Danmachi - Demeter Familia Premise Chapter 1 (Patreon)

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. Please send help! But we’re REALLY changing things up again! Breaking Canon like it’s spun sugar! The major change as before applies, Hestia never descended to Gekai! So, who takes in Bell this time? The secondary change to Bell’s upbringing were the stories that Zeus told him alongside the Heroic Tales! With a little tweaking, Zeus told Bell of his own exploits from Greek Mythology! That might just have an effect on Bell’s dreams and desires going forward!

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So, without further delay, please enjoy.

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Chapter 1 – The Boy with a Thunderous Dream

“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. “I like the Lightning God! He led the charge against the Titans! 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 another story about the Lightning God!”

“Really?!” Bell’s excited face made his grandfather laugh.

-Present Day ~ Orario-

“Hmm?” Bell sat up in the small bed. He blinked a few times, looking around the little room he was renting at the cheap inn. “Another dream.” He sighed wistfully as he tossed off the blanket and got out of bed.

It seemed like so long ago now, but was only a couple months in reality. Bell had lost his grandfather in an accident while the village men were out on a hunt. The sudden appearance of a horde of Goblins had forced the hunters to fight for their lives. Bell’s grandfather had fallen from the nearby cliff and disappeared into the deep valley below. The hunters had returned, injured and worn, but the news they brought with them had shattered Bell.

It had taken weeks before he’d been able to mourn completely, and grieve for his loss properly. But he’d eventually had no more tears to shed and he knew his grandfather wouldn’t want him to be sad forever. Reading over the Hero Tales that his grandfather had written and illustrated in his spare time, Bell knew what he was going to do. He’d collected the books, a few other meaningful keepsakes, and then sold everything else to the other villagers. With some of that money he’d bought passage on a merchant caravan headed for Orario, the Dungeon City.

During the multi-week trip, Bell had spent time talking with the merchants and their guards. He told the Heroic Tales he’d memorized as a child and even the stories of the Lightning God that he’d liked. The men of the caravan laughed and made comments about the promiscuous activities of the God, which made Bell blush faintly. His grandpa had only told him the more ‘child-friendly’ version until he'd come of age at fifteen. At eighteen, he could tell the tales without a problem, but listening to the lewd and almost vulgar comments of the group of men got to him just a bit.

Orario had lived up to its moniker of ‘The Center of the World’ for sure. Bell had nearly gawked at seeing the sprawling city. Humans, Cat People, Elves, Chienthropes, Dwarves, Hume Bunnies, Prums, Raccoon People, Amazons, and Beastmen of more types than Bell knew existed all lived together in the only Dungeon City in the world. You could truly find at least small traces of nearly every culture in the world here. After his initial reaction, he’d gone to the Guild to register as an Adventurer and start on his path towards becoming a Hero.

But that had proven to be much harder than he’d initially thought.

To become an Adventurer, you needed a Falna, a God or Goddess’s Blessing. The Monsters in the Dungeon, the literal source of all Monsters in the world, were far stronger than the Monsters found on the surface. Being that most surface Monsters were mere offshoots -descendants for a different term- of Monsters that had escaped the Dungeon before Orario was built over it, that was understandable. The Guild wouldn’t let just anyone delve into the Dungeon and throw their life away.

So, Bell had set out to join a Familia. He of course tried all the big names first! Loki Familia, Freya Familia, Ganesha Familia, and a few others had turned him away at the door. They were large Familias and required new members to have something to offer the Familia first. Skills, Magic, Combat Experience, none of which a simple mountain villager like Bell possessed at all. His only experience growing up was farm work and some play fighting with the other village boys.

For over a week Bell had circled Orario looking for any Familia that would have him. He was denied time and time again. A few had literally slammed the door in his face! He was running out of Valis and would soon be unable to afford the cheap room he was renting. Once he ended up on the streets, he was certain that would be the end of his dreams to become an Adventurer, to become a Hero as his grandfather had always encouraged him.

“Hah…” Bell exhaled heavily as he thought over his situation while putting his boots on. “Come on! Don’t give up!” He shook the melancholy and doubt from his mind as best he could. He threw on his jacket and left the room, making sure it was locked behind him for safety.

-Hours Later-

‘Well…that’s another door slammed in my face.’ Bell couldn’t help but feel down. Even the smaller Familia wouldn’t give him a chance. He tried not to let the sadness and near despair show on his face, but it was impossible. Anyone that merely glanced at Bell would be able to tell he was near rock-bottom.

But Fate has an odd way of making things work out.

As Bell rounded a corner, his eyes on the ground dejectedly, he ran face first into something incredibly soft. A half-second later and he realized it wasn’t something…but two somethings! His rubellite eyes widened in shock as they looked up into the face of a beautiful woman. Then Bell’s brain actually registered the feeling that only Deities could produce, a Divine Aura.

“I’m so sorry, Goddess!” Bell had jumped back almost a meter and bowed at the waist as he apologized.

“Oh my,” The Goddess giggled, bringing her right hand up to cover her mouth. “It’s alright. I suppose neither of us was paying much attention.”

Like most Goddesses, she was gorgeous. This particular Goddess was a beautiful mature woman with long, wavy, golden, honey colored hair and orange eyes. She was incredibly well-endowed, Bell had faceplanted right into the largest breasts he’d ever seen in his life! But she was also blessed with a trim waist and wide hips that gave her a great figure. The Goddess was wearing a long, light pink dress with a gold belt around her waist. Bell was fairly certain that said simple-looking dress was still expensive just from looking at it.

“Are you alright?” The Goddess asked Bell gently, a soft look in her orange eyes. “You seem rather down.”

“Ah, no, I’m fine, Goddess.” Bell stood back up to his full height and tried to give her a smile. “I’m just new to Orario and I’m not having much luck finding a Familia. I want to be an Adventurer, but none of the Familias have any use for a guy from a mountain farming village.” He explained, knowing that no Mortal could lie to a Deity, Bell didn’t see much point in not answering her question properly.

“Is that so?” The Goddess giggled, showing him a beautiful smile that made his heart thump in his chest. “My Familia is made of farmers. We do feed most of Orario after all. I’d be more than happy to have you join us.”

It took about three seconds for Bell’s brain to process what the Goddess had just said to him. In that time, two things became clear to Bell. Firstly, he’d just been invited to join a Familia. Secondly, he now knew who this Goddess was just from what she’d said.

“Lady Demeter?!” Bell gaped in an odd mix of shock and excitement. “A-Are you sure that you want someone like me?” After so many rejections, Bell felt like he had to ask.

“Of course.” Demeter giggled at his look. “What’s your name?”

“Bell! Bell Cranel, Goddess!” Bell bowed to her again as he introduced himself.

“Well, Bell, walk me back to my Familia’s home and I’ll make you one of my own.” Demeter offered her arm to him with a smile. Bell fought against his nerves, defeated them, and looped his arm through Demeter’s. The duo was off towards the Demeter Familia Home right away.

-Demeter Familia Home ~ Wheat Manor-

Bell was still stunned by the sheer size of the Demeter Familia’s home. On the walk here, Demeter had happily told him about her Familia. Most of her Children were Level 1 and were farmers. They owned most of the arable land right outside of Orario and farmed it to provide fresh produce for the city. All of their products were known to be high quality throughout Orario. And the Familia was of such size and wealth that they were classified as a C Rank Familia even though they were just a mercantile Familia.

