Familia Myth: Journey to Hero Chapter 7 (Patreon)

Hey friends and fans, Kairomaru is bringing you another chapter of Familia Myth: Journey to Hero! Bell and Lili continue to enter the Dungeon! The duo might just discover how well they work together. Will Lili’s past with Adventurers make her take the path of the thief with Bell? Also, a certain someone makes sure that a specific book reaches Bell’s hands.

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So, without further delay, please enjoy.

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Chapter 7 – Lili’s Situation, Grimoire, Magic

“What Familia did you say Miss Liliruca was from, Bell?” Eina blinked at the name that Bell had just spoken.

“She says that she’s from Soma Familia.” Bell repeated himself as he gave Eina his report of his first day in the Dungeon with Lili.

“Hmm,” Eina had a concerned look pass across her face. “I can’t say that I strongly support or oppose that. What did you think of her?”

“She knew what she was doing as a Supporter and was very helpful.” Bell replied, looking confused by the Half-Elf’s sudden change in mood. “I’ve agreed to go into the Dungeon with her tomorrow too. Is there something wrong?”

“Soma Familia is well-known, not so much for their Exploration Activities in the Dungeon, but in their retail ventures.” Eina explained what she knew of the Soma Familia.

“Retail ventures?” Bell tilted his head slightly. Eina thought he looked cute when he did that.

“Yes, they sell wine.” Eina smiled at her boyfriend. That was still such a new experience for her. It made her heart flutter slightly every time she thought about it. “They don’t sell much product to stores, but the taste is supposed to be extraordinary.”

“Would there be any problems with Lili and I working together like we are?” Bell questioned, worried about the girl that was being left out by her own Familia.

“I’ve worked for the Guild for years, Bell.” Eina reminded him with a small smile. “The Soma Familia members…well…they always seem almost frantic. They fight amongst themselves and are always after money. They don’t seem like a normal Familia.”

“Oh, I see…” Bell looked down at this new information. It was much easier to understand Lili’s situation if that was how her Familia acted.

“There shouldn’t be any issues with you and Miss Liliruca working together though.” Eina tried to give him some good news. “Inter-Familia problems are based on the Deities in question. Soma is most well-known for not interacting with other Gods and Goddesses. It’s actually difficult to find many people that’ve met him directly. As long as you’re careful around the other members, I don’t see you having any trouble working with her.”

“Eina…” Bell looked into her green eyes with a troubled gaze. “Do Adventurers really look down on Supporters?”

“In a way, yes.” Eina admitted the truth that she’d both heard and seen with her own eyes at work. “Full-time Supporters are not very well respected. I’m sure you can figure out why.”

“The vast majority of us just carry the bags.” Bell recalled what Lili had told him.

“It’s usually the weakest members of a Familia that become Supporters, though there are several known exceptions.” Eina spoke softly to try and ease the tension she could see building up in Bell. “Even with a God’s Blessing, not everyone can become strong. To be frank, Adventurers that hit their limit early on usually become Supporters…so they’re easy targets for discrimination.”

‘Labelled as weak by everyone around…I hate this.’ Bell clenched his fists at what he’d gone through before meeting Hestia. To think that Lili had probably suffered through it for years already nearly turned his stomach. ‘I want to try and help Lili.’ But he knew that if he brought it up that Lili would most likely refuse. She smiled at him throughout the day, but her eyes told a different story. He sighed as he realized he’d have to somehow prove to Lili that his desire to help her was genuine.

“Bell, I’d like to come over tomorrow night, if that would be alright with you and Lady Hestia?” Eina smiled warmly at him. Spending time with Bell outside of the Guild where they could express their feelings and deepen their relationship was paramount in Eina’s mind.

“I’m sure Hestia won’t mind, Eina.” Bell smiled back at his Half-Elf girlfriend. “I’m pretty sure you already have a standing invitation to visit whenever you want.”

“Then I’ll see you both tomorrow evening when I get off of work.” Eina beamed at him happily. She should have expected Hestia to have an open invite for her since they were both in love with Bell and agreeing to date him together.

“I’ll ask Hestia to make dinner for three tomorrow night then.” Bell smiled and Eina really wanted to lean forward and kiss him. Unfortunately, there was no way to pull that off without someone spotting them. Working for the Guild, she had to be neutral in all Familia matters. It was only when she was not working that she could enjoy her relationship with Bell.

“I’ll be looking forward to it.” Eina smiled at him warmly.

“I’ll see you in the morning, Eina.” Bell smiled back. He took a quick look around before leaning forward and quickly kissing her cheek. He was back in his original position with a soft smile on his face before most anyone could’ve spotted him.

“See you tomorrow morning~” Eina cupped her cheek as her face turned a light pink. She loved Bell for thinking like this. Even if someone had seen him kiss her cheek, that could just be construed as an Adventurer being forward. Things like that had happened plenty of times to several of the women that worked at the Guild after all. The two parted ways and Eina had a little smile on her lips for the rest of her work day. Misha was the only one that seemed to have any inkling as to why, but the pinkette wasn’t about to spoil her friend’s good mood.

-Next Morning ~ Dungeon First Floor-

“You have a Skill, Lili?” Bell looked impressed at the information. “I just got my first one not too long ago. I was actually starting to wonder if I’d ever get one.”

“It’s better than nothing, but it’s a pitiful Skill.” Lili shrugged as they walked along, heading for the Sixth Floor again. “It only helps Lili carry the bags a little easier.”

“Still, it’s a Skill that you earned. That’s nothing to just dismiss.” Bell gave her a smile. “I was happy when I finally got my first Skill. Still no Magic though. Can you use any Magic, Lili?”

“While any person with a Falna can learn up to three spells, many never learn any Magic.” Lili commented as she turned her brown eyes to meet Bell’s red. “It takes a lot of time and effort to even learn a basic Stat Boosting Magic. Acquired Magic from the Falna is a gamble with low odds too. Unfortunately, Lili appears to be one of those that won’t unlock any Magic.” The Supporter closed her eyes and gave off a humorless chuckle.

“Yeah, I understand that feeling.” Bell sighed at the incredibly low odds that Magic would be unlocked by his Falna. “Still, my Goddess updated my Status last night, so I’m eager to try out the new strength on the Sixth Floor today.” He looked at Lili for a long moment before speaking again. “Are you sure that you’re okay without an advanced payment?”

“It’s fine.” Lili assured him as they approached the stairs to the Second Floor. “Master Bell is alone, so that’s no problem. Also…”

“Also?” Bell blinked at how Lili had trailed off.

“This is more beneficial for Master Bell, yes?” Lili gave him a look, one that Bell only took a second to decipher. Then she was back to smiling. “All right, let’s go! Please work hard so that Lili can eat something good tonight!” She walked a little faster towards the stairs.

‘Her eyes,’ Bell thought sadly. The look she’d given him might as well have been words. ‘You’re no different from all the other Adventurers.’ The white-haired teen sped up his walking to catch up to Lili as she began to descend the stairs to the Second Floor.

-Divine Bathhouse-

“Aaah~” Hestia relaxed in the warm waters, leaning against the edge of the massive bath. This place was only for the Deities of Orario to use. The only Mortals allowed were the cleaning staff that maintained the place. It was a show of thanks from the citizens for the blessings the Gods and Goddesses helped the city attain with their many Familia.

“Can it be? Hestia?” A woman’s voice spoke and caught Hestia’s attention. “What a surprise to see you here.”

