Danmachi - Hephaestus Familia Premise Chapter 1 (Patreon)

Freaking Muse might FINALLY settle down now that I got this written down. I need to FOCUS on Collector and Aura Heart and stuff, damn it!

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this pilot chapter!

Hello friends and fans, Kairomaru is bringing you a brand-new story! It’s Danmachi again! Since the Series seems to have a freaking stranglehold on my Muse’s throat. Once again, we’re REALLY changing things up! Breaking Canon over my knee! The same change as before applies, Hestia never descended to Gekai! So, who takes in Bell this time? Well, a bit of a change in Bell’s upbringing makes him seek out a certain Goddess in Orario first.

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So, without further delay, please enjoy.

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Chapter 1 – Heroic Dreams Burn Bright

“And so, the Titans were defeated, their control over the Worlds broken by the Gods. Chronos’s greatest fear that he’d tried to prevent, befell him from his own actions.” An old man wearing a comfortable set of robes smiled at his young grandson as he finished his tale.

“Wow…” His little grandson looked up at him with excited rubellite eyes. “That’s amazing, grampa!”

“Hahaha…I’m glad you liked it, Bell.” The old man chuckled and gently patted the boy’s white hair. “It’s called ‘The Titanomachy’ and is how the Olympian Gods overthrew the Titans that came before them.”

“It was so cool!” Bell beamed as his imagination gave rise to images of the story he’d just heard. “Can you tell me another story, grampa?!” He was enraptured and wanted more tales.

“Tomorrow, Bell, it’s getting late and you need to head to bed.” His grampa grinned at the young boy.

“Aww…” Bell pouted but hopped off his grandfather’s lap to wash up before bed.

“Don’t be sad, Bell.” The elder man chuckled. “Tomorrow, I’ll tell you the story of a great Hero!”

“A hero? Really?!” Bell liked Hero stories. Some of the other elders in the village told them to the children too. For the little boy, they were the best stories out there! “It’s a promise!” He declared with a huge grin.

“A promise.” The old man nodded with a smile.

-The Next Evening-

“Story time! Story time!” Bell was practically bouncing around as his grandpa sat down in his chair. Once the older man was comfortable, Bell hopped into his lap with a smile. The nearby fireplace kept them warm, and the flickering light was nice.

“Alright, alright,” His grandfather laughed. “I told you I’d tell you the story of a Hero today.” Bell nodded eagerly. “So, how about we start with one of the oldest Heroes and I tell you the tale of Prince Cadmus?”

“A prince and a hero?!” Bell looked amazed at the idea.

“Yep!” His grandpa smiled at him with warm eyes. Bell was eager to hear a new story that he’d never heard before. “Another tale from the Olympian Gods!”

“Do you like the Olympian Gods, grampa?” Bell asked curiously, looking up at the old man.

“I do,” He nodded with a grin. “Though I do admit to being a bit biased and favoring some of them more than others sometimes.” He chuckled and Bell laughed with him, even if the boy didn’t understand.

Bell Cranel grew up on the tales of Heroes, and the trials and tribulations of the Olympian Gods. His grandfather made sure of it, unbeknownst to the young boy. Bell happily listened to the stories, taking in the lessons and warnings within them as he grew up enough to actually understand them. At a fairly young age, after a close call with a Goblin that his grandpa saved him from, he’d asked if he could become a Hero, like in the stories.

“Would you be happy if I became a Hero like them?” Bell looked up at him, the tears stopped for now.

“But of course!” His grandpa knelt down to be at eye level with the boy. “You’re my pride and joy and always will be,” He gently ruffled the boy’s white hair. “So, don’t worry about making these old bones happy.” That same wide grin, filled with both cheer and a bit of mischief, smiled at the child. “Real men chase after ladies’ butts! Rescue the damsels in distress! Show off! Always face forward!” He chuckled at the bright smile that appeared on Bell’s face. “If it’s for the women that you fall in love with, whether it’s becoming a Hero or whatever else…you can do anything. After all, you’re my grandson that I’m so proud of.”

“Yes!” Bell cheered, hugging his grandpa. The old man hugged him back, giving full support to the boy’s dream. “But…how do I become a Hero? The ones in the stories are strong and smart, they’re warriors and stuff.”

“Then we’ll have to train you up so that you can be strong, right?” His grandpa chuckled, only to burst into laughter at Bell’s excited nodding.

Bell’s ‘training’ consisted of helping more around the farming village they lived in. Tending the fields, helping with the animals, carrying water, gathering firewood, and helping with the harvest in the autumn. When the daily labor was done, Bell would learn the sword from his grandpa. Well…it started more as play-fighting with two wooden swords that his grampa had gotten made for them by the village carpenter. But as Bell got older, he was taught more seriously. Having the basics drilled into him.

“Come on, Bell…surely this old man isn’t getting the best of you, right?” The old man laughed, pushing his young grandson backwards and staggering him. He held the wooden sword with only one hand compared to Bell’s two, but the difference in size and experience made that a moot point.

“Hah!” Bell came at his grandpa again. A horizontal swing was blocked, as was the follow-up diagonal swing. Another strong swipe from his grampa sent Bell falling on his backside. “Ow…” He’d felt that blow even though he’d blocked.

“Giving up, Bell?” The old man questioned with a knowing grin.

“Heroes don’t give up!” Bell declared, leaping to his feet and charging his grandfather.

“That’s the spirit, Bell!” The old man laughed as he stepped back to avoid the first swing. ‘We’ll make you a real Hero. I know you can do it, Bell.’

-Evening-

“Do you think I could wield fire like some of the Heroes in the legends, grampa?” Bell asked after enjoying another evening story. He’d heard the tale of Theseus before, but it was a great story in his opinion.

“You’d have to ask Hephaestus about that.” The old man chuckled as they both prepared to head to their beds for the evening. “Fire and volcanos are some of her Domains. So, if you want to wield fire, then she’d be a good bet.”