“This is amazing, Lady Demeter.” Bell breathed out as he was led to a cozy room with a table and chairs in it. “Are you sure I can be an Adventurer instead of a farmer though?”

“Well, come the harvest time, I would like you to help out on the farm, of course.” Demeter turned one of the chairs around. “But other than that, I’m fine with you being an Adventurer. I’ve been blessed that my Captain, Persephone, has reached Level 3 and my strongest member is Level 4, even if she won’t stay here with us.” The adorable little pout Demeter made at that statement made Bell want to hug her. “Now, you’ll need to remove your jacket and shirt. I need to see your bare back to give you my Falna.” She patted the chair that she’d turned around for him to sit in.

“Yes, Goddess.” Bell did as he was asked; pulling off his jacket and shirt before sitting on the chair backwards, his arms resting on top of the backrest.

“This won’t take too long. I have plenty of practice.” Demeter smiled to ease any nerves Bell might be feeling. She sat in a chair behind him to begin the process of granting him her Blessing.

She gently pricked the tip of her index finger with a needle she had gotten from a small box on the table. Placing her finger on to his back made a blue light begin to emit from Bell’s skin. Demeter 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, Demeter pushed a tiny scrap of her Divinity into it and watched her Falna appear on Bell’s back like a tattoo. It depicted a sun shining its rays down onto stalks of wheat, with fruits and vegetables in a row beneath the wheat stalks. It was with some surprise that she noticed she wasn’t done yet.

“Magic?” Demeter murmured quietly to herself. It wasn’t unheard of for a Skill to manifest when giving a Falna to a person. It usually related to something they’d worked on for a very long time during the course of their life. Something the person was passionate about and had a great, overwhelming desire for. But this was the first time that Demeter had seen Magic appear right away. ‘Perhaps Bell will go down the path of a Mage? He didn’t seem the studious type though.’ She thought to herself as she wrote the Magic into the Falna and the blue glow faded away. “Just one more part, Bell.” Demeter gently placed a blank paper she’d taken from the table onto his back. A simple circle of her finger and the new Falna transferred over.

“Thank you, Goddess.” Bell smiled as he was handed his first Status ever.

-Status-

Bell Cranel

Level 1

Strength – I 0

Endurance – I 0

Dexterity – I 0

Agility – I 0

Magic – I 0

-Magic-

Caelum – Incantation: “Spark.” This Magic allows the user to imbue their body and weapons with Lightning Magic.

-Skills-

-

-Status-

“My Status…” Bell’s hands shook slightly as he read the paper. “My own Blessing.” He felt the tears of joy well up in the corners of his eyes. That was quickly blown away when he got to the Magic section. “Eh?!” Bell gaped in shock at seeing his Magic. “G-Goddess Demeter…is this…is this real?!” He looked between his Status and his new Goddess.

“Yes, Bell, it’s real.” Demeter giggled at his shock and excitement. “You have Lightning Magic. Congratulations! This is the first time I’ve seen Magic appear as soon as I gave my Blessing to someone.”

“Thank you, Goddess!” Bell bowed low to his Goddess in thanks. He never thought his long-held desire of using Lightning Magic like the God in his grandpa’s stories would actually happen!

“We’ll need to get you some proper gear so that you can start exploring the Dungeon.” Demeter nodded to herself as she thought about everything that Bell would need. “If you give me a day or so, I should be able to get Lunoire to help you out with picking up some good quality armor and weapons.”

“Lunoire?” Bell looked at his Goddess as he pulled his shirt back over his head.

“The Level 4 member I told you about.” Demeter smiled, though it quickly became the cute pout again. “The one that won’t live here with us because she thinks she wouldn’t fit in.” She shook her head and the smile returned to her face. “She has plenty of experience, so I know she’ll be able to help you.”

“I appreciate it, Goddess.” Bell smiled and gave her a bow.

“I’ll show you to your room, Bell, and then you can bring your things over.” Demeter stood up as Bell put his jacket back on. “Tonight, I’ll introduce you to everyone and we’ll have a big dinner to celebrate!” She clapped her hands in front of her and bounced a little on her heels. This motion did interesting things to her large bosom and drew Bell’s eyes, even when he tried not to look directly.

Bell’s room was nice enough. It was furnished with a nice bed, had a wardrobe for his clothes, a desk and chair, and even a window that let him see out into the large garden out back when he opened the curtains. The white-haired teen happily told Demeter he’d be back as he rushed out of the manor to go collect his few possessions from the cheap inn that he’d been staying at.

“He’s such an adorable rabbit.” Demeter giggled as she watched him rush away. ‘Having another member that’s strong would be a boon for my Familia.’ She thought to herself once Bell was out of sight. Demeter was nothing if not attentive, she often heard things or could tell when something was going on within Orario. A few strange things had happened in the last while and it made her worry a bit about the coming months. ‘He may not become strong right away, but he’ll be combat-focused, and that’ll help enough, I hope.’ Demeter sighed, looking up at the sky and wishing for the decent peace that Orario had settled into over the past few years to last a bit longer, if possible.

-The Next Day-

“Bell, this is Lunoire Faust.” Demeter introduced the strongest member of her Familia to the newest member.

“Hey,” Lunoire greeted Bell with a small wave. She was a beautiful girl with brown eyes and medium length brown hair. Her current clothing was a short-sleeved white shirt that left her midriff bare and a pair of khaki shorts that stopped just past mid-thigh. Her shirt was filled out nicely by her breasts and her curves were eye-catching. “Done staring?” She grinned at Bell noticing him looking her over.

“Ah, sorry…” Bell apologized with a bow of his head and a sheepish smile. “It just seems like all the women I’ve met in Demeter Familia have been beautiful.”

“Oh, aren’t you the smooth talker?” Lunoire leaned forward and grinned when Bell noticeably looked away so that he wouldn’t look at her visible cleavage.

“Isn’t he though?” Demeter’s laughter was beautiful and it made both Lunoire and Bell smile reflexively. “He complimented Persephone too. It was so cute.”

Persephone, the Captain of Demeter Familia, was actually very similar to Demeter in looks. Enough that Bell would almost mistake them for mother and daughter, or even sisters if he didn’t know better. The biggest difference between them was that Persephone was slightly shorter than Demeter and not so blessed in the figure. Not to say that she wasn’t curvy, but Demeter really was hard to compete with.

“We’re just getting Bell some good starting gear, right?” Lunoire looked between Demeter and Bell. “I can show him a good shop. No problem.” It was rare for Demeter to ask anything of her, even something simple like this. She wouldn’t let down the Goddess that had helped her find peace in her life.

“Thank you for helping, Lunoire.” Demeter smiled and gently embraced the girl.

“It’s nothing, Demeter.” Lunoire mumbled into the hug, enjoying the warmth.

“Thank you very much, Miss Lunoire.” Bell smiled at her in thanks.

“Sure thing, smooth talker, follow me.” Lunoire grinned as she walked out of the manor.

“M-Miss Lunoire!” Bell followed after her, really hoping that she wouldn’t introduce him to anyone like that.

-Hephaestus Familia Shop ~ 8th Floor of Babel Tower-

“Nuh uh,” Lunoire shook her head with a flat look at Bell. “Greatswords clearly aren’t for you.”