The Goddess was of average height with long, golden hair falling down to the small of her back. Her body, if possible, might’ve been even more voluptuous than Hestia’s. A pair of divine breasts slightly larger than Hestia’s own girls. A thin waist and trim stomach. Wide hips and thick thighs with long legs and though Hestia couldn’t see it, an equally impressive bottom. The Goddess’ orange eyes were filled with warmth and interest as she gazed down at Hestia. Her curvy body only partially hidden by a single towel held against her front.

“Oh, Demeter, it’s been a long time.” Hestia greeted her sister and fellow Olympian Goddess.

“What’s the occasion? This is your first time here, is it not?” Demeter asked as she sat beside Hestia in the large bath. “My, what a large bosom~” She teased and playfully reached towards Hestia’s floating breasts.

“Look who’s talking.” Hestia gently pushed Demeter’s hand back. “But if you want to know, we’re having a guest over for dinner tonight at my Familia’s home. Since Hephaestus is working me so hard in her shop, I figured I’d go all out and get clean here before heading home to cook a good dinner.”

“A visitor for dinner? Oh my, my, my~ Is it a gentleman visitor?” Demeter grinned at her sister.

“Hestia with a man?!” A different Goddess exclaimed, having overheard Demeter’s teasing.

“That shut-in girl?! That baby-faced loli?!

“What’s going on?!”

“Spill everything, now!”

“You just had to be loud, didn’t you?” Hestia huffed at Demeter. The Goddess of Agriculture and the Harvest only smiled pleasantly.

“Who is this man?!” One Goddess questioned curiously. All of the others nearby in the bath had gotten closer to listen to the new gossip.

“Calm down,” Hestia waved the excited Goddesses off. “It’s not a male visitor. My Bell’s Dungeon Advisor, Eina, is coming over for dinner.”

“Aww…so it’s not a man?” Several of the Goddesses looked bummed at their new gossip being taken away.

“Your Bell?” Demeter noted the possessive tone in Hestia’s voice.

“Oh~?!” All of the Goddesses perked up instantly.

“Will you hush?” Hestia shot a look at her sister. The unrepentant giggling of Demeter was her only answer. “Is it so weird that I can like someone?”

“It’s not that Hestia.” One Goddess giggled playfully. “But you’ve rejected every offer of romance or courtship up until now.”

“You’re one of the three Virgin Goddesses alongside Athena and Artemis after all!” A different Goddess smiled teasingly at Hestia.

“We want to know what kind of man brought down your impenetrable fortress.” A third Goddess leaned in with a wide smile.

“He’s the only member of my Familia right now.” Hestia spoke up to give the gossip-starved Goddesses something to entertain them for a bit. “He’s a Human.”

“I knew it!”

“Is your urge to protect him that strong?”

“Are you sure he’s not taking advantage of you?”

“…Leave me alone, will you?” Hestia rolled her eyes at all of the chatting Goddesses.

“So, Hestia…what made you fall for the boy?” Demeter questioned with a warm smile for her sister.

“Everything.” Hestia smiled softly, her simple words radiating love and affection. Almost every Goddess blinked at the statement and her smile. Demeter put her arm around Hestia’s shoulders and pulled her into a side-hug softly. Hestia let Demeter hug her while all of the other Goddesses began to coo at how cute Hestia’s love was.

‘It’s a good thing that they don’t know what Bell and I have done together.’ Hestia thought to herself as Demeter congratulated her on falling in love for the first time.

-Outside the Guild Building ~ Late Afternoon-

“Today went well too!” Lili grinned as Bell divided up their shares of the Dungeon Loot. Left unsaid was the Valis that she’d already pocketed when she prepared the items this morning. Bell was happy that she’d come prepared and had handed over the price she’d given him without question. She’d charged him nearly double and Bell had barely batted an eye. “Master Bell is on his way to becoming a great Adventurer!”

“It’s all thanks to you Lili!” Bell smiled as he continued to divide up their shares of the money they’d gotten at the Exchange. “I’m slaying more Monsters than ever before and making more money now than I ever did solo.” He finished counting out the last of the Valis and held out the bag containing Lili’s half. The plain, beige bag jingled slightly as the golden coins shifted inside.

“This might not be Lili’s place to say after getting paid…” Lili spoke as she accepted the bag of Valis from Bell. “But Master Bell is too generous.” She eyed him with an odd mix of confusion, wariness, and exasperation. “It’s like Master Bell can’t stand to see someone in danger or he’ll try to take care of every little thing!” Bell chuckled at her description of him as he placed his share of the money into his own backpack. “Uwah…it’s almost like Master Bell is easy to exploit!”

‘Lili almost seems angry with me…but why?’ Bell wondered at his Supporter’s tone. “Huh, we stayed in the Dungeon longer than I thought, the sun is starting to set already.” He mentioned as the duo walked out of the Guild Building together. They walked across the plaza and Bell got the feeling someone’s eyes were upon him again. He turned to look, but didn’t see anyone looking his way. He saw Lili look at him curiously and decided to say something. “Babel Tower really is huge.” Lili looked up at the massive tower for a moment.

“Did you know…only the first twenty floors of Babel Tower have tenants?” Lili asked Bell. “Gods and Goddesses live above that.”

“Gods and Goddesses?” Bell looked at her in surprise.

“Yes.” Lili nodded as they continued walking. “Only the Heads of Orario’s top Familias can afford to rent out a floor for themselves.” She took a slow breath at the thought of having so much money. “Apparently Babel Tower wasn’t always this big. The reason that it’s so tall now is because the Gods and Goddesses destroyed it when they first descended to Gekai and it was rebuilt.”

“Really?” Bell looked between Lili and the massive tower. He’d never heard this before. “When they first descended…why did they leave Tenkai in the first place?”

“Maybe they hated their jobs enough to run away?” Lili speculated as they stopped in their walk. “Lili’s heard that they had a lot of responsibilities in Tenkai.” She looked down for a moment and just stared at the paved street. “The most important of which was taking care of us after we die.” Lili looked up at the sky as it started to turn a myriad of colors with the setting sun. “There was a time when Lili longed for death.”

“Eh?” Bell’s shocked exclamation was ignored as Lili continued to speak.

“If Lili could go to them just once…she could be reborn as a better Lili than the current one…just maybe.” Lili’s tone was flat and resigned. The voice of someone that had given up.

“Lili!” Bell’s voice made the short girl jolt in place. Lili’s brown eyes met Bell’s intense ruby-red gaze. The sheer concern pouring from his eyes alone made Lili’s cheeks turn slightly pink.

“Sorry for saying such an odd thing.” Lili closed her eyes and apologized. “That was a long time ago. Lili has gotten much stronger since then, so she doesn’t think that way anymore.”

-Babel Tower ~ Freya’s Floor-

“Such a nice face. A nice expression.” Freya’s divine eyes stared far below at Bell. “So, you’ve gotten even stronger.” She stared at Bell as he and Lili began to walk away from the tower again. She noticed Bell take another quick look behind him, like he could feel her gaze, before turning to catch up with Lili. “I thought your abilities were inferior but,” Freya’s eyes briefly turned to her Captain, Ottar, one of only two Level 7’s known to still be alive and the only one that resided in Orario. “They are growing along with everything else.” She placed her right hand on Ottar’s defined abs and her left on the window’s glass. “Absolutely wonderful.”

“Lady Freya,” Ottar looked down from the window, knowing that even if he tried, he’d not be able to see what his Goddess was looking at.

