man in my Familia? He’s got white-hair and red-eyes…looks a bit like a rabbit!” Hestia closed her eyes and lifted her hands up to her head in an imitation of rabbit ears. She missed Freya suddenly going still because of it.

“Now that you mention it, I believe I have.” Freya pointed down the back alley. “Just down this path on East Main.”

“Thank you!” Hestia beamed at Freya and waved goodbye before taking off.

Freya stood still for a moment before turning and heading in a different direction than she’d initially been going.

-East Main-

“Bell!” Hestia called out happily when she saw her lover amongst the crowd. She headed towards him with a glowing smile.

“Hestia?” Bell blinked at seeing his Goddess for the first time in three days. “What are you doing at Monsterphilia?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Hestia smiled at him. “I wanted to see you!” She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tight.

“I wanted to see you too.” Bell returned the hug warmly. “But it has been three days. I was starting to get worried.” The two gazed into each other’s eyes for a moment before their lips met in a gentle kiss. “You’re in a very good mood, did something good happen at the Banquet?”

“I have a present for you, Bell!” Hestia smiled at him as she finally left his embrace. “But to make it as good as possible, let’s find somewhere private and update your Status.”

“What does my Status have to do with the gift?” Bell blinked in confusion.

“You’ll see!” Hestia giggled as she took his hand and they walked off towards a backstreet together.

Once they were secluded, Bell removed his breastplate, his jacket, and then pulled up the back of his shirt to expose his Falna. Hestia borrowed Bell’s new knife to prick the tip of her right index finger. A single drop of her blood and the hieroglyphs began to glow. Hestia looked through Bell’s Excelia, seeing his experiences over the past three days. She moved the Excelia into the Falna and let it grow. Her eyes widened as something appeared within the Falna for the second time ever. With a bright smile that Bell’s hard work had paid off, she reached into her pocket. She took out a folded up piece of blank paper that she’d borrowed from Hephaestus and placed it against his back to transfer the updated numbers.

“You’ve been working so hard Bell.” Hestia pulled his shirt down after removing the paper. She leaned against his back happily. “You’ve gotten your sec-…I mean, you’ve earned what you’ve always wanted, Bell, a Skill of your very own.”

“A Skill!” Bell turned his head to look at her over his shoulder. “Really?!”

“It’s right here, Bell.” Hestia handed him the paper and Bell took it excitedly.

-Status-

Bell Cranel

Level 1

Strength – G 284 > F 380

Defense – H 191 > G 245

Utility – G 297 > F 393

Agility – F 362 > E 490

Magic – I 0

Magic

-

Skills

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

Dual Wield – Significantly increases Strength and Utility when wielding a weapon in each hand.

-Status-

“A Skill! My own Skill!” Bell was beaming at the paper as he read over his Skill a few times. An increase to two of his most used stats while having a weapon in each hand! His use of dual knives had earned him a Skill! He couldn’t wait to test it out in the Dungeon!

He also noticed that over the last three days he’d gained a total of 374 points. That was more ridiculous growth! Sure, he’d stayed a bit late in the Dungeon each day, since Hestia wouldn’t be at home waiting for him. He’d also stayed mostly on the Fourth Floor, so the Monsters were of significant strength for his stats. ‘But over 350 points is crazy growth, right?’ Bell questioned himself internally.

“Here’s the present I mentioned, Bell.” Hestia smiled lovingly at him as she undid the cloth around her body. She pulled it off the black knife and its equally black sheath. She heard Bell’s sharp intake of breath and her smile widened slightly.

“Goddess…this…is this?” Bell took the sheathed knife in hand. He pulled the black blade out of the sheath and his eyes briefly saw the hieroglyphs on the metal glow. He could feel the power in this knife! It had to be a Skillful Grade or maybe even a High Grade weapon!

“This knife is yours, Bell.” Hestia told him warmly. “It’s the only one like it in the whole world. It’s alive, and as you grow stronger, so will it. It’s called the ‘Hestia Knife’ and I want you to have it.”