“I guess not.” Bell sighed, setting the heavy weapon back down. The large sword had been liftable without much trouble, but Bell didn’t feel confident enough to swing it. He was fairly certain he’d hit something else in the process. ‘But a Hero that wields a greatsword is a really striking image.’ He lamented in his mind.

“Try a regular sword first.” Lunoire smiled at him, handing him a sword that looked good to her.

“I guess so,” Bell accepted the sheathed sword and looked at the plain black scabbard. The hilt was simple, bound in leather. The guard was a nearly black circular disk with no ornamentation, and the pommel was capped with matching metal that could probably be used to strike something if absolutely necessary. Drawing the sword, he saw that it was a simple straight sword with a single edge. “Hmm, it looks nice enough.” He gently checked the edge, like he used to do with the woodcutting axe back home. “Man, that’s sharp!” Bell grinned at the edge the simple sword had on it.

“It should be, it’s Superior Grade.” Lunoire pointed at the sign above the rack she’d taken the sword from. “That means it’s a step up from the Average Grade stuff most newbie Adventurers can afford. This one has a minor enchantment for durability.” She read off the tag hanging from the scabbard.

“I really need to thank Lady Demeter for the money she gave me.” Bell smiled as he thought about the Valis that Demeter had handed him with a smile. 50,000 Valis was nothing to sneeze at, and it would enable him to buy a full kit right away. “Let’s see…” Bell handed the scabbard to Lunoire and took the simple sword in both hands. He went through a few simple swings with it, overhead, left and right, and even did a few thrusts with it, since it had a sharp tip that was decent for stabbing. “It’s light enough, and it feels good in my hands. I like it.” He smiled at Lunoire for picking it out as he accepted the scabbard from her and sheathed the sword.

“No problem.” Lunoire waved it off, but smiled all the same. “That one is only 23,000 Valis too, so it’s within budget and should last you a while.” Looking around the shop, she seemed to be debating something in her head. “I think we should shop for armor first, then we’ll see how much you have left and use some of it to get you a backup weapon, like a good knife.”

“Right.” Bell agreed with Lunoire’s idea. Armor was going to be his lifeline in the Dungeon, there was no reason to be cheap about it.

The duo looked around, checking out various armor pieces and sets. Lunoire didn’t wear much in the way of armor herself, using her Endurance to push through attacks. But as a newly Blessed person, Bell didn’t have that option if he wanted to come out of the Dungeon in one piece. There was plenty of armor available to choose from in the shop. Some of it was also Superior Grade too, meaning that Bell and Lunoire had to check what the minor enchantment on each set was. There was full plate mail with durability enchantments, half-sets with agility enchantments, gauntlets that gave minor strength enchantments, and all of it looked amazing to Bell.

“Hmm?” Bell noticed a few small crates off to the side of the racks, shelves, and stands of Superior Grade armor. “Isn’t this…armor?” He noticed that each crate did indeed have armor inside. None of it looked any worse than what was on display, which made it hard for Bell to understand why it was off to the side like this. One set in particular caught his eye. He reached into the crate and picked up the white breast plate with the red line on the left side. ‘It’s almost eerie.’ Bell blinked as he held the armor up to his chest and saw how well it matched his size. “Almost like it was made for me.” He mumbled out as he flipped the armor over and saw that it didn’t have the Hephaestus Familia signature on it. “Welf Crozzo, huh?”

“Is that the one that you’re picking, Bell?” Lunoire asked from behind him.

“Yeah, I like it.” Bell smiled at the armor. “It’s Superior Grade, but it doesn’t have the Hephaestus signature on it.”

“That means the Smith isn’t Level 2 with the Blacksmith Developmental Ability yet.” Lunoire explained before leaning over and placing her index finger on a set of marks forged into the armor. “The Smith is using Runes to impart the enchantment instead of the Ability. That takes some skill in and of itself to make anything worthwhile.”

“Runes, huh?” Bell had heard about Runecraft, but it was supposedly better suited for making Magic Stone Items work and carry out their intended functions. To make Superior Grade armor with it showed a level of dedication that Bell could respect.

“You like Light Armor?” Lunoire asked curiously as Bell picked up the crate with the mostly white armor inside.

“It just feels right.” Bell nodded, never having actually worn armor before. “It’s only 9,900 Valis too, so it’s a bargain.”

“True enough.” Lunoire laughed a bit as they headed over to look at knives. “Let’s find you a good backup weapon. You’ll be using this to harvest Magic Stones from the Monsters that you kill in the Dungeon too. Unless you get a Supporter to do that for you, of course.”

“Right.” Bell followed after Lunoire eagerly. He was so happy that he’d found such a good Familia to join.

All total, adding in the Superior Grade knife that Lunoire had helped him pick out, Bell spent 39,500 Valis at the Hephaestus Shop. That would leave him with enough to stock up on some Low Potions and maybe a single Mind Potion since he was a Magic user now. It never hurt to be prepared in the Dungeon.

-Blue Pharmacy-

“This is the apothecary I prefer.” Lunoire told Bell as they walked into the shop. As expected of midday, there were only a handful of customers at the moment. The place was spacious enough, and there were a few people working behind the counter. “You could also go to the Dian Cecht Familia’s shop, same quality and trustworthy reputation, but I prefer this one a bit more.”

“I see.” Bell looked around, wearing his new armor for the first time so that he didn’t have to carry it. With the light armor on his body, his new sword on his left hip, and the backup knife on his right hip, Bell truly looked like and felt like an Adventurer.

“Hey, Naaza, I’m showing the newest member of my Familia around today and getting his starting kit built. Think you can give me a nice deal to help us finish it off with the right potions?” Lunoire smiled at the Chienthrope woman behind the counter.

“I’m sure that we can accommodate that request, Miss Lunoire.” Naaza smiled back. The Chienthrope had semi-short brunette hair, a kind-looking face, soft purple eyes, and was wearing a blue and yellow shirt with long sleeves. Bell’s eyes were briefly drawn to her dog ears and he watched them twitch slightly in amusement.

“He’s a Magic user, so he’ll need at least one Mind Potion, just in case.” Lunoire leaned on the counter. “How about a little discount on it?”

“Hmm,” Naaza seemed to think on it for a moment before collecting four vials. “How about this? I’ll sell Mr. Cranel three Low Potions,” She held up her left hand that had three light-blue potions held between her fingers. “And one Mind Potion,” Naaza held up her right hand with a single orange-colored potion. “For an even 10,000 Valis.”

“Is that good?” Bell blinked, looking between her and the vials of potions.

“It’s not bad.” Lunoire confirmed, getting a small grin out of Naaza. “Most of the time a single Mind Potion is right about 10,000 Valis.” She grinned back at Naaza. “That’s why I prefer coming to Miach Familia for any potion or medical needs. They’re willing to help you out, especially if you become a regular.”

“We do try.” A pleasant voice chuckled as a blue-haired man came out from the back of the shop. Bell felt the Divine Aura and knew he must be looking at the God of Healing, Miach. “Money isn’t as important as keeping customers happy and healthy. But we give our best to make potions and medicines that will save lives.”

“They’re the only Familia in Orario that can restore a lost limb.” Lunoire shot a wink at Bell, a small grin following at seeing his stunned expression.