“But you can shine even brighter, child…” Freya giggled lightly. “I feel bad for Hestia…but Bell is going to be mine.”

“…” Ottar was about to speak, but thought better of it and remained silent.

“While I want you to become mine as soon as possible…” Freya gazed at the retreating forms of Bell and Lili. “How strange…a part of me doesn’t want you to come here yet.” She inhaled softly as she watched on. “Now might be the time when thoughts of you dance in my mind the most.” She exhaled slowly as her eyes gleamed with an idea. “However, yes, I think it’s time that you learn Magic.”

“My Lady?” Ottar raised an eyebrow as Freya turned and headed for a bookshelf that spanned the entire back wall of the massive room.

“Now…which book will do the trick?” Freya mused as she looked over the vast number of tomes.

She had collections of books on Magic. Some of these tomes represented the life’s work of great Mages throughout the one-thousand-year history of the Gods descending and blessing the Mortals, making Magic easier for them to learn and use. Reading one and taking its information to heart would almost guarantee that Magic would appear within the Falna of whoever read it. But that may not be good enough. So, her eyes looked further down the shelves. A way to ensure that Bell learned Magic would be easier.

“I wonder if this will do?” Freya giggled as she pulled a plain-looking book off the shelves. A Grimoire could have a cover as plain or ornate as the creator wanted. For her purposes, this normal, simple book would be all the easier to work with.

-Hestia Familia Home-

“Eina, welcome.” Bell greeted Eina at the door. The two shared a kiss. Eina’s arms wrapping around his shoulders while Bell pulled her flush against him. When they pulled back, both were smiling happily.

“Dinner’s ready, you two.” Hestia laughed from the door into the dining room.

The three of them sat down to eat together happily. Hestia had gone all in and gotten steak for tonight. She’d had to ask to make sure that Eina actually ate meat. Some Elves were strict vegetarians, after all. The Half-Elf happily ate meat, jokingly claiming that she got it from her father. Seasoned mashed potatoes, steamed veggies, and a nice wine accompanied the steaks. It was a wonderful meal and Hestia was preening from the praise of Bell and Eina.

The rest of the evening was spent curled up in front of the hearth and enjoying each other’s company. Hestia and Eina had plenty to talk about, both of them sharing a hobby in reading. Bell happily held both of them close and talked about any topic he could with his lover and his girlfriend. When Hestia started gently kissing Bell, things began to get heated quickly. Eina giggled as she was pulled into Bell’s embrace and the two kissed more. They even shared their first deep kiss, something Eina made sure to repeat several times throughout the evening. Before clothes started being removed, Hestia pulled herself back and took deep breaths to calm down.

“Thank you for the wonderful evening.” Eina gave a short bow to Hestia as she prepared to head home. Bell would be walking her home again, since night had fallen.

“You’re welcome any time, Eina.” Hestia hugged the Half-Elf warmly.

“Thank you, Hestia.” Eina hugged her back. She had dropped the ‘Goddess’ or ‘Lady’ while at the Hestia Familia home at Hestia’s insistence. She was already being considered family by the Goddess and that made Eina feel warm inside.

“If you get the chance, tell Grandpa Ouranos that he can talk to me.” Hestia gave a lopsided smile. “I know his prayers to seal the Dungeon are important. But if he wants, I’d come visit him for a chat at the very least.”

“I’ve actually only seen Lord Ouranos once in all my time working for the Guild.” Eina admitted sheepishly. “He keeps to himself most of the time. Only the Head of the Guild, Royman Mardeel, meets with Lord Ouranos with any real regularity.”

“Why are so many members of my family so difficult?” Hestia sighed and shook her head, her long twin tails swaying from the motion. “I’ll see you when you get back, Bell.” Hestia and Bell shared a quick, gentle kiss.

“I’ll be back in a bit, Hestia.” Bell smiled as their lips separated. “Ready to go, Eina?” He offered her his arm and Eina happily looped her arm with his.

“I’m ready, Bell.” Eina leaned against him with a smile of contentment. The warm smile didn’t leave her face the whole walk to her apartment. The couple shared a soft, sweet kiss before Eina headed inside with a skip in her step.

With a smile of his own refusing to leave his face, Bell headed back home. Hestia had their bed ready for him when he returned and patted the blankets while telling him to lay down for his Status update. Bell pulled off his shirt entirely before lying face down on the bed. Hestia straddled his waist, as usual, before allowing a single drop of her blood to touch his Falna. Watching his Excelia, Hestia smiled that Bell was doing so well in the Dungeon. His new Supporter was apparently doing her job well. Bell was killing more Monsters than he’d ever do on any normal day otherwise.

“You’re growing as quickly as always, Bell.” Hestia smiled lovingly as she placed a blank paper on his back. She made a circle around the paper with the tip of her index finger and watched as the updated Status was copied over.

-Status-

Bell Cranel

Level 1

Strength – E 428 > E 453

Defense – G 294 > F 311

Utility – E 449 > E 472

Agility – D 536 > D 568

Magic – I 0

Magic

-

Skills

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

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

-Status-

“Up by 97 points this time.” Bell noticed his growth as he sat up and took the paper from Hestia. “Lili and I have been running into more Monsters the further we move in to the Sixth Floor. Once I’m ready for the Seventh Floor, maybe it’ll reach 100 points?”

“There’s no rush, Bell.” Hestia assured him with a smile. “Take it slow and follow Eina’s recommendations for Floors. Hephaestus didn’t put a time limit on the debt, so we don’t have to worry about a deadline.”

“I will, Hestia.” Bell agreed with a grin as she slid into bed next to him. They gave each other a loving kiss goodnight before cuddling up close under the blankets.

-The Next Day ~ Dungeon ~ Sixth Floor-

“So many,” Bell grimaced as he was being practically bombarded by Needle Rabbits. He and Lili hadn’t seen any Monsters as they’d been walking through the large cavern that they were in. It was only when they reached the midway point that the white rabbits had bolted out of their hiding spots one after another. It seemed that every small crack, crevice, or stalagmite formation was hiding a rabbit. ‘Calm down.... Just watch, predict, and react. They’re fast, but not that fast.’

Bell deflected one Needle Rabbit with his vambrace, stabbed a second, pivoted to avoid a third and hacked it in half with the Hestia Knife. The horde of horned rabbits continued to strike out at Bell. The opportunistic Monsters were continually trying to flank him and attack from blind spots. Bell was slowly getting used to their moves, but his self-taught fighting skills were being shown to be less than perfect. He’d taken multiple glancing blows already, but he preferred the Monsters focusing on him alone instead of going for Lili too.

“Got you!” Bell stabbed the last Needle Rabbit with the Hestia Knife after almost three full minutes of being swarmed. He was breathing heavily, had multiple small injuries, but he’d taken down almost thirty of the fast little Monsters.

“Master Bell, a Low Potion.” Lili handed him a stoppered vial filled with the familiar blue liquid.

“Thank you, Lili.” Bell smiled as he downed the Potion and watched as his injuries healed up quickly. He placed the used vial in the side pocket of his own backpack and just watched Lili work.

“Again?” Lili blinked at the second Needle Rabbit’s Tusk that had been left behind. This was only her seventh rabbit Monster! “Master Bell, you’re very lucky with Drop Items, did you know that?”

“Am I?” Bell blinked while keeping an eye out for anymore Monsters. “It took me a few days before I ever got my first one.”