“Goddess Hephaestus…” Bell had heard stories of the Goddess of the Forge as well. His grandpa knew all sorts of tales and even drew picture books about them in his spare time. The villagers appreciated the copies he gave to them to entertain their children with. Bell had grown up on the Dungeon Oratoria, the largest collection of Hero stories there was. But he’d also had the joy of being able to hear all of the Olympian Hero stories too, along with others that his grandfather knew.

-Dungeon City Orario ~ Five Years Later-

“I made it, grandpa.” Bell looked down the wide street as he walked through one of the gates of Orario. It had taken a few weeks by wagon to get here from their remote mountain village, but he was here. “I’ll become a Hero, grampa, just like I said I would.”

-Flashback-

It had happened a few months back. His grandfather and several of the village men were going hunting. It should’ve been a simple thing, the men would be gone a couple of days, and then they’d return with whatever beast they’d managed to hunt. Meat would be shared among the villagers and everyone would be happy. Unfortunately, something went wrong, and there was an accident. Bell’s grandfather had fallen from a cliff as a section of the mountain had fallen into a small landslide. A few of the other men were injured, but only Bell’s grandpa was lost.

Bell had gone numb when he’d received the news. He’d cried himself to sleep every night for a week. After he had no more tears to shed, he’d simply gone through the motions of day-to-day life. In that grief-stricken state he’d languished for weeks. But one evening, as he started the fire in the fireplace for warmth, the light had illuminated the small bookshelf against the wall. Bell had listlessly wandered over to it and pulled one of the books his grandfather had written and illustrated down. It was as he read through it that a small smile had found its way back to his face. By the end of the book, life had returned to Bell’s ruby eyes. He’d made his decision then and there, he’d go to Orario and become the Hero he’d decided to be! He’d make his grandfather proud!

-End Flashback-

“Now, I just head down this street and I’ll see the Guild Building, right?” Bell recalled what the gate guard that had processed his entry into the sprawling city had said. He made his way down the street, marveling at all of the different Races that inhabited Orario. Humans, Cat People, Elves, Chienthropes, Dwarves, Hume Bunnies, Prums, Raccoon People, Amazons, and Beastmen of more types than Bell knew existed! It wasn’t hard to find the Guild Building, given the size of the building and the banners on it. “Okay…” Bell exhaled and then took a fortifying breath. “I can do this.” He walked in and went to the first available counter with someone behind it that he saw.

“Hello, how may I help you today?” The lady behind the counter asked politely.

“Hello, I’m new to Orario and I wanted to become an Adventurer.” Bell informed the woman.

“Ah, I see, well you certainly look strong enough to try.” She complimented him with a smile.

“Oh, thank you.” Bell felt his cheeks warm slightly. His grandpa had liked teasing him about how many of the village girls seemed to have their eyes on him as he grew up. He was definitely toned from years of farm work and he at least knew the basics of how to handle a sword, thanks to his grandpa.

“Well, we’ll need you to fill out some paperwork first, do you have a Familia yet?” The guild woman gathered some forms from beneath the counter.

“No, ma’am, I was told it was better to register and then fill in the Familia part afterwards.” Bell spoked up as he accepted a pen from the woman.

“Hmm, either way works, but if you’re new this might be easier.” She nodded and then helped him fill out his paperwork for the Guild. Several minutes later, and Bell was finished, the only part left blank being what Familia he was part of.

“Thank you very much, Miss…” Bell realized that he didn’t know the woman’s name.

“Flott, Misha Flott.” The pink-haired young woman smiled at him. “You may call me Misha, if you’d like.”

“Thank you, Miss Misha.” Bell returned her smile. “Can I get a map of Orario, please?” He pulled out a bit of the money he had on him.

“Of course, that’ll be 10 Valis.” Misha handed him the map of the city and collected the small coin from him.

“I’ll be back once I find a Familia.” Bell waved over his shoulder as he headed for the exit. Once he was outside, he looked at the map and zeroed in on one particular Familia’s listed location. “Hephaestus Familia, here I come!” He took off down the street with a grin on his face.

-Hephaestus Familia Home-

“You want to apply to join our Familia?” A tall man in a protective apron questioned Bell. The man was clearly a blacksmith, his physique giving away how many years he’d spent swinging a hammer to forge weapons and armor. “Well, you look like a fit young man, do you have any smithing experience?”

“Actually, sir, I was hoping to join as an Adventurer.” Bell informed the blacksmith with a hopeful smile.

“Adventurer?” The man scratched at his short beard. “You know Hephaestus Familia is a mercantile Familia, right? We don’t have many that aren’t Smiths.”

“Yes sir, but I’d very much like to join still.” Bell gave him a polite bow.

“Eh, why not?” The blacksmith shrugged. “If you get accepted and don’t hack it as an Adventurer, you still look strong enough to learn to swing the hammer and become a Smith.” He motioned for Bell to follow him and the two made their way into the back. They traveled through the work area for the storefront that was attached to the Hephaestus Familia Home. The sounds of hammers on metal and dozens of other sounds associated with blacksmithing filled Bell’s ears.

“So many…” Bell marveled at how much work was being done.

“It’s a bit loud, right?” The Smith laughed loudly over the noise. “These are just basic repair jobs. Each of us has our own private workshop given to us by Lady Hephaestus for forging our own work.”

“Wow.” Bell couldn’t believe that all of this work was just for repair orders. Hephaestus Familia was one of the largest in Orario, but still…to see all of this going on at the same time was impressive.

“Over here, kid.” The man took him through another door and they ascended a set of stairs. “Just be respectful and Lady Hephaestus will decide if she’ll take you in or not.” The Smith offered Bell some final advice before knocking on a door that had the Familia’s emblem on it. “Lady Hephaestus, we have a new applicant.”

“Send them in.” A voice called out from the other side of the door.

“Good luck, kid.” The Smith nodded to Bell as he opened the door for him.

“Thank you, sir.” Bell returned the nod before entering the office, the door closed behind him and he stood in the center of the room. “My name is Bell Cranel, Lady Hephaestus, I would like to join your Familia as an Adventurer, please.”