“Really?” Bell couldn’t help but ask. It just seemed crazy to be able to heal the complete loss of a limb.

“If you have the time and money to spend on the treatment.” Naaza nodded to Bell, handing him the four vials and taking his Valis. “I was the first successful patient.” She informed the newbie as she pushed up her right sleeve to show her arm to him. There was a very faint line on her upper arm, near the shoulder, more like a slight discoloration of skin tone than anything like a scar. “I lost my right arm in the Dungeon when we were swarmed by Monsters. But Miach and the entire Familia had been working on a way to help restore such damage for years. When the incident happened, Lord Miach gave me the treatment in an effort to restore my arm. I’m forever grateful to him.” Naaza smiled warmly at Miach and the God gave her a gentle hug that made Naaza’s tail wag happily.

“I’m just glad it worked, Naaza.” Miach smiled happily at his Familia’s Captain. He did lament that he couldn’t do anything about her trauma of Monsters that had seen her retire as an Adventurer and become a fulltime pharmacist instead.

“What was the part about time?” Bell couldn’t help but ask. He understood needing money to pay for what sounded like a costly treatment, but where did time factor in?

“Hopefully you never experience the loss of a limb, Bell,” Miach looked at the teen with a half-smile. “But if that ever happens, you have two options for treatment in Orario. Dian Cecht Familia can give you a silver prosthetic that is fully functional, but lacks the full sensation of touch. It’s expensive, easily as costly as the top-tier of Hephaestus Familia weapons. But you’ll be able to get back on your feet in a matter of days like you never lost the limb in question.”

“The other option is to come to our Familia.” Naaza took over and Bell turned to face her. “For about the same price as the prosthetic, we can put you under restorative treatment for about a month and restore your flesh and blood limb.”

“Unfortunately, not everyone can miss an entire month of work and recover financially.” Miach looked saddened that the treatment he and his Familia had invented wasn’t faster, so that it could help more people. “You have to stay here in one of our treatment suites for the month as well. Restoring a lost limb is very delicate work and we have to make sure that nothing goes wrong.”

“So, the price is comparable, but the time invested is the deciding factor.” Bell nodded his understanding. The highest quality Hephaestus Familia weapons were supposed to be around 100,000,000 Valis or more. If you could afford either treatment, it really depended on how much time you could realistically take before money became an issue. “Maybe I should try and save up 100,000,000 Valis or so just in case.” Bell joked to lighten the mood. “I think I’d like my flesh and blood back if I lose it.”

“We’ll hope that doesn’t happen instead.” Miach smiled at Bell, a warm chuckle in his voice.

“We hope to see you again, Mr. Cranel.” Naaza smiled at the rabbit-like teen as Bell and Lunoire headed out of the Blue Pharmacy.

-Hostess of Fertility-

“And here’s where I work.” Lunoire showed Bell the two-story building with a bright grin. “It’s a pub that sells good food and drink. We’re very popular with the locals and Adventurers.”

“Okay, but why bring me here?” Bell asked as he followed her inside.

“I wanted to show you were you should come whenever you’re not eating at the Wheat Manor.” Lunoire explained with her right index finger held up in front of her. “Speaking of which…” She pretended to look at a non-existent clock on the wall. “It’s right about lunchtime now. You should stay and have a meal, Bell.”

“Hey…wait a minute.” Bell deadpanned at Lunoire who had a cheshire grin on her face.

“Aww, come on, Bell. It’s really good food, I promise.” Lunoire’s grin hadn’t faded. “Plus, if you come here to eat, that’ll get me some brownie points with Mama Mia, the owner.” She placed her hands on her hips with a smug look.

“Uh huh…” Bell couldn’t really keep up his deadpan look for too long. Especially not once his stomach growled. “Alright, alright, you got me.”

“One now seating!” Lunoire called out, catching the attention of an Elf waitress.

“Lunoire? I thought Mama Mia gave you today and tomorrow off?” The Elf woman questioned as she walked over to the duo.

“She did, but I wanted to bring the newest member of my Familia here and show him where to come eat when he’s not eating at the Familia Home, you know?” Lunoire explained to the lovely Elf. “Ryu, this is Bell Cranel. Bell, this is Ryu, my coworker here.” She introduced Bell to the Ryu with a grin.

“You’re hoping to gain Mama Mia’s favor by bringing in some extra revenue.” Ryu stated plainly, making Lunoire smirk. “It is nice to meet you, Mr. Cranel. My name is Ryu.”

Ryu was beautiful, with sky blue eyes, dark-green hair that looked almost black in the right light, and pure, snow white skin free of any blemish. Bell couldn’t help but take a second to gather himself. He’d seen some Elves while moving around Orario trying to find a Familia. But Ryu made him nearly stop in his tracks with her beauty.

“Like a fairy.” Bell spoke his thoughts.

Ryu kept a straight face, but her blue eyes focused on Bell’s rubellite gaze. In a split second she searched his eyes for any traces of falsehoods or lust. Not seeing anything but genuine honesty, she replied. “Thank you, Mr. Cranel.” Ryu gave him a small nod for the compliment.

“Careful Ryu, Bell over here is a smooth talker.” Lunoire teased and Bell’s entire face went red.

“Lunoire! Don’t say things like that!” Bell looked at his Familia member imploringly. “People are going to get the wrong impression about me!”

“Please follow me to your seat, Mr. Cranel.” Ryu decided to move this along to save Bell from more of Lunoire’s teasing. She sat Bell, and Lunoire by extension, at the side of the bar and left Bell with a menu to look over.

“So, you’re Lunoire’s new friend?” A large woman in a blue dress with an apron over it spoke loudly as she set a flagon in front of Bell. “I’m Mia, the owner here, the girls call me Mama Mia.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Miss Mia.” Bell greeted the robust woman with a polite smile. “Lunoire said she wanted me to eat here any time I’m not eating at our Familia Home.”

“As she should.” Mia nodded to Lunoire, making the waitress smile. “The first drinks on the house, since you seem like a nice enough kid.”

“Thank you very much.” Bell accepted the drink, sipping from the booze a little at a time since he didn’t have much experience with alcohol.

All in all, Bell could easily say he enjoyed his time at the Hostess of Fertility. Mia was nice, even encouraging in her own way. He’d met all of Lunoire’s fellow waitresses, from the friendly Anya, and teasing Chloe, to the kind Syr. The silver-haired girl had looked between the two of them with what he could’ve sworn was mischief in her eyes. But it was gone as soon as he noticed it, so he couldn’t be sure. The food was good, as promised, and he wouldn’t mind seeing Miss Ryu again, not that he’d say that out loud.

-Next Day ~ Dungeon-

“Are you ready, Bell?” Lunoire questioned, pulling on a pair of fingerless gloves as they walked down the massive spiral staircase that led from Babel Tower down into the Dungeon. “I doubt that you’ll have any problem with the First Floor, so I won’t get in your way. But if you somehow get into trouble, then I’ll step in.”

“Thank you, Lunoire.” Bell gave her a grateful smile as they reached the bottom of the staircase. “I’ll do my best.”