“You were on the First and Second Floor though,” Lili reminded as she continued her work. “Drop Items rarely appear on those first couple of floors.”

“True enough, Eina taught me that before she let me into the Dungeon the first time.” He chuckled as he watched another Needle Rabbit corpse slowly dissolve into the white-grey ash and dust.

Lili was easily able to extract the Magic Stones from the Needle Rabbits. Once again showing her proficiency and experience as a Supporter. It almost boggled Bell’s mind when she pulled over the top half of one of the Monsters he’d bisected and simply plucked the Magic Stone out of it. The gaping hole that was left in the body made using her knife unnecessary. From almost thirty Needle Rabbits, six Needle Rabbit’s Tusk were collected. Lili once more eyed Bell curiously at their seemingly good luck with the items.

The two continued their day in the Dungeon after the surprise ambush of Needle Rabbits. After walking through a corridor that sloped downward a bit, the duo emerged into another cavernous room filled with pillars and other rock formations. This one wasn’t pretending to be empty though. Ten Killer Ants picked up on their presence immediately and were quickly clacking their mandibles together menacingly. The ant Monsters charged forward and Bell rushed to meet them to keep Lili from being attacked.

“Ha,” Bell dodged the first swipe against him and with a blur, cut the Killer Ant’s head in half with the Hestia Knife.

“Kreee!” The second Killer Ant lunged at him. Bell back-stepped to dodge the first swipe and swayed to the left to avoid the second. His Hephaestus Familia knife passed through the neck of the Monster in a clean decapitation.

‘This isn’t nearly as hard as getting swarmed by the Needle Rabbits was! I can do this easily!’ Bell smiled to himself as he hacked off the arm of the third Killer Ant. He leapt backwards to dodge its retaliatory swipe with ease. He didn’t notice the white blur that bolted out from behind one of the rock formations.

“Master Bell, look out! To your left!” Lili yelled out a warning and only then did Bell see the lunging Needle Rabbit. The opportunistic Monster had attacked when Bell was at his most vulnerable.

‘I can’t dodge in midair!’ Bell realized as the sharp horn got closer and closer. With out any other options, Bell raised his leg up and took the strike with his left greave. There was a screech as horn met metal, but his armor held up. He used the force of the Needle Rabbit’s attack to back flip and gain distance.

“Kreee!” Another Killer Ant swiped at him as soon as he landed. Bell barely had time to raise his vambrace to block the three sharp, curved claws of the Monster. The Needle Rabbit was bolting towards the off-balance Bell to make another attack and he realized that he’d messed up.

‘I can’t dodge them both like this!’ Bell realized as he fended off the Killer Ant and the Needle Rabbit lunged forward.

“No!” Lili screamed as she drew a white knife with a line of red on both sides of the blade. “Master Bell!” Flames leapt from the blade as she swung it and a fireball flew through the air and slammed into the back of the Killer Ant.

“Skreee!” The Killer Ant screeched in pain as the flames engulfed it.

Bell saw his opportunity and juked to the right to avoid the Needle Rabbit’s lunge. His left-hand knife bisected the airborne rabbit. A full rotation of his body and the Hestia Knife sliced the burning Killer Ant in half where thorax met abdomen. The screeching from the ant stopped immediately as its upper body fell to the rocky ground. He wasted no time as he blitzed the injured third ant and sliced its head in half. They couldn’t afford for it to call for help.

“Six left!” Bell grit his teeth.

He rushed the remaining Killer Ants and killed the first with a quick decapitation. The next ant swung both of its clawed arms at Bell, but he ducked and cut it in half. A stab through the head silenced the fatally wounded Monster. The seventh ant lost both arms before Bell was able to score a death blow to its head. He was forced to retreat several steps backward as the remaining three charged him as a group. He rushed to the side, putting the three ants in a line so they couldn’t attack him all at once. The eighth ant was stabbed through the head with the Hestia Knife. Bell heaved with all his strength and used the corpse to ram into the two monsters behind it.

“Kree?!”

“Skreee!”

The Killer Ants seemed confused as they stumbled into each other from the unexpected move. The one on the right quickly found its head falling to the ground in the flash of a blade. Bell had to block the wild strike from the last ant with his vambrace. He cut off the limb before cutting the Monster’s head in half. With panting breaths, Bell looked around to make sure there were no more Monsters left.

“Master Bell, are you hurt?!” Lili rushed over to Bell concerned.

“Lili!” Bell placed his hands on her shoulders. “Thank you! You saved me!” He pulled her into a hug of gratitude.

“Eh?” Lili’s face turned bright red at the hug, even though Bell couldn’t see it.

“Ah!” Bell pulled back after a moment when he realized what he’d done. “Sorry, Lili! I got carried away!” Lili took a second to regain herself before speaking.

“That was careless!” Lili admonished him. “It was already a dangerous situation with the Killer Ants, but Master Bell made it worse when he left himself open like that!”

“I let my guard down…no, I got overconfident.” Bell sat down heavily as he thought about his actions. Lili began to explain how bad the situation could have gotten. ‘If Lili hadn’t been here then….’ He grimaced at the most likely scenario.

“Are you listening, Master Bell?!” Lili barked at him and Bell jolted.

“Yes! I’m listening!” Bell immediately replied. Seeing Lili look at him disbelievingly, he looked down at the ground. “Sorry…I’m reflecting. I won’t do that again.” He chastised himself for getting cocky with his self-taught fighting skills. He didn’t have that much experience yet and it showed today.

“Master Bell does look like he regrets his actions.” Lili crossed her arms, the white and red knife still in her hand. “In that case, Lili won’t say anything else.”

“Hey,” Bell’s eyes locked onto the special knife in Lili’s hand. “Is that maybe…a Magic Weapon?”

“Eh?!” Lili flinched as she realized that she was still holding it.

“If I remember correctly, a Weapon that can produce Attack Magic like that is at least a Skillful Grade, right? Those are incredibly expensive.” Bell looked at the knife curiously. “You saved me with it?”

“W-well…one thing led to another and it just fell into Lili’s lap…” Lili put the knife behind her back and looked off to the side. “It was considered a defective product. The Smith meant to make a Magic Short Sword, but messed up during the forging. This knife is the result of that mistake, is what Lili was told.”

“So, it’s a Magic Weapon that’ll break if it’s used too much?” Bell asked, knowing that it was a common problem for Magic Weapons that could produce Attack Magic. The Magic left the weapon a little, each time the Attack Magic was used, until the weapon shattered.

“Yes, it will.” Lili admitted, still not looking directly at him. “Lili only uses it in times like these.” Her cheeks turned pink. “But it’s worth it to save Master Bell.”

“Thank you, Lili.” Bell smiled at her warmly. “I feel really happy right now.”

“Eh? I…uh…” Lili’s face couldn’t get any redder if she tried. “L-Lili didn’t save Master Bell because she wanted to! Without you, there would be no money. That’s all! Don’t get the wrong idea!” She pointed the Magic Knife at him as she blurted out the first thing that came to her mind.

“Huh?!” Bell gaped at Lili’s rushed words and eyed the Magic Weapon warily. “Lili, the knife, the knife! Don’t swing it!”

The two both tried to calm down and continue with the rest of their day in the Dungeon. Moving past the slightly awkward atmosphere took a little time though. It was Lili that broke the long silence.

“Master Bell, I’ll need the day off tomorrow.” Lili requested as they walked.