“Hmm,” Hephaestus looked up from her paperwork, revealing a large black eyepatch covering her right eye. She had beautiful red hair, and was wearing a white button-up shirt, and even though part of her face was covered, what Bell could see was free of any blemish and radiated a beauty that mortal women would find hard to ever match. “You want to join my Familia…as an Adventurer?” She looked at Bell with a very curious expression.

“Yes, Lady Hephaestus.” Bell bowed to the Goddess. “I know that your Familia is a mercantile Familia of blacksmiths, but I’ve wanted to join your Familia since I was a kid.”

“And why is that? You don’t look like a Smith to me.” Hephaestus was honestly interested in hearing his reason.

“My grandfather, before he passed, used to tell me all sorts of Hero stories and the tales of the Olympian Gods were some of his favorites. I’ve even heard stories of the Olympian Pantheon themselves. I liked some of the stories about you specifically, Lady Hephaestus.” Bell admitted, talking continuously as his nerves started to get to him.

“Which stories about me have you been told, exactly?” Hephaestus wondered what this boy’s grandfather had heard and then passed on. If it was something embarrassing, then she was beating Hermes with one of her blacksmithing hammers the next time she saw him! There was no other God that she knew of off the top of her head that would be spreading stories about the Olympian Pantheon aside from her brother that freely left Orario whenever he desired.

“Well,” Bell looked at the Goddess of the Forge and then proceeded to tell her the various stories involving Hephaestus that his grandpa had told him over the years. It was a couple of minutes before he was stopped by Hephaestus’s laughter.

“Ah…I haven’t thought about that in years.” Hephaestus chuckled to herself as Bell reminded her of a bit of revenge that she’d gotten on Ares eons ago. “I must say, your grandfather was very well informed of our tales.”

“He liked to write and illustrate picture books when he had the time, so that he could share the stories with the rest of the villagers.” Bell smiled too, reminiscing on the good times they’d had together.

“Okay,” Hephaestus nodded with a grin.

“Okay?” Bell blinked at the one word statement.

“Yep, I’ve taken a bit of a liking to you, Bell.” Hephaestus smiled at the teen. “I’ll welcome you into my Familia as an Adventurer.”

“Thank you very much, Lady Hephaestus!” Bell gave her a full bow at the waist. He was beaming at being accepted by the Familia he’d wanted to join for so long!

“Mhmm,” Hephaestus giggled softly at seeing how excited he was. When was the last time someone other than a Smith had wanted to join her Familia? She wasn’t sure she even recalled the last time. She had Familia members that managed her various stores, acted as Supporters for her Smiths when they went into the Dungeon to collect materials and such. But an actual Adventurer in her Familia…she hadn’t had one that she could recall. “I’ll need to see your bare back to give you my Falna.” She brought a pair of stools from the corner to the center of the room where Bell was.

“Yes, Goddess.” Bell slipped off his jacket and then pulled his black shirt over his head. He sat down when Hephaestus patted the stool in front of the one that she was sitting on.

“This won’t take too long. I have plenty of practice.” Hephaestus smiled to ease any nerves Bell might be feeling.

She lightly cut the tip of her index finger with a small letter opener from her desk. Placing her finger on to his back made a blue light begin to emit from Bell’s skin. Hephaestus easily went through the process of granting Bell her Blessing. A place for his name, his level, his Basic Abilities, a place for Skills to manifest, another for Developmental Abilities, and with some surprise, three slots for Magic were able to be added. With the Falna complete, Hephaestus pushed a tiny scrap of her Divinity into it and watched her Falna appear on Bell’s back like a tattoo. It was with some surprise that she noticed she wasn’t done yet.

“A Skill?” Hephaestus had only seen this a handful of times before. A Skill manifesting while applying the Falna. She wouldn’t be able to reject this one, even if it was a negative Skill. The ones that appeared when the Falna was placed couldn’t be rejected after all. “Eh?” Hephaestus was perfectly fine with a Skill appearing, it had happened before, however rare, but seeing Magic appear right off the bat as well was more than surprising! “What are these two?” She looked at the Magic first and blinked at seeing Fire Enchant Magic in Bell’s Falna. Looking at the Skill, she couldn’t help but be curious. They fit together so well…just how powerful was Bell’s desire to wield fire? Shaking her head, she wrote the Magic and the Skill into Bell’s Falna and then the blue glow faded away. “One last part, and I think you’ll be surprised.” Hephaestus placed a blank piece of paper from her desk on Bell’s back. A quick twirl of her finger on the paper and Bell’s new Falna copied over.

“What would I be surprised about, Goddess?” Bell looked over his shoulder at Hephaestus as he accepted the paper from her. When he looked at it, a smile appearing at seeing his own Blessing for the first time, he was indeed startled when he got to the parts about Magic and Skills.

-Status-

Bell Cranel

Level 1

Strength – I 0

Defense – I 0

Dexterity – I 0

Agility – I 0

Magic – I 0

-Magic-

Kindle – Fire Magic – Enchantment

Incantation: ‘Ignite’

-Skills-

Megáli Flóga – Provides protection from heat-based Magics and makes all Fire Magics the user casts use less Mind while significantly increasing their power.

-Status-

“Eh?!” Bell gaped in shock at seeing his Magic and Skill.

“Did I have a Demi-God child and somehow not remember it?” Hephaestus mumbled to herself under her breath. Bell was like an offshoot of her Domain of Fire. For such a combo of Magic and Skill to appear right off the bat meant that Bell had to have an insanely high desire to wield fire for a good portion of his life. ‘Well, that or be blessed by a Great Spirit of Fire…but the Great Spirits aren’t around anymore.’ By the time that the Deities had descended to Gekai, the Great Spirits had almost entirely vanished already. No one had heard of one being seen in almost a thousand years now.

“G-Goddess Hephaestus…is this…is this real?!” Bell looked between his first Status and his new Goddess.

“Yes, Bell, it’s real.” Hephaestus smiled at him. “You have Fire Magic and a supporting Skill. Congratulations on surprising me. This is the first time I’ve seen Magic appear as soon as I gave my Blessing to someone.”