The pair walked with the large group of Adventurers also heading into the Dungeon this morning. Lunoire eventually motioned for Bell to follow her down a side path. Bell was led to an out of the way area of the First Floor a bit off the normally traveled corridors. As they walked, Bell made sure to keep his senses focused on his surroundings. Monsters could spawn from the walls at any time, so it was better to keep aware so that you weren’t surprised.

“Oh, there you go, Bell.” Lunoire stopped and pointed at the first Monster for the day.

Short, about a meter tall, green skin, bright red eyes with no visible pupil, fangs in its mouth and clawed fingers. Bell would recognize this Monster even if he’d never set foot in the Dungeon.

“A Goblin!” Bell drew his sword and held it at the ready.

“Grah!” The Goblin snarled and rushed towards the two Adventurers with fury.

“Spark!” Bell called forth his Magic. Blue electricity wreathed his body and the blade of his sword. He blurred forward and the charging Goblin was decapitated in a flash. Bell came to a stop a couple of meters behind the dead Goblin, looking somewhat surprised at himself.

“Woo~” Lunoire whistled at the display. “That’s some speed you’ve got there, Bell.” She complimented him on his Magic.

“I moved faster than I expected.” Bell admitted, looking over his sword as he released his Magic. The blade didn’t even have any blood on it. “My Magic seems to really increase my Agility.”

“That’s a good thing.” Lunoire stopped by the dead Goblin. “If you can take out your opponent before they can react, then you’re doing great.”

“Thank you, Lunoire.” Bell smiled at the praise while sheathing his sword and heading over to collect the Magic Stone from the Goblin he’d killed. He was happy for the compliment, and still happy that Lunoire told him to just call her by her name.

“It’s nothing, Bell.” Lunoire waved off with a grin. “You still have a lot of Monsters to slay today. I hope you don’t over use your Magic.” The teasing lilt in her voice told Bell that she’d happily tease him about it for quite a while if he did.

“Got it.” Bell picked up his first Magic Stone ever after cutting open the Goblin’s chest with his knife. It was a small thing, purple, and didn’t have enough magic energy in it to be visible, but it was the start of Bell’s path to become a Hero. He put it into a pouch on his waist and stood up as the Goblin corpse turned into white ash and fell apart. “Ready.” He nodded to Lunoire and the duo continued their trek through the Dungeon.

“Hey, Bell, your Magic enchants your body too, right?” Lunoire questioned as they walked.

“Yeah, it does.” Bell confirmed, looking over at her.

“What happens if you punch a Monster with it?” Lunoire threw her fist forward with a grin. “Do you think it would work?”

“Mmm, possibly?” Bell hadn’t really considered the idea. “Since you’re here with me, I suppose I could try it out.”

“That’s the spirit!” Lunoire chuckled before looking Bell up and down. “Do you know how to throw a proper punch?”

“I think so?” Bell replied, only for Lunoire to grab his shoulder and stop him in his tracks.

“You think…or do you know?” Lunoire narrowed her eyes at him. “Show me.”

“O-Okay…” Bell blinked at how straightforward Lunoire was about this. He demonstrated a right straight to her and Lunoire just shook her head.

“Your footing is important.” Lunoire moved his body to where she wanted it. “Turn your hips when you throw your punch, that lets you use your entire body.” She instructed while demonstrating throwing a punch herself. “When you punch, you want to hit with the first two knuckles while rotating your fist.” She showed him by punching toward his face in slow motion.

“Oh, I see.” Bell mimicked her motions, throwing the punch as she’d instructed. “I really wasn’t doing it right, huh?” He did the same as he threw a punch with his left hand.

“A lot of people either learn this over time, or they have proper instruction from the start.” Lunoire smiled at seeing Bell quickly taking to what she showed him. “Your Magic should pair pretty well with any form of contact, so learning to properly strike can only help you out, Bell.” She nodded approvingly as they resumed their walk. “I’ll make sure to put you through your paces whenever we both have time off.” Lunoire punched her right fist into her left palm.

“Th-Thank you, Lunoire…” Bell nervously eyed her fists.

“Grrrr…” A Kobold turned out to be Bell’s next enemy a minute or so later. Bell went to draw his sword, but stopped when he recalled what Lunoire had just shown him.

“Spark!” Bell activated his Magic again and in a blur of motion his crackling fist slammed into the Kobold’s dog-like head. The Monster staggered as its head whipped around and its body seized up from the current passing through it. A second punch slammed into its chest, passing more electricity into its body. Two more hits and the Kobold was dead, its twitching body lying on the floor as the last of the electricity passed through it. “I did it!” Bell beamed at his success.

“Not bad, Bell!” Lunoire smiled at Bell’s accomplishment. “I’ll try and show you some different strikes to use tonight. Your Magic may be more effective with other strikes more so than punches.” She knew that Bell couldn’t afford fist fighting every single Monster like this. His Magic was good, but it seemed like it would be more efficient for him to channel it through his sword.

“Got the stone!” Bell smiled at the slightly larger Magic Stone he popped out of the Kobold’s chest with the tip of his knife. He wiped off the blade and sheathed it, then the Magic Stone went into the pouch with the first one.

The first floor of the Dungeon was lit up by sparks of electricity many times that day. Lunoire would admit to being surprised when about forty Monsters met their end from the combination of Bell’s Magic and sword. She was even more surprised when he continued to fight on, even after his Mind started running low. Instead of taking the Mind Potion, Bell instead focused on using his sword without his Magic. He even used his fists and kicks to keep fighting when he needed to. Whatever he needed to do to win against the Goblins and Kobolds of the first floor, Bell did it and he did it with a determination in his eyes that impressed Lunoire.

-Guild Exchange ~ Late Afternoon-

“Your Magic Stones were worth 5,624 Valis, have a nice day.” The man behind the glass of the exchange window nodded to Bell and Lunoire as the tray with the money was pushed back onto their side.

“Thank you, sir.” Bell picked up the coins and put them in his money pouch with a smile.

“Not too bad for your very first day.” Lunoire complimented him with a bright grin. “When you get your first Drop Items, you can sell them to the Exchange for the bottom of the market price or you can take the chance of higher profits by selling them directly to mercantile Familias. Just know that you’ll probably fall for a scam or two until you learn the ropes.”

“I’ll have to think about it.” Bell admitted as they left the Guild. “It’s not like the Familia is hurting for money. Plus, with your help picking out this equipment, I think it’ll last for a while. That’ll give me time to save up more money for better equipment once I progress in the Dungeon.”

“You’ve got brains and some skill. I better warn the girls at the Hostess, lest you charm them all.” Lunoire giggled and Bell turned to her with wide eyes.

“Lunoire! It’s not like that!” Bell shook his head at her.

“Oh? Are you saying that you don’t want to charm me?” Lunoire leaned forward with a grin on her lips. She knew if Bell looked down, he’d get a good view of her cleavage.

“I…you…” Bell stuttered a bit at how straightforward Lunoire was being.

“I’d like a reliable man that can spoil me every now and then.” Lunoire told Bell with a giggle. “Keep improving and maybe you’ll be that guy~” She turned away and walked ahead with a bright laugh.

“Lunoire…” Bell shook his head at the girl. She was beautiful, that was true, but Bell definitely wasn’t used to forward girls like her.

-Wheat Manor-

Demeter had hugged Bell almost the instant he’d walked into the Familia Home. The Goddess checked him over for any injuries until she was satisfied that he was okay. Bell just stood there, mentally rebooting from another meeting with Demeter’s divine breasts.