“That’s fine with me.” Bell nodded to her. “Tomorrow is usually the day I take off to rest anyway, so it works out.”

“Thank you, Master Bell, tomorrow is Soma Familia’s monthly meeting. Since we’re all required to attend to check our monthly quota, Lili doesn’t have a choice. Meeting the quota is really hard, though there isn’t really any punishment if we don’t meet it either.”

Bell looked down. Lili always sounded so resigned whenever she talked about her Familia. He hated the fact that she was apparently so mistreated that she had no love for her Familia. Eina had mentioned that the Soma Familia didn’t seem normal. That they were competitive and always after money. But if it went this far…Bell just couldn’t understand why a Deity would let their Familia become like this.

-Guild Exchange ~ Late Afternoon-

“Your Drop Items were worth 20,300 Valis and the Magic Stones came out to 38,456 Valis. Your total for this exchange is 58,756 Valis, have a nice evening.” The lady behind the window smiled at Bell and Lili as she pushed the bag containing the money onto their side.

“Thank you, ma’am.” Bell gave a nod to the woman as he and Lili headed over to a free table to start dividing up the Valis.

“Thank you, Master Bell,” Lili accepted her half after watching Bell count it out. “Same time the day after tomorrow?”

“Sure thing, Lili.” Bell agreed with a smile. Lili returned his smile with her own before heading out. Bell sighed at getting the same fake smile as always. He placed his money into his backpack and headed for the Hostess of Fertility. He had told Miss Ryu that he’d stop by for a meal soon.

-Hostess of Fertility-

“Just as lively as ever.” Bell chuckled as he entered the tavern. Since Hestia was working late tonight, and planning to have drinks with Hephaestus afterwards, Bell had come to the Hostess for dinner.

“Bell!” Syr saw him almost immediately and walked over with a smile. “It’s been a couple of days. I was starting to worry.”

“Sorry, Miss Syr, I’ve got a Supporter now and we usually buy lunch at one of the shops near Babel Tower.” Bell explained his new situation to the waitress.

“Ah, I see,” Syr chuckled lightly. “I can’t say I’d be as thrilled to make lunch for anyone but you, Bell.” She teased him playfully.

“M-Miss Syr!” Bell sputtered at her with his cheeks lightly pink.

“One, now seating!” Syr called out and led him to the seat at the side of the bar that had become his regular spot. “What would you like tonight, Bell?”

“The roasted pork sounds good.” Bell picked something new from the menu for the night. Syr smiled happily as she took his order back to the kitchen.

“Welcome back, boy.” Mia grinned at Bell as she set a drink in front of him. “I see you’ve kept yourself alive, that’s good.”

“Yeah, I’m doing my best.” Bell rubbed the back of his head with a chuckle. Mia’s brand of encouragement took a little getting used to. But her support was genuine and Bell enjoyed having another person rooting for him.

“Mr. Cranel, it’s good to see you again.” Ryu gave him the small smile that Bell found so charming. The beautiful Elf was on her way back towards the kitchen with a tray of used dishes. Bell was happy that she’d stopped to talk to him since she appeared busy.

“I said I’d come have a meal soon, Miss Ryu.” Bell returned her smile. “I couldn’t go back on my word, right?”

“I wouldn’t suspect you of such a thing, Mr. Cranel.” Ryu grinned slightly, her tone light. “Enjoy your meal.” She gave him a nod before heading off to continue her work.

‘Elves are supposed to be very proud people, but Miss Ryu is so kind to me.’ Bell had a small smile on his face as he thought about the Elf woman.

When Syr delivered his meal, the silver-haired girl took the seat next to him for her short break. The two chatted a bit as Bell ate, talking about what had happened in the last few days since they’d spoken.

“You seem a little down, Bell, is something bothering you?” Syr tilted her head slightly.

“A friend of mine seems to be in a tough spot,” Bell figured there wasn’t much harm in telling Syr about his worries. “I’m not sure what to do though.”

“Hmm…that can be difficult.” Syr agreed with a thoughtful look.

“Oi, Syr, breaks over! We’ve got customers that need their food and booze!” Mama Mia called out to the waitress.

“Coming!” Syr responded quickly. “If you have time tomorrow morning then I’d be happy to continue this conversation before the tavern opens, Bell.” She gave him a smile. “I don’t know how much help I’ll be, but I’m always willing to listen.”

“Tomorrow is my day off, so I might take you up on that, Miss Syr.” Bell returned her smile before she headed off to continue her work.

Bell continued his meal and had an extra drink too. Once he was finished, he set his payment on the counter and stood up. He said goodbye to Mama Mia, Syr, and Ryu before heading for the Hestia Familia home. Tomorrow was looking to be a slightly busy day off. He’d take Syr up on her morning chat at the Hostess. After that he’d need to see about getting his armor and knives maintained. He could do some of it himself, of course. But it was good to have an actual Blacksmith take care of his equipment after a hard day in the Dungeon.

“I’m home.” Bell announced as he shut the door behind him.

“Bell~!” Hestia nearly glomped him with a bubbly laugh. Her slightly reddened cheeks let Bell know she was buzzed. Apparently, she and Hephaestus had their drinks, perhaps one too many?

A buzzed Hestia was a very amorous Hestia, and Bell happily carried her off to the bath. It was a good night for both of them.

-Hostess of Fertility-

The day had ended and the Hostess was closing its doors for the evening. The staff were cleaning up the dining area as normal when Syr spotted something on one of the tables in the corner. She picked up the book and looked over the plain cover.

“Syr? Did someone forget something, nya?” Anya questioned as she noticed that her coworker had found something.

“It’s a book, nya.” Chloe blinked as she sidled up beside Syr.

“What kind of book?” Anya asked, looking over Syr’s shoulder curiously.

“I’m not sure?” Syr shook her head.

“Oi! Slackin’ off again, you dim-witted lasses?!” Mia shouted, making all three of the waitresses flinch.

“M-Mama Mia! We found something suspicious!” Anya whirled around while pointing at the book in Syr’s hands.

“Hmm?” Mia walked closer to look at the book. “That’s…” She grimaced at what had been left in her tavern. “Put it somewhere it can be seen! If the owner’s not a damn fool, then they’ll come looking for it.”

“Yes, Mama Mia.” Syr gave a short bow and looked for a place to set the book so that it would be visible to as much of the tavern as possible.

-The Next Day-

“So that’s what I know about the situation, I just don’t know what I can do to help.” Bell finished explaining what he knew about Lili’s situation to Syr. The pair were sitting across from each other and having tea at the Hostess. The tavern wouldn’t open for a few more hours, so Syr had time for this morning chat.

“Hmm, that’s a tricky situation.” Syr sipped her tea as she contemplated what she’d heard. “If your friend is having problems within their Familia but aren’t being allowed to leave…I’m not sure what you could do, honestly.” She tapped her chin with her index finger for a moment. “This seems more like a problem for a Deity to deal with to be honest. Only with the cooperation of two Deities can a Conversion happen, right?”

“That’s true,” Bell nodded, knowing of the process from his lessons with Eina. “I can’t do anything about the Falna though.” He looked down at the table with a sigh.

“Maybe you need to take your mind off of this for a bit?” Syr suggested after a moment of thought. “If you give yourself time to clear your thoughts, perhaps an answer will come to you?”

“How would I do that?” Bell blinked at her. It sounded great, but he’d had his worries over Lili’s situation almost since he’d met her.