“Hestia!” Bell sheathed the knife and pulled her into his arms. He kissed her with all of the love and affection he had for her. He wrapped his arms around her waist to pull her body flush against his. Hestia eagerly reciprocated as she straddled Bell and their kiss deepened. “I love you, Hestia.” Bell told her once they finally separated for air.

“I love you too, Bell.” Hestia snuggled close and just enjoyed the warmth of being held by him.

A short time later the two released each other and stood up. Bell put his jacket and breastplate back on and the two walked out of the backstreet hand in hand. The Status Update paper was tossed into a food stall’s grill and burned to nothing. It was never a good idea for anyone outside of your Familia to know your Status. So, burning the papers with the Status updates on them was common practice.

“So, you’re looking for this Syr girl to give her wallet back to her?” Hestia asked as they walked around the festival looking for the waitress.

“Yeah, I said I’d help the other waitresses out.” Bell replied as he looked for Syr’s waitress outfit, or her distinctive silver-blue locks.

-Stadium Holding Area-

“Hey! What’s the hold up?! Why isn’t the next Monster up there yet?” A female Adventurer of the Ganesha Familia demanded as she opened the large wooden doors. She gasped when she saw the other members of her Familia all lying on the ground or against something. They all looked completely out of it with strange smiles on their faces. ‘Monster venom? No, that’s not it. What is this?’ She wondered as she looked at one of her Familia members.

“Don’t move now.” Two gloved hands covered her eyes. Before she could reach for her weapon and overwhelming pleasure filled her body, making her tremble and her mind become hazy. “And those keys.” The Adventurer shakily reached for the keys on her belt as she trembled in ecstasy. The key ring was plucked from her fingers and she was dropped to the ground insensate. “Thank you.”

Freya tossed off her cloak and let her Divine Charm fill the entire holding area. All of the previously snarling Monsters quieted down as the Goddess passed them. When she came to a specific cage, she smiled at the beast within. Using the keys she’d taken, she unlocked the cage and the restraints keeping the Monster inside the steel bars.

“You’ll do, come on out.” Freya beckoned the Monster forward.

The beast was almost two and a half meters tall, an ape-like body covered in silver-white fur, and gleaming red-eyes. On each wrist were shackles and attached to each shackle was a length of thick, steel chain. The ape-like Monster stepped out of the steel cage at the Goddess’ beckoning. This was a Monster that spawned on the Eleventh and Twelfth Floors of the Dungeon, a Silverback.

‘That boy is just outside. I want to see his scared face…his crying face…but most of all his courage. If he dies, I’ll chase his soul all the way to Tenkai…I will hold him close. So, wait for me, my boy.’ Freya placed her hands on each side of the Silverback’s face. “Chase the little Goddess for me, won’t you?” She giggled as the Silverback nodded involuntarily. Now, she just needed to release a few more to make sure this one had a proper distraction so it could chase after its target.

-Outside of the Stadium-

“Hah…” Eina sighed from her position outside of the stadium. “It’s Monsterphilia, I get that. Still, putting people in potential danger for entertainment should come to an end soon.” She crossed her arms, inadvertently pushing up her breasts and catching the eye of a few men in the crowd. “I hope nothing bad happens.”

“You say something?” Misha questioned her friend. Neither of them was thrilled about their current assignment as guides. They couldn’t leave the area they were assigned and all questions from visitors to the festival were relegated to them.

“Nothing at all.” Eina denied with a sigh. Her mood brightened considerably when a certain voice reached her ears.

“Not here either…should we check inside the stadium?” Bell asked Hestia as they still hadn’t found Syr.

“Bell?” Eina smiled as she approached her favorite Adventurer.

“Eina?” Bell smiled at seeing his Dungeon Advisor, and unintentional crush.

“Eina? Bell is this Half-Elf your?” Hestia looked at the lovely Half-Elf, recalling her from back when Bell had bought her the hair ties that she wore every day.

“Pleased to meet you, Goddess Hestia.” Eina smiled at the short Goddess. “I’m Eina Tulle, Bell’s Dungeon Advisor and also a Guild Secretary.” She bowed at the waist to the Goddess.