“Thank you, Goddess Hephaestus!” Bell bowed low to his Goddess in thanks. He never thought his long-held dream of using Fire Magic would come true so soon!

“We’ll need to see how strong your Fire Enchantment is.” Hephaestus mentioned, a grin on her lips at Bell’s bowing. “With your Skill boosting it, the weapons and armor that the Guild gives to new Adventurers may not cut it at all.” To be fair, even the stuff made by members of their Familia may not be strong enough unless made by a more experienced Smith. It all depended on just how powerful Bell’s Magic was.

“Right now?” Bell questioned as he straightened up.

“We’ll move to a safer location first.” Hephaestus shook her head. “Can’t have you burning down my office now, can I?”

“No, ma’am.” Bell shook his head quickly.

The two left Hephaestus’s office after Bell put his shirt and jacket back on. It was a relatively short walk to get outside into a large, mostly stone courtyard. Not seeing anything flammable around, Hephaestus nodded to herself. This would do for the first test of Bell’s Magic. Bell, seeing Hephaestus’s observant look, took a deep breath to settle himself before speaking the incantation to his Magic for the first time.

“Ignite!” Bell called and his entire body was covered in a cloak of orange flames. A heat haze rose from the flames that surrounded his body and Bell marveled that he only felt pleasantly warm from the strong fire that he was covered in.

“I see…” Hephaestus hadn’t taken long to look Bell’s Magic over. She walked closer until the heat started to make her feel warm. Considering that she was the Goddess of the Forge, along with Fire and Volcanos, her tolerance for heat was much higher than most. “Definitely too strong for Average Grade equipment. You’d scorch it in short order.”

“So, what should I do?” Bell released his Magic, which turned out to be as easy as thinking about it.

“Come with me, we’ll go talk to one of the best Smiths in our Familia.” Hephaestus chuckled as she led Bell back inside. She was sure that the Captain of her Familia would take a liking to their newest member.

The pair walked through the large work area for repair orders again. Bell still marveling a bit at how much work was being done simultaneously by his new Familia. They entered a hallway, went through a door that led outside, and then walked a decent distance until they got to a large building. Knocking on the door, Hephaestus didn’t even wait for an answer before she opened it and motioned for Bell to follow her inside.

The inside was packed with various weapons, everything from knives and swords, to spears, halberds, and axes. All different types and styles that Bell couldn’t even hope to name. But he could tell that they were all quality weapons, even with his novice eyes. A sound that Bell was vaguely familiar with, the sharpening of a blade, was heard as they walked deeper into the large smithy. When they came upon the one sharpening the weapon, a straight sword, Bell felt his cheeks heat up a bit.

“Tsubaki.” Hephaestus spoke loud enough to get the woman’s attention.

“Hmm? Oh! Lady Hephaestus! How long has it been?” Tsubaki questioned with a bright smile for her Goddess. Tsubaki had brown skin, long black hair in a ponytail, red eyes, and wore an eyepatch over her left eye, similar to Hephaestus, except for covering the opposite eye. She was very blessed when it came to her figure, having large breasts which she kept wrapped with sarashi. It wasn’t just her breasts though, she had toned arms with notable muscle when they flexed as she moved, a trim and toned body, with wide hips giving her an ‘hourglass’ figure. Her clothing was rather simple, being just a pair of a red hakama and black sandals.

‘I don’t think that’s normal blacksmithing attire.’ Bell thought to himself, but Tsubaki seemed to do just fine with it.

“It was the day before yesterday, Tsubaki.” Hephaestus reminded her Familia’s Captain with a playful sigh.

“Right, right.” Tsubaki chuckled before noticing Bell. “Who’s this?” Her visible eye focused on the teen, eyeing up his white hair, rubellite eyes, his height, build, everything.

“This is Bell Cranel, our newest member. He wants to be an Adventurer for the Familia, so I’d like you to forge him some starting equipment.” Hephaestus placed her hand atop Bell’s head and gently patted his white hair with a small smile. “Bell, this is the Captain of my Familia, Tsubaki Collbrande.” Bell gave the woman a polite bow, not having expected to meet the Captain right away.

“Couldn’t anyone do that?” Tsubaki looked curious at Hephaestus’s request, before her gaze returned to Bell. He was cute! Tsubaki already wanted to hug him. It was a ‘bad habit’ of hers according to some people. But she liked to hug cute guys, like Finn Deimne the Captain of the Loki Familia.

“He has a Fire Enchant Magic that would destroy regular weapons, so we need something stronger than that, but not too strong.” Hephaestus informed her best Smith.

“Right, right, don’t want to stunt his growth.” Tsubaki nodded with a smile. “Well, I’ll need his measurements to make him the best fitting starting gear. Come over here, Bell.” She motioned him over with that same bright grin. Bell walked over, only to be pulled into a hug. “I don’t mind making him some equipment, since he’s such a cute bunny!”

“Bnuuy?!” Bell’s muffled voice called out; his face pressed into Tsubaki’s large bosom because of the hug. His entire face was burning red at being smothered by the beautiful woman’s tits.

“Let him breathe, Tsubaki.” Hephaestus reminded the Half-Dwarf with a shake of her head.

“Hah…” Bell took a deep breath when he was released, but his face was still burning red and he had a dopey little grin on his lips. He was a young man after all!

“Alright, let’s get your measurements so that I know the appropriate size for your gear.” Tsubaki grabbed a tape measure and gestured for Bell to stand up straight with his arms held fully extended to each side.

“Thank you very much, Miss Collbrande.” Bell thanked his new Captain for taking the time to make his starting equipment personally.

“It’s ‘Tsubaki’ for you, adorable bunny!” Tsubaki couldn’t help herself and hugged him again, once more nearly burying his face into her breasts.

“Bnuuy?!” Bell’s exclamation was muffled again. Was she always going to call him a bunny? Sure, he understood, his looks were sort of reminiscent of a rabbit’s (the girls in his old village had certainly mentioned it before) but he wasn’t that similar looking, right?