“What not read a book?” Syr offered with a smile. “Focusing on a story might be what helps you clear your mind.”

“Reading…it has been a while since I read a book.” Bell admitted while grasping his chin with his thumb and index finger.

“We actually found a book here last night, if you’d like you can borrow it.” Syr pointed to a plain-looking book propped up on a small table nearby.

“Doesn’t that mean that someone left it here?” Bell worried about taking someone else’s book.

“It’ll be fine as long as you return it.” Syr smiled at him. “It’s not like you’re going to burn it or anything, right?

“I wouldn’t do that!” Bell shook his head rapidly.

“I’ll explain everything if the owner comes back today.” Syr assured him as she brought the book over to the table. “I want to help you in anyway that I can, Bell. But I’m afraid this is all I can do.” She held out the book to him with reassuring eyes and a small, almost lopsided, smile.

“Th-thank you, Miss Syr.” Bell accepted the tome with a bow of his head. He placed the book into his backpack for later and bid the waitresses at the tavern a good day. His next stop was the Hephaestus Shop near the Guild Building.

-Hephaestus Shop ~ Blacksmith Desk-

“Well…at least it’s not as bad this time.” The Blacksmith with the long, bushy brown beard chuckled at Bell. “The knife is looking a little worn.” He mentioned as he picked up the Hephaestus Familia knife and inspected it. “Nothing that can’t be fixed, but you need to be aware of what you’re using this on. If you chip the blade, it might still be salvageable. A crack in the steel will instantly drop this into the Inferior Grade. But, if you break it, that’s it, it’s scrap.”

“Yes, sir, I’ll be more mindful.” Bell gave a short bow to the Blacksmith.

“You can come pick them up this evening before closing, I’ll have them fixed up by then.” The Blacksmith waved him off. “Like I said, not nearly as bad as the last time.” He laughed as Bell looked away sheepishly. “You’re lucky Mithril holds an edge so well.” He nodded towards the Hestia Knife on Bell’s hip. “That’s much more expensive to maintain if you dull it. So, don’t do anything crazy with it unless you have the Valis to fix it.”

“Yes, sir!” Bell put his hand over the Divine Weapon. He left the Hephaestus Shop and headed for home. He had a new book to read on his day off.

-Hestia Familia Home-

“Alright, let’s see what kind of book you are.” Bell set the book on the coffee table in front of the couch. Hestia was at her part-time job, so he had the large home to himself. “It’s weird that it doesn’t have a Title on either cover.” He flipped the book over again and shook his head. There wasn’t even anything on the book’s spine. “Going in blind then, I guess.” Bell chuckled as he opened the cover and turned to the first page. “Huh? What’re these characters? It’s not Koine or even Hieroglyphs?”

The text on the book began to waver, almost like a heat haze, startling Bell. “What in the…?” He gaped at the text as it began to swirl and merge together. That’s when he heard the voice in his head.

“If you desire, answer. If you desire, break. If you desire, focus.” The text merged more and began to form an image.

‘Th-This book…it’s drawing me in…’ Bell felt his mind waver under the strange book’s effect.

“A terrible mirror of truth lies before you.” The voice spoke and the last thing that Bell saw was the image of his own face looking back at him from the book. “Now, here I am you and you are me. Let’s begin…” Bell lost consciousness to the real world.

“What is Magic to me?”

‘I don’t know. Something great and mysterious. What I’ve always wanted to have, just once. What I’ve been yearning for.’ Bell replied, holding out his hand in his mind.

“What does Magic mean to me?”

‘Power. A great weapon that will defeat my weak self. A heroic power that clears away everything in my path.’ Bell imagined clenching his fist as he spoke.

“What kind of thing is Magic to me?”

‘Fire. Strong, ferocious, and hot. A fire that will never go out…an immortal flame.’ Bell’s imagined fist was engulfed in a blaze of flames.

“What do you seek in Magic?”

‘To become strong, like them. To become fast, like them. Faster, faster, faster than anyone. To be stronger than anyone. To catch up to them. To keep my promise!’ Bell expressed his desire without hesitation. Silhouettes of specific people appearing in his mind.

“Is that all?”

‘If I can…if I can…if I can. I want to be a Hero. For the ones I’ve been chasing ever since, the ones I still foolishly admire. I want to be heroic enough for them to notice me!’ Bell screamed his deepest desire into the void.

“Such a child.” Bell got the distinct image of his face from the book looking amused at his answer. “But that too is us…”

“…Bell.” A voice called out to him. “Bell. Bell, wake up.”

“Huh?” Bell opened his eyes blearily. “Hestia?”

“Yes, Bell, it’s me.” Hestia shook her head at her lover with a grin. “Why are you sleeping hunched over the coffee table?”

“I was…reading?” Bell looked down and noticed the book was open to the back cover. “I finished it?”

“Not used to reading and got sleepy, huh?” Hestia giggled behind her hand. “That’s cute, Bell.” She patted the couch. “You wanted a Status Update today, right? Since we were preoccupied last night.” She winked at him and Bell smiled back at her before removing his shirt and lying face down on the couch.

“Thank you, Hestia.” Bell grinned softly since he did like to get Status Updates often to keep growing and getting stronger.

“That looks like a pretty old book, where did you get it?” Hestia asked as she looked at the book on the coffee table.

“I borrowed it from a friend.” Bell answered with a shrug.

“Can I look at it before you return it?” Hestia smiled at him hopefully. “It’s not everyday that you see a book like that.”

“Sure, I know you like reading, Hestia.” Bell agreed without worry. Hestia would probably have it finished by tonight anyway.

Hestia straddled him like normal and pricked her finger with a needle. She dropped her blood onto his hieroglyph-covered back and watched it light up. She began to go through his Excelia as normal. She saw his experiences and watched as his Falna grew stronger. It was after the numbers of his Basic Abilities stopped growing that something new appeared before Hestia’s eyes.

“Ma-Magic…” Hestia gasped as she realized what she was looking at.

“Hestia?” Bell barely heard her words as he looked over his shoulder as best as he could.

“There’s Magic in your Falna.” Hestia said clearly and Bell’s eyes widened.

“EEEEHHHH?!” Bell exclaimed and tried to sit up with Hestia still on his back. She was forced to grab onto the back of the couch to keep herself from falling off the furniture. “Is it true, Hestia?! I’ve become a Magic user?!”

“Yeah.” Hestia got her balance back. “A bit of an overreaction…but yes, you have. Congratulations, Bell.” She pushed on his back to make him lay down again. ‘I can’t believe that Magic showed up too…is this because of Liaris Freese?’

With Bell lying down again, Hestia placed the paper onto his back and transferred over the update with a circle of her fingertip. She slid off of Bell and couldn’t help but giggle when he immediately sat up and looked at her with sparkles in his ruby-red eyes. Hestia handed him the paper and Bell looked over it with a bright smile.

-Status-

Bell Cranel

Level 1

Strength – E 453 > E 492

Defense – F 311 > F 363

Utility – E 472 > D 504

Agility – D 568 > C 611

Magic – I 0

Magic

-Firebolt-

Skills

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

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

-Status-

Bell barely paid attention to the 166-point increase from his time in the Dungeon the day before. He was far more interested in his new Magic! Firebolt sounded kind of cool! It was definitely Fire Magic, obviously, but having Attack Magic would cover Bell’s range weakness that he’d known about, but had no way to correct.