“Ah, thanks for taking care of Bell and teaching him what he needs to know.” Hestia thanked the woman while waving her to stop bowing.

“It’s my pleasure.” Eina smiled as she stood up straight, her glasses glinting in the light for a second.

“Why are you out here, Eina?” Bell asked about her current work.

“I’m helping people get around,” Eina explained with a half-smile. “Did you come to see the show too, Bell?”

“Sort of, but I’m actually looking for a girl named Syr right now.” Bell informed his Dungeon Advisor. “She has silver-blue hair and might be wearing a green waitress uniform.”

“Hmm, I can’t say that I’ve seen anyone like that today.” Eina shook her head, her brunette locks swaying from the motion.

“Hmm, maybe she noticed that she forgot her wallet and headed back?” Bell looked back towards East Main Street.

“If I see a girl that matches the description you gave me, then I’ll speak to her.” Eina promised and Bell nodded in thanks as he turned to head back towards the streets.

“Miss Advisor, a word?” Hestia requested of Eina.

“Yes, what is it?” Eina smiled at the ravenette Deity.

“Do you have feelings for Bell?” Hestia locked eyes with the Half-Elf. She wasn’t oblivious. She’d seen the way Eina’s eyes had lit up when she saw Bell. Bell had also been all smiles when he’d seen Eina.

“Huh?” Eina was dumbfounded. Her mouth was even slightly open from her surprise at Hestia’s question. She was glad that Bell was out of hearing range as he headed back towards East Main.

“Hmm?” Hestia’s blue-eyes bore into Eina’s green orbs intently. It was clear the Goddess wasn’t going to let this go. That didn’t bode well for Eina. Mortals could not lie to the Gods. Even the most persuasive and convincing of liars would be seen through like crystal-clear glass by a God or Goddess.

“I…I…” Eina stumbled as she tried to make words. How could she get out of this? She needed to change the subject! “I like to keep my personal life separate from work…” She titled her head and tried to smile, but she knew she wasn’t doing a very good job of that.

“That’s nice, but not what I asked.” Hestia raised an eyebrow as she looked at Eina for an answer.

“I…please…” Eina ducked her head and kept her eyes on the ground. “I don’t want to cause any problems.”

“Just answer, Miss Eina.” Hestia requested of the bespectacled Half-Elf.

“…yes.” Eina murmured out with her head down. She was unable to meet the Goddess’ eyes. “I’m so sorry.”

“I see,” Hestia nodded having already known the answer. “Come by our home soon, we have things to talk about.”

“What?” Eina looked up at the Deity in confusion.

“We need to talk, so come to the Hestia Familia home soon.” Hestia reworded her request. “We’ll determine what happens after we talk. But for Bell’s happiness, I’m willing to do almost anything.” She gave a soft smile to the Half-Elf. “We’ll be waiting, Eina.” With that she turned and went to catch up with Bell.

“Yes, Goddess Hestia.” Eina mumbled out her acceptance, even knowing that Hestia was too far away to hear her. Unbidden, a happy smile formed on her lips and her green eyes lit up with joy.

In only a few minutes, that joy would be buried under a mountain of worry, fear, and anxiety.

-East Main Street-

“The festival is so busy, I’m not sure that we’ll be able to find Miss Syr.” Bell was starting to realize just how hard it was to find a single person in a crowd this massive.

“Well, worst case scenario, we’ll return her wallet to the tavern and apologize for being unable to find her.” Hestia reassured him with a smile. “I’m sure they’ll understand, given how huge of an event Monsterphilia is.”

Bell turned his head when he thought he heard something from a distance. “Was that a scream?”

“Huh?” Hestia blinked at him. She hadn’t heard anything.

“It’s a Monster!” A much louder scream tore through the air and the crowd stilled in fear.

A stack of crates off to one side of the street were smashed to pieces sending broken wood flying everywhere. Citizens ran screaming in any direction away from the Monster. Bell instantly moved in front of Hestia to protect her from whatever the Monster was. He felt his heartrate spike and his eyes widened when he actually saw what the beast was.