Dinner was a warm affair, and Lunoire actually joined them after getting pleas from both Demeter and Bell. One or the other she could turn down, but both at the same time was just unfair! Bell really enjoyed his new Familia. With so many members, he was unsure if he’d ever know all of their names, but he’d try. The atmosphere of the Wheat Manor brought up fond memories for Bell. It was like living in a farming village again, albeit a bit bigger than the one he’d called home all of his life. Talk of how the crops were doing and what would need to be done tomorrow filled the air. Drinks and revelry were plentiful.

Bell could only smile as he relaxed and enjoyed the familiar feelings.

After dinner, Demeter took Bell aside and updated his Status. Lunoire was off to the side, making sure that she didn’t see Bell’s Status out of respect. She was also enjoying the sight of a shirtless Bell; his body was toned from growing up working on the village farm. Soon enough, that tone would be sculpted further into the body of a warrior.

“You’ve improved in just about everything, Bell.” Demeter praised her newest member with a beautiful smile. She handed over the paper with Bell’s newly updated Status to him.

“Thank you, Lady Demeter.” Bell smiled back at her brightly. He looked over his new numbers curiously, eager to see what his first day in the Dungeon had done.

-Status-

Bell Cranel

Level 1

Strength – I 0 > I 7

Endurance – I 0 > I 4

Dexterity – I 0 > I 9

Agility – I 0 > I 10

Magic – I 0 > I 12

-Magic-

Caelum – Incantation: “Spark.” This Magic allows the user to imbue their body and weapons with Lightning Magic.

-Skills-

-

-Status-

“My Endurance didn’t go up much.” Bell noticed the stat with the lowest improvement.

“You didn’t take any hits, so you didn’t gain any extra Excelia for your Endurance to build on.” Demeter explained to him, pulling him into a soft hug with a smile.

“I’ll help you fix that, Bell.” Lunoire grinned at him, playfully cracking her knuckles. “You don’t want to have paper-thin defenses in the Dungeon, do you?”

“No…” Bell admitted, even as he eyed Lunoire warily.

“This will even fit in with the strikes that I promised to show you. Two birds with one stone.” Lunoire nodded at Bell, the grin still on her face.

“Play nice you two.” Demeter giggled as Bell was nearly dragged out of the room by Lunoire. She was happy to finally have Lunoire stay for dinner. Perhaps she should thank Bell for that later. He seemed to enjoy her hugs, so that would probably be reward enough.

-Dungeon ~ Second Floor-

“Yah!” Bell swung his lightning-covered sword through a Kobold. The bisected Monster fell to the stone floor, but Bell was already moving to take out the next one. He stabbed the second Kobold through the chest with his sword, killing it as the electricity passed through it and damaged its insides.

“Grrraaawwwrrr!” A third Kobold barked and charged at Bell.

“Hnrgh!” Bell coated his hand in his Lightning Magic and thrust a spear hand strike straight into the Kobold’s chest. With the power of his enchantment, his hand pierced into the Monster up to his wrist, killing the beast.

Seeing the final Kobold dead, Bell yanked his hand out of the Monster, letting it flop to the ground. Removing his sword from the second one, he cleaned off his blade and his hand. Sheathing his sword, Bell pulled out his knife and set about collecting the Magic Stones. This was his third day of Dungeon crawling and Bell had already dropped down to the Second Floor for more of a challenge. The First Floor wasn’t too different from the second, but on the Second Floor small groups of Monsters were slightly more common.

“Is my Magic just making it easier than it would be otherwise?” Bell mused to himself as he placed the three Magic Stones into his pouch. If he kept up this pace, he’d be on the Fifth Floor (also known as the first cut-off) within the next week or so. “Though I’m not sure Miss Sophie would approve.” He recalled his Elf Advisor, with her silver hair and blue eyes, she was very cute. But she quickly took on the role of ‘big sister’ with him, teaching him about the Dungeon with a strict tone. She wasn’t afraid to swat his head with a rolled up magazine or bundle of papers if she thought he wasn’t paying attention.

-Wheat Manor ~ Evening-

“You’re growing well, Bell.” Demeter smiled, her fingers gently moving across Bell’s back as she updated his Status. As her sole Adventurer, Bell needed Status Updates often, which Demeter didn’t mind.

“I took down another seventy Monsters today.” Bell grinned as he let Demeter continue. “Miss Sophie says that I’m doing very well for a new Adventurer.” He gently rubbed the top of his head. “But then she swatted me for going down to the Second Floor on my third day.”

“Take your time, Bell, there’s no rush.” Demeter advised as she finished his update and copied the numbers over. She pulled him back into her with a warm hug, pressing her breasts into his bare back. “I want you to come back safe and sound.”

“Yes, Goddess.” Bell replied, enjoying the hug (not just because of her amazing boobs) and the affection she offered freely. Seeing that Demeter was content to hold him for a while, Bell relaxed into her and looked at his new update.

-Status-

Bell Cranel

Level 1

Strength – I 14 > I 21

Endurance – I 17 > I 19

Dexterity – I 18 > I 27

Agility – I 20 > I 31

Magic – I 24 > I 37

-Magic-

Caelum – Incantation: “Spark.” This Magic allows the user to imbue their body and weapons with Lightning Magic.

-Skills-

-

-Status-

Lunoire had very thoroughly beaten some extra Endurance into him. Going down to the Second Floor and fighting multiple Monsters at a time had even seen him getting struck a few times. His Endurance would probably always be his lowest Basic Ability, but at least it was growing. Bell was a rather mobile and quick fighter with his sword and Magic. It just made sense that he wouldn’t take much damage when the Monsters could rarely hit him.

“Oh, I could just snuggle you forever, Bell.” Demeter giggled as she gently nuzzled his fluffy white hair.

“G-Goddess!” Bell exclaimed as Demeter snuggled him. He enjoyed it, of course, but it was unexpected!

“You’re so cute, Bell.” Demeter cooed as she placed a kiss on top of his head. “Like a bunny.”

“Lady Demeter…” Bell sighed at the comparison. Rabbits weren’t exactly ‘Heroic’ if one looked at the old tales and legends of Heroes.

-Dungeon Fifth Floor ~ Two Weeks of Bell Adventuring-

“How is this thing here?!” Bell demanded as he ducked and weaved around the wild swings of the Minotaur chasing him. It was the first day that he’d decided to test out the Fifth Floor. He’d warmed himself up on the trip through the first four floors, killing any monsters he encountered and collecting their Magic Stones. He’d been on the Fifth Floor for a couple of hours (and doing rather well considering he was uninjured still) when he’d heard the loud noise. The cracking of the stone floor under the powerful hooves of the Minotaur. He’d been on the run ever since.

‘Minotaurs aren’t supposed to appear above the Fifteenth Floor! Why is there one on the fifth?!’ Bell thought with panic as he dashed around a corner. The Minotaur was hot on his heels and Bell was already unsure if he could outrun it long enough to get back to the stairs. It was midday, this was the time the fewest Adventuring Parties returned to the surface or entered the Dungeon! Even if he got to the stairs, he may not encounter any other Adventurers to help him. He thought about the scolding he was going to get from his Dungeon Advisor. ‘I promise I’ll listen better, Miss Sophie! I just need to get out of this alive!’ He’d take a scolding and being swatted over the head compared to dying any day!