“We should talk about this, Bell, something is bugging me.” Hestia spoke up as Bell started to put his shirt back on.

“What’s wrong?” Bell sat next to her on the couch.

“Listen, all Magic requires a Spell for it to work.” Hestia explained to him. “An Incantation is necessary to trigger the Spell, it’s how you learn to use the Magic.”

“Huh…but there’s no Incantation on the paper?” Bell blinked at his Magic’s name with nothing next to it.

“This is just my best guess, but…your Magic might not need an Incantation to trigger the Spell. It may not be overly strong, but casting takes no time…Swift Strike Magic. I’m pretty sure that’s what you’ve acquired, Bell.” Hestia explained her thoughts and Bell looked thoughtful.

“So, if I just say Fireb-Gph!” Bell’s words were cut off as Hestia covered his mouth quickly.

“I would advise not saying its name carelessly,” Hestia looked Bell in the eyes seriously. “Worst case scenario, you saying ‘Firebolt’ would conjure it right now.” She pulled her hands away from his mouth. “But that’s just my best guess, you’ll have to try it out in the Dungeon to know for sure.”

“It’s not too late,” Bell looked at a clock that Hestia had bought for the living room. “If I stay on the First and maybe Second Floors, I can at least figure out my Magic before I actually go into the Dungeon with Lili tomorrow.”

“Don’t stay out too long, I want you home for dinner.” Hestia leaned forward and captured his lips.

“Of course,” Bell smiled when they separated a moment later. “I’ll go pick up my armor and weapons from the Hephaestus Shop. Then I’ll head to the Dungeon for a while. It’s better if I practice a little to see how best to use this Spell.”

“I’ll see you at dinner, Bell.” Hestia couldn’t stifle her giggles at seeing Bell so happy. It warmed her heart to see him get something he’d wanted for as long as she’d known him.

-Dungeon ~ First Floor-

“Huh…slim pickings right now.” Bell wandered through the corridors. There didn’t seem to be any Monsters left. ‘Just because I took a day off doesn’t mean everyone else did, of course.’ He mused as he headed for the stairs to the Second Floor. The Monsters had probably been cleared out by returning Parties not that long ago.

Bell ended up walking a good way into the Third Floor before he saw his first Monster. The Goblin noticed him and started to snarl. With his best guess, Bell held out his right hand, palm facing the Goblin. The green-skinned Monster rushed at him furiously and Bell took a breath to focus himself.

“Firebolt!” Bell cast and he watched on in joy as flames collected in his hand for a split second. The Spell completed when the flames were launched at the charging Goblin. The Monster never stood a chance. The flames engulfed it and a bang was heard. The burning body hit the ground and the flames crackled for several long moments before they died down. A dead, blackened Goblin was all that remained. “YEAH!!!” Bell whooped happily at his first spell. “I did it!”

With the successful casting of his new Magic, a bright smile emerged on Bell’s face. He drew his knife and opened the Goblin’s chest to retrieve its Magic Stone. There was no point in letting it go to waste when it could be exchanged for Valis later at the Guild. As the body dispersed into ash-like dust, Bell moved on further into the Dungeon. His next encounter was multiple Goblins a few minutes later. Six of the short Monsters growled at him as soon as they saw the Adventurer. Without hesitation, the Goblins rushed towards Bell with feral snarls.

“Firebolt!” Bell held out his hand and aimed at the lead Goblin. The flames were conjured and sent at his target. The first Goblin’s cries ended in a burst of fire that engulfed its body. The other Goblins stared at the burning body of the first in confusion. Their group charge had stalled completely.

“Ghee?” One Goblin blinked at the flames.

“Firebolt!” Bell cast again and the next closest Goblin was blasted backwards a few paces. Two burning Goblin carcasses now littered the corridor. “Firebolt!” This time Bell cast with his left hand, to see if it was possible and if it affected anything. The spell formed the same and the third Goblin was killed in a blast of fire. “Just three more, Firebolt!” Bell launched another bolt of flame at the Goblins. With a screech, the fourth Goblin died as it was engulfed.

“Graaah!” The remaining two Goblins had moved closer to the walls.

‘Huh? Why do I feel…light-headed…?’ Bell thought as he lost consciousness and collapsed to the floor.

“Grrr!” The Goblins growled as they rushed at the prone Adventurer.

The two Monsters never even saw the flash of the blade that killed them. One Goblin’s head rolled across the ground awhile the second was cleanly bisected and hit the ground in two pieces. A flick of the blade and it was clean of blood as the wielder turned to look at their companion.

“Riveria, how is he?” Ais asked the High Elf as her long, golden hair swayed from her movement. Her white dress was torn from her battle against the Monster Rex, Udaeus, down on the Thirty-Seventh Floor. While she didn’t have much concern about that, it did leave her right breast partially exposed.

“No visible wounds or need to detox.” Riveria looked Bell over carefully and gently turned him over onto his back. “It appears to be a classic case of Mind Down, Ais. He used his Magic too much and lost consciousness.” The verdette High Elf made her diagnosis. “Do you know him?” Her green eyes met Ais golden gaze.

“…Sort of. He’s the boy from the Minotaur incident.” Ais replied as she sheathed her sword and walked over to the two.

“I see, he’s the one that fool insulted.” Riveria recalled the young man now. He was the one that had stormed out of the Hostess of Fertility after Bete had insulted him.

Ais looked down at the sleeping Bell. Her golden eyes softening as she watched him. “Riveria, I want to compensate him.”

“Compensate?” Riveria put her fingertips to her forehead and sighed. “There are other ways of saying that.” She shook her head slightly before motioning towards Bell. “Ais, you already know what to do for him. That should be enough compensation.” The Mage explained as Ais kneeled beside her.

“…Is that really enough?” Ais tilted her head slightly.

“There is no doubt.” Riveria assured her with a smile. “Protect this spot. You don’t have to do anything above and beyond that.” Ais just looked slightly confused. “Besides…any man would be happy to receive such a favor from you.”

“…I don’t understand.” Ais admitted her inexperience with such things.

“You don’t have to.” Riveria gave her a slightly amused look. “I’m returning to the surface. See this through on your own.” She stood up and looked at the still kneeling Ais.

“Yes.” Ais smiled up at Riveria. “Thank you, Riveria.” The High Elf gave her a short nod before heading for the stairs that were a fair distance away.

Ais looked at the sleeping Bell again. She slowly reached out to him, but hesitated as he shifted slightly in his sleep. When he didn’t make any further moves, she reached for him again. Ais gently lifted Bell’s head and shoulders before placing the sleeping boy’s head on her thighs. She’d heard this was called a ‘lap pillow’, but had never had a reason to do it before. Watching Bell sleep, her right hand slowly began to run through his soft, white hair.

“Uhh…” Bell groaned lowly as he slowly opened his eyes. His head was fuzzy and he didn’t quite remember what had happened. His eyes finally focused and he was greeted by the sight of a partially exposed breast. He blinked, knowing from experience that it wasn’t Hestia’s breast he was looking at.

“Are you awake?” Ais asked him with a gentle smile as she leaned over to look at him.

“Miss Ais?” Bell was starting to suspect he might be dreaming and voiced the thought. “…Is this a dream?”

“You’re awake.” Ais informed him simply, her hand continuing to gently run through his hair.

“So, I’m hallucinating then?” Bell really didn’t think this situation was possible.

“I’m not an illusion.” Ais shook her head, her golden hair swaying slightly from the motion.