“Tsubaki…” Hephaestus spoke up a moment later, Bell wasn’t struggling to escape (like he would even try) but the new equipment wouldn’t forge itself.

“Right, sorry, he’s just so cute!” Tsubaki beamed at the still recovering Bell. She started to measure him with all the seriousness of a professional. All he had to do was stand still and maintain his posture so that the measurements were accurate. Once the measurements were done and written down for Tsubaki to reference as she worked, the next question came up. “So, Bell, what type of weapon do you want?” Tsubaki asked him directly. “As you can probably tell, I can make whatever you’re comfortable with.” She motioned around the room to all of her various creations.

“Well, I have some experience learning the sword from my grandpa.” Bell told her, a look of fond memories in his ruby eyes.

“A sword, huh?” Tsubaki rubbed her chin for a second. “Alright then, I’ll make you one of these.” She pointed to her own personal sword sitting on its rack on a shelf nearby. It was a katana, a sword of the Far East, and one that Tsubaki had a lot of experience with. “Once it’s complete, I’ll even teach you how best to use it.” She smiled at Bell brightly.

“Th-Thank you very much, Miss…” Bell stopped when he saw Tsubaki almost pout at him. “Tsubaki.” He finished and the Half-Dwarf was all smiles again.

“No problem, little bunny.” Tsubaki grinned, looking like she was going to hug him again.

“Tsubaki, I’m going to take Bell away now so that you can focus.” Hephaestus pulled Bell out of Tsubaki’s reach. There was an amused look on Hephaestus’s face as she did so. The interactions between Bell and Tsubaki would definitely be entertaining to say the least.

“Give me three days, I’ll have it all ready by then.” Tsubaki shrugged at having Bell taken away. There was work to be done now, she’d hug the adorable bunny later.

“Come with me, Bell, I’ll show you your room here at the Familia Home.” Hephaestus smiled at the teen as they left Tsubaki’s smithy.

“Thank you, Goddess.” Bell was happy to have found a place in Orario so soon. The fact that it was in Hephaestus Familia only made it better!

-Three Days Later-

Over the last few days, Bell had moved into his new room at his Familia’s Home. It wasn’t huge, but it was comfortable and had more than enough space for a single person. He had a nice bed, a sturdy desk and chair, a wardrobe for his clothes, and the bathroom was at the end of the hall, so it was close enough. There was even a window with a view out over some of the rooftops nearby.

He’d also finished his registration as an Adventurer with the Guild. Miss Misha had been helpful and made the process easy. Then she’d taken him through a required course on the Dungeon (especially the Upper Floors where he’d be adventuring for the foreseeable future), he learned about the Monsters that appeared, how to deal with them, and where their Magic Stones were located. Misha even gave him some basic tips and advice on the types of things he should carry on his person while in the Dungeon, both for efficiency and in case of emergencies.

“There you are, Bell!” Tsubaki grinned at him as soon as he entered her workshop.

“Good morning, Tsubaki.” Bell had to drop the ‘Miss’ at Tsubaki’s insistence.

“I’ve got your starting gear ready.” Tsubaki motioned to the table she was standing next to. “Come look at it.”

Bell headed over, eager to see his new equipment, and was instantly stunned by what he saw. There was black clothing and light armor for his chest, back, shoulders, forearms, hips, and shins in a silvery color. Next to the armor was a katana, shiny and with a distinct hamon pattern on the blade. The oval-shaped tsuba was a dull brass color without ornamentation of any kind. The hilt was wrapped in the traditional style with a purple cloth, but Bell wasn’t sure if it was cotton or some other material. And the kashira was a matching dull brass color to the tsuba. The simple brown scabbard lying next to the katana was plain, but would clearly do the job of holding the sword. While none of the equipment looked super-pricy or screamed of costing a fortune like some of the weapons and armor he’d seen in the Hephaestus shops over the last few days, he could still tell that this was quality equipment.

“This is amazing, Tsubaki!’ Bell beamed at the equipment.

“Of course, I made it myself.” Tsubaki chuckled at Bell’s excitement.

“Can I ask what the clothes are for?” Bell pointed at the black long-sleeved shirt and the black pants.

“I had an acquaintance of mine make these for you.” Tsubaki ran her hand over the shirt. “They’re fire resistant, so they should survive your Magic when you use it.” She gave him a teasing grin. “Unless, of course, you wanted to come back home nearly naked from the Dungeon every day?”

“No!” Bell shook his head rapidly. “Thank you for looking out for me, Tsubaki!” Bell bowed to her over and over again.

“Hahahahaha!” Tsubaki burst out laughing at Bell’s reaction. She couldn’t help it. He was just too much right now. “Calm down, little bunny, you’ll be fine.” She waved off his worries. “You can get more of these made once you start making money in the Dungeon.” She patted the shirt and then the pants. “Your normal clothes will last for a short exposure to your Magic, but give it a bit of time and they’ll burn right off your body. Enchantment Magic that effects the body can be hard on clothing, so precautions need to be taken.”

“I see.” Bell nodded at the explanation. It made sense after all. It was Enchantment Magic, but the thing being enchanted needed to be able to survive the Magic.

“Speaking of the Dungeon though.” Tsubaki looked at Bell with a smirk. “I said I’d train you in how to use this sword. But how about you let me put you through the ringer for a couple of days? That way I can teach you a bit of hand-to-hand and we can raise your stats a bit before you head into the Dungeon for the first time?”

“Th-Through the ringer?” Bell felt sweat break out on his forehead. Tsubaki was strong, not just because she was a Level 5 either. As a Half-Dwarf, a mix between Dwarf and Human, she was blessed with the hardiness and raw power of her Dwarven ancestors. Even if she didn’t have a Falna, she could toss around grown men without trouble, if she wanted to. “Will I be, okay?” He couldn’t help but ask.

“Of course!” Tsubaki grinned as her visible eye was shadowed by her hair. “You’ll survive and you’ll be stronger for it, little bunny.” She cracked her knuckles and Bell gulped.

“Can I try my armor and learn how to use the katana first?” Bell requested, hoping to delay the beatdown he knew he’d be going through.