“MOOOAAARRRHHH!!!” The Minotaur bellowed as it charged after the Adventurer. The stone floor was cracking under its cloven hooves with every step it took. After fleeing from the Seventeenth Floor, it had finally found prey that it could kill.

“Oh shit…” Bell skidded to a stop as he came to a small, square room. It was a dead end. “I don’t know the layout of the Fifth Floor well enough…” He was brutally reminded now that he was trapped. He heard the Minotaur smash its way into the room and he grabbed his sword. He knew it wouldn’t make a difference. None of his weapons could pierce a Minotaur’s hide. Not to mention he was a Level 1 with only two weeks of dungeon crawling under his belt and stats that matched. ‘I don’t even have a single stat in the D Rank yet!’ Bell lamented internally as he drew his sword and faced down the Monster. Minotaurs were classed as Level 2 Monsters. It would take some kind of miracle for a Level 1 Adventurer to survive against one, and it was considered impossible for them to defeat.

“MOOOAAARRGGHHH!!!” The Minotaur roared powerfully. It rushed towards Bell with a fist cocked back ready to end his life.

“Spark!” Bell incanted and his body was covered in the crackling electricity of his Magic. He blurred out of the way of the incoming fist and struck the Minotaur with his sword.

“AARRGGHH!” The Minotaur jolted slightly, before swinging its fist at Bell in a rage. Thankfully, Bell was able to make distance with his improved speed.

“I can out maneuver it…I just need to make it to the corridor.” Bell took a split second to look at his position in relation to the only exit.

“RAAAAHHH!!!” The Minotaur rushed him again. The beast’s fist shattered the wall behind were Bell had just been.

“Nnngh!” Bell slashed the Minotaur with his lightning-coated sword again. If he could stun it, even just for a second, then he should be able to get away.

The Minotaur seemed to understand Bell’s plan though. The second the jolt from Bell’s Magic passed through it, the Monster nearly gored Bell with its horns from behind as Bell tried to make it to the corridor. When Bell juked out of the way, he had to jump back to avoid the Minotaur’s hoof slamming down on his legs. Seeing the stone floor shatter into gravel, Bell lashed out again with his sword.

“MOORRGGHH!!!” The Minotaur’s rage at the Lightning Magic was growing. It didn’t do much damage to the beast, but it hurt as the Monster had no real resistance to Lightning Magic beyond some protection from the heat. A punch from its fist nearly struck Bell, only missing by a tiny distance and sending Bell’s hair flying from the force.

‘I can’t keep this up…’ Bell knew that a single wrong move and he’d be dead. Not to mention he’d already used his Magic a good amount today and his Mind wouldn’t hold out forever. ‘This thing isn’t going to give me a chance to use my Mind Potion either.’ He grimaced even as he blurred away from another rush from the Minotaur. The Monster was constantly chasing him, keeping on his tail and preventing him from reaching the corridor. Bell needed to stun it long enough for him to get to the corridor. He could take his Mind Potion right after and then run as fast as he could with his Magic.

“MOOOAAARRRGGGHHH!!!” The Minotaur roared loudly, spreading its arms a bit wide to block any attempts to escape.

“I will not die here!” Bell thundered back at the Monster. “I’ve got people that are waiting for me to come home!” He thought of Demeter and Lunoire. “I won’t go down as some no-name Adventurer!” His lightning crackled and danced around his body fiercely. “I’m going to be a HERO!!!” Bell channeled his Magic closer to his body, and wrapped it tightly around the blade of his sword. One strike. That was all he’d get. With all of his focus and his desire to live, Bell flashed forward in a streak of lightning and slashed the Minotaur’s side. He was meters behind the Monster and at the entrance of the corridor when he stopped, his sword still in position from finishing his swing.

“MOOAAAHH…” The Minotaur’s bellow was cut off. It had seen a bright flash of blue-white lightning and then felt something cut into its hide. The painful shock that followed pissed it off on top of the original injury.

“Shit…” Bell felt his mind become hazy. He’d put too much into Mind into his strike. He hit his knees as his vision swam. “Potion…need…to…” He fumbled with the pouch that he kept his potions in. His fingers felt numb and weren’t able to grab the vial of orange medicine.

“MOOOOAAARRRGGGHHH!” The Minotaur stomped over to Bell, a noticeable bleeding injury on its right side. Nothing fatal, but far more than one could ever expect an Adventurer like Bell to have done to a Minotaur. It raised its fist to crush the Adventurer, but was once more interrupted. This time fatally.

A flash of metal and the Minotaur was decapitated. A second flash a split second after the first and the cocked back right arm separated from the Minotaur’s body at the shoulder. A huge blade with a golden bronze look blurred through the Monster, bisecting it at the waist. Three young women now stood between the Minotaur and Bell. The Minotaur fell into the four separate pieces that the girls had sliced it into, splattering the floor behind the beast with thick red blood.

“Are you okay?” The blonde girl in the white battle dress with silvery armor asked the barely conscious Bell. She was a beauty, her golden eyes matching the gold of her hair. Her skin clear and fair, looking untouched and pure, as if even the sun could not make it tan. She was lithe, with a rather nice pair of breasts held by her breastplate, a toned waist, and wider hips. Her legs had thigh-high blue boots covering them with small armor over her knees and thighs. Her face was well-known throughout Orario. This was Ais Wallenstein, also known as the Kenki or Sword Princess.

“Damn…look at this.” The other long-haired girl pointed at the injury that Bell had inflicted on the Minotaur. She was an Amazon, with the darker skin tone shared among the all-woman Race, and had dark green eyes and long black hair. She had blue earrings, and wore a rather revealing outfit. A red bikini-like top that was tied behind her neck and kept secure by a round, silver charm depicting the crescent moon just above her large breasts. She had a yellow pareo with green lines along the hem that was folded and tied around her waist. Beneath that was a red bikini bottom and a matching red garter belt holding up solid red leggings. Around her neck and ankles were rings of silver, and on her wrists were silver armbands. She had two braided locks of her hair on either side of her face, held together by a small silver band near the ends. Another well-known Adventurer of the Loki Familia, this was Tione Hyrute, also known by her Title Jörmungandr.

“That’s awesome! He actually injured it!” The other Amazon let out an impressed sound. She had short black hair, with two long bangs framing her face. Each of the longer bangs was held together with simple, bronze hair ornaments near the ends. Around her neck were golden-colored neckbands, the largest of which sported three blue gems. Her chest was covered by a white breast wrap that left just enough to the imagination. She wasn't very busty, but it certainly didn’t detract from her beauty at all. Her smooth and toned stomach was left fully on display like many Amazons preferred. She wore a golden armband on each forearm and had golden anklets similar to her neckbands adorning her ankles. The pareo around her waist was a dark-yellow color with a thick band of green along the hem. The garment partially covered her legs and the brown loincloth that hung down to her shins. A thick, brown and white belt with a golden buckle sat around her hips, over the tied-off pareo. This was the twin sister of Tione, and another of Orario’s top Adventurers; Tiona Hyrute, known by her Title The Slasher.

“…Are you okay?” Ais asked again, noticing that the boy looked out of it.