“A Silverback…” Bell felt sweat break out on his forehead. The Monster had clearly escaped, judging by the shackles and chains still attached to its wrists. This was a Monster of the Eleventh and Twelfth Floors. Silverbacks were one of the Large Category Monsters, like the Minotaur that had almost killed him that day on the Fifth Floor.

“Groaaaah!” The Silverback roared as people fled from it in terror. Its bright red-eyes locked onto Hestia and the Goddess stared in shock at the beast.

“Bell?” Hestia noticed that Bell seemed to be shaking as the Monster stared them down.

‘This feeling…it’s the same.’ Bell shook as the Silverback snarled at the pair. ‘It’s just like when I encountered the Minotaur!’ He was scared…he was scared of the large Monster that was preparing to attack them.

-Stadium ~ Ganesha’s Private Booth-

“Lord Ganesha! We have a major problem! It’s an emergency!” A Ganesha Familia member burst into the booth in a panic.

“In point of fact, I am indeed Ganesha!” Ganesha posed with one hand on his chest and the other raised into the air.

“I know that, sir!” The young man waved off his God’s eccentricity. “Captured Monsters are on the loose!”

“…Oh.” Ganesha actually flinched in shock. “Wouldn’t that be really bad?”

“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you, sir!” The young man explained. “Our guards in the holding area have all collapsed! Even the Guild Members that were helping us! It appears that someone from the outside has infiltrated!”

“That’s not important right now!” Ganesha’s voice easily silenced his child’s. “Our first priority is the safety of the masses!” The elephant masked God declared strongly. “How many Monsters have escaped?”

“N-Nine, sir! Some that even experienced Adventurers could have problems taking down!” The man explained the situation further.

“After them immediately!” Ganesha ordered his child. “Request assistance from nearby Familias and other Adventurers in the area!”

“But Lord Ganesha! This is all our fault! If we request help from other Familias then our reputation will…” He was cut off as Ganesha seemed to exude a pressure into the very air around him.

“I am the God of the Masses, Ganesha! I will not allow harm to come to my people! To hell with ambition and reputation!” Ganesha declared powerfully. “Have the Xenos put on another mock battle to keep the crowd entertained. No one leaves the arena! Don’t do anything that will cause a panic!”

“Yes, Lord Ganesha!” The young man bolted out of the private booth to relay the God’s orders to the rest of the Familia.

-Outside the Stadium-

“Monsters escaped?!” Eina questioned in shock as one of her worst fears about Monsterphilia was coming to pass.

“The guy in charge of the west gate saw it all!” Misha was almost panicking as she spoke. “Members of the Ganesha Familia are running around like mad! What should we do, Eina?”

“Contact any Familia close by, I don’t care which! Adventurers too!” Eina declared quickly.

“Won’t we get in trouble for going over the Guild’s head like this?!” Misha gaped at Eina’s decision.

“That’s better than someone getting hurt, or worse!” Eina waved off whatever punishment they could possibly receive.

“Well, this is no time for a day out.” Loki sighed as she walked towards the two Guild workers with Ais at her side.

“Goddess Loki…Ais Wallenstein.” Eina’s green-eyes widened at seeing the pair.

“Loki?” Ais looked at her Goddess with golden-eyes that promised she was going to hunt down the escaped Monsters regardless.

“Yeah…this really isn’t the time for fooling around.” Loki shrugged with a small grin. “Let’s help Ganesha out a bit. Go on, Ais!” The nearby crowd cheered knowing that the Kenki was on the hunt. “So, where did the little beasties run off to?”

“Most were heading in the direction of East Main.” Misha pointed towards the busy street.

‘East Main…that’s where Bell went!’ Eina felt a tidal wave of worry wash over her in an instant. “Misha! What type of Monsters escaped?!”

“W-Well…the three worst ones are the Sword Stag, the Troll, and the Silverback.” Misha recalled the most powerful Monsters that had escaped.