“Sure! I wanted to see how it fit you anyway!” Tsubaki was smiling brightly again as she loaded Bell’s arms with the armor and nearly shoved him into a corner that she’d stacked some crates around to create a makeshift room.

Bell changed quickly, putting on the black clothes, then placing on the armor piece by piece. He grinned as he looked himself over in his new gear. ‘I really look like an Adventurer!’ He put the sheathed katana through a part of the cloth at the waist of the pants that was tailor-made to hold it steady. With a smile he walked back into the workshop to let Tsubaki look him over.

“Hmm, let’s see.” Tsubaki was in full professional mode as she looked over every piece of the armor. Checking the fit, making sure it was properly strapped to Bell, and noting down anything that she believed could be better for next time. “Alright, I did pretty good work this time, if I do say so myself.” The Smith grinned at the fully-equipped Bell.

“It fits me like a glove, Tsubaki! Thank you very much!” Bell thanked her with a beaming smile.

“Right?” Tsubaki returned his smile with one of her own. “Now…” The scary look returned. “Let me show you how to use it!”

“Y-Yes, ma’am…” Bell agreed and walked out of the smithy with her to begin training for the next few days. He had a feeling that she wouldn’t go easy on him.

He didn’t know just how accurate his prediction would be.

“Show me that Fire Magic of yours, Bell!” Tsubaki declared as she unsheathed her own katana with a grin. Bell proved he had some experience with a sword (a wooden one at least) as he’d taken to the basics of the katana easily. Now, it was time to make sure her creations could stand up to his Magic.

“Ignite.” Bell spoke the one-word incantation and his body was alight with flames in an instant. The orange fire surrounded him protectively and with a thought, the blade of his sword was surrounded by the flames as well.

“Woo…you’re putting out some good heat there, Bell!” Tsubaki laughed as she felt the rise in temperature while she faced him. “Remind me that I can use you as a backup forge if mine needs to be repaired.” She joked, making Bell nearly face-fault.

“Here I come, Tsubaki!” Bell announced as he moved forward to close the distance.

“Come on, little bunny!” Tsubaki had a wide grin as she prepared herself to meet Bell head on. A swing of her sword to block his first strike sent Bell stumbling back. With a laugh she moved in, not giving him any room for respite. The best way to teach was the direct way! Their weapons clashed again and Bell nearly lost his footing, but he pushed back as best he could, refusing to go down easily.

-Hours Later-

“Really, Tsubaki?” Hephaestus sighed as Bell was drinking a Low Potion to heal the injuries he’d gotten while sparring. “You couldn’t ease up just a bit more?”

“Sorry, boss, but he has a fire in him that’s just as hot as the one he conjures! He got me worked up a bit.” Tsubaki rubbed the back of her head with a grin.

“I’m okay.” Bell smiled once the swelling and bruises on his face healed up under the potion’s effect. “I feel like I learned a lot during our sparring.”

“Don’t over do it though.” Hephaestus shook her head while pricking her finger to draw a little blood. “Having to drink a potion after every spar isn’t a good thing.” She touched Bell’s bare back and the blue glow appeared as his Falna reappeared on his back. “Now, let’s see.” She watched his newly acquired Excelia and let it grow his stats according to what he’d done during his training with Tsubaki. “Yeah…you should ease up a bit more Tsubaki, you’re Level 5, remember that.” The redhead looked over at her Captain with a deadpan expression.

“Yes, boss.” Tsubaki looked off to the side even as she agreed.

“That said, sparring with such a high-level Adventurer does have its benefits.” Hephaestus admitted while copying over the newly updated Status. “See for yourself, Bell.” She handed him the paper with a gentle smile.

“Thank you, Goddess.” Bell accepted the paper, eager to see his first steps of growth.

-Status-

Bell Cranel

Level 1

Strength – I 0 > I 5

Defense – I 0 > I 22

Dexterity – I 0 > I 8

Agility – I 0 > I 7

Magic – I 0 > I 12

-Magic-

Kindle – Fire Magic – Enchantment

Incantation: ‘Ignite’

-Skills-

Megáli Flóga – Provides protection from heat-based Magics and makes all Fire Magics the user casts use less Mind while significantly increasing their power.

-Status-

“Wow, my Defense is already over twenty points.” Bell blinked at the much higher increase than his other stats. “I guess getting tossed around was good for something.” He let out a mirthless chuckle, his face blank.

Tsubaki notably looked off to the side at that revelation. Maybe she should take it a little easier tomorrow?

“You’ve made your first progress, Bell.” Hephaestus gave him a warm smile. “Keep giving it your all and you’ll only get better.”

“Yes, Lady Hephaestus!” Bell nodded resolutely. Sure, the sparring was tough, but he’d grown quite a bit in just one day! He wouldn’t give up! Heroes didn’t back down! ‘I will be a Hero!’ He declared to himself once more. No matter how hard it was, or how long it took, he would reach his dream!

And maybe on the way he’d get the harem that his grandfather had always liked to talk about? Bell forced that thought to the back of his mind quickly, but that didn’t stop his eyes from being drawn to Tsubaki. She was a beautiful and affectionate woman. He couldn’t help it if he wanted to impress her and someday be her equal, right?

-Two Days Later-

“I feel like I’m talking to a child that won’t listen, you know?” Hephaestus sighed as Bell smiled through his bruised face. “What am I going to do with you, Bell?” She gently ran her hand through his white hair, much like a mother would for their child.

“I want to do well, Goddess.” Bell admitted as Hephaestus began to update his Status. “I want to get stronger.”

“I know, Bell.” Hephaestus understood his desire. Wanting to improve was quintessential for any path in life. Adventurer, Smith, Architect, Farmer, Tailor, Mage, Bard, and everything else. No path wished for stagnation. “But there are better ways than egging Tsubaki on and getting beaten around the courtyard.” She chided him after watching his Excelia and then moving it to grow his Falna further.

“But I am improving a lot.” Bell spoke up, only to shut up when he saw the deadpan look on Hephaestus’s face. “Sorry.”