“Oh…okay.” Bell was really confused as to how he’d ended up getting a lap pillow from Ais Wallenstein of all people. “Can I ask what happened?”

“You passed out from a Mind Down.” Ais explained as she continued to play with his hair. “You used too much Magic and lost consciousness until you recovered from the strain.”

“I see…” Bell sighed at not knowing about the possibility of that. He’d not looked into Magic that much since he didn’t have any before today. He inhaled and his nose was filled with Ais’ scent. ‘Fresh water with a hint of a spring breeze.’ Bell exhaled with a small smile. His cheeks turned a bit red as he realized what he’d just thought. Ais was also still playing with his hair too!

“Are you feeling better?” Ais asked as she gave him a small smile.

“Yeah, I think I can get up.” Bell replied while trying to keep his cool and not embarrass himself. The fact that he could see so much of Ais’ right boob wasn’t helping since it was so close to his face. Ais continued to run her fingers through his hair for a long moment before she pulled back and let Bell sit up.

“Thank you for saving me, Miss Ais.” Bell thanked the Level 5 Adventurer when he noticed the dead Goblins that she’d killed. This situation was both confusing and now slightly embarrassing. ‘What kind of Adventurer am I if I need to be saved from Goblins?’

“It’s alright,” Ais stood up and Bell quickly moved to do so as well. “You recently acquired your Magic, right? It’s not uncommon for new Magic users to find out their limits by hitting Mind Down.”

“Yeah, I just got it in my Status Update today.” Bell admitted with a heavy sigh. “Something I’ve wanted for so long and I messed it up right off the bat.”

“You’ll get better with time,” Ais assured him as Bell cut open the dead Goblins and retrieved their Magic Stones one by one. “The more you use your Magic…the more it grows. Your Spells get stronger and you can cast them more often.”

“Well, that’s good to know.” Bell was beyond grateful that Ais didn’t think less of him now. “I should be getting back. I promised my Goddess that I’d be home in time for dinner. I’m not sure how long I was unconscious for though.”

“…Not very long, I was coming down the corridor when you collapsed.” Ais informed him as they walked towards the stairs. “You’ve only been asleep for about twenty minutes…I think?”

“That’s good, I didn’t want to break my promise.” Bell sighed in relief.

They reached the stairs and ascended to the Second Floor without issue. Bell was going over what he’d messed up in his head. He needed to learn from this experience and do better. He couldn’t afford to collapse from a Mind Down again in the Dungeon. He needed to improve his fighting skills and his new Magic usage.

“…Are you alright?” Ais asked and Bell shook himself from his thoughts. His red eyes met her golden ones and he felt his heart thump in his chest.

“Y-Yes…” Bell replied with a hint of red on his cheeks. “I was just thinking about how much I need to improve.”

“Improve,” Ais’ tone shifted and her eyes took on a faraway look for a few seconds. “I understand that.” She lightly shook her head before focusing on Bell again. “You’ve improved quite a bit since the Minotaur. I saw you slay the Silverback that escaped at Monsterphilia.”

“R-Really? You saw that?” Bell didn’t know whether to be happy or embarrassed about that. On the one hand, he’d won and defeated a Monster that should’ve been far above his power. But on the other hand, he’d been knocked around a good amount and probably showed everyone his lack of experience.

“Yes, you did very well.” Ais praised him, her golden eyes looking him over.

“Thank you, but I’m still a total amateur.” Bell denied her compliment. “I’m entirely self-taught and it shows. I flail against every new Monster I encounter and it takes me too long to get a read on them. I’m constantly making mistakes.”

“…Shall I…teach you how to fight?” Ais offered and Bell nearly tripped over his own feet in shock.

“Wh-Why would you offer something like that?” Bell was confused by such a sudden offer.

“Because…you want to get stronger.” Ais answered simply. “I know that feeling.”

‘She wants to teach me how to fight?’ Bell repeated in his own mind. ‘Is that okay? I’m nothing compared to her…is it alright for me to take up her time?’

‘He’s strong in battle and has a tremendous growth rate despite his inexperience.’ Ais recalled watching him kill the Silverback. ‘How did he get that strong so quickly? I want to know the secret behind his growth…for myself.’

“I can’t ask her to spend her time on me…but she’s being so generous.” Bell muttered as he went back and forth in his own head.

‘Not quite…’ Ais subconsciously shook her head a little. ‘Generosity…isn’t the reason.’

“Um, Miss Wallenstein…” Bell made his decision and looked at Ais resolutely. “I-I will learn everything you are willing to teach!” He bowed to her at the waist.

Ais’ eyes widened as she gazed at him, her heart thumped inside her chest and a smile found its way to her lips. “Okay…” ‘Hopefully I can live up to his expectations.’ “…I’ll do my best.”

‘Her smile is really beautiful.’ Bell thought as Ais smiled at him. He found himself smiling back without even thinking about it.

The two resumed their walk back towards the surface. Bell, despite his best efforts, kept finding his eyes drawn toward Ais’ nearly exposed breast. He wasn’t ogling her, but it was very distracting. He was honestly surprised by how little Ais seemed to notice or care about the exposure. Eventually he stopped walking and pulled off his backpack. Ais stopped two steps after him and turned to look back at Bell curiously.

“M-Miss Wallenstein…” Bell pulled out a jacket -identical to the one he wore around town- from the black leather backpack. He’d bought a few extra after his first one had been destroyed. He kept one inside his backpack just in case he lost his shirt, or worse, in the Dungeon. “U-Um…you’re…uh, well...kind of exposed.” He vaguely motioned towards her chest. “You can…wear this jacket, if you want.” He held out the brown jacket with the black square over the right shoulder.

“Oh…” Ais looked down at her chest. “…I had put it out of my mind.” She accepted the jacket with another beautiful smile. “Thank you…” Bell felt his face nearly burn as she slipped the jacket on and buttoned it up. The sight of her wearing his jacket made his heart beat like a drum and his stomach was filled with butterflies.

The two Adventurers agreed to meet in the early mornings at a specific place on top of the massive wall that surrounded Orario to train. As they walked up the spiral staircase that led into the Main Guild building, Bell still couldn’t believe this was happening. He was going to be trained by Ais Wallenstein! The Kenki herself! The two parted ways once they were outside of the Guild Building. Ais promised to return his jacket to him during their first training session. Bell just nodded, not trusting himself to speak at the moment with his heart beating in his chest like it was.

Bell started walking home almost in a daze. He’d make it back in time for dinner just like he promised though! He couldn’t wait to see Hestia and inform her that he was going to be receiving training from Ais Wallenstein! He’d definitely improve in the Dungeon with her help! That meant more Valis for the Familia! He smiled for the entire walk back home.

-End Chapter-

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Well now, we had some things happen this chapter, didn’t we!

Eina comes over for dinner and has a lovely evening.

Bell discovers more of Lili’s situation and wants to help her.

Lili saves Bell with her Magic Knife. Bell is so grateful he hugs her! Cue adorably flustered Lili!

Bell has read the Grimoire and gained Firebolt! Woohoo! Time to burn some Monsters!

Now, Ais has offered to teach him how to fight quite a bit earlier than in the Canon! What will the extra time do?

Will Bell find a way to help Lili?

Will Lili still steal the Hestia Knife and leave Bell in the Dungeon like Canon?

What’s next for the rabbit-like Adventurer that wants to be a Hero?

Keep reading to find out!

Let me know what you think with a review!

Until next time, later!