‘All of those are from the Eleventh Floor or deeper! An Adventurer that’s only on the Fifth Floor won’t stand a chance!’ Eina felt her heart drop into her stomach. ‘Bell…you have to get out of there! Please!’

-East Main-

“Why is it coming this way?!” Hestia cried out as the Silverback leapt towards the duo.

“Hestia, run!” Bell pushed her away and skipped back to avoid the Silverback’s fist. The paved road cracked under the force of the Monster’s strike and Bell fought to keep from shaking. It was only when the Silverback turned to focus on Hestia that Bell realized. ‘It’s after Hestia?!’

“Huh?!” Hestia’s eyes widened in panic and fear as the Silverback closed in on her.

“Goddess!” Bell was at her side and shoving her out of the Silverback’s reach before she realized it. The Monster’s fist slammed into Bell’s breastplate and he hacked up a mixture of saliva and blood. He flew through the air and slammed into a stall nearby. He lay amongst the wrecked stall, trying to get his breath back. He felt a tear escape his eye as he forced himself to sit up. Seeing Hestia backing away from the approaching Silverback in terror, Bell bolted forward without concern for his injuries. He didn’t even notice his armor falling off his chest, cracked almost in two.

“Grrah?” The Silverback felt resistance on its left arm as it tried to get to its target. Looking back, the beast saw the human it had knocked away before. Bell was holding onto the chain connected to the shackle around the Silverback’s left wrist.

“Hestia, get back!” Bell struggled against the Silverback’s strength as it tried to pull against the shackle to get to Hestia.

Hestia ran a good distance from the Silverback at Bell’s words. When she was a safe distance away, Bell let go of the chain suddenly. The sudden loss of resistance sent the Silverback stumbling forward and crashing into the paved road face first.

“Hestia, stay way behind me!” Bell had rushed around the staggered Silverback and put himself between the Monster and his Goddess again. He was scared, but more than that, he was terrified for Hestia. The Gods weren’t any stronger than a regular person without their Arcanum. Monsters wouldn’t stop attacking them if they unleashed their Divinity either. Hestia was nothing more than a young woman in front of the Silverback. With his desire to protect Hestia in his heart, Bell drew the Hestia Knife in his right hand and his new Hephaestus Familia knife in his left.

“Grrrooooaaahhh!” The Silverback rushed towards Bell with a powerful roar.

Bell saw the left hand punch coming as the Silverback telegraphed its attack. He ducked under the swing, also avoiding the chain that followed the blow. He lashed out with the Hestia Knife. Even in the heat of the moment, Bell was amazed when it not only cut the Monster, but also severed the beast’s arm below the elbow!

“Aaaaaagggghhh!” The Silverback howled in pain at the loss of his left arm. It staggered backwards as the stump spilled blood all over the street.

‘I can do this!’ Bell realized as he looked at the damage he’d done to the Silverback. He would only later realize that his Skill was pumping up his Strength and Utility stats and putting him closer to the Silverback’s level.

“Go, Bell!” Hestia cheered from near a stall close to the end of the block.

Bell dashed forward and the Silverback swung its right arm at him. Bell realized the Monster wasn’t going for a punch. It was actually swinging the heavy steel chain at him! He raised the Hestia Knife into the path of the chain and was shocked when the steel gave way. The link of chain that hit the blade of the Divine Knife split. The rest of the chain below that point went flying off to land on the road behind Bell.

“Got you!” Bell growled as both his Hephaestus knife and the Hestia Knife flashed in the light. The black knife sliced through the tough fur and muscle of the Silverback without a problem. It left bloody trails across the Monster’s flesh. The Hephaestus knife couldn’t get as deep, but it passed through the thick fur and opened bleeding lines across the Silverback’s skin.

Hestia and the rest of the citizens on the street watched in shock and awe as Bell tore into the Silverback with two knives. Blood splattered the street as more and more wounds were dealt to the Monster. The one-armed Silverback couldn’t defend itself properly from the flurry of attacks. It howled and screeched in pain and rage as it tried to swipe and punch at Bell. The red-eyed Adventurer always seemed to be just slightly ahead of the Monster’s attacks.