“Here, you’re improving well, especially since you haven’t been into the Dungeon yet.” Hephaestus grinned, glad that her look alone had conveyed her thoughts on his previous statement. She was starting to feel like a surrogate mother to her newest ‘child’.

“Thank you, Goddess.” Bell accepted the paper with a nervous grin. He didn’t want to disappoint Hephaestus after all.

-Status-

Bell Cranel

Level 1

Strength – I 18 > I 25

Defense – I 44 > I 60

Dexterity – I 16 > I 24

Agility – I 14 > I 21

Magic – I 24 > I 36

-Magic-

Kindle – Fire Magic – Enchantment

Incantation: ‘Ignite’

-Skills-

Megáli Flóga – Provides protection from heat-based Magics and makes all Fire Magics the user casts use less Mind while significantly increasing their power.

-Status-

“You think I’m ready for the Dungeon, Lady Hephaestus?” Bell looked over at his Goddess after taking in the new info.

“I’m sure you’re more than ready for the First Floor, Bell.” Hephaestus smiled at him, before gently running her hand through his white hair. “Just be careful, and listen to Liliruca, okay?”

“Yes, Goddess.” Bell nodded, finding it oddly soothing when Hephaestus did this. Liliruca Arde was another Hephaestus Familia member and had agreed to be his Supporter. He had only met her once, so far, but the Prum girl seemed friendly enough. When she wasn’t being a Supporter for the Familia, she helped as a clerk at the store on the eighth floor of Babel Tower.

-Next Day ~ Dungeon-

“Are you ready, Bell?” Lili questioned, hefting the large backpack on her back. The green pack was bigger than she was, and yet she carried it seemingly without issue. She was a cute girl, brunette hair and brown eyes, with a lovely figure. She wore a cloak over her outfit for protection in the Dungeon. But he’d seen what she was wearing earlier. A white shirt that left a bit of her midriff exposed, a red skirt that went down to just past mid-thigh, black stockings and sturdy leather shoes. “Lili won’t get in your way, but if you’re in real danger she’ll step in.”

“Thank you, Lili.” Bell smiled at her thankfully. “You’re Level 2, right?”

“Yes, Lili leveled up after joining Hephaestus Familia from her previous Familia.” Lili nodded as they entered Babel Tower and started walking down the long spiral staircase that led to the first floor of the Dungeon. “Lili’s Title is ‘Callidus’ but she’s not well known in Orario or anything.”

“Still, you made it to Level 2 and got a Title, that’s impressive.” Bell complimented her as they continued to walk. He wondered which Familia had been Lili’s former one, but the way she purposefully avoided naming it made Bell think she didn’t leave on good terms.

“Lili is hopeful to make it to Level 3 someday.” Lili admitted to the newest member of her Familia. “But that’s easier said than done.”

“I don’t think I’ll need to worry about leveling up for a while.” Bell chuckled and Lili cracked a smile at the idea of a newbie planning to level up.

“Here we are.” Lili stopped just at the entrance of the Dungeon. “The first floor shouldn’t be too much of a problem, especially since you have Magic.”

“I’ll do my best!” Bell promised as the duo walked down the flight of stairs that took them into the Dungeon proper.

The duo walked with the larger group of Adventurers for a bit. Lili eventually directed him down a side path. With her experience, Bell was led to an out of the way area of the First Floor. It only took Bell a moment to realize what Lili was doing for him. By taking him this far, he effectively had all the Monsters in this area to himself. It was a perfect chance to try out what he’d learned and practice against real threats.

“Grah!” A Goblin growled as Bell stepped into a cavern and the two caught each other’s eyes.

“Grrrah!”

“Nragh!”

“Kagrh!”

The Goblin wasn’t alone though. A small group of them, five in total, were in the cavern together. The Monsters wasted no time as they charged towards the new Adventurer with their sharp little claws raised and ready to strike.

“Ignite!” Bell incanted as he drew his sword. The fire surrounded him and seemed to startle the Goblins for a second. When his blade was wreathed in flames as well, the little green Monsters were back to charging him. “Hyah!” He swung his katana in a wide slash sending a large wave of fire forward.

“Gaaarrrggghhh!!!” The Goblins were swallowed up by the flames and screeched in pain for a scant few seconds before going silent. What was left behind after the flames cleared were five burned Goblin corpses.

“I did it.” Bell blinked at slaying all five at once. “Lili! I did it!” He turned to the Supporter with a bright smile.

“That was very good, Bell.” Lili praised him with a grin. “Now comes my job.” She pulled out a good quality knife and moved over to the dead Goblins. In quick succession she cut open each Goblin’s chest and retrieved the small Magic Stone inside. The five small stones went into a pouch and Lili stood up as the bodies of the Monsters began to disintegrate into white ash after having their Magic Stones removed. “All done.” She nodded and Bell took the lead again, walking further into the Dungeon.

“Grrrrr!” A Kobold rushed them almost as soon as they entered the next corridor.

“Take this!” Bell didn’t cloak himself in flames this time, focusing his Magic solely onto his blade. Something he’d learned to do after Tsubaki suggested it. The Kobold faired no better than the Goblins. Bell’s katana slashed the Monster open and engulfed it in flames a split second later.

“You have a good Magic there, Bell.” Lili complimented as she retrieved the Kobold’s Magic Stone. “Lili has heard of Elemental Enchantment Magic before, but yours seems especially powerful.”

“It’s actually being boosted by a Skill of mine.” Bell admitted, still being vague as any Adventurer would be in the Dungeon. It was better not to spread around any specifics of your Status or exactly what your Skills did.

“Ah, that makes sense.” Lili accepted his words easily. Skills were so varied that they could do almost anything. Even the Deities could be surprised by new Skills appearing among the ‘children’ that they had in their Familias.

“Let’s keep going.” Bell was eager to make some progress on his growth today. So long as he kept doing his best and pushing forward, then one day he’d reach his greatest desire of being a Hero. He wouldn’t give up, no matter how long the path was!