“Potion…” Bell felt himself fading, his numb fingers still not able to do more than touch the vial containing the Mind Potion.

“Mind Down?” Ais blinked as she figured out what was wrong. She gently took the potion from the pouch, uncorked it, and brought it to Bell’s lips.

“Is he going to be alright?” Tione looked over Ais’s shoulder at the white-haired guy.

“He’s not hurt, right?” Tiona leaned over Ais’s opposite shoulder curiously.

“I think he was just about to hit Mind Down.” Ais guessed as the awareness started coming back to Bell’s eyes.

“Huh?” Bell blinked a few times as the fog in his head started to clear up. “Oh…” He looked at Ais’s face, so close to his own, he tried to look away, only to look into the smiling face of Tiona, he looked over Ais’s shoulder to see Tione looking curiously at him with a small grin. “I…thank you…” Bell didn’t know what to say in the face of three of Orario’s top Adventurers, so he settled for thanking them.

“You’re welcome.” Ais gave him a gentle smile.

“No problem!” Tiona’s smile was bright, like the sun. She held her massive double-bladed weapon with one hand as if it weighed nothing to her.

“It was kind of our fault to begin with.” Tione apologized to Bell.

Bell stood up once he felt able. The Mind Potion had fixed the fogginess and he didn’t get a sense of vertigo when he stood. Those were both good signs that he’d gotten the potion in time. Seeing his sword on the ground, he picked it up and looked it over.

“Ah, I dulled it.” Bell sighed at seeing the damage done to his weapon. If it didn’t have the minor enchantment for durability, it probably would’ve snapped against the Minotaur’s hide. His Magic probably also helped out, but that didn’t change the fact that it was still in need of maintenance. Bell sheathed the weapon and returned his attention to the three girls. “Thank you very much for saving me.” He gave them a bow to show his gratitude.

“Don’t worry about it.” Tiona grinned at him. “But you actually injured a Minotaur! Are you Level 2? Did you lure it over here to keep others safe?” She was full of questions and leaning closer to him with each one.

“Calm down.” Tione pulled her sister backwards. “He can’t answer you if you keep asking questions.

“No, I’m Level 1.” Bell answered the first question, getting stunned looks from the three girls. “I was running from it and got cornered because I don’t know the layout of the Fifth Floor very well. Today was my first day down here.”

“How…?” Ais looked at Bell as if he held some great wisdom that she wanted to know.

Ais, Tione, and Tiona had been rushing down the corridor to try and save whoever was being attacked by the Minotaur. They’d all seen the bright flash of lightning and Bell’s strike against the Minotaur. The sheer Level difference between them and Bell had allowed them to follow the attack whereas the Minotaur could not.

“No way! No way! You’re Level 1?!” Tiona had sparkles in her eyes. “That was so cool! You were a blur when you sliced this thing!” She pointed at the dead Minotaur.

“There’s no way.” Tione shook her head, her long hair swaying. “I’ve never heard of a Level 1 that can injure a Minotaur like this.” She leaned in to look at him closely. “But you don’t look like you’re lying.”

“Was it your Magic that let you do this?” Ais questioned; it was the only thing that made sense. But a Level 1’s Magic would have to be incredibly strong to overcome a Minotaur’s hide.

“Yeah, I would’ve been helpless without it.” Bell admitted while looking at the cut he’d left on the Minotaur. “It took all the Mind that I had left to even do that much though. I’ve got a long way to go to reach anywhere close to you three.” He gave them a lopsided smile. But he wanted to be where they were. To have that strength. He’d thrown everything he’d had left at the Minotaur and only cut it. He’d almost died!

“You’re awesome!” Tiona declared with a beaming smile. “You’ll definitely make it!” She encouraged the impressive guy. This was probably the first male that had ever caught her attention like this.

“She’s not wrong.” Tione gave him a grin, her eyes looking him over. “Not many Adventurers can bridge the level gap like you just did.” He was definitely interesting. ‘I’ll keep an eye on him, if he’s already this strong…’ She barely suppressed a pleasant shiver from what he could grow to be.

“Would you…” Ais looked like she was trying to find the right words. “Would you like us to escort you back to the surface?” She settled for that, not knowing how to ask him to spend time with her so that she could ask him about his amazing feat.

Ais had never had such interest in someone that wasn’t stronger than her before. ‘Is this what it was like to be curious about a boy?’ She’d heard other girls in Loki Familia talk about it before, but she’d never really understood it all. Her only real frame of reference was the relationship her parents had. She cut that train of thought off instantly, lest it bring up painful memories.

“Oh, I wouldn’t want to take up your time.” Bell tried to politely refuse. Surely Level 5 Adventurers had better things to do than get him back to the surface.

“It’s no big deal.” Tione shrugged off his refusal. “Our entire expedition is returning; we’ll just get there a little bit before them.”

“Yeah, come on! We can talk on the way!” Tiona smiled brightly at him again. She wanted to keep this guy around, he was interesting!

“Alright then, thank you very much.” Bell gave them a smile and a nod. “Ah, I forgot to introduce myself.” He looked at the three girls apologetically. “My name is Bell Cranel, it’s very nice to meet you.”

“Tiona Hyrute! Nice to meet you, Bell!” Tiona, ever the sociable one, introduced herself first.

“Tione Hyrute. It’s nice to meet you.” Tione introduced herself after her sister, a grin on her lips.

“Ais Wallenstein.” Ais gave a short bow to Bell.

“We should probably collect the Magic Stone.” Tiona looked back at the Minotaur before they left.

“We did chase this damn thing up twelve floors.” Tione glared at the dead Monster. In a flash that Bell only registered as a blur, Tione’s kukri knife had split the Minotaur’s chest open, revealing a fist-sized Magic Stone.

“Yoink!” Tiona grinned as she easily pulled the purple stone, filled with swirling magical energy, out of the corpse. The Minotaur began to disintegrate as the four of them walked out of the room and headed for the surface together.

‘I want to be strong like them.’ Bell thought as he walked with the three girls. ‘I want to stand where they’re standing. To be strong enough so that I can become a Hero!’ He clenched his fists as a sun of intense, burning desire exploded within him. ‘I WILL BE STRONG LIKE THEM!!! ONE DAY I WILL STAND BESIDE THEM!!! I’LL BE THE STRONGEST HERO!!!’

That fierce desire, the single-minded goal to close the overwhelming gap between himself and the three girls that had saved him. The determination to be stronger. To not need to be saved, but to be the one doing the saving. All of it burned intensely with his longest held dream and goal to be a true Hero. An unshakeable will and resolve to grow and take hold of that seemingly impossible goal had manifested within Bell, and in response, his Falna created a possibility for him.

Liaris Freese

-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 this time around, Zeus told Bell not only of Heroic tales, but of his own exploits from Greek Mythology!

You’ve probably noticed the slight changes already! This Bell is not so easily flustered!

But a desire to wield Lightning like the God from his grandpa’s stories has resulted in Bell gaining a Magic straight away. An Elemental Enchantment not unlike Ais’s own.

He’s already met lovely ladies, and now has gotten the attention of three of Loki Familia’s top women!

How will this Bell, Zeus’s favored child that wields his most notable power, continue to develop on his path to being a Hero?

Orario is about to see the rise of another Magical Swordsman, one of Lightning!

Let me know what you thought!

Until next time, later!