“Yaaaaah!” Bell reared back and the Hestia Knife swiped across the Silverback’s neck. A spray of dark-red blood flew from the injury as the Silverback collapsed to the ground. Bell looked down at the dead Monster as he panted for breath. The rush of battle was slowly starting to fade and he realized what he’d done.

“That was awesome!” Hestia exclaimed as she rushed towards Bell and hugged him from behind.

The crowd began to clap and cheer for the takedown of the Monster. Calls of thanks and whistles of appreciation rang out. The people were already beginning to talk about the amazing display that they’d just witnessed. The story would be all over Orario by nightfall without a doubt. Bell cleaned off his knives in a bit of a daze before sheathing them and then returning Hestia’s hug.

“Well…damn.” Loki blinked at what she had just seen. Ais had been making quick work of the other escaped Monsters. They’d come here to finish off the Silverback and be done with the emergency. But what they’d found was Hestia’s little rabbit carving the beast up with a knife in each hand. “Is that kid really a newbie?”

‘That’s the guy I saved from the Minotaur.’ Ais stared at Bell from beside Loki. ‘He was so inexperienced just two weeks ago. He should’ve been no match for a Silverback.’ Her golden gaze followed Bell’s movements as Guild workers rushed onto the scene to ascertain the situation and get reports from Bell and other witnesses. ‘How did he become strong enough to slay a Monster like that so quickly? Maybe I should talk with him?’ Ais felt her heart thump in her chest and her cheeks went just slightly pink. “Congrats.” She whispered with a small smile.

-Rooftop-

“I’ve wronged Hestia…” Freya sighed. Her right arm was below her breasts and her left hand was touching her lips. “But I’m just so terribly jealous.” The Goddess of Beauty mumbled out. She’d watched the whole fight and had been shocked when Bell hadn’t run from the Silverback. She could practically feel his fear of the Monster, but he’d pushed through it to protect Hestia. “Congratulations…” She smiled down at Bell. “Although you still have a long way to go…but yes, that was very good. Let’s play again sometime, Bell.” Freya giggled as she gazed at the boy whose soul had captured her interest so thoroughly.

-End Chapter-

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Many things happened in this chapter!

We got to see the new Hestia Familia home! If you need a better image, just go to Google Images and type in ‘Oikos House’ or ‘Ancient Greek House’ both will bring up the basic idea. It’s MUCH bigger than the little dilapidated church they were living in before!

Ganesha’s Banquet of the Gods went a little differently, but stayed mostly the same. Hestia and Loki will inevitably find SOMETHING to bicker about! It’s just bound to happen and all the other Gods and Goddesses know this.

Hestia and Hephaestus have created the Hestia Knife! Woo! Now Bell has his signature weapon!

I hope you like my Alternate Universe change for the Xenos too! I always thought it was strange that Ouranos, who runs the Guild and has near absolute power in Orario, wouldn’t have thought up a way to introduce the Xenos to the surface. They even came up with the Taming Skill as a way to get Monsterphilia going! Why not just say it’s a Rare Skill and only a few Ganesha Familia members have it? Ganesha is the only other God that knew about the Xenos in Canon before the events of the story!

Well, now it’s a thing! The Xenos get to live on the surface as they’ve always wanted and people have started getting used to the idea of friendly, Tamed Monsters. Even new Xenos that’re born, if they can talk especially, aren’t killed! They’re OBVIOUSLY lost partners from the Ganesha Familia, right? Bring them back to the surface and to the Ganesha Familia for a reward!

Bell got a Skill too! Dual Wield was earned from all the time he spent with a knife in each hand! He made good use of it against the Silverback, even if unknowingly! You gotta love those Passive Buff Skills, right?

Hestia also invited Eina over to their new home to chat about her feelings. I hope you’re all looking forward to that!

Keep reading to find out!

Let me know what you think with a review!

Until next time, later!