The first floor of the Dungeon would see a lot of fire this day. Even Lili was surprised when nearly fifty Monsters met their end at Bell’s Magic. She was even more surprised when he continued to fight on, even when his Mind started running low and he had to stop using his Magic. Bell put everything Tsubaki had shown him to good use, swordplay, hand-to-hand, whatever he needed to do to win against the Goblins and Kobolds of the first floor. Lili continued to collect the Magic Stones easily, making a mental note that Bell had slain ninety-seven Monsters on his first day when she collected the last Magic Stone.

-Guild Exchange-

“Your Magic Stones were worth 7,862 Valis, have a nice day.” The man behind the glass of the exchange window nodded to Bell and Lili as the tray with the money was pushed back onto their side.

“Thank you, sir.” Bell picked up the coins and headed over to a table to separate them into his share and Lili’s share.

“You still need to make your report, right?” Lili questioned as Bell was counting out the Valis.

“Yeah, I’ll do it after this.” Bell nodded as he continued to separate the coins. “There we go, that’s 3,931 Valis for Lili.” He pushed her half to her with a smile. “And 3,931 Valis for me.” He scooped them into his money pouch with a grin. If he kept up this pace, he’d have a nice amount saved up in short order.

“Are you available tomorrow, Lili?” Bell asked the Prum that he hoped to be friends with soon.

“Yes, tomorrow isn’t a problem.” Lili agreed to be his Supporter again with a nod. Bell was easy enough to get along with, and he didn’t argue over the loot like some Adventurers did. It had happened to her a lot less since Soma Familia had nearly been disbanded, but even some of the Hephaestus Familia Smiths that went into the Dungeon to retrieve materials could be a bit stingy when it came to cashing in the Magic Stones.

“Thank you, Lili.” Bell gave her a smile of thanks for her agreement to help. He knew that she wouldn’t be available every day, she did have another job with their Familia after all. But she was clearly an experienced Supporter and she made things easier and more efficient in the Dungeon. If she decided to be his Supporter full-time, then they could potentially form a Party and eventually delve deeper into the Dungeon. But for now, since he was still a newbie, he’d take whatever help he could get.

The two parted ways as Bell headed over to give his report for the day. Miss Misha had been assigned to him as his Dungeon Advisor, so Bell was happy to have a friendly face that he knew already. He would invest in a fire-resistant backpack as soon as he had the money. That way he’d be able to dungeon crawl even on days when Lili was working at the shop instead. With that plan made, he sat down across from Misha and began to tell her about his first day in the Dungeon.

-Guild Backroom-

“Can you believe this?!” Misha showed Bell’s first report to the other Advisors. “He took out almost a hundred Monsters on his first day!”

“Are you sure he wasn’t lying?” A different Advisor questioned the pink-haired young woman.

“You think I can’t tell when an Adventurer is lying?” Misha narrowed her eyes at her colleague. “Besides, he got the number from his Supporter who collected all the Magic Stones. It’s not like he’s making up numbers off the top of his head.”

“I can confirm.” The man from the exchange window spoke up from his desk nearby. “Those two turned in exactly ninety-seven small Magic Stones.” He took a sip of his drink. “Not sure how much the Supporter helped, but the numbers match up.”

“That’s so many for a first day though.” One Advisor looked impressed. “We may have another meteoric rise like the Kenki about to happen.”

“You think he’ll level up in just a year?”

“Don’t be crazy, that only happens with the exceptionally talented.”

“But it does happen! And it’s been eight years since the Kenki broke the record. Maybe we’re due for another one?”

“Anybody want to start taking bets on it?”

And like that, yet another betting pool was started among the Guild Staff.

-Hephaestus Familia Home-

“I’m back.” Bell greeted his Familia members that were lounging around in one of the common areas in their large home.

“Welcome back, newbie.”

“Hey, Bell.”

“You had dinner yet?”

“We’re going to start up a round of cards later, feel free to join in.”

Bell smiled at how welcoming his large Familia was. He didn’t know everyone’s name, he may never honestly, there were hundreds of Familia members after all. But they all treated each other well and tried to look after each other. It was like living in a village again. But a bit bigger than his old one.

“You hear that Crozzo the Defective went another month without a sale?”

“Again? I don’t get him.”

“Right? If you have a talent like that, use it.”

“It’s so dumb.”

Bell grimaced slightly as he headed up the stairs. He knew there was a supposedly talented Smith in the Familia that was ridiculed for not using some talent he had. Bell wasn’t sure what it was, but the guy refused to use this talent and a lot of the other Smiths gave him crap for it. Bell couldn’t say one way or another, but if the Smith didn’t want to use his talent or whatever it was, then maybe they had a good reason? Other people ridiculing him probably didn’t make him want to use it either.

“Maybe I’ll ask Tsubaki about it later.” Bell spoke aloud as he entered his room and began to remove his armor. Right now, the first thing he wanted was a bath. Then he’d get some dinner in him, he was getting pretty hungry. After that, he’d see about getting a Status Update from Hephaestus if she was available.

-End Chapter-

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I hope that you’ve enjoyed this pilot chapter. Once more a world in which Hestia never descended to Gekai. But Zeus made sure that Bell would want to join an Olympian Familia! Hephaestus just fits so well with a Bell that wants to wield Fire Magic.

Bell in Hephaestus Familia, but not a Smith? Odd, but interesting!

I hope you’re liking the changes too! Bell with Fire Enchant Magic, plus a Skill that boosts it! He’s like a little child of Hephaestus’s Fire Domain, isn’t he?

Lili is in Hephaestus Familia?! She’s already Level 2?! What was this about the near disbanding of Soma Familia?

For those of you curious, Megáli Flóga is Greek for ‘Great Flame’ and Lili’s Title ‘Callidus’ is Latin for ‘Clever’, because Lili is a clever Bean!

How will this Bell grow and develop on his path to become a Hero?

Well…I’ll give you a hint! A specific Bleach character inspired this version of Bell. A very old and powerful character. And Bell’s fire will continue to grow and will one day be similar! *Cackles in plans*

Let me know what you thought!

Until next time, later!